Blast From the Past Week

I have spent the past week and a half going through

old family photo albums and while I was doing that,

I started thinking about my blog and how long I have

been taking photos and posting.  I started to wonder ~

 Is it okay to be nostalgic about my own blog?

I started looking at my Picasa web albums and as I

was going through the pics, lots of memories came

flooding back.  Lots of things have happened in my

life over the past five years, some sad, some happy.

Moving, saying goodbye to old friends.  Losing

beloved family members.  Good things have happened

too.  Moving back to Texas and making new friends 

while keeping the old ones back in Idaho and in

other states and cities from my past. 

It's all part of who I am today.  I have shared lots of those moments

with you and am looking forward to sharing the days to come with

you as well.  

As I look through these old albums I am amazed at how many

photos I have taken.  I am onto my third camera since those 

early days.  I have painted and tweaked and decorated and 

created tablescapes for every occasion.  

And ....

I have enjoyed every moment of it!  

So while I am busy with other things this week,

I hope you will enjoy these blast from the past photos

from blog posts gone by.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

This Might Be a Little Bit Crazy But ….

I just celebrated my birthday yesterday.  Yes, it was fun and no I refuse to

admit to any age over 29 :-)  However, I have lived long enough to know that

right after July 18th, August is beating a path to our doors and fall fashions

are everywhere, and summer is pretty much over!

This morning my sweet hubby took off for the club with some buddies to

play 18 holes.  Trust me, he passed up a day in front of the telly watching

the British Open ~ the holy grail of golf in our house, to spend the day

on the links telling tales and trying to keep cool in our really oppressive

south Texas heat.  As I stood in front of my kitchen window over the sink,

I swear I could see a hint of fall headed our way :-)

Of course this is a gross exaggeration because it is blazing hot out there and

I have been running around in my Lilly Pulitzer pinks for weeks now,

but I think I could see it coming!

Bentley and I are at home watching the Hallmark Mystery Movie channel 

while I am on the laptop looking at kiltie loafers.  I must say, I am thrilled

to find so many available because I am a real traditionalist and the kiltie style

loafer is a real favorite of mine.  

I am a fickle person.  When winter has hung around long enough, I am

shopping for spring.  Then summer is on it's way and I am looking at

shorts, sundresses and flip flops.  Honestly ~ I am the queen of flip

flops and sandals.  My beloved "Jacks" are on my feet every day.

But ….

Today I started to think about loafers and sweaters and tweed and

football games and tailgating ….

A little bit crazy I know, but that's just me!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Let's Go Shopping for French Antiques!

We took a quick trip to Houston because we needed to stock up at

Costco and of course go to a favorite restaurant for lunch and stop

at a favorite antique shop too.  I will just let you browse.  Let me 

know your favorites and I will tell you mine.  Enjoy!

Although I love everything, my absolute favorites are:

The Oak Dresser

The Staffordshire Dog

The French Market Basket

Pair of Crystal Sconces

Okay, now let me know what you love.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Sneak Peek Guest Bath

I am still removing wallpaper in the guest bath, but wanted to show you

a little bit of progress I have made with a shade for the window.  I

always get excited about the accessories in a room.  I love, love, love

to layer them on.  I must be channeling Charles Faudree ;-)

I am trying to get as much done as I can before I leave for Chicago

for my Aunt's service.  Bentley will be staying behind in Texas with

his daddy.  

Thank you for all your kind words of sympathy.  It's been a difficult

time.  Her passing was sudden and very unexpected.  My cousins

and I are coping with her loss and are planning a nice way for us

to say goodbye for a while.  It all makes me think we are just

three kids trying to wade through our sorrow and not the three

adults we actually are.  

Wow Us Wednesday

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

My Mystical Vision

On Friday, after finding out my Aunt Susan had just passed away,

I felt such great pain and shed great amounts of tears.  I truly felt that 

my heart, soul and body could not withstand another loss just when 

I had felt the mourning period of the loss of my Mom was coming

to an end.  If ever there was a time when I felt that my very soul was

being ripped out of my body, this was it.  

I cried so hard my body shook uncontrollably.  I kept thinking to 

myself, do I fight against this heartache, or do I just give in and

allow it to engulf me?  I started to believe that if I gave in, I 

would surely die.  

At my very lowest moment, when the pain was so severe and

the choice before me was imminent, I looked before me and had a

vision.  I could see a group of people before me, unrecognizable at 

first, but then their images started to become more clear.  

At first I saw a man, who I recognized from photos, was my

maternal Grandfather.  I had never met him because he died long

before I was born.  Next was my maternal Grandmother who died

when I was quite young, yet I still could make out the image of her

that I remembered.  Then followed three young children who I 

realized were Mary, John and Elinor.  These three were the children

of my grandparents who all passed in their youth.  Then I could 

see my Mom and all of them were welcoming my Aunt to stand with

them.  They all stood in a big group in front of me as if they were

having a family reunion.  They all were saying cheese and smiled

at an invisible camera.  Then suddenly the image just froze.  I felt

a calm come over me.  My body stopped shaking and my tears

started to dry.  Despite my sadness, I knew that I would be okay

and that life would go on and I would make the most of what time

I have left on this earth.  

Then somewhere in the distance I heard a voice whisper to me:

Watch MeGrow

That was my Aunt's motto and I realized the torch was being

passed on to me.  Now it's time for me to carry on that torch

and be the best I can be in their memory.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley