The Fur Herd

A few days ago, I posted this photo of Sophie and Bruce waiting at the garden gate

between our house and our friends next door.

Our dogs love to play together.

This is Lucy.

She vacations here while her people are touring.

You may remember that her papa is Joey Kramer from Aerosmith.

Aerosmith was participating in the benefit concert for Boston.

I'm loving the benefit concerts this week, aren't you?
(I lost it when Miranda Lambert started to cry.)

This sweet girl is Maggie.

Maggie found a forever home next door and is thriving with her new family.

Sophie tends to be standoffish with other dogs, but she has accepted Lucy and Maggie as playmates.

Silly girls. 

 Bruce and Maggie smooching.

Bruce and Henry taking a break.  The pool water is saline, no worries.

They have a big bowl of fresh water and they still venture to the pool once in awhile.

Henry and Maggie.

The ball is tough to get away from Bruce, but Henry managed it.

I think he had Lucy running interference.

Maggie May likes her photo opportunities.

Henry has run out of steam.

The girls returned home for a nap before dinner-

happy and exhausted.

Naptime at our house, too.

If only it was as easy for us to fall asleep!

(Robin, should we go roll around in the grass and play chase?)

That would be a sight. 

Camera worthy, too. 

Lawdy.

My camera was on a previous setting when I grabbed it, so these shots aren't stellar.

It's not your eyes. ;)

Next time I'll remember to put it into 

crazy running dog mode.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'll Call Her Betty

At last!

I'm thinking that my little vintage chair came right out of this moment in time.

1966 Style House Custom Interiors from Montgomery Wards.

I found this ad on a blog called Pleasant Family Shopping.

It's really a fun and interesting read!

Check it out HERE.

 I'm guessing a stout gimlet caused the dye to bleed.

Imagine a Mad Men moment...

Poor Drunk Betty Draper.

Alcohol and silk just don't mix, honey.

Thanks to you all for your input!

Exploring My Own Back Yard

Do you ever feel like just wandering around in your yard?

I love doing it and I am always amazed at the changes that have taken place.

Can Maggie and Lucy play?

Maggie just had surgery, so Bruce and Sophie were out of luck.

Bruce has really scratched the gate up since he arrived last summer.

I used to think I needed a picture perfect yard.

Now I enjoy looking at the pictures of our life here.

We live here.
It's not a magazine shoot.

Yes, the gate needs to be restained.

But the five dogs that run through that gate have so much fun playing together

that I kind of enjoy looking at the gate that way.

Distressed by Bruce.  I told you he was gifted.

The rain came and lasted most of the day.

I sat on the patio with the dogs and just watched.

Piggy and her babies need to be restained, too.

Their pink is all gone.

I'm thinking of using my ASCP on them, too.

Has anyone used it on concrete outdoors?

Magoo power washed the pool equipment fence-

and all the teal stain with it.

He likes watching Mecum Auto Auctions and Breaking Bad 

a lot more than doing his man work around here.

When we built the pool, the builder thought I was insane to want brass covers.
They get so hot and they are heavy.
Just what I needed to keep the dogs from carrying off all the plastic ones.

It took 7 years, but they have the natural patina that I wanted.

The statues are cracked and aged from the extreme heat they're exposed to.

But I like them that way.

Henry liked running around in the rain.

This is a dog who trembles and must be on top of you inside the house.

He's terrified of thunder inside but not outside?

Yes.

That's our boy.

Bruce sniffed the air and listened.

Little Miss Sophie kept an eye on my every move.
And then ...the sun came out.

I'm unsure of what I enjoyed more.

Date a Chair, Please!

Quickie post!

Just got this chair at an estate sale and need help dating it.

Help me out, experts!

Google has let me down on this one.

I'm thinking 60's ?

'Cause I'm thinking that there hasn't been any custom furniture making 

at Monkey Wards since the dinosaur age.

  Aaron Montgomery Ward.

I know quite a bit about the man after looking for info.

Did you know that Forbes named him as the 16th most influential business man of all time?

What?

Yes, it was he that originated the catalog sales boom and offered installment plans.

The original "wish book" was Montgomery Ward's.

Sears was the copycat.

I always thought Sears was the big daddy, but no!

Dana? Anything you can offer up, Mid-Century Mama?

Or Marianne?  You live in Chicago so you must know all there is to know!

Can anyone advise me on cleaning silk damask?

You can see the stain where someone else tried it and I don't want to cause further damage.

I'm off to Pinterest for suggestions.

Help. Me. Please.

Paco and The Table

In the year Nineteen Hundred Ninety Five

I came across this table in a quaint little shop near my home.

Legend has it that the shop owners were driving through a border town in Mexico

and they came upon a little boy with his grandparents.

They were standing on the side of the road with this table for sale.

This is where Paco comes in.

Paco was a little boy who had recently lost his mother.

Paco's mother had painted this table with images from the Bingo-like boardgame, Loteria.

La Sirena- number 6.

El Sol- number 46

La Mano- number 21.

Unfortunately, that's about all I can remember.

Paco was being raised by his grandparents and they needed to sell the table.

The shop owners bought it.

When I saw the table, I knew I had to have it...

and the story of Paco tugged at my heartstrings.

 The shop owner told me they thought it was used as a chiropractic table.

Now, how this was used as a chiropractic table is a mystery to me.

There is a sliding handle on each side like above.

I hope there was a mattress of some sort because this would be pretty uncomfortable otherwise.

I haven't changed it one bit since I bought it and

 I don't care if Paco's poor dead Mama really painted it or not.

Because I love it so.

 I've brought it downstairs to use in my office.

Friends have tried to buy it, steal it and bribe me for it.

They will never get it.

Because I love it so.

 Sophie wants me to stop taking pictures and moving furniture.  

She's not a fan.

Bruce likes to add his special touches to my favorite things.

Evidently he reads chalk boards.

He's so helpful.

I'm a sucker for a story about a sad little boy.

I've kept his Mama's table for all these years.

So Paco- wherever you are- I still believe.

And I still love it so.

(P.S.  You can't have it, Holly!)

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