my heart is full....

A heart rock I found on the bank of the Paluxy River

My heart is so full of love this Thanksgiving.  My whole family came to my house to celebrate.  It was so much fun to have them all here.  We celebrated Thanksgiving in my new studio that my mom decorated with fall decorations, including a beautiful wreath made of foliage found around the farm.  It was a cold day, but we were warmed by the fire in the outdoor fire pit.  

We had a good old fashioned organic dinner, baked sweet potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, fresh cranberry salad, green bean casserole and of course the best turkey and dressing ever!  My dad and good friend Ruby made delicious pies.  It was all topped off by a nice glass of brandy by the fire.


I am truly blessed and thankful to have such a close knit family and trusted friends.   


They are slowing leaving going back to their own homes and lives.  My house will be quiet again and I will miss them terribly, but my heart will remain full of great memories, big laughs and tight hugs.  

Happy Birthday David

My stepson is 26 today.   It is so hard to believe.  .   I am truly blessed to have him in my life, he makes my life complete.  I had the best time watching him grow up into a fine young man.  From the time he was 7, he has made me laugh uncontrollably, cry when his heart was broken, pride when he accomplished what he set out to do and comforted when my heart was broken.  His heart is a big as Texas, has a kind soul and a smile that could melt the hardest heart. I could not love this child anymore if he were my own natural born son.  Happy Birthday David...I love you very much!

10 quotes

1. "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift; that is why it is called the present." ~ Kung Fu Panda

2. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle

3. "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life's about creating yourself." ~ George Bernard Shaw

4. "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." ~ Earl Shoaf

5. "If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito." ~ Betty Reese

6. "Don't spend your precious time asking, "Why isn't the world a better place?" It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is, "How can I make it better?" To that there is an answer. ~ Leo F. Buscaglia

7. "A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life." ~ Charles Darwin

8. "Replace the word "problem" with the word "opportunity" in all your thoughts." ~ Matthew Keith Groves

9. "Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." ~ Karl Barth

10. "You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." ~ Anonymous

(from A Bloggable Life)

Happy Halloween!

scary tree trunk down the road..

Fun times in Hico, Texas

Another great trip to Hico, Texas for the  bi-annual Antique Show.  This is my favorite antique show (just a tad higher than the Paris Street show in Denver)

I really enjoyed my time with my friends Pattie and Stephanie who made the driving trip so much fun.  I laughed until my face hurt.   I am proud of my Witherspoon Antique Mall  "sisters" who had such beautiful booths.  They had the greatest booths of all.   I meet new friends, Denis and Taylor from Lonestar Antique Mall in Fort Worth,  Brenda from the Homestead Store, Dorothy from the Shabby y and many more. And ran into my good buddies Jennifer and her beautiful daughter Shelbie.   And as an added bonus.....I met the singer Jewel!

she sat with us while we had tea and cookies. She is so stunningly beautiful and so very sweet and down to earth.  (See Denis from Lonestar Antique Mall blog..

rubygraces.blogspot.com.  She bought a vintage prom dress from him)

My friend Pam's booth, love all the cream and white
colors with the gorgeous Christmas wreath.  She is a talented
artist with an great eye for collections.

My friend Georgia's booth, great collection of everything
vintage. She can make beautiful things with anything.
I bought the large table...perfect for my new
studio!

I purchased this great typewritter..it is in perfect shape!

The Shabby Y booth, lots of fun trinkets and
whatnots..

 I am sorry that I did not get a photo of my friends Thoma Lou and Janet's booths.  They were equally as beautiful.  Both gals are very talented and have an eye for all things beautiful and antique.  


I brought home lots of things treasures.  I will be busy creating something out of them.
But the best treasure of the day was spending the wonderful, sunny fall day with my friends....

A reminder...

I saw this on one of my favorite blogs..Brave Girl

It just reminded me to be careful with my words and

and conversations.  There is way more important

things to discuss than gossip and drama.

I will try not to get all caught up in someone else's

drama because I have enough of my own to deal with!

" It is easy to get caught up in drama. It's hard to avoid it in this crazy world.

Do your best to stay out of drama induced situations that distract you from everything

in your life that is beautiful and true.

Help others avoid drama by not participating in it.  Change the subject, help others around you to see all

that is good in the world.  Look around you and make something better...

let things go...forgive people...move past volatile behaviors.

There's so much to be thankful for, so much to celebrate and SO MUCH GOOD to be

done in the world, that there's really no time for negativity, pettiness or gossip.

You already know this stuff...you are one smart cookie!  Sometimes it's just good to

be remimded...once we decide to never participate in drama...life is so much

more peaceful...and the goodness in others is made so much more evident.

Isn't that so much a happier way to live? "



A change...

I have changed my Blog name from The Life and Times of Samantha to Fat Cow Studio.  I am adding an Etsy account soon and I want all the names to match up.
I hope that all my friends can still find me!

Samantha is still fine.  She is getting older and having a hard getting around, but she is still my best friend.  She sleeps most of the day, but still has that sweet face and a wag of the tail as I walk by.  This is my favorite picture of Samantha.  I just love this dog!