Spring Projects

Ok, I've decided I need to get back to writing on my blog. I need an outlet! In the meantime, I'll tell you about some of my projects. I decided that my fireplace needed a new look. It used to have a brass fireplace door and screen on it. That's SO yesterday! I didn't take a picture with the doors on the fireplace, but here is a picture of the brass doors out in my garage:
And here is a picture of my fireplace without the doors and with the full length mirror (also feeling very dated) next to it. Sooooooo, now for the fun part. I tried to see how the mirror is put on, and I believe that it is glued on. I was able to get two of the cove moldings off the sides and I see that there is a lot of caulking-like material. Hmmm, so how do we up date this? Well, I have an idea!

But first, to paint the fireplace. I bought a satin finish latex paint called "Diamond Mine". It's light, but not a white. However, the color we had on there before was called "Smoke" so also not a white. Of course, we still have remnants of the "smoke" color on the ceiling where we accidentally touched it, so eventually I'll have to paint the ceiling too, but that's another time.

Once I get the fireplace painted, it's on to paint the brass doors. Of course, I'll have to take them apart first and then hope I can remember how to get them back together! Everything's an adventure!

Stay tuned!

A Much Needed Laugh

I had to put this on my blog as soon as I saw it. I think it is absolutely wonderful! I don't like spending holidays alone. I will never enjoy that. But today, on the day of God's glorious gift, I will learn to deal with it. I am alone. I will be alone. But I will survive and I will make something of the time I have left!

Thanks for the laugh--it was great!

Family Time

Last week was wonderful. June 3 my Father-in-law got married and our whole family was together. Hilary and her family came from Texas and stayed from Thursday night until the next Wednesday. It was wonderful to see everyone. Heather and her family came on Friday morning and stayed until Saturday. On Sunday, we all went to Grand Island to celebrate Wyatt's birthday. Hopefully someone will get pictures on because I didn't take any.

Jason and Hil helped me get things organized and I'm very grateful. I was actually able to go out and work in the garage a little this weekend. It's been so unorganized that I get overwhelmed and can't do anything. Jas fixed that for me. It still needs work, but at least it's not overwhelming anymore. The same with my craft room. There is still a lot to do, but Hilary helped me gt it somewhat organized and I'm going to go down this afternoon and work on a cover for my Kindle.

The grandkids were great! Quinny really loves to be outside so we went to the park a lot and had picnics outside. Kellen is crawling and is smiling all the time. They are both wonderful and I look forward to seeing them again in July when I go to Texas.

Wyatt had a great birthday. Not as many family members as usual, but lots of gifts and a wonderful cake that his mom and dad created for him. Bella and Quinn seemed to have lots of fun playing with each other. It's so wonderful to see the kids get together. As they grow older, I hope grandma will have the time and ability to have them for a week each summer and do lots of stuff together.

Well, that's it for today. Hope everyone out there in blogger land is doing well. God bless!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all who stumble on my blog (I can't imagine that will happen much!), Happy Mother's Day!

Sometimes I just need someone to talk to, so blogger, you'll be it!

Today is warm and windy. It was supposed to rain today (but somehow, that has passed us by--at least for a while). Actually the weather channel says that we could still have a thunderstorm later today and possible tornadoes. Given the weather this year in other parts of the country, I wouldn't scoff at it! Anyway, I got my yard mowed. That was a huge accomplishments given my travel and not being home much. It hadn't been mowed for 2 weeks. Not good! I still have to clean out some of my flower beds, plant some garden and other outside chores, but it's at least a start.

I also went to the Farmer's Market this morning and picked up some asparagus and some herbed goat cheese, then stopped at the Red Clover health food store and got some couscous. I have a recipe for some cranberry walnut couscous that sounds really good! My next stop was Earl May to pick up another rhubarb plant. I picked my one plant too much last year and it's struggling just a little this year--totally my own fault. It's coming back, but needs a little more time. I loved canning the rhubarb last year and I need another plant.

My iris are shooting up blooms like crazy! I hope to get some pictures, and I'll upload them for you to see. I love flowers. I didn't get my roses trimmed this spring, so they are growing like crazy on the old stems--my butterfly bush too. I don't know exactly what that will do to them, but...oh well.

This afternoon I'm going to go pick up a new furnace filter, a water chain (to attach to my gutter and let water flow to my water barrel), and some l-brackets to square up my screen door. Then it's off to the basement to work on organization.

Yesterday Heather and the kids came to see me and spend the day since they were going to Milford for Emily's birthday party in the evening. It was good to see them. We went to a few garage sales and although we didn't find a lot, we found a few super hero toys, a super hero flashlight, a shirt for Bella and a transformer costume for Wyatt. Score! The day was a success.
And it only cost $1.25. What more can you ask for? Ha!

Once again, Happy Mother's Day! Especially to my beautiful two daughters who are wonderful mother's in their own right.

An Amazing Fall

This has been an amazing Fall! I have a new grandson who is just adorable! I had the opportunity to go to Texas and stay with Hilary and her family for a week soon after Kellen Maxton Fuller was born. Quinn is growing up so fast and, of course, I'll notice that immensely with Kellen soon too! I don't have any pictures of that visit. Randy came down towards the end of my visit and he thought to take a few, but I was busy helping Hilary get some "newborn photos" of Kellen and never got any of my own taken. Unfortunately Hil's been too busy to get copies of hers to us yet.

Then this last weekend we went to Grand Island for 1 day to see the other 1/2 of our family. Those two kids are growing like weeds also. We went to a pumpkin patch that had lots of fun things for the kids to do. Here are two little videos of each of them on the zip line.

Soggy Sunday

Needless to say, I got no planting down outside today or any other outside work. It has been raining, albeit a nice, light rain, all day! I put a garbage can out by the corner of the front porch because we need our gutters fixed. This is what it collected between noon and now (it's about 6:30 p.m.):


I think it is something like an 18 gal. garbage can, but it could be bigger, I'm not sure. Either way, that's a lot of water.


On a brighter note, here are some pictures of my flowers, or at least a few of them. They always look better and greener in the rain! My irises were beautiful this year. On the side of the house, there are large clumps of yellow and purple ones. They REALLY bloomed.

And here is just one of my roses. Look at all the blooms! It's going to be beautiful this year! Makes me want to go out and get more roses. All of mine seem to be doing pretty well this year. Even the minis are healthy and budding like crazy!





Okay, so I wasn't able to do any planting, so I went to the Farmer's Market and picked up some fresh asparagus. They had lots of fresh produce and lots of bedding plants. Then I went looking for the eggplant plants, but none of them looked very good. I did end up with a grape tomato plant and some jalapeno peppers. I'll have to check again later this week. Since I had to be inside, I got my laundry done, canned some more rhubarb sauce, made a pound cake (I needed something to try out the rhubarb sauce!), and read some of my book.

I also cooked for a change--I haven't made a meal for several weeks. Since I had my asparagus, I decided to make a decent supper. I grilled a small steak, made garlic-asiago mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Yumm! I could only eat about 1/2 of it, but it was awesome! So now back to my book.

I hope you had a good a day and as productive as I did! Have a great week!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

There are not enough hours in the day or weekend. Today there is just a constant light rain--actually somewhere between a mist and a rain, but enough to keep me from doing the outdoor work I wanted to get done. I'm not majorly complaining because we can always use the rain, and in a month I'll be wishing we had some, but I still have a lot of things to get done outside.

I did get my tomatoes planted yesterday (yea!!!!!). I have one little chocolate pepper plant to put out and some green beans to plant. And I kind of want to put out a couple of eggplants. I'll have to see how wet it is out there. I may still be able to do it today if I hurry up. Maybe I'll even take a minute and go to the Farmer's Market. I think the Sunday one has started.

Then this afternoon, if it's still raining, I think I'll can some rhubarb sauce and finish my laundry. Then there's the book for my book club that I still have to finish (or at least get close!). Well, stop writing about it and go get it done.

Have a great day everyone!