Blue Monday: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Annie is Crazy, What Else is New...

Good Morning! Today is Blue Monday at my sweet friend Sally's blog, Smiling Sally , and I feel like I have been away for an eternity. I have missed you!

First, I want to share something a fellow blogger, Cherie of De Cherie, sent me a while back, and I was so touched. This was a "just because" present, and I think it was lovely of her. Since violets are "blue," (okay, I think they're really lavender, but we'll pretend) I thought this would be appropriate to share on Blue Monday.

Don't you just love presents? This one says right on the box: Pretties 4 U...



4 U must mean for me because there's my name...



And a sweet note with some blue on the front...



The note reads: "When we focus on the smaller things in life, the bigger stuff gets smaller too! Have a blessed day and week! Love, Cherie"...



Cherie sent this to me at a time in her life when her whole family was home sick with the flu. She told me that she wanted to do something nice for someone else, and I am so honored that she chose me as the recipient of her kindness. I took Cherie's words to heart and allowed a "little thing" named Annie to help me unwrap the packages. Annie is speechless with delight...



The first thing she unwrapped was this sweet little crocheted doilie! Isn't it cute? You can see it there in Annie's lap...



Uh, Annie, I think I detect something else under that doilie...



Are you hiding something from us??? If so, you'd better 'fess up now...



Oh, that explains it! Buttons! Annie is fixated on buttons. And Annie, you can take that doilie off of you head. That's not going to be used as your sleeping cap...



I think I'd better take over the actual unwrapping from here 'lest Annie get herself into more trouble. This note says, "Send a smile, send a tear, wipe it off, and hold it near. Blessings, Cherie"



Oh look, Annie, it's a handkerchief, and no, you may not make an apron out of it...



And it's a vintage hankie...



Look how nice this looks along with the doilie on our Victorian secretary...




And would you just look at all the rest of the presents! There's also a silver stapler, note cards, a notebook, a pen! So many shiny objects!!!



I can't thank you enough, Cherie, for your generosity. Of course the buttons were confiscated by one very stringy-headed doll with a button fetish. Notice that the buttons have suddenly multiplied in this picture. Annie was obviously holding out on us and hoping we wouldn't notice. Speaking of which, Annie, what is that mysterious mound of tissue paper you have beside you...



Or better yet, what have you hidden there underneath that mound...



I thought so! Look what she was trying to hide from me this time...



Nothing doing, sister, I'm going to put this on my rose petals Mr. Magpie gave me that I keep in my special little cup...



You, on the other hand, may sit in the corner and count your, I mean MY, buttons and tell me how many there are...



While I admire all the other shiny objects from Cherie and also this magnifying glass Adelaide gave me for Christmas...



And write a heartfelt note of thanks...



Another special gift (arriving mysteriously about the time of my birthday) came from my good friend Mrs. Shorehouse aka Laura of Shorehouse Chic. Accompanying the gift was this very lovely Victorian postcard with blue violets, "A Token of Friendship"...



Won't that be perfect with the gifts from Cherie? Thank you, dear Mrs. Shorehouse! :-)

Now, for those of you who don't know, Mrs. Shorehouse shares some Scottish clan ancestry with Mr. Magpie, so she is truly family! She also knows how crazy I am about the Scots in my own ancestry, and she very sweetly made the following poem and Scottish dancer for me and framed it. It's seen displayed here on the McLeod tartan which is the clan from which they both descend...



Isn't that neat? And I found a place of honor for it in the library...



Right next to our arm chair in its McLeod kilt...



In order to redeem herself, Annie has agreed to illustrate said poem for us. So cue the bagpipes and fasten your seat belts! Heeeeeeeeere's Annie (McLeod)...



May the best ye've ever seen

Be the worst ye'll ever see...



May a moose ne're leave your girnal,

Wi' a tear drap in his 'ee...



No, No, NO, Annie!



Not a MOOSE...



And a GIRDLE...



It's a MOUSE and a GIRNAL!



Girnal = a wooden box in the pantry where they kept things like oatmeal. Scots eat oats, and mice do, too...



Someone who shall remain nameless but with the initials Little Annie McLeod did NOT do her homework. Moving right along...

May ye aye keep hale and he'rty...



Till ye're auld enough tae dee...



Uh, not quite, Annie Dear. Plus there is only one Sandra Dee...



I'm afraid you'll just have to content yourself with being a legend in your own mind. Pray continue...




May ye aye be juist as happy...



As I wish ye aye tae be.



Thank you SO much, Laura, every time I see this blessing in the form of a poem, I will think of you and wish you well in return! Here's a litle poem for you...

Roses are red,

Tartans are blue,

You're the Queen of the Scots

And the Jersey Shore, too!

Love you, lady! :-)

And Annie, that Bud is not for you or your little friends, so you, my dear, are fired!



In addition to the lovely gifts from those two bloggers, I am the very fortunate winner in a blog drawing and the grateful recipient of a lovely piece of jewelry from one of my favorite bloggers in Sweden! That's right, Sweden And I don't mean Sweden, Florida, either! ;-)



The gift from my friend Maria Berg of Allt Kan Gronksa came in this sweet little blue bag with the crescent moon and stars that are the emblems of my college sorority...



Then, when I opened that precious little bag, I found a lovely necklace with a silken cord and two tiny blue hearts on each end!!! I tried to display the necklace with the appropriate Swedish blue in the background, but somehow the Blue Check Forest of other posts simply didn't have what it takes to do justice to this delicate piece...



Contrast... what it needed was contrast. So I drafted Pinky II or Little Pinky (Pinky I or Big Pinky being a shrimp... got that???) to help...



But he wiggled...



And waggled...



And wiggled some more...



It's kind of hard for a giant flamingo to hold still, much less in cramped quarters...



So after another round of wiggle...



Waggle...



Wiggle...



I thanked and then undrafted Pinky...



And instead brought in a little angel with Swedish braids...



Who does the piece far more justice...



Aren't those hearts sweet?



I love how they sparkle...



When the light hits them...



Very, very lovely...



Maria, I thank you for both the beautiful necklace and your friendship:

Roses are red,

My necklace is blue,

You are so talented,

And a true sweetheart, too!

XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO

And that, dear friends is a wrap!

All the best to each of you and thank you for visiting me here. I eagerly look forward to visiting you as well! Please join Sally and all of her friends by clicking here for lots of blue goodness on this beautiful Blue Monday! And don't forget to visit these other ladies by clicking on the links I provided for their blogs. You'll be glad you did! :-)

Quintessentially,


Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)