Another Blue Chair

 We'll just keep that spot of paint on the picnic table our little secret, ok?  Blue-eyed Farmer was not keen on my using the table as a painting station as it was.  Opps....  sorry Honey!

I started painting the final wicker chair yesterday.  I've given up on the loveseat.  It is in really, really bad shape and I would hate to have some unsuspecting guest fall through when sitting on it.  So it'll be hotdog roasting fodder sometime soon.  Ya'll Come!

And yes all of my wicker is frayed and shabby looking.  Hey!  I have yard/barn cats who do not understand that there is a whole farm of wood/trees/posts/etc... to sharpen their claws on...... just like they can't figure out that my lawn is NOT a litter box and they could use our entire 80 acres for a bathroom... just leave my lawn alone!!   

Oh sorry... what were we talking about??  Oh yes, my chairs... they are a bit frayed and tattered, but then 2 of them live outside for 3 seasons and this one did until we enclosed the porch.  They've had a hard life, but like all of us, a little "paint" and "color" hides a multitude of imperfections (I know... it's "sins." but I would rather confess my sins than hide them.)

 

As I was saying... I started painting the last chair.  This is the nicest of the three and obviously not a sibling to the other 2.  I got this at a yard sale long time ago.  It was painted tan once before when I was in denial about my love of color.  (Sorry Neutral Lovers, whose homes are mono-chromatic... it's soooo not me!  Makes me depressed, not calm and mellow.)

Anyway.... It was painted tan and since the other 2 are blue, this one had to be blue too.  It told me so.  What?!   Your furniture, quilts, walls, don't tell you what color they want to be?  That's a shame.  Life is much more fun that way.  And I can't be blamed if something clashes.  It wasn't MY idea...  

So.... even though these three "cousins' don't share the same space, they are now more closely related by color.  I think they harmonize very well, don't you?

I'm looking forward to next spring when I open the shed doors and reveal this surprise of BLUE!  For I know I'll forget I painted them and it'll be "WOW!  Lookie at these!"  My life is made up of these kinds of brain lapses turned into happy blessings!

So... what you are you painting today, Puffins?  Or are you one of those Mono-chromatic lovers... share your reasons/love.  Or maybe you listen to your possessions talk to you too... quilts and fabric seem to be the most talkative... share with us.  :o)

Happy Weekend!!

Hugs,

K~

** "I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors.  I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns."  ~Winston Churchill

It was a Simple Pleasures Saturday.

Hi Puffins... how was your Saturday?  I hope you had a great one.  Here on the Prairie it was one of those far-too-few Absolutely Gorgeous Days!  Light breezes, sunshine, a few clouds rolling past, warm and it was Saturday, which is always nice.

After a very nice date-night with my Blue-eyed Farmer, it was nice to have a day to just be here and work.  (Date night?  Menards for chore gloves, garbage bags and 4/$1 reusable shopping bags.  Then Carlos O'Kelly's for nachos and a Gold Margarita.  Oh Yum Baby!)

After a slowish start (gotta have my coffee you know),  I decided I am tired of being tired and of course eating & drinking last night didn't help my outlook of my "Look."  With the pool being put away for the winter, I knew it was time to start a new exercise habit.  Hello Wii Fit!  :oD

It took me 30 mins to get going... with not being sure how to get the tv, satellite and Wii all coordinated, then the balance board had low batteries, the B-e F needed something... (AAAYYYyyyyy), but  once I did, it was great fun (mostly) again.  And I liked that my Wii Fit age is 38 yo.  Yeah baby!
I did a varied routine of some yoga, some strengthening/Pilates, the Hula Hoop game and a 3 min run (not my favorite).  Then I reprogrammed a yoga routine for weekdays when I'll be in more of a hurry.

After a shower, I did laundry, more deeply cleaned the bath (than I usually do), ran the dishwasher, hung out clothes, made lunch, made cookies, did "good" laundry and then I played.

I have 3 wicker chairs and 1 love seat in various stages of falling-apart-ness.  The best one is on my front porch and the rest have been languishing outside for the past few summers.  I finally decided to go with my muse and replicate this chair with what I had.

Here's the before:

And here is after: (they look a little unevenly painted as I ran out of each color.  Another can each and they'll be done.)

Now I need to find another shade of blue for the other two pieces.

I spray painted some smaller items too, but I can't show you or tell you about them just yet.  Soon.... (it's a secret.)

And after all that messy fun, I cleaned up (again) and helped Mr. Farmer with gates as he got hay for the calves.  Then I dug some Yukon Gold potatoes for dinner, pulled a few onions, picked my 2 ripening, volunteer Brandywine tomatoes, and picked some red Swiss Chard.  Grilled some steaks and acorn squash (yes, really... it was yum!).  Nuked the chard.  Cooked the potatoes and we were good as gold.  The Amish sugar cookies were dessert.

And now I'm relaxing with a glass of Merlot and enjoying the quiet breezes coming in the window.  A few blog posts to read and a shower and I'll be sleeping like a baby.

I hope you all are settled in and relaxing too.  And rejoice!  Tomorrow's Sunday!!

Hugs,

K~

** "We have worked at full speed since May. And that is I'm persuaded the root and source and origin of all health and happiness, provided of course that one rides work as a man rides a great horse, in a spirited and independent way; not a drudge, but a man with spurs to his heels." (Writing in her journal about her life as a publisher and writer.)-- Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) English Writer

Do you snoop in bookcases?

I can't be the only one who has to look closely at someone's bookcase(s) or click on a blog photo to enlarge and see what someone has on the shelves.  You learn so much about someone by the books they keep around them. 

This photo (right) is my "To Read" stack.  You might notice a few still have the stickers from the thrift store on them.
The red book at the top of the right-hand stack is my latest accusition.  I love the old movie "State Fair" and just found out over the weekend that it is based on the book by Phil Strong.  I found it used on Amazon and you know I have gift cards from my Swagbucks searching, just burning a hole in "my pocket."

"Nella Last's War" is another recent Amazon buy.  If you love WW II,  British homefront stuff, you may like this book.  At least I'm hoping I do.

You  may spy "Little House on the Prairie" that I wrote about getting a few days ago.  It's been quite a while since I read about Laura, Mary, Ma & Pa.

This is my stack to go back to the library.  I didn't get "Mr. Darcy's Daughters" read, but all the rest were easy, summer-time reads.
Right now I have an inter-library loan book to start (& finish asap), entitled, "Where In the World Is the Church  A Christian View of Culture and Your Role In It" .  This is not exactly fluff reading but I saw it mentioned "somewhere" and wondered how it will stack up to my point of view.  I'll try to give a review of it when I finish.

And finally, my more favorite cookbooks in the kitchen.  I have my old Betty Crocker cookbook in the pantry along with a few Cooking Light annual editions, my canning and preserving cookbooks, a few more local church cookbooks and my bound versions of Cook's Illustrated.

The black comb-bound book is my much-loved (& used) Kitchen Klatter cookbook.  I miss that radio program.  I was on the tail-end of it's existence and listened to it during the early part of my married life.  And then it abruptly ended, along with the magazine.  I always wondered if there was a hostile takeover of the company or someone unexpectedly died or what? 
I love that my KK cookbook is filled with all those old-timey recipes.  The ones your Grandma made.  (No Basil Foam over Sea Squid Pasta found here.  lol)

The Mennonite cookbook is a bit worn.  Another basic recipe and helpful tips/hints in this one.
Several baking & bread cookbooks because I love to made bread.
And 2 Prairie/Farm inspirational cookbooks.  I do love PW's recipes and the PC's style.


So there you have it.  The varied places my reading takes me.  Now you  know why my mind is such a cluttered place.  I need a better filing system.  More often than not, it's like a ream of paper blown about in a tornado.  You never know what will surface.

So, Puffins... are you bookcase peeping-toms too?  Or do you have a good book you've been reading, you'd like to share?  I'm interested.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Other women have shoe addictions; I wear cheap sandals and buy books." ~~Jenna Glatzer

Sleeping alone is for the birds

Well, we survived it. The Blue-eyed Farmer's first overnight business trip. (what?! you thought farmers didn't take business trips? Ha! they don't. but work-leaders at this factory do.)

We are so pathetic.... we can't be apart, come bedtime. I was a basketcase last June when I stayed with the grand-girlies. (read all about it here) This time I was safe in my own home and bed but stayed awake watching tv until after midnight and I was almost falling asleep. I figured it was safe to go to bed then, I'd be asleep before my head hit the pillow. Not quite, but close. And slept pretty well. Only woke a few times... wondering where my "heater" was. (the man has a HIGH metabolism... it's great in the winter.)
I definitely missed the snuggliness.

But... he's on his way home, God willing. And will be jumping in the combine almost as fast as his feet hit the driveway. It's sunny and windy and will be warm today. Come on Corn! Dry! Dry! DRY!!!

As for me, I'll be on-call for whatever he needs and dealing with a pile (mountain) of farm bookwork. One good thing about being alone all evening, you get all the dishes & laundry done.

But first I plan to give that Farmer of mine a big ole Kiss! Cuz, honey-- I MISSED YOU!



K~

**Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
-Hoosier Farmer

Why I shop at Thrift Stores and other frugal ways

If you've read PQ&K for a while, you know I LOVE the hunt of thrift stores, flea markets and antique malls. You just never know what you might find.

I recently took a gander around our local "antique shop" to see what they had. I found a large square-round jar that almost matches my coffee pod jar (also a thrift store find). With the recent mouse-in-the-pantry drama, I'm watching for large jars to house my dry goods.

I also found a 8" square glass cake pan. I first looked at the 9x13", thinking I needed a second one for when my blue glass pan is in use.
But then I remembered, I'm trying to cut down my cooking & baking to our 2-person household. The 8" size will make more than enough for us for a meal and some leftovers.

Neither of these items are antiques. But they were inexpensive and that's why I shop these kinds of places.

I plan to go back to that store on Monday. I looked at a 12-14" cast iron skillet but didn't get it that day. The clerk assured me that she would make me a good deal if I came back for it soon. I know it'll be too big for just us most of the time, but sometimes my 10" cast iron is too small.

Also, I had looked at a vintage citrus juicer. Very 1950s. Today as I hand-squeezed orange juice for the muffins I made, I wished I had gotten that juicer.

And then in the back was a Senseo coffee maker similar to mine. It has been used and not cleaned very well, but looks to be complete. I think I'll pick it up for a friend and if she doesn't want it, I'll keep it for a spare or give it to ddil.

I keep hoping I'll find a Zo bread maker there or at least the pan, like mine.

At my favorite thrift store I got in on the end of their "All Clothing 1/2 off Sale". I got a pair of shorts and a top for me and 2 pairs of shorts for the girlies.
I also found a newer book I've read before and enjoyed.
And 2 sets of hangers for 50¢ each. One set is the plastic tubular ones that I'll donate to our church's costume closet and the other were nice plastic pants hangers for F-d's dress slacks.
I also found a few more vintage refrigerator dishes that I've been using in F-d's lunch and for storing food in the fridge. I'm becoming less comfortable with using plastic for reheating.


My favorite online nursery has day lilies on sale every July. I purchased their pink/red collection plus another large rooting of another pink variety. With the new borders put in this spring, I have some empty areas that need some color. These, along with the unhappy lilies from the back of the house, should fill it all in nicely.


Grocery / household savings:
49¢ Powerade for F-d;
25¢ tomato sauce;
50¢ packages of Ziplock bags;
$3 12-packs of soda;
99¢ per lb nectarines.

Discount store:
$1 Crayola markers;
$1 Bic pens;
79¢ wooden pencils
and $1-off coupon on Advil which was on sale as well.

At the second store I should have picked up the Coffee grinder/maker for a wedding gift and I'm struggling with not getting the AeroGarden for $80. I know they will be more come Cmas time! Not that anyone I know wants an AeroGarden, besides me of course. And do I really have the room for it? No. This is a case of "It is not a bargain just because it's clearance priced, if you don't need it." I will check out the gift lists for the weddings we have coming up and see if anyone wanted one or the coffee maker.

It's Saturday and we may have company this evening, so I'm off to do some cleaning and laundry and be available if Farmer-dear needs my input on the new feed bunk construction.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end.
It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing;
it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."
~ Margaret Thatcher

In my Kitchen today....

Any guesses what I'm doing today?

I have a draft entru waiting for me to edit and post. Hopefully this week. After I sing the "Ode to Sweet Corn." ;o)


".... Sweet corn: the best thing in life. I grew up in a house about a hundred feet from a cornfield, and every evening we'd put the water on to boil, then pick the corn and husk it as we walked rapidly toward the house and chuck it in and dish up the chicken and say a prayer and out came the corn, on went the butter and salt, eight minutes flat from stalk to mouth, and when you ate sweet corn, life had nothing better to offer. You'd been to the top. That's how it'll be in heaven, I'm sure. But I'm not sure we'll have chicken.

We praise you Lord for this good good life
And praise for the day we were born
And the gifts you have given including this heaven-Ly fresh sweet corn. "

**Garrison Keillor May, 2007


Hugs
Kay~

And so it begins

It begins... the annual Cold & Flu season.

I have it.

The langishing, aching till you cry, creeping crud first head cold of the season.

I hate being sick.
And I hate being home sick, with no-one to take care of me.


Woman are usually the care-takers and normally when I'm sick, I'm so sick that I want to be left alone so I can die in peace. But today I want someone to tuck me in, bring me hot lemon & honey, make me some soup and say "Poor Baby."


As I look around, the only one I see is.... Me.


So, this is what I did:

Took the leftover sauce, broth, bones, skin from Monday evening's dinner.....

Added some baby carrots and leftover mashed potatoes and....


Some of my good home-dried veggies: onions, asparagus ends, shredded zucchini & ground up misc. veggies (tomatoes, mushroom, celery, more asparagus, more carrots and I don't know what else.)

I'm letting it simmer and stew and in a few hours I'll add this...

Thank goodness I made that chicken Monday night
and thank goodness I had those noodles in the freezer.



I will NOT be eating this....

And while it cooks itself into health-restoring golden goodness,
I'll be ensconced here.....

But first I had to move this.... (thanks alot Farmer-dear... )

I feel a nap coming my way....

Hope all my Dear Readers stay healthy,
Germ-free Cyber Hugs!
Kay~ **achooo! Sniffle.... B~L~O~W~~~~**

––"Bundle me up in an old, worn quilt with hand sewn stitches, and soft cotton batting.
Place a book on my lap, a cup of tea in my hand, a light by my side,
and leave me in a world of rest and delight."
~Roy Lessin

I STILL LOVE VINTAGE!

Today we slept in and then went to the city to the Antique Show and Flea Market. I had a blast, but it would have been nice to have a more enthusiastic compantion. My Farmer is a good sport and took me, but he was about as thrilled to be there as I am going to farm stores.

As it turned out, I was "lucky" or "blessed", depending on how you think...

Here's what I got: (oh....crud...have to save and come back and edit it again....SIGH~~)

Ok, now, here is what I got:

Red & White crocheted potholders & a red-handled child's rolling pin. All so sweet!
(potholders $1 each; rolling pin was $3)

I absolutely LOVE this rectangle Christmas tablecloth from the 1940s(?)!!
It was under a bunch of displayed items in a booth and I could not believe the vendor did not have it out for sale! I've seen these go for $30+ at auctions. My dickered down price...$7! (and the vendor even had to move all his stuff off the top of it first.) It is a bit stained and only has one little frayed spot. Did I tell you I LOVE this piece!

Ok, and now the Deal of the Day!!! My photos don't do this quilt justice, I'm afraid. Will have to hang it on the clothesline later and really show it to you.
I saw this quilt on a vendor's chair but the vendor was MIA. I figured I was not suppose to have it and judging from the prices in his booth I figured it would be way out of my price-range.
Later when we had to wait for the tablecloth vendor to unbury the tablecloth above, I decided to go back to see if the quilt was still there.

I am so glad I did! The vendor was very nice and quoted me a price of $45! Be Still My Heart!! I had estimated the lowest he'd go would be $65. Then he showed me the 2 "repairs." On 2 of the rings, someone had machine stitched a square of weird printed material and a square of white on the back. I'm guessing there is a small tear or hole in those spots. Thankfully they only covered the spot and didn't cut it out. I can see the original piecing behind the patch.

So this very nice, HONEST vendor, showed me those spots and how it is stained. Then he says he'll take $40! I was about ready to hyperventelate then... lol Just to see what I could do, I asked him if he'd take $37 and he said YES! I could not belive it! Other than those 2 spots this is a beautiful quilt. It is not thinned nor frayed on the edges. It is hand-quilted and the colors are bright. The patches seem to be from the 1930s or 1940s. Maybe feedsacks?

I looked at a couple of other quilts at other vendors but the lowest I found was a twin-size summer coverlet (Snowball pattern in white, black and blue print) for $65 and a 12" Friendship star block double-size quilt with badly frayed edges for $35. Next time I'm bringing more $$$$! Total spent today- $50, which was how much I brought along.

The Double Wedding Ring Quilt (also known as the Deal of the Day)

Detail of the rings and a corner edge. (see, it is badly stained)

I love vintage!

Hugs
K

Thrift Store Goodies and an Organized Laundry

It's been a long week for me and I'm definitely ready for the weekend. Although from the sounds of it, it may not be as restful as I'd like. We have several errands in the city that must be done this weekend. I can still hope for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

One nice thought is the warmer temperatures that are in the forecast for the next week. Maybe some of the mud will dry up. I'd like to start cleaning up the yard and garden but it's been to chilly yet.

I wrote about some recent thrift store finds and tonight I took photos of my goodies.

The vintage romper (notice the handwork. Aren't the rabbits cute?)


The vintage doll quilt



The vintage apron (so very sweet!)


Scarves & sashes to use to embellish some spring-time fabric post cards.



I haven't had a chance to take those photos of the cattle yet, but I will. This morning as I was doing chores I noticed the baby of our older "new" mama was lying very still in the straw pile and she was worried and sniffing and shuffling around him. I suspected he had died in the night and Rick found that to be true this evening.

We had a frugal dinner tonight. I went "shopping" in my freezers. There I found turkey breast medallions (Schwanns), au gratin potatoes and green bean casserole (both of these came with the honey-roast ham I got from my bosses at Christmas). I heated the veggies in the oven as the package directed and grilled the turkey on the GFGrill (it was cooked, just needed heating also.) We also had homemade bread and chocolate cake for dessert.   I thought it was all pretty good for a processed freezer meal.

I organized my laundry room today. (It is actually more closet size, than a room.) I bought a narrow, wheeled cart with a hanging canvas bag and three wire shelves at W-mart. Rick grumbled and moaned about "cheap crap" until I told him I couldn't afford to go to Crate and Barrel or Linen & Things, etc for a similar cart, but if he insisted I would. That shut him up.*wink*  And it works just fine.
The canvas laundry bag holds our good clothes until I have a load-full and I have a shelf for my seldom-used liquid bleach, one for my kitchen towels (again, for when I have enough for a load) and the top holds my Oxyclean and Dye-catchers. Now the only things on my dryer are the dryer sheets, a basket for my "found" money and my big jug of Era. Much, MUCH better than piles of clothes on the floor and all that stuff on top of the dryer.

Here are 2 photos of the laundry room, dirty clothes and all! (OH MY!)




I am using my dehydrator again today. Some dear friends gave us some grapefruit from Texas. They are nice and juicy but we just don't eat grapefruit as a fruit. I considered juicing them, but there are more than I would want to juice w/ a hand juicer. The orange and lemon I was drying were finally done after several repeat trips through the heat. I powdered them today in the blender. What an awesome smell! I decided to try to dry half of the grapefruit. I sliced them and seeded them. I did leave out the pieces that were mostly rind. It seemed the orange and lemon rinds didn't power up as easily. I have about 6 grapefruit to eat fresh or I'll section them and freeze them for fruit salad this summer.
The powdered citrus will be nice in lemonade or iced tea this summer also. Or in my fluffy yogurt pie. MMMMMmmm

And so with the thought of summer in mind, I'm heading off to bed.

Kay
** Other women have shoe addictions;
I wear cheap sandals and buy books.
--Jenna Glatzer

The first week in December

I'm sorry I've been AWOL for so long. My poor Mac developed a problem that turned into a "coma." It had to be taken into the computer doctor, but thankfully it was a known problem that was covered by Apple. An overnight stay in the computer hospital and it's back home almost as good as new.
If anyone knows how to get the Keychain to stop asking for a password in my email program, I'd be very happy to hear it!

So, what's new with us?
I've been doing some on-line gift buying and recipe downloading. I've been trying to get to the fitness center as often as possible. I averaged once a week in Nov. Not very good, so my goal is 3 times a week in Dec. and then 5 times a week in January. I paid for the 3 months, I better use it!

Work is going well. Just busy. Friday I spent the morning at my desk and then the afternoon by myself in the mail room. We had a backorder of books come in and there were 30+ orders waiting for that particular book plus all the rest of the out-going mail. I filled the tape gun twice!
I was in a bit of a tizzy trying to get my November ledger sheet balanced but my boss was so nice and told me to work on it next week as I had time. She said she is only up to October herself. That was very kind, but it still gripes me when I can't get it done on the last day of the month.

I've caught a head cold. Not sure where as no-one I know has one. It could have been from the spinal adjustment I had on Friday morning or from the fitness center that evening. I really don't have time to be sick right now so I've been taking Vitamin C and lots of liquids. I slept in this morning and plan to be in bed by 10 p.m. or earlier every night. I'll be going back to the chiropractor tomorrow and see if another adjustment will help.
Rick also tried to help me feel better by taking me to our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant for some Tortilla Soup. He even called to be sure we could order it. It hasn't been on the menu but we were assured we could order it anyway. I did and it was HOT! Just the thing to burn through a cold. The salsa for the chips was especially spicey tonight too. I was only able to eat half of my soup and just one piece of my chicken quesadilla. I guess I have supper planned for tomorrow night. Rick will have his take-home tomorrow for lunch. I can make him chicken strips or hot ham and cheese paninis.

With the darkness setting in so early and the weather turning so cold, we've been hibernating here in the evenings. Rick likes to have the lights off when he's watching tv, but I find with it being so dark in the house, I'm more apt to want to just sit and vegetate as well. I cannot afford to do that anymore. We have things to get done before the grands get here on the 14th!!

Goals for this week:
Get the Christmas Tree up and the house decorated.
Finish Gifts wrapping. I'm using the reindeer names for the kids' names this year. That should drive ds2 nuts.
Trim the comfort quilt I have been working on so I can finish the binding on it and get it sent off.
Make several batches of buns and some cookies for the kids' visit.

I'm leaving the Christmas cards/letter for later. I'll have the week of Christmas to get them out and do some baking for friends and others we want to bless.

What is Blessing Me Today:
The sun shining.
A furnace that works and keeps us warm without us having to think much about it.
Clothes washer and dryer that works.
Dishwasher that also helps.

The wonderful PennyAnne newsletter that gave me so much food for thought on decorating and cooking. One of my goals for the new year (when I can think beyond the "here & now"), will be to make menus like she does. Also to do some switching around of our home decorations and more using what I love, shopping at thrift stores. To stop waiting for the "someday" when we can afford to renovate the living room and make it a room I can love NOW.

A dear friend who likes to go Cmas shopping as much as I do and is willing to drive in the city.
Getting done with that shopping list yesterday!

Getting an email announcing a sale on a coat I wanted, I saw a similar one yesterday during our shopping trip, but didn't get it because it didn't fit. This email sale is from one of my favorite e-stores and I know this coat will fit. And it is within my budget. Rick has asked that I don't wear my current fall jacket anymore as it is showing so much wear. It has been cold enough here that I could change to my winter coat but if the weather warms up I'd be without a jacket. Merry Christmas to ME!!

That is all for today. I hope it makes sense. I feel a bit befuddled from this cold.

Candy Cane Smiles!
Kay

--
"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a
happy family all wrapped up in each other."
~Burton Hillis~