More Vintage Finds from Alabama

We're home. We're thankful for yet another safe trip there and back. Driving home makes me so tired. Going there I feel more energetic, probably because of the anticipation!

I have more pictures to share with you of an "adventure" we had while with Jamie. We try, once each time we go to stay with her, to have an adventure of some sort, to go someplace and see something that we've not seen before. We did that Friday and I can't wait to show you those pictures. She took her camera for that day and she's going to mail me a CD because we got some great pictures. Just a hint: If you love "old stuff" you'll love our adventure and the pictures we took for you.

What I wanted to show you today is a couple of goodies I found while there. I already showed you the "Strawberries and Preserves" a couple days back, but I hadn't shown the red table that I bought that will be on the front porch this summer, holding a cold glass of lemonade and a great magazine or book.

And I didn't show you the awesome needlepoint picture of a chicken that I snagged at the local antique store in the tiny community Jamie lives in. We went there really quick before they closed Friday afternoon after we arrived home from our "adventure". Jamie found a pair of old wooden Coca Cola crates to put to work around her house, and I found this great old picture and the red lantern. I think the lantern belongs on the front porch too. It's vintage, but still has the tag on it and had never been used! I want to actually light it and sit out there at night while it glows!

Since we have a "chicken and rooster" kitchen, the needlepoint is going to fit in perfectly, I'm thinking it will go over our old pie safe that serves as a pantry in there. I'll show you, I promise, once I get it hung.

He was only $12, and it was a custom frame job. This rooster is gorgeous! I believe the yarn it's done in is wool.

This old lantern was $5.95, like old general store pricing! And the red table was $25, it's heavy, I think it may be oak. So if I get tired of the red and want to re-use it somewhere else in the house, it can be stripped and refinished. I love the color.

Well, the mountain of laundry that always follows a week-long trip is shrinking slowly, I've been working on it all afternoon. Outside, though there's still a remnant of the five inches of snow that came while we were away, it's cold, gloomy and there's a chilly rain that was a freezing rain earlier today. We're snuggling up with the dogs who missed us so much, the mini-daschund is eating up some cozy lap time with dad while he reads the newspaper in the lazy-boy.

And, in the oven is baked macaroni and cheese (you can get to the recipe by going under "cooking" in the sidebar. That's all we'll be having today, after the excesses of Christmas goodies (I'll have to show and give you the recipe to a delicious homemade caramel corn that I find it difficult to stay away from...that was our new treat this year!) we'll be looking for ways to have more meatless meals and load up on protein in other ways, and have more chicken and fish.

Unfortunately, while we were gone, some friends we've known for probably 26 years, lost his mother on New Year's Day, so I need to scoot and get some clothing ironed before we go to the funeral home to pay our respects.

I hope you're having a quiet weekend, getting ready to get back in the groove once again come Monday morning! Back to school! Back to work! Talk to you soon!