Prairie Blossoms & Country Roads

It's been a great year for wildflowers and prarie blossoms. The fields are showing a lovely array. But you may have already noticed an array of a very differnt kind of blossom on the horizon known as the VLA.

No doubt an individual of a very large imagination to match came up with the catchy name. . . . (Insert wry little smile here. . . yuk, yuk.)

These strategically placed satellite dishes are part of an enormous radio telescope aimed at the stars. Just seeing what's out there . . .

And out off of NM Highway 52 we are doing the same. . . . The air and light are telling us that the days are getting shorter and to waste no time.

This field mint grows in the rain fed gullys along country roads. Much taller than when we visited a month ago, and blessing the lonely landscape with its lovely lavender hue.

A local resident wanders over too, calling out in friendly curiosity. Even the long shadows are turning the hills to purple at the end of day.

I was hoping the fields of white prickly poppies would still be here. So thorny that the deer and cattle leave them alone to adorn the hills. (Take it from me. You probably have to be a little prickly to thrive in the desert!  chuckle, chuckle. . . .)

I have no idea of its name, but I call this our version of Queen Anne's Lace or Baby's Breath.

Also found in pale pink. I was so absorbed with the landscape that I didn't even think to bring some home. . . .

Why is it that old post boxes hold so much romance for me?

Especially when there seems to be so much friendly company!

 I would stay and visit, but it's time that I got to wandering on back home. . . .

Hasta la vista. baby!

So nice to have you along for the ride!

 I'll be getting back to visiting with you just as soon as I can make myself get back inside!

Jacqueline

It's also time to join

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday!

Come on over!

Just Linen

The weekend is always a great time for junking! And I always have my radar out for pretty linen. Since I also sell from my collections, what I select to buy has to be in good condition. A lot gets passed up for that reason.

I never buy in lots because the chances are that many of the pieces will have problems. You have to open up and examine every seam and surface of a vintage piece you are considering. Even then I sometimes miss things. That's just the way with linen. It's meant to be used, and use takes its toll.

I recently found this set of vintage pillowcases separated from each other in a jumble of linens in a box at a fleamarket. There was maybe one other suitable item in the whole box. Everything, including the pillow slips, was yellowed and wrinkled as it frequently is. But I'm thrilled beyond reason when I find pairs of things, and the price made them worth the risk! Often just a typical wash will make the fabric white again. 

It takes some perseverence, but am completely hooked on the hunt and the result. (These are the softest cotton pillowcases that I have ever felt!)

A small hand towel like this one is the most ubiquitous item to find in good condition and also at a good price. I never pass one up if it has a crocheted trim. 

I am often asked about restoring and caring for linen. But I am no expert. I know little more than the average person. And I do next to no restoration. My experience has taught me to tell the difference between what will simply wash out, and what you will likely have to live with.

I have a great talent for loving linen, however! And that is the driving force in my search. It is a texture of life that I never want to live without.

Smooth cotton to lie my head down on at night. The soft look of a freshly laid table. The prettiness of a bit of lace peeking out over the furniture, or a lovely weave to address the mundane tasks of every day.

Linens are a part of life. We may as well have some lovely ones!

 We had an exciting thunderstorm and refreshing rain last evening after the weather report predicted no chance of rain. (We aways need it here in the desert.) Don't you just love beating the odds? And it's a perfect morning for the farmer's market.

Have a fantastic weekend no matter what you're up to!

Thanks so much for coming by!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Between Naps on the Porch~Metamorphosis Monday

Shabby Art Boutique~Shabbilicious Friday

picnic table escape a la pottery barn

Yes, you read that right. I said "table-escape." Sometimes you just have to do it!

I stayed away from Pottery Barn all summer, but when I popped in a couple of days ago I spotted these salad plates, and all I could think about was a picnic. Kooky, right? The set of four is called Morning  Paper. Nicely suited for coffee and a breakfast roll.  But what can I say?

On the coast you head for the ocean to get cool on a hot summer's day. Here in New Mexico we head for the hills.

We arrived just after the rain. Late in summer, mid-week, there is little competition for the ideal spot. We chose a table nestled in the trees, away from the car lot, next to a brook. The sound of water in a quiet place is hard to come by in an ordinary day.

There are picnics, and there are picnics. This one is more about staving off hunger before we head back for town. Basic. A little vino, bread, fruit, and cheese.

Basic, but not boring. These wonderful plates are not fragile, but thick like ironstone. Paired with a grey linen napkin, an outdoor setting can lean more toward romance and sophistication. An occasion.

A handy straw tote carries it all.

A little mix and match vintage glassware is always festive.

(Serrano ham for the fellas.)

It's the sort of thing you always want to do before summer is over. And it can wait no longer. . . .

You might want to bring along someone special,

. . . who has a good knife! (haha)

We didn't spend a lot of time at it. A little dose of nature goes a long way. There was the delicious pine scented air. The lovely drive. And a flock of wild turkeys hanging around the picnic grounds. You see cool stuff like that when you give nature a chance. 

I brought along a crock thinking I would find some sunflowers along the way. Nothing doing. But I did find these berry branches of something looking rather decorative. Probably poisonous. (But don't worry, we didn't eat any!)

And no kidding about those turkeys . . . .

I have visited these grounds since I was a girl when there was no parking or even picnic tables. We put soda and beer in the snow fed stream and played baseball in a clearing. Kids and adults together.

 Times have changed. . . . But the hills are still here. . . .

I hope you are getting in those last licks of summer too!

Thanks so much for sailing by!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Between Naps on the Porch~Tablescape Thursday

French Country Cottage~Feathered Nest Friday