Monthly Archives: April 2021
Mailbox Decoration
We haven’t bothered to change our mailbox decoration for several months due to several factors. We had put up my husband’s favorite of the decorations we have made –
Yesterday we were getting the mail really late in the afternoon. I asked if my husband minded changing the mailbox decoration. He agreed, so we put up MY favorite, Calvin & Hobbes. This one makes me smile, and I think that with all we are all going through these days, it’s good to get even a virtual hug.
Filed under Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations, Lewis projects
Hooraaaaay!
I got a call a few minutes ago from the people who are going to lay our new carpet and porch flooring. When I heard who it was, my heart fell. I thought they were calling to say they couldn’t be here Friday and would need to reschedule.
To my delight, they were calling to say they had finished up a job today, earlier than they thought they would. They asked if “it would be all right” if they came tomorrow, rather than Friday. HOOORAAAAY!
We will finish up the last-minute stuff on getting ready and will be here with bells on to welcome them tomorrow morning.
They will start in the office, so I probably won’t be on the computer until at LEAST tomorrow evening, if then, but I wanted to share our good news with you. :0)
Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance
More Wonderful Acorn Art
Filed under acorn art
Art from Found Things
Filed under Art From Found Things
Thoughts on a Tuesday 4-27-2021
I’ve been emptying out moveable shelves and furniture for several days now, trying to get ready for new carpet in our office, foyer, and living room, plus new vinyl for our porch. I’m very aware right now of WHY new flooring is such a big decision around here. Even with my efforts to go through things, donate, throw away, reorganize, we STILL have way too much STUFF.
AND I’m finding out how awful your house can get when you don’t empty things out, move the furniture away from the wall and clean behind it at LEAST every 13 years or so. Now it’s a matter of pride, like a teenage boy or young man washing his car before a date, wanting to show his best face. I’m cleaning like a nut, not wanting the flooring guys to see what a slob I am. :0)
Happily, the company called yesterday to schedule our installation. The guy started with May 10th and 11th. I said, “But we’re ready NOW!” (We’re not actually completely ready, but could be). He got with the others and we compromised. They are now coming this Friday morning, the 30th. If they don’t finish, they will come back on Tuesday, May 4th. I’m hoping that we can get the carpet in Friday, and then I don’t mind waiting until the 4th for them to do the vinyl on the porch.
I had a good chat with our son this morning, so my day started in one of the best possible ways there is. He lives and works in Thailand. He loves it there. Even though I don’t like the fact that he is halfway across the planet from us, he is such a good communicator that I can almost forget that. We talk several times a week, send pics to each other, and even talk with a conference call program from time to time where I can see his face and try to make him smile and laugh.
His newest thing is taking private lessons on reading and writing Thai. He already speaks the language. In fact, he has a phone app where he acts as a translator between people speaking English, Mandarin, and Thai. He has 3 keyboards on the phone and is able to switch between them quickly. Someone will write in to the app, asking, “How do you say ___ in (English, Mandarin/Thai)?” He types in the answer and then goes on to the next question. The last time he was home, I could have watched him do that for hours. He wants to be able to read and write in Thai. He considers this basic courtesy.
Yesterday was DAY 1 on my experiment using Green Tea Extract supplements to try to control my appetite, which has gone through the roof lately. The directions say to take one capsule each day with a meal. I took mine after lunch yesterday. I managed to NOT eat anything between meals while eating a normal amount for lunch and dinner. Most importantly, I did NOT end up downstairs in the middle of the night, eating everything except for the wall.
I don’t know whether the supplement does anything or if I just want it to help so badly I got through Day 1. The mind is a powerful thing, and motivation is such a big part of changing a lifestyle. I don’t know whether this eating binge is due to stress (of which I have more than my share these days) or simply bad habits I have to work harder to break. I am determined to give this an honest shot. This is DAY 2.
Filed under Challenges, DIET!, Family, Housekeeping - Maintenance
Leave Room
So far, so good on my garden veggies. We are due for rain this evening-into THURSDAY, with some possibly severe, so fingers are crossed again.
This is the whole garden, except for the two brick planters of tomato plants on the other side of the house and yard.
As you can see here, the zucchini and yellow crookneck squash didn’t like the recent freezes. I’m hoping that the main plants are healthy and that they will put on more leaves now that we have supposedly passed the danger of freezes and frosts.
The spinach is happy.
All appendages are crossed that all my sweet veggies make it through until Thursday afternoon, when the rains are supposed to be over for a bit.
Trying Not to Stuff My Face
All this activity of going through everything in our office and living room, moving things off the floor and out of furniture and taking it elsewhere for the laying of new carpet and flooring soon has increased my hunger. I feel I could eat the wall, giving a bit of cheese on it or some honey mustard.
I ordered some green tea extract and received it today. I’m supposed to take one capsule a day. I read a lot of reviews and decided that I would try it, hoping for some increased ability to NOT snack between meals, or to be able to choose HEALTHY snacks that will coordinate with my efforts to eat less.
Fingers crossed.
Confidence
I don’t know why, but when I was growing up, I felt that I ‘should already know how to do things’ before doing them out in public. If my class at school announced that we would have a roller skating party, I would beg my mom to take me to the rink so that I could practice before the party, in a panic about the idea of embarrassing myself in front of other people.
Gradually, over the years, I gave myself ‘permission’ to admit that I had no clue about certain things, that I had never tried something, etc. It still bothers me a bit, but I’ve FINALLY learned to try the new thing to see if I enjoy it, rather than ‘standing back in my own mind’ seeing myself falling in a heap when everyone else seems to be able to do it with no problem.
I don’t know if others share my lack of confidence, but it caused me to miss out on several things when I was young. I still admire people who seem to be fearless, who throw themselves headlong into whatever it the situation is, with a ‘can do’ attitude, or the idea that it will be fun.
One thing I did that helped me deal with this was when I was teaching swimming each summer from the time I was 14 through college. We taught beginning swimming to young children, but we also taught older, experienced swimmers who wanted to work on their technique, stamina, or just wanted the workout.
My favorite thing was our “Mothers Classes.” These ladies sat on the benches in the hot, steamy, indoor pool area so that their kids could learn to swim. What we discovered was that the reason for this many times was that THEY were scared of the water, had never learned to swim, and wished they could. I ended up with some impressive scratches sometimes from women who were petrified, but I felt that the time we spent getting them over their fear was priceless for all of us. We taught them to relax and let the water hold them up. We showed them that they could actually float! Helping women find the confidence to try to overcome years of fear and avoidance helped ME, too. Seeing them learn to swim across the deep end on their own, laughing with joy, made me see my own problems in a different, more healthy light.
Are you with me? Got your T-shirt?
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, empowerment, Encouragement
Bryony Jennings Art
These wonderful sewn critters were created by Bryony Jennings – MyOwlBarn.com
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art
Dream
My friend Cathy sent me this photo recently of something she thought my husband could make for me.
This would be truly wonderful. I could have it in the living room, the guest room upstairs, our bedroom, my art room….
Just looking at it makes me want to grab my book, snuggle in, and enjoy.
I would make a couple of additions, though. I would want a light attached on one of the back corners, and a place for me to put my coffee on my coffee warmer on the right side. I would also bring my throw so I could really snuggle in, and maybe catch a nap from time to time!
Right now I’m enjoying Book 2, Ashen Winter, in the series by Mike Mullin. It’s about a 16-year-old boy trying to survive after the world is plunged into the unthinkable due to an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. The series is fascinating. After I finished Book 1 – recommended to me by my husband, I ordered Books 2 and 3 plus an additional smaller book concentrating on one of the main characters, Darla. I love Mike Mullin’s writing. The series is written for teenagers, but the scope of the books engages all ages. The series includes Ashfall, Ashen Winter, the novella – Darla’s Story, and then Sunrise.
Filed under Dreams, Favorite Authors & Books, Reading is FUNdamental
Lots of Exercise
We are continuing to empty furniture little by little – trying to find space ‘elsewhere’ for all the ‘STUFF’ we have in our office, foyer, and living room in our project to get ready for new carpet plus vinyl for the back porch.
We have plenty of time to get this done. The installation will be sometime the first week in May, but I may not have EMPHASIZED enough how much “STUFF” we have. We have built-in shelving on both sides of the doorway in the office and built-in drawers and counter-top around two sides of the rest of the room. We don’t have to do anything with those – just the furniture that needs to be moved. These have to be empty.
We have two 4-drawer file cabinets and one 2-drawer file cabinet. We have movable shelving – one 6-shelf piece, one 4-shelf piece, and two 2-shelf pieces. And the list goes on.
I’m trying to throw things out as I move things elsewhere. I am PROMISING myself, as I take things up and down the stairs to my art room or our guest room – that I will take just as much time putting things back together as I have taking things apart, go through and throw out MORE as I bring things from ‘elsewhere’ to back where they live.
One good thing I’m noticing is that, with all this activity, I’m getting a LOT of exercise, cleaning out, hauling up and down stairs or into another room – and that I’m dropping off to sleep like I’ve been hit with a sledge hammer. I just wish I had this cute little baby elephant with his purple ball to exercise with! :0)
Filed under exercise, Housekeeping - Maintenance
Dubanci Acorn Art
Wonderful acorn ‘elf’ creations plus photography by Dubanci.cz presented by inspiremore.com.
Fun with Statues 6
Filed under fun with statues
Towel Art to Make You Smile 6
Filed under Towel Critter Art
Mother Nature’s Nose is Out of Joint
It’s rainy and cool here today. I didn’t hear the rain overnight, but I was sleeping really soundly after moving stuff all day in the effort to get ready for the carpet and vinyl installers to come soon. We have JUST finished being threatened by frosts and freezes and NOW are being threatened with heavy rain, gusty winds, hail, flying hairballs, tornadoes and more. My poor veggie plants will need more than just sheets for protection and I don’t have anything. I’ll just have to HOPE that Mother Nature decides she has had her say and moves on. I will check on my plants later today – with all appendages crossed – if it warms up.
Meanwhile, the project to get everything off the floor and all the furniture empty is ongoing. I’m trying to do something significant each day. The day before yesterday I moved all of our files out of the office. That includes two 4-drawer file cabinets and one 2-drawer cabinet.
Yesterday I emptied and relocated the stuff that was on a free-standing 6-shelf piece of furniture that lives in our office.
Today the project is emptying my desk. It is a roll top, old-fashioned, well-loved-but-not-valuable desk I have had for YEARS. It is almost impossible to move. I am removing the drawers today and carrying them upstairs to the guest room. There are 15 drawers and two pull-out pieces of wood for writing. When those are all out and stored, the remaining desk is still in 4 pieces: the top; the two sides; and the board that connects the two sides.
I’m really looking forward to having new carpeting in our living room, foyer, and office, plus new vinyl on our porch, but it really brings home WHY we only do it every 13 years or so…
Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance, Mother Nature
Delicious Driftwood Art
Filed under Driftwood Art
Whew!
Tuesday my husband and I went hunting for new carpet for our first floor and new floor covering for our porch. We were lucky enough to be able to compromise on some carpet and I got free reign on the porch!
They are planning to install this the first week in May. For the past three days I have been trying to move things off the floor and out of moveable furniture. They will move the furniture and put it back, but only if each piece is EMPTY. Ugh.
I’m lucky that since we just had the work done on our porch, I am down to the essentials out there. It will be a quick matter to move the table, chairs, and small corner of ‘stuff’ out on the deck.
The carpeted area is not nearly so simple. For example, we have TWO 4-drawer file cabinets and ONE 2-drawer file cabinet in the office. I had to move all the files elsewhere so that they can move the file cabinets. We also have ONE 6-shelf piece of furniture, ONE 3-shelf, and TWO 2-shelf pieces of furniture. That’s for starters in the office….
Yesterday I moved all the files into TWO huge rectangular laundry baskets on the floor in the dining area. Today I emptied the 6-shelf piece and will soon start carrying drawers in my desk up the stair to keep in my art room.
This is all good exercise, but it really wears me out fast. I’m also appalled at all the DIRT under and behind the furniture that has sat in the same place for years…
It’s a good thing that I have a good amount of time to get this done
I have never been “Suzy Homemaker,” but I should really be shot for being such a lousy housekeeper. :0(
Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob
Sweet Cats
Filed under Amazing Animals
Garden Progress
I’ve been covering my veggie plants and tomato planters with sheets for 4 nights now, and so far, things seem to have come through the freezes all right. The Zucchini has had the most reaction. I’ve had to cut off several leaves from the plants. They blackened with the frosts and freezes. There is enough left of the plants that still looks good I think they will make it.
According to the weather website we are now past the freezes. This is really unusual here. Usually, our last frosts are April 5th, and that is even pretty late since I have been trying to grow things. We are supposed to get rain tonight and all day tomorrow.
I have the sheets spread out on the fencing around the garden, trying to dry it out during the day today so I can bag them up and put them away.
I HOPING that things will get back to normal for gardening soon.
Although the veggies seem to be doing all right, my elephant ear bulbs did not make it over wintered in the garage. I have finally given up on them and ordered more bulbs. I am hoping those will arrive soon so that I can get them into the ground.
I gathered my first harvest of the year recently, and we enjoyed a main meal salad last night, featuring our own spinach and lettuce! It’s been quite awhile since we were able to do that. I loved it!
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