Monthly Archives: November 2018

Sand/Water Blasting and Bulldozing…

Sun Sentinel

Actually, although I DO sandblasting on glassware and tools in the shop, and water blasting on the deck, concrete, and more, I am using the kitchen sink and cleaners for today’s project of scrubbing out all our trash containers, putting in trashcan liners (as I SHOULD have long ago) and putting things back together.

I’m getting several messages from this project –

  • I’m spending much of the day doing something I COULD have avoided if I had put trashcan liners in all the containers when they were clean, umpteen years ago
  • Scrubbing out trash cans is a LOT of work
  • Putting the clean trash cans with fresh liners back gives me good exercise – particularly the ones that belong upstairs
  • We have a LOT of trash cans! Since I’m scrubbing them all, I’m counting – and we have 21 trash cans inside this house!

I have SIX remaining to scrub, line, and put back.

If I still have energy, I’m planning to clean out the double cabinet area under the kitchen sink. (Can you imagine – things tend to fall out of there whenever I try to get something!)  :0(

With these two projects for the day and my 35 minutes on my elliptical trainer, I can feel good about my activity level today.

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Rose Buds

Our growing season has been weird this year – wetter than normal, then hot, then wet, then cold….. I was really pleased to see that the roses, which have not been very showy this season, have NOW put on buds and are ready to bloom.

 

I’ll try to get pics when the roses are blooming, but I wanted to share the promise of them.

 

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1st Harvest from the Greenhouse!

It’s the 6th of November and I gathered the first harvest of lettuce from my fall plantings.  We’ll enjoy some of it in our salad for dinner tonight! This is Iceberg Head Lettuce. Left in the garden in the early spring, it eventually forms a head in the center of the plant, but I love eating the loose outer leaves until the head forms. I have no idea if these plants will form a head in the greenhouse or not.

 

Here’s another view of the harvest for today.

Since we’re having wave after wave of cold fronts moving through, with rain and significantly cooler weather each time, I coiled up the long extension cord that runs from the back of the house out to the greenhouse to power the exhaust fan that is on automatic to turn on when the temperature reaches 80 inside the greenhouse, and the second fan I usually keep running. We can also run lights out there, but usually don’t. The cord is now inside the greenhouse until early spring.

Besides the lettuce, I still have some celery that isn’t making stalks yet, but is still looking good (more on the window sill that will either come out to the greenhouse or stay in the house, depending on whether it’s starting to freeze on a regular basis or not, plus tomato suckers I planted. I still have several that are alive. I’m hoping to bring the healthiest looking ones inside for the winter.

I have no clue what I’m doing, but I’m having a blast with this experiment. :0)

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When Wood Comes Alive – Take 27

Jeff Samudosky – JMS Wood Sculpture

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“Rose – 1”

“Rose – 1” – Paul Militaru Photography

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“Murphy”

Niki Firmin – LinkedIn

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Mother Nature All Dressed Up

Linn Kirknes Kausland via Iahsen Haddou – LinkedIn

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Stopping to Smell the Flowers

Rachealgrace Adams – LinkedIn

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Snuggling Cures a Lot of Ills

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

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And the Answer Is…

Pinterest

I am always reading several books simultaneously.

For example, I’m pouring over a really good one about what I’m supposed to be doing in my greenhouse. Though he is obviously in a place where heating is the primary issue, I’m learning a bunch about how to attack my goal of eating fresh lettuce as we go into winter, growing my own celery, starting new tomato plants from suckers and then keeping them alive over the winter. I’m also looking forward to starting seeds in March or so, getting a jump on the spring garden. It’s wonderful to be able to learn from someone who knows what they’re talking about. :0)

I’m re-reading a series of four books by one of my favorite authors, Nora Roberts. There is a quartet of books I’m reading now, and then a trio of books that I read once a year when I would like to feel better about people.

Then there is the new series by Robert Bryndza about Detective Erika Foster that my husband shared with me recently. Since that’s on my Kindle, I’ll take it to my husband’s doctor appointment today.

Another one I’m reading and trying to absorb a bit at a time is The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room and How to Keep it That Way.  If you’ve read my blog, you know what a slob I am. You also know that I continually try to HEAL my home by going through things, donating the things I think others might enjoy or make use of, throwing out a bunch of ‘stuff,’ and then cleaning and organizing the rest. (Today it’s the double cabinet under the kitchen sink.)

Though this book stresses getting EVERYONE in the house involved, our pets are of  little help, and my husband, thankfully, is oblivious to the chaos, dirt, dog hair, etc – or would have probably dumped me years ago. He does do things like empty the dishwasher, and lately he’s taken on the job of vacuuming out our truck before we pick up our friends to take them bowling, but basically, I’m on my own on this effort.

The book also assumes that we have the money we would LIKE to have, and could concentrate on buying furniture, rugs, paintings, and pricey knick-knacks, putting more of them on the bookshelves than books. I AM picking up some general good rules, though, from reading this, and I AM enjoying the beautiful pictures.

Reading is a big part of my life. I love learning new things. I love diving into a book and forgetting everything around me. Reading is a quality-of-life thing for me.

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Place of Dreams

Richard Green – LinkedIn

I don’t know where this place is, but it looks like a heavenly place to spend a bunch of time, doesn’t it?

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“Russell”

“Russell” by Niki Firmin – LinkedIn

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Folding Myself Into a Paper Airplane – Take 17

OshiPrint.in

I just finished my yoga practice for the day and I have to say, I’m feeling pretty relaxed.

I’m doing my own thing these days, using all kinds of stretching-for-old-folks poses I learned from Kat Cabira. To this, I’ve added some stomach exercises to try to strengthen my abdomen. This will be the last area of me to ‘go,’ but I’m working on it.

Today I added a group of 10 poses new to me that pulled a whole new group of muscles, or in a different way, so I really felt the stretch.  They were –

  • Child’s Pose
  • Supine Figure 4
  • Figure 4 Twist
  • Runner’s Lunge
  • Adductor Opener
  • Wide Legged Forward Fold
  • Cow Face Legs
  • Seated Twist
  • Happy Baby

You get into the position and then hold for 30 seconds, or 30 seconds for each side. The one that made me laugh was one called the Wide Legged Forward Fold. I laughed because there was no way in the world I was going to be able to get into that position, much less hold it for 30 seconds.

This old broad (as I refer kindly to myself) can barely touch my toes. I do that very slowly, breathing into it, until finally my fingertips touch the floor.  For this pose, you start where the flexible lady is here and then put your whole forearms flat on the floor, then hold for 30 seconds. Yeah. Right.

Anyway, I’ve learned that if I bend in the proper direction at all and hold it, breathing into it, the pose does me some good. So I did 9 of the 10 poses pretty well (for me). I touched my toes, holding it for as long as I could, and then called it done for today.

With the yoga stretches I’ve been doing, the abdominal exercises, and then the 10 new poses, I’m getting a really good session of stretching in. Please don’t hold your breath that I’ll be telling you I actually got into the Wide Legged Forward Fold position any time soon…

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Sunday’s First Project

World Arts Me

It seems that everywhere I look in my house – or outside, for that matter – many things are calling to me, saying things like, “I’m choking on the dust!” “I’m going to fall all over you the next time you try to get something from this shelf!” “Hellooooooooo! Are you still there?”  “Feed me!” “Clean me!” “Water me!” “Cut me down!”  You get the idea. Most of the time I’m able to ignore things, but every once in a while, I feel guilty and attack something.

  • One day this week I finally cleaned our ceiling fans – we have eight of them inside. (I’m still ignoring the ones in the garage, porch, and deck, and I’m not even THINKING about the ones in the shop.)
  • Yesterday I cleaned the three-window-combo in our dining area, then ended up cleaning other stuff…
  • Today I tackled our “back” bathroom. This one is off our utility room. I use it daily after breakfast to dry my hair, put on makeup, etc. The cats also have their litter box there – in case a need arises and they happen to be inside and no one is reacting to their pleas to go out.

Since this bathroom is right next to the door to the garage, my husband and I put up 2×4’s flat on one wall, then painted them white to match the wall, then put up a gazillion or so hooks to hold our hats, gloves, etc. years ago. Later, we added a couple of short shelves, since the cabinet under the sink is small and we needed more storage space.

Since then, the shelves had become a catch-all for cleaning supplies, paper supplies, make up, an electric razor plus attachments for cutting hair, and more. All were studiously ignored, so there was a layer of dust on the top shelf, and there was so much on my make-up and toilet paper shelf that the things threatened to tumble off onto the floor if I wasn’t really careful when I picked something up.  Cleaning the actual shelf was impossible.

I decided to move a small table with storage under it and a drawer into the bathroom. This has been in our foyer for years and years, acting as a catch-all for books we’re going to donate, clothes we’re giving away but haven’t gotten into big leaf bags yet, and more. Everyone who comes to visit comes through our garage, so we were able to ignore this problem area, too.

 

It may be odd, but I have some wonderful art work by friends in this bathroom, as I get to enjoy them every day this way.

 

This is the sink that has a cabinet under it, but no drawer.

 

This gives you an idea of our storage system for gloves and hats.

 

This is the small table that used to be in the foyer, plus the cats’ box.

 

There is never enough room to store scarves…

 

And here are the infamous shelves whose items were threatening to jump off and dump themselves on the floor. I separated my makeup into things I dash on every day and other things for when I want to get more serious in the bag on the shelf above.  I put the back up stuff in a gallon storage bag, and the everyday stuff on a pretty dish I have. Now I can clean under things quickly. :0)

And why didn’t I do this years ago? One of the big mysteries of life….

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Elena (Livia) D. Art

Elena – (Livia) D. – LinkedIn

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When Wood Comes Alive – Take 26

Zicosur

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White

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

“White Explosion” – Paul Militaru Photography

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Clean Windows!

We’re having a truly gorgeous day today, and it’s supposed to rain late tonight into tomorrow morning, so we’re trying to take advantage of it.

Several years ago we replaced our 30-year-old windows. We’ve been delighted with both the lower heat and air bills, but also the QUIET we have now. I also love the fact that, when I’m not being a lazy slug, I can actually clean both sides of our windows without going outside.

Since the dining area windows are a bit laborious, I asked my husband to help me. I took everything off the window sill, and then we took down the cafe type curtains that run along the top.

Then, we actually have three windows here, all of which open like cabinet doors. I can move them back and forth, cleaning both sides until they don’t show any large smudges.

The window outside the bottle feeder for squirrels, and the occasional bird who is brave enough, gets pretty yucky because neither the squirrels nor the birds care where they spit the seeds out.  Most of them fall straight down onto the deck, but since they spit in whatever direction seems good at the time, a lot of it lands on the windows. I notice it a lot because it’s right in my line of sight looking out in the mornings.

 

Here’s a view from the other side of the dining area. Now we have an unobstructed view of whatever squirrels and birds are out there, but also the trees in the valley beyond, which are changing colors now.

This was enough window cleaning for me, today, though.

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Glorious Autumn!

Pinterest

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” ~ George Eliot

 

Pixabay

“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” ~ William Cullen Bryant

 

Unsplash

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower”  ~ Albert Camus

 

Wikipedia

“Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees.” ~ Faith Baldwin

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Rachealgrace Adams – Just after a Rain

Rachealgrace Adams

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“Hand in Hand”

“Hand in Hand” – Paul Militaru Photography

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Gorgeous Tigers

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

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Need a Hug?

“Bear Hug” – Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

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Today’s Project

Hansen Wholesale

We love fans. We sleep with a floor fan and ceiling fan, even in the winter when we turn our electric blanket on. :0)  We have an attic fan that we figure is worth its weight in gold. We installed it when we built the house in 1987 and it has worked flawlessly ever since, allowing us to open our bedroom window at night in the summer and turn on the fan, bringing cool air in. Ahhhh.

We love to open our front and back doors and turn on the ceiling fans, bringing in a lovely cross breeze, airing out the house.

We have eight ceiling fans in the house, not counting the garage, back porch, or deck. I’ve swiped at them from time to time, but they haven’t been seriously cleaned since 1492….

They are on my list today. I recently cleaned the one in our bedroom. It was quite a laborious job, since it was thick with accumulated dust and grime. I ended up climbing up on a ladder with a wet cloth, moving it S L O W L Y across the top of the fan blade, careful to keep all the ‘guck’ in the cloth. I then climbed down, rinsed out the cloth, and then came back to seriously clean that blade. We have 5 blades per fan, so it was a good amount of exercise before the fan was clean.

Now multiple that times 7 more fans…

If I weren’t such a slob things wouldn’t get this way. By the end of the day, I hope to have all eight ceiling fans ready to be ignored for the next umpteen years. :0)

I did find an Unger Ceiling Fan Duster

I just ordered from Amazon. Once I get them clean, I SHOULD be able to dust them from time to time without causing the dust of the world to fall on my head…

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Anticipation

keetonsonline.com – via Sherry Dellaria McGrath

 

I ordered a new calligraphy set about two weeks ago. It’s to the point where I’m dreaming about it now – full of ideas of what I’d like to do once they arrive. I did get the notification yesterday that my set had finally shipped. So now I wait…

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“Decent White Lady”

“Decent White Lady” – Paul Militaru Photography

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When Wood Comes Alive – Take 25

Hoboct N – Pinterest

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I Woke Up Happy Today

wallpaper-gallery.net

I avoid exercise DVDs where the people are SO pert, SO excited, exuding the joys of moving – telling you how GOOD it all feels. They make me hostile. Likewise, I greet cloyingly sweet pictures and people with at least a silent snarl.

SO – you may react that way to ME this morning, because I woke up happy.

Though things are far from perfect, I have a pretty great life. I fell in love with my husband almost 60 years ago. We’ll celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in June. AND we don’t just love, we’re addicted to each other. That doesn’t mean – by ANY means – that I don’t want to punch him in the face on a regular basis, but we chose to share our lives and it was definitely a good choice. We lost a daughter when she was 2 months old to SIDS – but we made a son who makes us proud of the generous, caring man he’s become, who loves us, reaches out on an almost daily basis from halfway across the world, just to check in and make sure we’re okay. And we might spend Christmas together this year!

We have two dogs, Molly (a sweet, elderly cocker spaniel/schnauzer cross) and Amber (a 95 pound yellow lab PUPPY) who drives us nuts and makes us laugh every day; two cats (Abby (a tortoiseshell fat cat) and Smoke (a sleek grey hunter); plus 4 goldfish who have tripled in size since we added them to our family.

We have a home we built over 30 years ago on top of a ridge line in Arkansas and we still love it. Since the initial building, we added a shop, then later doubled its size, plus built a greenhouse that so far hasn’t succumbed to wind and rain. We’re reasonably close to town, yet enjoy complete privacy up here, a really nice combination. We have a view of several ridge lines – and since we can see them, seeing the seasons change – we can pretend we own it all. :0)

Our health is improving as we get some of our lard off and are trying to exercise. I’m mainly doing my elliptical trainer and yoga stretching for old folks. My husband is doing better and better trying to do sit ups. We are consciously trying to move more.

We are retired, so many days we can do what we want – or don’t want to do. I can try to be productive or enjoy curling up in my chair with a good book.  I can choose to check things off my to-do list or play in my art room. We have good friends who make our lives rich.

I woke up happy today. I hope you did, too.

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“Birds Dancing”

“Birds Dancing” – Paul Militaru Photography

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Zebra – Catherine Lee

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

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November Mailbox Decoration

We just put up our ‘Swooping Eagle” mailbox decoration that will stay up until mid-November.

 

This is the back of the eagle. You can see where I tried to blend in the mounting bracket into the design.

We were out doing errands earlier and were really surprised that, since this morning, the wind is now coming from the north and blowing fairly strongly. It’s 50 out, but things are still really wet from the rain and the wind just blows through you. We were cold putting this up!

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