~ Love Is... ~ Happy New Year Pink Saturday

May your New Year be full of wonders, beauties, love & roses ...

maybe even a few lilacs ... spring is just around the corner, you know!

Thank you for all the love & friendship that you have shared with me ... I am forever grateful & so blessed.

** Watch for our BIG CSN GIVEAWAY coming next week**

THANK YOU Miss Beverly for a wonderful year of hostessing this lovely event weekly. Please join our other PINK SATURDAY ladies.

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

~ I Didn't Know That, Did You ... War History ~

Monopoly History ~ I didn’t know this about the War association to the game …

The Monopoly board game was created in 1933 by Charles Darrow who approached Parker Brothers regarding the marketing of the game. At first, Parker Brothers turned him down but two years later purchased the game from Darrow and today it is one the most popular board games in the world.

Silk maps of Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden did exist during the Second World War, according to an article written by Debbie Hall for the Map Forum magazine in 1999. Debbie Hall has a special interest in silk maps and was the Map Curator at the British Library where some of these silk maps are displayed.

According to the article, The Waddington PLC company in England manufactured playing cards and game boards including the ones for Monopoly that were marketed in Great Britain. Monopoly games were sent to British prisoners of war in Germany by the International Red Cross. According to Hall, Silk maps of the area were hidden in the games along with special features as a file and a compass made to look like game pieces along with real currency hidden in the monopoly play money to aid the prisoners in escape.

This was not the plan of MI-5 , however, but an idea from another branch of the British secret service. Hall explained that in 1939, the British government had set up an agency designated as MI-9 whose primary mission was to assist resistance fighters behind enemy lines and recover Allied troops being held prisoner. MI-9 developed the military policy of escape and evasion and that it was the "duty of all those captured to try to escape if possible." Hall said, "One man who was behind many of M19's most ingenious plans, including the Waddington project, was Christopher Clayton-Hutton." This agency that assisted prisoners of war to return to England by sending advice and equipment found out that the Waddington company had the technology to print maps on silk and made a special request of the company. Silk maps made no noise, took up very little space and could be folded into a garment or hidden in a package of cigarettes. A tiny compass was also hidden in uniform buttons and used as a tool for escape in case a pilot was shot down behind enemy lines.

Truth or Fiction recently spoke to Bill Knowles, a former Canadian pilot who flew with the RAF on D Day who told us that any escape routes and safe house information were generally memorized by pilots by the time he was flying missions and that no un-coded information would have been printed on anything that could have been intercepted by the enemy as that could have endangered all involved in these types of operations.

The British Official Secrets Act is what bound everybody involved to secrecy and we have sent an inquiry to the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the UK to verify if this story has truly been de-classified and no longer confidential.

The Monopoly board game was created in 1933 by Charles Darrow who approached Parker Brothers regarding the marketing of the game. At first, Parker Brothers turned him down but two years later purchased the game from Darrow and today it is one the most popular board games in the world.

Silk maps of Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden did exist during the Second World War, according to an article written by Debbie Hall for the Map Forum magazine in 1999. Debbie Hall has a special interest in silk maps and was the Map Curator at the British Library where some of these silk maps are displayed.

According to the article, The Waddington PLC company in England manufactured playing cards and game boards including the ones for Monopoly that were marketed in Great Britain. Monopoly games were sent to British prisoners of war in Germany by the International Red Cross. According to Hall, Silk maps of the area were hidden in the games along with special features as a file and a compass made to look like game pieces along with real currency hidden in the monopoly play money to aid the prisoners in escape.

This was not the plan of MI-5 , however, but an idea from another branch of the British secret service. Hall explained that in 1939, the British government had set up an agency designated as MI-9 whose primary mission was to assist resistance fighters behind enemy lines and recover Allied troops being held prisoner. MI-9 developed the military policy of escape and evasion and that it was the "duty of all those captured to try to escape if possible." Hall said, "One man who was behind many of M19's most ingenious plans, including the Waddington project, was Christopher Clayton-Hutton." This agency that assisted prisoners of war to return to England by sending advice and equipment found out that the Waddington company had the technology to print maps on silk and made a special request of the company. Silk maps made no noise, took up very little space and could be folded into a garment or hidden in a package of cigarettes. A tiny compass was also hidden in uniform buttons and used as a tool for escape in case a pilot was shot down behind enemy lines.

Truth or Fiction recently spoke to Bill Knowles, a former Canadian pilot who flew with the RAF on D Day who told us that any escape routes and safe house information were generally memorized by pilots by the time he was flying missions and that no un-coded information would have been printed on anything that could have been intercepted by the enemy as that could have endangered all involved in these types of operations.

The British Official Secrets Act is what bound everybody involved to secrecy and we have sent an inquiry to the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the UK to verify if this story has truly been de-classified and no longer confidential.

~ Love Is... ~ Memories (Pink Saturday) & A Little Peanut Butter

MERRY 'CHRIST'MAS ... the whole year through ...

Thank you each for your wonderful friendships, so deep & true. I am forever

grateful & blessed to know you.

PS ~ There are only 365 days until Christmas ...

Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday @

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Hugs of love, squeals of joy, precious moments of togetherness, treasured memories of sheer delight. Held forever close to our hearts.

Through our gr-kid-lings we are blessed twice, to be blessed with new memories.

Joshua was about 14 & made it clear that he did NOT want a certain electronics item, so we purposely acquired the box of the unwarranted item to wrap his gift in. When he unwrapped the parcel & saw the box, he just slumped, quietly ... then after

a bit looked up & said 'I told you I didn't want _______'. We encouraged him it would 'be alright' & to open his gift. He turned back hesitating, then opened the box ... good Heavens! he went ballistic, his desired gift was inside. Then he turned & said 'you got me'. Yup! we sure did.

Love our boy!

I am the 'queen' of peanut butter ... where it is, I am going to find it! I used to sneak around the house at Christmas & search for Mother's delicious homemade peanut butter fudge that she made for gifts ... ohhhhhh! that creamy delightful aroma would just DRAW/BECKON me to snitch a nibble here & there.

This adorable Peanut Butter doll was given to me for a Christmas gift by none other than Sherry-sis (countrywingsinphoenix) ... isn't she precious! I chuckle everyt ime I walk by her ...

~ Love Is... ~ Togetherness

May you days be merry & full of delight ... as you prepare to celebrate His Holy Night ...

Shopping together would NOT be hubby's delight ... until the last 5 minutes before the stores close ... & oh, so many times he has taken

advantage of this, it has become a joke.

~ Love Is... Love, Precious Love ~

... knowing that I have Santa all year round ...

I love you, honey ... more than you can ever know. You are the best gift that I have ever been blessed to receive. Our children are the cake ... our kid-lings are the icing on that cake ...

Thank you for being such a beautiful part of my life, a blessed gift I so treasure, my rock & partner. I thank God every day for what He has shared with us ...

With love, your wife ~ Marydon

***MERRY CHRISTMAS to one & all. You can never know the love I feel for each of you & how grateful I am to have you in my life ... may your blessings be bountiful, your gifts delightful, may 'Christ'mas be with you every day of the year.

~To forgive is to restore~

Please join our Love Is... ladies ~

Anne @ http://annesphamily.blogspot.com/

Sherry @ http://countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com/

~ Roses & Cherries ~ Pink Saturday ...

This gorgeous Irish green parcel arrived ...

Please join our precious hostess Miss Beverly & Pink Saturday ladies @ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

With this breathtaking surprise gift ...

My favorite song for Christmas ~

Oh, Holy Night

Celeste @ http://larearose.blogspot.com/

created this awesome precious rose & cherry

ornament for moi ...

To have as a loving treasure of my 'sister'hood with Sherry @ http://countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com/

Celeste is one beautiful artist, but more importantly a precious true real friend ...

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, sweet Celeste. This will be out all year round to keep you & Sherry visible ... to bring a smile ... to warm my heart.

I am so blessed ...

Love you both ...

~ Precious Memories & Reflections ~

... of years gone by ...

~Emery 3 1/2, Michael 2 1/2 & Caroline 18 mn.~

*1965*

(Just arrived back in states from 3 yrs in Hawaii,

Christmas Eve in Chehalis, WA, at G'ma Mary's)

I do not know who was more excited for Christmas to arrive, the children or myself.

We'd rattle those boxes & try to guess what

each parcel held. As a child I so remember

sometimes carefully unwrapping those gifts

& then rewrapping them ... anticipation &

patience I had not, as a child, never got

caught either for which I am most grateful ...

God's precious gift, our first grandson ...

~ Caroline, Joshua, Harold, Marydon, Emery (our son) ~

*1992*

What joy to have that child-like magic once again

come alive with our bundle of joy ... Joshua so

loved the twinkling tree & pretty packages ...

We'd sit in the front room around the tree in the

eve after dinner, I'd read a story & we just chat.

Santa please lend me your ear ...

~ Joshua Ryan Carty Ford ~

*1994*

What fun we had on Santa's Express Train ride

Joshua, Mini Marydon, Poppy Harold

*2004*

You so enjoyed the Christmas 'treasure hunt'

for your gifts ... bible verses or words of wisdom

were on each 'ticket', you'd have to bring each

gift back after you found it, for another clue ...

you were questioned throughout the day about

the verses & messages to make sure you had

memorized them. How you loved the 'hunt'.

How quickly you have grown up ...

Our second set of blessings from our son Emery

& Cathelene' ...

~ Mini Marydon, Tatiana Isabelle, Poppy Harold & Ansel Emery ~

*2005*

There is no greater joy than giving birth to your own child, but there is no greater blessings & enjoyments in life than grandchildren ...

~ Arizona SURPRISE Christmas Story ~ & Giveaway Winner

We had planned for over a month to SURPRISE our 'sis' Sherry in (countrywingsinphoenix) with a visit ...

Now I had to go thru a LOT of backdoors & high secrecy to pull off this visit. All our bloggy gal friends were so cool working with me. For this I am ever so grateful to each of you.

At our luncheon @ Claim Jumper's (highly recommend) I was so blessed to meet Laura (center) from Decor to Adore, Ceekay from Thinkin of Home (far right) & Marty from A Stroll Thru Life (front right) ... 'Moi' & Sherry on the left. We had 2 hours of non-stop chatter, laughter & sharing gifts. Laura led us in prayer afterwards ... what a lovely day with beautiful friends, moments to hold close to my heart forever. Thank you ladies.

~ The story ~

We arrived in Phoenix & drove over to Sherry's at 10:45PM ... I called her, jabbered for a few

minutes telling her I was going to bed. Sherry was decorating a PINK Christmas tree in her home in honor of me. A few minutes later I called her back & asked her 'Sis, may I come over & see that pink tree you are doing for me?' She laughed, 'sure, come on over', she said. I replied, 'wellll, then go open that front gate!' She stammers thru that statement & I repeated myself. She yells 'I am hanging up on you!' I looked at Harold & said 'WOW! she hung up on me! I don't know what to think!' Then she comes screaming, sobbing thru the front gates. Now Tony was in on this event for at least a month. Well, it took a while to get Sherry settled down.

Ginny WON THE Surprise Trip GIVEAWAY @http://nana-faithhopeandteatherapy.blogspot.com/

We just HAD to play with 'hats' at the antique mall ...

Harold & I @ Picacho Peak

Tony & Sherry

Quad reflections in Meri's gorgeous bathroom ...

Meri @ http://imagimeris.blogspot.com

Sandy @ http://521lakestreet-sandy.blogspot.com

Sherry @ http://countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com/

& MOI!!!

Sherry had been desiring to visit Meri to learn how to create a snowman ... I notified Meri

when Sherry told me, so she could deter Sherry

from wanting to go to her studio on the weekend

we were arriving ... oy! Sherry can be a challenge

to keep a SECRET from, lmty.

***Meri's awesome wallpaper is from York ... love those roses.

Meri's studio is filled with the most awesome crafts & creations using both vintage & new items. We all exchanged gifts. She made this lovely Christmas gift to hang in the house ... don't you love it! Thank you.

Meri & Sandy are the most delightful, warm

ladies ever! You fall in love with their beautiful

friendships immediately ... moments to hold closely always.

Do pop by & visit their shops where they sell

their gorgeous crafts & creations.

Meri & Sandy also had a lovely luncheon of delicious-ness for us.

The girls chatting up a storm during lunch.

THANK YOU for such a fabulous afternoon.

I shall remember forever your beautiful home,

studio & creations you both shared with me.

***Forgive me, but I have this posted backwards

in sequence of events.

*****Since I muffed up the link for this to be viewed in an earlier write, I do hope you will pop over now the link is corrected to visit this new blogger & her mission ... beautiful christian love, around the world ... 'the children' who will melt your hearts.

http://hopscotchwithdot.blogspot.com/

~ On The Wings Of Eagles Christmas In Africa ~ & A Peek At Our Front Room Mantle ~

You may wish to view this wonderful orphange & how the children celebrate Jesus' birth ... they will melt your hearts. Dottie is a new blogger that is going to Africa on a mission in a few weeks, I hope you will join her on this life dream travel.

http://hopscotchwithdot.blogspot.com/

Our mantle is a vintage piece with bits of gorgeous

detail still left ... the stocking on the left is Joshua's.

The stocking on the right is our elegant beauty

acquired this year.

The table holds a spot of tea & some Japanese tea cookies,

a gift from our client, Chieko ... please, come join me.

The Victorian chair is (1) of (3) that we acquired for $5

each that surround the mantle when the tree is not there.

The table is my Mother's, she loved this table. It was

always a focal point in her living room.

The tea set is English ... this was a great find, I love it.

Our nativity set is Irish Belleek ... I would have

nothing less as it is my heritage. I treasure this

& it is out all year long on this mantle.

The candles are everlasting (battery) candles that give

the perfect glow. I tied a dotted swiss effect ribbon to

finish them off.

The cross is, of course, green ... simple yet so elegant to

have the nativity in front of it all year round.

I find such serenity when I spend time in this room ...

that is how deeply this nativity touches me ... soft, sweet, precious moments ...

~ Mantle Decor & Antietam Battlefield Illumination ~

Our library/office has this lovely mantle that I

love to keep simple during the year because I like to focus on my Mother's life photos featured above the mantle.

Christmas I use the full mantle, rich with the red/burgundy/gold florals & fruits that blend beautifully with the furniture in the room. This is the only room on the main floor that is not pink.

The precious Blessed Virgin statue was sent to us at a time in our lives which was devastating. She sits on the mantle year round to be able to feel the comfort she brings to our hearts.

The candles were a delightful find at Costco, 4 for $20. They are battery operated, have timers & are SAFE yet give the glow that I was looking for.

The glittery fruits sparkle ...

I tied a bright red silky ribbon around these candles which sets them off perfectly amongst the mantle decor ... I used a beautiful glass vase upside down to give the height to the tallest candle.

This little 'tree' sits amongst kid-lings pictures on my G'ma Maggie's cook table that was her wedding gift from the Somerville's when she worked as a cook in their mill in Napavine, WA. It perfectly adds a wee touch of Christmas to the kitchen. The yo-yo ornies with crystal prisms were just the finishing touch ...

~ Special Note ~

You may also enjoy our work at the Antietam Battlefield Illumination (2009 shared, 2010 pics not ready) that we started with 22 years ago. This is one of the most beautiful & emotional events you could ever attend ... enjoy.

http://blushingroseboutique.blogspot.com/2009/11/antietam-battlefield-illumination.html

~ Best Christmas Present Not Under The Tree WHERE AM I GIVEAWAY~ Pink Saturday ~

Any idea where I am now ... hint ... in the south?

There will be a SURPRISE GIVEAWAY for whomever guesses first.

Have a beautiful day ... up, up & AWAY! ... how beau-ti-ful, how BEAU-TI-FUL!!!

Ends with Dec. 13, 2010 Monday.

Love earth has a pink hue to it.

Thank you to our sweet hostess Miss Beverly for hostessing this wonderful PINK SATURDAY . Please join the other ladies @ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

~ Christmas Pinks Here & There ~

Pink reminds me of a newborne babe ... so sweet, delicate & precious. Tis' His season, as is everyday ...

Welcome to another wee peek within our home ...

Our foyer greets you with a lovely delicate pink topiary

filled with the florals that arrive on top of beautiful

packages ... a great way to keep memories alive of

the special treasures we receive ...

The topiary was once silver, I had it painted white.

I took a goblet with a soft pink stem & filled it with lots

of pink ornies & pearls, then tied a pretty pink dotted

ribbon around it to add a wee bit of Christmas pink

punch to our greeting you ...

Tucked in the topiary are other little gifts that adorned

some of the parcels ... this little angel holds a special

place of honor ...

As does this darling tag ...

& this precious tag ... each are tucked amongst the florals.

Don't you just love the wee baby shoes sitting beneath the pearl dotted pink tree. I sat this on a pedestal glass vintage cake stand & drenched the base in pearls & pink ornies ...

I love the elegance of simplicity, sometimes less is more ... our rose china, Waterford goblets, Towle silver & lacy pink napkins.

I nestled a pink candle in glass beads of pink, soft green & crystal surrounded by the gorgeous crystal perfume & vintage wooden shoe forms ...

So love the picture of our precious Tatiana & Ansel.

The nativity is a precious gift received last week from a very special lady ... she has been thru a lot & I look at it & say a pray for her ... how sweet of her to remember me & share with me my favorite piece ... I so love nativities all year round & leave them out to enjoy.

I made this wee tree for both our bay window & one for my Drs. office ... since we can see our birds & feeders out our library bay window (great morning entertainment daily) I wanted to keep the 'theme' of birds & nature ... also, the colors of our library/office are burgundy & gold. Perfect simple adornment ...

Santa is covered in roses, of course ... isn't he darling?

And nestled inside our Waterford hurricane is a pretty shaded pale pink to red candle with gold bell for the library ... again, simplicity ...

These are just a few of the other Christmas 'touches' throughout our home ...

Have a beautiful Christmas season day ~