Simply pink from Vermont

Good morning!

I was not going to blog again before we left, but was over at Cindy's beautiful blog http://dwellings-theheartofyourhome.blogspot.com/2011/02/fluff-your-nest-giveaway.html

and just had to let you all know about her lovely Give-Away.

You can click on the above for all the details.

You won't want to miss this and it ends Feb 27th

Please also see the small picture above.

Ok on to Pink Saturday!

Since it is so beautiful out....out least here in Florida
I wanted to post a very simple, but beautiful "pink" picture
taken along the roadside in Vermont on one of our trips.

I so love the simplicity of the setting.....

it deeply touches my "country girl" heart.

Please remember due to vacation starting tomorrow
I will not be able to visit as many of you this week.

Blessings on your week.

Last time we were in New Orleans.

So excited....its been over 5 years!

I am linking with http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Beverly's lovely blog.

Blessings until March 3rd.

Discoveries to Delight Your Days

As I prepare this post there is still 30 minutes left of Valentines Day 2011

Hope you all had a lovely day.

July 1995 is is about

Discoveries to Delight Your Days

"A charmed life is lived in chapters, the way you would read a long novel.....Give

yourself without reservation to the chapter you're on"

Victoria Moran in her book, "Creating a Charmed Life"

Our grandson, Kevin age 5

waiting to give us our Valentines at

Grandparents Day at his school, last Friday.

One delightful discovery is always our grandchildren.

As you can see above, last Friday we had the

honor of being guests at Kevin's school.

After saying goodbye to Kevin, I asked Terry if we could

stop at Back O'The Mill, a lovely store very close to home.

I was hoping to get some of those white chocolate covered pretzels.

While we did not find them, we did make a delightful discovery

of

Vickie's Back O'The Mill Tea Room

12199 Indian Rocks Road

Largo, FL

We always knew there was a restaurant in back of the gift shop.

However, it was always full on weekends when we stopped.

We arrived  about an hour before it closed.

I was charmed by the beautiful lace curtains.

Lace covered shelves with lovely teapots and such.

More prettties.

Terry ordered open face roast beef sandwich

with

applesauce.

I order spinach pie with sprouts

with applesauce and tea bread.

Both meals were delicious.

Dessert was homemade bread pudding with topping.

Too yummy to pass up.

I am so proud of my hubby.

He is the wind beneath my wings, always.

I so love sharing my life and retirement with him.

Sandi asked for our favorite song this week.

Per the above you know it's Wind Beneath My Wings,

If anything describes my hubby it is this beautiful song.

I thank the Lord for his precious gift of love I see every day in my husband's eyes,  his smile

his gentleness, his strength.

He is my hero and everything I want to be.

He is the wind beneath my wings.

We had raspberry ice tea

It was actually hubby's idea to do this picture.

I was so touched when he thought this would make a great picture!

I so agree!

Jackson Square, New Orleans

We have not been back since the Jan before Katrina.

I will not be blogging for the next 10 days or so.

however......

I will miss our Tuesdays and Saturdays together after the

last 5 weeks.

I want to again thank each of my wonderful followers

and

each of you who leaves a lovely comment.

Because of you, my blog is growing.

THANK YOU!

.

Remember, when I reach 100 followers I will have my first Give-away!!!!!

It will be open to anyone who leaves a comment at that time.

It is coming up quicker than I thought possible,

so while we are on a road trip I will be thinking what this Give-Away

will be.

Remember, to look for those

Discoveries to delight your days.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart

Psalm 37:4

Since this is Tuesday, I am linking with

http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

and

http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

If you have not already done so, please visit these inspiring parties hosted by Sandi and Kathy.

Thank you ladies for your graciousness.

My shyit man

Happy Valentine's Day!

Be very careful what you pray for.

 God knows your deepest needs.

 HE can turn the worst situations of your life into the greatest blessing.

Let's go back to Oct. 3, 1993........

We were leaving the restaurant and I started praying......HARD!

I had met this very nice man in church.

He was hearing and also knew sign language.

  After months of sitting next to him in church

daily phone calls (I used TDD phone)

We were on our first date!

BUT.......

I had been married for almost 23 years of my life before this.

And, Terry had a moustache!

So I am praying and praying because no way am I gonna kiss him goodnight on the first date!

My gift from the Lord

The ride from the restaurant to my apartment is all too short.

Still praying......

We pull in....

There are no parking spaces at all!

I take this as a sign from God and......

Before Terry has a chance to  stop the car....

I jump out!

No matter that he looks shell shocked at my actions...

I thank him for a lovely evening as I am running into my apartment!

SAFE!  I was safe inside my apartment.

No matter that my 18 year old daughter who lives with me is calling her sister

in college  and rolling on the floor laughing her heart out!

Nope, I tried the dating thing.....not interested....end of story!

OR WAS IT?

By the next day, I was mortified by my actions.

However, I had never asked for the dating thingy.

Nope......

All I had done was pray....

The day my divorce was final, I came home, sat on the couch

just holding my Bible.....

unable to believe almost 23 years of marriage

had ended in the big "D" word.

Me, the women who so passionately believed in Miracles!

Finally, I just prayed...

"ok, Lord, you allowed my deafness at 39,

7 years later you allowed him to leave....

so can you send me a hearing man who knows how to sign".

That was the one and only prayer I have ever prayed and left entirely to HIM!

Not that I did not believe,

I was thinking of friendship, not dating.

Out to dinner in Sand Key, FL

Not the first date, I think our 9th anniversary.

11 months after that first date, we were married.

Only the Lord who knew my deepest needs could have given me

this wonderful man to walk beside me.

Together we are beautiful balloons flying high in the wind.

I am the balloon itself, I could "float away" on being dreamy, romantic, bubbly

Terry gives me "strings" so I can fly but not get lost among the clouds.

He is my strings.

He will never call attention to himself.

Yet, his support is  always, always there.

He is the wind beneath my wings.

My balloon lights up his life, and....

never give us a dull moment, lol.

we say.....

"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all".

Our private caboose on our Sedona trip.

Yes, he did the "Santa Claus" beard thingy once upon a time, lol

We slept overnight in this caboose in Jackson, TN

Yes, we LOVE tourist trains.

my "shyit" man

I meant to to say "shy, quiet" man.

My word stuck, have used it ever since!

It is my word for the love of my life...

now, always, forever.

FYI

Yes, I lost my hearing at 39, without warning.

For the next 13 years all I heard with two hearing aides

was sonic blip type noises.

Without the aides, there was just the horrible, "smothered in cotton" nothing.

Oct, 1999 I was implanted with a cochlear implant.

On Nov 22, 1999 my implant was "operational".

That night, for the very first time, I heard Terry's voice.

At first, all voices sounded like Donald Duck, but

I heard him.  I took his hands to stop his "signing" to me, and said, 

"just talk to me, I can hear you".

Then I heard his very sexy laughter, sharing his joy with me!

 Christmas 2010
Having fun with family

I am so blessed.

Have 3 wonderful adult children

5 precious grandchildren

my "shyit man"

the ability to "hear" really great one to one

and

wonderful blog friends.......

HE does answer prayer!

Now I am off to read all your wonderful stories of the love of your life!

I am linking with http://mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/

Share your love story.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Pink Valentine's Saturday

Do you have special plans for this weekend?

Love is in the air!

This is actually a closeup of a favorite pillow of mine.

Whatever your plans are for Valentines's Day celebrations.......

I am sending you a beautiful PINK Florida sunset!

I am linking with Beverly at

www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com

 

Somewhere in Time, Antiques and More, Part 2

I apologize for being a day late with part 2 from my favorite store in Brandon, FL

Somewhere in Time

Antiques and More

Two little men in my life, two of my 5 grandchildren, had Grammie's attention the

last two days.

Grammie found out that she is not nearly as young as she was when she had

her own 3 children, lol.

Jacob on the left, Kevin on the right

with Grampa before our trip last Fall

Nope, the last two day were just the boys and Grammie but they are so cute, just had to

post their picture.  Grampa is cute too!

Now onto the eye candy of Somewhere in Time!

Love all the elegance with crystal and beautiful dishes.

A closer view.

Notice the cute vintage towels behind the table?

Beautiful treasures all around.

A closer view of the top of the dresser.

More pretties.

Who doesn't like toile patterns?

Chintz and roses.

Lots and lots to choose frome on these shelves.

There are such delightful spaces just waiting for you

to find your treasure.

More choices.

Another lovely section filled with goodies.

Would you like to see the table close up?

Love the gold rimmed crystal.

Another wonderful section to browse and find treasures.

This ends part 2. Please remember that this store is quite large and this is

only a sampling of all the magnificient items.

If you followed my blog, when the name was Romantic Cottage Dreamer,

you will remember the posts showing various treasures I had

found at Somewhere In Time.

I so love this store and all it has to offer.

Tomorrrow I will do the final segment showing even more wonderful items to be found.

See you then.

Romance of Hats

Mysterious heroine, fetching romantic,

elegant sophisticate, dazzling bride - with a hat a woman

accepts the invitation to become a poet.........

Back cover of Victoria, The Romance of Hats

Such a delightful little Victoria book.

Book surrounded by several vintage issues showing hats on their covers.

July 1990

January 1991

July 1993

June 2000

October 1994

August 1994

August 1990  My favorite hat on these covers.

My own love of hats goes back from growing up in the 50's.

Hats and gloves were always part of my life.

I was in high school when Jackie Kennedy gave new meaning to the

Pillbox Hat.

However, I tend toward the very romantic, flowing hats.

My own hats displayed with my rose china.

This was the day my hubby bought my beautiful hat in Mount Dora, FL

I have actually worn in at a lovely tea room.

Found this when I was looking through the Mount Dora folder.

This is my only princesss granddaughter when she was 3 months old.

Kaylee Lynn who will be 8 in July.

The "shower cap" type bonnet actually went with a beautiful matching dress.

When I found this, just had to show you my princess......

even if she is quite a bit older now.

(aren't we all, lol)

There is nothing I enjoy more than browsing through my vintage collection

of Victoria's, especially article on hats.

I am off to Kathy's Return to Loveliness at

http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/2011/01/return-to-loveliness_31.html

Please do stop over and see the most wonderful posts on enchanting

loveliness.

Thank you to Kathy for being a charming, lovely hostess each week.