Rain, Rain...Go Away!

~It's been so long since I've written a post. Surprised to find that blogger has changed!  Took me a moment to figure out how to proceed!

~Anyway...seems like it's done nothing but rain since we got home last week from our Florida winter.  After 4 months of straight sunshine, I am finding this weather to be very depressing. Good for the grass and spring flowers, but bad for my disposition.   

~Funny how people are so different.  I need fresh air...the windows open, the screen door slamming.  I need sunshine, the smell of a freshly mowed lawn, the scent of lilacs or roses blooming. Being cooped up indoors greatly affects my mood.  Although I truly love our home better than almost anything, I can only putter around in it for just so long. I can only change the furniture around just so many times.  I can only switch the pillows on the sofa and alternate the white dishes and the mustard dishes on the open kitchen shelves a limited number of times! After a while, the whole experience becomes claustrophobic.

~It's on a dreary day like today that I find myself mulling around in Home Goods or the Christmas Tree Shop, buying things we don't need that will eventually end up in our already cluttered attic.  I'll be baking something fattening for our already expanding waistlines.  I'll sit too much in front of the TV, watching nonsense.  I'm not good at being indoors.

~Hopefully, the extended forecast for a wet summer will turn out to be wrong. I want to be fussing around in our flower beds.  I want to be showering in the sunshine in the outdoor shower.  I want to be sitting on our porch in the late afternoon sun, at the end of a busy day, sipping a cold beer and watching people go to and fro on the street.  Please, dear Lord...let it be so!

New Life for a Painter's Tarp

~Fabric is expensive...especially decorator fabric. Several years have past since I made a quickie slipcover for the the small, barrel swivel chair in our living room here in our little Florida condo. When I decided it was time for a new one, I was shocked to find that the necessary five yards, even at half price would cost me $75-$100. Now, that wouldn't be too bad if I was sure I could cut and sew a slipcover that I would be happy with in the end. But if I hated it when it was done, I couldn't take it back.

~Then, I remembered the cotton painter's tarp we bought last year at Lowe's. At the time, I remarked at what nice fabric it was; sturdy, woven cotton in a natural burlap color. And quite inexpensive. If I blew the construction of the slipcover, I would only be out fifteen or twenty dollars at the most.
~So...with the help of my husband who crafted a pattern out of shipping paper, and inspiration from reading Teresa's http://www.cherrycheckers.blogspot.com/ I started cutting and sewing. End result? We like it so much we're trying to figure out how to slipcover the sofa!
~Where there's a will, there's a way.

~Be sure to check out our newest apron called Blue Indigo Border Stripe at our web site... www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com

New Year, New Table

~Some scenarios are fortuitous. Some are just pure luck. Either way, I wound up with a man who can create out of wood, just about anything I dream up. I love old, worn, humble pine furniture. No gloss...no shellac, no enamel. Just plain old painted wood. I often need a small piece of furniture to fit into one of the nooks and crannies that make up our old house.

~Such was the case just last week, when I complained for the 100th time or so, about all the wires that are visible on the floor from my laptop,the lamp, and the cell phone charger. .
"Can you make me a small table with tapered legs to fit into this space over here? Something to rest my laptop on? A place to set my coffee cup in the morning?" Next thing I know, the saw is going in the garage and I'm being asked what color paint I want!


~Here is the darling little table that hubby made for me. We did a crackle finish with Benjamin Moore Cottage Red and Olde Century Colors Lamp Black. Cute as can be and fits perfectly in the awkward space next to my easy chair.


~Happy New Year! Holy Cow!

Twas the week before Christmas...

~ Twas the week before Christmas and here on Cape Cod, Grandpa was reclining and giving a nod, to Grandma who was wrapping and trimming the tree, all bought with her shopping from an Internet spree.
~ The stockings were hung on the chimney with care, ready for Santa who would soon be there.
~ Cookies in the oven and pies on the sill.
~ Save some for Santa who undoubtedly will, arrive right on schedule with a splash heard by all, at the salt water's edge where he gives the call...
~ "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Santa is here...bringing you gladness and holiday cheer.”
~ Grandma & Grandpa raise their glasses high, toasting another year of memories gone by.
~ With thanks for their blessings and health and good cheer.
~ "Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!"

SAD

~SAD...Seasonal Affected Disorder...a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the autumn and winter year after year. Hmmm...me thinks I see myself in this definition.
~For instance...the time changes back to Standard time this weekend. Happy to have the extra hour in the morning but not so much about the lack of light early in the evening. Sometimes, I wonder how I ever endured the winter months here in New England for most of my life. Not until we got to escape to sunny Florida each January, did I realize how "down" I get when the dreariness of winter sets in.
~Once upon a time, hubby and I enjoyed winter sports. We lived for snow so we could pile our skis into the car and brave the cold on some mountainside somewhere. It was a good way to spend quality time with our 4 children as well. And the clothes were cute.
~But now, the mere mention of snow and dropping temperatures depresses me. It means I can't ride my bike in the morning. It means I can't work outside in the yard. It means driving anywhere is going to be a pain in the neck. The trees are bare and the roadsides get messy with slush. I could whine about it all day.
~I will busy myself for now, decorating for Thanksgiving and then for Christmas. But after that, we're outta here...heading toward that sunshine that awaits us. Hmmm...warmth and sunshine. I like the sound of that.
~In the meantime, I'm also sewing aprons for the Holiday Gift Gallery that is held each year at the restored Highfield Hall mansion here in Falmouth. Part of each sale goes to benefit Highfield's restoration and the rest goes to little old me. Here's what I sewed up this week.


Bliss bouquet in teal





Meadowsweet Daisy Path




Check us out at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com

Are You A Fish Out of Water?

~I saw this little blurb on a friend's facebook status today. It's a sweet reminder, perhaps, of how and why some people thrive while others spin in circles.
~There's a lot of discussion about praising kids for mediocre work these days. The effort is purported to be worth as much as the accomplishment. However, I'm always torn. While one kid is trying his hardest and struggling, is perhaps another just being lazy while both might be producing a low level result? How does a parent or teacher know the difference? IQ tests are not showing clear cut results anymore. Many adults find they have no interest in what a grade school achievement test showed them to be best suited for. Both hubby and I wonder what we were truly meant to do in life. Were we steered into careers or lifestyles that were what was expected of us? Or did we subconsciously achieve success because we were in the right place at the right time.
~People always bemoan later in life that they wish they'd followed their hearts when they were young rather than conform to the mold that society put them into. But I often wonder what part plain old fate plays in it all. I firmly believe that everyone is different and not all of us can throw a baseball or perform heart surgery. But we all don't have the drive to pursue our heart's desire either. Wishful thinking often takes up a lot of time. Blaming parents and teachers and friends for keeping hidden talents hidden is an easy out. If you look carefully, the fish usually knows it can't climb a tree so it expends its energy elsewhere. I can't build lasers or furniture like hubby can so I design and sew things that I need and like and I write stuff.
~Individuals usually find their own way. Being thoughtful about encouraging children is a good thing. But lavishing praise on everything might not be as worthy as acknowledging specific things in each child that are worthy of praise. Those who climb mountains often do it against the will of those closest to them. Not all success stories are products of a healthy, encouraging family life. We're not all good at everything and often, not even good at what we think we're good at! But most of us seem to find our way in spite of being told we can't.

Back with a Vengeance.

Okay...so I'm back. Back with a vengeance.

Seems the political season has heated up already. In spite of the fact that I often get into trouble with my offspring regarding voicing my political opinions, I've decided to go with it, rather than fight it. Guess it comes with age; speaking up, that is. I will celebrate my 70th birthday next week. I think I'm developing a bit of attitude. I remember my dad, who lived to be 98, saying things like, "I paid for this road, I can drive however I want!" Or..."I've lived longer than you so I know what I'm talking about."

My dad also loved to argue about politics. He and I came from different points of view. We would often argue until I was blue in the face. (Note that I said, "I" was blue in the face. Dad would just sit back, relax, and enjoy every minute of my frustration.)

But something happened to me throughout those years of arguing, discussing, whatever you might call it. I learned that it's important to have a political opinion and to voice that opinion, even when it's not popular. Standing up for one's beliefs is often difficult. It can cause hurt feelings (and migraine headaches)! But if we're all passive and constantly worried about being politically correct, we risk being run over by a giant truck called government.

There are two camps in politics. One believes in the individual. The other believes in government. Individual liberty versus socialization are two firm positions that come with plenty of fodder for argument. The argument is good and extremely important...and the argument shouldn't be stifled.