Best Thing/Worse Thing and What did I learn today? Part 7

edited for lack of humor:)

This message was edited Jun 29, 2007 8:58 AM

morning all,

araness, wonderful thread i can see you glowing so happy for you

have a wonderful day liz

Julie I'm sure you've said but what did you get your Master's in? And congrats! Bet you must be tickled pink...lol DH walked around for a year after his telling me I had to call him "Master" he was so proud of himself and I was also. Only time I'll have my name in "print" so to speak, his thesis was dedicated to me. *G* Should have been dedicated to BellSouth, since he did his Masters in England our phone bills were killer!

Good morning all..it's another scorcher here in the city..will be in mid 90's - high humidity and smog alert...even air here in office is not functioning well...a few municipalities in the area ran out of water..can you believe it..we're surrounded by bays and Lake Ontario...so water and hydro alert..minimal use of both..all the girls are going painting at my house today so I left air on..cats wouldn't come in this morning so when they got 'hot' the girls can let them in...watered at 5:30 this morning so that will help plants...some of the grass going brown already..joys of summer...

I'm awake to day so thought before I start painting my blue heron here I'd do my posting...

Liz..how did your leaves turn out...you know when you have too much water when you put the mixture on the leaf and it rolls off lol..

Araness....and so you should be a proud daughter...lovely write-up and photo's..handsome man..want to share lol know about those telephone bills..DIL spent almost a year in Australia prior to returning to marry eldest son Greg and some months I thought I'd have to mortgage my house just to pay them...

Sher...no fun when there is no hydro..but, you had the kitties to play with...on my fridge..let's see, not much..I at one time kept a calendar and note pads but then I got the bright idea to paint 2 of the doors inside my cupboard with blackboard paint..one for grocery list, and the other, a calendar..that way they never go amiss..when I'm off to town I simply jot the info down..had a voice messenger that I spoke into and lost it..next thing on my shopping list...so would say the only thing that remains is the magnetic emergency number list and the magnetic photo album with the 4 grandchildren in it...

Laura...would also love to see photo's of your jewelery..Are things getting back to normal? What's hubby been doing through all this turmoil? Work improving I hope..

Darius..guess although all were "heroes" those that were fortunate enough to return home have memories of good times had with fallen soldiers and/or terrible things they've lived through...we can only imagine but they lived it!! so very understandable I guess..we must honor their silence.... How are you feeling..sure hope the most energetic thing you are doing is typing these posts lol..did you ever tell your neighbor what happened...

Kim - my 'heart' goes out to you! Your thinking of going to therapy is a positive action..knowing you are not coping and wanting help is a sign of strength and NOT weakness...don't put it off...just sooo many decisions to make..overwhelming for sure...

Dawn..my little ghost story:

Across from my grandmother's house was a gentleman who lost his wife and several years later married Kathleen Rice...she was from Christian Island Reserve and had recently lost her husband in a drowning, twin boys and a daughter from a house fire..she had let me see, Annabelle/Judy/David/Malcolm and Bobby..later she and Mr. Buttineau had a boy together called Michael...

These native indian children had lots of problems settling in...Mr. Buttineau was a harsh man..he was the local bootlegar (?) at that time the beer/liquor stores were not open extended hours....now remember this was about 50 years ago...Mr. Buttineau worked with grandfather at Beck's lumber mill and I guess he could have hydro but because of his 2nd income preferred not to..these children became my dearest most cherished friends...

Because my grandparents raised me, my parents would spoil me craze..I was probably one of the 1st to get a t.v. so my home was open to all..wonderful times..

But now to go back to my story...

One day I spent with Annabelle, she was about 2 or 3 years older than myself...we were going through Mr. Buttineau's wife's belongings that he had never gotten rid of, she had some wonderful costume jewelery and loads of make-up..now my grandmother never wore any make-up and at age of 99 when she passed never had rinkles...lucky her..anyway..it was exciting for me to put some on...Annabelle made me look like a lady of the street I'm sure, I made Annabelle up, we dressed up and had a wonderful day..later than evening, we'd all sit in the living room with oil lamps on..now you have to imagine this old rickety house, hardly anything to embellish it's walls and floors, we were all seated in Indian position in middle of floor...Kathleen would sit and tell us about the spirit world, about indian traditions etc. and the wind would come in through open windows, the silk white curtains, now yellow from time would blow inside, and the lamps would make shadows dance all over the walls, spooky, spooky but I'd be back the next Saturday night to hear more...but this one time, Kathleen was angry that we had played with Mr. Buttineau's 1st wife's belongings and she told me that the spirit of the 1st wife was in the room, angry, putting spells on my for touching her things and using her make-up, know she was making a joke of it BUT I was a little girl remember, she said that where the make-up touched I'd no longer have flesh by morning..off I went a screeming, washed my face and arms for hours on end, crying...how terrible it would be to have no skin and look like one of the faces on the indian masks...so after a night of no sleep, crying in hysterics even though grandma told me it was just a story, I woke with no harm done....lots of stories to tell of my times with this family..a few are now dead, but the ones that remain treat me with high respect as do I for their friendship...another time I'll have to tell you about having a few tooo many with them...lol

Good Morning!
Whew losts of reading this A.M.
Didn't mean to not comment on anyone last night...
But being that I didn't go to college I just get so excited for those who did.
I was first to graduate HS in my family-but thats whole other story...

Shar-You did a beautiful rescue on the table. I love the style and the color. Maybe the gold leafing gives it the magenta look. I look forward to seeng the Upholstered chair and love seat.

Araness-"But Mom"...just too adorable.
So glad your father was Honored...Wow the medal is stunning.
Thanks for letting us be Proud with you!

Gillibean-nice to see you-How wonderful to walk with you child and spend time at school. What kind of music do you teach?

Tropicanna-Oh boy do I understand...Whew Teenagers- got two girls and a preteen boy, sometimes just want to tear my hair out...LOL hahah first thing learn their language.

Hellnzn- Was making the leaves kind of like making pancakes the first time? Bet the next batch turn out perfect! LOL very funny story about Grandma...
hehehe Guess grandmas have that right.

Betty-Sure hope traffic is better today-I got bumper to bumper on the way in this morning-We had a pretty big storm yesterday-knocked out a traffic light...
Anyway great and not so great on the Pontoon covers...Geesh do you keep a list and check it off? I so love the 3D painting you are fixing. Sounds very complicated but wow the outcome is just awsom. What a lovely scene too, I could so live their and relax.

Thanks all on my house- We actually didn't choose the color. When we started to strip the ugly white, we Discovered the wood is Redwood!! Couldn't beleive someone would paint over it in the first place. The bottom was boring red brick so we bought the red stone and Steve sat and puzzled it together. The whole process took two summers for us to complete and actually still need to do the back side and back of the house, maybe in the fall.

Well, I better get to work here-Have a wonderful day.
Judy

Hi Judy...accidents galore lately..almost makes you not want to take the 400 series...another bad one this am..2 in critical condition..let's hope tonight will be better...a few of the girls I taught on Wednesday nights had stopped coming for while as I was busy with construction at the house..she just e-mailed and said they'd be there tonight so although it will be nice seeing them, it will mean an 11pm night..oh well..

Just can't wait to see photo's of your miniature village....we have near Whitby a miniature garden establishment called 'Cullens Garden' miles/miles of walking through miniature...and the gardens are to die for...maybe you can embellish and make more miniatures and sell admission tickets..now there's a thought, then you wouldn't have to travel..you could be an 'at home' hostess....hmmmm want to do it..I'll help...lol

Julie


http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcardm.asp?code=1234643033461&ob=1

Oh Betty, I would love to get lost in Cullens Gardens! I could spend days and days and still find some new glorious visions. Funny, people at work are alsways asking why i am working here. They say I have a good back up for when I retire- My next house house probably won't get started till fall. It is to be the "ghost" house.LOL Anyway-My miniture Village's Name is Sister J's neighborhood. Of Course I have a story on how that came to be.
So when I went to the RU in Madison we went to a Place called the Flower Factory, The had a mini-train gardens all over the place. I was so impressed. it gave me inspiration to continue my idea. The little cutie in the backround is a DG kid-Jenna.

OH.....I love the little villages....I wanna do it too!!!! I did it one year at school with clay, made little clay house villages that of course the kids all took home with them.....hmmmmmmm, might make some of my own.

but wood would be faster, what kind of wood do you use? treated?

Sharren-there you go! They are fun to do and sure keeps me on my toes(brainwise) LOL...Anyway I rescue wood from the burn pile, all sizes shapes and shavings. This house is actually made from scap plywood. The trim is pine. So it must be painted. The "Ghost" house is going to be made from Cedar-that will last with out any kind of treatment. Also I love the color of cedar so will not replicate the ugly color of the house-I just want the shape. My bird house is made of car-siding -Don't think it has to be treated either but will coat it with polyurathane to protect the artwork. It's top and bottom are cedar.
My daughter drew the flower (from one of my photos) and some other designs that i will finish painting soon.
Plus-I think all wood except cedar has to be treated or the elements will play havoc and so will termites.
Want to see my planter box? I made to give as a door prize at the RU. Made from scraps.

Jenna is adorable...oh can I be her grannie? Cullen gardens is a wonder of a place..they have farms/amusement parks/railroad stations/church replica's, there are weddings taking place in the little churches, oh just so wonderful..I'll have to go and take photo's one day and post them to you so it will give you ideas..most are not ground level but waist level for easy view...Mark Cullen and his family are world renoun for their nurseries...you'll have us all making little villages you little imp...

Love it, more pix please.....

planter box, I did the sketch and the painting too. very crude but all self taught.

the finished product-I did add a picket fence to the back but forgot to take picture.

here's a mini garden, actually I call it a birthday soil cake, for the gardener.
It's a gift for a friend.

You are just to smart! Isn't that the prettiest...

beautiful!!!! thanks. I love the soil cake...what an idea!

Aren't we all just the smartest...can't believe the talent...not only nice/caring/loving/compasionate people, but talented as well....

Thank you, I am glad you enjoy it. Plus you are helping to keep me busy.

Recipe:

Enchanted Birthday Cake

Items needed:

Three Clear water trays from planting pots.
Sizes 17” 12” and 8” rounds

Clean soil
Flat rocks for stepping stones (hand picked)
Picket fence/Roaming Jew sprig-indoor/outdoor (house plant)

Sprinkled Sweet Williams seeds (sprouting-white flower)
1 4” potted miniature yellow roses

From the garden:

Sweet Pea:Annual
Ajuga ground cover
Chicks and Hens (rock garden-drought tolerant)
Dianthus ( perennial)
Sun drop – ground cover (yellow flower/Spring)

For added décor include:
Miniature bird bath
Miniature bird
Butterfly

How to care for:

Leave in well lighted room natural preferred.
This one was “baked” (grown) outside
Water Sweet Pea and tier by tier allowing water to drain down first.
Sing or hum you are so beautiful to me at least twice a week.
And smile daily.

You guys are making beautiful things, I've had the worst day in recent memory, so I'm gonna try to wrap it up and have some sort of closure

Best: breathing, and that's it

What I learned: There's a little picture viewer on my computer, and if you click in either direction , it takes you to photos that have been viewed on your pc...how nice

Worst: I didn't need to see some of those pictures

OMG Tropicanna...can you erase them quick/quick...could it be your MIL looking for something to fill in her day? (just kidding) was hoping to make you laugh...know it's not a laughing matter ..you just sound sooo down...feel bad for you 'sweetie'...

Oh no Tropicanna,
How can i help? I sending you a hug.
Judy

If the energy exists within me to not strangle the man I love the second he comes home, I need y'all to channel it. Cause if it's there, I'm not feeling it right now. I'll be okay, just mad cause I've been lied to at least a thousand times over this issue. It's the lying, not the other stuff that bothers me. I'm too easy to get along with to be lied to straight to my face.

Ok, that's it...y'all carry on, enjoy your day

We'll all say a few prayers on your behalf..won't go well if you are all wound up, not that you don't have cause, but if you breathe deeply and approach the subject calmly it just might help...but that's not an easy thing to do... know you just want to lash out...

Oh man, well, when I am that angry write it all out exactly how you feel. then when the time come to discuss you can weed out the mean stuff and got strait to the issue alittle more calmer. I feel so bad you have to deal with anything bad-your such a sweetie.

5 more minutes then long way home...was fun playing with you all today...teaching tonight so if it's not to late when class ends I'll pop by and say hi!

Have fun Betty-

First of all you guys, I was not a kid when the ghost story took place, it was in my thirties. I should have said that and it may have been funnier. oh well. lol

Second araness, I saluted your dad with tears and gratitude.

Seed love that cake planter.

Aunt B the water thing scares me because we are under voluntary right now and soon to be mandatory water conservation here too. I`m on a well but they will monitor those too I hear. i always wonder if it is a frophetic kind of thing all this drought?

Trop My dh was drinking for years and quit 20 months ago because I praayed it up as,"God work this miracle for my sake as well as his but take the desire for alcohol away." He drank about 30 years. He lied to me aver it all the time. we split up over it 5 years ago, at that time I found under his sweatshirts about a thousand big chested woman`s pictures that somehow their clothes fell off just before their pictures were taken. UH weird phenominon ha? When I caught him he was so ashamed, he promised to never do it again. I was kicking him out anyway and the drinking was the worst part for me All bad stemmed from it to me. I was lied to about his drinking all the time, but I would always catch him. I had no faith at all that he would be delivered from the alcohol but he was. It took him getting a dui to do it and knowing I was going for real and I was. (why I didn`t is another miracle but that is a different story). I will pray, is my point. It has to be him that wants to stop. My dh never looked at those pix again but it was a horrible shock to me, especially since I just had breast reduction, that he needed to see those kind of pictures, back then. Pray God will take away his desire to do this. Dmail me if you ever want to, it is a tough subject here. hugs. breath.

best news: pt wasn't as hard today, although still painful.

worst; the pt thing may resolve itself in only a few weeks with constant attention.

what i learned: BE PATIENT!

sorry you had a rough day, tropicanna....maybe tonight will be better.

Hope you are home from work, Betty and that the storm created no serious problems for you.

Here is a neat daylily picture....this one is huge usually, biggest one I have, and I am not sure of its name, but it is really pretty. will make you smile.

and one more...the view of one of the daylily gardens from my back deck....I think I need a little village in it, or at least a tiny house or two....

you sure do Sher...maybe it will be a tonight project..lol..made it home safely..heavy traffic, no air..but the storm is going to hit shortly..the Toronto weather report said it was no longer an alert but a warning..some funnel clouds have been seen..so I've put down the umbrella's, secured what I could..girls aren't here yet, sure wish they would have picked another night, but that's my fault I could have said not this week..oh well..I'm sure they will be ok...

So am frying potatoes and yellow beans, bought some bologna (my favorite - I'd pick this over steak) will change clothes, eat and by then they'll all be here...

If not to late, I'll check in..

OK, you are home now....I can finish my chores and quit biting my nails!
have fun with your friends....stay outta the storm.

mmm sounds good and fattening "B". That sucks, send us your storms, we will all rejoice here.

Shar I love that and want to jump in the picture and sit on your deck.

Darius I can see the wheels turning, don`t skip out on pt. it is very important to your haeling correctly and not having adhesions form that prevent your body from movement or painless movement. If you don`t go you may freeze up. This is my expertise talking so please listen to me lady.

Anytime, dawn...it's a big deck....will stand on the hill and take a deck picture next.

ok..girls got their projects together and they've left to gather their materials...so not as bad as I thought...

Best thing today..of course getting a visit from the girls..ended up taking out about 5 unfinished projects for them to choose from

Worse thing..girlfriend who married and moved to Florida called to say her hubby has cancer and starts treatment tomorrow...week after they married he had massive heart attack and now this...poor thing..will call her tomorrow when we've plenty of time to talk...

What did I learn today...that although they scare the wits out of you, weatherpeople aren't always accurate with weather..although you can feel the storm I think it might pass us by....was hoping I wouldn't have to water tomorrow..oh well..better than having Sailor (dog) in bed with me..she's terrified of storms...

So dear friends, I'm off to bed, neighbor just brought me books on the latest landscaping trends..so, I'll peek in them, say my prayers for those in need and hope to get a good nights rest.....

I asked the boss about Friday (girls always get me to do the dirty work..lol) sooo tomorrow it's work and then 4 days off..

You take care
God willing, I'll be posting ...

Nite, my friend....have a good tomorrow.

Miss my gabbing with you tonight Sher..but then there is always tomorrow...nice to know someone was worried if I made it home or not...makes me feel special..thank you!

you are special, to a lot of people....sleep well.
S

evening all,

blukat, you can send some of that heat here!!! hope your doing better
wonder, great job on your weight loss
judy,thank you for sharing the lovely cake oh thats a must project
tropicana, hope everything turns out ok hugs to you
sharran, now thats a beauty is jazz keeping you on your toes lol
betty, oh the leaf I JUST HAD TO BE NOSY THIS MORNING just couldnt leave things alone so i moved the leaf a little to turn it over and one side broke i put it back togeather but this evening it was set up enough to handel and the right side broke but only enough that i can get a file and smooth it down it can be saved, i hope the storm bypasses you be careful .
hellnzn, when did they start the water cut back there? thats why i filled my pool now, it hasnt hit san mateo county yet i just dread it

best: i went to mervyns and just shopped away having a pretty good sale on clothing
worst: oh my dog that had knee surgery just slipped on the hardwood floor she's limping i hope its nothing

learned: patience

everyone have a good evening liz