Welcome to my Pine Cone Retreat.

When I was a little girl my grandparents lived next door to us. We lived in Massachusetts, out in the country with lots of nature all around. We lived near the top of a hill on an old winding road. There were horses in the pasture across the street, a long stone wall bordering the yard, a garden filled with roses, and pine groves and woods behind us. My grandmother was way ahead of her time. She baked, cooked, entertained, washed, ironed and she did everything well- as we would say today, she was a domestic diva. Not only did she do it all well, she did it all while whistling. I could hear her out in her back yard whistling like a bird as she hung the clothes out on the line.

In the fall grandmother and I would go on walks into the woods gathering pine cones. She with her walking stick and a large canvas bag. Once the snow began to fall we would descend into the basement of her gray cape style home. She had a long work table set up with folding chairs surrounding it. On the table were wire frames of various sizes, pine cones and chestnuts. She invited friends and family over to make pine cone wreaths for the holidays. She did this every year for as long as I can remember. I have sweet memories that I will always treasure. Here I am - 50 something - and I live in the midst of tons of pine cones - Texas pine cones. They are different from the long, slender, finger like pine cones of New England. Instead they are large and very plump. Oh how I wish my grandmother could see these!

This past winter I decided I would wire some pine cones together and see where it brings me. Well, it has brought me here to this blog which I have begun in honor of my grandmother - Annie Thayer. I think about her often. In some ways I am like her. I enjoy baking, entertaining, gardening and the keeping of our house.

Thanks for reading. I have many stories to share, of grandmother and of myself making my way through life.