Inner and Outer Peace

Many things have been going on lately...here at home,and in my head.

I have begun yoga. My Dear Friend Michelle told me that she is enjoying her class,and I should give it a try. I love it. I told our instructor,Laurie on Monday that it has helped me tremendously in finding inner peace and relaxation. I practice lyengar yoga,which focuses on posture and breath control. I can get very sore after our classes,but I love it.I look forward to our twice a week class. Granted, I can find relaxation going outside and listening to the birds singing,seeing the blue of the sky and the white of clouds,and watching the green leaves moving in the breeze,but this gives me a bit more of a foundation,as it were. I seem to be more relaxed,and I use breathing techniques that I have learned when things start getting stressful for me. I send my breath to the parts of my  body that need it,I get rid of the negative thoughts,and I feel so happy and one with all that is around me. This has been a big help in my quest to be a better,more positive person. I catch negative thoughts or bad feelings and turn them around.Such a wonder!

Rick has been working on the yard,grading,etc,and we are planning how to set up new walkways. We have areas that just don't seem to like to grow grass,no matter who much seed we  have put down in the past,so,instead of fighting against the nature of our land,we have decided to embrace it and work with it.Plans are underway for our next project,the mud room. The windows are all screened-they are more or less screens with wood framed around them-and we have to cover them with plastic each winter. We are going to put in real windows,a real door,dry wall,and flooring,as well as electrical outlets and make it a year round mud room. We are going to put new porch steps as well. After that is done,our next big project is painting the house. Then it's getting the basics of the goat/sheep barn set up before the snow flies.

Yesterday we went down to my Mom's a picked up dresser that she is getting rid of to use in our bedroom.Her house is sold,as long as the loan goes through.It only took a week and half on the market to find not one,but two buyers.She is going to move in with my sister and brother in law until they all move to TN in the fall of 2014,so she is getting rid of everything that she can. We are redoing the bedroom,so the dresser comes in handy. We had a dresser,once,but it was a big old dress that took up too much space,so we got rid of it and we used the two closets for all our clothes,putting the clothing that we would normally put in the dresser on the shelves in our respective closets.Then we wanted to switch things up again ,downsize and use one closet for our clothes,and one closet for storage (blankets,etc).

I have mentioned before that our bedroom is one of,if not the,most neglected room(s) in the house. It hasn't been painted 2006.Things get thrown in there. The elliptical machine,which took up a lot of space in front of Rick's closet (which is another reason we wanted to combine into my closet)was nothing more than a place to hang clothes. I always had the best of intentions to use it,but Rick finally put his size 12 foot down-we either use it,or we sell it. I had to decide. After much hemming and hawing I finally came to the reality that if I have only used it perhaps a grand total of 20 times in over four years,then we should probably get rid of it. Out came the elliptical. We packed away any winter clothes we wanted to keep and donated the rest.( Remember, we only have two closets right now. When the mud room is finished and a closet is put out there,then that can serve as our winter coat storage).The winter clothes are going up in the attic today. The big old gun safe,which is also in our room because we have no other place for it,is going to go into Rick's old closet. The shelves,etc are going to get ripped out and revamped. The room is going to be a haven,not a  confused mess. It's been an embarrassment for years,which is why I always keep the door closed!

Here's a sample of the hideousness of it....
I needed a table for the DVD player and the cable box after we took the bureau out. (Yes, I know it is not considered a good thing to have a TV in the bedroom,but I enjoy watching it in bed at night. Plus,when the Menfolk have their hunting/fishing shows going in the living room and I want to watch a home improvement show,I can go into this room for refuge!) I had this little table so I used that. Note the lamp on the floor that I still haven't rewired after three years. So lovely...NOT!!!!

Here is the area now.The walls are going to be repainted. The color is going to be very similar to the jewelry box on the bureau,and the bureau it's self is going to to painted and I am going to put new knobs on it. I am still mulling what kind to get. The floor lamp that is next to it will probably go into the mud room when it's finished. The teddy bear was a gift from Zach a few years ago.You can see just a bit of the old table to the left. That is going into the garage.If I use it in the house I will put a nice cloth over it so it will look pretty.

So,as you can see,I have been working on inner and outer peace. What are you working on?

Have a Fabulous Day on this Fabulous Planet!

My How Time Flies

Holy Smokes,I just realized how long it's been since I posted last. Sorry about that!

We have received the check from Progressive Insurance and Rick has already gone out and found himself a truck-he's getting a 2003 Dodge Ram. He is suppose to pick it up today. He is doing well,his shoulder is still a tad stiff,but fine.

The Plague seems to have abated and everyone seems to be healthy. We had quite the Arctic blast here for a few days. Temps with the wind chill went below zero for a couple of days,and in the teens a for a couple more.I am thankful for the wood stove,because we ran out of fuel (our oil tank's gauge is broken).Our tank is outside,so we have to use the mix,which is a bit more expensive. We had the tank filled yesterday,and the driver told us the last time we had it filled was in Sept.Four months is pretty good,considering I have heard of folks who have gone through a tank in a month's time.

The other night was gorgeous-at least,looking through a window in a warm house! It was bitter cold,but the moon was as bright as day.It reminded me of the section in "By The Shores Of Silver Lake" when Laura and Carrie go outside to follow the moon path and wind up going all the way to a wolves den...and seeing a big old wolf. I could see wanting to be outside in the bright moonlight. Of course,it was -12F at our house,and no amount of brilliant moonlight could persuade me to go for a stroll outside!

Zach has a two hour delay from school this AM. Last night we got some snow and freezing rain,so the school district showed some good judgement and delayed opening.

Yesterday I picked up a couple of cross stitch embroidery projects. I was hoping to find a book for beginners for reference,but Ben Franklin's didn't have what I was looking for.I picked a couple of patterns that came with thread,needle,and instructions. I bought an embroidery hoop. It should be interesting. I would love to design my own sheets and pillowcases with embroidery and lace/edging.

I have made a master list of things that need to get done around the house,and have posted only two things:

1) Move all the stuff from the bedroom into the garage that is in the garage pile

2)Measure old ladder and space in front of the kitchen window to see if a pot rank is feasible.

I have been thinking about how I want the bedroom,and I keep coming back to the colors white,turquoise,and green.

The other day we went out to gather eggs,and found these two specimens:

Monster egg and baby egg!!! The baby egg was the size of a robin's egg. We don't know why,but we did lose one of our Girls. Rick went into the coop and found her dead. There was no blood or anything like that,so the other chickens didn't gang up her or anything like that. It looks like she just died. Poor Girl.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

There Is Still Good Out There

Friday morning I was doing some errands in Rochester when my car decided to act up. It made a terrible grinding noise,the tachometer would go up,but the car was acting sluggish. I pulled over in a CVS parking lot and called Rick. He and Brother B came down,and Brother B drove my car to the dealership,which,happily,was less than 1/4 mile away. It seems like it might be the transmission,and according to them,it's still under warranty,which is good. They won't really be able to look at it until today or tomorrow. 

Early Friday afternoon, I was in the middle of filling my window boxes with greens and berries when the horrible news came over the TV about the shooting in CT. I finished the boxes and stopped decorating. I had planned to finish all my decorating that day,but I completely lost interest. I felt sick to my stomach,and I still feel like someone has kicked me in the gut.

Saturday I did have some good diversion. My sister Linda and I went to my Mom's house to celebrate her 87th birthday. We had lunch,then went to downtown Somersworth to check out some of the nice little shops. We then went to buy our poinsettias at a local greenhouse.That night,our friend Eric had a housewarming party,and we enjoyed ourselves. We aren't that social anymore,so it was good to get out and mingle at something that wasn't a Scouting event (though most of the folks there are involved in Scouting).Rick enjoyed himself quite a bit. It felt good to laugh.

Yesterday,I finished decorating and made some fudge. I also worked on crocheting one of the Christmas gifts. Last night it started to snow,and this AM we have a two hour delay,though I think it should have been a cancellation. The roads are terrible and it's still snowing.

One of my window boxes with greenery and berries:

Our tree. I didn't use orange slices this year,but I did use some dried hydrangeas:

 
My little village. I string some lights along the sill and put them inside the houses:

Rick took this photo this morning. You can't tell,but it's snowing:

A close up of the window boxes:

The plant hangers down by the road.Everything looks so pretty in the snow!

The mantle. I just noticed you can see my reflection in the mirror:

A bit of berries and greens in my pouring bowl above the stove:

 Our bedroom door:

The canning cabinet:

 Last,but not least,the chimney shelf:

In spite of what has happened in CT,I still believe in my fellow man. It can be very difficult when people do terrible things,or live their lives hating,but I take comfort in knowing that there are far more good people out there than bad. I think we as a society need to start putting BS behind us and remember,we are all here together. The hate,fear,and paranoia in this country need to stop. We are all brothers and sisters. Who cares what color we are? What politics we believe in?  What religion we are? How about working together to make this a better place?? We need to stop demonizing people who don't agree with us,and start acting like rational,caring humans again. When we band together for the common good,there is nothing that we can't accomplish.

This is still a Fabulous Planet. Enjoy your day on it!

O Christmas Tree....

Yesterday was a gorgeous day for picking out our Christmas tree. I think it was the warmest it has ever been since we started going to the Torr Tree Farm (U Pick,We Cut) for our tree. The Torr family has a National Bicentennial Farm,which means their farm has been under the ownership of one family for 200 years. They own several acres of land,and they are a member of the NH/VT Christmas Tree Association.

We showed up just after a rush hit. There was only two other people there,and they were lucky enough to get into my camera shot. This is just a very small section of the tree farm. I would say it's at least two acres.

Our ceilings are only 8 ft high,so our trees have to be more on the small side. Zach liked this one,and he said he was willing to cut a hole in the ceiling to get it to fit. I,however,was less than enthusiastic about that idea! I told him I would take his picture in front of it instead for posterity.

We did find the perfect little tree,about 6 ft tall,nice and full. Zach and Rick trimmed the bottom branches off it so it would fit in the tree base,and they set aside what they took off so I could use them for decorating. We are going to let it sit for a couple of days to acclimate to the house. Looking at this weeks schedule,however,it looks like it won't be decorated until Friday,because Zach helps me decorate it,and he will barely be home after school all week.Tonight is Boy Scouts,and we are meeting early to fill 25 boxes with goodies that are going to Afghanistan,plus he has media club until 5:00 PM. Tomorrow he is going Christmas shopping with Uncle B,then Wednesday night he has Patrol Leader Conference,then Thursday night he has his Order of the Arrow meeting,plus he won't get out of school until 5:00 because he has his Youth To Youth (anti drug and tobacco organization) meeting. I will probably get the lights on it,at least. That is really a one person job.

While Zach and Rick set up the tree, I got the wreaths down from the attic and and put them out. Rick had to put the one on the house up,because I am too short. I did by garland this year to wrap around my plant hangers by the street and I hung red bows on them. That is new this year. You can't see the wreath on the white door to the right,because the shadows made it  too dark.

The other wreaths I hung on the French doors.

We still need to hang the lights outside. That makes it pop!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lovely day. The sun shone,and the temps were in the 50's. Everything went smoothly-and the food came out great,if I do say so myself ( and I do!) LOL!

My Mom came up for Thanksgiving (as usual) and this year it was just the four of us-Brother B went down to his Dad's for the holiday this year.

I must admit the best tasting item was the pumpkin pie. It was so light and delicious!!

While I am usually running around with my head cut off,I was actually ahead of the game due to my prep the day before. I found myself walking around with nothing to do. I even had more than enough time to scope out the yard for a centerpiece. Some years, I buy flowers,but this year,I wanted to get everything from the yard and use what I already had on hand.

The best items were some dried hydrangeas and azalea branches-the branches have lovely reddish leaves on them. I also had some green apples and gourds.  

I couldn't quite arrange the gourds and apples the way that I liked,so I make a little circle around the bouquet.I also had a couple of votive candle holders with tea lights that I lit while we ate.

The official menu:

-organic turkey rubbed with rosemary/garlic butter ( we grew the rosemary and garlic)

-mashed potatoes ( we grew them)

-sweet potatoes with cinnamon,butter,and home made brown sugar

-green beans ( from the garden)

-brown and serve rolls ( Rick ate gluten free rolls)

-cranberry sauce (the smooth canned kind-we don't have many palates in this house who like whole berry)

-apple stuffing ( my Mom's recipe)

-Gluten free pumpkin pie ( made with farm bought pumpkin,our eggs,and brown sugar)

We ate early,around 1:30,because my Mom can no longer see at night to drive. If it's a short trip,it's one thing,but we live 35 minutes away. After Mom left I watched "An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving" (one my faves!) and then fell asleep during a Walton's marathon around 7:30. I was out for the night. I don't think it was only the dinner- I think that maybe the three or four glasses of wine I had may have contributed to my sleepiness :) I don't drink wine that often,as it can cause me migraines if I drink it at the right time of the month.

That night,while I was in and out of turkey/wine induced sleep,the phone rang and it was the local PD. A button buck ( a male deer with just little nubbins for antlers) had been hit out on Rt 11. The Boys all got in the truck and picked it up,and it is hanging in our garage,and is going to be butchered today. We are going to give some of the meat to our neighbor,who is going through a rough patch.He has two boys and works full time. However, because his now ex girlfriend moved out,he is having a hard time making ends meet and paying the rent,so he has been asking us for various ways to save money.He loves it up here in the country and does not want to move. So we have been giving him advice,(every little bit helps!)He wants to learn how to hunt and butcher,so when The Boys do the butchering tonight,he is going to come over to learn. He does not know that we plan on giving him some meat.

Yesterday I spent working on Christmas gifts and reading.

This morning,I woke up and went to get a cup of coffee. When I opened the cabinet to get a coffee mug,this was there to greet me:

Brother B had left me this birthday message after he made the coffee. He was going out hunting and didn't want to miss his chance on wishing me a happy birthday first thing :)  Oh -it's my birthday today. I am 45 and Fabulous!!!!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!!

Gearing Up For Halloween...And Sandy

Yesterday we had a whole dump truck full of little rocks and sand delivered. It's the kind of stuff that you can compact and it will stay compact and not create mud. We are using it in the chicken coop,the driveway,and on part of Avon Lane,which is dirt. It's a Class Six road,so the town does not maintain it at all. There are some good size rocks that are sticking up due to wear and tear. Neighbor Kelly is going to grade the road and use some of our "fill".

Rick scraped down the chicken yard area yesterday,to get the stinky top layers off as best as he could. We have come to the conclusion that our soil must contain some clay,because the damn chicken yard took forever to dry. Rick used our tractor to pour the mix into the coop yard,and Brother B spread it out,then used a rented compactor to tamp it down. Bye bye stink! When Rick went to the business we got the mix and the compactor from to see if we could rent it for one more day,they said that we could keep it until Monday for a one day rental price since they were not open on Saturdays. Not a bad deal!!!

Since Halloween is next week,that meant some decorating. Zach was carving a pumpkin....

Rick decided to get in on it as well......

...And they have their place of honor outside. Molly Bruce apparently is too busy eating to appreciate the Halloween display!

A couple of skeletons guard our yard!

 My neighbor let me use her pumpkin costume and her orange sweatshirt for this part of the display:

 A Mama and Baby spider seem to be liking our trees! Can you see the Mama on the right,and the baby near the center?

Look like we are headed for what the weather forecasters are calling a "Frankenstorm." Apparently Hurricane Sandy is going to collide with some cold weather,and it will be a hybrid Hurricane/Nor'easter. The word is that this is going to make 1991's "Perfect Storm" look like a breeze.There are several paths that Sandy can take,but we have 80% that we will get it in some way,shape,or form,and it's effects will be felt all the way to Nova Scotia. It's pretty big. We are gearing up with extra water,batteries,making sure we have propane to cook on our grill or cook on our double propane burners if we lose power,as well as gas for the generator. We have plenty of candles and paraffin oil for light.  We are all set. Last year,we had a snowstorm. This year,a hybrid storm. Life is not boring!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet! 

Organizing and Being Inspired

I will post about our trip to Strawberry Banke-I just have to decide which of the 125 photos I took during the day to use!  :)

Yesterday I decided I really needed to give the bathroom a good old scrubbing. It hasn't had it since I wound up with the sinus infection (which is gone,by the way.My last day of taking antibiotics is today).Of course, I did clean the toilet and sink,but that was it. One thing I learned about being under the weather-if I can't clean the bathroom,it won't get done. I suppose no one likes cleaning it. I was working up my old elbow grease cleaning the tub,and I guess my heavy breathing was rather loud. Rick called out,"Don't kill yourself!" I replied,"Someone has to clean it," with sweat dripping from my brow (OK,maybe not dripping...but  my brow was most definitely moist).'Why didn't you tell someone it needed to be cleaned?" he called back. I almost retorted that if I have to tell grown men when a tub is dirty,then there is something seriously wrong with their eyesight,but I said nothing and kept scrubbing. (It looks lovely now,by the way).

Besides cleaning the tub,sink,toilet,and floor,our  bathroom closet needed a good redo. Our closet is very narrow,and it used to have a door on it,but we had a hard time reaching into the closet when the door was open because the open door created an even more narrow space. A few years ago,we took the door off,and I put a curtain up. My goal is to eventually open up this area somehow. It's a linen closet as well as where we keep our first aid kit,aspirin,etc. We don't have a medicine cabinet (another thing which will be remedied in the future).

This is what it looked like when I took the curtain off. There is one more shelf on the bottom that you can't see in this photo. Our bathroom is small,so there is not a lot of space to back up for photos.Our toilet is across from the closet.

So,I pulled everything out and looked at the space.Right now where things are stored works-but I have mismatched sheets,old sheets,old meds, etc. Time to purge. So I did. Meds that went past the expiration date-tossed. Sheets and pillow cases that were ratty-put in a rag bag. Old nail polish-gone. All those mini soaps,shampoos and conditioners from various hotels that I had for years-see ya!


                                                                 That looks much better!

I rolled up my towels to help make a bit more space. My homemade soaps are in the basket. Ultimately,I want the litter box to be at the bottom of the closet,so it's hidden. Right now it's in between the sink and the toilet.  Of course, the shelves will have to be moved,but you can see that there is wasted space because the space between the shelves is too much. They need to be closer together. The whole closet is going to get an overhaul. But that's a different project for a different day.

Apparently,my organizing inspired Rick,because he cleaned out his bedroom closet (though I didn't get any photos of it).Things like his Army dress greens,which he will never wear again,and other clothing items were put in a bag to go into the attic. Some clothes became gun cleaning rags.He did a good job.

I was looking at my wire shelf in the kitchen,and added some items to the area. In the last few days,I not only put the pretty pouring bowl up,but my Beekman Boys Heirloom Cookbook,and a milk bottle and old mason jar that Brother B found in the woods in an old dump site. It still needed more. Wednesday, I put out some canned goods- pinto and navy beans that I put in canning jars for storage, homemade raspberry and strawberry jam,and canned green beans. I canned them last year. It still needed more,though. I thought my silver plate tray would be a nice contrast behind the pouring bowl,and would look nice with the stainless oven. I hung a small bunch of oregano. The next thing was what to put above the shelf. A handmade plate clock that my brother Dennis had given me for Christmas one year had been somewhat hidden in the dining area. It's pretty,but I didn't really have the right place for it. He bought it when he was stationed in Italy. Now it has it's rightful place of honor.

Looking at this gave me more inspiration. I have some blue and white checked valances that I had bought when we first bought the house. I had them up for a while,but then took them down. We have been without curtains in this area since. My thought process was that,since we don't get a whole lot of light here because the windows face NW,NW,and N,I wanted to get as much light as possible into the area. I thought any type of curtain would block that extra precious light. However,the area felt stark and cold.There was no warmth to it,even with that tiny little extra light. Since I didn't have any extra  tension curtain rods,I took down the curtain from the closet in the bathroom and used that to see how the valance would look. Judge for yourself!

I was amazed at how cozy this corner now feels-how the whole kitchen  is feeling! We still have some cosmetics to do and the closet next the to the fridge-but it's coming along. I am so excited about how it's all coming together. The nice thing is,the only thing I bought to decorate this area was the wire bin. I had everything else already. It's great to decorate with what you have!!!

Today the neighbors are all coming over for a fish fry.The weather isn't the best-it's gray with chances of rain-but it will be fun,nonetheless.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

Back In The Swing And Being Aware

Yesterday was a productive day for me. I cleaned the fridge,dusted,ironed clothes,picked herbs and hung them to dry,and finally hung up the assorted tea tins that Zach gave me for Christmas!

Oregano,basil,and rosemary are very fragrant-and did kick up my allergies a bit,but that stopped after a few minutes.

The various teas and their tins that Zach gave me for Christmas.... I had to wait until the kitchen was almost done before I knew exactly where I wanted to put it!

By late afternoon,I was wiped out,though I did pick Zach up at school at 5:00. He is in an after school program called "FAMEE" ( what the letters stand for escapes me at the moment).They have various programs for the kids-and,since he is interested in film making,he is in the TV club. They are rewriting "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's  Nest" and he is going to play the Jack Nicholson role. He has volunteered to help film the school's events for local cable access,so we have to bring him to the school tonight so he can help film a volleyball game. Thursday after school he has "Youth To Youth",which is a group of kids who educated other kids about drugs and tobacco. He is going to be a very busy little bee. I told him that as long as he keeps his grades up,it's fine.

Now when I do things around the house,I take the time to immerse myself in them. I'm not thinking about what's going to happen in a few hours,or worrying about tomorrow. I am in the moment. I pay attention to the sizzle of the steam coming out of the iron,and how smoothly it runs over the clothes. I take pleasure in the smell of the herbs as I cut them off their plant,even if they make eyes itch a bit and my throat scratch. I don't rush through things anymore to finish a list. I plan my day,and I don't go overboard. 

Part of my decluttering process in the home is that I try to really look at what is around me and be aware of it. We all wind up not seeing things after a while,don't we? I look at certain areas,and think,"Is this what I want? How can I make this better and more effective? Do I really need everything that here? What is the purpose of this item? Is it even used?" I find myself happily doing things around the house now,instead of just going through the motions.

Tomorrow we are off to Norwood MA,which is about 110 miles from here. Normally,I would be dreading it terribly,as I have never been there and driving in MA is not what I would consider fun.However,since I don't have to go through Boston (thank GOD! I still will never drive in Boston)I am actually looking forward to the trip. I haven't been thinking about it non stop,worrying and obsessing over it. I'm taking it as it comes.  I might wind up being a nervous mess,but at least I won't be one for days before it. I figure that's a step forward!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Girl Day And... Re-purposing A Metal Crate

Saturday I stated feeling better. My head was still a bit off ,but by the late morning it cleared enough so that I was able to drive. That was a good thing,because My Dear Friend Michelle and I had birthday plans. Since her birthday is in July,and mine is in November,we split the difference and in September we go out for lunch and have a pedicure. We were both ready to get out of the house and away from testosterone ,even if it was just for a few hours.It was a lovely time,even though I did suffer a bout of unpleasant digestive moments. Sometimes when I eat,for whatever reason,it does not agree with me and I get horrible,painful cramps,which lead to upset stomach,cold sweat,etc. Thankfully,we were at the salon when it hit full on,so I had access to the bathroom ,and,thankfully,it passed quickly ( no pun intended!). When these things happen I can sometimes be indisposed for up to half and hour,writhing in pain. NOT FUN. Once I almost yelled for Rick to call the ambulance because the pain was so horrible and I thought I was going to pass out. Sigh.

We did have a lovely lunch,and the pedicure/foot massage was nice. If you have never had your feet wrapped in wax covered strips,you must try it. It feels great! Spending some girl time getting a bit pampered with your BFF is fabulous! The massage chair doesn't hurt,either :)   I got my toes painted orange (for fall) and she had hers painted red. We then decided to get facials for Christmas!

Zach and Rick are gone this weekend for a camping trip with the Scouts (they will be home sometime this AM) so it's been just me and Brother B.He told me he would get my new shelf up over the stove on Saturday,and by the time I left to pick My Dear Friend up,the shelf was in place.

I had envisioned a white metal shelf,with nice scrolls,or something that looked old fashioned.However,I couldn't find what I wanted. I went to little places I had never stepped foot into before,trying to find this shelf that I saw in my mind. When I went to "Just The Thing" in Dover and found my shelf that is now above our computer desk,I looked. They didn't have what I was looking for,either,so I started looking for something different that I could re purpose as  a shelf. I stumbled across this:

No,it's not white,it's not scrolled,and it's not a shelf. It's a metal crate. But I really liked the  look of it. It has rust.It's not perfectly straight. I loved it. The question was,how do we get it up on the wall? Brother B came up with a plan.

He used two pieces of trim we had left over,screwed them to the wall,and painted them yellow to blend in:

He then found four brackets,which were a bit big .However,he improvised with some rubber gaskets that he cut in half,then gouged out some of the rubber so the metal would sit in it. He put the gaskets in the brackets. I held the basket up against the wall,and he screwed the brackets into the wall. The metal of the crate fit in his creation perfectly:

TA-DA!!!! My new shelf!

The first thing I put on it was the pouring bowl that My Dear Friend gave me for Christmas. It's pretty,and I love the color punch it gives to the room.

Now I just have to decide what else to put on it. The boards on the left side can used to hang small items,such as keys,or whatever else we decide to put on it. I'm still mulling it over. Next on the list: seeing if we can re purpose an old ladder for a pot rack. It would hang over the window to the right of the oven.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

A Touch Of Fall And...A Couple Prints Finally Get Framed!

Last night the temperatures got down to the upper 30's-low 40's. Today it's overcast,and the wind is brisk,so it's a good sweatshirt day. The leaves are just starting to change. Fall is in the air,and I love it!

We went down to Manchester today to the VA Hospital for Rick's appointment with his meds Dr. Everything is on track,and he is doing pretty well. He even had a couple of days that he didn't have to take Valium during the day.He can take it up to three times a day if needed for anxiety,or not,depending on how he is feeling,so not having to take it is good. He is on 2,000mg of Depakote a day,and no longer taking any Seroquil. That seems to be working well,so we will not have to see the Dr until December now.

When we got home,I noticed an unusual scent in the house. Something was cooking on the stove. It smelled sort  of like steamed clams,but the scent was a bit more strong.( I had to open a couple of windows to air out the house). It wasn't horrible,it was just potent. Lo and behold,Brother B was parboiling a couple of squirrels he got last night!

We have two apples on our Jonathan Apple Tree. We expected only a few apples this year since we did a major pruning job on the the tree this past Spring. At least they are good sized ones! Apple season came early this year from what I hear. I guess I will have to hit Butternut Farm over in Farmington soon for some apple picking,if there are any left! I am bummed that neither my Jack O Lantern or Sugar Pie pumpkins took this year. I don't know what happened. I planted seedlings that I started and have had great luck the last few years.Looks like I will have to hit the Farm for those as well. I did have a mystery plant that wound up being gourds. I had thrown some into the compost pile last year,and when we filled the beds this year,a vine grew. I got three gourds from it before hoards of squash bugs descended. I have never seen anything like it! There were hundreds! According to folks in our Garden Group,everyone had issues with them this year.

Yesterday I took a trip to our local Ben Franklin store (fabrics,crafts,etc)to get some frames for two prints. The first one I absolutely love-though you wouldn't guess it because it's been rolled up in the store bag since I bought it 5 (yes,that's right FIVE) years ago. I'm the Queen of Procrastination,remember?  :)

I think most folks,at least here in the US,are familiar with this iconic photo taken when folks learned that the  Japanese surrendered and WWII was over.People poured into the streets,dancing,singing,hugging,and laughing. They didn't know each other from Adam,but they didn't care,they were so ecstatic. A sailor grabbed a nurse and gave her a big old kiss. The photographer just happened to at the right place at the right time.  I love the photo for what it represents-the end of a war and the happiness that peace brings. I have this in our bedroom:

The second print was,of course,my Wilder print. I picked four mats,then a frame,then I stood there with the print comparing the mats to see which one I liked the best. After about 15 minutes of deliberating,I picked a mat,brought everything home and finally hung it in it's place of honor-on the wall to my left,next to the computer desk.

 

It felt really good to finally get these on the wall where we can enjoy them. I still have a few more photos to put out,but these were the two main ones I wanted to get done.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

 

Being Inspired By What You Love-The Laura Edition

One of my goals for helping with mental clutter and home clutter is trying to surround myself with items that I LOVE. Like many of us,for a long time if I needed something I wouldn't wait to find what truly spoke to me. I would get it out of necessity even if I didn't like it very much,or if someone was getting rid of something that I might be able to use,though it wasn't my ideal,I'd still scoff it up.I would see it on a daily basis,and while it might be functional, it wasn't me. This wasn't such a bad thing when I lived in apartments (which was really someone else's property,so why bother?),but now that I have my own home and finally discovered what style I like,I am more than willing to wait until I find the piece that speaks to me.Even if it takes years. Once I get an idea of what I want in my head,it's pretty difficult to change my mind. I am looking for the exact same thing I see in my mind's eye. However,I can be flexible if I find something that 

hadn't considered that I think is really cool. It still has to be something I will love,though. I want to surround myself with inspiration,things that make me think and things that make me happy,such as photos,books,and functional items. I want my home to be a haven.

I want to share my latest step.

Our computer is in a corner in the living room.Now,I do have two windows to the right of the this area which has a lovely view of the trees in our front yard. However, when I am banging away on the computer,this was the view in front of me:

Ah,yes, a lovely barren wall,completely with holes from where we hung our old computer monitor. Guess what? This wall has been empty since we painted the room about three years ago. Didn't I say at one point I was going hang the photos back up? ( Remember my Queen of Procrastination post? This is a prime example). To the left on the wall on top of the black speaker is a Limited Edition Print ( 111 out of 500) I bought from my journey to the Wilder Farm in Burke NY three years ago called "Coming Home." I still haven't framed it. (hangs head in shame). I know, I know. (Refer back to the Queen of Procrastination post,please!) I will take a photo soon,I promise..and it will be in a place of honor and suitably framed.

Back to the barren wall....so,I needed inspiration. I knew what I had to do. I had to find some shelves to put things on them that I loved. But what kind of shelves? I didn't want some regular old pressed wood shelves from a box store. I wanted something unique. Something different. Something that spoke to me and spoke about me. I stumbled across this gem in Dover:

This was that white shelving unit that was in the pile on my bed in that post yesterday. I was not going to let it sit idle for months! It had to get up ASAP!  I just thought I was adorable. Not only could I use the shelves,but the drawers for storage. Perfect!

So...now that I have the shelf up(actually, I must give credit where credit is due-Rick and Brother B put it up) what am I going to put on it?  I already knew well in advance.

My collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder books.

Yes, I am what is affectionately called in the World of Laura Ingalls Wilder a Bonnethead.I grew up reading her books,and I still do. I get much inspiration from them. I also have books about her and her impact written by different authors-Bill Anderson,Wendy McClure,Kelly Ferguson,and John Miller. I also have "The Prairie Girl's Guide To Life" by Jennifer Worwick. I do have Melissa Gilbert and Allison Angram's autobiographies,but they did not make the cut for this area,as much as I enjoyed them. The ones I put up on this shelf are about Laura and her world. Notice the green apple on the pile of books to the left? That is an apple ornament I got from The Wilder Farm in Burke. The little white sheep in front of the yellow books? Well, to be honest, I put it there because it was cute and I wanted to stop my cats from carrying it all over the house. Then,this morning,I remembered that in "The First Four Years" Laura and Manly have sheep. So there you go! To the right is my favorite photo of my parents,taken in 1948,a year after they were married. Top shelf is my Beekman Boys cookbook,which is really a temporary place until I can get my shelf up in my kitchen. I do have a bit more Laura/Almanzo memorabilia, I just haven't put them out yet. But it's a start! I am also going to put up family photos.

So as I type my blog,I can look at my Laura items and glean some prairie inspiration and determination. When I crochet,I can look over to this spot and remember the sewing/knitting/crocheting Ma did in her rocking chair by the fire on cold nights . When I clean, I can remember how difficult life was on the prairie (imagine having to beat rugs! or having a dirt floor! ). I also find myself asking sometimes,"WWLD?" (What Would Laura Do?)

Just sitting here right now,I am in heaven,motivated, and feeling fabulous.

Thank you helping me create my haven,Laura!

New Counter top and Sink

I have been laying low the last few days with a head cold that came out of nowhere. It hit me on Thursday,which would explain why I was so darn tired in the days leading up to it. Of course,it had to hit on the day the sink and counter top were being installed,so while I was happy it was finally getting done,my happiness was dulled somewhat. We put the dogs in our bedroom while the guys were here to keep them from getting underfoot,and I couldn't wait until everything was done so I could go and lay down.

Anyhoo......after six months,our new counter top and sink are in!

You remember what it looked like before,don't you? We had new cabinet put in where the stove was,and was using a board for a top.Not pretty to look at,but it worked. Our old laminate top and basic double sink served us well,but it wasn't what we wanted.We have never lived in a home where the home reflected US . It was time to make it OUR home! (You do know I am in charge of decorating,but everything goes by The Man of The Place first..so technically,it is our taste,right? LOL!)

We had a new bottom board put in the sink cabinet (our old one was nasty,remember?)and Brother B installed all new pipes and shut off valves. The counter top guys were here for about an hour and a half or so.The wound up having to shave about an 1/8" off of each side of the counter top,it wouldn't quite fit in the space. The counter was in two pieces,with the seam meeting under the faucet. You can't tell it's there. They did a great job. We had to install the faucet,but they set the sink up.

My first choice was a lovely white porcelain apron sink with pretty decorations on the front...until I saw it was over $1,000. Uh,better go with the second choice...this stainless steel one with a bowed front was nice and about a third of the cost. It came with a large grid that rests in the bottom of the sink to rest your dishes on. I have always wanted a goose neck faucet for filling large pots-comes in handing with stock pots or canning pots! Sorry the photo came out a bit blurry :(

Next step is to get the tin back splash up and redo the window molding...but that counter top and sink sure look pretty!

In this light,the counter top gives off a more pink look.I wanted a counter top that brought out the various colors in the room-and the tin back splash when it's put in.

In this light,you can see the counter has a beige background. I love having a counter top that runs the length of the wall! It makes the room look much larger and to me is the focal point of the kitchen. Now I have to figure out how to set the counter top up. The Menfolk have put the basics back on the counter-coffee pot and microwave. Everything else is still on our kitchen table waiting for me to feel good enough to deal with it. 

Next on the list:

-back splash

-window trim

-closet next to the fridge

-paint touch up

-see if I can make a pot hanger out of an old ladder and have it hang over the window next to the oven (see above photo)

I am very happy with the new look!