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The trip to Torrance to visit good friends Beth, Steve, and assorted family members was fun as always. While we had certain tasks we wanted to accomplish, most of them require purchases, and as always lots of laughter. There are many things I love about these long time friends: their generosity, their kindness, their compassion, certainly patience which will be explained a bit later, and as if I could mention just 1 more of many many more it would have to be their ability to shower me with love. I’ve never had friends who do this for me in such a wonderful way. They sing my praises with every move I make, whether it be the sewing projects I’ve done or the cooking. They even find a way to suggest they only too just woke up after I’ve slept in until some late late hour of the morning. I come home oozing love. It’s the most awesome thing ever.

Beth and I were sitting in her family room admiring her garden when I decided to take photos of it. Beth has a green thumb she just doesn’t really know it. Her love for geraniums is awesome: with a lot of different varieties strewn all over her patio and garden beds. She has several bouganvillas, a plant that I love and have killed over the years. This particular one is quite large. The big fountain attracts a wide variety of birds.

Colorful ceramic mushrooms sit at the base of 3 different bird baths. Beth’s yard is full of birds and yes even crows, of which both of us are not especially fans of.

On this particular visit I was in rare form. Let me explain. In past visits I started a trend in which I either break something or more likely am connected to something getting broken or not working, thus creating jobs for Steve. To be honest and reveal all, I don’t intentionally do this, it just seems to happen. This time I was on a roll and things were happening all around me. In a past visit I turned off Steve’s computer. And I mean literally. Turned it off. As in didn’t want to start up again. Here’s where the patience part comes in to play. Steve didn’t get mad, he just explained it was an “uh oh” waiting to happen. Lucky me. Or maybe lucky him, as he later explained he’d been waiting for this to happen so he could go out and buy a new one!

Steve & Beth’s new Mission style hutch has a extension cord plugged in to the wall behind it. A couple of visits ago I was told to plug the vacuum into the cord. I got about 2″ of carpet vacuumed with Beth’s new and powerful vacuum when everything on that side of the house lost power. Oh dear! On this recent visit I was working in the garden and I accidently stepped on a exposed sprinkler pipe, breaking it, or as Beth likened it: finished breaking it. Score: Patty 2, Steve 2

On one of my many trips to the garage I noticed this creature sticking out from around a box on the shelf. I kind of remember there being a story attached to it, making it something great for Steve and Beth to keep. I just don’t remember what that story may be. Still I’ve gone used to seeing his little face watch me ponder over the tool bench.

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Steve’s repaired glasses sit atop Pepsi he brought home for Beth. (I got a diet coke!-thanx Steve). I picked them up and upon doing so the lense popped out. Oops! Score: Patty 3 Steve 3. Also during this visit I managed to unplug the phone bases when I plugged in the coffee pot. Are you keeping track? Patty 4 Steve 4. Steve’s #’s correspond to the chores he has to do for the things I kept breaking. He’s gets well over a 10 for his patience. Thanks for yet another great visit wonderful friends!

It took 3 of us, a few interesting poses and suggestive comments but we managed to get Beth’s antique rocker covered with a beautiful needlepoint she found on ebay. We also were in the lookout for a nice arrangement for their new dinning room table. We found this wreath for the door at one of our favorite haunts: Mulberry Cottage. The gorgeous green flower arrangement was purchased at Michael’s. It goes beautifully with their new dinning room set.

If anyone knows me well, they know I love to organize anything and everything. I’m almost anal about it. I took it upon myself to organize Beth’s jewelry while we were visiting this last weekend. She got into it too at the end and we stayed up until midnight talking about the special meaning behind some of her most cherished possessions. It was such fun.

Be sure and click on the photo of the Air Force flag because you will find Steve in the picture to the right. Steve and Beth’s middle child, a son, is over in Iraq right now, fighting the fight. Please take a minute and say a prayer for this truly wonderful guy to come home safe and sound, to his wife and family. We love you!

Beth has 2 adorable kitties, sisters Tiger and Tigger. Tiger is shown below in the back of the closet being the shy one that she is. She sleeps during the day and is up at night running through the house, scaring anyone who might get up for a drink of water or a potty stop. Silly girl! Tigger is the youngest, the runt of the liter, and a bit more sociable. She loves to be around the action and you will frequently find her resting nearby. She’s also more mischievious and loves to do things she knows she shouldn’t! She’s shown resting in Beth’s red chair.

On one of our excursions in the neighborhood we saw this huge pink hydrangea in the front yard. Every year it gets bigger and more beautiful. Beth said she believes the owners trim it down during it’s off season. Maybe I’ll get the nerve to do the same to mine. And just look at my adorable new Jim Shore Tinkerbell figurine! I love it! It was an early birthday gift from Beth! Awesome! I also got a very sweet cloche, perfect for all sorts of wonderful things. Thank you my dear friend! So very much!

You can see the new Jim Shore Tinkerbell figurine under the new cloche from Beth on the left side of my desk shelf top. It’s there you can also see the photo I had enlarged to match our newly painted bedroom colors. I had Matt tweak the colors of the rose a bit, toning it down so the center wasn’t quite so pink, even still it looks pinker than it really is. I love it. Here also is a close up of the new Tinkerbell figurine.

I came home from my visit with Steve and Beth to take Matt for his 26th birthday (earlier in the week) out to dinner with my sweet hubby. We went to California Pizza Kitchen, yum! and ate wonderful pasta, rolls, and red velvet cake! Happy Birthday sweet Matt. We love you so much!