{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ July 27, 2014

Thanks for stopping by!  This {phfr} will mostly be of a masculine nature because I am heavily dependent on my husband's pictures this week.  So think of this as {phfr} through the eyes of a man.

{Pretty}

What could be prettier than a brand-new chain saw?  The old one was dead and unfixable, alas, and with acres and acres of trees on the property, it's a necessary tool.  I guess Dave felt the same thrill buying this chainsaw as I did buying a new sewing machine. :)

{Happy}

Here's some of what he's done with said chainsaw.  There will be no shortage of firewood this winter, which makes us all happy.  Our last house didn't have a fireplace, and boy, did we miss it!  I am looking forward to lots and lots of fires come cold weather.  There are many more trees to come down, so the fun of using his new toy . . . er, I mean . . . tool is not over.

{Real}

I found this bear in a bag in a cupboard when I was organizing the sewing room.  There was some debate between Dave and his brother as to whose bear this is and what his name is.  An appeal to a higher authority (their mother) settled the matter: He belongs to Dave's brother and his name is Pooh, appropriately enough.  Pooh has obviously been well-loved and has obtained the much coveted status of Real.  (If you don't understand the reference, then I refer you to The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.)

Pooh objected vehemently to going back in the cupboard, so now he is happily ensconced on a nearly-two-centuries-old stool by the fireplace whence he watches the comings and goings of our little household.  He tells me he heartily approves of the change of scenery. :)

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{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ July 20, 2014

Let's dive right in, shall we?

{Pretty} and {Happy}

I have such trouble separating the {pretty} from the {happy} each week, and today I'm not even going to try.  Beauty gives me joy, which isn't exactly the same thing as saying pretty things make me happy, but we'll just go with it, okay?

We are still getting settled in to our new living space.  Each day we make a little more progress.  I think the major tasks in the house (as opposed to the garage, yard, etc.) are completed.  We are now down to finishing touches (assuming a house can ever be really finished. . .) and soon I will be able to show pictures.  But here is a preview:

The flowers are from the property and include horsemint, phlox, Queen Anne's lace, and black-eyed Susans, plus some sort of grasses.  I do like wildflowers, don't you?

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Last week, Dave was at the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education conference on the campus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.  The Concordia campus is so pretty!  He took a series of pictures of the four separate windows commemorating important Lutheran theologians.  These windows, from left to right, are for someone whose name I can't make out, then Paul Gerhard, Martin Chemnitz, and Philip Melancthon, all three Lutheran giants.

***~~***

An insurance company which has its headquarters in our town maintains a large garden which is open to the public.  It must keep two or three gardeners very busy in good weather!  We had such nice weather last week that the evening after Dave returned from the conference, we headed to the gardens to soak in some beauty and evening sunshine.  Here is just a sampling:

{Funny}

This weeping Norway spruce is the funniest-looking tree I ever saw!

{Real}

For various reasons, I didn't get to go to the educational conference last week (boo hoo!), so I didn't get to hear Dr. Gene Edward Veith, author and provost/literature professor at Patrick Henry College, speaking on George Herbert, Anglican priest and poet.  Dave did, though.  At least I get to see this picture, right?  

***~~***

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{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ July 13, 2014

Joining Rosie at Like Mother, Like Daughter for {phfr} . . .

{Pretty}

It's July, so of course, I have pictures of flowers.  My in-laws always encouraged wildflowers on their property, and now we are reaping the benefits.  The first is the ever popular black-eyed Susan (though Dave says they are brown-eyed Susans.  Is this a legitimate difference?  I don't know . . .)  I'm not sure what the second one is.  It's rather thistle-like, isn't it, but I don't think it is a true thistle.  Maybe we should ask Eeyore.

  

In the midst of the big events this spring, some pots of half-filled with soil were left on the deck underneath the bird feeder.  At first, we just left them there because we were busy with more pressing things and hadn't gotten around to moving them yet.  Then we noticed sunflowers were sprouting!  The messy birds had scattered some seeds and they took root.  So now, thanks to the birds, we have four pots of beautiful sunflowers smiling at us from outside a dining room window!  This method of "gardening" is proving so successful that I think I will "accidentally" leave some more pots of soil in the same spot next spring!

{Happy}

I've been deep in the throes of cleaning out and reorganizing the laundry/sewing room.  I'm almost finished and will share pictures soon.  I found this little fellow in a cupboard, secured in a plastic bag along with a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit.  I knew right away it must have belonged to my husband or his brother.  There was quite a (friendly) dispute about the bear's identity and ownership (Was it Dave's bear, Shostakovich?  Or his brother's bear, Pooh?) which was only settled by appealing to the highest of authorities, their mother.  It is indeed Pooh.  Isn't he a sweet little guy?

This bear is definitely Real!

{Real}

I hardly ever break things, but this past week I broke two things on one day!  So sad!

*~*~*~*~*~* Thanks for stopping by! *~*~*~*~*~*

{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ July 6, 2014

We are still in the process of settling into our new quarters.  This week I tackled the books (which was no small undertaking, let me tell you!).  I really want to show you the house, but it is far from ready.  Moving into a house that still has all the contents of the previous tenants completely intact means that before we can unpack any particular box or arrange any particular room, we first have to go through what's already there. (By way of reminder: we are living in my in-laws' house after the death of my father-in-law and my mother-in-law moving to assisted living.  We moved here to be near her.)

Anyway, on to the pictures!

{Pretty}

About a month ago, I shared some pictures of paintings and a hooked rug hanging in the house that were made by Dave's maternal grandmother.  His maternal grandfather, Luman Kelsey, was likewise an artist~ a painter, sculptor, and potter.  There are so many of his pieces here that I can't show them all, but I'll share a few favorites.

St. Francis is carved from wood and the children
from stone of some sort (?).  Soapstone, perhaps?
The lamp base was also made by Dave's grandfather.

Maybe this girl is throwing a kiss.

These pictures are done with pencil and watercolors.  There are a total of eight depicting scenes of life in the Virgin Islands during World War II.  The family had gone to visit when my mother-in-law was very small and had gotten stuck there for two years because of the outbreak of World War II!  She says she never understood the song, "Yes, We Have No Bananas," because in the Virgin Islands, that was about all they had!

 

I apologize for the poor lighting.  They are in a back hall with no natural light.

"The Gossips"

"Crop Time"

I plan to have these framed in such a way as to better preserve them (I hope!).

{Happy}

The son of some long-time friends is coming to the University of Missouri in the fall, and they were here for freshman orientation last week.  They came for dinner and a general catch-up.  It's such a blessing to see young adults that we knew as small children grown up and taking their places in the world and living for Christ.  The daughter has just graduated from college and has an excellent job in her field.  My prayer for them and my own children is that they may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom they shine as lights in the world. (Phil. 2:15, adapted from the ESV).

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This also makes me happy!

It's the pantry, obviously, all freshly cleaned out and organized!  See the canning jars on the top shelf grouped by size?  See how like items are gathered together?  See how there is room to stock up?  Be still my heart.

{Funny}

This next picture is from a couple weeks ago when we were visiting Lizzie, Justin, and Arane.  I guess this is what happens when a mathematician plays sidewalk chalk with his little girl:

{Real}

Dave's office/guest room~

There is so much to do in here, including the building of bookshelves.  We had sixty-five boxes of books!  They have all found homes now except for a few strays and what you see in these boxes.  Someday I'll show you a picture of the finished room . . .

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