I was beginning to think that this year was going to be a wash for treasure hunting…and then this week end happened!

Another piece of painted milk glass!  I am getting quite the nice collection of the painted pieces and I think they are so very lovely!

Baskets of such beauty, oh my!  It has been the season for cranberry glass!

I am a bit of an oddball about my mugs and cups.  They have to have a certain feel in my hand and this one not only fits perfectly but is also a thing of beauty!

I certainly could not pass up a cake stand in the grape leaf pattern.  I am very choosey about the pieces I add anymore, but this little lovely was a mere $4!

This sweet little vaseline glass jar was .50 and just the cutest ever.

This year I have not see a great deal of needlepoint pieces.  But this sweet little stool is a perfect addition to my other pieces.  I just love filling my home with lovely pieces of handwork. I know the work that goes into these pieces and like to think the maker would be pleased knowing that her pieces are being appreciated and loved.

Beautiful crockery and check out that little doily!

We all know how I love decorating for the holidays so no big surprise that I would bring this lady liberty home with me!

I had been meaning to grab a brush for dry brushing and some other assorted bath items so when I found this new with tags….well it was just the thing!

More lovely little dollies.  I will redress the one in green.  I searched on line and it appears these are Nancy Ann Storybook dolls and their story is charming. These would both have been made prior to 1948.

Vintage fabric loveliness!!

And another cute little baby.  This little one is on a few inches high.

Oh my such lovelies!  I also picked up a few toys that I did not bother to photo.  I do enjoy keeping a record of my finds as I can look back and see if I actually used or kept the items and determine if I am just picking up needless clutter.  It is interesting how my thrift buying has changed over the years.

Since coming to the city one of the things I have dearly missed is cycling.  I had gone out a few times, but the traffic is awful and it seems the norm around here for cyclist and pedestrians to be hit…oh my!  I have attended spin class off and on and decided if I cannot be out on my bike then I best get back into spinning.  So that is what I did….and I love it!  I was not sure I could complete a spin class as out of shape as I have become…but I did and I can.  Since I have been concerned about my lack of movement and the impact upon my health, I recently started tracking my steps and adding daily walks while at work.  I happened to find a shaded lovely street behind my place of work and a huge church parking lot.  The route, if I plan it correctly, can give me a nice 2 mile walk.  It has done wonders for my mental health to leave during the workday and regroup.

All that shade makes it possible to walk even on the hottest days!

During my walks I listen to books on tape.  Currently I am listening to the most fascinating book on aging and death…very appropriate for the field I am in and the fact that I am now in my 60s and experience numerous changes in my own body due to the aging process.  I believe this book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, should be required reading for everyone in the field of elder care.  It is one of those books that leaves a permanent mark on you and how you view the world around you.

 

 

With summer term started my studies have taken up a great deal of my time.  I am studying Ayurveda Medicine this term.  It is an ancient Indian practice and it is fascinating!  I have determined that of the three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, I am Kapha.  I find it such an amazing study.  It is one of the oldest practices and many of the ancient Chinese practices were based in part on Ayurveda principles.  The principles, based strongly on nature, are so spot on with what science is proving today.  I am implementing many of the practices into my own life and find that they are so helpful as they address body, mind, and spirit.  They fit so well with my new Reiki practices and lifestyle changes. Speaking of Reiki, my Reiki table arrived and I have been practicing on my hubby.  Reiki is such a beautiful addition to my life and has really been quite transformative.  I am much calmer and it has improved my meditation practices to add Reiki into them.  Oh that I could have had all these tools 30 years ago!  Western medicine really lost so very much when it focused on a pharmaceuticals as the answer to all and viewed the body as a machine with each part distinct into itself.  The more we learn the more we realize that it is a model that is great in emergencies, but does not promote overall health.

In the world of making, I must admit I have done nothing!  My knitting mojo has waned and even my dishcloth knitting has stopped.  But that is OK.  One just needs to go with the flow.  It will return and I will be knitting up a storm and sewing something lovely.

The time is growing closer for my trip to Ireland! It is only just over 5 weeks away! I am very excited!  It is so hard to have the kids so far away. I miss them so much so there will be lots of memories to be made in a few short weeks.  While I have never been to Ireland, I left my heart in the UK upon my first visit at 18 years old. The green rolling hills, the beautiful lilting voices, the slower pace, and the endless beauty and history for miles!

Well now must off and head over to get some spinning in.

Lovingly,

Patricia