For The Love of

God?

Love?

Flowers?

Perfection?
Just dusting off the tomes of reasons in a sometimes unreasonable world.

Just as Simmy finished publishing... the mailman arrived... so she went outside and found a sweet and simple wedding invitation from a niece.
For the love of Love, indeed...

The Frog Prince

Simmy had awakened at 3:00, 5:20, 7:29 and 9:24... all in the a.m.
Oldest construction son had put the cat in the gazebo at 5:20 a.m. so Simmy felt she should let him out for a fresh green blade of grass nibble.
She put on the coffee and walked outside to put the cat on his leash. He walked straight toward a succulent piece of summer vittles and attacked it from the middle, making mouth smacking sounds of enjoyment.
Half an hour later, Simmy was ready to get to work, writing her novel, but before she got all engrossed in the task, she thought she'd better check on the cat. He had a habit of winding his leash around any leg of summer furniture sitting on the lawn and then standing in the hot sun, fur coat on, waiting for a rescue.
Simmy opened the back door and a swift movement, right next to the door, had her shriek and close the screen door swiftly.
A frog had jumped for safety and hidden his head under a cobweb that had grown around a thistledown seed, next to the fence post.
He seemed to be in a "if I can't see her, she can't see me" delusion so Simmy creaked the screen door open slowly and stepped outside to release the cat from his leash.

  The cat didn't even notice the frog and when Simmy got the camera ready to take a few photos of this frog prince... he seemed to be doing some serious tricep toad training.
"Well look at you! Trying to get those triceps all buff for your lady, are you?"
The frog prince answered, "Um, I'm wearing my camouflage here. You're not supposed to be able to see me?"
"Have you been living under the nasturtium all summer?"
He refused to answer any more questions.
"Good thing I've been watering my flowers then, yes? You'd have had a hard time finding a wet environment on the prairies this summer. OH! You don't really like water... gotcha!"
With one jump, he turned his body and Simmy bustled back into the house.

"He looks a tad grimm," she punned.

Of Sinners and Saints

Sam and Simmy walked down 'Thistle Lane' to reach the abandoned house with happy blue paint.
The thistles had grown to be 5 feet tall but Sam just pushed his sandal-ed foot down at the root ball where it met the dirt and down they went... they don't have any roots you know!
It was a grueling little high stepping, itchy leg traipse through the field of thistles but Simmy was curious to see if she could get a few old house pictures.

The only door to the dilapidated house was ajar and it was just one of those poignant moments when you know... this picture is speaking.
There was no feeling of sorrow on this piece of land... just evidence of what once was. Simmy was one of those optimistic people that couldn't help thinking of the house as a 'fixer upper.'
There was a window, still intact, and she really wanted a photo of it, so Sam sandal-ed his feet onto the big weeds, and soon she had a perfect view of this window.

The curtains were still hung and there was a view of the outdoors through this pane of glass that was just so clear...
when they rounded the corner of the house, they knew why...

The wall was completely missing on this side of the house.
"The furniture is still all in here. The pictures are still on the wall..." Sam said, matter- of- factly.
Simmy felt uneasy looking at all the 'stuff' so she looked up and... there she found the next perfect photo... the ceiling trusses were intact and the boards covering them were standing in the gap with the sun shining through every crack, planting 'Good Hope' into the feeling of this tiny little house.
As Simmy took two more photos of the property...

... the trees waved in a lush and happy environment kind of way and she thought of the flattened swath of grass underneath them that Sam had said was likely where the deer had bedded down.

As they pulled out of their little 'adventurous' escapade, Simmy thought, "What a great place to build again!"

Good Hope Fairholme

Sam and Simmy headed out to Fairholme Hutterite Colony for their summer garage/ bake sale. Simmy had been raised in the country but one tends to forget how many miles you have to travel in the country of Canada, to get anywhere.
They arrived in time for lunch... Phew!
As they strolled around the tables set up with assortments of things, old and new, Simmy spotted some feather pillows made with unbleached cotton ticking. They weren't cheap but they were so... lovely! You just can't take the country out of this city girl!
She purchased them at a rather steep price but they were well stuffed and she had taken apart many a feather pillow to re- construct them so she had a good appreciation for the work involved.
They drove down the country road to Good Hope Colony as they, too, were having a garage sale.

Das Bild ist urheberrechtlich geschützt.

There was a young two year old playing in the sandy soil with Tonka trucks and it so reminded Simmy of raising her own boys. They had also purchased these indestructible toys for their children, more than twenty years ago now. With permission from the father, she took a few pictures of the wee one and this photo with his little bare feet and his suspenders dragging was just so precious.
They stopped in at each home that had set up tables and, when they came to the last little group... Simmy spotted some unbleached cotton peeking out of a bag.
She bustled over to find more feather pillows but these were considerably cheaper.
The soil was just right to stomp ones' feet a little and create a bit of a dust- up but she had already, very accidentally, used a word that most people are only supposed to use when they speak of what a beaver builds so... she thought she should behave herself.
After debating and planning to drive all the way back to the city without the second set of pillows... she changed her mind and purchased them too.
As I walked back to the Hummer, a woman called after me, "Now, don't be romancing too much on those pillows."

Can we tell which ones I paid much more for?
There was a young man who said to me, "Sprechen sie Deutsch? or was it Kannst du Deutsch sprechen?"
I can't quite remember.
To him, I replied, "Ja!"
He snorted with derision, saying, "Anybody can say 'Ja!'"
I should have challenged him to a 'Gesangbuch' duel but what if his voice can't hold a tune? I wouldn't want to embarrass him!
And the only German song that I could remember an entire verse to was..."Ihr Kinderlein Kommet."
I dedicate this verse to the Good Hope Colony...
"Ihr kinderlein, kommet
O kommet doch all!
Zur krippe her kommet
In Bethlehems Stall.
Und seht was im dieser
Hochheilige Nacht
Der Vater im Himmel
Fur freude uns macht."

And yes, I know it is a Christmas song but... don't you just love Christmas? 

Behind the Blue Door

Simmy woke to the sounds of heavy equipment... what time was it?
The inside of the eyelids were still sandpaper scratchy so she just lay in bed, listening...
When the sounds would not abate... she got up to make a pot of coffee... might as well start the day happy.
Oldest construction son came out of his bedroom grumbling a bit about the construction noise as well.
Being a construction family, though, he quickly said, "We start on the job site really early too!"
"Nobody will complain. They want the job done," Simmy spoke confidently.
As she wondered how to make the best of the situation... that was really close to becoming a skill or, maybe even, an art.
She went to fetch some blue paint and soon she had the door, that was jammed between the shed and the fence, painted a calming blue.
To be even more 'crazy' as oldest construction son had just complimented her with... truly, it is a compliment, she went to get the WELCOME sign and put it on top of the door as the concrete curb was swinging by. Maybe I should borrow his hard hat, she thought...

"Well, I do want that sound barrier wall up as soon as possible so... I'll WELCOME it.
For some crazy reason, she'd been thinking about having a spa day when she awakened.
"That is the most ludicrous thing to do today," she mumbled.
"But... it's also perfect!"
As she went to find a suitable glass ornament for a doorknob, and then the most lovely glass bowl for soaking ones' feet, and an antique teacup and saucer for that spot of tea that would be just perfect on a spa day...
Suddenly she heard a thump that sounded like it hit the house.
She dashed up the stairs to find that it was just the heavy concrete curb being put down right behind the shed.
She had to climb over the concrete block and rebar 'crib' that Sam had made to put the fireplace wood...
The teacup jangled and clinked as she jostled over the wood pile.

She laid out a faux weathered board quay from the wooden fence that had come down to make way for the concrete one.

  Out came the props to make the whole scene completely ridiculous.

That's perfect! Simmy mocked good- naturedly.

"A spot of tea... and there we go! That's all it takes to get my attitude in line with what I can't control..."
She climbed up onto the wood pile, feeling very satisfied with her Friday morning attitude and as she stepped down onto the grass... Rip...

The rick rack on her pink summer skirt had caught the whaler bar and there she was,... once again,...
adjusting her attitude...

Field Sunflowers

While out for our evening bicycle ride...

Sam and Simmy came across some sunflowers growing haphazardly in the field, where wind tossed seeds had spilled out the previous year. Simmy gathered a basketful to enjoy in the back yard.

The old white painted chair
a gift from
neighbors so rare
They lived a few doors down
for 25 years  or so
but now they're retiring and moving
into a condo
A sweet reminder that little things mean a lot...

Field sunflowers gathered and bunched into an old enamelware pitcher...

And Devastatingly Sexy

Is this my house? My house? Really?
Oh! This wall is devastatingly sexy, darling! In this little tiny piece of the cosmos, just call us the 
                                   'Million Penny Decorators.'