Back From the Doll Hospital

The other day I noticed that there was one of the stuffed dolls had a need of a serious repair the head was about to come off of one of the stuffed rabbit dolls, so I got out the needle and thread and stitched it up and then I noticed there was a bit on the back of the doll that needed to be stitched up and repaired that too. So the doll is back together and resting comfortably now.

Dear grand daughter is using one of the new doll blankets that I knitted up for her to use and she is having a blast with it. We went to the store and I mailed off some bills after getting stamps she took her stuffed care bear, and wrapped it up in her scarf that’s when we decided that we could use the new doll blanket that I knit up.

Server Issues

This week we’ve had more changes with the new company that is our internet provider and I’ve had to call for tech support several times to get the settings tweaked, and still not done with these.

We got our taxes done last weekend and the office cleaned, That was a job but was so glad to get that done! First hubby cleared off his desk, then the next day I cleared off mine, and pulled out all the stuff that did not belong in there or that it was just time to let go of because of lack of use. I got the short rolling desk out, vacuumed and then put my new tall art desk in there. I’ve been working on the closet in there this week. Just fifteen minutes at a time I’m making good progress on it.

I also worked on the basement sorting the wedding stuff. Organizing it and simplifying that. Then I started on the craft room moving containers and plastic bins, loading donation in the truck. I got the truck ¼ of a full sized truck loaded with donations to go to the thrift shop. Last week hubby delivered and unloaded them for me that worked out great! The house is really starting to show some improvement. I’ve had to stop and rest my back it was a bit sore. Hauling boxes up the stairs and out side is great exercise.

It’s great to get these things out of here that have been in the way, I’ve been upgrading art and some of the pictures I took down it what’s been leaving.

Tonight I was able to use the office and the fish tank covered up the sci fi music noise of one of those monster squid movies he was watching and I could get a bit of reading done. I’m working on a new topical planner and collecting notes in it and have been able to just take a breath this afternoon get some down time to refocus my energy and regroup, it really helped.

I really enjoyed ice skating, mainly the ice dancing Olympics event.

Couples Get A Way Valentines Weekend

Last weekend we did a couples weekend get away, hubby went to the r.v. show. I got him a western D.V.D. Monty Walsh it was a hit and card and chocolate kisses. They had a hot tub but failed to say it was outside! Br-r we decided to pass on it! At the room, the train woke me up at least twice in the night. In the morning the fire alarm went off when we were cooking cont. breakfast waffles. hubby loved the excitement of that! Which reminds me of a time I took candles to a cabin we rented and they set off the alarm!

The next night we changed motels they had a basket ball team there and tub and pool were both full, but we had fun any way! I went shopping with some money hubby gave me to spend he was thinking I’d get a necklace or other piece of jewelry. But I went to the thrift shop and had a blast! I replenished my wardrobe in pants. =D {I’m down another size and highlight of my weekend was discovering that I needed smaller pants!} I was in dire need of everything! I also got a shelf and chopping surface for the stove in the kitchen and had a blast shopping!

Dinner out was great at one of our favorite places Red Lobster.

We had fun doing some fruit of the loom shopping at one of the mart stores near where we stayed one of our valentines’ traditions! I found a pink pilots suit case, and stool for my new tall art desk that just came last week I had that built.

New Art Desk

Today my tall art desk came I had to roll it out on the deck, it was freshly painted and the fumes got to me. The shelf is too low so we will have to move it up when I get a stool or chair I can sit at it with. The color is exactly the color of my table! =D

It’s neat, I ordered another piece of counter top for a shelf I wanted, and he will price out a support for some marbleized type of stuff for out door cooking bbq garden parties and the like.

And he said he could do counter tops! We need these done too! So I have two smaller portable ones and that will be a great place to start a bit at a time. So I’m excited about these new changes!

Grizzly Man

This weekend I watched the movie Grizzly Man, it was interesting and I loved the scenery in the shots the camera had some powerful footage of bears fighting, and a den of foxes he befriended it was enjoyable to see, to bad the bears saw to his demise.

Dear son was sad he missed it said he wanted to see this one and was going to tape it. I did not know he wanted to see it and just happened across it when I was flipping through some of my favorite channels.

Think Spring!

When I was at the eye dr. earlier this week the receptionist was saying how she had spring fever living in a higher elevation than we have. There is no sign of spring where she lives.

My daffodils are up four inches and snow drops are blooming, irises are up an inch or two already. My trees and roses are starting to put leaves on. Mild temps and sunny days have done their majac and the promise of spring is in the air around here. As I take my walks with my grand children we see the robins that have recently arrived is fun!

Wedding Date & New Glasses

My new glasses finally came in, today I’m getting the photo grey part to work the first few times it takes longer to change I walked to the corner to get out in the sun a bit this morning. The winds have kicked up here today so that makes it not as much fun.

Today I’ve been working on the basement here this week reclaiming some space, I have the rec. room that takes up half of the house 2/3 rds done, now. The toys have been rounded up and are in the toy zone. Dear son has a wedding date in a couple of weeks middle of the mo. no surprise for us, reception is still early June. Our motto is all plans are subject to change around here! I’ve been cleaning the basement clearing out the TV zone for super bowl Sunday.

Yesterday I did some outside stuff, moving a few items around, getting the wood out of the wheel borrow, dear son said he could use one I had that has a hold in it, and said he could weld it and fix it he used to be a welder. He asked what color it was I said it was rust colored! I put the wagons by his truck, one of them needs fixed too. He said he had a pile of rocks to move.

Moving Weekend:

Daughter in love has moved into the house they bought this weekend the house is full no room for dear sons stuff we got plenty of exercise moving boxes furniture, pruning some tree limbs, putting up dog fence and dear son has a new sink in the bathroom.

Next is the painting, window washing, and settling in phase. Dear son’s mother in law had window cleaner, and filing stuff to go in the freezer, the last thing to go in a fire learn some thing all the time. She could not get the windows open to clean them seemed it was not a priority for others.

I had to laugh each person seems to move in a different way. The first thing I do is to hang pictures if there are any nails up. Get the kitchen set up some what putting dishes where they will be going, and the bed up, or just sleep on the mattress on the floor when we have moved in the past.

I helped to get the cattle trailer unloaded, and then we cleaned off the dining room table, and moved holiday stuff in the basement and off the front porch. My mom used to do that she would start cleaning some thing instead of asking what needed to be done or if she could help. Caused me hurt feelings more than once as I remember.

Drawing Table

I’m so excited! The other day I saw a kiddie drawing table store someone had made. I made a comment about wanting some, for grand kids or me, the guy that made them called and I ordered one for me!

I wanted it to be tall so I can stand at it and draw it’s bar height. I've ordered mine with wheels on it! I love wheels makes moving things so much easier. I can clean under them and rearranging furniture is a breeze with furniture that has wheels.

I’m looking forward to using this new tall drawing table. I’ve been going all over the various locations I can put it and measuring to see if it will fit, so that will be fun, it could also be used for an out door bbq cart serving cooking table. Dear son was very interested in hearing about this too.

This may be an idea for holiday gifts for next year too. Nah lets just get out the saw horses and the ½ sheet of play wood! It’s more authentic and we even have some saw horses from the farm. Hubby is using his to hold up the small boat.

I found some at the thrift shop, they were newer and the guys looked at me like they thought I was nuts, when I said stop I need those, probably because we were in the car at the time! But the time first time they need a temporary work surface guess what they do, get out the saw horses. This also works great for sorting table when I’m doing the de-cluttering zone work too.

Coffee or Tea?

"I'll have tea hot."
I ordered some tea the other day and the waitress asked what kind it was, after she brought the selection and I asked for more hot water for another cup, the cinnamon smelled so good she said, it was spice tea. After she left while hubby was at the salad bar, this tea fragrance reminded me of several things and I pulled out my purse planner to jot down some notes while we waited for our meal to arrive.

This was a delight because I was doing one of those write down your goals and dreams exercises and I was drawing a blank because I’d been fighting off a cold and having a dry spell. Getting well was on the forefront of my mind. Then suddenly as if by magic these wonderful ideas started coming across my path. It seemed every where I turned were things I’d thought of at one time or other and forgotten about but had dreamed of.

Sitting by a cool mountain stream, sipping tea at a bed and breakfast, going to a prayer retreat, having fruit trees in the back yard, a trip to a far land where the trade route used to be. Seeing a luxurious tea plantation, wandering through some pines in the wood gathering mushrooms for dinner.

I found some great quotations and then I could get on to the next chapter in my dream planner this was a fun exercise for me! My thought processes were stimulated, my dreams have been vibrant these exercises are working!

Antique Mall

The other day we were at the antique mall, it was a date we both had our camo on after going out for lunch. I found the cutest china hutch in child size, and small tea cups and saucers. I was thinking how perfect it would be for a play house if ours was bigger.

While I was looking at that hubby had found some 8 x 10 black and white photos of John Wayne, James Dean, and other favorite movie stars of our childhood he was leafing through these binders of photos in them for sale.

I’ve been dreaming of having a gazebo in the back yard for quite some time so I’m going to have to go out and see if there is actually room for one or not with out taking a tree down! A friend said they sold their house, made an offer on one and it has no trees. I said I had a dwarf plum tree that we could transplant to their yard. She was excited about that!

Go Seahawks!

Go Seahawks!

We've been waiting a long time for this to happen around here!
With that and the 50* temps we had here yeasterday and
showing the snow drops in the yard to dear grand daughter,
and hearing about dear daughters fun skiing trip it was a great day here yesterday!

Winter Camping

I slept well in the camper last night, figure if were going to turn on the heat so it does not freeze we may as well sleep in it too! I slept well and late on purpose the sky lights were bright I just pulled the curtain across the bed room section and slept away. I've come inside to watch fishing shows, I can see out the window and walkers are out this morning br-r it's only 35* outside now and foggy.

I have been journaling about taking steps to get my dreams, I had two books I’m reading on this topic mentioned in earlier blogs. I'm putting this stuff in an old planner so I can do a section on these and then they will be put in a small note book on this topic. I like the note books with the clear fronts on them and I can put a cover on the front to easily identify them.

I started a light puple note book for spring on my stuff I have going, a new business one of the party plans, dear daughter got me in her group home decorating. I love to decorate and will be revamping the rooms son and grand kids were using so I’m rally excited about this. (Home and Garden Party.) I love dishes!!! Can’t wait to get my kit and completer kit! I've been in party plan home business stuff before make up but no up-line in my area so it was not supportive I'm excited to have "meetings" I've been missing that aspect of my life.

View From Here!

I have enjoyed seeing deer on my trip to town yesterday there were several on the hill five or six mule deer that live in the area hubby said he has been seeing them on his way to work each morning I guess deer have a schedule too!

I enjoyed seeing the Blue mountains in the distance as I took my walk yesterday, there was a squall I could see of a snow storm as I took my walk. I dropped a book by a friends house and was a bit envious of the view she has, then I realized we have a view too!

Last night I too a few minutes to look up and enjoy the stars and clouds, then a planed was coming in for a landing so I watched it land. It's good to stop and enjoy watching plans land. As I look out the window today the squirrels are scampering up and down the tree in the front yard! Leave room in your garden for children to dance. Is a sign on a plaque I’m going to put out in March! I can’t wait.

Hubby and I slept well in the camper last night it's close quarters but we enjoy the break in our regular routine. Even thou we were the only ones home it's fun for us to "pretend camp"! I'm getting excited about the camping season I got a new swimming suit yesterday to wear boating, fishing, and at the beach, even in the back yard while mow, have granny duty and I read my new Debbie Macomber novels. Speaking of books I found a SARK book at the thrift shop I'm excited about this one Make Your Creative Dreams Real.

I’m having a moment of bliss today I’m the only one here this morning I get the remote it’s on fishing show bass tourney, and I can read, journal, and get the pc not having to share the line with dear son.

The Excitement of the Day

A back hoe on a trailer went by and ripped off the cable going across the street right in the middle of Oprah and my news fix so needless to say the cable was out. I was not happy.

I tried to call the cable co. and they were not in the phone book so had to get the number off the bill. I called them just before they closed and the guy showed up right away to start the repairs it was dusk when the began. Then two more repair men came and they had orange cones in the street and flashing lights on the trucks and one of the guys was on one end of the line and the other one was on the other end of it and the third one was fetching tools and supervising. They had it up and going in one hour and forty five min. I was very impressed.

Earlier in the day I was out in our yard after my walk no rain today it was 44* and saw my snow drops blooming. I dropped a book that I was done with by a friends house she was excited about a new read, I have another one to take over today her eyes lit up when I told here about the next one I found on one of my excursions to thrift shops or yard sales she said she had not been able to find it.

I was happy with I found my wool cards and have a basket of wool carded up to spin on my drop spindle. I have two balls of yarn spun up.

Hidden Blessings

My wool carders have been hiding from me. This has actually been a blessing for me because I’ve been able to dig around in my closets, cupboards and drawers and found some surprises I was surprised to find a couple of drawers that were empty from hiding gifts. So I can put those back in to use now.

I found some boxes that were for wrapping gifts that we not needed so I took those out and that made more room, and while I was at it I took the tree down and put it away in to the storage room. Since I was in the their and noticed the lights from the rail on the front of the house were still out so I put them away too.

After I got the tree down there was a bare spot so headed back to the basement and brought up the new shabby sheik chair and a small decorative table and brought those up, I moved the vase with styrofoam balls and yellow lights in it on a tray on it.

I noticed hubby brought the last of his snack mix and traded for the one in the cupboard, last week he got of with the chocolates! So I measured out our quota for the day and it’s in the decorative tin he has for the snacks for his lunch. Every one knows around here the goodies are in the tins! Even the youngest of the grand kids, my granny had a cookie jar but I use tins! They don’t break and are very portable.

While I was looking for those elusive wool cards I ran across a painting I had forgotten about, I painted this still life of a cup and pen, I put it above the chair we call “the throne” a big over stuffed chair a favorite place for reading here. So I hung it back up there. It was there before the holidays, I found another one and got it back up filling in the holes left from taking down the holiday pieces.

Rain?

Rain, rain what rain? We have snow all around us, heavy winter storm warnings North of us around North of Spokane where hubby hauls chips, some roads have been washed out with the flooding rains we had last week.

Yesterday I got the lace coverings off side table by the couch and a cloth I hemmed last year with ginger bread print on the cart these will be washed the ginger bread house print will needed to be put back into storage. Hubby helped me to get the lights off the front step rail he held the candy cane lights and took them to the basement as I undead the tangle of lights, then I got the ones down from around the front door and took the rest of the string of lights to the basement.

Dear daughter said half of the small congregation was gone Sun. and the ones that were there were coughing, dear son said the attendance was down at the church he goes to illness and play off weekend effected turnout. Today would have been a good day to use my red white and blue lights for the winter tree! We are excited about the Seattle Seahawks doing well this year.

I did a bit of reading today started a new novel about winter, it was too cold too venture out for a walk. The kids and grand kids are out shopping they were hoping for dinner at the food bar at Costco dear grad daughter was hoping to get her glasses adjusted. The Herby movie was good entertainment for this afternoon. Grand kids kept coming up stairs for a pillow run and we had pajama day around here. That is always a hit.

They got a new lighted globe lamp and it took a week before they took it apart, took me a few minutes to get it put back together, when I bought hubby a flash light for his belt the other day and the first thing he did was to take it apart!!!

I got some knitting done today too.

Out Doors

I'm watching a summer segment of a cooking show, I am glad to see the green of summer and it reminds me of the fun things we can do outside entertaining and having a garden wedding like ours was. Kids are considering a reception at their new home this June.

When I was mowing at the farm under one of the trees I found some used red bricks and I've been trying to think of that I can use these for, I have some sand stone colored ones here already. I see a planter that is in the back ground of this show the bricks would be great for that, and a bbq counter support. Last summer the grand kids loved helping me to move the bricks and put them under the play house to keep neighborhood cats out.

We furnished the play house with small kiddie wooden fridge, tables, cabinets, and cupboards. Dear grand daughters are trying to get it over to the new place when they move! I'm agreeable to that if they build me a new place for a potting shed that is wider 8' instead of 4' like the current one.

Leaning up against the play house is a screen door we have used for fun craft projects and now I'm looking for a better place to put it a friend said she used a door from the art show I painted at the church for the back yard so I'm going to see about using this screen door like a gate to the back yard!

Neighbors

The neighbors across the street and that house is on the market again, all the neighbors claim it's got a curse on it because people move in married and happy, split and move out. Down the street a guy has a boat rather two boats and hubby is a wee bit envious because that guy is on the water fishing more than he is. Up the street the guy had show dogs or bird dogs and trains them to fetch in the field.

Others are older with ailments such as kidney transplant not once but twice and a yard unkept in the back, on the other side he has emphysema and failing health and she used to keep a perfect yard now they've hired it out to be done.

Behind us a guy drives a Harley to work, they've gone to Sturgis S.D. on several occasions and say that three days of it was all they could stand at one time. On the other side in the back the gal works in a tax office and saved us a bunch on taxes. Down the street and down the lane behind the road in front of our house I worked with these folk's son in the parts department eons ago, he is now the mgr. of the service dept. at another auto dealership. Up the street and half way around the loop a guy lives with his wife friends he drives truck and used to work with hubby.

Wet Feet

We’ve had rain off and on yesterday, I got my feet wet today, it was dry when for I left for town, I knew rain was in the forecast, I remembered to get a coat but forgot to get on dryer shoes tennis shoes did not stay dry. I stepped in to a mud puddle packing a T.V. stand to the truck I got at the thrift shop to paint. This is for a project to learn how to do some ceramic mosaic tiling. This is be SO exciting! This has been a goal of mine for a while to learn this. I've been gathering up some ceramic plates to brake and use for this project. It's sanded for a shabby sheik look now.

Dear son came by with the new to him mini van he got today and I jumped when he came in the house it's so quiet I did not even hear him drive up, I got to go on a test drive, we had fun drove by the house he is moving to and the one he was helping to work on for his sister and brother in law over the Christmas break. I got the ‘grand tour’ and it looks different with the walls studded in and the shower stalls in you can tell which rooms will be the bath room, great room, etc. covered patio for year round bbq’s! Vaulted ceilings, the windows are cut out and the deck has the wood on it now and two of the windows are in the back. I got to see the pieces that he welded up for the supports on the deck too.

Dear son had to get an external drive for his note book pc to use for the pics he’s been taking with his digital camera. More stuff came for it today.

I got some p.j. bottoms that need hemmed and hubby claimed those. I can’t wait to get busy in the sewing room. I got some polished rocks for dear grand son to use for ‘counting rocks’! Cobbler aprons with hearts on them will be for dear grand daughters to cook with in their new kitchen after they move. I found a whistle to use for granny camp! It has eye balls on it and is guaranteed to drive parents batty! {Just kidding!}

I got a great idea for the basket for Valentines day a romance novel to go in the basket or bucket.