ContessasHome “ETSY” site…..(Revised)

All ETSY Customers and ContessasHome viewers;

We have completed a process to reactivate and upgrade our current ETSY site. Administrative changes are required. We will announce our new launch date. Please stay tuned……..

Revised:  it will be a few business days before we are able to re-launch our ETSY site  This small snafu is now in process. Please be patient.
We Thank you!

“Contessa”

ContessasHome our virtual “selling” site will be reactivated and we will be launching it for browsing at 12 Noon on Monday, February 1, 2021.  We have preserved numerous items from our brick and mortar store in Delray, Contessa’s Garden and Gift, Alexandria, VA. Our items will be selling in best condition and priced according to the current market value. 

Shipping charges will be the responsibility of our buyers. This is standard policy on ETSY.

ETSY is an easy and fun way to purchase treasures without leaving the comfort of your home. We trust you will enjoy shopping our online store. Feedback and questions on our Etsy site are welcome. We are happy to engage your comments and suggestions. This has been a practice we enjoy. It’s always fun to know our customers virtually. Perfect for the life we are all leading during COVID isolation.  All of our items are purchased at local auctions. Our inventory will include, what is known in the business as “vintage smalls.”  And we will sell restored lamps/lighting, art, mirrors, “classic” hardcover books, silver, home decor and garden decor. We also have small/petite vintage furniture in our inventory.

CONTESSASHOME looks forward to serving you!

 

 

 

Wishing you all……

…….with each new day we get closer to spring. Joy!

“contessa”

Best Friend

Do you miss your best friend? January 26

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” -Matthew 6:6

▶︎ LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL

Can you imagine spending the day with your best friend and all day long you don’t say a word? If you’re with your friend, you want to share what you’re seeing, what you’re doing, what you’re thinking. And you want your friend to share with you in return. Jesus is our Friend, and He wants us to share with Him our anxieties, our joys, and the good and the bad we encounter. Do this daily – and this time with Him just may become the best part of your day.

A Domestic Sunday

Hello my fellow Gardeners,

Clearly we are not doing any gardening today. Soooo…chilly right? But we have had nice bright sunshine all week  We have been very lucky and we were thrilled to get in a little outdoor time on our 50 degree days  

Yesterday we received our new Prairie Moon Nursery, Spring 2021 seed catalog. So looking forward to taking a look at it today, in between food prep and cooking.

This morning we were up and out early to purchase ingredients for a meatloaf, scalloped potatoes and green beans with applewood bacon and onions, plus salad fixings. An oven prepared dinner for this evening/week and, just maybe a couple leftover meatloaf sandwiches. Yum!  We are enjoying the prep, and cooking while we are doing some sewing/mending. Looking forward to enjoying dinner this evening. 

Sharing this Sunday, a wonderful prayer in the Wesley tradition. It is one of our favorites.  We claim it. Amen!

“contessa”

 

 

 

Hank (Henry) Aaron Passes On

Hank (Henry) Aaron was a passenger on a few of my Eastern Airlines, First Class flights.  Mr Aaron always flew Eastern Airlines when he could. Aaron was such a quiet and reserved gentleman. On a New York to Miami flight I worked up the courage to ask him for his autograph for my son Jon, who at the time was about 9 years old. Of course Jon was pretty excited. I’ve preserved the autograph all these years. I doubt Jon, now 46,  will remember this, but one day when my grown children go through all my pictures and airline memorobelia, perhaps Jon will find this autograph (along with an autograph from James Brown/Boston Gardens concert) and Jon will share it with his son, Ben. It’s a nice little treasure, to pass on, hopefully with a history lesson about baseball and Hank Aaron’s record and baseball legacy. His nickname was “Hammering Hank.”

I’ll bet grandson Ben will be pleased. I actually doubt my son remembers this event, but at the time, it was very exciting for a young baseball pitcher, on a little league Boca Raton, Fl team

Mr Hank Aaron passed away today at age 86.

Rest In Peace Mr Frank Aaron…

sourdough French toast…

Yummy on this chilly morning. A real treat. Enjoying now!!

Naptime…..

 

……and so right now, we are looking at a sweet nap…

Yes indeed!

1.20.2021

What matters most January 20

“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” -Hebrews 4:16

▶︎ LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL

In prayer, we begin to see things clearly. We gain perspective, as if God has taken us to the top of a high mountain. In other words, in prayer, God takes away all the fog that engulfs your life and my life. Prayer burns away the fog so we can begin to see who we are and focus on the things that matter most in life. Take time each day to pray, and your life will become an adventure. Prayer will activate your faith and set it on fire.

Having A Garden Linked To Better Health And Well-Being

Experience teaches us to learn from the “Brits.”  They have perfected the ”art of gardening.” And they truly know what it does for the soul.

A garden does more than just soothe the eyes, and if you have access to one of your own, consider yourself fortunate.

A new study at the University of Exeter, England and the Royal Horticultural Society has found that spending time in the garden is associated with sound health and higher psychological well-being. And the health benefits one derives from spending time in it, are similar to those seen among people living in the wealthiest parts of the country, when compared with those in the poorer neighborhoods.

“A growing body of evidence” points to the health and wellbeing benefits of access to green or coastal spaces”, Dr Sian de Bell, at the University of Exeter Medical School, and lead author of the study. “Our study is one of the largest to date, to look at the benefits of gardens and gardening specifically. Our findings suggest that whilst being able to access an outdoor space such as a garden or yard, is important, using that space is what really leads to benefits for health and wellbeing.”

For the study, the team analyzed data from nearly 8,000 people collected between 2009 and 2016 by Natural England, a government organization that facilitates protection of England’s nature and landscapes. The researchers questioned the participants about their access to a domestic garden: their frequency of visit and purpose, that is, if they used it for gardening or simply for the sake of relaxation. They also asked about their engagement in an outdoor recreational activity during the past 12 months.

Following the survey, the team also gauged the participants’ general health, their level of physical activity and measured their overall satisfaction with life.

They found that the participants with access to a private garden reported general good health, increased psychological well-being and levels of physical activity, compared to those who did not have a garden or outdoor space. Interestingly, they also found that those who tend to spend time in their garden, were also more likely to visit parks and nature elsewhere once a week.

Also, regardless of how they spent their time in the garden, individuals with their healthy patch of greenery were found to be more contented with their lives, compared to those without. Also those with an outdoor space such as a yard, were also more likely to meet physical activity guidelines.

“Gardens are a crucial way for people to access and experience the natural environment,” said Dr Becca A Lowell, project lead. “Our new evidence highlights that gardens may have a role as a public health resource, and that we need to ensure that their benefit is available equally.”

We know these things to be true. It so very much validates our need to garden and to be outdoors. Our life depends on it

“Contessa”

 

 

 

Tufted Titmouse

Plentiful in nature, the Tufted Titmouse can be seen everywhere. They often gather food from the ground and from tree branches. They eat berries, nuts, insects, small fruit, snails, and seeds. They eat Caterpillars during the summer. The titmouse will often be curious and you can see them perched on your window ledge. They seem to peak into your windows and into your house. They are regular visitors around bird feeders. Usually they “scout” out a feeder. They will come when it’s not occupied, make a grab, and then fly back to their spot to eat. Titmice will store food for later use.

Titmice are tiny, a pretty colorful bird and their song will sound like the song of a whistled peter-peter-peter.  They are a favorite and easy to spy. They move quickly so are very tricky to photograph.