A little Samplin'

Might I just start out by saying... WHEW!!!! This has been such a yucky week for me. I have been down and out with a nasty stomach ouchie. I finally woke up this morning feeling alive again and am hopeful that I will actually get something done.
So, with that pity party done, I think I am actually done dragging things out of boxes and hidden corners. I will be pricing things and trying to arrange everything semi organized for the garage sale on this Friday, 10am-noon. You're all invited.
I have items for .25 on up!
I thought about charging extra for the protective coating on many of my things, aka DUST, but you can have that for free. I'm a generous gal that way.
I hope you can make a trip out here!
Our garage is to the right side of our house, come on in!
PS - my actual home is a wreck, anyone wanting a tour will be required to raise their right hand and take 'the oath'. Meaning, the oath where you promise not to judge me, I've been sick, sniffle, whimper.
And you will also need to see past my empty rooms, and VISUALIZE what someday may be, I've got grand plans and when I squint I can see them, but for now I am truly content with the wonderful 'bones' of the house, the rest of the 'stuff' will come piece by piece... someday.

I've actually got two of these round tables. They are currently serving, not functionally I might add, as nightstands. So remember that when I have a pile of stuff on the floor by my bed on Friday.

Linen couch. Very versatile. Originally got this from Bassett, it is yummy comfortable. But it was too big for my family room, ugh, first purchasing flub of the new house.

I have been heaping stuff in the classroom and here are a few items.

Tons of scrapbooking, rubber stamping, decorative painting items. And lots of great gardening books too.

I hate to part with these 2 beanbags but they are the wrong color for house. They are PB and perfect sized and neat beanbags... hard to find a 'neat' looking beanbag!

Antique frames and HUGE tray, would be great on an ottoman, etc.

My sisters and sils used to have a business selling refurbished antiques. I have a few items still left over from that business, including these old sleighs.

And there are several more items, including furniture pieces and lots of decorative items, so please come take a looksy. See you Friday!

A Baseball jock with a soft heart

Ty loves baseball.
He really loves his baseball card collection. He organizes and reorganizes all of them on a regular bases.
Today, he came to me with a handful of cards and asked if I thought there were any kids in the world that loved baseball but could not have cards like him.
I explained that baseball cards were not very expensive but indeed, some children can't even afford the little things.
He said, "I sure got a lot of these, could you help me find a kid that can't get himself cards, and give these to him?"
Luckily I know just the place to take the cards so that they will go to just the right kiddo.
So I assured Ty that we would drop them off next week.
He seemed pleased and started to walk off... then turned around and said, "I'm not gonna let you forget!" Ummmm, doesn't he know I am super mom and I NEVER forget anything... whimper... well, I try real hard to not forget things... but a trip to drop off baseball cards is now in my dayplanner. And since I am obviously NOT a super mom, I'll settle for being a very Proud Mom of a generous 6 year old boy!!!

the root word for SOMBRERO is...

Sombre, which means 'shade' or 'cast a shadow'.
And I would say this hat fits that description perfectly, snort!!
That sombrero could cast a shadow on the whole city of H'ville.
****
Thursday was Savannah's birthday. Saturday she invited some of her best friends to spend the whole day with her on the farm and out for a birthday dinner.

We assured her we wouldn't do ANYTHING to embarrass her. What?! Having a bunch of waiters clapping, singing, hooting and hollering, putting frosting on your nose, and topping it off with a sombrero the size of Texas IS embarrassing?? Ooooops. Well, Savannah should have been more specific!
PS - do you notice that Shawn and I are NOT sitting with the birthday girl!?! We were told we could sit close, not toooo close, meaning NOT at the same table... cause she wanted to just hang with the gals. Maybe, just maybe, that is why this all grown up 14 yr old gal's mother forgot the whole.... "don't embarrass me MOM!" speech I had recieved earlier... cruel chuckle!

It could have gone either way, lucky for me, she laughed hysterically. A little frosting up the nostril didn't make her turn on me. Whew!!!
I knew I was forgiven when she willing wore the hat the rest of the evening, she is such a good sport.

Here is a snap shot of the party girls earlier in the day. What is it about teenage girls and a camera? In this photo, Savannah is telling her friends if they just ignore me I may just go away.
Happy Birthday sweet girl, now you can go enjoy some Youth Dances, yeeehaaawww!!

Counting our blessings... and our grief

Since we have moved into our new home, my husband has noticed a new phenomenon. I sigh at night when the day is done and I am snuggling in.
I tend to hold in my obvious reactions to something....
I rarely laugh out loud... I grin
I rarely cry in public... I blink, blink, blink
In my fits of anger... I usually go into the silent mope
And so my sighs have caused me to concentrate on their meaning!
Warning...gettin' deep here!
I think overall my sighs are incredible contentment.
This past week they have been sighs of relief and sadly grief.
Our pipes froze solid at the road with the last cold spell.
We braced ourselves for the worst, and the worst never came!!
We are trying so hard to create this little homestead where we can be self-sufficient, and happy... and paying to repair a major pipe bust would have sure taken the wind out of our sails for a while. So we are very thankful that we were blessed to avoid that trial.
And to my sighs of grief...
Even despite out efforts to take care of our animals, our little baby goat did not survive.
Shawn even set up a heater, we doubled their bedding, etc.
But Madi was able to get out of the barn somehow, and was not able to get back in to safely snuggle with the warmth of the other animals.
sigh...
We noticed her missing the next morning and we had quite the search party, with the help of our neighbors.
We so feared that she had fallen prey.
But in the end, we are so thankful that we DID find her and have some closure.
Savannah took this the hardest, but yet I find that she is comforting me.
Thankful that we had lil Madi in our home for Christmas, she was an absolute joy.
I've been quickly healed... I am now right back to sighs of contentment, so very blessed!!!

Its always darkest before the dawn....

I cracked myself up with that title.
But it fits my situation, but in a goooooood way!!!
I am currently busting open boxes and rubbermaids that have been stored away for several years.
I packed all this stuff up safe and sound when we moved from Madtown out to the country.
I thought I would be briefly separated from my items, but building a house took a LOT longer than anticipated.
So my precious 'two men and a truck' fancy packing... and many, many rubbermaids have been my little time capsules.

My sweet sons hauled all this stuff out for me to organize. Have I mentioned how much I love to organize?! I don't think I am quite OCD, may be borderline though, but nonetheless I can't stand the thought of stuff not in its proper place.

So this embarrassing mess is all the 'goods'. The really funny thing, and I do find this funny... I don't need most of this anymore. I was once a SU! demonstrator, loved it, it was how we survived Dental School financially, but I find I don't stamp as much anymore. DRAT!
I've scrapped my kids baby photos but now I put their pictures in simpler albums.

I think all this stuff is reproducing!!! I worked all day on this and it never seemed to get better.

I'm a sly gal though... notice I decided to 'organize' smack dab in the middle of my kitchen. Oh, dear Scarlet, what ever shall I do??! No where to cook dinner, hubby got the urgent call to bring some dinner home.
All in my master plan, giggle.

By bedtime, I didn't feel like a complete failure... cause I had several white moving boxes on the burnpile, and lots of empty rubbermaids. Victory!!!

Plans for tomorrow involve toting all the many goods I no longer need out to the garage to mingle with several furniture pieces I will be parting with too on the 30th.
Yay for unpacking a WHOLE year after moving in!
Nothin' slow about me, grrrr.

Photo Tag... I may be in trouble for this one!

Thanks Sharon, I've never done one of these.
I was told to go to 4th folder, post 4th photo, and tag 4 more bloggers.
********
Once a year Shawn, his brothers, and his dad get together for a reunion.
They always do these manly man things like river rafting, camping, jet skis, etc.
This is a photo of my sweetie after a day of 4wheeling. Might I just add that this photo makes me laugh OUT Loud. If FUN can me measured by 'how dirty one gets'... by the looks of this photo... Shawn had a great day!
ps - Shawn should be ever so grateful that the 4th photo was not of the little accident he had on said 4 wheeler. The accident where he almost took out a few innocent bystanders and tore up his tushy and backside, now THATs a funny photo!!!

Now I tag Mom, Cari, Misty, and Debbie!!!

Wisdom gained the HARD way

We had a COLD night last night. Tried to take all the precautions with the single digit temperatures.
Found myself worrying about the animals all night.
Savannah would have had our house garage looking like Noah's Ark, if we had let her.
We brought the dogs and cats in, but I kept reassuring her that the barn animals would be just fine, she didn't quite believe me, not sure I was able to fully convince myself either.
GoodNews, the animals were just fine, and now I am more optimistic tonight with another cold one upon us.
BUT....
After checking livestock and sighing with relief... we noticed REAL quick we had no water.
We had taken all the usual precautions but we have a awful connection at the main road. It has busted quite a few times just in the year we have been moved in.
Shawn just knew that was where the problem was, he was right.
The pipes were still exposed and had frozed solid. He worked throughout today to slowly raise the pipes temperature, finally putting a little heater close by.
I cautiously celebrate the return of water to the house... now we hold our breathes throughout tonight and for the next few days to see if there is any broken pipes, grrrrr.
Feel free to mention us in your family prayers... we are praying real hard that this is a lesson learned, and no need for further trial, pray, pray, pray!

Nothing a lot of insurance money can't fix...

I was greeted Wednesday morning with a slew of emergency vehicles all parked at the front of our property.
The little bit of information I received was that a man blew a tire and lost control of his truck and 'safely' landed in our front fence.
I say safely, because he was not injured, blessed!
The culvert just to the left of his entry and the huge power pole and water meter to the right could have caused much worse results for this driver.
I shuddered to see how close he came to being seriously injured.
As it turns out, his truck is terribly wrecked, we have some fence damage, and a few trees down.
Three hours after the wreck, the truck was finally extracted and this is what we were left with.
Thank goodness trucks and fences are replaceable!!
Such a relief!

Sorry for the awful glare in all these photos... but on a good note, wasn't the sun just incredible to see yesterday? Now if we can suffer gracefully through this COLD weekend!!

Purge #2

Another quirk of mine is that I am a colossal purger! I'm quite ruthless in fact... if anything sits unused for too long in my house, no matter how much I love it, its gone!
I did a massive purge when we first moved into the house, thanks to my sil Alisha allowing us to converge on her fabulous Madtown Garage Sale location.
Recently though... we have been organizing attics and food storage and I'm itching again... BAD!!
I opened up rubbermaids that had not been opened in over 2 years.
Makes me feel like a treasure hunter in a way, but then I get very frustrated that I have had something in my house, taking up space, and have not even noticed it missing or packed away... simply forgotten about it... Gotta go!!!
SOOOO...
I realize this is NOT garage sale weather!
But I'm having a kinda private sale, in my enclosed garage... and purging.
You're all invited!
Friday, January 30th, 10am-noon
My only term for this sale is that my prices are firm.
But my family would VOUCH for me that when I am ready to let something go, I price it to GO!
I mark items for the least I will take for them, else I will usually just keep it for anything less or keep for gifting.
I hope my family, friends, and fellow bloggers can come take a look at everything I have.
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Some of my larger categories are:
Gardening Items
Garden and Decoration Books
Paint Books
Antiques
Decorative Items
Furniture, including a gorgeous linen couch!
Rubber Stamps, and
TONS of scrapbooking supplies (I'm scrapped out, I have officially gone to simple photoalbums)
******
Call me or email me if you have any questions.
Hope to see a caravan come out from Madtown too, grin.
See you on the 30th.

New Year 101

I broke the #1 rule for New Year Organization. I did not have a 2009 Calendar until TODAY.
And might I add that this has been an absolutely chaotic week... and its only Wednesday!
I kept collecting appt cards for this year thinking I would get them all recorded and organized JUST as soon as I got a calendar.
I was a few days late and I've been playing catch up.
Whew!! I am a Calendar and To Do list gal.
My consequence for my delayed calendar purchase, was I missed a fun luncheon I had today,
Whimper!!
I was double booked and didn't even know it until minutes before.
So I have learned my lesson, I now have an accurate to do list for tomorrow and I am a happy gal!

Meanwhile, out here in the ocean, er, I mean country... we've been a tad wet!

We have had little rivers running through our side yard. This is the runoff water we hope to someday direct into a pond.

But until then, there is consolation in knowing that all this water at least brought hours of fun to the kids. They made rafts out of rubbermaids and little swimming pools and coasted down the property. Ahhhh, to be a kid and play in the rain. Good times!

Taking a break

Shawn and I worked out on the land all weekend,
I have the backache to prove it.
We were working at the front of the land, and I noticed how very different everything looks now with all the leaves and vines gone.
I grabbed my camera because these are some of the things I fell in love with instantly the very first time we came to see the land.
I have no idea what this machinery actually is, but it has been here so long the trees have grown completely around/through it.

All these photos are taken on a sweet path between our silo and my parents' land.

This area is usually so thick with wonderful green, it looks so different, yet so gorgeous this time of year too!

This is some of the wood on the side of the barn that is so unique because it was obviously salvaged from a sign of some sort.

This is to the side of the barn between us and our neighbors. We are going to plant our garden here in the Spring. Shawn has big plans for raised beds full of veggies. I hope to eventually (probably not this year), plant pumpkins and gourds along the back of the barn for the nieces and nephews to come out and have a great selection. I also want a rustic picket fence around this whole sight, one that will soon age to be as old and fabulously decrepit looking as the barn.

This photo is a tad embarrassing but EVENTUALLY this will be the potting nook. We'll have tons of storage, a sink, potting benches, etc. Shawn just looked over and asked, "Why in the world did you take a picture of that awful sight?" I have just assured him that it is the ultimate BEFORE photo, grin.

We planted this little 'FatAlbert' blue spruce by the barn. It is teeeeeniny!!! But this is our 'Barn Tree', and each Christmas we will decorate it and have a Barn Tree Trimmin' party and we will be able to document it growing into a REAL tree.

Of course the ornaments have to be outside hardy. This year we did jingle bells, little pinecones, and these little wood 'coins'. We cut them from a birch branch and they were so cute. My sil also said she did this with cedar branches... those would be so breathtaking... may have to try that next year.
Thanks for hanging in there with my Novel post.
I just love this land... bet you couldn't guess that little tidbit!

Southern boy convert... almost!!

Remarkable how a little thing called ' a football game' can create such hoots and hollers from the TV room. Shawn and his brothers were all glued to their TV screens last night for the SugarBowl. I heard their prior conversations on the topic where 'I sure hope the Utes can keep it at least respectable', was mentioned on MORE than one occasion.
And so it is... my dear husband, that has moved to the south, drives a tractor, owns livestock, builder of barns, and owner of his own truck.. is and always will be a Utah guy!
And I wouldn't change it for the world.
THEN, when you add the fact that his Nebraska Cornhuskers won their bowl game the day prior... wow... I have a very happy husband on my hands!

Farmgirls = exciting New Year

I received news through the family grapevine, that my niece Meg (her families' farmgirl) partied til the cows came home on New Year's Eve. Or it may be more accurate to say, she partied until her mom had to pick her up from the emergency room. Yikes! Seems Meg, while doing the classic countdown to midnight, fell into a glass door and needed some doozy stitches. Did I mention that Meg was in TN and her mom was here in Madville? What a heartracing phonecall to receive shortly after midnight. Meg is all stitched up and will be fine, thankfully!

Meanwhile back at our farm... Savannah went to the barn earlier today to check on baby goat and other animals.
I started to get a tad worried because I never saw her return and nor had anyone else.
Shawn and I called and called her.
Christian rode the dirtbike up to the barn, no sign of her!
Rode over to Grani and Papa's, no sign of her!
Went to neighbors, they weren't home, no sign of her!

Since Shawn was home, I felt completely OK allowing myself to get real upset at this point!
Christian went back to the barn and started to go slowing throughout the barn, stall by stall.
He went out to the outside pen and screamed for Savannah once again.
Finally, she groaned, and sat up!
She had climbed up on top of our huge round bale of hay... and fell asleep!
YEP! Out cold, literally... out in the freezing cold, on top of hay!
She was immediately informed I was worried sick.
She came back to the house, and she was quite the sight.
She had obviously been asleep for quite some time by the looks of the hay impressions on the side of her face, hay in her hair, and hay in her clothes.
After many very fast offered apologies, we all were able to laugh about it.

Hope everyone's New Year's Day was a tad less eventful than ours.

PS - might I just add that our boys were quite tame last night and today. Go figure! They camped out, stayed up all night, and ate a whole box of Peanut Butter Capt. Krunch for breakfast in the COLD. I'm glad they found that exciting enough and stayed 'low key' for the rest of today.
Probably because they were sleep deprived zombies, but I appreciate them nonetheless.