Time for A Heart To Heart

This is not a usual state of affairs for me. I am weird like that. I don't like to leave dishes in the sink. My idea of doing the dishes means washing them,  then scouring the sink, and sweeping the floor. My Mom raised me like that. I'm so stinkin OCD about it that I would wash your dishes and sweep your floor too.   I am finding myself getting lazier as time goes by. Since I have been off of work it seems I am accomplishing less and less.                

Usually a room with this kind of mess going on would literally be driving me nuts. I am however quite content at the moment to just close the door. A lot of this stuff cannot be put away yet because there is no place to put it.  I did go through some boxes looking for stuff.

I found this. Talk about a blast from the past!!

Check out the hair do's, it was the nineties but 80's hair was still a big thing. I was still cute back then sort of and my grand babes--well two at once and lovin every minute of them.
Can you pick me out? ( Note the huge hint)

My class photo. Wow. You know I remember thinking that I had really learned a lot at school. Then I went to work--yeah reality shock.  Being a nurse has been the hardest but most rewarding work I have ever done. I have had a lot of physical challenges to overcome along the way. Times when I couldn't work because of my own health. But when I think about it; seems like the happiest times are when I am working hard. I must get a lot of self gratification from work. The crazy thing is when I am working I am always bitching complaining about how tired I am, and my aching back.

It's one of those times when I am not working again. Some people are just never satisfied. I am getting plenty of rest now! So what's up? I'm getting less and less acomplished.  Is it a loss of momentum? If you are a full time home maker, how do you stay energetic? What keeps us tackling the tasks at hand? How do we keep going every day when no one really cares if the dishes sit in the sink? If I don't do laundry my husband does it. Really, he is an amazing guy. My clothes don't get sorted out like I like but he has only wrecked a few items. An excuse to buy new,  not a bad price for not having to do the wash. 

Here is the deal, the rubber hitting the road part.

I am really getting bored. For the first time in my life I haven't a clue what to do next. I am in the middle of the disability application process-probably a big waste of time. They are going to deny me you know they will. I have to figure out a way to earn a little money from home. The wheels in my head are turning. How do people make money with their blogs? I like to blog, I wonder if I could make money blogging? I wonder if it would spoil my love of blogging.  Shoot, I wouldn't know where to begin.

For today the procrastination will continue, I'm thinking about this yarn and I closed the laundry room door.

The dishes will wait a bit longer...

Not ME Monday

NO! I did not post a picture of my face swollen to kingdom come with red blotches all over it on a post, and also on Facebook. No, I would never do that, a girl does have to have SOME pride.

My Charming Kids hosts Not ME Monday and after yesterday I thought I had something to contribute. Really some people are just shameless.

But McKMama I never ever ever run out of toilet paper and just not wipe. I stock pile TP, I lived through the 1989 Santa Cruz earthquake and I KEEP lots of TP, flashlights that work with batteries, and transistor radios. Yesssirrrreebob I do. The whole Mississippi river is a dadgum fault line. And to think that the first 8 years I lived here in ignorant blissful peace.

I Woke Up to a Whole New Look

Some people will do anything for attention. Mental P Mama looked like this last week. Ya'll were so nice to her I had to get in the act.
How dumb is this?
The only thing maybe new, was some laundry soap that I bought on sale. I washed my sheets yesterday. Think maybe they need to come off the bed and go threw again with just water. I'm not taking any antibiotics or new meds so I really don't know what caused this.

I have been doctoring a sick cat.  He had a bite on his leg and it swelled. At first the bite didn't show up, just the swelling but then a sore did surface. I spent one night soaking his leg with epsom salt compresses. I found two antibiotic capsules in the house and shoved one down his throat. I am nice like that. He's back to himself now so I'm just smearing antibiotic ointment on it about 3 times a day to keep him licking.

You just never can tell what's going to be going on around here. I have some ideas for some cool projects to do, if we could just quit running a insane asylum infirmary around here.

I did read a great book this week.  "First We Have Coffee and then We Talk," By Margeret Jensen. She is a Norwegian woman and she describes her life from her first memories until her Mama's death. What a precious story! Norwegian customs are similar to Danish and I enjoyed all the descriptions of Christmas celebrations, Sunday dinners, and picnics to the beach. Her Mama's table with homemade swedish meatballs and gravy, and the way she ironed everything. Her little house had yellow paint and white shutters. The kitchen had red lineoleum and starched lace curtains, with the constant smell of fresh rye bread coming from the oven.I'm telling you, it's a wonderful heart warming story. The best part is what incredible people her parents were and the impact they left on their children and the world.

I am still enjoying this view from my chair. The carpet is so soft and thick, it is just wonderfully luchious to walk on.

I am counting my blessings this Sunday morning. I am thinking fondly of my Grandmother. I am remebering my own great childhood, the strong memories my family made. God is so good. His mercy is new every morning, and His love endures forever.

To Blog or Not To Blog

No, I am not the one who is quiting. I am hopelessly addicted to blogging. My friend Debbie at Wisteria and Roses however is calling it quits.  Maybe if she hears how much she will be missed she will change her mind. I understand her reasons. I am selfish, she is a real life friend and when she started blogging we were in touch so much more; it was like being neighbors again. Besides I just love Rachel Kaye's claymation videos they are so cute. They have chickens too, and the cooking, and the gardening and the kids! Boo hoo *wipes eyes*

Blogging really is a community of it's own. After awhile we do know each other, and some people do go to blogfests and really meet and have a good time. CBW has hosted some pretty fun events as the women who have attended declare loudly when they come home. I woud love to go but $ is tight. Not to remention bone problems.

(Then there I did not just say "then there" ) There are the food blogs; one of my favorites is noblepig We actually started bloggin about the same time. Her blog is fun, sometimes weird, she really did make a cake with saurkraut and love it when she ventures away from the kitchen to talk about her vineyard adventure. She and her husband plus two boys have moved to Oregon and are planting grapes, in a very big way. She still finds time to cook, post, and "walk 6 miles very fast every day," on a treadmill to keep her great figure. Grandma Tillies Bakery is another food blog that will kill you. You can get fat just admiring cakes. When you get tired of food just look out her windows at the lake she lives by in ALASKA; HELLO raising voice to a creshendo people- gorgeous isn't a good enough word!  She has become a friend, I hope we meet one day and in Alaska would be great.

There  are blogs that take you on journeys and let you see beautiful places and things. Lime in the Coconut Linda can find more beauty than I can even begin to imagine. Sometimes after reading her posts I feel so relaxed it's like I have had a mini vacation. The only thing that would improve it, is if the fancy cocktails could be downloaded and consumed.  In case you didn't notice that is a joke. Another place of beauty is Jain's place, once in a blue moon she lives on some beautiful acreage in California my native home, and being an avid gardener and cook she always has some lovely photos to share. She loves dogs too. Anyone in my book who loves dogs is stinkin cool alright.

I could do this with my whole entire blog roll. The post would be so long no one would read it! I found the farmlady Over Good Ground,when it seemed like nobody read her blog. As in zero comments, but it was such a great blog! I did a post about her place and all my friends showed up and now her blogroll is bigger than mine. Way to go farmlady! Another great photographer, writer, cook, gardener, artist, and animal lover; what more can I say? She is great. We both have spent time in the bay area of California and share some roots. She is another one I hope to meet in June when I go out there.

A fun how many ways can that be an understatement blogger is  Coffee Beanerwe met when she lived out here in the paw paw patch with me. The funny thing is we didn't know each other very well then. We know each other better now! When CB is on a roll she can win at Comedy Night, this girl is just plain funny. And yes, she loves dogs and yes she can cook.

Lately with a bit of time on my hands I have been hoppin around to meet some new folks and have a bit of fun. I have an excuse! I am recuperating from surgery right? I can't clean my own toilets yet, maybe never? I have not made the mistake of getting fully dressed smarter this time with makeup either. I am taking my time here.

While I am at it I have been wondering something. If you care to stick your neck out you can tell me wha you think about this. Sometimes you can visit a blog for a long time like I did at my messy thrilling life and she never ever replied. I may be a bit dense but after awhile, I figure that some people just don't want to associate with you, for whatever reason.  Blog snobbery? Really could it be? Doesn't that remind you a bit of being in the sixth grade? Not to pick on her, I have never heard too much from other people as well, so eventually I drop them from my roll. April at Cole Creek Farms and her sister The Country doctors Wife, I used to like to read;  but shoot, it's more fun to visit where people visit you back and at least tell you to dropdead when they don't agree, or do. Some folks are just too big like Ree for Pete's sake. But then there are sweethearts like  Cindy at my romantic home who has over 2000 followers and she replies to some comments. I love it when she posts anything from the coast of California because yes it is true we are nuts we lived there. Cindy has often commented back to a comment and she keeps a great house! A gorgeous place.

To conclude this, some write, some don't, some lurk, and some don't, some become friends, and some don't; but as for me, I am here for the long haul. I love it. I love blogging, blog hopping, blog comments, and commenting. Yep some folks are demented early in life easily pleased. Some folks will never spell right either.

A few new blog hops for me are these folks and you might want to visit them or maybe you already do.
Apifera farms quirky and fun--yes an animal lover
Fifi Flowers she is an artist and I just love her stuff, it's whimsical, colorful, and fun.
The Harwards she is a country woman, a grandmother and  a good writer. She is also having a very cool give away with enough prizes for 6 winners. She is a Mormon, I am not, but I do have Mormon friends, why the heck not? Is the world so uptight that if we hold different beliefs, or vote differently GODFORBID we can't find common ground to enjoy together? I hope not. In my book all you gotta say is you love dogs, or love food, or have kids, or like to have a garden, or read a good book, or eat CHOCOLATE! Yeah! Common ground!
tatersmamastakeonthings I can tell that I am gonna just love her. I have been reading back posts on her blog. She left me an e mail and said she liked mine too but didn't leave a lot of comments lest I think she is a blog-stalker, snorts coffee I got a good laugh out of that one.
Is there such a thing as a blog stalker?
bobbi boyd is also a great artist. She is a bit negligent on blogging but you can go take a look at her painting which are for sale, and  see her work it's fantastic. She is a real life friend and I have her daughters artwork framed and in my kitchen; and no I wouldn't part with it for love or money. I love it. It has survived a lot of years in my upheaval care. A few things have survived intact made it from the past. Bobbi makes art out of everything she touches the food she cooks the flowers she grows the way she decorates, she is a one of kind. If she ever gets to blogging about her life she will really go places.

I did mention that EVERYONE on my blogroll has a great blog and there is a huge variety there. I like to visit all kinds of people and all kinds of blogs. If you have been travelling around lately and discovered a new blog  or have a favorite, leave me a link. If you love Debbie over at Wisteria and Roses and will miss her please go tell her so. She is leaving her e mail on and that great playlist!  Happy hopping? isthathowyouspellhopping?

Vinette's of the Day

It's a pretty window framed with plants. What you don't see is the fish on the right is gulping his last breaths as I write. He has been dying for about 2 weeks, and today may be his final day.  I think most of our little vinettes are selective.

That is if we told the truth about the state our homes and lives are in.

This happens to be about the only thing in the laundry room that is not a mess. Ah ha a sink where some dirty stuff can land! Yo ho empty sink spotted!

The rest of it looks like this.
It may look like this for a long time. This is stuff to be sorted and put away, or put up.

More photos to deal with. Sometimes I think about a nice big bon fire; but the photo content won't let me.

There is this room. My room. I am a freak about making the bed. A freak that cannot make the bed without lying down in it, making one side, rolling over and making the other side. Yes, I did, but not more than once. This is it.

And there are these necessary things that give me all kinds of problems. Certain solutions require edible things that taste yukky. You know nurses they can talk about anything.
Pain meds tend to slow down more than just your mind you know.  So on my agenda for the day is:
1,not cleanin anything.
2,not doing anything really spectacular or creative
3, not being a proverbs 31 woman or any other lofty ideal.
4, not making the bed or dinner or decorating my house.

No my agenda for the day involves prunes and MOM, the lofty goals of life.

and more of these...

Passing the Time

Ya'll said to crochet, so I did. Two medium throw blankets for the grandbabes in California. A friend gave some beautiful hand me down clothes so we have quite a nice box for them. The shipping will be insane expensive but oh well, that's life.

I do not have a little bell to ring. Coffee Man you did not mail me one. Yes, eating and talking on the phone do pass the time. However eating  just to pass time is not a good idea. Reading has not really worked out because I am mentally impaired taking strong pain drugs so I don't remember what I'm reading. I can however watch the TV. Have you noticed how much CRAP lousy stuff is on TV? Nature, however has provided some very interesting sights.

Last week we had this weather.

Which forced the bulbs and now we have blooming daffodils, which is early even for us!

I'm feeling better. It's hard to think about blogging when I'm on drugs  resting. I sound crazy enough as it is when I'm not under the influence. Mostly I have been thinking about how to be positive when you feel negative.  It's easy to feel joy and have a great attitude when life is full of blessings and beauty. But how about when life is full of difficulties, or we just plain don't feel good?

If I was asked for a report on how my attitude has been I would give myself a "satisfactory needs improvement." Do you remember those behavior categories on our kindergarten and elementary school report cards? I always had "N's" in the behavior section. It used to make me so mad. So what if I didn't "share easily with others," people should wait for their turn just like I did.
I never understood why grown ups asked you to "wait your turn,"  and then to "share," when your turn finally happened. Seemed to me that my turn always happened just when the whistle blew and recess was over. You see I got set up at an early age to have a negative attitude.

Succesful healing requires not only physical care but a postive mental outlook. That's a tall order around here. I can look around and just start making a list of everything that is not right. Seriously, I ain't kidding you! What good does it do me, if I can't DO anything about it? Even I can follow that little bit of logic to a conclusion.  I have been resisting negative thinking. I think I may even have been pretty tolerable  nice around here; you can ask my family, they will tell all.

At first I couldn't do anything at all so I decided to sleep a lot. Then towards the end of the week I picked up the crochet hook and a project that I started a while back, and I could do it without hurting my shoulder. HIP HIP HOORAY! While I was hooking away at the yarn I gave thanks. It's amazing how much there is to be thankful for, if we take a minute and get specific. Saying thank you helps my attitude. Looking for things to be thankful for is a much better list, than a list of what's wrong. That list is still there but it gets forced into the background where it belongs. I can't quite throw it in the trash. I am not a super saint not even close by a long shot. It's a very big accomplishment on my part to ignore all my selfish demands develop an attitude of gratitude. The cool thing is once I say I'm grateful the feelings follow.

How cool is that? Stinkin cool.

This week I am grateful that sleeping is much easier. I was having a wrestling match kungfu fighting with the covers and the pillows each night.  I can sit more comfortably too. I actually feel very much like I am on the mend. So many people have brought over meals. When people bring you meals not only do you not have to cook, you don't have to shop, or clean up! Wowza it's very nice. This is one of the few times in my life I have been on the receiving end of people's gracious acts of kindness. It's awesome, humbling, and heart warming.

I'm grateful, I really am. Now that I can sit better, I have a lot of unused words to use up. Look out! There is no telling what kind of comments you may receive. I'm still on drugs recuperating and no telling what I might say.

Any Ideas?

What can you do in a chair?
What can you do besides watching TV and reading books?
Is there any other good food besides Chocolate?
What do you do when you can't do anything?( Remember no carrying anything with the hands either.)
10 days to the post op appointment.
10 more days.....

Home Again

I have been fine, just confined to the downstairs where no computers are! Me stuck and bored to death. Kayla brought her computer downstairs today to share with me. Who say's kids can't be great? Having a stir crazy Nannie is a good motivator. How many movies can a person watch anyway? About 6 or 7 a day without anything productive to do.

We had a REAL snowfall. I know that many of you are sick to death of the snow and the cold; but this is the SOUTH. The last snow fall happened about 10 years ago.  Out here 5 INCHES of snow will close down the town. No one out here knows how to drive in snow or anything else so we get a holiday. Schools close (for reals) the government offices close and the news casts are all about the killer storms.

Personally, I thought it was gorgeous. Soft powder lightly blew all day long and actually stuck to everything it touched. Snow makes such a glorious silence, everything is quiet as it falls.

Kayla built a little snow man for the garbage men. They didn't get the day off. My neighbor that works for the gas company did not get the day off. She has been so tired lately she could really use an extra day of rest. That's the way it goes those who are the most worn out have to keep on truckin.

No, I did not go traipsing around in the snow on crutches. My camera has a zoom lens and everything I shot was from the front door or the back door. It was sorely tempting to go crunching around in the soft fluff but I did resist.

By the end of the day, the sun was out and everything that had been on the trees was melted. This morning there is still at least this much snow still here. It's just plain pretty.

As for me, being a patient is always a learning experience. Now I know why patients complain about plexi pulse boots--they can drive you nuts. Who can rest with their feet being squeezed and thumped every minute or two? Having someone come in your room ALL night long and flip on the lights can also drive you nuts. For me that drive is a short walk.

 I used to do a lot of my work in the dark and let people try to sleep.  If I had to stay for more than one night they would have to start really drugging me up. I had very little post op pain--drugs. I thought it was a miracle cure at first. What a nut. Fortunately for me the type of proceedure I had only requires 6 weeks of crutches with toe touch weight bearing. Really it hasn't been bad. I would love to roll over on my left side to sleep but can't do that. Now that the kid has given me access to a computer the whole world seems brighter!

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

With A Little Help From My Friends

We have been busy painting, cleaning, and moving around in our own house. The new carpet is in and it's so thick and luxurious. I wish you could really see it, but my little camera just gives you a suggestion.

The hall is still full of stuff to put away. The room downstairs where I am going to be is empty. The paint in there will be dry tomorrow so before the SUPERBOWL we will get my stuff in there.

Monday is my day to check in for surgery. YEEWWWWOOOOOW. OK I am not nervous, I am the tazmanian stinkin devil calm collected and most serene. Yeah, well you know me better.
I will post when I can. Glad ya'll liked the picture collage. You'll have to take pictures when you make yours! It's not hard to do! If we can do it anyone can.

Hey, guess what?

Tomorrow is the Superbowl and I will be happy with whoever wins I like both teams!!
Little Ceaser's is having a 5 pizza's for $20 special. They are going to get $20 from me. I'm tired and cooking is definitely off of the to do list. My to - do list is to move into my room, finish putting things away, go to the grocery store, get the laundry done,buy those pizzas and watch the game.

You know on second thought it will be great to have surgery---I'll be put to SLEEP!!

I Promised You a "How to Make A Picture Collage"

First the completed paint job of what was formerly a yellow floral wall papered room. This is fixin to be the teen scene now. Elvis is making himself at home. My resident teenager has gone from bummed out to very excited about the switcheroo. She has decided that this room is very cool. You have to admit the kid has an eye for picking paint. She really is quite good at color. Now if she would just learn to dust on a regular basis.

This is the idea. I saw this advertised in a catalog and these cost about a hundred dollars each. I really liked the idea.

I already have a ton of framed photos. The hallway was jam packed full of them all.
I don't need to buy more frames.

Hummmm what to do?

Set up a table for working and start sorting through the loot. When you get to be my age you have more photos than ---a goose has poop a photo shop.

Practice laying out the pictures in some kind of a pattern that looks good.
I rearranged several times to refine the look.

Then I went to Lowes. My first thought was bathroom hardware because towel rods are strong but they do not come in different sizes. Then I thought of crown molding; you know to hang the pictures on!  I also looked in the storage section at different kinds of metal used for hanging tools. Too minimalist for me, but definitely cheap.
I browsed and thought and scratched my head feeling very much like a certain Pooh Bear- think think think. Then the most obvious idea presented itself;  drape rods! I purchased three- ka ching ka ching ka ching.

 

If you look closely you can see how we are connecting the pictures. You will notice a certain adorable small granddaughter who is the star of our hall way show.

The Hunny had to help of course.I can't seem to do anything all by myself. I bought 10 ft of small chain, S hooks, and brass eyes. The drape rods were $11 each, you can spend a lot more if you like, and probably less.

The S hooks were a couple of dollars and the chain was 54cents a foot, 10 feet was $5.  So far so good!

My job was to put the eyes in the tops and bottoms of each picture. I got to use the power tools!!! Whooo hoooo power tools are fun!

See this is what you call a Granny in action!

While I did that, Hunny measured things in the hallway.I do not do ladders. Sitting on the floor was really pushing it, but you know how it is when you want to get something done. Sit and bear it.

Tucker had to help out, he was the supervisor of course.  

We made two in one day and they are so pretty!

Wall--la! 

It wasn't hard at all once we made a plan and got a groove on. Now the next thing is what to do with all the rest of those pictures!! I am working an 2 more collages but I am taking a very hard look at this extra large collection with an eye on storage for some. I do NOT want to clutter this up. I really like it like this but there are some more photos in the "must hang up" category.

What do you think do you want to try it?

A Brief Announcement

This is what cats do all day. There is something wrong with this picture. Do you see that apricot colored one? He is a bloody little terror. Any takers? Anyone want a hyperactive overgrown kitten?

It is really disgusting the way they can keep a person up at night and then sleep so sweetly during the day. I am tempted to wake them up.* Laughs wickedly.*

This is a great motivator. I bless the inventor of the BOOM BOX.

When properly loaded and with appropriate volume levels, it is possible to generate physical activity from otherwise very sedentary persons. Involuntary motion is absolutely predictable. Sustained exposure will result in sudden outbursts of singing and gyrations of otherwise sedentary body parts.

With a BOOM BOX, it is possible to accomplish a simple task. One that requires simple short repetitive movements.

Move hand up, move hand down, move hand to pan, move back and forth, move hand to wall, and repeat.

It is amazing what singing Fat Bottomed Girls at the top of my lungs can do for me.

I might be a grandma but I am a rockin grandma, and I am not talking about chairs.