I'm moving...

If you want to follow me to my new space, it's HERE.

Office Redo

I have started redoing our home (Lord, help me!) room by room. This month I started on Hubby's office. I didn't take a true "before" picture because I wasn't thinking about it, but this is how it looks at the moment. Forgive the crappy photos and the mess (it was much, much worse!).

We ordered new carpet and are waiting for it to be installed and in the bottom photo, you can see that I was playing around with the paint. I painted a swatch on the wall of the color Hubby choose and didn't like it so I played around with a couple of glazing techniques, but in the end, I started liking what he originally picked out. The desk in the bottom photo is staying. I picked it up at a moving sale last year to replace the monstrosity that you can somewhat see in the first and second pictures. Hubby had that poor desk for years before we met and it made 2 moves with us. When we moved into the house we have now, Hubby had to screw it together in key places in order for it to stay together. I finally decided that he deserved a new desk and was thankful when I found the "new to us" one.

That bookcase standing there in the corner, which is still holding the Harry Potter series and a few odds and ends, yes, that one, I kid you not, I took off 2 plastic containers worth of books and "stuff" and that doesn't include all the Consumer Reports magazines (2003-2008) and crap that ended up in the garbage (yes, the CR mags went into the garbage too). I'm not telling Hubby that I threw them away or anything else! I promise you he won't miss any of it!

I'm picking up the paint tomorrow and I'll start painting on Friday. I want to have it all painted BEFORE the new carpet is installed, that way I don't have to worry about getting paint on it.

I'll post more pics when it's painted and the carpet is installed. Pray for me!

Friends uplift the soul

When did I get a social life? In high school, I didn't go to town every weekend and cruise with my friends. In college, I didn't have dates. During my first marriage, I had my ex-husband's family and very few friends. But today, my friend Lisa called me and had a list of things she wanted to invite me to! Now, don't get me wrong, I've had invites from friends before, but this afternoon, as I was telling Hubby about her call, he said to me, "You're quite the social butterfly, aren't you?". I stopped. And then I thought. In the past year, I have had to actually start using my "calendar" feature on my iPod Touch in order to keep up with everything I'm involved in. Every time someone calls me and inquires about a certain date, I have to say, "Let me get my calendar."

So, what's changed? In all honesty, not too much, but on the other hand, a lot. And I have to give Lisa quite a bit of the credit. Her infectious enthusiasm for life has changed me. She and I have started a twice-a-month knitting group at the local quilt shop that I frequent. I have invested in a line of yarn, in said quilt shop, and my little side business is doing pretty well (the cooler weather is helping). And another friend and I are in the process of setting up a retreat for a group of women, us included, that sew/quilt/knit together on a regular basis.

Just a few short years ago, I was very depressed. Hubby worried about me and I was even worried for myself. After infertility treatments, a failed adoption and turning 40 (my self-imposed cut-off age for having kids), I was a mess. The quilt shop saved me! And I mean that literally. This awesome group of women embraced me and included me and pulled me out of my depression. I found my niche. Now, again, someone has come into my life and has pushed (pulled) me into not just participating in my life, but actively living it. Oh, what a feeling!

Good news/Bad news

Good news:
Hubs found a new job! Yay!! He will be a state nursing home auditor. He starts his training a week from Monday. It's a traveling job, but I'm actually looking forward to him being out of the house since he's been home 24/7 for the past year.

Bad news:
Step-daughter is engaged. This would fall into the "Good news" category if she wasn't engaged to "The Jacka$$".

Good news:
I've started selling yarn in the local quilt shop that I go to. The summer was kinda slow, but now that it's starting to cool off, sales have picked up and I start teaching knitting classes this weekend.

Bad news:
Our AC quit last Saturday. The compressor went out and it looks like it's going to be an expensive fix.

Good news:
Even though our AC went out, it happened on the last hot day we've had and this whole week we've been able to open the windows and use the attic fan.

I'm looking forward to our library knitting group tomorrow. I get to see my friend, Lisa, and she always cracks me up. She's a new friend and I have to say, she makes me smile just thinking about her. She's a hoot-and-a-half and a truly amazing woman. She has a blog here. Give her a visit. She'll appreciate it.

What I've been up to...September 2010

So here is part one of my update on what I've been up to for the past 18 (or so) months. Let's flash back to September 2010.

My Uncle Doyle (my Mom's last living brother) passed away in September of last year. He and my Aunt Jean lived/lives in Colorado Springs, CO. My mom, of course, wanted to attend the funeral and being the great daughter that I am (and since Hubs and I had recently bought a new vehicle), I took her and my brother to Colorado. My brother and I had never been and it had been YEARS since my mom had been, so it was a bittersweet trip for all of us.

We stayed with my Aunt Jean and guess what she has in her back yard? Pike's Peak!

She took us to the Garden of the Gods and it was breathtaking. The pictures I took don't do it justice.

Sunrise over the Kansas plains on our trip home.

The funeral service was touching and beautiful. The time we got to spend with family we haven't seen in years was priceless and the trip home was welcome.

P.S. Why didn't someone tell me that Kansas was 3,000 miles long??? Well, it seemed like it anyways!

OMG

Holy Cow! December 2009 was my last post? Where have I been? What have I been up to?? Stay tuned! I'm back and I'll be filling in the gaps in the coming days/weeks....

THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU

One of the blogs I follow, Mass Hole Mommy, posted this on her blog this morning and I thought I'd pass it along. Alot of us will be traveling to see family and friends during this time of year and it's something we need to think about (all year around as well).

1. Of course, I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink-----and the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom......and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-------understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

21. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.