Thursday, June 28, 2007

Thursday 13

Thirteen things I want to do.

1. Lose ten pounds.

2. Visit Montana again, especially Madison Valley.

3. Ride in a hot air balloon.

4. Lose 15 pounds.

5. Live long enough to draw my ex's social security.

6. Finish my flooring.

7. Paint my living room.

8. Be able to dance again.

9. See my old friend Larry.

10.See my old friend Pam.

11.Go to the Oregon coast for a vacation.

12.Go to a Nascar race.

13.Lose 16 pounds.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Mammogram Letter

Why in the world would they send a letter, so it arrives on Saturday.

'Greetings, we found something when we squashed your tits and now we need to do it again. Please call to make an appointment.'

It's Saturday!!!!! Why do I need to worry about this all weekend.

If in fact it was 'SOMETHING' don't you think they would have picked up the phone and called me? Screaming, "Oh My God, you got to get in here as soon as possible."

The envelope wasn't even marked "urgent" like the letters I get when they are trying to sell me a hearing aide.
Sometimes those letters come with an
offer to 'have dinner on them', if only, I will come and listen to their speel on how this product is going to change my life.

This letter has no invitation to dinner, no offer to change my life, even though it could!

Friday, June 22, 2007

The Broken Bookcase

My dear friend Margie called on Wednesday eve with one of her brilliant ideas.

Janet, she says, do you think
we can shorten my bookcase.

Margie recently had a wall a/c installed, now Margie likes her house just so-so.

I don't like where it's at, she says, I want it to set under the a/c, and it's too tall, .
We discussed the fact that it would probably not be very stable.
I still want to try, she says.




So the next afternoon we proceeded to cut that thing apart.
I took my trusty new jig saw and we cut the bottom off up to to first shelf... Sure enough it worked.
So I helped her move it back into place we patted our selves on the back and departed.
Later that evening my friend Margie called laughing her ass off. I was just dusting it, she says, & it collapsed
.

But I think we can put it back together though, she says.

Friday, we took that bookcase apart and rebuilt that sucker, I must say it is stronger now than it was in the beginning. Pretty proud of our selves, Margie is 76 and I am in my late 60's.

Margie and I discovered a long time ago that we can accomplish anything if we put our minds to it.
It is now Saturday morning, I haven't heard anymore about the bookcase, so that
case is closed.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Thursday 13 Things that are Frustrating




I'm new at blogging, but I guess the tradition is on Thursdays you are suppose share 13 things about yourself. It might take me all day but here goes.

1. I am new at blogging, but it is getting less frustrating.

2. Getting to know my way around HTML.

3. I have a fat cat that needs a tummy tuck.

4. This morning I put potatoes on the stove to boil for potato salad, then got on the computer. About 20 minutes I smell something burning, got up looked out the window, duh. About that time the smoke detector went off. BIG DUH.

5. I can't figure out how save or to add clip art to my blog.

6. I won't give up.

7. I would like to loose weight, but I want it to be easy.

8. The banks hidden charges.

9. My neighbors dog that barks at the drop of a hat.

10. Bought stuff to kill the earwigs that are eating my garden, now the earth worms are dying.

11. Can't find the dip stick on my power steering fluid.

12. The month last longer than the money.

13. I did it, the first of my 13 things post. Wasn't frustrating at all.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Granny Square Helping Kids with Cancer


Finished and mailed my first Granny Square block today for Helping Kids With Cancer.






This took all of 20 minutes to make, took me longer than that to find the crochet hook. I'm a little out of practice, but it comes back quickly. So get out your scraps and let's crochet our hearts out for this good cause. You will find the instuctions and pattern at the link below.


If the Helping Kids with Cancer link below does work, click the link on the side bar.



Saturday, June 16, 2007

Day Lilly "showing off" Rocket Snapdragon "ready for take off "

" In the Pink"

Backyard Quail

I have been trying to get picture of this guy for weeks now.

At 6:00 AM this morning mission accomplished.

Friday, June 15, 2007

The Summer of 1950













My brother recently found a old friend of his, David. .






The summer of 1950 was the year I got to know him and his brother Roy. It seemed like I had 2 new big brothers, I was 8 they were 15 & 16.

















Dad had recently sold our stump ranch, where we had lived the good life for 5 years.














My first memories as a child was of our life on that ranch, 8 miles from town on Peninsula Road.







There was no indoor plumbing, we bathed in a wash tub in front of the kitchen cook stove, that the water had been heated on, the outhouse was outback, water was hauled from a spring further up the hill. We had no electricity until 1948, Mom had a gasoline powered washing machine that she did laundry with.



I don't recall having any chores of my own, but I know my brothers had many. Life must have been awfully hard for my mother, and them.





After the sale, my Dad moved the family into the town , while he went to Portland in search of a job.




Our "town house" was a wonderful old Victorian house with a bedroom for everyone. What a treat, indoor plumbing!


















Boy what a summer it was, seems like the drudgery of life on the ranch was over.





Dad had left the car with Mom, he must have taken the bus to Portland I just don't recall.



There we were in town, with this 1946 Ford and all this freedom.



We were in that car and on the go all the time, seems like David or Roy was always with us. I think that summer we swam in every lake within a 50 miles.




















Mom would make sandwiches and off we would go exploring. We visited abandoned fire lookout stations on some of our outings,







like this one on Pratter Mountain.







Here is an interesting link to more Idaho fire lookout sites.




















We would stop at a spring
for a cool drink of water.
There must have been a lot of miles put on
the car, that summer of 1950.




There were good times to be had in town too. "Timber Days" was a big event that I remember and the 4th of July fireworks.




Here are some links with photos of those celebrations.















As we recently rejoin our lives, reminiscing about Priest River
and the summer of 1950, we all agree it was a
wonderful summer none of us have ever forgotten..

What a treat to find and old friend.




This is David today with his wife of 56 years.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

June Garden





Shasta Daisy finally in bloom.













Lettuce ready to eat.














Costco geraniums, worth every penny!!!










Snapdragons
Curbside Volunteers





























Love my Hollyhocks
Almost ready to bloom.
Always remind me of my Grandma Millie

















Patsy Cline in full bloom.













Strawberry Path,
plate edging.

Remodeling Again and other Projects

A June Project.
Fussy up the bedroom,
while making it darker for catching a few extra winks in the morning.





Before




Who says you can't paint brass!



















Before,
I have been packing this trunk around for 20 years. One of the few things that had escaped my paint brush until now. I use it for quilt storage and now gets double duty as a night stand.








Before









After






Before





After,
Used the closet doors at the window from previous desk area remodel.







My solution for a bare wall.






All Done





New fan.
I thought I could do this job myself. Wrong, thanks for the help Nick.













January Project

Create a desk area












Using a table for a desk, just asking for clutter.










Remove this "catch-all" closet.
Good idea!















Work in Progress
Also a good reason to buy a new jig saw.


http://www.skilshop.com/saws/jigsaws/4390-01.html










All finished "Nice & Neat"
For how long?







Project # 2 March
Got a bargain on flooring.

Should be easy!













Start of another project,
Also known as "I need help. "













Stanely to the rescue.

Using new jig saw .



















I'm ready to call it a day!


















View from the utility room.
Nice job on the doorway Stan.












Just a wider view.















$20 table from the Goodwill















Dining room done, & new blind.

Garden Junk




"Oopsy Daisy" Pot

















"Chick's House"






Old Window Renewed
Now What?






Mosaic Bowling Ball











Teacup Chandelier















Teapot Totem

















Turquoise Totem



















Blue Lady Totem















Dragonfly Bottle Bug












"Smiley" Bottle Bug guarding Strawberries








No Beer Bottle Windchimes















"Lets Eat" Windchime