Aug25

Skeeter Heaven

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The insects have all seemed to appear within the last few weeks when it got warmer outside. I didn’t miss them one bit! I spray Off! on me, and they find the spots I missed. And don’t get me started about the weeds. I think I will do a few areas that I see all the time, like when I come out the front door-across from that and let the others go. That garden looks awesome. (I know-where’s the photo). We do need to clean out where the tomatoes were as we have some fall crops to add. I love planting seeds, so that shouldn’t be too difficult. I have some zinnias still coming up from seeds I put in a few weeks ago. I also have nasturtiums sprouting up too- I just poked the little dried ‘peas’ everywhere.
Today I went to the Social Security office with Sean so he could apply for a new card. That and his Birth Certificate went missing. I think back in 2002, they were put in an envelope when we went on the plane to Florida. Remember we had to show ID back then to fly after 9/11? I know they are around here somewhere, but he doesn’t want to dig deeper to look in his closet,etc. He already got a replacement for his B.C. It wasn’t a big deal. Glad I went as the office was stuck in a shopping center where he may have missed.
Our priest came for his bi-annual visit yesterday. He stayed 5 whole minutes. I think he was happy I had him sit in the living room so close to the door! : ) Sean was in the shower and it’s right in the hallway there (we live in a ranch style house) so I could see him when he came out wrapped in a towel-lol. He had just cut the grass. He did run out in his socks (after he got dressed!) to say hello and help Father back out on our busy road.
Here are a few photos of my parlor area:
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My little settee. Everytime I think of getting rid of it, I can’t as I thought it was so cute and the Victorian look I wanted. I have a Tiffany style floor lamp next to it I got from mail order. It’s heavy!
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I have so many collections! I still have the summer one up on the sofa table in the window. I’m getting in the fall mood though.
Guess it’s off to the store tomorrow. I have a nerve issue or pull in my left shoulder blade. It’s like when one of your fingers goes out of joint. I was sitting on the floor sorting things and I can’t do that. Or I lifted something funny-who knows? Bri is complaining about his back too. Wish we could find a chiro*practor we like and for a reasonable price.

Aug23

Tidying

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Over the last few days, I have been busy cleaning my living room or ‘parlor’ area. We rarely spend any time in there and I was starting to tuck my craft things in every nook and cranny (mostly in plastic sweater boxes). We are having our biannual visit from Father M. tomorrow and I thought I would sit him at the little settee in front of the fireplace. He can see my decorations and such there instead of making him sit on the hard bench (his choice always) in the family room. I have a few more tweaks to do, and then I’ll take a few photos.
This is something new I bought for fall decor:
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It’s an Anna*lee mouse dressed like a scarecrow. I thought it was an Indian in a previous post, but there were little Indians too. He is sitting in a ‘corn husker’ which was marked down to $5. Now this Home*Goods is a great store, but my new tablecloth- Jacquard is a second (you can see it in the photo). I wondered what was wrong with the edge and they had sewn on a piece to make it a complete circle! I should return it as the package wasn’t marked as a second, but it was only $10 and would be more trouble than it’s worth. I’ll turn it to the back and put the plastic back over it.
I have a few pieces of mail to ready for tomorrow. Have a great Sunday!

Aug21

Photo Hunter-Ripples

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Eye of the water, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

This is a water attraction at Longwood Gardens called the Eye of Water. As you can see, the water ‘ripples’ out of the iris part and flows over the blue pupil part. This photo is in mostly the shade. People toss coins on it too.
I have to chuckle as the sign says -‘rippleless’ when you can clearly see ripples. Maybe because it’s 41 yrs old. : )

Eye of Water and sign

Aug21

Show and Tell-My favorite Christmas decoration

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I shouldn’t say just Christmas decoration as it’s up all year ’round as I need to take it down, dust it off and look at it once in a while. It’s definitely reminds me of a Tim Burton movie. When I was young, I use to draw intricate houses for say, mice in a tree, with all the rooms and things. This reminded me of my youth a bit. And to see that it retailed for $68(Dept*56) and I only paid $14.99 at Home*Goods, well that was a treat in itself! The moon even lights up!
My favorite Christmas decoration-close-up of Santa

My favorite Christmas decoration-close-up of fireplace

Aug20

Thursday Thunkettes

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1. Your thoughts on hunting?
Personally, I’d only do it if I was starving, but not for sport.

2. Swine Flu vaccine… will you get it?
I heard it’s in 3 doses. Gee, I don’t know. I got the other flu shot last year and felt better during the winter.

3. What is one job/profession that you think there are just too many of?
There seems to be a bank on every corner here, do I’ll say bank teller. : )

4. I want to go on a diet, what advice will you offer me? I was reading up on Acai-the berry I think from Venezuela. Read it was like crack for fat people (the pill I ordered on e*Vitamins). This particular pill had 50 mg of caffeine, so maybe that’s what is making the woman feel that way. Anyway, read that Rachael*Ray did the cleanse and lost a ton of weight. I’ll try the crack pill first-lol

5. You are going out on a date with someone for the very first time. When you get into their car, you see a box of condoms on the floor. What do you do?
If I was a young’un, I would think he’s putting the horse before the cart. Not sure if I would have gone on the date.
6. Name something in your bathroom that shouldn’t be there.
Can’t think of anything except like a cardboard heart shaped box that matched the border paper-it is holding soap I think.

7. What was your Kindergarten teacher like?
Mrs. Davis-dark-haired, horn rimmed glasses, very nice. It was over 40 yrs ago, so my memory is fading. I am pals with a gal from that class though.

8. What kind of oil do you use when you cook? EVOO almost all the time-extra virgin olive oil.

9. If someone takes an unflattering picture of you and posts it online, do you beg them to take it down or do you laugh at yourself with everyone else?
Depends on how bad. There are a few on Face*book. My son took one of me on the beach and my hair is a mess, but I have a shirt over my bathing suit-whew.

10. What brand of dishwashing soap do you use?
I think Dawn is the best.
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The air conditioner is recharged in my van thanks to my brother. He thinks it has a leak in the dashboard. I asked him how it ran and he said ‘okay’. It’s going on 14 yrs old. Can’t do anything about a newer vehicle until Sean starts paying back his own loans.
We hit Home*Goods-lots of goodies for fall and Halloween. I got a cute Anna*lee Mouse dressed like an Indian, a mosaic hummingbird you hang and the wings move, some Autumn sprinkles-orange, brown, yellow for cupcakes and a new table cloth.

Aug19

Pickle Power!

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We’re having a warm and sticky week. I go sit outside for about 10 minutes and come back in to the a/c. Since the tomatoes went bust, we have been lucky to get the cherry and grape ones, but the cucumbers really took off. Yesterday I made refrigerator pickles with about 7 cups of sliced cukes, vinegar, sugar, salt,chopped onion and dillweed. Needless to say, the guys have been dipping into the container a few times. They are really easy to make!
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One of big hibiscus flowers (I grew the plants from seed about 4 yrs ago) broke off, so I brought it in. The deer usually make a meal out of these, but I have some blooming this year.
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Today I was tidying up my living room area as that is where I will sit the priest when he visits on Monday as we hardly use this area. My craft stuff is tucked in every nook and cranny since I have so much of it now. Yes, I will downsize and keep things I really like (one of these days).
My brother is working on the air in my van. I just can’t drive with the windows open. My class is having a get-together at the beach at the end of September and Brian said we could attend. It’s in Ocean City, but I’d like to find a room in Cape May and drive over to the get-together. When we were there last week, it was a tease for mom and me as we hardly saw anything as it started to rain and we had to leave.
Guess I’ll be headed to my hometown tomorrow to get my van. Hope the weather holds out. We lost power for two hours last night from mostly gusty winds. That makes 12 hours without power in the last month.

Aug16

Stitch by Stitch sign in Cape May

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For all my fellow stitchers-indeed!
Lee over at Lake Stitcher mentioned this store and of course it was one of the first places I snooped out when we were in Cape May last week! I didn’t photograph the store, it was tiny, jammed packed and the walls were covered with finished pieces. I had my mom with me. You know I worry about what she can possibly do with the condition of her eyesight. She picked up a chart with about 20 color changes per line that I wouldn’t even tackle! I found a blackwork of some of the Victorians in tiny form and she said she wanted it too. I told her to save her money and I would lend it to her. I also bought a kitty kit over one of the newer The Prairie*Schoolers. How can they sell the leaflets for over $9 now??-I got the kit with the fabric, design and floss for the same price. I’ll share what it is when I find it. ; )
The building you see in the background are retirement apts. Can you imagine living a few blocks from the beach and across the street from a cross stitch store? The only thing it is missing is a place to garden, but I didn’t see the entire place.
I haven’t done that much cross stitch lately. I’ve been pretty steady with it for over 10 years and I have found other hobbies with the satisfaction of completing things in a shorter amount of time and being able to swap them with others. I still love cross stitch, but I want to finish one thing before starting another. I really need to go through my 2 crates, big plastic box and library of books and downsize. That may be my project for the cooler months.
It’s a sizzler here-haven’t been out today yet!
Tomorrow, hopefully my brother will look at the a/c in my van and also check out the transmission which seems to slip once in a while. I’m also getting my hair done by his wifey, so I hope he can help me out. I have to get her birthday things together. She’s only turning 39!
Stay cool!

Aug14

Show & Tell

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This was an experiment with some sprouting potatoes I had called Fingerlings. I had a little room in my veggie patch and they came up and flowered. My Farmer’s Almanac calendar said to dig them up 3 weeks after they flowered which I did today and got over 3 pds of potatoes!
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I picked about a dozen green tomatoes and Brian had to pull them out today. They got the tomato blight that went around this year. I put some in a brown paper bag and the others I left out and made some green fried tomatoes for dinner.
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We have been enjoying zucchini, grape and cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, some green beans, basil and fennel. So all is not lost.