2013 so long!!

It's been a busy end of the year here.... I got both casts off and am going to Occupational therapy 3 times a week...its like a part time job...one with inflicted pain!!! OUCH my left hand doesn't remember how to do things like make a fist, grasp things, lift, or rotate...etc.  I hurts all the time-- my fingers are stiff and swollen much of the time...I don't think I will be able to return to my job for a very long time if EVER...the P.T. said it can take up to 6 months to get the hand working again! So I don't know... its an uncertain time in life for me...so I will make the best of it..

Getting ready to go upstate for the Holiday so we've been cooking again!! Yesterday my friend and I met for our celebration...it was held in margaritaville!  Ya! We ate drank and was merry...

I made some strawberry jam for gifting....

And Sis finished the room I had started when I had the fall...I took this photo after we had replaced some of the furnishings...when we get it all set up I'll take more..

I hope all of you are geared up for a big celebration..it was hot as could be today here...we put the AC on!! I'm very ready to move into 2014!!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Let There Be Sweets!!

AS it turned out we went "hog wild" and baked like a couple of  mad women!!! I told you about the bunt cake....Okay I insisted I could stir up the frosting with my cast-clad right hand no we didn't duck tape the whisk to my hand but almost...and I did but it took me so long the frosting cooled before I could drizzle ....so I slathered instead! More is better Right?

before the frosting took place!

chocolate truffle bunt cake!

One to share...

And Y'all know how I love to make food faces?  How 'bout this delightfully sweet face?

This is pumpkin cake with cranberries baked in and a couple of cup cakes too with the extra batter..

BUT we didnt stop there No NO No...we saw yet another recipe we had to master...this may look like an ordinary Pecan Pie....on the surface but under that golden brown gooey layer ...

...is a layer of Pumpkin Pie!! So this is a Pecan Pumpkin Pie!!! And its all gone now!!

After all those sugar soaked treats I decided to eat a star fish for breakfast!!

On Black Friday I went shopping...at The Goodwill Store.  I found something affordable for resale on my Ebay site...got it for a bargain 50c...he is so cool he talks sings and moves his mouth....do you recognize this guy?

All this helped to makes brighter here in Dixxeland!!  I also won a bid on a Kodak to replace my broken camera...It should arrive Thursday!! Meanwhile rehab continues and the other cast comes off in 6 days!!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Me Thankful?

Nearly Thanksgiving...jeeze hard to believe? We've decided to eat out gonna meet everyone about halfway eat then go our separate ways...I'M baking a chocolate truffel bunt cake for my son and his girlfriend....and that will be the extent of my cooking.  Of course my sis and mom will do the actual mixing, and such I will be the brains and they will be the brawn..:o))

I've been attending occupational therapy 3 times a week ...it's okay....& amazing how dysfunctional my hand is now!!! i dont think it will ever be the same..talking about my left hand and wrist...I cant close it or rotate it, has no strength and hurts like a *&^%$ when I accidentally try to do something with it..the right one still in this CAST I am sooooo ready for it to be gone!!! DEC 9TH IS d-DAY  the Cast-ration DAY!!!! They will cut it off...then it will be therapy 3 x's a week for it...for God knows how long---Life as I knew it is GONE!!!!  It's like having twins 4 weeks apart..DAMN!! Imagine that, the Dr says treating me is like treating 2 patients~ 

Oh well meanwhile my sister swears she has lost 10 lbs since arriving here she has been doing my chores and some of my projects...recall this old enamel top table?? With the rotten legs??

Well I've been on the lookout for some new legs and WE found them when we took the trash to the solid waste facility last week!! There was an old table with pretty good legs so I asked to take it.... the lady in charge said OK!!  We got these legs off it...

We painted them a flat black...the paints still wet in this photo..

Then we removed the old legs from the table frame...and painted it the same black...

then we had to do some work to the metal plates where the legs attach..

we painted those with rust prevent paint...then we attached the legs!!! 

 

To make it stronger I put some stretchers around the legs and added  rollers to the bottom and now it's my Kitchen Island!

SO another project done!!!

Hope all of you have a wonderful celebration with family and friends...personally I have soooo much to be thankful for my list is longer than my project list!!  My Kodak bit the dust so I'm back to using my pocket Minolta sorta suits my needs right now light weight and easy to use!!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Just when you think everything is BAD... then THIS happens!!!!

IF your faith in human kindness has been shaken...just wait it will be restored!!

This experience of being disabled has renewed the bridge between me and those around me and to the human spirit.  The connection we all share on this one world under this one sky and under the umbrella of unity that we depend on and need is VERY REAL...When you're in a crisis or just when having a bad day...reach out and touch someone...or pay it forward any chance you get..someone did that for me and gosh it felt GOOD!

Having said that a simple trip to the mailbox 

brought me sheer delight and put a great big smile on my face 

when I opened this beautiful package!!!!

and found THIS inside....a wonderfully sweet & beautiful handmade wallet!!  WOW...it has every stitch aligned and perfectly done with exquisite craftsmanship and talent!!!

...sent to cheer and enrich my life by a dear blog-family friend!! Thank you soooooooo much Karen!!! 

WHO SAYS blog friends aren't real friends??

NOW that made my day MORE than getting one cast reduced to a brace!! Physical therapy begins Friday!!! I will be carrying my new wallet with me on every trip!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Fall Back...or Free Fall?

Today we had a picnic to say farewell to Maggie she went back to her home today...sad to see her go we will miss her but she needs time to get used to her new family and home now that they have returned from Houston. 

picnic

the trees are finally starting to change...

especially the Cyprus trees...

This week we cut the grass in the field...its like cutting hay in fact that is what it is... well I say we my sis is doing my chores for me...while Jimmy waited ...and Floss had a roll around 

Annie had a play in it...

Sis put a few wheel barrow loads on my compost pile...

...checked on the 30 little Eastern Cedar trees that I planted on my back property line this spring...each one survived and are up to about 7" tall now --should double in size each yr...lets see when I'm 80 how tall will they be? I guess you need a degree to figure that one :o) 5ft tall in 4 yrs maybe?  I'm 5'6" so should hide me quite well ...The best thing about these trees is they reach a mature size and stop growing...so I should have a nice privacy screen by the time I'm 6 ft under wouldn't you say?

Walking Dead on amc tonight be there or be square!!

My matching casts...one is to come off on 11/11

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

I've GOT the BEST DAMN Sisters in THE World!

I'm the middle child------and although I'm now 60, my older sis is 65, my baby sis is 57...we still act like kids, bringing home rocks, birds with broken wings and lost puppies.  I will try to not type in all caps...

I'm sitting here with my 2 broken arms....one finger typing I've got all day so its not so hard to do.  I'm waiting on the fam (Mom n Big Sis) who went off to kill a bear for tonight's meal..

Nah they probably went to Walmart...I don't shop there myself I go to the IGA...but that's me.

I stayed home with the 4 dogs!!! Read FOUR ... there is my 2 Flossie n Annie...both saved from starvation 6 yrs ago....then my sisters dog Jim, he was found lost n wandering the streets of fort Collins CO and rescued by my big sis 4 yrs ago...he made the trip with them from Silt, Colorado... that's 1800 miles away!!!! Then there is the newest arrival to our family MAGGIE.

... here is how Maggie came to MY house.

My baby sis (who came to my immediate rescue when I hit the floor a few weeks back) had a dream...in that dream her dogs, Spanky and Indy who have passed over the rainbow bridge, sent her to look for this dog in need....she went on Petfinders.com and saw this dog in a shelter in Canton, OHIO. Blog friends we live in SC! But she didn't let that stop her....the staff at Spark Pound said this dog was not going to be easy to place she growls and hides from everyone and would be euthanized.  So my sister got in her car after WORK....@ 9pm drove TO CANTON, OHIO and adopted this dog the next morning...drove back that day got her shots the next morning at her local vets...called us we drove half way to her town...met her in a gas station parking lot and the dog came home with us for the next 11 days as my sister is the President of a quilting fabric company and the biggest show of the season starts in Houston, TX this weekend  SO I'M once again dog sitting for her. (2 broken arms n all) THE dog was NOT aggressive...just scared to death...the pound  had been using a catch pole on her--- omg, the poor thing!! She is as sweet as sweet can be....we think greyhound mixed with shar-pei? Her nails were so long even after the vet cut them, still an inch long.  My sis named her Maggie...and we have taken to calling her Mags!!! Another life saved!! My sisters are something else

 they put their actions where their hearts are!!

I LOVE YOU GUYS! 

They don't read my blog but I don't care I need the world to know how special they are!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

my one finger's worth

more one finger barely punctuated typing...one week after breaking both arms im stir crazy already...one arm not yet in the permanent cast but a temporary one till swelling goes away...and to be certain the set of the break is still in place...

i spent this past week at my sisters place upstate...keeping a chair warm while she worked and took care of me...while i waited on reinforcements to arrive.

how hard it is for someone as independent as me to rely on others for almost everything that i have normally taken for granted? it's harder than granite rock...it leaves one humble and gives renewed respect to others who deal with disabilities every day of their lives...so think twice about your own situation and what you would do if a similar thing should happen to you...none of us are bullet proof including me.  this could be you, or you, or yes even you...u cant see it but my one good finger is pointing...

i was so excited to know i would be able as a lower income blue collar worker to finally get a shot at affordable health insurance...do the reps actually think we dont want/deserve affordable care?

wth do they care or know about people like me? how dare they dismiss someone else's chance at a better life------ till you have walked a mile in my/our shoes.

my mom and other sis have arrived here so now im back home dealing with the daily rituals of life and feeling pretty damned lucky and loved. okay, that was tiring and hard to type so off i go with my pillow, straw, and one good finger.

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

TIME FOR A BREAK...

I TURNED 60 YESTERDAY....AND AS A GIFT I WAS  FLYING TO COLORADO FOR 11 DAYS...HAD THE TIME OFF LINED UP...DOGS WERE GOING TO STAY AT SISTERS, PLANS ALL SET...

AND THE DAY BEFORE THAT....

........

I FELL FROM THE ATTIC N.....

BROKE BOTH MY ARMS...

SO FOR 10 WEEKS I WILL BE WEARING CASTS...AND UNABLE TO DO A DARN THING EXCEPT FINGER TYPE...AND SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS...

I HAD TO CANCEL MY TRIP...I WAS LEAVIN THIS FRIDAY...BUT NOW THEY R COMIN HERE TO TAKE CARE OF ME...

BE VERY SPECIFIC WHEN ASKING THE UNIVERSE FOR A 'BREAK'...

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Simple Things Make Life Grand!!

I'm been having some problems leaving comments on my some of your blogs when I use Google Chrome there is no publish button, and IF I try to create a post using Internet Explorer it wont allow me to type in the post window unless I use HTML mode...HOLY COW, life is def getting more complicated by the minute..so I have to keep simple in the front of my mind...

I love these 2 solar buddies they sit on the dashboard of my car, and they dance all day in the sun...they have all the right moves no matter if I'm listening to oldies, country n western, or pop!

Although I know it seems all I do is work work work, and that is true---BUT sometimes I relax! Like this past Sunday morning...I decided to make myself a nice Southwest Grill for breakfast..

For me this is a luxury as I normally eat my breakfast standing at the counter, which makes me crazy but it beats going without...so I have sauteed red potatoes with skins on, red pepper, onion, and some big juicy blackberries on the side, 2 pieces of wheat toast with Choke Cherry Jelly made by the loving hand of my big sister and mailed to me all the way from Colorado!!

I took it onto the front porch it was quiet and cool and sunny too....OH and I added a glass of OJ,,,,and the cool thing is the glass, it belonged to my Grandmother....so its special.  Most of her glasses arrived as jelly jars or in boxes of Quaker Oatmeal, and sometimes in the big boxes of Soap Powder she bought.  We have quite a collection of her glasses, that we inherited, simple and elegant.

I love to use this particular one..Then I added some of my favorite reading material...I absolutely love this magazine and I read it cover to cover every month and I save each issue...ONE day I plan to enjoy some of those Scenic Drives and Hikes that are featured in each issue!

This issue is all about where to find Super Leaf color in Autumn.  I think AZ is an awesome place.  I have always enjoyed going there...OH and that knife has been in my Mom's cutlery drawer for mannnny years.  Its imitation bone handle probably from the late 60's still strong and sturdy!!

Although I was alone there on the porch, others past n present helped to make my simple Sunday breakfast a special treat!!

AND its NOT as big a harvest as Steve and Jennifer's but here's my harvest for this week...I think I see a face in there??

... whats for breakfast at your place?

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

The Day After Friday the 13th!!

Recall last week I was painting this bedroom..well now the painting is 99.9% done...because at the twilight minute I RAN OUTTA PAINT.........GRRRR..

This color doesn't photograph very well its not green, its more of a khaki....

 and as I said I wanted to replace the sliding closet doors with bi-fold ones because it gives better clearance to the closet, you can get STUFF in/out easier!! SO here are the directions....and the little plastic bag of PARTS holy cow.....ah-okay whats this?

In every language known to mankind...Notice on the box it says 3 easy steps?

Then there is the list of tools needed...here's my pile of tools..

The tool on the bottom of the pile is for PLAN B.... in case ALL ELSE FAILS
...no the real reason its there is IM ABOUT TO GO POSTAL....I mean go to the post office...because on that same morning the Post Office sent one of my ebay packages BACK TO ME..its in a flat rate envelope, it has flat rate shipping label attached, a postal note on it that reads---- (Return to Sender NOT FLAT RATE)?----- WTH? SAYS WHO? IF IT FITS IT SHIPS right??? Up to 70 lbs? This package weights 6 lbs. I'm trying to get over it, but UNTIL IM standing at that Post Office Window, and getting an explanation from the Postmaster... I can't calm down!! No this tool will NOT be in involved in that conversation...

____________________________________________________________________

A little dry fit and then I realized....

The bi-folds I got are 29 and 1/2 inches wide each, I got 2 sets, directions say keep at least 1/4 inch clearance on each side so it can clear the facing when its opening and closing....so I measured...MINE is gonna be "YIKES" 1/2 an inch too wide on both sides...

WHAT??? Now the tool on the bottom of the pile is starting to call my name...

"go ahead make my day" (a little worse if possible!!) 

SO the only thing to do was BLOW A HOLE IN THE (*&^% ) doors

or CUT 1/2 inch off each one! ( I know what you're thinking... did she cut it with the rifle?)  

NO I DIDN'T, I was feeling LUCKY so I used the circular saw....cut the side that fits next to the wall...does it look off? 

THE knobs that came with the doors are ridiculous, just a bare wood round knob, and there's no pre-drilled hole??What the??... so I've gotta drill a hole and put on knobs, I have some knobs that may work, but need longer screws to attach with ..Now I have to paint these and the room door you see up in the photo above, give the room a good cleaning....then its ready for the furniture to go back in...I just pushed it to the middle of the room while painting, and some of the furniture in here doesn't even belong in the bedroom...everything is a mess!  Its coming together tho, slowly but surely!! Im starting from the back and working my way to the front.... A bit dirty, and bit hairy, but I DID IT!!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

9/11 Memorial

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

A Bright Spot

What a difference a week makes! NO rain for 3 whole days and cool and sunny! Makes the work go much better when I'm not sweating bullets with the heat n humidity.  I didn't even need the fan yesterday when I painted...I finished painting the Sunroom...I LOVE it, its quirky and fun...and GREEN!

and BLACK AND WHITE!    

This room is off the screen porch and has a cement floor....so I decided to have some fun with that...I still have to touch up some black to white bleed, but I really LIKE IT....the screen porch floor will be next, I will paint it mostly black but some checkerboard maybe in the alcove area.  I guess I should have taped it out so it would have been perfect, but perfect is boring...I don't have time for perfect!

I removed the sash style window and put in plate glass,,,,at first I thought I would close up this window all together, but on the other side is the kitchen and it needs all the light it can get so Im planning to put a stained glass applique up...I used a section of the plate glass that was in the East facing wall of windows...the top center one, I took it to be cut down the width was perfect, but it was a little too long, and the glass shop did it for me and didnt charge me! That was sweet...did I mention I dont have a budget? The funding for my repairs is coming from selling off the extra stuff on ebay!! 

That's the glass in its new location...Yep the water heater is in this room, and an old vent pipe, I've got a plan to find or build from scraps a cabinet I can slide over it and slide off if it needs service. I may be moving the laundry to this area too, not decided yet, but I THINK SPACE has to have a JOB...so now this space needs a job..a purpose.

SO THAT a BRIGHT SPOT for sure!! 

This old enamel table is one I've had for a LONG time, it was sitting in the old Greenhouse I used it at one time as a potting table, BUT yikes,,,, the legs have decayed sooo, ITS gonna get new legs, and gonna sit in this room by the sunny window! I would love to put all Retro Looking things in this room!  Shouldn't be hard since everything I own is RETRO! HA.

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.