A Few Things

I've had quite a few random photos just waiting to be blogged, so here goes:

Nancy and I have started on a new needlepoint. This one is a row of cookbooks. I'm designing my own stitch guide for us. So far, so good.

Okay, so Butch and I do travel a lot. We get travel brochures nearly every day. But this one takes the cake. It's about the size of a phone book! I can't believe how much it must cost the company to publish these---not only money, but trees! What a waste. Just lower your prices by 100 bucks and save yourself millions!

Mindy is sporting the new necklace I gave her for Christmas. I'm pretty good at picking jewelry for the girls. They like jewelry and they like what I pick. Same goes for shoes. I told them this year that it was easy to pick shoes for them. I just pick out what I would love for myself, but can't wear!

On the other hand, now that I've had my "fusions", I'm back in business in the shoe department. I have several cute pairs now. I picked a rainy day to wear my new red boots, but it ended up not raining!

These two cuties are my cousins. I'm not even sure which number---and certainly can't keep that "once removed" business straight, but I'm pretty sure I might be able to marry them.

We went to a new sushi place on Friday night. They had this centerpiece. Morgan said the cat was a sushi roll because of the rice on the bottom. I'm pretty sure that we didn't order anything that contained cat. At least we hope not!

Mindy and I are watching the American Crime show. This season it's about Versace. Mindy sent me this picture of her and her friend, Rachel taken in front of his mansion a few years ago. Had they known these were the steps he was murdered on, they wouldn't have been so gleeful! The show is really good!

Stephanie and Nicky invited us over for a football game a couple weeks ago. Butch and I were trying to take our FIRST selfie ever. The "kids" all decided to photo bomb us!

Butch just got a fine new ride. He got another Buick Lacrosse. It's pretty awesome with so many features. It even has that new self park. He hasn't tried that yet. It seems scary to me, but I'd have to try it a few times to have confidence in it. I could use that when parking in the garage at the movie theater. It would save me all the back and forth!

Stephanie sent me this beautiful bouquet of flowers this week. It was an unexpected surprise and definitely gave me a lift. But...

...it was the note that really meant a lot. She is so articulate! This really says it all! I love my family!

That's about it for my "few things" post. Hoping you have a great Sunday!

A to Z Books

Author you’ve read the most books from.

Now that depends on the time in my life. Early on, I read The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew Mysteries and Agatha Christie. I read every Stephen King in the 70's and 80's right up until It. That was too far out for me. Since then, I've read a few more and am back to loving him. I read anything by Jeffrey Archer (and continue to read him), James Patterson, Barbara Taylor Bradford. Most recently, my most favorite authors are Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah and Liane Moriarty. I love any books with twists you don't see coming. 

Best sequel ever.

That's a hard one. It seem like a lot of the books I read these days are series. I don't think I can pick a single sequel.

Currently reading.

Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I read this back in high school---not for school, but because I wanted to. I loved it then, so am happy to re-read it for book club. Liking it all over again! I just finished Promise me Dad by Joe Biden. It's pretty sad and hitting very close to home right now.

Drink of choice while reading.

Hot tea---definitely or water.

E-reader or physical book?

Totally love my Kindle---never thought I would, but I do.

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school.

I would have liked to date Romeo or Oliver Barrett the IV, but my heart would have gone to Heathcliff!

Glad you gave this book a chance.

There are many books I never would have read if it weren't for my book clubs. A few that stand out in my mind as books I never would have chosen are The Sparrow and The Hunger Games series. 

Hidden gem book.

Tattoos of the Heart by Gregory Boyle has to be my favorite. It's about the power of boundless compassion and is the most beautifully written book I've ever read. It's 5 stars of over 1200 reviews!

Important moment in your reading life.

I guess that would have to be when I was reading The Winter Garden. I had to keep stopping because I was crying so hard. Butch came along and said, "what's the matter, are your allergies bothering you?" I said, "are you kidding me? We've been married 40 years. You know I don't have allergies! It's my book!" Another was while reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I was crying on the patio as Butch came around from the garage to see what was going on! I LOVE books that move me!

Just finished.

A Gentleman in Moscow. Wow, considering it was so highly rated, it was a difficult read for me. Luckily, it all came together in the end. (I started this post a couple weeks ago.)

Kinds of books you won’t read.

I don't read fluff. I hate that and consider them a waste of time. I want to learn something. My preferred genre is historical fiction (or non).

Longest book you’ve ever read.

Atlas Shrugged---although anything by Stephen King is just as long. With Atlas Shrugged, I felt like it was an accomplishment. If you want to understand the difference between republicans and democrats, read this book. You can really see both sides.

Major book hangover because of…

My Sister's Keeper. I sobbed so much and couldn't get it out of my mind for days. Love books like that.

Number of bookcases you own.

Bookcases---heck, I have an entire library. Plus, I have books in every room!

One book you have read multiple times.

Sometimes I've re-read a book for book club if it's been a few years. The only other books I've read multiple times were To Kill a Mockingbird as a teenager and Wuthering Heights from teen to adulthood (actually, I've only read it three times).

Preferred place to read.

In front of the fireplace, in the tub, in bed, in the recliner, Starbucks and in my car.

Quote from a book you’ve read that inspires you.

I'm not good at remembering quotes. Even if I had a favorite, I'm sure I would butcher it in the re-quoting!

Reading regret.

I guess my only reading regret would be my obsessive nature that won't allow me to quit a book once I've started. I hate the feeling at the end of a book that I've just wasted so much time. Time I could have been reading something good! If A Gentleman in Moscow wasn't for book club and so highly rated, I would have quit that several times!

Series you started and need to finish.

I'm in the middle of The Seven Sister series. I liked the first two books, but didn't love them. Since my book club keeps picking them, I've just finished book 3---The Shadow Sister--my favorite so far. Now, I have to read the rest---when they come out. I love Ken Follett too.

Three of your all-time favourite books.

That's really hard. There are so many books that I have loved. These three are by no means the only favorites I have. Wuthering Heights, My Sister's Keeper and The Nightingale.

Under what circumstances do you find it difficult to read?
I can't read easily in the pool. I'm always afraid that I'll doze off and drop my Kindle in the water.

Very excited for this release more than all the others.

I'm looking forward to whatever Jodi Picoult is doing next.

Worst bookish habit.

Sneaking off to read while on vacation.

Your latest book purchase.

Now that I'm using the library---and borrowing book club books from Stephanie, I haven't purchased a book in a year. However, since Stephanie is sharing with me, I'll buy half of the book club books.

Zzz-snatcher book (latest book that kept you up way late).

This is not a problem for me. I get sleepy when I read at night. That's why I use reading in bed to unwind.

Friday Funnies

Throwback Thursday

Last year:

What a difference a year makes! Good bye prednisone!

What a difference 20 years make!!

What I Buy Wednesdays

Actually, Butch bought this mascara for me from Kohl's. I read a blog article somewhere about the best mascaras on the market. I don't have many eyelashes left (you may remember that I said they had all fallen and taken root on my chin!). This mascara was highly rated. Butch shops Kohl's, so I knew he'd be all over it! It's $24.00 and worth every cent!

My Stitch Fix box came in. I'm loving this. It's a surprise whenever it comes---like Christmas!

Here's what I got this month. Fashionable clothes at very reasonable prices! Plus you get a 25% discount if you keep everything. I did.

And the shoes! I've liked every pair they've sent. I've only sent one pair back because they were silver sandals and I already had a pair of cute ones.

 I saw this purse in the window while walking the mall last week. I thought it would go good with the shoes, but I didn't buy it. I prefer the crossbody bags now. You know, so I can keep my hands free to catch myself when I fall. Notice I didn't say "if?"

 I did order a pair of white Keds on sale.

These were on sale too and I just couldn't resist.

Who knew? I had no idea that Keds partnered with Kate Spade---my favorite designer. The shoes were the same price as regular Keds (well, the sale price that is).  The polka dots---so Kate Spade!

What did you buy this week?

Tuesday Thoughts About...

...renovating.

Well, it's finally happening! The past month has been spent picking out everything, taking measurements, getting bids and placing orders. Things have started to arrive and this week the work has started.

Here's what I think about it:
1. Renovating is not for the faint of heart. It's HUGE! Almost moving huge! Not quite, but almost.
2. It's a ton of work. Whatever you think it's going to be time-wise, double it. I'm talking about the cleaning out part. It's a job for sure and it's HUGE!
3. Hire help. Teenagers are good for that. Save boxes and still you won't have enough.
4. Be prepared for the things that will go wrong---and they will. I think it's some sort of law---"whatever can go wrong, will go wrong!" I don't know who said it, but it's true. Sounds sort of like Shakespeare. Hmmm, maybe he did a renovation!
5. One thing leads to another. No matter how simple you think something is going to be, it will always turn out to be complicated--as in, take the old tile off the wall and suddenly, the whole wall comes down! New drywall going up tomorrow!
6. You really need to know what you want. I do. If you don't have some idea going in, there are so many choices---it would be hard to narrow it down. Lucky for me I always have a "vision." I don't always get to do what I want---due to impracticality---but I know what I want. I wanted a farm sink. Due to the cabinets underneath, I couldn't do it without a major re-do of the cabinets. Still, I'm happy with my old fashioned cast iron sink. I'm gonna love it!
7. The dust is everywhere. Something simple as sawing off the letter holders under the cabinets over the desk caused a big mess. I'm told the dusty part is about over. I'm not sure I believe it as there is the drywall work happening and that's the worse kind of dust!
8. You have to be flexible with food. The stove is gone. There's no water in the kitchen. That means, easy pick up foods or anything microwaveable. I've got it under control. Thank goodness for the bar sink. At least I have running water in the family room. Another good option would be eating out more. But the truth of it is I'm too lazy to go out! Once I'm home, I don't want to go out for food. So far, I've picked up fried chicken which we had Sunday, then used some in a salad for last night, lots of Lean Cuisines and other microwaveable foods, soup, sandwiches and other canned foods. We'll survive.
9. The timeline is going to change for sure. Originally, we were only supposed to be without the kitchen for one week. There's no way. Now we're looking at two weeks---realistically, it will probably be 3. I'll be happy with anything under 4! The painter comes on Thursday. Once the pantry is done, I can start moving things back in. Very excited about that. Butch thinks that's going to be a bigger job. That might be, but it will be fun to have everything re-organized again. Of course, I'll be washing everything before it goes back. That'll be a big job too. Still fun.
10. The cost. Not even going there!

Now for the pictures:

 Here's the before. You can barely see my old window treatments. Christy---my designer---has sold them for me! Yahoo!

As of today, all the cabinet doors are going away. Keeping my brass knobs---maybe I'll use them at the beach.

I have big plans for the desk area that I'm pretty excited about.

 The letter holders are gone. The cabinets on top are going to be glass all the way across. The bottom is going to be raised with trim around the bottom. The desk kneehole part is going to be cabinets. The wall on the back is going to be shiplap (I've been wanting to use that somewhere in the house just about forever). The intercom system is going away as are all the outlets. I'm having one double outlet and switch relocated to the wall on the side. The whole thing is going to be painted a color called "rainwashed". There will be lighting under the top cabinets. I picked out crystal pulls. The counter top will be white marble. My "vision" is that this will look like a piece of furniture. I hope it turns out as good as what I have in my mind.

 So we're doing meal prep and washing dishes in the family room.

 So far so good.

 We've moved everything in to the dining room. I put a couple boxes in the library so we can still have a path to walk around (and look for stuff we end up needing) in the dining room.

 The candle cabinet.

Cleaned out.

We have way too many cups. This is the overflow. The bottom shelf is our poker money. The mail slots were just full of junk. I'm happy to clean out.

 The pantry fully loaded!

Some of the things I anticipating needing. I'll be moving all of this to the family room before Thursday when the painters are due to arrive.

I can't wait to share the "after." Soon---I hope!

Monday Mystery

 As you can see, our keys are clearly labeled.

 So how is it that we have the random key?

And these? We have no idea what they go to. I sent a picture to the girls. No one has claimed them. Dare I throw them away? Yep, I think I did.

It is a complete mystery to me how this cheap-ass roll of plastic wrap is still lasting! We bought it on our family vacation last summer---July 1st---and it's still going strong. I've been tempted a few times to just throw it away, but I just can't waste. It doesn't work worth crap---doesn't cut off the roll properly, gets all tangled up and doesn't stick anyway. I swear, I'm going to throw it out. (I probably won't.)

And then we had a mystery solved!

This is what I've always thought. Now we know!

 Appropriate too, since I was playing the "Flush" game with Travis and Nathan.

 The little plunger is so cute!

It didn't take long for the boys to lose interest. Their energy is always a mystery to me!