Category Archives: home

May11

A change in the weather

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We were enjoying the early summer like weather we had off and on until the dreaded wind decided to blow. And it blew and blew-for 3 days until it cooled it down here to 50s in the daytime and 30s and 40s at night. I held my breath in the morning when I checked what few annuals I had planted and a few looked shaky, but they seem to know it’s May and that this is just a fluke in the weather. On Saturday I was in the midst of changing out my winter to summer clothes (glad I saved a few sweaters and long pants)when I saw my patio umbrella take flight across the back yard. It was just given to us (not new) and I really like it. It was ok and I closed and tied it.
'New' umbrella
Sean had to work on Mother’s Day and Bri was feeling under the weather, so I made a yummy shrimp and roma tomato sauce for some bowtie pasta. Sean enjoyed it later. He picks out the best cards (as did his dad) and gave me a cute vase that I am using for my pencils and art supplies. Sean also took my mom and me out to dinner on Monday which was nice. I had to have terrible congestion all day into the night yesterday. I think the wind stirred up tons of pollen. Today was Bri’s terrible allergy day.
My brother is helping my mom get her bill paying in check after months of disagreements, etc. He sat down and found she wasn’t paying them at all. So now she will get them paid electronically and get an allowance. It’s a whole new world for her!
I couldn’t work outside again-I did only snip a few trees that seem to grown in my garden beds in the same exact place. I high tailed it back in as I never have a lack of anything to do here! Got my shoes changed out and most of the sweaters. It’s hard having a 50 yr old house with limited closets. I’m also going through cookbooks. Does anyone need any or have one on their wish list? Ask me and I’ll see if I have it! I am having fun trying recipes from my new Hungry Girl cookbook. Tonight we had chicken tenders dipped in a honey mustard egg mixture and then in crushed pretzels. Also made oven french fries. Both good!
We are having some cold rain fall now and tomorrow Sean is off and he may take me to Trader*Joes. May make an outing to Longwood*Gardens on Friday for their chocolate exhibit!

May3

Magenta clematis

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Magenta clematis, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

It’s a great year for Clematis! I have two of my three vines in full bloom. Heading out to take more photos to clear my head soon. I have a few big projects under way-craft stuff sorting and changing winter to summer clothes. We don’t have enough closets in this house! And I do have too many clothes. I take pretty good care of them and they don’t wear out.
I had so much stuff jammed in the corner of my dining room (my craft ‘room’, but Sean’s room will be that area someday) that I opened a tin that I thought contained pens, etc. and inside were Cmas cookies! They were 4.5 months old, but looked perfect. I was mad at the stupidity of forgetting about food I spent an hour or more making -grrr!
So there is more drama going on in my extended family-one reason I can’t seem to think straight a lot of the time. I’m going down in a few days to see what I can do, if anything. It seems nothing ever changes as some people are never happy or are very stubborn. And they need help from the entire clan. Wish me luck!
Ah-the sun!

Mar11

Sweetness

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Some new Easter finds

Bunny egg cup and Sparkle house from Cmas Tree shop. Love house by me.

Sean and I went out yesterday to see ‘Avatar’. When we got to the movies, a fire engine was out front. The place had been evacuated! There was a faulty hand dryer that set off the alarm. We decided to go to ‘The Christmas*Tree Shop’. Ever been to one? It’s like a Big*Lots and Dollar*General rolled into one-the prices are great! This isn’t a photo of what I bought, but I will share. This is a Snowbaby but as a Bunny baby with a tutu and a photo of my Grandmom Ruth when she was about 6, so about 1909. Miss her-it’s been almost 10 yrs since she passed away at age 96 1/2!
Dreary, wet weather is coming here. I can surely find plenty to do! Tomorrow I go to sign the papers for a gyn procedure that will hopefully make me feel so much better. I’m nervous, but the procedure is only 90 seconds!
We are going to Washington, DC next month around our 26th anniversary. Sean has a Geologist conference there. We still haven’t made hotel arrangements, but have to soon. We will miss the Cherry Blossom festival by a few days. Doesn’t mean they won’t be blooming when we are there. Photo opts!
Have a great Thursday and TGIF!

Mar5

Lily and Ranunculus

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Lily and Ranunculus, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I bought a bouquet a few days ago from Trader Joe’s. They have the best bouquets at pretty decent prices. The lily here smells heavenly as does the freesia. I love the ranunculus here as it looks like a rose. I had fun photographing this if you like to take a look at my photostream at Flickr by clicking my Flickr name.
Tomorrow I’m having lunch with a few h.s. friends. I so need some girl talk!

Heirloom tomatoes-also from Trader Js-yummy!

Update-my van needed it’s ABS (anti-lock brake system) adjusted in the rear as it was kicking in thinking when I slowed down it was going in a skid or something. My brother didn’t do the work and we also had it inspected. Have to keep Winnie going as she’s 14 yrs old now!

Dec12

Woodland Christmas tree 2009

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Woodland Christmas tree 2009, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Here’s our tree this year. There are mostly new ornaments on it that I got last year, even the pine cones at the bottom. It’s missing a few ornaments like icicles and maybe a few red balls or other things-yep, not really loaded done enough. I need to add something, probably an angel at the top. I just made the bow tonight-it has cardinals on it. I actually had to buy more clear lights for under the white pine cones. I guess my clears have gradually burnt out to just a few sets. I have almost every color light too! I hope I find some more cardinals too. That’s about our 5th year for this tree. It needed major ‘fluffing’ and is so easy to put up and load down. We are pretty happy with it.
We all watched ‘Up’ tonight, not a dry eye in the house. Very touching. If you haven’t rented it, you have to.

Dec11

More Decor

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Mantel in low light, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I decorated the mantel and front window. I only got around to taking a few photos of what is on the mantel. I’m not quite finished my sofa table. The tree in up but not decorated.
The manger scene was my grandfather’s and I haven’t put it up for a while. Thought I would as I’m more into vintage pieces and it’s safe up there on the mantel. I repaired and painted this before I was married, so it’s still holding up after I did that about 26 or so years later.

A collection of Nutcrackers
Grandfather's manger scene

Dec9

A little decorating underway

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Feather tree in family room, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Wow-I haven’t blogged since last Friday?!
Well I’ve busy! My brother moved on Saturday-in the rain and then snow. We were asked to finish cleaning out one bedroom. Bri and Sean moved an entertainment center, an end table and the top of a hutch (yep in a small bedroom) while I gathered up what was left. I wiped down the windowsills, helped mom clean the floors and moved what wasn’t too heavy. My brother wasn’t finally all moved in until Sunday night. He brought a Dalmation and a tuxedo kitty with him. Now there are 3 pets in the house. Mom’s been cooking a bit again too. The kitty went missing for a day and he was under a bed in a room next to my mom’s. They have a lot to go through and some appliances need fixing too.
Sean and I have been shopping too. I do most of my shopping online, but go to the nearby store to pick out clothes for my niece and nephew. I got some great prices! Also got myself two pairs of corduroys for $8.40 each and they fit perfectly!
We went to Delaware yesterday for the boring gifts-lol. Today the oven got fixed. We are questioning why they stuck $20 to the bill when they were getting like $144 for the labor. They guy was here 10 minutes. Same place that I had bank issues with as the tech ran my debit card through 3 times. Today I wrote a check! Hope we get that back.
I’m cleaning up the area for the tree that we will put up on Friday. The little feather tree is the same on I have put in our family room for a few years. Hope to make at least one ornament to add. I have one I started last year. I know stitchers who have enough ornaments for a big tree! I am decorating the fireplace mantel with my grandfather Alan’s manger set. I think it’s at least 60 years old. On the other side is my collection of nutcrackers. I just added a new small one to the collection. A few of the older ones needed a little gluing! Brian’s late mom gave most of them to us. I’ll be doing more decorating tomorrow-stay tuned!
And good luck to Sean on his interview tomorrow. It may be an internship, but let’s hope it pays.

Oct17

Photo Hunt-Anything goes

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The hubs and I had a bit of a disagreement earlier this week. I said to him a day or so after it happened, that it would have been nice to get flowers or candy to patch things up. The next day he went out in some ugly weather to present me with these (even though it was my idea). I am glad that they are for a good cause-breast cancer awareness and Research gets a cut from the sale of such marked items. I’m going for my annual visit this week and will get the orders for my mammogram which is not routine anymore since I had a biopsy a few years ago. I was good the year after, but you always get nervous, you can’t help it. Knowledge is power!

Oct7

Doing some spooky decorating

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    Here’s a peek at my mantel-not sure if everything is where I want it. I have a nice collection of ‘new’ paper mache figures that are so neat to look at-lots of black cats! I have Halloween lights strung on the mantel in shades of orange, green and purple.

    Halloween Lights on mantel
    I just found this owl trio at Tuesday Morning. There are mirrored mosaics all over them that catch the light.
    Trio of owls with mirrored mosaics
    Here’s a link to last year’s decorating. I’m not quite there yet!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Quick question-anyone ever have a mouth ulcer or lesion on the underside of your tongue? I kinda remember biting it, but now I have a 1/4″ oval lesion that looks like a sore that lost it’s scab-white around the edge. It bothered me last Friday, but I’ve been using either peroxide or a mouth rinse, so it’s not painful. I think I’ll have to get medicine for it meaning I have to go to the dentist. They need to make sure my teeth on the bottom left aren’t hitting my tongue there. It is having a hard time healing.
    Update-Thanks to Julia for your suggestion. I do eat a lot of yogurt and take Acidophilus frequently. I just never had a sore under my tongue which concerns me. I found some Peroxdyl (sp), so I will rinse with that. It does look somewhat better today.

Sep25

Spring cleaning in the fall

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We had a very unusual rainy spring and summer. Not ideal weather for hanging out comforters and curtains, so I’m doing it now. Brian’s been home this week painting with the help of Sean since he has some free time this year. The overhangs are finished and Sean is doing the front of the house now! I guess sometime in the future they will do the back and leave the high sides and parts on the roof for a handyman. The paint is a tad lighter in color, but it’s close enough as is Wally*World where it must be a stock color (I had the paint chip from last year and they had the same color this year). It looks nice and clean. I do wish I could have taken down the shutters and washed them. The painting of the front was a last minute thing. The shutters are plastic and we are afraid we may damage one and have to buy all new ones. I’ll have to go out with the Windex one of these days. I have a few cans of spray paint to do some wrought iron things, one of which was my table which Bri put away already.
I am also trying to get things together for a Holiday sale at the church in November. I found a great website where you can buy multiplies of goods. I have 48 memo books that I purchased to decorate the fronts with my collage art. I copied one I had made and my PSP7 program copied it to the size I needed. The site is called Dollardays.com. You have to register to use it. I also have religious pieces since it is a church sale-key chains and car magnets. I do want to hand make a few things too.
So that’s what I’ve been doing, despite having a few tummy issues (Sean and Brian were complaining too-I think it was the rotisserie chicken I had on Tuesday that threw us off-the smoky stuff just didn’t taste right).
My former classmates are hosting a get-together at the beach starting tonight through Sunday morning. I think 30+ are attending. I had planned to, but then Bri took a bit longer with the painting and now the Chestnut tree burrs are littering the side yard. We are having an evening get-together next month, so that sounds like one I can attend. It’s been fun getting to know almost 100 former classmates again (I was in a class of 486).