Sisterfriend

Daylily’s for Pati….

2009-07-21T21:26:00.001-07:00

Well I did it…I went outside this evening and started taking pictures of daylily’s for Pati.

My first picture…thinking “my light isn’t to great”

Next…

Ya…the light is bad and the daylily’s are past their prime…should wait until tomorrow morning.

Wait! what is that funny shhhhht…sound behind me? Oh my God! A skunk! I’m frozen…can’t move…do I smell anything…pant pant…no I think I’m okay. RUN!

I make it to the deck…oh why me…skunks shouldn’t be out until it is dark. Okay my heart is slowing down…nothing like getting the old ticker going…I prefer walking up our hill though.

There it goes…the skunk…wait…a picture for Pati…panic, panic, camera won’t work fast enough…and I was well…panicking.

So here is the picture of the skunk for you Pati…

At least I tried!

Response from “snail guy'”

2009-07-14T10:29:00.001-07:00

Hi Pati,

You’re right. This is Cepaea nemoralis, the Grovesnail. It is an introduced species, originally from Europe, now widespread in some areas of B.C. In the Vancouver – Fraser Valley region, it is very common. Incidentally, it turned up in Smithers last year for the first time. These ‘distant’ (perhaps occasional or single) snails may just be from strays coming in on plants – I don’t know for sure – or perhaps there are established populations in your area and mine?

Regards,

Robert

Kind of cool…I have a random snail show up in my yard, and I found him…..

Have a good day all :)

My Garden Friend

2009-07-14T00:08:00.001-07:00

Today while weeding the back steps I spotted this little guy…

He was all tucked in his shell :|….I still was so excited….I have lived here almost my whole life, and been a gardener for 20 and have NEVER seen a snail here!

I put him on a plate, and waited…..and waited….and finally went outside to finish my chores.

I decided to make strawberry jam and so picked my strawberries and went to the store to get certo. When I got home my son asked me where the snail was. “On the table” I said “behind you”…he kept looking at me like I was loonie…and I kept telling him “behind you"…right there”!! He finally was like Mom…he is not there…”What!!!” I said and raced over….and this is what I saw.

We searched all around and under the table…….and whoohoo we found him! Do you see him?

He was so cool and finally was moving around.

We put him in a jar with lettuce and some rocks. I looked him up and he is a Brown Lipped Snail….or so I think . I did email a snail expert from Smithers BC and haven’t heard back from him yet. We will see….I think I should put some different food in there for him…rotten leaves and maybe an apple or something?…

Ok so that was my adventure for the day….oh I made strawberry jam too.

Birthday and more tiling.

2009-07-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my hubbies Birthday, we had a nice supper, friends over for cake….my cake turned out very good so thought I would post a pic.

Dense white cake with fresh picked strawberries.

Oh and we tiled more…..

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Mid week project

2009-07-02T18:27:00.001-07:00

My husband is home for a few days….So I decided to start a project. The thing with my husband is, if I start a project…he takes over. He doesn’t do it in a ~~totally controlling~~ way…he actually likes to do home improvements but doesn’t ever have time off work. Anyways to make a long story a bit shorter….I hauled out tile for my kitchen back splash……I said “I think I need to start this”..and i did…I started ripping off the tongue and grove wainscoting I had temporarily put up about five years ago. Did not take long and had it all cleaned up and walls all cleaned and ready to go. That’s when hubby walked in…and ~~took over~~ started to help. So here are a few pictures of the process.

Tile #1 going up on the wall!! Started behind the stove.

Coming along nicely…..while I clean up after him and take pictures.

OOps and also got a little side tracked….well he does get bossy and was nice outside!!!

Stopped here after realizing it was flippin Canada Day, and couldn’t rent the tile saw!! Arrgghh

Yaaa for neighbours!! Earl borrowed a cute little wet saw…

So we kept going…..I made supper and he kept tiling. Son Jordi even helped!!

And last piece went in around 10:00 at night….pheww I was tired…..

Woke up and started grouting….I had to watch that too…He had the grout WAYYY to thick and man did he sweat filling all the lines…. I tried to tell him, but would he listen???? NOOO!! I didn’t take a pic of that as this morning he decided to shave all his hair off his head!! ..and while grouting he had on no shirt and was literally dripping with sweat……umm ya. I did eventually get some control and do it my way….His brother came over, and they went and had a break outside…(beer)..so I remixed the grout to what I THOUGHT it should be…..and I started to touch up and fill in. When he came back in he did use mine and maybe he didn’t say he was WRONG but he did find it easier to fill in the lines….Men!!! All I said was “look your not sweating”……whatever….dumm da dee. So we finally finished and I think it turned out great! My grout is a bit darker than I wanted but maybe it wont show the dirt as fast.

Still have to caulk around the bottom and repaint some mouldings, but I am happy!!

Even made a friend when I picked some flowers for the window sill…..A Cute little Weevil!!!

Why I garden..

2009-06-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I realized I needed to pick a big bouquet..Peonies in full bloom, Alchemilla, Blue bells, Mock Orange, Fox Gloves and Blue Veronica. It took me about five minutes to pick and arrange this…and what a reward. it makes me so happy to have this in my house. This is why I garden. Filling your house with beautiful flowers….

A feast of weeds

2009-06-26T22:00:00.001-07:00

A feast of weeds

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This I know….

2009-05-07T18:56:00.001-07:00

This post is a long time coming…..Ok so quick update since March……It snowed some more, it warmed up and the snow melted….then the work began. Raking, pruning, raking some more…burning, rototilling and mowing…..THIS I KNOW FOR SURE…. gardening and having an acre of land is alot of work!! I am pooped already. Today I dug a 12 by 8 section of lawn out of my backyard…I filled my wheel barrow up about 10 times with sod and had to wheel it way into the back 40…..But at least it is done now and I can figure out how to loosen up the hard pack clay soil now. Still have lots to do in my yard but at least it is starting to look nice and green out and all the leaves are popping…Even took out the new camera after the rain and took some pictures. Here are a few.

Spring in the air…

2009-03-02T15:14:00.001-08:00

Just came back from a nice walk around the block, takes about 35 minutes. I wore boots but it is so mild and melting out there my feet are soaked! Me and my dog Jack just enjoying the nice spring like break in the loonnng BC winter. This is what it looked like last week….OMG hey. This is my back yard.

So have been busy and haven’t written much. I have been painting a triptych for my niece and trying to sew purses…I have one cut out and ready to go. The thing is as soon as the weekend hits all my crafting stops. My husband works out of town and when he comes home…well just say I don’t craft much. We watch movies with “the kid” and catch up on all the to do chores…I will post some pictures when I have got something to show. Here is one I made for my daughter awhile back and another one I gave away to my GF

For my daughter.

First try….gave it to a friend.

Ok so will try to post more this week…..You too Shirl!!

What the H…

2009-02-17T19:47:00.001-08:00

I love Etsy…to much to look at, some really cool stuff.

The other day I decided to check out the “Vintage” stuff. I like old glass dishes and just to see what's hot, I typed in bowls and what the H..!

What I found on Etsy…

and here is what I have in my cupboards, I do have a few more in the fridge with stuff in them.

These aren't vintage! I use them everyday… So what if they are “harvest gold” but I don’t think of them as VINTAGE! Isn’t vintage OLD stuff? Like old OLD…??? What’s that you say Pati?… I am old???

Okay I admit I’m getting up there. But this is such a shock to me. I always thought Mom’s stuff was old and dated. Now it’s me that is OLD and DATED!

I sat here and really thought about it. Isn’t “Retro” really cool right now? So that makes me cool! … Cooooool! I have real cool collectable bowls now… maybe I should put them away to save. If I only had a china cabinet to display my really cool stuff.

Hey! watch that bowl, it is worth something…I think we should go and buy some new bowls and put these away…there worth money now!

I wonder if I have anymore really cool “~~old~~ vintage” stuff…

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-13T14:48:00.001-08:00

Here’s a Valentines blog for ALL our loyal readers. I guess the two of you will be thrilled…lol

If you do read this blog…send us a note so we know that you are there…someday we just might be famous…ya right!

Pati is busy sewing purses. She is so talented. Her daughter Brooke’s birthday is on the 18th and so she is under pressure to get the purse done. Wish my sewing machine worked…I have been wanting to sew the past few months.
Maybe we can get Pati to show us the purse she made for Brooke…hope Brooke isn’t reading this…

Anyway on to Valentines Day Wishes…

Here are the cards I wanted to send out to friends…I lost them and found them today. So take a good look Suzan and Liz, these would of been yours. Maybe next year, if I put them somewhere I will remember where they are. And “Happy Valentines Day” my dear friends!

Isn’t this picture lovely? These are Morning Doves waiting their turn at drinking from the fish pond. I took the picture from my kitchen window…just holding the camera up and zooming in, hoping that it would work. These birds are SO shy and any movement or noise scares them away. I was very lucky to get this shot.
So this is your Valentine gift to you all!

Happy Valentines Day!

Here I am!

2009-02-05T20:59:00.001-08:00

Yes I know…the blog thing…lots of excuses and stuff like that. To say it plainly it is boring around here. So boring that Pati has to clean behind fridges and stoves…She must be really really bored!

At least it is warming up in Keremeos and the snow is melting. I can see some patches happening and I keep thinking I hear a Robin…must be all in my head because I can’t find him with my binoculars. Saw a huge flock of Cedar Wax Wings and a flock of Gross Beaks. No Robins…yet. I even went for a little walk around the yard to see if anything is popping up…nothing yet. Okay! I know it is only the beginning of February but I can dream can’t I?

Today I got a manicure…first one ever! I got a French manicure…now I can’t do anything. It has to last at least the weekend.

What do you think? Don’t look at the “old” hands…just the pretty nails. Even got a heart put on my pinky for Valentines Day. I told hubby it was his Valentines to me. Such a nice guy!

I’m going to Port Coquitlam tomorrow. We have been invited to our niece's book release party. Cool that she wrote a book, Heart Songs to Apron Strings…A Mothers Journal for her Daughter by Carissa Jackson. I have found it all over the internet, all the way to Great Britain. Wow…I just might know a famous person. There for the “nails”…party?…with young Vancouver people?…and then me? Well I will have nice nails!

So must get busy with the packing and cleaning. Not looking forward to the long drive. It will be fun once we get there and just enjoy family.

Where have you been??

2009-02-05T17:39:00.001-08:00

Okay so I know Shirl and I haven’t been writing here much this last month. I can’t speak for Shirley but I know I have been busy catching up on mundane things. Things like painting the ceilings in the kitchen and cleaning. Why today I cleaned my fridge, stove and on top of my cupboards EWWWW. Not being too crafty lately. I did make a few orders from Etsy this last week though, and am sooo excited. I ordered two purse patterns and five different fabrics…..here I will show you.

And the fabric

All these are from afabricoutlet and are by Furuya Echino. LOVE THEM. I hope to try to create a few cool purses. I have been thinking of doing this for over a year……I keep thinking I will find the perfect purse pattern. I think it only exists in my head. Maybe as I go I will get more confidant I will make my own. Okay so will try to keep this up……even if it’s really boring.….See ya later…….

Hmmmm....

2009-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

My picture didn't come through right. So I will try it again....

My Christmas Gifts…

2009-01-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

That's quit a haul Pati! I sure would love to have a laptop computer. But no Ron wants a 40 inch flat screen TV, which we will get on the 19th. My friend Liz’s Birthday…I will tell her we are getting a TV for her Birthday…she will like that.

I was pretty lucky this year too and got my own haul of gifts. It took me awhile to find them all and place them “just” right…got to keep up with the Pati girl! We do that to each other…heehee

A beautiful Afghan from my Mommy. A cool purse that “Pati” made…isn’t it lovely? A set of three phones with answering machine from Erin, A scrapbooking carry case from Corey plus a real cool robot bug…see him on the book?, a Crop a dile (scrapbook tool) from Brendon (that weird pink thing) oh and an ultimate Jewel Quest pc game, a cool flashy candle holder from sister Penny, A garden journal from Corey’s girl friends parents…eek… and from Ron a set of expensive perfumes and a book on Survival by the survivor man…he is so romantic. I will be wearing my perfume when I’m surviving in the desert or tropical forest. Maybe you could use it for firestarter (not the book! the perfume silly!)……hmmmm…maybe I will give it a try? Ron did get me a lot more stuff…but I ate it all…

Here is a picture…

2009-01-04T20:04:00.001-08:00

This is a horrible picture…..I cannot take pictures at night. I don’t like using the flash first of all, and the incandescent light just casts such a ucky glow. Please forgive it as it was about the best one….

So at the top of my Christmas gift is my Acer laptop. It is dark blue and 14.1"…I love it soo much and can surf anywhere in the house which is so freeing….

Secondly I love the wireless mouse my daughter bought me along with a 4gig thumb drive and also the ipod cover and headphones. She also got me an awesome laptop case which I forgot to take a pic of.

Next Shirley made me a very cool necklace that is very funky and has a dragon fly on it! Which I love.

Penny gave me the funky water lily candle holder…and my friend Debi made me an awesome makeup back filled with amazing makeup.

Okay so there they are….my favourite gifts of Christmas 2008.

My favourite Christmas gifts…..

2009-01-04T18:50:00.001-08:00

I am running a little behind with this Shirley. I woke up later then normal. I then had to clean and head up town in a blizzard…I phoned Mom to make sure she was okay, and if she needed anything.(She has a cough..flu?) Then I phoned my neighbour to see if she needed anything…which turned into an invitation to come for coffee once I had finished shopping. I sped uptown in a snowstorm, with limited visibility, as my wind shield wipers are useless……..so got some groceries came home unloaded them and put supper in the oven. My husband has to work out of town and leaves at 10:30 at night, so I needed to have supper ready for him early. Ok so it’s now 4:00…off to the neighbours for a visit….Home again at 5:oo and eat supper and do laundry and start packing for hubby. So it’s now 6:44 and still haven’t taken any pictures of my gifts…I still have lots to do. I will post this first and pictures to follow….. tonight or tomorrow, which ever works out. Sorry…it was one of those days….

Photo Challenge

2009-01-03T21:01:00.001-08:00

The dog and I journeyed out in the minus 20 weather to get these pictures. I had waited too long to get the best light….It was after 3 and getting too dark. I took over 100 pictures….haha. Not one made me go “wow”. Not like Shirl’s…Love, love your pictures. The light, the colors…

This is the dog..with the word squirrel said to him…

This picture reminds me of a small little world….living on a branch. The snow is like a forest.

….This one is of my maple.

….This is my backyard zoomed in so you can’t see all my neighbours stuff.

I know we were supposed to do three, I just wanted the one of Jack on here, as he did follow me around, thinking we were going for a walk.

Photo Challenge

2009-01-03T20:16:00.001-08:00

Well Christmas and New Years is all over for another year … deep sigh. It was fun while it lasted. Sure did miss my kids. The boys stayed in Edmonton and we did get to see Erin on Boxing day. We “tried” to go shopping that day. Ha! I became Momma Bear defending “our” parking space. I don’t think anyone would of tried to take the only space available after driving for half an hour. I jumped out of the car and threatened anyone who even looked at the space that someone was trying to back out of. I guess I embarrassed everyone in our vehicle…ha…they don’t know what I’m really capable of, do they?

Now that all the hullabaloo is over we need to get back into our creative side. Plus to stay away from all those chocolates. Maybe even go outside…ooooh…that is a hard one to do. For Pati I did do that today and nearly froze my hands off…got to find those gloves.

Our challenge today was to photograph our backyard. It was such a beautiful day, sun shining and the air was so crisp and clean. We are to post only three of our choices today.

Here are my results

2008-12-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well Pati....here is my tree.
I can't compete with the decorating. I had just a hard time even putting my tree up this year. No family coming to admire all my work, no kids coming for Christmas. So no enthusiasm to decorate. I am glad I put up the tree as it has made me more "in the mood"

I received a BIG package from Corey full of presents. One was a belated Birthday gift from my son. Soooooooo guess what I have been doing a lot of?

Hahaha.....and I'm almost finished the game. Ron wanted to give it a try and now he is hooked too. I guess my boys have got the game thing from their parents.

My Christmas decorating….

2008-12-17T16:33:00.001-08:00

Ok so here is what I have done this year…..I didn’t take alot of pictures and just finished up today.

As you can see I am not really into red, or burgundy…..I don’t own a cute Santa or snowman…and no singing tree…nothing against them, I am just not that traditional.

Ok so this is the only ornament I have from my childhood. I do love her and she is always on my tree. She was from my Aunt Minnie and I got her when I was probably 8..???

My light over my island….glass snowflakes. Only broke five…eek

My entrance way….blurry but like it anyways..

Ok so there is some red! Shirley brought me Holly and had to use it

My tree….is 16 years old and yes I need a new one.

Made these for the front entrance. Wire baskets filled with greenery and lights.

Ok so there is my decorating……I usually so more and maybe tomorrow I will post some pictures of my baking and another tree I have done…..Ok enjoy.

Here is mine….

2008-11-14T13:23:00.001-08:00

1. What is your first name? Patricia
2. What is your favorite food? Fries and Gravy
3. What high school did you attend? Clearwater BC
4. What is your favorite color? Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Brad Pitt …..silly
6. Favorite drink? Coffee
7. Dream vacation? Cairo, Egypt
8. Favorite dessert? Cherry pie
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Interior designer
10. What do you love most in life? Family
11. One word to describe you? Creative
12. Your Flickr name? Spiralgirl1..wouldn’t work so used spiral

1. cerveza Patricia - cerveja Patricia, 2. Vacation on the farm, 3. Untitled, 4. underground tunnel, 5. Illustration of Enthusiasm, 6. Coffee has two virtues: it is wet and warm., 7. Sphinx´s enigma, 8. Sweet Cherry Pie, 9. Vintage Lifestyle, 10. Camping in Shimoda, 11. Last day in Paris, 12. 5x3, spiral, and cultural genetic code

Being Creative

2008-11-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

I saw this on another blog (youaremyfave). It is a challenge to answer questions, find the photo in flickr, using ONLY THE FIRST PAGE {PATI!} and then to make a collage at Mosaic Maker
Soooo I did it....only took me two hours and lots of messing around.
So here it is.....try it....you have tons of fun and it is a BIG time waster.

It is 12 noon....sitting here in my pj's....dishes not done...beds unmade....need to shower......
But I'm being creative and it makes me HAPPY! right Pati....

I answered the 12 questions about myself and then chose a corresponding photo from Flickr to along with the answer:

1. shirley, 2. N.ThompsonValley, Clearwater, BC, 3. Meeting the pregnant princess of the forest, 4. Mike Holmes, 5. Day 179/365.......Fridays are for relaxing, 6. Lava Obelisk, 7. Crème Brulée, 8. Polish Stuffed Cabbage, 9. "Creative Hands" - Mindy, 10. Princess Belle, Beauty and the Beast, 11. Squash Girl, 12. the Grandparents

1. What is your first name? Shirley

2. What high school did you attend? Clearwater Secondary School...CSS Okay...couldn't find CSS so just had to do Cleawater BC

3. What is your favorite colour? Green any shade

4. Who is your celebrity crush? Mike Holmes....blush blush

5. Favorite drink? Grapefruit pop

6. Dream vacation? So many so just put down Costa Rica

7. Favorite dessert? Creme Brulee

8. What is your favorite food? Cabbage rolls

9. What do you love most in life? Being creative

10. One word to describe you? Kind .... haha...could only find a picture of Princess Bell

11. Your Flickr name? Keremeos girl

12. What do you want to be when you grow up? Grandparents! Love the pic....Think the grandkids would run away? run away run away (private joke between Pati and I)

What Makes Me Happy

2008-11-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

Pati! you made me cry!

I do realize I have to think of the good and not dwell on the bad. Just needed a kick in the butt! Yesterday was a "bad" day. I had to make a decision I didn't like to do...and have been dwelling on one individual. What is it that we "dwell" on the bad. This person isn't important in my life! I don't care if I ever see her again! and she can't hurt me with her innuendo's or her ranting and raving.

Poof! she is gone!

I have wonderful husband who loves me and supports me and is ~~always~~ on my side. I have a loving family who cares about me, and is always there for me. I have incredible friends that support, care, and make me laugh.

Wow! I am so lucky! and that makes me very Happy!

I'm glad you made me realize that there is so much good in our lives....Thanks I needed that.

Love you always! and yes I am jealous of your orchids...mine look like they need some tlc....so off I go to dust off their poor leaves and tell them I care for them.....and please please bloom with five stalks each so I can brag to Pati.

This Picture makes me laugh....good friends, good times. Think they were going to hit me with pillows because I was guzzling all the wine.

Things that make me happy.

2008-11-13T14:52:00.001-08:00

Like I said I am a simple girl. So here is ONE of the things that make me happy….My Orchids. I do have a green thumb, I inherited from my Mother. It’s a wonderful thing to have. I love plants…..house plants, outside plants and even dead plants. So when the orchid craze hit, I fell hard. I bought my first one at a high priced plant store and it was 35.99.( They are cheap now 14.99 at most places.) Since then they have become available at almost any chain store. Walmart, Home depot and almost all grocery stores…..Yes there were and are a fad. I still love them even though we have been bombarded by them.You see they rebloom for me…….and they are like the most exotic beautiful flowers. EVER. I now have SIX of them and I neglect them really, but I have them in a north facing room and they thrive. They like me!!! So as of right now I have FIVE that are going to rebloom……I am sooo thrilled. Shirl I know you can relate. So here are a few pictures I have taken. (And yes people they do look rather phallic…)

This one is a mottled pink color. This one is a purple/pink color.

This one is a pure white and hasn’t bloomed in two years!

This one is my very first orchid. It is a bright zappy yellow.

This one is also a zappy yellow /green color, and my newest.

So there they are. Wow hey……..In the cold dark winter, to have an orchid blooming in your house is like a piece of spring. They make me so happy. (I also do love my children, husband and all my family…but that’s another post)……I am just amazed at the wonder of nature ,that also makes your house look like a mag shoot. Ha

Things that make me happy……

2008-11-13T13:51:00.001-08:00

I have been neglecting my blog as of late….I have been creating, I have really. I have also been caught in the daily grind of having a husband with no work. As women we need to keep everything running smoothly and sometimes our wants and needs get shoved to the back. That and the fact that sitting here and writing makes me feel guilty when I could be painting, making Christmas gifts, and generally trying to keep busy so I don’t dwell on anything too much. What’s the point? Things do tend to work out…even if the outcome isn’t something you could have dreamed up. I really try to have faith…not so much to “GOD” but to the Universe. I haven’t been very spiritual lately but that goes with the fact that I do tend to bury my fears and sadness in keeping busy….I am a very fortunate person. I am blessed everyday. The past two years of my life, if I look back, have been incredible. Filled with more pain then I have EVER felt in my life. I have cried more tears then I possibly thought I could. Yet I am okay and I am happy…..life goes on. So the point of all this…?? Well I am a simple girl and I have simple things that make me happy. I thought that would be a good post for this week. Shirley join in. Lets post pictures and write about “things that make me happy”

Guest Room….still working on it.

2008-10-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

So this is what I have been trying to do lately. That and raking my yard and general everyday things.

So I painted the wall a Sico color called “Highway” ….dumb color name I know, but I took the whole swatch book home and this is what I thought matched the most. The rest of the room is a lighter grey. The lamp was painted white and I added paper to the shade and cut out the overlay in white paper….

Took me about four hours to cutout This is the before picture. I think it turned out okay??

I bought a white Duvet that still needs a cover, but for now at least it’s white. The art work is a collection of random things. I bought the biggest picture and then painted all the frames white. The rest of the art is from Etsy.

I hung them randomly and didn’t want them to be too perfect. I will probably add to them as I collect more.The rest of the room I am still working on and the pillows on the bed probably won’t stay…I am on the hunt for a funky pattern still. The dresser also needs to some work …this is what is there right now. It’s a little plain and I would like to hang some shelves in there somewhere.

So that’s my room so far. Shirley….

Flowers in October

2008-10-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today I have a Garden Club dinner. It is for all the members that have helped in preparing, cleaning, weeding, watering and any "work" that has been done to the flower beds downtown Keremeos. Our club is called "Similkameen Garden Club"....well known for all the flower beds we do for the downtown area of Keremeos.

A friend asked me to make an arrangement as a thank-you for a special person who has arranged all of our tours, speakers, and fun things this year for the club. It had to be an arrangement from flowers in the garden, nothing bought.

Flowers! in October and the END of October. We have had at least 4 to 5 frosts in our area.

So yesterday out I go with my bucket to see if I could find anything out in my frost bitten garden. Do you know I filled that bucket. It was amazing how many things are still hanging on. Specially the chrysanthemums, they were in full flower and full of bees. I found a few roses, some reblooming lavender, even a Stella De Orro daylily with one bud that was starting to bloom, one little Bells of Ireland, some hidden rudbeckia's, and lots of red geraniums. I don't know how the frost missed those. They are close to the house so must be protected.

I filled the bucket with warm water and let it stand over night. I wanted to see if they could stand a warm house. This morning the flowers were in good shape and so with a neighbour visiting I made the arrangement. I think it turned out pretty nice for flowers that I found in my garden at the end of October.

New lamps

2008-10-22T14:39:00.001-07:00

I am always on the look out for funky things…I live in a small town, and aside from the local grocery store and a few hardware stores and thrift stores, finding anything cool and in style here is like not happening. I think I save a lot of money because of that. Once in awhile there is something that isn’t too bad here….Like my lamp!! I am so excited.… It’s such a classic 1960’s look. It’s like the tulip chairs and the classic Saarinenso tables. I bought three of them, they were 15.00 each. I will give two away to my daughter as she liked them too.

I want it for my guest room makeover, I have already blogged about. So now besides trying to figure out how to design and paint that room, I also have this to incorporate and redo. So was thinking white and because no light goes through the shade, I will cover it with paper or fabric.

Here actually is the more expensive version of my lamp….See I could even paint it chrome or metallic….I like this faux bois paper on this lamp. I think I would go a bit more zappy than that.

Here is another idea. I could paint it white or turquoise and do a colorful shade. So many possibilities.

Look at this lamp from http://www.vintagelooks.com It’s $95.00…….It is not any better made from mine. So Ya I think I got a cool lamp. I am happy ….but right now I am outside pulling up wet and soggy hostas and cutting back my ferns out front. So it will wait until I have some free time.

In reply to Shirley.

2008-10-22T14:34:00.001-07:00

I really love the pictures you posted…..you get me Shirley!!..I agree with most all you say. Thanks for all the ideas. I too thought of a light grey for all the walls and maybe a darker, mid tone for behind the bed. Instead of red though I was thinking of picking up on the greens….?I do really like the botanical look but was trying to get out of my box……so really your advice is pretty safe. Ha-ha I am glad. I will keep thinking on it and hopefully post some “in progress” pics. Oh yes I do sleep in your ~~egg yolk~~ I mean squash blossom room……it’s fun and lively and I am thankful for your unique style….PS I think it’s time to talk about YOUR bedroom and some ideas you should do in yours…..

Oh and cool facts from 1949 Better Homes and Gardens.Funny how it still applies.

Pati's Dilemma

2008-10-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Okay I had this really cool post...but something happened and well I lost everything. I think I want to cry.
It was really good too!
I wanted to comment on Pati's blog on her choices of what to do for her new guest bedroom. I researched and everything. Well I will just have to wing it....

So Pati I think you should go for the Cherry poster. I like it and it is really cool, your never going to get something like that again. I do like your other posters but hey you bought them and it wasn't a really big find. Sorry....
Pati has a problem with colour. She likes very very neutral. Her whole house is neutral. I love her house and she is very talented. In fact she even designed her house and drew up all the plans. So talented that girl. Anyway I'm always telling her to add some colour, something bright and lively. She can't do it. Silly girl. So this is your chance to try something different. You can always close the door and well it is a guest room....they will leave really fast if it ugly. Hey...thats were I stay when I visit. Anyway I know it won't be ugly. She stays in my bright "autum squash" painted room when she visits....heehee
I have been taking a colour course for painting. It is amazing how colour works. By putting a pure colour by a grey it really pops. Also the grey should be colours of the opposite...such as red and green together make grey. So a grey on your walls with the poster would be awesome, and hey grey is "neutral" Pick up the colour of the cherry's with pillows or nicknacks, use the pale yellow for a bedspread or the teal in the septals....at least that is the colours I'm seeing from this computer.
I have been searching the "web" for idea's but it is taking me so long to find what I want. Stick to the retro feeling and go from those two things. Here are a few things I did find and didn't lose.

After looking at the images I find that the walls are mostly white....so okay white for the walls and go from there with the colour....just DO IT!

Some info I found from the '40's and '50's......Thought it was sort of cool

The following are notes taken from Helen Koues' 1948 book. Illustrations are from Better Homes & Gardens, 1949.

This is the age of color. Today our walls are yellow, not cream; dusty rose, not putty; soft blue and green, not gray. . . . Some small rooms are even in strong, deep colors. (4) . . . Any color you like may be chosen for the walls of a formal room: white, straw color, soft blue, green. (12)

. . . The majority of American homes are adaptions of Colonial architecture. (18)
[An] informal type of furniture which is much liked and used in this country is French Provincial. . . . In the delightful informal furnishing which is becoming a type along our California coast, this style is often used with attractive results . . . by combining a chair or a desk with another type of furniture--Spanish perhaps. . . . Soft plain colors are used for the walls or, more often, the attractive toiles . . . This puts the pattern used in the room on the walls and in the draperies, rather than in the upholstery covering. (22)
It's amazing how you can transform an uninteresting room into one of distinction by paneling one wall. (25)
Glass block can be very decorative in Modern interiors. (28) . . . Modern rooms usually may have wood-veneer, painted, or papered walls as backgrounds. . . . Making use of every inch of space is the first tenet of Modern design and another is double-duty furniture. . . . Blond as well as fine mahogany is being used, but you will find the blond woods make a light, pleasant room and make individual pieces seem smaller.(29)
Except where scatter rugs are used, the style today is to have the rug follow the outline of the room, allowing a margin of from six to twelve inches between wall and rug around the entire room. In Modern rooms and in much of the Contemporary decorating . . . the floor is completely covered from wall to wall.
Paint the radiator the color of the wall, the background of the wallpaper, or the woodwork. . . . Put a shelf on it and group one or two chairs or a small table in front of it. (39)

Better Homes & Gardens, October 1949 (194)
[Venetian blinds] are practical, decorative and very much in style. (39)
Groups of windows should be treated as one. (56)
Have a screen in the dining room to hide the door to the kitchen or pantry, unless the room is very small. (60)
Modern: the furniture is light-colored, . . . use of brilliant color on walls . . . give the contrast needed. (77)
In many . . . combination rooms, the studio couch is a key piece of furniture. In the one-room apartment, where it is in daily use, it should be chosen with careful consideration for its comfort as well as its appearance. (168)
Use slipcovers to "freshen up" a room that is drab or shabby. (218)

Better Homes & Gardens, October 1949 (218)
A row of pictures may be placed one above the other. . . . This is a particularly nice way to hang-human-interest pictures. . . . Instead of a vertical row of small pictures, either a horizontal row or groups of two, one above the other. . . . Fortunately pictures and interesting wallpapers are in style today. (405)
The top of a lamp table should be level with or half inch higher than the arm of the chair or sofa. The average table height is about 27 inches. The lamp should be 28 inches to 30 inches high, including the shade. (420)
Paint old bookshelves or cabinets that you may already have or can buy secondhand and use them for stage places. . . . A new note is to stain the tops and sides a light color and the dropdoors or draw front a contrasting color. (645)
Painted chairs give needed variety to a room that is furnished in Colonial maple, cherry, or birch furniture. . . . Use old jugs and pots for lamp bases and vases. (651)
Swedish decoration is full of color, and when of the Provincial character. . . gives great charm to informal rooms. (668)
In contemporary as well as Modern decorating large sheets of plate glass may be used where sun, air, and a pleasant view are to be gained. To hide an objectionalbe view or a too-near neighbor, glass block is ideal. (692)
[Laminated wood] is an ideal wall covering for modernizing old, cracked walls, for many built-in features, for covering old doors, for cornices concealing indirect lighting, and for a hundred and one other uses that you and your architect will find, if you like wood interiors. (695)

At first, modern decorating in France in the thirties was neutral-colored--all tans and beiges. Then "dusty pink" at the Paris Exhibition took hold of the imagination, and off went the whole world in pursuit of colors; and they were affected by the Swedes, who have long used color boldly. . . . Where we used to have a partial background of it with accents of dark color, now bright walls of clear rose with deep-green lamps and shades against it . . . (705)
Furniture in a light-colored finish is very much the style of today. . . . (798) Popular finishes: bone-white (raw umber glazing), antique white (yellow glazing). (813) . . . modern glazing . . . add a little oil paint in yellow to chrome green into glazing liquid and apply on plain enameled furniture. (814) Mexican decoration in vivid color is having a decided vogue and is one method which is easy to follow. As in the pieces above, backgrounds are clear, bright colors--light yellow, blue and orange, red on which small motifs are painted in complementary colors.(816)
The Pennsylvannia Dutch of colonial days decorated their furniture with crude but quaint designs which have been revived recently. They fall, of course, under peasant designs but are distinguished by the tulip, the heart, and a bird with the strange name of distelfinck. Colors are barn red, vivid green, clear blue, and yellow. (817) Painted pieces, chairs especially, with gilt or colored stencil decoration, are suitable and attractive with maple and even mahogany furniture in antique ivory, black, red, or blue. (818)

Pati here...

2008-10-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

Good post Shirl....I can only imagine how hard it is to get back to life after your cruise. Life must go on.
So had a few busy days. My daughter Brooke came home for a few days. I had an old friend drop in that I hadn't seen in five years. I went for Thanksgiving at my sister Sharon's house, and then proceeded to make my own the next day. OMG could we eat anymore turkey?? I even made turkey soup...gaak I'm sick of food. Well until Brooke made stuffed cannellini......yummm. Should have taken a pic was very Martha-ish.
Okay so my redo on my guest room is still at a stand still. I have a few hundred ideas floating in my head. Should I do it retro mod to go with the headboard and dresser....should I do it in bright colors? Soft?.....I was thinking of painting the wall with the headboard a dark charcoal color?? To really make the headboard pop out?Then I have two cool posters I bought online at The Poster List. These are the ones I bought. I think I might take the grey and green from the butterfly and use it as a starting point? So this is what I have so far. I might use the colors in the material there....or not?? I really am confused. I also have this mirror And I also have this 1950s German teaching poster. So I am needing some help.....Shirl any ideas??? I do have some fabrics from Etsy I might buy but I keep going back and forth between bright or pastel....
Ok so I am probably boring you all, but this is my life and what I like to do. I will keep looking and maybe I will post more ideas on here too as it helps me to organize my thoughts. That's what this blog was supposed to about. Ideas thoughts rants.....Hey no rants yet Shirl? Hmmm?

I'm Back.....sigh

2008-10-16T21:21:00.001-07:00

It was a wonderful trip, Hawaii is so beautiful! I want to go back...right now!
Okay reality is hitting and well, I'm trying to get back to my ordinary life here in Keremeos.

The voyage to Hawaii was a bit rough for the first 4 days. Lots of people were sea sick, I was a bit queasy on the first day but got over it fast. I'm not going to waste my holidays sick in bed! The weather was cool and rainy and the waves were hitting our first floor window....

View from our stateroom....

Their was lots to do on the ship but it seemed like all you did was eat. I'm not someone who eats breakfast, lunch and supper. I sort of snack during the day and then have a nice supper. On the ship it was big meals three times a day. No wonder people gain lots of weight going cruising.
It was so nice to leave for breakfast and return to your room all cleaned and bed made. Then on our return from supper the bed was turned down with chocolates and a cute towel animal. I really could get used to that luxury!

A cute towel animal

The ship was so huge that I think I lost weight with all the walking. It seemed like miles to our stateroom. Then always getting lost and walking all the way to the other end of the ship...again! I don't know aft from stern to port side to starboard side. Who makes up all these stupid things?
It was so wonderful to see land after five days at sea. We couldn't wait to get off the ship and put our feet on land. It is really strange to get onto land after being on a ship. You tend to rock when you standing still...it is the funniest feeling. I guess the natives can tell the tourists that have come from a cruise...they are the ones rocking for no reason.
I loved the Islands...they really do smell like flowers. Every street, every yard, every where are flowers. Mostly Plumeria trees, and Hibiscus.

Plumeria flowers

We went on a few tours, but found them very pricey when buying them from the cruise line. We found that when you get off the ship there are buses that will take you to Malls, Walmart, Kmart, and Hillo Hatties for free. They don't tell you that on the ship talks. They leave every 15 to 20 minutes and the bus drivers are all locals and tell you all kinds of information. Such as going to the Mall and taking a local bus that will take you anywhere for $1.00. That really P.O'd my brother in law as he took a taxi to the other side of Maui and paid 75.00, while my friends only paid $1.00. Pays to be cheap sometimes.
I did do lots of shopping. Doesn't mean I bought lots. We didn't have much room in our suitcases and so had to be frugal with what we bought. Did bring home my Mom a Muumuu...she loves it and it was even made in Hawaii, not China.
We also did the Luau thing...wasn't what I really thought it would be. The entertainment was wonderful and they really do wear coconut bra's! But when you share the space with 800 people it seems a bit much. I felt like cattle herded here and there. The food was....yucky...roasted pig swimming in lard, poi...real yucky, macaroni salad, and fried chicken that I couldn't even bite into. It was all very impersonal and well "touristy" I would recommend anyone to go to at least one, but be sure that it is a small event.
We really would love to return to Hawaii but not by ship. I have seen most of the islands of Hawaii but only for a short few hours. To really enjoy them you have to stay for awhile and taste the ambiance of the place. Our favorite was Kona on the big island.
I have been searching for good fares.......just dreaming.

One of our tours to Ioa Valley...so beautiful and so tropical

Rainbow over Honolulu as we came into port

Frost!!

2008-10-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

When I got up this morning there was frost! I knew it was inevitable, but I'm just not ready for winter yet. I am thankful it happened now thought and not last weekend when I did the flowers for that anniversary....
So I am puttering around, trying not to think of Shirley at home, with pictures....She is probably jet lagged and needs some time to unwind. I want to do something creative today so maybe I will paint my guest room.

Shirl is coming home...

2008-10-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

So Mom said Shirl and Ron will be home today! I wonder what time? I guess I will just have to be patient.....It's hard..I want to see pics and hear all about it.
Today it is rainy and cool here. Poor Shirl she will be coming home to fall and then soon winter. What a shock it will be. So soon we will see some cool posts here about her trip....

2008-10-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I did the flowers for a friends parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. I made thirteen bouquets in total...eeek. I also made cards and hangers for the cards to put in the arrangements, a money tree. On all the vases were gold ribbons and bows. I had to wait til the day of the party to put the flowers together..so it was a busy day. I was up early to start and my hubby even helped. I also helped decorate the hall and set it all up.

Here are the finished products.
I made them all for free....I harvested false boxwood, snowberries from around the forest by my house, I also picked purple Veronica and Bells of Ireland, and Elderberries. I thought they looked very classy and rich. I really had a good time. The party was perfect and we surprised the couple with only a few lies.

Beautiful Fall Day.

2008-10-02T12:28:00.001-07:00

It has been very beautiful here the last week or so. I sure hope it lasts. I have been working on new pics for my inspiration board. Here is a quick pic.....not done yet.

Miss shirl...

2008-09-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in awhile...just busy with life and getting used to this Blog thing. Had a good weekend. Caught up on some yard work and had a wiener roast with my boys. The weather was soo beautiful. I hope it lasts. Okay so I will try and blog more this week....

Goin Cruisin

2008-09-22T20:59:00.001-07:00

Aloha!
We are on our way to Vancouver tomorrow to board the "Carnival Spirit" and sailing to Hawaii. We will be on board for 12 days. Can't wait!
I have been busy deciding on what to pack. Do you know how hard that is? Your suitcases have to be no more that 24 inches wide and 16 inch high. That isn't very big for all MY clothes...that isn't saying anything about Ron's stuff. Shoes alone need their own suitcase. Everyone tells me that you don't need very much...but we will be gone 12 days! Hey I need a lot of clothes. Then you have the "formal" dinners...that takes another whole suitcase. I know I'm probably panicking about it all, but what "if"? I tend to spill stuff on myself, I'm well known for my displays of what I ate during the day. I can't help it...lets just say I'm well endowed. I can't see my plate and well things tend to fall there...k...I'm sure some one understands. So I have to have a lot of back up tops and lots of stain remover. Life isn't easy at times....sigh
So my suitcases are pretty well done. Just a few last minute things to do. Had sort of a panic awhile back as we couldn't find our tickets. Found them "under" the almost filled suitcase. I'm sure we will relax tomorrow and just enjoy ourselves.
Although they are saying it might snow on the higher elevations. We are going through Manning Park and it is high... another thing to worry about. My sister Sharon (an herbalist) made me some Anti Anxiety medicine....don't know what is in it and don't want to know...but it sure works. Maybe I will take that before leaving tomorrow. Will have to make sure I leave it in the car in Vancouver, don't think it would make it past the drug sniffing dogs. That or maybe a beer or two...that always seems to work on me. Beer for breakfast, yum. Good start for a holiday.
Wish my family was all coming with us. Pati would love it! I will make sure I take tons of pictures and share them with everyone.

Here is our ship in Vancouver BC

Some fun facts of the Carnival Spirit

length 963 feet
88,500 Tons
speed 22 knots
2,124 passengers
930 crew
12 elevators
4 swimming pools
Nationality of Officers "Italian"....oh ya!

Yes Pati!

2008-09-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yes Pati....I have been well sort of busy. I did my laundry and packed yesterday...wow huh? Still haven't touched the lawns. I'm getting to them today. After I have to go up town and pay bills and get travelers cheques. As some of you may not know...I'm cruising to Hawaii...YES!!! 5 more sleeps until we head out to Vancouver. I'm excited, scared, do I have enough clothes?, wish I could lose about 50 pounds..... you know how it goes.
Ron and I did go to Osoyoos on Tuesday and visited the Osoyoos Art Gallery. My friend Barb Hofer (who her and her husband are cruising with us) is a wonderful talented painter and had a show with another lady who makes beautiful pottery. The gallery was very nice and very beautifully laid out. I got to pick a pottery piece for making all the posters for the show. That was really fun. I picked out a simple green dish. One that I can use and not put on a shelf somewhere.

The Red Bridge by Barb Hofer

See those roses? They are from my garden....Barb is the one in the middle.

My life avoiding... mowing lawns.

2008-09-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

So here I sit, well I guess it was lunch time... an hour ago...EEP. I felt like playing and taking pictures so I kind of got side tracked I guess. I should be finishing my mowing and I also have been putting off weed whacking. (that is a weird term isn't it?) But it's something I have to do regularly and I love me a power tool! Usually though my arm wants to fall off, and if I need to go anywhere I am usually covered in tiny green bits...Ahhh the glamorous life I lead. I also wanted to bring up the fact that I have now out posted Shirley in this blog!!!! HELLLLOOOO SHIRLEY what the hell are you doing???? I know, I know you are also mowing lawns....excuse me but I do have a whole half an acre more that you ....and I'm sitting here playing and blogging away.!! Is your husband home??.....Maybe thats it??? Okay well we are doing this together remember, and you have three or more to do to catch up. Maybe I will sit here and wait and play McNopoly on Facebook...

2008-09-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

I want to say Happy Birthday to Debi! Went and had a great time at her parents house. I had cake and coffee and felt like part of the family. Was so nice.
So I just want to mention that Debi recently had a cat go missing...and so my thought are with her and hope "Baby Girl" comes home.....Debi is a lover of all animals and her home is filled with three dogs and four cats ...Oh and two horses!!
On another note...I canned my tomatoes today. Whoohoo. I got fourteen 1 litres and six 250ml jars filled and canned. The process went really fast...Thanks Mom for helping scald and peel all those tomatoes for me!! Haha. It was also a beautiful day here. The sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky. Tomorrow it is back to mowing lawns and cleaning out flower beds. I am looking forward to another beautiful day.

My weekend

2008-09-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

HI everyone! I had a great weekend in Keremeos. Our visit was not long enough, but Shirley and I had a great Saturday cruising around in her Element. We first visited her friend Peggy ("Hi"Peggy) We saw all her beautiful flowers, gardens, and of course her fruit trees. It was a great time taking pictures. I think I managed to take over a hundred at her place!! She also gave me a sun warmed peach right off the tree.... it was soo good. Then we hit a few fruit stands and managed to fit in coffee and an icecream. Yummm. Then we went to the river and looked for rocks and took a few pictures there too. Was so beautiful. So was a great weekend. It's so nice visiting my sister...can I say that she is a great host! Her husband Ron is always up for a good laugh and also deep conversations...which I like. Also she is on the same page as me as far as having good coffee and sitting outside and taking it easy in the morning. Her breakfasts are always hearty and my husband gets spoiled there.
Our drive home was good too and we toured around Princeton and Merritt and took all the back routes home. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the scenery was breath taking. I just wish my husband wouldn't drive like he was in a Nascar race....I don't know why he thinks we have to pass everything our way??. Oh well we made it home in one piece and already I am back to the same old routine. Mowed lawns today and caught up on laundry. Tomorrow it is canning tomatoes from Peggy's.....

My Sister is Coming to Visit!

2008-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! It must of been all the talk of canning tomatoes...now she wants to come to the big Village of Keremeos and buy tomatoes....well I know where to get them.
We will go to all the fruit stands and check out all the produce. They all are filled to the brim with every thing, from apples to zucchini. We will go and visit my friend and check out her beautiful gardens and their fields of produce. We will walk by the river and take pictures, while her husband pans for gold. Hope we have enough time to do it all....there are a lot of fruit stands and a lot of river to pan.
First however I have ONE day to prepare for my sister visit. Oh no! my house is upside down, my gardens are weedy. First I think is put away all the canning, it is still sitting on my cupboards. Five hundred trips down the stairs to the canning room. Then it is vacuuming, dusting, changing beds, laundry, should get some groceries...... wonder if I have enough day. Oh ya...the my garden club has a garden tour this afternoon also. I wonderful garden full of dahlia's....will remember to be sure my camera is ready for that.
Well better get my bum in gear instead of sitting here checking out the blogs....work to do and no time to dilly daddle. (is that a word?)

2008-09-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Pictures I took the other day. Hope you like?
So we are off to Keremeos tomorrow..Ya just to get away. Will be visiting Shirley and enjoying the weather. Want to get some tomatoes and corn and tour around the fruit stands. I will see you on Monday with some pictures. Have a good weekend.

Tomatoed Out!

2008-09-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here I sit at midnight waiting for the last of my tomato juice to process. Okay, I lied it is only 10:45...but it feels like midnight. It has been a very tomatoey week for me.
Made 15 pints of salsa, some mild some hot. Today was 200 pounds of tomatoes made into juice. Nice to have a friend who has tomato fields...and an endless supply of tomatoes. But I don't think we're to excited if we "ever" see another tomato for awhile.
My gardens are a mess, my poor lawns never get mowed. It is "canning" season and every jar must be filled!!!!
On to the next project....hmmmm lets see, always wanted to do some peach salsa. At least it isn't tomatoes!!!!

Playing

2008-09-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

I Sewed today, on my breaks I would play with Microsoft digital image pro. Here are some I did, I thought they turned out cool. I also started sewing a messenger bag for my son. Have the handles yet to attach. Hope you like>?? I also made homemade won ton soup...that blows any restaurants to shame....was yummy.

I have been busy.

2008-09-08T23:56:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't been writing much on here.....simply because I have been busy. Also I just didn't know what to write. The big sis' has been bugging me about it too, and I felt blocked.

So I have been working on my guest bedroom. Kind of anyways. I told you about the dresser and headboard my twin sister gave me...well I have been painting that. I have a few pics to post for you.

So now I just have to figure out what to do with the room. I was thinking all white? Maybe a funky pattern on the pillows. I have all these ideas swarming in my head. Okay so I will keep you posted. I will also try to write a bit everyday.

These are the before and after pictures as well as some inspirational ones for you. I would have them in better order if I knew what I was doing. AArrgh!

Getting Dressed in the Mornings

2008-08-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Talking about getting nothing done all day.....let me tell you about me. I have a problem with not getting dressed right away...I've tried all kinds of things, like "being dressed before 11am" or "No coffee until your showered and dressed".....does it work? No! Why? I don't know...I get caught up with drinking coffee, playing games on the computer, talking to Pati on MSN..... Of course I get caught every now and then. Like today it is 11am and yes not dressed or showered. I get on to the computer, just to check my mail, but "hey" Sears sent a special sale! Coooool So there I am going through all the Sears stuff wondering if the next one will be "just what I need".....ding dong....OH NO! someone is at the door....I'm in my night gown, no housecoat, my house is a mess, and I don't know who it is???? So I run to my bedroom, and peek out of the window to see who it is. OH it is my friend...yes I want to see her, but she really teases me about not being dressed. She is a person who gets up at 5am, gets dressed and gets to work. Darn!....well I can't ignore her, she knows I'm home. So I grab a house coat and yell...COMING! She is at the door smug...knowing that I wouldn't be dressed. Ha! She tells me....was thinking of bringing my housecoat and wearing it to make you feel better...haha....she's so funny. What are friends for? Just love her to bits! So I will try harder to be dressed before 11am, I will get my act in gear and do something "before" getting on the computer. Ya right....we will see.

I had such plans

2008-08-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well today I had high hopes. I woke up and had my coffee, started cleaning my kitchen. I even sprayed down my poor oven with cleaner... to do later. I had this idea that if i got it all done I could start painting. You see I got a really cool headboard from my sister Penny, and I have been slowly thinking about what color to paint it....I will use it in my guest room. I hauled the headboard down the stairs and set it against my wall in my dining room. First step done. Then I decided...Oh I should make a photo collage of how I want the room to look...Ya a kind of idea page!!....oh cool!..So get the camera...."click click" . Okay now some of the guest room, ..Oh some of the art that will hang in there too...."click click". Okay , that's done, now go upload them and make a new file..call it "guest room ideas" ...ya cool. That's when my day started to go down hill. SIGH....I mean how hard can it be to make a photo collage?? Open a new file and paste a few bloody pictures in it right? Well ya if you are familiar with your program and know what you are doing!! So I struggled and time just flew by, and soon it was lunch....So I had lunch. Then I saw my flowers needed water outside. Okay did that. Then I saw a plant that had fallen off my deck and the pot had broke...Okay do that. Done. Phone rings, it's the brother in law. "Do I have any left over tiles" he asks.."I'm redoing behind my wood stove". Why of course I do and you can have them......Okay, he comes over but not before I have to frantically clean up all the rotten Saskatoons that have fallen all over the bricks in front of my shed(where the tiles are).....AARRGGHH....Okay DONE!! Back to the computer. Well thats how it went all day....One of my sisters came and visited me....Husband came home from work...then it's supper...WTF? The day just flew bye and I still don't have my headboard painted...and I still don't have anything to show as an "Idea collage".....god and here I sit feeling like I am a total misfit...I mean other people seem to get so much done in a day and I can't even paint a simple headboard! Oh well I guess I did clean my oven, reconnected to a sister I hadn't seen in awhile, saw my Brother in law, and had a good supper with my boys....I guess its not what I didn't do ...but what I did do that matters. I had a good day even if it wasn't what I had planned.

2008-08-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

The water was so clear you could see fish they were jumping all over the place

Summer is almost over!

2008-08-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today I realized that I haven't taken pictures of my gardens this summer. I usually have a whole collection of flowers and garden pictures that I use for reference and maybe to paint one day. Summer is almost over and I need to smarten up. What did I do all summer? Didn't it seem to start and then it was over? I didn't go to the river for a swim, I don't have pictures of my flowers, I didn't get my summer chores done, like clean under the deck, or clean the car port. It's sad that summer is almost gone. Maybe it was the cooler weather. Usually we have to many days of hot hot weather, so hot that you can't move. Days of getting up at 5am and working in the gardens because it is impossible to function in the afternoons. Having suppers on the deck when the sun goes down, cooking "everything" on the bbq because you don't dare turn on your oven. Mowing lawns in the evenings until it is to dark to see and your neighbours are staring at you thinking...."What is that crazy women doing now?" So today I'm going to the river.....and taking pictures!

First Blog

2008-08-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

Okay someone has to start…. I guess it is me.

Living in Keremeos is mostly wonderful. It is a hot place…except for this year. Seems to be more rain than usual. It is a great grow “anything” area and things grow in leaps and bounds.
We have more fruit stands that you can shake a stick at. In fact were known as the “Fruit Stand Capital of Canada” Something to be real proud of…..ya think?
Anyway, everyone here either has an orchard or at least a few fruit trees.
When we first moved here, we were so excited to own two peach trees, a apricot tree, apple tree, two plum trees. That is until they started producing. What the hell do you do with 50 tons of fruit? You can only make so much jam and canned fruit.
At least I can say my compost is well fed. I don’t feel guilty putting all my extra fruit in the compost. My worms are very happy worms and make beautiful compost for me.
I have a neighbour who leans over the fence and says things like…. ”Your fruit is falling on the ground” or “ looks like you peaches are almost ready” or “ I have a bucket if you need it?” or “Sure do enjoy those plums”… Hmmm. Think they would like some????
Being me, stubborn, I just pick them up and give them to my worms. I don’t know…I guess I’m mean. I do give my neighbours fruit, but hey, sometimes I get mad at people who are moochers. Why don’t you have any fruit trees? I guess my neighbours are the only people in this town who DON’T own a tree. They do have a huge vegetable garden though. Don’t seem to share very much. Maybe if I bring my bucket over and say “sure do love fresh pea’s”

Talking about peaches. We were a bit late picking them this year. Most had fallen off the tree (even with the neighbours pointing that out to us). Birds, wasps, and ants ate a fair bit. We did have enough to make a few jars of canned fruit. The rest went to my wonderful worms living in my compost… at least the worms are happy.

Okay I went out to my compost bin to take pictures of my worms….ya pictures of worms.
My pitch fork broke, my camera ran out of batteries. So all you get is a picture of my canned peaches. Not as cool as a bunch of squiggly happy worms.

Sorry about the different fonts....something was going wrong and guess you can't change in the middle of typing.

What is this blog thing anyways.

2008-08-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Helloooo out there....
Well, we finally did it! Our first posts! "Hi Mom". "Hi" hubby, son (maybe?), daughter... Cool we have a few readers.
So we have been talking about this for awhile now, Shirley and I. Once you start to think about actually writing a blog, your life takes on a whole new meaning. For example: Today I picked flowers for my house, and as I walked through the garden it was almost like a bad Martha Stewart show. I had this running dialog in my head. I could blog about my garden, I thought as I strolled through the flowers.....I could do a fancy little blog about picking a bouquet and how I like to us only two colors...Haha. Or that I started them all from seed, and have some witty tutorial on color theory. You see I do read alot of blogs, and mostly I am attracted to design ones. I do like to decorate but have no training in it...I do it for me. Anyways the blogs I do read tend to have youngish thirty somethings, blogging about how they have reuphostered their EBay finds in some "KWID" garden trellis fabric....God I have material envy....So I guess a part of me has blog envy. I read a blog just today in fact...it was Decor8 interviewing Ez from Creature Comforts. Great interview but they did talk about the "popularity club" of blogging and it's true I think. The ones I read they seem to be all linked to each other. Part of me wishes to be as good and as talented as them....the fact is I am insecure, and I want everyone to like me. I want to be witty and I want to have EBay finds that are cool.....So there I was, wandering in the garden not living in the moment but thinking of how I could write and sound like one of "those" bloggers. I mean Ez did have wonderful points about staying true to yourself...so I guess here I am trying to be true to myself... I am not Martha, I am not a hip, fashion wearing designer...I am me. I am trying to be okay with that, and just writing from my heart. It took me so long to write this first post just for the fact that my Header had to at least look like I know how to use Photoshop.....gaaaaak Just ask Shirley....(yes my older sister does ride my ass). She knows me more than I do myself sometimes and pointed out I had to have it "perfect". Ya I feel I do, but I'm going to really try to just be me. If any of my sheshepoopoo bloggers ever do say HI I will try to respond as an equal....as just me............... and scream and dance and fall down crying.....
Ok I am now done. My heart is beating fast!!!. All I have to do is hit PUBLISH POST....Okay maybe I should reread it again......I didn't do this in "word" and then paste it in here...Like Shirrleeyyy..... Oh well here it is ...spelling and punctuation mistakes and all....

Under construction

2008-08-14T14:18:00.001-07:00

still working on this...