Rambling Today

Several weeks ago we went to Boise shopping and stopped in at The Cheesecake Factory. It had been a very long time since we'd eaten there but I wanted cheesecake desperately.

I had the half chicken salad sandwich with salad but they also brought me a cup of soup. This was much more than I anticipated! I told him to bring me a box immediately as I would never be able to eat all of it. I didn't even touch the soup, ate half of the sandwich and salad and brought the rest home. We both told them to add in 2 pieces of cheesecake to take home also. I refuse to share my slice of cheesecake with anyone.  That lunch was $45 and a bit more than we thought it would be but very good. But it was also more than most people could possibly eat unless they were hogs! I'm not. It was truly fantastic.

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At the rate of weddings in Hollywood, the career to have is wedding planner. You'd never ever want for a job! I simply cannot believe the turnaround in husbands and wives in that city. Surely with all their offspring, every single person there is related to at least 99% of the others. It would be ugly trying to fill out your lineage chart down there. Sheesh...

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 Awhile back I heard someone say that something was totally impractical for their lifestyle—can't remember what it was—but it was desirable to have. I told her to change her lifestyle then. It's that simple and if I recall it was something good. Why can't someone change their lifestyle? We certainly did and it's brought blessings more than we can count to our lives.

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I've also noticed that some people are a bit lean on their answers. Wonder what that's about or what they don't want to say.

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This looks like a little girl's kitchen for play but it is indeed a woman's cute kitchen dining area.

A fabulous cabin.

Pretty chair in a field of lavender.

A very pretty white living room with roses prints all around.

Sweet hearts to enjoy.

Cute open shelving but I really like the cans on the shelf.

Someone's sweet vignette.

A luxuriously long porch with vivid flowers all over.

Pretty rose fabric juxtaposed against an old door.

I like this adorable sofa but I'd put it in a family room.

The kitchen of a very serious cook! I don't have near those pots and pans and I manage. The drawback is I have to cook, which we all KNOW I hate!

Interesting way to display pretty teacups.

Pretty little office area. I like the green and pink together also.

Cute redecorated can.

Lovely embroidery.

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Linking up with SSS.

Don't You Just Love Doctor Appointments?

A few months ago, I had an issue with my left leg—I think this is left over from a fall I took over 2 years ago at a nearby lake. I've had a shooting pain from the top of my leg to my knee at times. But it was annoying so I set up an appointment with a spine institute in Boise and went in for an initial appointment and an MRI.

Now, I am meticulous at keeping appointments and hubs even puts them in his iPhone for me and I put them on the calendar with the appointment card from the doctor's office. The first visit I waited for a very long time in the waiting room and then the "receptionist with an attiTUDE" told me they were backed up that day and could I come back another time. I was very nice and said I could and set up the appointment. Then I had to have the "other" surgery. I thought I could make it to the appointment to get the results of the MRI, but I phoned in and scheduled another time because I was still loopy on the pain killers. A guy changed it for me. Then he called a couple of weeks later and rescheduled because my doctor was going on vacation. That was not a problem for me at all. Then I go in and the "receptionist with an attiTUDE" for the appointment (third time) said I wasn't scheduled for an appointment that day. I said I had the appointment scheduled with a guy and could she check further. The "receptionist with an attiTUDE" insisted she was right. I could barely contain my anger at her. I almost asked her if I could speak to her privately so I didn't tear her apart in the crowded waiting room. But I contained my anger and scheduled another appointment. I went and it was fine, but I told th' hubs if they screwed this one up I wasn't going back. How can an office run on such inefficiency, plus have a "receptionist with attiTUDE"? I'm not known for patience most of the time but I am a nice person, just don't push that envelope too far. ;-) Spine? All I needed was a shot of cortizone in a certain area and that should take care of it. I told her I'd think about it as it wasn't particularly bad that day at all. But truly, I just want to visit with the "receptionist with attiTUDE" one. more. time. ;-)

Then I went to my general surgeon for a minor thing and love them at that office. They love me so much they said, "Would you like a job here?" I said, "You couldn't afford me." I make them laugh so much and uplift them to the point they want me to stay. But, hey, I really don't want to work. I love being home and having my time to myself.
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What a delightful red kitchen. It is in another country though.

Lovin' these purple blooms.

Another thatched cottage, very unusual shape though. I had a lot of fun in Ireland staying in a thatched bed and breakfast.

Cupcake anyone? :-)

This is one of the most beautiful blue bedrooms I've ever seen. Just gorgeous.

A lovely setting for a romantic dinner.

A cute display of small suitcases, a birdhouse and pretty wallpaper.

Now, this is a tent for camping! It has 3 rooms. I'd go camping in this in a heart beat. Mattresses and everything.

Aaaaawww, a little pumpkin carriage lamp. How sweet.

A beautifully wrapped gift of a pink scarf with french written all over it.

Romantic outing by a river, done right.

Just a beautiful pink, white and green flower.

Okay, here's one of my favorite pink and white striped rooms with my favorite Apple MacBook. How could I resist this one? Hahaha.

Isn't this gorgeous?

Hat boxes come in all sorts of pretty colors. I just happen to like these pink striped ones.

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Doing Some Cleaning

I invite you all to watch the two minute video; it's up to you of course. It is part of a speech given by a member of The First Presidency of our Church. It inspired me as no other video could ever do on creating. It will touch your heart. It will give you hope. I published it several months ago but thought it might inspire someone again.

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The weather has turned cooler and I'm trying to be productive. It isn't easy being productive.

Today I attacked some drawers in my dresser. Five drawers to be exact. So far I've rounded up and given to thrift stores: 11 shirts, 4 pairs of shoes, 4 of hubby's sport coats that are just too small but in great shape, 2 bathing suits, 4 hats, 3 t-shirts and 54 pairs of socks in good shape, but don't wear knee-highs anymore. That leaves me with 5 empty drawers. I'll not be refilling them with new stuff as I just don't need any more stuff. I'm trying to lighten our load and get rid of stuff. I cannot even recall what else we've taken to the thrift stores prior to today.

Why do we accumulate things? For me, it was partly because I wanted to make sure I had enough. Yeah, you heard me. I didn't just have enough; I had more than any one person needed. Then when I saw a rose plate or anything with roses on it, it was mine. I'd buy it. I am truly sad to have bought all that stuff long ago and now getting rid of it. Not the getting rid of part, but the money I wasted on accumulating stuff because I thought I needed it and certainly thought I wanted it. I see bloggers all the time accumulating more things—vintage, rustic, whatever—because they love it or want to have it. I've come to the realization that I don't need that stuff to make me happy. This is absolutely true. I didn't figure it out until a few years ago. All the thousands, yes, many thousands, of dollars I spent on clothes, plates, anything I wanted. What a waste. I see homes on blogs that have so much and the women keep on adding to it. Now, I'm subtracting from it. Funny how that works out but it is so free-ing to be able to get rid of it.

A friend on an eBay discussion group I had for many years told me that she and her hubby were just taking anything they could to the thrift stores or throwing it out. She said it felt good. I took a lesson from her and am doing the same thing and getting the same feeling. It truly does feel good. :-) And besides, my kids don't want anything we've got. I've already given them keepsakes from their great grandmothers and jewelry I no longer wear. My daughter told me if I didn't get rid of most stuff, she would put it on eBay for 99¢ with free shipping and I think she just might do it!
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Another gorgeous living room, shabby chic romantic kind.

A darling vignette of teacups.

Isn't this little hanging element adorable?

A cozy patio bench with beautiful pink pillows.

This would be a darling setting for a pink lover's party—stripes and polka dots.

Just a feminine setting with ruffles, lace, roses and a french chair.

A chocolate pot with gorgeous roses and green color.

Wow!!! What a stunner of a bathroom! Woooohoooo.

More roses for ya, but with feathers this time, sweets. ;-)

Got enough roses yet? Hmmmm?

Or pink???

Box of beautiful laces waiting for someone to do something with them.

Pretty pink, blue and white kitchen dining area.

Now, this one I adore. It could very well be the "perfect" kitchen in my eyes. Gorgeous!

Just like these vivid colors. Anyone who has been to Mexico probably has one of these. We've picked up a few on our travels down there.

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Everyone has a talent; I think mine is nagging.
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Three Generations Of Women's Hands

This post is my 1200th post. I can't believe I've blabbered that much.
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A friend told me recently that I had beautiful hands and another friend with us agreed with her. I was stunned. I have 70 yr. old hands with brown spots. These hands had been beautiful once. Sometimes when I look at them and see the wrinkles and brown spots of age, I wonder with a start: whose hands are these? A stranger's, certainly an old woman's. Not mine, not Connie's.

But then I see my daughter's and granddaughter's and great granddaughter's tiny little hands and I see mine 30 years ago. Yes, thy have the same structure, the same coloring, except mine are now spotted with age. We use our hands in the same manner and that pleases me. Yes, our hands do look alike. Three and now four generations of hands. All of us women in the family are expressive with our hands. We all keep the nails close-cut because we're all on computers all the time, but all of us have long slender fingers. Mine aren't as slender as theirs are now but they were several years ago.

I'm just thrilled to see my progeny before I die. Many don't, but I love seeing how much we are all alike and the ways we're different. Same temperament for the most part. I wonder how we'll all fit together in the eternity. I'm only speaking of the girls now. My boys are just about all mellow, sweet and kind. We women have more spark to us. ;-) We're all definitely the alpha dogs in the family.
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Let’s start off with some beautiful pillows. Of course, this whole room looks gorgeous though.

Same here. Just a beautiful vignette in someone’s beautiful hobby room.

Rustic meets romantic shabby. Yep, love this room!

This looks like a shop somewhere and I wish I knew where that somewhere was. ;-)

Adorable! And I’m making a set of those COOK letters and giving them away. It’ll be a couple of weeks, but I’m doing it.

Another absolutely stunning lamp I thought you’d love to see.

A bedroom I could live in, you betcha!

Simple stone cottage in the UK.

And another cottage with bright yellow shutters and red flowers surrounding it.

Looks like the owner took a fireplace and incorporated it into a headboard for a beautiful shabby look.

I still have a Pyrex bowl like the yellow one on the bottom. My mother gave it to me over 50 years ago and it was old when she gave it to me. I use it all the time. I’ll never part with it.

These are my kind of colors, especially that pink on the stucco.

A sweet entry for you. I can’t quite get the floor though. Looks like brickwork and some stone showing through where the door swings.

Somewhere in the Mediterranean. I’m guessing Greece.

Even city apartment dwellers long for gardens and a place to sit outside and eat. This has got to be one of the smallest I’ve ever seen though.

Pretty display in a kitchen.

I love the blue cabinets but the tiles would drive me nuts with my OCD. ☺

Cute display of purple flowers.

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