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Nicky and Gramma went to the soccer game

Category: Grandson Stories | Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:33 pm

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I thought I knew where the soccer field was, Lisa had told me that it was at a large church across the road from the school where she teaches and the boys attend. Okay, no problem been up there many times and have seen the church. She said turn left and you can't miss all the cars, parents and munchkin sized soccer players.

So we drive thru the ridiculously large number of sports fields this place has and find soft ball, hard ball, touch football and larger kids soccer and not a person I asked had any idea where the other soccer fields were. Meanwhile Nicky is sitting in the back seat saying Gramma go back to the big road and turn that way (he was pointing to the right) I did have to turn that way because there was no left turn allowed at that spot, but then I u-turned and headed back the other way. From the backseat I hear..."If only I knew how to drive" followed by a heavy sigh that said what he knew would get him in trouble if he put it to words. Hahaha funny 7 yr old.

I did finally remember that the left Lisa told me to take was supposed to occur after passing the church not before. So we finally found it and wouldn't you know it, the fields are on a high plateau where the only thing to block the wind whipping out of the northwest today was the totally useless chainlink fence. At that time the temp was just under 50 but the wind was blowing at pretty much a steady speed between 25-30 miles per hour.
Found his team and waited for the two teams on the field to finish, they were running late.

When his game was starting I moved my chair down field to the end where his teams goal was located. I could sit with my back to the wind and have a good view of the entire field. And as luck would have it for the first half of the game all the action was right there in front of his teams goal. Sadly at the half time, the teams swapped goals and then all the action was now at the opposite end of the field. In case you have not figured it out yet, that means the other team was a better team. Final score was 7-0
During the 3rd quarter break Nicky came down to me, he was upset and crying about the other team beating them...he didn't want a trophy that said Looser on it. After some talk, hugs and kisses he started feeling better and went back out on the field.

End of game they all got a juice drink and a bag of mini-chocolate chip cookies...ahhhh, the healing power of chocolate. On the way home he told me about the game and the happy tone in his voice warmed my frozen ears just as much as the warmth of the car's heater.



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New recycle cart/new planters

Category: Random bulletins from my brain | Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:00 pm

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Nice big and blue, 95 gallon lidded cart on wheels to put the recycle items out for pickup, to replace the two 18 gallon bins we have been using for several years. Our's was unceremoniously chucked into our yard this morning.

We have an even larger green, lidded cart on wheels for regular garbage pickup. Because I recycle everything that can be recycled our garbage cart only goes to the curb about once a month. But the recycle bins are there almost every week, unless we forget to put them out.

Recycle pickup will only be every other week now, but with such a large cart that won't be a problem. Unless of course I forget to put it out, then it might be. One of my neighbors never recycles anything so I could borrow hers if that happens.
This means that on windy days I won't be going out to catch milk jugs and cereal boxes as they fly down the street...on rainy days I can now put out the cardboard and paperboard which they won't pick up if it gets wet.

Also means that since the city doesn't want the bins returned to them I now have two 18 gallon, already drilled with drain holes bins to plant mint in under the large hackberry tree. I never seem to have enough mint and in the small pots I have been using they dry out too often.

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Just whose yard is it anyway????

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:56 pm

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Usually I can block out the traffic noise only a block away and the noise of the airplanes coming in for a landing a few miles south of us. I listen for the train horns in the distance (I love the sound of train horns). Sometimes I can hear the kids on the playground at the elementary school Amanda attended many years ago, that's about 5 blocks away. And early mornings from August thru October, I can hear the high school band practicing their routines for that weeks football game. Both Lisa and Amanda attended that school (20 years apart), Lisa was in the band and Amanda was in orchestra.

Mainly I listen to the birds. A few of our neighbors have parakeets and on pretty days they hang their cages outside during the day and I hear them singing.
Many years ago a neighbor across the alley raised doves, he either died and his kids didn't want them or he moved and couldn't take them with him....so they were set free and have since 'been fruitful and multiplied'....but I enjoy their cooing sound.

Then there are the bosses of the yard....funny, I always figured it was my garden so I was in charge....silly me. There is one big black Grackle who will sit on a lower branch than the others saying the same thing over and over again......"The feeder is empty, the feeder is empty, the feeder is empty" As soon as I realize what he is saying and fill the feeder he gets quiet. When the feeder is filled and I am too close to it there is another, grouchier Grackle who squacks at me until I either move further away or turn my back on it, at which point he too gets quiet.

So as long as I remember my first priority is feeding them, then I must stay a respectful distance from them or at the very least turn my back on them, I am allowed to enjoy my backyard. Does anyone have a good recipe for Grackle??

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I am going to hurt in the morning

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:30 am

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Already do but it will only be worse by morning. But I had a good time getting into this condition at least to begin with. Temp just reached 70 this afternoon and I was outside to greet it. Got out about 10 and put my tools up for the day around 4.

I transplanted two Lavenders from pots into the ground, lost one in the last freeze I am afraid so I will have to replace it.
Also transplanted two Bronze Fennel and a Rue from pots into the ground. One Rue into a larger pot and left the other two Rue in their already pretty large pots. I have read that Rue will keep cats out of the garden so I plan on having them strategically placed to hopefully save some birds this year.

Dug up a group of Canna to give to Lisa. Then started clearing out where the wishing well/birth month flower bed will be. About half done, I want the finished bed to be 12 feet in diameter. Still have to take down the rest of the dead Redbud we started on last fall.


The not so fun part of getting this sore was falling. Randy and I had done some tree limb trimming and were taking them out to the curb for trash pickup tomorrow when my feet got tangled in the limbs I was carrying and down I went. I figure in the morning I will be sore in places I didn't remember having.

I have now had my shower and am comfy in my pjs about to begin studying the Johnny's Seeds catalog that came today.

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Thrift Store junkie, yep that's me

Category: Thrift Store Finds | Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 3:27 pm

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I really have to get some treatment for this addiction to thrift stores. It just seems like the logical thing to do on the weekends...we have a couple of hours free and want to get out of the house so we go to a couple of thrift stores. And it is becoming like an addiction.....what if we miss a weekend at our favorite thrift store and something really fantastic is there and someone else buys it!!! It did happen once that I am aware of, we got there one Saturday afternoon and found a fantastic rustic cabinet made from old barn wood, I saw it from way across the large back room and fell in love at first sight...hurried over to it hoping I wouldn't have to get mean and fight anyone for it....I got there and found it had a $30 price tag AND a SOLD sign on it. The one that got away haunts me to this day. Oh, yeah, there was also the really cool Bakers rack type of shelf thing that had been a display for Guiness somewhere, missed that one by a few minutes too.

Yesterday I did find only two really super things, the other things I bought were some pretty plain planters that I need out front. I need spring to arrive pretty soon so I can focus on the garden and finding places to put all the wonderful junque I have already found...at the same time praying that I am not missing something wonderful at the thrift store.

Another birdhouse on a stick, it will need to be mounted somewhere so it doesn't fall over if a momma bird moves in. The little planter used to hold fake flowers. I am going to clean it out and maybe plant a mini-rose and put it on the front porch.




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Turtle Doves

Category: Thrift Store Finds | Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:50 pm

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Another of my most recent thrift store finds was this pair of Turtle Doves. I had thought it would look really nice in the garden, probably in the secret garden when I get it done. And what the heck, it was only $2.19. After we got home I started looking at it closer and found the name Austin Productions, Inc on the bottom and the year 1980.....the year Randy and I married, that was really cool.
Then I did a search for Austin Productions, Inc and found pictures of several of their pieces on ebay offered for between $10 and $50 and other items on websites selling for well over $50. In all the searches I have done I can not find my Turtle Doves, but I figure instead of taking a chance damaging them they will stay in the house instead.





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Thrift Store find with a story

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 4:47 pm

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The only Mel Brooks movie that Randy and I both enjoy is Young Frankenstein and there are a couple of lines in that movie that I love and giggle at every time I hear or think them. I also love the line from Gene Hackman...."an incredibly large mute" and "damn your eyes" line from Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman's response of "Too late". Oh, let's face it I like it all.

Several years ago I found a pair of wall sconces at a garage sale. I really had no idea where to put them but something told me they would be needed someday. Fast forward to 2005 when the re-construction was completed on this room and we were building the 'incredibly large' bookcase together....for some unknown reason the bookcase in that movie came to mind and the line....."Put the candle back" that Terri Garr's character said when trapped behind the bookcase came to mind also. We had the sconces and the movie therefore 'it would work'. Randy recorded that line on a tiny battery powered recorder, put it in one of the sconces and mounted them on either end of the bookcase.

Right end of bookcase


Eight feet away from the first one is the candle sconce on the left end of the bookcase. When the candle is lifted out of the sconce you hear Terri Garr's voice saying "Put ze candle back"


These door knockers (two of yesterdays finds) will be attached to the front door after they and the door have been repainted. If you have seen the movie, you will come up with the appropriate lines from the movie to go with these....if you haven't, you really should it is a funny movie.





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My passion for thrift stores continues

Category: Thrift Store Finds | Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:23 pm

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The space available for storing thrift store finds is becoming quite limited now. Thankfully most of the things are smallish so I think I have room for two more months of collecting then spring had better arrive or even the paths thru the rooms will be filled in.

Adorable table that will go out on the front porch area when I rearrange things out there.


The obelisk will remain in parts in the box until spring, this one is like the second from the left, I am thinking it would be perfect for a Morning Glory vine.


The bottomless birdhouse will become a plant protector to keep squirrels from digging it up. I also have been collecting several wire basket type things to use in the same way.
The flower thing in the middle is a candle holder but I think it will look good just sitting out in the garden somewhere. And the fancy bracket thing was only 50 cents and I know I can find someplace for it someday.


To a non-gardener this would appear to be a pasta drying rack.


But with willow sticks replacing the dowels and sitting on the buffet in the kitchen it will be an herb drying rack this summer


I have a couple of other things but I think they each need their own blog entry.


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Guess what I found??

Category: Puttering Around The House | Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:09 pm

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My desk top!! It had been missing for quite some time now, buried under stacks of 'file this', 'do we need to keep this', 'what the heck is this for' and 'doesn't have a place to be so it will be here for now'.

My project for January has been to get papers, books, print outs of knitting and other craft ideas and all sorts of other stuff organized. Got my craft room done right after the first of the year, then other stuff realized that my room had some empty space not doing nuthin' but sitting there unused so almost overnight stuff started moving in. But I have almost gotten that under control again.

Yesterday I started on my desk, the basket filled of papers to be filed and the filing cabinet drawers that were so messy we could never find anything and going thru a box of receipts that had been boxed and stored when the room was damaged...forgot we had these, surprise.

Speaking of when this room was damaged (the story of which is told in blog entry titled On July 18, 2005...long story)....after the reconstruction, we had the builders leave us the old paneling and we finished out the inside of a storage closet at the back of this room. There had been a very difficult to reach shelf about 18" from the ceiling on one side, we took that down and realized it was a hollowcore door 18" wide and just under 6' long (the kind used where our water heater is).
I painted the door brown and then picked out pictures of wild flowers that I liked, traced them onto the door and painted them, then covered the top with a piece of clear vinyl. It is mounted on top of a wood file cabinet and an old printer stand. Everything we already had except the file cabinet and we found that at...where else but our favorite thrift store.














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Dashing Thru the Snow

Category: Puttering Around The House | Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:01 pm

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Slip Sliding Away.....Walking in a Winter Wonderland... I know there are many other song titles and first lines I could use for this but in case you haven't figured it out IT IS SNOWING HERE

Okay, the actual snowfall has stopped for now, but we did get some before I got up, there is still sleet falling and there is supposed to be more snow/sleet combination all day.

We were not expected to get any of this since the major part of the system was well to the south of us....and it still is, there are areas 4-6 hours drive south of us that have several inches of snow on the ground.

From the front porch, my car and the houses across the street....while I was out there the youngest boy who lives in the house across the street with no snow on the front yard because of the huge Live Oak tree, went running across his backyard yelling "All Right" and started jumping on their trampoline.


The backyard, since there is a thick layer of ice under the pretty stuff I didn't want to walk out in the yard and take a chance of falling.....


I am hoping my plants in pots (three lavenders, three Rue and two Fennel) are okay after the thaw. I had every intention of bringing them in before the cold weather arrived, but we were gone all day Friday when the rain started and when we got home the rain was coming down an inch every 30 minutes and they were overflowing and heavy by then anyway. Then by Saturday morning when the rain slowed down, the water in the pots was frozen solid. What is above the ground is still green, I will just have to wait until the temp goes above freezing to see what happens.

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