Category Archives: home

Jul24

Rusty looking water

Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008 by Dianne

I’m a bit concerned as the heavy rains caused our well water to become rusty looking. This morning it was just cloudy, so I did a little laundry. Well didn’t the rust get on my towels and undies-ugh! I guess I should have known better. I thought it would be better by later afternoon. Crossing fingers it’s ok.

I have been trying to get my living room/dining room area tidied up by sorting and moving things. I have to get realistic and get rid of more cookbooks and clipped recipes. If anyone in the US is looking for a particular cookbook, let me know. If you are willing to pay postage, I’ll send it to you. Believe me, I may have just what you are looking for!

Not feeling too great. I was sitting on the floor too much, and I can’t really do and my tummy was off a bit as it was. Right now I’m eating some yogurt in hopes I’ll feel better to make the squash frittata I was suppose to make last night. Haven’t been to the store in over a week and the guys have plowed through all the snacks. This hasn’t been the greatest week for me, and the store is a mile away.

Jun10

A little gem

Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 by Dianne

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Look what I found in the kitchen garden window last night:

Brian had given me this orchid a few years ago. I think it’s bloomed at least 4 times now. It must really like the window. I don’t give it any special treatment and look at the reward I get!
This is probably the last day of the heat wave-yes! I haven’t been going out as my van needs to have the a/c recharged. Now that my brother is going to fix my mom’s car, I can ask him if he can do it soon. It must have a leak as I think this will be the third time now in less than 5 years. I need my air to function. : )
I have to keep a watch of my gum on the bottom middle as it looks inflamed. I think I hurt it with either the electric toothbrush or dental floss. I’ll have the dentist look at it if it isn’t better in a few days. I never had gingivitis and I don’t want to start getting it now. Ugh.

May19

Magical Flowers

Posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 by Dianne

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Thanks to Gary over at tribe.net for animating this for me! He’s a wonderful photographer in California and good at animation too. It’s not working unless you click on the picture-grrrr!

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Today it reached 60 and was so chilly. I went outside and ‘high tailed’ it back in again! I do have things to do inside, no problem. My allergies were in a tailspin and I saw Bri looking for Claritin. Sean cut the grass around the house for the first time in a while and Bri finished off the long part. We’re still trying to get the yard work under control. If you could see the pile of debris you would wonder where it all came from!
Tomorrow seems like it’s going to be a repeat of today. Oh, more clutter control will be under way!
Reached my ‘half’ birthday today-oh joy!

May1

It’s a favorite childhood toy party!

Posted on Thursday, May 1, 2008 by Dianne

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Thanks to Scrappy Jessi for hosting this fun event.

Ok, when I was really little I loved my Thumbelina baby doll. Here I am with her and my mom (with the funky 60s do with the faux braid and me still parting my hair on the left!)

And here she is about 41 years later, a little worse for wear:

The poor thing needs a good scrub, which I will try to do if I think about it, but I should ‘honor’ her presence, since I have had her this long. I had cut her hair and chewed on her fingers back then. She’s been through a lot with me.

Here is a photo of my brother and I at Christmas playing with our Flintstone building blocks. We use to fight over them:

When I was a little older, I started to love Barbie and her friends:

They could also do with a little sprucing up. Poor Barbie’s fanny is peeking out of the lace in the back! I also have my original case and a few others dolls (somewhere). And I do have some newer collector’s Barbies in the guest room. I was wise and kept most of them in their boxes. My favorite-the Van Gogh Sunflower Barbie and the Vera Wang bride.

I also loved my coloring books, crayons, markers, drawing pads, chalk boards, books, Silly Putty, Fuzzy Wuzzy soap, Lite Brite, Spirograph, play dough, two wheeler bike with the banana seat and monkey bars, board games like Mouse Trap and Monopoly and even checkers! I could go on!

I wanted to add a few of my son (21.5 yrs old now) :

Here he is with his dad using his magna doodle board.

And here he is showing us his creation (he’s about 3 here):

And last but not least, his favorite bears Snuggle and Boo (very well loved):

Mar24

The day after Easter and Happy Birthday Brian!

Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 by Dianne

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What I made for dinner Gramma’s Pineapple side dish:

This is similar to what my late mother-in-law use to make. I believe she used bread cubes, I cut up Pepperidge Farm white bread. Can you see the butter oozing on the top there? It’s like a stuffing for ham.

I haven’t made scalloped potatoes for a while. They were pretty good, I like them a little crisper on the top. I used fresh dill and dried parsley. I kept having to ‘zap’ them in the microwave because my mom was ‘hogging’ the oven with a 12 pd ham! So this presented a problem as we couldn’t wait until 6-6:30 to eat as Brian was taking food to his dad. So we sliced some off and stuck it back in the oven for a bit. I found a meat thermometer about as old as me and it said the meat was at the right temp to eat. I thought it was ok, a little salty. Mom didn’t care for hers and said she wasn’t crazy about scalloped potatoes. Spending Easter with people over 75 is interesting. We got to the point where my uncle looked up Bentyl (the med the dr prescribed for me last week that I didn’t take) in a ‘bad pill’ book. Said not to take it! And my uncle has a habit of lighting his pipe all the time and by the time we went home, I was really stuffed up. I’m not saying I don’t like to be with mom and uncle, but old habits sure die hard. I was glad to see him chow down. Mom hardly ate anything. We did sing ‘happy birthday’ to Brian and had some cake. We will go out to dinner later. Bri’s been in a funk, not sure what’s up-work, his car, his dad? He complains about holidays being a money making thing and didn’t want anyone singing to his when it wasn’t his birthday (before went to my uncle’s house).
Back to Easter-I spent an hour or so downloading mostly Sean’s photos to a keychain for Bri’s dad:

I guess he liked it (I didn’t go to his house), but his 1989 Lincoln is probably on it’s last legs and he was worried about that.

On the home front, I picked up an African Violet sampler last night to work on for a change. I was also looking at the real violets in the window and they need repotting and trimming. Many have flowers! A few are on their last legs and I moved them to the kitchen to see if I could maybe root any of their leaves. Also on the stitching front, I was looking at my neighborhood round robin from last year and I need to add another house, so that will be fun. I do want to get it framed, so need to save up for that huge frame.

Both mom and I have goodies for Brian, mostly things he needs. Something he asked for hasn’t arrived from Amazon yet-rats! I didn’t really wrap things but may do a bit of a quick tissue paper thing in a bit. I think he threw out all my saved gift boxes anyway.

A fragrant lily Bri gave me:

Mar19

Easter already?

Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 by Dianne

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When I got up this morning I decided to eat pancakes and clean off the coffee table, but not in that particular order! In fact my house was half decorated for Easter/spring, so I decided to try and finish that up. I haven’t taken any photos yet as it’s so gloomy and I still have to do the dining room table (which is also my craft table). I told Sean his room may be my craft/guest room in the near future. He was not amused. I’d have to lose that mossy green he painted it and do some bright and cheerful color.

I’m doing a better, hence the pancake breakfast. I’m not totally 100%, but I am trying to hold back taking the medicine, but I think I will have to try one sooner or later. I was going to mix up an aloe vera juice ‘cocktail’-it’s only the concentrate and you add a swig to some kind of drink, but my frig tends to freeze stuff if you put it too close to the top vent inside. I could have indulged in a aloe vera icy, but waited until it thawed. My tummy is wondering what that stuff is, but I swear it helps!

So that’s my day so far. I have Easter candy to ship up to State College, but I keep checking to see if I can dodge the raindrops and it is pouring every time I look out the door.

I’ll have to share an awesome gift I received from Mary Beth from http://www.mbshaw.com. It was a thank you for linking to her blog which is over on the right under ‘Art Pub studios’.

Mar18

Flashback!

Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by Dianne

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My pal at tribe.net wanted to see some photos of us as teens. Ok, I can do that, but since mine are from the middle 70s, they are getting faded, so I photoshopped a bunch!

Happy July 4, 1976! Like my painter pants and the way I love the flag? I really like this photo of me as I was carefree and having fun!

Summer of 1975-Now I’m taller than mom! I did grow a bit, but she shrunk a bit too!

Happy Days was a big show back then, and the Sock Hops were popular again. I think we’re only 14 and 15 here and my mom mom is in the background.

About July or August 1979, I was about 19. Don and I were going to see James Taylor for the first time at the Mann Music Center. That same year, I went with him to see Joni Mitchell. I had that gauzy top for the longest time afterwards.

Mar2

Snaps around the house

Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008 by Dianne

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I call this the candy cane Amaryllis. I received it for Christmas from Brian and it finally bloomed! It has two stalks and 6 flowers each, though only one stalk just started to bloom.

This is a cute little ceramic piece-birds sitting along a dish which looks vintage, but it’s not (Big Lots). I just but these pretty eggs in the dish part for the time being.

Brian gave me this cloche for Christmas plus the crystal egg underneath another time!

I was browsing some old photos online and loved this one. The phrase ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bath water‘ came to mind, so I used it! (most of the words)

An ATC I made for my friend’s dad featuring a Red-breasted Nuthatch. It’s from a 62 year old Audubon bird book.

I thank another friend for sending some awesome papers which have truly inspired me! (background below). Thanks J!

Feb21

About 28 yrs old

Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2008 by Dianne

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This little guy was down the basement, covered with dust and grime! Even though he’s under glass, the fabric is showing signs of foxing. Though dirty, he made me smile. I probably stitched him back in 1980 when the Phillies won the World Series. I brought him up and cleaned him up, but I guess I should wash the fabric too. This is one of my earliest cross stitches.

And the ‘what is the world was my mom thinking’ department:

Jeepers! She bought this for herself-the squares of paper are only about 2″! I have trouble with the larger sheets of paper! I got ‘stuck’ with this, but I don’t know, I may pull my hair out if it’s too hard.

Did some cleaning as earlier mentioned (sorta), but my post nasal was miserable (I was wearing a dust mask). I also managed to disturb a large spider too! Not thrilled. I did stuff a bunch of stuff in the giveaway bag. I am finding I have too many plastic things for the kitchen (left over from the remodel almost 2 yrs ago!) like storage containers, cups with straws. Too many metal tins and Easter baskets.

Doing the above killed my back, but Tylenol, Icy Hot and finally the heating pad did their magic.

By the way, I tried to sell these on eBay, no takers-anyone need rubber stampers of animals skeletons?

These were Sean’s and he hardly used them. Let me know.

And for the ‘oh no, I thought I was through with the dentist for another 6 months’ dept-I chipped a tooth on the top right with a Necco wafer-darn! I hope I can get it fixed soon and it’s diagonal toward the gum like a sliver and I hope it won’t start to hurt.

Wish me luck. : )

Feb17

Calming activity

Posted on Sunday, February 17, 2008 by Dianne

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I woke up with a terrible ‘storm’ in my sinuses. I knew I was probably in for a few hours of torture, and I was correct. It’s almost 3 pm and I just sneezed for the first time today. It’s my fault. We pulled out three pieces of furniture in the family room yesterday (oy vay) so I could pick up coins, scissors, needles and assorted things before the rug got a thorough vacuum. Me without my dust mask. I should have know better. But at least I have my beloved Gingher scissors back!

We went to church last night as we usually do, and I noticed a familiar face a few rows up from me (when she turned to the side). Here it was a lady I graduated from high school with! I hadn’t seen her in at least 20 years, but I know that she lives in the next town over, but I’ve never seen her anywhere! She was with her brother (I’m assuming) and his family and they go to church there all the time. She was with a guy about her age. Wonder if she’s tying the knot? I know she never has. Interesting. We didn’t speak as Bri and I leave most times after Communion. How do you feel about someone using Purell right after you shake hands during mass? I smelled the stuff and it was the lady behind me! I would never do that.

~Update-after doing a wee search on Google, found out the lady above just lost her father who was from the same town as my mom! So I called my mom and she believes she remembers the man from high school as being popular in shows! Small world. Both the lady and her brother do reside in the next town.

So my calming activity-paper crafts. I think making my clipboard collage (will show) and my little ATCs, really relaxes me. Cosmo the kitty tries to help to, but I know his fur bothers me. He cuddles up on my lap several times a day. Checking out Sean’s paper about polar ice, etc. didn’t do anything for me, just make me tense. My boy is smart, but not a writer. He’s technical minded like his Uncle Dave.

My next door neighbor is cutting down two huge trees. He will have no shade in the side next to us anymore. He is getting help, but he’s my mom’s age, late 70s, so he better watch himself. Probably healthier than a mule!

Clipboard collage I painted the moon graphics with this awesome shimmery watercolor paint from ‘Five Below’ which was $1 (same as the clipboard-$1)