Looking for happy

Dearest friends,

Started this post with "I've been in a slump" but thought, maybe I should check the meaning of being in a slump.

Here's what Celestine Chua from Personal Excellence wrote:

Slump: A period of decline or deterioration, during which a person performs slowly, inefficiently, or ineffectively. 

After a while, you feel drained. Since nothing you do amounts to anything, you feel like doing nothing. Eventually, you turn to sleep for comfort, hoping that everything will be better when you wake up. 

and these days, I can't even count on sleep for comfort because of shoulder pain!  :) It's getting better, I promise.

this is not my coffin, it's Mama's old cedar chest. So, I went about the house looking for things that make me feel happy. The chest makes me happy, oh, and so does my favorite old china cabinet...

Think it could hold a few more pieces? A few of these were gifts from dear blogging friends...the small pink pitcher from Diane, and the two beautiful teacups and saucers (sitting on top, center shelf) were from Sharon. The bunny bowls from Andee...

Oh, my sweet little bunnies. I still miss my real bunnies.

The little wall cabinet filled with teeny tiny pieces makes me happy...

Oh, how could I not feel happy, looking inside Mama's old cedar chest at some of the things she embroidered...

These pillowcases are my favorite! There was a dime store in the little town of Vass, not far from where Mama lived. They carried lots of embroidery items. When I spent the night with her, we would go there and pick out something special to embroider. 

I picked out a set of pillowcases to embroider that had flowers and birds...

but my embroidery was just not as pretty as Mama's work so after finishing her beautiful pillowcases, she finished the little blue birds. 

This set of pillowcases, I'm still working on, but it has been so long, I don't even know where to find the other one. :(

I have lots of other embroidery pieces...some very old, picked up at yard sales over the years. I used to love embroidering dresser scarves.

This one had pink lace crocheted onto the scarf. That must have been so hard to do!

More pieces from the old chest...

When Mama was old enough to leave home and get a job in the nearby town of Ashboro NC, she bought this beautiful cedar chest and made monthly payments on it. Her first big purchase. 

Gosh, if you're still here, thank you!  I've missed you.

Love,

Henny

 

Catching up, once again!

Poor little plum tree, all dressed up in blossoms thinking spring has arrived...

and who could blame her? Warm sunny days, temperatures reaching 80 degrees! Of course today is cloudy and cold...

with a hard freeze warning for Saturday and Sunday nights. North Carolina I love you but your weather can be so unpredictable!

Several years ago a friend gave me two plum tree sprouts and I planted them near the garden. First year ever the one has blooms. I promise you one thing, it will be covered before Saturday night gets here. :)

Hey friends, 

Back at the computer and feeling some better. The MRI showed arthritis in my neck, bulging disc, pinched nerve, and bone spur. The doctor said, in two weeks, after more physical therapy, if pain and numbness is still in my arm and hand, we will talk about an injection in my spine to reduce swelling...surgery as a last resort.

I've been working awfully hard at physical therapy and doing the exercises at home and honestly can finally feel  a difference. So thankful!

The wild blueberry. Are things budding out where you live? Oh gosh! I need a warm blanket that will cover five acres. Wonder if Amazon has one, they have everything else. :)

Have I shown you our sweetie pies lately? Well here's big Eli...

and a half way decent picture of our sweet Ellie...

Ellie is the hardest dog ever! to get a good picture of, unless of course...

it's early morning before I get the bed made. This girl is rarely still!

We have lots of moss growing in the yard, lots more moss than grass, I'm sorry to say. On my way to the little greenhouse this morning I noticed these patches of moss...

Not my favorite colors but certainly different. Gosh, I need sunshine and warm days, don't you?

Guess I've rambled on about nothing long enough so here's where I will say goodbye for now...if you're still here.  Oh, couple more things...

Cousin Patty gave me a chair. You know how she is always sending me something. Well, I like this little chair...

It sits nicely here by the bed in my teeny tiny sewing room. Thank you Pat.

and speaking of the teeny tiny sewing room...I've simply got to get back to sewing. Simply got to!!! I miss being in the sewing room at night. 

Oh, and I meant to show you these hen saddles, or aprons...

Trouble is, they didn't work. These protect the hen's back. Realized after getting  one on the hen's back, it's the little red hen's wings that need doctoring. Duh.  We bought some blue salve that prevents other hens from pecking her wounds. 

Okay, I'll hush now.

Love,

Henny