Just Plain & Simple Me

Funky Junk Sisters at it Again!

2012-01-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

Last year's show had this beautiful cabinet! Mmmm.

It's not shameless to advertise someone else's show, right? Well, I have to say, if you're in the NW Oregon/SW Washington area, and you love vintage, you will want to go!

Junk Salvation Vintage Market

February 3rd & 4th, 2012 Washington County Fairgrounds~ Hillsboro, Oregon. Friday night early buying/breast cancer benefit from 6pm-9pm admission $15, Saturday 10-4 admission $7.

I am looking forward to going! AND...some friends will be there:

A Vintage Gathering Vendors Who Will Be There:

Bee and Mason

BirdSong

Mac and Momma
My Shabby Passion

Vintage Market
Voondi

So, if you're sick of the weather and need a little inspiration, take my advice and head over to Beaverton!

Life has finally slowed down a bit for me, getting back on a schedule, getting time to do some of the things I love, like work in my Etsy shop. Last week, with all the snow, I took an opportunity to get some new things listed and am considering myself on a roll; I have a lot of things waiting for my attention.

What else do I love? I'm not really crazy about the rain, BUT, I have that greenhouse to retreat to, and every year, I tell myself I'm going to do better. I'm already doing what every gardener does about now, pouring over seed catalogs, planning what to grow, I'm even changing what soil I'm using this year in my greenhouse. You should thank me for doing this, because it brings spring a little earlier. Since I'm always running behind, spring should be here before I get everything done! Always optimistic!

One of those...days

2012-01-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

One way to find some time!

Do you ever have one of those days (or months, or lifetimes) when you feel a little crazy. Like you're "losing 'it'"? Well, after a very busy baking season in November and December, I've just been plain lazy. Trying to set goals, get some things done. I love accomplishing things. But after the busy time, I've slept in more than I have in a long time, just kinda re-cooping. However, I'm a mom, so I can't completely lose order. Or stuff. Or my mind.
The other day I went to make a quick, small batch of bread with my food processor. It has all those attachments, you know? The extra bowl, the extra blade(s). Well, I went to put the dough blade in, and it didn't go into the bottom. Only half-way down; that won't work. So, I'm thinking, where's the "other" blade? I searched, and searched. I suddently remembered that I'd found my OLD food processor blade in the drawer awhile back, and through it out. My heart sank as I was suddenly POSITIVE that I'd thrown it in the Goodwill. I started to go to my car to check the Goodwill bag, but the car was with my husband. I decided to search every drawer. By now, I felt a little icky. I hate losing things. It nags at me, and causes me to lose sleep. After a thorough search, I "decided" my daughter must have misplaced it. I'll have her help me search.
So, today, I start to make bread again, then I remember, no blade. I have a wonderful Bosch mixer I use for all my other bread, but thing was, THIS was missing. It had to be found or replaced. After searching again, I went to Ebay. That's not going to help me, because I was afraid to buy one and have it be the wrong one. So, I decide to call Cuisinart. I get through to the nice lady at the other end. She asks me all the appropriate info. Then I ask her, "It DID come with two dough blades, right?" She says, "No, it only had one." So, while I'm talking to her, I pick up that dough blade, push it down where it should go, then sheepishly have to admit to her that I indeed have the RIGHT blade, I don't need any more help. I didn't need to admit it, but I told her, "I'm just so glad to find out I'm not losing my mind!" I tell myself that she probably gets nut-case calls all the time.
Seriously, though. I wonder how many people lose something, go crazy looking for it, and start to feel like they're ready for the nuthouse. I think at times like this, is when I hear what I've heard all my life. That I'm scatterbrained. There are a lot of us, and I know I'm in good company, but it's always nice to know "I still got it!" I'm coming to the conclusion that the mind is the most important thing to not misplace.
So, on that note, I'll wish you all a wonderful New Year. My first month of the year goes a little like Martha Stewart's, with organizing. And cleaning. The older I get, the more I have a need to be more organized. I guess my mom will be glad that I have finally grown up. -Just don't look in my Etsy/craft room on most days.

Baking Season

2011-11-20T19:57:00.001-08:00

I have the most wonderful bread customers! And they love bread! As you've most likely noticed, I bake a lot of Finnish Cardamom Bread at this time of the year. I've done several sales again this month, and I have to say, people are still eating bread. And marionberry coffee cake! Thank you if you are one of my bread lovers!
I am trying something new the next few weeks. I signed up to sell in Astoria at the Winter Market. I've ALWAYS thought it would be so fun to do the Sunday Markets, but they are,..well...on Sunday. That's pretty much church and family day for us, so I haven't done it.
This winter, they are having an indoor market, though, and it's on Saturdays and Sundays, you can sell on either or both days, so, I thought I'd give it a try. I know there are plenty of Finns down there haha. So anyway, if you're in Astoria, stop by the Market at 14th and Duane, and say hi!
I'll be there the Saturdays of Nov. 26th, Dec 3rd, and Dec. 10th. AND my daughter will have her cute little kids' clothing, too! Fun, fun, fun! She's made some of the most darling things with a vintage flair.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, being thankful for what you have, and for Who loves you! ~Karen

A Busy November

2011-11-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, and gosh it came fast! I've been busy trying to get all the things done that I wait for the last minute to do, which only adds extra stress to my day. As a lot of you know, I am a Finnish Cardamom bread baker. Well, I bake lots of stuff, but this is what people usually know me for in the baking department. I've baked and sold this bread for...older than my own age lol. OK, a little less than half my age! Wow, that makes me feel old!
I will be baking all of Thursday for a sale on Friday, then coming home and baking most of the night for the next day! But I love it. By the way, I will have the marionberry coffeecakes, too. I get in trouble if I don't bring those~!
My daughter, Kristin and I both love to bake, AND do vintage sales, and some handmade creations besides. These sales this winter can't involve vintage, (unless we sneak them in a props!) but we'll be having a very full menu on our plates as it is. If you get down to the Longview, WA area, stop by and see us. If you need directions, just send me an email.
I'm not "positive", but I believe we'll be in Astoria, OR after Thanksgiving, doing their Winter Market. I've talked to the lady, and sent in my registration, but I still need to confirm it, so I'll post on that later.
It's always fun when we're at a sale and someone says, "I read your blog". The first time it happened, it kind of embarrassed me, because I knew NOTHING about them, and they knew what an airhead I AM lol. Anyway, don't be shy, say hi! ~ Karen

Searching For Blue

2011-11-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

There is some blue there!

The older I get, the more sunshine I need! Or light. Or fresh air. Here in Oregon, the weather is pretty moderate. Where I live, there is no real extreme temperature; if we happen to get weather down to the teens, it's not often, if we have highs above 90, that doesn't happen real often either. Yes, we do get rain. I was surprised to find that there are a lot of places that actually get more rain than us, because that's the comment people often make about Oregon.
Oregonians don't use umbrellas either. Well, some do, but not most. Our fall scenery is gorgeous. I see pictures of the eastern part of our country, and they remind me of what we get; lots of reds and oranges. Oregon is all about trees, you know.
Well, I've decided that I need to start taking more Vitamin D. I need to get outside more this winter, even if it means to the greenhouse. I need to appreciate every break from the rain that we get. I confess, although I'm a native to Oregon, (even native to my neighborhood), I haven't in the last few years appreciated the rain. I go through the day reminding myself that the rain is what makes our state so beautiful. It gets tough, but I'm determined.
As I was driving in my car the other day, we had one of those really cloudy, dark skies, and wayyyyyyy in the distance I could see a piece of blue sky. It was a brilliant blue, with sunshine in it. I decided that even when it's cloudy, whether it's the day, or if it's life, I need to look for that little piece of blue. If I can't see it, I need to keep watching, because it always does show up again. And when it does, I need to be ready for it! Expecting it!
I have a friend who has some serious health issues. She has had brain cancer; had that removed, and they put a shunt in her head. I don't understand it all. She had some kind of cancer in her thyroid, had that treated. She had all this while taking care of her inlaws! A year ago, she found out she has a new tumor in her brain, although it's not cancerous "yet", they said it was too dangerous to operate on. But it will grow. She'd been really sick, tried some new type of drug, thought she was doing better, losing weight, which her doctor told her the medicine would cause. THEN shel started having symptoms that she assumed were pre-menopause. She had a check up and the Dr.'s office called to tell her that she has uterine cancer! Then, with all those tests, the new doctor saw the brain tumor, and said, "It has to come out!". So, she is facing the unknown. My heart just hurts for her. But you know what? She is trusting God to heal her. She is fighting. She is LIVING! She's been painting her kitchen! She's NOT sitting and crying, although she's had her moments. In other words, she is "searching for the blue", looking past the clouds. My little stuff is just that...small.
I want to enjoy every single day. I want to accomplish something every single day. I want to build stronger and stronger relationships with my kids and husband every single day. I want to be the friend that I should be to my friend(s). I want to thank God for how rich I am. Nope, not rich in dollars, but rich in life. Our experiences, our relationships, the things we see, belong to us. A rich land owner might actually be paying for the land around me, because he owns it, but the view is MINE! When we look out at that ocean sunset, and later our minds recall it, that ocean sunset is OURS! For free! Because it is something God gave us!

Sunset from my home.

View from my mom's yard.

Watch for the blue. ~Karen

Harvesting Thankfulness

2011-10-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

Friends visit under the gazebo

Kids love the hammock!


My boys learned to run a backhoe!

Randy lifted the kids into the tree to pick cherries.

People everywhere! We love it!

This is the time of year when, if you are a gardener or a home-canner, you're finishing up madly to get a harvest in before the season is gone. If you aren't gathering your own veggies and fruits, then someone else, like a grocery store supplier, will do it for you, then you'll pay them to do the work for you. However it goes, the harvest comes at this time of year.

My daughter Kristin was smart, she brought beans to snap & got help!

It seems to me, that fall is extra-dramatic in it's season. The colors, the smells, the way it all of a sudden gets dark quicker (I've been trying not to notice that one so much). It just seems that, of all the seasons, fall seems like a fast-moving vehicle taking us to winter.
It is so fitting that, along with a harvest, comes a giving of thanks. Why not, we have the bounty of everything that's grown all year. It feels a little like pay day, and it is so natural to just give thanks. To be thankful. God has provided.
This year has been a very "different" one. My husband, who is a general contractor and builds custom homes, has been around a lot! In our area, there isn't a lot of new building going on. We've used the time he's had off to get some things done around home. Now he seems to be getting busier, and thankfully, the work is just about done. I have to say, I'm amazed at how much we DID get done around here, from finishing the gazebo he started last year, to putting on a new roof, installing new flooring in the kitchen and living room, even remodeling my daughter's bedroom. Oh yeah, we were even able to get my grandkids' "fort" started. Fort? My husband got a little carried away, they actually are getting a building the size of a small cottage, that Grandma (me) would love to have! I don't know what I'd do with tower they added to it, but I'd think of something. I always said it would be nice to have my husband retire, but I have to say, it's pretty hard to keep on a routine. I was pretty glad for him to be back to work so that I could get a schedule back in time to start homeschool this fall.
Hope your fall is bursting with thankfulness!

PS Photos are from the old fashioned ice cream social we had with friends (except we didn't make it homemade) this summer. See, we found plenty of time to play!

Joy in All This Business of Life

2011-08-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I've never neglected my blog this long! It's my son's fault. It's also his fault the months have literally flown by!

On Valentine's Day, my son called and asked me, "Do you think it's weird if I don't get Janae jewelry for Valentine's Day? I'm planning on buying her a major piece of jewelry." My word were, "Of course not! She doesn't seem materialistic anyway, I think she'd just love your devotion." ----"WHAT MAJOR PIECE OF JEWELRY?!! Is this my son I'm talking to? So, he AND his 7 year old son proposed to her about a month later! Actually, my grandson spilled it and said, "Will you marry us?" before Steven could slow him down!
So, that was March, and then we had to scramble. He gave her NO time to plan a July wedding. Then he decided that he'd love to get married in my mom's yard, like his sister did. THEN he decided that we could have the rehearsal dinner in MY yard! So, for literally months, we've been working around here, getting ready for the wedding. My mom lives a few acres over, and her view looks down the river on a clear day. Beautiful setting. The rehearsal went well, then came the dinner. It started to drizzle. 60 people in my yard! My grandson built a fire in the outdoor fireplace, we had the gazebo (which my husband had been working on for months), we had a canvas gazebo, and my porch is large, so we still managed to actually have a wonderful time. Next day, Wedding Day, it rained like I've never seen it rain in Oregon on a summer day. Everyone was in a good mood, but it was a little stressful. On with the wedding, right? After the photos with the photographer it started to let up, and right at 5 pm, the sky broke open to a beautiful evening! The wedding turned out gorgeous. All those chairs I thought would be empty were full. The groom kissed his bride, and the balloons rose behind them. We danced 'til late into the beautiful night.
Funny thing was, the next morning, it poured down rain again! But we were so thankful that we had such a beautiful wedding.
Right after that, we barely got everything cleaned up and put away, and our church had their week long family camp! We're now recuperating from that and soon will have to start homeschool and canning and finishing up the garden! So, that's where I've been!

My grandson-fell asleep right before the wedding!

I haven't even managed to get to to many yard sales or estate sales YET this year, but when we go on our camping trip I'm making up for it. It's an understanding that I at least get to go one morning! We've all worked so hard, it's TIME for a break before school starts.

It's raining outside, but it's summer in my heart!

2011-05-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

After getting my mail today, I was pleasantly surprised to receive my Matthew Mead Summer magazine! If you have not ordered yours, you just MUST! I sifted through it really quickly (forgot to look for that golden ticket saying I won a prize, so I'll have to check again), and wished I could sit down and just drool over what I saw from my first peek. It is another amazing edition. I loved "Holidays", and I don't want to say this is better, because the holidays have their place of importance, and a whole different decorating, wintery theme. But "Summer!", now this is wonderful. He hit right on my favorite season.
The ideas in this magazine (is a magazine this thick and nice and beautiful called a magazine?) are so fun. The color is amazing, the photography spectacular. We are having my son's wedding rehearsal dinner at our place, and I saw some fun things to do for our party. I admit, I was thinking more of "what's on the menu" than, "how will we decorate", but now I'm thinking we're going to have to do some of those little special desserts, and wonderful display ideas. So believe me, you WANT this magazine!
What else has been happening? We're wrapping our end of the school year, getting ready for the gardening season. We'll soon get the pool running in case summer decides to come. And since I'm an optimist, I'll be ready for those warm breezes, kids playing, and lazy type days to enjoy.
But before I get too laid back, I need to get to my stockpile of fun vintage stuff, sort through it, tag it, and get it ready for....A Vintage Gathering's June 25th Sale! They are hosting several this year, but with so much going on....we just couldn't do it all. We are excitely anticipating seeing these wonderful ladies and all their wonderful goodies. It amazes me how many awesome treasures they find, and their sales are always such friendly occasions. They have a neat bond between them, and they've graciously adopted us into their "family" for special occasions. But to all our "Vintage Gathering" friends, we're hoping to get to your sales even in we aren't under our own tent! It's just too much fun. If you haven't been to one of their sales, click on the following schedule, and it will link to their blog with all the info you need. Happy Shopping! And may all our spring and summer days be sunny and bright with laughter!

Show and Tell

2011-04-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, and I've been going every whichway, trying to work with the weather, either doing indoor or outdoor projects. I really dislike needing to be indoors on a sunny day, so I'm trying to make good use of the rainy ones. Like yesterday, my oldest daughter & grandkids came over and helped me and my youngest ones rip out all the carpet in the living and hallway. My husband was...surprised, maybe a little overwhelmed because he's still working on the kitchen flooring. But it was raining!
And since it is also raining today, but I hear it's supposed to turn sunny SOON, I've been trying to work on my Etsy shop, which has been slightly neglected lately. Not to mention, getting my "studio" cleaned up! It's where all my Etsy finds get put, (well, a LOT of them haha).
We don't have regularly scheduled broadcasting in our house, and haven't for most of my adult life. We do have videos, but, as you can imagine, we're gladly behind in all the programs out there, unless someone tells us about something they think we might like. Well, we did finally get netflix. And enjoy it, (we've gone through ALL the Andy Griffiths, Gomers, (except I had never noticed how much yelling went on through that whole series!). My daughter told us to watch "Hoarders." Wow! That's interesting! What's more interesting is that my teenage daughter started hauling out boxes of stuff to take to our church rummage sale! Made me want to get in my studio and clean. Made my husband mad because we teased him about hoarding books lol. I never thought he had a "real" problem, but he did get a little defensive lol. Me? No, I don't have a problem, hehe. Actually, I've been decluttering a lot of my own personal stuff, going through a lot of my things I'm tired of cleaning. I've been known, like now, to own a huge set of dishes I received from someone dear, and kept for years and years, not wanting to tell her they weren't my style, not wanting to hurt her feelings! Well, I must be getting old, because now I want to keep only what I really love and use.
In my studio, I came across some things I'd found recently. Cool things for the right person! Like this chain purse. It is just adorable, found it at an estate sale. I'm NOT in a hurry to wish for fall at ALL, and I'll probably get them into my Etsy shop wayyyy before then, like soon, but I was surprised to find a bag full of these vintage Halloween decorations. If I liked/celebrated Halloween, I'd keep them, but I don't and I'm not. Did think they were rather notstalgic looking, like something Martha would have in her magazine under collections.
So, that's what I've been up to! Remodel projects, gardening, greenhouse, tons of yard work, homeschooling, and yes, even some Etsy!

My Far Away Friend in Japan

2011-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

It had been several days since I'd heard from my friend, Yuki, in Japan. She was not in the area of the devastation, but of course she's been affected by it. She'd been very worried for her friend, and finally got a message from her that she is fine. In some way, haven't we ALL been affected by this disaster? I can't think of a way that we haven't. Emotionally, physically for some, certainly economically. I was telling my kids that not one thing that happens in the world has a means of NOT affecting us all. We affect other people's lives every day, whether we know it or not.
Below, is the last letter I received from Yuki, just today. I asked her if I could share it. It's truly amazing how small our world is. We're not really that far apart! I actually "met" her from Etsy, and after back and forth visiting, it felt weird to say "goodbye forever". Like I've said, I hate goodbyes.
Here's her letter.

Dear my far away friend, Karen.

Since Sunday I've been feel bad, since I watch that terrible film on TV all day long, tears, headache, dizzy, nausea...and threw up..

But now feels good. I'm a little sensitive of sight more than common people... I was very shocked with that film.. And I am a crybaby..

My husband came back to Nagasaki, but he went to Kumamoto on business, and
yesterday he back to Tokyo again.

We're OK. I and Oniichan spend as usual. We have warm food and drinks,
warm bed and take a hot bath as usual.

Tsunami warning was released in Nagasaki.

I received e-mail from my friend lives in Iwaki Fukushima.

She is OK. But now she is under the evacation order waiting at home.

She stays in her home with her friend. Fortunately, they have preserved
foods and soft drinks but no water.

She said to me she is worring about radiation exposure..

I pray for her no radiation exposure.
I attacted and send the vintage greeting card with e-mail for her with our
prayer.

The christmas card a boy holding a little lamb. I think that card maybe
make calm her spirit.

Yes, that cute animals cards are smiling for me, I can relax. They helps
me. I appriciate to artist's wonderful work.
I appriciate the rescue team with sniffer dogs camed from your country.I pray for the safety all of them.
I want to visit you with my friend Satomi. Satomi is the name of Fukushima
friend.
I read your blog today. Thank you for worrying about us.
Your far away friend YUKI

To bring some smiles to your day, I want to share these two video clips that my husband got from a blog he loves to read, Challies. I hope it makes you smile!

Stunning isn't Always Fun

2011-03-15T00:49:00.001-07:00

It's definitely been a stunning week. With the news of the devastation in Japan, everything has had a kind of almost paralyzing feel to it. Not a "without hope" feeling, but a "what's coming next" kind of feeling. Here in the Pacific NW, we had a bit of scare, waiting to see what would happen. Not anything compared to the suffering and loss in our neighbor's home.
We go about our day, hear news continuously, shocked and yes, stunned. Fun things or things we enjoy almost have a senseless feel. Kind of like the feeling you get when you're going through something awful, and still can laugh. You feel confused how you could smile when your heart is breaking.
Life is sometimes such a puzzle. A difficult one. The road is rough at times and smooth in others.
I've been watching a family via posts from their web site, going through the devastation of having their daughter get hurt in a car wreck and end up in a coma. I've been watching all this time (since November), the family pouring out their raw broken hearts, their struggles with their humaness, their ability to still say , "we trust God even in this", and I've wondered and hoped that I could be able to do this. I don't borrow trouble, but I believe the Lord will get us through our days, however they are numbered.
I need to not waste my time. I need to hug my kids more. I need to lay stuff down that burdens me, even unfair things. Especially unfair things. I need to trust my God even in the hard things.
I don't have to understand everything that happens, but I am called to pray, to hurt for the hurting.
Our world is small. I recently "met" a kind lady from Japan who I had conversed with back and forth. My first thought when I heard of the disaster for the Japanese people, was, "is Yuki ok?" almost selfish that out of the whole country there was only one person I could think. I did immediately write, not really expecting an answer, but right away, she did answer! Yes, she was fine, but very concerned, of course. She was fearful for her friend who she hadn't heard from, & I'm still hoping to hear back good news that yes, she did finally hear from her friend. I haven't heard yet.
But I can pray, and I do believe that God, who created this world, has a plan.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Little Excursions

2011-03-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it seems like you do the same kind of work, day after day, and that's ok. But every once in awhile it is time to play a little! When I think of the last couple weeks, I've had a few "play days", doing things with other women. Artsy, fun stuff. It all kind of flows together though, because without some creativity in our lives, our homes would be a little dull, although, I have to admit, there is also something austere and beautiful about plain things, too.
A month or so ago, my niece asked if I wanted to take a class with her on making flowers. Well, sure. I think mainly, I thought it would be fun to do something like this with my niece and my oldest daughter, besides learning something new. So, we had fun making these:

Then, yesterday I had the chance to go to Battleground to see my friend Lisa. Her and Sally were putting on the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in their shop, "Uncovered Ruby". And what a fun sale that was! I'm amazed at all the work they go to, with all the details and fun they ad to their sales! I love their shop! They have some amazing vendors who bring their wares in, and each vendor has their own creative style. If you've never been there, you need to visit. Sally and Lisa are very sweet shopkeepers!

While at the tea party, Denise, from Arts and Scraps (who by the way, is another sweet-heart of a girl) was teaching a little class on making this:

Well, hers probably looked better, but, she was a good teacher! I even got home and had to try some more of those paper roses. Here are some more of my experiments:

These were so fun to make! If you live in the Battleground area (which I don't, but I sure do love the area!), you should visit her. She is very helpful and kind and creative!

Well, to round off the rest of my weekend (well, up to Saturday anyway), we took a drive to Astoria and Warrenton. I was going to do this yesterday, but with a Tsunami warning and all, I just didn't think it was a good day for heading in that direction. So, today we managed to go.

First stop, was to pick up my youngest daughter's guitar. She had somehow damaged it in her travels to and from youth group activities, so we took it to this man (Thompson's Instrument Repair) who was recommended to us. This is one of those wonderful old shops that I just love! Randy and I were talking about how wonderful it is to find these little mom and pop type stores, that are so full of character, do good work, and are nice to patronize. This man had quite a repair job to do, and we were surprised how low his rates were! Don't you just love the store-front? The inside was even more wonderful, but I forgot to take pictures.

OK, I know I'm getting long here, but bear with me. Our friends kept telling us we had to stop at this store, and we finally made it. Oh. My. It was awesome! Yes, Vintage Hardware at the Astor Hotel is something you MUST visit! It is packed with so many neat things! It is very well worth checking out, and once again, very friendly people. Can you tell I like nice people?

See what I mean? You've got to go!

Edit: How in the world I omitted it, but it was good to see all the other fun ladies I've met over the years at the Vintage Gathering sales, and Uncovered Ruby, etc. Good to see you ALL!!!

Life on the Funny Farm

2011-03-06T22:56:00.001-08:00

My daughter, Kristin, and I usually plan gardens around each other. We get the seeds, I usually start a lot of it in my greenhouse, she usually comes to help repot, then we split stuff up. It's fun and helps each of us.
This year she gave me 9 different tomatoes, I think around 6 peppers, all different things. 9 tomatoes Kristin? You're a crazy girl! She gave me a red and green cabbage too. This time I tried a system of a guy I saw on YouTube, and decided yo put a whole pkg of each in the little pot. I definitely didn't think they'd all start, but they did, and now we're the proud owners of way too many starts! I hate to let so many go to waste, but I'd probably have enough cabbage to supply a sauerkraut festival!
Today Randy, my 2 youngest, and 3 of my grandkids got out and played in dirt! Randy and Caleb (grandson) hauled horse manure with the tractor, then they dug holes and planted fruit trees, while my granddaughter (Talia, 3), planted potatoes.
I feel so blessed that family is so near, even my parents! They're just acres away! I can't imagine not being near family!

A Roof Over Our Heads!

2011-02-28T15:19:00.000-08:00

We are getting a new roof! FINALLY! Well, we are getting one on our house, too, but the one I'm talking about is our little church building. A few years ago, God gave us a church building. I'm not kidding. We'd asked to rent, borrow, lease, buy, and the answer was always no. The people who had it always said, no, sorry, they couldn't do it. This building was hardly ever used and it was in great need of some repairs, mainly the roof. We had been looking for a church home, had not found one we felt the Lord telling us, "This is it! This is home!" in, and finally, after about 9 months search, we found a local church that we all felt at home in, the kids found friendships in, all that. Well, after we were at our new church home for about 4 months, we got a call from the people in charge of the little church. They wanted to give it to us. They instructed us to go get a lawyer, have a deed drawn, we pay for it, and they signed the deed. Gave it to us! Wow! Now what? We had a place to go, now what do we do? We felt like God was the one giving this to us, so we just followed through, and yep, for the last 4 years or 5 years, we've had a church.
Our first thought, was how do we use it? We decided to just open it up on Wednesdays for a Bible study, and we would still attend our other church on Sundays. Well, little by little, we've got a faithful group of friends attending, and it is something we just love! Yes, it's work, it's responsibility, it's commitment, but it's been a real blessing.

See the guy up in the belfry? That's my sweetheart!

It's above the road, so it looks way up there, doesn't it? This is one side view.

We actually had a vintage sale one Christmas in it, and have been asked MANY times if we would do it again. (Haven't actually got an answer from the guys over that one yet! They had to move a lot of pews!) It was beautiful, all lit up, so old fashioned. We used the proceeds of funds to go towards a roof, but it wasn't nearly enough. Well, we finally were able to take the tarp off of the roof, and we are now waiting for the final 3 days of straight sunny days so that we can get it finished roofing. We'll probably even have a potluck or barbecue to celebrate. But in the meantime, I thought I'd show you the progress so far. We still have to paint the building, can't wait for the blue to go! It's going to be beautiful, don't you think? It's very primitive, very old, built in the late 1800s, and very well loved by us all. The neighbors are appreciating it's facelift, too, by the way!
I am still amazed because I've always had a "thing" for this old church, and still feel really blessed that God would answer such a request!

Fun Funky Junk!

2011-02-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

I think I get it from my mother. I sometimes pout. But today, I didn't have to pout, or beg, or anything! My husband is actually pretty good about junking with me. In fact, sometimes, he takes too long in a place junking, like he's gonna miss something. I complain sometimes, because I tend to think there's something better at the next stop. But he has been known to find some pretty neat things underneath something I walked right past!
We decided to finally finish our little bathroom, but I'm on a budget. We got a good deal on a regular type of vanity (but it has doors and drawers, something we never got finished on the one we had, and he got tired of putting it off). It has a golden oak finish, but we're going to darken it up with some stain. I decided that, since he's putting in the vanity, we may as well paint (which is a whole other job, because I had put wallpaper up and it's pretty much there to stay, so we are going through a recommended process of sealing, mudding it spackle, THEN painting.) He's taking it pretty well, so far. So, my daughter and I were sealing the wallpaper, and decided the medicine cabinet has to go, too. To shorten this story, yesterday, I got to thinking, "I believe the Junk Sisters are in Hillsboro this weekend!" I checked, and sure enough, they were. So before bed, I asked if he wanted to take me up there to look for a medicine cabinet. We had just looked the day before in some shops, and came up with nothing.
I don't know if it's because he got to take the day off from working on the bathroom, or because he was just as anxious as me to go junking, or if it's because we consider junking a date. He was awake before me and asked, "Are you ready to go?" Seriously, we're going to drive up? Instead of working on the bathroom? Well, sure, let's go!
And we were pleasantly surprised to find what we were looking for! Twice. And he bought both of them! Oh well, I'll be able to use the other one on my hot tub porch. I want it to look like a bathhouse anyway!
I had so much fun at the Junk Sisters Junk Salvation show! I am definitely dragging him to Puyallup (can't believe I had to look to see how to spell that!). It won't be too hard now! I've so far only gotten him as far as Uncovered Ruby and the Vintage Gathering sales, and that was only to help Kristin and I set up! But now, I think I've got him hooked! I love to broaden his junking scope a little! Hopefully, my daughter, Kristin, took my advice, and went up (since she was already heading to Beaverton) because she would have just melted over the vintage trailers at the show! So cute!
And you know what I think I love the best? The people! I saw some familiar faces all around, got some hugs, too. Once in a while you come across someone at these shows who've never had the opportunity to smile (I'm just assuming), but for the most part, everyone is very friendly, smiling, and happy to be surrounded by like-minded junk lovers and junk! (For some great photos, check out the Girl In Pink"s blog, she's got some awesome photos!)
So, what do you think, my favorite of the two cabinets is the dark one. I laughed when we got to the car with it, because we were standing there admiring it in the back of the car, when a man walked up and asked, "So, was it worth going to?" YES!! It was packed with all kinds of fun stuff, I tell him! He admired my cabinet, then said, "Looks like you'll have to replace the mirror though." Huh? No way, I'm not replacing the mirror! I like it like that! He just looked at me kinda of like I was a little kooky (which I am, but so are you if you read my blog) and shook his head. He just didn't get it. Maybe when he got inside his life changed! You think?

Sweet tThings to Ponder

2011-01-23T23:07:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty busy this weekend. First, I caught a cold, so I figured, since I already don't feel that well, I may as well clean up my "Etsy store" a little. What a mess I can make in what was supposed to be my sewing room! But, I'm getting it reorganized. I have a LOT of fun things I've found that I've been trying to find the time to list in my Etsy and Artfire shops. So, I've been plugging away at it.
One thing that hurries me a long, is there are seasonal type things to list, and you must do it early enough. I got most of the Valentines listed that I wanted to, even some Easter while I was at it. Like I said before, I got these all in one box, from Karla in the Wallowas, I think her shop was called Jinglebobs. I want to go back. It was filled with awesome stuff! So, if you get to Eastern Oregon, be sure to stop in and see her!
Anyway, all the cards I've listed lately, were from her shop. They were all done by the same Oregon artist in the 40s. Kind of neat. Well, I had a nice lady from Japan email to see about getting several cards from me. In the course of our convos, I told her I had a lot of these, and I took photos and sent to her. So, I was going through the cards. There are a l ot of prototypes, not sure yet what I'll do with those. They feel like important history, do I want to "lose" them? They just seem special.
Well, in my searching, I came across one card that she had done for Hallmark. It was an anniversary card, and out of all these cards, it was one she had actually given to her husband on their anniversary! It reads:
"To My Hubby on our anniversary. Hubbies are fixers, cocktail mixers,
Lemon squeezers, try-to-please-ers, garden rakers, money makers,
Rodent killers, ashtray spillers, Yes, they do a lot, it's true,
To make wives love them like they do!
And honey it's sure plain to see The luckiest wife of all is ME!

She signed the card this way: "'cuz I love you more than anything, and you've made me happier than I've ever been in all my life...Virginia

Now, I wonder, was she thinking of him when she designed this card? Was he the one who inspired her in her work? Did she have a really hard life previously, and he was her hero, rescuing her from heartache? (I personally can relate to this, my husband of almost 26 years is my own rescuer, from one very hard few years of my young adult life!) Or maybe she had a wonderful childhood, didn't have any "lag" in happiness, but met her true love who made her even happier than she ever could imagine??
And where am I left, with this piece of history? If I gave it up, would anyone ever know that the one who signed the card to her husband, also designed the card? Do you see the huge responsibility before me? Yes, I'm taking it probably way too seriously, but, it's part of what junking is all about, isn't it? All this stuff has a history! A lot of it held memories for people!
I have an old primitive wood stool with the smoothest seat, that I got at a sale for $3. The older lady told me it had been her dads, and he sat on it for years at his store, he was a shopkeeper! My mind goes to the Laura Ingalls days when they sat around a wood stove and visited in those stores. My stool's not THAT old, but, you know, I have that piece of history. Every time my grandkids come and eat at my table, the grandsons always like to sit in that stool, and a flash goes through my mind, and smile in my heart, that this piece of history is still living out good times!

My Tea Towel is Featured in Stylish Homes!

2011-01-21T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to get a convo today that my tea towel is featured in Stylish Home! So thank you Greg and crew over at Stylish Home!
What is special to me, is I've been working in my "Etsy" room, trying to get it organized, and get ready to take care of a project I've been putting off. That project, I was just starting to get photos of today! The project? I have a LOT of vintage linens that I need to list! So, I'll show you a few in the meantime, and then I'll get back to the shop! Oh, that is, after I check out Stylish Home further!! This week it's all about vintage linens, and who doesn't love that theme??

Matthew Mead is at it Again!

2011-01-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

If you got a copy of Matthew Mead's "Holiday" magazine this winter, you will know how exciting it is to hear he is at it again. This time, it's summer! My favorite time of the year, besides spring and fall. But I can just imagine (or can I) what is in store for us in his newest publication, coming out around Mother's Day. You can only get it through his blog, and trust me, when I went to sales this winter, I took it with me to browse through during breaks, and everyone who saw it asked me where I got it. It is beautiful, and I know that the summer one will be worth waiting for!

What's in a Valentine?

2011-01-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

What is it that I

love about Valentines? I think part of it is the memories of making those envelopes that we taped to our desks in school, where all the kids put valentines in each others envelopes.
My mom was always a "room mother" for my class, which meant she and another mom were the one's who gave all the parties for our class. Looking back, my mom was very involved with me in my younger years of school! I can't remember going on a field trip without her, until about 5th grade. So I guess Valentines day is mixed with list of good fuzzy feelings.
I was in elementary school in the 60s, so I've always loved the era that reminds me of the Valentines I received. (The Valentines above are from a different batch I found at a great shop in the Wallowas, they're from the 1940sn 50s.)
But another thing I love about Valentines, is the RED! I love the color red. It seems so bright and cheerful to me. It's a happy color, don't you think?
To me, also, Valentine's
Day is about love. And for me, it's amazing, the love I receive from family and friends, and especially my Lord, who has shown His great love to me in more ways than I can count!
Hope your Valentines Day is bright, cheerful, and rich with love and good memories!

Settling in for a Long Winter's Nap!

2010-12-22T22:35:00.001-08:00

You may have heard the Biblical account of Martha and Mary? Martha was the one who was busy making preparations, doing the work. And grumbling. Mary was the one who sat quietly listening and learning from her Lord. This last month I've been a Martha. Pretty much out of necessity this year, with construction slow for my husband. Not that I'm not grateful at all. I bake a lot of bread this time of year to sell to my ever-increasing group of customers. I keep warning my daughters that one day soon they will have the business and I'm going to play! But like I said, it's been very helpful this year. I'm always shocked at how much Finnish cardamom bread people buy. It's amazing really! Well, last night was my last baking endeavor of the year. 72 loaves! Orders came in Kate, I hadn't exactly added everyone up, & sure enough, I was up until 4 am baking 72 loaves of bread, back up at 8 to get started delivering.
I still feel like I'm gonna have a meltdown from fatigue! But I made it! I'm done! And now I just want to be a Mary!
I will have a good time with my family celebrating Christmas, there's no doubt. But more importantly, I'm ready to rest. To contemplate WHY we celebrate Christmas. To be awed again by the ever-loving Father who has had so much mercy and patience and love. For the miracles He's done and is still doing. Yes, now it's time to sit before the warm woodstove and just rest in Him!
I truly hope each of you have a wonderful celebration and enjoy the blessing of God's grace to us all.
Merry Christmas!

PS thought I'd show you how my husband and kids put up the tree lol! He promised a smaller one. Well, maybe it was a LITTLE smaller but not much! He has to wire it from the beams! Crazy guy!

It's time to part, my precious timecard holder

2010-12-15T18:40:00.001-08:00

I have been saving/hoarding this, for something special, except that I have no wall space! I just love this primitive old time card holder. If you are wanting it, it is now in my Etsy shop!

My Folded Book Page Wreath

2010-12-06T20:53:00.001-08:00

I've seen a lot of paper projects lately! My friend, Lisa, (Uncovered Ruby) made some awesome wreathes for the last sale we went to in Battleground, the Vintage Gathering. Hers were a lot different and very beautiful, made of sheet music.
I finally got around to making one out of an old history book. It was a lot of fun, but more time consuming than I expected. The best part was that all it cost me was some glue sticks! I hung it on my window for now! The second one isn't very clear, sorry, but it's from the back side of the window hanging from a beam between my living room & dining room.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ahhhh, Christmas time...

2010-11-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

What do you think of when you start your Christmas decorating and other preparations? Of course, as a Christian, I think of the wonderful miracle of Christ's birth, and I do try really hard to not let "stuff" compete with why Christmas is important to me.
But I do love the season, the decorating, the memories from past years, too. Only a few gifts actually stand out in my mind, and that was not so much the gift, and the giver, or the silly things that happened centered the gift. Like begging for my Raggedy Anne doll and the hearing the news reporter on television on Christmas Day telling me that Raggedy Anne was the most dangerous toy of the year, because she was flammable. I thought that meant she would blow up in my bed, and oh, the guilt I suffered because I didn't tell my parents what a dangerous toy they had bought me. I just had a deep, great love for Raggedy Anne, I had anticipated getting her, like a mother waiting for her baby, and I could NOT give her up. Maybe that was the beginning of my mothering instinct, who knows.
Christmas decorating reminds me of the sweet figurines my husband has bought me in the past. In fact, each year, it's he who puts them out. He has a collector appreciation for stuff, and he handles his books and things with the care of a collector, so I almost laugh as he puts out my figurines. It's just one of those things I love about him, that is totally unlike me. I don't have to have something sitting on a table in just the right angle. In fact, I like things messed up a little bit, but I let him do it his way, and I'll always remember these things as the years go by and we get old together.
Christmas reminds me of loved ones I know longer get to spend Christmas with. My grandparents are all gone now, but like most people, the wonderful memories, especially of my grandmother, are still so cherished. My father-in-law passed away 3 years ago, and my mother-in-law has been gone about a year and a half. We had some really special times celebrating with them, too. My MIL always spent too much, bought too much, always went overboard, and sometimes on things were a complete waste of money that she had found. Like the little sewing thread boxes with a yard of thread on each spool? Who used those? But she had fun, and it's the memories that are important now.
We have some pretty high beams in our living room, pretty rustic, you know? My husband used to be kind of a Scrooge about all the Christmas celebration, because of the competition it can bring on why we actually celebrate. One year, he started his own tradition. He brought in a huge tree. So big, we had to put it in a 5 gallon bucket with rocks to hold it up, and he had to wire it at the beams, to keep it from falling. The top went over the top of the open beams!! Was I gonna complain, when always before he was so grumpy about it? NO WAY! I just smiled, as each year he would hall in his oversized tree. Well, one year, his parents came over as we were just getting ready to get a tree. We always get them off of our property, so they went out and cut down the tree. They halled in it in, and I couldn't believe it. The trunk, if it would have fit height-wise in the house, wouldn't even fit in the 5 gallon bucket! Now, they were thinking, "We don't want to haul it back OUT of the house!" So, their solution was to go get the chainsaw! No kidding! The actually brought a chain saw, like a couple of teenage boys, and cut the trunk off the tree by many feet! They just about gassed us out from the exhaust, we're lucky we survived. Had to open all the windows, turn the fan on, you get the picture! I could not believe 2 grown men would be so......well, I won't say what I was really thinking lol. I had sawdust chips to clean all over the living room from that mess!
Life get's like that sometimes. Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew in life, in lots of different ways. Sometimes we get served things that are way more than we think we can handle. But we find the strength, we plug away with what we can do, and we learn and grow from it. 8 yrs ago, I had a son who had a terrible drug problem. I didn't even know if he was alive on this particular Christmas, or Thanksgiving. I am very close to this boy, and I thought I would not survive the worry for him. Not because it was Christmas, although it was very hard to have a good time with my other children during all of this pain. I just had a huge battle in my life, believing that God could turn this all out to something good. At that time, I would read the papers, and see all the horrible endings to the kind of life he was living. Not just jail, but death! Or people would tell me he would be brain-dead next time I saw him. It was a battle. I would cry every night, wake up crying, and just start praying all over again. I don't know if you've experienced pain like this. Most of us have had some pretty unbearable pain, but we have found the strength to bear it. Praise God, this year, and all the years since that one 8 1/2 years ago, I have a son who is healthy, whole, of sound-mind and body, who is doing great and has been cleaned of drugs for 7 1/2 years! So, even that Christmas eventually brought something wonderful to me!
This year has been a challenge. My husband builds custom homes. In the economy we're in, not many people are building homes. He usually has people waiting up to 3 years to build them a home! In June, he was just finishing a beautiful home for some people, and he was scheduled to start another in 2 weeks. Well, the lady he was to build for simply got really nervous about building. She is in her 80s, and although she could afford it, she just didn't want to go through the processes of building a home. She called, in tears, to say she had changed her mind. I sucked in the tears and said, "Don't worry at all!" (My husband hadn't expected to need to find work until spring, since he works with only one other builder) We'll be fine! I got off the phone and THEN cried. What will we do? No one usually starts building in the rainy Oregon in the winter! And that's in a good economy! Well, I came to my senses, believed the Word of God that tells us He will always take care of us. And you know what? He has done a wonderful job of giving my husband just enough work to get by. No, we're not living with "extras" so much. But we're paying the bills, we've got everything we really need.
So, this will be a memory-making Christmas, too! We are cutting corners, but having a blast doing it. I'm seeing a LOT more of my husband. He's been needing to not work so hard, and guess what? It happened lol. As soon as a bill comes in, he gets a job and pays the bill! It's been working that way since June, and now, here it is Christmas, and we are celebrating all the goodness we have in our lives. The greatest gift, is the birth of our Savior, in whom we live and breathe and are sustained!!

The Little Things

2010-11-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've had in my head for the past month what I want to write in my little blog corner of the world. I'm one who kind of spaces out on things, ok, "reflects" a lot is a better term. I get busy like everyone else. Too busy. Too tired. Too selfish to pay attention to other things around me sometimes because I have a plan for what I want or need to do, and I miss things. But when I find those quiet times, (lots of times in my hot tub outside at night listening to night sounds) or outside (now in the greenhouse because all we're getting here in Oregon is rain), it's in those quiet times that I, like you, "reflect".
We need quiet times. I am a real people person. I love to laugh and goof off with friends. But when I'm around a lot of people I often get this yearning to get off by myself. Mostly because I need to figure out what I think! When we are around people all the time, we can develop their attitudes, their ideas, their habits. We can start to think like them. I've always been pretty careful to try to listen, to store what they say or do away, then when I'm alone, think to myself, "What do I feel about this?" I need to do this so I can remember who I am. I saw a quote just yesterday that said something like, "be yourself, everyone else is taken". I thought it was creative and kinda funny, but really true.
The month of November for me is busy. I teach my kids at home, I have a normal busy laugh, and in this month, I bake a lot of bread that I sell at bazaars, etc. I've done this for 22 years, at least. I've developed a bit of a customer base, and every year it seems to grow. I love going to the sales, visiting with people, seeing some of them only once a year. You can imagine, some of the older ones have even passed away, some that weren't so old then are now. I've built relationships with these people. We even laugh about how important cardamom is! You might know I make Finnish Cardamom Bread. People tell me memories that they have, traditions they've built with my bread during the holidays. I've had people cry and say it reminds them of their grandma. Just like music or other things that trigger a memory, it's funny how this bread has been a bridge to meeting so many nice people.
So, this year, I've been determined to enjoy each and every day of the holiday season. With all the business, sometimes it is just gone before I get a chance to enjoy it. This year, I've told myself to embrace each and every day. That's scary for me in a way, because we don't know what we face tomorrow. And I can tell you, I've hard some pretty hard days and would never ever want to relive some of them, although I know that they have shaped me and challenged me and given me huge faith in what God can do in a life.
With all these thoughts in my head, a friend of mine sent a copy of a letter a man had written to family and friends. His daughter is in Pennsylvania, was in a car accident, and she has been in a coma for I believe 11 days. Just thinking about this makes me have that little pain in my throat that makes it hard to swallow. I can just feel how painful this must be for the family. It almost hurts to read these letters because to me, they are just so beautiful, so honest, so real. In spite of their pain and sorrow and facing the unknown, this family has touched the thing that is really the most important thing in this world. To embrace whatever God has for us and to trust Him. To me, it's a place we will all be in at more than one point in each of our lives, because this life is just so short. But what do we do with our circumstances? Do we get bitter or do we meet the day with strength and faith? Below, is a little taste of one of these letters. I hope you are blessed!

What an INCREDIBLE God we serve!! i somewhat have felt honored that God has chosen this little Yoder family to do MASSIVE things and show His indescribable power. Although the journey has been rough, although she's not fully recovered, although I miss her SO SO much, I've found a peace that truly does pass understanding. I've begun to challenge myself these past few days, to find the LITTLE things to be thankful for. I've realized how much I take for granted..... Things like being able to text/talk to her whenever, give dad a hug at school, eat mom's cooking :), and being able to make future plans. I realized how I woke up every morning expecting those. Now that those aren't here, i found that focusing on the things i DON'T have make my day SO much worse. but NOW....INSTEAD of focusing on that, I've begun to find those little, teeny tiny, every day things that often go unnoticed. For example....How often do I thank God for LIFE?? or for health?? or safety on the roads?? I see all those things through different eyes now. sooo.....be thankful today!!! and ESPECIALLY remember to thank the One who gave it all to you <3 Thank you all for your many MANY prayers!! With a LOT of God and a little of me....I make it through each day <3>
Now, to me, that is what I need to aim for. I'm sure that as you need it, the strength is there, but wow! To me, this is something God has done for ME! I asked Him at the beginning of the month to help me be grateful, to embrace the days, to trust Him in everything, and THEN my friend sends me these letters! I've said before, I'm rich. I am. My husband is currently very slow with work, but we have all we need. No, not in a savings account, but in life. I'm having a blast this month, enjoying each day, so thankful for my family and my friends. I hope you are too!

You might have heard my silly Raggedy Anne story from my childhood. I came across the Raggedy Anne and Andy dolls in the picture and just laughed. The biggest problem these friends have is a lack of clothes, but still, I think they were just adorable. And a very nice Etsy friend I've never met (isn't that what people are?) added them to her blog. I liked her title lol.

2010-10-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's nice to finally have a chance to log in to my blog. Haven't even had much time to catch up on what everyone else is doing, but the weather's going to be changing, and the blogging season will pick up, at least for me.
Like everyone else, summer went way to quickly, but our fall has been gorgeous so far, and we've been having some wonderfully sunny days here in the Pacific Northwest. It's always hard to plan things around the weather, so you have to take what you get. We ( my daughter, Kristin, and I) joined Lisa and Sally's Anniversary celebration at The Uncovered Ruby in September. It had been awhile since we'd seen a lot of those girls, and it was great getting to spend time with them. Also, met some new friends, which is how it is with flea markets, etc. For us, we love getting to visit. And laugh. And laugh.
When we went up to Battleground the night before the sale, to set up, it looked like it may drizzle a bit. It downpoured. Our tent was at the 3 foot high stage, we found that we were missing parts to it, my husband and boys had taken off and left us to go to some Sci-Fi toy store to look at Star Wars stuff, and there we were, alone, stuck in the downpour and couldn't get the tent up.
They showed up pretty soon, Randy got the duct tape out, and they managed to get the tent up. Meanwhile, we're looking at the downpour, and at other people's tents getting hit pretty hard, so Randy and Kristin are running around trying to save everyone else's tents lol. Needless to say, we were drenched, everything we had, we couldn't set out-as in displaying, but had to put everything in the center of the tent, go home for the night, and hope for the best.
We got back bright and early the next morning to actually a pretty nice day! Had to replace some tags, had to hurry and set up our little shop, get all ready for the sale, but finally got everything in a semblance of order, and the fun started. Thanks Sally and Lisa for all the work you do to put on a sale, we had a great time! BTW, if you haven't visited The Uncovered Ruby, in Battleground, WA, you're missing a good thing! Great finds are waiting, with good prices, and friendly faces.
The next weekend, we were back at Battleground, this time for the Vintage Gathering's fall flea. The day turned out gorgeous, in fact, the night before, when we went to set up, was beautiful. After we got all done, and were driving down the street, the sunset was so beautiful.
I know, this is a town setting, the photo isn't great, I was clicking as quick as I could, while laughing from Kristin teasing me that I'd lose my iphone out the window. But you see, the sunsets we get are different. I do have some beautiful sunsets, I live on a hill, facing the coast 36 miles away, down the Columbia, so yes, I can come up with a pretty sunset from my own yard. But I'm a country girl, and not that Battleground is considered "city" to those who live there, but town sunsets are pretty to see, too. Just wish I would have been more set up to take a better photo!
This time, we didn't go home for the night and come back early the next morning. Our sweet friends, Natalie and Lynn, offered their home to us for the night. Oh. My. Beautiful! For everyone who knows Natalie (Sparrow), b/c a LOT of people know and love her, they know what a knack she has for decorating. But, gosh, when you go to someone's house and they are this creative, (I have another friend, Faye, who is like this), you want to say, can we just not talk? Can I just look? No, I wouldn't do that, b/c we just HAVE to talk, and laugh. Natalie had the Barnhouse sale the next day, she was tired from working up there all week, she'd made THEM dinner, and had a yummy dinner waiting for us, and we still stayed up late and visited. Natalie is one of those people you feel like you've known all your life! And her family is great! The kids switched their sleeping arrangements around to accommodate us. I had told Kristin I was planning on sleeping very well, b/c I NEVER sleep the first night somewhere new. Even going camping in our trailer, it takes me 2 or 3 nights to sleep well. Let me tell you, we both slept! Loved those feathers and sheets, Natalie lol!
We could have photographed their house forever, but didn't want to be rude. Next time, we'll be rude! I tried explaining their house to my eldest son, who is more into modern, but does appreciate old things, too, how creative she is. I finally said, "You'd just have to see it, I can't do it justice!"
Getting set up for the Vintage Gathering sale was so easy, this time. The weekend before, Natalie and Lynn took our bigger stuff to their house, then brought it up to the Gathering for us, on their way to Barnhouse. See what I mean? Dear, sweet people!
The Vintage Gathering girls are really a nice group of girls to spend time with, too! The pictures above, will show you some of what was there, but you can't hear the laughter so you'll have to add that to it. I don't know if it's that I'm a stay-at-home Mom, homeschooler, and basically sheltered, but when I get around good friends, life is full of laughter! And it makes some great memories! Do you ever find yourself recalling a situation with a friend, you're lost in thought, with a smile on your face, then realize how funny it must look? I get those situations a LOT!
Well, don't want to bore you, but it's been awhile, so indulge me. 2 weeks later, we invited our church and lots of friends over to our home for our cider-pressing party. We worked all week getting ready for company, trying to be prepared for possible rain, since we having a cider party. We had a tent set up, our gazebo was ready, our wood shed was ready, our porch. All places for people to get in out of the rain. Never happened. It was gorgeous! All my kids showed up, too! Sometimes we do this, and since Kristin and I are basically friends besides mom/daughter, she normally will do this kind of stuff. But my eldest son, it isn't usually his "thing". He, his son, and girlfriend stayed the whole day, he showed her all his old stomping grounds, etc. It was nice having all my kids together with friends.
We hadn't closed the pool up, but haven't had the solar heaters on, since the nights are too cold anyway. So basically, our pool was running, but probably 60 degrees or less. The little kids came and asked if they could swim?? What will you wear, I asked. They brought bathing suits! Well, sure, but it's COLD! Did they care? NO! They swam, then the teens swam. THEN they discovered the hot tub! There were kids and adults everywhere! Riding the horses, playing in the fort, jumping on the trampoline, sitting around the fire. More laughter. So much laughter that I wondered if I had somehow gotten carried away, which I have a tendency to do. But you know, it is times like that, that I could literally cry. I feel so blessed. If you saw my home, you'd see it's nothing special, in terms of fancy. My husband builds NICE homes and we don't have one. But I feel so blessed when people tell us they are comfortable in our home. It's where we live, you know? That night, when everyone left, we talked about what a good time we had. People are still telling us what a fun time they had. I think I'm rich! I live in a humble home, in the country. I have wonderful friends, we have good times like this, yep, I'm rich!

Rushing Like the Wind, only slower!

2010-09-23T19:30:00.001-07:00

When fall comes, it sometimes feels like your in a race to get things done before the cold, blustery days come. Here in NW Oregon, it's not so much that we get really cold weather, but who wants to rake leaves in the rain? I think of all the seasons, autumn is traditionally the busiest season.
Our family is working on a list of to-do projects to get ready for our usually-annual cider-pressing party. I tell myself I need to have people over more often, we get more done!
Anyway, we've invited our whole church over to make apple cider. It's fun to get together with these friends we most often see from the backs of their heads lol. Seriously, it's not that bad, our church seems to find any excuse to get together! But we like to take the opportunity to have them in our home. So, that's one big thing we're getting ready for.
Kristin (my eldest daughter) and I went last weekend and had a LOT of fun doing the flea market at our friend, Lisa, and Sally's shop, Uncovered Ruby. I don't know why it takes so long to get up there, we've been so blessed by friendship with Lisa, & last weekend we had a chance to get to know Sally a little better, too.
One of the best things about doing these sales-the friends we meet! We have met so many nice ladies at sales!
Well, we're at it once more! Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early to bake Finnish bread, then we're off to Battleground again! This time, we're at The Vintage Gathering, Saturday. We're excited to get together with these talented ladies! If you love vintage, shabby, primitive...you'll love this flea!
We go tomorrow to set up, and this time we'll be much less tired, thanks to our friend, Natalie! Her and Lynn have graciously invited us to stay with them instead of driving back and forth! Even more generous, since Natalie's going to be busy working on her space at Barn House' sale! These 2 sales are very near each other, so that makes it all the more fun!
I'll try to post some pics tomorrow of previews if we get there to set up! The weather's supposed to be gorgeous, so that's even better! Last weekend we had some good laughs over dealing with the rain; it seems that when I'm with my daughters there's always something we find to laugh about!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

September Sale at Uncovered Ruby's

2010-09-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

(Love this old photo! It was from my husband's family photos, and I used it to make my sale tags this year for Uncovered Ruby sale.)
We're getting colder nights here in NW Oregon, which means I MUST face the fact that the lazy summer days are gone, and the mad rush to get all the canning, yardwork, and last minute projects is NOW. I do teach my kids at home, but we won't be starting until next week, which is pretty normal for us, b/c of the hectic schedule.
My garden did not produce enough cucumbers, so yesterday we picked some up. $36. for a box? I'm not sure what I was thinking, but sheesh, THAT made some expensive pickles. I got a box of greenbeans to supplement the ones from my garden while I was at it. Got home, tried a new recipe a friend gave me, you know how that goes sometimes? Pour the boiling brine over the pickles, put on the lids, turn upside down for 15 minutes, and voila, you're supposed to have crispy not-cooked pickles. NOT mine! I was really trying to keep these crunchy. They do have a grape leaf in them, that's supposed to help. But, ok, that didn't seal, I tried steaming them just a bit, to try to get a vacuum on them. NO, not again! OK, so I waterbathed for 5 minutes; keep in mind, I was trying NOT to have to cook them for the 25 minutes for the usual kind. NO! Not again. I was about in tears, b/c it's getting late at this point. I finally got mad, took the jars, and vacuum packed them! Think it will work? I guess I'll find out, and it may cost me more that $36. by the time I learn my lesson! Either that, or try to talk all my family into adopting a few jars in each of their refrigerators for 6 months.
My beans did seal today, so I'm a little redeemed. Now I just need to get all that labeled and put away. Another possible redeeming thing that happened, was the man at the fruit market was talking to me about baking some bread for him. I'm going to be thinking about that. Especially if it's one product, and I'd only want to do it one day a week. Everyone who gets addicted to my Finnish cardamom bread will know that's the day I bring it. Am I talking myself into a job? We'll see. I haven't wanted a real job, but for the most part, I'd still be at home with the kids.
OK, now for something a lot more exciting, but definitely a ton of work getting ready for: Lisa and Sally, at Uncovered Ruby, is having their 3rd Anniversary celebration this Saturday. They're having an outdoor flea, and Kristin and I are going to be joining the fun! I don't know how they do it so often, (the vendors who do a LOT of sales), because it is a ton of work! We're about an hour or so away, and I borrowed my dad's trailer to haul stuff. We're actually a little ahead so far, b/c we got the trailer early, and have been loading it and getting it ready. We'll have it loaded completely tonight (yeah!) and will put it in the storage shed and theoretically, we'll just have to hook up and leave to get set up on Friday afternoon. That's the plan.
I'm bringing my Finnish bread to the sale, so in the midst of all this, I'll also be baking on Friday. If you're anywhere near Battleground, be sure to go, I think Lisa said there are 24 vendors there, AND the store itself is having all kinds of fun stuff, like drawings, sales, etc. Go check out here blog to see the list of all the great vendors she's got lined up.

Lost in the...mess

2010-08-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, it's been awhile my poor blog! I'm so sorry to not have written! Maybe when the summer winds down (did I just say that? I didn't speak it, I wish it wouldn't happen, but I know it will!), and school will start, and the canning will be done...THEN I shall devote more time to you my poor blog! I've been loving this weather!
What's been happening? Well, this spring, we bought my parent's camper from them. Have taken a total of 3 trips with it, which has been fun. I'm looking forward to forcing my husband to take us when the winter comes, since it's already packed, it has a roof, and heat, and everything we need. Maybe he should become an "avid" hunter, instead of an occasional one, so we can use that as an excuse to go again! Always thinking ahead, to help him think of things he didn't know he wanted to do!
The kids have kept us running with their Vacation Bible School stuff first thing this summer, then the week of camp in July, not to mention all the sleepovers (I swear these kids are as manipulative as I am when it comes to getting to do stuff!), the day trips. The kids at our church even look forward to getting together to WORK! What's up with that? Can't get them that enthused at home!
My garden is growing like the weeds in it! The corn is pretty tall this year, I've managed to grow some huge kind of yellow squash I haven't been able to identify, b/c I through the package away and lost the stick I had put beside it telling me what it was. My cucumbers somehow disappeared, something must have eaten them, except for a couple tiny gherkins, which will take me forever to get pickles from. The green beans are almost ready, so next week I know what I'll be doing. Gardening is such a reminder of the seasons of life! Some things you don't expect, good and bad, pop up like a weed OR a volunteer sunflower plant! You have to do everything in it's time, or you miss out. Just tons of things to contemplate in the garden.
I haven't been able to go to a LOT of sales this summer, but I did manage to get in some really good ones. I've been stockpiling in my messy room, waiting for some boredom days, which never seem to happen. But now I have no choice but to get in gear and get to work on it. My daughter and I are excited to be going to Uncovered Ruby's 3rd Anniversary sale, September 18th; congratulations Lisa and Sally! If you haven't been to their shop in Battleground, you really need to go! I hear they've made changes since we've been there, so we're excited to go. In fact, Kristin and I are going to make a trip up before that, and soon, to visit Lisa, and Natalie (Vintage Sparrow). We've put it off too long, and we've talked about it too long! Soon, very soon! And in the meantime, we're getting busy getting stuff ready to bring up to the sale. I love the sales, the visiting, the meeting people!
I don't like putting a post up without some photos, so I'll ad some pictures of some of the great finds I recently aquired. The table with the blue legs and chairs, is now in my own kitchen.

Summertime...fun...

2010-07-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Like everyone else, spring and summer are busy times for me. Actually, starting in February, I got my greenhouse going, my husband got some raised beds finished in my garden, and then we waited out all the rainy weather...clear through May! I've always tried to be content, but the older I get, the more I see why people go to Arizona for the winter! I like things brighter, warmer, more cheerful.
It always amazes me when my garden does grow! I literally live in a rock pit! My dad actually sold rock and built roads with the rocks on our property! When I got home from school most days, my parents would be waiting for us girls in the driveway, and take us to "work". My dad ran the loader, put the rock into a shoot, us girls would make sure it went through the opening at the bottom, my mom ran the conveyor from a little shed my dad kept heated for her with a barrel stove, and while we were at school my dad would haul the rock to recipients of our hard work. Yep, child labor, but I learned to work! So, yes, my garden is amazing every year. We have round rock in the soil, my dad thinks the rocks keep the soil warm?? I don't know, but the garden does grow some things pretty well. We started the raised beds for the sake of carrots, tomatoes, stuff like that.
We've also had one of those gazebos on a deck above our pool, the kind you get at Home Depot? It lasted probably 5 years, but, although I like rustic, the canvas on this thing was getting REALLY bad. So my husband and sons have been busy building a permanant one that will require less upkeep. Last week, I was wishing it was done, with the hot weather. It's nice being able to sit in the shade and watch the kids and grandkids swim. So that was another project.
We bought my parents travel trailer this spring, and have made a couple camping trips this summer. The first one, we went to Sweet Home, way up in the hills, to go gold panning with some good friends. We knew/know nothing about this, but had a wonderful time and found some beautiful land we had never seen before. Can't help it, I love Oregon, with all it's green and trees and water.
Our next trip was up in the mountains above Bend, to East Lake. Talk about beautiful! We went in June, and there was still snow on the ground. We took a friend of my daughter's, the girls and I drove up earlier in the day. They wanted to go to Sisters, I wanted to mosey along. Going up earlier than the boys turned into a bit of a chill for us girls. We got to the turn off from the highway, had 20 miles to go up into the mountains, never had been here before. We're driving up the mountain, and I asked the girls, have you noticed we've seen NO VEHICLES on the road at all? It's getting dark, I'm wondering what I've gotten us into now. We get up there right as dusk was coming, find our site, get out, and....it's freezing! Like 32 degrees! We drove down to a neighboring campground, found some firewood deserted from the last camper, haul it back to our site, and for the next hour, try to build a fire...with wet wood. The girls got their tent (they thought tenting would be fun) put up, I'm about to freeze, b/c I hadn't even brought a sweater. Good thing we had gas in the car, b/c we kept warming it up so we wouldn't be frozen when the guys got there. We waited, and waited. They finally got there at 11:30 at night! Glad the rest of the trip didn't go that way!
I knew my husband was planning to take the kids to the High Desert Museum, which by the way, they just loved! They also went caving, which is far from anything I would EVER want to do. I'm just way to claustrophobic for caving, just gives me the creeps, and I'm sure I'd faint. My idea of fun while they did that, was to go garage sale-ing in Bend and surrounding areas. One of those surrounding areas, I started wondering where in the heck I was going. With no one knowing where I was, I found myself on a LONG road in the middle of nowhere, but populated with kinds of houses that were a little on the scary side. They had fences with BIG dogs running along them as you drove along the bumpy dirt road, signs on the fences, "Stay back from fence!" "Beware of Dog!" The kind where it was unusual to see a couch laying out in the yard, one house was burned to the ground, well, definitely unwelcoming, druggy type of neighborhood. I got so far down the road, wondering if there really was a sale at the end. After miles of this, finally got to the end, and a guy was selling a couple plants he dug out of the yard, and some old fishing stuff. THEN he told me a shortcut out of the place, which I trusted him for, and yes, made it back to civilization. It was during this offroad experience that I recalled my sister telling me that there were areas of LaPine you need to be cautious of when garage sale-ing.
In Bend, I did find a really neat mirror that I thought I'd probably re-sale, but my husband loved it, so it got adopted. Other than a few little things, I really didn't find much, but had a wonderful time all by myself for hours, driving all over the place. I really don't get much alone time, so I reveled in my day.
I was beginning to give up on garage sales/estate sales, since the whole season so far hadn't yielded a lot of exciting things for me. THEN a couple weeks later, we happened upon an estate sale a couple of young girls were putting on for their grandma. Now THAT was more like it! I love those kinds of sales, where you come across a box of stuff someone else considers "junk" and you consider "treasures!" And for really cheap. This confirmed my faith in estate sales once more. We found some really neat prints, old typewriters, just lots of neat things that I'll be listing in my Etsy shop.
The economic crunch hit us a little last summer, but other than that, so far, my husband's kept busy. He builds custom homes, self-employed. Which means, if you have no work, you have NO MONEY, b/c you don't get unemployment. He used to have people waiting 3 years sometimes for them to get their house built. Since the economy thing, he's had one house trickle in at a time. He is right now finishing a house he's been working on (I'll take pictures later and show you) and then he was SUPPOSED to be starting another house. The plans were at the architect's, the land was lined up to purchase, then all of a sudden, the land owners changed their minds on selling it to the lady he was going to build for, she got a little fearful (she's an elderly lady), and tired of trying to deal with the landowners, and called and said she had changed her mind on building. OK, this is testing time for me. I called my husband and said, "First, I KNOW God is going to take care of us, but....(blubbering by this time....) the house fell through..." It's fine, we'll be fine. I know we will, but sometimes I need to be reminded that it is God who is my provider, and not myself. We do what we can do, and the rest is trust. Right away a couple of remodel jobs came together, and there will be more, unless we get stretched even more, but I need to keep my eyes on Him, and trust that He always has and always will take care of us. So, after my little meltdown, I'm back to knowing it will be fine. It would be a little/lot less stressful if my inlaw's estate would sell, but it's not easy to sell a 785 acres farm out in the middle of nowhere! But, we'll keep plugging away, there are people in a lot worse situations than ours.
The heat we've had recently has been wonderful! My corn is growing higher every day, the kids and grandkids are having a blast playing in the pool, things are getting done around here. My husband was laughing, telling me that someone mentioned to him, that, with the kinds of houses he builds, he must have the best of all of them in his own home. Not quite lol. We actually live very simply. Very modestly. Nothing like the places he builds. But. I love my home. I love my life. We were sitting on the swing under the huge maple in our front yard, enjoying the weather, talking...I told my husband I feel rich. Kind of like the Sonny and Cher song, "yes, it's true, we don't have a pot, at least we're sure of all the things we've got...." We have everything we need, and more. We once went and worked in an orphange in Mexico for a month. For all my humble home, all I could think, as ladies would invite me into their cardboard and blue tarp homes, with the tamales on their camp stoves, their barrel bath tubs at the door, (if they were fortunate to have the bath), was, "I'm so glad they don't see my home!" I was almost embarrassed at how wealthy we are in our country, when four hours from our borders, people were making $5. a day and living in shacks, their children sleeping on dirt floors, waiting in lines for beans from the orphanage. And you know what? I loved their homes! Because THEY were the home, THEY were the family, not the place they lived. I was warned not to drink the water, b/c our systems can't handle the germs, but I could see myself sitting and enjoying friendships with these people. Now THAT'S a trip I've been dying to take again, taking my whole family back down to the orphanage and making a difference in someone's life, and being blessed to meet new friends. It's all about contentment, isn't it?

Anybody Home?

2010-05-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Good title for a blog entry that is so late! I've actually been missing blogging, and getting to read all my friends' blogs. By the time I get school done with the kids, if we ever get a halfway decent day in this rainy Oregon spring (I should say rainy-er than usual), we have to get back outside to start all the mowing and weedeating all over again. Don't get me wrong, I love my country life, I love the beautiful green, all that. I just wish that after we got it done, it could stay sunny a few days so I could go outside and sit and enjoy it a little while. Lately, we've been weeding and mowing between cloudbursts, I'm not even kidding. But life is like that sometimes.
Before I go further, no, these pictures aren't my yard. I just went with my daughter one day on a ride within a several mile radius, to some places that I knew were deserted homes. As I had been weeding in my flower beds, and finding flowers hiding down in the weeds, I started thinking about homes I've seen that are lonely and uncared for. Sometimes you come across an old run-down dilapidated home, and the grass may be 3 feet tall, and over in the corner, you may see some daffodils popping out. Or an old tree or shrub that had once been planted by someone who loved their home. I can't imagine planting flowers at any time if I didn't enjoy my home, or have some hope that, although it may not be much, you are working at making it into a wonderful home. So, when I see flowers in an old deserted place, I imagine the woman who had once lived there. What would she say if she saw her beautiful lawn now? What happens to make someone give up and abandon a place? I do know these kinds of places seem like secret gardens. They need help. But they make you think a little.
Then, if you're like me, you get home and try to get some more done before your own place looks just like it! Will all the hard work I put into my yard, though it may not be anything to a lot of people, be one day neglected? I sincerely hope not! But I do know that while it's mine and while I can work with my hands, I want to be a good steward of what I have.
Last week, I finally got my seeds in my garden. I haven't even had a chance to get out there between showers to see if I'm going to have to start all over again. Seriously, it's been wet, but I'm hoping my poor vegetables will make it.

Later Better Than Never

2010-04-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

I do love to blog. But. Sometimes I feel like I'm running in circles, trying my best to keep up with the whirlwind going on, I know you know what I'm talking about. How often do I see a blog titled, "where has time gone?" or some such theme. You know when some of your favorite blogs haven't had a post in awhile, that they don't even need to explain. It's life.
AND it's spring. If there is a chance I can be outside, that's where I'll be. With kids, it keeps the house clean, right? You get them done with what they have to do, then you say, "Outside!" That's what I love about life in the country. With the exception that there aren't a bunch of neighborhood kids to play with, well, ok, we do have a house down the street with 13 kids, some still young, and my kids' friends. But, I think it is good for a kid to go out, build a fort, or a rocket, or wade in that big old puddle that happens from the run-off over in the field every year. Same things I used to do. We would have a minor flood in our pasture, just a foot or two deep. We'd build a raft, get some sticks for poles, and take a ride about 20 feet to the other side. All that work for such a short ride, but oh what fun! Occasionally we would slip off, and our boots would fill up with water. How exciting! I also remember distinctly (OK, this was mean) taking sticks and poking at water snakes to make them hiss. We pretended they were poisonous, and hopefully they really weren't!
Anyway, that's what spring is for, for a kid. For me, I still like dirt. I like to get dirty. I love to play in my ~~playhouse~~ greenhouse. I love going out there to see what has come up or how much something has grown. I'm not hugely knowledgeable on greenhouse growing, but the point is I'm learning, and I'm having fun. And hopefully, I'm sharing the harvest if there is one. Actually, my daughter bought most of the seed this year. Mostly because she bought so much, it was like, well, a waste for me to buy the exact same things. How many zuchinni plants does a person need? So, the deal was, I'll grown them. We planted a LOT of seeds last weekend. Her chamomile came up very quickly. My cucumbers have GOT to be transplanted to bigger pots today. I've got a lot of flowers in there, and my tomatoes are doing pretty well, if I only knew what kind they were. A friend gave me some heirloom tomatoe seed, when I asked her what kind, she said they were a mix. So, later I will have to identify them. I know some were a chocolate tomatoe? I love chocolate, but I'm hoping I have more than just chocolate black tomatoes in my crop of 50 plants. Somehow, I like red tomatoes.
My daughter is almost 15. We homeschool. You'd think we just stay home ALL the time. Well, at 15, that's just no so. She is very active in the youth group. I've not always been real excited about youth groups, but this is a nice bunch of kids, they definitely aren't doing the boyfriend/girlfriend thing; they are like a big family. I like that. But I do my share of running her back and forth to a LOT of activities. So, lately, that has been taking up a lot of time for me. After Easter, we told her it has to slow down. They had their program last night. Today I'm making about 16 loaves of cardamom bread for our church and my mom's, then celebrating Christ's Resurrection tomorrow. The more this old world turns, the more thankful I am for God's promises to us, for His work done on the cross for us, and His power over death and hell. I get depressed if I read the news. People are making choices that, in our free country, we have lost our voice. They don't care what the people want. I don't want to bury my head in the sand and ignore the state of our country, but it does me no good to become fearful of choices our government is making. I just keep reminding myself, that the truth will prevail. EVERY knee will one day bow to the Lord, though it may come as a surprise to some. So, I can and need to live my life in a position of trust.
I've also been taking some cake decorating classes. This has been a LOT of fun! If you ever have a chance to take a class, give it a try. I met some more new friends, learned lots of fun stuff. That's my cake for this week, by the way. The one thing I don't like, is the decorator icing we are supposed to use in class. My teacher let me use another icing, and with some work, I think I could get the hang of it. It has a much better flavor. I like a pretty cake, but it's maybe even more important to me that it tastes good. I really don't like a lot of cakes you have at birthdays and weddings. So, my goal is to learn to make a beautiful cake that tastes even better than it looks. I'm trying now to decide if I am going to take the next class, because it may be cutting into some sunshine. Winter weather was great for class, but when the sun comes out, it's extremely hard for me to go, thinking, "The weatherman said one day of sunshine, and here I am sitting in a classroom!" I try to console myself with the thought that some people have to go to jobs every day, they don't have a choice. So you see my dilemma! But it's only one day a week for 4 weeks, and then it will be May and gardens will really be going. Hmmm, I've got a few days to ~~procrastinate~~ decide.
I've had a lot of fun selling on Etsy this winter. I did a lot better with sales that I imagined I would. The last couple weeks were slower, but that's fine, it's really more of a fun/hobby/garage-sale enabling thing for me anyway, and I haven't found any dream sales yet this year. BUT that season is also starting. Better get that yard work done so I can spend a few hours a week doing that favorite hobby!
My daughter and I are planning a sale soon. I'll let you know when I have the details. I know we want to do it along the Hwy 30, which is a major beach route for city dwellers, so it would catch that traffic. We were planning it near Mother's Day, but there are some other awesome sales going on then, and we don't want to miss them, either. Our town has a big car show and lots of things going on near the 4th of July. In fact, for such a small town, you'd be surprised at how many people come to our parade and fireworks display. If you think country fair, I think you'd get and idea of the feeling of it. Not that we have stables and farm animals, but it's our town's favorite time of year to have a reunion. People we've grown up with, who've left for the cities or other places, even come back. Everywhere you go you see people you haven't seen in years. That's our 4th of July. We're thinking the weekend of the car show, though, b/c people are more all over our small town, instead of congregating in just the park like sardines. Anyway, I'll let you know more when we get it figured out. In the meantime, be sure to make it to The Vintage Gathering, in Battleground, WA. Their sale is the Saturday before Mother's Day, and you will just love it! They have some of the nicest vendors and tons of great finds with great prices!

Childhood Friends

2010-02-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard this song? I heard it somewhere, and it's always stuck in my bank of songs. It goes something like:

I don't want to play in your yard, I don't love you anymore,

you'll be sorry when you see me, sliding down our cellar door.

You can't holler down our rain barrel, you can't climb our apple tree,

I don't want to play in your yard, if you won't be good to me.

There's more, but that song always reminds me of one of my best friends as a child. She lived right across the street from me, and it was heaven! We'd play ALL the time, when we couldn't play, we'd stand out in our yards and yell back and forth to each other over the road.

We were so close; like sisters. So close, that we often fought like sisters, and that's why this song reminds me so much of my own sweet friend. We used to each take one of our shoes and trade it with the other, so that we'd go around with mismatched shoes. I'd always hear her mother say we were "ragamuffins". I had no idea what a ragamuffin is, but I took it as a huge compliment.

One thing that stands out in my memories of her, is that her room was always messy. Really messy. I loved it! My mom never let me have my room a mess like she got to have hers. I would sometimes try to hide some of my messes in my closet, or under my bed, but I don't know why I never caught on that my mom would look there. Linda got to have her messes right out for all the world to see. She taught me about ABC gum. I had no idea about gum until she informed me that is was called ABC for "Already Been Chewed". She also showed me how she put her ABC gum on her headboard of her bed. I can't tell you how surprised I was that people would actually do that! I knew I may as well forgo trying that at my house. I think my mom had some kind of phobia about gum anyway, that she passed onto me. I would hear her say to my dad, "Did you see that kid playing with his gum that way?" Meaning the kid was pulling it out of his mouth at arm's length, he was popping bubbles that landed on his face, fun stuff like that. When I would chew gum, she would say, "Would you chew your gum the right way?" I can remember slowly chewing, concentrating hard on how to chew gum. To this day, I can't stand gum. I'm ruined for it. It reminds me of someone chewing on their dental floss. I can't stand it when I find gum on something. My kids may be ruined, too lol. And no, our family wasn't what I'd call disfunctional, we were just trained to not like gum.

Back to Linda. And picnics. We would pack up a lunch in our basket and go out in the pasture, and have ourselves one of many wonderful picnics. We'd of course bring our dolls. We would play house, we would be friends as moms, just like our own moms were best friends. We'd pack our babies around, and powder them, and change them.

The doll box above is way older than the kind we had. Ours were shiny plastic, from the 1960s. I've got this one listed in my Etsy shop, my own that I played with is in storage. What kind of stories and memories are contained in this little case? Makes me wonder.

A Midsummer Night's Dream..in February

2010-02-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

The family. The cowgirl is cuddled up on the swing.

Here's my men.

Yes, you can even read comics in the dark! My husband likes to collect old comics, like Sad Sack, for the boys.

The guy who works so hard to make my life so good!

Like everyone else in the Pacific Northwest, I am amazed and thankful for this glorious weather we've had the last week. It's just been gorgeous, not to mention, the kind of weather that gets you out, working in the yard, catching the sun's vitamin D!

I've had my greenhouse heating for the last week, and have had to turn it off during the day! It's nice to think that I can go in there and get warm any day, rain or shine! My husband and kids and I went out yesterday and started on one of the flower beds farthest from sight (it always seems like we work on the one's more visable as you drive up, and the rest get too neglected) of the entry into the house. We worked hard, cleaning out the leftover stuff that had fallen during windstorms, like leaves and twigs, etc., getting the weeds out, the ground turned. We got quite a bit accomplished, and decided to quit on that for the day, and move to a different project so he, I and the kids didn't get so burned out on all the weeding right away. He promised we'd do a major part of the flower beds each week, then we'd get them covered with bark dust, and be ahead of the job.

So, our next project, was to go up to a spot we created years ago, which has two trees just the right space apart for a hammock. We used to have the hammock there, took it down for winter several years, but it got old and worn out, and we just haven't gotten it replaced. That's a priority for this year, we ALL decided. He moved my old bench back up to the spot, on the brick that I had put down all those years ago. I always called it my secret garden, but the last few years it was pretty much neglected. We got it cleaned up pretty good, now we need to get the hammock, and we'll be set for a pleasant afternoon of reading up in the spot. I'll take pictures when I get flowers and get it finished.

Today, after church, we had pizza with a lady Randy's building a house for after he gets the one done he's working on now. They talked about the plans, the ideas, all that. It was a nice lunch, our town has some good pizza!

When we got home, I took my Sunday nap. Before I did, my boys said they wished we had an outdoor fire today, so I told them, you build it, and after my nap, I'll be there. They came in and told me they had it going; dad had gone in to town and got stuff for s'mores. I surprised them with some homemade hot cocoa. We saw the saw go down, wish I would have thought to take the picture of the beautiful sunset we watched just over the edge of the fireplace, as we sat in the benches around the fire. The picture isn't real clear that I did get of the family around the fire. But we all had a lot of fun, visiting, talking about whatever, just relaxing, staring into the fire. Just some memories we will always enjoy.

The dark picture, I wish it turned out better, is the window of our chicken house, the hens are roosting. I always get a laugh out them when we go out to our hot tub, you look over at the hen house, my husband for some reason still has a lamp on it there, and you can see them all roosting. You get the feeling you're being watched...by chickens! Wish I would have gotten the picture just a little earlier, and just a LOT more skilfully, but use your imagination.

The best part of the whole story, is IT"S ONLY FEBRUARY!! Our first outdoor fire, and it's only February? YES!!! Thank you Lord! Here's to many more family evenings around the fire. Now you know why my boys would rather stay home than go anywhere else!

Did you mention books?

2010-02-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

My title was going to be something like "My Husband Scares Me!", but I thought I might get a bunch of hits on my blog with people thinking he's abusive lol.

Floss, over at Troc, Broc, and Recup, was talking about books today, and I've mentioned before that my husband likes books, but she got me inspired to share my troubles with books. Well, actually, I like books, too, but when we married, all those years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I know, I know, a lot of us can say that, right? He probably has at least thought it himself!

Let's just say, every time I was with my husband, when we first met, he was ALWAYS smiling! When we were together, he laughed ALL the time! I thought to myself, we are EXACTLY ALIKE! What I didn't realize, is, he's actually very serious, very quiet, very contemplative, and when I thought we were exactly alike, was more that he was "in love!" I hadn't noticed that he's not really like that with everyone else, for some reason. Well, one of my first clues, was when we went to my first class reunion. If you knew me, you'd know, I've always been...talkative...loud?...laughing.... I could go with him to his class reunion, and when I left, I'd probably know more people than he did! I can't help it! Seriously, I go to little get-togethers of all kinds, and before I go, I tell myself, "Be quiet!" "Don't talk." "Don't laugh." But then, all of a sudden, something comes over me, and there I go again! On my way home, I wonder, "Is it because I'm home all the time, with kids, with homeschool, living in the country, like they don't let me out?" No, I've always been that way and there's not a thing I can seem to do to change it, try as I may.

But now, back to Randy. When we are alone together, we laugh, we have fun, but he is...intelligent. I think he had a lapse of some sort when he met me. I didn't know he loved to read. He loves to study. He loves God and he reads a lot of early Christian history, missionary biographies, study books, all that kind of stuff. He has a library that I don't often venture into, but it's so packed with his books that I don't even know how he manages to get them in there. He's sold a couple of HUGE collections a couple of times, and he still has books! I tease them that the mustier they are, the more he likes them. OK, it's not just books upstairs. He has pictures whever he can put them, like on the ceiling of his cubby-hole study, of things the kids have drawn him. He always has them sign them, and date them...all that. He collects books for them, too. The family room has a large shelf that is full of the Nancy Drew's, and other literature from the earlier 1900s. Just this morning I mentioned that we have a LOT of books, are they really reading these books. Yes, as a matter fact, they are!
Well, since Floss, my new blogger friend in France, was sharing her "book story", I thought I'd share some of my husband's problem. I didn't go every in the house he has book shelves, but here's a taste of what you'd see if you visited me. I got one of his clocks, and some of his family's heirloom stuff, too. But OK, I'll admit, he does have some pretty neat books, don't you think?

My First Hummingbird! YES!!!

2010-02-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

Today as I was doing a few things that took me outside, I was amazed at how warm it was. I'd say 58 degrees wasn't bad. I mean, that's only 12 degrees from summer! Considering that in December we were having VERY cold weather, I think this warmth we had was a good sign. I forgot to check, did the groundhog see his shadow? I also forgot which was it goes if he DID see it?? Oh well, between you and me, I think spring's trying to pop out all over.

And I know I spilled the beans by my title, but you know, one year, I had a hummingbird come to my window on February 13th. This was several years ago, and I was so surprised to see him so early, I've begun a watch every year to see when the first one comes. I just told my kids a few days ago, PLEASE tell me when you see a hummingbird.

And guess what? Yep, there was one out on the porch today! How exciting is that? I hurried to the kitchen to make some syrup, b/c he's expecting it, right? It's amazing how they come back every year! And they just seem to me to be like flowers; the first sign of spring. Yes, they are like a flying bouquet, with all their color.

A week or so ago, we went out and did some raking from the winds we had had, and it's always a little sad to see so much work to do. Our huge maple tree seems to just be so hard on the lawn. I try to get all the leaves up, but there's always that period of time where I can't get out there, it's too rainy or something else is going on, and even just a few leaves left on the ground will put my lawn in a mess. I've been looking out the window near my sewing room, busy inside, but needing to get out there and work. Randy's getting some things done in my greenhouse for me this weekend, if all goes well. I'm very anxious to get that going. Right now, I've got cuttings I took last fall of all kinds of plants, to see if I could get them to start. I actually think some might have made it, and what a wonderful thing that would be, to actually propigate my own plants!

Spring? Bring it on!!

Pink Sweets

2010-01-31T19:49:00.000-08:00

How could February already be here? Do our lives just get so busy that it just whizzes if you don't reach out and slow it down, by enjoying every moment we can? I think that's the key, to enjoy what we have, while we have it, for as long as it's ours!

And now that February is here, I thought I'd share this cute page out of this darling book I have that is crammed with all kinds of fun kid projects, that could be taken a notch higher and turned into really fun projects. I didn't copy any of the projects yets, to share, but I did copy a page of yummy recipes for you. Actually, the jello one is one that I've made for years. If you have fresh strawberries, you can add them to it. Grandma used to actually make this with softened vanilla ice cream, which we called, you guessed it, "Ice Cream Jello!" Mmm, you'll like it. Hmmm, the Snow Cake sounds different. Do you use un-cooked egg whites in your home? I usually stay away from that idea, myself. I know I could never make that recipe for anything to sell. I have a licensed home bakery, and the USDA rules would definitely be against that one. But I don't know, I may try it for home. This book is from 1954, I'm sure people ate it and are still alive to tell about it. What about the Cranberry Punch?? I'm definitely going to make this for my kids!

Things that are important.

2010-01-23T23:36:00.001-08:00

A recent view from my home.

Things that happen in life, make us take time to reflect, to look with awe on the life we've already lived, the memories we have already stored up for the future. Today, I went to a memorial for a friend. We all have people in our lives, who leave our lives. We will eventually leave the lives we love, those we love. And it is today that makes what tomorrow will become.

We laugh, we love, we remember those things that we cherished, even those things that hurt us, that stretched us beyond what we think we can endure. But in the end, if we don't waste what we are given, we will have it in the future. We will have that memory that was for a time buried, but in the right moment, returns to us.
In the day I spent, I saw friends I haven't seen for 30 years. We laughed and talked about things that I was surprised to remember, after those same people reminded me. I've thought about that all day, that it takes people in our lives, it takes lives spent, it takes vulnerability to be ourselves, to be real, to be able to come back and re-experience things that we are actually surprised to find are still hidden away in our memories. I've come to the conclusion, that we are truly blessed, to live our lives. To spend them, to even waste them at times. I laughed with friends, telling them, that OK, let's forget that little space of time when I lived that way. Can we just jump ahead to a time when I learned from that mistake? And laugh I did. No, we don't all have the very same lives. I laughed to myself, that some of my friends probably drove a car to the memorial, that was something I would have loved to drive. But that's OK, it really isn't important. It isn't important how much we aquire, what is important, that we are loved. That we love. I came home to a husband working in the yard with the kids. I came home to a husband that was explaining to our 10 year old twin boys, that yes, they have to work hard today, but that they aren't always asked to work that hard. He went on to tell them that hard work is a very good thing for them. That he actually hadn't ever had to advertise that he is a carpenter, that he can build a good house. That people see if we are good workers, that we do a good job, and that our integrity will be our advertising. He went on to tell them that we do what we can to please our Lord, He will provide everything we need. We may be tested, but He will bring us through. And so I thought, no, I don't drive the nicest car, I don't have all the nicest things money can buy, but I have love, and I have the privilege to live a life, to even make mistakes along the way, but in the end, to come out thankful that we had the chance to make those memories, to experience that love that came our way.

Lost in Blog Land

2010-01-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

You can print this one, cut it, and turn it around to be just like the original.

Another one to print, cut, and fold.

Front

Back, print both sides, paste together, and they stand up. (Hope you understand me!)

I love to read blogs. If you're reading this, then you probably often get lost on other people's blogs. I learn a lot from other people. I love to meet people on blogs. I just think they offer a really neat way to communicate, and for a lot of people, there isn't a lot of time, or money to just go, like you can when you visit a blog.

I was reading this morning on Garden Antqs Vintage blog. If you've read it, you'll know she was reflecting on things that really give you thought, make you stop and consider, what's important, what direction is your life going, stuff like that. (She says it better.) I love to be inspired like this! And it makes me so appreciate what I have.

I try very hard not to focus on what I don't have. If I did, I would at times be in tears. My husband and I have been working very hard on getting out of debt, so that means giving up spending on things we normally would. I've been driving my junky car, IMO, way too long, but I don't want a car payment. It's not that bad, and I'm really not vain about cars at all. I can't tell one kind of car from another most of the time, because it's not really important to me. But mine is getting UP THERE in miles, and it concerns me, but I'm on a plan, and I'm sticking to it.

The car's just one of those things. We have stuff here that's not finished, although my husband builds gorgeous homes for other people. Sometimes that bugs me. Not that I don't live in one of those gorgeous homes, because I could, if I wanted to pay for one. It's the unfinished part that sometimes drives me crazy! But then I think, my husband works hard in the miserable weather, laboring very hard, and coming home to what he loves. His family. His nice warm fire. A good dinner. I can't blame him for not finishing this house, when he is playing with our kids! That's the important thing.

So. We could all find things we don't have. What's important is to appreciate what we do have.

I love living in the country. I love that in my small town, we have 1, yes one, stoplight. That means we have no traffic, except for the touring season when people drive through on their way to the beach, which is only 45 minutes from home. I love that I don't have to have a "job" and leave home. I do have kids to homeschool, and work at home to do, but, actually, I've been given a huge gift in that my husband loves me to be home. I can do that!

So these are the things that Garden Antqs blog made me consider. Another thing I have been thinking about, and her blog is a great example of this, is blog favorites lists. You know, the lists on the side of a lot of blogs, where the blogger puts some of their current favorite blogs they like to visit? I LOVE those. I was thinking mine was getting kind of long. Hers is even longer. But I have to say, I love that she keeps her blogging friends list. A LOT of blogs I follow, have deleted their favorite blogs list. I'm sure there are lots of reasons. But they seem to become less personal, at least to me. And less fun. When you see a blog you love, and they list "their" favorites, you get an idea of what the person loves, who "they" are, because of who they hang around with. Yes, if you sell things, it's great to use your blog to link to your sales, to your website, to your Etsy or Ebay stores. I love that, too. OK, that's my complaint, but, I can be thankful that there are still fun blogs out there that keep their "favorites" links. I'll be content with that, but please don't everone give up their lists lol. I love them!

I'm sharing with you some of my many, many Valentine's. You can copy them and use them if you want. I just love Valentines. I have a lot of Victorian ones, but I adore the ones from the 30s through the 60s. Just so cute.

Fun Finds

2010-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

This time of year, I get, like everyone else in the rainy areas, a, how shall I put it....totally frustrating desire to go garage saling, only there aren't many this time of the year here in rainy NW Oregon. So, you do like everyone else, you go to thrift stores, you go to junk stores, you just find ways to make it through the dreary winter, where the rain pours, but the junk finds dry up. And then, finally, some good junk comes into your path, and you grab it, and since finds are more rare these days, you go to your blog, and you do a show and tell!

So, here are my finds from a fun trip to Portland Saturday. We even got a little later start than I prefer, but hey, the housework was done, and I LOVE to come home with all the work done!

I came across these ironstone pieces, all shoved into a broken shoe box. They may have at one time been someone's treasure, as the bottoms had this stickly substance I had to clean off, like they were stuck to a shelf in fear of falling to the floor during a hurricane. I thought they were even chippier (if that's a word) than they turned out to be, they just needed cleaned. That was a fun thing to find!

My daughter found some jeans she loved, got washed up, was happy with. We always seem to find things for "someone else", and this time, my husband spent some time on his cell, trying to determine if he should buy some bar stools for our daughter. I'm thinking, we don't have much time hear, we need to hit the stores, look, buy and leave, not do phone tag! Turned out, like I tried to tell him, it wasn't what she wanted, but I'm glad he was thinking of her!

I found some neat old embroidered dish towels, some other things, and other small things. I think one of my favorite finds, though, was this bluish-greenish typewriter! I thought it was awesome! So, I did get to do "some" junking. We didn't make it to the "pound store" this trip, but I haven't found much there lately anyway.

Sometimes I have to ask myself, "Why, self, do you need more junk, when you already have a bunch of stuff to work with?" Well, some people have shoes, some people have clothes, I have....junk....to play with! It is, after all, about the thrill of the hunt, right? The treasure that catches your eye, when everyone else thinks, "it's junk!" I know a LOT of people who love good junk! Maybe I should label it....a treasure!

Speaking of treasures, my friend Jana, is having a flea market in our town on January 16th, at the Legion Hall in Clatskanie. She asked if I'd mention it, and if anyone would like a space, she's doing it for $20. a table. The proceeds are going for a mission trip she is going on, and right now I can't remember what country she is going to, but it's for a great cause, and for a great price! A fun way to spend a Saturday! I know a few people who are planning to be included, I'm looking forward to it! If you're interested, let me know and I'll get you in touch with her.

In With the Old, Out with the New

2009-12-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

Well, my title has more to do with vintage stuff, than a time of year. But, this being the New Year coming up, I've been rushing this week to beat the new year. My tree's came down a couple days ago, and all the Christmas ornaments are put away. I think for another month of so, I'll leave my husband's lead skater figures out for a winter scene. In a month, I except spring to be here haha! I actually mowed the lawn on Monday! It was cold out, but I really did it just to suck the last of the leaves up in the bagger. I hate raking that huge maple tree up!

Beating the New Year for me also means getting my house organized a bit. Get a grip on things that have become out of order. My sewing/crafting room for instance. Here it is after midnight and I just finished doing some major cleaning in here. It doesn't look as good as it should yet, b/c I have boxes of stuff still set out to take pictures of and get on Etsy. But I do have a goal, and it will happen!

This holiday season has been very busy for me with baking bread. I'm really glad to be taking a break from it. It's giving me a chance to get these things caught up before we get back to homeschooling next week. I went out today and checked my greenhouse. Ooops, I lost a great big indoor houseplant I had left out there to repot. We'll see if it can revive itself soon. I've got a list of my seeds I want to order from an organic seed company this year and am anxious to get that all going, so I can be outside. Where it's bright. And warm. (As long as I'm in the greenhouse!)

You know how magazines often come a couple weeks before the month they are actually for? Every year when it's Christmas, I get the January Martha Stewart 2 weeks before Christmas. I told my daughter I was leaving it in it's wrapper until the day after Christmas. I always do. Before Christmas gets here, I don't want anyone or anything hurrying me through it. It comes fast enough as it is. But when you get the Martha magazine, it's usually all about cleaning, organizing, setting goals.....and I just can't face it until Christmas is over. Being silly, she went ahead and opened it early. OK, I finally read it. It wasn't as full of the cleaning and organizing as it usually is, so I was glad to see I was ahead of the game of cleaning and organizing lol.

I've got a lot of stuff to get put in my Etsy shop. I'm working on parting with some Valentines, too. I have a pretty big bunch of them. I have one box of vintage cards that I may have mentioned before; I got them from a trip we took to the Wallowa's, from Karla, at Jingle Bob Vintitques. Actually Randy bought me two boxes, and one was full of cards done by the same artist, many of them are her prototypes. I put a couple of the cards I got from Karla on my blog. I'll have to get out the rosy cheeked ones and share some with you. I'm a sucker for Valentines. I like them the way I like the Napco Christmas figurines, only they're easier to come by. I have a lot of Victorian styled ones, but my favorites?? Yep, the 50's or 60's! They have those cute little round rosy-cheeked faces. They remind me of the days when I was in school. We'd make big envelopes all decorated and when we had our Valentine's party (my mom always gave the party, because she was ALWAYS my class's "Room Mother") they'd be taped to the front of our desks and we'd put them in all the kids envelopes. I just thought that was the best! To bring them home and read them and somehow believe that the cute boy really meant what his card said. And what do you do with the ones that came from the boy that you absolutely DIDN'T have a crush on, but you feared he also meant every word on his card? Yuck! In my family, you sure didn't have the other family members get ahold of those "love letters", because at dinner time, I never heard the end of the teasing. My dad would tease me until I'd be crying. So, they were private treasures that you would keep, until your mother said it was time to throw them out. I sure wish she would have let me keep them now, though!

My husband is my Valentine now. He is actually more romantic than I am over cards. He IS very serious about what the card says, and he always adds something sweet to it. Cards are a really BIG deal to him! Which is why I was embarrassed when I was trying to write a sweet thought on his Christmas card, messed up, it sounded so stupid, so I scratched it out and started over. He of course asked, "What did you scratch out?" He's into details.

I had a convo today from a lady telling me that my green thermos in my Etsy shop made it to a Treasury! That's always fun, and a great way to end on year and start another!

I hope this year is a great one with many blessings!! I do wish we could take May through October and SSSSTTTTRRRREEETTTCCCHHH it out a bit, that would be my wish. Then again, there are things I've prayed for and am so glad God didn't give me! Have a safe and Happy New Year's celebration!!!

Officially Retired...For the Whole Rest of the Year haha

2009-12-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

How Christmas got here so quickly, I sure don't know, but here it is, the eve of Christmas Eve. It's been a really busy season for me, I've haven't counted lately how many loaves of Finnish cardamom bread I've baked this Christmas season, but I know it's at least a few hundred. My hands show it, too! Between the cold spell we had here in the northwest a couple weeks ago, and the bread, my hands are in dire need of a manicure, and it doesn't look like I'm getting one tomorrow. I do have a great mixer, so I didn't actually knead the bread, but the braiding is enough. I'm very thankful for all my wonderful bread customers, too. It's so odd to think of how many places people tell me my bread goes. Yesterday, I had my last orders to fill, got them delivered, and breathed a sigh of relief, I got it done, and now, I'm officially retired, at least to the end of the year lol. Seriously, I really don't do this for a "real" job, and now things should definitely slow down.
Well, now I get to relax and enjoy the holiday with my family. I've actually been doing that all along, celebrating Christmas in all kind sof ways. Even though the time has flown, there have been some sweet times I've cherished this season. The other day, I was at the store, it was busy, people everywhere, and you know the thing, bumping into carts, etc. An elderly lady and I kinda collided going around a corner from different directions; we looked at each other and started laughing. It was as if we both were thinking the same thing, life is hectic all around us, people rushing, in a hurry, but we had time to laugh and appreciate a moment. We said a few words to each other, then started to part, and she said, "Honey, you have a real nice day!" I thrive on times like that, just the moment, you know? We have a little tiny church that we have a Bible study in on Wednesdays. Most of us have other churches we go to, but this little fellowship is special to our family. We have a lady there who is, I don't know how you'd describe her exactly, kinda needy. She is about my age, but had a sickness as a child that makes it hard for her to make some decisions, at least that's what she told me. How do we measure where we are in our lives, how competent we are?? Anyway, this lady has kind of adopted our family, she's really a sweet heart. She gave us a Christmas card that was so eloquent, so enduring really. It was just another one of the many ways that people have touched me this season with just a thankfulness, an appreciation for something so simple as a good word fitly spoken. My boys have been excitely making plans for the shopping they have in mind for me. I know that the potholders I told them I needed probably won't be the ones I would have picked, but, how long does a potholder last? I'll have them for probably many years, they won't match my kitchen, but what's a mother to do? I'm going to love them lol! No, I haven't snooped, I just gave them some inexpensive ideas of things they could get me when they've asked. So their dad's taking them shopping tomorrow, and I'll be surprised.
I really hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, wherever you will be. I'm amazed every time I celebrate Christmas, of what God has done for us, sending His own Son as a child-King, destined to suffer for His love of mankind, in order to give us a place in His Kingdom! What a gift!

So, do you know what it is?

2009-11-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

I got this a couple weeks ago at a thrift store, just had to have it. Don't you think it's kinda neat? I didn't even know what it is at the time. What did you think when you first saw it? I knew it was some kind of filing thing, obviously. I don't really yet know what I'm going to use it for. My craft room is such a mess, I almost don't think I deserve to put it in there. Luckily, I don't think I have that many bills to put in those sections, plus it would be a terrible reminder of bills if I were to put them in something so cute. Maybe Christmas cards for the holidays?? Hmm, lots of possibilities.

Just thought I'd share it with you while I'm waiting for my 40 loaves of bread to rise. I still have the cakes and bars to go, BUT, it'll get done. The other picture is of the cute pumpkin that is going to go into jars in the VERY near future! I'm wondering if you can save the seeds or if it's a hybrid seed that will just not grow that same pumpkin.
Later I'll show you what else I've been working on, thanks to my creative and generous friend Natalie for showing me how to do this! I'll leave that for later. I have a sale tomorrow at the Canterbury in Longview tomorrow I'm getting geared up for. Last week I did the Monticello Hotel's Toy Soldier and did really well, and it's nice to see people are still eating! Guess I'd better get back to the breads and cakes!

Tears in my Eyes

2009-11-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for a tear-jerker movie! I've gotten a little "tougher" over the years, funny because my husband, at 54, is getting more and more emotional as he gets older. At least he shows it more! So, you get a tear-jerker and both of us together, well...
I was born in 1959, so, really the 60s for me, were the times when I was riding my trike, holding a piece of straw between my fingers, pretending it was a cigarette, and making a clicking sound that meant I was in my car with my turn signal on. When I look at magazines and movies from the 60s, they really seemed to make that look like a cool thing to do. My own boring parents didn't smoke (my dad had, but quit b/f I ever remembered it), only had 2 beers at one time at the most. When my friends had exciting lives, going to different parents houses b/c their's were divorced, I had just one home, poor me lol. They got 2 Christmases, too!
My dad owned his own business, so, when my best friend would tell me she was getting a pair of shoes on "payday", I could never figure out what she was talking about. I got shoes when I needed them. My mom was very good at setting aside for needs, so I never noticed a need not taken care of in our home. I thought we were rich, but my sister remembers it a lot differently. While I loved hand-me-downs, and thought we got them b/c people were just really nice and we really liked them (true, right?), my sister was embarrassed and hated it. I just could never wait to see what came out of those bags!
OK, I'm getting to the tears! So, I was going through my growing up years in the 70s. I graduated from high school in 77. Let me back up a few months, I got married when I was 17. Not because I "had" to, but....well, for some reason, that's how I started out my adult years. Married at 17. It wasn't a good time after that, except that I got 2 gorgeous kids, all by the time I was 19! I found myself having lived a LOT of years in the space of just a few years. And not a lot of good memories. BUT, the important things, I got my kids! AND, I began seeing my need for God in my life.
I don't know how many Christians might read my blog, but if you are one and were growing up in the 70s, you probably remember the "Keith Green Days". That was an amazing time for me. It was a time, when a lot of contemporary Christian music came from people who had grown up in the 60s, had experienced the drug culture of that time, and came out of it, and found themselves part of the "Jesus Movement". So, by the time I started giving God some thought, because of His persuit of my life, I gave my life to Him. And it turned out to be the sweetest time of my life in many ways. I had some awful things going on all during this time, but I saw so many miracles that God brought me through, so much heartache, and he held me up the whole time. He's done it many times since, but this was my first "true" love! So, I look back at those days, and when I hear the music of that time in my life, it still has a huge impact on me.
I've since re-married, actually by the time I was 25. I've been married almost 25 years, have had my share of trials in life, but consider myself so extremely blessed. So, that brings me to the tears. Tonight, my husband put on the "First Love" video. It is a documentary that has a lot of those singers and songwriters from the Jesus Movement, all brought together for a reunion, several years ago now. They talk about their lives back then, and they are in many ways, such a mirror to my own life. Every time I watch the movie, I cry, my husband gets teary, it's just like looking back into a memory scrapbook of those days. All those emotions come back, and..well, it's poignant. It reminds me of the Keith Green days, before he died in a plane crash, of his ministry, of the fresh new love that many people came to know in those days. His impact on my life, like a lot of people, still lives on.

Baking Season Begins

2009-11-04T22:59:00.001-08:00

I know I'm not the only one who thinks the days are flying by, but still, I have a hard time believing that we're in the holiday season already! This time of year, I get really busy baking and selling my wares at a few local bazaars. This year, my first one starts on Saturday, Nov. 7th. It's the Toy Soldier, at the Monticello in Longview. I promised a few people I would post where my Finnish Cardamom bread will be, and gosh, it's getting pretty late already!
I had my kitchen licensed many years ago, in order to sell at Farmer's Market, but then, somehow I only sold there once. The license isn't as necessary in Oregon if you're only doing bazaars, but it sure is nice to be able to sell on the Washington side of the River, too!
After this sale, there is another the next week at the Canterbury in Longview, on the 13th (Friday), and one more in Longview, at 3 Rivers Christian School on the 8th of December. I'm tired already!
I haven't had a lot of time to post, or to read my favorite blogs lately, so I think I'll go get caught up with what everyone else is doing!

Getting into the swing of Fall

2009-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

After getting back to school (homeschool, that is) we've had adjustments to schedules, frustrations and small triumphs, long days, short days, you name it. It didn't help that I'm still waiting on a few teacher's manuals so that I had to do it the hard way and work out each problem on my own. Good exercise for MY brain, too lol.
I've spent time thinking how I can keep ahead of things I need for me. I find that the older I get, (turned 50 this year!) the more I need light in my life. Yes, the Lord is my first Light. And I need sunshine. I really had a hard time thinking fall was coming and the days were shortening again. The thing I try to remember is spring will be right around the corner, trying to be optimistic, you know. I find that I need brighter light in my home. I plan to be in my greenhouse more this season and in the winter. I think if I get outside every chance I get, enjoy planting stuff in my greenhouse, and keeping the brighter bulbs in the fixtures, I'll do well.
It's time, too, to work on those projects I've collected in my head all summer. Although it was hard letting summer go, I was reflecting on all those bright orange and gold leaves everywhere here in the Pacific NW. I'm thinking that the reason they're so bright is that they're full of summer! Just a little different!
So, projects, here I come. And baking! The holidays are my busiest baking time. I'm all signed up to do a few bazaars in the Longview area. Kristin and I really, really wanted to do the Vintage Winter show at the Church again this year, but just ran out of time. Maybe next year. For now, I'll be at the Toy Soldier, the Canterbury, and the 3 Rivers Christian School holiday sales. So, nothing boring about the winter coming!

I'm a proud Mom...

2009-10-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit chatty, yes, I know this. I wrote a ton of sentences in school; never could figure out how the teachers thought practicing penmanship was going to have an effect on my ability to hold my attention steadily on something, but I tried. Trouble was, something would pop into my head and my best friend sitting behind me would know in about 10 seconds what had popped into my head. I secretly thought the teacher had set me up, always putting me in FRONT of my friend. I was always the one in trouble. I see this with at least one of my grandchildren too, this inability to not flit around in my head. Attention deficit? Oh, I don't know, maybe just an active imagination, and I think we need that in our world, instead of the drug to make us slow down and get sleepy.
Anyway, I digress...again. My eldest daughter is a sweet kid, if you call a 30 year old daughter a kid. She is mom to 3 or my 4 grandkids, is a great wife to my super son-in-law, and most importantly, I'm proud of her walk with the Lord.
She and I are actually good friends! We get into discussions on deep subjects like cooking, canning, home stuff, home schooling, raising kids, crafts, sewing, gardening....we actually have a LOT in common.
I was just going through my blogs I follow and noticed that she has finally been posting blogs! I was amazed at how much alike we actually are ! Our thoughts are pretty similar on subjects, and I have to say, it is soooooo nice to be friends with your kids. Just thought it was time to take that plastic accordian folded thing out of my purse that women are known to use to brag with, and give you a glimpse of my beautiful daughter!

Gathering a Harvest of Vintage Stuff

2009-09-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it's been awhile since I went through a lot of my stash of stuff I've hoarded! You forget you have things and it's like Christmas getting into it again. I'm getting ready for the Uncovered Ruby Outdoor Gala! I can't wait for the weekend, but I'm also trying to get my stuff together. I have it in too many places I think. If I have enough space in the car (hoping I can borrow my dad's trailer), I want to bring my bike...and my old sewing machine...., the old metal chairs I was going to make planters out of but never got to it...well you get the idea. I can't wait to see what everyone else brings!

New Friends at Vintage Gathering

2009-09-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

I made Kristin pose, telling her she looked like a pin-up girl, lol.

Chantel even came with us this time, although she would probably rather ride her horse or something else.

Isn't Kristin's car cool?
What a wonderful weekend I had with my daughters taking part in the Vintage Gatherings flea market in Battleground! We baked a lot of stuff ( raspberry and marionberry coffee cakes, the Finnish Cardamom Bread, caramel corn, strawberry and apricot bars, and Swiss Bratzeli cookies) and took it up, didn't take much vintage stuff this time, but next time, we definitely will!
Lisa, at Uncovered Ruby was great with getting us involved; gosh, she even set up our tent, b/c there was no way I'd get there on Friday to set up due to the fact that I bake to the last minute. Thanks for all your help Lisa, and we DEFINITELY want to spend some time getting to know you better!
I took a lot of photos, and there was so much cool stuff, I could hardly take a bad picture, though I'm pretty good at that! Forgive my jumbled photos, they won't be in order with what I'm blogging about probably. I need to spend some serious time figuring out blogspot and how I can work with the photos better. It drives me crazy trying to move pictures around on my blog.
I loved everything about this show, but there are a few things that stand out BIG!!!
1) I met some really nice people! The vendors were all so friendly, I don't know if I've ever done something like this with a group where EVERYONE went out of their way to welcome us and be so friendly. Laid back, too! I liked that. Here we are on a gorgeous farm setting, everyone's having a good time, tons of stuff going home with customers, it was just great. I finally got to meet my blogging friend, Florence, too. And Monica, it was great to see her again. She's a loyal cardamom bread addict lol.
2)Like I said, it was a friendly group, and Kathy is a very hospitable hostess! I kinda wanted to sneak and take some pictures of what I could see of her home as I went in to use her restroom and get a cup of coffee in the kitchen. It smelled so good in her house, too, with candles everywhere! Her covered porch was a place we made good use off, in shifts (my daughters and I) I wondered at first where Kristin had gone for the longest time....she was taking a nap on her porch! Well, I had my turn later in the afternoon. I had gotten 2 1/2 hours of sleep, due to the stupid computer/printer/program problems I was having for my labels the night before. Kathy also had a huge, I mean HUGE apple tree that I spent a lot of glances looking up at, thinking YUM! Huge, gorgeous apples! Anyway, thanks Kathy for your hospitality!
3) Something I have spent days soaking in, pondering on, taking in......
There was a mom, probably in her 30s I'd say, with a little girl, probably under 10, shopping with her father and mother. There was just something about them that touched me. They were at our tent, looking at my Finnish Cardamom bread, and they were mentioning Challah bread, kinda comparing recipes, what type of bread Challah was. Being inquisitive, I asked if they were Jewish. The mom said she was, I asked if there was a synagogue near here that she went to, and she said, actually, my husband is Jewish, and they were Messianic Jews. Well, that started a great conversation in itself. but the thing that totally kind of mesmerized me (I know, I'm always spacing like this) was how they were as a family, as people. There was just this peace I felt. The father was just so friendly, and so encouraging. After they left, I kept watching them, feeling just "blessed" somehow. In a little while, I saw the little girl packing out this hamper that was almost as big as she was, the mom was laughing, telling her dad "she got a hamper!", the grandpa and grandma were smiling, kinda touching her with affirmation without actually touching her, saying, "you got yourself a hamper". You would have thought she got a doll, or a bike, but no, it was a hamper. They just had this thankfulness about them.
As they were walking away, I told Kristin I was going to go after them and ask them to adopt me. Somehow, they had blessed me. I'm not sure if they knew they had, but I had this sense that God had done this, given me this euphoric, peaceful, content feeling, to just enjoy. I have not gotten over it yet, and I hope I don't for a long time!
Here's that little girl's hamper.

I kept seeing Michelle, we'd visit, very nice person!

We were close to Lisa and Sally (Uncovered Ruby), had a lot of fun watching stuff fly out of their booth. Even more fun watching people trying to fit their finds into their car! By the way, they are having their show on October 3rd in Battleground, so put it on your calendar. We're going to be there, too!

Is Nostalgia a Feeling?

2009-09-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

All afternoon, I whiled away the hours scanning vintage cards and vintage ads. I got these very cool cards from a recent new friend I met, Carla.at her shop "Jingle Bobs" in the Wallowa mountains. I actually got a ton of cards (thanks for the super deal Carla), Valentines, Christmas, all kinds. One box was all prototype cards by an artist who designed cards for Hallmark, and other places. Carla knows a lot more than I do about stuff like this, but I knew I loved them. Aren't they great? I think she sold me hundreds of them! If you're ever in her neighborhood, go visit her, she's awful nice!

Then I started scanning some old ads and magazine stuff. I think these ads are older than me, but I love the era. Why is vintage so popular do you think? I believe it's because we live in a too-fast-paced era and we long for a simpler life. I know we're "recycling", but I think it's more than that, I think it's got a lot to do with the feelings with get around old stuff, the memories they invoke.

I was born in 1959, so didn't actually grow up at all in the 50s, and was only 10 by the time the 60s gave out to the 70s. But between the Walton's, Little House on the Prairie (that my teacher read to us in 4th grade), stuff like that, my heart has always been attached to old stuff. Except maturity. I don't know if I'll ever grow up, lol.
I personaly think, too, that a Leave it to Beaver lifestyle would be pretty cool. I would never measure up to Mrs. Cleaver, but.....I can see myself as Lucy. Yes, my personality is more a Lucy than a Mrs. Clever.
ANYWAY, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted (by my own mind wandering), I love nostalgia! I love reading other people's nostalgic blogs. I love seeing what kinds of stuff people uncover. I get a cozy feeling, like I'm visiting my Grandma's house. So, I think it's an emotion.

It is pouring down rain here today, so much so, that it almost looks like snow. My grass will be green in no time! So much for all the work we were going to get done this weekend, since we didn't get to go anywhere. Goodness, as I'm typing, I'm wondering if I'm going to be heading into a Laura Ingalls day after all, it is downright blustery!
I need to head to Costco in the next day or two to get some baking supplies. I'm very excited to get to do some baking for the Vintage Gathering sale coming up this weekend. Check out Lisa's blog for the details. Baking is perfect for me, since I put everything off until the last minute anyway, the customer gets their bread as fresh as I can get it. So, Friday, I'll be baking up a storm, anxiously awaiting meeting my friends I haven't met yet at the Vintage Gathering. Barn House is having their sale, too, the same day, so it promises to be a pretty busy day. My daughters are coming to help me, which I love, and for me, that makes it all the more fun!
I think I finally get to meet Florence, from Essences of the Past. She and I keep finding things we have in common and hope to meet eventually, and I think this just may be the weekend. So, this will definitely be a busy week for me; I love busy!
Hope your fall is getting off to a great beginning!

I Learn Something New Every Day!

2009-09-01T22:37:00.001-07:00

I can never do a good job of peeling hard-boiled eggs, especially fresh ones. I just thought this was a very neat trick and I am going to have to give it a try.
How to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs in Seconds

Shared via AddThis

If you haven't been to Mennonite Girls Can Cook's blog, you should really check it out. I have adopted their Rhubarb Platz, it is soooo yummy. I've actually gotten many good recipes from their blog and told other great cooks about it, too! MMMMmmmm, you won't be sorry!

In a Stew

2009-08-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you something I accomplished yesterday. It was a sort of experiment with the canning department. I canned 14 qts. of beef stew, in gravy. In the past I've done this, with making gravy with regular cornstarch. Some say not to can in the gravy; that you should make the gravy after it's canned, when you go to heat it up. That's not going to work with my family, they don't make gravy. And besides, then there are the extra dishes to do b/c you had to mix up the gravy. It just wouldn't take as good in my opinion. So, (I'm sure this is boring to someone who has no interest in canning), I experimented yesterday with thickening my stew with clear jel. I have to say, I'm impressed so far. Instead of the congealed cloudy look I've gotten before, this is a nice thick gravy, nice and shiny. 2 jars didn't seal and we had them for lunch and mmmmm, it was good!
All I did was bake 3 roasts in the oven. Then peeled a 10 pound bag of potatoes, 2 pound bag of carrots, most of 2 onions. I took the roasts and cut them into chunks, cut chunks of potatoes (on the large bite size b/c I didn't want them to disintegrate in the pressure canning), and slices of carrots. Chopped up onions, oh, and fresh garlic too. I mixed the meat and veggies all together in a huge bowl. Then I took the roast drippings, added beef base, salt, pepper, and probably at least a gallon of water. Thickened it with the clear jel (it's modified corn starch) mixed with water. Packed the meat & veggie mixture into the jar (didn't precook the veggies), poured the gravy over the top with 1 inch of headspace, and put the lids on the jars. I canned it for 130 minutes at 10 pounds pressure, and it was done.
I just got the jars cleaned up, labeled, and put up on the shelf. It is nice to have stuff like this in the fall and winter and it's a quick meal when you don't feel like cooking.
I'm still on a roll, trying to get fallish type work done. I think we'll have all our firewood in this week, yeah!!! Well, on to more of my regular kind of day, and I hope yours is a nice one!

I've been cleaning!

2009-08-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

The pictures got on here all backwards, but I wanted to show some progress on my work around home lately. I didn't get pictures of the canned peaches, apricots, peach pie filling, apricot nectar, etc., but use your imagination. A friend came over the other day and I sooooo wished I had a gate at the driveway so no one could see what I did!
For some reason, (is it becomes I'm blonde or left-handed or ???) I start a project like spring cleaning in the fall, rip everything out of everywhere, have a huge mess that looks like I have no reason to it at all, and it just keeps growing until it takes over the whole house. Then someone shows up lol.

I had brought home the fruit from Yakima, started then, went to the back of the house to get something from the sewing/craft/project room, known that day as the disaster zone, and suddenly decided to clean it while canning?????? Well, after tearing into it, I got the fruit into the jars, got them going, started the timing, kept some jars ready to go into the canner, kept cleaning up the other room....somehow I got through the weekend. I took me two days to clean out my sewing room! I think I have more needles than 10 people would use in a life time! I got my fabric organized so I feel like doing something with it. I didn't even get pictures of the sewing part! That took me one whole day! I have tubs of wool, b/c I am a beginner rug-hooker. But I got it narrowed down from the mess I had it in. I have a collection of tatting patterns from my Grandma that I couldn't part with it. But I did part with I won't tell you how many bags of stuff, and let me tell you, it felt good. I didn't get a picture of my Etsy shop stuff, but I had a mess. I had expired stuff mixed with current stuff and it was in too many places for comfort finding it when it sold lol. So, I feel great about that. Now it will be more fun getting my listing on, which I need to do more of.

I found these suitcases a few weeks ago. Neat leather ones. I think they're going to be sold, haven't decided yet, but for now, they're on my porch. And my porch is getting it next! I need to get the Americana down and get some fall out there. This sewing machine, I got for $10. at a sale, it had a very musty smell that I just couldn't stand. I cleaned it up and put it on the porch for the summer to air out. NOW it can go to my sewing room, unless I decide to part with it, too. I'm just in a getting-rid-of-mood I guess! The geraniums at the top are ones my mom and sis got me. I don't know why, but when I first got them, they were loaded with blooms, then for a month or more I had no blossoms at all! Now, they're blossoming again and I'm loving them.
See this table? Well, last week you couldn't! It's just waiting for me to make a mess on! Don't look at the walls, I didn't do anything with them yet! You'd be proud of me if you saw it before, but I couldn't stand the shame to take the picture.

I found this neat suitcase at our church rummage sale. I put "shelves" in it and put some scrappy supply stuff in it, and some stuff I'm learning to do b/c my wonderful friend Natalie showed me how to solder. Thanks Natalie, I'm still working on it!
My kids think this room is for all of us???? I keep trying to tell them, it's mine, but then there's a part of me that loves to see them being creative and I give in and let them use it. But I'm trying very hard to teach them to put stuff away. Why is it so hard to teach a kid to put away craft stuff when I have such a hard time with it myself??? B/C they're learning it from their mother I guess. I do wish though, that it would eventually bother them and they'd just WANT to go back and clean up their mess.

See this desk? You couldn't last week. I know there are still a ton of books there, but I need them. I know I haven't finished putting my buttons and things away on the top, but the bag is holding a project for my porch chairs, the boxes have important cards and paper dolls and stuff. But let me tell you, it's so much better and I can get inspired now!
See this set of house plans? My son got some plans for a house my husband built for some people and decided he wanted to make some plans, too. For a 10 year old using just a ruler, I thought it looked pretty good. But do you know where this project is? He was laying on the floor in the middle of my room. I guess he was inspired b/c he could find the floor lol. No kidding, I had boxes all over in there of stuff I have to sell for Etsy and stuff I want to do. Now it's all organized and off the floor yippee!
See this window? It's a bay in my room. You wouldn't have found it last week! Now the kids want to sit there and do read or do craft stuff. Well, ok, but clean up what you get out. The shovel, one of my boys bought me for Mother's Day. It's one of those things that isn't really "me", but when I look at it, it tugs at my heart b/c he made his dad take him into our local Hi-School Pharmacy and get it for me b/c he thought it was my perfect gift. I have a few things like that. Like the glass candy dish from the dollar store that HAS to have a prominent place in my dining room. But it's a heart thing and I love it.
Yesterday, I got my pantry cleaned out, and today I'm on to the back porch and getting the hot tub cleaned that I already emptied and refilled. It feels good. I love fall, but I don't want summer to end, b/c I don't want fall to come and go. I try to stretch summer out a long time, then stretch fall out until the holiday, have one month of winter, then back to spring. That's if I had it my way!

Now I'm in Love..with my MILs rolling pin!

2009-08-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

This week I've been pretty busy canning and cleaning up from a trip to Yakima to (go to the Clayson Farm show) get peaches. Well, the peaches were the way for me to get my husband to make SURE I was finally able to get to the Clayson Farm show. What a blast that was, but I'm going to tell my story backwards.
Cheating. I got 5 boxes of peaches and 2 boxes of gorgeous Apricots while in Yakima. Came home and started in on them. It was too early for Elbertas, and I can't remember what the name of my peaches were, but I felt like we got a great deal of some nice peaches at $10. a box. Around here they are $18. I saved one of my boxes of peaches to make pie filling, and this year I tried something I hadn't done before. In the past I've canned pie filling using regular corn starch, but it doesn't look that nice when you go to use it. It kind of congeals. Last year I found out about using clear gel, and gave it a try and I love the way it worked. The gel in the filling is translucent and beautiful.

Well, I had 2 extra quarts of pie filling so I decided to bake a couple pies and try it out. I was so busy and so tired that when I was at Cash n Carry, I decided to try Krusteaz pie crust mix. Wow, that was so easy, I may keep it around for emergency dessert! I usually don't CHEAT on my pie crust. In fact, sorry, but I like using lard for it. But you know what I'm in love with? Grandma's rolling pin! I cheated and got a picture off the web to show you the kind of rolling pin I mean. The marble kind. I had asked my MIL why she used such a heavy rolling pin when she was so weak, and she said she just doesn't bake anymore. After she passed away, my sister-in-law offered the rolling pin to me and I figured I'd give it a try. I was raised by a wood-rolling-pin-mom, so had never tried it. Am I ever glad I inherited it! I may never use the wooden one again. It's so heavy that you just roll it across the dough, it rolls out perfectly! If you're ever at a sale and see one, grab it! You will be in love, too.

Now, I'll back track and tell you, that, while I didn't get a gob of pictures at the Clayson Farm sale, it was well worth the 4 hours we drove to go to it. It was so country, so Americana, in a lot of ways. I love their place. I love that it has these little gutters of water going around the back yard, too. It was neat to get to go bombard their home with probably thousands of other people. Loved the old buildings, too. Everyone had such neat stuff, I was getting lost! My husband has his own things, books, that he watches for anywhere he goes, so that kept him and my son busy, besides the food lol. I wanted to stop and say hi to Leslee, but she was soooo busy. The vendors were all so nice. It's amazing to me, things you'd never be drawn to, you see displayed in such neat ways, you can't help but get inspired.

On our way out of town, we found the peaches, AND THIS BARN!!! We had to stop and take a couple pictures for our growing collection of dream barn pictures....for someday. We couldn't get too close or too gawky, but isn't it beautiful? A girl can dream!

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A Dear Mom Letter from Your Son

2009-08-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is the most fun I've had listing an item on Etsy! Sometimes you just gotta laugh. Below is my description for my listing:

I recently found this letter, written by a son in 1949 from the fully modern, 75 room Bvrwood Hotel and Apartments in Beatrice, NE. Mom evidentally collected stamps because the envelope has the familiar torn off stamp corner.

George writes that he is back in Beatrice for how long, he doesn't know. The second sentence, he gets right to the point: Oh yes, this is probably going to be a big surprise to you but Margaret and I are planning on getting married. How you are going to take this, I don't know.
(Mom's probably sitting down with her hanky now, her heart breaking, do you think?)

Sonny goes on to say Margaret is going to write mom a letter. (That's nice, don't you think?)

(It gets better) But you should be happy that I have found someone who I can say, you should know something about, and "who is a woman". (He really put that in parenthesis??? Hmmm, let's read some more) who will at least meet you halfway on anything. I do have to say, no matter what should be said, & what they think, I picked the right one.

(OK, back to business...) I hope your Easter plant was OK mother, and we also tried to call, but no dice, on account of the earthquake. (Well, I must say, that is one I haven't heard yet, have you???) I hope you are all right, all of you. ??? (Huh, he's not sure yet if they survived? And I thought my son went through some moments!) I will try and get out to see you real soon. Please tell all hello and kiss little Virgle for me.

He ends the letter, saying he'll give them news about his brother when he sees them, and Margaret does send her love.

(I'll bet mother is rocking away in that chair, with a far-away look in her eye. I know, I have a son. She's dabbing away at her cheeks, all her dreams are smashed b/c he didn't married little Sally down the street. Oh, I know I'm reading into this, but gosh, that's better than wondering if they made it through the earthquake. Oh yes, they must have, b/c momma already ripped the stamp off the envelope!)

Well, there is is. His letter is in the original, and is just waiting for you to use it in your art work lol.

Clayson Farm Show

2009-07-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

UNLESS something big comes up, and it had better be big, I am FINALLY going to make it to Yakima, for the Clayson Farm show. This has been a very different year for me, and I'm not whining, but I haven't been able to go ANYWHERE! I mean, to shows, you know. Well, I asked with plenty of advanced notice, I made sure that we had another thing that we had incentive to go for (besides just a date), and that is Yakima peaches. My family does love it when I get the food canned for the winter you know? I am so excited to get to go, can't you tell? I know it's going to be wonderful!
I'm baking myFinnish cardamom bread tomorrow, and my marionberry coffee cakes, for the Quilt Show/Bluegrass Festival that our little Clatskanie town puts on this weekend, which is, in my opinion, wonderful! The Festival, I mean lol, although I do sell a lot of bread. That will work perfect for me to have some spending money for NEXT weekend! Even the weather cooled down a little for me to bake in comfort tomorrow!

Warm Summer Days

2009-07-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Love this Oregon weather we're having! It was so warm last night, that we were out swimming at 11 pm! And barbeque-ing is definitely what I'm doing tonight! I did it last night too, at least with the hamburger. I didn't want to have "hamburgers", so I made meatloaf, made it into patties, and grilled them, BUT, I didn't listen to Randy when he told me not to make baked potatoes. Later, I wished I had. Our house stays pretty cool, and we don't need AC, but I had a steam bath going in here last night!
I'm going to be showing some friends how to can fruits & veggies, & stuff, but didn't want to know that my greenbeans are ready to pick NOW! I went out and checked this morning, and sure enough, there were some ready. But this week is a little warm to have a houseful of canners going when, selfishly, can be playing in nice cool water with my kids, so next week it WILL happen. I usually like to have a greenbean teepee and this year I guess I goofed and planted the wrong kind of beans. Actually, a LOT of my seeds were given to me by a friend who had a "garden party" and had all kinds of neat little favors at her party. She had given so many seeds away I hardly had to buy any seeds this year lol. I have some very nice friends!
I also wanted to show you my $20. cabinet. When we were in the Wallowa's, we happened on a yard sale, on purpose lol, and I was looking at stuff on this cabinet, and the lady said, "I'll sell you the cabinet for $20." Well, sure, I'll take it! I should actually have taken a picture of it first, b/c it was sooooo 70s I couldn't really, well, stand it. It actually had amber wavy glass in the windows. I don't know why but that reminds me of a bad party! On the way out the door, following my husband as he is hauling it, I told him I couldn't wait to get rid of the amber glass. If you love amber glass, sorry. It is solid wood, and it had a wood finish, but I just really thought it needed to be a buttery color. I'm not actually done with it I guess. I wasn't going to chip it up, but since my husband did chip it when he put it back together, I need to get the sand out and finish his job for him. He got irritated that I left the knobs on and painted over them, but you know, I like it like that. I was going to put chicken wire in the windows, but he is going to put glass in it, and I'm going to let him have his way. I didn't know if I was going to actually keep it, either, but I had him bring it in off the porch, and I think I'm getting attached to it.

I used to get so attached to things it was rather a sickness. When I was little, I didn't like to throw rocks in the river, cuz I knew I'd never see them again! Weird, huh? Well, I'm over that, after all, where I live, it used to actually be a rock pit, and my dad made his living hauling round rock out of it to places like Bonneville Power, etc. I have enough rocks!

Plant Sale at Columbia County Fair

2009-07-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well, the Columbia County Fair is on at the St. Helens Columbia County Fairgrounds, and I'm sure lots and lots of people are having a blast seeing all the sites there are to see. Don't know yet if I can make it up this weekend, there's a LOT going on this time of year, and so many choices. One thing they started last year and I was sooooo glad to hear they are doing again: A Plant SALE!!
And I mean a huge plant sale. Means Nursery, in Scaapoose, Or., has such beautiful plants, and the people are so nice! So NICE in fact, that they organize the plant sale at the fair and all proceeds go to the fair! Last year, I was amazed at the plants they brought in and the prices were AMAZING! I sooooo want to go get more plants, I have a large place way in the back that I'm trying to tame and make a little park-y and at these prices, it's very affordable. My sister and niece went yesterday and they said, yep, the sale is just as good as last year, and nothing was over $20.!!!

So, if you aren't doing anything, and you've got something to haul plants in, head to the fair and load up the truck! You won't find a better deal on some plants. Just a plug for the good 'ole Columbia County Fair!

Woohoo! I'm on a treasury AND Etsy Vintage Blog!!

2009-07-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

I love it when I get put on a treasury on Etsy! I also love this tin! Isn't it the cutest thing? The treasury is all about the ball game, so it worked well with my listing. This Etsian was really creative, in my opinion, of course I'm happy she picked my tin! Thanks so much Jennifer!!

AND, I don't know how I managed to have such an awesome Etsy day, just listed these things this morning! Right after I listed stuff, I was busy all day doing stuff like stacking firewood with the family.

Back to my other exciting news! I had listed this this morning also, and I was checking my Etsy shop and also saw this note: Hi, just a note to let you know your vintage bingo spinner game is being featured on my Etsy-Vintage blog.
http://etsy-vintage.blogspot.com/

Love your stuff!
Joe

Now, wasn't that nice?? I have "met" some awesome Etsy people since I joined! It's just a really different group, not like Ebay experiences. Anyway, that was a great end to my hard-working day!

Grandma's House is for sale

2009-07-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

If anyone is in need of relocating to the Pacific NW, the family is in the process of selling a few pieces of property of my husband's parents. I don't have pictures right now of the 775 acre farm in Heppner, OR right now, but thought I'd share the link to the one along the Columbia River.

This home is in a gated community, it is right on the Columbia River waterfront, with a beautiful view of Mt. St. Helens. It is about 45 minutes from the coast, and 1 1/2 hours from Portland. The pictures don't show it, but it has another small cottage/guest house annexed to it that has it's own bathroom and partial kitchen.

The house is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, has huge storage room in the back (not shown). Private dock for boating or fishing. Good fishing, too! It's directly across the river from Puget Island.

The nearest town has only 1800 population, so it is a pretty laid-back community if you are wanting to get out of the big city.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do....

2009-06-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

LOL, bet you think my husband and I split, right?? Wrong!! Never!! I just love music and since I'm a spacey kind of person, I often match up what's in my head to a title of a song. Could be kinda scary with the variety of songs there are!
Well, when I say "breaking up", I'm talking about a couple things. A lot of people I blog with are kinda junky. We love junk, we hunt for junk, we find great junk, and we sell great junk, right? But....I know I'm not the only one who finds something that was SUPPOSED to be resale and it comes in the house, and it likes it there, and it doesn't want to leave. I do that way too often! I've got stuff I've been going to list on Etsy, and we all know internet listing takes time, and things just pile up. It's just hard some times to break up with our junk!!
I went to a sale last weekend, didn't find anything to buy, of course I got there late, because I was actually at a neighborhood one finding some great things. Can't be everywhere at the same time. Besides, my daughter and I dropped hers and my young children off at Vacation Bible School, we rushed across the ferry to Puget Island's neighborhood sale, rushed around as fast as we could to as many sales as we could hit and still get back to catch the ferry to pick the kids up by noon. Fun day. Well, the last sale, after picking up the kids, where I "thought" I didn't see anything I needed, I actually did. I found a whole box full of old patterns!! What a blast I had looking through all of those. I was actually thinking "I'm keeping this one, and this one, and this one....." , but NO I can't keep doing that. We have to break up, and I just decided to list them on Etsy all in one listing. We'll see how that works. Some are in rough condition, others in nice condition. There are some really cute ones that my granddaughter would grow into.....
The other thing I was thinking about "breaking up", was saying how much I hate to say "goodbye". I was looking at my blog favorites list, and then my following list, and it keeps getting bigger. But you know, I find a blog I love, and can't seem to tear myself away and click the but X in the upper right hand corner, never to see these people again lol. So, I'm really glad they have the "follow" button! I don't have to say goodbye!!
I have a young son who is just like that. Kinda gets emotional if you throw something away. He just gets attached easily. He'll be the romantic. His dad's that way too. Problem is, it makes for a pack rat personality. You hoard friends, you hoard stuff, you hoard memories. He hoards parts! He took my old dryer apart and has a box filled with switches and stuff he's planning to use to make a space ship! Hmmm. Maybe his spaceship will run better than my dryer did.

Summertime, and the Wallowas

2009-06-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

We got away last week to the beautiful Wallowas for a little break. Our family had such a good time and much needed rest, if you call driving 1,000 + miles a "rest". We didn't make it in time to go on the Tram the first day; missed it by about 20 minutes. The next couple days we didn't get to go because it was drizzly and cloudy on and off and we figured it wouldn't be clear enough to make it worthwhile. BUT, Randy took us up into the hills above Imnaha to show us where he and his brother hunt every fall. What beautiful land! I'm one to appreciate the scenery in almost any place I go. (The only place I've had trouble was when he'd take me to the Tri-Cities, Washington and he'd say, "You can see forever" and I'd say "See what?") I guess I don't have a respectful appreciation for endless desert-y type scenery, huh? But the Wallowa Lake, Joseph, Enterprise area, the hill country, it is gorgeous! 'Course I'm sure it doesn't always stay green, but it was a great time for me to see it.
I had gotten online and rented a cabin for us, back when my MIL was so sick, and I told him "We need a break, can we get a cabin?" When we first pulled up to "Huckleberry Meadow", I thought, "Oh now, what have I done? Well, the price was very cheap, so what do you want, but it did have some great vintage stuff in it I wish I could have fit into my duffle bag! Next time, I want to have my own travel trailer, because I kind of like my "own" dirt, AND it takes me a good 3 nights in a place before I'm so exhausted I fall sound asleep. But my family liked the cabin, so that was good. The deer come right up to you! We didn't see a sign or anything telling us not to domesticate them, until we had already let the kids pet them. Seth says the antlers are fuzzy feeling. He asked if he could ride it! That's my kids for you!
The boys and Randy took many rides on the gocarts, which was one of their highlights. It was nice to get to watch the boys trying to beat their dad. The first day I had one boy who didn't know there was a break and the other must not have known there was a gas pedal, but the next day they had it down and had a good race.
The second day when we took off for Imnaha, it was drizzly, but it turned out to be a great day for a nice long ride in the beautiful mountains. We stopped first at the Imnaha store, I guess it must be the original dollar store, because the ceiling is covered with $1. bills! Very rustic place, and they definitely know you're an outsider when you walk in. And the post office would be a great career for someone who doesn't want to sort a whole lot of mail. I thought it was just really cute.
When Randy took us up to where he hunts, the ride topped my long, winding road ride I wrote about in my last post. Another 1 laner for stretches at a time, with a huge and I'm talking HUGE canyon for anyone who can't manage to stay on the road. It was creepy at times, but I wish I could describe how wonderful the view was! I'm sure the pictures won't do it justice, but the rolling hills, had different shades of light and dark, hill after hill, and I was just amazed at what beauty God has created! We saw a couple herds of elk, I wanted to see a bear, but oh well, I've always wanted to meet up with a bear while I'm in a vehicle of course. I've only seen a bear at the zoo.
I could go on and on about what a gorgeous place this is, and you really must go if you ever get the chance. The flat lands below in Joseph and Enterprise and surrounding towns have some picturesque farmland that I took way too many pictures of too. I don't know how many pictures of barns I took, but you know, I've got barns on my mind, because I want that barn with the rec room, the studio, the game room, the guest room, and a little place off on the side for the horses. So I was definitely on the lookout for the barn of my dreams.
Well, I told the kids before I left that the truck does know to stop for garage sales and we did do a bit of that. I found a nice hutch that had some amber glass that I got home and promptly took the glass out of, I think chicken wire, what do you think? And although I grew up hearing my mom mention many times how awful it is that people take beautiful wood furniture and paint over it, which has given me an appreciation for natural wood color, the hutch had to be painted. I got a gallon of butter yellow type paint from Walmart half price b/c it was someone else's mistake, but I liked the color and the price. I've been painting it all week, along with a vanity that I got at a different sale a couple weeks ago. I'll try to get pictures when I get them done. They'll probably go in a sale, they won't fit in my house, but the project has been a lot of fun.
We stopped at this really funky shop and met a really nice lady that we had some great conversation with. The place was called JingleBob Vintiques, and if you are ever in Enterprise, be sure to stop in and say hi to Carla. It turns out she knows the editor of our little local newspaper, grew up with her, and it seemed funny that she would have even heard of Clatskanie! Her shop was just a great fix for junking, looking at antiques, finding all sorts of quirky things. We bought an whole box of greeting cards (thanks Carla for such a great deal!) that were done by the same artist out of her estate. There were many prototypes in the box and we've had a blast just looking through them. I "most of the time" look for things that I'll resale eventually, when I get around to it, but these, I'm not sure I'll be able to part with. At least it would take an awfully long time for them to all go anyway, there were so many of them. Then, she pulled out a box of Valentines. I'm kind of a sucker for Valentines, and Randy does spoil me sometimes, so guess what? I got my Valentines early for next year. That is another fun box I'm enjoying.
She had a lot of the neat shabby, chippy stuff, just a ton of stuff. I could have taken a ton of pictures at her place, but we'd kept her from what she'd been working on quite long, and we thought we'd better get back to the cabin.
There was another interesting place in Joseph, Sandy's, but we had already used up our time we allotted for junking and didn't get a chance to go in there.
In the afternoon, we were getting ready to take the kids trout fishing at Wallowa Lake, but the man at the sporting goods store told my husband of a different hole, so we made another trek into the woods, and I'm telling you it was fantastic! The lake wasn't really big, but the trout were jumping all over the place. You just needed to take the frying pan out there and they'd probably jump into it. Randy kept having the kids throw their fish back, and I'm talking many fish. Then he says, "OK, time to go!" Of course they starte whining, saying they thought they were taking fish home to cook. So, they just about broke his arm mmhmm, and they fished some more. They brought 10 trout back to the cabin, we stopped and got some red potatoes, and oh what a feast we had. I wasn't even sure if I liked trout, it had been so long, but trout are very likeable!
All in all, we had a great time, and the best part, was that the kids just kept saying, "Thank you, Mom and Dad for bringing us here!" "This was the best trip", stuff like that. We looked at each other and laughed and said to ourselves, we either have very grateful kids, or we don't get out much! I personally think we have grateful kids, for the most part.

The Long and Winding Road.....

2009-06-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

The long and winding road, that leads to.. then end of Rose Valley! I just have to share about my garage sale excursion the week before last. Our of Longview, in the Rose Valley area, they were having a huge neighborhood sale. Who doesn't love driving to all those homes as fast as you can, hoping to find something wonderful (which I did), before it was gone? And I love the Rose Valley area. It is a beautiful drive. So, even if I didn't find something I "needed", I wanted to go for the ride.
Well, what a ride I took! Everyone kept telling me, as I went farther up the road, "There are sales all the way to end!" Well, I'm gullible/stupid lol, and I thought they meant LITERALLY, to the end. The road began to narrow, with a "road narrows" sign, then it narrowed again, another sign. Would that be a clue to you? Well, I kept going, wondering all the time, as the road turned into a one laner, how would I ever get by someone coming the other way? Even that didn't disuade me!

And I'm not talking just a one lane
road! What I'm saying is, on the left side, was a rock bank with huge bolders, and evidence that some of the bolders have ocassionally come loose. On the other side of the road, the pavement is giving way, kinda crumbly you know? And there are drop offs to the river flowing along it. I first thought of my sister. She's the one who lent me her underwear in 2nd grade when I had forgotten mine. She's also the one who is deathly afraid of heights. She wouldn't go up and escalator. She won't go over overpasses in Portland. She won't drive to Bend in either direction. (She probably closes her eyes when her husband drives!) Well, I was thinking of her as I began to have a fear come over me. I had driven miles, had seen no one, had no idea where this road was going, and had no idea if I was going to have to back down this road at some point.
My dad was a truck driver, though, and he taught me to drive going backwards with my mirrors, before I got to drive forwards. So, the persistant thought that maybe I wasn't crazy ruled the side of me that thought maybe fear was a good thing in some cases. Eventually, I couldn't believe it, but some people actually lived up there! I should have done the right thing right then and turned around while I had the chance, but I thought "Maybe something wonderful is at the end!" I passed 2 more houses!
There were 2 ladies walking along the road, and my first question was, "Are there any garage sales up here?" They looked at me like I was scatterbrained, which I have been told I am. Smiles help in this situation, but I always have this thought that even really crazy kooks smile, some more than regular people. Oh well, smiling is a habit with me and although I didn't receive one of those smiles back, I got my info. NO, there is no garage sale up here! My second question, was, "How do you get out of here in a storm?" Obviously, the river must flood up there, the way the road was crumbling. Obviously, with as wooded as it was, trees have to be falling in a wind storm. It was scary enough on a sunny day! They told me the only other way to evacuate was if Weyerhauser opened it's logging road gates up ahead!
Well, I don't know about you, but I love that there are country roads. I often drive to my small town with only one stoplight, 3 miles away, going the "scenic route". Or if I go to my daughter's up the road about 5 miles, I will go all the way around the long way, just because I love to ride the country roads, see the sites, watch for wild animals. My motto is, if the car's running good, and there's gas in the tank, it doesn't matter if you get lost, you just enjoy the ride.
The next day, I told my husband and kids, "I have a ride I want to take you on!!" So, we packed up the kids and got in his truck and headed for the hills. We got not too far down the road, and my husband says, "You seriously didn't drive up here, did you?" Well, ...yes. We got a little farther, and he's saying, "Did you even think how you would turn around????" A little farther, and he's asking, "Did you stop to think NO ONE knew where you were?" Well...no.
The lucky thing for me, was, he loved the scenery, too. We got farther up, clear to the gate at the end of the county road, we got out, and he and the kids went down to the river and played around. He thought it looked like a great fishing hole.
So the moral to my story, "When you go garage saleing, ENJOY THE RIDE!!!"

Funky Junk, I wanna goooooo!

2009-06-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I did miss the Farm Chicks sale last weekend, and I'm still pouting about that. I've heard my husband talking with my boys about bombers showing in Portland, and I haven't dropped my own BOMB yet lol. The Funky Junk Sisters are having their sale this weekend and I want to go pretty awfully bad! Plus it was my 50th birthday this week, and I'm still thinking I deserve everything I want this week, right? Well, mostly I got teased! But my mom put my pic in the local paper (just glad she didn't put either my 5th grade one, or my current one lol. Plus, she wrote "to our Sue" on it, and most people know me as Karen, unless they're one of my one million relative around here. I had to marry an out-of-towner just to make sure we weren't related lol.
Anyway, doesn't this just look like a ton of fun???? I think it would be a wonderful day for a ride to Puyallup!

In a drizzle, projects get finished!

2009-06-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Finally! Since it's a drizzly day I thought I'd quit putting off my neglected Etsy shop and get some things done! I've spent so much time outdoors, which is where I really love to be, but now it's time to get some indoor stuff done.
How do you like my needlefelted robin? Hmmmm, is my heart still outdoors? Well, he was made by my own little 'ole fingers and I don't believe I poked myself even once making him. I love his nest, on the old bed spring.
And I've sold the rabbits I've had in my Etsy shop, so while I was caring for Grandma, I was able to work on a couple of those and got this one finished up and listed! I'm on a roll!
I may even work on those chair pads for my porch furniture, who knows???
It's probably a good thing it's drizzly out today. Just last night, Randy and I were discussing whether we should be watering the lawn this summer. I said NO, our water bill is more than doubling b/c our community water source is putting in a new well, as we as shareholders get to pay for it. I don't think I want to pay double to keep the grass green, but when he says, "we'll see...", well, I can already "see" what that means! I'm not saying I don't just love green grass, and it does feel softer on your feet on your way to and from the pool. So, anyway, this dreizzle will be a relief to our lawn, since we've had such gorgeous Oregon weather for awhile now.
Well, better get back to my projects!

Old People Need Young People

2009-06-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

We went to see UP Sunday with the kids. I'm one of those odd people who have children 10 and 14, 30 and 31. So, since I have 4 grandkids, it's sometimes hard to not be thinking, "I should have brought the grandkids". But, for sure, if you're like me and have all ages of grandkids and kids (yes weird, and yes, my house won't be empty probably until I'm at least 62 lol), or you're a normal mom lol and have small kids, or a normal grandma, or if you have no child FIND ONE! This is a very poignant movie, at least it was to me. It made me appreciate and do my usual spacing-out over life, memories, plans we make, dreams..... It made me cry. I'm not sure if Randy cried, but I do know that since he's getting soooooo old, he is more emotional, so I'll bet he cried. Besides, he's pretty sentimental, kinda like me, adds an emotion on to the oddest things.

I saw myself in the man's wife, that is for sure! Hey, I saw my husband in the OLD MAN lol. It's funny how oposites attract, except that I thought for sure when I married my husband we were exactly alike. I mean, he laughed when I laughed, which was all the time. He was always smiling, I've been told I do that a lot. He was an airhead like me, right???? No, after about a year, I realized I married a smart man (never have figured out why an intellectual person who is quiet marries a fruitcake, but hey, it works for me!) He doesn't always smile, in fact sometimes I tell him he intimidates people (they tell me that!) He sometimes looks mad, but he's "thinking". If you look at us, you'd definitely think I never think ;)

The little boy in this movie was great. You want to gather his badges and bring him home. But I have one of these kinds of boys already! Everyone needs one.

We almost never go to the movies. We don't even have TV, I've mentioned before. But this movie is one you should go to with someone!!

The Family's Been Busy

2009-05-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

I know I've posted lately about taking care of my mother-in-law, who had been ill for quite some time, until her fight with emphesema, pneumonia, lupis, and a few other things, was finally over. We had her memorial today, and afterward, the family got together for dinner at her home and to watch a bunch of home videos that we came across recently.
She was already in the process of selling her 800 (I think it's 800) acre farm in Heppner, Or. Then, the home she bought along the Columbia River just last year, she decided to sell. She was thinking she'd like a smaller home. As it turned out, it was nice that she still had this one, because of all the places we could have been staying at to take care of her, this was great. You could just sit and watch the ships go down the Columbia, the ferry taking passengers from Wesport to Puget Island, the sea gulls, the fishermen....It is really a peaceful place to stay.
She had finally gone to Hospice, where we just can't be more appreciate of, with the care she got there. She got so frail, that it was literally hard to know how to move her. They took great care of her, and made it possible for us to just visit, not do the work. It was my first experience with anything like this, and they really made it easier on the whole family, so Thank you Hospice!!!
Well, since her home was already listed for sale, the kids got together and figured we'd better go in and arrange things, de-knick-knack a little, and get it ready for it to show. Sunday, a local guy came and filmed a virtual tour of it. I think he did a really good job. If you're interested, here's the link. We need to get it sold, plus, there's still her farm to sell, and a piece of commercial property. I know it's not a great time to sell, but we have had some inquiries already, so that was encouraging. The other great thing about this home, is it has a separate guest cottage!!

There are a bunch of things I really want to do now that there is a chance to take a breather. A couple days ago, we got our garden in, last weekend we spent working like crazy catching up with so much that had gotten behind. I'd just love to be able to go to the Farm Chicks sale. I keep trying to think how I could whine my way to that! So far, I've missed everything else that's gone on, and I have this need to get out and see what wonderful things people have come up with for their shows. I've got what, a couple days to come up with a reason why I really need to go! I can't just use the "getaway" excuse, 'cuz I already used that one to go to the Wallowa's soon. If nothing else, I guess I could just read about what a wonderful show it was from everyone else's blog, but isn't that just missing something?? I'm convinced LOL.

Some treasures from a trip

2009-05-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

When Randy and I went on our little excursion through old small towns down the ocean side of the freeway as far as Corvalis, then up the right hand side of the map, parallel to the freeway, we did end up finding some fun treasures. Due to life being so hectic the last month with losing my MIL, I hadn't had a chance to really uncover the stuff to show, but today I'm on a roll as far as accomplishments go!
The first thing I did this morning was get my marionberry coffeecake done so it could cool enough to take to the little store down the road, where I sell my baked things. I got some more of my thead stash listed on Etsy, which I was putting off doing. But, I am finally getting to the end of one of my hoardes of stuff. I think hoarding fabric and threads and stuff BTW, is hereditary. My grandmother died with tons of fabrics. I know I'm not the only one who goes through a fabric store with their hands out touching all the different fabrics! What is it about stuff like that, we just gotta feel it??? Anyway, I had a stash of thread that I've been working on thinning out and it is almost finished. Like I said, I'm on a roll. I have some cushions to work on, and that WILL be getting done soon.
It's too cold today to work outside, so I'm getting to work as soon as I share the cute things we found at sales that weekend a couple weeks ago. I love these old scrap books, don't you? Remember you always used to see the sewing cards when I was a kid, I don't know when the last time was I've seen stuff like that. The vintage book isn't in great condition, but I couldn't leave it, I didn't think it would get appreciated. The poster pages were kinda neat, I actually thought they'd work well for rug hooking patterns, but haven't farther that that, I may just sell them. It's the thrill of the hunt that gives me a lot of enjoyment! The little Easter stickers were in my husband's family stuff, just really sweet. Well, I hope your day is productive and fun!!!

Grandma's Pretty Things

2009-05-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

We've had to all this week try and get my MILs home ready to sell. She actually already had it listed, but she's had so much stuff, we needed to thin in out to make it more "staged". So the family has been getting together, sharing a lot of Grandma's keepsakes. We actually all had different tastes, so it's worked out pretty well. But none of us needed what is probably hundreds of pieces of Fenton glass, she collected the pretty hobnail stuff. I got a couple of pretty vases, mostly as a remembrance, but now we've listed the entire collection on Craigslist. I know it took her quite some time to collect this stuff, too. Pretty isn't it?And this isn't even all of it!

It's all been kind of forced to happen so quickly. She has this home along the Columbia for sale, and she already had their farm in Heppner listed for sale. So, if you know anyone who is looking for an Eastern Oregon farm with 875 acres of land and full water rights, let me know LOL. I can direct you to the realtor! Or, if you just want a vacation home along the Columbia River, 45 minutes from the ocean, there is that option. This home is actually kinda neat, it has a fully equipped cottage on in, so you can have your guests stay there! Have I sold you on it LOL? I know the timing isn't exactly great for real estate sales, but at least my FIL invested in something real, right? I keep thinking the Eastern Oregon property would be good for a vineyard, with the rolling hills. And not so much rain! For that I could almost give up all the trees around me, but not quite.
It's raining her today, and I'm quite in the mood to get some crafting done. It's been awhile since I've done anything, and I do have a CLEAN craft room to work in that's been calling me. I have some cushions to work on, and some glass projects Natalie showed me how to make still unfinished. Better go get started or it will be time to get dinner started!

Did Mothers Used to be Old in Paper Doll Days?

2009-05-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

I belatedly am getting a couple pieces of paper dolls on my blog, which I had planned for Mother's Day, but, sadly, ended up spending the weekend in Hospice with my failing mom-in-law. I have never seen a stronger person put up a fight, to the last breath, and I know I could never have done it myself as long as she did. It is something that you think you couldn't do, at least I never would have thought I could. In the almost 2 years since my FIL passed away, she has been failing, but since November, it has been terribly sad and dramatic, the change. I'm in shock to think in November, she drove her own SUV to see her sister, 2 1/2 hours away! In December, she was no longer driving, in January, my Sis-in-law and I started taking meals to her. In February, we started staying with her day and night. My SisIL stayed a lot more, but I did stay 2 nights and what came to about 4 days a week, taking care of her.
I teach my kids at home, and my emotions were frazzled, thinking, I should be home, teaching my kids, then back to, "this is a season. This is Life stuff". My almost 14 year old daughter was able to help me with her twin brother's 4th grade work, and she is pretty motivated, too, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been with school.
Mom-in-law made the decision to go Hospice after her last hospital stay, wanting to just stay comfortable. Emphezema is not going to go away, and she was so low in weight I didn't think anyone could be that thin. She had told the nurse she was going to go on Mother's Day, but thankfully, she passed away the day after. She put up a huge battle and is now at peace and is no longer suffering. My mind right now is trying to remember the healthy grandma, instead of the last couple years and especially months. I can still hear her voice. It got to where we just stared at each other sometimes, there was nothing to say sometimes. I am so thankful for Hospice for the care they give. It would have been horrible to be by ourselves through this. We leaned on them to be the ones to move her, afraid we would break her bones. They did a wonderful job of caring for her, and letting us just be with her.

Well, that is basically what I've been up to lately. I am still going to put up the Paper Dolls, maybe your mom is having a birthday and you can make her a card with these. I laughed when I was looking at them, because the kids that go to them are little children, really young, you know? Well, this mother seems more like a grandmother to me, don't you think? At least I don't think/hope I look this old yet! But they are cute, and when I get around to it, I'll post some more of my paper dolls if you like them.

I've been missing going to the sales. Last week I missed Barn House, and I noticed in the same area Randall Woods is having their Out on a Limb sale. We went to that last year, too, and it was fun. I feel like I've been under a mushroom, and the rain isn't helping. I need some sunshine, some getaway estate sale type days, some good garage sales, some days spent cleaning up the yard that has been sadly neglected. But it is all a season! It is all good!

Town Hall for Hope is Great!

2009-05-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

OK, I have to put an ad for Dave Ramsey on my blog. We went to this last week, and it was so encouraging! If you didn't get a chance to see this and get some different views on our nations economic situation, you've got to see it! It's well worth it.

Time makes change

2009-04-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Randy and I got away for the weekend, on a much-needed getaway. The kids went with Sissy and Derek to Kah-Nee-Tah and had a ton of fun. We got a late start and ended up not far from home the first night, mainly b/c our goal (and what we love to do) was to do some junking at all the little communities we went to along the way. Since it was evening, we didn't want to start out to far away. We love the Yamhill, Carlton, Gaston, type places. So, we ended up staying in Forest Grove, of all places, the first night.
And what a fiasco that night was! Since we really weren't far from home, and it was late and we weren't really going to spend much time there, I told him I didn't want to spend much on a motel. (I really wanted to save it all for junk lol) BUT, he first went to this motel (I happened to be looking down, fiddling on my phone, not paying any attention to where we were.) My first clue was when I looked up and saw a lady pull back the curtains to see who was there. I don't know why, but I had a weird feeling that instant that I was NOT going to like this. I was dying to go to the bathroom, so when Randy came with a key, I hurried in, ran to the bathroom, came out and....was instantly feeling like crying. It smelled bad. I didn't see him do it, but he pulled down the blanket to see the sheets (and later told me they were yellowed) I know, we all like junk, we don't care that there is rust on stuff, or that it's grubby when you buy it. So it should matter, but this place was awful. I kept thinking, ("what's HE thinking????") I forgot my nightgown, so we ran down to Fred Meyers, and on the way back, I was crying all the way. I decided in my head, that if we had to stay there, then I would definitely be sleeping in the truck. We pulled up, he says, "What do you want me to do, ask for the money back??" Uh....YES! So, he sheepishly when in, blamed it all on me. Said I told them it smelled like pee, the sheets were stained, the tv was clear around a corner and you couldn't have seen it from the bed except on one side if you were at the edge and craned your neck far enough. Of course, I didn't realize he blamed it on me at the time. He came out, said they gave him back all but $10. Then I was mad. I just thought, "It's the principal of the thing!" If it's a crummy place, they didn't need to even make ten dollars on us, right? I'm very passive most of the time. I hate returning things, taking care of details like this. But every once in awhile I become assertive, and I was going to go in and tell them I wanted the $10. back, and I wanted their card so I could turn them into the better business bureau. He wouldn't let me. We started to drive off, and the girl came out, glaring at me for killing her sale. He laughed and said they probably thought we just ran in there for a quickie! I told him I would have had to have drank a half case of beer to sleep in there!
We ended up going to another, nicer place. When we passed that first place the next morning, we noticed that there were only one or two cars there (they probably had passed the half case mark and wait till they woke up LOL)
After that, we had a great time, except for the cold and rain on occasion. We found a lot of fun stuff. Saw some beautiful Oregon country, down toward Corvalis, on the right side of the map, then came up the left side of the map to all the little towns. We came to Canby, and someone told us to eat at "Top of Hill" restaurant. Funny name, but the food was good. I made Randy order an apple dumpling there, and Oh, my gosh, if I'm back there any time soon, I'm forgetting the dinner, and going right to the apple dumpling!" I can't even describe how great that was, with the cinnamon sauce, the ice cream AND whipped cream! If you're ever there, try it!
Somehow, as, it was getting dark, we ended up down a road that ended with a ferry ride! That was fun, and we had a good time visiting with the ferry driver before going across. People are nice! I love nice people!
By the time evening got there, our truck was full of enough junk fixes for me for the weekend, and I told him, lets just go home. We were so close to home anyway, and I started thinking of all the things I could do when I was home. (Yesterday I was thinking of how I'm not real good at leaving home. I decided I do better if I'm farther away, so I promptly sat down and rented three nights in a cabin in the Wallowa's in June! The kids will love it, too.)
It turns out, it's good we came home, because, just Friday, as I was taking my shift to take care of my Mother-in-law, I found her very pale, gasping for air (lung disease) and I though she was having a heart attack. We had called the ambulance, and she was still in the hospital on Sunday. We finally had a family meeting, all the kids but one got together and discussed the situation and faced the fact that she is just not going to be making it much longer. It's weird, I've been staying overnight 2 nights a week for 2 months, spending most of 4 days with her, and seeing her every day, you get used to it and it's such a shock as it is to people who don't see her as often. It's a lot, but my SIL takes care of her the other five nights, so I'm just trying to relieve her as much as I can, and still maintain life her at my own home. It's made me think a lot about how short life is, how we need to enjoy each day. How we want to be able to be worth something to someone, to be able to add to other people's lives, have something to offer. It's killing me when it sunshines and I'm sitting inside of someone else's house, not able to do "My Stuff". Shows how selfish I am! It's just a season, and you know, I'm really glad I did it. I never thought I could brush someone elses false teeth! I never, ever would volunteer for that job, I can't even stand chewing gum! But now, Hospice is taking her case, and it is a relief, but it is still hard. After all the months of going down to check on her, we will soon be saying goodbye. It will still be hard; I've grown closer to her than I had been before. I've watched her have to be humiliated to have me doing things for her, have to be weak. I never thought a person could be 70 pounds and be 5'10", and still alive. She has been tough. I haven't really seen her break down, like I know I would. I'm glad I've been there, now.
Here's a picture of the view I do get to see when I'm taking care of her. It's beautiful, right on the Columbia River. When a ship goes by, it feels like it's in your lap! If you have to be a caregiver, I think this is a really restful setting to look out at. I've even seen seals flopping out there, much to the dislike of fishermen.
Life is what you make it, I guess, and each day is a gift. I appreciate my kids, who are literally taking over for me many days. My 14 yo daughter is getting to be quite a cook. It's a season and it will soon be over.

No more water dripping from the sky please!

2009-04-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Randy told me we're supposedly supposed to maybe possibly have no rain this weekend? Oh, pleeze, let there be sunshine! I know I'm not the only one who needs some sun! Usually, it seems like the amount we get is liveable, but this last month has been almost depressing, if we let it be! BUT, if we get clear skies this weekend, I've got plans! I'm hoping my weedeater starts right up, like on the first pull or two of the cord. I've gone out to do some weedeating, full of energy to get some work done, only to use up all my energy trying to get the weedeater started. Anyone else ever do this? I try and try, it almost starts, then, nothing! Times like this, I start crying like a baby, sometimes kick something, get mad, call my husband and tell him to get me a new weedeater! Last year he did get me a new one, and his brother, who owns the John Deere store, tells him, you can't leave the gas in lawn equipment for more that a week or two, b/c the gas goes bad. Well, this year, I should have it down, right? We'll see.
Funny thing about weedeating, if you do any weedeating. After you get done, every where you go for the next week, you see it needs to be weedeated. It's like the couple hours you've been at it, you're looking for more and more grass that can be cut shorter, you realize how much better it looks, you go at it like an axe-grass-killer, cutting everything you see. The motor runs, kinda shakes your brain somehow, and all you can think when you get done, is, "there's more elusive grass to weedeat!" It's everywhere!
So, weedeating is on my list, and it will feel like a new haircut!
I'm in the mood for garage saleing, for estate sales, stuff like that. I've seen people mention sales they're having on their blogs, but I haven't seen mention of how sales are going, with the word we hear constantly, "economy". Are people still spending money, do you think? I hope so!
Yesterday, I needed to bake for the little store down the road. Ever get one of those days, you don't know what to fix for supper? That's how I felt yesterday. I decided scones sounded good, which was funny b/c when I saw a friend at Safeway, I told her I was trying to think of what I wanted to bake, she said scones, too. Well, that confirmed it for me!
I found a new recipe here, and made a few changes. I used craisins, (craisings don't chop well in a Pampered Chef food chopper, I found out) instead of fresh cranberries. I did use the cream brushed on the tops, and added some pearl sugar, thought that would make a nice crunch. If you like scones, they were a recipe worth following! Very buttery, flaky, and with the glaze on top, just the right amount of light sweetness. Yum! Make some for yourself this weekend.