I've been busier'n a...

Barefoot boy on a red-ant bed! Lots of things to post about today, starting with:



The "Proximidade" award Claudia presented me with last week. It's a cool award--thank you, lady!--that focuses on one's proximity to others through blogland. Recipients supposedly have charming blogs. And I am honored that anyone would find mine so, especially someone like Claudia whose own blog is so charming.

I found this further explanation on the net:
"Blogs who receive this award are 'exceedingly charming' say its authors. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I'm supposed to choose blogs of my own to honor, and I will, later. (Procrastination? What's that?)

Also, I learned this morning that I won a ring from Claudia's Etsy shop. Here's her post. Thank you, lady. I love your rings!

Yesterday was my sis's b'day. She's the grandmother of Jaden whom I posted about here, and she's come down to visit this weekend. Last night she spent with my SIL--we lost my brother to cancer last year and have all banded together to help my SIL through. Billie is especially being terrifical cuz she, who hates to call anyone on the phone, makes sure she calls Sunny twice a week. Billie says she can't be much use practically but she can make people laugh. (Jaden doesn't fall far from the tree! Nor did his mother.)

So, since my SIL, my sis Ginger, and I will be sharing our weekend guest, I thought I'd share pics of my guest bedroom, today being Saturday and my guest bedroom being mostly thrift-decorated.

I showed this art deco lamp on another post but here it is in its natural habitat.



And here's its residing place.



This chest was a gift from my MIL when Tom and I were first married. It had been painted many times by the time we got it and we painted it many times afterward. Twenty or so years ago, Tom told me that if I didn't get rid of it he'd put it out for trash pickup. Because it was a family piece, I lent it to my niece, who then lent it to Billie, who decided to strip it. She discovered first the tremendous grain pattern, then a lock with an 1880 patent date. At that point, I decided to take it back. I know; I'm horrible! I had it professionally refinished, and I've since used it--in various houses--in the entryway, then in the LR and finally, in this house, in the guest BR.

This is a pic of the bed. Sorry for the blurriness; I didn't break out my tripod this morning. The headboard Tom and I bought thirty years ago. Yeesh! I'm sure it'd look great painted, but yunno, I do love wood grain. The pillows all are thrift found, though not the doll. That was handmade by a very dear friend.



This bedside table was a thrift find as was the lamp. The small tray I bought new in England in 1976. I know; some of you weren't even a gleam in your daddy's eye back then. Can't see it too clearly, but below the table is a wagon in which I keep reading material. Never know when a guest might want a novel.





This is our honking analog tv. According to the guys who installed our satellite, this tv will outlast cockroaches! Anyway, the dresser we're using as a stand one of my sisters--Alice--bought ages ago. When she married her new hubby and moved into their new home, her MIL--a designer--suggested she perhaps not bring the dresser. I used it as a sofa table in my last house, but it makes a pretty good tv stand. (It also could probably use a coat of paint--see the patches I can't disguise?--but I think that adds to its charm.)



Lastly, my best ever trash to treasure:



After our much-loved Maine coon cat Murphy died in 2000, Tom and I couldn't bear to think of getting another cat. After about a year, I found myself enchanted by yellow kitties. I'd never had one. We weren't actually considering getting another; I just thought they were cute. Then, dinner at Ginger's and we heard yowls from outside. Ginge lives on the lake; a lot of people dump cats out there. Well, we lived on the lake too at the time, but not so many people dumped them on our road. Anyway, since she knew one of her cats was outside, Ginge went out to check. And found that her cat was protecting her territory against an invading yellow kitty. Max was around three, three and a half months old and he was scrawny and unfriendly. And we took him home. He now rules our house, as cats do.

Now, I have laundry to do. I've missed y'all!