MAKING YOUR OWN IMPRINT

My girls got me a book, Simple Abundance – A Daybook of Comfort and Joy By Sarah Ban Breathnach for Mother’s Day 1997. I've been reading through it again this year and on today, Feb. 23rd, it had this suggestion:

Imagine moving into a completely empty house and you’re starting over from scratch –money is not a consideration.

Write down twenty specifics for your ideal home from architectural features to furnishings that are “must haves” for you.

1. Light & airy sunroom with cozy wicker furniture
2. Overlooking a swimming pool
3. And large garden area complete with gardener
4. Large kitchen with an island in the middle, lots of storage & counter space
5. White cabinets with granite countertops in kitchen
6. Walk in closets for all the bedrooms
7. Mudroom by the door we use the most so we can drop our coats, purses, etc. and a bench to sit on while you put your shoes on
8 .Large dining room with a table that would let out to seat at least 10 people.
9. Walkout basement with shop area for Randy
10. Tiled bathroom with walk in tiled shower
11. Master bedroom large enough to comfortably hold king size bed
12. Large palladium window
13. Brick exterior with one of the new metal roof that looks like shingles/tiles
14. Solar panels to help supply energy
15. Fireplace with large hearth in family room
16. Cozy, comfortable chairs in front of fireplace
17. A sewing/craft room – fully equipped and stocked with fabric
18. Split floor plan –master separated from other bedrooms
19. Library & Music room
20. Large front porch with a swing

Coming next:
Your kitchen cabinets are bare. You need to buy new china, flatware, glasses and linens for everyday use and for entertaining. Where do you begin?

SNOW

I went down to fix supper tonight and looked outside there were fluffy white snowflakes falling. We got to watch it all during dinner and then I went out in the sunroom to walk on the treadmill and it was really coming down. I snapped a few pictures because it's going to be over within the hour according the weather reports and it's above freezing so it'll all be gone soon. We've only had 1 1/2 inches of measurable snow this winter. It wasn't even all at one time. I know that a lot of people have their fill of snow this winter, but I would have liked to have seen at least one decent snowfall.

A Few Handyman Projects

Dining Room Cabinets and the framework for handyman's workshop.

Handyman Father, Part 2

When our youngest daughter moved out on her own she decided that she wanted her dad to build her a platform bed. She discussed it with him and they got the plans all worked out. He proceeded to build the bed as they had planned. The wood was to be painted black – not flat black, not glossy black, but in between. Handyman dad had to mix a couple of paints to get the desired effect. He painted the bed and the paint bubbled. He sanded down the problem area and painted again. The paint bubbled again. I’m not sure how many times he sanded and painted, but he finally got it just right. The big day came to deliver the bed to our daughter’s apartment. He got some help and they got the bed to the apartment, in the front door and oh, no, it wouldn’t fit up the stairs!! He had to bring the bed home and slice it down the middle so it could be taken up the stairs in 2 separate pieces. After splitting it, he had to go back and paint it again. The bed was finally delivered and our daughter has been happy with it. It may not always be easy, but he always gets the job done!

Handyman Father

Our daughters grew up thinking that “man” can fix anything because their dad could. When our oldest daughter married and moved away. She and her husband bought a 40 year old house that needed some work. The bathtub was in sorry shape and needed replacing. Our daughter just assumed it was an easy project since her dad had done it before at our house. Her husband was a college graduate with a degree in chemistry and a grad student at the time. They don’t teach you how to remodel houses in chemistry class. So we went up one weekend before they moved into the house so her handyman dad could help. The four of us tore out the bathroom, down to the studs and sub floor. The guys put up the green board, new floor, got the fixture all back in and hooked up. The bathroom was functional but not finished. Daughter and son-in-law still had to “mud” the drywall, put up the tub surround and finish things up. It ended up being a good learning experience for them. The house still had the old fuse box so the handyman father made another trip up and taught our son-in-law how to be a handyman-electrician and they switched out the fuse box for circuit breakers. They’ve been married for almost 10 years now and our son-in-law has learned a lot about being a handyman. I’m sure there have been times over those past years that he has wished that his wife hadn’t learned from her dad that men can fix anything!

MY HANDYMAN HUSBAND

I mentioned last time about my husband installing a new water heater for us. Have I ever told you just how “handy” my husband is? He can fix just about anything. By trade, in his earlier years, he was an auto mechanic. Later he became a teacher and taught high school students how to fix cars. But along the way he learned to fix so many things. His dad was a farmer and then a carpenter. He taught my handyman husband how to build a house and roof it. Even though we’ve never completely built a house, my handyman has done a lot of remodeling projects and has also re-roofed one of our houses. A couple of times, I’ve said, “I don’t want that wall there. Can you take it down?” And before I knew it, he would have his sledge hammer in hand and that wall would be on its way down. One was even a load-bearing wall that he had install a beam to keep the roof from falling in. He’s poured concrete for patios, built storage buildings, added a sunroom to our house and converted our garage into a den and bathroom. He’s also built me several pieces of furniture and some additional kitchen cabinets. He built himself a large workshop in our backyard where he keeps his woodworking equipment (saws, drills, hammers, etc.), mechanics tools and meters and many feet of wire (wires for phones, electricity, televisions, and computers). He has fixed heat & air problems, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers, and dryers. He’s also become quite the computer geek. I’m not sure exactly how he became so knowledgeable with computers, but somehow his brain can handle an awful lot when it comes to computers and networking. He is the network administrator at our church and keeps all the computers up and running and talking to each other. And yes, he fixes our cars too.

Handyman Husband to the Rescue

Last Thursday night my husband headed out for a meeting at church. He noticed some water on the garage floor and saw that our 13 year old water heater was leaking. So before he left, he turned the gas off and hooked up a hose to drain the water out of the tank. Fortunately we had already run the dishwasher and a load of clothes had been done. By the time he returned home at close to 10:00 it was too late to do anything about the problem. We did fine that night without hot water, but I really missed it in the morning when there was no hot water for my “wakeup” shower. I have allergy problems and that nice steam helps clear my sinuses each morning. But I had to go to work “cold” turkey that day. I kept reminding myself of all the poor people in our state who were without electricity due to the ice storm a couple of weeks ago and had not had hot water nor even heat in their homes for almost 2 weeks. I felt ashamed at how much I missed my shower for one day. Fortunately my husband is a real “handy” man. He went to Lowe’s that morning and purchased a new water heater. By the time I arrived home from work, he had it all installed and we had hot water. I had missed my shower so much that morning that I took a nice looong soaking bath that night to make up for it. Thank you, thank you, handyman for getting our hot water back so quickly!!

VALENTINE'S DAY - Part 2

Photo from our wedding, September 9, 1972

We just got back from our dinner. We had tossed salad, pork loin in a delicious sauce, chicken with a cream sauce, seasoned potato chunks, green beans, cooked apples, and homemade bread. For dessert we had red velvet cake, chocolate cake and banana pudding. Everything was delicious. We probably had about 45 people this year. It was down a little because several of the couples are out of town. Some are in Florida for the winter and some are on a cruise. After dinner our pastor sang a few songs. He has a wonderful voice. And then a few people shared how they had met. I got to thinking about when we first met. I was a sophomore in college at the time and Randy was working as a mechanic at a car dealership. The first time we met, I was working at the student center (what is now called DUC). I was actually working a friend's shift. She had been assigned every Friday night to work and I felt sorry for her, so I switched with her so she only had to work every other Friday night. Randy had gone up there to see her because he thought she was working that night. It's a coincidence, but their last names were the same. No relationship. He tried to convince me that he was her brother, not knowing how well I knew her. I knew her brother and I knew he wasn't him. We talked for a while but nothing came of it. Then a month or so later I was with another friend and we were just out cruising. We were at a Jerry's where you parked and gave your order over a speaker and then they brought your food out on a tray. We had stopped there to talk another friend who was a friend of Randy. We got to talking and he offered me a ride in his new red Fiat convertible. Well, I was young and trusting and off we went. He finally asked me out on an official date a couple of weeks later. We went to see The Carpenters in concert at Western. It was wonderful.

My parents had moved to Tennessee at the beginning of my sophomore year so I spent a lot of weekends down there. A week or so later I had gone down for the weekend and my mom needed something from the grocery so I went to get it for her. When I got home, there was a red convertible in the driveway. I couldn't believe that he had driven down to see me since I was just there for the weekend. My parents were really surprised when he showed up too! It was a whirlwind romance. We met in March and were married in September. That was 36 years ago and we're still together - till death do us part.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I hope you're having a great day. So far we've had a pretty normal Saturday. I've baked bread, done laundry, cleaned house . Randy worked at the Upward Basketball game at church this morning. I inherited some heart shaped cake pans from my mother, so I baked a chocolate heart cake for Valentines. When Randy came in from Upward, he brought me a bouquet of flowers. Tonight we will celebrate Valentine's Day with our Sunday School class. Back when we were younger and poorer, the tradition was for the men to cook dinner at church for the women. Then, whether it was because they had more money or just thought that was too much trouble, they started taking us out for dinner together. For the last 4 or 5 years we've gone to a bed & breakfast, Shaker Tavern. They always have a nice buffet set up for us and luscious desserts. The past couple of years we've done our version of The Newlywed Game. You can't say it's the same, because most of us have been married 30+ years. When the questions go back to the early dating period, it's hard to come up with some of the answers since it was so long ago. It's been interesting to learn things about people that you'd normally not talk about. I haven't heard if there are any plans for a repeat performance this year. We are so fortunate to have this great group of Christian friends.

ARE WE RICH YET?

Our pastor has been preaching a series on “Are You Rich?” Of course we sit there and think, “Who me? I’m not rich.” He then goes on to provide us with more information. In fact, if we earn more than around $25,000 we are in the top 4% of wage earners in the world. Then, if we earn more than $45,000 we are in the top 1%. Who would have thought that with only $45,000 we would truly be rich by world standards? Have you ever gone hungry? Or without shelter or food? No? Don’t most of us have every single thing that we need? We have become a society of excess. My husband and I are guilty too. Between the two of us, we have 5 computers, 6 televisions, 3 vehicles. Is that not excessive? It’s convenience. If we leave one room and go into another one, we don’t want to miss out on what we were watching on TV, but, oh yeah, there’s nothing really worth watching anymore. But being rich does not entirely hinge on monetary wealth. I am rich just by the fact that I had loving parents, a wonderful spouse, 2 great kids, and now 2 absolutely gorgeous granddaughters. I have always been warm, dry, clothed and fed. Thanks be to God for allowing me all my creature comforts and all the loving people He has placed in my life.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

I received the following in an e-mail today, whether it's true or not it still touched me.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.
'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

WINDCHIMES

I woke up this morning to the sound of my windchimes. The winds had blown in overnight and the rain would soon begin. I was reminded of the first time I heard a windchime. It was while on a family vacation with my parents in southern Georgia. All the little shops had windchimes on their doors so they would know when people came in. My mother loved the high pitched tinkling sounds so she always had the small windchimes. I prefer the deeper sounds, so my windchimes are larger. Once when Randy & I were at Patti's Settlement they had a windchime hanging in a tree that was at least 60" long. It had a really deep sound. I would have loved to have had it, but it was about $900. My granddaughter, Kate, also likes my windchimes. When she was smaller, I would hold her up so she could make it chime. Now she's big enough to reach it on her own. I guess the love of windchimes carries over from generation to generation.

ELECTION DAY

Today we will go to the polls to elect a new state senator from our district. Both candidates, democrat and republican, say they are pro life, pro guns. Decisions, decisions.

I have always felt we should not take the responsibility to vote lightly. We should stand up and vote for our choice. Just look what happened in the last presidential election. O'bama went out and energized the people and got them to the polls. We had to stand in line for a couple of hours. What would happen if every American showed up when the polls were open? What if people didn't just assume that their vote wouldn't really count? Each one of us can make a difference by going to the polls and casting our ballot for the candidate(s) of our choice. Take your responsibility seriously and when you have the opportunity go to the polls and cast your vote.

Note-We just got back from voting. There were only 2 people in front of us. I wonder what the percentage of turnout will be? Maybe 1%?

A GOAT FOR KATE & GABBY

I bought my granddaughters a goat for Christmas. Well, not really.
My daughter and son-in-law are trying to teach their young daughters about their responsibility to do for others. They also don’t want them bombarded with an overabundance of toys, which is kind of hard when they’re the only kids in our family. When shopping for books for Christmas gifts, I ran across a book on Amazon titled “Beatrice’s Goat” by Page McBrier. The story is about a little girl named Beatrice whose poor family receives a goat as a gift. I did some research on the internet and found Heifer International where you can actually give a goat to a family. They explain how this is a gift that keeps on giving because the family that receives the goat has fresh milk to drink for years, plus possibly extra milk to sell. They are also required to breed the goat so there will be more goats to pass along to someone else. I’m not sure the girls will understand it all yet, but hopefully, since they enjoy books so much, they will eventually understand. So, in honor on my granddaughters I have sent a goat to a needy family. If you’d like more information on Heifer International, I have added a link here.

WEAR RED TODAY

I'm still working on trying to get healthy. I'm up to 1-3/4 miles a day on my treadmill and gradually adding speed. My goal is 4 miles in 1 hour on a regular basis. Wish me luck.

WHEN I'M AN OLD LADY

FOR MY DARLING DAUGHTERS------

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness...just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)
I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)
When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)
When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)
I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels
I'll click, I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!
And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll pull up the covers and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"

I LOVE YOU!!

2008 INCOME TAX FILED

I just finished e-filing our Income Tax thru Turbo Tax. I've been using this program since about 2002. I love it. It keeps all of our information from the previous years and I don't have to re-enter anything about us. It also brings forward some of the dollar amounts from previous years that we need on current tax forms. It's always such a relief to be done with it for another year.

25 Random Things About Me

My sister-in-law, Joan, passed this along after she received it on her Facebook. It's taken me a while to come up with them, but here are my 25 Random Things.

1. I’m hate escalators – give me an elevator any day.
2. The first time I flew, it was in a 4 seater plane (from BG to Murfreesboro and return).
3. I didn’t cross the Mississippi River until I was over 50.
4. I like to pull weeds from my flower garden.
5. I love to go camping at the lake.
6. I attempt to have a place for everything and have everything in it’s place.
7. My maternal grandmother taught me how to crochet.
8. My paternal grandmother taught me how to knit.
9. I won’t get into an unmade bed. (So it might as well be made in the morning so it looks good all day.)
10. I have over 100 white and/or gold angels on my Christmas tree.
11. I plan on retiring on or before August 31, 2014.
12. I can work those little golf tee puzzles at Cracker Barrel and only have 1 golf tee remaining.
13. I love to sing – in the choir, caroling, to the radio.
14. I’m addicted to The Pioneer Woman.Com website.
15. The only book I will reread is The Bible.
16. I like to read mushy romance novels.
17. I play Hand Bells.
18. I took ballet lessons from a French Ballerina.
19. I’ve never left the U.S.A.
20. I tried to water ski once, but never could get up.
21. I complete our income tax forms each year.
22. I’m afraid of high places.
23. My favorite donut is cream filled with chocolate icing.
24. I like to work Sudoku puzzles.
25. The only reality show that I watch is Dancing With The Stars (but only when they dance, not the results show)

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY

Also, Happy Birthday Aunt Bobbie!!! Well Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Too bad he doesn't live here. It was cloudy this morning and he wouldn't have seen his shadow at our place.
I guess we'll just have to make it through 6 more weeks of winter.

CRAZY KENTUCKY WEATHER

This past week we've had ice, snow and cold temperatures. Today it was up in the 60's. It felt like spring when I came out of church this morning. The weather forecast is predicting teens for the lows the middle of this week and then...next Sunday it's supposed to be back up to 60 again. Don't take me wrong, I'll take the 60's any time during winter. But I could do without the teens.
Maybe the Ground Hog won't see his shadow tomorrow and we'll have ---let's see...6 more weeks of winter!!