My mom...

Thinking about her alot today - today is not a special day for her or I.  It's just another day in January - a cold windy winter day.  The sort of day she would greatly dislike.  She is blessed to be able to spend her winters where she enjoys- Florida - The sunshine state.  How she ever made it as my mom I will never know!  She and I are about as opposite as it gets.  I love cold dreary days.  She loves warm sunny days.  She is short.  I am tall.  She is lean.  I am NOT!  I could go on all day on our differences, but you get the idea.  We butted heads all the time - I like to do things myself - figure it out and then MAYBE concede to her way of thinking.  She is a total control freak - she will tell you different and you will believe her, only because she will convince you she is right.  HAHA...that is what I love about her.  I am not making fun of her just telling you like it is.  I am stubborn.  Have very little patience.  Want to have control at all times over every thing....so maybe we are alike.  She is creative - so am I.  She makes a mean shrimp salad - so do I.  She is independent - so am I.  She is sure of herself - so am I.  She is a hard worker - so am I.  She has volunteered many hours at her church - so have I.

I think I might learn to be her - can I , might I, will I .... am I my mother?

Could be worse....I have a crazy Auntie! 

(that's another story for another day)

 

Ok... it's been almost 3 weeks now since we lost our "Murphy".... our companion of 15 years.  The day Murph died Mr B said "no more dogs".  Well I knew that would not last and I was right.  A couple of nights ago Mr B said...."I don't think I can live without a dog"...."what are we going to do?"
I suggested a rescue dog - he smiled - and said "maybe soon"....kept smiling and I started looking online at rescues in our state - there are alot of babies out there looking for their forever homes.

Hope you are all still working on de-cluttering - I am slowing down right now but gearing up for more.  Think this week will be directed towards clothing and taking box after box to goodwill. 

Peace to you this week - do something nice for someone to day.

Keep calm and carry on........................

Sorry! 

Sorry I have not been productive lately and have not been very good about blogging. 
I have been doing a pretty good job tho about the de-cluttering tho!!  Have found a great use for the clothes I no longer wear or want - I am going to recycle them into rugs...I found 2 different "how to" books while cleaning that I had bought years ago.  Both rug making books use 2" strips of fabric - so I am going to start having Mr B cut up our old clothes into 2" strips for rug making 101!!  Recycling our old jeans as well - going to make patchwork quilt for the cover of my window seats in our cabin.  I want to use jeans from all the grandkids for the fabric.

I have really cute pics to show of the rugs -  but for whatever reason my silly ol' computer will not allow me to add the pics on here! ugh!  Maybe another day!

I also found a real cool idea for old magazines and books - the pages can be folded and cut into the cutest flowers!  AND since I am not able to show pictures I can share where I found the idea and that was in my favorite all time magazine- Mary Janes Farm Girl - check it out http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/

If you could be anything in the world what would you be?  .........................................

I often wonder where I would be in this world if I had chosen the one thing I wanted to do many many years ago - (FYI - I would be me ....)  The one thing I wanted the most when I was younger was to be a mom - and the second was an artist and dancer!!  Family - - - STOP laughing!  Many of you know I already love art and I think I am pretty good.  But I am pretty sure NONE of you knew I wanted to be a dancer.  I would watch old black and whites of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire - Gene Kelly (whom I happen to be named after) - and thought - "I can do that" and I would secretly dance in my room - thank God it was not in public!  I am NOT and never will be a dancer - can not dance at all.  HORRIBLE!  So I thought I would encourage my beautiful little daughter to become a dancer. 

OH!  Do I so wish I had the capablity to put a picture up today!  She was so stinkin' cute!  She went every week - twirled, tapped, mastered the heel toe tap thing - and - hated every minute of it! ugh! No dancer - BUT WAIT - there is my very athletic little boy - surely he would make a good dancer.  Let's enroll him into dance class.  Would be great - he could be another Gene Kelly!  So off to dance class we go - got him thru the first session and all was good - even got him thru to the recital - and then he announced that dance class was "lame"!  Back to the drawing board...and thank GOD for granddaughters!!!  Got a dancer - until she discovered softball....oh my!

Have a good day - hope this finds you all well.... do something - anything that is good for the earth and good for someone today.

CARRY ON.....

Junk or Treasure

Junk or Treasure?

That is the hardest question to answer when de-cluttering.  Finding "stuff" that I once thought was a treasure but now I am tossing it into the dumpster as "junk".  How did my heart flip flop?  I know was in love with it once...

I have decided that I might... I said MIGHT be an emotional buyer of "stuff"!  I know that I see value, interest and another life in things.  But if I don't fix it up and pretty it up right away - that value, interest and new life changes...goes away even.  UGH!  How does that happen...?  Everything deserves a second chance - so maybe I should keep it and .... trip over it some more, keep moving it from one spot to another, and....just maybe I will see it in a new light...give it its second (or third) life.... WAIT!! WAIT!!  I need to throw it away....give it away or make something out of it and sell it. 

So needless to say today my de-cluttering didn't go well. 

I did get a load of laundry done - does that count? 

I did organize all my cookbooks, so that is a plus.  I am giving away over half of them.  I really want to get all my favorite recipes on the computer.  That will have to wait til another day.

I also cleaned my refrigerator.  YUCK! Went to the grocery store and stocked up on fruits and veggies.  Going to start eating right again - too much junk food over the holidays I think.  Have a great energy drink that Mr. B and I really like.  He calls it his "Green Slime"! 

Green Energy Drink
1 avocado cut up
1 cucumber cut up
squeeze of lemon
large handful of spinach

Blend the above until smooth - refrigerate till cold and enjoy!

The other one that I love is a berry energy drink.

Berry Energy Drink
1/2 cup of each:
blueberries
raspberries
strawberries
blackberries
1 cup of unsweetened Pomegranate juice
Ice
Blend all the above....YUMMO!

Have a great day people!  Do something nice for someone today. 

What a week!

On Wednesday we had to say goodbye to our friend of 15 years - our dog Murphy.  He was our best friend and companion.  Life will be different without him.  He provided us with many laughs and tons of love.  Rest well buddy roe!  De-cluttering my life did not include pets! ugh!

On Thursday I decided it was time to get rid of the Christmas tree at last!  And in true recycling fashion I put the tree on the deck for the birds to enjoy this winter.  I will be taking old toliet paper rolls and covering them in peanut butter and then rolling in bird seed to place over the branches of the Christmas tree.  I also like to thread (use cotton thread) fresh cranberries and hang them from the tree. If you place the tree near a window you get to enjoy all the birds!  Great way to relieve stress!

Friday we were on the road again!  To the cabin we went.  Worked on the kitchen area.  Mr B worked on my plate rack and I tackled the glass tile backsplash behind the stove.  Turned out great!
I also painted and stained the trimwork for our master bedroom.  We found some very inexpensive trimwork at Habitat for Humanity Restore in LaCrosse - LOVE that place!  We have found alot of materials for the cabin at the Restore store.  If you have one in your area I suggest visiting it!  Whether you need to buy or donate it's all good.  Check them out!

Saturday night we got to watch our beloved Green Bay Packers defeat the Minnesota Vikings!! GO PACK GO!  :)

Now back to reality... work on Monday.  And time to start the de-cluttering again.  Start looking thru the seed catalogs...love them!   Just wish I had more time to garden.  We use to put in a large garden but now that we spend every other weekend at the cabin it is too hard.  Can't wait to be living at the cabin and get a huge garden started.  Have you heard I also want chickens?  Yep I wanna be the crazy chicken lady! 

Visitors on a cold winter's day!

Spending the weekend at the cabin and always get to enjoy mother nature!  Our living space at the cabin is actually on the second floor as the main level is a garage and shop - so our deck is off the ground one level - so we don't usually get squirrels up there - but we have them now!  This little guy was a pesky fellow  - well all squirrels to me are pesky - I am not a lover of them - despise them actually - but this guy was too funny!  Kept falling off the patio table - not sure why - maybe too much to drink?? 

And as always we have ALOT of birds - alot!   Love to watch them they are a hoot!

So how is everyone doing on de-cluttering?  I am doing good - I think! 

Well this weekend since I am not at home to do the de-cluttering, I got to thinking...maybe I should de-clutter my mind. 
Like holding onto things I am not in control of and should not probably be holding on to.  Like what other people are doing in their lives.  Instead of worrying about them and trying to help or trying how to "fix" them or why they are doing what they are .... maybe what I should be doing is just letting it go.  It's not my problem anyway.  Why do I waste my time and energy on someone else's problems.  Especially if it doesn't concern me.  And what is even worse is when it is really none of the other persons' problem to begin with.  In short - Drama.  I really don't like it - so today I made my mind up that I am "dumping" about 3 or 4 "issues" floating around in my head.  They are things that I can not change, they do not directly effect myself or any member of my family and are things I should not be involved .. . period.

So I sent a prayer up about the people involved in the issues I am dumping and I must say - I feel much better....not carrying those around - doesn't mean I won't still pray for them - just means I am not actively involved.

Also, decided that I am going to be more positive and upbeat.  It's like excerise for the brain! Ha!  Or at least that is the way I am treating it!   Every day when I wake up in the morning I am going to find 2 positive things to think about - and then at the end of the day be thankful for at least 2 positive things.

I found this today on Facebook and thought I would share it with you...goes with the de-cluttering of the mind...

 

Thank you for stopping by today - I wish you Peace and Blessings for the new year!  I hope you have good health and happiness.

and

I pray you have a calm heart.

 

Snow! Snow! Snow! Let it Snow!

This is a view from our cabin that my husband and I have been building from the ground up the last 5 years!  Talk about a journey! ha....I am "almost" a professional carpenter!  Ok...not really, but I have learned ALOT!  And not only about building a home, but about relationships WHILE building a home together - I have gained patience (family of mine - stop laughing - I have).

I have learned to trust myself and others while overcoming fears ( the fear of heights while building the second floor deck- ugh)  And I have learned the joy and pride of finishing such overwhelming tasks!  We decided 5 years ago to purchase some land in one of our favorite areas for our retirement home.  We can actually see the Mississippi River from the deck - but only in the winter when the leaves are down!  We have taken this long to build because we are on the "pay as you go" plan.  As of right now our 2 level, 2 bed, 3 bath, 2 car garage with work shop "cabin" is paid for in full!  We have alot of trim work and custom cabinet work left to do but we are working on that now.  Hubby (will refer to him as Mr. B) and I are only able to go there about every other weekend to work on it.  It is about 3 hrs from our southcentral Wisconsin home.  We tried to build a home that was energy efficient as possible.  I love it there and can not wait to retire!  It is a much simpler place to live. 

Speaking of simple....I started my de-cluttering project.  Went pretty good.  While picking thru the house I picked up a recipe that I had left laying out from Christmas that I thought I would share with everyone.  It is one of my family's favorite.  YUMMO!

Strawberry Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
MIX:
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup veg/canola oil
4 eggs

ADD:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp cinnamon

After the above are well blended add about 8-10 ounces of frozen Strawberries with juice
and stir well.  Add a couple drops of red food coloring.  Pour into 2 loaf pans and bake for one hour.

Once cooled you can top with powdered sugar before serving.  Can also put a powdered sugar glaze on the bread as well.

So as I sit here this morning and try to answer my daughter's question from last night,   "Mom, I see you started a blog - why?"  Well, good question - not sure - just felt it was something I was being pulled to do.  Like I said in my first post - I am NOT a person of schedule - would love to be!  But not probably happening.  So maybe this is Gods way of putting me in a schedule of sorts.  So this morning I was visiting one of my favorite facebook sites ( Proverbs 31 Ministries) and found this scripture: "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

I like to plan but I don't always follow thru with the plans I lay out for myself - always thought I was lazy or forgetful if I didn't follow thru.  It seemed that something else always comes up or is more interesting or more fun or more important then what I planned.  Now it seems maybe God has a better plan, a more interesting fun or important one than that of mine.  ummm....something to ponder for the day. 

Day two of de-cluttering - let's see what I can find today to share with you.  I hope you try the Strawberry bread - it's so yummy!

Day to Remember....Day One!

Good Morning World! 
Day one as a "blogger"! 
The start of a new journey.  A journey into the mind of me....sit down and buckle up folks - this could be a bumpy ride!  (you might want to grab a cup of Joe  - caffeine never hurts)

First things up let me introduce you to me.... I am 51 years old and my proudest attribute to this crazy world is...I am a Grandma!  Love that word!  I am blessed to have 15 grandchildren!  My husband of 11 years and I have 6 children between the two of us - he has 3 daughters and a son and I have a daughter and a son.  I work full time outside of the house in customer service in the medical billing world.  I also have a profitable hobby... I like to paint - I paint custom to order signs, refurbished furniture, and just about anything that doesn't move!  I also like to punchneedle, crochet and knit.  Teaching myself how to make rugs using scraps of material - either by crochet or by locker hook.  I am also wanting to learn to quilt.  I guess you could say "artsy fartsy" should be my middle name!  I like crafts that re-use or re-purpose things.

I decided to start a blog to share the things that are roaming around in my brain...things to make you laugh, to inspire you, to spark creativity, to encourage, to leave this world a better place by just being you.

I think Abe Lincoln once said "Whatever you are going to be - be a good one". 

It is 5:30 am December 27 2012 and 27 degrees outside - beautiful winter day in Wisconsin.  More snow on the way tonight - about 2-4 inches!  I love the winter!  My family just all rolled their eyes as they are reading this!  ha!  I think beside my husband,  everyone else in my family either live in Florida or want to be living in Florida.  Me.... I just want to live where I can have the 4 seasons to experience in the extreme!  I want those days where it's 20 degrees BELOW zero as well as 100 degrees ABOVE!  I like change.  Not sure I ever do things the same every day - if I do it's not on purpose! 

I am a creature of change - constant change.  What I think I may like or want today is not usually what I want tomorrow.  This reeks havoc with my organizational skills - or lack of!  And with the start of the new year right around the corner I have lofty plans of sticking to a schedule and organizing my life!

First thing up - DE-CLUTTER!  I have a plan - everyday for 15 minutes - I will take two plastic grocery bags around the house .  In one bag I will place at least 6 items of trash.  The trash can be old bills, junk mail, newspapers, items that are broke and can't be repaired and etc... In the other bag I will place at least 3 items of things I no longer have a need for and will give to Goodwill.  This can include clothing and craft supplies.  I want to try this for the whole month of January.  This will be a tough one as I may have to do this while the hubby is not in the house - he saves EVERYTHING!  Drives me crazy! 

Join me if you dare to DE-CLUTTER!  I know I need to make room in my life and world for the things that really matter.  God and my family.

Please share your ideas and thoughts on De-cluttering - I know I will need them!

Welcome aboard!  Enjoy the journey!
Please invite Peace to your day.  It tastes good with the coffee.