They're comin' to take me away aha!

You know, there are some days when I really doubt my sanity. I have a semi-full time job. Granted I work from home, but all the same, it's a job. We have just purchased a house and property in Kentucky. We are trying to get this house ready to put on the market. (F.Y.I. All you procrastinators out there! If you have one of those "roundtuit" lists . . . DO NOT - I REPEAT - DO NOT wait until you are ready to put your house on the market to start that list). We have boxes stacked all over the place in an attempt to "declutter" the house but nowhere to put the boxes of declutter! We have projects started or ready to start in nearly every room of the house. MWHITW and I are having uh - artistic differences about color choices and I really hate to disagree with him on anything because he has been working so hard trying to keep his business running, trying to get this house ready and suffering all the while from injuries he susatined in an auto accident nearly 10 months ago. Now I have committed myself to setting up a booth in a new craft/antique mall-type store. Am I crazy? Well, yes, that is partially the reason. But the major reason I have gotten myself into this last prediciment is because I was born without the "NO" gene. Be honest now! How many of you were born "NO" deficient? Now I'm not talking about the "mommy NO" gene. Once our children are born that little sucker kicks in and ususally doesn't calm down for about eighteen years. I'm talking about the plain old "NO" gene. The "now you have time to teach a Sunday school class, don't you?" or "we need a chairman for the PTA" or "I really want to do one of these booths, but I don't want to do it all by my little old self so YOU'LL split it with me, won't you?". You are thinking "NO!". Your mouth is forming the word "NO!". But because you are "NO" deficient, what comes out of your mouth is "why sure!". Who said that? Is there someone standing behind me? Static in the phone lines? Those darned Gremlins again? Nope! That "NO" deficiency done got me into a pickle once again! So . . . I have enlisted help in chosing colors (which is no small feat in itself because along with being "NO" deficient I am also extremely deficient in the gene which allows us to ask for help). I will get the booth set up when I get the booth set up. I WILL clear a path to the washing machine. I WILL finish one project before the weekend is over. I WILL survive! After all . . . I am WOMAN! W-O-M-A-N! Oh, and by the way, I WILL gladly accept a very fashionable white jacket with extra-extra long sleeves provided by those nice young men who have promised to give me a ride in their cute little custom van with the pretty flashing lights on top! They have told me about this wonderful vacation spot that has lovely padded walls. Must be one of those wall treatments like Vern Yip does on the decorating shows!

cURe fOr tHe cOMmOn cOld

The best remedy in the world for a winter cold? A husband who brings you a fresh supply of Puffs with lotion and some Vicks Vapor Rub and lets you nap to your hearts content

AND a friend (aka Vintage Girl At Heart) who brings you a basket filled with homemade chicken soup, french bread, yummy muffins and a pile of magazines to read while you're recovering! Really warms a girl's heart and makes her feel loved!

I sought the Lord and He answered me . . .

I would like to thank all of you who prayed for my friend Elaine yesterday. She came through surgery just fine and is doing well. One of my friends here asked if I thought Elaine's husband would call me when the surgery was over. I joked and said "no if I know 'Laine, she'll be the one to call me". Well, her surgery was at 10:00 and at 3:30 she was on the phone letting me know that she was fine! What a woman! I spoke with her again a few minutes ago and they actually released her from the hospital this morning. Continue to remember her in your prayers. She needs prayer for healing of not only her physical wounds, but for the emotional wounds that this surgery can leave a woman with.

Again I thank you!

MY FOREVER FRIEND

Friendship is something I have never taken lightly. I have found through the years that there is truth in the theory that friends are put into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I have a very special friend who is my "first" friend - my true lifetime friend. We've literally been friends since the day we were born (she is several hours younger than me - a fact that she will never let me forget). You see, back in the dark ages when we were born, most women didn't have private rooms in the hospital when they gave birth. And, women actually spent several days in the hospital after the birth! That is where our story begins. Our mothers were roommates in the hospital when 'Laine and I were born. They became fast friends - almost sister-like. 'Laine and I grew up together. We shared birthdays and sleepovers and adventures. We shared the sorrow of her losing her mother when we were only about 12. We handled the separation when she and her brothers had to move to Pittsburgh to live with relatives with phone calls, letters and long visits. Over the years we've shared joys and sorrows and accomplishments. For the past eight months we've shared the horror of 'Laine being diagnosed with breast cancer. As with everything in her life, she has faced this illness and the treatments with strength, dignity, a sense of humor and above all FAITH. Tomorrow Elaine faces surgery. I'm asking that you please add her to your prayer lists. Pray for her, for her husband and 2 children, for the doctors and nurses who will care for her. I feel deep in my heart that God is going to use her to touch someone in a special way through this surgery - as he has used her so many times in the past.



"The impulse of love that leads us to the doorway of a friend is the voice of God within, and we need not be afraid to follow it."
Agnes Sanford

Eeeeew! A RAT in my house!

A PACK rat that is. Not a collector of beautiful things. Not a keeper of sentimental momentos. No! I'm talking about a rat whose nest was filled with papers and wrappers and empty shoe boxes and not so empty shoe boxes filled with . . . . . stuff. No! Not stuff. Stuff is useful. Stuff is pretty. Stuff has purpose. OH! And SOCKS! You know all those socks that have disappeared from your washer and dryer over the years? Well, the one footed alien who has been stealing them and hoarding them for the day when his entire planet full of one footed aliens comes to visit him here on earth . . . .he's been hiding them in this rat's nest! And that nest was in MY house. Notice the word WAS. I was finally able to convince the incredibly handsome and talented son of mine (aka "the rat") that he needed to come by and CLEAN OUT HIS ROOM! The room is a normal sized bedroom. Not large by any stretch of the immagination. The closet is not a walk in. Just your normal bedroom closet. The dresser has been gone for months, as has the desk. For that matter, so has the son. But we're moving! We're trying to get this house ready to sell. One thing holding us up was "the nest". While having a room in a house that is already "prepared" for and by a teenage boy might be a great selling point to some people, others may not appreciate the uh . . . certain ambience distinctive only to the teenage male of our species. So, for two days after work he came by to work on sorting and purging and packing. Sorting produced one rather large box full of clothes that could be passed down to another up and coming teenage rat - oops - uh - boy, three totes full of "keepers", two totes full of "yard sale", one load of dirty laundry (did I mention that he hasn't lived here for several months? Where it was hiding, I have NO earthly idea), a basket full of socks with no mates and . . . . drumroll please . . . . . FOUR EXTRA LARGE SQUARE TRASH CANS ON WHEELS FULLOF TRASH!!!! Not garbage, mind you. Just TRASH. I have NO idea where it all came from. There must be secret compartments hidden all over that room. A trap door leading to a full basement where there are other "rats" residing? I don't know. What I do know, is that now I'll finally be able to get in there and spackle and paint and stage. I'll try my best to search out and seal up the secret compartments and the trap doors so that future homeowners will never have to deal with this experience. Does anyone know of an environmentally friendly repellent I can use? I talked to our exterminator and he tells me he's raised 4 boys and NOTHING in his 20 some-odd-years as a professional exterminator has worked in his house. I just hope that I've at least gotten it under control. I feel certain the little one legged alien will find another "nest" to store his stockpile of stollen socks. I also feel certain, judging by the look on my future daughter-in-law's face, that the "rat" that used to reside in my son's room had best skedaddle long BEFORE they get married or face the wrath of a sweet, petite little Italian exterminator!

I'VE BEEN FRAMED!

I took some much needed time Friday afternoon for some "thrift store therapy". I've been looking for some frames to reframe some of our pictures and to frame some of the photographs we've been taking along the way. I had to make a trip into town to sign the contract for our new booth (more info on that at a later date) and since I was going to be right there in the middle of thrift store heaven . . . 'nuff said. I picked up some great frames -some with pictures that will be repurposed and some empty.

One particular picture, I bought specifically for the frame. I didn't even pay attention to the picture that was in it until I got it home and was showing MWHITW my loot. Upon closer inspection, not only is the frame beautiful, but the picture in it is so sweet! It will stay as is and probably hang in the guest room

I also found an awesome pice of brown "brocade" fabric that I'll probably use to recover a chair down the road one day and some ordinary cloth napkins that are going to be turned into throw pillows. Cloth napkins make awesome pillows. They're sturdy, washable, usually just the right size and when you shop like I do and find them 4/$1, they are incredibly inexpensive!

YesterdayI needed to meet the handsome, talented son and his equally talented, beautiful fiance in town to give them some books that had been delivered here that they needed for class last night. They suggested that I meet them at Goodwill (have I raised that boy right, or what?!). They both found an armfull of clothes. A set of linen napkins with cross stitched roses found me!



I don't understand how people can get rid of things like this! I may never use them as dinner napkins, but you sometimes have to look past the intended purpose for things and use your imagination. My friends will tell you that I have an aversion to wrapping paper. I would rather use a lace doily or a linen dresser scarf, a vintage hankie or an embroidered napkin (and even the occasional apron) to line a basket or wrap a package and use a vintage brooch, a piece of lace or a satin ribbon to fasten it. FYI, vintage handbags make wonderful gift baskets too and can usually be picked up at thrift stores and yard sales for less than the cost of a Hallmark gift bag and they can be repurposed by the recipient in much more creative ways!

Well, I must get back to my real job. In case you haven't figured it out yet, it is perfectly acceptable for you to wait hours on end to see a doctor, but a doctor waits for NOTHING! So it's back to transcribing for me. But, before I sign off, I have to show you perhaps my (actually OUR because MWHITW spotted it first) best yardsale find(so far this year anyhow) at a rock bottom price of $60 . It is much too large for this house, but there is a perfect spot for it in the Goldens Creek house and MWHITW and I have already planned to make a joint project of doing some sanding and staining so it will "match" our antique table (a yard sale find) and chairs (flea market finds on a trip to Webster with my Junque Systers). Ahhhhhh. Life is good.

Have a wonderful, blessed day!

Out with the old . . . .

My MWHITW and I had been talking for some time about replacing our living room furniture when we move. We even had an idea of what we were looking for. We had decided, though, that it would probably make more sense to wait until we move to buy the furniture. That way we could start fresh and save ourselves from having to move at least that one room full of furniture. Logical? I thought so. Then MWHITW started watching the decorating shows with me a little more often (I'm an HGTV, Discovery Home, Style channel, etc. junkie). He started noticing that when the experts were staging a home to sell, they try to make it as cohesive as possible. They layout is important. The syle of furniture is important. The fact that things actually match is important (since when I don't know). The logical lightbulb went of in hubby's head and HE decided that we should buy the new furtniture BEFORE we move so that the house would show better. OK. We'll LOOK. Sunday after church, we were trying to decide where to go for lunch when MWHITW said "let's go to Mimi's for lunch!" Mimi's? Well, SURE! Mimi's is like my favorite place in the whole wide world to eat! How thoughtful of him to think of it and what a nice surpise! Do you feel an ulterior motive coming on? If so, you have good intuition. Mimi's JUST HAPPENS to be located in the same parking lot area as . . . . . a big, new Ashley Furniture store. Hmmmmm. Have I been set up? No. We're just going to LOOK. After a wonderful lunch, he suggested that we take a stroll through Ashley furniture "just to see what they have". OK. I'm game. We're just going to LOOK. We strolled, we looked, we sit tested , but nothing caught our eye. UNTIL we rounded the corner and there in the middle of the showroom floor was the living room of MWHITW's dreams. Worn saddle looking, brown leather, built in recliners in the love seat AND couch . . . . .as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words . . . .

He also fell in love with the end tables and coffee table they had displayed with the couch and love seat. They are actually quite beautiful. Slate tops . . . . .OK. So we are now the proud owners of new living room furniture! Gone are the mismatched tables, the mismatched chairs and sofa and most of the knick knacks and country clutter . . . .the only thing that remains from our old LR (for the time being) is my beloved antique trunk/coffee table. The coffee table they delivered to us was damaged so we have to wait a little longer. The entertainment center, which houses the surround sound, TIVO . . . . is still here, but it will soon have a coat of black paint to make it a little more neutral and invinting to prospective buyers.

OK. So the living room looked so good I decided to go ahead and declutter the dining area as well by emptying and moving the china hutch out of the room. We have a very small dining area and the hutch made it look even smaller. It really did open up the space and gives us much more room to walk around the table.

I printed and framed some photos that MWHITW and I had taken when we were in Kentucky (one in the spring and on in the fall) and hung them in place of one of my antique samplers. It's a little more "generic" but still a part of us.

All in all, I feel as though we have accomplished something. The "great room" and entry way are ready and "staged". It looks great, it's comfy and cozy and everyone that has seen it so far has givin it two thumbs up. I still have the feeling that I'm walking into the wrong house. Of course little Ms. Brigitte has found a way to rememdy that by finding a new welcome spot which enables her to greet people from a new vantage point when they come through the door. Like I said . . . a picture is worth a thousand words . . .

Have a wonderful, blessed weekend!

pLEASE jOIN mE fOR a lITTLE wHINE!

The Gremlins are at it again! In my attempt to take the Christmas decorations down and pack them away in their appointed totes and boxes, I am faced with the challenge that nothing is fitting into the totes/boxes that it came out of. How can that be? Yes, I purchased a few new things over the course of the holidays, but that in no way could account for the overflowing totes. I've spoken to several other people who are experiencing the same peril! I do believe it is a conspiracy by the retail industry! They want us to have to rush out and buy more totes! Have you noticed that one of the first things put on sale AFTER the holidays is a complete line of storage bins? That has to be it! The retailers have unleashed a colony of Gremlins to invade our homes! The little critters have been fed and bathed and are happily awaiting the chance to drive an otherwise relatively calm, cool and collected person to the point of throwing up their hands in utter frustration as they head to the store to purchase some more storage totes!

I just read the latest post from my dear friend Vintage Girl at Heart. She talks about lifestyle changes for the new year. I guess making a last minute decision for a whirlwind trip to Kentucky to look at a piece of property, making an offer, having our offer accepted at just a couple hours before midnight on New Years Eve might just qualify as the beginnings of a definite lifestyle change.
Now we can use words like "hollow", "ridge", "mountain", "creek", "pasture", "ponds", "view" and "land" to describe what will soon be our home. There is a small fixer-upper house on the property. It is in definite need of "a mother and father's love". Our plans are to fix it up and live in it while we are building a house on the ridge. I have no words to describe the look on MWHITW's face when we had ventured across the creek and up over the hill to the ridge. I knew at that very moment that we were home. The view is beautiful - even on a dreary, overcast winter's day when there are no leaves on the trees. It's not hard to imagine what it will look like in the spring or the fall. And I knew at that very moment that we wouldn't be living in the little house for very long. One look at my husband's face told me where the new house would sit on the ridge, which direction it would face and how happy we would be there - looking down over the creek and the pastures while sitting our front porch swing.
Lifestyle changes? You bet! A new adventure? There is no doubt! Stay tuned for the next chapter and plan to accompany us on our journey to Goldens Creek Road.