Robin's Rest

RE-positioning my NEST.....LITERALLY!

2010-11-12T15:32:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!!! Yes, it is ME!!! It has been a whirlwind of time, and many many many many, did I say MANY... yep, MANY Life Changes!!!

For those that followed me, knew me, or just was an observant person, you may notice that I WAS living in WV....until about that last post in April, because the next day I was called about a job that I had applied for in January. Next thing I knew, I was packing furiously, sifting thru all the goodies one gathers over the years, renting a truck, grabbing some friends,(begging, to be honest!), and moving to North Carolina....and I haven't really regretted any of it!!!

So NOW I am here....and I HAVE repositioned my Nest, and even tho' my computer got a virus JUST as I was leaving WV, leaving me stepping and fetching for all my contacts, all my networking, all my "stuff" about NC, I have been doing great in finding some things!

I have to admit, this blogging, in the past, has proved challenging for me to keep up with. I keep a Handwritten Journal, that I am very loyal to, but when Life hands you changes, you gotta roll with them, and this is one of MANY things that I am revamping, reinventing, and just taking time to get those routines going again! I craved a routine....remember that??? And then WHAM!!! I moved!!!

Anywoo....I just wanted to let everyone know, I AM still out here.....Repositioning my nest!!!

Till Another Time!!!
Robin

Spring is Here...Time to Carry On!!!

2010-04-02T08:15:00.001-04:00

Yes!!! I have been missing for quite some time now, and there are many reasons for this, but for now, let's just say Life Happens!!!

I want to start getting back into a normal routine, and this is something I have been struggling with for years since certain incidents had happened with my health, and although it has been a long, long battle, I feel as if the time has come to finally restore the "old me" and do the things I really want to do, instead of undoing the messes I have created. Everyone gets in a rut, and I have been in one heck of a rut for too long. There is a nice light at the end of that tunnel, and slowly but surely, I am moving toward it!

With that said, Lots has happened, and again, I will not make you sit for days and days reading it, and if anyone knows me, then they already know what has gone on, and where I am at in that whole Repositioning My Nest phrase in my title. I have definitely repositioned it in places I never even thought possible!!!

Check out my other blog, Robin's Painted Nest, as I plan on updating that, too, to keep up to date in my crafting and ventures into old crafts that have also been on the back burner for quite some time....also will be posting to that as regular as possible!

Thanks for landing in my nest....Till Another Time!!!

FaceBook, Fallacies, Friends & Free Time!

2009-08-12T20:57:00.002-04:00

No more promises from me! Yep...I give up!
Fallacies....That means lies, I think, and if so, then I have been making lots of fallacies about my blogs, and that upsets me to a degree.
Honestly, I follow lots of blogs, and I just don't know how people do it, much less keep up.
I can only say that I will try and keep everyone's attention, while at the same time, maintaining a household, inside and out, updating myself with the new rules on Ebay and Etsy. Yep. Me. Reading till I can't stand to read anymore! I have been quite busy around here.
Almost everyday I have found myself saying that I need to update my Blog. Then I put it off, cuz I haven't done anything Fabulous, since going to North Carolina.
I haven't done ANYTHING in the crafting arena, other than a few grunged up projects, and I didn't know where my batteries were, and then the projects were already basecoated, so the Before pictures didn't happen, so what is the point of After pictures?
Then there was the Full Moon the one night, and I thought, Who the HECK would be interested in the Full Moon! Half the world doesn't even know we HAVE a MOON! Much less there are phases to said Moon! LOL!
So, I can only say, that my time has been spent on a LOT of different things, and there are NO pictures.

FaceBook....Geez, where do I begin with THAT?! Has anyone else gotten caught up in this site? I have...I went on ages ago, signed up, and never went back, till last week. WOW! Things moved so quick, I am still dizzy! Friends from NJ, Friends in the Craft World, and not to mention, friends of friends, and networks, and Family, and their friends...I've gained like 30 friends and family, and I haven't even accepted or invited all of them as of yet. Heck, I can't even remember all of them! But I still prefer personal contacts and that seems to get more and more rare, as the years roll on by!

Friends....Oh, how nice to reconnect! I must say that for FaceBook. I hate the thing, and I even have a MySpace somewhere, but can't remember under what names, passwords and so on. But I've done Classmates, and have even found people by Googling them, and FaceBook made it so much easier to say, Hey! Remember me??? And all of them do. Awwww....nice!

Free Time! I seem to have a lot of it at times, and can't seem to focus on my next three steps, or I have NONE and wish I could go back to that moment when I was stumbling over the focusing. Things have been hectic for me...I've said that before, but I am trying to get new routines in place, and not feel the frustration of being interrupted, or not being able to get to certain things, either by choice, or by another reason.

Well, I can say that I am changing all my outlooks at this point. I realized I am frustrated by trying to get my house together, and that I really want to be crafting, and the crafting was having to wait till I could get back into my chair. As I am writing this, I am working on my desktop behind me. Maybe by tomorrow, I can put two thoughts together and make something happen out of glue and toothpicks! LOL!

I've had great news tonight about family, and I am thrilled for now, and relieved beyond belief! I am hoping that in the next few days, I can jostle things around a make a long trip. But that will have to be planned.

Until then, I am focused.

Don't Gasp! Yes, it is ME! I AM out here afterall!

2009-07-03T09:40:00.006-04:00

Okay, I lied again! I keep saying I am going to be more devoted to this whole blogging thing, and I get caught up in all kinds of Life's Doings...so I will blame it all on Life. Not to say that the bloggers that are so regularly posting do NOT have a life, because I envy all of those bloggers that I read all the time. A-HA! That is it! I am too busy with Life & Reading Blogs! LOL!

Actually, we have had such a time of it here since the end of March with the MIL problems, and then our own Spring agendas, and we have just returned from North Carolina after visiting the "kids"...a trip that WAS to be taken in April...never happened till now! We soooooo needed to get away, and I am sooooo glad that we finally flew away! So much has happened that I doubt I can find enough words to tell it all, nor do I want to bore you all to tears!

I'll sum it up, once again, in a few letters.... L I F E!

Actually, I have been quite busy in between all the life stuff, with making & creating things to sell at Second Tyme Around. I have bunches more stuff sitting in a box, waiting for their final process, then off to the shop, for their next owner's.

We bought a new car....used car.....whatever! It was a LONG drawn out process with the financing. Don't ever try to buy a car on days that the makers are claiming bankruptcy. It doesn't do any good! I did it....not ONCE, but TWICE! When Chrysler was in Bankruptcy, I was applying for a loan, as well as GM's. One word.... N I G H T M A R E!!!
What have I got to show for all of that? This!!!

Whatcha Think?
This is a 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited Edition w/bells & whistles, buttons & knobbies for all kinds of things...I am not even sure if I know all of their functions yet, but I LOVE the car! With only 47,000 miles on it, this was a great deal, and by the time all was said and done, we got it for even less than we originally agreed to, as we did all the fingerwork on the phones to find the financing we wanted. No gripe to the dealership, as their hands were kinda tied.
Sooooo.....With the new car, we decided to head for North Carolina. We did so many things while there, such as going to the beach for a day, and we enjoyed THAT immensely! We wanted to go back! It has been YEARS since I have been Near or IN the Ocean...and this was wonderful!

Oh how we had so much fun! We did all kinds of things while in NC....so I will just post a bunch of pics here and let you see for yourself. Don't forget to click on pics to see them larger!

Here are some Ft. Fisher pics....starting out with our Beautiful DIL, Meghann....should have been a Model!!! Gorgeous Girl!

She married this NUT!!!! Oops, sorry....Our Son!

He may be our son, and a VERY Handsome one at that, but he IS nuts! Always makes us Laugh!

Also....both of them are VERY Photogenic!!! They make a beautiful couple....or am I biased??? Well, you can be the judge of that!

Anyhoo....there's the cutest "kids" in the world, and we REALLY enjoyed all our time with them!

Meghann & I spent a day dashing about, and we ended up at a place called the Scrap Exchange. This place could have anyone's imagination whirling & spinning in so many directions, that you feel as if you may have a blood vessel burst in your head! LOL! Really, there are tons of ideas from just normal scrapped stuff, and you have to check out that link to see what I mean! Great Place in Durham, NC!

We went to eat and also ended up going to The Rusty Bucket in Apex, NC....Great Primitive Store! If ONLY I had an endless bundle of money! I will need to go BACK there, no doubt! I loved seeing it in person, instead of a website!

There was Duke Gardens, Science Museum, & other great places like the Farmers Market that had the BESTEST Bacon I have tasted! We went for more on another day!

We also deprived Children of playtime, cuz the nearly 50ish "kids" had to play, too!

And it appears that Craig, my DH, was "hearted" ....he's also a Nut!!!!

And while we were out having fun, we felt sorry for the Diva Dog....totally deprived from Human Loving, but we made up for it when we were back at the apartments by ooofing and watching the going ons of other people and doggies out walking....how cute is this???

She was happy to get back home, tho....as we are! Tired, yet ready to plow thru several weeks of working and crafting! So that is it for now!

Glad you came to see me! Hope this makes up for all the lost time!

Running Against Time...Craft Room Update

2009-03-12T21:04:00.004-04:00

Okay...I'm making this a bit on the wordless side, again. These are updated pics of the Craft Room I have been trying hard to get organized and ready for some serious crafting!
Take a Look-See....compare to before pics of Last Week!

WORDLESS Wednesday.....CraftRoom MESS!!!

2009-03-04T15:50:00.004-05:00

So....Now you'll have an answer!

2009-03-02T13:29:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone! I thought maybe I can't keep everyone in suspense much longer, but I have been quite on the run lately, plus bogged down with all kinds of things.

First, Happy Belated Birthday to ME!!! Yes, I am officially 49 years old, as of February 25th. I didn't mention it, as I had a Family Issue that had my mind in so many places, between worried & wondering...but all seems to be fine now, all in all, it was a huge day for "reflecting" on Family, Friends, and Life in General!

Rob...I love ya! :)

Now...for the other news and the OTHER things going on in my life right now.

How about this??? Would THIS be enough to EXPLAIN my absence???
Can I only HOPE!

I have ~~been asked~~ okay, I actually BEGGED to join this Emporium to sell my crafted items there...Go there by clicking the logo above....and watch for my goodies! The best part is that you will be able to go there, buy anything you see there, plus go to ALL my other spots, although I am in the process of changing my name for my business to Robin's Painted Nest, so if the links pop up and say Robin's Rest, check back to make sure that I have done the updates.
Now...my blog, Robin's Rest, WILL be here, for you all to enjoy, but I am adding a SECONDARY BLOG, Robin's Painted Nest, where I will be doing the same thing as the SOATP Emporium. I will be listing items for sale there, as well as some more details on my crafting, and divulging ways that I make things....sort of like BEFORE & AFTER pics. I may share some of the techniques & tips on how to do them. Yes, YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

So.....to keep everyone up to date, here is the link to my Robin's Painted Nest blog, which WILL look just like Robin's Rest....very subtle differences, tho'! No need to worry about Robin's Rest, cuz I am keeping that one, but it will be more of a personal place, and more about me, family, and other things, and a little less about the Business End of things. I want that to be more about ME than the Business blogs...so make sure you keep in touch with that one, too! I know it is all confusing, but believe me, once it is all set up, you will see what I am trying to do!
All I can ask is for you to bear with me while I am in these immense changes, and I will Thank You NOW for doing that, as I know I will forget to do that later! It's the OLD Age thing, ya know! My mind is slowly going south, along with everything else! LMAO! ( I wish !)

Okay....I have a ton of things to do...so I just wanted to touch base with everyone and forewarn them of my adventures!

Just so you know...

2009-03-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

I AM still out here.....but in the meantime, I have done THIS....can you???

74 words

Typingtest

Oh Boy Oh Boy....please stay tuned to this channel!

2009-02-16T15:32:00.003-05:00

Okay....I know what you are gonna say, and you are probably right! So I will confirm it right here...I HAVE LOST MY MIND!!!! LOL!

I'm in the process of changing out this Blog, and if you stay tuned in to this channel, I will have a surprise for you soon....I have started another blog, that looks the same but will be dedicated to my crafting....So hang in there with me, while I drink LOTS of hot tea and resort to other devices that allow me to DE-STRESS!!!

Valentines Day!!!

2009-02-14T09:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I have no idea what I will be doing today, other than spending it with my hubby...and maybe we will head out of town and go for a long ride somewhere!

Until, then, I wish everyone lots of chocolate, and lots of Love!

I'm Hating the Bathroom! Don't Hate Me....

2009-02-07T13:00:00.004-05:00

Yep! You read that right...I am absolutely hating the new Vintage Sea Cottage Bathroom! Don't even begin to Hate Me yet, cause I may consider a Giveaway with some of that stuff from This Bathroom! You may want to Enter it, if I decide, in this time of one more Week that I can NOT stand it any longer!

Now, I really do NOT want to say "hush-it" to all of you that are going to go nuts on me.
I hear it coming, believe me...and in many forms.

Let me just say, right here and now, ALL of YOU have been in this same place at some time, and when it isn't "right", it just isn't, till you get to correcting it.
I also want to address any of my four followers, or family, that I am NOT rich...and besides that, I buy LOTS of mis-tinted paint in paint stores, and usually custom blend my own colors according to what I have. Although THIS particular paint WAS full priced, again, let me say, I am NOT at all happy with it. I go in there every day, at least 6 times or more, just to flip on the light and mutter...YUCK!

I blame it on THIS lady of Behind My Red Door....Linda's house has caught my eye, and I want it all! She is someone I greatly admire and see so much of what I like in her home. I have even copied a few things that she has done, since it appears that our tastes are so similar! Of course, HER ideas are better, but I still try to find ways to achieve this look....so YOU go look at HER home and you'll see what the obsession is all about....Linda, don't worry, I am completely Harmless, and you will NOT find me drooling on your doorstep. Not anytime, SOON! LOL!

Of course, I am also blaming it on a home tour I took this past winter at a few Prim Chick's homes, which is a local group I belong to. I've completely ignored what I truly liked and went with this crazy notion. I admit it, I had tunnel vision.

So....here's YOUR CHANCE to help me, AND benefit from it...give me your comments...tell me what YOU would have done differently, and PLEASE, do NOT hold back....I need all the help in the world on this matter.

So....tell me...what would YOU do???

From Snowmen to Seashells...WHAT A TRIP!!!

2009-01-31T00:23:00.005-05:00

Oh! Can you believe this? I am going to make another post, in the same week and most likely way long before many of you have even gotten thru my last one. I do apologize for that, and honestly, I am trying to do better, so today's topic involves my Snowman Bathroom. Those of you that have seen my home, will probably be sad to see it go, and if you feel you have to grieve, please, come to my house and you and hubby can huddle together in grief...he misses it, but I tell ya, I am sooooo glad that this redo is OVER!

Another ordeal, and glad that I did NOT get to start it before the Christmas Clan of January 16th....due to that Furnace Ordeal...or I'd be in that Calgon Bath, still!

When I did this bathroom in Snowmen, I had created my own unique "trend". But after several years of this Snowman Darkness, I decided Spa Blue was for me, and I was concentrating on a brand NEW unique trend....Vintage Sea Cottage Bath. Yep....you have read that correctly. Of course, after I had already bought Every last item to be used in this Dandy-Brand New Vintage Cottage Bathroom, I read on Nester's Blog that HGTV had pointed out TRENDS were Out....Huh? Since WHEN? Along with Toilet Rugs and apparently I was a little slow adapting to that whole Spa Blue look, and that seemed to be on it's way out, as well! Well, according to HGTV, I was no longer the Decorating Diva I thought and truly believed I was! Just short of the Pearl Necklace I was wanting to wear with my holey nightshirts, I was beginning to think I was June Cleaver....Not Martha, cuz I am NOT neurotic, but June? I could be her, I think.
I wasn't giving up....I was set on setting another trend, by darned, and I was going to have that Vintage Sea Cottage Bath! And I have it, I think! Well, take a look for yourself! What Say You!

Be sure to click on Pic to see Larger Pics....

BEFORE: Dark Snowman Bathroom

It isn't much to see at this point, as I had already started to remove some Snowman items from here to make way for the new changes....After all, we are definitely WARMING things up in here! Get it? Snowmen to Seashells???? Okay....hope you're laughing as hard as I am...I thought it was funny! hehehehehe

Anyhoo....here is the NEW Vintage Sea Cottage Bath, with all the Foo-Foo....as DH says!

v
These bottles in this little cubby were my Mom's...

Yes, I made the little cottage sign...

This piece of art is filled with favorites.

These items are on the top of the Medicine Cabinet....neat, huh?

Well, that is all I will bore you with for today....I am sure that many of you will wonder if they should go back and finish reading the other post...but go, and have a good hearty laugh! I have already heard that although long, it was funny to read!

Treasure 2 Trash, Rude Ruud Furnaces, Family, Friends, Faith?

2009-01-30T12:38:00.008-05:00

Okay, I lied! I had promised to do better with my posting, and I let Life happen. Again! But is this NOT what we are supposed to do? Well, from the title of this particular post, I could just say goodbye at this point, and those words could just serve all that has been going on, but then you, my few followers, would be left scratching their heads in total wonder. WONDERING if I'd completely gone off my rocker...you'd be correct in that ASSumption! LOL!
Well, without further ado, I'll elaborate...Hope you brought your pillow & PJ's, you'll need those, along with a meal or two! Oh...grab a tissue....I think that comes in handy a few times!

Treasure to Trash: I don't know where to start with this one...I guess I would have to blame this on a very new-to-me Blogger person that I have been stalking. OOops! I mean gawking at! Her name is Annie of Olde Annie Primitives... She and I seem to have a LOT in common...not only with our crafting abilities, but of the amounts of "stuff" we tend to have in our CraftRooms! We are also discovering quite a few other things we have in common, thru each other's Blogs and thru Emails. Hamburger Helper, for one thing. Long story, but we tend to remember when THAT was an entire meal-in-a-box, for a family. These days, I think you are lucky to feed TWO people with the amount that is in the box. What's with THAT?!??! So, Annie has also done something that I would have NEVER thought I would do, and that was completely and courageously shown her "mess" of a craftroom in TOTAL chaos...and for all intents & purposes, I understand her reasons for doing it. There was also a few words on how she intended to get it all organized. Guess What?!?!? She did! Go here, to see this amazing work....BEFORE & AFTER. Great Job, Annie!!! Now Pray for me, cuz I am going to be tackling my OWN room, and soon! But for the meantime...let's see if I can bare my existance in this room, which is totally on the verge of being condemned! Look for yourself! You may choose to click to Enlarge, but be very afraid!
This is the CURRENT look....I just took this one. Don't even ask! Maybe LATER, you will understand. There are LOTS of reasons for this room to look like this, and like Annie, I am in a Transitional Phase...possibly the LONGEST transitional phase I have ever been in, but again, bear with me, as you WILL come to understand WHY this room is looking THIS bad....worse, actually, cuz you can't see EVERYTHING in this pic. But it isn't without hope. Lots of HOPE....cuz I have been working on this, as you can see from more pics here...

The paint wall Before...
As you can see, there just isn't enough room for ALL my paints and Embellishments, Glues, Brushes, etc. So here is what I have thought MIGHT work better, and I am in the process of working this out, but now it looks something like THIS.....for now.
The crates help with making the color groups go together, and the Bin Boxes will allow me to keep more of those small items I use, a lot more accessible. I am ALWAYS misplacing small items, so this seems logical, except that the bins do NOT come with those little dividers, and you have to CALL for those....and I am waiting on those at this time. I hope they get here soon, cuz it is holding up all my progress! Okay, and the other reason for this huge mess, was that I broke down and called a Professional Organizer. Her recommendation was to "gather" all my items into one area....Yeah, right! And as soon as she comes, she is going to RUN LIKE HECK! LOL!
But hey, there is madness and mayhem in unraveling chaos, and I understand her reasonings. So that is the other reason this looks SO BAD.

Now, THAT being said, I feel embarassed, overwhelmed by my OWN pictures, and here are some OTHER things that have been going on since my last post at the beginning of the month!
Furnaces....THEY SUCK!!!! Ours decided to take a slow walk of death...just as we were expecting our Family to come to celebrate Christmas the weekend of January 16th! I still had to get the house "fixed-up" and the ordeal of "the furnace" is a week-long ordeal. I mean it!
AN O R D E A L! We have a new son, Josh....OOops, I mean Craig's right-hand man at work, and friend, came to help. This poor boy...he lives close enough to be here quick, and he is probably the most respectful, helpful, knowledgeable young man I have met in his age-bracket of 20-something! He has helped with our vehicles, MIL crap, and now he was there for us at this Furnace Ordeal! What was supposed to be an easy thing, turned into a nightmare of Murphy's Law. Here is Josh....He's such a cutie...LOL!
Anyhoo....for three LONG Nights in a row this young man, came to OUR home, after putting up with "bossman" all day, to help him/us with this Furnace Ordeal...I know, I keep referring to it as that...but as my Brother once said, It Is What It Is....I hate him for ever saying that. He's right, but I Still Hate Him For That! The furnace ordeal refers to the Lego Block system that THIS system seems to have been made available to ONLY knowledgeable HVAC techs....We are DIY'ers, so we thought (first mistake),
when placing an order for a 14KW Downdraft F U R N A C E, we would get a Big Box with a Big Metal Thing, that once Properly placed would provide us with HEAT!!!! (second mistake)
After a day of me taking on the LOGGER profession, and swinging an Axe in true Logger fashion to split wood and old pallet parts, and lugging this into the house, to somehow raise the temperature to a fashionable 66 degrees up from 62...well, I was SOOoooo looking forward to those guys coming in the evening with a NEW Furnace...a NEW 14KW Downdraft Furnace! Now, the part I haven't told you was the entire day had been passing by with NO LUCK in finding the part we needed to replace....about $60. By the late afternoon, we ended up, and up to our arsenals in debt to the tune of SEVERAL $100's! Now, I am not worried. Okay, I am lying. But the truth of the matter came later, once Josh & Craig had removed the old Furnace, pulling the NEW Furnace from it's box...and me nursing some very sore arms, shoulders, and back from chopping wood, I had decided to make dinner for all of us....and I start hearing words such as "but that's what it says on the box", and "let me look at the ticket", and "it says it's an optional/available package"....Can you understand that sinking feeling one feels at a point when the words being spoken do not equal having a GREAT DINNER IN A WARM HOME?!?!?! I was actually hoping I had possibly missed the better parts of their conversation, due to my pot-banking, water-running, recipe-hashing moments in the Kitchen, on the other side of the wall, away from the "boys" and the "furnace" and the other "furnace"...and the house was starting to get cold again, so I am really hoping this is NOT what It appears? Well, just how wrong that was! In just seconds, I hear my DH's voice go 3 octaves lower, and that familiar sound of him clipping words, and now I am understanding that the people that "sold" the furnace failed to give them the correct furnace, or Parts, or BOTH....and I am in PURE angst, as are the "boys". I mean, REALLY! Who knew that if you ordered/purchased/ a 14KW Downdraft FURNACE, that they charge you 500+ dollars for a metal box with NOTHING IN IT!!!! I am NOT kidding, folks! Truly, this is HOW it is, unbeknownst to us, LOL! So, what could be done? Dinner. It's always good to hash out something over Dinner. Why not have indigestion all night, cuz we are in debt for 500+ dollars and have a BOX that doesn't HEAT without OPTIONAL Package 1 that includes the HEATING ELEMENT! Geez. Go Figure! Furnace=Heat? Doesn't it? We learned this in MATH, didn't we? I thought that was how it worked, but apparently it is more like: Box 1=Furnace Holder + Optional Box 1= Furnace/Heat. But it is now 8:45PM and there is no way to get Optional Box 1 that goes into Box 1. So, for the rest of the evening til about 1AM, the boys, tired & plain discouraged, work on the Old furnace and got it "reconfigured" along with "reinstalled" and we all wait to see what happens when it gets turned back on....for the house to Blow Up or something....But it looks like it was a go, and called it a night after putting Furnace B back into it's box. The guys go to work the next day and pick up Optional Box 1, so they can start another night after a LONG day, to assemble said Furnace Holder and Optional Box 1 so that we may come to the sum of Furnace=Heat. Guess what? WRONG AGAIN!!! The boys...although smarter, this time, leave Furnace A in place, while reading instructions for Furnace B. Now, ya gotta know, this is just getting ridiculous at this point....Josh says, Uh-oh. And we all go WHAT NOW! He informs us that in order to "flip" the A-coil around, (an AC part that we can't even use), to convert this into a "downdraft" furnace (which we ordered), we need OPTIONAL BOX 2/CONVERTER 1. OMFG!!! Are you Kidding ME?!?!?! So...now we are all enraged...This is just purely unreal! Now mind you, we are NOW up to $600. in debt...cuz Optional Box 1 was an additional $100. I'm thinking we should just pack up and MOVE! Here it is Wednesday....NO HEAT, and we are in the COLDEST TEMPS in 15 years....FIFTEEN YEARS!!!! And no heat to speak of! Furnace A, in trying to heat, runs continuously, non-stop, and never reaches any desirable temp... about 66 at the most. In just a few days, we are to have a house-full of family, and the house is in horrible shape. And at this point, the guys pack it up AGAIN! and this is what I am thinking. Everyone is going to see THIS when they come to our home on Saturday....

Merry Friggin HoHo!!!...See Box A??? On top is OPTIONAL BOX 1...Lovely sight....I was tempted to Gift Wrap all of it...just to help Blend it into my already Late Christmas. Big Tag....To Robin & Craig, From Robin & Craig and the people that Screwed up your Holidays....Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men! Okay....so I am getting a bit out of sorts, but could you Blame ME?!?!?! All my concerned friends were saying DUMB things, well, not dumb, but they "bothered" me....it could be just the cold wracking my body, on a daily basis, but I would hear,"Didn't Craig check the box??!?!" Well, my snappy reply, was it was NOT his JOB to do THAT part....it is the SuPPLier's Job!!! Craig is an ELECTRICIAN, not an HVAC person...there was an ORDER for a 14KW Downdraft FURNACE...That usually means that an HVAC guy should KNOW what is needed, and have it ALL ready for pick-up...but nope. That's not the way it is anymore! I explained it like this: You realize you need a car. You pick out your car. You make sure it has ALL the details you want...For most, this is Radio, Heat, AC, Automatic Trans., Sunroof, and maybe some spiffy stuff like a spoiler and sunroof. They make you sign papers for an unbelievable cost, you go with your new keys in hand, sit in the seat, put the key in the ignition and turn it....only Nothing Happens....then the salesguy says, OH, you wanted an ENGINE with this?!?!?! You ASSUME it CAME with one...you do NOT assemble cars, but someone does, and the LAST car you bought came with one, so why doesn't this one!?! LOL! Well, that is the best way to describe it to all the people that thought my husband, Mr. Electric Guy, should KNOW how HVAC now works....he doesn't! LOL!
So....I'm getting tired, but let me just say, in all this, Craig & I decide the next morning, bypass all others involved in this dilemma & chains-of-command, call the supplier, and go RIGHT to the HEAD HONCHO....we/I explain, that we are FOUR days into trying to install Furnace B, along with Optional Box 1, and find that we are NOW in need of Optional Conversion Kit 1 and we are desperate for someone's expertise in the field to tell us HOW many MORE options and conversions we are going to need BEFORE we can call this thing a FURNACE, or much less, have REAL HEAT! Oh, and the Money it is going to take! The man apologized profusely, as he is in Electical and has NO IDEA of what he is Reading on our Order #, but he will go to HVAC personally and hash it out with them, call us back, and "fix this" for us. Well, we wait....and in the meantime, Craig sits down, ONCE again, with the instructions for Furnace B sitting in it's box, begging to be wrapped up in pretty paper, and he says,"Uh-Oh"....and at this point, I'm ready to pop anyone that utters those words...are theses really words? Uh-Oh....it certainly has a profound affect on one's heart rhythm's....Anyways, he starts some drawl of Electrical Lingo, about connector bars, breaker box converters, 2-wires, single poles, double digits, fingernails, tailbones and ham hocks....who the heck knows....but I got it. He is saying we MAY NEED yet SOMETHING ELSE in addition to the Optional Converter 1 and Furnace B and Optional Box 1 to get to Furnace=Heat. (Sigh) Mr. Electrical Dept. along with Mr. HVAC Dept. call back...yippee, in only about 15 minutes since I spoke with them. They have determined that we do, indeed, need the Converter Kit 1, and it is OUT OF STOCK!!! No Way! It can be shipped to us, by UPS, which I immediately say ABSOLUTELY NOT! (Another story, but involves my computer monitor traveling all over the eastern seaboard, for 10 days, by UPS, but was shipped at the same time as the entire computer system, that had been sitting in my house unusable, two days after I ordered the system.) So....now we have to wait till Friday and then Craig and Mr. Electrical Dept., start that Electrical jargon about the Conversion Bar Kit, in addition....and Lo, and Behold, INDEED, we NEED THAT TOO!!! Oh my...I feel a Calgon Moment coming...only this time, I think I'll drown myself! Calgon is NOT for de-stressing, it is for Drowning, and then being able to HIDE your body under the suds!!! LOL! But I am looking forward to my Lavender-Vanilla Calgon Moment....if the bathroom EVER gets warm! So Friday, comes, and Craig travels an hour away, like going to work, and he picks up Converter Kit 1, along with Conversion Kit 1 and comes home....Josh isn't available, and in fact I Believed he was in hiding! I wouldn't answer MY PHONE, either! But actually, he was having a Birthday Celebration that day, and he had changed all his plans to accomodate us all week....so Craig went at it all alone, and to make this short, but 9:45 PM, he announced that he was getting ready to "hit the switch" so be ready to RUN.....Are you Kidding me?!?!? LOL! Well, I had no doubts in his talents and abilities up to THAT point, but he's good! It worked! In fact it worked BETTER than the OLD one ever did, and it reached it's goal temp in short time! So, all said and done, by MIDNIGHT, he had it all sealed up, screwed in, tightened down, taped off, cleaned up, shiny & new. We now had less than 10 hours to get the house in order for our Family's arrival.....oh my! And so they came....

While "boy" (our nickname for Jason) was sitting across the room from me, I couldn't help but notice TWO things....he looked SO different than in October, at his wedding to Meghann, in the Bahamas, a wonderful time....But I couldn't place the reasons for the difference....then it hit me....Meghann mentioned his hair being longer.....Well, duh....Yeah! That was it....and then the other thing....seeing that Wedding Band on his hand....strange. Love it, but StrAngE!
See it?!?!?! Love it!
And Meghann, well, she looks so darned cute but Oh So Sophisticated with HER new HairBob!
She had on that Lovely looking Scarf, too, which really played up those Blue Eyes she has!

And yes, we had a great time, opening presents, and visiting with family....here is "girl",our daughter Christina....I bet she won't know that I "painted" her nails for her....LOL!

Here are the "kids", boy and girl, together, checking out Technology, which is ALWAYS the big thing with these two!
That's the new I-Phone that Jason gave his new wife, Meghann, for Christmas....it is a neat thing, but way too much for my needs.
And of course, Jason had to have his "moments" with the Pixie-dog....Notice that ring, AGAIN?!
We all love his hair like this....
Then, we of course had my MIL here.....Craig took the picture, and said something "smart", which explains my expression...but anyone that knows me, knows the story.....so the pic says more than I will say here....Brother Bill, ya gotta love this moment! Love ya!

Now look here, to see us LAST YEAR, about the same time.....GEEZ!!!!

Have we changed??? Yep!
Lots has changed....and on the last subject of this post, Friends....during our great time of distress, we had some horrible news that a Friend/Neighbor had passed away! Such a shock to the neighborhood and all the people around her. My heart goes out to her family, as I KNOW what it is like to lose a parent. I lost both of mine 15 years ago, and I can still break into sobs of grief, at times. So, in Memory of Jeni Faircloth, I say, Goodbye....may you find Peace.
To her family, I wish them Happy Memories Soon!

Grab a Cuppa...we're gonna Be Awhile....

2009-01-01T14:14:00.020-05:00

Hope you all have a GREAT New Year!
We pray that ours is AS GOOD as this last one, or better!

I know many of you have wondered,"Where is She?" I am Here...busy, busy, busy, and more busy! We had a LOT to do this year, considering what 2007 was like for us. We had a rotten year, and it got steadily worse by the close of the year, and by New Year's Eve, we brought in 2008 with a toast between DH and myself, proclaiming we would NEVER, EVER have another year like that one, so this past year has been lived in the fullest ways possible, and we tried hard to pick up where it all went so wrong.

So....we carried out our Annual Trek to the Virginia towns of Hillsboro, Purcellville & Leesburg, to see the sights, take in the towns and to shop at our favorite places. We also did something different this year, and that was to take a Home Tour of local historical homes in the Hillsboro area. Just Look at these pics of what we got to see....some will have explanations. The rest are just for you to ooooh and ahhhh at! Don't forget...CLICK TO ENLARGE!!!!

First, we went to Hillsboro's Old Stone School, to a craft show that is held there anually, and this year we had a surprise in store...we had NO IDEA that the Old Stone School had caught on fire just this past May....what a SHOCK!!! You can go HERE to see all about it, and to read about the fine history of this school. My cousin, Karen, went to this school and the Round School that was built behind it...so this is one of the reasons we go here every year. Memories of old stomping grounds! But the incredible work that was done inside, well....you'll have to explore that site on your own!

From there, we went on the Homes Tour....for the next SEVERAL HOURS we were totally mesmerized, and you will be too!!! Go on....and REMEMBER to CLICK to ENLARGE!!!

OH! To have tea here!!! (dreaming)

What a sight to see!!!

Tea in the Garden, Anyone???

This fascinated me....a sage green painted silhouette!

Notice the lady on the far left....???

This is MY FOOT as I am walking thru that passageway, to the room you see below!

I could take Tea HERE, anytime....bring my tea!

Ahhhh...peaceful sleeping!

Here below, is a NEAT idea to make PINE SNOWFLAKES for your windows, and check out this painting of Civil War Era Ladies....little ladies!

Another Room I loved!

Lots of natural greens everywhere!

Chess Anyone? Talk about HUGE!!! But look at the Scenery to be distracted by! I would surely lose this game, either cuz I couldn't lift the pieces, or the scenery would have all my attention!

Here is Craig....in front of the tree....got the perspective, here??? Whew! And this pottery birdhouse was the last thing we saw, as we left....he was cute!

My GOODNESS, things were big in the 1700's....this was a wonderful home! What a setting!
Largest barn....yep, that's FIVE stories tall, and the lady walking up to it, well, she is still about 100 feet away from it...she barely stood as tall as the top panes in those foundation windows!

Now THIS was my favorite outbuilding....I could see my craft studio here, and it was right beside the built-in pool and pergola....Oh me, oh my, oh dang it....LOL

Notice the tire hanging in the tree? That was a HUGE truck tire...not your everyday car tire....just so you get an idea of HOW WIDE that tree really was!

Last house....darn....it used to be a tavern in it's earlier years....

The FP lintels in these rooms are all about 18" of solid granite! Very unusual...but there were OTHER unusual things about this place. Scroll down for the FIND of the NIGHT!

Not this....keep scrolling!

Yep...here ya go! My other Fantastic Find of the Evening! THIS LOCK.... my first pic I took with no flash, but there was ENOUGH GLARE for me to FURTHER inspect with a flash...and I was CORRECT!!! This ENTIRE lock, knob and mechanisms are ALL WOODEN! I asked the concierge about it, and she didn't even know about it, nor had she noticed. So,we looked at ALL the hardwares of the interior doors, and whallah! They were ALL made of wood, yet any doors leading OUTSIDE, were all handforged metals.....very NICE find, I would say! I have NOT seen anything like this at all!

Beautiful Resting Places....Ya Think?

AHHHHH....but the perfect END to the Perfect Day!!! The farthest room away and the sound of wonderful acapella harmonizing! I can not tell you enough about these guys....The Chorus of the Old Dominion. Go check them out!
If anyone knows me, they just KNOW I love Barbershop Music...and these guys actually brought a tear to my eye with their rendition of Silent Night! Oh my...and in THIS room, they sounded just Fantastic. All of their songs were perfect, and it was a wonderful cap on the evening, and I would love to go to see them, again, so I will be checking their website quite often to see if they do anything nearer to us. I'm getting in the car and going! We have seen a few shows in our Berkeley/Jefferson County areas, but it has been years ago. These wonderful men just gave me all the reason I needed to add Barbershop shows to my list this coming year!

So, another thing we did, two or three times, actually, was head off to Williamsport, MD...just "over the bridge" from us....and we rode thru their city park to admire their Christmas Lights they put out every year....pardon the pics, because we did this TWICE in one night, as it seemed we had, not only people in a big hurry, but people that didn't realize they were supposed to turn OFF their headlights in order to appreciate the show...LOL!

Remember HER?!?!?! Well, isn't she all cutesy in her Pink Pom-Pom Sweater...??? She's waiting for Daddy to bring us Hot Spice Chai and Coffee....LOL! Did ya KNOW that Pixie is NOW One Year Old?!?!?! Yuppers, the puppers turned 1 on December 17th! Woo Hoo!

Okay....now all this Christmas finery, and displays of wonder, made me realize how much I have to do to my own home...but for those that didn't know how bad my health was, just a short year ago, can now see the difference in how my home looked BEFORE....yuck. Clutter had taken over! So did the dust bunnies, and cobwebs! I've spent this entire year decluttering, and cleaning, and still going at it....But take a lookie and see where I've come from, first...

Now look below.....and notice my NEW Black Chairs for the Dining Room Table??? LOVE THEM!
And these plate ideas??? From the one and only Nester!!!!

These are Battery Candles that are so darned realistic looking that although I have had them for months now, I am "careful" not to burn myself on them! LOL! They last for weeks on just two AA batteries, and the effect at night is wonderful....check them out! Oh and the toy car??? That's about 30 years old! I bought that for Jason, when he was a baby, to teach him about the old ways of playing and making the car noises with your mouth, not to mention powered by hand and not motorized!

Neat looking, huh!

I want to recover this sofa....but how?

Do you get the idea of candlelight???

Table on right of sofa...

Table on Left of sofa is a STOLEN IDEA From Behind My Red Door....check out HER desk idea!

I've come a long, long, long way, down a long, hard road...made some major changes, and spiffed up many things.... Just wait! I'm not anywhere NEAR done, as of yet! Changes, and more changes to come!

Oh! How about some Hairy Lights!!! LOL! Don't ask!!!

In just a FEW WEEKS, THIS car will be parked in MY Driveway!!!

No! It's not MINE....dang it!!!! But it WILL contain TWO PEOPLES I adore.....guess WHO?!?!

YEP!!! THOSE NEWLYWEDS!!!

Okay....I think I have bored you all enough....I am PROMISING to NOT make it so long between blog posts....but I just HAD to bring you up to date!
Oh....and Here is a pic of myself and Craig....Christmas Day! Aren't we just cute?!?!?!
Yep....we are!

Till Another Time!

Tagged, Sick & Santas, ThanksGivings....

2008-11-26T14:41:00.005-05:00

I KNOW!!! I've been missed!!! Forgive me, but being sick takes time, and takes a LOT out of a poor body, such as mine! Remember, I am one with an Immunity Problem due to the Anemia, so things take much longer, and hit me harder than for most others....sniff, sniff, hack, hack!
Yes...I AM still sick...still on the tail ends of getting to that 100% mark, but I am hoping for MUCH improvement over the next few days!
I have much to be Thankful for....and I will be giving my thanks tomorrow!!!

Other than that, I have had some good moments! I managed to get some more Fall Decor put out, around the house, and came up with this...

My joke has been this: I will finally be DONE decorating by Thanksgiving....in just enough time when my DH, Craig will be dragging all the Christmas Stuff in....Geez! Like I didn't have enough to do, now I have to figure out Christmas Decor! LOL!

I think I know what that Christmas Decor is going to involve...YEP!!! SANTAS!!! Seems I have a new addiction, since Craig and I went to the Kris Kringle craft show in Hagerstown, MD, over the past weekend, and look what we found!!!

The Santa on the left is a Gourd, and it has clay-scultured features, which I thought gave him an OLDE WORLD look, and I love those simple looking Santas...the One on the right of the Gourd is a fence picket, and it also has a sculpted face, but I believe that it is paper mache...but I couldn't resist, and if you could have seen how many times I walked around all these Santas in just THIS one booth, you would've wanted to hurt me! I think Craig was ready to strangle me....he was getting irritable...LOL!
The Santa with lights was really neat, and I passed by this one several times, and kept referring to it as MY SANTA...and on our way back to the front door, I finally stopped and Craig said, you better get it, cuz you keep saying it's yours and we're leaving, and you'll hate yourself for not getting it, this is your last chance, blah, blah, blah....I knew he was right!!! So I picked him up and here he is...now.......where the heck am I gonna put HIM! Oh well, I'll figure that out later!
Last but not least, I picked up some potpourri that was called Colonial Christmas....wonderful Scent!!!

So...I've been TAGGED by Dianne at Plum Purdy Prims ---hmmm....I've seen it elsewhere, and have NO IDEA what to do, so I have to figure it out, but I'm gonna give it a whirl. First I have to list the "rules" and then give a list of UNKNOWN things about me for all my devoted readers to learn about....That's hard!!!
Then I have to PICK PEOPLE to TAG, and that is going to be HARDER!!! Oh My!!! Here goes!

The rules are as follows:

Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.
Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.
Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.
Rule #4 ~ Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
Rule #5 ~ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.
Rule #6 ~ Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Now for the Six random things about myself.....hmmm, well....okay, here goes!

1. I detest make-up! I go thru periods when I will wear it for a few weeks, and then Quit!

2. I hate to wear shoes!!!

3. I hang out in my nightshirts for most of the day, if not all day, simply out of comfort!

4. I don't care for REALLY SWEET stuffs....chocolate does NOT call my name and haunt me,
and I would much rather have a shortbread or butter cookie next to chocolate chip!

5. I don't drink alcohol....okay, I lied....I drank on the Cruise, but if you go back and read that
particular post, you will find out that hubby and I couldn't even THINK when the last time
I had a drink containing alcohol, other than NyQuil...LOL!

6. All my talents are SELF-TAUGHT/LEARNED...from Gardening, Landscaping, Crafting, or
Computer anything...I've learned it all on my own...NO classes!

Okay....so that is a few things you may or may NOT know about me. Now....who do I tag???

Anne of Annie's Country Journal
Lisa of BlackSheepPrims
Robin of The Robin's Nest
Mary of Gettysburg Homestead
Leslie of My Country Home
Janene of Primitive Lifestyle

Till Another Time!

Enough is Enough, Already!!!

2008-11-09T19:48:00.002-05:00

Just a SHORT RANT on health...mine really needs to be updated, like this blog!
I've gotten over the cold, or the better part of it, but now something else has creeped in, and I am about ready to pull my hair out...so just ignore me, and I'll get over it!

I've been watching the skies off and on all day. Seemed at one time snow would be falling any moment! I'm sure my hubby would be thrilled with that about now, cuz he just LOVES the snow, and gets more excited than kids with a day off from school for a Snow Day.

I've been working on a few items and ideas...Christmas is basically here, and I don't know HOW to get something done! Geez! It's a little hard to craft when you have your hands full of tissues and have you tried to draw a line during a hacking-fit? LOL! Got that picture??? Not pretty, is it?
So...I had paint on my fingers. Didn't know it. I rubbed my poor sore dry-skinned nose, wanting relief of it hurting and felt... wetness, and thought, yuck...I snotted on myself....I then wiped my nose with tissue and immediately FREAKED because it had RED all over the tissue! In my attempt to hurriedly get to the bathroom, I got up, tripped over the project, cuz my leg was numb, and I just about decapitated myself on the swing arm lamp.. Then I also knocked a bunch of stuff over, trying to get to the bathroom!!! Can you see THAT, too??? LOL!

Now the bathroom is only about 6 feet from my chair, so how hard can this be, right? Apparently hard....the hem of my nightshirt caught hold of the "posts" sitting at the entrance to the craft room, and although they will be some kind of snowmen/santa somethings, they decided to come with me to the bathroom at that moment!

Finally! I got to the sink, after all that hub-bub, and now the cat has come to see what all the commotion is about, the dog is URFFING at all the noise, and acting like we are being invaded, and I flip the lightswitch on, wondering if I have a ton of blood all over me, and WHALLAH....just a dry-skin nose with a lovely mess of paint all over it!!!

Are you LAUGHING??? I laughed!!! At least it was NOT blood!

At that moment, I gave up....I put the brush in the water, and laid down on the sofa!!!

Now that must have traumatized my mind, somehow, cuz I have this "aversion" to getting near the paint again! As much as I want to do it, I haven't felt like it, yet want to finish these few things and get them listed...uggg!

Might not seem like much to most people with REAL problems! But as my hubby says, I can really be a mess sometimes! ; )

Till Another Time!

Sniffle....Snort......OMG!!! Hating Colds!

2008-11-05T14:05:00.004-05:00

Geez! What a title, huh! Well, I can NOT help it, as I have had a bad head cold for the past week and a half....ever since I got off the ship, I felt as if the world was wobbling to and fro, but now I figured it had to do with my getting this head cold, then chest yuck, and now onto the final days of hacking, sniffling & snorting....OMG! Let this be D O N E! Soon. Now. This exact moment! (Twitching nose like Tabitha...) Geez....didn't work...guess I'll just have to let it take it's own course!

Well, our Halloween is getting yuckier every year! We live in a great community, but no one gets into it anymore, and I think it is time to start rethinking this holiday and maybe trying something different, like a block party, or something....if anyone has any ideas about their experiences, let me know....PLEASE!

Other than that, I really haven't had time to compile all my pics from our Cruise, the kids' Wedding, or much to that manner! I have spent a great deal of time running around with tissues and cough medicine, and just trying to get better, so bear with me here, while I get around to real life again! I am sooooo behind on Every Thing ! LOL!

I just asked the "kids" to give me their Santa's Wish Lists....Hope they come up with $1.00 items this year! LOL!
Hope they don't think we are Santa!!!

Oh!!! Meghann just got her hair did! Oh My Goodness, how gorgeous she looks....Here is the Before...(notice, I am sneaking in a pic of the Cruise, from Their pics!) Click on them to enlarge!

And here she is NOW!!!! Isn't this just wonderful?!?!?!!!!

Okay....I am sneaking in TWO more pics from the Cruise...One that ALL of you may keep for prosperity's sake, as it shows ME at a BAR!!!! Geez, that happens about How many Times??? We couldn't even THINK when I had a "drink" last! It's been that many years!!! I couldn't even REMEMBER what my LAST drink was, which Karen would know from Long Island....All I can say is it is Malibu Something...but I drank Strawberry Something instead, and I can't even remember what THAT is!!! I think I had about 5 drinks TOTAL on a 6 day Cruise....LOL!
Anyhoo....here it is.....ENJOY!

Last but NOT least, is this wonderful pic of a Lighthouse at the port of Nassau....and the "kid's" pic was the best! I have about 10 of my own, but their's was the best....ENJOY what we got to see!!! Don't forget to click on it....it will be much prettier!!!

Till Another Time!

Still Cruising w/SeaLegs....on DRY LAND!

2008-10-22T08:31:00.006-04:00

Hello! You'll have to forgive this very short post, as I still have Sea Legs while on Dry Land! The house rocks, the ground rocks, and although I am NOT sick, amazingly, I am still trying to get my bearings, even as I have been off our cruise ship for Three days now! Given the fact that we came home in a Nor'easter from about 3PM on Sunday and got whacked all thru the night, I am told this can last several days! Oh My!
Anyhoo....did ya know the ocean is NAVY BLUE??? Take a look for yourself! Don't forget to click to enlarge it!!!

Did you know that a Mother can't stop crying at her son's wedding??? Yep....it's true!!!

Horrible Picture, but it was my FIRST moment with my Married Son....and the Beautiful Bride??? Oh, how just seeing her made me tear up that I had to take a picture before the ceremony and "run" or I would lose it...

Just look at her...isn't she absolutely beautiful???

And then....the dance...the FIRST DANCE, the two of them....together, forever. Does THIS say how wonderful they felt?

What a SPECIAL TIME for all of us!!!

Well, this is all I can do for now....I'm still swaying, rocking, rolling, moving, tipping & dipping!

Till Another Time!

Fall-si-fying and other DooZe

2008-10-12T07:03:00.007-04:00

As the sun is rising on this wonderful day, I can't help but be excited over our plans for the next few days! I haven't posted in so long, that I am not sure what to say first, but alas, I will try!
I've been quite busy doing so many dumb things...in and out of the house, running here and there, and visiting dear friends.

But here is one thing I have been doing...Decorating for Fall....I've been Fall-si-fying! LOL!

Yep...those are Real Punkins, grown by my Real Man! Aren't they cute?

I finally took the punkins off the armoire and put them on the mantle...added a Fall bouquet to the crock and neglected the dust...Dust is my scratch-filler!

Remember these?

Well, I wanted to make them look like these, or my version of PunkinSticks....

I don't remember WHERE I saw these at....someone Blogged them....I LOVED THEM....so I was a viper, and stole on the idea and although this is as far as I have gotten, I hope to finish them sometime before Christmas! Whaddya think?

Then I have been throwing some other things together, and found a cute wagon at Second Tyme...see? I have that problem of bringing home MORE stuff than I take there! But who could resist this??? Charlotte....a sweet woman at Second Tyme that decided I can buy it, instead of her. Thanks to Charlotte for THIS treasure below!

So...I also have picked up a fever of re-doing my Dining Room hutch with White Plates...what a difference...still not sure I like it, but I think it may grow on me....

I did this plate with a saying I like....

And this is the opposite side....see that vase with all the raised decoration? That is what has gotten me on this kick....LOVE THE VASE!!!

So, that is all I have for now....I have a ton to do! Can't play anymore!

Till Another Time!

Second Tyme Around for the Third Time!!!

2008-09-28T14:39:00.004-04:00

Hello....Yes, I am STILL out here in the world...don't ask.

As you know, quite a few days ago, I was headed off to Second Tyme Around and that was a success...twice! I took many things, and found to have a nice "balance" of money that I plan on using for our upcoming cruise in October! WooHoo!!! Can't believe it is only a matter of weeks away!

Well, I have some pictures for you from Second Tyme Around, and although Cindy wouldn't let me take HER picture to show you this Goddess of Goodies/Owner/Wonderful Person, I did take a few shots of the shop. Now, remember...this is ONLY three rooms, but takes a LONG time to see all the goodies, as they are everywhere, and once you believe you have seen it all, you are soooooo wrong, and need to start over. My ritual is to go around each room at least three times, then reverse direction and go three more! First round is what I can see at eye level, and the second time is below eye level, and third time is above eye level...and would you believe that I still miss stuff?!?!?! Goodness!

Well, here we go...This first picture doesn't even REFLECT what I get to see when I usually go for the fun...not as an appointment, cuz by the time I get there, the outside has tons of goodies that just promote excitement as to all the other goodies behind those windows, behind all that brick...take a breath, we're going in!

Now once you get inside, there are ONLY three rooms to wander around. But for now, this is all I need! Here is one of my favorite rooms...the "kitchen", which if you notice, look at the old stove in the corner! Awwwww....is that NOT something?

Next are two pics from the HUGE back room...there is SOOOOO much to see back here, that I spend a LOT of time in this room alone!

Yep, this is definitely a "junkie's" place to get "high"...LOL!
Shades...Books...Plates of every imaginable kind, and not to mention toys and other goodies, old or new, reproductions and LOTS of antiques and originals!!!

Well, that's it for Second Tyme, at least for THIS post! I brought home some goodies from there, too...someday I will get used to having a third arm and a third brain cell to remember to take a camera, take pictures all day, every day and for everything I do ...I just can't get that part down!

As for the Pixie Dog...poor thing developed a "spot" where her fur just is...GONE! So off to the Vet's and she gave us some spray to put on it after we determined it isn't Ringworm, or Mange...and then the OMG moment of knowing she just HAS to HAVE this Rabies shot we've put off waiting for the "bad" leg to get better, and with that NOT happening, I decided she really needs to have this shot, and I honestly believed they would give it to her in her "bad" leg, and they didn't....oh poo....so she has been hobbling about like a poor broken dog....poor thing! LOL!

Well, this is it for now...I have been so busy lately, just trying to get some more dumb projects done, so later I will have to take some AFTER pics so I can share...would be better to have BEFORE pics to see the differences, but as stated before, I just don't seem to have that part of my brain trained yet!

Till Another Time!

Let us just Forget Friday!

2008-09-19T11:35:00.007-04:00

Fridays...I'm sure many people are quite fond of this day, as it conjures up many thoughts, in many minds. Payday. Week-end & Weekend. Vacation. You get the picture...My thoughts for Fridays are hurry, rush, get stuff done, and Don't Go Out There! This town has gotten so crowded with people that going ANYWHERE on Friday is just a dreadful thought! Yuck!

But I gotta go Downtown, of all places, to another appointment with Second Tyme Around...I will TRY to remember to take my camera with me ( and use it!) so everyone can see why I think this is a great place! So far, I have two boxes with some stuffs in it...not filled yet, but I am working on it...slowly!

Doesn't look like much, does it? Well, I have a condition....Separation Anxiety! We all have it. I can't bear to get rid of some things, although I have to rationalize that I am NOT using it, have NOT decided what to do with it, or NOT working in the manner I had originally pictured it. So that is my analytical way to just throw it all in a box! The best part is making a few dollars on the flipside of it, and we ALL KNOW that a few extra dollars is something we all can use!

Projects....oh, there are too many! Too many going, and not enough DONE!
Check this dumb thing I made....for Halloween? I guess it will go next to my Gargoyles!?

It's dumb. I was still reeling from my induced paranoia from The Nester and her posts about Fake/Faux Ivy, that I found these absolutely pathetic dried Statice and decided, what the heck, spraypaint it Black and Orange...and then I had the bag, actually several of them, and I made up the label one morning, and WhallaH! I ended up with THIS pathetic thing....I think I'll throw it in the "box" for Second Tyme....there is a "need" for Halloween/Fall decor, and you can have this to burn in the Fireplace! Perfect Firestarter! Recycled Decor to Firestarters? Is THIS where my Talents have left me??? Oh, how sad!

Well, if that isn't BAD enough, look at these!!!

Pray Tell! What the HECK is this going to be!?!? I have NO CLUE! I am telling you, my mind goes, but the outcome is a total WRECK! But I am going to hold onto these, as they are talking to me...and those teeny Acorns??? Are they just NOT soooo darned cute? Craig got these for me the other day and brought them home for me....now WHAT in the world am I to do with these? Any help here will be sooooo gratefully accepted! No puns, please, as I am NOT nuts, but I do HAVE NUTS! Oh geez...I better quit while I am ahead, right?!?!

I also have THESE for a Project I saw on another blog, somewhere....I don't know if I can find it, but oh well...I will TRY to get to this sometime this week, but here is the sneak-peak, and maybe some of YOU can tell me where I am going with this one?

Well, onto other things...I am enjoying the process of changing over to FALL inside the house, and OUTSIDE is starting to reflect the change, also. No turning of leaves, or anything drastic, other than the weather changing to much cooler temps! Hey! Great SprayPainting weather!
But it is a bit on the sad side when certain plants start blooming, as it is the TellTale sign that Summer has come it's end....bringing with it the last of the brightest blooms to be had!

So those beauties above has inspired me to start doing THIS ...

Notice the IVY is missing???? Yep....all due to the Nester....I threw them all in one HUGE basket....hmmmm....that can look really good somewhere!

And then THIS is my husband's new Punkin Keep....LOL! I don't know WHY he BELIEVES they are "better" up there, cuz the Heat near that ceiling is atrocious, and it WILL do those poor babies in....and just IMAGINE that, while he watches his Weather Channel??? Goopy, Gooey, Yuck!

Well, that's it for now...hopefully, I can get those pics later, and I'll post some updates soon!

Till Another Time!

Trashy Tuesdays....It's about Trash & Gargoyles?

2008-09-16T15:06:00.005-04:00

Well now...here it is, Tuesday, and it is a trashy day! Picture that statement in your head! I can guarantee you don't have a clear one, or at least the one I am intending!
I seem to be stuck on Trash today....

Creating a ton of it.
Making something FROM it.
Getting Rid of it!

So, #1 means I have found a ton of stuff to throw out, and I am getting it ready to be taken away, which I guess goes with #3. Or depends on how I want to look at it....a different angle would have me outside spraypainting anything that is in my hands (including said hands, usually the left one!).
Pray tell, what am I going to do with colored wooden balls? An Old Cookie Tin?
Rusted Paint Can opener?
Various Lids? Not to mention Three Cuphooks???

Well, the ONLY thing I can honestly give an answer to are the Cuphooks....I spray-painted them to go back on a letter rack that I bought from Goodwill Yesterday. I painted then aged this and now I can't decide on whether to sell it or keep it! Don'tcha just Hate That??? What do You do when it comes time to make that decision?
Well, you lookie and you tell me....keep or Sell?

BTW....I think I mentioned I have a "thing" for Gargoyles....didn't I??? Oh well, if I don't remember, I certainly can't expect anyone else to remember, but Hey! I got this addiction to Gargoyles...not ALL of them, cuz honestly, some of them just aren't that pleasant to look at! I tend to like Amusing ones...I'm off topic here, but back on the track...I mentioned shopping at Marshalls a couple of weeks ago, and found one I liked....so I bought TWO! Heck, Peter Walsh would have me Arrested by Now! He says we Humans can't just be happy with ONE of something, we buy in Multiples! Well, Bite Me Peter Walsh! I want TWO of these and they are for HALLOWEEN, so THERE! And here is One of my New Buddies to Terrorize Tots!

Don't be mad....it isn't MY Fault they get terrified of my house...it really isn't THAT scary!
Anyhoo....I need Ideas for his eyes. Do you see how they were kinda "stained" with some red, but I want them to look "piercing". How do you DO piercing on a heavy concrete/resin/clay figure? I saw some fine glitter in a Neon Green....wondered how THAT would look? Anyone that has an idea to share, now is the time to step up and speak!
Please???
Anyone???
Help???
Till Another Time!

Dollar Tree, GoodWill, Big Lots & Cheap stuffs...

2008-09-14T00:46:00.004-04:00

Okay...maybe it is me, or maybe it is just where I live, but today was spent in pensive thought about my latest POOPIE mistakes and trying to rectify the situation. My husband and I took yet another trip to Maryland, and my biggest thing I wanted to do was to hit the Dollar Tree in Hagerstown...since I have seen so many people posting of such wonderful finds they have bought there, I thought I would try, too! Well, I hate to say they lie, but between posts of wonderful things they SAY they find there, and what was there for ME to see, was all too disappointing! Is it just ME? Is it just I have NO LUCK in finding the really neat stuff like everyone else does?

It is the same thing with GoodWill...I rarely find anything like the wonderful goodies I see other people post about! Someone once posted about these pillows that were from Target, and only $4.00 each...they had an ENTIRE bed-ful of beautiful pillows! The things I see at My Local Goodwill has got to be the saddest things I ever saw, and 9 out of 10 times I think should be put on a huge bonfire, along with some other things I can't even Imagine bringing home, or my husband would have my butt in the Looney Bin!

I have found odd ball things at odd ball places, and every once in awhile I find a great thing at a great price, but for the most part I seem to not have the luck that others have, when it comes to stumbling across a great deal!

Big Lots...well, I have about a THOUSAND words for that store, but CHEAP is NOT it! I don't know WHO this Jennifer Farrell is, nor do I care for this line at Big Lots. A few pieces I think I could live with, but everything I have picked up is just not priced for my budget, and for the most part, I think overpriced for Big Lots. I found some great Pumpkins there the other day! They looked like some others that I had bought a few days before at WallyWorld, but guess what? The price was MORE than WallyWorld, and I just couldn't bear to pay that price, so I put them back!

Today, I went to a favorite place of mine, in search of the PERFECT real looking fake plants. I found NOTHING...and this place never disappoints me, but today, I was beyond disappointed! So onward! I will find something, if it is to be found! I know in my storage bins, I have a ton of stuff, leftover from crafts, so I will have to tear it all up and look to see what I can put together, and get on the FASHIONABLE list, once again! I definitely have been taking away some IVY...maybe I should have a giveaway?

Well, I am tired, so I am going to bed, and dream of all those wonderful things that I would like to have in my home...things I love, things that comfort, and things that bring a smile.

Till Another Time!

OMG!!! ---I'm a P.O.O.P.I.E violator!!! Who Knew?!?!?!

2008-09-10T14:15:00.013-04:00

Hi Everyone!

Of course I just KNOW that title has gotcha by the woo-woo! But if you have been following my latest posts, it is ALL due to the fact that The Nester at Nesting Place has been talking about the P.O.O.P.I.E. club for about the entire week, and even became her OWN member...BTW, the POOPIE stands for People Opposing Objectionable Pretend Plants In the Environment. I've been waiting for DAYS to see if I would be IN the club and this morning, as I was walking thru my small house that violates every HGTV rule, snapping pics of alllllll my fake plants, I realized I have a small/huge problem...I've acquired WAY TOO MANY Ivy plants!!! Want to know what is worse than THAT??? I must have run into a SALE for Ivy at one time, cuz I noticed I have the same ones, in almost EVERY ROOM!!! Somewhere in there, I think I have just stopped noticing them! So here we go...make sure you notice the REAL Violets with Cat Hair...that I should be taking care of, but they are just too real and require way too many things, as Emily (Nester's sister) ,mentioned in Her post, like water and light.
Watch closely and see if you can spot all the IVY....oh me, oh my....don't hate me!

This one is right above my head...has been there for ...I won't say how long!

This poor hydrangea bush was whacked & hacked for my upcoming HGTV blundered Theme room of Vintage Sea Cottage Bathroom...stay tuned for that in upcoming weeks, cuz I am determined to have that room, cuz the Nester told me that if I like it then so be it!!! And IT will be just THAT!!!

Then I noticed THIS beside it, along with the 4 sample cans of paint that won't work in this room, and I thought,"Okay, but I sprayed this piece with some clear woodtone floral spray to take away the harsh white...Still looks bad!"

Then out to the Living Room/Dining Room, and what do I see??? Tons of horrible Ivy...Tons of the SAME Ivy all over the place...it reproduced...I swear! I don't remember BUYING it in Full Lots, but apparently there had to have been some kind of Sale!!!

And it is EVERYWHERE I Look!!! OMG!!! I am never going to be a member of the POOPIE Club at this point...LOL!

And there are ALL Kinds of FAKE STUFFS around the house, all the way thru the kitchen, the Laundry and so on!!!

Even in FAKE RUSTY CANS!!!

Is this an O C D thing, ya think???

How about this?!?!? Does this fall into any brackets of Decorating Faux Pas???
I thought this was a CURRENT TREND!
I could possibly be mistaken! And then I saw THIS....
I hang my head in SHAME!!!
Does the REAL PUMPKIN (hand grown by us!)
TRUMP the horribly fake Ivy?!?!?! I haven't "wood-toned" it yet, but I think I'll have to run right out and do that to give some life!!! LOL!

And above THAT on the top of the hutch....Another crime committed!!!

I say none of this counts....I have explained that I am in a MAJOR redo around here, after being stuck in this house for Three Months...so I have noticed quite a few things needing a lift...a MAJOR LIFT...so I have to show you the worst of the worst!!! The top of this Laundry Room Cabinet has NEVER been changed...I have all the excuses, but I will not mention them, cuz I am ashamed that it looks like this...but Hey! I have found MORE things to take to Second Time Around...if it is "worthy" of second life!

Oh....and look at this below...same room, but look at the FAKE pine bough wrapped around the never-used hanger pole...LOL!

Not to mention the last pics....One is the stuff on top of the fridge in the kitchen....but look above THAT...and what do we see?!?!? Yessssss....more freakin' ivy!!! Okay, NESTER, you win!!! There is entirely too much of that crap floating around my house...

And just for the heck of it....I've included this pic of LAST FALL....it reminds me of what I have to do to get ALL my FAKE pumpkins ready for this year's decorating!!! The Addie cattie just LOVES the fireplace...can ya tell??? Just don't notice that SAME FAKE IVY that is wrapped around those SAME ole candlesticks....but notice the WREATH?!?!? It got BURNED in the fireplace last year, as it was SOOOOO old, it just wasn't any good anymore!

Last but not least....the REAL Violets....ya thought I forgot, huh!!! Well, considering I am a FORMER Greenhouse grower/worker, you would think that I would NEVER treat a plant as horrible as these look! But I assure you, they are still adjusting to their NEW pots and are not too crazy about their new homes, so they are taking a long time to pull themselves together...
they'll be fine!
Notice the GOLD Lotus Pod??? That's REAL!!!!

Those are my crimes...don't hate me, cuz in reality I just LOVE a lot of my ideas...I also have lots more that I have gathered from all those great Bloggers out there!!! Nester, Emily, Rhoda & many, many more!
Have a good day!

Till Another Time!

Second Tyme Around...Ironic & Iconic!

2008-09-07T10:10:00.007-04:00

This better work this time, as yesterday's post (the one I intended, not the one that is there now) had completely threw me into a tizzy and I had to leave the room. The House. The planet...well, leaving the house was all I could do as my car is in no shape to fly....yet!

You may notice that I have not posted in quite some time, so yesterday's post was forever long, and I think that is why it just up and left the screen when I hit the 'publish post' button, but it didn't post, and I went Postal... I'm entitled to do that ya know, before you get the wrong picture of me being a lunatic. I used to be a USPS employee. Therefore, I am entitled to go Postal.

Anyhoo...I have been so ever busy these days...I have been working on the Clutterbusting & Redecorating. I've been taking things to Second Tyme Around, a local consignment shop, sometimes making money from the items I have either made, grown tired of, no longer fits my new frame of mind. In my recent 'homebound' situation of sitting in this house for three months with no way of traveling about, I got really antsy about my decorating schemes... I also started reading other people's Blogs about their decorating, yard sale finds, and new ideas and that fired up the burners for making some changes around here, so lately, everything has been scrutinized and thrown in boxes to be dropped off at Goodwill, Dumpster, Second Tyme...or just given away!
There's only ONE problem with this...I bring stuff BACK into the house I am trying to get stuff out of...and even though it is for the new ideas I am trying to implement, they are being stuffed somewhere till I get to them. And then Disaster struck!!! I read a blog, that linked to a blog and I found out that I am the worst decorator that exists, according to HGTV and their recent show on The Top 25 Decorating Mistakes! Who would have guessed that moi, the person that has received at least 1,000 compliments on my style, arrangements, choice of colors and such that I have Failed Miserably and I am due to be found out, and carted off in the HGTV Paddy Wagon for my blundering mistakes...Who Knew?!?!?! Well, I'm about to shock you, cuz I am NOT all alone in this, and if they ever bring the Paddy Wagon, I will be in good company! Since this started with my all-time favorite blog, The Nesting Place, I will blame The Nester for linking to Rhoda at Southern Hospitality, where she wrote about those Top 25 and I was about in tears, ya know, with all my New Ideas! Anyhoo...I hope Rhoda doesn't mind, but I am using HER list to post with, containing all my blunders revealed ...maybe you'll have some too and we can all go, together, in the HGTV Paddy Wagon. Imagine that! Won't we all have fun, discussing how we all thought we had it together, and yet one show has turned us all on our ears! Funny thing...go look at the HGTV website and look in the sidebars...AFTER you read this post, and see how many of the rules THEY have broken themselves...oh my!
Here we go! The one's in Black....I have not done....

Fake flowers and plants
Too many pillows, on the bed or sofa
Knick-knack overload
Fear of color
Ignoring windows
Pushed back furniture
Tacky couch covers
Frames too high
Improper lighting
Floating rugs
Too many colors/patterns
Furniture that doesn't fit
Following fads
Everything matches.
Lack of traffic flow
Uncomfortable diningroom chairs
Too formal
Keeping something you hate
Lopsided furnishings
Outdated accessories
Themes
Undressed cables
Ignoring the foyer (What Foyer!!!)
Too many family photos
Toilet rugs

Now just IMAGINE my horror, after reading this and thinking about my brand new Toilet Rugs, and THEMES???? Oh heck, I am the Queen of Themes! When I don't want to conform to an already established theme, I concoct my own! The HGTV Police are coming for me, I feel it! I also like the way HGTV just Assumes everyone has a Foyer...which on their "snobbier" shows is pronounced "foy-yay"...
As for fads and other things on the list...I agree I may follow some, create some and a lot of times I am very slow to adopt them. Like Spa Blue & Brown....I'm just getting to that one. That was the entire baseline plan of my Newest Theme: Vintage Seaside Cottage Bathroom
That sounded Wonderful till someone (The Nester) ruined it for me by posting that information on how we are all going to be idiots for the rest of our lives if we don't conform to the new rules...but I wonder if she'll let me in her new POOPIE club? Especially when she sees the project below that I did! I had IVY in the photos, so I am sure she will just execute me! LOL! Love ya, Nester! :) It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful, right?
I took these pictures, made from calendars, of Williamsburg Virginia sites that I love....oh...and the WHOLE THEME of my house is about HOME, so guess what??? Yep, I have tons of knicky-knacks, pictures, magnets, and what-nots that are ALL ABOUT HOUSES....so hate me! But here's what I did. You tell me, was this in bad taste? I did remove the ivy though...I stripped off all the leaves to glue on my FAKE PUMPKINS!!!

By the way....are FAKE CANDLES illegal, Nester??? Hope not, cuz I have a set of them on the table with my FAKE PUNKINS that have FAKE IVY LEAVES!!! LMBO! See???

Here is ANOTHER Theme....It's called LAUNDRY ROOM...hmmmm....I thought that worked! I could be carted off any minute now!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Party Time...someone bring some Tea, ok?

Oh...and before I close this post, hopefully it WILL POST this time, I want to remind everyone, or those that may stumble onto this blog, that the "kids" you see below, are my son, Jason and his fiancee Meghann....They are getting married in October...on a ship....it's called VICTORY...is that ICONIC or IRONIC?!?!?! Either or....I am getting soooooo excited to have a Daughter In Law!!! I hope she'll like HER Mother In Law better than I like Mine....that's another post....someday!

Till Another Time!

2008-09-06T13:47:00.002-04:00

Welllllll now.....I had something all ready to post, and it is NOW GONE, and I am NOW PEEVED to High Heck and I am LEAVING this house!!! Catch up with this later....when I am less inclined to throw my teacup at the screen!!! LOL!

Till Another Time!

Once Again....Last time, I promise!!!

2008-08-16T17:03:00.001-04:00

Wow....if you practice and listen to some nice soft music... well, look what one can achieve!

70 words

Speedtest

Till Another Time!

And Today's Results????

2008-08-14T14:14:00.002-04:00

68 words

Speed test

Till Another Time!

What's For Dinner???

2008-08-13T20:52:00.001-04:00

Hubby is waiting for dinner....and what am I doing???? LOL!!!

63 words

Speed test

Till Another Time!

Trying My Nerves Tuesdays!!!

2008-07-29T17:08:00.004-04:00

Well, here I am....on a Tuesday...my nerves being tried to the enth degree by a little furball named Pixie...you may remember that little bundle of cuteness from wa-a-ay-y-y back in April? I had just brought her home and was enjoying Puppydom, and then she started knawing on me and so on? Well, now that little bundle of fur is about 7 pounds and although she only has ONE tooth left that needs to disappear, it is also the same one that slices me open every single time I play with her....I'm tired of said tooth...it's got to GO! LOL!
Anyhoo...here is Ms. Cuteness...aka Pixie. Does this NOT look so serene...??? WELLLLL....she doesn't stay this way....Keep looking!

Here she is being a "grazing" cow...eating everything on the ground!
And then you see, below, what happens when she doesn't listen to her Mommy (me).

Yep! Grounded to the Table Top...or sometimes to the giant Playpen we humans call a deck! I have it set up with a "gate" made from the siderail of a crib, and when she is reallllllly bad and not staying in the yard, or other nonsense stuff she dies, she gets put in the playpen, where she SNARKS at me! I tell her, "You're the one that won't listen!"
Needless to say....I have not a LOT to say for today....but will try harder in the next few days...

Till Another Time!

On The Road Again....and Back!

2008-07-27T10:07:00.005-04:00

Hello! Yes...I've been On the Road...Yard Sales, Sightseeing, and what-have-you! I think I have hit at LEAST 20 yard sales, and of course I came home with SOME goodies...either to use, repurpose, or just selfish wanting! I also managed to find some crafting items and there are some things I didn't put in the picture cuz they just didn't want to be photographed with their plastic robes on them...hehehe

So....today, I plan on staying home....darn. But I have neglected some of my duties, not to mention left off on some heavy projects...
I need to get back to those! P R O N T O!

I have seen in some other Blogs that people drive around and take pictures of their neighborhoods, calling those posts "drive-bys"...I like that idea, and just MAY start doing that myself. I am finally remembering to take the camera with me everywhere...except yard sale'g, as I don't like leaving the camera in the hot car...and it sure was hot these past few days!
Look for some upcoming posts on DriveBys....and you can get a look at my own world, thru my own eyes!
For now...this is a trip to Mercersburg, PA that we took recently...not my own town, but one of those that make you go oooooooh! when you are passing thru...start ooooooo'g and ahhhhh'g.

There are Beautifully carved details all throughout this town...love them all!
And looking between some buildings can reveal Secret Places that make you yearn to know what is back there! I first saw this gate and thought Oh My! But when I was focusing the camera to get the gold finish to not glare out the pic, look what I saw!!! Yep...two stone lovelies on a bench at the back of the alley....The gate no longer mattered, so I had to have This shot!

Down the street, just a bit was this wonderful stone building...love stone houses and buildings...I marvel at the strength it would take to build one of these!

This home is magnificent! It's a true Mansion, and it as you see, it sits at a major intersection...
But isn't that the way it SHOULD be....a Magnificent home in a prominent place, to be admired?

And what a place to enjoy the Magnificent home....on your own garden bench looking at a wonderful fountain....not to mention this home has like 5 huge porches....my "tea porches" are an obsession with me! I love a nice home with a nice Tea Porch....LOL!

That concludes my tour for the moment! Relax, enjoy, and I will see what else I can dig up...

Till Another Time!

I did It...I did It...I did It!!!!

2008-07-24T21:49:00.002-04:00

Just a QUICK NOTE to let everyone know, that was anywhere concerned, that I passed all my Drivers' Tests today!!! WOO HOO!!!! I am an officially licensed driver in WV, once again!!! WEEEEeeeeee!

Also...don't even THINK about me being in this blog for a few days...I have some MAJOR shopping and driving, driving and browsing, sightseeing and driving to do !!! It has been nearly 3 MONTHS since I have driven my OWN car!!! I think MANY of you can empathize with THIS dilemma...right?!?!?

Anyhoodles...just wanted to SHARE with all my readers....which I don't even KNOW how MANY that would be...for all I know I am writing to myself....LOL!

Wednesday's Whatcha Upto's....

2008-07-23T18:40:00.009-04:00

Well, it has been a few days since my LAST posting, but I have been soooo busy, again! I am planning so many projects, and today I will share a few of the things that I have been up to, or should I say, DH and I have been busy!
First there's this project...I picked it, and he hung it....whatcha think???

Then I asked my Electrician (DH) to take this one down....I had plans for this, which he didn't like....oops...too bad!

I took it outside and did THIS to it....

And here it is in a Halfway Mess....gotta get that whole look pulled together...but for now, it is up and I can have ambiance once again...I loves the new drippy looking sleeves on here...LOL!

We also found THIS one for the Main Bath...and NO...the walls are NOT that bright! They are the color of the poor dirty snowbear's scarf...but that is all about to change. In the near future, I am painting and redoing this bath cuz I got sucked into the Spa Blues Theme, and I am working on collecting stuff for that ReDo...goodbye Snowman Theme!!! Hello Spa Theme! LOL!

And here is what happens when you ASK an Electrician about replacing some OTHER "lectric" thingies....

He electrifies me, but I decorate his life! I just don't understand WHY he has such a problem doing these things for me...they get done to everyone ELSE's businesses and homes, every single day...he eats, breathes, sleeps electrical, so WHY do I get such looks when I say things like....Honey, we need to get better lights. Honey, we need to upgrade....Honey, I need a new look....Honey....can ya, will ya, would ya, huh?! I just love Electricians....they can be sooooo shockingly moody! HeHeHe

As for OTHER things....remember that tree in the "bottom"??? The Purple Leaf Plum that was beautiful for only TWO DAYS??? The one that we whacked to heck and back and took the height down about 5 feet??? Here...look and remember...

Here it is as of this week....see that???
See how it is TALLER than the edge of the house, AGAIN???!!!

I tell ya, this rain...I won't complain, but it is killing my body these days...I weed, whack & whine all week, every week! But hey...I gotta admit, this is just beautiful this year...OH! Look at the FENCE, too!!! Before veggies and NOW veggies...we have beans, cucumbers, punkins, squash, and carrots, and a few other things....what a difference, right???
Here are some MORE VeggieTales....Punkins first...

Cherry Tomatoes....mmmmm, these are a great snack in the afternoon!!!

Greenie Beenies....we've picked two bunches of these so far and they're still coming!

Oh, the Peppers!!! Can't wait till they get bigger!!! They are loaded down, and one had to be tested! It was soooooo juicy!

We even have some Sunny Flowers! These are wild ones...we didn't plant these, but the birds must have needed to plant some this year....so far we have about 5 plants that are just now blooming and the birds are squawking about the upcoming Buffet!

Along with the veggies, there has been a LOT of work going on around here, to add to the Curb Appeal of our home...if you have been following the progression of this blog, you know about how all the flower beds have been under attack....and this is STILL going on....with the shade/sun differences, I have had to do a LOT of moving around of things that are not progressing, and we added another bed...like I need one MORE, right!?!?
Well, it looks better now....Here is the BEFORE....we used to grow veggies in the white planters, but with all the shade now, there isn't a lot of use to keep it there.....so away they went...
Before...

Amd NOW we have added these shrubs and some more Impatiens to this new bed!!! What a nice thing to see...

And I have been spending some time this week, cutting back all the flowering stuff, like the front flower boxes, and planters replanted with other things since they weren't doing well either...
This is just ONE of two front Window Hayracks....they have had their own miseries...I was waiting for someone to visit, but since they can't, I whacked the heck out of these two and have been fertiziling them, along with some other things that are starting to yellow out and grow spindly....time to whack and wean....LOL

This is Portulaca...planted in rememberance of my Father....he LOVED Portulaca, and I love the odd little boogers too! They have some amazing colors now, and mixed with this bright purple Lobelia, it is an eyecatcher, indeed....Here's to you, Dad....

Oh.....and how my Lavender is loving me....although this Spring, I butchered it beyond belief!
I had not had the opportunity to take proper care of it last fall, and I thought for sure I would have killed this plant...but alas...look at it here!!! Full, and Beautiful.....You go Girl!

Ahhhh...here is what greets you on the OTHER side of the sidewalk....Now this guy's addictive smile makes EVERYONE SMILE when they see him....he is at the VERY beginning of the sidewalk, but I tell ya, he has a SINISTER SIDE....you may not see it, but I HEAR HIM...he laughs at me....he sees me trying to pull weeds, and I sit down or bend over for long periods of time to do such weeding...somehow, he is ALWAYS LAUGHING at me...I hear him, I tell ya, I hear him.....I'm glad his lips are falling off!!! LOL!

The next two pics speak for themselves....with the help of Irfanview...LOL!

Other view....

Every ONCE in awhile, I get to ride THIS....I need a good basket, so I can carry Poocher in it....
This is a JAGUAR by Schwinn...it is the only affordable JAGUAR I will ever be able to afford!

I like to see how everyone else decorates their mantles, and here is MY version....whatcha think???

Last, but NOT least....here is the Guardian at my front door....he ALSO is a somewhat SINISTER Snickerer.....He always has the LAST LAUGH when I am hauling my poor broken, sore & sweaty body inside, for a long, long break! But hey...at least I can get my butt off the "can"....he's forever stuck on one!!! Oh my....I think I am getting tired here....I should can it!!! Possibly, put a LID ON IT....oh boy.... HEHEHEHEHE!!!

Time Flies & Bugg Visits!!!

2008-07-13T08:45:00.011-04:00

So time flies when you're having fun! N O T! But time does fly by so fast as one gets o-l-d-e-r!
I've been sooooo busy these weeks, trying to pull together a house and make it feel like a home again, and also catching up with some much-needed work on some projects that have been on the back burner forever!

DH and I decided it was time to attack the Kitchen, finally! There is a ton of stuff that still needs to be done...I will TRY hard to keep this updated....and little by little, it is coming around to the desired look!
Here are some BEFORE pics...and these are NOT the real ugly parts, but I am just too tired, and too lazy to go find the ORIGINAL pics to show you how the kitchen REALLY looked when we moved in on a Blue Moon, several years ago! Take a lookie.....ewwwww....
That ugly Mauve Blue & Grey laminate is just about to see the Landfill....it is horrible and in even more horrible shape!
But....now look at what we've done!!!
Now...all that is left to do is paint all the cabinets off white, antique them, and figure out what to do with those walls...I love the red, but if I have to work on them, then I might as well change them, right??? And the rest of the countertop and a new sink is on the list! I will not get into the gorey details of all that I would like to do in this kitchen, but on the list is getting my Electrician (DH) to hang my new track light!!! It would look SOOOooo much better on the ceiling than in the middle of my Living Room Floor! Ya THINK! LoL!

Now....recently.... The Bugg and Meg came up from NC for the July 4th weekend! Oh My How Nice to see them both! The last time they were up, it wasn't under the best of circumstances...I was still recovering from the "treatments" for the Anemia, and our dog, Pogie was "dying" from heart failure...it was a traumatic time and we had (meaning me) been crying for weeks...and that particular week Bugg & Meg came, I had been in tears pretty much the entire preceding days! I looked like H&## and I FELT like H&##, but Thrilled they were here!

We had such a good time...and we even went to a "par-tay" on Saturday where I got to see all of "my boyz" again! It had been years...and I had a "moment" where I realized I was just a couple of years older than all of them standing there, at that moment, when I first became "MoM" to all of those "kidz"...LOL! They are all 30-something now...and I was more than delighted to know we could "converse" about all kinds of things...not like in the past years of girls, games, boomboxes, girls, game, boomboxes, cars, cars, cars, girls, games, boomboxes, cars, cars, cars...ya get the picture??? LOL! Bobby...now works in Low Voltage Electrical in Virginia, and is wiring buildings for Fiber Optics and Puter stuffs...Brian sings in a band, TWF...which is mostly Political "screaming", from what I am understanding...LOL! Marc still looks the same, and is as handsome as ever...always puts me in mind of Mickey... but his smiles are Genuine! All the ladies of the boys are great, too!
One thing is certain...I haven't gotten too old, or too UN-cool to be in the presence of all these boys...I enjoyed the tons of hugs, smiles, and how-are-ya's! I enjoyed listening to all the Banter, which I no longer get to hear in MY home, as they have all grown up, moved onto their own lives, and I thank them for letting me "in" the door to watch all of them, listen to them, and to just observe another phase of life that I have come to know as sometimes painful, but ALWAYS pleasant!
I read tons of blogs of persons that have such young ones at home, and I remember those days, very very well, but I often want to respond to their blogs with pictures of MY KIDS, as they are NOW....and just tell them to TREASURE every moment! Soon, they will be out and about, engaged to be married, kids right and left, and you are left on the sidelines, living vicariously on the edge for Every Phone Call, Every Picture sent, Every word they speak, and yes....every moment you can share with them!

Here are some more pics....of how many times I saw them PLUGGED IN, and yet UNPLUGGED! It amazes me how many times these "kidz" can't seem to be part of something, without having something ELSE they claim is "important"...or just to compare who has what, and so on! LOL!
Enjoy the pics!

All in All, and in the end, it was great to see everyone...and Jason (the Bugg) even got to enjoy his favorite junk-food.....N A C H O S!!! Go get em Tiger! Geez!!!
Projects around here, well, there have been many...I worked on refreshing the wreath on our front door...we went from this...

and this...

Used These....
Ended up with THIS...

I also attacked my Dining Room table, after finding some ladder-backed chairs....been a pet peeve of mine to have painted/distressed my "hutch", and the dining set was sooooo UGLY!
So I went from This....
And I hauled this out the door and did THeSe things to it....
And I ended up with THIS!!! Woo Hoo!!! What a great project!!! Don't we love us some great SprayPaint?!?!?!?!

So...there ya go!!! This is what I have been up to for so long....and of course there are tons more I haven't gotten to...but I think this should fill the needs and desires of all of my readers out there...btw, do I HAVE any??? LOL!

NON-COMPLIANCE...That's me in 2 Words!

2008-06-27T17:30:00.003-04:00

I know many have probably been in here and wondering where the heck I am...I'm here!

I may not be of much good to anyone, but here I am, and I have some things to say. I wonder if anyone ever "backdates" and tries to make it look like they are keeping up with their blogs. I also wonder HOW IN THE WORLD these bloggers keep at it, every single day!

I'm the dumb one. I write in a Paper Journal just about every morning...that has been going on for years, but to do this blogging-style, well, it is beyond my brain capacity. I feel if I write in the journal, then come in here and type it all in, then go to my Ebay Groups, I think I would be sounding like a broken record. Feeling like one, anyway!

Now...I find that if I have so much to catch up on, then nobody will come back to my blog, cuz it would take 2 months to read the post that would catch everyone up to the what's and wherealls of my life for the past month...

But I'll try to make it brief... if anyone has any questions, then they can email me, or comment...

1. I found out I have a suspended & expired driver's license....so I'm homebound, and I hate it!!!
My DH hates it, too...he says he would like to just stay home once in awhile...but a few months ago, he was complaining we never go anywhere? I'm confused....are you?
2. My MIL had a heart-attack...she is okay, of course, but a bit of a mess to deal with, and in turn drives all of us nuts.
3. My Son & future DIL are coming back to WV for a visit July 4th weekend! WOO-HOO!!! They're gonna "skoosh" my dog!
4. My kitchen is starting to look up...check back on THAT during a later post....I think I need to run a Poll and get some OTHER's ideas on what I should do with the whole room.
5. Stuff is dying in my flowerboxes...peeves me to no end, cuz now it is too late to find replacements and I really wanted these lush looking window boxes....not this year, I suppose!
6. The heat is here...every other day, it seems. The rain is here, about the same schedule, and every once in a blue moon, I think I need my winter clothes...no wonder my window boxes are not in a compliant mood.

Well, that is about it for the update.

Now...for the crafty side of me...I have a love/hate relationship with the wreath on my front door. Look why! I love the shape...I love the whole
pocket idea, cuz it allows me to change the look with
the seasons....What I do NOT like, is that it is very,
very, VERY old...from the 80's....uh oh....that means
it's Vintage, right? I wish! Anyhoo...after working for years in a Greenhouse, I learned about Floral Paints and what they can do, and I use it to bring some life back to this poor thing! So there you go!
Another recycled project I do at every change of the
season!

This is the BEFORE picture.

The stuff I used is BELOW and the AFTER picture follows that....

2008-05-25T12:00:00.003-04:00

Well, what a day this is turning out to be...I am on the phone with Elaine, trying to figure out what we have to do to add avatars or custom signatures to our Blogs...Why do these things seem to be so hard for people with experience in HTML!?!?!?
Help!!
My day is fraught with housework, if the pupper will let me stay inside today, but I have such a desire to go work in the yard, so I can moan and groan about how much I hurt!

I will update later...see ya soon!

A bit colder and a bit tired...

2008-05-19T13:51:00.010-04:00

Oh!!! How cold it is here today!!! I did NOT expect this to be such a cold day! We forget how cold 60-something temps can be once we hit those 80's, don't we?

Well, I have some nice pics today of the peonies in bloom...my oh my, are they just gorgeous this year!

Are those not just Beautiful???!!! I have to cut some more today, for a dear friend, Mary...
She had a "sampling" the other night, when I only had about four open ones to cut, and so I shared them with her so that she may have some brightness in her life! Her DH said she would be so pleased, and yes, she was!

Here is the Lavender, that I thought I would lose this year...I cut it back HARD, and tho' it started to grow again, I whacked it hard again! But it looks like it may have some Love for me still!

And the Lamb's Ear is even looking great! So many things got neglected last year, with my illness not allowing me to get out there and tend to many things...no strength. But geez...my body is paying for it THIS year, and there had Better be results...as the rosebush knows! It was threatened with annihilation if it acted up this year, and so far, it is doing great, and has two blooms....so take a lookey....

So ...that is the results of some hard work and then some hard labor, and lots of TLC!

Now what about that pupper??? Well, Miss Pixie is a mess....never wants to get out of bed...so here are some cute pics of that goober!

OKAY!!! I'M RIPE & READY!!!

Other than that...DH has worked on the rails to our front deck....feels a LOT safer now...and if we can ever get a few days together, all in a row, of nice weather, I can go out there and get this stained and pretty!!! Oh!!! I can't wait....it will match the house...

I think we are making a come-back!!! Yippee!!!!

We are talking about visiting our son in North Carolina...and all at the same time, planning on the upcoming cruise for their wedding...a vacation in lands unknown...oh my!
We have some plans for this and plans for that, and time is creeping up on us...but we're old, so this is the same ol' same ol'!

That's it for now...so let's hear from you!

Have you SEEN this person??? M I A!!!

2008-05-15T23:54:00.010-04:00

Okay...so I have been Missing In Action, but NOT out of commission! I haven't really had the time, or the energy to get in here and sit long enough to have two thoughts on what to write. I reviewed my past blog posts, and decided, what the heck, just update the old stuff....right???

Well, it has been a hectic few weeks here. Between being down with that Viral Infection, then getting a Real Cold the same week, and just fighting the weather, the blahs, the blues & various other things, I am truly exhausted!

Where I live, we "rent" the land that our home is sitting on...common for mobile home owners residing in a park. Not to mention that OUR park is absolutely the TOPS as far as the overall appearance, the wonderful neighbors, and so on....but it DOES have drawbacks...such as the demands that the Owners have exerted on all of us in the past....and as of late. Sometimes they are justified problems, and other times, you just Have to Wonder!
Let me just state this up front...I do NOT drive a Mercedes, much less a Late Model Mercedes SUV...and considering the Rent here, on an average is about 300.00 per month, and there are 63 homes here...well, do the math...that is JUST this park...They OWN FOUR....so do some MORE math!!! Let me make it easier...They have UPWARDS of 60,000. 00 coming into their pockets EVERY MONTH...and I still have NOT included the HOME SALES division, which these days, one seldom sees a home sell less than 50,000. Hmmmm.....so why are they SO concerned if I have just a FEW weeds in my flower bed, after 3 days of rain?!?!?! That's what I can't figure out. Given my pictures of previous weeks, I think we can all agree, that this is one fabulous lot, and this past week, my fabulously hurting body is telling me that I don't EVER want to hear NOTHING about my yard, ever, ever, ever AGAIN! But here are some Before & After pics to prove my point, and hopefully, as time goes by, I will put updated posts and let you see for yourself how lovely we make our home...
So here goes...and do not forget to click on the pics to see the larger versions/details!

This is the FRONT back in April...
Growing...slowly, but hey, it hasn't received it's manicure, yet!

Here we are just these past few days, and wow....just look at the difference!

Things are smelling wonderful around here!

And there are "things" in those window boxes now, and the peonies have started to bloom under the windows.

Some of the yard decorations have been gotten rid of, moved around, refined...pretty neat, if you ask me!

This particular bed is a hard one...lots of shade, but the color of the tree and the path are the biggest focal points to look at....needed some mulch, and just a general spiffing up!
Added some flowers here, but that is yet to be seen!

But there is a LOT of work still to be done, and the AFTER pic is just ONE of many that show the huge difference.

I didn't really want to replace the stones under the tree, but it seems our Pixie dog loves to run over them when she is in her WILD mode of running around the yard...she shoots up thru there as if shot from a cannon!

So, I just rearranged them a bit more and put them at better angles!
Now if ONLY she would stop eating my purple violas! Indeed, they smell soooooo wonderful! I don't blame her!

These are my "shady side" plants.
There are Hostas and of course I have to have my New Jersey roots here in West Virginia, so those beautiful bright pink Azaleas are actually named New Jersey!

How do you LIKE that color???

Is it not just so N E O N?!?!

Love it!

Here we are...New Jersey....
Up Close & Personal!!!

Remember that Redbud???

Welllllll....It is now just a simple tree of Green!

Gorgeous heart-shaped leaves...
This bed needs some color to it, and I have some Petunias I want to plant here....later!

While I was resting from all my hard work, I looked up thru the Corkscrew Willow....what a sight!

Here is one scroungy, dirty, dry-skinned hand....MINE of course!

Can you tell I just Despise working with gloves??? Can't stand them, never could....be it gardening, stripping furniture, staining, painting, what-have-you!!!

I have to "touch" everything!

But THIS is just ONE problem with that sensory hang-up I have!

Now for some fun.....How bout that Pixie pup??? Wondering about her??? Well, here she is...looking just as cute as ever...Check out her "spots" on her belly....I think she is a mini Dalmation....my brother would be sooooooo proud!!! Given he was a Fireman, I do believe this would be the best dog for the best seat on the best Engine!!!

What a FACE!!!

What a Belly!!!!

She didn't have ANY spots on her belly when we got her....hmmmm!

Once again....observing all this world & the daily grind of people watching, car looking, sound making things that have mesmerized her in her short life!!!

Last, but not least...my Bestest Friend , Steph! She will probably HATE me for posting her pic! She claims she doesn't do well as the subject, and given her life as a wonderful photographer, she may THINK she is not a good subject. I disagree!!!
Given the past year of her life and all she has been thru, I am PROUD to see that gorgeous HEALTHY face of my most dearest friend in the world!

Love ya, Steph!!!
You go, girl!!!

Okay....so this is it for now....I will try to do better with the timing...I am sure that SOMEONE is reading my Blog, cuz the numbers tell me that, but not sure if they will ever come back....I'm appearing to be a boring person!!!

Checking Later??? Try Even LATER!!!

2008-05-02T13:32:00.004-04:00

So...I mentioned how much I hate Hospitals, Doctors, etc...from previous posts...But MayBe what I Should have said was I HATE being Sick!!! So here we are....S I C K!!!
DH came home early from work the other day...said he felt like Crap. Next day...DH needs to see a doctor. Not ONLY for the "illness" he is currently suffering, but we need his BP meds refilled, and that "scrip" is expired, according to our loving Pharmacist....We don't Breathe, without Tony...and needless to say that when he says we Need something, we Need it...And so started our day of Hell and Hell Raising...we live in WV...DH works in MD....we would LIKE to have doctors HERE in WV, but guess what...that is Out Of Network, more money, less doctors, deductibles & scales and yada, yada, yada...What a friggin' nightmare trying to figure out WHO needs to go where and only to be pronounced "ill" that doesn't cost a day of traveling and waiting and a pocketful of change that everyone is short on right now!!!
Well, that is HOW we spent our entire day yesterday...and we are OFFICIALLY pronounced Sick & Sicker....DH is only Sick....MYselF??? S I C K E R!!!!
Somewhere between the doctor we Can't have in WV and ANY DOCTOR in Maryland, I started feeling "bad" again....back of nose raw...snotty, feverish, and so on....well, yes!!! Of course!!! Robin is SICKER now...and I am tired...DH is tired...the PUPPER is NOT TIRED!!!!
Of course she is Mad that she spent nearly 4 hours in her crate and was just MENTAL once we returned home, but she is worked up and Ready to Run!!!
We, on the other hand, are just trying to muddle thru...DH is sooooo behind in what HE needs to get done...I am trying to run around and stick little stickers on ANYTHING that is NOT appealing to my senses, for tomorrow's Yard Sale, and that makes it seem as if anything qualifies...I don't feel like washing dishes...how much can I get for dirty dishes? Trash needs to be taken out, how much? Bills need paying, can I put a FREE sticker on those and just lay them on the table next to some magazines? Hmmmmm....DH just left....if I lay-in-wait at the front door....what price could I get for him??? Nope...priceless at this time... The Pupper??? Addie, bat cattie!!! FISH!!!! Water comes with them FREE!!! I need more drugs...DH needs more drugs...can we give Drugs to Pupper??? Addie? LOL!
Anyhoo...just thought I would pick up where I left off last....The Yard Sale is tomorrow....can anyone help??? Don't blame ya....I wouldn't want to help either!
So....Check in Later....maybe the news will be Wonderful!!!
Till Another Time!

So...How Am I doing??? Check Later!!!

2008-04-30T11:17:00.003-04:00

I thought I would drop in here really quick, and make some kind of mention of the Blog, and how it's looking, and wondering how many have looked at it, or actually read it, besides my dear son...he emailed me and told me he liked it, and it gave him a more personal look inside the days of his mom....uhhhhh....did we not grow up together all these years??? LOL!
Believe me, I understand it, but at first reading of that email, I wondered if we were estranged over his lifetime, and it occured to me that he's 30 now...and he may NOT be as "in touch" with me & my doings.
This WAS the main reason I sent everyone the link to the Blog...so they can keep in touch with me, when they can't keep in touch with me...LOL!! This is kind of like opening my Journal everyday and then letting everyone I know read it....I don't think so!!! There are things in my HandWritten Journal that shouldn't be made public!

Anyhoo...I finally listed my FIRST item on Etsy...another website for selling Handcrafted Items. After the last changes of Ebay, a TON of Crafters have left and even entire Ebay Groups have gone "off-Ebay" and have started their own thing! I don't blame them...I don't quite understand HOW they are doing it, and I am inquiring about it thru different sellers to see what the "norm" is appearing to be these days, as far as WHERE all the Sellers are going that is the most popular? How did they come to find the time to get everyone up and going in their websites, etc.
No answers yet...
I do hope this is NOT because of competition, cuz the way I look at it, we are all crafters trying to have a "place" to sell our goods and there is a common bond out there.
Well, the ONE thing I noticed is how almost Everyone that has taken other routes have also started blogging...
Entire Ebay Groups have moved to Etsy with either the SAME NAMES or VERY SIMILAR names...Lots of sellers in these groups are even joining other Etsy groups.

So...for those of you that may ask if I have any stuff on Ebay, well, that is iffy and ya best check Etsy, too! There is also a Protest for May on Ebay and their New Policies and Fees that I found a Lot of people were going to try and participate in...I am going to check into there and just look and see what is listed and when the listings end...then Thursday should bring a different answer.
I am also looking into other markets for the selling. All kinds of information is being posted and I am finding days can leap into days and days of reading and learning.... A G A I N!!!
Just when I got REALLY good with Ebay, now we are doing the ETSY thing...LOL!

On further note...I have NOT been out gardening...not to say I didn't go around yesterday with BestestFriendSteph and take a lookie at all the stuff that has come up and stuffs that are getting ready to bloom, like my beautiful Azaleas that just so happen to have the name New Jersey....Yep! Parts of my life are all around this house, in and out...gathered around me....like a comforter!
I asked DH for the Garden Fork the other day....seems we no longer have one, or he can't find it...So guess what....WallyWorld, here we come again...we need to get a garden fork so I can dig up this stuff and move it around, divide it up, and so on!!!

Okay...I have a ton of stuff to do in this house today, so I gotta cut this short!

Till Another Time!

Change Happens Rapidly...Ever Notice this???

2008-04-29T10:05:00.002-04:00

Well now...the LAST time I wrote, I was back in bed by Noon, feeling crappier than the crappy I had felt in the morning when I woke up...Not usual, but these days with the gardening I have been stiff, sore, and banged up, bruised, and chewed...not by the Gardening. That cute little adorable furever furball is teething, and she LOVES to teethe on ME!!! LOL!

Anyhoo...I grabbed the furball and tried to lay down, and needless to say I did fall asleep, must have started to run a fever cuz I threw back all the covers and I was drenched in sweaty clothing and my hair felt like I had been in the bathtub...Not Good....(famous Johnny Depp sentence from "Pirates"..) Anyway...I was not well, Obviously...and I wasn't sure what had a grip on me, but I determined this was not going to be a fun ride to be on, so I ended up falling back asleep, and more of the same...hotter than hell, and sweating like I was in a hothouse...exercising!
By about 4PM I was up and I was starting to get "concerned" cuz there just wasn't anything right with how I was feeling, so I called DH...
Now mind you, he is at his Mother's house...she's in the Hospital herself, with the usual bleeding and test-doing, and he's trying to get the grass cut...
I hear him answer and I ask how much longer he has over there, and he "hears" somehow, that my voice is not "right", and he says what's the matter, and I just tell him I need him here, and that I am not well....AT ALL....He asked me if it was my stomach and I said No, it's Everything in and On my entire body...and I must have jinxed myself cuz I mentioned I was in a LOT of pain and the only time I had pain like that, besides a car wreck, was the Viral Infection I had back in December. He said he'd be about an hour and I thought, I won't make it that long...LOL!
I hung up and did what I do "naturally"...I filled my "spa" tub with the hottest water while I floated in it and I ended up falling asleep...only waking up when I hear him come in the door...It is now 2 1/2 hours AFTER I talked to him, so naturally, I am like totally peeved, and he is totally worried since I have been in the water that long...
I crawled out and he helped me in bed and things just took a turn that I didn't want to take...for the worse...At times I would cry so hard and he'd come running, cuz I was "stuck" in some position that I couldn't unstuck from, or the pain was just wracking the body...he wanted to take me somewhere...I was resistant. VERY RESISTANT...plus I just couldn't move...energy wasn't there, nor the desire to get OUT of the bed. He touched me and he freaked cuz I was so cold to the touch and clammy and I was claiming I was burning up...but still no way of getting me to leave! Well, about 2AM that pretty much changed...I got up...barely! Not without a lot of crying and huffing, whining and spastic breathing. I crawled out to DH's recliner and sat down...I don't know why, but I craved a cigarette...I don't crave cigarettes when I am so ill, but I gave in to it and lit one up and I realized my arms were so stiff and sore...I got up and got some water, with much struggling! And I sat there in the chair for about 2 hours and I was miserable, getting more miserable and after a few whines, called my daughter, who was surprised with the 4AM call...told her I needed her to come right away, and that I would be waking Dad to take me to the ER in Maryland...so she said she would, and then I went to wake up DH....wasn't hard...I asked him if he could get up and he asked why and I said I wanted to go to the hospital and he took one look at the time on the clock and he was up and out in about 3.9 seconds...and came in and wanted a full assessment....
Now..I know you all have been so sick at some time in your life that when someone asks you what is wrong, you just have not an ounce of strength in you to answer with every single thing....and this was how I was feeling, so I just said Everything. Then I burst out crying and he knew at that point, just pack me up and get me somewhere...

At the hospital...they have no mercy....I should KNOW this!!! But here I am in a wheelchair, barely able to answer dumb questions like Name, Address, and the famous question - Describe your dilemma. I think they should know the answer to this one, don't you? I mean it IS the EmErGEncY RooM...I must have an Emergency, duh! LOL! Well...to top it off a nurse comes out and she needs for me to pee in a cup...Now THAT my dear peoples should make someone wonder WHERE is their BRAINS when they ask someone to pee in a tiny cup when they can't even Stand up or Walk...LOL! I can only say that it never happened...there was an ugly bedpan they used instead...same result, but without ME having to be a contortionist with a broken body!

All in all, the poking, prodding, and ohhhh....the cold cold hands!!! This place was Freezing, and Everyone had COLD HANDS!!! Not good on an ill body!!! They came up with the Viral Infection Theory...check with your doctor if not better in two days, and you can leave now....and that is all they had to say...I, on the other hand, had a few questions to ask since this is now my SECOND time down this particular road...main question??? W H Y?!?!? They don't know why...LOL! No..I'm kidding, well, kinda kidding...they don't KNOW why I got it a second time, other than that whole Anemic for long time, compromised immune system, yada, yada, yada. So...the only other words I heard was, You could do this again, several more times over the course of years, about three years, and I could possibly NEVER have it again! Bummer! I can't DO THIS again!

With all this, I am just glad to be here, again! This round was NOT like the one at Christmas...the pain was very similar, but there were other things that were not at all fun. But Christmas was ruined...and I was alive...that was all that seemed to matter!

So....guess what?! I'm backed up on ALL my plans now...never got to do the Yard Sale the other day, so I am HOPING to be ready for it this coming weekend..No Surprises!!! And from there, I just hope that all goes well. I have got to get better with an upcoming wedding in the family...gotta be there, wanna be there...but that's life for me at the moment, and according to Mr. Handsome Doctor, the "next few years"....I guess I took that well, since he was handsome, but Hey! I was doped up...he could've been 92, humped over and hair coming out of his ears...I'm not sure drugs can do that, but in MY system, anything can happen...ObVioSly!!!

Till Another Time!

Follow-up to I'm Pooped!

2008-04-24T10:58:00.005-04:00

Here is the Redbud Tree in full bloom...I got out yesterday, several times, and took some pics of this tree...It is stunning, isn't it???

Spring Has Arrived...I'm Pooped!!!

2008-04-23T14:56:00.008-04:00

Well, it has been quite some time these past weeks! Getting ready for Spring, clearing out the Flower Beds that I haven't been able to work on, and just enjoying some time out there amongst the Flowering Trees, Bulbs, and just the General Greening of the Season! Ahhh...the sounds of renewal and freshness! The great entertainment of the birds and squirrels! Enjoying the Buffet of seeds and grains my DH provides for them weekly, or as in these past few weeks, daily! We have such a "flock" of birds from simple blackbirds all the way up to the more colorful Goldfinches, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chicadees, etc! Name it, I think we have it!!! And every bird in the Neighborhood brags about the Boo-fey they get to eat everyday!

I'm sick of Weeding....did I mention that yet? I turn around and they pop up again...almost comical in the fact that they are covered in about 4 inches of mulch, but they manage to struggle out of their deathbed and say, "HA! Fooled you, silly woman!" I can almost hear them snickering at me as I put the tools back in their "box"...by the way...I picked up an old brass mailbox several years ago...this is mounted to the frontside of the porch, and I store my simple tools in there, along with pantyhose for tying up tomato plants and candles for the lamps we use in the yard at night and so on...got the idea from years ago, and from where, who knows...I just know the idea sounded good, and now we have TWO of them...the old grungy brass one on the front porch and DH has a "rural" one on a post in the teeny veggie garden that he uses for his tools...btw, he "decorates" this mailbox with sleeves that are held on with magnets, and we are starting a "collection" of seasonal type ones...LOL! Not a SOUL can see the mailbox, but it sure is PURTY!!! Men...they can be strange, but fun!

So our Pixie pupper is doing great...she finally got over her cold and has developed a "new" personality...and is ever so adorable and "demanding"...She has learned that it is just Great to go outside and sniff everything, eat everything, and carry my weeds all over the yard...She LOVES Violas, Pansies and will shred them STRAIGHT from the plant whenever given a chance!!! If there is a twig or branch on the ground, I guarantee she can "move" it, chew it, and then leave it for me or DH to pick up....Oh!!! Fresh dirt....great place to POOP! Now, I can deal with her learning all about the great outdoors, but trying to teach her that the Flower Beds are Off Limit....well, it Taint Workin!!! Don't know what it is going to take to get it thru her head, but of course I am at a loss for the talents this must require...and I hope to soon learn, for both our sakes, cuz until I learn HOW to teach her this, the sooner she can learn, and I can start fertilizing the beds and using weedkiller to kill the stuff instead of me digging it out!!!

Anyhoo...we have a yard sale in the community this weekend, and I am trying to get ready for that, too...there is a chance of "showers"...of course on my side of this mountain, it won't happen when you WANT it to happen, but you just watch...because I don't WANT rain, it will rain in ALL it's Glory!!! Let's hope for a difference of opinion here, and wish me luck!!

Anyhooo.....here is a Pixie Pic...LOL!! She was so cute last nite...I couldn't resist this picture moment, and I sooooooo wanted to crawl in a box, myself...this Motherhood thing is hard on an old soul like me! But ohhhhhh! How can one resist such a cutie, such as this!?!

Well, she KNOWS I can't resist her...although the Cat, Addie, still sits and wonders, as she watches this tyrant tear thru the house, and acting like a nut, "What IS that thing?!" LOL! The cat is a big ol' Mother Hen, tho...always "checking" on the baby, especially when she is sleeping, and has to "inspect" her when she comes back inside from her trips outside...as if she may be contaminated, or worse, bring "something" in with her...LOL!

Animals are something else, Pets are even more dear, aren't they???

Well, I am soooooo pleased with how things are looking around here...I have a lot of work to do...but when I see the pics of the yard, the trees, the plants and so on...well, I am just tickled with how everything comes together!

So...take a lookie and see the new stuff!!! For now...I gotta go rest!!!

This is our Corkscrew Willow....in the front yard. I was looking up through it and thought wow, in just DAYS, this tree has put out all these leaves, and it was just interesting to be able to look up thru it, as the tree was only about 4 foot tall when we planted it....we have estimated it to be about 15 feet tall now and probably about 10-12 feet wide! Gorgeous!

Here is another cute Pixie Pic....she was being VERY attentive to the chatter of all the birds and the goings-on around the feeders...not to mention the beautiful day had brought out the children in the neighborhood and all the hub-bub of kids in their laughter, screaming, riding bikes, etc!

She just observes it all!!!

She is showing you her "pixie ears" that I got to see when I first saw her....couldn't resist them! Now I can't resist HER!!!

The front of our home has a great deal of perennials in it, and I am amazed at how quickly they are filling in this year...this was only a few days ago, and if I were to go take a pic right now, you would NOT believe the extent of how much bigger they are at this moment! Can't wait till the peonies bloom, and I sure hope that the Pink Rose Climber in the middle doesn't give me a hassle this year with it's usual problems....I have threatened to yank it's bottom out of there if it does, so it looks to be doing better, but time will tell...looks great HERE for now...but it may be a goner in a few weeks if I see it get the amount of Aphids and such that it has had for the past three years!!! It has been enough to drive me nuts...and the roses are just GORGEOUS, so I would hate to have to yank it out, but it's gonna happen if I find I am spending entirely too much time on "fixing" it!!!

I had to do that with the Azalea that was originally there...it was nothing but a Pain In ....well, you get the drift...it was HUGE and when it DID bloom, it was a mound of white, but the plant was old...never cared for properly from the git-go, so I eventually moved it to the "Pogie Bed" and then it just was even MORE of a pain, so OUT it came!

Well, I think I gotta get out there and do some more picture taking, cuz I haven't gotten one of the Redbud in all it's glory right now...absolutely stunning to look at! But here is one about a week ago...

It was JUST STARTING To put out a bloom or two, and between the rain and the warm weather...well, as I look out my window from here in the Puter/Craft room, it is a sight to behold!!! Me??? I am thrilled by it!!!

All up and down I-81, the redbuds are in bloom, and it is just a sight to see all that purple in it's neon state! Then the heart shaped leaves are also starting to come out....and that is what I like about the tree....And now there is a Purple-leaf variety out there...my Bestest Friend, Steph had gotten one, but I have not had the pleasure to see it....don't even know if it survived!!! Note...ask Steph how the Redbud is!!!

The last of the hyacinths came in with me before the rain the other day...smelled up the house pretty darn nice, and I also cut some of my new tulips and some Bleeding Hearts to bring in with the hyacinth...

Okay....that's about all I can stand to type for now....hope this catches you up on my world...

Need More Time!!!

2008-04-14T14:53:00.014-04:00

So, I heard from someone that was disappointed that I had NOT updated my Blog, so here I am...for the time being, with scattered things on my mind, and a plate full of "to-do's" that I refer to as the DOOZE LIST, here at home!
So much has happened in the past weeks since I wrote that I would keep up...I don't know where to start!
Well, I can start with the NEW ADDITION to our family...Pixie...our new baby Chihuahua!

Isn't she the cutest thing to see? I saw her, she saw me, and although my heart still aches for our Pogie, this little booger just stole the piece of my heart that is NOT entirely broken, yet!

I went for Guppies, and look what I got! A Puppy!!! How does one GO from Guppies to Puppies? I am not sure!

In the past weeks, I have gotten a whole Menagerie of "friends" in the house to keep me company, and fill up my days with more things to do, as if I didn't have enough to do before all of these additions! I have a new Betta, named Merlin II. We call him Merlin. Look at these colors! What a sight to see!

And to add to THAT, we now own 5 Neon Tetras...Which I have yet to figure out if Merlin and the Tetra Families can co-exist in the same tank with each other, or will they just pluck each other's fins off and I'll have Weeble-Wobble fish!

Oh...can you just picture that!

Let's not for the time being...

Let us just enjoy the menagerie that I have made our poor cat, Addie, just suffer with! Just when she was getting ALL the attention, here comes the competition! She is managing to let them all live, so I am not going to put any further discussion on this one...again, for the time being!

BTW...do any of you know how hard it is to take pictures of A FISH, much less FIVE of them at once, in one spot, in one tank, for just ONE picture!!! Geez...I just deleted about 20 pics, cuz they would disappear as soon as I would click that button...Camera Shy Fish???? I should think not!

Anyhoo...here are the Tetras....they have little

"headlights" when you look at them from head-on and I think it is just so neat to watch them in the morning...they really show up great sitting in my black-painted hutch!

I would love to get this huge "shelf" style aquarium, but it has been years since I have engaged in this whole fish thing, and I would love to get back into it, but I have so many other things I am involving myself in...

Well, here is my Addie kitty....

does she not look a bit peeved as if

to say, "What are you Doing, Crazy woman????".
LOL!

What a Charmer of an expression!

Okay...enough of the updates on the pets...

We have been busy getting our yard cleaned up for Spring....I didn't get a THING done to it last year due to the Anemia thing...I was lucky to have strength to go out there and just clip a few flowers to bring inside...very little done, in two years time, and the flower beds and such proved it to us when we got out there a couple of weekends ago! We raked, pulled weeds, and tried to figure out what needed to be done in subsequent weeks. We bought 20 bags of mulch and so far have spread ALL but two of them...And things are now starting to look great! I hope that I can maintain them this year, and have already started changing things around a bit. Lots of plans, and lots of changes to come this year...not to mention lots of dividing and moving of some perennials that have needed a good thinning out!

Our Purple Leaf Plum was gorgeous for Two Days...and we were disappointed in not having more time to enjoy it...we got some heavy rain and that caused the leaves to pop on the branches, thereby eliminating most the bloom...but here it is in it's glory!

You really can't beat the smell of this tree, had it been warm enough to enjoy this year! Last year we got a heavy frost/freeze, so we didn't really get to see very many blooms on the tree at all!

I am anticipating in about a week or so, we should have a beautiful Purple leafed tree...more a deep burgundy, but hey, I love Purple and that is what it is called...what an accent to the yard...and the bed underneath has been newly planted with some pink phlox, and wonderfully scented Violas, and the existing Hyacinths & Crocus are still there....as well as a clump of CatNip that I pinch off and give to Addie...I think that is why she is just so cooooooooool. She's High on Cat Nip!!! LOL!

This guy has been laughing at me everytime I go outside to "work" the yard a bit...

I bought this little guy years ago, cuz he made me giggle when I looked at him in the garden...but now I think he is having a heck of a laugh with me moaning & groaning of pain and wracking muscle aches when I get done from one day's hard labor!

Mean guy! Or is it just me???

Anyhoo....here are some more pics to enjoy of the up and coming plants, etc....

Wow....Time Flies!!!

2008-03-24T00:57:00.002-04:00

So...here I am!!! Yes, I am still out here...I don't know WHERE time manages to go as we get older...I think of all the things I wanted to do, didn't do, or did other things instead...But I sure do hope to get it together this week and get back here to keep this up to date as much as possible...
Bear With me, and hope I am right!!!!

New Year - New Ways!

2008-01-04T12:29:00.002-05:00

So, here we all are for Thanksgiving!!! And the other picture is of me holding our beloved Chihuahua, Pogie, in his very last moments of life!!! Boo Hoo!!! Anyone that knows me, would know that I am just about Hysterical here in this pic! I look like Crap, cuz I had been crying for days and days, as the end was nearing, and still not ready to let him go! But I have to thank Meghann, as it was her desire to take this pic of me and Pogie dog! Thanks Meghann! You have no IDEA how much this pic means to me!

So, Other than that, the year ended very badly for us, as I was so seriously ill, with some kind of Viral Infection that took me thru some of the worse days of my LIFE! I hate saying it, but I TRULY thought this was going to be the END for me! The pain wracked my body, and I can't tell you about the horrible shaking...not your common shaking from having chills, but this resembled more of a seizure type of shaking never known to me, EVER! It started on the evening of December 14th, and lasted clear thru Christmas! It had left me drained and very very tired, but alas, I feel soooooo much better now, and I am trying to get into some kind of routine for my crafting! At the least, I ended up having a good end for my Ebay sales...Everything I listed SOLD! I was quite pleased, but after I got so sick, it was hard to keep up with all the sales and the payments and then the packing and shipping of all of it!

Being a former USPS employee, I can't tell you how disappointed I was to arrange for Carrier Pick-Up, and they NEVER showed up to pick up my 5 shipments!!! I ended up having to take those and my poor sick body-with 101 temperature- to the PO and drop off those boxes so they would SHIP on the proper date!!! Boy was I PEEVED to no END on this endeavor!

Well, I am making a promise to get MORE Blogging done, and then maybe send it to people....I am not sure how to do a LOT of things, but as I go, I learn!

So...stay tuned and see what I can learn! LOL!

What's been Happening???

2007-12-04T01:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I am sure I can go on...one day and one step at a time...this is what people tell me....what I tell myself. Some days are good, and I can handle things okay. But days like yesterday are horrible days, and nothing seems to relieve my GRIEF, so I run-ded away! I am sure we all do that from time to time....I am NO different!

To keep myself "composed", I have been delving into my crafts, once again, and have managed to get some things listed on Ebay....My whole year has been totally screwed up and it seems like I wasted a whole year, so I am now taking the time to decide how I am going to go about all of this. I started with the "clutterbusting" of various areas...no, ALL areas of the house, and mainly here in the craft/computer room.
I am ALSO entertaining the thought of moving the whole set up into the room next door, which would give me a better way to lay out the room, and MORE ROOM to beat around in. Not a WHOLE lot, but I think something like 3 extra feet! Wow, what I could DO with THREE extra feet! LOL! So, I hope that I make that decision soon, but oh the thought of moving ALL this stuff, and THAT other stuff to just "set up" all over again!

Well, sleep is coming to me now...another rare thing to happen, so i will let this go for now, and hopefully will pick it up later.

MEMORIAL TO POGIE...

2007-12-04T01:27:00.000-05:00

In Memoriam

*** POGIE ***

January 28, 1998 - November 24, 2007

Our dearly loved Chihuahua, Pogie, has left us, after 10 years of the most unbelievably wonderful companionship!

We will miss him so much...every day, so far has been a painful process of trying to break old habits, wanting him to be here, on our laps, and giving us those sad puppy eyes that just melted EVERYONE's hearts!

We learned in October, he had Congestive Heart Failure, & he never ever gave us a sign that he was so so ill!

It broke our hearts & he amazed everyone that he survived his first "attack". My husband later said that he believed our "baby" needed more time with us & that he KNEW we ALSO needed MORE time to be with HIM!!!

It has been horrible, at the least, & some days are better than others, but I miss him & his quirky little looks, & his excitement to be just around us!

Bye, Buddy....
Bye, Pogada...

Cold Days Ahead!!!

2007-11-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

The days ahead, as well as today, are supposed to be cold and dreary!!! Oh well, it matches my moods these days!
I forgot all about this new blog that I started, and now is the time to get in the know of how to do this...I originally thought this was the dumbest thing to hit the internet, but now I see how nice it is to surf other's lives and see there are others like me, out THERE!!! LOL!
Who would have ever figured there was a place to tell the whole world how we are feeling!

Well, for now, I have lots to learn about this new way of blabbing, so I will unpost myself for the time being and go from here.

Only the Beginning

2007-10-27T17:56:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to see if I can actually learn new tricks!!!
I haven't done a Blog before, and since it seems like all
the rage, I thought I would try, too...
Although I have kept a handwritten Journal for years,
this should be different, since I don't think I would be
posting my most intimate thoughts here...
Have a Nice Day!