The Kitchen was a battle for awhile. It's teeny tiny. enough space for one, but if there are two people in there you start bumping into one another. Not to mention sweet Em sitting below my feet as I cook, waiting for droppings. The rule is if I am stupid enough to drop it she gets it....most of the time, there is a huge list of foods Dogs cannot have that I am extra careful not to drop and if I do I will go in after it. She understands this and duly allows my fingers into her mouth/throat to fish it out. She is also a very good listener to the tone of my NO's.
Anyway my spices were all over the place. I cook that is where I find my happiness some nights and well the spices just get left on the counter. Partly because I had too many...too many that were way past their dates. Those got tossed and a new spice rack was purchased and organized. Ta-DA! I have a counter top that can be used for things other than random spice jars!
The same weekend I found new plates! I did not buy them yet as I am still deciding on color, but that should be this weekend. I am thinking yellow, green, and blue. They are solid colored and stone ware. I hope they last as long as the current set has....15 years. My what a long time, but well worth the $80 I paid for them way back when.
And then it was onto the coat rack. I just got a over the door rack for the pantry door and Voila! my dining room chairs can now be seen and not a mere suggestion.
Next? the dishes are to be purchased and the office to be properly sorted out. I plan to start yoga this Sunday!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Plans for 2012
My first project of 2012 has been to re-organize and organize our home. My office, which I love and used to do Yoga in, has become the laundry room. That is being worked out, but it is an ongoing battle with the lack of hampers in this house. What the hell we did do with our laundry for the last 7 years that we have lived here I am not sure, but I don't remember it encroaching into my personal space quite like it is now.
....enter the 3 bin laundry sorter....I think it's more for one person and NOT a couple, but it's working.
kind of.
So why the big push for a space I tend to forget about? --I realize that is why it was over taken by laundry in the first place, but some how I expect when I leave my room in a fit state for it to stay in that state. The laundry fairy has deemed otherwise. I want to paint one of the walls and re-start my annual new years/spring struggle for a decent at home exercise practice. I could do my daily practice in the living room, but it is not my space. I like the good juju that lingers in my room after a fulfilling practice, its a cosy room full of my things. The living room while it has my and his things is a might bit more cavernous and cold. The juju, while still good, is a lot more spread out and does not feel quite...so immediate.
Am I making a bit of sense?
However there is a lot more to this project. So in short order, without a lot of fluff:
1) Kitchen: spices, dishes, and a new kettle please!
2) Entry way needs a COAT RACK! I loathe to see coats hung on backs of my puny dining room chairs.
3) Yarn Stash is OUT OF HAND
4) Who in the hell buys black/brown finished wood in the desert? Oh yeah I do. UGH
5) Master bath needs a paint job, shower curtain, towels, and flooring!
6) My junk. I am not talking about the material junk I leave lying around or piled in corners...but my personal junk that has seeped out and has stopped me from not quitting smoking or exercising.
7) My 19th/20th century addiction is in check but I think I want to dedicate a lot more time to the history of it. Historical non-fiction and fiction were my primary focus for this blog way back when I started it and I have really lost that thread!
8) Fun with paint and tile! I want to learn to make a mosaic this year, make one, and hang it in the entry way to take the place of the run-of-the-mill-home-improvement-store mirror that is there now. Preferably re-purposing the mirror for the mosaic.
9) renew my license before I have to send them any more money for being late.
10) Buy a bike. nothing fancy, just something to tootle around on and enjoy the springtime before the blistering heat sets in. Id also like a little wagon to attach to it so I could take Em. I am not sure her short little legs could keep up running next to me and she would so enjoy the wind in her face! Probably as much as I do.
....enter the 3 bin laundry sorter....I think it's more for one person and NOT a couple, but it's working.
kind of.
So why the big push for a space I tend to forget about? --I realize that is why it was over taken by laundry in the first place, but some how I expect when I leave my room in a fit state for it to stay in that state. The laundry fairy has deemed otherwise. I want to paint one of the walls and re-start my annual new years/spring struggle for a decent at home exercise practice. I could do my daily practice in the living room, but it is not my space. I like the good juju that lingers in my room after a fulfilling practice, its a cosy room full of my things. The living room while it has my and his things is a might bit more cavernous and cold. The juju, while still good, is a lot more spread out and does not feel quite...so immediate.
Am I making a bit of sense?
However there is a lot more to this project. So in short order, without a lot of fluff:
1) Kitchen: spices, dishes, and a new kettle please!
2) Entry way needs a COAT RACK! I loathe to see coats hung on backs of my puny dining room chairs.
3) Yarn Stash is OUT OF HAND
4) Who in the hell buys black/brown finished wood in the desert? Oh yeah I do. UGH
5) Master bath needs a paint job, shower curtain, towels, and flooring!
6) My junk. I am not talking about the material junk I leave lying around or piled in corners...but my personal junk that has seeped out and has stopped me from not quitting smoking or exercising.
7) My 19th/20th century addiction is in check but I think I want to dedicate a lot more time to the history of it. Historical non-fiction and fiction were my primary focus for this blog way back when I started it and I have really lost that thread!
8) Fun with paint and tile! I want to learn to make a mosaic this year, make one, and hang it in the entry way to take the place of the run-of-the-mill-home-improvement-store mirror that is there now. Preferably re-purposing the mirror for the mosaic.
9) renew my license before I have to send them any more money for being late.
10) Buy a bike. nothing fancy, just something to tootle around on and enjoy the springtime before the blistering heat sets in. Id also like a little wagon to attach to it so I could take Em. I am not sure her short little legs could keep up running next to me and she would so enjoy the wind in her face! Probably as much as I do.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy 2012!
I have been away a while. I didn't really have time to come here. I was just too busy between work, knitting, family, weddings, friends, illness, and the garden. Believe it or not the garden still survives! I don't have any recent photos so you will have to take my word for it. Even after the unseasonable soggy cold weather we have had the garden has pulled through swimmingly. One pepper plant got a little frost, but for the most part everything survived the downpours and the frigid temperatures. We dipped down to 35-32f a few days out of several weeks in November and while me and everyone I knew came down with 2011's last viral hurrah the garden still survives. I am most grateful for that.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Permission
Lately I've needed permission to step outside of my routine and engage with my creativity. I have spurts of creativity, but they are short lived and usually I have to go back to work and put the project brewing in my head or on the page to the side. It's an uncomfortable feeling, but there are bills to be paid.
Logic would say I could just come back to it when I get home. Emotionally? Sometimes I am chomping at the bit to get home and get back to work. Sometimes I just don't have it in me.
For a long time I believed whole heartedly that my job, with the drama and chaos that is inherent in a mental health facility as well as the insidious and abundant amount of paperwork, would kill my ability to write a coherent sentence outside of the typical and generic. That belief did not do me any favors and it did what I was afraid of my work doing. It zapped my ability to create and overtime I just grew more and more frustrated until eventually I gave up writing all together. I write here a couple times a month. When I first started this blog I had thought to commit to posting 4-5 times a week.
I seriously do not have that kind of energy. Lesson learned and I began posting only when I wanted to. Problem with that was that I forgot I had a blog when something fun or interesting would pop up. I of course remembered the blog at a later date and began posting a little more regularly. I think 2x a month is my average.I did not look at the actual information and am just flying by the seat of my pants on this number.
And then creativity came back, just like that. It just re-appeared as though it had disapperated and went on holiday in Fiji and came back when I least expected it. But when I sat down to write, what I wrote was very stilted, awkward, and it looked very forced. This, I believe, is exactly as it was supposed to be. I am grateful inspiration struck again. I am glad that I was able to step out of my routine, play a little hooky, and spend the day alone and playing. The funny thing was, right before this occurred, I had contacted an old writing group acquaintance who I knew was some kind of coach. It just so happened she is a creativity coach. She and I had met once or twice and communicated a bit on facebook. We met for coffee and had a nice chat and I learned a thing or two. Things I had not stopped to really know about myself.
I am a very hands-on person. I like textures, I shop for clothing by feel first and second by sight. Yes, I have bought some hideous things because they were comfortable. I knit, I crochet, I was a potter for 10 years, and I am most at home when my hands are involved and there is some kind of physicality to the project. At these times it is also when I do the most processing, digesting, and formulating. I don't have to have silence, but noise that is intrusive is not my friend. I am a person who likes her solace, who believes everyone has basic human rights and I have believed this since childhood. So with this information she told me write when the impulse strikes, do not sit down and write every morning or night at the same time for the same amount of time. I should create with my hands first, my mind will follow. And it does. When I am working on a blanket or scarf or hat my mind is on my knitting, but it is also on other projects. I build worlds and people when I am doing something that requires a high level of concentration and silence. Writing is not second nature to me, not anymore. But I think with time, as I use painting, fiber, yarn, tile, glass, and grout I will increase play in my life.
I was asked to get some house paint and paint a wall, somewhere in my house. That immediately reminded me that I have never finished my reading room and right after I parted from her company I went to my preferred Home Improvement store and bought my paint. A beautiful dusty red called Rhubarb for my reading room and a caramelly brown called corkboard for the bathroom I have wanted to work on for a few years.
So I shall see how this goes!
Logic would say I could just come back to it when I get home. Emotionally? Sometimes I am chomping at the bit to get home and get back to work. Sometimes I just don't have it in me.
For a long time I believed whole heartedly that my job, with the drama and chaos that is inherent in a mental health facility as well as the insidious and abundant amount of paperwork, would kill my ability to write a coherent sentence outside of the typical and generic. That belief did not do me any favors and it did what I was afraid of my work doing. It zapped my ability to create and overtime I just grew more and more frustrated until eventually I gave up writing all together. I write here a couple times a month. When I first started this blog I had thought to commit to posting 4-5 times a week.
I seriously do not have that kind of energy. Lesson learned and I began posting only when I wanted to. Problem with that was that I forgot I had a blog when something fun or interesting would pop up. I of course remembered the blog at a later date and began posting a little more regularly. I think 2x a month is my average.I did not look at the actual information and am just flying by the seat of my pants on this number.
And then creativity came back, just like that. It just re-appeared as though it had disapperated and went on holiday in Fiji and came back when I least expected it. But when I sat down to write, what I wrote was very stilted, awkward, and it looked very forced. This, I believe, is exactly as it was supposed to be. I am grateful inspiration struck again. I am glad that I was able to step out of my routine, play a little hooky, and spend the day alone and playing. The funny thing was, right before this occurred, I had contacted an old writing group acquaintance who I knew was some kind of coach. It just so happened she is a creativity coach. She and I had met once or twice and communicated a bit on facebook. We met for coffee and had a nice chat and I learned a thing or two. Things I had not stopped to really know about myself.
I am a very hands-on person. I like textures, I shop for clothing by feel first and second by sight. Yes, I have bought some hideous things because they were comfortable. I knit, I crochet, I was a potter for 10 years, and I am most at home when my hands are involved and there is some kind of physicality to the project. At these times it is also when I do the most processing, digesting, and formulating. I don't have to have silence, but noise that is intrusive is not my friend. I am a person who likes her solace, who believes everyone has basic human rights and I have believed this since childhood. So with this information she told me write when the impulse strikes, do not sit down and write every morning or night at the same time for the same amount of time. I should create with my hands first, my mind will follow. And it does. When I am working on a blanket or scarf or hat my mind is on my knitting, but it is also on other projects. I build worlds and people when I am doing something that requires a high level of concentration and silence. Writing is not second nature to me, not anymore. But I think with time, as I use painting, fiber, yarn, tile, glass, and grout I will increase play in my life.
I was asked to get some house paint and paint a wall, somewhere in my house. That immediately reminded me that I have never finished my reading room and right after I parted from her company I went to my preferred Home Improvement store and bought my paint. A beautiful dusty red called Rhubarb for my reading room and a caramelly brown called corkboard for the bathroom I have wanted to work on for a few years.
So I shall see how this goes!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Some of our plants are in!
Whew! The garden is ready to be planted! We had taken 1 week off because I needed some time not doing anything and then the next weekend the irrigation flooded us out. 2 weeks off and grass we thought we had killed had already started to come back. Grass in the desert does not die. It hibernates and waits for moisture then springs up again green and lovely. That would be nice if I wanted a lawn, but not in my garden!
We finished the job today. And boy, my whole body aches. It was a tough job. The tiller that we had planned on using had a bit of an issue and was not working right so we had to turn the soil by shovel. That was not so bad, but I hope to never do it again!
We planted 3 different varieties of tomato plants, 2 bell pepper plants, 1 jalapeno plant, and several carrots. Next weekend we go back and plant the onion sets, leeks and lettuce.
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
We finished the job today. And boy, my whole body aches. It was a tough job. The tiller that we had planned on using had a bit of an issue and was not working right so we had to turn the soil by shovel. That was not so bad, but I hope to never do it again!
We planted 3 different varieties of tomato plants, 2 bell pepper plants, 1 jalapeno plant, and several carrots. Next weekend we go back and plant the onion sets, leeks and lettuce.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Good Reads Give-aways
I recently started making use of my Good Reads account. I had been signed up with them for quite sometime, but I stopped paying attention and pretty much forgot about them. Somehow I ended up there again and realized I had set up an account and added a few books to my "shelves." I signed in, changed some of my email settings and started getting emails. One email I got recently was about give-aways.
Like most people I love free stuff, but a free book is heaven! I am an avid reader. If I could make a living reading I would do it in a nano-second. I will read nearly anything. So I signed up for a giveaway of a book that appeared to be somewhat entertaining. A few weeks later I got an email saying I had won and to expect my book in 4-6 weeks. I was thrilled. 3 weeks later the book arrived!
The book's title is Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog By Stanley Coren. It is a memoir of a psychologists life with his many dogs, how he came to study animal-human behavior, and his wonderful Cairn Terrier, Flint.There is a bit of training tid-bits in there too. I was very surprised that someone finally wrote a book about these wonderful little dogs who really do think they are big dogs. The book is written in a down-to-earth manner that allows you to see the human writing it, rather than the psychologist (there are bits of that too, but it is not a research book.) I am also glad that the author writer in a tone that is intelligent and not too terribly main stream. He is honest about how he chooses a puppy and about the breed. It really is a worth while read.
So if you do not have a Good Reads account and love to read you may want to check them out. Free books are a mighty nice thing!
*sidenote*
For the few that actually look at or read this blog you may know my husband and I are owned by a six year-old Cairn Terrier named Emerald. I say 'owned' because she does own us. There is no other way to put it. Em is one of the best dogs I have ever had the pleasure to live with. She was simple to house-break, easy to train (heel, sit, stay, patience,take it, leave it, car ride, Petsmart, and relax are all in her vocabulary and she responds appropriately to each- "quiet" is hit or miss.) Her spirit, her sense of humor, her ability to insist that certain things are done her way (walks,) the fact that she upholds the house rules and head butts the cats if they are scratching the furniture or decide to get near the dinner table when she has heard them told no or we are setting the table or eating.She is protective of her home and her humans and cats. She lets you know when there is something on the other side of the door and adores people, especially small humans. Her bark is that of a bigger dog and many a delivery person has been shocked to see a 20 pound dog on the other side of the door scrabbling at the floor to greet them. She is very independent, not a lap dog, and would prefer to have more work to do around the house then to herd cats. I think perhaps some gardening would be her best job and once it cools down we intend to take her to the garden to give her something to do. She is affectionate, but prefers the kind of affection that usually includes a toy, a game of chase, or a treat. She is a comedian and a curious boxy little dog with some serious self esteem.
Like most people I love free stuff, but a free book is heaven! I am an avid reader. If I could make a living reading I would do it in a nano-second. I will read nearly anything. So I signed up for a giveaway of a book that appeared to be somewhat entertaining. A few weeks later I got an email saying I had won and to expect my book in 4-6 weeks. I was thrilled. 3 weeks later the book arrived!
The book's title is Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog By Stanley Coren. It is a memoir of a psychologists life with his many dogs, how he came to study animal-human behavior, and his wonderful Cairn Terrier, Flint.There is a bit of training tid-bits in there too. I was very surprised that someone finally wrote a book about these wonderful little dogs who really do think they are big dogs. The book is written in a down-to-earth manner that allows you to see the human writing it, rather than the psychologist (there are bits of that too, but it is not a research book.) I am also glad that the author writer in a tone that is intelligent and not too terribly main stream. He is honest about how he chooses a puppy and about the breed. It really is a worth while read.
So if you do not have a Good Reads account and love to read you may want to check them out. Free books are a mighty nice thing!
*sidenote*
For the few that actually look at or read this blog you may know my husband and I are owned by a six year-old Cairn Terrier named Emerald. I say 'owned' because she does own us. There is no other way to put it. Em is one of the best dogs I have ever had the pleasure to live with. She was simple to house-break, easy to train (heel, sit, stay, patience,take it, leave it, car ride, Petsmart, and relax are all in her vocabulary and she responds appropriately to each- "quiet" is hit or miss.) Her spirit, her sense of humor, her ability to insist that certain things are done her way (walks,) the fact that she upholds the house rules and head butts the cats if they are scratching the furniture or decide to get near the dinner table when she has heard them told no or we are setting the table or eating.She is protective of her home and her humans and cats. She lets you know when there is something on the other side of the door and adores people, especially small humans. Her bark is that of a bigger dog and many a delivery person has been shocked to see a 20 pound dog on the other side of the door scrabbling at the floor to greet them. She is very independent, not a lap dog, and would prefer to have more work to do around the house then to herd cats. I think perhaps some gardening would be her best job and once it cools down we intend to take her to the garden to give her something to do. She is affectionate, but prefers the kind of affection that usually includes a toy, a game of chase, or a treat. She is a comedian and a curious boxy little dog with some serious self esteem.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I ♥ my Kindle
I am not an early adopter. I have a difficult time buying the latest and greatest gadget because Apple or whomever put it out and it is "all the rage." I just don't care to follow the pack and waste money on something that usually does not have all the kinks worked out just yet. It's a waste of my patience to learn the hard way that something is buggy, especially if I paid several hundred dollars for it.
I am also a book snob. I like to think I read all the good books (I don't, I have pretty select and not so select taste.) I like the feel of books, the smell of them when they are old and new. I like to hold them in my hands as I read and tote them around with me. Hardback books can be a challenge because I generally like small cross body purses that will not allow me to take everything but the bathroom shower along with me. But they too come along with me, one way or another.
So Because of the size of my purse I eventually purchased myself a 3rd generation Kindle. I buy most things from Amazon and find that Barnes & Noble is just too overpriced and their Nook was no exception. Not to mention the Nook would not allow me to download from Amazon and that bugged me. The Nook also was back-lit and if I wanted to read my books on a computer screen I'd download a kindle app and read them on my computer. Which is something I just cannot do. It detracts from a book reading experience. Again the tactile part of book reading is by and large why I did not order a first generation e-reader.
What I have found with my Kindle is I can get new-releases and not have to lug a hardback around. I can also get daily deals from Amazon and pay next to nothing for a new book. Not that all of those titles are good, but if I am short on money and need a new book to read a $2.99, $.99 or FREE book is where it's at. I also love love love the sample chapters. First 2-3 chapters for free so I don't waste my money. I have wasted my money on one of the books on my kindle but it was $2.99 and not $12.99.
So what is on my Kindle:
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson - GREAT READ!
The Churchill's in Love and War by Mary S. Lovell -GREAT READ
The Sisters by Mary S. Lovell - GREAT READ
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer - GREAT READ
Howards End by E.M. Forester - My first free-be :)
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Spy by Eric Metaxas - still wading through this one, its ok, but can be boring.
The American Heiress: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin - good and light
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson- meh, it was ok.
The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller - great stuff
Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - IMHO the author had a great idea, but the book fell short
Island of the Swans by Ciji Ware - Couldn't make it past the 3rd chapter, it bored me to tears. Thank goodness I got this one on a daily deal.
I am also a book snob. I like to think I read all the good books (I don't, I have pretty select and not so select taste.) I like the feel of books, the smell of them when they are old and new. I like to hold them in my hands as I read and tote them around with me. Hardback books can be a challenge because I generally like small cross body purses that will not allow me to take everything but the bathroom shower along with me. But they too come along with me, one way or another.
So Because of the size of my purse I eventually purchased myself a 3rd generation Kindle. I buy most things from Amazon and find that Barnes & Noble is just too overpriced and their Nook was no exception. Not to mention the Nook would not allow me to download from Amazon and that bugged me. The Nook also was back-lit and if I wanted to read my books on a computer screen I'd download a kindle app and read them on my computer. Which is something I just cannot do. It detracts from a book reading experience. Again the tactile part of book reading is by and large why I did not order a first generation e-reader.
What I have found with my Kindle is I can get new-releases and not have to lug a hardback around. I can also get daily deals from Amazon and pay next to nothing for a new book. Not that all of those titles are good, but if I am short on money and need a new book to read a $2.99, $.99 or FREE book is where it's at. I also love love love the sample chapters. First 2-3 chapters for free so I don't waste my money. I have wasted my money on one of the books on my kindle but it was $2.99 and not $12.99.
So what is on my Kindle:
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson - GREAT READ!
The Churchill's in Love and War by Mary S. Lovell -GREAT READ
The Sisters by Mary S. Lovell - GREAT READ
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer - GREAT READ
Howards End by E.M. Forester - My first free-be :)
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Spy by Eric Metaxas - still wading through this one, its ok, but can be boring.
The American Heiress: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin - good and light
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson- meh, it was ok.
The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller - great stuff
Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - IMHO the author had a great idea, but the book fell short
Island of the Swans by Ciji Ware - Couldn't make it past the 3rd chapter, it bored me to tears. Thank goodness I got this one on a daily deal.
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