One Day, When I Was a Feelin' Crafty....

Well, today I was fer sure feelin' crafty. A few weeks ago I discovered Pinterest, and my crafty gear kicked in and hasn't down-shifted yet.

Another trait I inherited from Kathern (Neno) is the pack-rat syndrome. I save stuff, much to the chagrin of my husband who says, "You're never gonna use that junk." I always reply, "Oh, I will someday." Well, today was someday.

When we cleaned out Kathern's storehouse after she left this world, we found stacks and stacks of plastic cottage cheese containers, egg cartons, coffee cans, and Mrs. Butterworth's bottles (among a stash of other goodies). She lived through the Great Depression, when Americans didn't have a disposable-take-every-thing-for-granted lifestyle. They used it. They cleaned it. They kept it. And, they used it again. This thrifty lifestyle followed Kathern up to the ripe old age of 91.

Today, it caught up with me. Neno would have been 109 years old now, and would have been proud of me for holdin' on to stuff. For today, I unleashed my inner pack-rat and began unpacking, organizing, and making. And, what I hadn't packed, I picked, at yard sales and thrift stores.

So...Here's what I did today.

I organized my supplies. They were getting out of control, stacked all over kitchen counters and the dining room table. I hauled up an old cabinet I'd been keeping, and filled it with baskets and other containers I've accumulated over the years. I drug in the old Coke crate out of the garage, thinking, "what a good way to store pencils, markers, glue, scissors, and other necessities." Then I added an old magazine rack I bought at a flea market a year or so ago, (not having a clue then what I would use it for; I just knew I would need it). It holds all the cards I've received, that I recycle, reuse, then re-card. I also added a Velveeta box to one section of it where I collect odd little things that I'll use, I just don't know what for yet (i.e., half of a small bouncy ball; it will surely make a good nose for something). I kept the drawers from Kathern's cabinets, and that is what you see above the Coke crate. The slots that used to hold silverware, now hold stickers, Modge-Podge, a Mason jar full of buttons, and an old milk bottle with rose petals...the first flowers my husband sent me (before he was my husband; about 22 years ago). I have an enamel pot hanging to the left; I plan to put magnets there as needed.

Then, I moved to the opposite wall. I had to come up with something to hold the stuff I am working on. You know...those ideas you get when you're at a garage sale, you buy something, bring it home, and in a year, maybe more-maybe less, you'll do something with it? I don't have a saw, so building a shelf today (and it had to be done today!) was out of the question. So what was the next best thing that didn't require construction, particularly sawing? A PEACH CRATE! Yes, I hung a peach crate on the wall.

And on this peach crate is a lamp base I got at a thrift store. I'm not quite finished with it. It also holds some other "ideas" that I'm a workin' on (spoken in true-Kathern-Ozarks hill talk).

Well, this is it for now. I've got lotsa "thangs I'm a workin' on." More later!

Ol' Dan Tucker...A True Treasure

Ol’ Dan Tucker was a fine ol’ man, warshed his face in a fryin’ pan
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel
Died with toothache in his heel.

Git ou’ the way, Ol’ Dan Tucker, he’s too late ta git his supper
Supper’s over, dinner’s a cookin’, Ol’ Dan Tucker just stand there a lookin’.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard Neno sing Ol’ Dan Tucker, I’d be a wealthy woman. Then, I’d give all that wealth to go back in time and record her singing it at least once. And while I was at it, I’d record her low-toned, gruff voice singing Honky Tonk Angels. That was one of her favorites too.

Since I don't have a recording of her, the next best think is Andy and Opie Taylor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TafH4ElW-mY&feature=related

And here is Kitty Wells, and Honky Tonk Angels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKleTa94dC8&feature=related

There was something about music that Kathern loved; something that made certain songs dear to her heart. And, certain instruments seemed to pique her interest as well, the guitar (git-tar, emphasis on the "git") and the fiddle. Not violin---fiddle.

More than once I packed her, in that old brown Impala of hers, to Green Forest to a "music party" as she liked to call them. In a little building on the square, about twenty or thirty old-timers gathered and drank coffee and listened to music, played by silver-haired men, and occasionally, a stocking-wearing granny woman.

I can’t count the times I sat in her living room as a little girl and watched the Porter Wagoner show. I was mesmerized by his brightly-colored, jewel-bedazzled jackets, and Neno was proud as punch to claim that Porter was from Missouri. "Forty miles back in Missouri there’s a different way of life....."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4xuoEg5zFU&feature=related

And, Hee Haw was a weekly ritual for Kathern as well. I am convinced that Grandpa Jones was her favorite, especially when he’d talk about what was for supper. Surely she liked him best because he was always having something for supper that she’d had as a child...and as a grown woman! Hill people were resourceful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR3kI_LHMDI

As much as she loved the sound of music, she loved the sounds of the hills and taught me to love and appreciate them too. "Listen to that ol’ hoot owl Marci," she’d say. Or, "Hear that ol’ whippoorwill? He’s a hollerin’ for his mate."

I believe that growing up with her is the reason why I love the sound of a ticking clock, and the sound of an eight-day clock striking its bell every hour, once for every hour it was counting. The sound of that clock was a welcome breaking of the silence, usually followed by a sigh from Neno at another hour gone by. I now wonder if the elderly see the passing of time as one hour closer to the end of life.

I also inherited a random sense of rhythm, and long fingernails from Neno. She had long nails, and so do I, despite the fact I don’t drink a drop of milk. She would tap them on the wooden section of the arm of her green chair. Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. But it was a rolling tap. She’d start with her pinky nail, then ring finger, then middle, then index, to create one tap. Then, she’d switch and tap from the other direction. I find myself mindlessly doing the same thing on the door handle, while I am riding the in car.

Ol’ Dan Tucker, Honky Tonk Angels, fiddle music, Porter Wagoner, Hee Haw and rhythm, and Neno. I am a wealthy woman.

The Old Soul Poem

Written in memory of Neno, Great-Grandma Groves, Nanny, Grandma Smith, and in honor of my mom, Patrica Kay Groves Smith.

The Old Soul Poem

Somewhere inside me is an elderly soul,

And many are the women who have helped me feel old.

I mean this in love not in anguish or jest

For grandmothers and greats who are now at their rest.

Their wisdom and peace-did they know they’d impart?

Some I never met, but they are dear in my heart.

My great-grandmother, the minister’s wife;

Had she any idea how she’d impact me for life?

Though I never knew her on this earthly soil

I am told on her knees at the altar she toiled

For loved ones and friends to know her dear Lord,

And to meet later on in Heaven’s reward.

She sang praises aloud as she strummed her guitar;

A gift that bequeathed to generations afar,

Down the line three or four; it’s really not odd.

The Word tells us that children are the heritage of God.

Then another great woman whom I knew very well

Taught me many fun sayings that I still like to tell:

Ducks on June bugs, Cox’s army, and old Carter’s pills

Live on in my mind and escape my lips still.

A fondness for old things, saving pennies and dimes;

Being with her was the very best of times.

Hair sets on the weekend,  going to the store;

I pray her into my dreams so I can see her once more.

She wouldn’t miss church if it was in her power

And many a Sunday, I’d drive her the half hour

To hear hellfire and brimstone, and pay her meager tithes

Oh how I’m thankful she was ever so wise.

Then there was Nannie, I guess I’m honored a bit

To have acquired from her some of my smart-alec wit.

From her I learned embroidery and crochet,

And never to smoke, because it takes breath away.

Sucking on cigarettes made breathing a chore

And we couldn’t do the things we’d done together before

Like walking the tracks and going to town

Had it not been for tobacco, she might still be around.

Then there was Grandma, the onliest one

Who lived in the city, which seemed kind of fun.

A single mom way before it was common

Taking care of her son, to that she did cotton.

A pride in her heart comparable to none

Was the gift she was given in my father, her son.

Working hard for your money, helping those in need

Were gifts that she gave me, priceless indeed.

Of course there’s my mother who has the patience of Job

The perpetual caretaker of all in her globe.

To pray without ceasing in Jesus good name

Is the jewel she gave me in the prize of life’s game.

To this day these women live on in my days,

And in the lives of my daughters, and their unique ways.

I’m nostalgic for all things from those days gone by

And I remember and recall with a smile and a sigh

These women who touched me and molded my heart

And showed me my Lord who set me apart

For His service and praise, though I’m really quite flawed

Thanks be to my maker, my redeemer, my God.

Somewhere inside me is an elderly soul

And many are the women who have helped me feel old.

©Marci Linson 2010

The Junk Stops Here!

I have decided that if I can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. My daughters are totally NOT neat freaks, so I’m not gonna be one either.

Sorry. I can’t quite wear the uniform for the "pig" team. I love my daughters, but we lovingly refer to them as pigs around here, due to their hog-pen way of life in their bedrooms. If clothes on the floor were mud, they’d be wollerin’ around in it all the time. Minus the smell, of course.

While I’m not an over-the-top, wig-out-if-there’s-a-hair-out-of-place neat freak, I do like for things to be at least nice, somewhat neat, and orderly.

My youngest daughter believes the utility room hall alcove area is her personal space for her shoes, backpack, basketballs, and duffel bag. Well, this ol’ sow got sick and tired of seeing my little piggy’s junk all over the place first-thing when I walk in the door. Despite my attempts at getting her to organize herself, it didn’t work. And before you judge me and say "My kid wouldn’t do that or I’d take this or that away, etc., " let me just say "Bull." We all live cluttered lives, if we’d be honest about it.

So, I decided to help her out just a bit by decorating her drop-off point just inside the door.

In the last couple of years I discovered vinyl sentiments, like those available from Uppercase Living, and retailers like Kohl’s and Michael’s. My favorite feature about Uppercase Living is, in addition to the thousands of designs and sentiments available, you can custom create your own removable expression. And that’s what I did for my daughter’s junk space.

The junk stops here!

I don’t have a before picture, but prior to my creative spell, the wall was painted a simple off-white, and I had a little wire shoe rack placed in the center.

I painted the wall a green color, called Crocodile Tears, available at Lowe’s. After it dried, I applied my new sentiment, The junk stops here! The sentiment was created in an off-white color.

Then, I took a sofa-type table I had that I wasn’t using, and painted its legs a creamy, off-white (they were forest green). The off-white really popped against the table's pine-colored top!

Then, I added a couple of baskets (from Target) that had been given to me as a housewarming gift a few years ago.

So, while it is still fairly cluttered, at least it’s a somewhat cute clutter. The only money I had in this project was the cost of the sentiment from Uppercase Living, which was probably around $15.00, and a quart of paint.

Other decorating projects I’ve done in the utility room (we might as well make work fun, right?) include hanging this cute "antiques" sign. My sister picked it up for me at a thrift store, as is! It is an old window, and had a lace template background painted on it, topped with a stencil of the word antiques.

Then, on the opposite wall, I hung a quilt rack (which was also a gift). On it, I fashioned a close line out of jute, then hung my mom’s doll quilt and dress on it. Also shown are vintage granny bonnets, two of which actually belonged to Kathern! I knew I could fit her into this posting somewhere! She actually wore that polka-dotted one when she’d go get clothes in off the line. On the top, I placed a few knick-knacks I had laying around the house.

Then, on my door, you can see I affixed a laundry sign, again, an Uppercase Living design. If you’re interested in Uppercase Living products, I have two friend who are consultants. Check them out! Dee Dolloff, http://deed.uppercaseliving.net/home.m, or Kelly Silvy, http://ksilvy.uppercaseliving.net/home.m. (hot links below). Both of these gals are great, I have bought from each of them!

Have fun making your dreary work areas and clutter spots fun places that really aren’t so bad after all!

Love, and happy junking and decorating!

Marci

http://deed.uppercaseliving.net/home.m
http://ksilvy.uppercaseliving.net/Home.m

Kathern’s Candor and Quirkiness

I thought so much of my great-grandmother, and miss her so much, that I sometimes pray and ask God to please let me dream about her just so I can see her.

In my first post, I explained a little about Kathern, and some of her quirks that endeared her to me so much.

Well, I’m about to unload a few more tidbits about my take-no-prisoners, good-as-gold, you-ain’t-a-tellin’-me-nothin’, great-grandmother.

Oh lordy, she was a hoot! I have always loved the way that the elder set says it just like they see it. You see, she was always elder to me. When I was born, she was 64, and I spent a TON of time with her from then until she died, when she was 91. With Kathern, it was what it was, and that was all there was to it. The truth wasn’t bad, it was simply the truth.

Truth, combined with being hard of hearing can be a bad thing though. Of course, Kathern in her older years, became unable to hear as well as she once could. And, typically, when she would whisper she would do so in a "whisper-ey" tone of voice, but in a hush so loud that it would wake the dead. Case in point.

We were sitting in Sunday service one morning at Bowman Pentecostal Church. Of course, if Kathern didn’t recognize someone, she would move heaven and earth asking questions until she found out the identity.

Well, this large--really large--overweight woman was sitting in the pew right in front of us. And, as fate, miserable fate, would have it, Kathern had "ta know who it was, and needed to know rat now!" Keep in mind, that about two feet separated our pew from the pew of the "unknown woman." In her low, hushed, raspy whisper, in the middle of the church service, at a moment when it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, Kathern leaned over to me (not that she needed to) and said, "Who is that great ol’ big fat woman up there?"

At the time, I was probably about 19 or 20 years old. I was mortified. I wanted to crawl under the pew, and go apologize profusely the to the great ol’ big fat woman, but all I could manage to do was to mouth the words to my great-grandmother, "Sshhhh, I’ll tell you later," to which she replied, in the same loud whisper, "Whaddya say sister?" Oh my word.

Then there was the time I brought a college friend over to her house for a visit. She’d already met Luann once, but of course, I reminded Kathern who Luann was when we got to the door. Kathern, aka Neno, greeted Luann with a, "Well honey, you’re a little bit bigger than the last time I saw you." Thank heavens Luann was a good sport and fond of the elderly like I was.

Of course that reminds of the time I was expecting my first child. Neno’s first cousin, Earnestine Riley, attended church with us. Neno had been gone for about six months by the time I started to show. I was at the piano at church, back facing the congregation, my usual spot on Sunday mornings. Earnestine hugged me after church and exclaimed in a sincere voice as sweet at honey, "Oh Marci, your bottom-end is just blossoming all over that piano bench." She was about eighty-five years old at that time. She could totally say that and get away with it. :)

What was it with these sweet old women and their all-too-keen observance of other women's weight?

And if things weren’t just the brutal truth, they were extremely urgent and dramatic at times. Once, as I was taking Neno grocery shopping, a group of about twenty motorcyclists passed us on Highway 76 by the Hillbilly Inn. Neno exclaimed, right hand gripping the door handle, and left hand pressed firmly into the console as if she were about to be pinned to the wall, "Oh my God it’s the Hell’s Angels!"

She was truly alarmed. About twenty years earlier, it was told that several from the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang came to nearby Rockaway Beach and wreaked havoc on the little lake town. Neno was certain this covey of cycles, which were probably Honda Goldwings, was in town to do the same.

I drove her many times, to get groceries, in her brown Chevrolet Impala. We didn’t just go to one grocery store. No; we had to go to the Piggly Wiggly, Hart’s Supermarket, then Consumers. If she could get a can of pork and beans at Hart’s for a penny less than at Piggly Wiggly, you can bet your bottom dollar we were there! Never mind we’d suck forty times the savings in gas, but looking back, I wouldn’t trade that running around for anything.

Yes, she was a hoot. I think it’s time to say goodnight now; maybe I’ll have sweet dreams of my great-grandmother, if the Lord allows. Nighty night all. :)
　

Fun Use for an Old Kitchen Drawer

I salvaged this drawer from Kathern's house before it was torn down. Still makes me nauseous, weepy, and sentimental to know that old house is part of landfill now. But nothing in this life is permanent on this earth.

Anyway, I hung this drawer on a wall in my utility room as a primitive, fun, decorative piece.


Neno's old silverware and utility drawer.


It hasn't been the easiest "trinket" shelf to fill, as you can see it's spaces are long and narrow. I usually don't get in big hurry to fill spaces like this, because you never know when, and what, you will find that will be just the perfect thing.

For starters, I just looked around my house, acting like it was a store I'd never been in before. I call that, "making the familiar unfamiliar." So, I added a little milk bottle full of the petals of the first roses my husband gave me (before we were married). Then, on the bottom, I affixed the label off of an old apple crate, and added an old Springfield Grocer's notebook. Later, I added the vase of dried roses on top (quite honesty because I didn't know what else to do with them and didn't want to trash them yet).

Now, I have three spaces left to fill, so I eagerly look for just the right thing on my flea market and junkin' trips.

Don't have an old house from which you can scavenge a drawer? Never fear, look at flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales. And my tip for flea marketing? Never pass one up, no matter how dirty or junky it looks. My favorites are the ones which have lots of junk and clutter on the outside; you never know what you will find, and usually at a pretty good price. And, don't be afraid to make an offer. What's the worst thing that will happen? They'll say no, shoot you another price, and more often than not, it will be a price you can live with.



Neno's Order notebook-Springfield Grocers,
Springfield, Missouri.

 Another thing I saved from Neno's kitchen cabinets was the hardware (drawer pulls). If you look at the picture of me doing dishes (on the sidebar of the blog page), you'll see round knobs about an inch and 3/4 round. Today, these knobs are the hardware on my daughters' cabinets in their bathroom. I'd post a picture of that, but, most of the time, their bathroom is uninhabitable, so I'm just gonna pass on that one.

Happy creating today; never dismiss something, like an old drawer, as useless. Have fun making the familiar unfamiliar!

Things I Have Learned-Part Two

I have learned

that most people contradict themselves fairly regularly.

that the very thing you say you’ll never do is usually right around the corner, and you’ll do it.

that we should never say “never,” but we do.

that gossip and idle chatter are cancerous and bitter; and we should be ashamed for engaging in such talk, especially when people have cancer for real. The stuff gossiped about just doesn’t matter.

that we shouldn’t use the Lord’s name in vain, especially if we are Christians.

that people can be fickle, but God is always faithful.

that I should learn from my mistakes, and the mistakes of others.

that if we say “I don’t mean to pry,” we really mean to pry.

that you can pass a car on Highway 86 and by the time you get to 65, the car you passed will pull up right beside you. Lotta good that did ya!

that sometimes we just make mistakes, and when we do we should just be truthful about it.

that sometimes there’s nothing better than a long, cold drink of water.

that I can’t wait to go on vacation, only to really need to get back in a regular routine.

that yelling like a crazy person at my child’s sporting events really makes me appear like a total idiot, and does nothing to help anything (this is why I line judge all my daughter’s volleyball games). Too bad I’m not licensed to call basketball.

I have learned that it’s really unfortunate that I have to call lines during volleyball games to maintain myself control. Yes, I said “myself control.”  Hehe!  I practice “myself control.”

I have learned that the saying “Those who can do, and those who can’t teach,” is a bunch of hooey. And, whoever coined that phrase should be strung up by his or her toenails in a hallway full of smelly seventh and eighth graders on a hot September afternoon. Those who teach CAN handle that, my friends.

That’s all for now. Goodnight.

©2010 Marci Linson

Things I Have Learned......

I have learned…

that if you live in a small town, and you weren’t born and raised there, you will always be an outsider.
that generally, people like rules, until the rules apply to them.
that there are exceptions to every rule, and most people believe they are that exception.
that many people believe in the will of God, until the will of God differs from their own.
that there will always be someone working harder, stronger, and longer than me.
that not everyone shares the same level of commitment to that which they have committed.
that there are people who aren’t overly concerned with treating others in a Christ-like manner; until they themselves believe they have been treated poorly.
that it isn’t always popular or easy to do the right thing.
that children often repeat what they hear their parents say.
that often we want greatness, but most of the time don’t exert the great effort required to achieve it.
that we can become so focused on winning that we fail to learn, allowing victory without learning to become a loss; such an irony.
that there is something to be learned from every life situation in which we find ourselves.
the body of Christ is not restricted to the four walls of a building with a steeple on the roof, and should never be.
that I am not always right.
that at the end of the day, most politicians get themselves in positions in which they don’t work for the good of the people who elected them.
there are always two sides to every story.
you never know what’s going on behind the scenes to contribute to the way things are.
that we all make choices; some good, some bad, and there are consequences; some good, some bad.
that people often have good intentions, but sometimes cause unintended negative consequences.
that some people are just on a power trip. That’s all.
that you need to recognize when people are on a power trip and just see it for what it is.
that KU and MU will always hate each other on this earth; but in the world to come, who really cares?
that sometimes you just have to say no.
that sometimes you just have to ditch the guilt.
that the church with the four walls and the steeple is for Christians; the church outside that building is for Christians and everyone else (and probably has a greater impact).
that not everyone is capable of doing college level work, but everyone should be capable of being successful.
that high levels of education do not always equate with success.
that people with, or without, high levels of education and who also let you know how smart they think they are, are really annoying.
that possession of great wealth does not guarantee happiness.
that we should never compare ourselves to others, but we do it anyway.
that you are never the only one who can do whatever it is you can do.
that our children will always claim they are the only ones in their class that don’t get to do “whatever,”
that “whatever” is a necessary word if you are mad.
that you can never go into Wal-Mart for just one thing.
that when something tragic happens, people unfortunately have a way of making it all about themselves.
that the express lane at Wal-Mart will never be fast enough.
that hindsight is 20/20, and man, I have done some really stupid things.
that some people just like to gripe and be whiney.
that people will always talk behind the backs of others, and it will come to light; it always does.
that words can really hurt someone’s feelings.
that people have opinions of other people, but at the end of the day, those opinions usually don’t matter.
that some are pleased with mediocrity.
that people will be jealous; it stinks, but it’s true.
that when you have children, their well-being is all that matters.
that there is a fine line, or a big difference, however you choose to view it, between spoiling your kids and looking out for their well being.
that my great-grandmother cooked everything in lard and hot fat, and never had a heart problem.
that participation in athletics strives to teach commitment, dedication, respect, perseverance, teamwork, selflessness, and how to be a good winner, and a good loser.
that parents sometimes suck the life out of those lessons without even knowing it.
that my parents really did know what they were talking about.

©2010 Marci Linson

Remake your Mantle!

This spring we had rain in southwest Missouri for-EVER. I began to think I was suffering from season affective disorder due to the lack of sun. I was craving the bright colors of the daffodils, and the slowly-waking tulips to add some cheer to the dreary landscape. Spring couldn't get here fast enough to suit me, so I took matters into my own hands. As Kathern would have said, "I'va got ta have some spring and I'va got ta have it rat now!"

So since spring wouldn't come on fast enough outside, I hurried it up inside and remade my mantle. Here is a picture of my mantle before:

Look closely at the two red-colored candles. See the holders they are sitting in? Those are light fixtures! They came from Kathern's house in Hollister, Missouri. But that's a decorating tip for another time with another photo.

Look at that mantle! Ick! Busy, cluttered, drab, and in dire need of help. And to think, when I first arranged it that way, I liked it. Oh well, like they say, it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind. Guess that's why we like rearranging furniture so much! :)


Well, I wasn't quite sure about what to do to liven up my mantle, I just new I needed something light, bright, and airy. I stumbled across an old issue of Country Living where a room was decorated in tone on tone, white, off white, light beige, etc., and I really liked that. At last; I had an idea for my mantle remake.
Yee haw!
So, here is my after picture of my mantle: it turned out alright! The biggest sore thumb on the mantle before was the cherry stain. Nice for winter and fall, but not the most uplifting color when you're trying to lighten things up!

So, I used an off-white table runner with a scalloped edge to cover the mantle. No purchase necessary; I already had the runner, and wasn't using it at the time. I played with it for a while, positioning it and holding it in place with anything I could find to weight it down. Then, I folded the ends of the runner around each end of the mantle, much like when you are gift wrapping a box.  When I got it situated to where I was satisfied, I simply fastened the folds and tucks in place with straight pins. Nothing stitched, so nothing to rip out later if I want to return the runner to its original use.

I kept the candle holders, but replaced the old candles with new white ones. I ditched the mirrors and will haul them out again for another project! I kept the dried hydrangeas, but instead put them in a shorter vase, which is actually a little pitcher in the Star of David pattern. Yep, that was Neno's pitcher. :)

I found a simple but elegant, reasonably priced white, silk-rose floral arrangement at TJ Maxx, and underneath all the toppings, but above the runner, if you look close you'll see layers of tone-on-tone lace runners and doilies.

Of course, I kept the Home sentiment; I picked that up at Lowe's a few years ago for $8.00. The only things I bought new were the floral arrangement, and the white candles. And, I'm happy to report, I had a fun time remaking my mantle!

I hope you are inspired to liven up your living room! And always, feel free to share your ideas with me! I am always rearranging and redecorating something!

Love,
Marci





Practical Junkin'....

Light in the darkness...

When I go to flea markets, antique shops, and thrift stores, I look for all kinds of stuff, but the practical things that have room for creativity really appeal to me.

Take this wall sconce, for example. I found a pair of these at a thrift store for a dollar. Yes, one little ol' dollar. When I got them, they were a burnished, icky, brassy looking color. Well, that was nothing a little off-white spray paint couldn't handle. After painting, I rubbed the sconces with some stain to give them a slight antiqued look.

Then, I added taper candles from Wal-Mart in a color that accented my living room decor. I probably have five bucks invested in this little project, including my time. (Guess I'm saying my time isn't worth much, huh?).

Anyway, the practical use for these sconces, besides the fact that they are cute, and cute is definitely practical, is that they serve as emergency lighting. If you've ever lived in southwest Missouri, you know that we have frequent thunderstorms which cause the power to go out on a regular basis.

These sconces, when the candles are lit, provide light to get us through the dark spell. Because they are painted a light color, the flame gives off more light as the light bounces off the sconce....kind of like when you set a candle in front of a mirror.

Hope you enjoyed this idea, and are inspired to find your own inexpensive, cute, emergency lighting. :)

The Grace in Kathern's Kabinet

Kathern's Kabinet
(her china cabinet)

Vintage Kathern
1926

Today, once again, as has been the case for the last several weeks, I found myself thinking about grace and forgiveness. Kathern had a ton of grace in her kabinet, I mean, her heart.

You see, I know from growing up at her footsteps that she had at least one family member who really disliked her. I knew from being around said family member that this dislike was sincere. I was present when Kathern would knock on a door, not to be answered (although the tv was on and it was obvious someone was home). I was there when Kathern would call, only to be hung up on. Why all this occured truly doesn't matter. What does matter is the grace and forgiveness Kathern extended to this person, and to others who distanced themselves from her.

Kathern, (I mean, Neno, and please allow me to use these names interchangebly), while full of vim and vigor and an amazing ability to not take any garbage from anyone,  hurt deeply inside. Although she had a facade that could be intimidating if you didn't know her, inside she was pure-d-old-human (pure-d-old....that's another Neno-ism). Her heart suffered breakage from every avenue imaginable, but somehow many thought that her tough exterior exempted her from having feelings. Not so. Although I didn't see her cry at the heartbreak (it was old  and she was thick-skinned by the time I discovered it), I did see disappointment in her eyes from missing out on the lives of those who distanced themselves, and I heard her pain in the heavy sighs she would breathe when realizing lost time, never to be regained in this life, with those same people.

While she had every reason to be mean and spiteful, she was not. Had any of these people approached her with a need, she would have given them the dress off her back. Yes, dress. Neno never wore pants as long as I knew her. As a matter of fact, Neno gave a home to the one person who despised her the most, when it was needed the most.

From my limited knowledge of this family drama, I deduced that bitterness and spite from an incident that happened moons ago was the lifelong fuel for a fire that never truly experienced extinguishing grace from both parties. Oh, Neno showed grace, but the other side never fully let go of the disdain. As a result, many people missed out on an amazing relationship with an amazing woman. As a matter of fact, I spoke in tribute about Neno at her funeral, and part of this paragraph was the gist of my message. The funeral director (sweet old Walter Cobb, the guy who was never supposed to die but did) told me afterward, in his southern drawl, "Honey, I don't know how you done it. You done good. You got that same bite in the eye that she had." I took it all as a compliment. :)

I suppose my purpose in this posting is to highlight grace. Someone in this life will do you wrong (whether they do or not, you will at least perceive it). You will have two choices; forgive and get over it, or don't forgive and let it fester inside your mind until you are bitter. And, if you choose the latter, the bitterness won't be restricted to just the person toward whom you are bitter.

I can't help but think of the people in Joplin, Missouri, who just a week ago experienced the wrath of an F-5 tornado that flattened a third of the town and killed over 100 people of all ages. I would imagine, prior to that life altering event, people probably had their drama, their squabbles, and dislikes for one another, such as is common in the human race. I can also imagine that after devastation consumed lives and livelihoods in a matter of seconds, drama, squabbles, and dislikes disappeared. They didn't matter anymore.

Last fall, when my hometown experienced the tragic, unexpected death of a beautiful young woman, we all came together and were united like we hadn't been in my history there. People who I perceived as my enemies all of a sudden were fellow grievers with me. Our differences evaporated.

Why does it take a tornado or the untimely death of a young person to get us to the point of forgetting our differences, and extending grace and forgiveness? Until a lifetime has passed, and we are lowing a casket into the ground, we never fully know what failure to forgive has cost us.

At Kathern's funeral I reminded those in attendance (many who hadn't visited her in years) that although they lost their time with her in this life, they could have an eternity with her in heaven. And why is this possible? Because of God's grace, extended to us. Kathern had an enormous amount of grace in her kabinet, and she extended it. Some accepted it happily, others, not so much. And that's the way it is with our Lord.

I can't tell you how happy I am that Neno's life, and little trinkets around her house, impacted my life for the better. Not for perfection mind you, but for the better. She had a brown, chalk-resin plaque over her bedroom door that read, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

I know she wasn't perfect either. I'm certain she had skeletons in her closet. But, there was grace in God's cabinet that she willingly accepted when she gave her life to the Lord. And, as she became more Christ-like as she lived, she extended forgiveness and grace, whether she'd done someone wrong or not.

To me, that's something she did for Christ that will last. God filled Kathern's kabinet with grace, and she gave it away with a willing heart.

Kathern's Kabinet-Take One

Some called her Kate. She hated it. "Kate's a dog's name, and a mule's name, and I don't like it!" This, she'd always exclaim when I asked why she had such a hate for Kate. And, I must admit; I asked her repeatedly because I so enjoyed the emphatic way she declared "Kate's a dog's name...., " brow furrowed, teeth gritted, and voice full of disdain at the thought of being compared to a mule.

While this blog won't always have stories of my great-grandmother (Kathern Elizabeth Thompson (then Snowden, and finally, Noel), it will be full of vintage decorating tips, a fondness for all things elderly, a few photos, all of course inspired by her. And since she is the inspiration, its only right if you know a bit about her.

We called her Neno. She desperately wanted to be called Nanaw, or Mamaw for some reason only known to her sentimental longings at the time. Her many attempts at getting me to repeat the word Mamaw came out Neno, and so from the time I learned to talk that was forever her title.

But her given name was Kathern. No, not Katherine. Kathern. At the turn of the century in the southern Missouri Ozarks, you spelled it like you said it, and they said it Ka-thern. She had a sister named Delia, however, it was pronounced Deal-ie. As in, "What's that dealy you are lookin' at?" Still don't have a clue why they didn't spell that like they said it.

She was born on April the 4th, nineteen-and-two. (Not April 4, 1902). Spoken out distinctly as nineteen-and-two. Just like she always said Mac-Dondald's (emphasis on the Mac), not McDonalds. :) At the ripe old age of 14 she married my great grandfather Frank Snowden, one of a long line of Snowdens who settled in the Oasis/Cedar Valley/Long Creek area of extreme southern Taney County in Missouri. To this union was born my grandmother Chloey, and her siblings Eula, Clinton, and Carl.

The marriage between my great-grandparents wasn't the best; she never shared many details, because quite frankly, it wasn't proper to divulge such information back in the day when divorce was not the unfortunate standard operating procedure it is today. At some point after this marriage ended, Neno married Perry Noel, and I, before I was even born, acquired another great-grandfather to love, and be loved by.

Neno and Perry cared for me like I was their own. They bought my piano when I was eight years old. She helped me start my hope chest with a set of Pink Recollection dishes (a remake of pink depression glass). I remember when I was little, she and Perry would say, "When you're sixteen, I'ma gonna have me a driver."

The things they said when I was small helped shape the personality I have today. Perry would often quote, after I'd done something goofy, "Sich a young'n, sich a young'n, sich a young'n." And of course I'd repeat that to the tune of "Such an onion, such an onion, such an onion."

Neno would declare, when she was much older and the urgency to go to the bathroom was really urgent....."I'va got to go to the toilet and I'va a got to go rat now!" (Rat, so you can fully understand how the word "right" sounds in grandma-hillbilly-speak).

She grew up, rather survived, the great-depression, hence her insistence at saving EVERYTHING which has passed right on down to the fourth generation. And yes, I'm talking about some of the stuff she saved (like Mrs. Butterworth bottles, egg cartons, and orange Foremost cottage cheese containers), and also this need to NOT part with anything.

From Neno I learned to appreciate the simple things in life like a clump of blooming irises, a primitive rock flower bed around a giant oak tree, and a wildly blooming forsythia bush in the spring. Because of Neno, I crave the sounds of tree frogs and crickets at dusk, the call of the whiporwill, and the lonesome cry of a hoot-owl (yes, hoot-owl, not just owl).

Because of her, I have created this blog, Kathern's Kabinet. When I was in college, I'd go to her house many mornings where she'd serve me up two fried eggs, over-easy, bacon, and buttered toast. We'd sit in that kitchen for hours while she told me the history of the pretties in her china cabinet, and whatever else she had on her mind.

Some of these discussions I've chronicled in poetry, some in pictures, and some I still chroncle in the way I decorate my home.

Many of these things, and much more, I hope to bring to life for you in this blog. She was funny, she was practical, and I loved her dearly.

So, stay tuned, and open the doors to Kathern's Kabinet with me! I hope you enjoy and are inspired!

Love,
Marci