Mustards and Marmalades

Where has the time went??

2011-10-22T12:01:00.002-04:00

OMG..it's been awhile since I've been on this thing. Hopefully I will be able to find some time to get back to blogging. Next month I'm going to Australia with my SIL. It should be a fun trip, but I'm a tad bit apprehensive about going. I'm not necessarily scared, but I just don't know what to expect. The 14hr plane ride should be interesting, too.NOTE TO SELF: BRING SLEEPING PILLS! :)

Lots of stuff since the last time I wrote.

2010-07-21T21:19:00.002-04:00

Well, it turned out that I WAS right after all. My mom was having a reaction to her new partial. The metal in it was making her mouth irritated. That's excellent news!!!!!

We've been working on the kitchen alot, but it's not done yet! Seems as though someone had to take a break to work on his Cushman Truckster. Hmmm, I wonder who that could be??

We didn't go to the Crosley show this year. It was the weekend before the HLCCA conference and John thought we would be rushing around and traveling too much. I guess it was fine with me....More money for the dishes! "Hee, Hee!".

The HLCCA conference in Nashville was a blast. I enjoyed spending time with old friends and meeting new ones! I can't wait till next year!!!

Long time..No see!

2010-04-07T23:00:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted. Hopefully I'll get back in the groove of things soon. Spring is here which means the start of car shows and before you know it...Hot summer nights! Ahhhh...gotta love it. The Crosley show is only 3 months away. We are gearing up for that. I doubt we will take a car this year, but it's always enjoyable to visit Wauseon and see those little cars go "Vroom, Vroom". Hmm, maybe it's more like "Beep, Beep"??

The HLCCA Fiesta Conference is the week after the Crosley show. I especially can't wait for this. Already found part of my costume for Thursday night.

I'll try to stop in again soon! :)

1940 Crosley

2010-01-12T18:08:00.004-05:00

It's always fun to find ads and brochures that are in color. This one particularly jumps out because of its bright orange appearance.

NYWF Crosley Post Card

2010-01-11T13:24:00.002-05:00

Cannon Ball Baker's Crosley Covered Wagon...

2010-01-08T19:28:00.004-05:00

Cannon Ball Baker's Transcontinental Run(6,517 miles) across America!

Crosley Parkway Delivery

2010-01-07T19:39:00.010-05:00

I have been inspired by Candy's The Pottery Papers blog. However, instead of ads of pottery. I have decided to post a few Crosley ads we have acquired throughout the years. Some of you may find them interesting and some may find them boring! Either way, I hope you learn something. Many of these ads are hard to find! You may click on the photo to view it better! Please Do Not reproduce these without my permission.

On to New Years...

2009-12-28T11:17:00.002-05:00

Well, Christmas was pretty uneventful for us this year. It didn't really feel like the holidays. We didn't even have snow for Christmas! So far, we have missed 3 major snow storms since the season has started! I can't say that I'm very disappointed! Snow to me is just another obstacle in the daily activities! However, it would've been nice to have a white Christmas! Sometimes having a good snowstorm is so exciting, though. Only if you don't have to drive in it!!!
On Christmas day I received two Fiesta Snowman family luncheon plates and the 2009 Holiday ornament from Younkers. I had the ornament already, but I could always use two! LOL! I also received my fair share of Red Striped Fiesta dinner plates, the new HLCCA pitcher, and a Carhartt sweatshirt. We didn't do alot of "gift-giving" this year for Christmas. We figure everyday is a holiday with Ebay purchases and lots of dish friends!

I can't believe 2010 is on our doorsteps! This year has flown by so quickly. This year we are going to enjoy a quite evening at home. Last year, John had to work due to a storm and I spent my night all alone! When the ball dropped I had no one to kiss except Rizzo! LOL!

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-24T21:05:00.002-05:00

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! We are having a very simple, Italian Christmas this year. Lasagna, salad, bread sticks, veggies, and pecan pie are on the menu. Both my mother-in-law and I were not in the mood for a traditional Turkey/Ham menu. She is cooking so I suggested Italian. It will be quick and easy.

I hope Santa treats you right this year! I wished for more Fiesta!!!! It always makes me smile :)

15 Days until Christmas...

2009-12-10T11:42:00.001-05:00

Are YOU ready? We've decided not to give gifts this year. After all, we are in a recession! We are also remodeling our kitchen and all of our funds are going into that. We are putting in heated tile floors. Winter in the north is not kind to our tootsies!

My Favorite time of year...

2009-12-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

December is my favorite time of the year. I love the holidays and the excitement it brings. The decorations, music, food, and treats. It's all good!

Anatomy of a Turkey...

2009-11-26T07:41:00.002-05:00

HAPPY TURKEY DAY! I hope everyone is blessed with friends and family on this Thanksgiving Day!

The Upcoming Holiday...

2009-11-17T17:50:00.002-05:00

John and I are planning on having Thanksgiving at my parents house this year. It should be an interesting day! My brother and his wife are coming down for the occasion. That's not really that weird, but it seems like whenever we want to get together with him...he's always busy! I think he just makes excuses, but whatever! That's the not the weird part though...my long lost sister might also be there. I know you've heard me talk about her before. She's the sister that left when she was 19 or 20 years old and never looked back. She totally dissed my whole family, including my extended family. She had some growing up to do!!!!! Yada, Yada, Yada..I don't want to get into specifics because my blood pressure will start to boil!!!

Anyway, in the past six months my parents have tried to contact her(they know her phone number). They have talked with her and she has even came to the house a few times to talk. I personally haven't seen her in about 10 years and it was a 5 minute conversation that SHE ended quickly!!!! She said she might be coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe it will be a good thing. I'm sure it will be awkward! Did I mention that John and my sister graduated High school together! That should be interesting! LOL It's not like they hung out but they did know each other!
I'm not betting any money on her Thanksgiving dinner arrival. I know how inconsistent she has been in the past, but maybe...just maybe she has grown up and changed a bit! I will keep you posted!

Not much to say...

2009-11-03T22:22:00.001-05:00

I've been busy lately. I really haven't had too much to say, I guess. I updated my blog look a bit. Hope you like it. It's kind of a fall theme without looking to "Fallish". Does that make sense?? LOL I guess it sort of resembles me swinging from a tree. I used to be a tree climber back in the day! :)

Strawser Auction...

2009-09-24T18:02:00.003-04:00

We're heading out tomorrow for the big Fiesta auction in Indiana.

Checkbook
Bags Packed
Handy-Dandy Strawser Auction info
Checkbook
Reference books
Cooler Packed
Baby Sitter for Rizzo

Wish us luck...

Another Baby...

2009-09-17T21:57:00.002-04:00

One of my best friends emailed me tonight and told me she's expecting a baby boy in February. It was a surprise, but I was sorta expecting that kind of news from her soon anyway. It's her first child and they are both very excited. I'm excited for her, too. Looks like another set of "Baby's First Fiesta" will be going out very soon!

It's almost here...

2009-09-16T23:03:00.002-04:00

The Fall Strawser Fiesta auction is almost upon us. I love going to it. There's lots of nice people and lots of nice dishes, too. DUH!!!

We will be driving down there Friday night because it's a three hour trip. We have to deliver a Crosley we sold, too.
Here's a link to the auction site: http://www.strawserauctions.com/

We're home...

2009-09-09T12:00:00.005-04:00

Well, we had a really nice day on Saturday. Despite the traffic on the way to our destination, it wasn't a bad day. We took the expressway because it was the fastest route. We were already late because we got a little off course by swinging over to a good antique mall on the way. Found a Red KK Jug(no lid) and John found some "man" goodies, too.

After that we were back on track. We picked up our little car and decided to take more of a leisurely ride back home so we weren't "pushed" off the road from all the maniac holiday drivers. It took longer to get home, but we didn't care. It was a beautiful day and we had all the time in the world.

So, here it is with my two men in the front seats.(Sorry it's such a horrible picture. It was getting dark and I was trying to hurry before the sun went down).

Our New Addition...

2009-09-02T11:34:00.007-04:00

No, we're not having a baby! Trust me, we couldn't afford it with all our little addictions...Pottery and Cars!

This is probably one of the best original Pre War Crosley's we've ever seen. The paint is scratched, but it's all original. One of the past owners poured motor oil on the floor to keep it from rusting. Smart idea!!! The floors are Mint!!

Here's a picture of the back seat. I think that was an option on these cars.

I can't believe this car is almost 68 years old!!!! We will be bringing it home on Saturday. It will be right at home with the others...

Friday in Review...

2009-08-28T23:20:00.002-04:00

Well, today wasn't a great day weather wise. It was a cold and dreary day when I woke up this morning. Better take note...I was up at 7 a.m. this morning. That doesn't happen very often. John works afternoons, so we usually don't get to bed until close to 2 a.m. My dad and I had to go north to Bay City to get his bicycle "tuned" up. The place where I bought his bike from does free tune-ups for the first year or so after you buy a bike from them. Here is a link just in case your have the urge to buy a new bike http://www.bayvacandpedal.com/. They also sell vacuums. Isn't that convenient??? LOL! I also bought a bike from them last year and they are very nice people to do business with.

We dropped it off(it would take a few hours to fix) and headed out to do some errands. We then went to Menards(like Home Depot or Lowes) because I had to return a circuit breaker findy- thingy. Don't ask me exactly how to use it. Even John didn't know how to use it correctly. That's why we took it back. After that, dad asked me where I wanted to go. I suggested Younkers, of course. Land of Fiesta!! I wanted to check out their stock while we were in town. Dad tagged along, but got sticker shock when I told him the price of the rectangle baker...Reg. price $72..on sale for $50 something. I told him I had sticker shock the first time I saw the price, too. That's why I got all of mine in the seconds rooms at the factory. I was a little disappointed. They hardly had any Lemongrass. I really wanted a luncheon plate, but I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for that. They did have some chili bowls, fruit bowls, and the typical 5 pc. place settings. We wandered around some more...looking at toasters, waffle makers, etc. I think dad was more curious than I. He doesn't go into malls very often.

From there we went to Red Lobster for lunch. I had salmon. Dad had a fish sandwich that looked excellent. This was his first time in a Red Lobster. I think he enjoyed himself. Then I remembered that Rizzo was low on nuggets. Since Target was right there, we decided to go there. Got some wet kitty food, too. We need to give the kitty a worm pill. He's a stray that has ended up being a nice change of scenery around the yard. He's staying around and he LOVES to be held. I will post a pic of him soon. We call him squeaky sometimes because he doesn't meow very loud. He just opens his mouth and sometimes a little squeak will come out. He's a nice cat.

From there we headed back to the bike shop and then back home. Dad and I had a very good day despite the rain. I came home and took a little nap. Although, Rizzo kept interrupting me with lots of barks. He kept seeing the Amish go by.

Marking the Calendar...

2009-08-25T21:13:00.003-04:00

Today we had the distinct pleasure to receive GRAVEL FOR OUR ROAD!!!! It's a total miracle. We haven't had actual gravel for our road in at least 10 years, but it could be longer than that. I've lived here for almost that long and I know for a fact they haven't put gravel down since I've been here.

Its been a long going joke around here. The county road commission will grade our roads, but they don't leave anything behind!!! Then every few years they put down faux gravel. Ya know the stuff that is mostly sand with a few small rocks mixed in here and there to "simulate" gravel. LOL

Then in the spring, what gravel that is actually left in our road is in our front yard. We have to rake the stuff back into the road. They do a terrible job plowing snow in the winter.

KK Ivory Refrigerator Stacking Set....

2009-08-25T12:28:00.003-04:00

This was the new piece I was telling you about. It finally came today. I'm so excited. It's the HTF Kitchen Kraft Ivory Refrigerator Stacking Set. It's pictured with a partial set in cobalt.

New piece of Pottery...

2009-08-21T21:42:00.002-04:00

I'm excited. I'm getting a new piece of pottery soon. Should be here in a few days. I can't wait...

Am I leaving you in suspense??? Good! LOL :)

BOING....

2009-08-17T22:11:00.002-04:00

I spent the day trying to figure out what to do with my hair. I went to bed last night with wet hair...wrong thing to do when it's 100% humidity outside. I woke up with not only bed head, but my hair was so frizzy from the hot, humid weather it was impossible to tame it. I brushed it out...BOING!...out it went! I didn't have a chance. Finally, I just let my hair do whatever it wanted!! It was almost as miserable out today than it was yesterday. We had a little rain shower last night and the humidity sky-rocketed. Oh well...I shouldn't complain too much. We haven't had too many hot days this year. I like it very warm. Just not humid.

It's...

2009-08-16T15:53:00.002-04:00

It's as simple as that!! I can't waste the precious energy by typing.

A Fine Day...

2009-08-12T17:43:00.002-04:00

Well, the weather is finally cooperating a bit. We are in the clear for the rest of the week and into the weekend. We're supposed to have clear skies with no rain in the forecast. It is going to get pretty warm this weekend though...Upper 80's. I don't mind that as long as the humidity doesn't come with it.

I have hardly seen John this week. Only for about an hour in the morning. He has been working 16 hrs/day for the past few days. I'm not complaining too much. I've gotten a lot done around the house. I went uptown today and helped my dad. He was making one of the flower beds bigger. So, we cleaned that all up and put down more edging. It looks a lot nicer. I think I need to get dad out here to help me with MY flower beds. LOL! Anyway, it was a good day.

Our kitchen window that we ordered is in. We need to go pick that up in the next few days. I would like to get that put in this weekend while we have nice weather, but I don't think we'll have a chance. This weekend is the annual "YARD SALE TRAIL"
Here is the link if you're interested in learning more about it.
http://home.tir.com/~mteichow/yst/
Not sure if we'll be doing it or not, but I would like to try to fit it in our schedule. My mother and father in law will be in Lexington putting on their own garage sale. The annual Garage Sale Trail is really crazy. Lots of people and cars. ALL over the place. Since it's right along M-25 it's even busier because it's right on the lake. There is a combination of tourists(city folk coming up to their cabins) and people scrounging for antiques. One thing is for certain....it will be an excellent weekend for it. The weather will be perfect.

I just brushed Rizzo again. OMG...I think I could make a sister for him out of all his fur. He has a lot of butt fuzz! LOL! He really likes to be brushed and just stands there while I do it. I use one of those slicker brushes with all the harsh looking wires. It's really good at getting all the loose fur from his undercoat. I just don't brush too hard. He doesn't like that. He is a good, obedient dog!

Paying it forward...

2009-08-10T19:42:00.003-04:00

Today I set out to get a few gift cards for my next door neighbors. Now, if you've been reading my blog all along you will remember that these are the neighbors that don't take good care of the pets!! It really irritates me, but what can I do about it?? Anyway, we read in the paper this weekend that their house is in the process of fore closer. We actually don't mind them at all. They are a very nice family(except for the pet thing). It certainly could be worse!!! We don't chit-chat a whole lot, but we know each other enough and we wave to each other when they drive by. We feel absolutely horrible that they are going thru this. They have 3 kids. One will be starting college next year. Geez, how time flies.

So, I got a few gifts cards for the family. I am anonymously sending them in the mail. I don't want them to know it was from me. I enclosed a note stating that these gift cards are for school supplies and/or clothes only. Each of the kids are getting their own gift card. It's not alot, but it might help buy some paper, pens, socks, etc. It's certainly better than nothing. I'm also giving the mom a gift card, too. She can buy groceries or more school stuff for the kids. I hope it helps them.

Train hit by a tornado...

2009-08-03T23:42:00.006-04:00

I received this email forward the other day. I thought it was sooo spectacular. I had to share it. P.S. Make sure your sound is on.

Train hit by tornado.

Occurred in Illinois earlier this year -- The camera is on rear locomotive.. Watch, especially to the left --

watch the trees bend, debris in the air,

and you can actually see the tornado pass from right to left.

The trestle was moved out of alignment to the left 18 inches

-- the tank car was a load of Ethylene Oxide -- Nasty Stuff!

YES OR NO...

2009-08-03T23:29:00.002-04:00

I got this from Craig. Thanks for giving me some kind of inspiration this week!!

You can only answer YES or NO

2. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages or comments you and asks. And believe me, the temptation to explain some of these will be overwhelming...nothing is exactly as it seems.

3. It is harder than it looks. But no explanations !!! You will want to...But don't!!!

Copy and paste the questions, delete my answers, type in your answers, and and post. Very simple!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kissed any one of your Facebook friends?--- NO
Been arrested? --- NO
Kissed someone you didn't like? --- yes
Slept in until 5 PM? --- NO
Fallen asleep at work/school? --NO
Held a snake? --yes
Ran a red light? --- yes
Been suspended from school? ---NO
Experienced love at first sight? --- NO
Totaled your car in an accident? --- NO
Fired somebody? ---NO
Sang karaoke? --- YES
Pointed a gun at someone? ---NO
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? --- YES
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? --- YES
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? ---YES
Kissed in the rain? -- YES
Had a close brush with death (your own)? --- NO
Seen someone die? --- NO
Played spin-the-bottle? -- YES
Sang in the shower? ---YES
Smoked a cigar? --- NO
Sat on a rooftop? --- YES
Taken pictures of yourself naked? --- NO
Smuggled something into another country? --- NO
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? --- YES
Broken a bone? --- NO
Skipped school? --- YES
Eaten a bug? --- YES
Sleepwalked? --- NO
Walked a moonlit beach? --- YES
Ridden a motorcycle? --YES
Dumped someone? --- YES
Forgotten your anniversary? --- NO
Lied to avoid a ticket? ---NO
Flown in a helicopter? --- NO
Shaved your head? --- NO
Played a prank on someone? ---YES
Hit a home run? --- NO
Felt like killing someone? --- NO
Cross-dressed? --- YES
Been falling-down drunk? --- NO
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? --- YES
Eaten snake? --- NO
Marched/Protested? --- NO
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? --- NO
Puked on amusement ride? --- NO
Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? --- NO
Been in a band? --- YES
Knitted? --- YES
Shot a gun? --- YES
Skinny-dipped? --- YES
Caused someone to need stitches? --- NO
Eaten a whole habenero pepper? --- NO
Ridden a surfboard? ---NO
Drank straight from a liquor bottle? --YES
Had surgery? --- YES
Streaked? ---YES
Taken by ambulance to hospital? ---NO
Passed out when not drinking? -- NO
Peed on a bush? --- YES
Donated Blood? --- YES
Grabbed electric fence? ---YES
Eaten alligator meat? -- NO
Eaten cheesecake? ---YES
Eaten kids' Halloween candy? --- YES
Killed an animal when not hunting? --- YES
Peed your pants in public? ---NO
Snuck into a movie without paying? ---NO
Written graffiti? --- NO
Still love someone you shouldn't? --- NO
Think about the future? ---YES
Been in handcuffs? ---NO
Believe in love? --- YES
Sleep on a certain side of the bed?---YES

The Girls...

2009-07-28T17:50:00.004-04:00

My dad finally got his chickens on Sunday. He's been wanting chickens for a while now, so he was so excited to finally pick them up. The breed is called "Barred Rocks". He had pigeons(no bird jokes, Craig!!!) for a really long time, but wanted something different. Mom and dad also wanted to raise their own chickens for eggs. This variety are excellent egg layers and very friendly, so I'm certain dad will be pleased.

Here is a pic of the hens that I took yesterday. They look happy in their new home! They are a little too young to start laying, but that process will probably start in November.

Lazy Day...

2009-07-23T18:40:00.002-04:00

It's been such a lazy day. The rain has finally stopped for the moment, but I think we're in for more in the next few hours. UGH! I'm so sick of it. John and I both wanted to sleep most of the day, but all good things must come to an end sometime.

Hopefully this weekend, we can get out and go buy a laser printer. I have an inkjet, but I need a laser for some secret projects I have in mind. The one I'm eyeing at Best Buy is half off this week. I also want to look at the SLR camera's. We need to upgrade to a better camera, so why not REALLY upgrade!!

Rizzo is hurt. He is favoring is left side/foot area..I think. I noticed yesterday he would yelp a little when he layed down, but I couldn't find anything wrong with him. Well, I knew something was really wrong when I woke up and he was on the floor this morning. He usually sleeps with us in the bed. We invited him up, but he couldn't lay down and just whimpered the whole time. I felt so bad. He got down quickly. We still can't find anything wrong with him. We inspected his tootsies and his legs to make sure there wasn't anything in them. All I know is he doesn't like laying down very much. Once he does lay down on the floor he seems fine. He didn't lay in his bed the whole day(which is weird for him). I don't think it's anything major. He still dances around like a nut, but seems a little more reserved. If he doesn't seem better by tomorrow or Saturday, I might take him to the vet. Probably somehow during his crazy antics, he ran into something and hurt himself. That's what we're hoping for anyway. I hope it's nothing internal. Our poor little baby :(

MIA...

2009-07-21T22:00:00.002-04:00

I was busy putting away my suitcase the other day and found that I have ANOTHER vintage relish tray. I thought I only had three, but apparently I forgot about the one still hiding in the dish/holiday/luggage closet. Geez...I'm either losing my mind or I have WAY too many dishes!!!

Procrastination Part II...

2009-07-20T22:18:00.002-04:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't posted since last Tuesday or Wednesday. Just wanted to let everyone know that we had an excellent time at the HLCCA conference. What a treat it was to participate in all the weekend activities and meet new people. We've had a busy week since we've been home so I haven't had to time to post. Well, that....and I haven't really felt like it either to tell you the truth. Oh well.

We ordered our kitchen window this past weekend. I'm so excited. For those of you that don't know...our windows are horrible. Alot of them are very hard to open. Ya know..the typical old windows! We are trying to replace one or two of them every year. Last year we replaced our bedroom window. WOW...what a treat to actually be able open our windows now!! LOL

The kitchen window will be the start of our new house project. We need to get going on the remodeling process in the kitchen. Our cabinets are still sitting in boxes in our guest bedroom. We don't have guests, so it's the perfect place for them to hide out while we're getting ready for them. LOL

So when the time comes to put in our new window, I will be ready to take lots of pics of our project. Stay tuned...

Bags are packed...

2009-07-07T19:15:00.003-04:00

I got most of my stuff packed today. I hope we have enough room in the car for everything. Remember, we're going to the Crosley show first. Normally, I wouldn't have any problem going to the show, but this year I just want to go straight to Pittsburgh. Oh well. I guess we all have to make sacrifices in this world.

We got a check in the mail from the hospital today. It was from when John had his gallbladder surgery. Apparently, they overcharged us by $191.00. It's not everyday you GET money from the hospital, so I went straight to the bank and cashed it. We will use it this weekend for our activities!! BONUS!!!!

Procrastination...

2009-07-03T18:10:00.006-04:00

Let's face it...everyone does it!! I think I am procrastinating a little this week. I know I need to get ready for the conference and the Crosley show, but I haven't done anything yet. Oh, I did manage to try my dress on that I'm wearing for the Saturday night dinner. That's all, though. I think I work better when I'm a little under pressure. I have other things I need to do besides pack my suitcase.

--Get the small cooler ready

--Buy Snacks

--Charge camera and camcorder batteries(oh yes...I WILL be recording this event so you better watch out.)

--Get maps ready(I'm the navigator)

--Wash Clothes

--Get lots of Money(the most important thing)

--Make plans for Rizzo to be taken care of during the 4 days we're gone. (MIL's job)

--Clean John's car out

Cleaning...

2009-06-29T22:20:00.003-04:00

I started doing laundry tonight. The last load is the washer right now....Thank goodness!! I have been putting off the whole "Linen Closet Clean Out" task. Well, I started cleaning that tonight. I have no idea where we got so many pillows. John has this thing about pillows. He will buy one and use it for a week or two and then he decides it just isn't quite right. Sort of like the GoldiLocks and the Three Bears story. .Ya know...she goes into their house and tries everything till she finds just the right one. LOL So...in the closet it goes. I keep telling myself that we will use it someday, but we never do. I got rid of those.

I've had a bridesmaid dress in there since last year. I hung it up and never did anything with it. I know...really bad, right??? :( So, I'm donating that to our local Heaven Sent Ministries shop up town. I know someone will love that. It's a great dress, but too formal for anything I'm going to be wearing anytime soon. I'm also donating a brand new, never used comforter set that my mother bought us. I thought I would use it, but my interests have changed and there it sits...in the closet. There's also some misc. articles of clothing I'm donating also.

I'm so happy with myself now that I have more room in the closet. I can actually walk inside now instead of dashing in and out and ignoring the mess :)

I'm tired...

2009-06-28T15:37:00.003-04:00

This past few days have been very weird for me. First of all, John had to work 16 hr. shifts for the past three days. Today he had to go in and work another 8 hrs. I haven't slept too bad since he's been away, but last night it was horrible. I didn't sleep at all. Then I got up about 9:30 and got ready to go to my hairdresser's baby shower. Holy cow...she had TONS of gifts. I don't think I've been to a baby shower with so many gifts. I gave her "Baby's First Fiesta", Burp Cloths, and a Swaddle Me Baby Wrap. I also got her a large Cinnabar canister. She's been wanting the canister for a while to exchange the Scarlet one she originally got(the Cinnabar goes better w/her kitchen). Everyone loved the Baby's First Fiesta(of course).

I'm about ready to take a nap. Can't wait for the conference. I guess I should start looking at what I'm going to wear. LOL!! Maybe I'll do that after nappy time.

Rizzo is getting good at his Frisbe catching. He loves it. I really need to take a picture of him while he jumps to catch it. Soon we'll be in one of those dog competitions. John will be throwing the frisbe and Rizzo will be jumping across my back to catch it. LOL Yeah Right!!!!

The neighbor called last night from down the road. Apparently "our" little black kitty was down there on their porch. They said they would feed him. (Which is fine...he IS a stray afterall.) She knew I was a little worried about him. It gave me a little peace of mind that I didn't kill him after I fed him the worm pill :)

Water is such a precious thing...

2009-06-25T23:03:00.002-04:00

AND a hot comodity. LOL
Today I went over across the street to my inlaws. The first thing out of their mouths was, "We don't have any water". I was a little puzzled at first. We have well water, so unless something internal goes wrong or we don't have any power...we ALWAYS have water. My FIL thinks the pipe running from the well to the house has a rusted-out hole in it somewhere. Either that or the pump is plugged. They said it has been getting increasingly worse the past day or so. When they turned on the water it would spit out black stuff.

So, my MIL is needed to use our shower tonight. Then I showed her the CMG Tablecloth Thread. Well, we sat here for over 2 hrs looking at this. She loved everything.

This weekend we will be renting a ditch witch to dig the trench to put a new pipe in. OH BOY! That should be interesting with all the junk in the yard.

---Only 2 more weeks until the HLCCA conference. I'm sooo excited.

---Did I mention we have a new kitty. Well, sort of. He's been hanging around the inlaws place for a few weeks. This past week was the first time we were able to get a good look at him. Oh, he's cute. He's a young, black kitty and very skinny. So, I started feeding him at his "kitty condo"(old suburban w/o doors). He is a very nice cat. Today I slipped him a worm pill when I fed him. I'm sure he has worms. I will try to snap a picture of him when I get a chance.

---John just called..He will working a double shift. We had some bad storms between here and Detroit and apparently there's 100,000 people w/o power. Not a problem though. We really could use the extra money.

---We ordered our new car today. It should be here(crossed fingers) in about 4 months. John really wanted a 2010 instead of an 2009 car. He said it sounds better when you say it. LOL
It will be MY car!!! After last year's deer accident, he is not allowed to drive my car to work anymore. Plain and Simple! Yes, I'm being Feisty tonight. Must be the weather!! :)

90 Things...Have you done them??

2009-06-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

Once again, the idea comes from Becky. I'm such a copy-cat! :)

Just bold the items you have done. If you haven't done the item, just leave it alone.

1. Bought everyone in the pub/bar a drink
2. Climbed a mountain
3. Held a tarantula
4. Taken a morning shower with your love
5. Been in love
6. Broken someone’s heart
7. Had your heart broken
8. Done a striptease
9. Bungee jumped
10. Watched a lightning storm at sea
11. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
12. Seen the Northern Lights
13. Gone to a huge sports game
14. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
15. Slept under the stars
16. Changed a baby’s diaper
17. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
18. Watched a meteor shower
19. Gotten drunk on champagne
20. Given money to charity
21. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
22. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
23. Had a food fight
24. Bet on a winning horse
25. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
26. Had a snowball fight
27. Photocopied your butt or any other intimate body part
28. Held a lamb
29. Gone skinny dipping
30. Taken an ice cold shower
31. Seen a total eclipse
32. Ridden a roller coaster
33. Hit a home run
34. Been arrested
35. Visited all 50 states
36. Taken care of someone who was drunk
37. Stolen a street/highway sign
38. Backpacked in Europe
39. Taken a road trip
40. Taken a midnight walk on the beach-I went smelt dipping with dad :)
41. Gone sky diving
42. Milked a cow
43. Alphabetized your records
44. Sung karaoke
45. Lounged around in bed all day
46. Gone scuba diving
47. Danced in the rain
48. Gone to a drive-in theater
49. Started a business
50. Gotten married
51. Been in a movie
52. Crashed a party
53. Gotten divorced
54. Been questioned by the police in a foreign country
55. Made cookies from scratch
56. Gotten a tattoo
57. Been on television
58. Fallen asleep while driving
59. Got so drunk you don’t remember anything
60. Recorded music
61. Had too much to drink at a party
62. Bought a house
63. Accidentally put super glue where it it didn't belong
64. Been on a cruise ship
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Bounced a cheque
67. Called or written your Congress person
68. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
69. Sang loudly by yourself in the car
70. Wrote articles for a publication
71. Piloted an airplane
72. Helped an animal give birth-Sort of, I opened the shell of a baby duck. It was still alive and I nursed it back to health.
73. Been fired or laid off from a job
74. Won money on a T.V. game show
75. Broken a bone
76. Ridden a motorcycle
77. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
78. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
79. Ridden a horse
80. Had major surgery
81. Ridden on a train
82. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
83. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
84. Visited all 7 continents
85. Eaten sushi
86. Had your picture in the newspaper
87. Para sailed
88. Changed your name
89. Dyed your hair
90. Been a DJ

Five Things...

2009-06-19T20:07:00.003-04:00

I got this from Becky(Random Musings of a Deco Lady) I don't feel like posting a link. Thanks for some inspiration...I needed something for my blog! LOL

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Graduating from High School
2. Getting ready for College
3. Getting to know John
4. Buying my first car
5. Riding on John's motorcycle w/him

5 things on my 'to do' list:
1. Clean my car mats
2. Finish my craft project
3. Take a Shower
4. Run the dishwasher
5. Wash more clothes

5 Things I've done today:
1. Wash Clothes
2. Wash my car
3. Feed the stray cat; I can't help it, he's sooo cute :)
4. Feed Rizzo
5. Call the VW dealer

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1.Cookies (esp. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk)
2. Pretzles
3. Ice Cream(Once in a while)
4. Salsa & Chips
5. Potatoes(Hey, I'm Irish...what do you expect)

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Buy new VW's
2. Take care of our family
3. Take care of our neighbors to the south of us. (They can't pay their electric bill)
4. Buy more Crosleys
5. Buy more Fiesta

5 places I've lived:
1. MI
2. Northern MI
3. MI
4. MI
5. MI

Nice Weekend....

2009-06-15T23:13:00.004-04:00

Like Val, I also had a nice weekend. Saturday we got up and decided to go to Bay City. That's a little over an hour North-West of us. We checked out the new Volkswagens(Ya, Das Ist Gut) and then went to Menards for some plumbing supplies. If the new "Cash for Clunkers" bill passes, we hope to trade in our old gas-guzzler Jeep and get a new car. ***Fingers Crossed***.

We then swung over to Meijer to get doggy nuggets and a new frisby for the Riz-Man. He was a happy camper :) After we got home, we did some stuff outside and didn't come in from the shed until almost midnight. It was such a nice night.

Sunday, we stayed around the homestead. John worked on some of his motorcycle stuff while I played with the dog(see pics). That evening we hung some drywall in his dad's barn. Yes, that's right...I'm the official person who gets to screw the drywall to the studs while the men hold the drywall up. That was the first time I did that, too. (You can pat me on the back, LOL).

All in all, it was a beautiful weekend.

He is barking at the "SNAKE" LOL

Going under to get his Kong:

Here's a picture of my Clematis. It's attached to a chain link fence that hides our fuel-oil tanks. Works great as a cover.

Summer...10 days away???

2009-06-11T21:09:00.002-04:00

Okay, I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but in Michigan...it sucks! We have had a very crappy spring. Summer starts in 10 days. I think we've only had 2 or 3 warm days so far. I'm really getting sick of the cold weather and I don't like being depressed ALL year around. It's bad enough I get like that during the winter. I need some SUN and WARMTH. If you live in a sunny spot, please send some sun my way. Seriously...this is really depressing :(

Wind Power...

2009-06-07T21:55:00.004-04:00

We took a drive today to see the windmills about 30 miles away. This was the first time I had a chance to go up to see them. There are quite a few of them...maybe 40 or 50. It's neat to drive up the main road and see all of them go round and round! This is a big thing for the thumb of Michigan. Here's some pictures.

A Direct Hit...

2009-06-05T22:53:00.003-04:00

I wish I had a picture of it. I went over to my parents house today and noticed that their mailbox had been hit. They live on a busy road so we think that someone was stopped to turn left and a car made an illegal pass on the right. BAD! BAD! BAD! The mailbox was smashed to smitherines(sp?). Did I mention it still had mail in it. I'm kinda glad it was damaged beyond repair though. The box was really rusty from all the salty winters. It needed to be replaced. I had it in my mind that I was going to buy them a mailbox soon, but I didn't have to do it afterall. Anyway, dad and I went to the hardware store and bought a stainless steel box(NO RUST). He's so cheap! He didn't want to spend the $20 for it. I mean, I like a good bargain...but come on...sometimes you get what you pay for. That includes cheap mailboxes. It was made in the U.S.A, by the way.

My Car is done...

2009-06-01T14:52:00.006-04:00

I'm so happy! After almost 8 months of sitting in the shed, my car is finally done. Back in late October 2008, John hit a deer on his way home from work. Before this, he never drove my car to work. He decided to take it that one day to work on the A/C. I was soooo disappointed. I love my car. So, for 8 months I had to drive the Jeep Grand Cherokee(our winter vehicle). I hate driving that thing. I don't feel comfortable driving it. Probably because I'm small and it's big! LOL

Anyway, we didn't want the VW bodyshop to fix it. We wanted it done right!!! So, John did it himself. The reason why it took 8 months is because our shed is not heated. It's only been the past week or so that it's been nice enough to go out there to work on it.

Among new sheetmetal and plastic parts, we wanted to change the timing belt and put new brushes in the alternator. This was a perfect time to do all that because the front end was torn apart anyway. It's nearly impossible to do these tasks without taking off the front end!!! Yes, it's that big of a deal. We finally finished it up yesterday. It drives so nice! I'm so happy.

This is after the deer hit the car(yes, that's schmoo on the side):

It needed a new fender, headlight, hood, bumper cover, radiator, A/C condensor, and some misc. plastic pieces.

Here's the after pics taken yesterday:

Happy Birthday to Me...

2009-05-28T12:15:00.003-04:00

I wish I had more to talk about, but I don't. Soooo, I guess I will announce that it's my birthday! It's been a pretty uneventful day so far. John is working days this week instead of his usual afternoon shift. Hopefully he'll be home before 6 o'clock tonight for dinner. We're going over to my parents for pizza.

I almost ran over a baby robin the other day while mowing. Luckily, I saw it and swerved at the last minute. It was just a little guy. Later that night, he was hopping around the yard. The parents were getting a little nervous that it was exploring around the yard so much. I didn't want it to get hurt, so I picked it up and put it back near the bushes, where the nest is. When I got near it, it chirped and opened his mouth wide open like it wanted a worm. It was so cute. Hopefully most of the babies will be okay. We have the neighbors black lab to contend with. He likes to sniff around the bushes. The other day he was over and it looked as though he jumped on something. I was hoping he wasn't hunting for the baby rabbit that we've seen near the bushes, too.

We're going to start redoing the flower beds soon. I want to do a complete overhaul. John isn't too enthused with the whole idea, but I don't care :) It has to be done. It's beginning to look like we're growing a jungle in front of our house. It's terrible!!!

We're going to the antique's fleamarket this weekend(if the weather cooperates). They also have tons of old car stuff there, too. They have it three times a year in the summer, so if it's not good weather on Saturday, we'll go another time. Hopefully, I'll find some goodies. We take our little red wagon to carry anything we buy. It comes in handy. Last year, we had that thing FULL!

Got Crabs?...

2009-05-19T23:03:00.003-04:00

We have quite a few Crawfish tunnels in our yard. At night they make little mud castles and leave holes in the yard. Even though people say they can be annoying, I think they are kinda neat. They are very hard to find. You have go outside at night and look near their holes. We saw one come out of his hole on night and it was sooo neat. Anyway...they other day I was checking out the holes. I noticed a crawfish claw on the top of his home. Something got it in the middle of the night. I think the "Cadillac Coonies" got it. Here is a picture of the leftovers:

The last load...

2009-05-18T17:58:00.005-04:00

No, I'm not talking about laundry. LOL! We brought home the last two Crosley's yesterday. It was a beautiful day to do it.

The dark blue one is a Station Wagon and the one inside the bed of yellow truck is a Pickup Truck. They are the cutest little things. Remember folks...these are only about 12 ft long and 4 ft. wide.

We got the "Smurf" running great, too. We named our new 1948 Crosley Convertible that because of the color. To do a comparison for you Fiesta Fanatics out there...it's the same color as Vintage Turquoise! John took me for a ride around the yard today. I wish we could run it down the road, but we don't have plates for it yet. Plus, the cable brakes need some minor work.

Riding with the top down:

Decisions...

2009-05-15T23:18:00.002-04:00

This is probably going to be a long story, but I have to get it off my chest. So, I'm letting everyone know right now so they don't have to read it!

I have been silently struggling inside. I have an older sister I haven't seen in almost 9 years. The last time I saw her, I drove by her father-in-laws house where she was visiting. Her two kids were playing outside and I was hoping she was outside, too. Before this day, I hadn't seen her in probably 7-8 yrs. I had enough courage to stop that day. Maybe because John was with me and I felt stronger with him there. I don't know! Her kids didn't even know who I was. It was hard for me to realize that. Even though she is only my half sister, I grew up with her since I was born. She is 5 yrs older than I. That day was hard. She tried telling me lies. The conversation ended within 5 minutes as I drove off in tears. That was the last time I saw her. I didn't have the courage to go back. I've heard rumors thru the years... Where she was living, marriage woes, family troubles, etc. She married into a popular family here in town. Even though she hasn't lived here in a very long time, her FIL still does.

Now, rewind almost 18 yrs...
This is how it started....We had a pretty normal life growing up. Both my brother and sister are step siblings to me. It never bothered me though because since birth, they were always there. My brother(11 yrs older than I) would even put me down for naps. He is a good brother! We all had a normal sibling relationship. Except my sister started hanging around the wrong crowd during high school. She got into trouble, but it was typical teenager stuff, with a few bad things along the way. She started to turn on my parents. Even calling the cops and telling them my dad hit her. This was totally false!!!! I remember that night when the police came to my house to question my dad. The police knew my dad didn't do anything. But it was procedure. I was in my room the whole time, but I could hear everything. I might have been 12 years old at the time. I don't remember. Things got difficult after that. She just graduated from high school and she got pregnant. She wasn't living with us at the time, but after she had the baby things got rough for her so my parents let her live with us again. I thought the worst was over. I thought she straightened her act up. I thought she wouldn't use us anymore. I thought wrong!!! It was more of the same. Stealing money, stealing my clothes, etc. We were all constantly fighting. After about a year, she left and never came back.

Now, fast forward to now. She has been in contact with my parents. Something she hasn't done in years. My parents had her phone number for a little while now. They didn't have the guts to call her either. Anytime they would try to talk to her, she didn't want to listen. She was being stubborn. Maybe she knew she was wrong and couldn't own up to it. A few months ago they called her and she answered the phone. They talked for a long time. I guess she is getting a taste of her own medicine. Her daughter(now 13 yrs old) is giving her trouble. Probably just the typical teenage trouble, but still. She knows how it feels and she even admitted it to my parents. They talk once in a while, but my parents never really tell me what they talk about. I just happen to see her number on the caller-id when I'm there. Her birthday was May 5th. My parents, now on a slow mend with her, sent her a birthday card. I sent one also. This is the first contact I have had with her. I even gave her my email address just in case she wanted to email me. I doubt that will happen! Maybe she doesn't consider me her sister. Sometimes, when I check my email I hope to see her name pop up in my inbox. Nothing yet! She even called my mom on mother's day to wish her the best. My mom adopted both my brother and sister after their real mom left them and moved away.

Sometimes it hurts me soooo bad that I can't call my sister on the phone and gab about the cool Fiesta I just got or tell her that I had a bad day. I haven't told anyone about the birthday card I sent her...not even John. I don't know how he would react. He knows about the whole situation, but I'm having a hard time telling him for some reason. I usually tell him EVERYTHING.

I guess I'm having such a hard time because she is so close, but so far away. She has visited my parents once or twice in the past few months. Neither of them have called and said, "Hey, your sister is here, why don't you come over." I'm sure they are treading lightly. They don't want to scare her off or make her mad, but still. Every year in July we go to Ohio for the Crosley Show. We always pass thru her town. Not on purpose, but it happens to be on the way down there. I always look out the window wondering if I'll spot her somewhere in town. Nothing so far. I have her address now. I wonder if this year will be different.

This was very hard for me to tell. Please don't judge me. I really have had a good life, but sometimes I just want my sister back.

The Cadillac Coon Family...

2009-05-11T20:57:00.005-04:00

We have a little coonie family living in my FIL's old Cadillac camper conversion(I'll take a picture of it sometime, but I know Papa knows what it looks like :) . Anyway, during the winter my FIL took the door off the camper because it was flopping in the wind. A month or so ago, he put the door back on. Well last week he was walking by the camper and he heard a noise. Since it was dark out he couldn't really see what it was. We suspected it was probably a raccoon. We have seen little coonie tracks in the mud and I can hear them chattering at night. We looked inside the camper the other night and saw what looked to be a few babies. From there...the story gets better....

Friday night my FIL looked out at the old Cadillac and saw the mommy coonie "driving the car". It was sitting in the front seat with her front paws on the steering wheel. I'm not joking! He said it was hilarious to watch! We peeked in on her yesterday morning and there she was. We haven't been able to see the babies very well...just some fur. She has them well hidden underneath the old bench seat cushion in the back of the camper. They sure make a mess, but the car was a disaster to begin with. We can't get rid of them now. Especially with her just having her babies.

Last night we let Rizzo outside about 1 o'clock a.m. He bolted to the tree in the front yard. John ran out to see what he ran after. Well, he put the coon up the tree!! Don't worry, no one got hurt!! We suspect that the mommy coon was in for a snack at the bird feeders. This morning she was gone...back to her usual hangout...the Cadillac camper!

Happy Mother's Day...

2009-05-10T21:59:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. I have to give you ALOT of credit because you work so hard!!!

Strawsers...

2009-05-08T20:18:00.001-04:00

John and I made it to La Grange, IN. Tomorrow is the big Strawser Auction. Let's see how much trouble I can get into. **Evil Grin**

Mowed the lawn today...

2009-05-04T21:47:00.002-04:00

It is the first time this year we have mowed the lawn. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. It's always hard to start mowing for the first time. That means the official lawn mowing season has started and won't stop until probably late September or early October. There are times that I love to mow the lawn. I'm the one who usually does it. Today wasn't too horrible, I guess. I killed two birds with one stone and rolled the lawn as I were mowing it. It's a perfect time to roll it because the ground is still soft enough. The grass in spots was really getting high. I hate it when it gets high in spots and hardly grows in other spots. I think that's from Mr. Pee Pee man himself(you know who).

Sunday was a very nice day to go pick up one of the Crosley's. I will post a picture of it soon. I haven't had time to download the pics yet. Since it's a convertible, I was paranoid all the way home that the canvas type top would blow off as we were driving down I-75. The top simply uses regular snap fasteners to hold it in place. Definitely not rocket science!! LOL
It surprised me though and stayed on the whole way home. In a few weeks we will go back and pick up the station wagon and the pickup truck. I think we can get those home in one load.

Estate Sale...

2009-05-01T21:58:00.002-04:00

Well, the family had the estate sale today. People were lined up almost around the block this morning. It was a total mob!! We were glad to see it, though. People came and went...bought lots of stuff. I wish they would have bought more though. There is soooo much stuff in that house!!! It's totally amazing how much stuff one can pack in a house. Luckily, the weather cooperated and it was a beautiful day. We have 2 more days for the sale. I hope alot of people come tomorrow, too. We still need to get rid of the big items.

Sunday is Crosley day. That's when we go to pick up the first load. I will post pics of that adventure then.

65 Questions...

2009-04-28T17:56:00.007-04:00

I copied this idea from Val and Craig.

1. First thing you wash in the shower? My Hair

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Pink or Red

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Hell Yeah! :)

4. Do you plan outfits? Sometimes!

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Lonely

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? Rizzo. He has reddish fur.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? Someone was attacking me

8. Did you meet anybody new today? Nope

9. What are you craving right now? A Cheesburger

10. Do you floss? Most of the time. In Fact, I have a dentist appt. Thursday!

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Sauerkraut

12. Are you emotional? Sometimes

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Yes, but not lately!

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Lick it...I'm a very slow ice cream eater.

15. Do you like your hair? Yes

16. Do you like yourself? Most of the time

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Only if Barack went along, too! LOL

18. What are you listening to right now? Wheel of Fortune

19. Are your parents strict? Sometimes, but not usually.

20. Would you go sky diving? No

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? No

23. Do you rent movies often? Yes

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? Just my wedding ring :)

25. How many countries have you visited? Only Canada

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Have you ever been 12 yrs old??

27. Ever been on a train? Yes

28. Brown or white eggs? Both

29. Do you have a cell phone? Yes

30. Do you use ChapStick? All the time

31. Do you own a gun? No

32. Can you use chop sticks? Probably

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Rizzo

34. Are you too forgiving? Sometimes

35. Ever been in love? Yes

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Working

37. Ever have cream puffs? Love Them

38. Last time you cried? The other day

39. What was the last question you asked? Are you sure you want to buy it?? (Long story)

40. Favorite time of the year? Summer

41. Do you have any tattoos? NO!

42. Are you sarcastic? Of Course! Sometimes too much!

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? I think so

44. Ever walked into a wall? Does a door count? LOL

45. Favorite color? Red, Green, or Pink

46. Have you ever slapped someone? Yes

47. Is your hair curly? Sometimes

48. What was the last CD you bought? KT Tunstell

49. Do looks matter? No

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? I don't think so

51. Is your phone bill sky high? No

52. Do you like your life right now? Sometimes

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? Yes, it helps me fall asleep

54. Can you handle the truth? Yes

55. Do you have good vision? I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? No

57. How often do you talk on the phone? Every day

58. The last person you held hands with? Rizzo! I clipped his nails. LOL

59. What are you wearing? Sweatpants and a Sweatshirt. It's cold here.

60. What is your favorite animal? Domestic animal-Dog Wild Animal-Otter

61. Where was your profile picture taken? Don't remember

62. Can you hula hoop? Of course!

63. Do you have a job? No...remember, this is Michigan! LOL

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Vintage Fiesta Turquoise Med. Teapot

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes

Thunder-Bumpers...

2009-04-26T12:18:00.002-04:00

We had quite an active thunderstorm day yesterday. Especially in the Detroit area. Detroit Edison had over 125,000 people lose power and Consumers Energy had roughly 20,000 without power. Luckily, we didn't lose it here and we didn't really get the grunt of the storms. So, because of the storms, John is working 16hrs today. During a major storm like this, all the garages have to have people present just in case the linesmen trucks need repair. We were supposed to go get the Crosley's today. I guess that will be put on hold until a better day. Oh Well.

Today is Rizzo's birthday. He is 6 yrs old. He is sitting comfortably on the couch, looking out the window just like an old man would...LOL! What a good dog!

Nice day...

2009-04-24T23:24:00.003-04:00

I was surprised to get a box in the mail today. I wasn't expecting this one as I already received all my Ebay goodies earlier in the week. It was from my SIL. It was her birthday on Monday so I sent her a Chartreuse 1 qt. bowl and one of her grandmother's tablecloths. I got ALL the other cloths, but I was trying to be generous because I felt bad that she didn't get to pick out anything from the house when her grandmother passed. The ONE thing she wanted was of course the china cabinet that WE got. Obviously, it wasn't going to her since she lives on the other side of the country. I don't think the glass would have survived :)

Anyway, back to my surprise. It was a box full of cookbooks. Everything from Martha Stewart Everyday, Mexican, some from S. Africa(she used to live there), Marie Claire, Chinese, etc. It was a good variety. I think tomorrow I will sit down and look thru some of them. John has electric testing to do on the bucket trucks so he'll be working at least 10 hrs.

I've just learned that our local PBS station will no longer be broadcasting after a certain date(I forget when??). I'm so bummed. The economy has really hurt the station because they depend on donations throughout the year to keep the station running without relying on advertisements. We love PBS. We especially like to watch it on Saturday's because of the good cooking shows, home improvement programs, etc. The only thing that might stop it from going off the air is if another station takes it over. I'm crossing my fingers. There is another local PBS that airs, so I hope that one stays afloat for a while. We don't have cable or satellite. We only have a antenna. So, PBS will be dearly missed .

The weather is getting nicer(well, it's trying to). It was warm today and in the low 70's, I think. Gee, I forgot to look at the thermometer, DUH!!! It was windy earlier in the day which kept it kinda cool, but once evening set in it was very nice. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer, but there's a chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon. Sunday is the day we're going to pick up the Crosley's and it's supposed to be rainy that day, too. Oh well...they will get a good bath, I guess.

As I sit here writing this(it's 11:45 p.m.) I can hear all kinds of creatures outside... Frogs, toads, and even some little coonies chattering away in the distance. I think they are in my in-laws yard across the street. They can be quite loud at times(the coonies, not the in-laws LOL!). I LOVE the sounds of Spring and Summer.

The Great Adventure...

2009-04-22T18:14:00.004-04:00

We woke up yesterday morning to a miserable, rainy morning. It didn't bother us because we were on a mission. We drove up north, almost 4 hours to view three Crosley's that were for sale. It was an easy trip up there, just long!!! What a pleasure it was though. Not only did we see the Crosley's, but we met a great couple too. He actually works for the power company in northern Michigan so the two men had something in common. For those of you who are into cars, I took a few pics. This is what we're bringing home this Sunday(if the weather cooperates).

The first picture, a 48 Convertible Sedan, I have wanted one of these FOREVER! They are quite popular among Crosley collectors. They demand high prices because of this. Looks like this one will run.

I think this is a 49 Station Wagon. I'll have to check with the boss on this one :) It's a good solid car, too. It has a delivery door which makes it even better.

This is a 48 Pickup. This is the last car the old guy was working on before he passed away. It's not done or complete, but it has a really nice motor in it and lots of extra goodies in the back of the bed. Not seen in the pictures is the pile of parts that comes with this lot. We didn't get a chance to go thru it all, but there is at least 6 core engines, engine parts, hood, fender, and other parts we still haven't seen yet. YIPPY!!! I love Crosley's.

We love Crosley's, too! ...

2009-04-20T19:57:00.004-04:00

Yes, not only do we love Fiesta...but we also love cars. Not just any particular car though, but Crosley's. If you're not aware of what a Crosley looks like or would like to get more info about the cars, please check out the club's website:
Crosley Auto Club.

We got some information that there are 3 Crosley's for sale in Michigan(I'm not divulging the exact place until we see the cars in person). We are going tomorrow to check them out. I'm so excited. One of the models, we(especially I) have been wanting for some time now. They are quite pricey to buy because they are very cute and popular with the other Crosley members. I will take pictures tomorrow to post on here. Feel free to wander about their website and figure out what YOUR favorite model is. I'd love to hear. Our favorite is the 1947 Convertible Sedan and all the Pre War models we have a few of these already).

Daffodil

2009-04-18T11:54:00.003-04:00

I love Daffodil's! They are one of my favorite spring flowers. I have several getting ready to bloom, but this one was the first. Oddly enough..this particular daffodil plant is ALWAYS the first of bloom every year.

Get outside and enjoy the sites of Spring!

New China Cabinet...

2009-04-18T11:25:00.003-04:00

I know some of you have already heard this story over at CMG, but I wanted to write it here anyway.

We picked up John's grandmother's china cabinet yesterday. Thank goodness it made it home in one piece because it's quite fragile.

Here's some history behind it:

Ruth bought this cabinet for her mother as a gift sometime during WWII with her first paycheck from Packard Motors. Her mother was really into dishes and had Fiesta. So, I'm assuming at one point its life, it was filled with the colorful pottery. However, sometime during the 1970's, Ruth's mother was involved in a car accident and passed away. Ruth got the china cabinet and Ruth's sister, Joyce got the Fiesta. I was informed today that when Aunt Joyce is done with the Fiesta, it will be passed down to us. I thought that was a nice gesture.

Here it is peeking out of the UHaul to see its new home after all these years:

How stupid will we be in another 50 years...

2009-04-16T23:15:00.004-04:00

I received this forward the other day. Some of these are so true!!

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2009

Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2009- School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2009 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2009 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:

Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2009 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2009 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2009 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 - Ants die.

2009- ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2009 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy . This should hit every email inbox to show how stupid we have become!!

No Power...

2009-04-06T21:20:00.003-04:00

Late last night a winter storm came whirling in. At first it brought a mix of sleet and snow, but it quickly changed over to a very heavy snow. We woke up this morning to a layer of thick, wet snow on the ground and on the trees. The snow was so heavy that it weighed the tree branches down. To top it off, we got lots of wind too. At about noon today we lost power. I had a feeling we might. It took about 8 hrs to get our power back on. It was a very boring day, but Rizzo and I survived. John is working a double shift. They are in "storm mode".

Here are some pics I took during the day:

My dog has a wart...

2009-04-04T15:54:00.004-04:00

It was time for his yearly exam. He doesn't like going for car rides...it's hard to believe, I know! He gets all worked up and pants alot. Oh well, he lived thru it!
We had a few issues we had to address with the doc today.
1.) Yearly shots(including rabies)
2.) His ear. He's been itching it lately and
bothering him.
3.) A weird "tag" on the back of his neck
4.) Lumps on his side
5.) Heartworm check and prevention

For being such a hyper dog, he does quite well at the vet. Like I said before, he just pants alot. He got a good report, except for the minor issues I listed above. He doesn't have an ear infection. His ears are very clean. Looks like he has an allergy to something so we may change his diet and see how that goes. He tested negative for heartworm..always a plus!!! He's had this weird "tag" on the back of his neck for a year or two. It doesn't bother him, but it feels weird when I scratch the back of his neck. The doc likes to poke and squeeze things. He didn't know what it was, but cut the growth off anyway. He said it looked like a wart. "WHAT????? A WART? I asked." "My dog has a wart?" LOL
He didn't have the proper removal tool with him today to take it out, so he told me to go to the drug store and get some wart remover. If it gets bigger, which I doubt it will anytime soon, then I will take him in and get it surgically removed. The doc didn't seem too concerned and I'm not either. The lumps on his side were nothing except fatty deposits. John was more concerned about his than I. My last dog had these all over and she lived to be 15 yrs old.
Anyway, he's all fixed up and ready to go.

Gobble! Gobble!

2009-04-04T15:42:00.004-04:00

No, it's not Thanksgiving!

We saw these turkeys strutting around in the open field across the street this morning. There were at least 7 hens(two are hiding behind the pole) and 3 big Toms(they're in the back). I wish I could've taken a better picture but this was all I could take at the time. We've seen quite a few turkeys lately. None this close to the house though. Usually we see them down the road, at the property.

Medium Green Disk Pitcher...

2009-03-25T11:31:00.003-04:00

I found this beautiful Medium Green Disk Pitcher at, of all places, an estate sale. I paid a total sum of $9.50

Not too bad for a days work! LOL

Shown with Chartreuse and light green!

Fiesta/Harlequin Go-Alongs...

2009-03-23T21:54:00.003-04:00

A few months ago I posted a picture of my newest acquisition on Medium Green. It came from John's grandparents estate. At the time, I didn't know a single thing about them, as far as, who made them or what time period they were made. I just thought they were the cutest little things. Well, a few weeks ago, I surfing Ebay I was quite shocked when I just happened to stubble across 4 more of these. I just had to buy them! Someone was advertising them as "Fiesta Go-Alongs". I receieved them today: 2 green, 1 blue, and a yellow. They are not marked. Does anyone know the maker???? I would love to know.

Here they are all together at last. I took a picture of them next to George and Martha for size comparison. Sorry for the poor picture!

Out with the old...

2009-03-23T14:57:00.003-04:00

John busted up the old toilet this afternoon. It was nice to see it "go" (Ha, Ha, get it??? LOL).
BTW: it was the original toilet. The date on the toilet is 1954! That brown stuff is NOT schmoo, don't worry...it's rust sediment left over from when the house didn't have a water softener.

John had fun...

In with the New:

Tufted Titmouse...

2009-03-20T12:04:00.005-04:00

I saw one of these cute little birds lurking around the feeders this morning. I have never seen one here, but I know they must be around because my parents have them occasionally at their feeder. Still, not as common as the chickadee or finch. I grabbed my camera, but he moved so quickly it was hard to get a good pic.

So, I downloaded this picture to show you up close. They are a very cute bird.

Bathroom project...

2009-03-18T21:03:00.002-04:00

Yes, I'm sure some of you are probably thinking, "Boy, they've sure taken along time on that bathroom remodel." Well, I agree...however, it's not as easy as it looks and we can't work on it 24/7 like we would like to. We've had some trying issues with this bathroom. Too many to list. I do have some good news though. We're about 3/4 the way done. We are putting the wainscoting up this week along with fixing the wall behind the toilet. UGH! We can't go too much farther until we fix the wall. When we peeled the old paneling off the wall, there was a big hole. Also, we had a sneaky feeling the toilet has been leaking around the base. It wasn't a gusher..just a very slow leak. It was finally confirmed when we took up the old flooring this weekend. That will obviously get fixed when we put in the new toilet...THANK GOODNESS!! Just a quick tip boys and girls...those little wax rings that seal your toilet don't always last forever!!!!

The new pedestal sink will be installed after we finish with the wainscoting. There are a few other issues with the shower surround that can't be addressed until this summer. Our bathroom window is right inside of the shower. It's a regular sized window, not one of the half windows high up above the shower. It was a poor design..but it was built back in the early 50's and we're not changing it. I've come up with a fancy way to shield the window from water and make it look half way decent, too. The shower surround has to be replaced, but we can't do that until the window is installed. That should be an interesting project to say the least! Luckily, John and his dad are very capable of handling many of the remodeling projects themselves. That saves a lot of money for us.

Maybe if you're all good, I'll post some pics after we're done :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

2009-03-17T09:04:00.006-04:00

I'm

...How about you?

The Crocus Bulb...

2009-03-16T14:06:00.006-04:00

Develops into a beautiful petite flower:

SPRING...

2009-03-13T09:19:00.005-04:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like spring outside. This morning I let Rizzo out and I heard some specific sounds that only Spring brings...Robins and Red-Winged Blackbirds. Oh, how I love the sound of Red Wings singing in the distance. It's one of my favorite sounds of Spring.

I looked up in one of the trees and there was a Robin all fluffed up and he was scolding Rizzo down below. They will be making their nests soon. I have to get my disk pitcher birdhouse out.

Did I mention that the Robin is our state bird, too.

New Bedroom Curtains...

2009-03-12T18:22:00.003-04:00

I'm on a roll this week. LOL

Here's a picture of my new bedroom curtains. Normally I'm not a flowery kind of girl, but I loved these curtains. We put these up last Sunday when it was pouring rain outside. It was a good day to do such tasks.

Look what's Peeking out at me...

2009-03-12T17:07:00.003-04:00

Ahhh, the first signs of Spring. I love it!! Although we opened the shades to find our yard covered in a thin layer of white stuff this morning, I noticed this afternoon that the tulips have started to poke their heads up. What a welcoming site to see. Just thought I'd share it with everyone.

Windy Weather...

2009-03-11T17:32:00.002-04:00

Sorry I keep talking about the weather lately. I know it's a boring blog, but I really haven't had much to say...except for it's W~I~N~D~Y.

Oh, and it rained even more last night. Not as bad as the other night, but it still came down pretty good. Then at about 2 a.m. the wind picked up and it has been gusting to 50+mph all day. The neighbors blue barrels(trash cans) are now across the road in the field. I wonder how long it will take them to figure out they're gone. LOL

It's so windy that John got called into work early today. They are in STORM MODE! I haven't heard how many people are without power, but I'm just glad we aren't this time. Not sure how many hours John will be working today. It's either 12 or 16 hrs. I hope it's only twelve because he will be home at his regular time tonight. However, it's most likely sixteen because most of the linesmen will be out that long too.

Since John went to work early we weren't able to work on the bathroom. It's to the point that I can't do too much more without his help. So, hopefully this weekend we can work like gang-busters because I want my new toilet and sink in soon.

The time change has sure helped my SAD symptons. It feels so good to have more light at night. I can't wait until the warm breeze fills the air. Then I will feel like doing more things. Right now I feel like I'm in a rut. I always get like this during the winter months. Hopefully the bathroom project and our next project, the kitchen will help fill the void of feeling crappy all the time. This is when I wish I lived someplace warm.

The lilac bush in beginning to show signs of life. Well, sort of! The buds are beginning to get plump. In a few months we will have beautiful lavender colored flowers. To be honest, I hate the smell of lilacs, but I love the blossoms. We had 3 lilac bushes when we first moved into this place back in 2000 or 2001. We cut two of them down because they were a bit over grown and in a bad spot. We kept the best one and now I keep in to a manageable size by pruning it every year. It's Rizzo's favorite spot to lift his leg, too. Did I mention at one point...the neighbors ducks made a nest in it. So, I guess it's popular with the animals too.

The Sun turned to Clouds...

2009-03-09T14:53:00.003-04:00

Well, so much for the sunny weather. It rained all day Saturday and Sunday. At times it rained so hard that I couldn't see across the road. I guess that's what Spring is all about, but yesterday was pretty weird. Actually, it's not really that weird for Michigan to experience a change in weather so quickly. Our motto is "If you don't like the weather we're having now...just wait 5 minutes and it will change."

It was very windy yesterday afternoon, too. We must have gotten a bit of snow last night because the salt trucks were out early this morning. All the water on the roads from the rain didn't help either.

It's sunny today. The temperature is about 45°...not too shabby. John wanted to take today off, but he will have better days to take off once it gets warmer. I can tell he's getting spring fever.

We got the first coat of paint on the bathroom walls today. It looks pretty good. I think it will look even nicer after the second coat is put on. Slowly, but surely we are putting the bathroom back together again. I can't wait until it's done.

It's Sunny...

2009-03-06T14:45:00.004-05:00

WOW! I can't believe my eyes...it's 65° and sunny today. It feels sooo good. I have the bedroom window and the front door open to air out the house. We just got done priming the bathroom and that looks good, too. What a beautiful day!

When John left for work this afternoon I went outside to see him off. I smelled diesel fuel in the air. I went back to check our fuel oil tanks and sure enough...the fuel buzzard(that's what we call the guy that comes out to fill us up) had topped off the tanks. We have told him many times not to fill it all the way up because when the sun comes around that side of the house the fuel expands too much and overflows out of the tank spout. He should know better anyway..he's been doing it long enough. Luckily we have two tanks, so John just had to transfer some into the other tank. The fuel is NOT that cheap to just be wasting it on the ground.

Saturday Morning Sunrise...

2009-02-24T19:04:00.004-05:00

I had to share this beautiful sunrise with all of you. Enjoy!

(Taken 2-21-09)

Bathroom Remodel...Surprise! Surprise!

2009-02-24T18:43:00.004-05:00

I pulled the tacky wood paneling off the wall tonight to reveal several large(quarter size) holes in the wall. Along with some smaller holes, too. We knew the paneling would be covering "something". We were warned of that a few weeks ago when we asked John's dad. Looks like the house originally had tile, pink and green paint on the walls at some point in its life. Gee...what would give that away??? LOL! We won't be putting tile back on the walls. We don't have the time for that. We'll be using another product. You'll have to wait to see the final result later!

Just wanted to reveal what our itty, bitty, teeny, weeny, bathroom looks like. At least part of it. The sink and cupboard will go and will be replaced with a pedestal.

I feel like Heloise...

2009-02-20T20:30:00.002-05:00

In the last hour I have successfully completed the following tasks:

1. Put antibiotic ointment on Rizzo's tootsie. He has a cracked/cut foot pad and he's limping
(oh, my poor baby) :(

2. Made a concoction of honey and sugar as a facial scrub while I showered.

3. Did a vinegar rinse for my hair to make it silky and shiny.

4. Put glycerin and lavender oil on my hands to make them soft and supple(Remember it's still
winter in Michigan).

What a week...

2009-02-20T14:57:00.006-05:00

Well, since John is finally back to work I am able to do some different stuff now. If you remember my original post about the bathroom paint looking like toothpaste, then you know I wasn't too happy.

So, I went back to the local hardware store to look at more paint colors. This was on Monday. I took my bathroom rug with me so it would help me compare green colors. The lady that was working the paint area suggested a "green" called Moss Grey. I was very sceptical, but I went through with it anyway. She assured me she could make a color correction if I didn't like it. So, I brought it home and tried it on the wall. YUCK! It was way too dark. It really wasn't a bad color, but that's not the color I was going for in the bathroom. John didn't like it either.

On Wednesday I went back up there to see if I could pick a green out without anyone helping me(sometimes I don't want help). I had a specific color in mind!!!! I took a t-shirt with me because it was about the color that I wanted and had them do a color analysis. It didn't work too well. It came out too grey again. Luckily they didn't charge me for that gallon of paint. I finally picked out a color that will work. It's called "Touch of Spring". It's the minty/pistachio color I was hoping for. I think it will brighten up the bathroom just enough without making it look too tacky. We will have white bead board for the bottom half and this color will be on the top half. With a new toilet(which we desperately need) and a new sink I think it will really make the bathroom look nice. Did I mention the toilet looks kind of art deco?? Here's a picture. This wasn't our first choice for a toilet, but we have VERY limited space and had to go with this one. I like it though. I want to paint a few of the ridges on the tank red so I will have red stripes like the vintage Fiesta, LOL (just kidding). It's a Sterling brand(owned by Kohler) and it's called "Riverton".

Fiesta Crafts...

2009-02-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

I started working on a bird house made from a vintage turquoise water pitcher that will hang in the back bushes of the house. Boy, it was hard to get the drill bit started to drill the hole. Once I got the hole started, it wasn't that hard to drill, though.
John wasn't here to help me. I wanted to do it all by myself. I did get a few holes drilled, but the battery finally died....Darn! I want to get it made before it gets too warm, because all the little birds will be looking for places to make their nests. I have two other bird houses in the bushes...a terracotta one and one made out of an old gas can(a friend made that for me). John had to let that one air out a bit before we put it out for the birds. I've had it out for about 3 yrs now and every year we have a pair of sparrows make a nest. It hangs right outside my bedroom window, so it's nice to see them in the morning. I'm certain a pair of birds will make their nest in the water pitcher, so it will be exciting to watch them make their nest. We usually put some yarn strings and dryer vent fuzzies out for the birds. They like it when making their nests. The Robbins especially like the yarn strings. It's neat to look up in the nest and see the pieces of yarn I put out for them. Put some out for your birds, too!

P-A-R-T-Y...

2009-02-16T23:46:00.003-05:00

After being off for 4 weeks, John FINALLY went back to work today. YEY, for me!!!!! Don't get me wrong, I loved having him home, but I found myself not being able to do the stuff I normally do when he's gone to work. Oh and I also had a hard time figuring out what to have for lunch and dinner. Normally, I only have to make lunch and that's it. It just took more planning, I guess!

Yesterday, I made a whole Turkey Breast for dinner. Yummy! It tasted excellent. I wanted to make a nice meal, but it didn't happen. Oh well...I made a nice meal today with the left over turkey and now John has plenty of turkey for his sandwiches this week. At about 10 o'clock tonight I decided I should probably make a meatloaf for tomorrow. I like to cook ahead as much as possible. It's alot easier for our schedule if I cook at night. Anyway, I made two small meat loaves(about a pound each). They will be perfect to reheat tomorrow. Look at me now...I'm Little Miss Suzy Homemaker!!! NOT!

We got the bedroom window done..did I mention this before? The curtains arrived today and I'm so happy. They look very nice. Although, I haven't put them up yet. John will help me this week. I need a tall person to help!

Happy Valentine's Day...

2009-02-14T18:50:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful V-Day. We didn't do squat today :( Unless of course, you call detailing a Honda Minibike a date! LOL

John is getting rid of a few motorcycles to someone, so we wanted to get them spiffed up before their journey to another home. I, for one, can't wait to wave goodbye to them!

I did manage to finish the bedroom window. It looks great! I can't believe how nice it looks. The new curtains should be here any day and hopefully after the other household projects(I.E. Kitchen and Bathroom), we can start to paint the bedroom.

We went to pick up our new pedestal sink for the bathroom the other day. The guy brought it out and it had scratches on the top and it wasn't even the right faucet configuration. UGH! I was NOT happy. So, we will have to wait another 10 days or so for a new one to come. The paint we got for the bathroom is NOT exactly the color I was hoping for. I painted a swatch on the wall to see what it looks like and it looks like I smeared a tube of wintergreen toothpaste on the wall. I was trying to go for more of a subdued green or a pistachio color??? I think??? Well, it won't be happening with this color. John thinks it's fine, but it's going back to the paint store for more modifications. LOL

I would love, love, love to have new tile floors and a new bathtub, but that won't happen this year. This is kind of a mini-makeover for the bathroom. Plus, this summer we will have to replace the window in the bathroom so we didn't want to get too crazy with the shower area. The window sits directly in the shower. That kind of sucks, too! Oh well, we can't do anything about it so we are making do with what we have.

Weather...

2009-02-11T10:03:00.003-05:00

It's going to be a totally crappy weather day. We are under a Dense Fog Advisory, Flood Watch, and a Wind Advisory. Good news is that the Dense Fog shouldn't last too much longer. The warm air is mixing with the last of the snow on the ground and it's suppose to get colder tomorrow. We could get around an inch of rain today. That doesn't seem like alot, but when you still have frozen ground, the rain can't go anywhere except up. That's where the Flood Watch comes into effect. We're pretty much safe here...no major rivers or creeks around, but some of the bigger rivers are going to be full. There is also a chance for Thunderstorms today with wind gusts of 50 mph. Not anything severe, thank goodness. I feel bad for those individuals in Oklahoma that had the tornados.

Spring is almost here even if it's still February. I can feel it!!! We'll have our own thunderstorms then....

Spring is in the air...

2009-02-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

Wow, what a beautiful day here. It was around 58° this afternoon and sunny skies. It felt so good to be outside. John and I had to do some running around today. We had my last follow-up appointment for my ankle at 10 a.m. That went well. Everything seems to be returning back to normal. We then ran by Menards to look at what they had for bathroom accessories. We didn't buy anything except some caulk and a bottle of H2O. We then went to another city to go to Lowe's. They had what we were looking for. YEY!! Our next mission was to JcPenney. We needed some new curtains for our bedroom. John finally finished trimming around the new bedroom window, so we can finally add curtains!

We didn't sleep good last night so it has been a very long day for us. We did manage to stop at one of the antique malls on the way home. Saw some things, but didn't buy anything. I did get some beauties at an auction last week. I will try to get some pics up soon.

P.S. I got new glasses yesterday, too! I can see again! :)

Lore and Legends...

2009-02-08T10:26:00.004-05:00

I was reading my subscription to Martha Stewart Living and read this cute little ditty.

Clear moon, frost soon.
Halo around the moon, rain soon.

No killing frost will arrive
after the Martin comes to stay.

Leaves of three, let them be.*

Plant your seeds in a row.
One for the pheasant, one for the crow.
One to rot and one to grow.

When swallows fly low, rain is on the way.**

If you see the underside
of the leaves in the gentle breeze,
It will rain before you sneeze.

*This maxim holds true across the country; it applies to poison ivy and poison oak.

**This old saying has some scientific basis: When the air pressure falls rapidly, many airborne insects descend toward the ground, hotly persued by swallows and swifts eager to consume them.

43 Odd Things About Me

2009-02-07T09:11:00.004-05:00

1. Do you like bleu cheese? No

2. Have you ever smoked? Never

3. Do you own a gun? Yes, a .22 and a BB gun.

4. What flavour of Kool-Aid was your favorite? Cherry

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes...extremely!

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I just ate one last night. Does that answer your question?

7. Favorite Christmas movie? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th St.

8. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? Coffee

9. Can you do push ups? Yes

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My Wedding Rings

11. Favorite hobby? Antiquing, traveling

12. Do you have A.D.D.? No

13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself? I can be somewhat impatient

14. Middle name? Jo

15. Name 3 thoughts at this moment: I wonder when John will be back in from outside so we can go uptown, the dog is driving me crazy, and I need to get an anniversary card for mom and dad.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Coffee, Water, Cranberry Juice

17. Current worry? Getting the kitchen and bathroom done

18. Current dislike right now? THE TOILET! I told you I am impatient!

19. Favorite place to be? At home or shopping for household stuff

20. How did you bring in the new year? At home by myself. John got called into work because of the storm we had.

21. Where would you like to go? Somewhere warm

22. Name three people who might complete this? Kelly or Papa...all the rest have completed it already!

23. Do you own slippers? YES, I wear them 24-7 at home.

24. What shirt are you wearing? A pink sweatshirt

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No

26. Can you whistle? Yes, I'm quite good too!

27. Favorite color? Red or Titty Pink! LOL

28. Would you be a pirate? No, I would be horrible at it! I don't look convincing enough to take over an oil tanker! LOL

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Lately, it's been odd songs like, Down Under by Men at Work(don't ask me why) or whatever I last heard on the radio.

30. Favorite Girl's Name: Alexis or Elizabeth

31. Favorite boy's name: Michael

32. What's in your pocket right now? I don't have pockets in my sweatpants

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Reading Craig and Val's blog on 43 Odd things about me.

34. What vehicle do you drive? Do I really have to get into this again..LOL! I did drive a VW Jetta Wagon until John hit a deer with it in October and decided to fix it himself. (It's still sitting in the shed because it's too cold to work on it). Hopefully when it warms up he will finish it. So now I'm driving the 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee which I absolutely hate. I can't wait to get a new car soon. Did I mention I was impatient??

35. What is the worst injury you have had? Torn ligaments in my ankle and surgery for it. Snowmobile accident when I was around 10 yrs old and breaking my bottom tooth half off. I was wearing a helmet though!

36. Do you love where you live? Sometimes

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2

38. Who is your loudest friend? Rizzo

39. Does someone have a crush on you? Well, I would hope that John still has a crush on me!

40. Your favorite book(s): To Kill a Mockingbird

41. Do you collect anything? HLC dishes, my town's ephemera

42. Favorite Sports Team? I don't really have one! I'm not going to say the Lions, because they suck!

43. What songs do you want played at your funeral? I don't want to even think about that.

Keeping HLC in Business...

2009-02-01T19:15:00.004-05:00

About a month ago, my SIL called to let me know that she was switching over to Fiesta. She got rid of her plain white Chinese-made dishes and finally went with something American made. Plus, Macy's was having a great sale the day she was there.

Well, she just called tonight and said she was shopping for more Fiesta(I taught her well). She went to the HLC website to pick out more stuff. I shopped with her..by phone of course. 15 minutes later, she bought about $700 dollars worth of dishes. Yes, you read it right...$700! As an added bonus for being her shopping partner, she bought me a few items too. Including an oval platter and large disk pitcher in Chocolate, and a 2 cup teapot in Ivory.

I have to get a few things for her now. Some items in Chartreuse(since it's retired), rectangle/square baking dishes, bread trays, sauce boat, and some HLC orange tree bowls(she saw mine and loved them).

It's people like us that keep HLC in business. They're gonna love her when they see that order!!

What Flower are you?

2009-01-28T09:24:00.003-05:00

I got this from Val...who got it from everyone else. LOL

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

I am a
Snapdragon

What Flower
Are You?

CMG Trouble...

2009-01-25T16:41:00.004-05:00

I haven't been able to log in to the CMG page all day. I'm not sure if it's just me or everyone else. I even tried different methods of logging in and it won't work. I checked their server and it said everything was fine. I think I'm gonna go crazy...........

Feeling Better...

2009-01-21T10:16:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a tough week but John came home Monday afternoon. He is feeling better now. I'm so glad. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. It was not easy seeing the one you love so weak and sick. We watched the Inauguration together. It was very moving and it was enjoyable to watch it together. I'm glad John was home to see this momentous occasion.

E.R.

2009-01-19T10:14:00.002-05:00

John came home on Saturday afternoon from having gallbladder surgery. He seemed fine, but was still very tired. For the pain, Dr. I prescribed him Darvocet. He took one at 7 p.m. and another at 11 p.m. just like the directions said. Well, at about midnight he took a turn for the worst. He was very restless, dizzy, and seemed dehydrated(he didn't listed to me about drinking enough water) . It scared him because he had never felt like that before. At about 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning I rushed him to the E.R. He had the chills and was very pale. They hooked an I.V. up to give him fluids and he rested for about 2 hrs. After that, they decided to admit him again. The doctor suggested another night of recovery. He was very weak. He was the weakest I have ever seen John in my whole life. They think he is very sensitive to pain meds and that's why he had the adverse reaction.

I felt so bad for him. He didn't want me to leave his side so I stayed the night in the hospital. Boy, oh, Boy...that was some night. I have been so sleep deprived the past few days. I didn't sleep a wink last night either. I sat in an uncomfortable chair the whole night. It was awful...but not as awful as John felt. They gave him a sleep aid to help him relax last night. He slept pretty good. This morning he woke up feeling okay...not great...but okay. However, he kinda felt worse as the morning progressed. I'm not sure if he will go home today. I haven't seen the doctor yet today. I had to leave for a few hours. I will be going back later today to check his progress. I hope he comes home today, but I don't want to push it. He does seem better than yesterday, so I guess we'll see what the doctor says. Please keep him in your thoughts.

Surgery Update...

2009-01-16T22:36:00.003-05:00

I have good news...John had successful gallbladder surgery today. Yeah, not a high risk surgery, but I'm glad they didn't have to open him up completely. "Dr. I" was able to do the laproscopic procedure. It took him a while to wake up. He was groggy for a long time.

He is up, walking and drinking coffee so he must be doing good! He had to stay the night(this doctor always requires an overnight stay), but I'm actually happy. He is in good hands and I don't have to worry about anything. I felt bad that I had to leave him, but I had to come home to Rizzo. When I left he was wide awake..probably because he slept ALL day. LOL

The Reminance...

2009-01-15T18:26:00.003-05:00

It's been about a month since Rizzo received his rawhide bone from Papa . Papa was my Secret Santa from the CMG SS exchange back in December.

I'm actually quite surprised the bone has lasted THIS long. Usually it's gone within a day or two...seriously! But lately Rizzo has been chewing in spurts. When he first got it, he chewed on it ALL the time..day AND night(which was not too pleasurable for sleeping), but that was because it was new and he hadn't had a bone in a while.

Now, he just chews on it a few times during the day. He does like to carry it around the house in his mouth like it's a baby's bottle. I'd like to think he's savoring every last chew. It could also be that he's getting older and he just doesn't like to chew on it every minute of the day. However it may be...I know he LOVES his bone. AND it's cleaning his pearly whites!

Midweek Couples Meme...

2009-01-14T15:54:00.004-05:00

I stole this from Becky(http://http://decolady-randommusings.blogspot.com)

1. How long have you been together? We starting dating about 10 years ago. We've been married for almost 4 yrs.

2. Who pursued who? John pursued me. I actually liked his friend at first. When that didn't work, he was there to comfort me! LOL

3. Do you wear any type of wedding/commitment ring? If so, which hand? Engagment Ring and Wedding band on left hand. John doesn't wear anything. It's too dangerous in his line of work.

4. What was the hardest thing about learning to live together? Getting used to the idea that his parents are right across the street. YIKES!

5. Who takes longer to get ready in the morning? It depends

6. Do you usually eat breakfast together? We are late morning risers due to John's schedule. We usually skip breakfast and eat lunch together.

7. Do you ever share clothes? No

8. Who does most of the cooking? Me

9. Who usually takes out the trash? It depends. Usually I get it ready and he takes it to the curb. If it's nice and we don't have alot of trash, I will take it out.

10. If you have pets who usually does litter box or poop patrol? We have a big yard...Rizzo is trained to go where we don't walk :)

11. Which one of you is more likely to answer the phone when it rings? Usually Me

12. Who’s in charge of the remote if you’re watching TV together? Usually Me unless I'm really tired.

13. Who usually drives when you go out together? John

14. Which one of you takes care of spiders and bugs that get into the house? John unless he's not home, then I have to.

15. Facing the bed, who sleeps on which side? Me on the left, John on the right

16. Who usually checks the (postal) mailbox? Me

17. If something breaks or goes wrong in the house, which one of you is more likely to either fix it or call someone to fix it? John will fix it. It's totally taboo to have an "outsider" fix it.

18. Who is generally the neater of you? Me

19. Who handles the checkbook/pays the bills? Me

20. What was your last fight/disagreement about? We had a disagreement about the thermostat setting. Dumb, I know.

21. When you slow dance together, who leads? HA! Slow Dance? How about NO Dance!

22. What do you love the most about your other half? He always makes me feel so comfortable. He is my one and only love.

Mission Accomplished...

2009-01-14T12:21:00.002-05:00

Here is an update from last night's post...

My mom and dad found a Wii this morning. They were sooo excited. The local Walmart had 2 in stock. I guess I will be setting it up for them tonight.

A Wii bit lost...

2009-01-13T23:26:00.002-05:00

After trying out our Nintendo Wii and another family members Wii, my mom and dad are determined to get one for themselves. However, it's been a "Wii" bit tricky. There are no Nintendo Wii's to be found around us. I have checked everywhere and so have my parents. It's actually been pretty funny because they've been scoping out all the usual places where a Wii could be found.

John and I bought ours in December of 2007. It was also during the Wii craze and I got a tip that Kmart was going to have 7 of them at their store. We got up early and headed to our local Kmart. It was in the middle of a snow storm. I have never been so hung up about a video game before. I was the 7th person in line and I got one. I was sooo excited. John waited in the car, out in the parking lot for me while I stood out in the freezing cold..that wuss LOL!

Sooo, if you find one at your local store...please let me know. I will send you $$$ for it. LOL
Oh, and don't forget the Wii Fit..they want that, too :)

Words better left un-said...

2009-01-13T13:26:00.003-05:00

1. He's a big boy now

2. Cut the apron strings

3. We can do it by ourselves

4. I would love to move

5. You're Nosey

6. Stop calling as soon as the shade opens

7. Stop your b*tching and complaining

8. Clean up your yard and get your act together

9. He can't help you ALL the time...he has his own responsibilities