Ten Things Thursday

Of course I love this combination of blue and white. I love those windows over the doorway. The hydrangeas add the perfect touch. 

I love the shabby chic look. I don't usually go for brown, but in this case, it all looks so natural and is set off by the white. And the flowers and greenery are gorgeous. Love those sisal runners, the front doors, and the shiplap treatment on the walls. So pretty.

I love the floor on this one. But the overall is a little too dark for me.

Love the parquet and the crystal light fixtures.

The stair runners are a pretty interesting. It's the flower baskets I like the most.

Another blue and white--you just can't go wrong with those colors.

I like how this looks, but might be a little stuffy for my taste. Love the chandelier.

I like this entry, but I think I'm over the traditional furniture and paintings.

This is not really my taste, but I think it would be perfect in any of the brown states!

What I love about this one is the book shelves. Looks like a good idea--but I think you'd have to think of this as you are building the house to pull it off.

I could live with any of these entries, but my most favorite is #2!

Ten Things Thursday

Let's look at some beautiful bathrooms!

1.

Okay, this is gorgeous! I love all the white--especially the shiplap. But, where is the Kleenex, soap and waste basket. That's not to say it still wouldn't be beautiful, but you'd definitely have to take away the flowers on the sink.

2. 

OMGosh! I could totally get in to that pink vanity! So pretty!

3. 

I love everything about this one--the vanity with the white baskets, the tile, that rug (swoon) and the color scheme. 

4. 

I think this one is attractive. You can't go wrong with black and white.

5.

I do like this one, but would rather have a softer aqua on the walls.

6. 

I think this one is attractive, but I'm not exactly a "brown" person. I don't wear it and don't care to decorate with it. I do like that faded tile ceiling. It might be tin.

7.

Just wow! 

8.

Even though pink is my favorite color, this might just be a little too much for me. I do love that pink vanity!

9.

Love the ceiling and the green tile. I'm not sure about the floor. I don't like the vanity at all--but I do like the sink.

10.

The painted flowers brings this bathroom to life. I wonder if I would get tired of it?

If I had to choose just one, I think I'd go with--guess which one I would choose!

It's------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------number 3! That peek of a crystal chandelier put it over the top!

 

Me on Monday

We got home Friday around 4:30. We stayed up until about 8 p.m. I woke up at 3 a.m.--7 hours of sleep is about right for me. We got up around 4 and started working. It was crazy. By 7 a.m. we had just about everything done:

unpacked

cleaned my suitcase wheels--again, disgusting filth (I told Butch that I cleaned his wheels too.         He said that ever since I posted about the crud from the wheels, he's been doing his                 wheels! That's why I love that guy. He wants things to be as clean as I do!)

cleaned out my purse

cleaned out my carry on bag

sorted charger cords 

got the laundry going

paid bills

watered plants

food planned--got meat out to thaw

made the grocery list 

snapped picture for "What I Buy Wednesday" post

put the kitchen back together (the new sink was installed while we were gone. We had to             move everything off the countertops and under the sink).

I cleaned everything before putting it back. I didn't get rid of anything. I could easily have let many of the vases on the right--go, but I always have these views of me giving them away with flowers from my garden. I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually remembered to do that. But I'm going to!

By 8 a.m. I was up in my scrapbook room. No, I didn't try to address my sewing machine problems. I did text Karolyn to see when she could help me. She came over yesterday. 

I was working away when around 8:45 Butch asked if I wanted to go to At Home to get our new patio cushions. So, I got ready and off we went. We got the cushions, stopped at Home Depot and Loewes to get plants and did the grocery shopping. We were back by 11. 

Wow! We were accomplishing a lot! I put the groceries away while Butch started cleaning the patio furniture. By 12:30 he was finished. I was already in front of the tv catching up on shows and cropping my pictures for AYM. 

The day continued. I went out and spent about an hour doing my garden chores. I read, but didn't nap at all. I was hyped up. There's nothing that gets me going more than working. Now don't get me wrong, I love my leisure life. But there's something about traveling that gets us energized. I guess we feel like we've lazed around for a week, so it's time to get working!

So now, I'm going to let you in on a little of my crazy. Butch put a lot of the stuff back on the kitchen counters. He did this:

Look at it like this--kind of like that page in the Highlights magazine when you were a kid sitting in the doctor's or dentist's office. See if you can find the differences. 

He has reversed the tea

tins and put the teabag holder on the counter. This is how it's supposed to be. So there it is. I know it's crazy. but I can't help it. It's like something gets stuck in my brain and interferes with any other thoughts. I HAVE to fix it. Sometimes, I don't know how Butch puts up with it. I mean, it kind of drives me crazy too. Case in point. Right before we were getting ready to leave on our trip--I mean that very morning, I asked Butch to take the plants out. We have 8 that we over-winter in the sunroom. He did them all---but one. I asked him why he didn't take that one out. He said he just overlooked it. I said, "Well it would only take a minute," He said, "but I've already showered." He thought that was the end of it. A little later, I said, "You could just put it outside the door." He's like, "Barb, what difference does it make? I'll do it when I get home!" I replied, "But I can see it in the sunroom and it needs to be outside. The plants all need to start adjusting before the heat kicks in." He relented and just moved it outside. 

See what I mean? It's so ridiculous--and I know it. But you can look at it another way. If these are the worse "spats" we have, then I'm not going to worry about it!

So far, it's all still manageable. It's not like I have to check the stove 100 times--most likely not a problem--I don't cook that much!  Or check to make sure the door is locked. I don't care if the door is locked unless I'm home alone at night! I'll just carry on. 

Friday Frustrations & Friday Funnies!

Boy do I have some frustrations for you today! Let's go!

1. I ordered a floral arrangement to be sent to a friend, Madelyn in a nursing home. Her daughter, Madelyn (yes, they both have the same name) sent me this picture telling my how happy she was to receive it. 

Here's the problem. This is a Thanksgiving arrangement and an ugly one at that. I immediately sent an email to the company I ordered from telling them that I was unhappy as what they sent looked like it was leftover AFTER Thanksgiving. 

This is what I ordered:

Isn't it beautiful and festive? And, it wasn't cheap! I sent this picture to my friend whose mother received the arrangement. She responded right away---"No, that wasn't what my mom received. That was the arrangement from her Thanksgiving meal at the "home!" She said she'd send me a picture the next day. Now, I've already sent a nasty email to the company and feeling pretty bad. Then, the next day, I got an email from the company that said, "The flowers are not guaranteed, but based upon availability!" They then said that they were sending my email of dissatisfaction to the floral provider. In the meantime, please accept this $15. coupon off your next arrangement. 

Then I got the picture of what was received. 

I am still not satisfied! This doesn't look anything like what I ordered. I've contacted the company again. I have never heard from the florist. About that $15.00 coupon: My thought is, "Are you kidding me? Why would I order another arrangement from you that I won't get?" The company is called "From You Flowers." I have posted all of this on Facebook too. This isn't the first time that I've had problems with flowers. I'll have to let you know how it turns out.

2. Next up is this. I had a Pampered Chef egg slicer for years---for years!!! Finally, a couple of the wires broke. So, I bought this one at the grocery store. It's from Everyday Living.

The very first time I used it, it broke. Okay, I'll just take it back. Well, I get my receipts via the Publix app. So, I go there to find the receipt and now it won't recognize my login info. I've tried every which way. I am so frustrated. I think I'll just carry it in. 

Okay wait, I need to stop right here. I've been bitching and carrying on about all of this---and you'll see what else as I get to it below. Butch just said, "Barb, I know you are a strong woman and will get this figured out!" I actually laughed out loud! Talk about trying to calm me down! Okay, it worked. I'm a little calmer now. But it won't last long.

Let me carry on.

3. I'm tying to make a purchase from Walmart. I bought these really cute runners:

Really cute and only $32.00 each. They are non-slip and stay put pretty well. They fold up nicely and not too bulky AND they are machine washable. So, I decided I wanted to buy a couple for when the holidays are over. I found what I wanted. When I went to check out, the website is not recognizing my login information. I've tried everything: copying and pasting my password, having a code sent to my email that never arrived---trying that three times and finally resetting my password. I can't do that either. I guess I'm going to have to call! There is nothing that makes me madder than not being able to spend money when I want to!!

4. So! When I was cooking for my luncheon on Tuesday, I had this bag of coconut. It had a "cut here" to re-seal the bag.

 I cut there. Apparently where I cut was wrong. 

Somehow I managed to cut in the wrong place. Now I've cut beyond where the self-seal is. I still have to use a clip. Okay, that's not the end of the world, but it is frustrating!

5. This really ticks me off and if I'm honest, it's my fault. I was making my most favorite cake for my luncheon--an Oatmeal Cake--It didn't rise. I was trying to figure out what went wrong. I haven't made this cake in a couple years. Anyway, I went through the recipe to see if I had left something out. Now, mind you, I am very methodical when I cook. I start with assembling all of the ingredients on the left of the mixing bowl. When I add something, I move it to the right. That way, I know I've put everything in. I still couldn't figure out what the problem could be. Then it hit me when I was in the shower. I don't know about you, but I do my best thinking in the shower. 

That's when it hit me. "Hmmm, I wonder if the baking powder is expired?" OMGosh, was it!

It expired in March of 2016!! Holy smokes, no telling when it actually died!! Okay, that's on me. Apparently I don't use baking powder very often!

And then this. I hate having an odd number of things, but I have a 6th frustration this week and actually a 7th!

6. I was on Instagram the day before yesterday. I was zipping along, liking this and that, commenting here and there. Then I got this message:

In case you can't read it, I was banned, locked out or whatever you want to call it for commenting too much! I didn't even know that was a thing! I sent this picture to the girls. Mindy explained: "If you don't post regularly and then all of a sudden start posting, Instagram thinks you are a "bot." I don't really know what "bots" are but I do know they are responsible for scooping up thousands of concert tickets. 

Somehow, I've gotten myself mixed up with them. All because my life doesn't revolve around social media. I check Facebook twice a day--morning and evening and Instagram when I think about it--maybe every other day. I guess I have to be more diligent in checking that out more often. I guess you'll have to call me "Barb the Bot!"

7. So. We made a purchase through Amazon of some nutritional supplements that Butch was told to get from an orthopedist. We ordered them, but never received them. Amazon says I need to contact the seller. I do. The seller says I need to contact Amazon. I'm caught in a ring of hell now!

****Update: Just got a notice that the flower company is refunding me 30% of what I paid. Well, it's something, but not enough!! Oh well, I need to let that go.

Okay, that's enough negativity for one post. Now on to a few funnies.

This Trip is NOT for the Faint of Heart!

Now, don't get me wrong--it's amazing--no doubt! But, it's not for the faint of heart--that's for sure. Let me explain. 

This might sum in up:

Yep, almost 47,000 steps--nearly 20 miles on our first day! But, surprise, that's not walking! It's bouncing around in our safari vehicle! There's so much to see and they want to make sure you see it all. But, the roads are not very good and the drives are long--Africa is a big country and so are the national parks! The drivers fly along the bumpy roads--often we would go airborne--no lie! 

Although we traveled many more miles than 20, my Fitbit registered that I walked this many due to the bumping and bouncing around. If you have any body aches and pains, this definitely exacerbates them. Butch and I are doing fine, but some of the other "seniors" in the group are complaining about their backs and necks. I feel for them. For me, it's my "rear end" that's a little tender--nothing that would hold me back! I don't have the padding there that I used to! Still, it doesn't bother me. They have an extra cushion on the seats that you can also stand on when we come to a stop. The sights are just unbelievable--so hard to describe. The animals are not afraid--or at least most of them aren't. 

I stopped taking pictures because the whole family is. So, I don't have a picture yet of the "rock python" we saw yesterday. Our driver said it is rare to see one--it's the second largest snake in the world. The only reason we saw it was because it had just eaten something huge and was digesting. Apparently they can't or don't move during this process. We don't know what it was he ate, but the bulge was as big around as a human! Our driver said he could eat two!

We lucked out--again--with such a small group. There were only 13 on the tour and 7 of them were US! One gal left on Sunday, so we're down to 12. We convinced our driver to let us have our own car rather than one person having to go in the other car. It's a little tight, but so fun. The other people are really nice, but I'm sure they are loving having their car to themselves too.

The accommodations are first rate--rustic, but very nice. I'm out of time right now but will come back to this post later and add to it.

Every camp greeted us with fresh juice and warm, moist towels to wash our hands. That was a nice touch. 

This was the first place we stayed--where they put the hot water bottles in our bed at night. None of these places have heat or air conditioning. The water bottles was all we needed.

This was the second camp. It was a luxury tent on stilts! This is the place where the monkeys almost overwhelmed me.

Camp #3--I'm only showing you our rooms. All of the places were so nice. I took plenty of pictures of the scenery and buildings, but it would be too much for this post. 

This was our last place and the nicest of them all. You walked in to a large living area with a tv--the first place to have that. Of course, Butch got excited too quickly. There were only 2 channels. He was watching what he thought was a soccer (football) game (couldn't find any golf) only to discover that it was some soccer highlights channel.

I have to share just a couple of floral pictures--there weren't that many flowers on our game drives. The ones I took were mostly in the camps which were lush and beautiful. But, I just had to share this one. 

This one greeted us at the entrance to our final camp. If you look close you can see it in the picture above.

It's a "bottle brush" tree--I cannot even begin to pronounce--much less spell--what they called it. I know I've seen it in the US too, it's stunning!

Every room along the way had mosquito netting. We didn't really have problems with mosquitos. All of the views are spectacular. This "resort" is in the midst of a coffee plantation. They grow 75% of everything they serve here. All camps had pools, but this is the only place where we had time to enjoy that. They keep you pretty busy--starting after breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and going untll 5-ish.

This camp greeted us with an outdoor lunch--which is what I think of when I think of Africa. Fancy!

They serve family style--with bowl after bowl of food on the table to pass. Before you can even ask for more, they replenish them. The first round was enough for us. Meals took quite awhile. We Americans are used to eating quickly and on to the next thing. We felt like we spent a lot of time eating!

You know how much I love a cloth tablecloth!!!

Later...

Travel Tuesday

Wow! It's been a crazy two weeks! 

My sister, Janice, had a pretty serious surgery. It didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked, but after 8 days in the hospital, she was able to come home---in St. Louis. She was cleared to go to her home the next day to Salem, MO where she has a cabin on her twin--Jennifer's farm. I spent a few days getting her settled. Jennifer was with us most of the time when she finished her "farm" chores. 

I organized Janice's entire place including all of the cabinets. She had just moved in late May. Now lest you think I'm that amazing, let me set the record straight--it's a small place--just 16x40. Still, it kept me busy. 

Add to that, the 5--yes, count them--five DOGS!

Now, most likely I'll get the names wrong here--starting from the left (dogs): Jack, Wilbur, Zelda, Lola and Mugsy. The last two are Janice's dogs. They are all great friends. They roam around the farm in a pack--if Janice will allow hers to go! Her white dog, Lola loves to swim in the pond and come home all filthy! That's why Janice had a dog bath installed in her cabin! In the background is Parvez, Jennifer and Sami.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not particularly fond of dogs. You know, the hair, the slobber, the smell--all of it. But after taking my turn watching Lola and Mugsy for two weeks, they somewhat won me over. They are really good dogs. It got to where they came to me to be let out and for food--even after Janice came home. When we first got to the farm, Janice and I were sitting outside. When Jennifer's dogs came over, Lola and Mugsy got on either side of me and growled viciously at them! I screamed, because I thought I found myself in the middle of a dogfight!! Turns out, they were just protecting me! There's something charming about that. Now don't get me wrong. I didn't come away wanting a dog---they are just too much darn work!! But I do get how people love them. I have to admit, I wonder if they'll remember me the next time I see them--probably September. 

Anyway, on to the cabin.

There's plenty of space for one person (and two dogs).

Along with organizing everything, I "Old Englished" her table top.

It's an antique and the wood is oak.

Old English is amazing! It just evens everything out and restores some of the beauty.

The farm is beautiful. This is the view from Janice's front porch. 

While I was talking to Butch one evening, I got to see the prettiest sunset. By the time I got off the phone, this is all that was left of it. You can still see a strip of pink against the blue sky.

There are wildflowers everywhere. The very first thing I did was go out and collect a bouquet. There are Black-eyed Susans, two types of Queen Anne's lace, ox-eye daisies, wild shrub roses, and two other pretties I couldn't identify.

On Saturday morning, I did a few more things to help Janice before I left. All was good. I was sad to be leaving as I felt she needed more help, physically. Still, I was excited to be heading home. The plan was to go to St. Louis and attend the closing of our high school--Rosary--after 55 years. Jeanne, Matt and I were going together. I was planning to head home the next day. 

That evening, when we got home, everything changed. I got the call from Jennifer that the small hospital in Salem was taking Janice by ambulance 3 hours back to St. Louis. I planned to meet her there at 11:30 pm. As it turns out, due to Covid, Barnes-Jewish Hospital would not allow anyone to come in after visiting hours--no exceptions--even in an emergency. 

It was a scary situation, but by Sunday morning, we found out that it all was a false alarm. Janice was perfectly fine! That small hospital just didn't know how to deal with her situation--at least that's what we think.

Anyway, Jennifer and I went to the hospital. Janice was able to come down to the cafeteria--only one person is allowed to visit in the room. I said, "well, this is a hell of a way to get me to buy breakfast!!" I was just happy that she was okay.

When breakfast was over, we had a tearful good-bye. I got on the road. Little did I know that the five hours I had ahead of me would turn in to seven!! The first hour hold-up was due to an accident. The second hour hold-up was due to road work--dead stop each time. 

Due to the "emergency" the night before, Butch wasn't expecting me. I wanted to surprise him. I did. He heard the garage door, so came out. He said, "Oh, this is a surprise"--but not in an excited kind of way. He's not a very excitable kind of guy. When the girls were growing up, they would say, "moooom, dad's not excited!" Yes he is, he just hides it well!

On the other hand, he surprised me with this:

A beautiful bouquet of flowers! And this:

Now the guy doesn't really know much about trees or flowers. He said he found this perfect heart leaf while out walking and thought of me. He was disappointed that in a day, it dried and curled. I told him it was a redbud leaf and it was the thought that counts! Honestly, I thought it was so sweet. I'm keeping this leaf for my scrapbook.

He's never really been a romantic type of guy, which makes this so special. As we get older, he does more and more romantic things without even thinking about it. When we were younger, I always wished he'd be more romantic. But, I have to admit--it's seems way more special now!!

Okay, that's enough! I've rambled way too long!