Monday, April 30, 2012

Take Your Best Guess!

Well,
Today's the day.
What day, you ask?
Well, the day to paint
the bike.
Yes, Yes, It's true...
I garbage picked it...
Shhhhhhhh..
We don't want the 
neighbors to know!
You didn't really think
I could use
SPRAY PAINT
when SweetCheeks was here
did you, you silly goose?
We had other fish to fry...
er...crowns to polish...
and SPRAY PAINT
and SweetCheeks just kind
of sounds like a 
scary duo to me.
Now then..
Back to the bike painting~
Here are the choices.
Do you think I am going to paint
the bike 
THIS COLOR?
(I will list these for all
you color blind people)
#1 GREEN?
#2 PINK?
#3 TURQUOISE/AQUA?
above images here
#4  WHITE?
image here
Did you know they call
white bikes
GHOST BIKES?
Well, they do!
No ghosts in my gardens so far...
although I have a few skeletons
in my closet...
And MyHero?
Well, he has even 
MORE SKELETONS
in his closet....
after all he once wore
something that looked like
THIS!

So, if he 
SHOULD OFFER
to help me spray paint
today I will tell him,
"Thanks, but no thanks".
C'mon...you'd say the same thing!
So...
What's your best guess?
#1, #2, #3, #4
Tomorrow we will see
how well you know me!
your photo name

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Seeking Prayers On Sunday

I talked to a sweet friend
of mine, Janet O,
this week.
Her children and ours grew
up together.  They had
one of those love/hate
relationships that only happen
when kids are close in age
and temperament.
Matter of fact, I think
there were some
"first kisses" between
her kids and ours but
my kids SWEAR that is
NOT TRUE!
Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!

Anyway, Janet O. has a beautiful
daughter-in-law,
Jessica, married to her son, Nathan.
Isn't she gorgeous?

Janet asked for
prayers for Jessica.
I told her I have the
best prayer warriors
in all of Blogland...
YOU GUYS (or girls).

She has a rare-very rare
type of cancer...

Choriocarcinoma
You can read about it here.
It is through her whole
system, including her
brain and her lungs.
Please, please, please
pray for Jessica.
Pray not only that she
will be completely
healed but that she
can have a baby sometime
in the future.
She is feeling sad and 
disheartened by this whole
experience and we want
to see her looking like
this again.
All prayers will be welcomed
and Janet will tell 
Jessica to check for your comments.

Another update on
Charlie-the nephew of
Jettie.  The one that 
fell and landed on his face.
This is taken from her blog.
You can read that original post here.
Charlie is now off the Vent, and in a step down room, out of ICU.  His mouth is wired shut, so he isn't talking, but he is looking around and has both eyes open.  Discussions are ongoing as to his therapy, which will be at a hospital closer to home.  No time frame is in place yet, just have to wait and see how his recovery goes.  He won't be having more facial surgery, I was told.  Just keep praying for him and his family, please.  He has a long recovery ahead
 The other person I 
am waiting for an update on 
is this darling little boy, Evan.
Here is the only update & this
is from April 19th.
The surgeon called our daughter late last night.  He told her our grandson's condition is VERY complicated and he is unsure how to treat him...spewing off words too big for her to wrap her mind around.  His office called her today and she and our little guy will be meeting next Thursday, April 26 with a a different doctor specializing in pediatric immunology and infectious disease. The following day, Friday, April 27 they will return to see the surgeon for a follow-up visit since his bone biopsies.  He is still leaning towards some kind of infection I guess...but what? And...why so complicated?  I am discouraged because it is taking so long to treat him, to let us know what exactly is going on with him.
You can read his story here.
I hope no news is good news..
and I will let you know as
soon as I hear anything.
Sunday blessings to all....

your photo name

Saturday, April 28, 2012

I Hired A Gardener!

Yes!
Yes-It's true.
I hired a gardener to 
help me with this
blasted front yard.

I told the hired help
that I would pick them
up at 8:30 and to wear
clothes suitable for
digging and dirty work.

Here is what 
the gardener wore.
You see this outfit often
because it is her
FAVORITE.

She said she was really tired
cuz she had worked all morning.
She had to do the dishes
(put her bowl in the sink)
and start the laundy
(put her dirty clothes in the hamper)
and clean everything up...
uh-huh

To keep her little hands 
from getting dirty
she wore these.
She has her own hoe
which often ended up here.
So that she could do this...
on a tricycle that may
or may not be a tad too small.
Then...She went with me to 
Home Depot
and smelled all the flowers.
She picked these out herself
because she thought her
sisters would like them best.
You remember I said
I HIRED a gardener?
Well, friends,
here's where the payday
started....
A child's vanilla milk steamer..
Of course I had to be 
dragged there because it
was Starbucks.
okay-I might have lied
about the dragging part-
Then a salad on the bench...
And dinner divine...
After dinner there was 
another small payoff.
Now, are you wondering
if we got any gardening done?
Well, folks,
you will just have to come
back again, won't you?
You won't be disappointed...
because it is going to 
include a bicycle and spray paint.

And, NO, I am NOT
going to be pedaling 
my butt all over town,
but thanks for asking!
your photo name

Friday, April 27, 2012

Staging Stinks-Sometimes

What?
Well...there I said it!
You want the truth, right?
It stinks when you don't
have much to work with....

MyHero and I went
to Door County yesterday.
You remember our friend,
Keys?
After he passed away
last month we were left
to deal with the
house he was renting.
The landlord is
now going to sell the house.
So, MyHero asked me
if I could stage it 
working with what 
was already there.

Now, the funny thing
is that about 15 years ago
 we provided
Keys with just about
every piece of furniture
he owned.

Dated?
You bet!
But,  you work with
what you have, right?
Why?
Because there is 
NO BUDGET
for this redo.

Door County, WI
is noted for 
cherries and 
big shipyards....
lots of nautical stuff
in this area.
So, we are going for a
nautical theme here.

 Here is what I
started with looking in
from the foyer.
There used to be
THREE pianos in this room..
A concert sized grand,
an upright
and a harpsichord.
Those have all been
removed and a couple of them
are awaiting new homes.
This is from a slightly
different angle.
And this is looking
towards the dining room.
So....
after a bit of moving things
around I found an old
desk upstairs
and moved that to the corner
that held the chair.
The top is in terrible condition
but there was a piece of
black felt that I used
to cover the top.
After looking at this I went
back and turned the drawers
to the back when I noticed
the hardware was all wonky.
I used an old chair to make
this odd space a little
reading nook.
These chairs were 
"country blue"
from the 80s.
I ordered slip covers from 
Overstock.com 
in a rich cocoa brown color
and gave them to
 Keys a few years ago.
The little pillow was a gift
from my sweet son-in-law
and is on loan for
staging.
The dining room is
bare and spare
but I dressed the table
as best I could using
what I had on hand.
There is a little built in
on the wall in here.
It is in an awkward space
so I added the nautical
bell pull to one side.
~Blue & White & Yellow~
I thought the yellow
cheered it up a bit.
The kitchen is still a mess.
But that is next up on the
TO DO LIST.
These HAVE to go!
And, I am replacing the
burner pans... they're awful...
trust me....
So, that's what
I did yesterday.
Today I have
SOMEONE SPECIAL
spending the day
so you know how much
I will get done!
Not much...
but I'm sure I will
have lots of laughs!
And probably a few
new "stories" 
to share with you!
Have a great day friends!
your photo name

Thursday, April 26, 2012

My Hero Delivers (The Mail)

Yesterday was 
ONE OF THOSE DAYS.

You know the one.
The one where you have
a kagillion things to
get done and
somehow end up 
getting nothing done.
Yeah...
that kind of day.
The kind that leaves
you feeling kinda
suck-o.
Yes-that's a real word.
It is in my 
Nana Diana Dictionary.
I will be glad to sell
you a copy for only
$38, 550.67.
Cash or Money Order.
Then you, too, can
have a vocabulary
that will amaze,
and delight,
your friends.

So, I was most happy
when MyHero came
in from the mailbox
toting a box with
a wonderful surprise inside.

A few weeks ago I won
a giveaway from
Kristin over at

Here they are-
3 of the cutest frames 
you will ever see.
#1
#2
#3
Here they are with
a different light source..
Pretty sweet, huh?
The giveaway was sponsored by

They are darling and I love
them.  
Thank you Kristen & Jennifer.

I would also be remiss if
I didn't share what my friend
sent me a couple of weeks ago.
She is just a sweet, sweet person.
Here is what widened my eyes
when I opened her 
sweet package.
The tag is just adorable..
as is the necklace.
And some seeds to plant
to remind me of her
all season long.
Thanks so much, Mary.

Now....if you are very good
and promise not to spit
in the cat's dish,
tomorrow I will share
the staging I have been
doing in our friend's house
in Door County....
working with some
very meager furnishings
and accessories.
Here is a sneak peek...
What?
Sneak Peek?
What did you THINK you
were going to see...
My Hero in his 
birthday suit?
Oh- Wait!
That was his 
LEISURE SUIT...
Uh-huh
THOSE were the days, huh?;>)
your photo name

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

BBAP-Before Blogging And Pinterest

I don't know about you
but I used to collect
magazines like some
people collect 
dust on their shelves.

If a new magazine 
was published I was right
there to pick it up.
There were some wonderful
ones that have fallen by
the wayside 
as the internet has
become our go-to source
for ideas and inspiration.

Remember when
Country Home
was published bi-monthly?
And how about
Home Companion?
I had my own little system
before the internet craze.
I had (still have)
binders and binders
full of ideas.
They are all labeled and
organized.
I probably have 30 of them.
I have been poring through them
to figure out what to do
with our front gardens.

I took a drive on the west
side of the bay yesterday.
I came across this sweet
little spot.
It won't work for our 
landscaping problem
but it would work for 
my son's house.
Isn't this cute?
I think they did such 
a nice job...rustic
and so sweet.
I wanted to drive right up
this drive
and introduce myself.
Looking at that red barn
just makes me smile.
Somehow, I just felt there 
was a piece of apple pie
and a cuppa hot coffee
waiting there for a visitor.
(if this is your house and
you see this please call me...
I will bring the coffee myself
just to walk through your 
sweet space!;>)

So...still no answers for
me about what to do with 
THIS mess....
I know it doesn't look 
bad here but,
trust me,
another month and it will be
AWFUL.

So, until I figure out what to
do I guess I will just have to
dream a bit.
And, while I am dreaming,
I am going to dream
that
MY GARDENS
look just like 
Laurie's gardens
over at 
This is a side yard shot.
And another...
That is at her OLD HOUSE..
now for sale.

Do you suppose if I 
begged hard enough
she would cross 
Lake Michigan on her
rowboat and help
her poor Wisconsin friend
figure out what to do here?

The pay isn't much
but I will keep you laughing, 
Laurie....
while I sit and watch and 
direct things....
and if you drink enough of 
that FatCat/StupidDog 
wine you make you won't 
mind at all.

Okay- back to my
notebooks to see if
I can find some inspiration.
I hope you all have a 
wonderful Wednesday!
your photo name