A little woodworking progress…..

The contractor showed up on Tuesday morning and has made some  great progress on my new, beefed-up woodwork! This is a sneak preview and I will show more when the project is finally completed.

 

The original woodwork was basic builder moldings and casings. In other words- narrow. I changed out to a little wider stock and added a back band to beef it up. It has so much more presence now, and looks a lot more expensive. When you enlarge these pictures, you will see that none of the nail holes in the moldings have been filled in yet. That process will take place when all the woodwork has all been completed.

The back band is a piece of molding that fits over the corner of the casing and gives it a wider return. You may be able to see the depth of the back band on the left in this photo.

I added a rosette to the corners of the molding instead of mitering the casings at a 45 degree angle.

  Here is a shot looking into the front hallway from the great room. The baseboard moldings are now 5 inches high instead of the standard 3 inches.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope all of you have a good weekend. Mine will be spent trying to clean up a little. I have been living in chaos since the end of April when the painters showed up and disrupted our household. So, even if the furniture won’t be put back in place for a while,  a little dusting and vacuuming will make me feel better.  Hugs, Sue

A Diva's Hammer...Wielded By The Muse: They Served~A Small Poetic Tribute

After reading this, I decided to link to the Muse's post. It is a very moving tribute to all that have served our country with their service. Thank you, Muse.


A Diva's Hammer...Wielded By The Muse: They Served~A Small Poetic Tribute

Just Glad You're Home...

The Ford Motor Company pays tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces in this commercial. Although it is a bit long, it is worth watching. Thank you to all of our troops who have served or are presently serving!

Before watching this video, don't forget to turn off the volume on my Playlist.

Back in Ohio and Already Back to Thrifting…

I am so glad to be back home in Ohio after being away for a week! Dan and I flew out to Monterey to pick up his car, which he had left in the parking lot of his girlfriend’s dorm at CSUMB. With no further chance of job possibilities for him in California due to budget cuts and hiring freezes, it was time for him to return to Ohio.

He will have to continue with more schooling and a new state certification, but the economy seems to be a little more stable in Ohio, so I think his chances of getting a position here are better than in California. And heaven knows we need more police officers, what with ever increasing crime! Seems to me that this is one area that budgets should not be trimmed by the powers that be.

The trip back home took four days, traveling through ten states All of the pictures below were taken from inside a moving car, so they are a little blurry and out of focus, but you can get an idea of some of the scenery that we saw.

This is the San Louis Reservoir near Los Banos, California.

The mountains of Nevada loom in the background.

We drove on I- 40 through Arizona, where the railroad tracks often ran parallel to the highway.

The New Mexico state line showing red and green chiles on its sign. Note the NM way of spelling chiles vs. the way most of you see it spelled chilies.

We drove through a small town in Missouri called Sullivan.

This is a farm alongside I-74 in Indiana.

We never drove more than 9 hours a day and we stayed in some nice chain hotels along the way that served great hot breakfasts (that was definitely on the criteria when making advance reservations along the way! Who wants only a bagel or toast when you can have waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, or sausage with them?)

But who would’ve thunk that eating out twice every day, in addition to breakfast (plus snacks at fueling stops) could get real old real fast?

I couldn’t wait to come home to make and eat REAL food, like homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, day long -simmered spaghetti and meatball sauce, and a pork loin roast-yummmm…..

Dan’s girlfriend drove back with us and will be visiting until the first week in June. She said she never expected Ohio to be so green! It IS nice and green in the springtime here. Bet she wouldn’t be saying it was so pretty if she had to witness the snow and ice storms we get here in the winter, though!

So, after being without having my thrifting and shopping fix for eight days, I had to hit the one of my favorite little stores in Lebanon yesterday where we ventured down to the Old Shoe Factory Antique Mall. Dan and Destiny wandered around while Mr. Sullivan and I searched for bargains.

On my third pass through the store, I discovered a small metal shelf topped with a wooden piece that clearly was not original to it. It has a small circular hole drilled in the middle of it and it has hinged drop leaves on each side. It fit right onto the top opening of the shelf rack, but it wouldn’t stay put.

So I turned it over and saw that it had little brackets to hold open the drop leaves. A little light bulb went on in my head! I loosened the screws to the bars holding the leaf brackets, lifted the brackets up and over the metal bar on the shelf to hold the top in place, and voila… it stayed attached to the shelf!

I now have a cute piece of furniture that I am going to use as a server out on the patio. I plan on plugging the hole with one of those wooden plugs you get at the home store, sand it off, and re-stain it. The cost of my purchase was a mere two dollars !!! It was my one and only purchase of the day, but I think it was more than worth it, don’t you?

Wordless Wednesday - Oops…

 

It’s Wordless Wednesday again with Dixie @ French Lique, Texas  offering posters an opportunity to use their own choice of pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                       

 

If….

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

...Then you are probably “The Family Dog!”

What were you looking for? A compliment?

I received this in an e-mail last week. such silliness LOL

I'm in sunny Mariposa, California outside of Yosemite tonight- readying myself for the start of the LONG drive home tomorrow . Hope everyone is enjoying good weather like I am. I hear Ohio is getting rain, and we'll most likely hit some bad weather in tornado alley along the way.

I'm suffering from a cold that I am attributing to the germ filled air on the planes I flew on. I'm wondering now if wearing one of those blue medical masks would have helped prevent those nasty little germs from settling in my lungs?! And even in light of the swine flu epidemic, I think I would've felt a little weird sporting one of those things! So now I'm coughing; I feel like there is an anvil sitting on my chest; and I'm self-medicating with decongestants, cough syrup and cough drops . Plus, I'm getting weird little side glances from people who are probably wondering if I might potentially be infecting THEM with the pandemic flu bug.

This little health aggravation could make this trip a longer haul than I expected. That is unless the cold medicine finally kicks in and knocks me out for 4 days straight. But I'm not counting on it... Anytime a medicine warning label says it can make the user drowsy, this user ends up more on the hyper side! What gives? Well, at least I could be so hyped up with energy that I'll be able to drive 12 hours a day and get home a day ahead of schedule. I'll let you know if my speediness hurts or helps me. Because I need to stay on the good side of the law... More updates later. Sue

Dog Night at the Ice Cream Shoppe

Last week I was invited to attend Ritter’s Ice Cream Shoppe’s “Dog’s Night Out” with my friend Susie Q , her husband, Bill, her daughter, Grace, AND, of course, the dog of the hour, Kipper! I was able to retrieve a few photos from the now dead camera that will need to be replaced when I get back from California. So here are some pictures of a few dogs that were enjoying a nice spring evening of canine socialization.

While the dogs were busy romping through the patio area, the humans in our party enjoyed soft custard ice cream treats. I had a fabulous turtle sundae, as did Susie Q. Grace had some strange concoction that looked like crumbly dirt and some colorful worms. I think Bill was the only one that had a simple serving of ice cream. Even Kip partook of HIS treat- a small dish of vanilla custard and a miniature dog bone.

Kipper, anxiously awaiting his serving of ice cream.

 

 

 

This guy was HUGE…. He looked like a miniature pony as he lumbered behind his master!

 

 

This fellow had GORGEOUS blue eyes.

 

 

 

 

And this little ball of fluff struck a pose, as if to say, “I want ice cream, too, please….”

 

 

 

Do you remember the big shaggy sheep dog on the show, “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies?” Or how about the dog on “Flubber” or Tramp on “My Three Sons?” This dog would give me fits if I had to groom him!

 

 

I wanted to say, “Oh please don’t lift that back leg on me, buster!”

 

 

 

Suave dog, taking a deserved rest from socializing…..

 

 

Such sad little eyes on this beagle…

 

 

 

Remember the lab that looked like he was getting ready to lift his leg? Well, he had a penchant for sniffing other dogs’ hind quarters, too! LOL

 

The dalmation is thoroughly enjoying his dish of ice cream! And the big guy is getting a nice ear rub from an admirer.

 

 

 

You will undoubtedly get to see some professional looking photos when Kip and his Mom, Susie Q post theirs. But I hope you enjoyed viewing a few of the furry friends I got to see last Monday!

OH! This cracked me up- there was even an open invitation for anyone to witness the upcoming nuptials of 2 dogs on May 16.

The happy couple is shown here modeling their formal attire for the wedding.

Owain, a corgi, and Meeka, a shiba inu, met in doggie daycare as puppies and developed a close relationship that matured beyond puppy love. The wedding event is being sponsored by Club K-9 Doggie Daycare and the owners are hoping to raise funds for SICSA and the Humane Society through a bridal gift registry for the couple. Wedding cakes for both canines and humans will be served at the event. The couple will enjoy a complimentary 2-night honeymoon stay at the daycare center.

Love is definitely in the spring air!!!

2009 Mother of the Year Award!

It was announced tonight that I have been named “Mother of the Year.” I humbly accept this award……

Please watch this video carefully.

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

to each and everyone of you who is a Mom.

LOL I got this from a girlfriend tonight!

Thanks, Marilyn.

Project Update and Upcoming Trip…

My “simple” re-painting and remodeling job has me wishing I had never started it until later in the summer when I didn’t have a deadline. I’m flying out to California in 3 days so Dan and I can bring his car back to Ohio; and the house is still no closer to being finished than in my last post. I haven’t left the house in days except to make a quick grocery store run…

There are sheets of plywood in the openings where doors once opened up my life to the world outside. Furniture is still piled in the middle of the great room; lamps and accessories are still on the floor in the dining room, bedroom, and kitchen; and ultra-fine drywall dust just keeps settling on everything throughout the house, not just in the rooms we are working on.

I’ve always prided myself in keeping a clean and organized home a la June Cleaver, except without the apron, LOL, so this chaos is really testing me. I’ve opted not to have workmen in the house while I am gone, so the contractor won’t be back until May 21, two days after I get back from our expected 4-day long driving foray.

Mr. Sullivan won’t be making the trip- someone has stay home to work and earn the money to pay for this little remodeling job of mine! I’m sure he’ll miss his nightly home-cooked dinners and the packed lunches that I send in with him to work.  You can just call me Susie Homemaker tee hee hee.  But not having these things for a week will surely make him appreciate me all the more, don’t you think?

I’ll be buying a cheapie little camera to document my 2600-mile driving trip because my Canon conked out on me Monday night while I was taking pictures of cute little doggies with SusieQ @Rabbit Run Cottage. She offered her husband Bill’s services to help me select a new camera when I get back, Thanks, Bill.

I know you will all be busy with your own projects and endeavors for the next week, so I’m taking my laptop with me so I can keep up with you. Have a great week and don’t forget me okay?  Hugs, Sue

Mommy Wannabe...

Today is Wordless Wednesday sponsored by Dixie @ French Lique, Texas and the word of the day is "Mother." Stop on over and see what everyone else is posting.

Sorry for the grainy quality of this picture - this instant photo is old....

Coping with the Mess…

I’m trying to keep sane, what with painters and carpenters traipsing through my house leaving my house in such disarray. I don’t even want to take a picture for anyone to see, it is that disconcerting to me.

What bothers me the most is that there is STUFF everywhere- I have 2 rooms of furniture pulled away from the walls and sitting of the floor; accessories are in boxes on the floor and on tables in other rooms; and there is drywall dust EVERYWHERE!!  I’ve vacuumed the floors and tried to organize what I can, but I am just flustered as to how I am going to get through this.

How do people go through a major renovation? This is a minor remodeling job and it seems very chaotic to me. One day last week I sat and waited for one guy to show up and he didn’t. Turns out he said he did show up around 9 AM, but apparently we didn’t hear him knocking on the door. I had taken down the doorbell for the painters and hadn’t put it back up yet. My question for him should have been, “Why didn’t you use your cell phone to call me and let me know you were at the front door?”  I am used to a lot more structure and order, so this situation has me wishing that I could just twitch my nose like Samantha on Bewitched and make it all go away? Or better  yet- never to have seen workmen and just twitch it all done myself!   Wouldn’t that be fun? No cost, no  mess, no fuss. 

When I was a kid, I believed in the tooth fairy. I must have been about 5 years old the time that I left her a note and asked her to bring me something besides money for my lost tooth. I asked for a magic wand just like hers!!   I was convinced that she would leave one for me underneath my  pillow and then I could have everything I could possibly wish for when I swished it through the air.  Gee , Mom and Dad must have had a good laugh over that note when they sneaked into my bedroom that night!  When I woke up the next morning I can remember being clearly disappointed that all I had under my pillow was a  couple of coins, but guess what?  I got over it.

And so it is with my house in its current state of disarray and turmoil- I will get over it and it will get done. Except  without the magic!   

                              

~ Okay, I had just finished writing this post when I got a phone call from the painters. They will be coming back in the morning to re-paint all the rooms!  The paint is not holding up well and it has to be replaced with a different kind of product!!   AAAHHHHH….

Where’s my magic wand  or Samantha’s twitchy nose when I need them?????

Sunday Favorites and My mountain of Mole Hills

It's Sunday Favorites Time, sponsored by Chari at Happy to Design. Chari's innovative idea gives us a chance to share a previous post and offer others an opportunity to read something they might have missed the first time around. For me, as a fairly new blogger, it is a valuable tool to "put my blog out there" since only a few faithful followers know I exist out here in blogging cyberspace. Thanks, Chari! I've chosen to re-post the first in a series on my ongoing battle with what has made me the scourge of my neighborhood- the mole.

I have been invaded!!!

Moles- those furry, little, tiny-eyed creatures that burrow underneath the ground, destroy grass roots, and raise molehills, have invaded and over-run my property and are making my lawn the most unsightly yard in the neighborhood!

A little background information…….I once had one of the two most envied lawns in the neighborhood. I subscribe to a yard service that comes out 10 times during the growing season to spray for weeds and fertilize. I water the grass on a regular basis to keep it as green and it gets double-cut twice a week. It is precision edged and if a weed dares to rear its ugly head, it gets eradicated by my pulling it out and spraying a bit of weed killer in what was once its root system, just for good measure.

Yeah, I know- all you “naturalists” out there who don’t believe in chemical use for lawns are probably laughing at me and saying under your breath that I am getting my just desserts. But I hate dandelions, quack grass,thistle, thick bladed rye grass, and anything else that will make my yard look any less than a golf course! And I will do anything to help keep it looking like one.

So, back to the mole infestation…. Last fall, I was outside tending to the grass when I noticed some movement in one of the planting beds off the main sidewalk. All of a sudden, the movement stopped and a little head popped out of an opening in the mulch. It was the dreaded mole.- the bane of existence for every homeowner who attempts to have the perfect yard. If I would’ve had a tool other than the electric edger in my hand, I would’ve tried bashing it in the head, but since it had startled me, I just stared at it in horror! I ran into the garage for a shovel and returned to the bed to try and find the little creature.

What a sight I must have been for the neighbors- a wild woman screaming for that little sucker to dare look me in the eye, as I repeatedly poked the shovel in and out of the ground, hoping that I would mortally wound it. Silly me! The thing simply retreated into one of his tunnels where he laughed and plotted against me with plans to leave the mulch bed and make its way under the sidewalk into the……yes, you guessed it…..THE LAWN!!!!

You may know the saying about seeing a mouse in the house, right? You may just see ONE, but there are always more where he came from! So why did I believe that I had just one lone mole in the yard? DENIAL, that’s why! Little did I know that this creature had most likely moved in with his entire family and friends. And why they picked my yard to infest, I know not why. NO ONE else on the street has these things! I started seeing raised dirt mounds. I could follow their movement across the yard because they pushed their tunnel dirt up toward the surface of the ground. The grass started dying and dead spots appeared.

My first line of defense was to go out and buy some of those stick pinwheels that you can find in the toy stores. I had read that moles don’t like vibrations within their burrows and that these new found “tools” of mine could generate enough energy to transfer annoying vibrations into what I had come to call “the tunnels of destruction.”

Now if you can imagine about twenty or so of these whirling durbishes scattered throughout my front yard, you can see why I got funny looks from the mail carrier, the UPS man, and the many other curious people who walked past my house! I prayed for wind, (a part of nature that I never really liked before because it makes for more bad hair days than usual) so that they could start eradicating my enemy. I left the pinwheels in the yard for a couple of weeks; but to my dismay, my plan didn’t chase the moles away, I did, however, notice that they seemed to be popping their heads out of the ground a little more often-- I’m sure it was because they were mesmerized by the spinning motions of all their colorful new toys….

The moles’ actions continued throughout the growing season. I bought a liquid mole deterrent that I sprayed onto the yard. I watered it in, and the smell of the chemical was supposed to chase the moles away. I didn’t care if they went to the yard of the neighbor on the right or the neighbor on the left. All I wanted was for them to be GONE out of MY yard!

Now, if I thought the damage those little creatures had done was bad before this, the end result of the spraying was pure chaos! I think the chemical made them CRAZY! They tunneled in zig-zag patterns and were more active than they ever were before. It was like they were on drugs! I was at wits end, but I thought once winter set in, they would die from the cold and I would be free from them. Ha Ha Ha….. they continued to dig all during the winter, and have continued now into spring…….

The trails of these pests are everywhere throughout the yard. Patches of grass are greening, but the trails of dead grass from where the moles have killed the roots stand out like a sore thumb. It is time for more action and I need to formulate some sort of a plan.

I know that the only thing guaranteed to work is to pave my lawn over with concrete, which is certainly not cost effective or environmentally sound. Not to mention, simply unattractive! So I am exploring an alternate method of eradication-

POISON!!!

I’m off to the hardware store to try and find something the average homeowner can use. I will be back with an updated report as soon as I can see some sort of progress. And if I don’t, then it is going to be

ALL OUT WAR!!!