Windowsill

I am happy that in this house I have a window in my kitchen.  I love to be able to look outside while I'm at the sink. The photo below is not the greatest, but I wanted to show you my kitchen window valance.  It is made from two hand-embroidered pillowcases that once belonged to my great-aunt.

 If you look closely at the one on the right, you can see a square where a hole has been carefully mended.  The pillowcases were beautiful but the fabric was too fragile to be used on a bed.

Here's a closer look:

The blue stitches are all bullion stitches, and that is tatting along the edge.  Either my great-aunt Mabel did these, or her aunt (Minnie) before her (since some of her things were in my great-aunt's stuff).  Both were known for their sewing skills.  My great-great-aunt was a homesteader in Idaho in the early 1900's.  I almost think these might be her pillowcases because her daughter  remembered always having nice things in their home -- curtains, bedspreads, linens -- that her mother had made.  Being a homesteader did not mean she didn't like pretty things.  But I don't know for sure.  Anyway, I thought that if I had made the pillowcases, I would want them out where they could be enjoyed, rather than hidden away in a closet where they could safely and silently deteriorate.  So they now hang above my sink, where I can see them everyday.

This is my windowsill this week:

Gerbera daisies

The center jar was a gift from a friend.  The other little vases actually once belonged to the same great-aunt mentioned before.  I love their color and I love to have flowers in them.  These Gerberas were a little reward to myself for doing a huge beginning-of-the-month grocery run :)

I like to decorate my windowsill because even though there may be chaos and mess all around me (you notice the photos don't include the rest of my kitchen), this little windowsill is a small bit of happiness and cheer, smiling at me when I'm doing the dishes.

This sweet bunny did belong to my daughter, but she very kindly let him keep me company in the kitchen:

Also on my windowsill is this little notebook:

For a long time I wanted an index card notebook like this to write scriptures on.  I finally found one, but this is the only verse I have written in it so far.  Every time I think about writing in a new verse, I think "No, I'm not finished with this one yet."  Galatians 6:9 has been the word I've needed the past couple of months.