We're Number One!

Patina Antiques and Home is in the running for the

"Best Antique Shop in Denver",

in the Denver 'A List 'competition!

We're proud to see the incredible reviews and the

"excellent"

ratings

our customers have given us!

You can imagine our excitement, and the top notch exposure this creates for our little shop. We have been lauded by 5280 Magazine, and long to be voted best antiques shop by them, later this year.

Their vote of confidence was possibly the biggest publicity item we've seen, and the results have been phenomenal for business. Being rated the best by the 'A List' will improve our status with 5280 Magazine, and one thing leads to another . . . .

You can vote for Patina at

A List Denver (Channel Seven's Website).

Type in: Patina Antiques and Home,

then click on VOTE.

Thanks for your support in our quest for excellence!

Summer delights

Such a beautiful time of the year! I have been revelling in the fruits and veggies of summer, savoring each one with delight.

When I was a child, my maternal grandmother, "Mamom", taught me the delights of simple meals which celebrated the advent of the harvests of her garden. Some evenings we feasted on a hearty salad of whatever we picked from the 'salad garden', and some mornings I awoke to the breakfast treat of an enormous homemade biscuit covered with fresh strawberries. There were meals that consisted entirely of freshly picked corn on the cob, and tomatoes plucked right from the vine.

Mamom generally believed that a proper supper consisted of meat and potatoes and several veggies and a salad and all the trimmings. Oh, but these harvest suppers were special . . . . a celebration of whatever was ripe and ready to picked and enjoyed to the fullest.

Our own yard was surrounded by an unusual hedge of cherry bushes. I have never seen anything like these since my childhood, and no one seems to remember where they came from, or what their proper name is! They flowered in the late spring and produced a wild cherry, shaped like a tiny pumpkin. There were three distinct flavors and colors among these cherries -

a purpley-black, an orangey gold, and a dark red, each one temptingly juicy and sweet.

We grew huge avocados . . . . football size, I tell you!

The seed alone in our avocados was larger than an entire California avocado is. People think I exaggerate when I tell of these avocados - but they are incredible.

Our neighbors and friends at church grew oranges and tangerines and lemons and limes . . . . and grandmas on both sides of the family had prolific banana trees in their back yards. It seems now, that I grew up in a veritable Garden of Eden

My father's parents, "Granny" and "Grandaddy", made an annual pilgrimage from where we lived, back to where they grew up, (we're talking deep south, here), each summer, to see their relatives. I eagerly awaited their return from this journey, knowing they carried treasure home with them. The entire back seat of that old car was packed with such wonderful things! There were brown sacks filled with the world's sweetest peaches, and huge heavy burlap bags of pecans. I can taste those peaches, right now!

I miss those grandparents. It makes me want to focus more on what I'm doing with

my own grandchildren. I guess a trip to the Farmer's Market is in order!

Happy summer tasting!

Gratitude

This beautiful July day began with an early morning walk through my neighborhood. I try to walk 3 or more mornings a week, and the earlier I get my day started, the happier I am. There is little traffic at 5:30 in the morning, and there are few distractions from my hour of meditation and prayer, and communion with my creator.

I am always delighted to see the wildlife and the dewy grasses and blossoms, and to breathe in fresh air . . . . and feel the soft, rising sunshine warming my skin. I have time to focus on what's truly important in life, before the schedule of the day takes over.

This is one of those days that I feel the presence of God, and am happy to give thanks for those precious little moments when I can spend time enjoying Him.

Blessings!

July Celebrations

JULY

We have arrived at the halfway point of 2009, and that gives me pause, encouraging me to think about my goals for this year. I feel good about several accomplishments, and at the same time,

I realize there are several projects I have yet to begin.

Reasonable women know that it is important not to be overly self critical.

(There are enough people out there to be critical of us as it is.)

Self employed women know that we set impossibly high standards for ourselves,

and truly believe that each year we will work "smarter and harder".

There is no way we can run our business, be all we wish to our family, deepen our friendships, enhance our love life, grow spiritually, get in better physical shape, learn new skills, dedicate ourselves to our favorite charity, life coach, renew our artistic endeavors, organize our paperwork, our cars and our workshops . . . . and so on.

We

try,

and that's important.

At this mid-point, I will rededicate myself to the goals I set for the New Year of 2009!

This is one of my favorite months of the year . . . and my birth month!

I was born very close to the Fourth of July, and for many of my early years,

I recall my mother saying,

"we're going to see fireworks tonight".

(In my childish mind, I supposed that those fireworks were just in my honor, for my birthday.)

I anticipated that evening all week . . . . having a special outfit, the packing of blankets, picnic basket and lemonade, even taking an afternoon nap, all in preparation for the evening's wonderment.

There would be sparklers - those firey fairy lights that one could dance around in the dark with, swirling and leaping, to create trailing arcs of magic.

It was the kickoff of my birth month!

No slacker - I needed more than a birth DAAAAAY . . . .

A whole

month of celebration

was more in my plan.

I was priviledged to be able to choose my birthday cake flavor.

For many years it remained angel food cake with chocolate frosting.

I was probably as delighted with the name of that cake -

"angel food"

as I was with the taste.

I was thrilled by the spectacle of red, white and blue "stars", bursting in the air,

the excitement of the crowds celebrating, flags waving, dads taking the dayoff, burgers grilling, ice cold watermelon, often a daytrip to the beach!

MY SPECIAL DAY!

Even after I came to the realization that there was a bigger celebration than my little birthday,

I continued to be thrilled by the festivities and fireworks,

and am to this day.

What a lucky girl I am!