The View From My Recliner

Wednesday is my night to watch TV. I got hooked on "High School Reunion" when it first started and have to watch every week. Even though Comcast On Demand has reruns available the next day, I still want to see it on first air.

I thought I would take a picture of the living room, from the vantage point of my recliner. I have a few views, a few close ups of select collectibles that are displayed, and a panoramic view of the length of one wall, althought the images didn't exactly line up. I'm still learning to use that feature on my camera.

Anyway, I'll put a few more pics in here so anyone reading can see where I'm coming from. The recliner is usually the spot where I sit with my laptop when I'm blogging.

This first picture is straight across the room at the mirrored wall where the entertainment center is. My antique hall tree is in the corner to the right of the TV, but I don't know how well it will show up. The corner of my grandmother's hope chest is visibible on the extreme right edge of the picture. It was given to her in 1922 by her first fiance. She didn't marry him after finding out he set his garage on fire to collect the insurance money. I'm so glad she changed her mind and married my grandfather, otherwise I wouldn't be telling this story.

The second picture is the view to my left, my husband's recliner and the wall between the living room and kitchen. It is a brick wall, REAL brick, with wood shelves embedded in the rows with the bricks. I have some of my favorite things on the shelves, including my Irish plate, my Irish St. Nick, and a couple antique jugs that belonged to my grandmother. We usually put decorative tea light candles on these shelves and they give a very nice effect in the room, and the glow off the bricks is absolutely beautiful.

The large picture in the center of the wall is from my grandparents, who received it from my great-grandmother when they got married in 1924. We aren't sure what the scene is, but it is from 1917 according to the back and is signed. The gold leaf frame is original and I was once told that the frame is worth more than the picture and is the real value in it. It will stay in my family as it has been for the last 80+years.

This image is the Irish plate and Irish St Nick. The plate was a gift from a friend who I used to work with. She was very good at buying gifts that had a special meaning for the recipient.

St Nick was a gift from my mom. She gave one to my sister, brother, and me for Christmas one year.

I didn't want to hide him away in a closet all year so we decided to keep him out to watch over us all year.

This plate of The Duke was found at an auction that we attended, in a box of dusty nik-naks. I'm not sure if the seller knew what it was or just didn't care. Maybe wasn't even a fan of John Wayne. We brought it home, cleaned it, and didn't find one scratch or nick on it. The books are a collection of leather bound books, that my husband picked up at an auction. They are all that remain of a set that was in a flooded basement in Missouri many years ago, before he moved up here.

So there you have it. Maybe in another blog I will take you on a tour of the kitchen. And perhaps, if I can get some help to finish it, a tour of the computer room and the area where I do all my creating.

Oh, and btw, if you ever visit my home, you don't have to take your shoes off. We do don't that here! :)