(Day 29) without Cleo: a clean home and a head cold

I went early (about 9 AM) to our local coffee shop

for some kombucha as we don't get groceries until tomorrow.

My house is clean

(helps that we were gone!) and I did

a few loads of laundry, which is mostly taken care of.

Thankfully I did laundry at my parents house so we had

minimal laundry to do from our trip. 

I had a head cold, not surprising.

I rested a lot today and had lots of ginger tea, chicken soup

(made previously and frozen), and other such things.

Also PB and creamed honey on English Muffins.

So good.  

The next few days will be spent resting and I am thankful.

A fun note is that there is a local auction (online) where my parents live

and we "won" 3 lots of various Delft (made in Holland) pieces for a really good price

and that is fun!  My Dad will pick up the things for us and 

we will see how to get them here in the Spring or later,

depending on what all goes on and if my parents can visit us.

***

I am thankful for this.

***

So many struggles I see others going through.

May God have mercy on us and help us!

{May 2015: my parent's visit} ~ Beautiful Blue and White Delft Pottery

{this is a picture of a Dutch couple of many decades past

on their wedding day}

{Rembrandt's Night Watch}

We bought a lot of Delft back at Christmas

time for Mr. Husband's birthday 

and for the beautification of our home.

We also ordered some online around Christmas time

last year and found some real deals.

My parents brought all of this with them,

and my beloved husband, Mom and Dad all helped

hang these pieces up throughout our home. 

We are so happy with the progress and added beauty!

{Celebrating my Husband} ~ Delfts Blauw (Delft Blue)

 I've been planning for my husband's birthday since

this past December.

You see, it's one of the 'big ones' as it were

for him and I want him to be properly celebrated.

And who better to ensure this than his wife?

So over Western Christmas we went to 

the Dutch Store in Holland and I also went to one

in Grand Rapids on my birthday proper.

*

Now, admittedly, the first items are proper 

Dutch blue and whites for our table.

This really is for me, but I still wanted to show you.

I wish I would have these in time for my beloved's

birthday dinner but they will still be in safely

waiting for us in Michigan for my parents 

hoped for visit in late May.

*

So here they are:  

The Butter Dish...

made, may I add, for American butter sticks...

I don't know that Holland itself has butter in this shape;

I will have to ask...

I know in Canada their butter tends to be in squares not 

the half cup sticks that the US is so used to...

A lovely gravy boat.

*

So: a proper butter dish and gravy boat. 

Very excited to have these gracing my table in the future!

Now on to what treasures we found for our home

that Mr. Husband picked out, 

with a few from me also...

(we do do things as a team after all!)

We got different tiles of Industries that we done 

centuries ago in Holland.

This will be a series for our living / dining area.

We got tiles with Scripture verses,

these most likely will be in our library/chapel...

Some of the tiles have to do with book binding and printing,

and glasses making.

These will probably go in our library...

It will look lovely when it's all done...

The Nightwatch by Rembrandt.

This is one that Mr. Husband esp. wanted...

Sweden.

It was on sale and I lived there for nearly the first 

half of my twentieth year... 

Peacock, a symbol of the Resurrection,

we hope this will go in our chapel/library...

My parents have a framed canvas print of this

in their living room...

I love the simplicity but many details in this one...

my husband's family had been sailors...

So these are waiting for us and 

I am writing this post in advance to be put up

in the second half of Lent

to bring reminders of 'life-after-Lent' which we

hope will include a Bright Week Birthday dinner

and later my parents coming with the many lovely

Delft pieces for our home, that

we got for my dear one's special birthday this year.

Sometimes just remembering the Month of May 

can get us through the months of winter and Lent...

{Around the House} ~ Tiles Up!

My cousin H while she was with us

put up many of Mr. Husband's Delft Dutch tiles.

I just love how she did them (we collaborated on design

but she did the excellent work)!