Biggleswade Cottage

Food for Life?

2012-02-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

How's your "food plan" (I refuse to use the word diet) working for you? I've been working on mine for the last 3+ months and have been doing very well. I'm following the "slow carb" method from the book The 4 Hour Body. I have to admit I'm a bit of a junky about reading books on diet and nutrition. I don't want to EVEN go through the long laundry list of "food plans" I've been on the in the past 40+ years. Yep, tried many, MANY of them. So back to my original thought. Since I'm home for the long weekend and the weather is a bit on the cool side, I decided to download a movie from Netflix yesterday. My daughter told me Super Size It is an interesting movie but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) it wasn't available for download. Up came a list of movies Netflix suggests as being in the same genre. Here's the one I decided to watch:

Besides being thoroughly entertained, it was chock full of very interesting information. It reminded me of how Big Brother (read that our government) doesn't think we can decide for ourselves what is best for us and our loved ones. Give me a break! Who are they to come in like the Twinkie Police if we should decide to down one or two or a dozen of the fat loaded treats? It makes me want to find a cave or deserted island to get away from the madness. Anywho, I feel like I'm on the right track with my food plan. How's yours working for you?

Down the Rabbit Hole

2012-02-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

I feel a little like Alice in Wonderland, going down, down, down the rabbit hole. The rabbit hole of Pinterest. I've resisted until this past week and Lord have mercy, I could stay up all night looking at the images! I'm a very visual person. I love being able to pin all of my decorating ideas on boards so I can gather it all in one place.

We're currently redecorating the family room/den. I mean starting from scratch baby. The paint color and new hardwood flooring has been picked out. One chair and lamp bought and the entertainment unit on order. We'll order the sofa, chair and half, occasional chair and cocktail table in April. I have two pieces of furniture to paint (after getting one reglued). The big basket from Pottery Barn will be ordered today. The last piece of the puzzle will be to find an area rug. Click the Pinterest button above to take you to my boards.

What's on Your Reading List?

2012-01-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

I love my Kindle Fire! I read the Hunger Games a couple of days ago and started the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire, yesterday and will finish it this morning. I go back to work tomorrow so probably won't get to read Mockingjay, which is the last book in the trilogy, until this weekend. I need to get some things done around the house (like clean, yuck) but I'd rather be reading!

Christmas Confession

2011-12-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. Christmas is one of my least favorite holidays. Mind you, it's not the meaning behind the reason we celebrate Christmas that makes me dislike it...it's all the hoopla, craziness, overkill of buy, Buy, BUY...bigger is better...more is better...make yourself crazy trying to be the "perfect" hostess, giving the "perfect" gift, yada yada yada. I know I sound a little "Scroogish" but it's honestly how I feel. It doesn't help when you're sick over the holidays. I've already started to dismantle the decorations. I like the clean feeling of the house after everything has been taken down, put away and scrubbed clean. Fortunately we have a short winter here in the big valley (about 6 weeks). I'll hunker down for the month of January enduring the fog (if we ever get any rain!) and cold weather. Then as if magic about mid February the fruit trees start to blossom out. By the end of February the Blossom Trail is resplendent in her colorful glory. Ahhh, the promises of spring that will shortly follow.

I hope your Christmas was everything you had wished for. I think next year I'll spend mine on a Caribbean Island.

A Purging I will go, a purging I will go...

2011-12-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

...hi ho the derrio, a purging I will go. And I don't mean purging as in puking my guts out, lol. I've had "stuffitis" these last few months and have been clearing stuff out and trying to reorganize in hopes of doing a little redecorating. Even though I'm down and out with a nasty cold/sinus infection, I can still go through old magazines while sitting here and keep the (few) pages I want and toss the rest. Really, with so much available to us online, why keep the mags? Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than to sit with a hot cup of coffee and peruse some beautiful pics in the magazines but my time is limited so I'm trying to scale down on purchasing magazines and either get the online version, or just use my blog perusing to satisfy my visual urges. I have resisted getting bit by the Pinterest bug because I know once I do, I'll get NOTHING accomplished!

I've just ordered this set from Kohl's for our bedroom:

and am coveting this for the end of the bed (which the Comedian really likes too):

and I plan to move some accessories around and repaint the old roll top desk (which I have taken the roll top off of and plan to use my grandfather's desk chair). Oh, so typical of me to have soooo many grandiose plans but will the time and energy follow? Let's see how many things I can pull off before the end of this decade!!!

Agapantha Haircut

2011-02-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

Do you know what an agapantha is? This is an agapantha

They are really pretty planted in masses like they are around my front flower beds. Pretty until your over zealous gardener decides to give them a haircut...down to the ground...arrrrrgggghhhh!!! I think that was the last straw with the gardener. Last year he gave my lavender bushes a haircut, they didn't survive. The year before he gave some of my society garlics a haircut. They were DOA when spring hit. I have to TELL him when to prune my roses. What is up with that?!!! I was having a really pathetic work week and this was the icing on the cake! Help me Hannah!!!

Word for 2011

2011-01-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last year my word for the year was BALANCE. I'm not too sure how well I did with that word for the year. I tried to strike balance between work, family, friends and me time. Somehow I think the scales were more heavily tipped toward the work/family side. My word for 2011 is:

D E L I G H T

I plan to delight in the Lord, delight in my family and delight in my job in 2011. I have such a tendency to live in the future and not live in the moment and enjoy what is happening. My mother always tells me not to wish my life away. With my 58th birthday looming in front of me I realize I need to be gratified with what I have, where I am. Do you have a word for 2011?

It's That Time of Month Again

2010-09-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

NO, not THAT time of the month, lol. That hasn't happened to me in many years. It's the last week of the month. It's always a dreaded time for me. You see, I get paid once a month (the downside of working in education). Sooo, the last week of the month is when I start ahem, "creating" new meals/menus based on what's in the freezer and pantry. Plus, to tell you the truth, I'm just pretty much out of motivation or inspiration. That's not entirely true. The motivation is the checkbook is pretty skinny right now. The inspiration? Na, that's not happening so much. Plus our near 100 degree temps don't help one to be inspired (unless it's to eat out...which isn't happening!).

A new "normal"

2010-09-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

The past month has been a veritable blur. So much time spent at the hospital...so much time spent at the bedside of a dying loved one...so much time spent making arrangements...so much time spent taking care of bills and paperwork that aren't even mine...so much time spent helping a loved one with memory loss adjust to her loss...loss of husband, loss of home, loss of self identity. So we settle into our new "normal". Through all of this I must say I have been very impressed and deeply touched at how well The Comedian has handled this new normal. Today I took a vacation day to journey over to The Nana's house to clear things out so the The Bride and Groom can move in later this month. We aren't ready to sell the house because of the poor housing market so we will rent it to them and know it is in good hands. I have sooo many projects at the home front untouched and neglected. My bills and paperwork are stacking up waiting for some attention. I either want to bury my head in the sand or run screaming from all that needs to be done. But I'll take each day as it comes. Learning to deal with my new "normal".

When Life Gets Broken

2010-08-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are broken yet we are rejoicing too. The Papa has been called home to heaven to sit at Jesus' feet. We are sad that he is gone from us but happy that he is no longer suffering. It has been a long haul these past two years. We are so thankful we were given many more months than originally anticipated. We are very grateful to the fantastic care he received at St. Agnes Medical Center and through Hinds Hospice. The people we dealt with have such an incredible gift. Farewell Papa. We'll see you on the other side!

A Bountiful Harvest

2010-08-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to disappear again after I said I was going to try to be better about blogging. But I had a good reason. The Papa is on his way out of this earthly world. His leukemia has reared it's ugly head. Between work and going to the hospital, I'm spent.

Today I tended to domestic chores and my sadly neglected garden. Boy, you can't let that thing get out of control! This is what I harvested this morning:

My tomatoes are going nutso. I am growing four varieties. The small cherry tomatoes are called sweet 100's and they are like eating candy! The larger cherries didn't have a tag on them to tell me the variety but they are really good too. I picked two small hot peppers (ya baby, there is salsa in my future), a green pepper and a zucchini. We had the zucchini with ranch dip for dinner. The larger tomatoes made an appearance in my lunch.

There is absolutely nothing better than a BLT with tomatoes fresh from the garden. I can hardly wait till I can grow lettuce again. It is still fairly hot here so I'll probably wait a week or two to plant the lettuce and spinach seeds. I want to totally revamp the garden (the zucchini and tomato plants have totally taken over). My basil is going gangbusters too so I'll probably make some pesto tomorrow. Yummo!

Hot Weather Cooking

2010-07-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

We are in summer mode here. It is hot. 106 degrees hot. We had a cool down to 101 today. What to do when the weather gets hot? Cook your dinner on the grill with the help of the microwave. I batched cooked lime marinade bs chicken breasts (equal parts lime juice (3 limes) and olive oil, liberally sprinkle in lime pepper and easy on the salt since lime is slightly salty). Marinate over night for best flavor. I cooked sweet corn on the cob in the microwave, sliced up some tomatoes from the garden and fixed these

(picture by Erin Chase at 5dollardinners.com)

Here is the link to the recipe:
http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/07/grilled-red-potatoes.html. They were sooo delish. Next time I will cook them no more than 20 minutes or they will fall apart. We have a charcoal grill so I put them over the hot part so they would get nice and crispy on the outside. I served them with sour cream and fresh chives from the garden. Wowsers, it's a do over for sure.

Giveaway at Ciera's Tattered Elegance

2010-07-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

There's a fun giveaway at Ciera's Tattered Elegance. Click on her button above and leave a message for a chance to win a pink tool set (just what every woman needs!).

Buster Love

2010-07-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is Buster, our newet family member. Um, new as of last August. Yep, once again I've convinced anyone reading this blog that I really suck at blogging. What I REALLY suck at is taking picture and getting them off of my camera. That's what I've spent the afternoon doing. But I digress. This adorable furry boy no longer looks like this. He is a little akin to a sausage these days. He is a Corgi mix and we've found out that Corgi's do like their chow time. The Comedian has to take him in next month for his checkup so diet is going to be amongst the discussion. Buster gets walked every day and during the nice weather it is usually twice a day. During this 106 degree heat he is getting his walk at 5:00 a.m. on work days. It is soooo hard to drag my rear end at that hour of the day but for the Buster Boy's sake, I do it.

Blessed and Cursed

2010-05-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

The picture above was taken today (7/17/10) but the text below is from 5/26/10. Ok, I'm a lousy blogger!!!

Huh? Yep...I'm blessed and cursed. Blessed to live in the "Bread Basket of the World" where food grows abundantly. This valley grows a huge percentage of the world's food. Now here is the craziness...food can be more expensive to purchase here in our own backyard that it does in other parts of the nation. Our growing zone is 7-9 depending on what part of the valley you live in. Soooo, what is one to do? Why, grow your own food of course! Here it is the last week of May and my garden is going nuts!!! I will have an abundance of tomatoes, zucchini, crook neck squash, green beans, cucumbers and green peppers. Now here is the cursed part, it will very shortly be HOT and my spinach, lettuce and radishes will bolt and be no more (we've had a very cool, wet spring...so unusual for us). By August 1st some of the plants that are going nuts most likely will go belly up do to the extreme heat and I'll have to nurse them along. Good thing I like to get up early so I can work in the garden in the cool of the morning. I plan to revamp the garden this winter and plant raised beds and carefully study the sun/shade patterns on the north side of the house to determine what plants will go where next spring. But in meantime, here's what's growing in my garden.

My Aching Hands!!!

2010-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I love to garden. I have carpal tunnel syndrome. The two don't mix. After my hair appointment yesterday I stopped by one of the big box stores to pick up some bedding plants and veggies to finish off my veggie garden. I spent over 3 hours digging, planting and pruning. I now have 3 tomato plants, 1 bush bean, 2 zucchini (why can't I ever remember how to spell that word?), 1 yellow crook neck squash, 1 bell pepper, a couple mini rows of lettuce planted along the back fence and mini rows of radishes between the other plants. It is pretty much an experiment because this area is on the north side of the house but in the summer it gets lots of sunshine. The sun isn't in it's summer, full over the head position yet so it is a little shadier than I would like right now. We shall see how it all turns out. You should have seen me last night out around my bedding and veggie plants with a flashlight at 10:00 looking for the evil slugs/snails. We have been infested with the little boogers and I have been methodically hand picking and squishing them to rid them from my garden. I swear to you one night I picked off over 200 of them! I've found where they like to nest and diligently try to eradicate them from my yard. I try to take it easy with the "non-toxic" snail bait cause we have our fur babies that roam the yard. Fortunately the veggie garden is gated so I don't have to worry as much about the bait in there.

I really, REALLY need to go outside and doing a little more clean up planting (um, moving around of plants) around the pond but I'm afraid my poor old arms, hands and back won't be able to take it. I was up half the night last night in pain . Why I didn't go to bed with my hand brace on is beyond me (mentalpause moment). It is supposed to rain this afternoon (thus the hurry to get my new plants in the ground yesterday). The back yard will smell incredible after the rain with the orange, lemon and lime trees in full bloom. We still have a few pieces of fruit to pull off of the orange and lemon trees. It will be hard to say goodbye to my fresh citrus for another year.

LaurieAnna's Giveaway

2010-04-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'm on vacation today and boy does it feel good! I'm having fun playing around on the computer and saw that LaurieAnna's Vintage Home has a great giveaway in honor of their 5th anniversary. The drawing is on the 5th so hurry over there and enter!

Whirl me up Scotty!

2010-04-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, I know it should say "beam me up Scotty" but in honor of my big surprise birthday prezzie, I've changed it to "whirl" me up Scotty. You see, the comedian really pulled a big surpise on me and got me this for my birthday:

I'd been coveting one of these for a loooooong time but have been in frugalista mode and wasn't about to spend the money on one. It is hard to be mad at someone who #1 actually listened and got you something you actually wanted #2 got a fab price (and $30 Kohl's bucks to spend) and #3 he was sooooo proud of himself.

It's been a good birthday other than the fact that now I'm older than dirt (again!). The Prodigal Son and the Cute Redhead got me a new fancy coffee travel mug (I can never find a clean one around here when I want one and now everyone KNOWS I'm the sole user of my nifty new mug), the Bride took me to lunch, the Queen Bee and The Papa and The Nana gave me $$$$ (I see a shopping trip in my near future) and #1 Son is coming for dinner tonight (hey, it's ok that I made dinner cause it was his birthday Monday and my stew is one of his favorite meals). Today was a paid holiday from work and I'm taking Monday and Tuesday off as vacation days. Yaaaay me!!!

I Need This Pan!

2010-01-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

I love great cooking utensils, pots and pans (ok, dishes, glasses and silverware too). Jerusalem over at "My Little Life" is giving away this Emeril cast iron pan. Get yourself over here and enter. But if you win, I'll be sad cause I really, really want it (ok, I'll really be happy for you but kinda jealous too).

Soup's On!

2010-01-08T19:10:00.001-08:00

The thing I like about cold weather is soup. I could eat it EVERY night for dinner. I mean, come on, there are a bazillion different soup recipes! This is Alton Brown's lentil soup from the Food Network site. Tonight I made this lentil soup recipe (with a few alterations for personal preferences) and oh...my...goodness, was it ever good!!! Even The Comedian liked it. I could tell he was skeptical at first but after a couple of spoonfuls, he started scarfing it down. My changes were to use a combo of vegetable stock and chicken stock rather than water, add about 3/4 tsp. cumin and a little more salt. I also used the emmersion blender to get the texture and consistency I wanted. It is soooo healthy. It's a keeper for sure.

Wii Believe

2009-12-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

I have to start off with a disclaimer. I'm not a game fan. As in video games, computer games, etc. But the Wii has made a believer out of me. Or should I say the Wii Fit Plus has. SIL/BIL got one for Christmas and they kept raving about it. Yesterday in a weak moment I agreed to pool resources (gifts cards and Christmas money) with The Comedian and The Prodigal Son to get one. I let them set it up and mess around with it last night. Mainly because I didn't want to set up my profile in front of everyone (it does an evaluation of your height/weight/age and a brief balance test to come up with your BMI and fitness age. The son's age was 44, my niece's age (and this is a cute little 31 yo who isn't overweight and appears fit) was 46 (she was NOT amused). I completed my evaluation round and my fitness age was ...49...not bad for a fat, 56 year old post menopausal woman, lol. I had a ton of fun figuring out some of the games, er, exercises. I really like the hula hoop and yee gads, 3 hours later I can feel it in my waist and hips. Hopefully I'll be motivated to get my carcass up out of bed a little earlier (like 4:45, yikes!) and get going on the weight loss and get healthier for the new year. Oh ya, I DO believe, baby!

Cookbook Giveaway

2009-12-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

rI've been following Erin's blog "$5 Dinners" for quite sometime now. Although feeding five adults for $5 is certainly a challenge, I try to do what I can (Erin has two small children and her hubby). Anywho, she is giving away cookbooks to ten lucky people in the next two weeks. Enter here.

Remembering Buddy

2009-08-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

The post below stayed in draft mode until today. It is the reason I took such a long hiatus from blogging. This fall was just pretty crappy and I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer. Hopefully my black cloud has found a new home and I'll getting back into blogging mode.

This week didn't go as planned. It was our much anticipated vacation week. The week we get giddy about when discussing the plans, or non-plans that is. We go with no expectations to one of favorite central coast cities with a stack of books, magazines and a devil may care attitude.

We left on Sunday and stopped at one of our favorite wineries along the way. We ate our favorite food, shopped, browsed, read on the beach and then ate some more. By Wednesday we were getting antsy to get home as we had left Buddy, our ailing cocker mix, at home in the care of our son. We had reservations to stay until Thursday and planned to stay late that day before heading home. After showering Wednesday morning I noticed that my perfume was missing. I never leave anything valuable in a hotel/motel room but had stuck my bottle of Estee Lauder Sensuous in my travel bag Tuesday morning and it stayed on the bathroom counter when we left. I guess the temptation was too great for the person cleaning our room. The odd thing is, when we returned back to the room Tuesday afternoon I just didn't feel the room was as clean as it should be. Was this person rushing through in fear we would return early and find them out? Who's to know. I was so upset by the theft the I told The Comedian I didn't want to stay there another night. I reported the theft to the office and told them we were checking out. We packed up and checked the room three times so we wouldn't leave anything behind. Wouldn't you know neither of us realized those were OUR pillows jumbled up on the bed with the rest of the bedding. They're the kind of pillows you pay a small fortune for but they really help your neck/back. The hotel called us after we returned home and said they would send them UPS.

What does this have to do with the title of my post? I'm getting there. When we got back home we found out Buddy hadn't eaten while we were gone. We got him to eat some boiled chicken and broth in his food but he didn't seem like he had much energy. Everything was such a great effort for him. For the next couple of days we babied him and prayed he would get better. His recent bout with pancreatitis seemed to wipe him out. The ER vet we saw two weeks ago when we took him for the pancreatitis (at 1 in the morning) was very concerned about his blood levels and heart murmur but when I followed up with our regular vet he was more concerned with the grossly enlarged kidney.

This morning at one in the morning Buddy started crying out and we rushed to the foot of our bed to find him in pain and barely able to move. There was fresh blood on the carpet. We rushed him to the ER vet again (what a wonderful facility we have in our city!). After examining him we had a long discussion with the attending vet about what we should do. We didn't want him to suffer. It appeared he had multiple problems and in a dog that is nearly 12 years old it didn't seem wise, or fair to him, to prolong his misery. In all of my years of being a pet owner I have never stayed with one of my animals when they were euthanized. We both decided we wanted to be there for Buddy. We loved on him and had a laugh when Buddy did his "courtesy" growl when I got too much in his space. After much agonizing we told them it was time and he left this world. Sleep didn't come for us last night. We tried, but there were just too many tears to sleep. I know there will come a time when we bring another dog into our life. It is so hard to imagine right now. Sadie (our 14 year old boxer mix) wonders where her "brother" has gone. Even Miss Mimi cat did something last night she has never done. When I was laying in bed after we saying goodbye to Buddy she came and curled up in the crook of my arm and put her head under my hand for a rub. This went on for a very long time. It is so strange how animals can sense things.

I feel like someone has cut off one of my appendages. It is like I'm walking around in a fog. Our little Buddy Bazoo isn't there when we walk through the door. Farewell good and faithful friend. I will always remember Buddy.

It's the Little Things

2009-07-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how the little things in life can make you sooooo happy! Today, you would have thought I'd won the lottery. The Bride came to my downtown office and I took her to lunch on the mall. We had yummy Mexican food and had a little time to kill after we ate so we wandered over to the Goodwill store. Now, if you happen to read this blog, you might have read this post about thrift stores jacking up their prices. I was one of those ranters. But I have to take it back when it comes to our downtown Goodwill store. Cause you see, I found five of these plates in good to great condition.

I have had these dishes for over 25 years and have loved them every step of the way. They set a fabulous table and you can use any kind of decorations in any color and they look even more fabulous. Since we have lived in the "kibbutz" these past four years, five of my plates have suffered fatal catastophes. But when I spied the five in the store today for...get this...75 cents each, I wanted to sing. But I just let my heart sing instead all the way to the cash register. I'm telling ya, it's the little things!!!

Fruits of My Labor

2009-07-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

I must begin with a disclaimer. I love to garden but it doesn't necessary mean it I am all that great at it. But that said, with the price of food going so high I thought the least I could do was try to grow some tomatoes. Last year I didn't get one, not ONE tomato. A bad location and too much nitrogen from the surrounding forest humus was to blame (I think). But I didn't give up and this year planted two cherry tomatoes (last time I grew them I had fruit until late November) and one beefsteak plant. I have been harvesting a few cherry tomatoes the last month but this week I proudly picked my first "beefsteak". They aren't so beefy but they are good! I sure hope I get lots more (unfortunately they won't set fruit in this blasted heat). What are you doing to help cut down your food bill?

One More Try

2009-07-20T19:44:00.001-07:00

Here I go again. Trying my hand at a reentry into blogland. Life has just been so unbelievably crazy, hectic, busy...you get the picture. We thought we had some good news with The Papa but today we're waiting with baited breathe. The Papa has leukemia and the doctor and hospice thought he wouldn't live past the end of June. He has been doing really well the month of July and has been regaining energy (he has been bedfast for nearly 3 months). Now it looks like the leukemia might be rearing it's head again. What an awful journey this has been. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

Yesterday it was an unbelievably HOT 112. We took off with the Prodigal Son and Cute Redhead and headed over to the central coast. We stopped in Paso Robles for some wine tasting, a yummy seafood lunch in Cambria, a visit to a craft show where we bought another birdhouse for around the pond and 3 hours of reading and relaxing on the beach. We had a spectacular show of pelicans diving for food (there was a huge flock of them) right in front of us. We came home happy but tired from the long drive. Today it was a mere 108 and should only be 106 tomorrow. Whoo hoo! I'll try to get a picture or two uploaded tomorrow from the desk top computer. But for now, I think I'll get ready for bed cause it's just too darned hot!

Lost in the Digital Age???

2009-05-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Life is a whirling blur around me. I'm trying to keep up on soooo many levels it isn't even funny! The Papa is on the last of his journey on this earth. He wants to go Home and be with Jesus but Heaven isn't quite ready for him yet. My dear Daddy left this earth suddenly in his sleep. It definitely is the much easier road. We are spending much time at The Papa's house and this is where life has become a little blurry. You see we have The Queen Bee (who is 86) living with us and The Prodigal Son with his wife The Cute Redhead and Psychodoggy (a Black Schipperke). We have had many issues to deal with concerning them, toss in my full time, high energy job, a recovering from surgery foot and The Papa's soon to be Homegoing and well, you get the picture. You wonder what this has to do with my Post Title today I bet. To show just how my mind is lost in this spinning blur I will tell you a story. Friday was our big annual Support Staff Conference at work. An all day affair with many vendors, workshops and special speakers. I noticed shortly before the first speaker got up I was feeling a little "damp". I turned to my coworker and said "I think I forgot to put on deoderant today". I mulled through my mind what order my morning "toilette" had taken and realized, yep, I had indeed forgotten. The first speaker got up to welcome us and he talked about todays' students being part of the first totally digital generation. He had placed at everyone's place setting a paper full of abbreviations they use while texting, facebooking or tweeting. I put my head down on the table and moaned "I can't remember to put on my deoderant and they expect me to remember all of these abbreviations???" It was at that point I realized that I thought I was pretty techno savvy, but I'm really just lost in the Digital Age.

Reentry

2009-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like the space ship above reentering earth's atmosphere. Jetting through life at the speed of sound! But it is springtime around the cottage where life appears new and fresh. I've made the decision to reenter the blog world...posting on my own blog that is. I've always enjoyed reading other blogs especially if they are about cottage decorating or turning someone else's trash into treasure. I've spent the last three months wondering if I should give up my own feeble attempt at blogging. I have to admit, this whole blasted foot surgery and recuperation has thrown me for a loop. Throw in a topsy turvy household (remember, we have five adults from three generations, three dogs and a cat living in the cottage), a demanding full time out of the house job with commute, and well, you can understand why I haven't posted in a long time. It has taken waaaay more energy than I had ever imagined to recover from the surgery. I'm at about 75% now and I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I have soooo many projects lined up it is ridiculous. I am the thinker of great ideas and the biggest procastinator you've ever seen. I had to contemplate whether anything I do is even remotely interesting to others and the fact I'm lax in taking pictures (plus I'm not a very good photographer). Then I realized, blogging was really an outlet for me when I was actively posting. So on with the show!

Today we say goodbye to an old friend. When my daughter was in 3rd grade she inherited her great grandmother's piano (Sissy was a music teacher). She took lessons for 7+ years but during her high school years it was difficult to devote the time to piano when she had a demanding school schedule as well as cheer leading, singing in the concert choir and elite ensemble. All this background served her well in her liberal studies with music emphasis major in college. She starts a long term substitute teaching position this month as a choir director at the high school and middle school she attended. She is very excited and needs to brush up on her piano. To tell you the truth, I'm glad it is exiting the den as it is in The Comedian's "man room" and we have plans to finish the "man" decor in there and the cottagey piano with it's decorations wasn't cutting it. Too bad I had already taken all the cottagey decor off the top of the piano. As usual, I think of taking a picture after I've taken it all apart. You would think a girl would learn!`

Sweet Pillow Giveaway

2009-01-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

Diane Knott is giving away this darling pillow on her blog. Please stop by and have a look. I'd love to win it (it would be adorable in the office/guest room we're redoing), but if I don't win it, I hope one of my readers does. Good Luck!

Talk to Me Tuesday

2009-01-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

I visited the Tip Junkie's blog and she has challenged her readers to come up with a word of the year for themselves. My word is BALANCE. My life has been pretty out of balance this past year and it reflects in everything I do and am. I'm caffeine free (an entire week, lol) and I'm trying to be more conscious of what goes in my mouth. Once I recover from the foot surgery I plan to carve out 3-4 days a week back at the gym (I LOVE my "me" time at the gym). I also plan to spend more time in Bible study and devotions. I can just feel the balance waiting to come back to me. Do you have a word to live by for 2009? Hit this link and join in the fun.

Snowman Love

2009-01-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

After all of the Christmas Decorations have come down I can't stand the bareness of the house so I leave out most of my Snowmen (women, people) around the house. This is my favorite cabinet in the kitchen (which is really hard to photograph because of the lighting).

This fellow stands guard under the cloche on the dining room table.

Who wouldn't want to be greeted by this cozy fellow when they enter the house?

No snowmen on the mantel but lots of white, silver and sparkle.

A close up of the sweet silver birdies on the mantel. These sweeties move all through the house as the seasons/holidays change.

Hmmm, I need to get a close up of the cute couple on the left so you can see the detail. They are a post holiday addition to my collection.

The little guy holding the star is a new addition too. He needs a close up shot, don't you think?

I realize now that I've missed a few vignettes I wanted to share. I need to go back and shoot some more pictures and do some editing. I really, REALLY need to take a photo class. Yep, it's on my to do list. How long is your "to do" list?

Where Do I Begin?

2009-01-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

How do I even begin to explain how crazy life has been at the cottage the last few months. I don't think I'll even begin to try. That explains my lack of posts as of late. The Comedian and I were lucky enough to steal away to our favorite B&B in Pacific Grove the weekend before Christmas to celebrate our 38th anniversary. Where on earth has time gone? We enjoyed long walks along the coastline, shopping in quaint Pacific Grove (about the only place I can get The Comedian to willingly shop with me), yummy seafood,

wine tasting at Ventana Vineyards

and most importantly, lots of quiet time at the inn in front of the fireplace without TV all weekend! We had a fairly quiet Christmas minus The Bride and Groom and the Cute Redhead. Since The Comedian and I try to take either a December or January getaway trip every year we don't buy each other gifts throughout the year. It sure takes a lot of pressure off and we both get something we REALLY want.

I brought in the New Year with a Vicodene cocktail. I had foot surgery on Dec. 30th and was pretty medicated the first two days but was off all meds by day four other than an occasion ibuprofen. I'm S-L-O-W-L-Y lumbering around the house in this humongous walking boot cast thing. I have the stitches out on Tuesday but have figured how to successfully have a deliciously hot shower without getting the foot wet (can't get it wet till the stitches come out). The boot is supposed to be on for 24/7 but sometimes I just have to have a breather or I'd lose my sanity! I spend most of my days lying either in bed or on the sofa with my foot propped up. I expect to be home for another couple of weeks. I sure wish they could be productive weeks with me happily working on the many, many unfinished projects around here. Oh well, all in good time I suppose.

Jewelry Heaven

2008-11-15T16:29:00.001-08:00

The last couple of years I have collected more jewelry (mostly cheapy costume jewelry) to accessorize my rather pathetic working wardrobe. I'm a VERY visual person and I need things where I'll see them or I'll forget (or not bother) to wear them. This is the left side of my bathroom counter (fortunately we have a nice, BIG bathroom and The Comedian and I have separate sink areas across the room from each other). I bought this cheap shelf with hooks at the Factory To You store and shabbied it up and painted the hooks black (they were a garish chrome finish). I like to see all of my necklaces hanging at arms reach.

I finally finished the remake on this picture frame. It was gold and garish so I shabbied it up and stretched a favorite piece of fabric over a frame and then put netting over the fabric. Now all of my earrings and favorite brooches are nice and neat rather than lying in a heap on the shelf.

This makes me smile everytime I look at it. I bought this glove form from The French Garden House and use it to hold bracelets and rings. I think it is cute...The Comedian thinks I've lost my marbles. Ahhhhh, the simple pleasures.

Tassel Love

2008-11-10T19:59:00.001-08:00

This is the sweet little french provincial hutch that took me about ten years to completely redo (well, maybe more like 10 months). The display on top and in the cupboard changes constantly. I knew for quite sometime that it was missing "something". Silly me stayed up VERY late on Halloween browsing the web when I discovered what it was missing! This adorable rooster tassel.

The Nester is one clever crafter. She makes these marvelous B-I-G tassels and this one spoke to my heart. My hands were shaking and my heart was palpitating as I was getting it loaded into my cart in Etsy. I was soooo afraid it would get snatched out from underneath me. But come on, who else is up at 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time browsing the web looking for cute tassels? Maybe a stripper or two (just kidding....could you imagine this hanging from your breast?). Now it resides on my hutch keeping all of the hens inside the wire from making a break for it.

A Fall Pond

2008-11-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how the pond changes with the seasons. As I mentioned previously, I hosted a bridal shower on our patio last month. I took these pics before the event.

It is fun to watch our fishies in the pond. They are called Shubunkin which is a cousin to the koi. We never have to feed them. In fact, we have four fish that were about an inch and a half long in March and now they're 5-6 inches long. There's been some hanky panky going on in the pond as we noticed a few weeks ago we have three baby fish! There might be more because they like to hide in the grottos and under the lily pad. If they keep this up, we might have to go into the fish business!!!

Makeover

2008-11-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

You know how some things just scream "M A K E O V E R" everytime you look at them? Well, I finally got around to a redo on two large pots that moved over to this house from the Queen Bee's house.

Honestly, I've got to take some classes on good photography. My picture look like I'm slightly tipsy! This is how these two pots transformed.

These pots house some red fountain grass and stand guard over our little lime tree (which produces great limes!). They look fabulous on the edge of our patio.

Here is a shot of the pond with my fabulous piggy standing guard. I can't tell you how many people have wanted to take that pig home with them!

Our two dogs and cat love to hang out at the pond. The kitty watches the fish with great interest. She even likes to drink out of the pond! I'm sooo afraid that one of these days one of the dogs is going to come up behind her and scare her and we'll have a wet kitty!

We are so fortunate to have fabulous fall weather in the valley. The mornings have been a bit brisk but I plan to spend the afternoon today lounging on the patio and reading a book. Tomorrow I'll share pics of the pond in it's fall glory.

Happy Birthday to The Prodigal Son

2008-11-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Twenty nine years ago at 1:40 a.m. I gave birth to an 11 lb. baby boy...at home...no drugs...but with doctor, two nurse/midwives, The Comedian and my mom and dad in attendance (I didn't know my dad was in the room until it was all over). That baby boy has been my "challenging child". But I wouldn't trade him for anything. I feel very blessed to be his mother. He has brought The Cute Redhead into the family and we look forward to the day they produce their own cute redheads. I'm sure at least one of them will be as challenging as his/her daddy.

I know I have promised some more pictures of the fall decor but it has been a crazy busy week. The Nana is in the hospital with pneumonia. She was sick on Saturday but we didn't realize how sick. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Monday and hopefully will be released tomorrow. I don't like uploading pictures to my laptop but The Comedian has a new game so I'm getting very little seat time with that computer. Is it Friday yet???

We Resume Our Normal Broadcast...

2008-11-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry to be away from my blog for such a long time but life has handed as a real doozy the past three weeks! Besides getting the yard and house spiffed up (had all of the carpets cleaned, what a job that was!) for the bridal shower of the century, we were handed some very bad news. The Papa (The Comedian's father) was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and was given a very bad prognosis. Without treatment he was given 3 - 10 weeks to live. We all went through a huge grieving process but rallied the troops to get him to Stanford to see if he could be a part of a drug trial. The Comedian accompanied The Papa and The Nana up to Palo Alto for four days so he could see his cardiologist (he was going to have a heart procedure done at the end of October). The cardiologist gave the ok for him to be part of the drug trial but the heart procedure wasn't going to happen (heart ablation). The doctors accepted him into the trial and made an appointment for him to return the following week for new blood draws, bone marrow biopsy and xrays. It would take 2 weeks to get the results back from the Netherlands to determine the course of treatment.

The Papa got a call on Thursday that the results came back and it isn't AML but rather MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome) which a preleukemia blood cancer. We don't know yet which of the 5 types it is. He is to return to Stanford after the first of the year and they will determine whether they will put him on an intravenous chemotherapy that can be done in our local area. It is kind of a good news, bad news type of thing. He isn't as sick as was originally thought, but he is still sick. This has the potential of turning into AML. We have been through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs these past 3 weeks. We have many people praying for The Papa and we are sure God must have been hearing these prayers. The Papa will be 78 this month which just seems too young to leave us. The Nana is totally unprepared to be by herself (The Papa has always done EVERYTHING for her). The poor Comedian has really had a heavy load to bear this past month.

I hope to get some pictures loaded in the next few days of the tablescape for the shower brunch and the rest of my fall decorations. I want to get them up because this coming weekend the Christmas decorations will begin to appear around the cottage. I have a four day weekend coming up and hope to get most of the decorating done. It's a big cottage and I like to decorate every nook and cranny. The problem is, by the time Christmas Day is over I'm ready to take it all down and that always seems to take longer than the decorating. This year it will be especially important to get on the stick and get it put away as I am having surgery on December 30th. Another story for another day. Stay tuned.

My Favorite Corner

2008-10-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

Do you have a happy place in your house? This little corner is one of mine. The antique writing desk was mine as a teenager. The lamp was my mother's. The little ice cream chair goes back to my childhood. I picked up the mirror at an estate sale (the owner told me it was an antique french mirror).

The little shelving unit was picked up at an estate sale and holds my treasured memories. Pictures of children and grandchildren, rocks and shells in a jar collected from our favorite central coast beach, favorite items with roses on them and a sweet little jar of old buttons (I've been a seamstress since I was 10 and love old sewing items). I've recently finished sprucing up some of the frames with new paint makeovers. But I need your opinions. I'm conflicted as to whether I should paint the shelf black, white or leave it as is. I'm leaning towards black as I think the items on it will POP more. What do you think?

A Hunter on the Loose

2008-10-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

This morning I was quite rudely awakened by Miss Mimi meowing quite loudly with a meow I had never heard from her before. I knew her food bowl was full, water was in the other bowl and litter in her box. I normally get up at 5:30 but dragged myself out of bed to see what her problem was. I checked all the bowls and gave her a little rub. She followed me into the w.c. still letting me know quite adamantly that she wanted attention. It wasn't until I finished my duty and flipped on the light in the shower when I saw why she was making so much noise. Smack in the middle of the shower she left me a present. Not a pretty one all wrapped up. Nooooooo, it was a very...dead...field mouse. A very LARGE field mouse. She was so proud of herself. Miss Mimi you see was an indoor kitty the first four years of her life. When she came to live at the cottage we would leave the french door in our bedroom open so she could go explore. It was very funny at first watching her. She had NO idea what grass was. The yard is very secure and has 7 ft. high fencing all the way around with no horizontal rails so she can't climb it. Fast forward 20 months and now you can see Miss Mimi lounging on the patio on balmy afternoons and begging to go out at night. I guess she must have gotten bored and decided to take up hunting. I informed The Comedian we would no longer be sleeping with the french door open at night!

Decorating for Fall

2008-10-02T19:22:00.001-07:00

I...love...fall! We're even starting to get a little taste of it. The mercury managed to creep down into the 80's with the 70's in sight for the weekend with a chance of rain. I got out my fall decorations this weekend and had fun decorating. I still have some "tweaking" to do and I need a couple of new fall colored candles. It is dark now and my pictures don't come out well this time of the day but I wanted to share my favorite cabinet with you. This is the only cupboard in our kitchen that has a glass door. Rather than put "useful" things in it I like to decorate it for the season. I picked up that darling pumpkin platter at TJ Maxx last weekend (I live waaaaay to close to that store!). Everything else are treasures from years past.

Speaking of mercury I picked up a cool mercury glass pumpkin and candle holder (yep, you guessed it, TJ Maxx again) and two large mercury glass Christmas trees hopped in my cart too! Oh, if only that were all that hopped in for the ride ;o)

Oh Fall, where for art thou?

2008-09-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Fall is slow to come to this big, hot valley. Can't you just envision a walk along this lakeshore and then retiring to a rustic log cabin and sipping hot cider? I'm sooooo ready to enjoy a cup of steaming coffee in the evening (decaf, of course!) or some yummy hot cicer and put on some lightweight sweaters and smell fall in the air. But it is not to be for awhile yet. We pretty much have two temperatures here...HOT...and nice. We have a very short spell of cold in December and January (truly only about 6 weeks long and with it comes F-O-G if we've had a rainy fall). I need to finish up some outside projects but it is just too blooming hot. I'm having a bridal shower on the patio in 3 weeks and need to get the backyard spruced up. Maybe I should do like our ancestors and have a barn raising, er, um, I mean yard sprucing party. Wonder how many takers I would get?

Sweet Stoool Makeover

2008-09-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

I purchased this stool at an estate sale about ten years. I used it in our last house but it has been stored for the last four years. It definitely is a little worse for wear. I think Miss Mimi liked to use it as her personal scratching post. I was going to cover it in some toile but when I pulled off the old, ugly blue and green fabric I found this darling silk fabric.

I cleaned up the wood with some Old English scratch cover and hot glued on some fringe and voila, an adorable little vanity stool for the guest room.

Cottage Born and Bred

2008-09-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm sure I've scared off my three readers from my frightful neglect of my blog. Honestly, I'm going to try to do better! I just discovered this pic of our dining room that I don't think I've shared. Of course it was taken months ago. I'm fall decorating this weekend so I'll need to update some pics.

I have to share a funny with you. The Bride was at the dentist recently and picked up a Cottage Living magazine while waiting. She told me "oh my goodness, it is soooo you!". Yep, that's me. A cottage girl to the bone. Maybe it comes from the three years we lived in England that I fell in love with the cottage style. I'm on a mission the next month to get things spruced up around here for the bridal shower/brunch I will host next month on our patio. I have sooooo got to paint some things for out there. Yep, uh huh, I PROMISE to take before and after pics ;o)

I'm baaaaaaack!

2008-09-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the looooong pause in posting. I hadn't realized that the last four weeks have flown by with nary a post from moi. Let's see, where was I? Ah yes, the Prodigal Son returned with the cute redhead and black dog in tow. I had promised to post some pics of the newly repainted guest room. We decided to paint the headboard wall a little darker color. It looks more gold here than it actually is (in person it is more of a khaki color). The little shelf was repainted and antiqued. I planned to hang a cute picture over the bed with some wall sconces. I cleaned out the drawers of the little oak commode so it could be used for a nightstand and even lined the drawers with some vintage rose wallpaper *sigh*.

I had also planned to make some darling drapes in a vintagey rose print on a robin's egg blue background and hang some lace panels behind it. Oh yes, this room was going to be sooo adorable!

There were also plans in the works to paint this table a creamy white with an antiquey finish (but The Comedian was giving me flack over that one). I had some darling vintage things to put around the room and pictures to hang. Buuuutttttt, then the Prodigal son moved in with all of their "stuff" (and Lordy, do they have a lot of stuff!!!) and I gave up hope of completing my sweet cottage guest room until the current occupants move out. Fortunately the room has that nice big walk in closet you see emptied out in the picture. I was so sore from painting, packing and moving stuff I could hardly move for a week!

Life has been interesting lately if nothing else. Lots more food gets bought and cooked now (I forgot what a humongous appetite that boy has and yet he doesn't gain weight). We're all trying very hard to live communally (The Comedian calls it the Cherry Lane Kibbutz). It won't be forever....but probably longer than we want to even think about right now. Tomorrow I'll post the before pics and close ups of the after pics of that cute little stool under the table. You won't believe the difference.

A Tired That is Beyond Tired.

2008-08-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

The cottage "guest" room was finished (mostly, no drapes over the blinds though) a few short hours before the "guests" arrived. It has been mass chaos since they arrived. Out went some of the furniture and accessories so their "stuff" could be stuffed into the room. I took some pictures of the finished room before they got here but they are in my camera in the other room and I'm just too tired to get myself out of this recliner and post them. I think I'm getting too old for all of this chaos! But there was good news in all of this. The Prodigal Son had an interview this morning with his company (he worked for a major retailer down south and is trying to transfer to the local store so he can keep his benefits). Please floor heaven with prayers that he gets the position. Now we need to find Red a job here. Also, please pray for my sanity. I'm sure I left it around here somewhere...just not sure where!

MUST...HAVE...THIS...LAMP!

2008-08-08T15:09:00.001-07:00

Ok, sorry if I was yelling but I'm sooooooo in love with this lamp. I absolutely must have it for the "guest" room. I'm sure the Prodigal Son won't appreciate it at all. But Red, his adorable wife, will love it I'm sure. It is just sooooo cottagey and will look soooooo adorable on the night stand next to the bed in the "guest" room.

Today I finished up the painting (oy, my aching neck!), made the bed (I took the old white chippy double headboard and propped it up behind the queen bed), washed the window and starting bringing furniture back in. It is going to be so sweet when it is all put together. I can just picture his eye roll now. Maybe he'll get the message that I would REALLY like this to be a guest room again and although we're happy to have them (for awhile) it isn't a forever kind of thing. AND if he plans to stay in my house, he has to put up with my decorating. HaHa, the power a mother holds over her adult child!

Post on the Run

2008-08-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

I feel so guilty. I'm such a bad blogmaster (blogmeister? blog mama??...whatever!). Life just keeps getting crazier and I have had precious little time to take pictures let alone post them. But I promise to try to do it on Friday. The "guest" room should be done by Friday. It will be my cute little B&B room that will be taken over on Saturday by The Prodigal Son and wife. I already had most of the bed linens stashed away and the fabric waiting to be sewn into panels to hang by clip rings on a new rod. Anyhow, more details to follow by the end of the week and pictures....uh huh, I promise some pictures!

Under Construction

2008-07-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today was a very productive but very tiring day. We demolished the drywall in the "guest" bedroom that is shared with the hall bath. The Prodigal Son and wife will be arriving in two weeks for an undetermined length of stay and you can hear EVERYTHING that is happening in the bathroom when you're in the bedroom. The Comedian and I tore out the sheet rock and he put in the insulation. Next weekend our construction man next door will install the quiet rock and then new sheet rock. His buddy will texture it and then I will prime and paint it. Hopefully we'll get it completed in time. The new bed for the room arrives Tuesday. The bride's piano (this was formerly her room) moves to the den which necessitated other moves. The little antique oak dresser that is where the piano will go will move to the guest room as a night stand. The sofa and love seat in the den were moved to different spots as were the two chairs. My beloved leather wingback recliner is back in the prime viewing spot in the den (yayyyy!). Lamps were cleaned, baseboards vacuumed and well darned if one little thing doesn't lead to another. We're both very tired but feel good.

Before the demo started this morning I completed two paint redos and will post pictures tomorrow. I also made a sweet little matte for a silhouette snapshot of the bride. When I think back, I realize I really accomplished a lot today! The Comedian and I celebrated our hard work with dinner at our fave ke-bob place. We also looked at a new sofa and love seat for the den but haven't decided whether we want to part with the money. Sure wish I were rich!

Sunday Reflections...Define Your Bliss

2008-07-13T14:02:00.001-07:00

We all have our own idea of what "bliss" is to us. I'm a cottage kind of gal. I love cottage gardens. Things that are worn and have a history. But I also live with a man who lets me do pretty much whatever I want as far as decorating is concerned (he lived in a pink Victorian bedroom for many years!). Sometimes though, I give in to his bliss. A couple of years ago he bought this Civil War chess set in Cambria. He has always been a Civil War buff and he grew up playing chess. He fell in love with this set when he saw it. It has been neatly stashed away in the coat closet awaiting the "perfect" chessboard. This week we visited one of my favorite gift shops in Morro Bay. Unfortunately (for us that is) it is going out of business. The owner is looking forward to a more relaxed retirement. I spied this board in the window (she is open limited hours right now) and low and behold it was 50% off. I knew it would be the perfect playing field for Grant versus Lee in a chess match. Even though my style isn't Americana, it fits in well with the scheme of things in the living room. I just had to make way for The Comedian's bliss. Here's a close up of the chess pieces.

Beating the Heat

2008-07-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

While friends and family are sweltering in the 110 plus degree heat, we're at the beach at Morro Bay (that is Morro Rock in the picture) where it is 61 and foggy. We have had such a wonderful, relaxing time that it is hard to imagine it will be over tomorrow. It should be a mere 99 degrees tomorrow at home.

We saw several classes of young (I mean pre-teen) students in their wetsuits learning how to surf.

Spotted a hungry Egret looking for lunch.

This Sandpiper just gobbled down his lunch.

And collected shells along the beach (I have walked a TON and climbed a bazillion stairs...have to work off the trillion calories I've eaten on vacation).

The Bride and Groom are meeting us for lunch today at our favorite oceanside restaurant. We'll shop a little, walk more on the beach and then The Comedian and I plan to have an intimate dinner by ourselves at a fave restaurant that just reopened after a three year remodel. I can hardly wait. I think I will be going home two sizes larger than when I came!

Vacation Time!

2008-07-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Although there are lots of fish where we vacation, I don't plan on doing any fishing. You see, I'd much rather shop! I've never been a fisherman. Like, ewwwww, worms and stinky, slimy fish....NOT! But I'd be happy for you to put a piece of salmon or halibut on my plate! It will be 110 degrees here in Death Valley, er, I mean the Central Valley, so we're headed to where it is cool. It must be providence that I made these reservations at our fave place in Morro Bay months ago. Our BF's are going too so there will be lots of card playing (we're Sequence junkies), food eating, shopping (yes, we usually manage to drag the guys along for at least one shopping trip to the outlet mall) and glorious walks along the beach. The Comedian and I are ocean people, not mountain people. We both grew up at the base of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada's but we hear the waves calling us, not the pine trees. Go figure. Soooo, I'll be back this weekend well rested, well fed and hopefully with a few pics to show you.

Proud to be an American

2008-07-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm proud to be an American and proud of my family members that have served this country. My father and two uncles served during WW II. My father was stationed in China and was in military intelligence. I can't imagine what it must have felt like going months without hearing from your husband and then knowing your letters were being reviewed and edited. One of my brothers-in-lawsserved in Korea and one in the front lines of Viet Nam. My brother and husband both served during the Viet Nam era but neither had to go to Southeast Asia. They were all proud of their country.

Tonight as we celebrate with our bbq'd burgers and watch the local fireworks display, I'll remember all of those brave men and women who helped our country gain their independence. Can you imagine what they must have felt like? Women couldn't fight but they helped in numerous other ways. I'll think of Francis Scott Key as he wrote our National Anthem. I still choke up every time I hear it played. Heck, I'm choking up just thinking about it. In these uncertain economic times, I'll remember how lucky we are to have a beautiful roof over our head, food in our bellies and a warm, dry bed to sleep in. Yes, our gas prices might be soaring but this is something the rest of the world has had to deal with for a long time. We need to be thankful for what we have. Ok, stepping off of my soapbox now. God Bless America!

If the glass slipper fits...wear it!

2008-06-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

(pictures courtesy of ESPN.com)

What on earth am I talking about? I'm talking about the Cinderella team of the College World Series, that's what! My home town team, the Fresno State Bulldogs, is the Cinderella team of the College World Series. The naysayers were out in force cutting us down. People were overheard saying "they'll be on the bus home by Wednesday" (of last week!). Nope. Those scrappy, self-sacrificing boys stayed till the end of the ball, found the slipper, put it on and it fit. I couldn't be prouder of them if I was their mother. Way to go Dogs!!!!!!!!

Under the Weather

2008-06-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit under the weather today. It is hot, HOT, HOT outside. Glad I'm safely tucked in my bed where it is cool. I make a really lousy patient because, well, I have no patience! I'm not a good lounger at all unless it is on my terms reading a good book (preferably on my favorite bluff overlooking the ocean) when my head doesn't hurt and I can concentrate. I'm bored. Daytime tv sucks (even when you have a bazillion cable channels!). I slept all morning so I don't even feel like sleeping anymore. So in my mind, I'm wishing I were back at this lovely little winery sipping wine in their garden pictured below.

Pardonez moi!

2008-06-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Yikes, has it really been 3 weeks since I've posted? Life got a little out of control there for awhile. I'm hoping things settle down to a dull roar. I just got past a really busy time at work and it should be a little calmer for awhile.

I need to get out this weekend and take some new pics of the back garden. The pond is looking great now that the pond stud muffin showed up to fix the weird problem we were having. We put out a new ground cover, herbs and salvia after he was done. Unfortunately, we've had some blistering hot days this week so some of the new transplants are suffering. I had hoped to get pictures posted and linked to Notes from a Cottage Industry (Tracey has the BEST blog!) as she is having a garden party at her blog tomorrow. I can't wait to see what others are doing in their gardens. I have to get out early in the morning to get the pictures before the sun comes over the house from the east. Afternoon pics are impossible as then I'm looking into the sun. One of these days I'm going to take some photography classes (from my lips to God's ears!).

Stop the world...I wanna get off!

2008-05-28T20:33:00.001-07:00

Yep, my life is STILL crazy. The job is settling down but family life is taking it's toll. I did get one project finished this weekend. Well, almost that is. The painted french provincial chest of drawers is in the guest/grandson's room and I decided it is TOO white. I need to antique it. I'm going to let the paint cure awhile longer though and then maybe next week get it done. I have the room redo in mind but I'm already getting flack from The Comedian, *sigh*. I'll win in the end...I usually do ;o)

Wishful Thinking

2008-05-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by at the speed of light and I'm having a hard time jumping off the ride onto a new plane. One that takes life at a more leisurely pace. With the start of the new job, life has been waaaaay more hectic than I had envisioned. Remember when you were a kid and you could hardly wait until the lazy days of summer? Time spent under a tree just chatting with your friends ,make chains out of the clover and coming up with grand schemes. Ahhhh, those were the days! Life now is full of work, work and more work. On the weekend there are the chores around the house to take care of, groceries to be bought, bills to be paid, etc, etc, etc. I really, REALLY want to enjoy some lazy time. Time to read a book, take a long, leisurely stroll, eat some homemade ice cream and strawberries. I want to be sucked into a time machine and taken back through a time warp to the summer days of my youth. Not a care in the world. No where to go and no one to see. Calgon, take me awaaaayyyyy!

Sunday Reflections

2008-05-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Best laid plans can go awry. Story of my life! I thought I would be working on the armoire or perhaps even painting the chest of drawers for the "guest" room (also known as my grandson's room since he occupies it 50% of the time). The Comedian surprised me today as he actually made arrangements to borrow a truck so we could get some patio lounge furniture. After church we drove to two Costcos. The one on the side of town we were closest too didn't have what we wanted. We drove to the Costco in our town (20 minutes away) and found the "lolling chair and ottoman" we wanted (actually it is more like a curved love seat). After struggling with the humongous box, getting it home and in place, we needed to deliver the painted hutch top (that I finally finished painting) to the desk set of the Bride back on the other side of town where we started (the Bride lives in that area). After much discussion I was able to convince The Comedian we should drive BACK to our town to Kmart and check out the Martha Stewart Singer Island wicker chairs we liked. We waited an eternity in the understaffed store for them to get two chairs for us and then as we were carrying them out we discovered one of the cushions was ripped so back we went and waited what seemed hours (ok, maybe 15-20 minutes) and happily came home and put everything together. Being a true type A I had to clean off the patio, arrange everything, place pots of flowers around, clean off the patio tables and now ahhhhhhh, sweet bliss as I type while sitting on my lolling chair enjoying the cool evening breeze and gorgeous sunset. I'm too tuckered out to get the camera and take some pics. Maybe I'll have the energy in the morning. Sunday's reflection is *best laid plans can sometimes turn out wonderfully in spite of ourselves*.

Goals

2008-05-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

I am a very task and goal oriented person. When I set about doing the task at hand, watch out! There is no haphazard or second rate job in my book (did you guess I'm a Type A?). I will just about kill myself sometimes to get a big job completed. When I say I'm going to clean out the garage The Comedian runs in fear of his life. He get soooo overwhelmed at a big task that he just totally shuts down. I've had some really major things I've wanted to accomplish around here. **Drum roll please, I got my closet cleaned out! Now you might not think this is such a big deal but this closet is 8x13 ft. and the ceiling is 10 ft. high. Baby, it's a CLOSET and a half.

I still have a little more I want to do but the big organizational stuff is done.
I rewarded myself with two new pairs of shoes from TJ Maxx. I'll admit I've been called Imelda (as in Marcos) more than once in my life. Tomorrow I'm determined to get my armoire cleaned out and organized. Hmmmmm, what should be my reward if I complete that task???

Sunday Reflections

2008-04-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today I'm reflectng on "define your style". I love lots of decorating styles (except contemporary, I am NOT contemporary!). I guess cottage best describes my style (gosh, are you suprised...my blog is Biggleswade COTTAGE for heaven's sake). I love the slightly worn and lived in comfort of cottage. Painted furniture with worn edges. Things that look like they have a history to them. The wonderful textures of old floral fabrics. Things don't have to match (in fact I love it when they don't). My mother loves traditional. She loves more formal (read that stuffy) and stiff with lots of glitz. I'm not into glitz and certainly not into stiff. The challenge has been blending the styles. After church today The Comedian and I went looking for patio furniture. We have two round table/chair sets out there but now we need some comfy and cozy lounging furniture. We both fell in love with a wicker style set from Martha Stewart. We're still mulling it over as we also found a really comfy chair and a half and ottoman at Costco. I came home with the sweet little bell cloche above. I told The Comedian when I got in the car (and he thought we were done shopping!) that I had just bought his Mother's Day present to me. I loooove me some cottage!

It's a Dog's Life

2008-04-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

Meet Winston. He is one of the resident dogs at the winery we visited on Sunday. He is nothing but a big love. He greets every car that pulls in with his big, deep, woof, woof, woof, hangs around to see if he'll get petted and then finds a comfy place for a snooze until the next guests arrive. Rowdy also wanted an ear scratching so The Comedian complied with his request. We love animals and wanted to sneak these guys home with us but some how we think our resident critters might object.
I guess I didn't get a picture of the Fancy, the little dalmation. She was a sweetie too. I couldn't get close to the horses for my pictures but it was fun watching them from a distance. This little booger was having a lot of fun getting his mama to chase him around the pasture. I had one foal that was very curious with the humans watching him and we got into a stare down. Too funny! Can horses have a dog's life too?

Feeling Groovy

2008-04-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Slow down, you move too fast.

You got to make the morning last.

Just kicking down the cobble stones.

Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.

That was the theme song for our Sunday afternoon. The weather was sunny but a bit breezy so we ventured off on a lovely drive (The Comedian, The Bride and me) through the country along the foothills. We drove to this sweet little out of the way winery http://tivymountainwinery.com/index.htm where we were greeted by two resident dalmations, Rowdy and Fancy and the humongous Winston, a lab/mastiff mix. The hosts couldn't have been more gracious, the wine more yummy or the hors d'oeurves more tasty if they tried. We enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and wandered around the garden while sipping some valley produced wine. The winery sits amongst vineyards but also citrus groves and there are many rose bushes along the paths. The smell in the air was divine. We picked up our wine supply and a cute little Wine Diva apron (pour moi), and off we drove. Along the way home we stopped and watched the foals kicking up their heels in the pastureland. We stopped at a little junk (or should I say junque) shop in the big town of Centerville (pop. 660) where we picked up a bird house to put by the pond and some rusted iron wall planters for the fence (we're trying to hide some of the block fence until the trees fill in). We drove home rested and relaxed and with waaaaay less $$$ in our pockets. Oh well, we're feeling groovy!

Sunday Reflections

2008-04-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have a Bird in spring
Which for myself doth sing --
The spring decoys.

And as the summer nears --
And as the Rose appears,
Robin is gone.

Yet do I not repine
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown --
Learneth beyond the sea
Melody new for me
And will return.

Fast is a safer hand
Held in a truer
Land
Are mine --
And though they now depart,
Tell I my doubting heart
They're thine.

In a serener Bright,
In a more golden light
I see
Each little doubt and fear,
Each little discord here
Removed.

Then will I not repine,
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown
Shall in a distant tree
Bright melody for me
Return.

Today's reflection is on the cycles of life. I'm reminded of these cycles by two events this week. The first event was the passing of the eldest daughter of one of my high school friends. Her name was Robin. She was a beautiful and vibrant daughter, wife and mother of one and was a mere 31 years young. She succumbed to a 31 month battle with leukemia. It just doesn't seem fair that one so young and with what seems like so much ahead of her is taken from us in an untimely manner. But leukemia knows no boundaries of age. Her passing also reminds me that the friendships we make along this road of life are precious. I really had only met Robin a few times as a young child. But I have known Wendy (her mom) for 40 years. She is truly one of the funniest people I know. From the eulogies I heard I know Robin was much like her mother. I know that Wendy needs her friends as a support around her now and I vow to be a better friend. She lives several states away but I plan to drop her a note or card every few weeks to let her know she is in my thoughts and prayers.

The other event happened today. We took a Sunday drive along the foothills to a winery. On the way home we saw many horses. The mares with foals were separated from the rest of the horses. From afar I watched as a young foal frolicked in the pasture with his mother chasing after him. He kicked his heels up and ran circles around his mother. When he tired of his play he went over to his mother for an afternoon snack. The beauty of the scenery and the young foal reminded me that God is in control of all that happens in my life. The foal depended on his mother for his need much as I depend on my Heavenly Father for my needs. I experienced the beginning of the life cycle with that young foal and the end of the life cycle with Robin's passing.

Tomorrow I will share with you more about the beautiful little valley where a small, family winery was nestled amongst the orange groves. That little trip helped to renew my spirit.

Pretty Posies

2008-04-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

For all of you inquiring minds that want to know, sleep won out last weekend. I just couldn't muster the energy to get out of bed early. Unlike this weekend. I was up at 6:45 having my coffee and reading the paper and ready to spread the 3 yards of mulch on the flower beds. Then the comedian deemed it too windy at 8:30. He called and cancelled the delivery but rescheduled for next Saturday. Yikes! I just now remembered I have a luncheon to attend that day. Oh well, looks like he'll have to shovel by himself for awhile.

We had a 9:00 appointment with our solar people to do a walk through. They brought me these.

Minutes before they arrived I had been out in the garden picking these.

Oh my, I sure do love springtime at the cottage and pretty posies!

I have three goals I want to accomplish today. #1 clean out and organzie my antique armoire in my bedroom. I have even bought some cute storage boxes to help me out (I hope I remember to take before pictures). #2 get the rest of my paperwork squared away, organized and filed. We have so much mail coming through this house each week it is hard to stay on top of it. #3 Hang the plates, sconces and hurricanes on the wall over our bed. The comedian is a little nervous about having those hurricanes on the sconces. I wish I could get him trained to NOT use our bed as a lounging place. That's what the den is for! Wish me luck.

One tired Grammy

2008-04-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you mix one energetic 6 year old grandson (The Munchkin) and one double nickel aged full time working Grammy? You guessed it...one TIRED Grammy. It took a lot of Joe to get myself going this morning. Number 1 son is working a new job full time during the day and going to school full time at night. That leaves Grammy and Papa to fill in on the parental roles the weeks (alternating) we have The Munchkin here. The Comedian and I are glad to have a night off tonight and no other plans (we turned down tickets to the opening night game of our hometown Triple A baseball club) so we could just veg in the backyard listening to the waterfall. I really, REALLY want to hit some yard sales in the morning but I'm just not sure it's worth it. Let's see, sleep...yard sales? Sleep...yard sales? Which one will win out?

April Flowers

2008-04-07T19:15:00.001-07:00

What is that old saying we learned as children? April showers bring May flowers. We don't get many April showers but we do get lots of April flowers and I'm sooooo enjoying our beautiful spring time weather and flowers. It was a little cool this weekend but sunny and beautiful. We had a baby shower and luncheon on our patio but I was too busy in the kitchen to take pictures (story of my life!). We took the gift unwrapping into the house as everyone was a little chilled. Life seems to be spinning out of control. I would love to be a lot less busy and have more time to stop and smell the roses. I was even too busy to post a Sunday Reflection. Oh well. I hope you stop and smell roses and flowers like these from my garden.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-04-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

I made it! My big day is almost over but I'll be celebrating through the weekend with various friends and family. Yesterday my co-workers really surprised me. My office was decorated with black balloons, funny posters, two nickels glued together all over (the double nickel birthday don't ya know), fun gifts and bags of nickels (like $20 worth), two new 5 dollar bills put together so it was folded up with just the two number 5s showing next to each other. Too much fun. Then they ordered lunch in from my fave sandwich shop with cake and ice cream for dessert. I'm really going to miss these folks! I get very sad thinking about it. I leave the 8th floor May 1st for a promotion in the Business Services Dept. on the second floor. Our department is like a big family. I know it won't be like this downstairs but I'm sure I can remember how to get to the 8th floor to visit.

Tonight my mother treated us to my fave Mexican food restaurant and then I had to make a quick stop by Marshall's to return some sheets I had bought (wrong color). I found a fabulous suit on my way through the store for only $40. Had to spend some of my birthday money before it burned a whole in my pocket. The children reminded me I qualify for senior discounts at a lot of places in town. Hardy, har, har. I guess they thought they were funny....NOT! All in all I'd say turning this double nickel number ain't so bad after all.

Shhhhhh

2008-03-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

Aaaaccccckkkkk! How did this happen? I have the double nickel in my sites. Wednesday will be my 55th birthday. I cannot...CAN NOT be that old...do you hear me? I look in the mirror and what I see ain't what I'm getting. I feel like that young and sassy 18 year old hell bent on changing the world to her way of thinking. Oh my, did I have a lot to learn.

Sunday Reflections

2008-03-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Do you feel disappointed when things don't turn out the way you had planned? I have to admit that much of the time I do. But God has taught me a lot in the last few years about waiting on Him and His timing. God's timing is infinitely better than mine. As I've gotten older I've found value in biding my time. Not being in such an all fired hurry. Difficult pill for this Type A to swallow. One of my favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 40:31:

Yet those who wait on the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

What Do the Simple Folk Do?

2008-03-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm reminded of a song from Camelot. The first couple of lines are Guenevere singing to Arthur "What do the simple folk do, To help them escape when they're blue?". Not that I'm blue, it's just that I'm enjoying a TOTALLY L-A-Z-Y day. I can't even remember when I last had a day like this. Coffee and breakfast on the patio enjoying the sounds of the waterfalls. Walking around the yard snipping here and snipping there to spruce up a Japanese Maple that is leafing out or a rose bush ready to spring forth in full bloom. Picking a few snails off the orange tree while inhaling deeply of the wonderful citrus blossoms. Sitting on the patio and sipping more coffee in my pajamas, robe and slippers while reading my book. I told The Comedian that I'm taking a vacation on my patio. It is noon now. Time to clean up I guess. What DO the simple folk do?

Hump Day

2008-03-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

It is hump day, and it sure feels like it! This sign on my shelf in my bathroom makes me smile. It also makes me WANT to eat chocolate. Just because I can. Plus, I am a bonafide, died in the wool chocoholic. Just getting past the Easter season with all the wonderful sweet confections everywhere you turn has put my sweet tooth into full gear. I should be doing something productive. Instead I'm sitting here thinking of chocolate.

The Comedian has declared this weekend a no projects zone. He thinks we should just chill and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Being the typical Type A that I am I'm thinking "but, but, I have so much to do!". This week I decided I needed to spend more time reading and not so much time on the computer (although technically I AM reading when I browse blogs). The book is good (The Kite Runner) but I'd rather browse blogs. I need to get over this hump. I think I seriously need help.

Two down, a bazillion to go

2008-03-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I must be the queen of unfinished projects. We moved into the cottage three years ago. Four months later the Queen Bea moved in too. We combined two households with a collective 78 years of "stuff". I'm trying to slowly chip away at the collection of projects. Things that need a little sprucing up, shabbying up (is shabbying a word?) or whatever to make it "fit" into the our cottage style. Last week on my day off I managed to complete two projects (besides the continuing pond project). Here is the before pic of a cup rack and plate rack. I've had both for a long time and they needed a little tweaking to fit in at the cottage.

A little creamy paint, a little burnt umber glaze and now we have a better "fit". I picked up the sweet little black and cream toile mugs at T.J.s on the clearance shelf. I think they look pretty cute on the mug rack. The paint job looks a little more washed out than it is because of the flash. I need to find that darned manual for my digi camera so I can figure out how to take pics manually without flash. That is on my list of the bazillion projects I have left to do.

Sunday Reflections

2008-03-23T15:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Resurrection Day! How blessed I am to have a Savior that would give His life for me. Can you even begin to imagine the pain He must have suffered on that cross?

This song was sung this morning at church. It really spoke to me (especially the words in italics).

Healed

We stutter and we stammer til You say us

A symphony of chaos til You play us

Phrases on the pages of unknown

Til You read us into poetry and prose

We are kept and we are captive til You free us

Vaguely unimagined til You dream us

Aimlessly unguided til You lead us home

By Your voice, we speak

By Your strength, no longer weak

We are no longer weak

By Your wounds we are healed

Passed over and passed by until You claim us

Orphaned and abandoned til You name us

Hidden and disclosed til You expose our hearts

By Your death we live

It is by Your gift that we might give

That we might give

By Your wounds we are healed

(Tell me what kind of love is this...)

By Your wounds we are healed

What kind of love would take Your shame

And spill His blood for You

And save us by His wounds?

By Your wounds we are healed

(Tell me what kind of love is this...)

By Your wounds we are healed

A Room With a View

2008-03-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Imagine the sound of a mountain stream winding it's way through the forest. That is the sound I get from my bedroom and this is the view out my window. Our Japanese Maple is getting bigger and looking through it towards the pond makes me feel like I have escaped the hustle and bustle of the city to a more bucolic life in the mountains. Ahhhhh, Calgon...take me away!

I look forward to our little family gathering on the patio tomorrow for lunch. Happy Easter to everyone. Christ is risen!

Going Green

2008-03-21T09:05:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, St. Paddy's day has already passed. But the Cottage is going green...as in solar. With the costs of electricity going up and a hot summer ahead, the decision was made to put a solar unit on the house. You see, the Queen Bee will be 85 next month and the hot summer months get harder for her to endure. I want her to be cool and comfortable this summer. We're not home during the day but the Queen's end of the house still needs to stay cool during the day. The unit we are putting on the house should take care of nearly 100% of our electricity needs. That's the balancing game you have to play with solor. If you bank more than you use, you're giving your electric company FREE energy. We do have some things around here that run on natural gas (heat, water, cooktop). But we didn't see that electricity prices were going to get any cheaper so we decided to take the plunge with the solar unit. Yep, by gosh and by Gorrah, the Cottage is going green

Pond update

2008-03-16T19:36:00.001-07:00

We've just about completed the pond project. Here are some pics from this weekend. I forget to come out in the morning to get pics (that's when the light is best) so these will have to do for now. We moved a rose bush on the right side that was interfering with the sprinklers. The Comedian graded the dirt more to slope down to the drain (thank goodness our landscapers worked with me 3 years ago on planning forward towards the day we would have the pond in and the landscaping completed). I planted a bunny topiary I bought from a high school ag class last fall (he had been in a pot on the patio) and surrounded him with colorful annual plants.

We need to get one more piece of flagstone to complete the walkway to the right of the pond (I tried to tell The Comedian we needed one more...would he listen? Noooooo). The lighting is complete and it looks so cozy around the pond at night. The last phase will be to install lighting around the grass area and flower beds and mulch that area. What a process this has been. It has consumed most weekends for the past month. But it is ohhhh so worth it.

Looking closely at the photos I've taken makes me realize I really need to work harder on my photo composition (and I need a good photo editing program). The grass looks a little pathetic right now as the bermuda hasn't fully come out of dormancy plus our old mama dog burns the grass with her peepee (price of being an animal lover). Our backyard has become our retreat. We love how we feel when we're back there. The next several days I will be working on sprucing up the patio furniture with a fresh coat of paint and painting some very large pots (my mother rescued them from her aunt's home).

I have projects up the wazoo right now. In typical fashion I've added to my list. I started this post on Sunday and it is now Wednesday (busy, BUSY week). On my way home from the hairdresser's tonight I stopped by Marshall's. Wouldn't you know I found the PERFECT shabby chic bedding for the guest room (it's EXACTLY what I had pictured in my mind to go with the fabric I bought on Ebay this week). As everyone who ever shops at Marshall's knows, you buy it when you see or it might not be there next time. Stay tuned next month for pics of the guest room redo.

Sunday Reflections

2008-03-16T17:36:00.001-07:00

Spring has arrived in our beautiful valley. These are the first flowers of spring from my garden.

God is good. Not some of the time, all of the time. Even when we're walking through valleys. I should know. I have been through more valleys than I even care to remember in the past 7 years. God has brought us through and we're much stronger for it.

Today we took a drive in the new Edge up through the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. It was an incredible spring day and the wild flowers were glorious. I wish I knew what they were called (the only one I can recall the name of are the lupines) and I especially wish I had thought to take my camera this morning to church with us. But impromptu trips are like that. We stopped in a little mountain community and had some delicious Mexican food. We had heard this place had good food and now we can concur. The Comedian ran into the father of his childhood best friend as we were leaving the restaurant. It's a very small world in this great big valley. We took a different route home and I enjoyed watching the mountain creek near the roadside as it meandered through the hills. The oaks looked majestic and the cows content as they munched on all of the fresh, green pasture. Yes...God is good!

Living on the Edge

2008-03-14T22:52:00.001-07:00

What a crazy week! News of the promotion, projects coming out the wazoo, trying to get things in order at my desk for the May 1st move (provided we get a qualified replacement in there to train a week or two before the 1st) and an unexpected trip to the car dealership to "check out" a new car. Now I'm living on the Edge, or in the Edge since it is my new transportation to and from work. I couldn't find a bigger picture in the color we bought (light sage metallic) than the one above. I'm loving this car! We had thought for some time we would buy a Ford Fusion but the need to haul "stuff" pushed us over the Edge, so to speak. I had adamantly said I WOULD NOT buy a car Thursday night. Nope. I NEVER buy a car the first day I see it. But we got such a smokin' deal we couldn't pass it up. The Prodigal Son is a former Ford salesman and he told us we would be crazy to pass up the deal they were offering us. Sooooo, finally at 8:30 in the evening the car was ours and we were able to leave and grab a bite of dinner before the 30 minute drive home. No buyers remorse from this girl. I won't miss driving the ten year old, low riding muscle car Mustang with 180,000 miles on it that sounds like it will fall apart any day (although it still drives ok). I wonder if The Prodigal Son told us to jump on the new car deal because he had already staked a claim to the Mustang? Yep, this girl is Living on the Edge....Ford Edge that is.

Who'dve Thunk It?

2008-03-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, I never imagined that I would get so much feed back from my coworkers and staff about leaving my current position. I'm overwhelmed with all the immediate reaction of what???!!! to the next expression of, I'm so happy for you...you deserve it...to their lament of "what will we do without you? " I have spent four really great years working on a floor where I enjoy the people sooooo much that it almost makes me cry to think I'm leaving it. I have an absolutely fantastic and supportive boss now. I look forward to the new challenges and the opportunity to not be so tied to my computer (I'm a database specialist now) but never imagined I would have such mixed emotions about leaving. Who'dve thunk it?

CELEBRATION!!!

2008-03-11T19:28:00.001-07:00

There's a party goin' on right here

A celebration to last throughout the years

So bring your good times, and your laughter too

We gonna celebrate your party with you

There is reason to celebrate at Biggleswade Cottage. Last month there was a brand new position that opened up in the Business Department where I work. It was a significant step up and very few new positions are created especially one on this level. I figured I had nothing to lose so I told my boss I was going to apply and I did. I found out there were 66 applicants from both the outside and inside the organization. The 66 were whittled down to 18 to interview. I didn't think I would be called for a second interview. Five were called in for a second interview and I was one of them! I did well on my interview Tuesday but we had to do a skills test and I felt I had totally blown it so I thought... no how...no way am I getting it. I went out in the field Friday afternoon to conduct a training. When I arrived in the office yesterday (Monday) morning there was a message on my voicemail from one of the interviewers. I called and left a message for her and then waited what seemed an eternity (maybe 20 minutes in reality). I got the job! I was shocked beyond belief. I won't start until May 1 because we have to interview for my position and I have to train the person we select. Fortunately I will be in the building next door so it will be easy to visit my replacement and help out as needed. I had so written off me not getting it that mentally I was totally unprepared. I called The Comedian and told him the good news. One of his first comments was, you're going to want to go shopping for clothes aren't you? This position will be much more visible than my current position so I absolutely MUST have some new suits and some really cute pointy toed shoes Yep, I'll be on the prowl for a new wardrobe. Good thing I'm back at the gym so I can get my behind in better shape. I won't be sitting on it nearly as much and it will be seen more. I certainly would like to see less of it!

Springtime at the Cottage

2008-03-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

The wonderful thing about living in this big ole valley is that spring comes early. We have a gorgeous scenic drive that is called The Blossom Trail. It is about a 65 mile loop and you can see incredible orchards in full bloom (predominantly peaches, plums, nectarines and almonds) and the backdrop for the scenery are the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Very beautiful! The bad thing about living in this big ole valley is that summer comes early and stays late and it gets V-E-R-Y HOT, ugh. I was up and out in the yard by 8 this morning and worked until 4 this afternoon. I cleaned off the front entry, planted some fresh annuals in some pots and put out a little bunny.
I'm sorry the lighting isn't very good. I need to take a picture when the sun has gone over to the other side of the house. I'm working on this whole picture taking thing! (Boy, could I use a few lessons from Pioneer Woman!)

After being fairly satisfied with the progress out front, my attention was drawn to the backyard and the pond. Oh my aching back!!! I dug and planted and put in stepping stones. Planted some more. Moved more rocks. Shoveled mulch and guess what? We're almost there. Almost happy with how it looks...but not quite. Tomorrow we will move a few more plants (one of my really beautiful rose bushes is blocking a sprinkler for the pond area) and lay out more mulch. I hope to get some decent pictures tomorrow and load them by tomorrow night.

Dining Room

Here are a couple pics of the dining room with a few Easter decorations. Below is a vignette on the entry table. You can't see it in this picture but the cloche with the nest under it is sitting on a book called Feather Your Nest.

So dear readers (or maybe I should say reader...as far as I know Kimmy, you're my only reader, lol). Spring has definitely sprung at Biggleswade Cottage. The plan for next weekend is to repaint the patio furniture that was giving to us by The Comedian's parents and get the patio ready for Easter. We will have Easter dinner at our house and an Easter Egg hunt for our grandson in the backyard. I sure hope it is as beautiful a day as it was today. Gotta love springtime in the valley!

Revelation

2008-03-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, I think I've had a huge revelation. Bear with me now...the cat is out of the bag...I'm not very good at this blogging stuff. Oh, the want to is there. But criminy, my life just isn't very interesting! I read other blogs of the genre that I like (mostly decorating and gardening) and would like mine to be kind of like, but I sure don't get enough accomplished around here to crow about. Guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself. It's been an ugly week and the last time I tried to blog I lost the whole frickin' entire post before I could hit save (hmmmm, it seems blogger is now automatically saving my post...why didn't it do that a couple of days ago???). I guess I'm just majorly having a pity party. Wanna join me? My second interview for the job downstairs went ok but I TOTALLY blew the skills test. I've never done that before. So, then I think, did I not really want the job? Am I feeling insecure? Will it cause more stress in my life? I guess the answer is yes, yes and yes. I could soooo use the raise, but would the money really be worth it? Oh well, I'm expecting the call from HR by Monday saying, sorry, you didn't get it. Then I will probably breathe a big sigh of relief. So this week was a two fer...two revelations for the price of one!

I Want This!!!

2008-02-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok, I know I said I needed to quit spending money but as I was going through some bookmarks I came across this little gem http://vintagerosecollection.com/CAnvas%20print%20ANNA.htm. I want it for multiple reasons. #1, it will fabulous on the chocolate brown walls I plan to paint the hall bath (I plan to accessorize with cream and pink after I paint the cabinets cream...they're only three years old!...but they need to be light to balance the dark walls). #2, it plain just makes me smile. I love roses. Always have, always will (except when my mother surprises me with 15 bare root rose bushes that need planting!). #3, it is named after my daughter-in-law known here as Red. Red makes me smile. She is such a crackup and she makes The Prodigal Son very happy. They are so much fun to watch and listen to. He is Mr. Metrosexual. She told me once, I never thought I would marry someone prettier than I am, a better cook and housekeeper than I am and a better dresser than I am...too funny! He picks out her clothes and tells her what to put with what. They are good for each other, have been through a lot and have a lot of love. God I miss them! I want them to move back here sooooooo bad. But I doubt that will happen. Soooo this brings me back to wanting that print. It will remind me of Red and The Prodigal Son everytime I look at it.

Tired Tuesday

2008-02-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Is it only Tuesday? Then why am I sooooo tired??? Must be the last vestages of this virus... plus the post interview let down. The interview went ok. I wasn't nervous and think I did a fairly credible job of answering the questions. But, I usually have a pretty good feel for my chances when going through this type of thing and to tell you the truth, I would be surprised if I make it to the next round. Assuming there is a next round. They told me they hope to make a decision by the end of the week and they have more interviews scheduled for tomorrow (sixty-six people applied...I have no idea how many they are interviewing). Oh well, if it's to be, it will. If not, it won't. God knows what I need more than I do so I have to leave it in His hands.

Mondays...yuck!

2008-02-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

Back to work today runny nose and all (but not contagious). Had lots to do but totally ran out of steam by three in the afternoon. I need to go and do some girly type stuff to get ready for the interview tomorrow. Fingers crossed and say a little prayer for me. No big news and nothing clever to say so I'll say goodnight Olie... Goodnight Olie.

The Itch Got Scratched!

2008-02-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Still under the weather but I had to go out yesterday and today to run errands and try to find an interview suit. Dontcha know I had to stop by TJs and what to my wondering eyes should appear but the apothecary jar I was lusting after from my last trip. It is now filled with cute wooden Easter eggs on a bed of paper grass. I also found the perfect canister to store Miss Mima the Diva's food in. We have to feed her up on the tile decking around the spa tub so the dogs don't eat it. I hated having that food bag on my cute towel shelf so TJ to the rescue. I also bought one of those cute blown glass purses (decorative) in black and white (I had the perfect spot for it in my bedroom). Did I NEED the cute pink enamel bucket that was a mere $4.99??? NOOOOOO, but it just hopped in my basket and said take me home (it will be used in the hall bath that I'm going to paint chocolate brown and use cream and pink accessories...my family thinks I'm nuts). But the thing that I was most excited to find are the darling black peep toe sling back Bandolino pumps with the darling bow across the toe for the interview... and they were half price, *sigh*.

Today after making my whirlwind shopping trip through Macy's I stopped by Home Goods. I found a cute little sign to hang in my bathroom that says "Chocolate makes my clothes shrink". I've got to get back on track with healthy eating and more exercise. Nothing confirmed that more than my shopping trip! As I was getting ready to check out I found an adorable bunny planter for the patio. The weather is supposed to be 70 by the end of the week so I plan to plant some flowers in it and use it on the patio table with the cute yellow polka dot tablecloth and pastel striped napkins I stole, um I mean bought for a very low price, kind of like stealing ;o). I'll try to upload some pics of my finds later. This girl has GOT to stay away from the stores for awhile. Looks like I'll need to concentrate on painting the long list of stuff the Bride has purloined from my stash and wants for her nest.

Dreary Day

2008-02-23T08:01:00.001-08:00

It looks like the weather outside matches my mood. Somebody has turned on the waterworks outside...and in my nose too. I think I should have taken out stock in Kimberly-Clark (the makers of Kleenex). At least I'm draining. The Comedian is all plugged up and TOTALLY miserable. I'd rather be draining than plugged! I need to go out and attempt a little shopping. I need a new suit for the interview on Tuesday. The Diva Kitty needs food and I really, REALLY need to satisfy a TJ urge (as in Maxx that is). We'll see what the day holds, *sigh*.

Hutch

2008-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

I don't do sick very well. I get bored too easy. So I thought I'd post my before and after pics of the cute little french provincial hutch in our breakfast room.

Hutch Before

Hutch After

This hutch is my mother's (we built a large new home and combined our households) and it desperately needed work. I thought it would be much cuter lightened up. I took the glass out from behind the screening because #1, it was impossible to keep clean and #2 because I broke one trying to get it out to clean it. We decided you could see what is in the hutch soooo much better without the glass. It was a lot of work but well worth it. See those chairs next to it? There are 2 arm chairs and 4 side chairs that will be redone along with the table. I've decided to paint the skirt and legs of the table to match the hutch and refinish the cherry top. After painting the chairs to match the hutch I'll recover the seats in a little black and cream check fabric. I think it will look tres cute, n'est pas? (I definitely need to buy a photo editing program and work on editing my pictures before posting)

Wish I Were Here

2008-02-22T08:07:00.001-08:00

This cold is getting me down so I decided I better stay home in bed today. But in my dreams this is where I am...

If you don't recognize it, it is the Lone Cypress along the 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, California. The comedian and I spent a glorious October weekend in Monterey this past fall right after the Big Wedding . The weekend was made even sweeter because it was a gift. We stayed at the beautiful Monterey Marriott which included a fabulous breakfast buffet each morning. The weather couldn't have been more delightful and we were able to revisit many favorite haunts and ate wonderful seafood. We honeymooned in Monterey 37 years ago (yikes! that was a looooong time ago!!!). So, as I lay in bed during this dreary, drizzly February day...I wish I was there.

Under the weather x 2

2008-02-21T20:23:00.000-08:00

When it rains it pours. Yesterday the comedian and I met up to sign some papers and we looked at each other and said "I feel sick". Sure enough, we both had miserable nights coming down with colds. The difference is I sucked it up and worked all day, stopped by the grocery store for Sierra Mist, Advil Cold and Sinus and soup on the drive home in the rain while he slept all day and whined about not feeling good. Geesh! Tomorrow I'll shlep back to work and tough it out and he'll probably spend another day lounging and whining. Men! I need to feel better by Tuesday. I have an interview for the new position I applied for. Fingers crossed!

Wannabe

2008-02-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

I've decided I'm a "wannabe". I want to be as cute and clever and creative as some of the blogs I read, sigh. There are some extremely creative ladies out in bloggyland. Do they know something I don't? Have they invented the 30 hour day and didn't tell the rest of us? Do they only get 4 hours of sleep a night like Martha? Oh well, guess I'll have to live with being a "wannabe" for now...unless the comedian hits the lottery!

I Need a Fix!

2008-02-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit I have a serious addiction...to Home Goods, TJ Maxx and Marshall's. I love scouring those places looking for some great home decorating bargains (and shoes too when I can find some that fit my Klem Kediddlehoppers). I really, really need a Home Goods fix but I'm outta cash till the end of next week. It doesn't help that the Bride went this weekend and told me about all the wonders to be found...poo! Now that the weather is warming up and there are more estate and yard sales I'll have to squirrel away some money so I can try to find some treasures. I love taking other people's "junque" and make it into my treasure. But first I need to redo the dining table and chairs (to match the hutch), embellish and paint the oak quilt rack to shabby it up, paint the hutch that goes on the Bride's desk (I finished the desk months ago), embellish and paint the french provincial dresser I bought off Craig's list, finish planting around the pond, spray paint the round wrought iron patio table and six chairs that were given to us this weekend...and the list goes on, and on, and on. Maybe what I need isn't a fix but a slap across the head to knock some sense into me!

My aching back!

2008-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

Before

The pond stud muffins did a fabulous job but the comedian and I needed to add some "touches" around the pond. Let's see, adding another 350 lbs. of rock around the pond qualifies as a touch as does planting 15 pots of greenery and color. This was after working in the yard pulling, pruning and planning for 3 hours. Why oh why do I get myself into these messes? Spring will start bursting forth in another 2 weeks (that's what I love about living here...I hate the 110 degree summer days) and the plants will start to fill out. Phase two of the pond is done, the patio was cleaned off and phase three planning has begun. Phase three will consist of more plants, maybe a few more rocks and a few statuary pieces. As we sat in our bedroom at dusk admiring our work through the window a dove flew down and took a drink from the upper waterfall and strutted around. Ahhhhh, that makes it all worth it.

After

Life in the Fast Lane

2008-02-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I'm a pretty bad blogger. Life has been crazy and hectic but I did finish painting the hutch (yay me!), get the Easter decorations out, host the Prodigal Son this weekend and make his favorite foods, work on the little shelf for the newlywed, get my jewelry shelf distressed and reorganized, oh and host a birthday party for my little munchkin. Guess my life has been a little full lately.

Yesterday morning I woke up at 7:10 with three hunky stud muffins in my backyard ready to install the pond. They worked nonstop until 8:30 (they took a lunch break and that was it) and were like a well oiled machine. We are thrilled with the results! Tomorrow we will install some landscape rocks, plants and mulch around the pond. It has three waterfalls coming down into the pond and then a smaller waterfall into the bog and lights on all of the falls which looks spectacular at night. The fishies can't go in until next weekend. I will post pictures after we get it all done (we've been taking pics along the process).

Tonight we hosted our BFs for bbq'd burgers and Sequence. We're pooped...but tomorrow is another day Scarlett and a holiday...yippee!

Leap into Bloggyland

2008-02-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

I've made the leap over to bloggy land and I'm totally unsure of what I'm doing. I figured if everyone else can do it, so can I (I'm a "I can do it" kind of gal!). I see so many cool sites out there with such cool design and I'm going to have to figure out this whole thing and put some great graphics/pictures on my site so please bear with me as I figure it all out.