What's The Deal With You, Anne?

...deep breath...

This post has been a long time coming.

My life has changed.

My priorities have changed.

This blog has changed.

I post less, and seem to spend less time

on the computer in general.

On a fairly regular basis,
I get e-mails asking me

"When are we going to get to see more of your new cottage? "

I have other bloggers inviting me to show off the new house in

linky parties, which I invariably always decline.

I have famous people asking when it might be possible to

come and photograph our farmhouse, and I've had to reluctantly
put them off for the time being.

Here's the deal...

Life as I knew it changed forever on September 13, 2011,

the day my mother passed away.
It's as if time stopped, and I did too, right along with it.
Frozen. Immobile. Numb.

As most of you know, it took a very, very long time for us to

even get moved in, due to fencing and construction issues,

and it wasn't until the end of June, first part of July that we finally

got even a little bit settled in.

And then August came.

It became apparent that my mother was not well at all, 

so rather than styling the house and welcoming famous visitors,

my whole focus became trying to get her to seek medical attention.

By the end of August, my critically ill mother entered the hospital,

and two weeks later she was gone.
Just like that.

And she pretty much took with her any and all desire I had

to decorate, to primp, to style, and to show off this

beautiful old house I had so wanted to share with all of you.

But that's not even the whole story.

There's more I haven't shared with all of you.

Concurrent to all of this, I was dealing with a medical situation of my own,

and facing a never ending cycle of doctors appointments.

And if you think that's all?

Think again, dear readers.

Two days after my mother died, my father, my active, 75 year old

father fell and broke his hip, and since September 15th, has had

three failed hip surgeries, and is due to face his fourth surgery

this coming Wednesday.

This vibrant, fully employed man has had to live in the rehab wing of

a nursing home the past two months, and will have to live there

THREE more months, until he returns to the hospital for his

FIFTH and hopefully final hip operation.

My mom and dad had been divorced many years when she

passed away, and admittedly, he and I have never been close.

We have even been estranged at times.

But through the mercy of God 

( and perhaps the intercession of my sweet mama ),

he and I have become much closer in recent weeks.

And lest we forget the doggie drama
which recently took place, too.

THIS 

is what I've been doing instead of decorating,

instead of staging photo shoots of my farmhouse.

Rebuilding relationships.

Trying to regain and stabilize my physical health.

Devoting much more time to my faith and to prayer.

And just trying to make sense of all that is going on,

and recognizing the fleeting, fragility of life in general.

To those who have been disappointed that I haven't

gotten the house photo ready, join the club.

I'm disappointed, too. I can count 30 pictures, mirrors,

and what-not's that still need to be hung on the walls,

not to mention drapes in every room except the bedroom.

But all of this will have to wait.

Because in the bigger picture, the grand scheme?

It really doesn't matter right now.

Family comes first.

Faith comes first.

And I know each and every one of you well enough

to know that you'd probably feel exactly the same way.

I'm not going anywhere, I'll still continue to blog on the same, 

somewhat reduced schedule I've maintained the past few months.

And I hope that when I finally DO get the house photo ready,

you will all still be around to witness the miracle, LOL!

I hope this didn't come across as a "poor, pitiful me" post,
because I surely did not intend for it to!
I recognize the hidden blessings amidst the trials, I promise you that.
Through it all, God has been right there with me.

That's all.

Just a little "state of the union"

to let friends and readers of this blog know where I stand

and what I stand for.

Oh, yeah....

and to tell you that I love you.

:-)

photos taken at

chick-a-dee and house wren 

in wimberley, texas

this past summer

Christmas at Binky's, Part Two

Enough sad dog stories,

back to the beautiful treasures!

I started you on this glorious tour of my good friend

Binky's Christmas Open House HERE,

and now it's time for part two.

I'm focusing more on the details this time....

getting up close and personal.

I hope you enjoy, get ready to be instantly transported

to a vintage Christmas Winter Wonderland!

I've said it before, I'll say it again...

for the best in vintage EVERYTHING,

pay Binky a visit at her divine shop,  

Binky La Faye

Happy Hump Day!

linking with

inspiration friday at the picket fence
vintage inspiration friday at common ground
and

feathered nest friday at french country cottage

Not For The Faint of Heart...

I'm back to give you an update on both my

darling doggies, an epilogue to the sad tale

told in my previous post HERE.

First, the happy news.

Havok has been happily reunited with his previous owners,

and here is an iPhone snap of him as the transition was

taking place.

I've received updates from his new ( previous ) mama,

and he's adjusting well to his new environment.

And now for an update on sweet Belle,
who as you will recall lost her eye in the scuffle.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES AHEAD

Belle too is adapting well, or at least as well as can 

be expected under the circumstances...

and with a bit of photo editing magic...

" Woof, I mean, Arrrrrrgh matey, surrender the rawhide chew booty! "

She's being kept comfortable with pain meds 

and lots of tummy rubs, and she wants to thank each

and every one of you for your get well wishes and prayers...

and so do I.

Love y'all.

Happy Sunday,

The Blackest of Friday's

This is not a post about shopping,

or about this ridiculous day where consumerism is king.

No, this is a post about love and loss

and a little bit of a broken heart.

Regular readers of this blog know that I have two dogs,

Belle and Havok.

This pretty girl is sweet baby Belle.

My husband already had her when we got married,

and although she is elderly in Husky years ( 10 ), she is

still playful and full of life.

Feeling as though Belle was quite lonely as an "only dog",

I was fortunate enough to contact a lovely couple who

were having to give up their own beloved Husky, Havok...

My favorite photo ever of Mr. Twig giving Havok a bath...

such trust, such love.

We've had Havok  approximately two and a half years,

and during that time, we've found him to be a wonderful pup...

loving and loyal, but always very skittish and nervous.

Some might even say high-strung.

Belle immediately let him know who the Alpha dog was  ( her, of course ),

and he didn't challenge her dominance.

But still there would be minor scuffles.

Most were minor, but some were not...blood was shed...and almost all of them were started 

by the old girl, Belle.

She was basically harmless, as Havok was much younger, bigger,

stronger, still had all his sharp teeth.

Whereas Belle...sweet, often clueless Belle ( who by now is missing quite a few teeth ), 

would playfully charge Havok, 

and him being the nervous pup he is, would react in defense mode, 

several times sending Belle to the vet with a nasty bite.

It all came to an unexpectedly vicious head two days ago,

when one of their fights got out of control,

the Mr. had a near impossible time breaking it up,

and this morning, my sweet old girl Belle is at the vet

having her eye removed.

Still, they had a bond. They were a pack.

The minute my husband rushed Belle to the emergency vet,

Havok went into a panic that she was gone.

 { Havok left, Belle right }

I don't blame Havok, I don't blame Belle.

It's just the nature of the beast, pardon the pun.

Dogs being dogs, and loving them both, 

I knew that we couldn't risk this happening again and

something had to be done...they simply could not continue to live together 

and this realization has torn my heart in two.

God answered my prayers, in that when I contacted the

wonderful couple who had had to reluctantly surrender Havok several

years ago, they were not only in a position to take him back,

but they had missed him badly, and were quite thrilled

at the prospect of having him back.
This gladdens my heart, as I simply could not have

surrendered my baby boy to a shelter, even a no-kill one.

This photo and the one below were taken just today,

as Havok searches intently for Belle and Mr. Twig, whimpering and nervous.

I even took the day off work today to spend extra time with him before

he leaves tomorrow.

And so tomorrow morning he returns to his old family, his old pack.

Tomorrow afternoon my precious, now one-eyed girl returns home.

I'm pretty sure my heart will never be the same,

and anyone who has ever loved a dog understands this.

Goodbye and godspeed, sweet boy...Mama will miss you.

P.S.

Be sure to read the comment below from BeccaRoo...it's about the 14th one down.

she is Havok's original owner and the one welcoming him back home tomorrow!

God is so good.  :-)

Binky's Beautiful Christmas, Part One

Happy Monday!

About a week and a half ago, I found myself

at one of the most gorgeous open houses I've ever attended...

My good friend  
Binky Morgan of Binky La Faye

held a glorious Christmas Open House at her divine store

in Llano, Texas recently, and her entire shop, as well as Binky herself, 

was a feast for the eyes!

A grand time was had by all,

and Binky and Ron truly outdid themselves with not only

the decor, but their hospitality as well.

Enough chatter, on to the photos!

And the loveliest shot
I snapped all night...

the gorgeous Binky herself!

There will be a part two, as I got a little snap happy,

hope y'all don't mind!

In the meantime, be sure to pay a visit to one of the most

charming vintage shops in all of Texas...

Binky La Faye

303 Bessemer Avenue  

Llano, TX 

(325) 247-2500

Have a beautiful week!