The Mermaid Moving Company or Just Iron Stars On My Boobs

I was looking around at my vast photo collection for a picture of a friend who has just entered the "Facebook World" and I found this little lovely mermaid. Isn't she sweet?

Or maybe she's in agony.

Anyway. I knew that this mermaid picture made it onto a blog o'mine, somewhere. I KNEW it! Turns out that I can forget what I had for dinner last night, but I'm right on about my blog photos. Only it takes me forever to find anything. And...
I always find what I'm not looking for.

Such was the case for the missing iron. I haven't ironed in many moons, my friend. But I'm off on an exciting new adventure that involves sewing, and an iron is imperative.

I looked where I thought the iron should be and found the ironing board. I quickly made cotton candy of the ironing pad. Did you know the ironing pad doesn't wash well? Well, it doesn't. That's okay. I can buy a new one. But where is that darn iron?

I know myself - unfortunately. I know that wherever the iron is, it is in its own box. If I put it in another box, say a box within a box, then it is lost. But I don't usually do this. So I know myself - fortunately.

And I move a lot - across town or new town. Not every year (at least not anymore), but maybe a few times every ten years. Thus I am never organized. eerr-umm. Let me say: I am a Taurus. I like stuff. My stuff means something to me. I take my stuff with me. My stuff was once a car-full, then a small truck-full, then a small U-Haul-full, then a large U-Haul. Now a large (not-so) professional moving company full.

So getting back to the iron. I got my aerobic exercise searching every damn closet in this house - even under the bathroom sink. Finally in the kitchen closet where the light bulbs and vacuum bags are kept, I paused.

Where did I put the iron at the old ranch house? Ding! Above the washer and dryer. Yes!

ps the guy on the phone is calling his wife. "Bring out the El Dorado, honey. With lots of rope!" Seriously. That's what he said.

This Spoke To Me

This is my new vanity. Odd though as I've never seen one full-sized as opposed to sitting. The tops came off with old fabric and glass and will be replaced with the like or wood or perhaps stone (because I'm into to stone). Needs a good cleaning and polish. Might be from the 20s or 30s. Does anyone have a guess?

The flyer said it was free, so I called straight away. I think we were meant for each other, although I really don't like looking at myself.

Thanksgiving Spread

As I was preparing the Thanksgiving table, a certain someone decided it was high time for a little attention. I laid out my fine gold table placemats and played around with different china before deciding that I wanted to do something a bit more playful, so I got out the red TV trays. (First glass of wine.) This I thought was genius.

Apparently Si thought it was pretty cool too, and lounged for a good long while.

The Mister said I think he wants his picture taken, so first photo is Si being the turkey.

The second photo is Si not looking at me as I'm yelling "Si!! Look at me! Come on! Look at me!"

And the third photo is The Spread. 

Throw Out Yer Dead

Oh my! I would love to show you the lovely cookies that I baked today, or rather I planned to bake today. I didn't bake today. Today was an upside down all messed up day. In all I'm glad it happened today and not next Thursday.

I have a fabulous recipe from Martha Stewart for chewy molasses cookies. So good that my brother ate 20 of them in an overnight visit. He left only one in the cookie jar, and I happened to noticed this in time to run out and give it to him on his way north.

So the first thing was finding the recipe. I know exactly where it was at the old ranch. That's true for everything I own. I can picture it sitting in this particular drawer. Alas I have never gotten organized here. My recipes are all over the place. I didn't even remember that it was an MS recipe or I could of just gone online.

Well, three probes later, I find it in my old old old recipe box. That pleased me. See, I said to self, it is good to never throw anything away!

So then I start to gather ingredients  -flour  -molasses, where's the baking soda? And then I notice eww a dead bug. A dead pantry bug! Holy shit! I HATE pantry bugs!!

I start to clean and I notice a few more dead pantry bugs. A lot of dead pantry bugs! I start to sweat.

Everything now is moving from one counter to the other, and I find a live pantry bug.

I want to cry!

There goes the day. Four days before a major cook-fest is no time for an infestation. The source must be found and cleaned up.

Well my friends that was 9:30am. Now at 4:30pm the kitchen has been cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more. The pantry is clean and everything expired is gone. I'm ready for the white glove test.

And yes now I am ready for the cook-fest too.

Yin Yang Clouds

I talked with my Dad this evening. He lives in a place that is currently burning like crazy. Thankfully his home is far enough away, although he is getting lots of ash and all that. He said, "wherever you live, it's always something - Best to just be happy where you are." Sound advice.

SkyWatch is a place to watch the sky. Come visit.

I Need A Vacation From Beeping Hell

I dreamed of a bird trapped in the house bleating for mercy, for escape, for food. Finally I woke to realize the phone was beeping. Where's the phone? The phone's right here and it's not beeping. What is beeping? The fire alarm. I just changed the battery. Let me get a chair. Not that fire alarm. The one in living room. I changed that battery six months ago. It's beeping no question about it. Just realize this house has a redundant number of fire alarms. That's a good thing. If you put good batteries in them. If there were ever a fire we would wake the whole county. That doesn't matter. We have to wait until the stores open. Can't we just poke it with a stick? No. I need to get a ladder. Rent a ladder. Aren't 14 foot ceilings beautiful? Not a five in the morning with a beeping fire alarm attached. 

Embrace 365 Days Of Grace

At two o'clock in the morning I had the most incredible wave of thoughts. I was pissed. First I didn't want to be awake. I was cold. I remembered all the horrible things this nasty boss did to me. I went screaming down memory lane about an old flame that I wish gets everything he deserves (and somehow I think he will). And most importantly I was mad at myself for not being to shake it. All this friggin negativity.

Think good thoughts, I commanded myself. You're alive, girl! Be grateful.

But I couldn't. I kept going back to hate. And then my heart started to pound. Bam Bam, like too fast and too hard. Like someone knocking on your door in the middle of the night. All of sudden, I think I'm going to die of a heart attack. It happens, you know, people just die of heart attacks all the time. Bam Bam Bam. Get a grip, girl! (aside: I wonder how old I'm going to have to be when I consider myself an old lady. Get a grip, old lady!) 

Four hours later exhausted I fall back to sleep. I have a theory about all this just in case you want to know. It involves MSG in restaurant food and sinuses. Lack of oxygen really, but anyway.

Today I'm wandering around the web - kind of aimless, but I'm happy. I'm looking for gardening blogs. Kitchen garden, potagers, vegetables and flowers. That kind of stuff. And I run into



and all at once I know I need to incorporate this into my life.

They say happy people live better lives, and I believe it. So much energy is consumed with anger.

First day - my five small things:

1. The way Si leaps on me whenever I sit in the sun, like Yay lady! Time to snuggle!

2. My new crock pot. I made potato soup for lunch. It was good!

3. Going for a walk down to the mailbox. Well, I felt good when it ended. Two miles of up and down hills. Boy if I did that everyday, I'd be in good shape.
  
4. I'm really glad I didn't die of a heart attack this morning.

5. Cloud pictures.

Here's To You!

Cheers! 

  

2008 was an interesting year. I moved from an old ranch house (built in the 1940s) to a new ranch house (built in the 2000s), and I must say newer is much better. I have warmth and A/C on demand. I was always effen freezing or roasting in that old house, and I was always washing dishes. Now I have a dishwasher. I did loved that old ranch, and I plan to upload the ton of photos I took when I explored the place. 

  

Silas: The First Day of 2009

These photos were taken a few minutes ago. I've got serious love for the digital age. I was just reminiscing with my dude about the olden days when we would take (as in shoot) a roll of film and have it processed, and it would cost an arm and a leg and a small loan from the bank. And you would have to wait. I don't wait real well. I want it now. So you know I feel like kissing pixels these days. Thank you technology!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snowy Bush Macro Monday

I was walking down the hill to take photos of the spectacular clouds at dusk and when I turned around I saw a monster coyote bush had been flocked. Really, that's what it looked like. One half plain, the other half flocked.  

  

So I got really close to it and realized it was just in flower and in seed. I also realized that the dozens of little birds and other animals hiding in there were sending out fraidy vibes. So I backed away slowly.

Go forth and propagate coyote bush.

Thanks to Lisa for hosting. Thanks to everyone who visits. Thanks world for being so weird.

Representing

Most everything that I love about home. Music, books, plants & Si.

A Cabinet: Photostory Friday

Foreword: I spent most of Friday trying to download these pictures. I must say I haven't cussed that much in quite awhile. So today it worked, sort of.

  

The cabinet you see here was a special order. It was meant for a tv or clothes yet was unfinished. The cabinet maker is/was an old man and offered to make the cabinet serve our intentions. The finish was important, of course. 

  

And as such, the mister wanted something special and was sold on a deep purple. I wasn't involved and only later became involved for storage purposes. Am I being too vague? Well tough.

  

Be it known that the whole deal was the mister's department. I stood on the sidelines. 

 

And waited. 

  

And waited.

  

Where is it? I would ask. 

  

And waited. 

  

Finally he called and found out the old cabinet maker had had a stroke. 

  

Years rolled by. 

  

The old cabinet maker survives !!! and finishes the purple monster, and GET THIS delivers it himself!!!! to our country home via his old pick-up truck.

  

A special order LP Record Album Cabinet.

Way cool.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Planning Future Projects

I woke at dawn and watched the clouds hang heavy. It rained last night, but I didn’t realize it was going to be a horizontal rain. So in the midst of watching the HBO miniseries John Adams I said to the mister, “My pumpkins! My corn! It looks like the top of the gazebo is going to shred in the wind!” I can be sooo dramatic sometimes. :)
He replied calm as usual. ”Well put the show on pause and let’s see what we can do.”
So we ran out there and bustled back and forth from patio to garage bringing in the pumpkins and corn as the wind whipped up the rain. He took off the gazebo cover and dragged into the garage, threw it over a step ladder. And we sighed and went back to the signing of the Declaration. Whew!

Last night too was the time to return to regular time. On to winter, I suppose. I love cloudy rainy weather. It puts me a creative hunkered-down mood. This morning I came up with three (more) projects. The first I will chronicle on my other blog. It has to do with propagating blue oaks to revitalize this area. The second project will be to recreate the Wizard of Oz characters as Christmas tree ornaments. And the third is to separate the husks from the corn and make corn husk angels tree ornaments. I guess I have a little Christmas on the brain.

Also currently in the mix are lounge lizard pajama bottoms in flannel. I will definitely take some photos of them when they are done as they are made out of some darling fabric.

Mom's Stash

When my brother said he found some of Mom's stuff and asked me if I wanted it, I said sure. At least I wanted to see what it was. He brought me a box or two every couple of months as he was helping my dad clean out the garage. Finally I reached saturation point and just stored the boxes unopened in the back bedroom of the old ranch house. 

  

Now that I've moved to the new ranch house, I've finally been getting around to emptying boxes and sorted through stuff. And guess what? I found my mother's stash of patterns! This is so cool and it isn't just garments. There are doll patterns and a variety of other goodies. 

I might have to make a toaster cover.

What A Fun Afternoon!

And I'm being totally sarcastic! 

  

I had a lovely slow morning. Two cups of coffee, catching up with Soozs and Pioneer Woman, downloading craft projects and the like. You know my Thursday is like most peoples' Fridays and plus it has the added bonus that I am alone. Alone to ponder my thoughts, to plan my weekend, to get things done.

  

So after awhile I pulled myself away the computer and decided to tackle the PEACHES. (Sure wish I took a picture.) I mean it was already 1pm. Get it together, girl.

  

My friend Myrna gave me a couple pounds of tree ripe peaches the other day at work. The car smelled like heaven all the way home. And I thought that I would freeze them. Blanch, peel, halved, dip in lemon juice, baggie, and freeze. 

  

So like an assembly line, I went to work. Oh but first - put in a load of laundry. There's something about kitchen and laundry with me. Heave ho! I was on a roll. Good day vibes abound.

  

I was pretty much done with the PEACHES when I heard a weird trickly water sound. Like something way off on the other side of the house. And I think, that's not good. I even said to Si, "that's not good." He hear it too, kind of lifted his head and pointed it in the direction of the sound. My pointer cat.

  

So I have peach juice all over my hands and peaches are the slipperiest little mothers. I was worried I was going to slice off my fingers with that sharp knife. 

  

Anyway I immediately investigate. Water sounds, not good.

  

Yep I was right. Not good. My bathroom is flooded. His bathroom is flooded. (Thank goodness we have separate baths. I have the spa gene. He doesn't.)

  

I go outside. Water around out spout. SH**T! (I say shoot! a lot! He says Bang!)

  

So for the next 2 1/2 hours I'm getting the plumber out there and he's telling the septic needs to be pumped and it's Friday at 4:30pm and you know what that means. ARGH!

  

Nobody works on the weekend unless you're dying or dead. So that's it.

  

I said to L with it. Fixed a margarita. Cleaned up the mess. Made my lovely bean soup with fresh baked rolls and wait on the man to return from the black hole, as it is named, so I can say, "Honey, maybe this would be a good weekend to do a B&B."

  

Some Boots

I got me some boots today. 
Decorative stitching. Two sizes of holes.
Two words. Purple piping. 
Cushion heels. Soft ride.
My boot. My Si. 

Who Is This Crazy Lady Chasing Me Around With A Camera?

Don't step on me!
Quick! I'm getting away..
What is with her hair?
I'd go through this door if it were open. Mmm, tastes good.
Here's looking at you, snake eyes! 

Gosh I Love This

This is an illustration from Patience Brewster from a book called Bear and Mrs. Duck by Elizabeth Winthrop. It's a picture book with a theme and a moral tale of separation anxiety. I have this with my fur coat, so I know it well, and I love this picture.

Just Another Sunday

Yesterday I started to sort through and prioritize my many sewing projects. There is stuff I want to sew for myself, and stuff for the house, and gifts. The projects for myself are all experimental, and if they work out, well, that’s great. But I’m not going to worry too much about it. I’m going to make it fun if it kills me.

The house projects are accent colors. For some reason when I lived at the big ranch, I was into the color gold. Probably because the house’s carpet was dark green, and I wanted to lightened it up. I guess my preferences are the “jewel tones” but I like everthing from time to time.

The new ranch house is very white with vaulted ceilings and white carpet. All the cabinetry is honey oak, and the fixtures are brass. It’s all so shiny and bright it feels like the high beams are on all the time. So I need to tone it down a bit.

I guess I’ll post up some pictures because one can spend an awful lot of time describing something that a single picture defines.

After I got sidetracked and then sidetracked again, I ended up making another potato gratin dish, and because I was having so much fun with my mandoline, I made a cole slaw with vinaigrette not mayo.

Boy, this light supper hit the spot. There were no leftovers.

We were enjoying late afternoon when he said, “Oh look! A King Snake!”
And there under the woodpile was an adolescent king snake. So we immediately jump up and rushed out to have a better look.

Now snakes are no dummies. The moment two giant heads with giant eyeballs come peering in your face, you might recoil too.

But we had to look. California King Snakes kill rattlers. That makes them really cool is my book, plus they just look cool, like they are a warning tape. Bright yellow and black striped.

I went back into the house and got my camera, and practically had to stand on my head to take the snake's portrait. I started to wonder why would this little guy come for a visit this hot Sunday?

Well, most animals are motivated by water, food, or procreation.

And then it dawned on me. Lizards. Food for young snakes of all kinds, and I have tons of lizards in my garden. So many, you have to be careful where you step.

Where there are lizards, there are snakes.

So after shooting some blurry useless pictures, I came back inside and in my animated fashion started lobbying to “The Man of The House” for the removal of The Snake, and promptly knocked over in grand animated fashion a full glass of wine, which sprayed over everthing in the dang dining room including table, floor and window, and library books (shh), important papers, and cat.

However the wine glass did not break because as I watched it slide horizontal in slow-mo, I managed to grab it and put it upright making everthing a whole lot worse.

To which he paused for just a moment and then started clapping.

Moving Forward

That will teach me…I did this beautiful Saturday morning blog and POOF! Blogger just crapped out on me. So this time I’ll write in Word and paste it. Dang it though. Sometimes words only come right once.

So anyway – Happy Saturday to you all!
I’m getting back into the blog-O-mania after lurking quite a bit at Alicia’s blog and others. Thank you Alicia for the E is for excellence award. You’re the sweetest!

My life has been pretty busy lately. I’ve left the big old ranch for a new ranch, and I couldn’t be happier. I know I loved that old house, but it did have a few problems like bad water and mold, and the hunters and the poachers, and it was impossible to keep clean, and it was impossible to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

So I’m quite happy to say I now live in a brand new 3 bed/2 bath house with a huge kitchen (with a dishwasher!!!) and oodles of space for a garden. The view in all directions goes on for miles too. I can’t believe my good fortune.

So this year I’m going to try and grow all my own vegetables and rid myself of megamart produce. If I have surplus, I’ll get into preserving too. It will be a fun project, besides the cost of groceries is just plain ridiculous.

I feel a great surge of energy too. Yesterday I baked a loaf of whole wheat bread, and today I’m going to sort out the pantry and the linen closest, plus I’m still unpacking.

We spring forward this weekend too. I really think time changes are nonsense. It takes my body a week to adjust. Oh well, that’s my gripe for this beautiful day.