So Much to Catch Up On!!!

Well, it has been well over a week since I've had the time to sit down and blog.  I've composed many posts in my mind while I was driving or working at something, just haven't been able to carve out a slice of time to put it down.  Well, here I am, sitting and soaking some sore feet (from wearing a pair of dress shoes too long today) with time on my hands to catch up.  Thanks for joining me.

The first task to keep me ubber busy was canning the bushel of peaches I had.  I had to do them over three different evenings, due to all of the peaches deciding to ripen at different stages.  I can at night to keep from heating up my little kitchen too much in the day time.  If I do it at night, things cool off in there while we sleep and no one is uncomfortably hot indoors.  In all I produced 27 pints of sliced, ready to eat right out of the jar peaches.  Jars of sweet summer sunshine!!

Over the Labor Day weekend we managed a one and a half day escape up to our cottage on Long Pond in Lempster, NH.  On the way up, two stops (the first for corn and the second for ice cream) yielded a couple fun photo opts.  This first one, the chickens were enjoying a peck or two (or three or twenty!) at the just harvested peaches.  I heard the farmer calling the name of the brown one as he chased them off.  Apparently, Eugene the chicken has a peach tooth!

The second farm stand in Antrim, NH sells ice cream.  This doorway with its casually stacked bushel baskets and just picked corn caught my eye.  The nearby mums, set an autumn mood to the scene.

And here, our final destination, Buttercup Cottage.  One of these days I'll get around to posting photos of our sweet place.

After coming home from the cottage, life for me was all about getting ready for the Cooperage Market Place this past weekend.    Here are two furniture transformations that took place.

This is a vintage metal security cabinet.  The door has a three digit combination lock under the door latch.  Inside are several drawers and cubbies.  It was looking a little tired out when I found it.

I painted the main part of the cabinet an almond color and painted the door with chalkboard paint.  I think it would look sweet in a family room and the chalkboard could be used to leave messages or reminders, special quotes to inspire the family or as a score keeping tally board for games played by a family sprawled out on the family room floor spending special time together.  And because it is also magnetic (being solid metal) it adds another dimension of possibilities.

Here again is a quick look at the cupboard I picked up on my trip to Connecticut earlier this summer.

Stripping, sanding, scrubbing and repainting later, it turned out lovely, don't you think?

On my way to the Cooperage Market Place on Friday morning a lady flagged me down on the road.  She didn't want a little fawn who was wandering next to the road to get spooked and run into my car.  I put on the warning lights of my car and pulled over to get out and see the little guy.  It was quite the bittersweet experience.  He (or she) was a package of pure 100% innocence and trust.  We made kissy sounds and he came right up to us, eating some grapes right out of the lady's hand.  I was so close to him, I could have wrapped my arms around his little body and picked him up.  Mama was no where to be seen or found.  A very sad thing.  She must have been killed by a predator and now this little baby was all on his own and already making the mistake of wandering in the street and trusting humans.  It was in many ways, such a gift to see this little guy and experience his innocence, but it made me cry as I drove away after he finally went back into the woods, knowing that he probably wouldn't make it.  Yes, I know the deer population is too high, but he was just a baby, in this world like you and I, and the thought that I had said hello and goodbye in one experience was a hard one. 

I had myself a good cry and then moved on down the road, out of the woods to the Market Place to work the morning.  Here are a couple photos of my spot.

Not as much little stuff as I usually have, as it has been hard to come by lately.  I did have a good flea market haul the Sunday prior (although no time to take photos to show you) which saved me a bit or it would look even more sparse.  The weekend was successful, though and a good deal of these items found new happy homes.

Lastly, a small peek at a banner I made and displayed on this vintage movie screen.  Another post will give you a close up and how to.  It sets the mood for the change in the air around us this time of year.  Yes, summer is on its last leg and autumn is taking its place, getting ready to plant its feet firmly and stay for a bit.

Saturday it was off to Brimfield for the last antique show of the year.  Tune in soon for the low down on the loot and details of the day.  Till then...