The Table Search Continues

I’ve worked on my zone work and gotten the house in shape for the holiday happenings around here. I have not decided on the table yet but I’m zooming in on a decision before long. I’m thinking I’d love to have a table chairs hutch and buffet so it’s back to pounding the pavement and looking at more catalogues. I’ve decided to wait and do this for one of my art dates. Without grand kids in tow so I do not have to worry about them jumping from one new couch to another and I’m not kidding about this! Or swinging from the chandeliers kidding here, but I now realize why I was overwhelmed by this decision. I’d find a table with out chairs at one antique store, no price yet on it so I’m waiting for a call. I found one or a dinette set I liked in the right color of wood but the chairs were not comfortable, so I had to keep looking, another one awesome but over powering and was huge and for a formal dinning room, ours is not.

A hutch is on my list as well; would like a hutch one with a mirrored back to reflect more light because of the Northern exposure. I found one or two and a couple buffets Now I’m hoping to find these pieces in a wood we like. Hubby likes the oak, I’ve given up on pine and will be looking at oak and have seen some older pieced at the antique shops. This has been an interesting adventure. One of the plusses of a new set is that they will deliver it free! That is a consideration around here.

TV night

This is one of my favorite nights for TV. Last night I watched a pretty new TV show called Friday Night Lights I’ve seen it a couple of times and enjoyed it. This show took me back to my high school days and I knew they had done their job with I found my self reflecting dating my hubby he was on the foot ball team we were. There is some thing soothing about life if your biggest problem is what student to start as qb [quarter back] on Friday night. This show is on too late I think. Don’t know if I’ll be able to catch very many of these. Tonight The Unity one of my favorites new shows from last year. I should get dinner done early so I can get the evening stuff out of the way and sit down and relax and watch it.

Hanging Iron

There is snow in the forecast here for later in the weekend it’s frosty out now. I asked hubby if he had hung iron yet, that’s trucker talk for “put chains on the truck”; to have them with you for getting up and over snowy road conditions in the winter. He said yes he put them on the first of September. There is snow in the forecast over night the first week of snow was last week. It's breezey and blustery outside now.

New TV show fav. picks of the season

Men in trees a delightful comedy has us laughing and feeling good a Friday night delight.

Shark is a surprise I did not think I would like this one but the salty main character’s experience holds his own. Fresh camera shots are great in this one. I look for it to be around for a while.

These two shows get my pick of the two top new TV shows of 06.
The rest of the new shows could not hold my attention for a whole hour.

I look forward to the return of house after the series. My fav. pick of last season.

Friday Finds

Finds:
[If I was doing a list journal this would go in it.]

metal footed candle stand
pj's
silk roses
decor tin w/ pumpkins on it
note book to draw on & in
decor hat for office w/ flowers on it
sweater in my size
button down sweater
fabric
white mini crochet baskets
beads
2 silver spoons
plastic ice cream bucket
gloves kids long
fabric
noise maker
hat for wall w/ flowers on it
carpet bag tote
jars for canisters
slippers

Aprons for Mama & Others!

I remember one year mom made aprons for everyone for Christmas it was such fun for her to sew these up and for us to receive them. After that we have gotten a John Deer BBQ apron, and I have a sheep apron I use for my spinning and weaving crafts.

I've been gathering up aprons for mom. What she used to call cobbler style aprons, I've found one at a yard sale like new in an tropical print and some others at a thrift store. She cooks at the senior center part time and wears them for her work.

While I was clearing out the basement and going through the dear grand daughters toys. I found a tiny apron it reminded me of ones I made for our daughter and one for her doll that matched I did one for myself too. I made some for the dear grand daughters and their dolls they have loved playing at cooking wearing their aprons and feeding their dolls.

I found some aprons that the home improvement store has for kids and small ones like a nail apron to wear when daddy is building something to keep nails and a hammer in.

Granny’s Hammer

I remember granny’s hammer today at a tent sale outside as I was chatting with a friend I spotted this hammer and got it I remember granny had one just like it for small jobs in the house the bigger hammers the guys would [borrow] borry as she said and not bring them back. This smaller one they did not want to mess with it was just right for small jobs like hanging a picture or helping us to nail a bird house before we painted them or pulling nails that were in the way.

I found a canvas satchel for my art sketch bookand my writing journal I ‘ve been looking for just the right container for my things ant this just fits the bill. Hubby commented that I seemed to be having more fun at the stores he wanted to go to that had hunting gear. I found fender bags for my ATV too!

The Traveling Basket

I’ve been thinking about a basket my grandmother and grandfather brought a sea grass tote basket with them on the train. One time it had some food to eat canned tuna, cheese and cracker packets for the three day cross country journey trip from where she lived to our house.

It was great because we remembered this basket from when we went back one year. So this basket was passed back and forth across the country several times. Mom filled it for their return trip adding a can opener as I remember, I have fond memories of these type of baskets today.

I have a basket similar to this in my cupboard today it’s a smaller version when my sis was out last time we talked about our memories of this basket. It seems to come up when we are visiting each other! It has come sort of a tradition of portable hospitality for us.

Rubber stamping Fun & Mini-mancation

I went to a rubber stamping party for gno [girls night out] this past week. It was great we made some cards and ordered supplies. I came home and hubby was having a miniman cation a party for one having dinner in front of the TV watching wrestling. I was not the only one having a fun break in my routine this week!

Today I took a rain walk with my newest wardrobe addtion a purple rain coat, and a hat, soon the rain stopped while I was on my fourtyfive minute walk. After I got home sun came out. I've been cooking chicken in bulk I thawed out that whole bag of chicken thighs and cooked them up using two crock pots and the oven. The house sure smells great, I have broth for soup now yummy!

Morning Painting Evening Pages

I found stationery that said special on it and I custom cut it to fit my planner and I’ll will be using it as a writing exercise for 21 days write about being special.

I’m enjoying a book I found last week and nearly have it read I highly recommend this book Writing alone and with others by Pat Schneider especially if you have writing aspirations you need this book! It's a great read too about her experiences of leading writing work shops and what is good in a writing work shop or writing class.

I wrote and auto bio of my younger years a few years back and that was such a fun experience I took my note book and went to a coffee shop one morning and got the bulk of ideas on paper that went so smoothly without the distraction of phone or TV; I see why they suggest that in the books on writing that I love to read!

I enjoyed a writers group that I was in one fall it so inspired me to keep on writing it was a very productive fall. That was before blogging for me.

No, I do not write fiction not writing a book not working on a manuscript some are doing NaNoWriMo 2006 for a fall fiction project writing project what is this? http://www.nanowrimo.org/

My dear grand daughter 2nd grade is supposed to be doing journaling and I’ve talked to her parents about keeping it in her book bag so she can work on it here, yesterday I had her write down a line of the topic she wanted to write about. I do this to help me remember if I do not have my journal / planner with me. Journaling is one of my passions I love to read journals by others like early pioneers Lewis and Clark journals have been a fun read for me. I’ve found this at the local camp ground and others in
our area. So next time you are traveling check out books at tourist attractions of local authors.

Morning painting evening pages I’m painting in the mornings these days instead of doing morning pages and journaling in the evening whatever works! I"m Painting bird houses doll chairs and other fun items!

I did my art date yesterday ie play time over town shopping / doing research for dining table was exhausting I thought it would be fun it's not!

My 'finds' this week on my art date were two Emilie Barnes tea books! I love these they were on my book wish list last Christmas last year so I’m feeling very blessed to have these to read now. Timeless treasures and the Twelve teas of friendship. I have her gardening one and it’s time for a re-read of it I think! I love the art work in the Timeless Treasures Sandy Lynam Clough is the featured artist in this one; and twelve teas has art by Susan Ross. If you want a gift suggestion for a mom or granny that loves teas this is one you need to check in to getting!

I’ve really been inspired to get in gear with my painting by a book Creative Artist by Nita Lealand got it from north light book club I’ve got a wish list of at least $200.oo of books I want from the last catalogue. If only I had more time to read.

Table Shopping

I’ve been on an elusive search for the perfect dining table.
I wanted pine with knots but found out they don’t recommend pine
because the wood is too soft.

So I’ve been scouring thrift shops, going to yard sales
new and 2nd hand furniture stores.
with out luck but I’m not giving up not yet any way.
This week I"m still shopping and doing research.
I'm learning a lot about this process.

Gathering Walk

The Gathering Walk This is a walk I'd been planning this one for a week or so. I headed out to the corner and only made it half way to the first block I had to go back for got something, back home I grabbed two bags there were pine, fir and spruce cones I wanted to gather along the street there were dove feathers I'd spotted the other day. I found some cedar hedge trimmings from yard work done earlier in the week I spotted and that was a true find to add to the fragrant woodsy smell I was after.

Today the weather was perfect 68* clear blue skies the kind of weather I love to walk in. Twenty minutes later after the loop the first part of my gathering adventure was done I had to come by the house to shed my sweater.

I was off to the next part of my walk about a half mile down the road there was a walnut tree I was heading for English walnuts, and further down the lane black walnuts I was after nuts and shells, for craft supplies I scooted my feet in bright yellow leaves as I walked along just like I remembered doing as a kid walking home from school it was such a great feeling.

I have a potpourri recipe for fall I want to try I found it in a December magazine how you could do that and then let it sit the three weeks needed and get it ready for the holidays is beyond me but I was able to start early and will be trying this next.