Going Home...

Mr D had a quiet and peaceful Homecoming on Tuesday evening, July 16. God gave me the gift of seeing him draw his last two breaths. As a family, we were incredibly blessed with church, friends and a community of believers supporting us through this time. A thank you seems so mundane but we truly are grateful from the bottom of our hearts for your support - God bless you all!

My nephew sent this song to me via face book and I re posted it to my Fleur Cottage page where it can be accessed by clicking on the right side of this blog. I hope you'll take the time to listen to it...it describes Mr D's passing perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/user/iloveLIBERA?feature=watch

There are many changes coming into my life...changes that Mr D and I have decided together. I will be taking several months break from posting but plan on being back in October.

Thank you for walking along side of us in our two plus year journey!

Psalm Twenty Three

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and staff comfort me.

Psalm 23 :4

KJ

Mr D is walking this walk.

 Though in his heart of hearts he wishes he could stay awhile,

 he fears no evil.

We did what could be done.

It's all up to God.

Unless He performs a miracle,

Mr D will finish a race he has run well.

(you can follow our journey on Fleur Cottage face book page)

All Around The Globe...

I like old globes. I like old books. I like old, wooden orphan drawers. Link them all together and one has a lovely vignette.

I found three orphan wooden desk drawers on a free pile at a yard sale. I took them home with me because I loved the hardware on them. They sat in in our utility shed for several years collecting more dust, waiting for me to be inspired. Some weeks ago I carried them into the house and the transformation began.

- The Before -

In all their ugly but lots of potential condition.

And the hardware? Oh my...caked with years of neglect and dirt!

Even a soak in water didn't budge the dirt.

Struck gold after a hard scrubbing...amazing!

 The drawers were falling apart and one had lost its bottom...

 and very dirty with spider nest in the crevices and key holes.

I took them completely apart, sanded the wood and the rusty track. Mr D made a new bottom for the bottom-less drawer. I sprayed the insides of the drawers with semi-gloss clear wood finish and what an amazing difference! By now, I was really loving this project, even though I had no idea what I was going to do with them.

Isn't this rustic glamour amazing?

I watered down the paint and without using any primer, I gave the outside of the drawers a quick slap-it-on coat because I wanted a weathered look. Doing that made these dates appear on the sides of each one...love the extra bonus!

- The Beautiful After! -

All the while, I had NO idea what I was going to do with them! As I was finishing them, inspiration came. My Christmas putz houses were still up (yes, from Christmas; I liked them so much!) and it was beyond time to store them again. The books were already there which led me to my small globe collection because reading takes one anywhere in the world one wants to go!

I am so pleased with the results! After scrubbing the hardware with a scrubby (the only to take off the grime) and giving them a shine with steel wool, it turned out it looked like this. I loved that surprise - I had no idea this loveliness was under the dirt! I sanded the paint lightly and put the scubby to use again around the cup handles that would naturally show wear. The globes were picked up over the years thrift-ing; the small one is a glass light shade.

Can I say I'm in love? Because I am!

I want to find more dirty, broken treasures like this!