Picture for Today

Isn't this exciting? Laundry is forever. It is how life is though, isn't it. There are fun times and work times. I have been writing a lot lately and working on the outside of the house so now I need to spend a little time on the mundane tasks of laundry and things like that.

Picture for August 30, 2013. These Grill Mats are so Helpful

 

 

This is the grill mat we got years ago. It helps keep the floor around the grill clean. We looked around for years to find another one just like it. Two weeks ago we found a different one at Home Depot. We needed it for the Wok on a burner my nephew-in-law made for me on my 50th birthday.

I know it is another picture of the garage. Terry finished painting. The eves are yellow now. He even painted the side no one sees. Smart man, huh. Little by little we are getting this place back in shape. Next will be finishing the decks. It has been too hot to finish them. The temperature has to be 90 degrees or below.

Time with the Business and Professional Women's Club. My Speech at the Perryton Club

The ladies of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Perryton, TX were so kind to me.

We enjoyed a very nice lunch at the Perryton Club.

 

The outside of the Perryton Club

 

 

 

The lovely dining room where the BPW Club meets.

 

The reception area of this dining room.

The girls allowed me to take their picture for my picture of the day.

 

I told them the speech I was giving had been 'Three Teeth and a Toenail' and I had to change it to 'Four Teeth and a Toenail'. They were very kind to laugh at my silliness.

After the meeting, I went to the dentist to get my tooth glued back in.

 

Yay, its back!!!

 

I Lost a Cap!

This is the picture of the day for Aug 28, 2013 (because I post the picture a day after the event) The night before I was using my water pick and brushing my teeth. Something went kerplunk in the sink. Oops!

The funny thing is that today at noon I am speaking at the Perryton Club to the Business and Professional Women's Club. They want a humorous speech and I had decided on the speech I named "Three Teeth and a Toenail".

First thing this morning I called the dentist. He is going to fix it at 3:15 p.m. Oh well. That is how it is with me. These kinds of unnerving things happen before big events. I think it is to make me transparent with people. I still have a lump on my chin from an infection caused from stress. (Stress? Me STRESS!) That's what the dermatologist said.

Oh well, it is another little moment to go into that speech. I will have to rename it, "Four Teeth and a Toenail". By the way, I am writing a book of a lot of the humorous things that I speak about and some things I haven't. The title will be "Four Teeth and a Toenail".

The Tree Bench is Done!

 

After refinishing most of the tree bench, I remembered that I wanted to take a 'before' picture for my picture of the day. There was actually no finish of any kind left on the bench. It needed help. I like it because I can sit on it and be in the shade while watching Terry and friends play horseshoes.

 

What a difference Beahr Deck Over makes. It will match the decks and should last for a long time. I wasn't strong enough to lift it to do the inside legs and parts, but I know a man with some muscles and he said her would do it.  :) This bench shows from the winding road that goes through Sage Ridge. Now it looks like we care about the place.

Clean Windows Do Make a Difference!



We have lived at Sage Ridge for almost 23 years. Some of our projects are tabled because of the tyranny of the urgent. We have put in a lot of work through the years. It is a work in progress. The reason we haven't gotten everything done is because when we have the money to do a project, we don't have the time. When we have the time, we don't have the money. Does that sound familiar?

Terry did a 'honey do' for me that I have wanted done for several years. (I am terrified of ladders since I fell several years ago.) With the moth infestation last year, the window up high was so bad, it took a lot of effort to get it clean. Thank you so much, Terry.

 

Don't you think those windows look good? Terry is putting another coat of primer on the eve of the garage and also around the windows. I touched up the door trim with a second coat of paint.

 

It was hot on the southwest side of the house, to I went to the east side and repainted the screen door and trim around it. In case you are wondering, the 'screen' for our screened-in porch is actually shade cloth. We found it at Home Depot or Lowe's in the garden department. It is wider than regular screen and is very durable. The darker part is what we installed 20 years ago. The lighter green is replacement screen in progress. (Somehow the cats tore the old screen open so they could get into the porch area. grrrr)

 

I had to repaint the sign our oldest son made in wood shop. I really did try to not get yellow paint in the letters, but messed up, so I painted inside so I could get the part that is supposed to be yellow would have good coverage.

 

This morning I got up early and got some black paint and filled in the letters. It looks pretty sharp.

 

The peak on this part of the house is where I fell with the tall ladder. I was all the way to the top of the point when the ladder slid and I landed face down on the deck. As a result of that fall, I had some cracked ribs, my ribcage was off kilter, I lost 3 teeth and a toenail. I could barely move for a month.

 

You see that one side has new screen and one doesn't. The darker screen is older and has a clearer vision from the porch. I think it is because it has black thread in it. We also haven't gotten to restaining the deck. That is coming soon. 

Terry put those porch lights on the screen door area, but light bulbs break when the door shuts. We need to move them up to the stucco area above the screen door. Pictures upcoming.

 

My New Dress I got on Clearance

This is the dress I got from Alco on clearance. After taking the picture, I am now more inspired to loose weight!

Hot Spots Taking Over

Okay, this is my picture of the day. It is a picture of one of my 'hotspots'. (Flylady.com uses that term. She is a wonderful woman who helps people get and keep their homes clean with email posts to guide them. I recommend her site.)

This week, my house got away from me because I have been on a writing binge. My regular work has suffered. Can you believe things get cluttered while I am pounding away on the laptop?  It is hard to show you my 'warts', but the truth is...I sometimes write and plod along. At the times when ideas are flowing, I 'go to town' and obsessively get after it. I have had tunnel vision when the words start to flow.

That being said, Terry is very patient with me and continues to work around the house mowing, and even cooking supper for us. I am going to tackle at least this hotspot before noon. The timer is set and when it goes off, I will clear the table and get the bathroom cleaned. Until then, I have some serious writing to do because fresh ideas came in the night.

Headboard and Curtains

 

 

This is a picture of one of the main floor bedrooms in our house. I love the yellow walls. They are a little brighter than the color shown in this photo. This room is almost complete. We still need to refinish the original hardwood floor or carpet. We vacillate back and forth over this decision. We also need to retexture the ceiling and put a better color on it. (I don't know why we chose baby poo yellow for that ceiling. ugh. It is too ugly to show.)

 

The walls have random textured stencils that I was supposed to glaze so that they would show up better, but I really love the subtle look without it. (I will post that another time.)

 

The bed is king sized so it needed a large headboard to go with it. The ceilings are 9 1/2, ' tall, so we hung it high using a ledger board.

 

Terry cut the shape out from a sheet of chip board. (He used 2 of these 4X8' chip boards and made a huge outdoor card for me for my 50th birthday! 65 friends and family came over to celebrate with us. They wrote on the 'card' with a sharpie. The greetings and love expressed mean so much to me.

 

After the party we didn't know what to do with the 'card'. I suggested we make some projects from the sheets of chipboard. However, the stipulation was that we wouldn't cover up the handwritten messages with paint. I needed to be able to read it again.

 

We made shelves in the pantry, dividers for my cookie sheets, and this headboard.

 

 

 

I really like the colors in this fabric. I could pick out green, blue, pink, or burgundy to be the color for the bedspread. I chose burgundy because I had my mother's bedspread and it is still in good condition. It is good to have options in case I need a change.

 

 

To make this headboard: 1) Cut the chipboard or mdf or plywood to the shape and size you want.

2) Drill holes in the board for as many buttons as you want to add to the finished headboard. Measure and space carefully.

3) Put spray adhesive on the board.

4) Lay a sheet of foam rubber on top of the adhesive. (I used one of those bumpy things people use on beds to make them more comfortable. I put the bumpy part facing down so that the smooth part faced out. (Did I mention I do everything on a shoestring budget? I use what I have at hand if possible.) The foam rubber doesn't have to be very thick unless you want the tufts made by the buttons deep.

5) Spread quilt batting over the foam rubber to soften any rough edges.

6) Spread fabric over the surface of the quilt batting. Flip the board where the fabric and batting is face down and the back of the board is showing. Pull the fabric tight. Staple all around the edge on he back of the board.

7)Now for the buttons to create the tufts. I used pretty shank buttons in heart shapes. You could use covered buttons in a complementary color or match the headboard. (The granddaughters love the hearts.)

8) Put thick wire (coat hanger size) through the shank and push through from the front to the back. Use pliers and twist together (think bread tie) and spread out the ends so that it doesn't pull back through.

9) Now you can either lean it against the wall, attach it to the bed frame with bolts, or use a ledger board. You are done.

These are the curtains I made from the complementary fabric to the headboard. I love to watch Candice Olsen on HGTV. She always has pretty edging on the curtains she does. I found this edging on sale at Walmart. It was perfect for this project. And yes, the granddaughters love this as well.

This is a long shot of the curtains. And yes, the grands love the dollhouse. It has random miniatures and toys and is not a bit fancy on the other side, but I love it that they can play with it and enjoy it.
I painted the shelves Terry and my dad made to match the walls. Now they look built-in.

Good Morning

This is the sunrise from my front porch. I almost missed it, but I am blessed that I didn't. Sunsets are my favorite because I am alert for the whole thing. I love watching the fingers of color play against the broad blue sky. Sometimes puffy clouds reflect the colors and add beautiful dimension to the sky.

Sunrise is full of promise in the beginning of a new day with new opportunities. The Lord gives us many reminders of His love and care for us. I think a morning like this is one of them.

Ever Feel Like Thowing Away Your Laptop?

This is my picture for today, Aug 22, 2013. Of course, I am not throwing it away, but I am terribly frustrated with it. Windows 8 has eaten my lunch for eight months!!! I really do not enjoy using it. I have to try to get around the tiles to find the things that were easily accessible on XP. Now, it is hiding my book files and putting them into libraries. When I click on them, the libraries are closed or dissolved or something. It will not print!

Now you know just how much I know about computers. It is just enough to get me into trouble. Now, I have that off my chest and it is part of this crazy author's journey.

My Pretty Earring Holder

I don't know about you, but when I am getting ready I sometimes don't take time to put on jewelry. One day I decided I needed to put the earrings and pins somewhere I could see them, they would look pretty, and where I wouldn't have to search for them.  

 

 

 

Years ago, I bought 2 of these crystal stemware. One was broken and the one left behind looked lonely.

 

It occurred to me that this pretty little glass would look pretty on my dresser with my pins in it. Then I wondered about earrings...hmm they looked pretty hanging there. It was a fun moment. This is my picture for today.



Picture of the day- Palo Duro Zip Line

 
 


 
 
Sunday we went to Canyon to spend the night with our son and family because I had a doctor appointment on Monday morning. We had heard that there is now a zip line at Palo Duro Canyon. Of course Terry had to try it out. I snapped this picture on the little road from the RV park to the edge of that finger of the canyon.

The kiddos loved walking and climbing that day. Look at Eli's hat!




This is the ramp/rope bridge the zip line riders walk up to get on the zip line.



Terry and some of the riders putting on their gear.





When they make  up a load of riders, they drive them to the zip line sight.

 

If the trolley isn't completely full, family can ride with them to watch. Otherwise, family and non-riders park at the RV park and walk down to the sight. Maci and Eli were happy to take the little walk down to watch their grandpa.

 

The view of the main canyon from the zip line.

 

Terry getting hooked into the carrier.

 

It is almost go time.

 

After riding the zip line we took the kids to hike to the various caves. I was surprised that the baby and Maci were like mountain goats. They were ready to climb and never got tired.

 

The zip line goes over an area 300 to 400 feet over the canyon. It is a fun ride. There are 2 side by side lines so that riders can race to the other side. It is located just before the park entrance. The people who own it are very nice. The cost is very low. 

Streams in the Desert by L. B.Cowman

This is my picture for today.  I have heard references to this book for many years, but never got a copy until last year about this time when it was offered through the Vine review program through Amazon. It was on the list of books and I requested a copy to read.

It was so good, I purchased a copy for my sister. She purchased a copy of the devotional book, Jesus Calling and she reads both devotions each morning. It is amazing how these two books complement each other.

The words of encouragement and instruction of these books link together with the Scriptures so beautifully. I urge those who want to dig deeper into hard issues to add this to your morning devotions. It does not replace the Bible. I am not saying that. It does spell out things we all go through and references the Word so that you can get your Bible out and dig into it yourself.

School is starting all around our country for the children. Let school start for you in knowing the Word of God better. I have heard that 90% of CHRISTIANS don't read their Bible at home. This is a shame. Let's do better.

My Brothers Called Me This Week

This is the picture of the day even though it was taken in March 2013. This is my brother, Jim. I posted it today because my sweet brother called me twice this week. I have another brother, Maynard, who calls me every week also. They are so good to me. Both brothers have a great sense of humor. I really feel refreshed after conversations with them.

For the past  few days our sister has been in the hospital. We were all pretty concerned about her. So far the doctor says that it has been a problem with her sodium levels. She was depleted. They have adjusted her medicines and it should go a long ways in taking care of it. A lot of you have prayed for her and I thank you for that from he bottom of my heart. Never take your siblings for granted. They are so important. Two of our sisters have passed away and we all miss them so much. While we enjoyed them in their life, we wish we had more time with them.

A Table for the Grandkids

 

Today's picture of the day is because I miss my grandkids. (The oldest boys are teenagers, so I guess this isn't fair to them. I should take a picture of a video game to represent them. :)...) The three younger ones love to sit here and have tea parties.

 

I purchased the table and chairs unfinished at a craft show. I knew I wanted to paint them and was planning on just painting them one color. Around the same time, we were removing the wallpaper from our living room. I had seen a cool paint treatment for a wall on HGTV. It was painted dark with really large flowers done in black and white.

 

I did mine in browns with a tone on tone type look. The granddaughters think I need to paint the flowers a lot of colors instead of having them beige. This table is a little darker than my wall, but the flowers are the same. Because it is in the dining room, the look connects the two rooms.

 

 

 

I had a scrap of fabric with this type print. I liked how it was feminine, but not fussy. I started by painting the background and letting it dry. Then I free handed the flowers. After the table was completely dry, I brushed some floor varnish on it to seal it. (We were refinishing our original hardwood floors at the time.) That varnish is durable. This thing has been colored on and had acrylic paintings done on it. The crayon and paint just wipes off.

The Gliders with New Coats of Stain on Them

This is today's picture of the day. Earlier this week I said I would show you how nice they turned out. Terry did take them completely apart because the metal part needed spray painted. He replaced a few boards and bolts. Now they are just like new again. Those are some of the most comfortable outdoor chairs we have...and they glide!

You can see that we still haven't put the stuff on the surface of the deck. It has been overcast and we didn't want rain to get on it before it was dry. Having time this time of year to get to it when the temperature is not over 90 degrees, is tricky, but it will get done before winter. In the mean time, other important projects are continuing. One important thing about all of this home improvement is that we try to remember to take time to have fun too.

It Is So Green Outside!

My picture for August 15, 2013 is of the southern view from my front porch. It has been years since an August view has been so green. I think the rest of the cedars on the north side of the house might survive. It rained again last night. It is so welcome.

Working Around the House

 

This is my picture of the day. The hubs is scraping the old paint off the garage eve. He got home earlier than usual and finished this task before running out of light. The cooler weather has made it possible to get some of these tasks done. I feel better about his working when it isn't blistering hot. This was the day I worked on the deck rails. (two days ago) I just wanted to be close enough to hold conversation with him.

 

 

If you know Terry, one thing you know about him is that he is always chipper. He loves to have fun. He makes all things into fun if possible. His laughter is always ready to make a quick appearance. Can you tell I love that man? When I look at this picture, I think of very pleasant hours we spent working together on the place we love.

Working on the Deck - Picture for Aug 13, 2013

 

This is a picture of our front small deck. We named it "Baby Deck". Our grandsons sanded the floors of each deck, but ran out of time for us to purchase new stain and get to putting it on before they went back home. (No, it is not forced, free labor. We pay them for the work they do. If there are things they don't want to do they don't have to do it.)

This is a close up of how depleted of stain all the decks are. The railings and posts were not sanded!

These are pictures of the railings after I applied ONE COAT of Beahr's Deck Over. This stuff is wonderful. It is thick and encapsulates splinters. It also fills in some gaps in the wood. You are supposed to caulk larger gaps.

 

I did all the steps to our biggest deck except the top one. You can see the difference. Terry named this deck, Melchezeedeck, a derivative of the name of a prophet in the Bible. He named the small deck to the back door, Junior deck. (That man!)

It has taken us more time than we planned to complete this project because the temperature cannot be above 90 degrees and of course, it can't be windy. (That combo is hard to come by in the Panhandle of Texas.)

I highly recommend this product for decks. Terry also put it on some of our outdoor chairs. I will post those pictures next. This stuff is supposed to last over 10 years. I hope it does!