Late Summer Mantles

Oh My! 

It's hard to believe that summer is coming to a close.

 Although I am thrilled to see fall 

and some cooler weather 

(I'm hoping some cooler temperatures are on their way!)

I thought it might be nice to revel in the last days of summer by sharing my summer mantle decorations.

With the craziness that has become my life,

 my decorating has become a little more simple.

  Sometimes it's nice to be simple.

Thank You and Thank Yous

THANK YOU SO MUCH

FOR THE WARM WELCOME BACK!

It's nice to be here again.

  

An interesting thing happens when a loved one dies, people being you food, a lot of delicious food. For the first few days I couldn't eat a thing (it even seemed strange to eat) but my children wanted to eat. It was so nice to not have to think about feeding them, especially at a time when I couldn't even think. My friends and neighbors were so wonderful to keep our family well fed for days and I wanted a special way to thank them. I bought a bunch of forks from the thrift store and began to bend and twist. I found it easy to bend the tongs but the handles were more difficult. Luckily, just as I had hit my frustration level, son #2 came home and helped. This is how our creation came out.

I added a Thank You sign and a pretty kitchen towel. It felt nice to give a little something special to those who did something so special for us. 

Twenty Weeks

Twenty Weeks.

There have only been a few times in my life when I marked the passage of time by weeks. I did each time I was pregnant; counting the weeks as my belly expanded with the new life growing inside. Each week I anticipated how my life would be forever changed. It was a time of anxiety and happiness.

Now, with the passing of the life of my dear, sweet spouse I find myself counting the weeks again. Each week I anticipate how my life will be forever changed. It is a time of anxiety and sadness. And yet there is also happiness to be found.

It may seem strange to hear a new widow say that she is happy. But there really are times of happiness amongst the sadness and grief. Those happy times come when I realize how truly fortunate I am. I was blessed to marry to a very good man. He loved me and believed in me. He was a true partner in every sense of the word. He was my life partner and my blog partner. My husband was by my side as I purchased a digital camera so that I could begin this blog. He was there to help me build and make my plans and dreams a reality. Even when I swore him to silence, telling him that I didn’t want anyone to know about my blog because I wanted it to be something I did anonymously, he would secretly tell others because he couldn’t contain his pride in me. I recently went into where my husband worked and a young man asked about my blog. He said that my husband would always showoff my projects. That’s the kind of man he was. That’s the kind of man he still is. I have no doubt that he is saddened that I have taken such a long hiatus from blogging. I have felt his presence nudging me on just as he always did.

So my dear blog friends, today, twenty weeks after the sudden passing of my sweetheart, I return to blogging. My life has been forever changed. It may be noticeable in my future posts. But, in honor of Mr. Joys of Home and because I truly have missed you my friends, I am back.

I express to you my immense gratitude for your thoughts and prayers. My family and I are indeed lifted by you! Thank you for your comments and emails. I read and cherished each one and express my appreciation to you for taking the time to write. Please forgive me for not responding. I needed to take a break from blogging and emails to adjust and re-evaluate my life. I am grateful for your love, concern, and patience.

With the deepest of appreciation,

Joy