New Years Resolutions Spalutions

A year ago a friend and I decided to make a New Years Resolution. We would write in our blogs every day. If she would do it, I would do it. If I would do it, she would do it.

She did it. I did not.

Blew that one! But this year, with the move to the new place looming on the horizon, I have decided to write, so that I have a map of where I have been. A scrapbook for myself of all the...ahem..."FUN" of moving a farm.

The beginning of the move was to start this past weekend, HOWEVER. As things often do, things went wrong. I had planned very carefully to have 4, count them, FOUR days off in a row. Just so I could get over there to the new property and start clearing out the old and beginning to bring in the new, although the real move won't happen until the end of February.

But as fate would have it, my Prince Charming, as all Prince Charming's do, let me down.

My Prince Charming!

He had started having hiccups the early part of the week, so I called my mechanic and made an appointment for Sunday. What we thought was a fuel pump turned out to be a faulty crank sensor. I did not even know there was such a thing, but yeah, made total sense as he certainly WAS acting cranky.

So Christmas eve found me in the turn lane to Smith's Grocery right in front of Auto Zone. Help from a wonderfully kind Police officer, a call to AAA and a friend to pick me up, AND Prince Charming is now with Dr. Ray having surgery. But that left me without transportation for the entire four days!

Switch to Plan B.

So to start the week end out right, I worked on that driveway at the current rental house. It would be lovely to have it filled in and leveled and not drag over the trailer hitch when you leave. I had already gathered the necessary materials, so now it was just moving them into place.

I rarely think about him anymore. 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' hardly ever crosses my mind these days. Until I have to use that little red' wheel barrow. It is a lovely wheel barrow, but back when we were together, I was mucking out stalls and it had a flat tire. So he volunteered to go out and get one of those no flat tires for it. I was thrilled, because that meant I would not have to deal with it. What a nice guy! Until....

'He Who Shall Not Be Named' did come back with a no flat tire. One size too small. Why? Because the right sized one was $5 buckos more expensive, and he wanted to save money. (Rolling my eyes!)Totally makes sense if YOU are not the one pushing that dang wheel barrow around.

Know what happens when you have too small of a wheel? It does not go over all the things you need to push it over and gets caught and often causes it to tip over and empty itself in places you were not intending to dump stuff. Which is exactly what happened. I said some pretty ripe words. If my kids had used that language, I would have washed their mouths out with soap. They sounded pretty sailorish and I sincerely hope my neighbors had the television up too loud to hear me. Shame. On. Me!

I did get the drive done. But I am buying a new RIGHT SIZED tire for that silly wheel barrow. It will be getting lots of use and I do not want to be remembering bad things. That is part of my past and I do not want to live in the past.

So THAT is my resolution. From one of my favorite motivational speakers, Les Brown......

"Focus on positive choices that move you closer to your dream. Make a conscious and deliberate effort to do at least one thing everyday that represents the highest and the best in you. Keep in mind, this is going to be your greatest year ever!"

It will be. I just KNOW it.

Happy New Year, my friend.

Christmas 2015

I worked yesterday.

There were many years, when I was a single mom that others worked so I could be home with my kiddos. So I worked yesterday. It was a crazy mess with some residents going out to be with family for a few hours and others having family in. I was glad to get home.

I haven't been writing a lot this year. Things are so busy and by the time I get home, I am just pooped. So here are I am today, taking down the Christmas tree and I realize that I had not even posted photos. This will be an annual thing from now on...posting my Christmas home.

Last year it was a last minute decision to have a tree and I pretty much settled for ornaments that were left overs at K-Mart. It was okay, but really not what I wanted or envisioned. I wanted something I could build on through the years. Colors that matched my heart and were totally me. Pinks and silvers and the palest of golds. Crystal and glitter, fanciful and magical..but WHERE would I find those?

 I decided to get started in January, collecting ornaments from thrift shops. Here are the results of those forays....

 

I loved these. I bought them for the pink and silver. I put away the raspberry colored ornaments and I haven't yet decided what to do with them. Hopefully I can find a new home for them.

 

 

I fell in love with the baby pink ornaments. Pink makes me feel serene and secure...do not know why, but it just does!

 

Rose colors.....looks just like something out of my rose garden!

 

 

I also started picking up whites and champagne colors. Those Martha Stewart ornaments look like they are white, but actually, they are the palest pink you can imagine. I was not sure they would fit  with what I had envisioned, but for 2 bucks, I brought them home just in case.

 

When all was said and done, and November arrived, I had quite a collection going!

 

 

But deciding what to put them on was another matter all together. Last year I ran out and got a REAL tree from our local Tractor Supply, but I did not want to deal with all of that mess, not to mention the settling of the tree that created huge gaps and holes as the season progressed! So off to K-Mart I go and found the perfect tree.

 

 

Thank you Jaclyn Smith! I have ALWAYS wanted a flocked tree, but for some reason had never gotten around to getting one. She also had these lovely little creamy pearl garland, so I picked up those also. Then of course, I had to pick up some little things because they were so stinking cute. Carriages, ballerinas and the cutest little sparkly clip on birds with really long tails in burnished pinks, silvers and golds. I had the tree top star from last year and a few other ornaments that made the cut for my color scheme. 

 

When I got the tree set up, I looked and wondered...."Will I have enough ornaments to cover such a large tree?" But when I got all the ornaments out I changed my tune..."Will I have enough tree for all these ornaments?"

 

THIS was the result of my frugal shopping at the local thrift stores added to my Jaclyn Smith flocked tree!

 

 

At last.....after all this time I have found colors I love and can build on for the years to come! I am a happy camper. Here are some vignettes I shot of the final results...

 

 

I always have white dove on my tree. These are from last year and I got them from the Dollar Tree, 2 for a buck and doctored them up with some iridescent glitter.

 

 

Tiny ballerina, Cinderella's coach and a lovely partridge (in a flocked tree!)

 

I am not even sure where I got this lovely ivory key from...I have had it forever! Doesn't it look great next to that pale pink Martha Stewart ornament? I LOVE all the different shades of pink!

 

I had a resident a while back who was a World War 2 veteran. She was in the Army and stationed in Paris. Her honey, whom she met there in Paris proposed to her at the Eiffel tower. SO romantic! I bought these little towers at WalMart from their $1.49 wall of ornaments. I gave one to Ms. Elaine also.

 

The tree skirt came from Jaclyn Smiths K-Mart collection also. The carriage under the tree was a present from a friend long past, but it looks great there!

 

A filigree silver crown in honor of Jesus the King of Kings...

 

My glass slipper...

 

These snowflakes were some that I had gotten last year, but I LOVED the way they picked up the pinks and shined it upon the walls!

 

 

I love Christmas.

For me, it is a time of reflection.....of the year almost behind me, the grace extended to me by Christ by His supreme sacrifice, of that babe in the manger and of the beauty found in each. It has been some time since I blogged, life has indeed been busy. But the beauty of this season softens my heart and causes me to remember.

Some time ago in the bad years, I lost all my lovely Christmas collection. I used to grieve for that loss as it represented years of memories and for years I did not decorate. That time in my life found not just my collection lost but a great part of myself as well. Odd to say that even if all was returned to me those ornaments would not fit me any longer.

I have to say that in all the years I have had a tree, THIS is the one I love the most. THIS is the one I will build on through the remaining years of my life. I.LOVE.It.

Merry Christmas, my friend.

 

 

 







 

Where did the weekend go?!?!?!?!

Lots going on this weekend. Mostly work, but that is okay. Lovely way to unwind, although it goes by way too fast!

I wanted to spend some time on the new property this evening and snap some photos of the view of the mountains when the shadows are playing across them, but alas. Another project took my time and before I knew it, the sun had set and it was too late.

I do so love these mountains here, so here is a shot I took earlier this winter for you to enjoy.

This afternoon I spoke with my girlfriend, Bobbie. Her husband has received orders to Japan and they will be leaving in the April/May timeframe. Unfortunately, they cannot take Bo, her beloved horse. 

Bo is a handsome fellow. And well behaved, especially considering he is a stallion. Believe it or not, he is a PAINT stallion, although he shows no color himself.

So Mr. Bo is coming to stay here with us on the homestead in Arizona. AND he will be here next weekend! I am really excited! Not only is Bo coming here, but Bobbie and Jeff will stop in Colorado and pick up Boo, Siri` and Jahzz! So all of my horses will actually be here in Arizona! We get to be a family again!

Poor Bo though! I really am not sure how he will react when he has to go from THIS......................

 

to THIS.............................

 



Where I live is not known for the beautiful green grass and lush trees. The new property where we will be moving to in September, will eventually have trees, but nothing like he is used to. I hope he will not have trouble adjusting to the climate change. At least he is coming in the spring and not the heat of the summer!

Winters are not what he is used to either as we do not get the snowfall in Arizona that they get in South Dakota.

(Bo playing in his snowy yard!)

Bo and Bobbie have been together for as long as I have known Bobbie. They are quite the pair. I love the fact that if Bobbie wants to try it, whatever IT is, Bo is willing to try IT too!

 

So this afternoon found me out in the back, putting up the electric fence on the south paddock. I am missing at least 7 yellow holder thingys so I will have to make a quick trip to Tractor Supply after work and pick up another bag and finish that tomorrow. I must have taken out 700 tumble weeds off that east fence line and I still have 1/2 of that to go and the rest of the entire paddock to finish. I will be a busy girl this next week!

 

But you know what? I can handle that.



Yayness! It's the WeekEnd!!!

Okay. It is Saturday and the sun is not up yet. I cannot start any projects outside when it is dark so here I am.

Last night as I was watering the horses and watching the shadows on the Music Mountains, I realized that I do not think I have ever seen anything prettier than Arizona. I LOVE watching the shadows play in the rills and valleys of those mountains. Long Mountain, which sits right behind my little homestead is the most beautiful in the evenings.

Today...what will I accomplish today? Laundry for sure and for certain, but I think I will take my geraniums out to the porch and relocate my gardenia.......I am thinking lavender will look good in that old rusty wheel barrow too. And of course set out the straw bales and start seasoning them. Planting season is upon us and of course, I am, as always, not quite ready. I look forward to gardening on the new property, but that will not happen until next spring when the fences are all up.

I will have a difficult time living through the anticipation of this next year!

Oops! Sun is up! Y'all have a lovely Saturday!

Rainy Days and Mondays

LOVED that song by the Carpenters. Richard and Karen Carpenter will always remain my perennial favorites!

Today it is cold and rainy. Right here in River City.

Yes. THIS is my back yard! And it is only getting worse. What scares me is the way these roads get slick as snot and coupled with the idiot Californian who lives down the way, it is likely he will get stuck. He does it every time it rains like this...

We really need the moisture, but....    Well. At least I have the day off and do not have to drive in this crap! Happy Monday, y'all!

Back in the saddle...

It has been awhile since I have written.....things have been so crazy.

Remember that movie "While You Were Sleeping"?

Lucy was right. Life does not turn out the way you planned it. Sometimes, it turns out better. Sometimes not. And so I find myself on plan B. Or is that X, Y or Z?

Whatever it turns out to be, I have a LOT of work in front of me.  I hope I am up for this challenge.
Sleep well my friend.

Meow

 

 

Home is where your heart is...........

It beckons. It calls. It woos. It charms.

                   It is sanctuary. It is safety. It is comfort.

                                                               It is home.

I have always been a home body. I love to travel, don't get me wrong, but for me? Travel IS exciting, but there is nothing like the feeling of coming back from your travels to a place of your own.........a place you call home.

I can live anywhere. I have lived in large houses. I have lived in small houses. I have lived in fineness and I have lived in a hovel. Through it all, whatever it looks like on the outside, wherever it is situated, home calls to me, through the family I have there and my collection of time worn objects and books. Things that provide comfort and continuity. THESE are what make a home for me. For me, home truly is where my heart is...................

I move in a few short months, (if everything goes as planned), and it won't be a mansion and it won't be a hovel, but it will be home. Since the advent of Pinerest, of which I am absolutely a devotee, if not a fanatic, I have saved and pinned numerous photos of things that to me, encompass a retreat for the senses. So I am sharing a few of my Pinterest pinned dreams for this new home with you. Just because............

Entryways are always so important! So don't forget to plan a lovely beginning to your home.

(I love the tile in this entry.......especially since I have 3 HUGE dogs! Easy to clean!)

 

I want light and air..........I don't want to ever be in the dark!

And lovely wood floors that feel so warm!

white~white~white! Fresh and clean!

 

It the details that give a home it's charm..............

 

The ambiance and aroma of your signature scent............. 

Am I the only one in the world who says excuse me when I step around or over my dogs???

 

The familiarity of my friends called 'old books'...............

and the warmth of a fireplace whether filled with candles

 

or a blazing yule log.................

 

I want a place to cook..........

 

a place to serve................

filled with hospitality in soothing patterns, textures and southern cooking..........

bright and sparkly and white..............

 

A place you where you can come in from doing THIS..............

or this.........

 and this.........

or this...........

 

And when you are finished you can get clean......

relaxing with a long soak in the tub....

 

so you can kick back in a comfy sofa.....

and put your feet on the coffee table without worrying if you will 'mess' something up!

 

So at the end of a long day of work and play...............

 

you can swing on the back porch and  relax

 

Before you curl up and drift off to sleep!

 

Most of all my prayer is...........