Spring break

Break time coming up.  I'm having a hard time keeping up with blogging with all the work to do around here, so I've decided to just let everyone know if I don't show up here or in comments on your blog that all is well.  Just busy!  We have sunshine for the second day in a row and it's cause for celebration!  I'm heading out the door in a few and going to enjoy the day.  We're doing to be planting a few things if the ground is not too wet later this afternoon.  Much work yet to be done...inside as well as outside.  I will see you in week or so if not sooner.  Have a good weekend! 

Until next time...

Just want to say...

Thank you dear blogging friends for your sweet comments on my last post.  I was really feeling a bit depressed and, as you know, didn't want to go to the visitation.  I'm not one to pretend everything is hunky-dory when it darn well isn't so I just let it all hang out.   Aunt was a beautiful lady and she'll be missed by all her family and friends.  And, yes, I did go and I'm glad I did. 

Hopefully, the weather will behave itself for a couple of days and we can return to our work outside.  Hubby brought the equipment home to locate our electric lines so we can begin planting.  Here are the pretty flags decorating part of the yard...I doubt we'll plant much close to the tree, but I'm glad to know where the lines are.   Just a reminder...if you don't know where your utility lines are buried, please find out before digging!

 

The next photo shows what we've been doing inside the house when we can't work outside.  Getting rid of 20 years accumulation of stuff!  I hate to admit it, but we had the dumpster unloaded once and we filled it again.  I really didn't need magazines dating back to 1988.  Ha!  Or the old resin table that graced our patio once upon a time.  Or the other hundred and one things that I wouldn't want to give away or put on a garage sale. 

We had the dumpster picked up a week or so ago and I really think I've found enough stuff to fill it again!  Just call me a pack rat.  Make that former pack rat as I'm determined to rid myself of stuff that I don't need, use or love.  I have quite a bit more to do.   It may take all spring and summer.  Wish me luck.

As soon as I get a photo taken, I'll show you some of the things I'd forgotten I had.   I guess it's as they say, out of sight and out of mind. 

I pray that all of our blogging friends in the states where the tornadoes hit are safe. 

Until next time...

Rain...go away

This is the scene looking out of my dirty window this morning.  Rain...go away.  We've had enough for a while.  It's been so very bad in Arkansas with the tornadoes that I shouldn't complain too much.  Hope all our blogging friends are okay.  There are some places in the state here that have had flooding.  Hope the flooding doesn't get out of hand like it did in 1993. 

-Today-

Comparing photos of today and 2 weeks ago, you can see a big difference in the trees that are rapidly leafing out.  The redbuds blooming stage is about over, too. 

-2 weeks ago-

I must get ready soon to go to a visitation with Hubby.  I dread these things.  Really, I almost feel physically sick before I go.  Maybe it's because I've lost too many of my loved ones and friends, I don't  know.  All I know is that I've been trying to think of an excuse not to go and I don't have one.  Just call me a big chicken.  That's what I probably am.  My hubby's aunt died after a battle with cancer.  She was only 5 years older than I am.  It's always sad but I have to get ready to go and pay my respects.  I don't want to.  But I know Aunt's immediate family wishes with all their hearts that they didn't have to, either.  

Until next time...

Easter greetings

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live.  John 11:25-26
  
May each of you have a wonderful weekend and a joyful and blessed Easter.   I'll return to blogging next week. 

Colors

According to a recent article I've read the top five colors for spring fashions are honeysuckle pink, orange, yellow, tropical blue and lavender.

In the decorating world, all of these colors with maybe the exception of tropical blue made the list as well.  I don't let lists like these influence me when I choose items for my wardrobe or paint color, etc, for my home.   For fashion, I like almost any color with the exception of gray.  You will not find any gray in my wardrobe as it just doesn't go with my coloring.

And for the house, I prefer a neutral background so I can accessorize with any color I choose.  The exception being my red kitchen.  I love it and will keep it a few more years, I'm sure.   I haven't decided yet what color to paint the upstairs bathroom walls.  The beadboard will probably be white.  Right now the main colors there are navy and white.   Here again, in decorating, I like most colors with the exception of gray.  I've always found gray to be a depressing color.   But that is just me. 

Remember when earth tones were really popular?  I once wallpapered our former kitchen in a chocolate brown with white dots in the design.  The cabinets and woodwork were white.  I got compliments on that kitchen.  I can't imagine a brown kitchen now.  But the truth is that one of the reasons I picked out that particular wall paper was that it was a really heavy vinyl and it covered a lot of flaws on the walls of that kitchen in the old farmhouse we used to live in.  And it turned out great and was "in style" at the time.

I'm not a real big fan of green although I like the soft sage green.   And I was quite fond of the navy, hunter green and burgundy color scheme several years ago.  I do love plants and feel that they add punch to a room.  There are several shades of green that I feel only belong outside unless it's a plant.  Take this green below. 

No, you will not find John Deere green in my house.  It really almost matches the green of the grass doesn't it?  Maybe that's why I don't do green in the house...we are surrounded by it outside in the spring and summer.  And remember the avocado green and harvest gold of long ago?  Oh my.

What are your favorite colors?  Is there a color that you wouldn't ever wear or have in your house?  Do you like neutrals or a lot of color? 

Until next time...

Lavender....a color of spring

It was a beautiful Sunday in my town.  We
got quite a bit of work done in the yard
since it was a mild and not so windy day.
First of all some of the Redbuds in the
yard got a bit of a trim.  You can't get the riding mower under the lower branches, so they had to go.  I love the lavender pink color of the Redbuds.  They're beginning to leaf out now and soon the pretty blooms will be gone until next spring. 

One of the trees has a cute little bird nest
in it so I watched to make sure Hubby didn't
cut the wrong branch since the nest wasn't very high.  The Robin wasn't too happy about her territory being invaded and flew away.  She was back later in the nest.

                                                                                     

                            












The lilacs are blooming and the scent in the yard was just heavenly.  The color of lilacs is pretty, too.  I remember when I was very young that my Easter outfit was all in lilac or I suppose we called it lavender.  Even my shoes were lavender as well as my bracelet.  I don't think I've worn much lavender since!                                                                               

 This pesky ground cover weed is trying to take over our yard.  I'm

not sure what it's called, but I call it a Pain!  Our yard is entirely

too big to redo and put in that lovely grass sod.  We have 3 lots

 so you can imagine that it would be quite an undertaking not

  to mention quite expensive.   The moles have also been 

       having way too much fun making runs and hills, too.   

I don't like the noise of lawn mowers or chain saws on Sundays.  I really wish they would ban such noises on one day of the week, but I know that will never happen.  I suppose that for a few people that could be the only day they might have to get such work done.  We don't normally work this hard or noisily on Sundays ourselves, but it was such a nice and non-windy and dry day that we felt we should get these things done.  How was your weekend?

Until next time...

Signs of spring

What a beautiful day we had in Mid-Missouri Wednesday.  This shot was taken out of my kitchen window and shows the maple tree leafing out.  And look at that gorgeous sky!  And, yes, I did get out of the kitchen and went outside. 

I zoomed in on some of the Redbud trees down by the creek on our back 40 6.  I have several in the yard, but some of them aren't quite as full as in other years.   Don't you just love the Redbuds and Dogwoods in the spring? 

The Goldfinches are enjoying their new feeder.  It has a few more perches and feeding spots than the old one.  There are usually a dozen or more fighting for a spot.  The little Goldfinches are a delight to watch and are a favorite of mine.   I love their color and the yellow has really popped the last few days on the males. 

 I liked this photo of the Goldfinch coming in for a landing.  And at the other feeder is, I believe, a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  Not sure what the bird on the opposite side is. 

The pair of geese that we had at the pond for a few weeks have disappeared.  I was really hoping they would raise some little ones this year, but something must have scared them off.  We have a Blue Heron that has returned for the summer.  He has been here the past few years.  I'm assuming it's the same one, but who knows?  I haven't gotten a good clear photo of him yet. 

It's a busy time of year.  I've been busy going through stuff and trying to make myself get rid of things I don't need or can't use.  Hubby has gotten in quite a bit of overtime with the wind and storms the past week or so.  His job always seems to put a wrench in some of our plans, but we're used to that happening.  We still haven't started on the bathroom project yet.  I'm still waiting on a sofa and we have some fruit trees and shrubs yet to buy and plant.  Also, I've ordered some more Knockout roses. 

Our garden is tilled and ready for some planting although it is still a little early for some things.  We will see who wins the garden war this year...the weather, the deer, or us.  We usually plant our tomatoes and green peppers by the house where the deer so far have left them alone.  

I have plans for the inside and outside.  We'll see how many get done or even started on.  But 'tis good to have plans, I think.  I love to have something to look forward to and if it doesn't all get done....well, there's always next year! 

Until next time...

Two of my favorite things

Hubby and I grabbed some fast food yesterday (Wednesday) evening and headed to the lake and ate while watching the sun go down.  It was a very nice day here in mid-Missouri.  The sun going down behind the clouds usually tells me that rain may be in the forecast and sure enough I see on the weather map on my sidebar that we have a possibility of strong storms tomorrow. 

After we got back home, and when no one was looking, I got into my secret little stash of chocolate.  I know, I'm shameless when it comes to my little craving.  Just gotta have a little bit every single day.  A tiny bit.  Okay, some days it's more than a tiny bit.  Here is my new little addiction craving.

This delicious chocolate can be found at Aldi's.  It comes in several flavors like dark chocolate, etc.  I found out about it in JCPenney's lingerie department of all places.  A lady I was standing behind at the checkout (she was buying a girdle) was talking about how she loved chocolate and was taking a lot of it with her on a trip and mentioned where she got it and how good it was.  Well, you can bet your bippy that as soon as I was out of the store, and into my car, you could see me hightailing it over to Aldi's to get some of this most delicious treat to try out.  Now I don't know whether to thank her or wish I had been in Dillard's that day instead of JCP! 

This wonderful chocolate is made in Austria.  You can see how many calories is in just a "tiny bit".  Maybe next time I'll buy the dark chocolate...isn't it supposed to be good for you?  Oh, but it's just 1.29 a bar...very reasonable. If you have an Aldi's in your area and love chocolate like I do, you must try it.  You'll thank me...I think.

Well, there you have it.  Two of my favorite things.  Sunsets and chocolate.   I'll probably be having to join a gym before long and it would be just my luck to get an instructor just like Christo!  (see post below)  I don't pick up anything heavier than a chocolate bar myself.   Or a hamburger.  Oh, okay...maybe my kitten.  

Until next time...

A strange...

I had the table all cluttered up with my laptop, tripod and various books and papers.  So, of course Stormy had to be in the middle of all of that.  She especially likes to get under the papers and scoot them all over the place.  Tell me, please, if you have a sure-fire way of keeping your kitty off the table and other places you don't want them!  I fail to have any luck in this area.  Of course, it doesn't help if my hubby laughs and thinks it's funny that she does this.  
                                                          
Now for the strange.  I spotted this poor little female Cardinal outside my window eating from my new bird feeder that was one of my birthday gifts.   At first glance I wasn't sure what it was.  Here she is followed by a closer shot.

The poor little bird looks like she's been scalped!  I've seen her several times at the feeder lately.  I can't help wondering what happened to her feathers.  Any thoughts?

About New Editor...I've had trouble this morning with placing photos where I want them.  The first photo was supposed to be in the center and it says "center" but as you can see it's not and it won't let me move it.  I've had this trouble before.  And other problems I won't go into now because it's time for me to get to work and quit playing with my blog!  Hope you have a great day.  It's going to be windy here, but at least the sun is shining.

Until next time...

A funny

This funny story has made the email rounds before and just recently again.  I wanted to share it with you in case you haven't seen it.  I laughed so hard I cried! 

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.  Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.  I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.   My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god – with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!   Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!  Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around.. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY:

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It’s a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.  Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.   My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap, too.

THURSDAY:

The Jerk was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late – it took me that long to tie my shoes.  He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.  He sent some skinny broad to find me.  Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine — which I sank.

FRIDAY:

I hate that Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.  Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps! And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the stupid barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.  The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:

Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:

I’m having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun — like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Until next time...

Happy April!

I've always loved the sound of the word "April".  Maybe because it says spring to me.  At any rate...Happy April!  No, I don't have any plans yet for an April Fool for my hubby, but I'm working on it.  My son will be sure to pull something, I know.  My daughter always gets her dad.  Have you been April Fooled today? 

I just haven't had a lot of time for blogging lately, but I've tried to do some visiting.  We have so many projects we're involved in or trying to get off the ground that it's becoming a bit overwhelming.  And that's why I'm here now, taking a break!   It is a busy time of year for everyone, I know.  Are you ahead of the game or overwhelmed with projects like we are?

The bathroom is yet to be started on, but we have measured and planned and now are trying to decide on the beadboard and a vanity.  We may keep our old vanity, just spruce it up a bit with paint, new hardware and a counter top.  Here are a couple of pix I got off the internet of different sizes of beadboard.

This bathroom is similar to ours but ours is wider.  So many pieces will have to be cut.  I wonder if we do-it-yourself-ers can handle this job?  Hubby thinks we can.  I'm not so optimistic.  Why don't we hire this work done?  I asked this too and got a "We can do this"!   Hubby will never let anyone else do something he thinks he can do.  Shh...don't tell him I said that. 

I'm showing this one because the beadboard is wider than in the other photo.  I like this wider look of the boards.  But not sure I can find this in 4X8 sheets.  I will have to look at Lowe's again, which is where we'll probably get our materials.  Decisions, decisions.  Narrow or wider boards, keep vanity or buy new.  Just the planning is hard work! 

This is not my living room but I just love the sofa.   I'm thinking it might be a slipcover which is something I'd love to have.   An impractical white slipcover!  A sofa has been ordered at a furniture store that looks like what I'm looking for.  They said I didn't have to take it if it is not the right color.  It's really hard to tell true colors in a brochure.  Keeping fingers crossed here.  Wonder what it costs to have slipcovers made? 

That's all my ramblings for today.   Back to work I go.   Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time...