The Rest of the Collection...

Did you know that the first thimbles in England were called "thumb bells" because they were worn on the thumb and shaped like a bell?  The shape eventually changed, but the name softened into "thimble."  And did you know that a person who collects thimbles is known as a digitabulist?  No??  Me neither.  :)

Computer search engines are turning me into a real-life Cliff Clavin.  :-D  Remember "Cheers"?  Such a funny show, and good old Cliff was a storehouse of trivia.  There was one episode where Cliff was selected to be a contestant on "Jeopardy"; it was just hilarious.  My husband and I still laugh about it all these years later.

I thought I would show you the rest of my little treasures from yesterday's post.

Little Treasures

I wrote about our den several weeks ago, pointing out some summer touches I had added here and there.  Today, I thought I'd show you a little collection that hangs on the wall beside our television in the den.  It's a thimble collection (with a few other miniatures thrown in) that I've had for over 30 years.

Happy Birthday Will!

Twenty-three years ago today, our son entered the world at 10:06 p.m.  It was a joyful time for Mr. Forest Manor and I.  These years have gone by in such a whirl -- story time at the library, playing at the park in summer, piano lessons, swimming lessons, t-ball, little league baseball, boy scouts, concert band, marching band, laughter, heart-to-heart talks, lots of family time.  Good times and not-so-good times -- all a part of living life.  Parenting certainly isn't easy, but we wouldn't trade a minute of it.

Today, we celebrate our son's birthday on the second day of his new job.  Three months since he graduated from college, and he has a full-time job.  We are blessed and oh, so thankful!

Diane's Garden

I want to say a big "Thank You" to everyone for your sweet comments on my mom's pink and green tablescape!  My mom enjoyed seeing her table on the blog, and she really appreciated all the nice comments!

I'll bet many of your thoughts are starting to turn towards fall, yes?  Mine too; I pinned some really pretty fall images yesterday.  :)  But I'm still trying to hold on to the nicer parts of summer; the older I get, the more guilty I feel about rushing the seasons and wishing my life away.  Life really is so precious, and it goes by much too quickly these days. So for this post, I'm going back to late spring/early summer to share with you some pictures from my mother-in-law Diane's garden this year.  I always enjoy walking around my mom and mom-in-law's yard every spring and summer to see what they have blooming.

A Pink and Green Tablescape

Back in the first week of July, we gathered at my parents' house to celebrate my dad's birthday, which was July 3rd.  We had a delicious summer meal of grilled hot dogs with all the fixings (including my mom's homemade chili), baked beans, potato chips, Asian coleslaw, deviled eggs, and homemade ice cream for dessert.  It was wonderful!  :)

My mom had set the prettiest table in her dining room -- just a summer tablescape that she planned to leave out for a few weeks or a month, since they only eat in the dining room on special occasions.  I just fell in love with these dishes and the tablescape, so I wanted to share it with you.

 

The Land of Mountains and Waterfalls

Last week Mr. Forest Manor and I were able to get away for a few days, where we escaped to the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Waters Mountain Lodge.