Thursday, May 14, 2009

BLOG WINNER A-A-A-N-N-N-N-D DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP!

May's blog giveaway was this precious stamp set below - oh, how I love it!
I did the drawing last night with the help of my best friend, Annette (she picked the number - always helping; that's just who she is), and the *excited* winner was CAROL O'CONNELL of Vintage Crafter! Yea for Carol!! And, she's from Canada which I think is so cool (well, until I get to the post office) - I'm making friends all over the world with my giveaways and that's the most wonderful thing! (I wonder how far away my farthest away reader lives???)
Oh, and don't forget that I have decided to have a giveaway EVERY MONTH!
Big WOO HOO!!
.....And, now the second part of this post............a fascinating story follows. LOL

Frank the Tank has been out of town this week so I've been in charge of watering his babies......his tomato plants (oh, please). So, I'm standing there watering them, probably not the right way, the gentle way...........I simply laid the hose in the container and let it fill with water and then moved to the next container. (DON'T TELL!) Anyway, I'm standing there just thinkin' about important stuff...you know, stuff like 'do these tomato plants make my butt look big?'...'what excuse can I think of to get out of making dinner? "oh, darn, Tank, I was with the tomatoes so long that I didn't have time to cook! *shrugging shoulders pitifully* I guess we'll have to order in" '...'this chore is great for fluffing'...and, pondering such serious dilemmas as erectile dysfunction.

Okay, I'm just kidding. (Well, not about how I watered them...) What I really noticed was the view towards the highway and how green the plowed and planted front field was and how gorgeous the hills across the highway are and how blessed I am to have that view. And, as I was thinking these things I thought about all of the things of beauty we miss because we don't look up! Like the hills across the highway - not something I see very often because I don't look up.
So, I went inside and grabbed my camera so I could share with you some of the beauty that is all around me. Now, you may not think my "views" are beautiful because we all define beauty in our own way. But, my views are awesome to me - they're bits of life that make me smile (fyi - glitter is a bit of life, too:) and a LOT of them make me smile because they make me think of God and how He is the one that has given us all the beauty that is around us!

I took the picture of the oh, so revered tomato plants, the view towards the highway and now I'm going to show you the view to the left of where I was watering the revered ones - you're looking at the barn area. When I look that direction I am flooded with memories of the boys when they were growing up!
And, so, these are the round bales from one of our hay fields. They'll feed the cattle during this drought and through the winter. The boys and their friends used to climb up on them (the hay bales, not the cows) and play 'keep away' while running down the rows and jumping from row to row! They also make a great background for target practice (so they say).
A close up of some of the barns (you're missing the hay barn - hey, hay barns are important AND they're honkin') and the pens. Oh, my gosh, talk about God's beauty! A lot of the beauty is in the memories of the parties we've had down at the barn - behind the small barn that eventually became my first studio. And also, looking at this area is a reminder that the barn was built in 1890 and that the ranch has been a working ranch owned by the Thomason's since 1890. Wow - now that's vintage and I LOVE vintage!
Oh, this is so cool! I see this beauty every time I take the curve coming up our lane - the wicker settee, fence gate and yard chandelier hanging in the ancient pecan tree. I love this little bit of "me" that you see as you're approaching the house and after you've seen the beauty of the pink bicycles lined up along the fence at our entrance...
See? The yard chandelier! Doesn't it make you smile?

Beauty.
Oops! I need another yard chandelier!
This little sitting area is just outside the fence that runs around our yard. It's crazy *meaning more pink on a ranch*, but it's so me:)
As I was walking around the front yard to get this one last picture for you I passed the front door....my lovely front door that no one ever sees because everyone that comes to our house uses my studio door (go figure). I think my front door is beautiful and I was so glad I looked up and saw it as I walked by!
Ahhh, my favorite place in our yard....the swing. I love to sit in it and gently rock back and forth as I look out at my favorite view.
I always look up and see this view! It's my special place where I can be calmed when agitated, blessed when I am troubled, cooled down after a long bike ride, and simply at peace while I am gently rocking back and forth.
You know what? There is beauty all around us; we simply need to look up from our busy-ness and see it! Even a parking lot is a thing of beauty to me if I find a rusty smished bottle cap! Texture, color, faded color, vintage buildings, children, all of God's people, and let me not forget the horizon - what do you see when you look towards the horizon?

I simply adore all of you, my readers. There's such beauty in your comments.

xoxo,

. . .Jan

14 comments:

the wild raspberry said...

thanks for the tour...a lovely place you have there!
have a wonderful night.
chasity

Pam Mattick Art and Stuff said...

Adore you too!!!! I have that stamp set :) Great minds think alike or as my mom would say, Simple pleasures for... blah, blah, blah. That's probably why I'M so sarcastic.

mendytexas said...

WOW! Your property is gorgeous!! Our "living" is so different! I actually live in a CITY. hehehe!! Yours looks SO much more relaxing!
:)mendy

Robin said...

What beautiful scenery you have! I just love that swing and the view is gorgeous. Nature is a truly a wonder!

Take Care - Robin

Blaiz said...

Wow, your place is beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

I put one of those geographical counters on my site and I was surprised and delighted to find that people from other countries were visiting my site. It's amazing how this big old world can be made friendly and cozy through a blog.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing all of the beauty that surrounds you:) I'm going to spend my day looking up!

Robin said...

Thanks Jan sweetie for allowing us to visit. What a wonderful time I had looking at your green beautiful world! I would LOVE to live there and be able to bring home the little goatlets and calves that are rescued and brought to the sanctuary!! We just recently got a young javelina that thinks he belongs in your lap... I SWEAR!!!! So I would be able to let them all lay in my lap if I lived with you!!!
What do you say? I just bought some fabulous scrapbook paper with a vintage design in glitter--I'll give it to you if you let me live with you!!!

Angela Rae Barribeau said...

Some day... I would LOVE to see your views in person! They're BEAUTIFUL!

dragonflydreamer said...

Thanks for the beautiful tour, Jan. You are surrounded by beauty! I have been taking the time to look up more these days too. Thanks for the reminder. I really adore your little outside areas. I think I'll have to make a place on my porch that is "me" this summer. Hope you are having a great weekend!

summersundays-jw said...

What beautiful views you have & I love your lawn chandeliers. You've been tagged. Jan

Jay said...

"Look up" reminds me of Daphne. Amy handed out vitamins at the table and went back to the kitchen. Daphne spit her vitamins out onto the floor. Amy came back in and asked if everyone was doing well.

Daphne said, "Mom, you'll be fine if you just keep looking up."

Anonymous said...

Ah Ha!!! Yes I was not the only child to play on top of Daddy's haybales! (Although we usually got in trouble for messing up the hay!) Yes they do make a good backdrop for target practice, too. Lovely pics! I love seeing your 'ranch' ('round here we'd call it a farm, tho).

Heather

SunshineandRavioli said...

I think you have one of the best views anywhere, and I can't wait to get back to Texas so I can have one too! 18 months and dh retires from the Army and I will be HOME again- can't wait.

Thanks for the gorgeous pics and a taste of home....

(0:
Steph

Taylor said...

JAN!!! I tried to see you last time I was in town but you weren't there! I really do miss running on those hay bales lol, just not when we were playing paintball!!!!
I have something really important to tell you!!! I will be home at the end of the week! See you soon!!!!!

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