Raise Your Hand If...

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:46:00.002-05:00

I wish you all a beautiful, family-filled, love-filled Merry Christmas.

2011-12-10T08:47:00.001-05:00

Raise your hand if...you're so glad that the weekend keeps comin' around. :) Me, too.

2011-12-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight I finished the last of these fleece scarves...one each for my nieces Autumn and Adrienne, and one for my granddaughter, Mackenzie. I consider these soft and cuddly kisses from me to them! Merry Christmas, little girls!

♥ For Autumn ♥

♥ For Adrienne ♥

♥ For Mackenzie ♥

2011-12-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you STINK at keeping up on blogging and you are thisclose to getting banned from ever blogging again! Ever! Just me, huh? Bummer.

We're all ok here, autumn is winding down and winter is inching closer, although we're due for 50 degree temps next week. School is good this year, especially since I get to be with my crazy school gal pals during the day. They keep me laughing, focused, and sane (well, sane-ish). I've been a crafting fool for the last few weeks because my best childhood friend ~~bullied, peer pressured, arm-wrestled~~, cajoled me into doing a craft fair with her. Did that today and it was fun, and I made about $100. Not too much, but enough that Bob is at 99 Restaurant right this moment picking up our supper. :)

I hope everyone out in Blogland is wonderful and preparing for the holidays. Oh yeah...I haven't even STARTED shopping yet. How about you?

2011-09-24T19:10:00.000-04:00

RAISE YOUR HAND IF...you did TWENTY ONE jumps using a "Skip-It", only to be outdone by your granddaughter who did 37!! Show off.

Of course I had to rest for almost an hour afterwards, but whatever!

2011-09-16T20:02:00.000-04:00

First and foremost.....TGIF!! Then...

RAISE YOUR HAND IF...you're FINALLY wearing warm socks, LL Bean slippers, jeans, and a sweatshirt because the chilly weather arrived overnight!!

The outdoor air smells heavenly, like the very beginning of Autumn should. It makes me feel absolutely marvelous! (does anyone even say "marvelous" anymore??)

I hope you're loving the weather wherever you are, too. :)

September 11

2011-09-11T09:49:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago today our lives, our hearts and our country were changed forever; futures, lives and innocence were all lost. Strength and courage to those who survived; peace and rest to those who didn't.

2011-09-09T21:20:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if...you obviously haven't posted anything new since last weekend because you're posting THIS AGAIN!!

Sheesh! But I do love Fridays!!

TGIF

2011-09-02T21:06:00.000-04:00

Indeed!
~Happy Long Weekend to You~

Friday Eve

2011-09-01T21:02:00.000-04:00

Guess what today is...it's Friday Eve!

Guess what that means...tomorrow is FRIDAY!!

Guess what else...it's a long weekend!!

First Day of School...Done!

2011-08-31T19:13:00.000-04:00

Survived the first day with kids...it went surprisingly well, too! Let's hope the rest of the year goes as well.

Bob and I just spent over two hours with a financial adviser and let me tell you, my head is spinning! We are overwhelmed with information, so I'll leave you with a photo of my favorite place to be, where I'd like to be now as a matter of fact. :)

♥Caspian Lake, Greensboro, VT♥
aka
Heaven on Earth

Two Days Down!

2011-08-30T17:39:00.000-04:00

Just finished Day Two of our school year...only 183 more to go!! We've been there since Monday getting "professionally developed", and the kids arrive tomorrow. It's always exciting the first week. Since I'm in grades 6, 7, and 8, I get to see the old ones and the new ones. It's fun!

I've decided to get my head "back in the game" this year at school. Last year didn't go well, and with my husband suffering all the medical issues he did starting back in January, it was more important that my energies were focused at home. This year I have a good schedule, I like each teacher that I'll be with, and more importantly than anything....I get to eat lunch with my pals!!

The weather here has been glorious since Tropical Storm Irene blasted her way through over the weekend. We survived relatively unscathed, although my sister suffered pretty serious water damage. Their family is safe, which matters most. We had tons of rain, some wild winds, but nothing serious. Our favorite state, Vermont, got hit damn hard, however...lots of devastation up that way.

Well, I'm off to iron my first-day-with-kids school clothes. Stay safe and healthy!

Back to School

2011-08-29T06:22:00.001-04:00

The last time I saw the world this early in the morning was on June 23, our last day of school, and although I know it's a beautiful time of day...quiet, peaceful, promising...I do prefer seeing that from photos rather than firsthand. I prefer staying in my cocoon until, well, until I drag myself out of bed because of some deep motherly guilt. The good thing is that sometimes, that guilt doesn't kick in until around 9:45 in the morning!

So here I go, off on another school year at the middle school. I do love my co-workers, most of the kids, my building and the constant movement, but really...I'm looking forward to June again! Tally ho, and all that jazz.

Tropical Storm Irene

2011-08-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

G'morning. We're still here, watching Tropical Storm Irene outside the windows. So far, so good. We had lots of crazy rain during the night, with some good wind gusts. My husband Bob, aka Weather Guy Bob, just said that it will be a little crazier later on, but nothing like what was originally predicted.

Our oldest daughter is riding it out in southern Connecticut at her boyfriend's house, so I'm very grateful for cell phones. I don't care how old they are, they're still our kids and we still worry. They just don't get that until they have kids of their own, though.

We're due to start school tomorrow, but will know later on today if that changes or not. I'm in complete and total denial about having to go back, so maybe one more day off will help (yeah, right!) My mom stayed here last night, so we're all hanging out watching the Weather Channel, getting ready to put a ham in the oven for later on. Not so bad for a Sunday afternoon, provided everyone stays safe. :)

2011-08-27T15:51:00.000-04:00

RAISE YOUR HAND IF...you should be booted out of the entire blogging universe because you haven't blogged since Spring...GUILTY!

I hope everyone is healthy, happy, safe and enjoying life these days. We are here, although we've gone through some pretty major changes since my last post. The short story is that my husband is now officially retired from UPS, due to medical issues, where he's been a driver for almost 30 years, and we've all been going through that life transition. So far, so good, especially if he decides that cooking supper every night is FUN! He should be ok, but we all know how quickly life changes, don't we?

Well, here in Western Massachusetts we're bracing for Hurricane Irene's arrival. Just over two months ago, on June 1, we had a slew of tornadoes pass through our town and surrounding towns. It was a freak thing and very terrifying, not only because we've never had one like that, but also because it was so sudden and unexpected. The only "good" thing about a hurricane (and I use the word "good" loosely), is that we've been given a few days to prepare. We're as prepared as we're going to get; now all we're waiting for is my mom to come here where she'll be staying until it's safe for her to go home. She's 90 years old and survived the Hurricane of 1938 (among other things), so she's taking all this in stride.

I have supper in the crock pot today, we have plenty of propane for the grill if we need to cook on it for a few days, the laundry is done, the yard is cleaner than it's ever been, and we have plenty of cases of water. I'm not real sure why we have cases of water, but every emergency expert says to get water, so we did. The only thing we didn't get was a generator. I did get 70 pounds of ice, though, so let's hope the coolers do their job!

I'm going to do my best to be here more regularly and get back to reading my favorite blogs, too! See you sooner rather than later. :)

2011-04-03T19:03:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if...you've had a migraine since Friday and it's the first one you've had in 15 years or so. Yeah, me too. I'm not sure I've ever had one that felt like this, either. Last night I ended up coming in early from my cottage and spending about three hours on the couch with a hot pack on my temples. Today, it's been trying to get back into my head and as of right now, it almost feels like it's winning. Anyone know of any OTC migraine medicine that actually works?

2011-04-02T13:06:00.002-04:00

Raise your hand if...you're DAMN glad it's a weekend!!

2011-03-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

Woke up to a sunny Saturday morning which is so very nice. :) My "plan" is to spend the day in my cottage working on signs for my friends who are doing a craft fair in Troy, NY. Then, I "plan" on measuring/cutting four signs for orders at school. Tomorrow I might just get to spend the day with my sister-in-law, one of my closest friends.

Notice how I wrote "plan"? I'm not foolish enough to think everything goes as planned. One of my favorite sayings is..."Wanna' hear God laugh? Just tell Him your plans!"

I hope that wherever you are, it's sunny and warm (not too...let's not rush Summer), and that you can spend the day doing something you love. Happy Weekend.

2011-03-23T19:04:00.000-04:00

Whew. Weigh-in yesterday wasn't too painful. I was down 1.6 pounds for a total loss of 4 whole pounds in two weeks! Yay...only 37 more to go. (thank goodness for mini pretzels!)

You know how my husband has been having medical issues that are forcing him to retire early and apply for Social Security Disability? Let me tell you, what a time-consuming, mind-numbing ordeal. But, you know what a very cool benefit is to all that? Guess who does the dishes, laundry, and COOKING now??!!

2011-03-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

Hi there. Another Monday in Paradise, if you think Paradise is defined as a cold, damp, gray, snowy, rainy Monday (and some of us do!).

You know how I started Weight Watchers two weeks ago? Well, I did ok last week, but this week has been a serious emotional struggle, which translates to serious emotional overeating. Tomorrow is weigh-in, so I'll know more. I'm still going to try, though; I've done it before and can do it again.

Onward, dammit!

Almost Ready to Sell

2011-03-15T22:14:00.001-04:00

Hi again. I just spent the last 2 1/2 hours uploading more photos of new signs to my selling blog. Whew. How clueless I was last November when I innocently posted that it would be up and running in about two weeks...yeah, if I had nothing else that required my presence!

Anyway...I still have to get the descriptions, price and shipping costs recorded, then I'll be DONE! Or maybe I'll be STARTING...who knows. Either way, I'll keep working on it til it's ready. :)

Til then, here are a few more signs I finished recently.

This one speaks for itself!

I did this one in four different color combinations.

One of my favorites.

I highly distressed this one, which I love doing! I think if you click on it, it'll show up better.

2011-03-14T18:58:00.000-04:00

Hi friends. Happy Monday to you. :)

I hope everyone is well and able to feel the warm sunshine on their faces.

Things are ok here, although my husband is facing a "forced" early retirement because of the unexpected blood-clotting issue he's been facing since January 20. It sure wasn't in our plans, but it's here, so we're doing our best to move forward. We were sitting in the doctor's office today, waiting, and told each other that no matter what, there's always someone who has it worse. We'll be ok, one way or another.

I hope everyone you love is healthy and safe, and thank heavens Spring is on the way FINALLY!

2011-03-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

T.G.I.F!!

Weight Watchers Again!

2011-03-08T18:44:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you started back at Weight Watchers today. (sigh) Me too. But the cool part is that now I get to use a cute little calculator to measure points. :)

The only part of my body that doesNOT depress me is, um, hmm...my ears! Yeah, my ears are quite lovely in both their shape and their flatness to my head. Besides that, I'm disgusted with every inch of me.

While going through all the old paperwork from my past WW ventures, I found out something interesting. Turns out that whenever I get to within one pound of a certain weight, I start going back to meetings. I don't weigh myself at home because, let's face it, even though I know I'm more than that number on the scale, it still controls my moods. Not good when you use food as armor.

So...let's see how this WW trip goes. If I can lose 50 pounds, I'll be at a number I can live with. I've done it before, I can do it again. Tally ho!

2011-03-06T19:46:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you've had a cranky day but felt way better after a nice visit with your mom and your brother. Me too!

Also, raise your hand if it's raining like hell and will be until tomorrow and you have water in your basement and the street drain is blocked and that water is making its way sneakily back towards your house!! AAAGGGHHHH!

2011-03-03T22:12:00.003-05:00

Raise your hand if...you're very VERY happy that tomorrow is Friday.

Bliss

2011-02-24T21:14:00.001-05:00

Now this is what I call "following my bliss"!

And what have you been doing to follow your bliss lately?

2011-02-17T06:28:00.002-05:00

Only two more work days til winter vacation, when I can finally get caught up on blog-reading and writing, painting, and maybe even sleep!

2011-02-12T16:42:00.002-05:00

Raise your hand if...you got to (finally) spend the afternoon in your art cottage playing in your own creative energy! Yay!

Finished these four signs today...finally! With all that's been going on here, it's been a few weeks since I could get out into my cottage and work, so today, barring any medical emergencies, I was headed out there come hell or high water!

The two town signs are for a teacher at school who ordered one for herself before Christmas, then ordered two more to give as gifts. The black "Welcome Home" is for my daughter to give as a gift, and the cream "Welcome Home" will be for sale. I took the DE-stressing quite literally on the cream one and distressed the hell out of it! :)

Tomorrow I ~~hope~~ PLAN to get out there again and start on three new ones that are itching to be painted. With February vacation coming up, my plan is to spend time each day painting or stenciling...it will be so therapeutic.

Happy Weekend to you!

2011-02-09T18:02:00.000-05:00

Hi there. First follow-up visit with Bob's doctor today and most everything is ok, with a few "small" glitches. But, the doctor advises that we begin to explore Bob retiring early from UPS which is most certainly NOT what we expected at this stage of our lives. Oh my.

As Roseann Roseanna Danna used to say...."it's always somethin'!"

2011-02-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you spent two hours shopping for stencils on eBay and ended up ordering three new ones! I did too!

It was a perfect way to get mentally lost for a little while. I can't wait to get to work on more signs asap. :) Everything has been on hold for awhile...and now I want to get back to "playing in the creative energy"! I just hope Life obliges.

Crazy Two Weeks!

2011-02-06T13:11:00.001-05:00

Holy crap, what a crazy two weeks! Since Friday, January 21, I have...been shocked, waited, prayed, cried, stared into space, read, worried, prayed some more, paced, been grateful, fell in love with the "angels in scrubs", texted everyone and their brother, walked to my car in the hospital parking lot at midnight, made phone calls to Bob's semi-estranged family, learned new medical lingo, walked the hospital halls with Bob leaning on an IV pole, asked questions, and learned that even the "experts" don't know everything.

Once that was done, I...learned to rely on home nurses, got to know about Coumadin, did the damn snow removal, watched my youngest daughter learn to give her father injections, kicked and swore at the snowblower, threw a shovel, changed bandages, went back to work, paid some bills, did some laundry, shoveled, kicked and swore at the snowblower again, mopped up the water leaking in to both bathrooms, filled my knee-highs with salt and threw them up onto the roof, then broke out into almost hysterical laughter at just how foolish it all looked, waited for the Coumadin Clinic to call with instructions, then brought Mom to the E/R last night, and inched home on ice-covered roads at midnight.

Through it all, I've been reminded of just how lucky I am to have my husband, my family, my friends, a job I enjoy, my health. I'm also lucky to have Girl Scout cookies; I ate seven of them for breakfast today. :D

2011-01-30T21:54:00.000-05:00

Hi friends. What a long, long, week.

Bob ended up having surgery last Tuesday on his left groin area. When they had cleaned out one area and sewed him up, they found no pulse in his foot! They did an angiogram, found that his entire leg was blocked with clots, opened up his calf, then did a small bypass there. His recovery from anesthesia was tough as they had to put him back under right before he woke up in order to do his calf.

By Wednesday morning, there was no pulse to be found in his right leg! After another ct scan, it was found that his right groin area was blocked...and they don't know why. He had another surgery Thursday evening, two units of blood Friday, and as of this moment, he is finally home. He is getting injections of a blood thinner twice a day from a visiting nurse, as well as taking Coumadin, which he is expected to be on for a long time once the level is safe. The specialist is baffled as to why all the new blood clots appeared while Bob was on a blood thinner. His exact words were "I am extraordinarily bothered; people lose their legs over this"....

Our life has changed dramatically in the course of ten days, to say the least. We have no idea how long he'll be out of work, or if he'll even be able to go back to work at UPS...the weight limit there is 150 pounds and with this artery issue and being on a blood thinner, who knows.

I'll be going back to work tomorrow with a little trepidation. My mom called today and asked if she could come here and sit with Bob, so knowing she'll be here is reassuring. Funny, no matter how old we get, our moms are still our moms and I am grateful to have her.

And so, onward, putting my faith where it belongs...in His hands.

2011-01-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

And now....raise your hand if...you've apparently lost the ability to get any photo to fit into your blog header. I present to you...my very boring blog header. Crap.

2011-01-22T19:29:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you should be kicked out of Blogland, never allowed to return, for failure to keep up. That's me, I'm raising my hand.

Truth is that until yesterday whenever I had free time, I was working on my selling blog, which is still a work in progress. Then, yesterday, we got blindsided to say the least.

My husband, Bob, had surgery 20 months ago to have the arteries leading to both legs replaced with artificial ones. It was a long surgery (six hours) and a long recovery, but recover he did! For the first time in years, he was out of pain and could walk endlessly. Well, Thursday morning while making a delivery (he's a UPS driver), the pain hit him like a sledgehammer, this time in his "good" leg! It got so bad that by noon, he was having to use both hands to actually lift his leg so he could back into the truck. Of course UPS had "no one" that could go out and take over his route (don't get me started), so he worked until around 5:30, then headed home. He usually gets home around 8:30 or 9:00, so it was a very early day for him.

Well, after a visit to the vascular surgeon Friday morning, it was determined that there was a blockage in the left artery, possibly a clot, and he needed surgery. They admitted him last night, he's been on a blood thinner since then, and the surgery is scheduled for Monday morning or afternoon. We are stunned to say the least. And nervous. And truth be told, scared.

I spent all day there with him today and finally got him to walk a little. The pain stops him in his tracks; he waits til it diminishes and starts up again. Not good. No way to live. No way to be able to work either.

So...we'll see what Monday brings. We're praying they don't find any surprises when they get in there and that the recovery is a steady, short one. We were planning on a getaway next weekend to Vermont; one doctor says that if all goes well, we can still go, as long as it's to sit and NOT to ski. I told him I am a professional sitter! Let's hope that by this time next weekend, I am freezing my ass off in northern Vermont!

I'll keep you posted. Stay warm...it seems as if everywhere is in a deep freeze!

Snow Day

2011-01-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like a snow day right in the middle of January to boost the spirits. :) As soon as I get motivated, I'm going to do some needlework (she said, as she realized that it was already 2:00 in the afternoon...any motivation best get here fast!)

Rose

2011-01-08T22:25:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone. I hope you are all safely at home with your family tonight, tucked in and content.

It's been a draining day here. Earlier, we received the sad news that my son's first serious girlfriend (from about 14 years ago) died of a drug overdose yesterday. It hit me hard...I've always had a soft spot for her. I can still see her sitting at our dining room table, diligently working on her homework because she was "heading to college someday". But life had other plans for her. She'd never had a stable upbringing and to make matters worse, her mom died of cancer when Rose was in her late teens; it seemed to be a downhill swing from there on.

I can only pray that she is finally in her mother's arms where she always wanted to be. Rest peacefully, sweet Rose. You're safe now.

Back of the Barn Signs

2011-01-01T20:27:00.001-05:00

Raise your hand if...you've been busy creating during this past week off. Me, too!

First of all, I hope everyone's Christmas and New Year's were safe, loving, healthy and wonderful, filled with family, friends, good food, and great gifts! (I admit it...I love the "getting" almost as much as the "giving"!)

I've been off from work since two days before Christmas and it's been wonderful. I do so enjoy being a domestic goddess. Anyway, today I went out into my cottage to mentally sort through things...lo and behold, four hours later, I had created four Back of the Barn Signs! (how do you like the name I chose for my sign-making venture?)

This is a close-up of how much I distressed the signs. It's my favorite part...I actually put them down in the gravel, step on them, and go to town with the distressing!

Good advice...I gave two of these signs to teachers at school; they now hang in their classrooms!


I decided that I'm going to go a little easier on the distressing of signs with a "spiritual" message (I think).

They all still have to be varnished and hangers added, but after that, they're done.

Oh yeah...I LOVE this gift! Bob gave me this wonderful little "wood-stove" heater for my cottage. It's actually electric, but I pretend it's real. Talk about cozy.

Getting back to the name I chose...Back of the Barn Signs. I chose it because each of my signs is made to look as if you found it lying underneath the hay, next to the old tractor, way in the "back of the barn". When (please note I said "when", not "if"; I'm working on being more positive) I display the signs for sale, that'll be my name. We shall see, we shall see.

Ok gals. Off to shower and hopefully, truck shopping tomorrow. I'm in the market for a "new" vehicle and am hoping for a Ford Explorer. Wish me luck. Stay well and warm!

2010-12-22T18:42:00.002-05:00

Aaah. Eleven whole days off, in a row, without middle schoolers spending six hours a day tap dancing on my brain.

2010-12-20T18:48:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you'll be getting a root canal, a root canal, on December 23, instead of baking Christmas goodies. I cracked a tooth at lunch today, went to the dentist hoping to get a ginormous filling and instead, got an appointment for my third root canal. Ugh.

2010-12-17T17:37:00.004-05:00

Our Best Bites

I just found this site and I have only two words to say.

OH.

MY.

2010-12-17T17:01:00.001-05:00

I ask you, is it wrong to be wrapped in my fluffy bathrobe and slippers at 4:55 p.m.? TGIF.

There's No Place Like Home...

2010-12-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

G'morning. I'm home from work today and it feels so good to be here. :)

As the days are winding down towards Christmas, time is running out for those handmade gifts, so here I am. I'm doing two large signs, larger than usual; they're both about 36" long. I'm excited to get them done, and worried that they won't be exactly right! (what else is new, though).

I went out earlier to turn the heater on in my studio...the temp inside was only 30! It will take about two hours to get warm enough for me to work out there, so I'll have to linger over my coffees. Oh darn. :)

And what are you doing today?

2010-12-10T17:18:00.000-05:00

I did it. I officially started Christmas shopping yesterday. Impressed? Don't be. I had a bad dream that Christmas came and went and that my entire family had nothing under the tree. So off I went to the dreaded mall with $500 in my purse. Today I have $10 in my purse. Ouch.

Dear Santa...please bring me someone who will shop for me. Thanks. Oh, and a new car, too. Thanks again. Love, Me.

Should I Have Started Shopping Yet?!

2010-12-07T17:48:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you have NOT even begun your Christmas shopping, and you hate doing it under pressure, but there are only 17 days left (16 because I'm home for the night) and NOT doing it stresses you out, but actually doing it stresses you out, too, and there are a total of 18 people on your list, not counting people you work with!! Ugh. Me, too.

But on a lighter note, I did get myself a pair of shoes yesterday. (I'm missing something this season, aren't I?)

2010-12-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you need to get the heck OFF the computer, into the shower, then into bed!! G'night!

New Puppy

2010-11-30T17:49:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, on a cheerier note...this is my son and his family's new puppy, Bella! Is she not ADORABLE??!! She's a seven-week old female golden retriever. You really can't feel too bad when you hold a puppy, can you?

2010-11-30T17:39:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you're feeling overwhelmed, too busy with life to enjoy living, and out of breath, figuratively speaking. Yeah, me too.

I am grateful to have a job that I enjoy with people I truly like, but between work and taking care of family, I seem to have gotten lost in there somewhere. Add to that the holiday season which piles more responsibility on top of the other, and I'm already running on reserve power. Somewhere along the way, I have to remember to fill my soul...right now, not doing such a great job at that.

I hope you are feeling more peaceful than I am and that you are remembering to fill your soul!

Potato Panic

2010-11-24T16:56:00.001-05:00

Raise your hand if...you did all of your Thanksgiving shopping yesterday (got a jump on it, didn't I?), but, you FORGOT THE POTATOES!! Who forgets potatoes for Thanksgiving?? That's like forgetting the chocolate for Easter, the stockings for Christmas, the pumpkins for Halloween? Who does that?? Evidently I do.

Luckily, our Walmart is in the process of turning itself into a Super Walmart and hark...they had potatoes! As much as I don't like buying food at a large department store, in a potato panic, I did.

Don't forget to listen to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" tomorrow! That's one of our favorite traditions...we all stop what we're doing and listen intently, cracking up as we go. My husband and I have actually been to the site of the original Alice's Restaurant in Stockbridge, MA. But unlike the song, you can't get anything you like...we wanted a cheeseburger but they were vegetarian. Oh how times change...nothing is sacred, not even Alice's Restaurant.

Happy Thanksgiving friends.

May you be blessed in having those you love close at hand.

2010-11-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...while you were putting on your mascara this morning, you used a straight pin to separate your lashes and you STUCK THE PIN IN YOUR OWN EYE!! I didn't think so!

Ow.

Note to self...leave your lashes alone.

Of course those are my real lashes in the photo! Why do you ask? not.

New Selling Blog

2010-11-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

Hi there. Well, in the style of Belle from Tales From a Loser, I've gone and added another blog to my life. My Cottage Crafts will be opening soon.

I've decided to start a "selling blog", a place where I can share all of the crafts I create out there in my little studio. It's still a work in progress as they say, but I'm excited to get moving on it. As often as time allows, I'll be in my new "shop" fine-tuning things.

Come by and visit, and I'll keep you posted. Grand opening soon. :) (I'll bring the chocolate chip cookies and coffee!)

2010-11-12T06:11:00.001-05:00

Indeed.

2010-11-10T17:44:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if...you have tomorrow off and hope to, I mean, plan to, spend the day painting signs for Lori. :) Me too! I'll be turning my heater on in the morning and hopefully getting out into my cottage right after breakfast.

The air is good and chilly, the wind is blowing, the leaves are 99% down, and the sky has that deep grayish-purple that only comes around in the fall. I love it. How is it where you are?

2010-11-05T19:17:00.001-04:00

T.G.I.F.
I hope you can all enjoy a peaceful weekend!

2010-11-04T19:59:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if...you've been negligent in blogging AND in blog reading! Yeah, me too. Plus, work is crazy, we have two vehicles with great big REJECTION stickers on them, my van keeps refusing to start at random times with no prior warning, Cate's car continuously overheats for no apparent reason, and Chelsea's truck is on the flat bed this very moment being brought home because it just shut the heck off while she was on the highway. Great. One vehicle that works well, with the four of us having to go in different directions for work.

Another day in Paradise!! At least tomorrow is Friday. :)

2010-10-28T19:00:00.001-04:00

Raise your hand if...you slept with the AIR CONDITIONER on last night because of the outrageous humidity and high temperature, but now, you need the HEAT ON in the house because the temps are dropping so fast!!

Here in New England, they say that if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute!

A Few Photos

2010-10-24T19:48:00.010-04:00

This is a small wall area that I've decided to decorate just the way I want. :) I painted the sign specifically for here. I painted an old shelf black, distressed it, added a few of the wonderful smelling "pantry cakes" that I made, some primitive grungy candles, a few wooden spools, and a special family photo.

This is a close-up of the frame beneath the shelf. It's a loon feather that floated to me while I was standing on the dock in Vermont that I mounted on a cream colored linen-y fabric.

I just happen to really like this sign! I'm going to send it off to the craft fair to hopefully sell it, but if not, I'm keepin' it!

Another smaller sign that I finished last weekend, also headed to the craft fair.

I did these three today; I'm a little iffy on the light colored one, but they're heading to the craft fair, too. I just have to add wire, and possibly a fabric bow or three.

This is a little peek of one end of my cottage. It's where I tend to hang all of the projects I've finished. The rubber boots are all of the "mud boots" that my daughters wore as wee ones. :)

And for the grand finale... I'm "pleased" to introduce Audrey Hepburn (aka Colleen) and Snooki (aka Cate). Another proud mother moment, let me tell you. For the record, they were headed to a Halloween party; they don't usually hang out dressed like this. :)

2010-10-23T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hi there. Just checking out the "new editor" blogging thingamajig. I've been having issues with font size, etc., so we'll see what happens here.

So...Bob and I made tried to make maple peanut butter today. Quite messy, let me tell you. We bought some up in Vermont a few weeks ago and it was wonderful, so I wanted to try and reproduce it. Ours came out pretty good, but not as good as the other; it'll do though.

Cate (middle daughter) and I spent this afternoon at a two-hour Yoga Nidra session which was quite heavenly! I realized something very important today which is this...Yoga is the only place in my life where I never say "I can't".

I hope you're having a good Saturday and that you're enjoying fall...the smells, the sights, the feeling of getting ready to hunker down and rest for the winter, at least mentally.

I'll leave you with a couple of autumn scenes.

2010-10-21T22:26:00.009-04:00

T.
G.
I.
F.

...tomorrow!!

(ps...that's actually one of our 8th graders in front of the moon, cross my heart!)

This full moon has got the kids going out of their minds and us teachers teetering on the edge! It ain't pretty!

2010-10-19T22:59:00.010-04:00

Hi there. I miss you! :)

I've been spending lots of time checking out stencils online and trying to decide if I should bite the bullet and buy an alphabet. I've always done my work freehand, but secretly lusted after the beautiful stencil work I see other people do. So...I did it. I not only ordered a complete alphabet, I also ordered one pre-cut stencil AND I had one custom made for me!! Now I'm excited waiting for them all to arrive in the mail!

The custom-made one was a little bit more expensive, but if I get lucky and sell at least two finished pieces, I'll make it back. Plus I get to have the knowledge that for now, I'll be the only person with that design.

(The top sign I made for my mom's birthday; she's Italian...hence, the Italian "Welcome Friends". The second sign I did for myself as that's what I always feel when I walk into my house.)

I've always struggled with creating things. I always thought I had to have a "reason", a "purpose", to create something, but finally, I've learned to create simply for the sake of creating. What a liberating way of thinking! Now I can simply get lost in what I'm doing with no pre-set idea of what "should" happen with it...I can just become enthralled with the act of creating it.

I'm doing my best to loosen the self-made chains I wear that force me to see something as "right" or "wrong"...I'm learning to see things as "perfect for this moment". Not so easy for an old broad, but worth it. :)

2010-10-16T19:18:00.004-04:00

Raise your hand if...you spent all day working in your bedroom, cleaning out/organizing drawers and packing up four bags of clothes for donation. And, raise your hand if you found old journals, photographs and mementos, and shed tears over many of the memories. Yeah, me too.

2010-10-13T23:10:00.001-04:00

How's this for a little chuckle?!

2010-10-13T23:05:00.005-04:00

Raise your hand if...you're driving around with a big, fat, RED rejection sticker on your van, if you would like a do-over for this past weekend, if you're too tired to even think, and if you haven't been keeping up on any blogging at all. Sigh. Yeah, me too.

Fall in Vermont

2010-10-07T17:19:00.013-04:00

Hi there...we're back from our wonderful trip to Vermont. I had to get right back to work, but Bob is on vacation this week, so it'll take me awhile to get back in the groove. Til then, I'll share some photos with you. Enjoy. :)

Bob on the dock one afternoon.

Our view straight off the dock.

Morning mist.

Breathtaking.

Loon feather that found its way to me.

Someone needs a haircut!

Only about three days old.

Bob spending some peaceful time one morning.

They were on a dirt road while we were heading home.

My Brother the Stone Mason

2010-10-01T17:31:00.010-04:00

Hi there. Before I high-tail it out of town, I wanted to share with you my brother's website and some of his stone work. I sometimes forget just how amazingly talented he is, especially considering the fact that he's always been "my (sometimes annoying) older brother". I forget to see him through other people's eyes, but when I remember, I am proud, speechless and amazed.

http://www.internationalstonemason.com/gallery.html

He just got back from doing stone work in Ohio where the newspaper came out and did a two-hour interview with him, as well as taking over 50 photos. I can't wait to read it!

He's actually the guy in the blue vest in the photos of the restored woodland wall in Chester, MA. That wall is out in the woods near my sister's house and if I'm not mistaken, he just did that one out in the woods "for relaxation". Talk about leaving something beautiful to behold when you leave!

Enjoy the photos. :)

TGIF!

2010-10-01T06:24:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love that Fridays keep coming around?

We're off to Vermont this weekend and I am thrilled. Besides it being my favorite place, the temperature Saturday night is supposed to get DOWN to 29 degrees!!! I can't wait! There are also two harvest fairs and at one of them, the American Society of Dowsers will be doing demonstrations. As I am a dowser, I'll be that "strange woman" hanging around and observing!

I hope everyone has a safe, peaceful weekend.

2010-09-29T18:53:00.002-04:00

Raise your hand if...you're feeling all betwixt and between and you can't quite figure out why. Yeah, me too. At least Ghost Hunters is on tonight. :)

On a good-feeling note, my husband and I met 32 years ago tonight; it was the night I first fell into his bright blue eyes and felt safe from the world. Who'd have thunk we'd still be together after all this time, four kids and one grandchild later. It hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it. ♥

New Signs

2010-09-26T19:49:00.010-04:00

Hi there. I do believe Fall has finally arrived! Chilly temps tonight~maybe even blanket weather. :)

Here are the signs that I started and finished this weekend. This is one of the things that I really love doing.

2010-09-25T20:40:00.003-04:00

Raise your hand if...this morning you had the air conditioner on because of the humidity, and tonight it's chilly as can be! Yup...gotta love this New England weather. "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute"!

I got to spend a few hours in my studio today which I really needed. I was able to get started on five different signs, three mini's and two larger ones. The largest one is for my living room and the others will find their way either to Etsy or a craft fair. We shall see. I'll try and get some photos up tomorrow or so.

I hope everyone is enjoying a peaceful weekend with people you love. :)

2010-09-24T06:14:00.000-04:00

Indeed.

2010-09-22T17:58:00.005-04:00

PS...I forgot to tell you this. I got my very first, very own, brand spankin' new iPhone yesterday!! Guess what else? I already need an iPhone intervention.

2010-09-22T17:34:00.005-04:00

Hot, hot weather today which does NOT match the landscape. Many trees are already wearing their magnificent colors, some have piles of leaves under them, and the pumpkins are continuing to grow into their Halloween splendor. Where is that Autumn chill? Where is the smell of woodsmoke on the breeze? Where is my desire to make apple crisp?

2010-09-20T23:04:00.008-04:00

Look what showed up in our yard tonight!

2010-09-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

Raise your hand if...you really should be in bed by now. Yeah, me too. 'Night. :)

2010-09-18T20:28:00.003-04:00

Hi there. I just listed a few more pendants in my Etsy shop...you can see them in my Etsy sidebar thingy.

Also, my bff and I went to a beautiful craft fair today and I was inspired. I think I'll make a few sachets, some with lavender and some with balsam. I'll be listing them on Etsy as soon as I get them done. :)

I hope everyone is enjoying a peaceful weekend.

Almost Fall

2010-09-17T21:42:00.016-04:00

Hi there and a good Friday evening to you. Just wanted to share a few backyard photos with you before I hit the hay.

My studio...I love the way the shadows lengthen as Fall approaches.

My garden is bursting!

One end of my studio...look at those flowers!

I think the flowers are called "turtleheads".

One pumpkin made it through the summer!

Ripening grapes with a most intoxicating scent.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)

2010-09-17T06:14:00.000-04:00

Here's to another Friday, heralding the onset of the weekend!

2010-09-14T06:21:00.003-04:00

A wolf spider decided that our main bathroom would be a great place to live! AAHHH!! What a way to start the day!! Luckily one daughter found it and another daughter killed it. (The third daughter just continued sleeping cutely on the couch, but that's ok. :)) I have a motto that if a spider sees me coming and hides, then it's waaay too smart for me, especially before 6 a.m.!! And so the day begins....

Primitive Pantry Cakes

2010-09-13T19:16:00.008-04:00

Hi all. Well, I survived another Monday, and that's a good thing. I think that this year's crop of middle-schoolers is a lot less "trying" than last year's, thank heavens. I actually had enough energy to do a little craft work earlier this evening, and that's a great thing!

Here's another batch of the primitive pantry cakes I made over the weekend; tonight I wrapped them for the craft fair they're heading to. Their scent is absolutely wonderful...coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Oh my. Too bad they're not for eating!

Everything smells so good when I'm working on them!

2010-09-13T06:02:00.001-04:00

Dear 5:45 a.m. I don't like you, especially on a Monday morning.

2010-09-10T17:38:00.008-04:00

Raise your hand if...you are beyond glad that it's Friday!! And then raise your hand if you just figured out how to play with all of the COOL font stuff on your blog!

And THEN raise your hand if...it's cold enough that you had to close the windows in the house!!

2010-09-08T18:22:00.003-04:00

Raise your hand if....one of those goofy little "Smart Cars" passed you on the highway. That's when you know you're going too darn slow!

2010-09-05T10:06:00.005-04:00

Now THIS is my kind of weather! Sat on the back porch with my first coffee and the temperature was just about 50 degrees....finally! There's a wonderful, chilly breeze blowing, the sky is that brilliant blue, and the sun is shining.

Today I'll be making a dirt cake for our baby's 18th birthday tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday she arrived, and now, she's starting college. Where has the time gone? And why don't I look 18 years older? (yeah, right)

Bob and I might try to fit in a little geo-caching today, too, before we head to our niece's Labor Day cookout. It should be a good day. I hope everyone else has a good day, too. Be safe.

2010-09-04T08:59:00.001-04:00

Found it! I found the Autumn countdown; thank you Google. :)

2010-09-03T17:50:00.004-04:00

And so it begins once again....

2010-09-02T19:29:00.001-04:00

Oops. I accidentally deleted the cute little "20 days til Autumn" widget. Anyone know how to find it again? That's what I get for "fixin' what ain't broke"!

2010-08-31T17:14:00.006-04:00

Raise your hand if... you made your first sale on Etsy! Yay! It was an to an old friend, but still, it was a sale! She bought this pendant...

It's a bit confusing navigating my way around the shipping and payment process, but I think I've figured it out. Either way, the pendant will be on its way to a new home tomorrow. Kind of a cool feeling. :)

Geo-caching Success!

2010-08-29T21:17:00.019-04:00

Hi there. So, has anyone ever heard of geo-caching? Me either, until a few weeks ago. My husband heard about it, downloaded some geo-caching doohickey onto his phone, and voila...off we went.

He set out early this morning and found his first one ever. It was called a "micro", meaning it was smaller than small. I probably would have walked right over it cuz I wouldn't see it. Who cares.

The two of us set out together this afternoon with his geo-caching doohickey on his phone. We traipsed down a long path, through the high school football practice field, up a hill, into the woods, and finally found it at "the base of two broken trees". I found it first!! Yay me!

The next one was a bit harder because the clue wasn't so great. It was more of a riddle, and I do NOT like riddles. We followed another dirt path into the meadow (loosely translated...lots of small trees and four foot high grass). Bob persevered and lo and behold, he found it, his third of the day. :)

Once you find your cache, you open it, sign the log, and then replace everything just as you found it. We added a nickel to this one, though, just because. :) When you get home, you go to the website and log your find in, which Bob did.

When the kids asked why we were doing it, I had to think about it for a bit. I guess it's because it's a challenge, you're outside together, and once you find your cache, you can say "I did it!" It's kind of cool...sort of a scavenger hunt using map coordinates.

While I was waiting for Bob to figure out some of the map stuff, I saw this...

...and this...

...and these.

Primitive Pantry Cakes

2010-08-27T21:30:00.006-04:00

Hi again! I just thought I'd show you the finished products of what Kenzie and I started at about noon today. These are called "Pantry Cakes" and are a primitive decoration.

They smell heavenly...cloves, nutmeg, coffee and cinnamon. I could get used to making these. They are easy as pie (easier) and smell so good!

Tomorrow I'm going to try and grunge up some cheesecloth and wrap these for display. This could be the start of a whole new craft-affair!

2010-08-27T19:26:00.012-04:00

Hi again. I just listed a few new things in my Etsy Shop...stop in if you have a hankering. :)

2010-08-27T12:45:00.022-04:00

My granddaughter Mackenzie is spending the day with me today, and we decided to do a new craft I've been wanting to try. So we did. :)

I love the whole primitive style (although you can't tell from my busy house!), so I love reading primitive blogs. Well, yesterday I came across these "Pantry Cakes" and I fell in love with them! They're scented with coffee, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Does it get any better than that?

My good friend and her husband are serious primitive crafters, and if these turn out ok, they're going to try selling them with their things.

Well, Kenzie and I just put these eight little babies into the oven for the next six hours, then an hour of cooling in the oven after that, THEN an hour of cooling on the counter...evidently one must be patient when one is doing primitive crafts.

2010-08-25T17:44:00.004-04:00

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Like the new magnets I made? I guess it's my form of basket-making, to keep me sane.

2010-08-25T17:14:00.003-04:00

Raise your hand if... you have discovered a new drug...aka...Godiva Chocolate Pearls. Oh my. :)

2010-08-22T22:37:00.014-04:00

Today's been one of "those days" where I feel as if I've done nothing except walk in circles, bumping into walls, then starting all over again. You know those days.

BUT...I did accomplish one thing!

My husband has started his own photo blog! Indeed he did!! This is the same man who, as recently as last fall, didn't know how to turn the computer on...for real. However, since he got an amazing camera phone last fall, he has been a picture-taking-fool!

Bob's a UPS driver and his route (which I like to refer to as the "old guy" route) is way out in the Berkshires, the mountains separating us from New York. They aren't the Rockies, but they're still lovely. Anyway, there are a lot of real characters on his route, and Bob finds odd and curious things to take photos of daily. They're such cool ones, too, so...another blog is born.

Bob's New Blog

(This is where I AGAIN shamelessly promote my daughter's photo blog; a family theme perhaps?)

Cate's New Blog

Where do I come in? I just spent over two hours setting it up for him using the new Blogger program, and when all was said and done, we reverted back to the classic style. Too many doodads on the new templates...and I do not embrace change! I'm sure we'll be tweaking it, but just the same, check it out if you get a chance. You might just get a chuckle or two out of what's hidden in them there hills!

2010-08-20T18:47:00.004-04:00

Hi friends. Well, I did it. I officially opened my brand new, first ever, bright and shiny Etsy shop! I've been pussy-footing around all summer, which is sort of my style...I don't seem to commit very easily. Anyway, stop on in, pull up a stool, have a candy from the candy dish on the counter and sit a spell. :) See what you think, and feel free to give me any suggestions you might have.

If all goes as planned (she said foolishly), I'll be making some more of those colorful magnets and I may even put them in the store, too.

2010-08-16T20:20:00.012-04:00

Hi friends. My middle daughter has just started her own photo blog. If you have a minute, take a gander. She loves taking photos both for a living and for fun; she's also darn good at it if I may say so myself.
Cate's New Blog

2010-08-15T19:23:00.043-04:00

Raise your hand if...your head is still on vacation, but your body is back here in your living room. Bummer.

But still, there's nothing quite like an unexpected mid-summer getaway...even if you didn't have hot water!!

We hiked up here...

...so we could do this!

We started our days here...

...in our own "secret garden".

We saw a few of these...

...some of these...

...only one of these...

...and a TON of these! (No surprise considering we were in Vermont!)

But absolutely nothing compares to these...

2010-08-15T00:42:00.001-04:00

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. :)

2010-08-07T17:47:00.008-04:00

Day four of the tomatoes ripening on the porch and voila...it worked! My mom was right!

2010-08-03T19:05:00.015-04:00

Raise your hand if... your huge, healthy, tomato-laden plants were hit with blight and you had to dig them up and dispose of them. Yeah, us too. (sigh).

So...day one of hoping to ripen these babies on the porch instead of on the vine.

Over the weekend, we took a little trip in the country, heading to my brother's girlfriend's house, and came upon this gorgeous field of sunflowers! She says that all day long, the flowers will turn to follow the sun...how cool is that!

How's things in your neck of the woods?