Quirky Cottage

Smiles

2011-06-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

It's all about the smiles (double click photo for larger pic)

Great move Coach

Watch where the ball goes

Right off the top of his head

EJ kicks it in the grass

2011-06-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

EJ, number 7, with dad as coach

Hey Coach, there's something wrong with this net

Coach gets in his weight workout

Okay men, the game is about to start

This way men

Quirky Improvements

2011-05-08T08:44:00.001-07:00

Neighbor's cat on neighbor's shed roof waiting for lunch to be served

What young men and strong backs can accomplish is a few hours

Hats Off

2010-06-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

This simple straw hat has served me well over the years. I've decorated it with spring flowers, autumn leaves and now with ribbons and pearls.

Just my way of saying, "Welcome to Quirky Cottage".
rita

Toes and a Rose

2010-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

So close and yet so far. Just wish this polish were a little more pink.

And now, isn't this a sad sight? It's my neighbor's tiller. I watched her fight with it for about an hour while she attempted to re-establish the wonderful garden space she had last year.

She restarted it several times before it died an ugly death. She did everything but kick it over before she abandoned it where it stands today.

rita

Roses and Nail Polish

2010-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have only a limited appreciation for roses. I like many of the colors and I love all the intricacies of the flower but not well enough to attempt to grow them.

There are two rose bushes at Quirky Cottage planted by the previous owner.

I recently read in a magazine that this summer's hottest nail color will be coral. Immediately I imagined the color of this rose growing outside our garage.

I have tried and tried to locate a polish this color but this is the closest I've found so far.

Close -- but a little too orange and not enough pink.

If you see a perfect one let me know.
rita

Beautiful fence

2010-06-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

While visiting my dear daughter this past week I spied this lovely old fence and had to stop to take pictures. DD is so patient with me -- I know she would have rather been shopping instead of camera snapping.

rita

New Addition to the family

2010-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have a new toy! It is a netbook. Isn't she sweet?

She's just a little bigger than this legal-sized envelope pictured here.

What should I name her?

rita

What is this?

2010-06-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that people call this by lots of different names?

I'm talking about legitimate names. Not the things the Cottage Master calls them when they force him from his forward motion.

Some people call them YELLOW lights. . .

Some people call them ORANGE lights . . .

And when I was a teen working for the Oregon State Department of Motor Vehicles before our driving records became electronically filed in a computer, I was responsible for typing citizens driving infractions onto their permanent paper file.

The lights were then called amber and if going through them caught the eye of law enforcement you either got a warning or a fine of $10.

You never noticed that it is called by different names? No? That's cold.

rita

We're back

2010-06-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

You might think after what happened to us that last time we enjoyed a few days at the beach (our home flooded from a broken water pipe in the ceiling) that we would be afraid to ever leave our sweet cottage again.

But, we have again ventured off to spend a few days watching the water go back and forth.

This time we have a cat that needed kenneling. We found a wonderful place. Designed for the owner's appreciation as much as the cat's.

Notice all of the windows on the second floor -- they are for the guests to enjoy.

From this beautiful tile entry way . . .

To the all of the individually painted glass doors of each suite . . .

The place is packed with amenities for both the kitties and their owners.

Including:

1) heated tile window shelves
2) water fountain
3) sleeping hammock
4) video viewings for the owners
5) daily email to the owners

Poor Entertainment -- he knew something was afoot when the Cottage Master kept taking luggage, boxes and sacks out to the car.

He told us, using his outside voice, how unhappy he was to put poured into his carrying case and riding in the car.

When we left the Kitty Komfort Inn he still had not emerged from the carrying case that he had wanted out of so badly a few minutes earlier.

I've heard that animals have no sense of time so one day or 5 days is all the same to them. I sure hope that's true.
rita

Mother Nature is Not Nice

2010-06-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I was bold enough to voice my displeasure about the weather this weekend. Maybe I'm being just too sensitive --

BUT, it looks like Mother Nature is giving me the finger. . .

I guess I'll be content with the weather in the future . . .

Not much chance of that!

rita

Enough, enough

2010-05-31T10:06:00.001-07:00

We were suppose to have sunshine on Sunday over the Memorial Day weekend BUT we got more rain instead.

Rain, rain and more rain. We on the northern end of Interstate 5 raise the white flag and ask for mercy from the weather.

It is living up to the name Pacific NorthWET.

Even the cat is bored.

rita

What's Your Is Mine

2010-05-24T00:04:00.001-07:00

Entertainment (the only name that seems to suit our kitty) and I are having boundary problems.

Any one know of a good therapist who speaks English and Feline?

rita

Evening with Nana and Pappa

2010-05-20T16:17:00.001-07:00

We had an opportunity to spend a couple of hours with our dear grandsons. Between rain showers the boys wanted to go outside.

The only pair of long pants Nana could find for the little guy was this pair of jammy bottoms.

Luckily, his mom is a practical woman and wasn't upset when she got home and saw the fashion statement.

Meanwhile, Pappa and K. fight it out on the court. Fouls galore.

Dad and Mom came home just as it started to rain again. Good timing folks.

rita

Snowballs and Peonies

2010-05-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

Flowers from the yard were just begging to come into the house to cheer me up.

They look perfect sitting on top of the new vintage tablecloth I recent bought on eBay in spring colors.

rita

Fresh Colors

2010-05-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here is our living room last fall and before the great flood in December.

After the water damaged areas were replaced we had the walls painted the same color but had a different color of carpet laid.

Now that the weather is warmer and the sun is shining once-in-awhile I wanted the living room to reflect the change of season.

This is what it looks like today.

The colors are so cheerful I can't help but smile every time I walk into the room.

rita

What's missing?

2010-05-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that every good blog has one. Some wonderful blogs have many. I have always felt that the lack of one was a serious problem with my blog.

So I decided to change all that and went to a shelter and adopted a rescue kitty.

All efforts to name him have failed. Nothing seems to really capture who he is.

A cat care book said I should name him immediately and he should learn his name quickly so that he will come to you when you call him.

This cat is an indoor only kitty so I need not call him to come in from outside. The book suggested that I might need to call him to let him know when there is food in his dish.

My feeling about that is that if he is too stupid to go to the food dish then he deserves to perish from hunger. Isn't that what natural selection is all about?

He continually amuses us with his strange sleeping positions, antics with plastic rings from milk containers and lengths of yarn.

So for now we are calling him Entertainment.

rita

Birthday and Wedding

2010-05-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our grandson, EJ, had his second birthday.

His other set of grandparents gave him this terrific tricycle . . .

Hey Dad, what is this?

Checking the tires . . .

Pushing the pedals is a difficult skill in the beginning

I'll just enjoy it this way for now . . .

Mom, you're a good wrapper -- this must be really good cuz it's hard to get to!

Pappa helps to open a package of BALLS

I know what to do with this

Pappa is a good helper with the paper

Making a train of all the cars Mom and Dad gave me is my favorite thing to do

My brother and new sister-in-law's wedding . . .

Some grooms have cold feet

This one had a hot head

Both Bride and Groom make it through the ceremony

The wedding cake was made using little wedge shaped boxes filled with delicious chocolates!

rita

A New Menace

2010-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

While Quirky Cottage was being put back together there were so many large trucks, men and power tools in and around that the neighborhoods cats were discouraged from their familiar paths around the house.

Now that it is all quiet and I've been feeding the wild birds again I expected to see all the familiar kitties to wander into the yard.

Instead, this cat has been the dominate visitor.

We have never seen him / her before. This luscious thick fur just makes me want to dig my fingers into it.

See how beautifully he blends in with the bark of the cedar tree.

He likes to stalk the birds but he's just too big to be agile enough to be any real treat to them.

rita

The lonely Maytag Man

2010-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

My neighborhood Maytag Man is not lonely.

He has visited my house three times in the last two weeks and he isn't done yet and the laundry is piling up.

Water, where it shouldn't be, and 100 degree heat do not mix well with the electronic system in washers and dryers.

At first the Maytag Man would not believe that was the problem -- but now that he has been to the house 3 times and he is beginning to believe it.

He thinks he has it repaired -- it will wash one load -- and I have to call him back to the house -- it always takes three days for him to return because he is so busy.

We are waiting (not so patiently) for new mother boards to be ordered and delivered.

Until then, Cottage Master has been going to the public laundry facility to do the absolutely necessary items (read that as underware!).

Here it is -- the big day -- ever wonder what the insides of machines looks like?

Okay, machines are back in order -- 20 loads of laundry to do -- can I get it all done in one day? DOUBTFUL
rita

Let's talk about TP

2010-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

When putting the hall bathroom back together I decided rather than poke holes in the fresh, new walls I'd opt for a stand-alone TP holder.

The one I bought has a clever swivel arm to allow rolls to be slip on and off the stand.

So one day, very recently, the Cottage Master found himself at the end of his roll . . .

He was able to get the empty roll off . . .

And apparently he figured out how to get a fresh roll off of the stand BUT not able to replace the fresh roll to its obvious place because this is what I found . . .

I will never fully understand MEN!

I know that the usual TP dispensers are a bit complicated and maybe even mysterious to manipulate.

I was six years old before I had the courage to explore the one in our home and discovered the secret of how my mother got the fresh rolls onto the roller.

And for the last 40 years of my married life I have been the only adult in the house who knows this secret. How do I know I'm the keeper of the sacred secret?

Because of with this . . .

rita

I'm Melting . . .

2010-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Two steps were done immediately by the crew that worked on QC after her flood. Ripping out of wet walls and carpet during the day and at night they blew 100 degree air throughout the house to dry her out.

I wasn't thinking ahead at that point and the hot temperatures took their toll on the candles that were in the house . . .

You can see bits of insulation on the top of this candle

And the house plants got all the moisture sucked out of them . . .

Oddly enough, the Christmas cactus survived and is showing the signs of blooming again soon.

rita

QC is a home again

2010-02-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

We said our final good-bye to the hotel room that we called home for the many weeks after Quirky Cottage was flooded.

It was nice and reasonably comfortable but it took patience (and some eye-rolling) for the Cottage Master and me to live this close to one another for so long.

We are back in our home and in our own bed. Oh how I missed our memory foam bed. Everyone, including me, kept saying how it will seem like a new house with all new floors and fresh paint.

However, I've discovered that once the furniture was placed in its original position the house was much more like my old house -- just a little fresher. I'm not complaining -- I loved my house before and I love it even more now.

Here are the culprits to all the trouble. It has been suggested that we frame these -- I might just do that.

BEFORE and AFTER

These Before pictures were taken a year ago . . .

We replaced the berry colored carpet with one that was more nutral.

The kitchen had a yellow pine Pergo floor -- replaced with darker colored fake wood floor.
I love this red rug I found at Target last week! Yes, that is a thread from the new carpet on the rug -- new carpet does that -- spreads itself around when you walk on it.

All of the other rooms are pretty close to what they had been before. However, since the ceiling, walls and floor of the master bathroom was trash we took this opportunity to remodeled the room.

I wanted the old fashion Cottage feel to the room . . .

I love the look of this sink.

The plumbing for the toilet and sink were moved slightly to make as much room as possible for a walk-in shower area.

There is still one glass brick needed to finish the job -- it is on back order.

Another room that got a major redo was the Cottage Master's library. It had been a kitchen originally.

The window was taken out, and the ceiling got an updated look.

It's good to be home.

rita<>

Down to the last days

2010-01-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

Lots of good things have happened after the two inches of water was dried and the tear-out process was finished.

One of them was the discovery that the dishwasher was leaking. It has been repaired.

Curved wall now repaired.

And new floor installed.

All the way into the kitchen.

This bathroom had no ceiling light -- only the light above the sink. While the ceiling was down the contractor installed a light over the tub -- nice.

Same ceiling -- all done.

Living room floor is ready (once it has been swept) for tile and carpet

Garden room has all the wall board up and has been painted -- green, of course. (no picture of the fresh paint)

I've never had a vinyl floor that I liked. They always have a pattern and indentations in them that collect dirt and difficult and sometimes impossible to thoroughly clean.

So, this time I selected a commercial floor for the laundry room. All one flat piece -- no bumps to try to keep clean.

Ray's library has gone through a transformation. The ceiling has a minor redesign and new lights.

The window, that had been over the sink when this room was a kitchen, was removed.

Dramatic changes on the master bathroom begins tomorrow.

rita

Progress

2010-01-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week more ceiling and wall material needed to be removed.

But, then the welcomed sight of material being installed came the next day.

This guy is using his head

Subfloors in all the rooms were installed.

Cut out in living room subfloor ready for the new tile

Ceiling back in the bathroom -- a good sight

Ceiling in the garden room

Walls back in -- it's starting to look like home again!

If they keep moving at this pace I can see how we might be back in our own bed within two weeks.

rita

Polar Bear Plunge

2010-01-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

This was the 26th Annual Polar Bear Plunge into Long Lake.

Some people came dressed up -- some people dressed down.

Here are two brave souls that we know.

The count down begins . . .

And in they go . . .
Our grandson was jumping off the dock . . .

The beach guys don't go out very far . . .

Whew, we don't have to do that for another year.

Wishing all the best for 2010!

rita

2009-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

Winter's snow and ice makes our lives dangerous and adventurous as we try to go about our normal routines. Animals and insects share our struggles. Example: one spider's web attempted . . .
rita

Quirky Cottage Guts

2009-12-28T19:36:00.001-08:00

This is to give you an idea about what we came home to after our lovely stay at the beach. Three rooms of this. . .

The next day a crew showed up to start the drying process with big loud blowers.

Then the ripping began . . .

Drywall

Carpets

What was left of the ceilings

At present the ripping is STILL continuing. I've picked out replacement floor coverings for the entire house (except for the two rooms that stayed dry). I'm looking forward to the time when the tearing out stops and the reconstruction begins.
rita

Quirky Cottage Boo Boo

2009-12-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

While we were enjoying the beautiful weather on the Oregon coast a pipe in the attic of Quirky Cottage was busy leaking water.

We came home to soggy carpet, fallen ceilings and insulation. All but two rooms were involved.

Currently, our furniture is stored in this pod while the floors and walls are ripped out and heat and blowers are drying out what is left.

Every day brings more news of more damage than what was first apparent. It will take several weeks to put QC back together.

But, family and friends are our treasures and they are what we are focusing on while we sail through these troubled waters.
rita

Wave Action

2009-12-09T18:08:00.001-08:00

We saw some interesting wave action here on the Oregon coast. The photos do not begin to demonstrate the unusual height these waves reached.

The wind picking up the top of the waves and turning it into spray was exciting to watch. Here are some pictures that were taken with the rapid fire shutter of my camera.

Fearless Cottage Master -- hoping the waves don't come over the top

rita

On the beach with Santa

2009-12-07T19:47:00.001-08:00

We are spending one last week for the year of 2009 on the Oregon coast. So far we've had four straight days of glorious sunshine and deep blue ocean.

While walking the boardwalk we spotted Santa. Instead of elves for helpers, this Santa was aided by Pirates.

Santa with an ocean backdrop

We were serenaded by seals this morning as they floated by our condo window. It's going to be hard to go home, as usual.

rita

Blue Christmas

2009-12-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Quirky Cottage tree is up. Light blue ribbons, glass bulbs and white lights.

rita

Early Present

2009-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since I ate at a hotel breakfast bar where you could make your own Belgium waffles I've been lusting for a waffle iron like it of my own.

I let Santa know and he granted my wish early -- well, after we saw one at Costco for a reasonable price.

I thought I would have to wait until Christmas day to use it but Santa was eager to sample the waffles and so he gave me permission to open the box and prepare a meal of waffles.

With this waffle maker the batter is poured into the bottom griddle, the lid is closed and then . . .

the iron is flipped to make the top the bottom. It is this rotation that creates the most fluffy waffles ever.

I put strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream on mine. Yummy!

rita

Happy?

2009-11-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

I recently heard someone say, "I want to be happy but I don't know how."

Happiness is so misunderstood. Sometimes we just can't help being happy because of our circumstances. Playing and laughing with friends, spouse, children or my personal favorite, grandchildren, makes it easy to be happy.

Other times, happiness eludes us. Circumstances are difficult. That's when happiness becomes a choice.

I have just endured a few dark days of painful joints. Unable to do anything else, I sat in my comfy chair with the heating pad as my closest friend. It was then I realized that in the middle of my distress I could still choose to be happy.

This Christmas cactus that blooms in time for Thanksgiving always makes me happy.

I could choose to be happy while watching the squirrels, cats and Stellar jays play just outside my window.

A lesson I hope to always remember.

rita

Tile Fun

2009-11-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with Edie's blog Life in Grace's 12 days of Christmas postings. The project where she shows how to make coasters from inexpensive tiles especially caught my eye.

I called together darling daughter and friend Sherrie for a day of creativity.

We all brought something to the table. DD brought lots of food -- here is a sample . . .

Sherrie brought her boxes and boxes of stamps and inks.

I supplied the blank tiles.

Four hours later we had these lovelies drying.

Lots of laughs, a few munchies and lots of shared ideas made for a great day together.
rita

Click Here to go to the Inspired Room for more Christmas

Cherries and Checks

2009-11-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Now that our friend, Rob, has given my energy level the jump-start that I needed by finishing and painting the walls of the dining area and kitchen, I've been working on the finishing details.

I found this stencil on the Internet:

I liked it but I knew I wouldn't use the yellow flowers. To my pleasant surprise the stencil arrived in less than a week from when I ordered it.

This is what it looked like on the wall of the kitchen above the countertop and below the cabinets.

I was happy with the new cherries and checks. But the location on the wall made them appear as if they were floating in space.

As you can see here, the stencil sat directly on top of the backsplash.

I cut off 3/4 inch off of the bottom, the size of one square, in order for it to fit lower so I could paint another row of squares.

That looks better, doesn't it?
rita

In the Black

2009-11-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with the color black.

I tried to fight it but as I wandered around garage sales and the Goodwill store this summer black items kept jumping out at me.

I began to collect and tuck them away not knowing what to do with them.

But now that the dining area has been freshly painted this collection has found their home.

This lovely vintage scraf isn't black but it seemed to fit here, too.

A napkin that I picked up at the Williamsburg, Virginia gift shop.

Two different garage sales -- four similar metal trays.

And then at the Goodwill these lovely plates were waiting for me.

And then I saw this piece of furniture on The Nester's blog and wondered if painting my piece black should be my next project.

What color are you in love with?

rita

Check out The Inspired Room for some holiday ideas!

Bigger is Better?

2009-11-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

I needed a new switch plate and a couple of blank plates to cover the holes in the kitchen wall where the previous owners had telephone and television hookups.

At the local Home Depot I discovered that there is a wide range of prices for these items. I could pay $ .44 or $12.00 -- depending on how fancy I wanted them.

I only needed plain plates so I purchased the $ .44 ones. When I got home and put them up I discovered that they were 1/2 inch larger than the ones I am used to buying.

Why should this be? This is my explanation . . .

During the recent home building boom sheetrock installers were so sloppy cutting the holes in the sheetrock for electrical boxes that there is frequently a gap between the sheetrock and the cover plate.

It is easier to make the plates larger than it is to slow sheetrockers down enough to do a good job.

Do you think anyone will notice that some plates are larger than the others?
rita

Cookies and Brother

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

One great advatage of becoming an elder member of society is that the fear of failure fades. We have the courage (or stupidity) to try things that we wouldn't have attempted years ago.

Face it, we don't have all that much to lose any more.

Example #1

Encouraged by these wonderful examples spider web decorations and seeing how easily they are created by Martha Stewart-types I tried my hand at them this weekend.

This is a good start . . .

And a sad ending . . .

It looked so easy on TV. They did taste good and were happily received by my children and grandchildren.

Example #2

My brother is in the process of deciding what he wants to be when he grows up (retires).

After taking a few classes in "voice over" he is pursuing a career in radio.

While continuing with his day job he volunteers at a local radio station and has been a big hit with the listeners.

A Portland, Oregon newspaper reporter for The Oregonian wrote a nice piece about the radio station and its owner. She also mentioned my brother, not by name, but said he had a "voice as smooth as syrup".

Was that her back-handed way of saying his voice is sappy?

rita

Halloween Fun

2009-11-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

The evening started out with our Wheaties Box Super Star -- Kyle

And every family needs a Super Hero . . .

In past years this homeowner enjoyed dressing like this and startling his visitors by moving. So we approached with caution. I was dared to touch him -- so I did . . .

He was only stuffed with newspapers this year and the homeowner enjoyed it just as much seeing people's relieved reaction.

This just demonstrates what heights some parents will go to in order to keep their kid safe on Halloween night.

This house looked innocent enough ---

Until the window opened and a scarey head popped out.

Now we come to the wonderfully decorated house that I featured last week. It was even more spooky at night. There was a constant line of Trick or Treaters wanting to approach this house and the one next door.

Brave Wheaties Box and Super Man went too . . .

The house next door was just as wonderful -- I mean terrifying with fog all around.

The side fence gate was open . . .

I don't know how they did this and my camera had a hard time capturing the effect but a black light effect came on and off and when on there was a face and hands suspended in space.

I'm sure this is where my memory bank is . . .

The little guy caught the hang of it -- you go up to the door and things get put into your bag. I got it, Dad, I can do this one myself.

rita

Repurposing Queen

2009-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

I've linked to "A Beautiful Life Friday" because I think what my daughter did at her house this week is BEAUTIFUL. Check out Melissa's The Inspired Room for more . . .

We visited with our Darling Daughter earlier this week. She and hubs heat their home with wood and making the many trips to the woodshed as easy as possible was her latest project.

The first order of business was to clear the path of the grass and weeds that took over during the summer.

In the years past this pathway has been slippery on wet days -- so her next task was to find some way to make it safer.

She wandered down to the barn and spotted these unused stall mats. Her hubby cut them in half and turned them upside down so that the ridges would provide traction on wet days.

But, sometimes a trip to the woodshed needs to be made in the late afternoon, after the winter sun has gone down beyond the horizon and the sky is dark. So the next stage of the project was to install some lengths of wood and top with a rope light.

When she read the directions she discovered that the manufacturer warned that the connection should be kept dry at all times.

That presented a problem for her -- there wasn't a convenient location for the plug that would stay dry.

Again, she returned to the barn and spotted a metal box that was a perfect solution.

I didn't recognized what the box was -- do you?

She is the Queen of repurposing!!!!

rita

Boo

2009-10-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here are two of our neighbors who have gotten into the spirit of the spooky season. This first decorator has done something that I've never seen before with black cloth used as window covering on the outside. The effect is really great.

I wonder what kind of treats they give out here. Maybe I'll accompany my grandson Saturday night just to find out.

Next door to them is the house that assembles this spooky picket fence every year just for the season.

rita

Maltese Falcon

2009-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

While we were on the road last month I saw a hunk of concrete that I thought looked like the Maltese Falcon and I wanted it for my own.

But the Cottage Master shook his head -- hauling that 40-plus pounds of concrete across the country didn't make sense to him. Besides, the antique store that was selling it was closed.

But, to my surprise, on the way home again we stopped by the same antique store and this time they were open -- and . . . he came home with us.

After one coat of black paint he looked like this . . .

Since I didn't prime him or any other prep work before I began to spray paint him he didn't get all over shiny but instead only the areas that still had paint on them are now shiny and the rest of him is flat black.

I love the way it makes his eyes stand out.

He's on the front porch for now. He may grace several places around QC before he finds a location that is perfect for him.

rita

Step right in

2009-10-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

The previous owners installed the living room carpet right up to the door. While I have this wonderful handyman named Rob at my disposal I requested that we do something different at the front door.

When he took off the carpet we discovered some 1950's style linolium tile. That is the fun of owning an older home -- there are surprises under the surfaces.

Finished!

rita

Knock, knock -- who's there?

2009-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was expecting my friend to drop in one afternoon so when I heard a knocking on a window I assumed it was Sherrie.

"Come in," I said.

Knock, knock, knock . . .

I got up and went to the front door but no one was there.

Knock, knock, knock . . .

Now I thought I was losing my mind -- I was going to pack a bag and check myself into the pysch unit of the hospital.

Knock, knock, knock . . .

I looked up at the skylight above me and saw a woodpecker! He / She was camera shy -- this is the only picture I could get . . .

rita

Improvements @ QC

2009-10-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

Improvements continue here.

It's hard to believe after seeing what looks like a mess that it really is improving. My mother used to say -- it has to get worse before it can get better.

I just love watching a man work!! Especially when the finished project is in my home.

rita

What's going on here?

2009-10-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

After being away from home for so many weeks we looked at QC with fresh eyes and decided it was time to finish a project I started last year -- the walls of the dining area.

One reason I was hesitating was because I struggled with what color to paint the walls after they had been mudded and textured.

Here is the work in progress. We are not doing the work ourselves but have hired a nice younger, stronger, enthusiastic, more able-bodied man.

He is a professional and is doing the job the right way. These walls are ready for a texture to be applied.

I am slowly getting caught up on reading all of my favorite bloggers. Here are some photos I took off of the Pretty Organized blog giving me some new ideas for fall decor.

Pop on over to her site today for some great ideas on hidden storage areas.

rita

Home Again

2009-10-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

We are back at Quirky Cottage now. But, one last comment on our auto trip across the country. While driving through North Dakota we decided to stop in a little town to grab some fast food. According to the navigator, fast food was located on Main Street.

The first thing we saw as we entered the town was a John Deere factory.

As we headed for the town's Main street we saw the high school football team playing on a small field. Only two brave mothers were watching the game while sitting on a . . .

As we approached Main Street we were greeted by . . .

The entire length of Main Street was torn up! Not just a few blocks -- but the entire length! Now that's a small town.

We found our way back to the Interstate and drove to the next city to get our dinner.

While on the road I saw so many homes with fall mums and pumpkins decorating walkways and porches. I was eager to get home to deck QC out in her fall colors.

Here is a start -- a bit skimpy right now. I'll pick up some pumpkins this weekend to add to the display.

I read an article recently stating that most wreaths were hung on doors too high. Here is how I originally hung QC's fall wreath.

Then I experimented by hanging it lower . . .

I like it lower! Oh, and please note that lump of concrete in front of the scarecrow.

One the way home we stopped by the antique store that had been closed the first time we drove by and Cottage Master allowed me to purchase the Maltese Falcon! He will be freshly painted soon. (The bird, not the Cottage Master)

rita

The Adams Family

2009-09-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Quincy, Mass. to see where John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born and raised.

While we were waiting for the shuttle trolley to take us to the homes I spied this lovely bit of stone-work on a building across the street.

So simple, yet so elegant.

And here we are at the two original homes that set on large farms over 200 years ago. I was surprised to see how today they were just a few feet from the busy street. While we were inside the houses we could feel the vibrations that the passing traffic caused through the large wood plank floors.

I purchased postcards with photos of these houses at the gift shop so I could have a State Park Ranger-free picture!

This house is next door and was John and Abigail's home. It impressed me how in just a few small rooms such great thinkers were able to accomplish so much. How Abigail could educate her son, in John's absence, so well that he too went on to become one of our country's leaders.

We could all take a lesson home about this when we think we need bigger and more grand homes to raise our children with the best.

And finally, here, where John retired to be a farmer. Both Abigail and John died in this house.

Trees that John planted and roses that Abigail planted are still growing on the grounds.

Getting to see these homes in person has been very special to me. I hate the fact that they won't allow you to take photos inside the homes. But I will always have my memories of what I saw.

rita

Williamsburg, Virginia

2009-09-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

It was a gloomy, gray and slightly muggy but with a saving cooling breeze the day we went to see the sights in Colonial Williamsburg. The night before had been pouring down rain and the last 30 miles were a struggle to drive.

At least the others on the road slowed when the rain was heavy -- unlike what we had experienced in Nebraska where the traffic continued to speed along even when it was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

But back to the topic of the colonial town -- I loved this arbor! I would love to have something similar at Quirky Cottage for the grapes to grow around.

Aunt Tootsie loves chickens so I will send this photo to her.

And Daughter and Son-in-Law have a large modern stable so this photo is for them.

All of the wooden and crude metal buckets and tools are a far cry from the light-weight plastic and strudy tools in their barn.

After seeing Aunt Lucille's grandmother's spinning wheel I took a special interest in this one being demonstrated. The gentleman was very generous with his time in telling many things about spinning wool and about the weaving process.

Some day when I run out of things to do I'd like to find out more about the textiles on that time period.

The Spinning Wheel man told me that the wool that he was working with came from a sheep on the property named Larry.

Later we met the sheep but Larry did not identify himself to me. The sheep seemed to like me. The came up to me on the other side of the fence and 'baaaa' to me.

Just as I was feeling very special, a woman stepped into the fenced area with food buckets and away they went, following her like sheep.

rita

What's it really like?

2009-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

When the Cottage Master first proposed a nice long leisurely trip across these great United States this is what I imagined . . .

He said that we would take our time, stop any time we saw something interesting and enjoy every minute of the experience.

What I got instead was this . . .

We are now in Williamsburg, Virginia, 3,000 miles from home. I haven't driven since Wyoming because once this wild man gets behind the wheel it's drive, drive, drive.

He passes every car on the road. He has made me go 20 hours between meals! He only stops when the car needs fuel.

Finally, yesterday I told him that I had heard that the first prize in the contest he was trying to win was a CRAPPY WIFE.

So, today we are taking a day off. We are resting, getting caught up on the emails and catching our breath before we go sight-seeing.

Before we left Missouri, he did stop and allow me to take these photos . . .

Just imagine the stories this building could tell.

rita

It's the 1960's Again!

2009-09-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

The last show we saw in Branson was a group of six singers reliving the songs of the 1960's for those of us who lived those years and who were sober enough to remember.

The first time this woman was on stage her costume was cut a little low in front (no, I didn't take any pictures).

The Cottage Master was hoping for a wardrobe malfunction!

She's a cutie and sang really well. It was hard not to like her!

rita

Andy Williams

2009-09-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Cottage Master kept saying that he thought Andy Williams had gone to the next world. But, we saw him alive and kicking at age 82!

The stage curtain is beautiful.

When Mr. Williams came on stage he appeared so frail and fragile that I assumed he would sing a couple of songs and the rest of the show would be a variety of acts. Well, I was wrong. He seemed to get stronger with every song and sang many favorites during the entire two hour program.

He rarely looked up but kept his eyes on the three tele-prompters sitting on stage. . .

He even did a little soft-shoe . . .

There were several different acts like this one . . .

And this guy who did a Red Skelton impersonation . . .

We were properly entertained.

rita

Sons of the Pioneers

2009-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

We had dinner with the singing group, Sons of the Pioneers.

I suspect they are more like the great grandsons of the pioneers.

The food off of the chuck wagon was good and filling. The corn on the cob was VERY good. Smoked beef and chicken cooked on-site and we could smell it long before the show began.

This character amused me greatly. He got the funniest looks on his face. Most of them I missed because I was laughing so hard.

Of course, there were plenty of jokes. One of them had to do with a new television show that they were going to recommend -- CSI Arkansas. Everyone knows that Arkansas is the most difficult state to solve a crime -- there are no dental records and all the DNA is the same.

This gentleman's great idea is for a hat diet. His theory is that if you wear a bigger hat it looks like you've lost weight.

Is it working?

The sparkly glasses are to distract your attention from what lies beneath.

rita

Branson, Missori

2009-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

On the way to Branson we stopped at a little cafe along the road. It was sort of a double-wide trailer with nothing notable about the decor except the clever way the side lights to the front door were placed on top of these cute little shutters.

At the top of every daytime hour this fountain puts on a light, fire and music show.

It's no Las Vegas -- but still fun to watch at night.

rita

Visit with Aunt Lucille

2009-09-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

We visited the Cottage Master has an 80 plus year old Aunt Lucille. We found her and her husband, Ray, doing quite well.

There were many monarch butterflies enjoying her flower beds.

As we visited we talked about a favorite photo of hers of her grandmother sitting at her spinning wheel. She took us to where she kept that same spinning wheel.

We were surprised that it was so small because as it sat in front of her grandmother it looked much bigger. Grandma must have been a small woman!

She also had the carding implements that her grandmother used.

As we were leaving Aunt Lucille mentioned a new place to eat in town so we stopped for lunch.

Maybe it's just me but the picture of a meat cleaver with red underneath is a little too graphic for me. Made me want to inquire, "Who is on the menu today?"

Cottage Master leaving in one piece

rita

Otter Tail County Museum

2009-09-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

The front of the Otter Tail County Museum and Historical Society has this darling iron railing.

And this lovely sculpture out front.

I know that museums do not want the visitors to take pictures but there was no one around and I snapped these displays -- I thought they were too cute not to take home a photo of them.

Mr. & Mrs. Beaver

We stopped overnight in Cameron, Missouri where there was an antique shop down the road. It had a large "OPEN" sign in front but the door was locked. There were these items sitting outside.

I love the movie The Maltese Falcon and when I saw this I wanted it - and I still want it. But the Cottage Master said he was not going to carry that heavy concrete thing all the way across the county -- he was getting poor enough gas mileage and that thing in the trunk would make it worse.

I still would love to have it!

Time to wash the car?

rita

Otter Tail County

2009-09-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

My father grew up in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. I was delighted by the road signs on the county roads -- they made me smile.

They reminded me of Emmett Otter of the "Emmett Otter Jugband Christmas" movie.

My grandfather ran a general store in Basswood. I had been told that the store was still there so I went to see it.

Unfortunately, a winter storm loosened one of the letters in the name and now it says . . .

rita

Houses

2009-09-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

When we slip into small towns along the highway to find fuel either for the car or for ourselves we sometimes drive past a residential area.

This house was definitely a head-turner. The picture does not really show how amazingly clean-looking this house is and how inviting the front door with its sunny color is. I wanted to knock on the door and get to know the owners of this prize winner.

This pink house caught my eye as well. I could just imagine how the homeowner searched the flower nurseries for just the right shade of petunia to match the trim of the house. It's just my opinion -- but I think a white with a stripe of pink would have shown the house off a little better.

rita

Ogallala Antiques

2009-09-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Living and shopping for vintage items on the west coast is a completely different experience from shopping in the mid-west. I just had to stop in at an antique mall before we left Ogallala and was sort of sorry I had.

I saw so many things that I either would loved to have if Quirky Cottage had room for one more piece of furniture (which she doesn't).

Blogger keeps turning this picture on it's side -- I don't know why . . .

This set of china has a matching table cloth and napkins!

After my shopping trip we hit the road again we intended to stop after we got through Omaha, Nebraska but God had other plans.

One of those famous mid-western rain storms began -- the kind that you can only see about 20 feet in front of you and you are using the taillights of the car ahead of you to keep you on the road.

After struggling to keep the car on the road when driving through large accumulations of water in the low spots for an hour we stopped and found a bed in a cheap motel.

You know you are in a cheap motel when there is THIS sign on the mirror.

rita

Ogallala, Nebraska

2009-09-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

We left the Oregon coast and began traveling east. We drove for 30 hours on dry pavement. During this time we past through Ogallala, Nebraska.

The Cottage Master LOVES the "Lonesome Dove" story so we stopped in Ogallala since it is one of the cities mentioned in the story.

There are at least two attractions in Ogallala, one of them, a beautiful old home -- now a museum, was closed on the Friday we were there. But the site of the orginial Boot Hill was accessible.

This sculpture is more beautiful in real life than any photo can show.

rita

Last Day @ the coast

2009-09-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's easy to take and display beautiful ocean pictures but it's a little gray right now at the end of our last day on the Oregon coast.

The birds are heading home for the night. I love the way they fly in a line . . .

But not always . . .

rita

Road Trip . . . day one

2009-09-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

We will be away from Quirky Cottage for a few weeks. She won't be lonely though, several visitors will pop in to see if she's alright.

The car is packed but still has room for any treasure we may find along the way to bring home.

We rented this beautiful car because our trusty ten year old Camry has traveled 240,000 miles and deserves the rest.

There is a great danger in renting a vehicle much newer and has more special features than what you own -- one tends to catch "new car" fever. But we are doing our best to enjoy the features now and to be resigned that they are only temporary luxuries in our lives.

Such as: 1) heated seats

I've never had much use for them myself. But then, during the long drive on the first day I was missing my heating pad that I have been using to sooth the pain in my left hip.

Then I realized that by turning on the heated seat feature I could get the same result.

2) Windshield wipers that automatically adjust to the amount of water on the windshield.

Now this feature may just save my marriage!!!!!

The Cottage Master says he can see through the rain drops and doesn't turn the wipers on until I'm half crazy with the inability to see. The automatic wipers seem to share my point of view and they clear the glass of water frequently enough for me to stay calm.
rita

Sand in the City

2009-09-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Recently our city hosted a Sand in the City weekend. A couple of streets near the Farmer's Market were blocked off to vehicles and then the fun began.

First they started with a pile of sand . . .

And lots of hard work . . .

Resulting in this for our enjoyment . . .

I have to admit that I was a little confused by the rock formations on the roof of this house but maybe they ran out of sand . . .

There was even a place where the kids could play in the sand all they wanted . . .

rita

Quirky flowers

2009-09-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've taken to heart the advise Gene Wilder gave to Jill Clayburgh in the 1976 movie, Silver Streak. He, as an editor of gardening books, tells her to be "nasty to nasturtiums".

According to the back of the package of seeds they need little care to thrive. They are not fond of heavily fertile ground and need a minimum of water.

It seemed to be a perfect plant to put in the flower box under the kitchen window this spring.

I had to plant the seeds twice. I add a little fertilizer the second time and a few seeds sprouted. I watered faithfully and was beginning to see colorful flowers when the plant on the far end began to look sickly.

Looking closer this is what I saw . . .

In disgust I stopped watering and made a mental note to self . . . it is possible to be TOO nasty to nasturtiums.

On the other side of the yard -- I love this trumpet vine. In the cool of the evenings when I sit next to an open window I can smell its fragrance.

And then in the back, just for my amusement, this trick of nature . . .

rita

New Look

2009-08-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

All the scrapbooking I've been doing with photos of my father has given my left brain a jolt and now I'm in a decorating mood.

Do you like the new look?

The photo is of a street in downtown Salem, Oregon circa 1938. The Montgomery Ward store is in the center of the photo. Mother worked there as a bookkeeper for many years during the 1930's and 40's.

It's been a Long Hot Summer this year and the Livin' Hasn't Been Easy. The Puget Sound area is just not used to the heat.
rita

Quirky Solutions

2009-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love the quirky handyman television show Red Green! People either love it or are confused why anyone would watch it.

Red's devotion to duct tape as a solution to any problem have always gotten my approval. I've always enjoyed people's creative ways to solve problems.

That's why when I got an email from my friend, Janie, that had lots of creative ways to use duct tape and other inventive items to make life better -- I just had to go to the source -- a daily blog There I Fixed It!

Here is a sample of what is on the blog.

Check out the blog for more quirky clever ideas.

rita

Whacha doing now?

2009-08-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

The creative process is messy -- at least at my house it is.

This has been going on at QC for weeks. I began by pulling out ALL of the photos that were left to me from previous generations.

Sorting and putting them in organized piles and then into boxes was the first step. The second stage was to start making notebooks for each major family group.

And now I am making the notebook of my father's life interesting to read. I've written eight pages of stories and have sent them off to my brothers to edit and add their own memories.

I've grouped the photos into categories and am having fun putting them into scrapbook form.

I'm tired of the mess that has decorated our garden room for the past few weeks but I should be done in the next few days.

rita

I love cats

2009-08-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cats and I have a lot in common. One thing . . . we are not fond of water sports.

rita

Refrigerators

2009-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Cottage Master and I took a mini-vacation. While out-of-town we cruised a few antique stores. The sight of this fridge brought back memories for me. My parents owned a fridge like this (without the clothing draped over it) when I was a small child.

Then they traded it for one that looked like this one that was in the motel room that we rented.

It's fun to get away!!!!

rita

First step

2009-08-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

More of my quirky sense of humor . . .

Watch that first step . . . it's a doozie

rita

Stop . . . if you can

2009-08-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

My quirky sense of humor had me chuckling over the grouping of these signs.

Once I'm in the cemetery there will be NO outlet . . . well at least until our Lord comes to takes me home!

rita

Disappearing Cherries

2009-07-28T10:57:00.001-07:00

Our two pie cherry trees are in need of pruning. They have become too tall for us to harvest all but a third of the cherries that they produced this year. The cherries that we could reach gave us 8 gallons of cherries to put in the freezer. The rest we had to leave for the wildlife to enjoy.

We had been wondering why we were finding small branches broken off of the trees each day. We could see the crows and Stellar jays eating in the trees and the robins eating the fruit that was on the ground.

We laughed at the crows and thought that they were eating so many and grew so heavy that they were breaking the branches, but we were wrong.

This is who was doing it. . .

Peek a Boo

rita

Color Coded

2009-07-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

My Dear Daughter and I good-naturely tease one another about how obsessive / compulsive we can be. I don't understand why she laughs at some of the things I do when they make perfect sense to me. And vice versa.

During my last visit with her she showed me her freezer. I was totally amazed at the fact that the food items were placed in these wonderful colorful plastic bins according to COLOR!

Pink = HAM
Green = veggies
Black = hamburger
Purple = berries
Orange = salmon

I only wish my freezer was this organized!!

We each have our own set of weirdness. It's what makes life interesting.

rita

Leopard Kitty Hunts

2009-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Leopard Kitty has such a strong hunting instinct that anything that moves will stimulate his interest. Even something that out-weights him by a 100 times.

When the deer turned to look at him he stopped in his tracks.

It looked like it was a stand-off

But then Kitty took another tactic . . .

He laid down on the job!

The deer didn't mind

He just munched on the tomato plants

Nice beard, man

rita

Morning People vs Night People

2009-07-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'm so weary of hearing morning people tell everyone around them how terrific it is to rise out of bed before the rest of the family and have their "alone time" with God.

They always speak of this time as being the holiest part of the day. They always say that if they miss this time that their entire day seems to go wrong.

Listening to them gives one the impression that if you are not joining them in this early morning vigil you are not truly a good Christian. That somehow your relationship with God is not as complete as theirs.

They are so bold as to say right to our faces that not rising early is missing a blessing that somehow cannot ever be gained at any other time of the day. That somehow the opportunity is lost as the brightness of the sun covers our part of the world.

I am here to take a stand for all of us night people.

The God of the Bible is on duty 24 / 7 and He is as wide awake as I am at 11:00 P.M.

I love talking with my Father after the noise of the day has subsided. When most people are in bed asleep.

The beauty of the night sky with its sparkling stars like diamonds easily brings me to His throne to converse with Him. While gazing at the moon and the light it reflects causes me to thankfulness for the universe He created.

Worship comes in waves as I think back on the day and see His perfect will in my imperfect activities.

While the day's failures and disappointments are fresh in my mind I can take them to Him asking for forgiveness which He pours out liberally.

In the quiet of the night I remember the people that I encountered throughout the day and ask His blessings on them.

I believe God deliberately created night people and I refuse to feel guilty that my best time with my Creator is at the end of the day instead of the beginning.

When I was raising children my favorite part of the day was after they all had been bathed and tucked into bed.

I like to think that my Heavenly Father feels the same way -- when I'm all cleaned and ready for bed -- He enjoys our interaction.

Yes, and if I shut up long enough to listen to the small quiet voice in my heart, I hear Him answer my concerns and He comforts my troubled soul.

As for the annoying early risers who insist on talking to ME after my eyes squint open -- that's a rant for another time.

rita

Birds on a Wire

2009-07-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

DD has a tall blank wall between the living room and kitchen which she has been looking for something unique to fill the space. She found the web site Dali Decals recently and purchased this great silhouette of birds on a telephone wire.

The rub-on decal went on just as the instructions said it would . . .

She thanked me for helping her -- but as you can see, all I did was give encouragement and took pictures!

rita

Great Grandmother Jenny

2009-07-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

Mom always spoke about her grandmother with fondness. Her grandparents spent many summers with her family and she remembered them as being an adventurous and fun-loving couple.

This photo of Great Grandmother taking a photo of fellow travelers makes me smile. I have a box full of photos that the two of them took on their trips across the Southwest and Northwest of the U.S. Most are unlabeled as this one is.

I don't know where this structure was or why anyone would want to drive to it and take a picture.

The man on the left is her hubby. I don't know who the other two couples were --assuming the photo taker is a husband of one of the women.

Can you just imagine what a pleasant outing it was for those six people jammed into that one car?

Please pass that jug around before we have to get in again for the ride home. Oh, it's just water?

rita

Dyslexic 101

2009-07-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I talked about how my eyes will read reality but my brain twists it into something different for me. My ears do the same thing

Example:

What I heard: "Thank you for this bed of sin"

What was said: "Thank you for this medicine"

What I heard: "For help with your direct dial dysfunction"

What was said: "For help with your erectile dysfunction"

It's so entertaining to be me!
rita

Spoiled again

2009-07-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

I like having the color of my shoes match my clothing. When I was young and single I had a selection of shoes that spanned the colors of the rainbow.

Then came the busy years of raising children and I was just thankful if I could find a left shoe and a right shoe that were a matching pair to wear when I left the house.

And now, in the leisure era of my life, I again have more pairs of shoes than I care to admit.

Thanks to DD, I was introduced to Zenni Optical where the prescription eye wear is so cheap that I got 3 pair for less than $85: Sunglasses, Reading glasses, and Distance glasses.

For distance I got these fun purple ones.

As the months went by I found myself lusting after more colors -- like shoes -- matching my clothing.

Yes, this was a WANT not a NEED but for only $20 a pair they are hard to resist.

So I now own these pretty blue glasses:

And these black striped ones.

I can't morally defend owning all these eyewear -- I just enjoy them.

Speaking of shoes -- aren't these clever ways to store them?

rita

Curtains

2009-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have spent many months looking through decorating books and magazines from the library attempting to discover "My Style" and the colors I wanted for our bedroom.

I discovered that while I liked the looks of the cottage styles and the comfortable ease of the country styles but it was the deep rich textures and colors of the jewel tones that made my heart skip a beat.

So I set out on the quest of finding curtains, bedspread and accessories in these wonderful colors.

What I discovered is that these jewel tones are not "popular" at the moment and that there is very little on the market, both in the stores and on the Internet.

I finally found some filmy curtains and ordered them only to be told that they were no longer available in the length that I needed them. Not to be thwarted, I ordered ten panels in the next longest lengths and sewed them together.

It's a beginning to my bedroom makeover.

rita

Happy 4th

2009-07-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the 4TH of July

I always have. Even having my arm accidently burned by my brother by placing a burning sparkler against my arm when I was 12 years old wasn't enough to reduce my excitement of the celebrations every year.

As an adult I learned that there are Great Grandparents on both sides of my family tree who participated in the war against the British. Brave men who left their families and farms in the capable hands of their wives to fight in the battles that were in their neck of the woods.

The front door of Quirky Cottage showing her colors!

rita

Sweet Chair

2009-07-01T19:05:00.001-07:00

While at an estate sale I walked past this sweet chair 3 times before deciding to take it home. Its simple lines seduced me.

It is a lone survivor of a mid-century dinette set.

I love the colors of its original seat cover. For now it sits in the master bathroom where the walls are painted a similar blue.

A new coat of shiny black paint will be applied soon.

rita

Garage Sale Find

2009-06-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

I spotted these lovely candle holders just as the past owner was marking them down in price.

Since I didn't have any candles to fit them but I was excited about using them I put this together:

First, grapevine balls,

Covered with a pretty paper napkins,

Draped with a long strand of pearls

Some day I'll paint them a different color but for now I'm enjoying them this way.

rita

Bath Project

2009-06-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

The bathroom off of the our bedroom is a mish-mash of construction styles and partially torn up walls and floor. It's part of the remodeling of QC that we did when we first moved in. Eventually we will tear most of it out, relocate plumbing and electrical but it isn't in the budget right now.

I'm not impatient for this to happen. However, I got to looking around recently and decided that for very little money a few changes could be made to help the room to be a little more friendly.

Have you ever had the experience of having a plastic shower curtain be sucked up against your wet naked body while you are trying to shower in a hotel? It can bring back the horror of the stabbing scene in "Pyscho". Then someone invented these wonderful CURVED shower curtain rods!

I LOVE them. So I replaced the original straight bar that was in our bathroom with this satin chrome curved bar. I also hung a new clear plastic shower curtain to give a more open feeling while in the shower.

Then to complete the mini-make over, I installed a new shower head with multiple
water sprays.

I have more ideas to alter this room for next to no money. I just need to find a few things at garage sales this weekend.
rita

Whacha doing?

2009-06-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with projects. I'll have photos as soon as I've completed them.
rita

Hey, Dummy

2009-06-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

My neighbors go out of their way to amuse me. For an example, on my way to the library today I spotted this . . .

I'm always interested in becoming acquainted with any new neighbors so I stopped for a closer look.

This one-eyed, footless, and quite jaundice gentleman wasn't in the mood for chatting but I bet he could have told some amazing tales of the things he has done and the things he has seen.
rita

Good-bye old iron

2009-06-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

When I replaced the old ironing board cover a week ago the change was just too much for my 30 year old steam iron. After a few days of mourning the old cover -- my old steam iron laid down and died. It hissed it's last breath of steam and went cold.

When I recovered from the shock of its demise I began to look forward to purchasing a new one. I assumed that in the 30 years that have passed since the last time I bought one there would be loads of new features.

I was surprised to find that steam irons look pretty much today like they did years ago. They weigh the same and have the same features.

I chose this beauty. I tried not to be swayed by her pretty color and only after comparing all the features of the other models I settled on this one.

The only new feature from my old iron is the retractable cord.

I'm sorry that it isn't blue -- but the pink makes me smile and since ironing clothes is right up there with scrubbing toilets in my least favorite things to do -- anything I can do to make the task more agreeable is worth it.

rita

Quirky Door Sign

2009-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is what I saw last week while shopping at a local strip mall.

Maybe it's just my quirky sense of humor -- but the sign on this door made me stop and think that I had misread it. But here it is -- un-Photoshopped -- it really says this.

I wonder if when they are interviewing potential employees they alert them that if their vehicle is wider than this door they need not apply.

rita

Latin Experience

2009-06-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Cottage Master and I had a craving for Mexican food so we stopped into a small place down the street from us. We had eaten there once before and we were sure that the food and service would be what we were looking for.

The parking lot was completely full. We considered that a sure sign of good food.

We were told we would need to wait "five, ten minutes" before we could be seated. While waiting, I was taken by the beauty of the ceiling.

Cottage Master mentioned that noise level was rather high and I thought it was only because we were next to the bar section.

After we were seated we discovered that the noise level was no less loud where we were.

There were roving musicians going from table to table singing in Spanish. They sang even louder as the voices of the other diners got louder. Cottage Master and I smile at each other at the irony.

Then, when we thought it couldn't get any worse, a piece of machinery on the other side of the wall that we were sitting against, started up and the rumbling was so loud that the table began vibrating.

Our smiles turned into laughter.

The food was good and there was plenty of leftovers to munch on the next day.
rita

Leaping Leopard Cat

2009-06-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

A cat flying through the air has been a familiar sight to us lately. While watching television in the evenings we'll see Leopard Cat leaping toward feeding birds and squirrels.

He is the most agile cat I've ever seen.

One afternoon I was reading when in my peripheral vision I saw him leap straight up into the air -- to the height of six feet -- and fortunately missed the bird at the feeder.

I went to the window to see if he was still there and found him hunkered down inside the curl of the garden hose waiting patiently for his next victim.

He saw me in the window and asked? Whacha doing with that black round thing?

And while I'm on the subject of cats -- how did this cat get here without knocking something down?

rita

Ramblings . . .

2009-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

This dragonfly visited my kitchen window and I had fun looking at his colorful body.

While taking a walk I looked over a low fence and saw this wonderful garden.

Aren't these cute? They are candles!

rita

What's in a name?

2009-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jerry Seinfeld watchers may remember when George said he wanted to name his first child Seven.

While watching our grandson's baseball team last weekend I became aware of the gentleman behind me in the stands kept calling out encouragement to Seven. My eyes widened. Had someone actually named their son Seven?

I listened intently for the man to call out some other name but he never did. About the time I was convinced that the pitcher's name was Seven my daughter-in-law leaned over to me and using the kid's real name told me that he had been on their basketball team as well.

That's when I saw that he was wearing the Number Seven on his jersey.

I am a bit dyslexic and my brain often does rather entertaining things with letters and words. Such as:

I read this team name as being Pathetic until common sense set in and I took a closer look.

rita

Head Scratcher

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day my DD gave me some fun things for my sewing/craft room. One of them being a new ironing board cover. She thought I needed one.

Old Cover

When I first attempted to put it on it was at three three inches too short. My only explaination at the time was that my board is 40 years old and that the newer ones were shorter.

I thought about how best to make it fit over the weeks. Each time I had a solution I would stretch the cover over the board and think about how to best deal with the short-fall.

Then, last week, I finally decided I had a great idea about how to splice the new cover and make it fit. I stretched it across the board so that I could get an accurate measurement of how much I needed to compensation for and to my utter amazement the cover stretch enough to fit the board.

I stood in amazement staring at it -- not really believing what I saw. But here it is.

I'm thrilled with it. It's nice to use my iron without worrying about tearing more holes in the cover.

rita

40 Years Ago

2009-05-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Forty years ago today two self-centered, self-absorbed and selfish children walked down the aisle of a church after being joined as one.

When people tell about couples they've known that never a harsh word passed between them I wonder what it must be like to be able to say that.

We've had our rough times both between ourselves and with our children at different times. But only through the grace of the God we serve have we always come back to His perfect purpose.

See that light over my head? I'd like to think it was my halo! Don't you believe it. What you see here is the beginning of two imperfect people who have spent the last 40 years knocking the rough edges off of each other.

Today is the icing on a cake! Each day we find ways to say "I love you". Each day we take care of one another. Each day our hearts beat as one. I still am swayed by his smile. He gets away with a lot of mischief by flashing that boyish grin. I consider is a triumph when I make him laugh because he does it so seldom. Marriage has taught me how to love, have joy, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. It's a GOOD THING.

rita

There's a new cat in the neighborhood

2009-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Quirky Kitty has been absent from his happy hunting grounds for many weeks now. I reasoned that he and his family had moved from the neighborhood.

When a younger, more agile cat had taken Quirky's spot in the garden, I was positive that he must be gone because he was a good defender of his favorite spot.

He has been replace by this beauty. We call him Leopard Kat for the moment. He too, likes that particular spot and watches with intense patience for movement in the soil and when he sees the slightest jiggle he digs furiously. I haven't a clue what it is that lives under the soil that holds the interest of a cat but it must be pretty juicy.

This guy and I are going to have trouble. He is so agile and I've seen him jump to the height of the bird feeders while they are occupied. THIS MUST BE STOPPED.

rita