Cluck-cluck... Cock-a-doodle-do

I have no idea when I started liking chickens!! Maybe it was when I was given a pet bantam rooster when I was about 6 or 7 years old. Poor little critter died during a cold, cold winter. Or it could have been those 100 laying hens my husband decided we needed so he bought them from our landlady and we became egg farmers. Not that I liked them very much at that time. Dang, they were noisy and they'd peck at me when I tried to retrieve eggs from under them.

It could have been after my husband retired from the Navy and we settled on a farm in Alabama. He HAD to have chickens. There was this one stupid hen that found out how to escape the pen and there she'd be, waltzing across the back yard like she owned the place. So, I'd go out and try to catch her and she'd half fly/ half run away from me. One day I hollered SQUAT in her direction and lo and behold she settled her body down on top of her pointy little feet and stayed there until I picked her up and put her back in the pen. The children still tease me, years later,  about the hen that I trained to squat when I needed to catch her.

Along this period of time, my aunt gave me two white chickens that she had sitting in her kitchen. That began a collection. Now mind you, this collection is very small but I like my chickens reigning roost over my cooking area. I bought another one or two in Alabama. I love this hen sitting on her eggs and Mr. Rooster standing guard.

 I got a couple more in Virginia..another hen and rooster. Look at the red comb on that bird!!

 I like them for company as I prepare a meal. They know I won't cook them... and I know they can't become the main entree for us. Those kinds of chickens I adore.

                                                   I am linked to

Our World

White Wednesday

Sue Loves Cherries over at

Rednesday

XYZ

Now, did you really think I would come up with a photo of something I had that started with an X? Not happening. But, I do think I can do lots of Ys and maybe a Z or two. Let's see what I found to finish off my ABC series.

Maybe I can get away with this one.... San XAVIER mission in Arizona. But, folks, that's the only X I can think of.

Now for the Ys.

My Grandson Griffin was a YANKEE Soldier for a project at school (this was taken some time ago)

When Elbert was at home, he always enjoyed sitting in our YARD.

This time last year I was doing YOGA. Need to do it again!!

Fabric is sold by the YARDAGE. I can't resist buying yards and yards of fabric when I find a great quilt shop.

Z.... hmmm what next?

Elbert holding baby Shirley when we visited the Honolulu ZOO back in 1957.

Last summer Shirley had some beautiful ZINNIAs growing in her yard.

My camera has a great ZOOM lens.

I have certainly enjoyed bringing you some of my ABC things from my life. Now, it's time to open a new door, find a new adventure... hang on... the best is yet to come.

Wednesday is Linky Day

Today for White WednesdayI want to share a couple photos of snow. Snow definately is WHITE!!

on red cars

and on gray birdbaths.

 I did not want the color red to be ignored so I jumped over to join Rednesday

I love red barns

and my favorite red top while I am drinking red drinks.

This post is also linked to Outdoor Wednesday. I hope you all will visit these memes and see all the wonderful entries.

'Wow' we are almost done with ABCs

W...
it stands for

This 'W' is our Alzheimer's Walk to raise money for the disease. That's my team for that year. Shirley is holding my hand as we trudge along, one step at a time.

W stands for a little red wagon. That's my grandson, age 2, washing his mode of transportation. He is 34 now and still takes excellent care of his vehicle. Learned early.

         I love this old Water pump that stands by my back fence. Gives a lot of character to the place.

Wedding... ah, who doesn't love a wedding? Here is Elbert escorting our youngest daughter, Susan, down the aisle.

                          Here I am pushing Elbert in his wheelchair. Such a lovely day for a stroll.

                                                        A white dogwood in our yard.

      I love this purple Wisteria that grows next to my neighbors house. It reminds me of the wisteria that grew on my aunts fence when I was just a little thing.

                                                A Christmas Wreath on my daughter's door.
What can you think of that you enjoy that starts with the letter 'W'?

Comparisons

Here is my version of one of the pins in the previous post. Not the same but I like it.

The picture I got off Pinterest

this is what I did with what I had on hand.

Great Pins

A ton of people are on Pinterest. I was slow getting the message but when I found it, I hopped on board and am loving it.


If you don't know..... Pinterest is a site where you can pin all your favorite things on boards that you set up, you know, sort of like your own personal web bulletin board.


I use mine a lot. I have a board for food and the recipes help me to decide new dishes to try.


I also have a board for household tips and have found a lot of good ways to clean, store, organize and lordy, I needed lots of help in that.


One board is home decor and I have used several of those to help make my home more enjoyable... and I could go on and on.


I have decided that, ever so often, when I get so stuck in a rut and have nothing new to post, that I might share with you some of the wonderful things I have pinned on my boards. Okay, so you are bored (he he, get it BORED/BOARD)already... I don't think you will be but if you are.... just let me know...If you like it please leave me a comment. I am such a sucker for comments!!!


Today I will pick a few of the home decor ones

I love the look of the apples with the basket and what appears to be herbs... so perfect for a kitchen.

These lanterns came from Pottery Barn. Love them with candles but just look at the one with the potted flowers in it.

If I can find a solid color umbrella like this I want this for my front door for spring.

What a perfect way to store children's books.

And, this bedroom. I love it and would stay in there all day if I had it. You know, I could do this with my guest room upstairs. hmmmm.

Hope you enjoyed these pictures from Pinterest. Perhaps you saw something you might like to replicate. If you'd like to see all my boards go to http://pinterest.com/latane

Now for a couple of my photos sharing with you Tea Talk Thursday over at http://celebratefriendship-ruth.blogspot.com

Today I am having tea out of a very special cup.

I am remembering my colon cancer back in 2002. One day, after treatment, my daughter-in-law and I hit a couple antique stores in Shockhoe Bottom in Richmond. It was my last day of chemo and there was lots to celebrate.

I am so grateful for my cancer being discovered when it was and for the chemo to have taken care of it.

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9

'V' is for Valentine ....

What a co-incident ... as I am winding up my alphabet posts, the letter V just happened to land on Valentine's Day. Well, I helped it a tad by not doing it on Monday like I usually do. Let us see what Vs I have up my sleeve.

There's bound to be a Valentine........ one of the several I received as a child. Poor little doggie... he's lost his tail!!

                                    Two sweethearts framed by a Valentine....

                               Our middle daughter in her wedding Veil.

                     Elbert eating wild strawberries atop Mt. Equinox in Vermont.

                         Creeping Vinca blooming in our yard in Virginia.

                                                 My African Violets.

                             The Virginia Diner - one of my favorite places to eat.

And, I end with a bit of nostalgia.... V Mail from World War II written to me by a friend.

Art

I'm sitting here thinking I ought to make a new post and I am DRY with thoughts. So... since I ran across some old artwork I did years ago I thought I might share that with you. This was back in the 60s and 70s, ages ago and I never was any good at it but I sure did have fun trying.


First let me tell you how my love of art began. Before I ever started to school I would go to my aunt and uncles house. She was a school teacher and she taught me my ABCs and colors etc. She did oil paintings and uncle had built her a little studio at the edge of their yard. The minute I opened the door the odor of paint and turpentine poured over me. I loved the smell of it all and there on her big easel would be a painting in the works. That is when I fell in love with ART.


So, here goes...........my art gallery!!

A pastel of a bottle with flowers... been so long I don't remember what kind of flowers.

A pastel I did of a couple bottles and a glass apple that my husband brought back from the Carribean.

One of the first oils that I ever did. Zinnas, I think.

This is the second oil that I did. My teacher, Margaret Farmer, had us go out onto the streets of Annapolis, where we were living at the time, and chose a building to paint. I picked this antique store. A real lesson in depth preception, color... but I was proud of it.

An oil that hung over my buffet in our house in Alabama. You know, I don't remember seeing that painting in a long while... hmmmm? Wonder where it is?

The vegetable cart from the college play 'Hello Dolly'. And, yes, I painted it. Painting props for plays and such is totally different than painting a picture. You deal more with illusion in props. In my 'old age' (when I was around 40) I took an art class and an art history class at the local college from a delightful instructor by the name of London Bridges. Yes, that was her name!! It was during my college days that I was asked to paint this cart. I wish the picture was in color.

This bouquet of flowers was painted while we lived in Alabama. A cousin of mine wanted it so it hangs in her home now.

And, this oil hangs on my kitchen wall. My college instructor wanted me to paint a cabbage and this is it.

This watercolor is really bad..... driftwood, grapes and sumach. And, it's gotten damaged over the years.

                           Roses in oil on cardboard.... what was I thinking?

                                        An oil of batchelor buttons.

  A fireplace at my brother-in-law's mountain cabin in Tennessee, done in pastels.

The Golden Gate Bridge - watercolor

              And, finally........... a 4X6 board canvas with pink flowers in oil.

So, that's my little gallery of the feeble efforts of my 'art career'.