Remembering Mother This Wintry Day

Hello!  The snow is falling as I type this.  A good day for staying in, although I did run to the grocery store for a few things before the roads were snow covered.  Today has also been a day of remembering.  My sweet mother's birthday would have been today.  The house below is where she was born.  That is her parents on the right.

As you can see, it wasn't January when this photo was taken.  I don't know what the weather was like the day my mother was born.  No one ever said and I never thought to ask, until today.  Now there is no one to ask.  I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much, it's just curiosity on my part.  But, I do wish I'd paid more attention to details when I had the chance to find out such things.

When I was a youngster, mother was usually found in the kitchen.  Or maybe at the kitchen table where she would set up the sewing machine and sew many outfits for me and for herself.  

She was a wonderful cook, but would say that she had a lot of practice.  Fixing 3 meals a day, 7 days a week and often with some farm hands that my dad had helping him with farm work to feed, too.   She worked hard at keeping her family fed and clothed.  She had to do the laundry the hard way with an old wringer-type washer and then hang the clothes on the line to dry.  I remember helping hang clothes.  That was before the wrinkle-free material existed, of course.  The clothes were brought in when dry, then they were sprinkled down and rolled up and were ironed the next day.  It took many hours to iron clothes for the 5 of us.  My mother almost always wore dresses and when I was very young, we had to wear skirts or dresses to school.  No jeans were allowed on girls unless it was very cold and then we wore them under our dresses.  
 

My mother loved her family and liked to play cards, read and occasionally go fishing.  I remember the times that picnic lunches were fixed and the neighbor friends would all gather at a fishing spot on the creek.  Those were fun times.  She also loved music and enjoyed playing the piano.  

My daughter Kim was the apple of her eye and she would have loved my son, Brett, as well.  She loved sports and would have enjoyed going to their ball games and would have been their biggest cheerleader.   She and BG got along famously because they both loved to talk about the games and watched them together when we were visiting.  She also just thought he was a good guy.  :)  

My daughter was only 5 and my son was 2 weeks old when my mother was taken from us by the horrible disease, ALS.  Many of my long-time blogging friends have read about that.  I was only 31 and I've missed her every day since.  Oh, it's true that time lessens the grief and there are a few days when I might not think of her, but she will always be in my heart.  Always.  I love you, Mom.  Happy Birthday!

I could write a book about my mother, but I'll stop with this poem:

If Roses grow in Heaven, 
Lord please pick a bunch for me,
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for awhile.
Because remembering her is easy, 
I do it every day, but there's an ache
within my heart that will never go away.     
                               ~Author Unknown

Stay safe and stay well!
xo Cheryl

Cat Naps

I don't know why this is, but my kitties seem to need to be near me as much as possible lately.  Even Sissy, above, who has never been a lap sitter...and still isn't...wants to be close and jumps up onto the foot rest of the recliner when I'm sitting down.  

Don't mind me...I'm still in my nightie...and trying to read and comment on blogs while Sissy naps by my feet and legs.  Meanwhile there is still room for....

Stormy and....

Callie...who both take turns sleeping on me while I'm trying to hang onto the laptop.  Forget the typing.  Keeping furbabies happy comes first.  I do manage to maneuver the mouse so I can at least read even if I can't type.

I might have even joined them for a little nap every now and then.  It's been a good time for resting lately as it's been too cold to get out of the house.  And most days have been too dark to want to work inside the house.   

We didn't get but a dusting of snow.  That's okay with me as we've had too much rain and didn't need the added moisture.  

With all the Christmas things put away, the house looks bare and in need of a few things to perk it up.  I've tried shopping the house, but nothing appeals to me.  Probably because I've had the same stuff around forever.  I think some of it must have come over on the Mayflower.  Ha!  

The new bathroom looks a little barren.  The only decorative things in there are the bottles I've had for awhile.  And I swear they were evenly spaced before I took this shot!  Must be the angle as I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

  
Stormy makes for some cute bathroom decor, doesn't she?  I often find her in the sink, silly girl.  She's so big that she makes the sink look tiny and it really isn't.  

It's supposed to be warmer today, maybe 40 degrees plus.  So I think I will take a spin to the Big Town to look around a couple of flea markets and see what I can find.  

Please forget what I said about staying away from flea markets a post or two ago.  This is serious shopping.  Yes, indeedy.   I need something different to perk up the house.  Also, I think one more piece for my gallery wall is needed, too.   

Have a great day!

xo Cheryl  

The Escape

Every now and then I just want to do nothing but escape from the real world and read feel-good books of a kinder, gentler time by authors such as Gladys Taber.  Or perhaps read Susan Branch's pretty blog.  She has a way of bringing sunshine into the gloomiest days.  And I love to see what her kitties, Jack and Girl Kitty, have been up to.  It's fun to see photos of them on Susan's table or perched high up on a cabinet or sitting on top of a stack of laundry needing to be folded.  It makes me feel like my house is pretty normal after all.  :) 

Wednesday...

To escape from the decluttering project,
needy kitties whining for treats, and the online news that gets more alarming nearly every day, and needing bird seed and wanting to
find a particular book,
I hopped into the car and drove to the Big Town to look around in the book store.  I still had a credit on a gift card to use.  Then, walking down the mall corridor, I stopped at a kiosk and bought the cutest Lang calendar featuring kitties, and marked half-price, for my little office space.

After leaving the mall, and I don't know how it happened, my car just found it's way to the resale shop.  I'm hopeless.  But I only bought a couple of books off the mystery shelf.  One is called The Ideal Man and is most likely more romance than mystery.  The ladies at the counter and I had a good laugh over the title of that book.  Does such a man really exist?  lol!  About as likely to exist as the ideal woman, I'd say!
 
Back home, BG had just gotten in from work and was hungry, so I
warmed up left-over chili from last night.  Then I settled down to 
escape into my new-to-me book to see what an ideal man looked like.  My man took to the couch and escaped into a TV program.

Thursday...

I finished the book which was about a young surgeon who had a couple of bad guys wanting to do away with her, for different reasons, and the FBI agent who rode in on his white horse to save her.  They fell in love (yep, I was right about the romance) mid-way through the book and the ending was pretty much a fore-gone conclusion.  Not even close to being about a kinder, gentler time, but it was an interesting escape read for awhile to see how it would all play out. 

I'd love to escape to a sunny climate about now.  It was dark and it rained all day.  The kind of day that is good to curl up with a good book.  How about you?  Where do you go to escape/get away from it all for awhile?

Friday...

I will be running the vacuum and straightening the house.  Old habits die hard.  I have cleaned house on Fridays most weeks for over 40 years.  You know...in case someone comes by!

Have a nice day and enjoy your weekend, too! 
xo Cheryl

Something Old (A Goal) and Something New

Happy New Year to you!  For me, the year is off to a more relaxed start then it ended.  I've been napping and resting up the last few days.   

We saw the old year end with old friends here for supper.  We had a great time visiting and laughing over some old stories and new ones, too.   Ell admired my red and white buffalo check curtains.

I told her how I'd seen these on several blogs...Ell doesn't blog, so she doesn't know what she's missing with all the wonderful ideas out there...for a few years now.

Anyway, I found buffalo check tablecloths online several months ago and ordered a couple in red and white, also a pair in black and white for when I wanted a different look.  I just bought those rings with clips and put them on the rod.  No sewing was required.  I also ordered 4 napkins which I used to drape over the rod in the smaller window over the kitchen sink.
 
I had planned to get them hung up before Christmas, but procrastinator that I am, I put it off.  There are many other things I put off last year, too.  I have many goals for this year and one is to get back at the decluttering.  I'm determined to get better organized and only live with those things that I really love or need. 

There are so many things that I don't need taking up space, but it is very hard to part with them.  For example, I have 3 sets of  long-stemmed crystal goblets.  One set is mine, one set I inherited from my mother and one set from my grandmother.  All are sets of 12.  I love them all, but I know I don't need them.  I don't even use mine when I set the table for special occasions, preferring to use a more simple, larger goblet.  I don't see myself parting with any of them, not yet.   

Now that I've stated that I have too much stuff, someone please tell me to just look and not buy even if it's a great bargain when I go to the resale shop!   Well, okay...it depends on what it is.  :)

I hope your new year is off to a good start.   Take care and stay well.

xo Cheryl

Is It Really Over?

 

The most wonderful time of the year...Christmas.  I'm not quite ready for it to be over.  Not only do I love seeing the house decorated and the tree lights, but it's just too much work to dismantle after a short time.  I will enjoy it all at least another week! 

Our Christmas was so very nice.  Hope yours was, too.  We had some great weather until the rains began and it has rained and rained.  Our son and daughter were here for both Christmas eve and Christmas Day.  We had our traditional pizza on Christmas eve and I fixed a big turkey dinner the next day.  Wasn't it just a few days before that I fixed a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving?  Time flies between the two holidays.   

I only baked a pumpkin pie for dessert, having gone to the Amish country again for some baked goodies.  My daughter went along and we made a day of it, going to lunch in Columbia and doing some shopping, too.

That is the table set for dinner in the collage above.  BG is sitting at the head of the table waiting impatiently to eat while I snap a few pics, son is on the right, but you can only see his hands.  I got a good shot of daughter and J that day, but I can't remember now what they were laughing at.  We had a good time and laughter is always part of our family gatherings.  We played cards and ate and napped and ate.
   
We really had too much food.  I still fix the same amount for 5 as I used to fix for 15.  It's nice, though, to have leftovers and food to send home with our son.  Some of the candy has been put in the freezer.  

We got some nice gifts.  My new bread box pictured in the collage that my son gave me will be handy.  One of the gifts from our daughter was a pretty gift basket with goodies and a couple of movies to watch that look good.  I also got some new ornaments and other nice things.  And badly needed potholders!  Do you put off buying potholders like I do?  lol!   

My last gift from my younger brother is the nativity set shown in the collage and is always on display each Christmas.  It's sitting up high along with my collection of bottles out of reach of the furry ones.  They have been trying my patience with knocking ornaments off the trees.  They think they were put there for their amusement, I'm sure!

Our friends, Ell and Bob, will be here tomorrow night for New Year's Eve dinner.  I am making lasagna, salad and rolls.  A quick and easy chocolate whipped topping pie will be dessert.  That will make a nice change from all the ham and turkey we've been eating this week.
 
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish each of you the very best New Year ever!  Thank you for your comments and friendship this year.
  
Happy New Year!
xo Cheryl

Merry Christmas!

My Christmas gift this year was a long weekend trip to Branson.  This photo was taken just a few miles out.  I thought I'd share a few of the highlights of our visit and photos, not in any particular order.  
   

The weather was very nice, although it turned cloudy Sunday when we went to Silver Dollar City.

 

We both love seeing the park decorated for Christmas.  The lights on the trees and buildings are fabulous.

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. ~Charles Dickens

I don't think I would like to do without our modern conveniences, but the old buildings and the old-fashioned ways of long ago fascinate me.  Life was undoubtedly hard then, but it was a simpler time.  

We stopped in to listen to the Homestead Pickers at the cabin on the left.  They were entertaining as always. 

We didn't get a carriage ride, but it would have been fun!  

My little camera just doesn't capture the lights as well as I'd like.  The colors are so much better than they appear here.  See the 5-story tree in blue?  I wish I could share my video of the tree light show, but it's too long to upload. 

 

We drove past the Dixie Stampede on the way to the downtown area.  I just had to stop in at Dick's 5 & 10.  Later that Saturday night, we met our son and L and her kids for a visit.  They were down for the weekend also.  We were invited to eat pizza with them, but I had my heart set on Shorty Small's for the best bbq ribs I've ever eaten.  Yum!  And yes, I had room left for cinnamon ice cream and apple dumplings the next day at SDC.  Double yum!

All too soon, it was time to pack up and head back home.  It was a fun trip.  Now it's time to finish up the little bit of wrapping, cleaning house...does that ever end?...and prepping some of the food for Christmas Day.  We'll have snacks and a light supper Christmas eve.  Are you ready?  It's almost time! 

I haven't been able to do as much blog visiting as I'd like the past few weeks, even months.  Thank you to my blog friends who have stayed with me all this year as it's been such a busy one.  Hopefully, next year will be quieter!  

In case I don't get a chance to visit before then, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

 

xo Cheryl

Catching Up and Some Thoughts

Hello everyone!  I'm still around and ready...almost...for Christmas!  I will be heading out to finish the shopping as soon as I finish this post.  Are you busy getting ready for Christmas or have you finished and are now sitting back and enjoying your prettily decorated home?

I had to push myself to get all the dust the bathroom project created out of my house and get the trees up, but it's all done and I'm glad I kept going even though I might have been heard grumbling a time or two.  

My little audience might have heard me saying things like "why can't Christmas be in January...it's too close to Thanksgiving" and "I hate putting the lights on the tree".

 

The bathroom is finished except for a few pieces that need staining and the oak board on the divider will get a few coats of clear varnish.  I haven't hung anything on the walls yet in the way of decor.  That will take some thought when things slow down a bit.  

Actually, things are slowing down until after Christmas.  Let's just say the electric wiring is driving BG nuts and we had a family meeting and decided to take a break.  Our daughter didn't want him hurting himself trying to finish so she could move in before Christmas.  Besides that, a water line downstairs sprung a leak...twice...and needed fixing.  That took up some of his time. 

Another deciding factor in the postponement on the work on The Project was that her fella J had some health issues recently.  In fact, J got to ride in the ambulance to the emergency room when he had a seizure in the middle of the night.  He is diabetic and it was found that he had been getting too much insulin via the pump.  He's doing better now, but it was a scare.

Kim and J have painted most of the rooms and J made a clever cover-up for the ugly tile that was on the corner fireplace hearth.  He had a piece of sheet metal cut to size and spray painted it black, then used some leftover oak flooring for the surround.  We think it turned out great!

I'll share more photos of the rooms after Christmas.  When BG gets the wiring figured out, it shouldn't be too long before it's ready to move in.  The wiring was done in a haphazard fashion.  And a hazard it could be, because BG found some frayed wires in the attic.  Needless to say, they are now disconnected.

I am glad for a break from "projects"!  After the bathroom was painted by moi with help from BG who painted around the ceiling, and the new trim stained or painted, my hand was cramping and swollen.  I am ready to retire from DIY jobs!  

We had our children here over the weekend.  Our son and his girl, L, and daughter and J were here Sunday for pizza.  L brought us a beautiful poinsettia for Christmas.  I will be careful to watch that the kitties don't nibble on it.

I haven't been too busy to keep up with the news.  It's hard to ignore it, much as I'd like to.  I have read a few blogs also when I sit down to relax, but I haven't tried to comment.  Some I would have liked to comment on, but it was just as well I didn't.  

Now, I have to say something that doesn't fit into the sweetness and light that we hope for in our blog posts most of the time.  Not everyone has the same view or opinions, of course.  I respect your right to your opinion even though I may strongly disagree with you.  I hope you will respect mine.  

Someone, the one I wanted to comment on but knew it would be better not to, was railing against guns in one blog post and suggested some chapters in the Bible that those of us who are for the 2nd Amendment needed to read.  Then she went on in another post about how we are to be tolerant and just love each other regardless of what country we're from and how heartless we idiots...yes, she did say that in response to a comment...are when we don't want to let certain people come into our country.  She was speaking particularly about the latest suggestion from a presidential candidate about stopping those people from coming in for a season.  Which has been done before and is constitutional by the way.  

I'm all for loving and respecting my fellow men and women no matter their color or nationality.  What I'm not for is letting people into our country who can't be vetted properly while we have this group who hate us and want nothing more than to destroy us.  As they have said themselves and we've already seen what they are capable of here as well as overseas.  And just for the record, I'm not endorsing any presidential candidate as yet.  There is a long way to go before the election.

I'm getting worried.  Just here in Missouri, there have been multiple cell phones bought by...shall we say...foreign men.  A hunter found a stockpile of explosives in a wooded area that were said to not be something that would be purchased for recreational purposes.  Although the sheriff of that county tried to downplay the possibility the explosives were tied to terrorism, it also was stated that they really didn't know that for sure.  Who knows what is next?  I am not naive enough to think that just loving people will change their minds or goals.

And about guns.  I am NOT for assault weapons.  In my humble opinion, no one needs them but perhaps the military and law officers.  But having a gun for protection or for hunting is perfectly okay in my book.  Maybe I partially feel that way because I grew up in a community where everyone had guns for hunting.  We were used to being around them.   

My father bought me a gun when I was 17 years old.  I had driven to our small country church one Sunday by myself.  I don't remember now why my family didn't go as they usually did.  Maybe it was during Vacation Bible School, I can't remember.  Anyway, I was the first one to leave and as I pulled out of the driveway and headed down the gravel road, I saw a car pulled over on the shoulder.  As I passed by, I looked over and saw a lone man in the vehicle.  I went on and then noticed in my rearview mirror that he had pulled out and was following me.  I got a bit worried and sped up.  So did he.  Even though there were some sharp curves in the as yet unpaved gravel road, I noticed he was keeping up with me.  As I turned left onto the other road that would take me to the turn off to our farm, I really floored it because that road while hilly was very straight.  I could see that he was trying to keep up, but the dust from the gravel and my speed kept me ahead enough that I whipped into our lane and saw him cruise on by.  Of course, I immediately told my parents and my dad called the sheriff with the description of the car I gave him.  In our community, everyone knew each other's vehicles and I had never seen this one before or the man, either.  That is when my dad soon after brought home a gun for me to carry when I was by myself.  

I tell all this because if you've ever had a scare like that, it makes you feel safer to know you have protection when you are alone.  At least, it did me.  No, I never had to use that gun.  But I would have used it if push came to shove.  I wish someone in these latest horrible situations had had a gun.  It might have saved a life.

Okay, enough of that.  I have some travel plans to share, but will wait for another post to tell about them when I have more space.  I have talked too much already, as usual.  I do have a question for you before I run along, if you don't mind my asking.  What is your favorite Christmas candy/cooky to make?
  
xo Cheryl  

What's Been Happening and Happy Thanksgiving!

The kitties and I were quite surprised to see a skiff of snow on the ground when we got up on Saturday morning.  I don't know if it was the weather or what, but they were into everything over the weekend.

They probably knew BG and I were trying to get a lot done with the bathroom remodel and decided to test our patience!

 
Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but I wanted to show you what Stormy has been doing the last few days.  She just doesn't want to leave the plant alone that is on the entertainment center.  She thinks that if she walks behind the TV she is hiding and we won't see her.  lol!   

I spent the better part of 2 hours one day repotting some 8 or 9 houseplants and I had a lot of help with that job from my furry crew.  It was a job that I've been putting off, but now it's done and all the tops of the cabinets and refrigerator are also clean where I keep them away from busy little paws.  Except for the couple on the entertainment center that I have to watch for telltale signs of chewing.  

I do know that pothos is toxic, but not deadly, to cats and it doesn't seem to bother Stormy.  I  purchased a container of grass for them to chew on at the pet store, but they ignored it.  

  
Friday saw me heading back to the home center again, but first a little detour was made to the Amish country for some pies and other goodies for Thanksgiving.  I was so focused on thinking about what I needed/wanted that I didn't think to take any photos until I was leaving.  The day was cloudy and dreary as you can see in this quick snap through my dirty windshield.

 
I'd rather have been napping over the weekend, but BG and I worked on the bathroom getting the trim back in place, hanging the closet doors, putting the cabinet back in place in the divider, hanging the mirror, and semi-installing the vanity.  We still have the vanity to finish and new closet doorknobs to install and the trim around the new window needs finishing and installed.  I think that's about it!  

Meanwhile, Kim and J were still working on the walls at The Project.  They have the spare bedroom painted and now the rest of the rooms are about ready to paint.  After our bathroom is finished, we'll be helping with the painting when we can.  BG also needs to finish some electrical stuff.

I'd love to be going to Branson for Thanksgiving this year, but we decided we'd better spend every day BG has off at The Project if daughter is to get moved in before Christmas.

  
Are you cooking this Thanksgiving?  We were invited to go out to eat with J's parents.  They live near us and are a fun couple to be around, but we decided to stay at home.  Our son will be coming in and it will just be the few of us.  Kim and J will come by later in the day for an evening meal.

I most likely won't be posting for awhile.  Maybe not for a few weeks.  Life is just too busy for me to keep up with blogging right now.  I will pop in and read when I can, though.  And I still have several blog friends on my prayer list.  I won't forget you!

I wish all of my friends here in the US the most wonderful Thanksgiving ever.  I have much to be grateful for and I've put a list of a few things in my sidebar.  There is too much to list them all!  One thing I am grateful for is for my blogging friends.  You are the best and I'm thankful for each one of you.  Take care and have a wonderful holiday!

xo Cheryl 

A Rainy Monday

 

The clouds were just moving in late yesterday when I snapped this photo.  I woke up to rain this morning and a bit of a panicky feeling as my thoughts quickly zeroed in on the work still needing to be done before Thanksgiving.  I'm beginning to think that going out to eat this Thanksgiving sounds good.

There is so much clutter from moving stuff out of the big closet in the bathroom in order to get to the plumbing for the tub and putting ceramic tile on the floor.  The clutter of tools scattered around, the clutter of boxes such as the new sink faucet and the huge box which houses the new toilet.  You get the picture.  But not an actual one.  Ha! 

 

After being home from work all week with a nasty cold/virus, BG was feeling well enough to help me get the bathroom painted over the weekend.  He got on the ladder and painted near the ceiling and I rolled on the rest.  And, yes, I did find the paint I was looking for!

The vanity is now sitting below that light fixture, but not yet completely put in place.  I stood on a chair holding that fixture while BG did the wiring.  He finished just in the nick of time as my arm began cramping.  Not to mention his hand was getting a cramp, too.

I think I may have said a time or two, that when we get finished with this bathroom and a couple more rooms get painted and the basement redone, and The Project is painted, that I'm swearing off DIY projects for good!  

Meanwhile, back at The Project our daughter was painting and J, her boyfriend, was changing a ceiling light and taking out shelves in a closet for her.  

As in all painting projects that I've had a hand in, after the first coat dries you always find a few places that need a touch up or maybe even a second coat.  I had to do that for the bathroom and her spare bedroom will need the same.

At first I didn't like the color she chose, it looked so different when wet, but after it dried a bit it looked much better.  She chose a shade of brown which looked pretty and chocolatey on the sample.

Don't look at the ceiling too close, there needs to be some touch up painting done.  The only thing in this room we didn't replace was the bathtub.  It was in pretty good shape and we wanted to stay within our budget for this project.  I did decide to go ahead and have the grab bars put in because I've already wished I something to hold on to when I've had a senior vertigo moment.

How about a mirror like these that are at the Dixie Stampede in Branson for our bathroom?  I actually have 2 of the horse collars from long ago.  My dad gave me one and when he moved I inherited his.  They've been in storage ever since because they are not quite my thing!  But hey, I could put a mirror in one and hang it over the vanity.  What do you think?  No?  Me, neither. 

Before I close I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the horrific happenings in France.  Also my prayers are with all who are fighting against those who are doing the devil's work all around the world.  I think that the devil must be working overtime because he knows his time is growing short.  May the Lord bless us and keep us safe.

xo Cheryl

Just Call It A Gallimaufry

I ran across a new-to-me word recently and it pretty much describes my post for today.  The word is gallimaufry.  I do read a lot but I have to say this word is one I hadn't yet encountered. 

Dictionary dot com says that it means a hodgepodge; jumble; confused medley.  2, a ragout or hash. 

Sound interesting yet?  Ha!  Well, this is my way of saying that this post is likely to be all over the place today.  A gallimaufry.  Or, if you prefer, a hodgepodge of stuff to share.

I'm driving myself nuts trying to decide on a color for the bathroom.  It will probably be ready for painting after tomorrow.  

Here's another shot of the condo that has the color I want.  I called the condo Friday and they are supposed to look it up when they have time.  Hopefully, they'll get to it soon!  Meanwhile, my paint sample collection is growing.  I've gotten close to the shade I'm looking for, but the color looks different depending on the light.  Just like the walls look different according to what time of day it is or the kind of light in the room.
  
Help me, Rhonda.  I'm about to put all the colors in a hat and draw one out and say this is it!  

In spite of some very chilly nights, most days have been nice and we have a few geraniums still blooming as well as some of our Knockout Roses.  We put away most of the flower pots over the weekend.  That is about all BG and I accomplished.  Mr. Grumpy Face is feeling puny with a cold and even stayed home from work today.  I call him grumpy because he is when he doesn't feel good.  I am the same way, I'm sure!

Our daughter and her fella have been busy getting the hardwood floors done at The Project.  This is another before shot showing the sanded area and then with one coat of polyurethane.  Most of the floors have now had 4 coats with some sanding in between.  The last coat will be put on the bedroom floors this evening.  They are looking great!  

 
Let's get out of the house for a minute and away from all that paint pondering and sick men and enjoy the nice fall day.  Most of our leaves have fallen or have turned brown.  The tree above in the back yard is always the last one to lose it's leaves.  The tree in the first photo and next photo is at the other house aka The Project, so there are a few pretty trees left but they won't last much longer.  

  
Did I mention that the carpenter worked all weekend?  Oh yeah.  Fun times around here.  lol!  There will be lots of work to do after he's finished.  Dust is everywhere from the sanding of the sheetrock even though he kept the door closed.  So, if I disappear for awhile from blogland, you know that I'm busy cleaning and painting.  We're about ready to begin painting at the other house, too.   

Take care everyone and have a great week!  I'm going to the kitchen now and make some homemade chicken noodle soup for Grumpy Face BG. 

xo Cheryl