Simple Joys.......

Every morning Louis Dean and I have coffee together while we read the Bible and then our books.

I read Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly out loud and then I read - for myself - The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie and......

.......Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Embracing Joyful Simplicities was the title for today and I totally EMBRACE that idea!!

I often say, "It doesn't take much to make me happy!"

It's a good philosophy to have and makes living 'Life' so much easier and definitely HAPPIER!

One of the simple pleasures I enjoy is re purposing things!

This is a quilt I started back in the summer of 2013 and meant to have it made by my 65th birthday.

I am now 66 but am determined to finish it before starting any other sewing projects!

I have sewn many, MANY denim quilts but this is the first one I have done for ME!

Just as the rain began to move in to North Texas this afternoon, Louis Dean and I drove over to Fort Worth to help celebrate my brother's 60th birthday!!!!

We all met at his house and took this opportunity to take our picture together!!

Left to right:

Nita, Lonnie, Deanie and I am in the center.

Lonnie is the youngest.

We four grew up together - although all of us girls married while we were in our teens.

We have two younger sisters who were separated from us - and who did not grow up together - but that's a whole other story!

We joked that this was a special occasion which did not not involve a funeral, or a wedding or multiple births!!!! We are grateful to have each other and just as grateful that we all survived our childhood!

Oh, the stories we could tell!!! And we DID tell some of them tonight - but only to each other - and our spouses!!

I love Lonnie's expression when he received a Broccoli Rice Casserole as a birthday gift from Nita!!!

Deanie gave him a Food Survival Kit........

I gave him a HUG!!!

I am all about the SIMPLE things!!!

We went out to eat at Los Vaqueros in the Stock Yards area of Fort Worth.

We had so much FUN!!!!

This is Charlie - Deanie's husband - on the left and Mike - Nita's husband - on the right!

Happy Birthday, Lonnie!!!

Good food and good times!!!

Lonnie and his beautiul wife and their precious granddaughter are at the far end.

Now Louis Dean is in the pic but you can't see Lonnie!

Deanie made the reservations for us and requested Mac - she and Deanie go way back!

Lots and lots of laughing!

She was pretty cute and certainly kept Louis Dean entertained!!!!

Lonnie and his Katy Bug!!!

One more 'Happy Birthday, Lonnie!'

Lonnie calls her Katie BUG and she calles HIM 'Poppy!'

Nita pointed out the boot painting!

You know I am developing a real interest in these!

It was SUCH a fun time!!!

This was the first time I've been out of the house since Tuesday and the first day I have dressed WITH make up and a hair do - of sorts - since Wednesday!

LD and I went over to Nita's and Mike's house for a visit before we came home.

I miss seeing her house every week  now that Mother lives with Deanie.

Nita and Mike are both collectors and have such unique things - many with personal history!

Take this towel, for instance!

Mike's grandmother crocheted the basket and sewed it to this towel.

She then crocheted a trim along the edges of the matching wash cloth and tucked it into the basket!

His grandmother did this in the 1940's and sadly, she was killed by a drunk driver in 1952. They lived in Clarendon, Texas.

Nita had this professionally cleaned and will keep it in a glass covered shadow box in their main bathroom. Priceless! 

Now just LOOK at this!!!!!

It is a woven blanket that is 200 years old - and in such beautiful condition!!!

This, too, came from Mike's family.

Grandpa Brown is pictured on the left by the horse and his wife is between the two little girls - right above the arrow.

 Mike's grandmother's grandmother made the cover.

His grandfather's grandfather designed the pattern.

They raised the sheep, sheared them, dried and combed the wool,  SPUN the wool, dyed the wool and then she wove the cover on her loom. She did two pieces the width of her loom and then sewed them together. Can you BELIEVE the quality of this cover and the HISTORY of it???

No one could appreciate it more than Nita and Mike!!!

Once again, Nita will display the treasured cover - which is really quite large -  in a sealed shadow box.

They are having a good time making over the bedroom Mother was using.

 Nita found this beautiful light fixture and fell in love with the yellows and purples in it!

Taking her inspiration from the light, she is decorating the room in these colors!

One more treasure!

It would take days and days to actually SEE all the antiques and beautiful things they have!

Many items are museum quality!

And now that we are ALL senior citizens - does that make US museum quality, too????

Perhaps not - but we ARE priceless!!!!

Simple joys......enjoy them, embrace them, treasure them!!!