Follow Through Friday - Adages

Two weeks and two days ago, I began a little water experiment. I stated that two of my reasons for doing it were 1) I needed to drink more water and 2) this seemed like a task with a high rate of success.

#1 is still true and #2 proves the adage, things are not always what they seem.

I was successfully waterlogged until the first Sunday of the month. I had figured out that if I downed 40 oz before noon, I had no problem finishing off the last 32 oz before bed. A morning at church messed with that, and I never caught up the rest of that day. Monday, with Classical Conversations all day, proved challenging, but 72 oz made it into my system.  Tuesday was also successful, but then, Wednesday, I attended the morning production of SBU's The Sound of Music. It lasted 3 hours. It was a Sunday morning deja vu. Two failures in 7 days. This was not a good sign. How could I not do something as easy as drink water?

It's now 18 days into the month and I have drunk more than I normally do, but I have not downed 72 oz every day. I'm feeling pretty lame about that, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Or said another way:

There's no use crying over spilled milk.

And when you're blogging on the world wide web about a failed experiment:

Bad news travels fast.

I know what most of you are thinking about now. "I could easily succeed at a similar H2O experiment."

Don't judge a man til you've walked a mile in his boots.

And, in my boots, I should have remembered:

Don't bite off more than you can chew. (or, Don't pour more than you can swallow:)

And as I type this, I know that:

Hindsight is better than foresight.

I also need to not let this sour me toward trying to drink the needed amounts of water for the rest of the month because:

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

If I try again, and I fail, I'll feel more lame.

Nothing hurts like the truth.

But,

Rome wasn't built in a day,

 and 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And yet:

Old habits die hard, 

and

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. (Scary)

My good intentions are going to see fruition, because:

You're never too old to learn.

And I've learned something, possibly the most true adage in this situation:

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

(wink)

Note: If your interested, here's the link to 101 American English Proverbs.


Also, on another Follow Through Friday note, I actually did work on my sampler this week! Woohoo! Next week is Thanksgiving, so my focus will be on creating a beautiful, warm atmosphere in my home. I hope I can curl up close to the fire and sew a few more Xs.

Follow Through Friday - A Poem

I feel like writing a poem for you

And I hear a forgotten theme.

It's Friday, and I should be following through

But I'm not, or so it would seem.

Truly I am, in one twist of the phrase,

I'm drinking my water on cue.

200+ ounces in the last 3 days

It's the best I've been able to do.

Gulp down, quaff, guzzle, sip.

My mouth does more than just drink.

Adam's ale frolics as it passes my lips

And down to my stomach sinks.

Liquid success! I hear some of you say,

But what of the sampler left lonely?

It patiently waits for the time and the day

When I turn to its stitches only.

Maybe this is the week, this is the time

When my hands touch that cloth yet again.

I hope, or the words of this short silly rhyme

Will mock, and I'll seek a new spin.

So welcome back, old Follow Through Friend.

We'll try this journey once more.

Of tasks small and large I'll try to attend

And my reader, I'll try not to bore.

If you are new to my blog, and have no idea what a Follow Through Friday is, click here. And, if you have no idea about my 200+ oz of water, click here.

Signs

Leaving Bolivar at 6:15 Saturday morning, Lou and I headed east toward Nashville. The GPS was programmed appropriately for our first destination, Murray, KY, where we were meeting some of my relatives for lunch. There's a little river between here and there and the bridge we had chosen to cross was up at Cairo, IL. However, just east of Sikeston, we saw a very important sign that our GPS knew nothing about. It told us one of the bridges was out at Cairo, meaning we would have to detour a bit north of there and take another bridge across. We were contemplating this turn of events, when we saw another sign.

"FERRY ACROSS RIVER Next Exit"

Now I grew up taking the ferry across the mighty Mississippi. My Grandmother lived in the Bootheel, and in the late 60s, early 70s, there was no way to get across there except by ferry. For us kids, that boat ride was a highlight of the trip. Lou had never had opportunity to do such a thing, so we said, "Why not?" and took the next exit.

The next sign said, "Ferry, 27 miles." Since I'm one of those people who brings a road atlas on trips even though we have a GPS, I located the ferry crossing spot on the map. If, for whatever reason, the ferry wasn't operating that day, it was going to be a looong way back to just get on another road that would eventually get us to a bridge. We were hoping we'd see more ferry affirming signs along the way. We saw two more, and it's a good thing we did. To say that 27 miles was sparsely populated is an understatement. For those miles we were on a poorly maintained 2 lane asphalt road with soybean and cotton fields on either side. We saw two cars in that 27 mile stretch. We were banking heavily that the signs were telling the truth - that there really was a ferry across at the end.

Before we actually saw the ferry stop, we saw the following sign.

 That is definitely helpful information. Driving on just a little, we parked our car behind a motorcycle and a truck, got out, and waited with the other folks under a huge tree beside the river. We could see the ferry making it's way across from the other side.

Tweeting about taking the ferry

Ferries haven't changed much in 40 years

In the middle of the Mississippi

 After a 10 minute ride across the river, we made our way through the countryside of western Kentucky and enjoyed a lunch with family at KY Lake.

My dad's first cousins: Jo, daughter, Phyllis, and JW. I hadn't seen them in over 25 years.

After lunch, we headed south toward Nashville. Thinking we hadn't packed enough into one day, we went to the Grand Ole Opry that night, and enjoyed some live country music.

Jimmy Wayne

Sunday, after worshipping with the believers at Fellowship Bible Church, Brentwood,TN, Lou and I headed to the Natchez Trace Parkway for a bike ride. It is a very bike friendly road stretching from Natchez, MS, to Nashville, TN. Along it's 444 mile route are points of interest, overlooks, and rest areas. Lou and I did a 15 mile out and back, stopping where ever the Trace signs indicated something interesting.

This ride was a walk in the park for Lou but a moderately hard ride for me. There were no killer hills, and we did have the scenic stops.

Lou, enjoying one of those scenic stops

 But it was hot (90s), very sunny, and we were rationing our water a bit, because it wasn't available at every stop. Which brings me to my last thoughts about the importance of signs.

Since we had looked at the map, we had a general idea about how far between each stop. That knowledge is helpful, but oh, how encouraging a sign is when you are hot, tired, and thirsty.

Even though this sign looked like it was a lifeless, firmly planted in the ground structure, what it was really doing, if you had eyes to see, was clapping, jumping up and down and shouting, "Way to go, Shelley! You only have one more mile! You can do it! (And, because of our water issue) There's water here!"

I liked that sign. I needed that sign.

Sometimes you need signs along the way that encourage you to keep on keeping on in the most basic, everyday way. Then, once you've got what you need there, you are ready to see this sign.

I consider this a "big picture" sign. It takes you to a place that helps you to know who you are and how things all fit together. You need this kind of sign too. It helps give beauty and purpose - a "bigger story" aspect to the journey.

I liked that sign. I needed that sign.

I know you know where I'm going with this. I am constantly amazed at what God uses to remind me, to teach me about Himself. After I had the above thoughts about those various road signs, God spoke to my heart about the bazillion signs He has given and continues to give. All these signs are pointing to Him, the source of our salvation, our hope, and our joy. Some of those signs (heavy on the word some - this is obviously not an exhaustive list) are

The Bible - the Creator of the universe actually had words written down for us
Jesus - the Creator of all became one of us
Creation - it's this fluid canvas that begs our heart to cry, "Glory to the one who does this! I want to know the one who does this!"
People - God brings people into our lives to be with us on our journey, to say encouraging words, and to help us.

I like these signs. I need these signs. I'm lost without these signs.

So today, I'm thanking God for a trip to Nashville and the sign language He used to remind me how much He loves you and me.


Follow Through Friday note: Thumbs up this week on working on my sampler, so big yea! there. The above post was really not an official follow through - it just happened to get posted on Friday. It was written on Tuesday, and I had planned to post it then, but Lou and I could not get the ipad to upload the pictures to my blog, so I had to wait until I was at our computer at home. For next week: Still working on my sampler...

Follow Through Friday - Nashville Bound

Last week, I said I'd be doing good to get one hour done on my sampler since I officially started homeschooling Mary Grace this past week, and I've been getting ready for a trip to Nashville tomorrow. Well, that would have been really good, but it didn't happen.

I am going to take it with me, though. Long stretches of interstate and ample sunlight through the car windows are conducive to a little needlework. Again, I'll report next week if that happens.

This week wasn't completely unproductive, however. Mary Grace and I now know all the territories and provinces- plus capitals- of Canada. (If you'd like to hear my mnemonic device associated with that, just let me know). We have discussed the four major tissues in the human body and can spout off the cummutative and distributive properties of math.  Check.  I'm almost done packing...just need to pay a few bills, watch Lou pack the car, love on my kiddos a little bit, and we are ready to head out.

I am going to my home state.

sampler my mom made

I'm not going to where I grew up, Munford, Tennessee, but to Nashville, TN's capital and the capital of country music. We plan on listening to country music all the way there. Ok, not really, but I do love my country music. Lou and I will start our visit off right by hitting the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night.

 My current favorite country music song is Take a Back Road by Rodney Atkins. I smile every time I hear the lyric, "put a little gravel in my travel." We probably won't be doing that this trip, but the song takes me back to the many times I did that when I lived in the Volunteer state.

Lou will be in meetings during the day, brushing up on all things EMR (Electronic Medical Records) and I'll be brushing up on something I used to have - a southern accent.

Maybe I'll report a bit about things here on my blawg.

Follow Through Friday - Joy in the First and Last

The 2011-2012 school year began this past Thursday here in Bolivar. There was lots of talk on Facebook and Twitter about the first day of school. Our high school principal tweeted

LiberatorsNOW David Geurin 

We had a great first day of school today! We're looking forward to another great school year.

And my good friend, Sue Roweton, wrote a very sweet blog post about the first day of school. It's a big day. The beginning of something new. 

The first of something typically signals the end of something else. In this case, the something else is summer. So, I found myself thinking about the last days of summer. Our family has had a very busy, fun summer. It began with a family vacation in Hawaii.

Pearl Harbor

Then I flew to Aspen with Hannah for a couple of days to check out where she was going to work. I know. I am totally spoiled.

The end of June found the kids involved with various sports camps and Centrifuge before we headed to KAA in July for our week there.

Elizabeth & Mary Grace about to tackle treetops

Faith & her friend, Heide

Home from camp to celebrate some birthdays,

Jasmine and Sara were here to celebrate 2 months after Hannah's 20th 

Luke turned 22

and to watch more sports activities.

Not her usual good form, but cute

Then David headed to Kamp just as Luke and Hannah came home for a couple of weeks before they headed back to Razorback country.

He celebrated his 18th birthday at Kanakuk. We sent him lots of pictures of friends and family holding this sign

He received the 110% award

Fun! We have had so much fun. And I am thankful. However, with this much special activity occurring, routine has not been a word we have used much.

I like routine. I feel like I'm more productive, more efficient when I'm in a rhythm, a daily flow. I love getting a lot done. But I also like the "lazy" days of summer - when our schedule varies from day to day. In summer, there's a freedom and mindset that you just don't experience in the middle of February. Do I need to prefer one over the other? Can I contentedly say, "last days of summer," or am I one who pleads, "Last, days of summer!"

Here's where I adopt the Deion Sander's "both, Coach" philosophy. All of one or the other all the time would be tiresome. We need both.  They both are good gifts from a good God who, in His great wisdom, gives us both on a daily basis - at least twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Sunrise, sunset.

The wisdom of God, the goodness of God, in these two times of day boggles my mind sometimes. He knows we need routine, the rhythm of light and dark, work and rest. But He also knew that the same old same old everyday would eventually cease giving us joy and giving him glory. So, every morning and every night, right on schedule, He paints a new scene for us in the sky. And even that scene changes moment by moment. It's beauty captures our heart sometimes so much, that we call our friends and family, or tweet about it, or blog about it. We have to share it with someone. That increases our joy!

Joy daily - with the sunrise and the sunset - and at the beginning of this new school year, the end of a busy summer, There's joy in the routine. There's joy in the variety. There's joy in God who's showing Himself in both, Coach.

Faith and Elizabeth - 1st day of school, 2011

18 August 2001
1st day for this senior - a member of the 125th graduating class of Bolivar High School

Note: Posting this Follow Through Friday is a follow through of sorts. I am trying to get back in the routine of posting them every week, on Friday instead of Saturday, for crying out loud. A couple of posts ago, I mentioned the sampler I am trying to finish, and I said I would continue to report on my progress here. I have one "thumbs up," and one "thumbs down. I worked on it one week, but not the next. I'll report how this next week goes.

Speaking of next week, I will be officially starting school with Mary Grace and trying to get ready for a trip to Nashville on Saturday with Lou, so an hour on my sampler work will be all I plan to accomplish over and above the joy of the routine of every day life. 

Follow Through Friday - The Sampler

The good news is I haven't let myself start any new needlework projects until this one is done. The bad news is I've been working on this project for about 20 years. Which is why I mentioned it last week in my Follow Through Friday.

My Follow Through Fridays will return...we've just been traveling so much this summer, that I'm all discombobulated. Just to help me get back on track, I'm giving myself a small goal this week. I have a sampler that is 22 years in the making (embarrassing). I worked on it some while we were at camp, and I'd like to work on it for at least an hour a week. So, next week, I'll report if that happens.

My report begins with a little background information. Not long after moving to Bolivar in 1988, we met Jim and Emily Frost, a Godly couple who led a ministry called Chi Alpha. Lou and I, young and kidless, helped with this 1990's version of the high school ministry, K-Life. We met in Jim and Emily's home on Wednesday nights, for fun, music, and teaching from God's Word. In their home, displayed on a wall near the entrance, was the following sampler.

I was admiring it one night, when Emily came and stood beside me. When I asked her how long it had taken her to make it, she told me that someone had made it for her. I had known before that moment that Emily was a Proverbs 31 woman, but it was triply confirmed knowing someone else had poured that much time into a project that said so much, and then given it away - to Emily. And I can say, after 22 years of knowing Emily, my respect and admiration for her has only grown. She is one of many women I have met that have inspired me to work at becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.

So inspired, 20 years ago, I decided to make that sampler - to have before me a reminder of what I want God to do in me.

My instruction booklet is showing it's 20 years old. Once that corner came off, I laminated it to keep it from completely falling apart.

There's a serious crease in the middle and I can't really tell what to do there, so I may need to purchase new instructions for the home stretch. I have everything done in that creased area - except the cat. And really, I do have a lot done! It's mostly outlining that's left.

My work in progress

And, I'm happy to report, I did put that hoped-for-hour in this week. It was on Thursday night, about 10 p.m., but it did happen. Follow through success! I'm so pumped about how close I am that I am purposing to work on it for at least an hour each week until it's done. I'll continue to report a thumbs up or thumbs down here no matter what my future follow throughs are.

Besides having a few stitches to put in, I also have a few stitches to take out before all is said and done. My poor little husband and wife in the picture below have an eye issue going on. It seems my french knot skills are inconsistent, to say the least.

But, if my eyes hold out and I stay consistent, it won't even be another year before this sampler will be frame-able. It's definitely been a work in progress. But I think know it will be worth it.

I'm a work in progress, too. Thankfully, I have some great examples to follow along the way.  Some real Proverbs 31 women. Their worth is far above jewels.

Thanks, Emily

Next week: Company's coming, so nothing new this week - except more work on my sampler...I know. I'm outta control.

Just Peachy

Of all of God's good food gifts, the peach has got to be near the top of the list.












Every year, around June 1, I start getting giddy over that soon-to-be bite of juicy, drip down-your-chin-goodness of the first peach of the season. I was actually surprised this year at how early they appeared at the Farmer's Market here in Bolivar, MO. Pate's Orchard in Stockton is our local supplier and I have yet to be disappointed in any of their produce. We also frequent Plaster's Orchard at the Polk/Green County line. Plaster's people drive over to the Bootheel once a week and pick up peaches grown in Campbell, MO, from Bader Orchards. I am eating one even as I type - a process that is going slower than usual, since I am stopping every bite to close my eyes and say yummmmm....

It's fitting that the delicious peach I'm eating now is from Campbell, MO, where my Mom was born and raised. It's her recipe that I want to share with you. When my parents first moved to Bolivar, they ran over to Stockton to buy peaches. My mom overheard a lady in the building talking about making Peach Conserve. Never shy, she asked for the recipe on the spot. To say we like it, love it, is an understatement. It now occupies a hallowed place in our family. Mom usually makes 30 pints or so every summer, but this summer, she's felt a little more under the weather than usual. So, the girls and I tried our hand at it. Thankfully, Mom has been just a phone call away...

 I was actually on the phone with her when I copied down this recipe. A couple of clarifications:
     -a #2 can is 20 oz.
     -3 oz jello pkg
My mom emphasized the "don't skimp" part, so I set my timer to make sure I didn't.

Recipe ready, it was time to start. I googled how to get my jars and lids ready. I went here, found it interesting, but ended up doing what my mom said, and boiled everything. Then, the girls and I started peeling.

Many hands make light work

 And tasting. You can't help it. That goodness is just begging to go in your mouth.

 After the peeling and crushing, we boiled.

It takes a while to get that volume to a boil - and don't have your pot too full. I combined two recipes the next time we made it, and it boiled over. Not fun. Then the "no skimping" part and - done.

After making an impromptu funnel out of a styrofoam cup, we poured that conserve goodness into our jars. After all the lids had sealed and jars had cooled, we took them down to the downstairs frig where they will live until they are gone. Because of careful rationing, especially at the end of our supply, we usually don't eat our last jar until about March - which gives us a couple of months or so to miss it and long for it again!

We still have 1 or 2 more recipes to make - each one makes about 6 pints. I'm getting the hang of it, thanks to Mom's good recipe and her good coaching. I'm glad she wasn't shy that day in Stockton. And I'm very glad God made the peach.

Note: My Follow Through Fridays will return...we've just been traveling so much this summer, that I'm all discombobulated. Just to help me get back on track, I'm giving myself a small goal this week. I have a sampler that is 22 years in the making (embarrassing). I worked on it some while we were at camp, and I'd like to work on it for at least an hour a week. So, next week, I'll report if that happens.

Follow Through Friday - on Sunday

It's 10:52 Sunday morning and I am sitting by gate 58 at Kansas City International Airport. Getting ready to be here was no small task - which is my very valid reason for not posting on Friday. I know that if I had been getting paid to blog, that post would have been written on time, and I would be sitting here, probably starting another blog post. But, I'm not getting paid, and I knew any of you who visit here would understand.

We are on the way to Hawaii. I have all kinds of emotions surrounding that fact. I'm excited. A tiny bit nervous - I have a love/hate relationship with flying. I don't like being that far above the ground. I love having hours to read, think, sleep, etc. And, I feel incredibly, undeservedly blessed. Why do I get to do this? This time away with my family is such a gift. Even the little bickering that's already surfaced a couple of times this morning - I'm thankful for the reminder that they aren't perfect, I'm not perfect. We are all, to quote a dear friend, in process. And thankfully, these 7 people love me in the middle of my messy processing.

And unbelievably, we get to continue processing together for a week in Hawaii. Wow.

Thank you, Lord, for today and what you have for us. All glory to you.

Follow Through Friday - Weed Party

Can I confess here that I don't mind weeding? Actually, enjoy it?  My kids are once again shaking their heads at the things their mother "enjoys."  I don't enjoy it in the sense that it would be on my top 10 list of favorite things to do.  It's a necessary, unavoidable, dirty, usually sweaty, task. But just like any work that could be described with these same adjectives, weeding has its positive side.

1. It makes an immediate improvement in the way things look.
2. It takes no real mental effort. (Isn't that nice, sometimes?)
3. I can sit down while I do it. (Thank you, David -see 3/25 post)
4. I have complete control over those weeds.
5. Great think time.
6. Or, great listen to an audio book/podcast time.
7. I'm outside.
8. When kids help, I enjoy interesting conversation.
9. I imagine I'm bringing my own Secret Garden to life (love that story).
10. My dad loved working in the dirt, and I spent many hours alongside him, doing just that.

As I reread my Follow Through from last week, I intimated that it was something I try to put off because I dread it.

Yard work is screaming at me again. I've been effectively squelching it up to this point, but some weeds have reached small tree status. I need the accountability of reporting next week to get 'er done.


I don't dread it, but I can put it off because the daily working of the family isn't sent into a tailspin if the weeds are taller than the shrubs. We jumped on it this week though, just a little, between the rain showers, and helped the look of things around here.


Unfortunately, I am posting this on Friday night - the key word in that sentence being night, when it is dark outside. I took before pictures in the sunlight, but neglected to take any after pictures in that same sunlight. There's a reason for that. The 3 younger girls and I were having our weed party yesterday, when a certain reptile decided to crash it. 

Elizabeth, Mary Grace, Faith, entertaining snake, Komo

Obviously, this was a distraction, and by the time we finished taking pictures of it and watching it slither off into the woods, it was time to shed the garden gloves and move on to the next thing happening around here. So, I'll have to post those in my next Follow Through. In fact,  next week,  pictures of completed tasks is really all I can foresee getting done as we prepare for Hawaii. And for those of you who may remember the post I did on Mary Grace's garden, I'll try to include pictures of that completed project too. 

Follow Through Friday - My Maps

I've mentioned here before that I love maps. Just looking at globes and maps makes my heart beat a little faster. The world is so big and there's so much to see and do and learn. A world map and a U.S. map are prominently displayed in our family room.

When I bought these, my plan was for each person in our family to have a different color map pin that they would stick in the map showing all the places they had been.  But after I thought about that a while, I wondered if our U.S. map might turn into one big map pin. And even at this point, we are undecided about what to do with it. We've discussed marking where we've lived and places we've vacationed as a family - but even that seems a bit pin heavy. I'd love to hear any thoughts or suggestions any of you may have regarding how to mark it.

The world map is another story. We've done some traveling, but not enough to worry about pin overcrowding. My biggest hurdle with marking it was actually sticking the first pin in those perfectly mounted maps.

I was concerned that I wouldn't like it, and then I'd have a gaping hole that would stick out like a sore thumb. This Follow Through was just the push I needed. I stuck that first pin into Sri Lanka and after that, there was no turning back.

Some of you may remember the movie While You Were Sleeping. In it, Sandra Bullock's character wants to travel just to get her passport stamped. (I love that too!) I want to travel for a lot of different reasons, but I have to be honest and say that I do want to be able to put more pins in my world map. Hannah is hoping to study abroad in Italy in 2012. If that happens, Lou and I plan to visit. My map pin is ready.

Next Week: Yard work is screaming at me again. I've been effectively squelching it up to this point, but some weeds have reached small tree status. I need the accountability of reporting next week to get 'er done.

Follow Through Friday - Hawaii

Crazy. Our family is going to Hawaii. And here's how I put my Follow Through task last week.

Next week: We are going to Hawaii at the end of May. I want to get some materials together to present to the family - both for educational purposes and to build excitement. (nerd alert lights are flashing)

After I wrote that, I imagined some of you thinking, "She needs to build excitement for a trip to Hawaii?!" No, I don't. That part was more for my kiddos, in case they read my blog. I'm trying to sell the notion that education -knowledge- builds excitement for whatever you are doing.

This will be my 3rd trip to those islands. Oahu was the first place the mission group I was a part of back in 1984 stopped and sang on our way to our other destinations - Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.

Flyer that was distributed in Hong Kong

 After completing 3 months in those amazing places, I ended with a week vacation in Hawaii and stayed with my brother, who was stationed there at the time.

My friends Sue, Tina, and a 22 yr old me at the Dole pineapple show

Who is that girl? Wow, a lot has happened since then. God has been faithful. So faithful. And Lord willing, that girl, and 7 other people she loves dearly will get to enjoy the beauty of the Aloha state at the end of May.

So, what am I doing to educate? Well, map lover that I am, I have a map of Oahu and the Hawaiian islands up next to our table in the kitchen. I'll be blabbing to the kids about the 8 major islands and I've printed out some interesting facts about Hawaii. I plan on introducing my sporadic espousing of that information with the same 3 words over the next 3 weeks. I'm going to call it "Did you know....? and then fill the dots with all the cool stuff I've found. Hey, you never know when the next "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" opportunity may come their way. Or, if they land on Jeopardy and the category is Hawaii, I want them to be able to say, "Hawaii for $1000 please."

Also, since we are visiting Pearl Harbor, I plan on going into its history in greater detail. Just surfing tonight, I found what looks like some good documentaries on You Tube. And I have been known to make my kids watch documentaries.

So hopefully, this effort on my part will help us all learn a little bit more about where we are going and increase our enjoyment of it.

Wow, we get to go to Hawaii. Crazy.

Next Week: Purchase map pins for our world map and then put those puppies in it.

Follow Through Friday - Martha Stewart

Well, you never know until you try.

I had seen a picture months ago of a table in Martha Stewart's home, Skylands, that I thought might work in my family room. I had pictured it in this one open corner of the room. It's been in the back of my mind since then, so to get it out of the back of my mind and into reality, I made it a Follow Through.  Here's what I said I wanted to do last week.

I want to set up a table in my family room that's patterned off one I saw on Martha Stewart's site. First, I have to find the picture, then I'll set it up. How's that for specific?

I found the picture. And I still like it.

I love that it's a round table. Love the stools. Love the urn with the flowers. And love, love, love all the books. They just beg you to sit down and learn something. Seeing the picture again made me want a telescope also.

The only thing I have around the house that is part of that picture? Books. Ok, well, necessity is the mother of invention. Let's see what I can do to achieve a similar look.

I found a drop leaf table with rounded edges. Not bad. Nothing close to the urn, but I had actually forgotten that it was in the picture at all. Somehow, I had replaced it in my mind with a globe. Love globes. I am a globe and map freak. So, check that. And I already had in mind the books I wanted to put on it. I have nothing close to the beautiful tablecloth, so I went to the linen closet to see what could possibly work. A quilt?

I put something together in that open corner that, well, we just didn't like. Once I set it up, we all felt a little crowded, and I hadn't even put any chairs around it. (That's funny, I don't remember thinking it looked crowded in the picture on Martha's blog.) Well, my family room is big, but it's not as big as hers. The crowding is really the main issue, but my substitute that I tried for a beautiful tablecloth is not good - and not ironed. But I was just trying to get a feel for things. So, here's what we put together.

The mix, the feel, the crowding is not good for the Harris clan. But you never know until you try.  And all was not lost. I found those inspirational pictures, which made me smile. I found them on her blog, which you can access here: Martha Stewart.  It was fun to take a break and get lost on it for a while.

Speaking of taking a break, I'm going to do that with my Follow Through. I'm taking my youngest to St. Louis next week, and won't be here to post. This trip is actually a follow through of sorts. I was supposed to take her last spring, but it would get postponed for one reason or another. So, nothing new next week, but in two weeks, I'll report on our "I'm about to be a teenager so I listen to some Focus on the Family tapes on the way to St. Louis with a parent" trip.