Putting Things Into Perspective

Just checking in today, but I'll have more for Pink Saturday tomorrow. Is it spring yet?????? Trying to think positive about it.

I've been busy reevaluating things in my life recently: what's important, what's not and the in-between things. It just feels like something is missing. I think most of you will understand this since most of us experience this at one time or another. We sometimes don't even recognize it when there is something amiss. But I've figured out one thing I need: more challenges. I say this with my heart in my throat because I'm not sure what God will throw my way now. Sigh. But I've gotten a missionary call to help with genealogy. I won't have to travel to far away countries, which I don't want to do anymore, especially with the travel regulations such as they are now. I can do it right from my home computer with a headset (which I have), Skype (which I've been using for many years) and a telephone. Qualified!

I think this comes because I'm feeling useless in the scheme of things right now. But anyway, I'm going to do it.

The other thing is I got food poisoning Sunday night. After fasting for 24 hours, which we do once a month and then give the money we would have spent on 2 nice meals at a restaurant to our bishop to use for needy families in our ward. I broke the fast with a frozen cashew chicken (Sundays are easy meals for us since we try to keep "work" to a minimum) and within a couple of hours I started feeling very, very nauseous. At 9:30 pm I told hubs we need to go to bed. I lay there for over 4 hours trying to squelch the nausea but to no avail. At almost 2 am I awoke and rushed to the bathroom. So I spent the night on the toilet with a plastic lined trash can in my lap. Not fun! I didn't get out of the house until last night when hubs took me to Jack in the Box for a salad. I'm feeling 95% better but still tired.

But I went to the doctor today for a visit I've had for a month and I'm in fine shape. Blood pressure is 118/65. Not bad for an old lady. My doctor was impressed and so was I.

So I'll stop rambling now and have a better post for y'all tomorrow! :-)
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Pink Saturday 3/26/2011

Happy Pink Saturday to all of you. To view the other participants, please click on Beverly's logo below and you can see all the pinkness your eyes can stand!
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The story began yesterday when hubs was out of town for the day and I got the bug to "fluff up" again. It wasn't so much "fluff up" as it was clearing space on the walls. I wanted more of the pink walls to show through to give the eye a rest. I'd been thinking about this for a long time. (Okay, you know where this is leading, right? More stuff to get rid of of course!) I put one of the pictures out in the garage for hubs to put in the garbage but he thought it should go to Goodwill or D.I. I hadn't thought of it but he was right. Someone else might love having it. Plus we'll get the tax deduction.

I love this limited edition print, which is my favorite one, so it went back into the family room. Originally, I worried about the southern sun coming in and deteriorating it but if I can't enjoy it where I want then why have it? I moved a little footstool next to a big one for my family's or guest's comfort. The big one can be used as a table for snacks also.

All the artwork came off the wall and is now on the floor to the right of the sofa awaiting my decision on what to do with it as you can see partially in this photo and in the one above. Sell, give it to charity or keep? I don't know yet. Big sigh. That bookcase on the left is going into my office as soon as I get rid of another old bookcase in there. Hubs likes this one better than the gold wrought iron one in there now and it's at least 35 years old. Craigslist? Probably.

So here is the living room so far. More tweaking will be required as I want to get rid of some of the birdhouses or find another use for them somewhere else.

Next week the new solar tubes go in so I can get the lighting on this room better. I can hardly wait!

Yep, a stack on old magazines I plan on giving to a friend and then selling some of the very old ones on ebay.

The coffee table sits with much I have taken off the sofa table on the wall and will determine what to do with it at a later date. My mind is frazzled at this point.

These little blocks I bought a few years ago, painted and decaled and put up there. Just needed something above the archway and I didn't want something that might fall off on someone's head—namely mine.

Something's missing from my "C" but I have no clue where it went. You'd have thought it would be on the floor somewhere but I haven't found it yet. The little cottage sign just changed its place on that wall by a few feet.

Some lucky little girl is getting this lamp that was on the sofa table. ;-)

Another view of the wall. I put my original wedding bouquet (filled in with paper roses) on the wall and a little shelf from the family room was brought in to this wall to hold our wedding cake toppers. They are the originals from the 2 receptions we had so that'd make them 50 years old. I'd say that's vintage, wouldn't you?

Ohmygosh, how did Caroline get in here? :-) I love the fact that she just loves wearing her sunglasses like the rest of the women in this family.

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Fluffing Up the Living Room

While the hubs' away, the chick will play. Or in this instance I'll redo the living room and family room walls. Yep, Love Bunny is away most of the day, will come home to eat dinner and go up north to teach a class about 3 hrs away from here and be back tomorrow evening. I've been waiting for him to leave to give the house a good cleaning—which in my case means dusting. I hate dusting and don't do it regularly enough to the embarrassment of hubs, but I don't care. Really, I don't. This is a dusty area with all the farms around us so we're gonna get dust!

This morning I was shaking rugs out back and saw this little clump of moss. I hope it grows and fills in around the grapes, but I love moss!

Now, these pictures are for the sky but the little lanterns I made (and are so dirty from the winter!) were hanging there and thought I'd show you our cloudy sky beyond the hanging jars. Cloudy and rain today and tomorrow.

So, one thing leads to another and here I am rearranging some wall decor around the living room. It's times like this I wish more devotees of romantic shabby chic decor lived around here because I've much to give away.

I'll post more pix tomorrow for Pink Saturday to show what it looks like now...if I finish in time. Sigh...

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Chatter 3/21/2011

Let's just chat today.

I woke up this morning and had a blueberry muffin with strawberries and I must say these gigantic berries from Costco at $6.99 for 4 lbs. are a treat. Hence, you have them for eye candy today as it's gloomy and rainy here in Idaho.

Then, of course, there's always Miss Caroline to look at for giggles. I thought the title of this one should be: "Mom, can we please use conditioner next time?" or "I knew I shouldn't have stuck my finger in that little hole in the wall." Zap!!

And this one: "I wonder if this new toy they got me tastes good." Everything goes in th' mouth! :-)

My granddaughter and Caroline at Christmas when they were in California at her hubby's sister's house. She—the sister-in-law—is expecting later in the Fall.

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Random Thoughts:

The other day I was at a function and must have had this look that must have screamed confusion to the speaker but they would have had to assume I was listening to be confused. I was simply disgusted at having to be there is all. Know what I mean?
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Did you know that curtain calls are to thank the audience, not the performer?
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A few years ago I was shopping in a classy store and saw this woman who looked like she was going for Boho art major but ended up as a nearsighted coke whore. You've seen the type. They work the cosmetics counter of upscale department stores. I make more money than they do so why do they treat us buyers so disdainfully? And besides, I'm prettier than they are! ;-)
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Hubby and I were driving along the road the other day to Costco and I had a question I wanted to ask him. Now, there are certain questions we always ask our hubbies, but then there are the questions we ask when we want a definite answer. This was one of those times when I wanted to show him how smart I was. If you are going to ask a question, you'd better be sure of the answer. I didn't ask! Know what I mean? Yeah, right.
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Till next time, chicks.
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Pink Saturday 3/18/2011 with Eye Candy and Random Thoughts

Happy Pink Saturday once again, my darling little chicks. To view all the participants, go visit with Beverly by clicking on the logo below:

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Truthfully, I composed this today starting at about 1 pm because I've been so busy out spending money and driving Love Bunny simply crazy today buying 2 of these. Well, next time he'll go with me when I'm on a tear, won't he? Hmmmm?! Anyway, we'll soon have LIGHT in our dark living room. Yippee! I can't wait. Buying these was a necessity as our large covered north facing porch lets little light into our living room. Know what I'm saying here? I need light! I shall have light soon. But here you got the best shot and it's leaning it against my absolutely so-filthy-ashamed-to-drive car. Sigh...

So let's continue with Pink Saturday. To tell you the truth I'm sick of posting photos of things around my house, but what else am I going to post since I'm not buying many frivolous things (skylights in the above photo excepted, of course) for our home anymore. So I thought I'd just photograph a few things you've probably seen before and play a thinking game: What comes to mind when I mention certain things?

Lauren Bacall in a slinky dress with her hand holding a cigarette smoldering in her cigarette holder?

Big luscious oranges in a California orange grove?

Watching old 40s movies and listening to the Big Bands of the 40s?

Going on a road trip just for fun and no destination in mind?

The City of Angels where the sun goes down and stars are born?

Tract homes and mini-malls?

The first time you saw a true hero in a movie? I've loved Humphrey Bogart all my life.

Ugliest city you've ever been to?

Running behind a truck spraying fog for insects and loving it?

A movie that you could see without your parents along?

The very first boy that made your heart do flip-flops? Mine was a guy named Leonard. ;-)

Something that simply made you feel good?

Wearing a dress that was elegant and the skirt stuck out so far with crinolines?

Simply walking with your sweetheart holding hands?

You don't have to tell anyone the answers, just think and ponder.
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I Shopped for a Year and Some Thoughts for Today

Just to let you all know I got my money back for the Rosetta Stone scam! Hubby said he was thrilled and surprised. I truly didn't doubt I'd get it back even if the scammers were in China. I just knew I wouldn't be left holding th' bag. I am very happy Paypal came through for me.
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When we moved in the the early 1990s we knew a year ahead that we would be coming here. I wasn't familiar with Idaho but I knew it wasn't as big as California or as cosmopolitan. I didn't know what they had in the way of shopping since I hadn't been to this area before.

So I shopped for a whole year, while our house was on the market to be sold. I've told people this before but they really don't have a clue how much I bought the year before we moved up here. I needed down feather comforters, a blue Kitchen Aid mixer because I was going to start cooking more. Clothes? I spent about 8,000 to 10,000 dollars that year for clothes up here. I thought Macys was going to give me an award for so much money spent. I bought bowls, plates, china, stemware crystal, huge embroidered table cloths and napkins. Gorgeous fancy paper plates and napkins. Trinkets and knick-knacks. Bath towels and beautiful sheets. Rugs. Lace curtains. Several limited edition prints I loved. Makeup. Perfumes. Shoes. Purses. Candlesticks. Writing paper. Pink file folders. Hanging file folders. File folder labels. Reams of colored copying paper in light pink and fluorescent pink, dark pink, fuchsia, yellow, green, blues, magenta and lavender. Fancy notebooks and note papers. Several beautiful fountain pens with different inks. Decorating books galore. Just so much I can't begin to tell you all I bought. When I say trinkets, I mean beautiful little things to either hang on walls or put on tabletops. Then there were the crafting supplies. At that time I was into the country look so I bought boxes and boxes of supplies and things to makeover. Dozens of embroidery kits and embroidery. We actually filled a huge Mayflower moving van with our very own stuff. Truly I shopped almost every single day for a year and it was glorious to be able to do that.

But things change and we grow older and, in my case, much wiser. I joined a church and things literally changed in the blink of an eye. To read my story in its entirety go here. I had a "Mighty Change of Heart" and my heart truly was softened. I had so much love for my fellow human beings that I was brought to tears when I'd see them in distress. It is very difficult to explain the heart.

This past week Japan has made a page in the annals of History that they'd probably much rather have just skipped with that devastating earthquake. I can't begin to tell you how sad my heart was at seeing families wiped out, homes, businesses, towns and cities destroyed in the blink of an eye. The photos are, as they say, heart-wrenching. I look at this woman who just learned she has lost her entire family and wonder how it would be to endure such tragedy. I hope I never have to find out. Her eyes tell all the emotions she is going through.

And this Japanese man who thought to stop and pray before digging out his countrymen. How small he must feel for the task ahead of him. I can only imagine his anguished heart.
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I've been absent from blogging a lot lately, but there are reasons. I need to get some priorities in order. I've started working on my genealogy for one thing and have been asked by my church to do a mission and help out. This doesn't require me to go to a foreign country or even another part of our country but it involves a commitment of several hours a week working with a team of others. As I've said before, blogging is a passion of mine to help with my writing and photography skills. It is for me and no one else. I have many, many favorites and I skim them on my Google Reader—that's the best way as far as I'm concerned, GR—but if I don't comment please understand why. I pretty much don't comment if there is just a "Blogging Today Just To Say Hello", if there is something that has been put on many times before and I've seen it or if someone is describing how to upholster something for the 10th time. You get my drift here. But I truly do love commenting when I have the time. And I truly, truly appreciate every single one of you who visits me. :-) And I shall absolutely be doing a Pink Saturday post tomorrow!
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The Womanly Arts—Sewing and Embroidery

In my quest to get rid of some things, this beautiful vintage gown is on eBay here at the moment. I'm biting the bullet and putting this on there hoping it finds a wonderful home. I just can't take it to a thrift store. If you're interested in buying it directly from me, just email me and I'll take it off of eBay. I truly want it to go to someone who appreciates this sort of thing. It would look wonderful on a mannequin!

Growing up I didn't sew or do needlework or embroidery. It wasn't until later in life I found my love for embroidering. My mom was a professional woman. She didn't even know how to do anything encompassing the womanly arts. I learned to sew and embroider on my own. I love doing it but haven't for a long time now. So recently I looked and found my unfinished projects and embroidery threads because I wanted to do some new "fluffing" to some pillowcases.

You can see I'm partial to pink and green as evidenced in my previous post for Pink Saturday combining St. Patrick's Day with it. I have Irish heritage but a lot of other ancestors also so we don't particularly celebrate that holiday. I'm not much of a "holiday celebrator." I just look at it as another day except the banks are closed. ;-)

Threads of yarn separated and waiting for me to begin it again.

Another unfinished project.

This is my Ralph Lauren bag purchased many years ago to hold my projects and threadsl. I've since had to buy more tote bags to contain it all.

I believe this was my first book on teaching me the basics. I have some designs from here on pillowcases that are showing severe signs of wear and may need to redo them. I love this little book.

Perhaps I've waited too long to complete this one. I'll have to finish it before I can wash it properly now. Can't figure out how this got water damaged. Hmmmm...

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to finish them all.

And these are my colorful skeins of embroidery thread. To me, it's simply eye candy. I love looking at the colors. You see my preferences of colors from this photo.

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