Setting up my Home Library

Getting all my books on computer. Using a new program, Libib.com. So far, love it. 

My Door

 Love putting new (to me) things on and taking some things off. Just switching things around. 

Good Morning !  It's still morning, I have 15 more minutes.  I have done 3 loads of laundry and hung them outside.  Made a batch of sugar cookies.  Baked 1/3 of it and froze the rest for another day.  Washed and cut up carrots and potatoes, put them in slow cooker along with chicken that I have partially fried.  Chicken being on top so juices drain over veggies.  I have also washed the dishes twice.  No dish washer here.  Not the electric kind anyway.  And I have emptied and filled the ice cube trays, also not the electric kind.  Now I don't have to worry about dinner.  (why in the world would I worry).  Later I will have to bring the laundry in the house, fold and put away.  Although I have figured that out also.  I put all shirts on hangers on the clothes line.  Button the top button and WAAALAAA, Just like they have been ironed and You just have to carry them to your closet and hang them up.  My clothes all go on a hanger.  I use the pants hangers also.  Works like a charm.
Who am I kidding, I would love to have a dryer. 

BUT it all works. I figured out a way to make it as easy as it can be.   Tootles

Old Times !

This is picture from several years ago.  Wow !  I can't believe I found it.  It was among the drafts I had saved, thank Goodness I didn't delete as I was going to do just that but decided to check it out first.  The room is totally different now.  I do like how it looks.

The Kitchen

Notice on my previous post I have a vase in the  middle of the table.  In that vase is Rosemary, lavender and sage.  I have those growing in my yard.  I do love them and would like to get more growing.  Not only to add more of these plants in various parts of my yard but also add new ones.  The smell is what grabs me.  When I walk out of a door and have an herb smell it takes me back to different times of my life.  My Grandma Shivers kitchen smelled like vanilla, fried chicken and something baking in the  oven.  It was a warm, happy, safe, loving smell that felt like it wrapped me  in sunshine.  She had a delightful laugh.  It was happy sounding and it made you smile.  I really do miss her and her kitchen.  One thing I do recall is her always wearing aprons.  You know I have started  wearing aprons myself.  You would be surprised how clean you will stay and besides once you have that apron on, then and only then do you feel professional.  Like, now you will make a delicious meal, or  dessert that no one  else will ever match.

I do like to bring  the herbs in and put them in the vase.  I never use water in the vase.  It just ends up rotting and smelling terrible.  Once they have overstayed there welcome, I crush them up on my  floor let them set around for a few minutes to  an hour then sweep them out.  It will make your  kitchen smell wonderful.  Then go get a fresh handful.

Kitchen Table

There is just something wonderful about seeing a table in the kitchen.  It's home.  It's inviting.  You want to  sit down and take a sigh of relief.  Not that you need to, no, it's not that, it's just a sign of welcome.  Welcome to my kitchen.  And if there is an offering of a cup of coffee,  cup of tea, ice tea, etc, well then, you have come to the right place.  Even if you didn't have something on your mind once you sit down with that beverage in your hand all of a sudden you are ready to spill your guts.  Well, maybe not your guts but I bet something will pop out of your mouth that you didn't even realize you wanted to talk about and believe me they want to talk about it too.  It's a feeling of companionship, belonging, knowing someone want's to hear what you have to say, maybe even your opinion on some important issue or not so important but they want to know how you feel about it.  That's a good feeling.  That's a feeling you  can't buy that's a feeling that comes from having a close family, close friends and even meeting a new friend.  You know how that is, you just seem to click and you know without a shadow of a doubt you are going to become friends, close friends.  That's what a kitchen table does not to mention the many discussions you have had about life at the table.  The, " I'm so sorry",  "I can''t believe I did that".  Or, I have some exciting news or sadly, I have some very sad news to tell .  Maybe you don't really have any good, bad or ugly news, maybe you just need the closeness of another human.  You need to hear laughter, see smiles and feel that  life is good and only going to get better.  Well, my friend this is it.  Get yourself a kitchen table and  invite people in for a cup of coffee and piece of cake and just see how you have opened up the flood gates of friendship and kinship.   Tootles

We are changing things again !

You see the cabinet straight ahead in the middle of the picture, that is going down in my new kitchen.  We call it the San Francisco as that is where we bought it.  What a day that was.  We got to go in one of the apartments with the front stairs that are really steep.  The girl was so nice and she even told us where a good place ( which was a block away around the corner ) to have lunch.  Okay back to my story......

Okay, now in the  next photo, see where the washer/dryer is, well, that is where we are putting the San Francisco !  Yes, I know we will have to make it a little bigger and the top shelf will have to be cut.

I am so excited and will keep you posted

Not going to do this today, tomorrow, as we have plans for today.  So will see you then.  I'll bring pictures !  Tootles !

It's Tomorrow !

Well, it was yesterday but I haven't started on the table.  Here is what I did.

I put a white tables cloth on the table.

Will that do ?  It looks great and besides it's not trouble at all and if you ask me it looks really good.

So do I still have to paint the table ?  I mean if I have a white table cloth on it and it was painted white you would never know it right.  So why bother with the paint.  I will just keep a table cloth on it and I could tell people that I did paint it and I just want to protect the paint.

Well, I could.  They wouldn't look, would they ?

We could try it for awhile.  OKay?  Well all righty then.

Our Home and I have a lot of work ahead of me ! I might need help, maybe. Well, for sure, I think I will. Tomorrow.

 Hello.  How are you all ?  It's a nice July day and not too hot.  I've been busy changing things around.

As you can see this is two of my 9 kitties and we love them to pieces. 
I really need to get busy as I'm going to start painting my kitchen table white but first I have to sand it.  WHY?   Why do I have to sand it.  It has a big pedestle in the middle of the table, which I love as there are no legs on the corners but there is a lot of scroll work and curves and notches.  HELP!  I don't want to do all of that.  My daughter has given me a step by step instruction sheet to go by and there is a lot to do then between times I have to let it set for like 72 hours.  What !  It will take me a month of Sunday's to get it all finished.  Oh my,  I am not looking forward to do all of that but you know I kinda said I would and  I can't very well, not do it. Can I ?  Oh, alright.  I will get started tomorrow.  That will be a good day to start, tomorrow.  I will  let you know, in fact the minute I start I will start posting.  It will be soon, well tomorrow.  Okay, see you all then.   Tootles

Flowers !

So very  pretty to look at and  take a sniff.  Nothing is sweeter.  My Jim is always bringing me flowers from all over our yard.   It allows you to bring some sunshine inside with out all the heat.

Talk about heat.  June has come into California with 100' heat.  So far it's been up to 106'.  My word, that is just too hot.  Just a week ago we had 80's, so no we do not want this heat so fast

Talk about cabin fever.  That's what you get in winter in Kansas when you are unable to get out because you are snowed in and it's not safe to be out in it nor to drive but This.  My oh my,  you can't go out because it's too hot.  CRAZY !

We went to Collins Lake a couple weeks ago fishing.  My Jim caught a perch.  They are fun to catch as they put up a pretty good fight.  He tossed him back and did get a few more bites.  Now me, I got nothing.  No bites at all.  Just wasn't my day as other people around us did and were catching some.  I don't know what they were for sure but looked pretty good size.  We will be going  back the end of this  month so hopefully our luck will be better.  Of course, I don't have to catch a fish to have a good time just enjoy fishing, especially on our houseboat.   Tootles

Kitties

Here we have Rosy (on top shelf) and Thumper (on bottom shelf. They are both girls and just as sweet as they can be.  They are sisters and are 2 of the 4 from our first litter.  We gave a boy, "Booker, and another girl, Anna to our other Granddaughters. The Mom had another litter a few months later and had 5 more.  Which we have kept all 5 and as soon as she was able we had Momma fixed. 
We do love our kitties and they are all very sweet.

Fishing !

That's what I'm talking about !!  Let's go !  I want to have a cup of coffee in one hand and the fishing pole in the other and off we go.  I love, love our houseboat.  Nothing better.  You have the best of both worlds.  You can go inside if it's to cool or your hungry or stay out and fish, fish, fish.  You stay clean and hey, have someone go in and bake a cake, or cookies.  It doesn't have to be you anyone will want to do it in the Houseboat.  My daughter-in-law, Bern made the best taco's.  All of us are telling her we want some.  Well happy fishing, camping, boating and all the ice cream cones you want at Collins Lake.  See you there.  Tootles

Reading Time

Grab a book and curl up on either couch.  We have plenty of books to choose from so get settled in and hot tea will be served. 

I have just received my first Ms Magazine.  Better late then never.  It's one of those things I have always wanted and just didn't get.  Finally I gave myself a Christmas present in November.  I have it on my phone and also in magazine form.  Yes, I do read a lot of it on my phone and I admit it's nice to read it there But I also like to have it in my hand turning pages. Feeling the paper.  Just holding it in your hand.  I'm one of those who loves the smell, feel and seeing the book on your bookshelf.  I can see a book spine on my shelf and remember the feeling I felt when I was reading it.  The joy of something happening or the sadness when something didn't.  It will take me back instantly to that moment.  Sometimes I can picture where I was at.  It's amazing when that happens.  Before you ask, Yes, I do have a kindle.  Hey, I do want to keep up and there are times and situations that the Kindle just fits.  Just not all the time.  If I'm getting a book from a favorite Author or I think this book will mean a lot to me, then it's a book I am getting to hold in my hand but if it's when you just want a good story then the Kindle is the way to go.  It is convenient while lying in bed or when you go somewhere and just can't take another suitcase for your books, then yes, Kindle it is.  It seemed like Amazon was offering you a Kindle book for .99, when you bought the hardcover.  Am I wrong ?  Because I have not had that offer lately.  Now that would have been wonderful in fact I did do it a couple of times.  Then it's like the offer disappeared never to be offered again.  What's up Amazon?  That was  pretty cool.  Now I think  they are offering the beginning of the book for 2.99.  What exactly does that mean anyway.  Obviously I did not take them up on that offer so I don't really know.  But  here is the real scoop !!!!  Read Read READ !  I don't care what form, just read.   Tootles

Isn't that a beautiful Rainbow !  It actually was taken a year ago.  The sky gave us such a good show that day I was so glad I was not driving.  I think I would have been very distracted. We went to the park to get a better view of the sky.  Beautiful 

We have had our share of rain.  This is near the end of January and we are well over what we need and there is more coming.  Yikes !
Sadly, I live where it is very very muddy.  Yes, we need some  gravel desperately.  It would be so nice.  Hopefully soon.

Today

     It's early evening.  I'm sitting in my screened in porch.  There is a pretty strong breeze out and I am loving it.  It's overcast and you can smell the rain in the air.  Oh, it is wonderful.  After last week when we soared over 100', I think it got up to 106'.  My, it was really quite horrible to say the least.  My but, now it has turned itself around and we are enjoying this lovely weather.  Oh, what a difference the weather makes.  The coolness can throw headaches out,  frowns upside down, dull eyes into bright eyes.  Eyebrows raised, smiles replacing frowns and just plain joy is shining from your smile.  Oh yes, that's how strong an effect it has on us humans.  We can be down in the dumps, fighting for a touch of human contact.  Then you look out the window and what do you see..... no blazing sun but a beautiful calm has come over your backyard.  Clouds have come in and moved the  hot sun away.  It's giving us pause.  Things  don''t seem so bad now.  Really, not that they were bad, you understand.  It's just the air is clear, the breeze has whisked  away all negative thought and replaced it with hope, joy and  dare I say a much brighter evening.  Well, let me tell you this is  quite a surprise.  This is quite unexpected but I must stop now.  I must really sit back, put my feet up and smile.  No, I know what I should do......jump up, run outside barefoot and wiggle my toes (my very pretty  toes, as I have beautiful pink polish on them) in the  green  grass.  I can just imagine the cool feeling.  Then, of course, I must hop, skip and jump around.  Swing my arms, twirl and come back around.  Oh, what a glorious day this has turned out to be.  Mother Nature  always amazes me. 

The Window

Your thoughts. Better to be looking out then in ?

Good Morning !

What !!!!!! Is on the Counter ??!!!

Just take a look at the last post !

So here we are enjoying the goodies we shouldn't have. Hey, life is too short. I have one word for you ...Moderation !

Weight Watchers Here I Come !

     Do Not Laugh !  I know, I know, how many times have I done this or something like it.  I am always thinking about my weight.  Even when I'm eating an ice cream drum stick.  I'm not kidding !  I guess I am telling on my self which I think I should do.  What's funny is I did join in the late 80's, early  90's.  I weighted 139#, no kidding.  Looking back now I think I just wanted to join a group of women.  It was a social thing.  I was working as a Librarian in a Middle School.  Loved my job, loved all the people I worked with and heard about some of the teachers that had  joined.  Well, that is what I wanted to do.  Join !  I did manage to lose 3 or 4 pounds but now I realize it was the getting together.  The talking.  I just loved it.  I enjoy people. I know there are some people I would not care for but I'm always up for a challenge. 
      I  must explain I am not actually joining Weight Watchers.  I cannot afford it and I already have the books, and information.  I can do this.  I have already  joined a gym and am going 3 times a week.  So I am serious, really !  I just have a problem snacking.  I know all the good things to eat but when it comes to the evening I just want to eat all the yummy, delicious BAD for you food.  That's What I am dealing with right now.  I had oatmeal for breakfast with honey and almond milk.  I love healthy food and enjoy it.  In a half hour I am going to make myself a killer salad.  Everything will be healthy.  Tootles

My Time and How I Use It !

You know, sometimes you don't realize how much other people control what you do.  Your going along and making decisions not realizing those decisions are being decided from the influence of other people around you.  They don't even have to say anything it's what they don't say, their mannerism.  How they make silent jesters, that you do hear it loud and clear.  So you change what you are doing.  Cut short what you were going to do all because of those silent jesters.  After all you don't want to cause ripples.  You have been trained to keep the waters  running smooth.  You must keep that up.  I wish I could just  do what I wanted and not have this hanging over my head.  Don't get me wrong.  It's  me that isn't  being strong and that's my goal for 2015.  See how I can do these things happily and not let  other influences get in the way.  Wish me luck !  Tootles