IT DOESN"T TAKE MUCH....

Every time we return to the former house, we find dirty clothes! So, my new washer and dryer have been getting a real work out! It is one of these new front loading kinds, and so far, it seems to be working well. I never seem to see any water in the clothes, however...so I'm not sure what it uses!

Today, Adam came by and visited with Alex for a while, then I heard him call me from the other room. "Mom, have you watched this washing machine work?" he said. As a matter of fact, I had not. I just throw my clothes in and leave...believing it will do what it says it will do! But, I got up and went into the laundry room. There, sitting on a step stool right in front of the washing machine, sat my 33 year old son. Head in hands, he was watching the washer as it went through the cycles. I laughed and asked him if he knew how he looked sitting there in front of a washing machine fascinated by its operation. He laughed and said that he had just never seen one like this before. Then he began to tell me the things he had observed sitting there...and I found my self getting pulled into this show in the laundry room. Yes, I pulled me up a stool, too, and together we sat there amazed at how this thing was cleaning with so little water! It turns one way and stops and then turns the other. He discovered that the timer that sets at the beginning of the load, does not just count down. It adds minutes sometimes, too. Why do you suppose it does this? Do you think it senses the clothes are not clean enough? And how does it know this? I suppose it must be like those electric blankets that 'sense' when you are warm enough and then turns itself down. That kind of thing just rattles my chain. I know when I am warm enough and I think I know when my clothes are clean enough. Or maybe I just always thought they were.

Oh, well, this is waaaaay more thought than I ever wanted to be giving laundry today. But, the point of this post is not what the new washer and dryer can do. It cleans and dries clothes...that is enough for me to know. But, this boy of mine...the one who is most like me...has my temperament...and my eye for the unusual. (Yes, there are some 'not so great' qualities he got from me, too...but, let's just not think about that. M'K?) He took the time today to sit and marvel at the intricate working of a machine. Something about that fascinated him. Something about the workings of it intrigued him. And, I am proud as can be to say that he took the time to sit right there and marvel at it for a little while. Don't we all get so caught up in our busy-ness that we have little time left for WONDER? Do we just let it all pass us by, and accept that it is something new...but, forget to marvel at the minds of men and women who continually reinvent the products we use?
Do we think we will seem 'childish' if we express that wonder?

Well, Adam, never, never, NEVER lose the sense of wonder! It will keep your mind alive...it will make your soul sing...and it will bring a smile to your face. Thanks for reminding me of that today.
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EDITED TO ADD: My sweet DIL just told me that this washer 'knows' that the soap is not out of the clothes and that is why it adds more time. Maybe I am using too much detergent. Thanks, Suze!

YEAH FOR YELLOW !

Do you want to repaint your living room or kitchen this new year? According to Pantone, the company that aids designers by predicting future color trends, yellow is to be the big color for 2009. “I think it’s just the most wonderful symbolic color of the future,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It’s invariably connected to warmth, sunshine and cheer — all the good things we’re in dire need of right now.”
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And here I sit...less than 2 weeks in my new home and not a 'yellow thing' in sight! I'm behind before I even get started! :) That's just fine with me though. The home we just moved from, had a bright, yellow kitchen and grandroom. So, I guess that kinda makes me 'ahead of my time', huh?

JOY OF MOVING....Part 4

Here is sit in my studio at 4:22 this morning...Jan 2. It still does not feel comforable to sleep here. Many strange noises and sounds. Also, I find myself waking up and following a path to the bthroom that I would have taken before we moved. I am ending up out in the hall befor I wake up and realize I am quickly becoming senile!

I am very, very happy with my house. It is quickly becoming a home...as I lay in the treasures I have collected through the years. My BFF, Shirley, came over on Sunday fternoon and stayed until Wednesday morning! She lives to have a project! And this was one more project. She can do more that 10 other mere mortals ever thought about doing! She started on my studio shelves soon after arriving, Tina came over, and befor the night was done...so was the studio!! It looks wonderful! It looks fantastic! It looks terrific!








The next morning, Monday, Tina had taken off the whole day, so they had as their mission the Sheep Suite! I have always adored sheep, and have collected some very nice ones through thee years. This guest bedroom is where I decided they would be displayed...thus, the Sheep Suite! The banished me to jobs in other parts of the house such as sorting books in the library, and going through boxex in my closet. They had the fun part! Does this look like a place you could come and spend the night?




Then came Tuesday. Shirley was here alone, cause Tina had to go back to work. I had spent Monday evening separating all the books into categories, and labelling the artifacts to be displayed. But, I was unable to help. I had woke up feeling bad and only got worse as the day continues. So, I hit the couch in the studio. Shirley spent about 5 hours fixing the shelves in the library. They are amazing! Look!






And, in between all the big projects, we worked on the kitchen and dining room, too. Here are some pics of it:










These are NOT the chairs that will go with the table...but some we are using until we get the right ones!
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This is all I have for now...more to follow!

WELCOME 2009 !

Wishing you and yours the very best year ever in 2009! May God bless you!

JOY OF MOVING....Part 3...

We made it into the house before Christmas Day...just as our builder, Mike, promised we would. And as you well know, Christmas does not wait until you get settled and ready. So, a day or two before the final move, I brought all the Christmas gifts over to the Creek House and put them into the guest closet, so I would know exactly where they were on Christmas morning. Never mind that they were all clustered under the TV, instead of a Christmas tree...it was still Christmas!

Now, the only gift I expected from Don was...nothing. I mean, this house is all the gift I could want. And, as much as I love presents...I knew he would not get me anything else. And, that was as it should be. However, I got him a few little things, so that he would have something to do on Christmas morning as the family gathered to exchange presents.

(I must assure you...honestly...I did not expect there to be a gift...nor did I need anything else! I am not joking about this.) However...to be honest, I think this exemption should only be good for 1 year from date of First Sleep...so I should be OK for next Christmas!

Well, after we finished oohing and ahhing and looking over all our treasures...Don mumbled something about not being able to find 'my gift'. I did not believe him, and just thought he maybe felt a little guilty since I had gotten him something. I just let it slide and no more mention has been made of it till tonight.

My Partners in Crime and All Things Fun and Frivolous, Tina and Shirley, descended on the Creek House and commenced to putting it into order! All boxes were to be opened, all 'stuff' to be gone through, and what was deemed 'fitting' would be given a place to live. Don was so happy to see them, he practically kissed their feet. And, he fixed them a pizza. And, he told me to do everything they said.

My friend, Shirl, is a decorating dervish...actually, just give her a project, and she can be a dervish of any kind. It is as if she has blinders on...there is a goal, and she will see it through. PERIOD. Only stopping for occasional coffee and Diet Coke breaks. Even though Tina and I THOUGHT we had sorted through and 'let go' of lots of my stuff...Shirl thought we had only begun. Friends, I 'let go' of much, much more. Much more than I thought I would. And of things that I thought I would never let go of. Shirl has been watching Clean House...24 hours a day...preparing for this task. She kept asking me, "Do you love it?" Love is very close to LIKE in my mind...but not hers. Like was not good enough. "In the box," she would order...and I grudgingly complied. Talk about culling out! We quickly whittled down my pillow stash from 5 boxes to 1. But, I can't talk too much about that...it still hurts. I did manage to hide a few treasures back before she took them outside. But, she was as right as can be! Those are things that do not fit in the Creek House. They are things I have outgrown (decorating wise)...and I need to let go and move on. It made it much easier on Shirl as Don cheered her on from the sidelines, saying, "Go, Shirley, get rid of all of it...she doesn't need it...get it outta here." His eyes were glazed over...he was a happy man seeing all that 'stuff' going out of our house.

Now, I must be fair. Shirley knows I am a sentimental fool...and she knew there were things from family and friends I could not bear to part with. And, she was cool with that. But, she even threw away some of the things that even SHE had given to me. I tell you...she's a dervish!

Meanwhile, Don poked his head around the corner in the midst of all this glee, and said," If you see a box labeled Don's Underwear, let me know. I can't find it. Well, friends, we opened all the remaining boxes in my garage, about 10 or 12...and no underwear was ever found. He began to get desperate. "Where is my underwear? I know I packed it. And, TONJA'S CHRISTMAS GIFTS ARE WITH THEM!" Important news that caused my ears to perk right up. "We MUST find the underwear, girls!" I said. But, we didn't. And Don even went back to the other house to see if he left them there. He didn't. I am also missing a few boxes of things I can not find. But, nothing as important as the underwear.

Today, we are on a mission...my Partners in Crime and All Things Fun and Frivolous...find the underwear...and whatever else may be lurking close by! :)

JOY OF MOVING...Part 2...

THE SCENE: 4:00 AM on the first night spent in the Creek House. Tonja and Scooter are walking through the backyard...taking care of business.
THE TEMPERATURE: 38 degrees...a blizzard by South Alabama standards...
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Because I have empathy for helpless creatures, I pulled myself out of a deep sleep so that I could take Scooter out for a comfort break.

We have no fence yet. This is a source of extreme irritation to me. Why do we not have a fence when we have been building this house since February and every one involved knew we must have a fence? The builder was not responsible...and the architect was not responsible. I was not responsible...and Alex was not responsible. That leaves one other adult who was responsible. Or irresponsible, as the case may be. The logistics and other preparations for the hot tub, which this person was also responsible for, were all seen to with much haste. The fence fell by the wayside. But, I'm not bitter...much. Because, without a fence, Scooter, who was born to run, will. And, he won't stop until he's exhausted. And he may be 14 years old, but he has not slowed much. So...he has to be taken out on a leash for the time being. He has to be taken out on a leash into the deep, dark woods that is our backyard. And, especially in the middle of the night, and most all other times, actually...if Alex is not able...I am the designated leash holder.

OK, back to our story. This was the first night, and Scooter was already freaked out about being in a new place. Nothing smelled familiar to him. By the time, he and Alex were able to come over...it was already dark. So he couldn't even see where he was. I went to get him, and out we went. Of course, if you are a dog, you must be sure every inch of a new place has been sniffed before you feel comfortable enough to 'let go'. So, every inch was sniffed, with me following behind...going round and round the trees because he kept getting tangled up and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get him to go back around. And it was cold. And, I am not sure there are not bears back there yet myself. Finally, he was reassured,nature took over, and we could go back in. However, instead of following in a straight line close behind me, as any smart dog would do...he veered off to the left. I turned around just in time to see him walk right into the POOL!

OH! MY! GOODNESS! His little eyes about bugged out of his head, and his little paws were paddling for all he was worth. I was not about to jump in and get him. It was COLD...and it was the deep end! So I pulled on the leash, to aid his paddling. When he got to the edge, I had to lean down and haul him out of the pool...causing much water to adhere itself to my body...and it was COLD! Of course, what is a dog going to do when he is wet? Right...shake...and shake...and shake...all over me...because I was still holding on to the leash.

We got inside and I called Alex to get up! "Bring towels," I yelled. "Why?" he asked. Not the best time for him to go questioning his mother. "Just get towels...lots!" I yelled again. "Where are the towels?" he asked. And, I realized right then that I had no idea where the towels were. Only that they were in a box and the box was in the house...somewhere. Luckily, we found Alex's new set of towels for his bathroom. New...never been washed...not very absorbent.

Once Alex woke up well, he saw the water on the floor. "Mamma, get that water off the floor! Daddy said water will ruin them! Get it up! Wipe it up!" he cried. And, that posed a dilemma, my friends...the dog or the floor. The wet, old, smelly, cold dog...or the brand new, gleaming hardwood floors. The dog won. Quickly throwing towels over the wet floor, I started rubbing Scooter to dry him off and warm him up. Alex could still be heard, yelling, "Get the water off the floor...Don't let Daddy know they got wet. They are going to be ruined!" This is where I yelled back, "Just get yourself out of bed and come help me." And he did. He took over the dog drying duty while I went to work on the floor. I knew there was not enough water to ruin them, but Alex was about to have a coronary!

And we spent the next 30 minutes or so, furiously rubbing the dog. Bless his heart, he was still just a shivering. Finally, he crawled over to the rug and lay down and drifted off to sleep...still shivering occasionally. Alex and I sat for a few minutes on the couch, then he went back to bed. I went to the couch, and spent the next hour gazing at the trees, watching the sky turn from black to grey and finally to a cloudy white. I never did see the sun that day, and it stayed cold and damp all day.

But, it was in those moments alone, in the studio, everyone safe and sleeping, dry and warm, that I realized there will be as many memories to be made here as there were in our previous home. The place is not important...it really isn't...it's the people who we surround ourselves with that cause a place to feel homey. It is the everyday accidents and regular living that takes place, that causes a building to become a holder of memories. It is the love and care and concern for each other (and the dog), that causes a place to become warm and cozy and safe and welcoming. It is the living that turns a house into a home.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING...#50

 

First turkey cooked at the Creek House! It was yummy! And thanks to Strong Arms (Ian) for taking it out for me...and then carving it! What a son!

JOY OF MOVING....Part 1...

"LOOK!" It's here! FINALLY!"

"Careful, guys! No scratches!"

"First thing in...THE Christmas tree!"

"The first of many, many, many piles of STUFF."

"Great, great friends...with strong backs! I couldn't have done it without them! This is Patty(L) and Tina(R).

TREND ALERT

Just a quick post to let you in on a new trend...BIG earrings!!!!

JUST KIDDING! :) Just an early morning attempt at humor. These are actually 2 of the 3 mercury glass balls I received for Christmas! They were beautiful! I also received wonderful gifts from family and friends! As always, they are too generous!
We spent a quiet morning at home, then went to Joy's house for family get together! Alex was able to be with us, even though it was a big struggle!
Christmas 2008...things felt a little different this year...but a wonderful year in spite of it all.
I hope your day was as full of love as mine was!

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING...#49

MANGER
From Wikipedia,

Wooden trough
A manger is a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals (as in a stable). Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising. They are also used to feed wild animals, e.g., in nature reserves. The word comes from the French manger (meaning "to eat"), from Latin manducare (meaning "to chew").

A manger is a feed trough found in a stable. In Bible times mangers were made from clay mixed with straw or from stones held together with mud; sometimes they were carved in natural outcroppings of rock. The above photograph was made at Megiddo where this manger was used in the stables of King Ahab

"And she brought forth her firstborn, a son, and wrapped him in cloths, and laid him in a manger..." Luke 2:7

"This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger..."

Luke 2:12

"So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a manger..." Luke 2:16

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This most beautiful story of the birth of Jesus can be found in the Holy Bible, in the book of Luke, chapter 2, verses 1-20.