Fall is Here

Well, we've been busy working in the greenhouse. I don't know if I mentioned but we woke up one morning several weeks ago to it on fire! Damaged the front wall and side and burned tables and plants down that side. Melted lots of exhaust fans (we think this is what started it) and wiring, a huge shelf melted with all my fertilizers on it, pots, etc. The saving grace was after it burned thru the gas line, it also burned thru the water line so it was spraying water as it burned. Still haven't got the gas bill! I found it about 5 am when I went out to open the chickens so it must have been dark when it was going for no one called the fire dept. and there must have been alot of dark smelly smoke. So we are going thru all the plants, digging the soil out off the floor, replacing benches, plastic, mechanics, etc. Lots of extra work at a busy time of year anyway. And alot of expense right now isn't welcome with all my medical bills and the fact I can't work right now. But still very fortunate that no one was hurt and the fire was contained in a small area and was able to be put out quickly. Farmers Market is still going and busy with jam making. Tomatoes and peppers are really coming on in the garden as are cukes and squash. Really a bumper crop of everything this year! I've done a couple of vintage shows and have a couple more this fall before the Christmas craft shows start. I think I've found my niche in these shows. I love the people, the 'junk' and everything about it. And just the creative process in making something out of old, found objects. I love it! Got in a camping trip over Labor Day weekend. That was alot of fun and glad the whole family was there. And everything worked in the RV which was a plus! I realized how much I miss the sounds and smells of campfires and how more relaxed everyone is. I even enjoy washing dishes outside in a dishpan with water heated on the cook-stove. trying to get together an end of the year plant sale. Need to reduce the inventory just in case we don't get plastic on the greenhouse this winter. Plus with my feet, I don't know about keeping the nursery business going like it is. I can't keep up with all the work that goes into it and Hubby is slowing down quickly with his own health problems. Lots of ideas to mull over this winter. Our granddaughter Jessica turned 20 years old on Saturday. That really makes me feel old! And another school year has started. And Christmas just around the corner! Where has the time gone? I'm still trying to spring clean and haven't got all the summer projects completed. My computer is still acting up and haven't budgeted for a new one. Hard to use Pinterest because of it and I am going thru withdrawals! And trying to keep my laser printer in toner for my crafts is a nightmare. So I am way behind on posting pictures of the shows, etc. I've been told Etsy will be going thru some major changes so trying to get more 'face' time on Facebook. But I get stalled when I check in on all my fun auction groups and go shopping instead of advertising my wares! I guess if I could post pics better I could sell some of my stuff on them. Just can't take all the time sitting here when I should be canning or in the garden or getting more stuff made for Market on Saturday. If only I could clone myself! Speaking of sitting here; my canner load is just about done so will sign off for now. Hope everyone is having a great summer and got to relax with family and friends this year. And be prepared. We have a frost warning coming down for tonight and tomorrow night. Get the covers out!

Pondering Life At My Age and Happy Birthday Hoda!

I've been watching the celebration of Hoda (Today Show)turning 50 last week. She has been through and done so much! It made me think back on my own life. Have I done all I set out to accomplish? Am I better now for everything I've lived thru? What more do I need to do and get done? What direction am I heading towards? My career. Because of injuries and surgeries, I can no longer work in the field I have always worked in. Not really a career, more of a job to help support the family. My home business. I suddenly have a lot more time to invest in it. Need it more than ever now but not able to do as much physically as I need to help it thrive. And it's at the turning point of staying the same size or gearing up to the next level which means acquiring more land, opening a shop and hiring employees. I dreamed as a young married girl of writing. Books, poems,songs. It didn't matter. I guess I started by writing this blog. And I've posted some poems. Maybe I'll try e-books. I have children's stories squirreled away somewhere. I wanted a family of my own. As an adopted child, I always felt left out, sitting on the sidelines. The best moments of my life were holding my children and grandchildren for the first time. They were truly mine. From me, of me. They complete me. I want my children happy. I want everyone healthy. I want to spend more time with family. I want to enjoy the simple things. I want to make my life more simple. Things I never had enough time to savor; or forgot how to take time. Sunrises and sunsets. Lying in bed and listening to the birds singing in the garden. Dusk in a hammock after a hot summer day hearing the frogs and crickets and gazing at the stars. Holding hands after dinner with hubby. Rising early and taking an impromptu drive to the mountains or woods. I want to be a hippie again. Bake the bread, make soap and candles and cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Things I did newly married when money was scarce and I had all day in front of me. Get back to simpler times. I have wander lust for the first time since in 40 years. I want to devour the roadways and visit new places and old ones, forgotten. I want to wade in creeks meandering down mountainsides. I want to smell dark forests after a rainstorm. I want to hear the roar of the ocean and taste the salt on my skin. I can stop and put up my canopy along the road and sell my crafts. I can hunt for treasures. I can expand my horizons. Most importantly I want to feel I accomplished. I want inner peace. I don't want to look back and regret. Go forward! And here's to another fulfilling 50 years! Happy Birthday Hoda! Patti I just want to add that I am so saddened by the suicide of Robin Williams. He did not take the easy way out. The easy way is to take a pill, take a drink, cry yourself to sleep. Until the pain goes away. His pain never went away. Thank you Mr. Williams for helping us forget that pain, if just for a moment. If only we could have done the same for you.

Ongoing Saga of the Old RV

Let me start off by saying my Adobe Flash plugin keeps crashing so no posting pictures. I have been taking progress pics of the 1989 Leisurecraft RV we purchased recently. We knew going in it needed a little work but man were we in for a surprise when we started tearing it apart! A leak up at the cab-over window had been disclosed but it actually entailed more repair then they told us. There was no structure left in that area so that meant adding metal and wood and redoing the whole edge cap on the outside and all the wood walls and ceiling inside. Then we noticed the outside vinyl on that side of the RV rippled so we peeled that back after taking out all the windows and found the wood was literally dripping wet! So we tore out all that wood and then re-laminated the vinyl back to the new walls, scraped and re-caulked and butyl-puttied the windows back in and sealed the whole roof edge with new metal and vinyl stripping. In the back master bedroom we started replacing the inside walls and ceiling. We then discovered the wood in there sopping wet so we are in the process of taking out the closets and cupboards and replacing all that wood. We have heaters going to help dry it out as we are having cool weather with showers. The one good thing we found was the nest of termites in the wall had been drowned bu all the water! We have the roof tarped till it stops raining so we can put the roof sealant on and the new various vents that we replaced up there. Lots of visits to the local RV parts store plus we are keeping FedEx and UPS in business! We joke that once we get all the repairs done we will have a brand new RV. At least we will know that everything is done right. And I haven't even got to go in and start the decorating! And I haven't got to camp in it yet! I would really love to take it to some vintage shows around the area plus maybe Roundtop Texas in September for the big antiques flea market? We are figuring it gets about fifty cents a mile so.... Will post pictures as soon as possible and let you see the progress. Wish me luck that we don't find more problems! Well. I spoke too soon. Just after I posted this Dan came in and said "guess what?" The vinyl roof is sopping wet and he can see daylight thru it in spots. So now we might have to replace the roof instead of just putting new sealant down. How long has this been leaking and why didn't the former owners (you know who you are) just be honest and do a full disclosure? I am very frustrated right now. I am just grateful that Dan is able to do the work but he should be out enjoying it instead of working on it!

Schools Out For Summer

I'm humming that old Alice Cooper song. We have one of our grandchildren staying with us for a couple of weeks. It has become a tradition for one of them to stay with us when school first lets out. We have 'adventures'. Most likely it is Grandpas way of getting to be a kid again and thinking I won't notice who's instigating who! We did plan to go camping but the weather put a kibosh in that. So we are working on the RV and getting it shipshape for next week hopefully. Two of our grandchildren go to all year school which means they are still in school. We watch them in the morning before they catch the bus. We have already warned their parents that they might be 'home-schooled' for the week if we kidnap them and take off in the RV! I'm also preparing for a vintage/junk show at Foxwood near Newport this Saturday. Talk about getting in under the wire. The topcoat is drying as we speak on the headboard garden bench, chicken wire is awaiting another coat of paint for the picture frames, and the chicken feeder pendant lights haven't even been wired. But I work best under pressure it seems so all is on schedule! I am writing this listening to snoring going on in the front room and nearby bed. I made the family those chocolate chip cookie in a coffee mug thingys and I think I od'd them 'cause they are passed out! Chalk up another success to Pinterest! I might of mentioned that when Patty and I escaped to Long Beach Wa for a peninsula yard sale, we met Montana Dan, a junk seller from, you guessed it, Montana. Well he called me this morning and said he would be down my way next week with a load of junk for me to go thru! Yea me! Can't wait to see what he has found! Hope its more butter churns, enamel pans, and rusty stuff! Well, morning is coming early and I need my beauty sleep. Talk to you soon! Patti

Memories

Lost thoughts -- at night -- sleep evades me---- Memories drift back and forth-- long thought lost but resurfacing-- the rain hits the roof and rolls down off the edge-- onto moist tall grass-- the smell of damp dark earth and crispness of spring air--- fragrance of flowers blooming stark white against black night--- I calm my steps in the quiet stillness --- slight rustling ---- I am not alone---- I feel fingers move my hair--- trace a line from neck down spine-- my hair lies limp -- my head bent down-- eyes closed-- warm breath-- caresses----- captures----- kisses rain down - gentle like a breeze --- fingers play at my skin---- teasing----- flirting----- brushing back clothing--- searching for bare flesh---- --------- I am young again---- before age has done its savage work---- before weights of responsibility have worn down--- back to a time of careless freedom--- love is there --- no constraints no consequence ---- my lover and I----- and the moon dancing past clouds----- no words needed----- talking with hands--- melting down into wet grass and soft earth--- enveloping us like natures quilt---- sleep comes later----- soft and deep---- innocent --- memories fade...................

Pluggin' Along

Figured I better catch everyone up to speed on how my Springs been going. I've been on Facebook more than usual and so posting and catching up with everyone there. Adding new friends and business acquaintances and following events. My foot is still healing. well, the bones have all set but having a hard time walking. Taking a hiatus from physical therapy which I'm supposed to be doing four times a week. Got a $1000 bill after insurance so trying to absorb that before going back. I can't walk at all barefoot and thank God for my Birkenstock sandals or I would be walking around in hiking boots. I have no balance and can't move the foot sideways or flex it over uneven ground so it's really thrown me for a curve. I stumble all the time and I'm just waiting to fall and break a hip. Still not driving and that is a major bummer. Hubby not so gung-ho about jumping in the car and cruising thru the aisles of the local junk stores. Besides that, not able to walk that much without pain. But he's been a real trooper about getting me to appointments and grocery shopping, etc. We purchased an older RV for an astounding price. Needs some work and I am excited about decorating it in the vintage style. Dan is redoing the roof and windows and siding plus interior wood. We will be ripping the carpeting out and replacing it with vinyl or laminate. I am redoing the soffits, valances and curtains. I want to replace the light fixtures,upholstery, countertops, sinks and cupboard fronts. Tearing out the old wallpaper for new paint and redoing the back master bedroom. I want to name it the Gypsy Rose and do it in a gypsy, bohemian, shabby chic style. With a mix of 1950's. Looking for a wall mount jukebox like you saw in the booths at an old soda fountain that we can convert to play cds or tie into an MP3 player. Dan actually took it on our annual Memorial weekend camping trip. I however went with my friend Patti in her vintage "canned ham" trailer to Long Beach WA for the 28 mile yard sale on the peninsula. We filled up Patti's van and the trailer by the first day but it was so much fun and we met so many great people. The weather was typical damp coastal weather but we had fun despite it. I couldn't walk on the beach but we watched the sunsets from the van. And no razor clams 'cause there was a red tide but I got my oyster shooters! I really think everyone should try to get there next year! And while I was there, I found the beach cabin that my Godmother owns and took us to all the time when we were small. Her relatives have built a new bigger cabin with an RV pad next to it but the old cabin is still standing and brought back so many memories! She taught me how to dig the clams and we would fry them up right on the beach with butter and crackers. Yummy! We also collected glass floats that washed up and she had a pretty impressive collection. I wonder where they all went? It was a very emotional moment when we found and drove up to the cabin and in fact talked to several of her neighbors that were friends of theirs. And all it took was stopping at the City Hall and getting the address! It was a beautiful Spring here. I have never seen so many blooms and new growth on the trees and shrubs. Everything was a bit late but should be a spectacular yield of flowers and fruit. The lilacs were heavenly and the peonies are magnificent. And speaking of magnificent, I helped Mike, a friend from farmers market harvest his peony flowers last week. He has several acres of them and he sells them to the local wholesaler plus for privately for weddings. So chances are if you buy them at the store or florist,they came from him. He also has them for sale every Saturday at market while in season. Jessica my granddaughter has been getting me to market and then Betsy picks me up. They load and unload the truck and do the driving so very appreciative of them. We are trying to downsize our stock of plants as I can't do that much yet and it is getting too much for Dan to keep up with. The greenhouse needs a new cover and benches rebuilt and we desperately need to install a automatic watering system. Plus we need to build a bigger shade house for the plants in summer. It gets way too hot in the greenhouse even with the shade cloth on for the plants to stay in there. Plus Dan has to water three or more times a day. Betsy took me to the Farm Chicks show at the fairgrounds last Sunday. It was amazing as usual and I am even more determined to get a booth there next year. However it was way too much walking even with intervals and could not get out of bed on Monday because of it. Saw lots of Facebook friends and beautiful booth displays and amazing items. That show definitely doesn't disappoint. Trying my hand at some vintage shows this year. Have lots of inventory and making new repurposed items all the time. I have one this coming weekend so will see how it goes. Haven't told Betsy yet she has to drive me! Time to stop and post some pictures and go make dinner. I can't believe the computer has actually stayed going this long. I'm needing a new one. Okay, I jinxed myself! Can't get any photos to upload so I give up. Will try again later. Patti

Gettin' Creative (or dreamin' about it) and envying people who walk upright and can see above counter height!

Spring has sprung and the creative juices are flowing from every pore. Trouble is, I'm in a wheelchair after foot surgery in December. So my downstairs craft room might as well be on the moon. But that's not keeping me from getting on the computer (finally able to!)and looking at all the ideas, photos, and recipes that are leaping out at me. I mean seriously, you should see my desk. It has scribbled notes all over it 'cause my idea boards are full. I have been sending ideas via e-mails to Hubby and Daughter so much they are going to change their address and not tell me! Every time I say "Hey I have an idea" suddenly they have something to do in the garage or greenhouse! But they are very good sports and I would not have survived this ordeal without them. They saw me thru two bile duct surgeries earlier in the year,knee surgery, then an infection in that same knee, full reconstruction of my right foot, a tooth infection which turned into getting two wisdom teeth removed (at my advanced age!)all the time by my side, helping me in and out of the bed and wheelchair, getting me to the bathroom, bringing me pain pills (thank God for them)and nerve blockers (best thing ever!) feeding me, carrying me up and down the stairs and driving me to doctor appointments, and most of all not giving up on me when I was in horrible pain, or having a pity party. I absolutely HATE having to ask someone for help! I am supposed to be the caregiver, not the other way around! I have a new respect for chair-bound people. It's a whole other world down at this level. Everything is just out of your reach. Doorways suddenly seem too narrow. Throw rugs fold up under your wheels. Dogs are always sleeping around and under you or their tails are sticking out right where you want to go. Everything you want or need is in the basement. Spring is happening outside where you can't get to. Try brushing your teeth and rinsing form a sitting down position. Or getting a teacup from the upper cupboard, stretching over the sink to turn on the tap, reaching into the microwave and getting it back to your desk. And I have become famous for the Austin Powers move of getting stuck turning around. One day I decided to be 'helpful' and mop the floors. I was really proud of myself until I realized I had left muddy tire tracks over everything I had just washed! I also thought I had pretty good 'padding' down there till staying sitting for eighteen hours a day proved me wrong. And you wouldn't believe the muscle mass I have lost. My physical therapeutics, Kyle has his work cut out for him! I've had to cancel several craft shows and flea market events that I would normally have participated in and have had to bribe my darling Granddaughter to do Farmers Market this year. I did finally get out into the yard this week, and it felt so good to plant my peas, beets, and chard in the whiskey barrels. I loved the feel of plunging my hands in the dirt, and to be out in the fresh air! Tried dragging a rake around the lawn and picking up the yard prunings, but it's quite an ordeal to push yourself with one foot thru the soft lawn. I even coerced someone to haul me out to and into the greenhouse so I could do some trimming and cleanup of the hanging baskets. I divided and repotted some aloes, started some cuttings of pussy willow and boxwood, and cleaned up and repotted some of the tropicals. The kids got the pallets drug out from behind the chicken coop, taken apart and stacked; waiting for me to start my projects. I need to get my sander out and mix up some chalk paints. I'm itching to get to the metal recyclers to find those hidden gems that we can weld into garden art. Speaking of the chicken coop; it needs its spring cleaning.I really miss going out to see those gals and letting them out to forage every morning. Smokey the wild kitty who lives with them has probably forgotten who I am. And I'm itching to get in the kitchen! To start baking and canning and just cooking meals again! I've managed a few crock pot meals over the last couple of weeks, but I want to be chopping and mixing and stirring! I am so thankful to my family of helpers. For strong backs that carried me, attentive nurses, laundry maids, bathing attendants,correspondence gatherers, garbage persons, shoppers, chauffeurs, groundskeepers, housekeepers, and maids all. Am I living at Downtown Abbey? So on to more lists of ideas and honey-do's and being grateful for each small success as they come!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And a big online Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale to check out!

We have so much to be thankful for. A roof over our heads, food, clothing, friends and family. The turkey is started in the electric roaster. Set on a bed of potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and parsnips. Butter, sage and thyme rubbed on and under the skin. The neck and giblets are simmering on the stove with broth and seasonings for the stuffing. The green bean casserole is baking as we speak. Pies were all baked yesterday and line the counter. The table is decorated and set. I love pulling out the old linens, candlesticks, turkey decorations. The house is straightened and polished. Well, as good as I can get it. (Don't look in the office or closet!) We waited for almost 2 hours this morning for the paper to be delivered. And what a paper! I am saddened by the stores that are open today for sales. this should be a time for family and friends, not shopping. Think of the people who have to work on a day that should be celebrated. But then again, I think business' should be closed every Sunday anyway. Growing up in Canada, all stores, banks, etc. were closed Sunday and Monday. I we survived. The parade has started. They weren't certain if the balloons would go up because of high winds, but so far so good. What would the parade be without them? I have a special event starting at 6pm today and running thru midnight December 3. It is put on by EZ Craft Show ans worth checking out. Lots of vendors including myself who have put together an array of items. They also will link back to our websites and Etsy, as in my case. Be sure to check us out for some great deals. Have an awesome day everyone! Patti

Happy Fall Y'all

So where did summer go? I'm sounding like a broken record with all the excuses about not being consistent about writing on here, but jeez, where did the time go? I can hardly wrap my head around the crisp, foggy mornings, the nip in the air at noon while the sun is brightly shining, the growing silence of bird songs I wake to in the early hours. Thank goodness there is the beauty of colors in the Fall. It is its redeeming quality amidst the dying foliage, the drooping of heads, the grey and browns enveloping me. Everything I have striven for all year has completed its cycle and gone back to the earth. But put away the summer clothes, bring out the sweaters and flannels, replace the sheer curtains with insulated. Quilts and warm fleece throws don the backs of couches, rugs rolled out onto chilly hardwood floors. Warm the house with the stove and crock pots working overtime making jams and preserves from the last of the summers bounty. Candles with their comforting aromas and flickering light keep at bay the darkness of night coming too soon. Bring in the plants from the porch, to be replaced with a new decor. Dried hydrangea bunches, sprigs and branches with summers fruit, gourds and pumpkins, cornstalks and straw bales. The moon is at its best this time of year. Enormous and the brightest it can be with a deep orange glow that colors everything around it. The man residing there has seemed almost to have outgrown his space there. Too soon this season will be replaced with howling winds, bitter cold and shuttered homes. Deep snow will soon cover the drifts of colored leaves.Vague shapes will be all that's left of garden beds. So embrace Fall and all its destruction of summer, because it too will soon be a memory. Happy Fall Y'all

Ducklings In The Tub

Well, nothing new about this. Spring usually finds me with some sort of baby. This year it's ducklings! Jessica, Cheyenne and Damien arrived at work the other day with 3 ducklings in a box. I think it's payback for me giving them bunnies last Easter! Anyway, straight home to the bathtub they went. A towel for bedding, a cup for food and a pan for water and the brooding lamp and they are as happy as "ducks in water"? UPDATE After a week of placing them in a box every time we want to take a bath, the ducks are now in a cement mixing pan on the dining room table! However at the rate they are growing we are going to need a deeper containment area. And are they ever messy marvins. I don't know if I want them in my pond. They will be working those pumps overtime! Probably join the bunnies in the chicken coop. We have over a thousand tomato and pepper plants already transplanted in the greenhouse. The new rhubarb crowns are growing like crazy and hanging baskets are lining the roof. My succulent plantings and terrariums are set aside for the first garden show this weekend at Spokane Community College. ( see the ads on my Facebook). The pond plants are doing really well in the greenhouse. My umbrella plants will be going from the pond to container plantings with assorted flowers. The water hyacinths are as big now and making off-shoots as they are in mid-summer. The resident greenhouse toad has been out sunning himself in a plant flat. The burgundy water iris is in full bloom under a bench and a self-sown nasturtium is blooming along the back wall. My first garden show this spring was glorious! it is in it's third year and sponsored by the college horticulture department. They have plants for sale from their greenhouses (I had to partake in a few items!) and do beautiful floral designs and fresh flowers for sale. A very good turn-out and lots of enthusiasm for the coming growing season. Met lots of new friends and caught up with old ones. My succulent plantings in the dinosaurs sold out as well as the pink flowering dogwood trees and almost all of the chicken feeder planters. People got a kick out of my shotgun shell party lites and expanded line of redneck glasses. I now have champagne toasting glasses perfect for the bride and groom, margarita, martini, and shot glasses, along with my different sizes of beer glasses. UPDATE The ducks are now in a wading pool on the table. And last night we added chicken wire round it as they were looking to escape over the edge! As soon as the weather gets warmer, they are going to a grassy area alongside the pond. It is pouring out today so am doing some work in the house. Sorting thru items in the craft room in readiness for the Retro Bella Vintage & Garden Show at the Greyhound Park in Post Falls, ID on Saturday April 27 from 9am to 6pm. Not just garden things for this sale. I will have some of my antiques, furniture, crafts and jams. Lots of frou frou! Hope to see alot of you there. Stop in and introduce yourselves!