CHANGE IS A COMIN'

 Our house has been up for sale since April of 2023.   Week after week people came to look resulting in five or six unacceptable offers.  But this past week, a couple from Irvington, NY, fell in love with the Grand Dame giving us an offer we couldn't refuse.  Our friend and real estate agent, Gheri, will be writing up the contract this week, and we will move at the end of October.  The gold at the end of the rainbow is moving to a home near my daughter, Melanie.  We've lived thousands of miles apart since 1993, and 31 years later we'll be within a few miles of each other.  The next three months will feel like an eternity.  Stepping into the next chapter of our lives has been trying at times, but Vinnie would remind me that the right people would come along.  

This proverb sums it up:

The craziness begins:  Packing, sorting, discarding.  We are taking minimal furniture and will rent a furnished place in our new hometown for three months until we find our next home.  It will be a much-needed vacation.

Now I'll share my last table setting.  A beautiful Battenberg tape lace tablecloth forms the foundation under my Mikasa/Fine Ivory Royalty dishes.  Wallace bee flatware, a green teapot from Japan, and flowers from the garden give the table a summery feel.   

With two months of summer remaining, and an elephant to eat (one bite at a time), I will continue to update my progress on "The Move".

MEMORIAL DAY

 Heartfelt appreciation for all those men and women in our military who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our freedom.

Our Memorial Day has been very quiet and somewhat sad because we lost two friends in the last three weeks.  RIP Ronnie Colamarina and Dorothy DeMarco.  We will miss your friendships and the good times.

My table isn't set for the holiday, but I collected items for a grouping. I call it eclectic because most items are from different makers and in various patterns.  The Pheasant tea cup/saucer and the berry bowls are Noritake/Pheasants.  The coffee mugs are Harlequin by Wren, the vintage glass coffee pot is Flameware, the teapot is Hall, the black and gold geometric teacup and saucer are Bijoux/Terner, the brass urn planter is unbranded, and the gold flatware is Farberware/Breeze. The dinner plate is Lenox/Eclipse, the checkered salad plate is Quatri/PRC, and the charger is unbranded. The background is a beautiful little tapestry from Bruges, Belgium. Bruges is famous for its lace and hand-loomed fabrics and tapestries.  I purchased tassels and attached them to the ends.

Here's a table setting with most of the items.

I've been working in the garden, and all my planters and pots are brimming with flowers.  It's a joy to stroll through the yard with flowers everywhere.

Summer will be here in a few days.  Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.