One more chair

2010 resolutions

2010-01-01T15:32:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that it's 2010. It finally hit me, how much time has passed in my life already. I keep having to remind myself there is a lot of time left though, so it's time to get my life in order now.

1. lose some weight. Eat better, and less. Try some new recipes that don't include cheese or the phrase tex-mex.

2. get this house in order. Bring less crap in. Sell the crap I don't want and don't really know why we are keeping it. I'm not talking about selling those family pieces that, even if they are crap, they mean something to us. I mean the crap. The stuff I used to like but no longer do. The stuff we have outgrown.

3. Even though I want to spend less time on the computer, I do want to re do this blog. Fix it up a bit. Change the layout and the tags. Make it more about us, our home, our gardens etc... I haven't exactly thought that through yet though, so any ideas are welcome.

The post where I talk about thrift store shopping.....

2009-12-29T19:15:00.000-06:00

I finally got out of my house today-after all, it's only been 11 days- and I drove into the big city and went shopping. After hitting the mall, Target and Hobby Lobby I decided to check out the thrifts too. I usually hit a few choice church thrifts looking for 60's/70's houseware and clothing for my etsy shop Big Red Dog Vintage .

One thrift in particular loves their stuff. So much so, they price it so high no one will ever take it away from them. They had a mens Tommy Hilfiger shirt on the end of an aisle, and I noticed the price tag. 8.99. For a used shirt. WTF?

If I ever spend 8.99 for a used mens shirt in a thrift store it's because there is a 5 dollar bill stuffed into its front pocket.

What exactly is the definition of cabin fever?

2009-12-27T19:03:00.000-06:00

I have been in this house nonstop since Wednesday night. Before the 3 hour reprive on Wednesday, I had been in the house since the Friday before at 4 pm. This makes it 8 days now- with 3 hours out. I don't "sit" well to start with, and add "stuck in the house" to that and it makes a messy combo.

I can only be beaten by my 5 1/2 yr old so many times on Wii bowling before I have to get something actually accomplished. I decided to finish the sewing room project .

This is before. Please remember, when I moved into this house, the space was a woodshop. It was really, really, icky. After that, it became more like a storage bunker.

after

I painted the back wall and moved stuff back in....

Looks better huh? I still have some things to do- hang some paintings and put away all the paint supplies living under that table. But, it's like a little room now.

Merry freakin Christmas

2009-12-24T22:56:00.000-06:00

From My Mothers favorite Christmas movie---

It's 11.47 pm. The wrapping is done. The presents are out. I am currently looking at my present. Yep, the Mr. got me a new monitor. I LOVE IT!

Today was Grandparents Christmas- they came over and totally spoiled the boy- he hauled more presents from them than most kids get from santa! Here is a cake I made for dinner-

dinner for anyone taking notes was a ham, chicken and noodles, cranberries, corn, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes and roasted potatoes

This is one of the gifts the boy got today- you have to love the Playmobiles!

This is from Santa Merry Christmas!

Christmas projects

2009-12-21T15:03:00.001-06:00

My antler pole all decked out for Christmas

I use the Christmas holiday break to get some real work done around the house. I went down today and painted the last of my back wall in the sewing room. By Thursday everything will (hopefully) be in it's rightful place. Then I started work on the front hall closet.

It's tiny, so the fact that something was in there that I had forgotten about is amazing to me. But there it was- my old Nikon camera. The batteries are dead. There is a roll in it. There is also 6 rolls of color and 4 rolls of black and white film. In TWO camera bags. Bags I didn't even know where in there. so very sad.... I have to get this place cleaned out and the extra crap either in the garage sale piles or off to the charity stores.

The boy is doing paintings today for the Grandparents Christmas gifts. There is one of a eagle with a fish, one of a pig, and one some deer in the garden. He also painted a guitar for my brother. I would take some pictures- but the digitals batteries are dead.

Just a regular day here huh?

More inspiration pictures!

2009-12-16T12:30:00.016-06:00

Looking around my house I want to "refresh" it this spring/summer. In order to be able to do that- I need some new ideas. Going through my look book I came across these pictures from here . The above dining room is actually similiar in shape to my space- and I have a large harvest style table already. I like it- I just know I can't pull off a dark dining room though- my room faces north and it's dark enough already. Below is a childs room-

now, I don't think that my kid can have a room like this- after all, where are the star wars posters? The tubs and tubs of plastic toys and legos? But it's worth thinking about anyway.

Day three of winter weather conditions

2009-12-11T08:07:00.004-06:00

and we are again, stuck in the house. This is also day 3 of no school for the boy. I thought for sure today we were going back- but no-that wasn't to be. Yesterday we got out for a short amount of time- snow angels were made, a snow ball fight was had and I shoveled the drive. It looks like we got another 3 or so inches last night and it's coming down pretty good right now.
I think we might make it out to the drive way after lunch.

oh, it's so cold my dog won't go outside to do his ...ummm.... business either. He looks at me like-what? no way!!!!... so now, I have to use those damn puppy training pads in the laundry or he'll start peeing on everything. Stupid dog. I know he's only 11 lbs, and had little to no hair,and he's from Texas, and he's 13 years old, but come on- man up and pee outside. It will only take a few seconds.....

I miss Texas on days like this....

2009-12-09T11:24:00.004-06:00

Blizzard last night, a "snow event" is scheduled for every day for the next 7. We got somewhere around 6-8 inches of wet, super heavy snow last night. Everything is closed. I got my car dug out finally this morning- but it's snowing again, so who knows how long that will last.

I went to the store yesterday though, and along with everyone else in the state, we stocked up. Water, food, etc... even charcoal so that if we lose power we can still eat hot food.

Fun huh?

Jingle bell, jingle bells

2009-12-07T12:48:00.003-06:00

It seemed like such a good idea this fall-putting the boy into the bigger school system. The one the next town over, with a bigger tax base and more diversity. And it was a good idea-until this morning at 7:30 am and I was driving down secondary roads in a near white out conditions at times to take him to school. It took 35 minutes to drive what normally takes 20.

This is only going to get worse I fear. There is a storm system coming Tuesday night and if it hits like they think, it's going to be pretty awful- and we are supposed to be a dinner party with the university president on Wednesday night.

BUT- we got our tree up, and I started taking some holiday-ish pictures. Here you go-

this is my chiweenie dog Chuy and his Christmas friend...

The deer head got in the act....

Tommy, the surly Christmas kitty....

the tree. It was just cut, so it has to fall still and we needed to make sure it was drinking before we lit it up! The boy picked it out when they went to the Christmas tree farm on Sunday.

I want an actual bed!

2009-12-05T12:03:00.006-06:00

I want a bed with a headboard. I don't so much care about the foot board, but I want a bed that doesn't come free when you buy a mattress.

So far, I'm looking at stuff like this......

I really like the big wooden plank as headboard idea. Seems to me I should be able to figure out how to do that though- without having to buy a new bed frame doesn't it? Like maybe actually hanging the wood on the wall off a cleat or something like that.

I'd actually love a platform type bed like in pic 2, but I do need the space underneath for off season clothing storage, so that might not be the best option for me after all.....

well, back to the drawing board!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2009-12-04T07:17:00.002-06:00

It's snowing again-coming down pretty good right now. I think it's going to stick for the season.

ICK........

Why are grown women wearing pajamas in public?

2009-11-29T07:51:00.002-06:00

That was the thought that I had going into the boys school on Tuesday. When did it become OK for grown ups to go out and about in their pj's?

Then I realized what I was wearing. It was super cold outside- I was out in flip flops, levis that are way too long for me, a t shirt that I had spilled an iced tea on earlier that day, my husbands way- to- large- for- me jacket, my hair was thrown up in what my friends used to call "house hair" and I had 2, count them 2, pair of glasses propped up on my head-Sunglasses and reading glasses. No purse- my keys stuffed into my levis. I was a sight.

who am I to judge?

But at least it wasn't my pj's......

thanksgiving and it's aftermath

2009-11-27T10:17:00.002-06:00

The new stove rocks. It cooks evenly and well. And much, much faster than my old 1985 version. That meant that dinner was served nearly one hour earlier than advertised. Thank God everyone was here and I had things well under control or that would have been a disaster. It wasn't. Everything was very tasty, done, and a good time had by all. I only took a picture of the turkey though. Sorry. There was a mad rush near the end on my part so the camera wasn't allowed- I thought it might fall into a vat of mashed.

Today, since my roots are from Indiana, I am trying my greatgrandmothers favorite dish- chicken and noodles. Except, I will use turkey. Why? Because like everyone family in the USA, I have leftovers. So, Turkey and Amish egg noodles (I'm not making my own today) and stock. I will go against tradition and add in the leftover carrots and some celery too I think. Really clean out that fridge.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T10:30:00.003-06:00

I host Thanksgiving every year. Really, it started so my little family didn't have to travel to my moms and his moms houses for the day. I hate that . I liked the thought that they would all have to travel here. I'm selfish like that. Same for Christmas - except there is a "no family" rule on Christmas Day. Grandparents are welcome on Christmas Eve DAY- but they have to be all gone by 7pm- don't worry- I feed them on that day too.

You have to have rules I find, or you will be run over with requests. We traveled to and fro when I was a child. It sucked. I will not do that to my kid.

Anyway- this is the menu for the day. I am making it all except for the cranberry sauce. That comes from a jar at my moms house. It's whole berry sauce if that makes anyone feel better. I like it.

Turkey. This year it's a 16.23 lb one. It's thawing in the fridge as I write this.

dressing. NOT stuffing. I find stuffing gross, and it's a chance to give your entire family food poisoning if not done correctly.

mashed potatoes. Yukon Golds with cream and real butter.

Turkey gravy

roasted carrots
Roasted sweet potatoes. No sugar or marshmallows. Ick. Some salt and butter please

sweet corn

biscuits

dessert is Pumpkin Gooey Cake. I make it every year. It's a Paula Deen recipe so it has a God awful amount of butter in it. It's very, very good.

That's it. Iced tea since no one drinks. Not very exciting really. As Wende says, I"m "exceedingly normal" . I'm ok with that. Better than OK really.

more inspiration pictures.

2009-11-13T09:15:00.002-06:00

This Is a post and run job- so I'll be back to post some links if I can. This first pic was just on Apartment Therapy today- I love love love those lamps This is everything I want my kitchen to be....

I love that ceiling and it would look great in my house. This is from Storm Interiors.

I love this color and that window covering.

The sofa and the wood wall is what does it for me in this picture.

Later- I have to go to school -22 kindergartners are waiting for me

5 down, 5 to go

2009-11-10T15:26:00.003-06:00

It's the next group of 5 questions- good thing too- SCB is going to wear her fingers to the bone cleaning! Also, my husband is in the hospital now -as I write this- having a CAT scan of his head. He's been ill and they have some things they need to check out. This will get me mind off it. Why aren't I there you ask? The boy. Flu is rampant here and I am not taking him to where sick people go and sit.

Here you go-
What is the first movie you ever saw in a theatre.
I don't know. The first one I remember is "Star Wars". My Mom, Dad, my brother and I went to go see it. That in itself is amazing because I think that is the only movie I remember my Mom and Dad going to- either with us or without us. They are not movie people. Now, Dad watches DVDS, but my mom could care less.

oh- because I lived in a small, small town and it had one theatre, with one screen- "Star Wars" played forever.

What's the book that had the biggest impact on you?
When I was very small it was "little house on the Prairie" books. I read them all. They were yellow, paperback and I had the entire series. I loved them.
When I was about 12 or so I read "Gone with the Wind" , "The Godfather", and "The Stand"
Later, I would add "East of Eden" to that list of books. I loves these books, I still have copies of them by my bed. Really, they are about relationships, trust, and good vs evil.

I never was into the entire Judy Bloom thing, or VC Andrews and those damn kids in the Attic. There wasn't really any teen vampire stuff back then, and things like "Catcher in the Rye" and "Lord of the Flies" just didn't do it for me.

In what fictional place would you like to vacation, and what would you bring back as a souvenir
I don't know really. All I can think of is that I would love to go to the beach. Any beach. I would bring back sand.

What place (where you live) gives you joy?

My back yard, down by the river. Or, the upper peninsula. It's beautiful up there. quiet.

What's your drag song?
I don't get this question. I guess "It's raining men" by the Weather girls. I have always liked that song.

That's it. Thanks for helping me kill 15 minutes!

Cure week 5- it's the officespace week

2009-11-09T16:05:00.004-06:00

I know that I'm actually doing the one room cure. I understand that, but when I read the cure posts and see that it's office week- well-my office needs help too. So does my computer desk in the kitchen and my bills desk in the dining room. I think I have to add office week to my to do list this week. Here are my before pictures-

This is my actual office. The tower of white boxes is stuff that is on-or going to be on-Etsy. The rest is just crap.
This is my "bills" desk in the dining room. The tubs are Etsy stuff that need to be put in the shop, the dress form needs to go to the sewing room. The crap on the desk- that's the big issue.

This is the computer desk. It's actually been cleaned up once this week. This table is just a crap collector. I knew it when the Mr. built it- but I didn't think it would be this bad....

I have a lot of work to do this week huh?

curing the living room

2009-11-07T12:36:00.001-06:00

living room-south side
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

I'm just cleaning the living room this week. This is my 35 dollar 11 ft long sofa. It's ok, the pattern is nuts, but the price couldn't be beat.

The sewing room project

2009-11-04T12:52:00.002-06:00

BEFORE picture of the sewing room
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

First off, it was really messy. Second- it reminded me of a bunker. So, I removed everything and the Mr. painted the floor-

Then I painted the wall green. I had the paint already- it's a gallon of mistint I got for 5 bucks. Then I put some of the stuff back in, but edited. A desk and table for my sewing, some lamps. A painting. Now I have to think about storage and start work on the wall across from the desk. That wall is going to be paneled and painted white with shelves and a rod.

It's the questions meme- 5 at time is the way to go!

2009-11-01T18:24:00.002-06:00

SO, it seems that doing the first 5 questions tonight is the social norm. Far be it from me to rock the boat here.

Lauralynne
Would you rather eat Reese's Cups or Peppermint Patties?

Reeses, matter of fact, I just at a huge bag of them. We don't get trick or treaters at the chair household. Too remote. But-JUST IN CASE- I always buy one bag of candy. A bag of candy I wouldn't mind eating myself. Reeses. Jumbos. Yum.

Would you rather never listen to music again or lose your TV?
I would die if I lost my TV. Or my cable. Or my ON DEMAND. Or my HULU. Well, you get the point. I'm visual. I love my tv.

If you could visit any one time period in history, when would it be?

I'm with Wende on the problem of hygiene. Especially the oral part of hygiene. Plus, being a woman with a vagina is problematic during most, if not all, of the really exciting eras of human development. That said, I would love to go see the Mayan and Aztec civilizations when they were humming along. As long as I got to keep my heart in my chest, that is. We don't know a whole lot about that society and what they did. I sure would like to see it for myself.

Would you rather die peacefully, but unexpectedly in your sleep at 60, or at 90 after years of disease...

Before the cancer, I would have said 60. Now, it would be 90. I really, really, really don't want to die. Have I made that clear? I want every available medical test, trial, drug or machine at my demand to avoid leaving this earthly plane.

Do you think that questions such as "what's your favourite colour/ice cream/album of all time" help you get to know another person?

Nope. It just lets you know what color/ice cream/album they like at the time they answer the question. I don't know if anyone can tell anything about me by the fact I like mint chocolate chip ice cream, the color green and the Dixie Chicks. But go ahead if you think that opens some doorway to my soul.

The boy is sick.

2009-10-31T14:22:00.004-05:00

It's Batman!

Woke up sick. Temperature, tummy ache. Now he's laying on the sofa watching tv and rotting his brain. I hope he gets better soon. At least he had a "sort of " Halloween - the school had a big Halloween day- parties and parades, then we went up the university and hit all the places where the Mr. works and the boy got a TON of candy! (no, he didn't eat a ton of it last night- 3 pieces I think)

I knew this was going to happen with all the kids out at his school. I just hope he fights it off- he still hasn't had his H1N1 vaccine yet (because we don't have any up here yet)

I know what I'll be doing this weekend- taking temperatures, watching fluid intake and rubbing his head.

Happy Halloween!

Family issues

2009-10-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

My cousin is married with two kids. She's been married twice- one kid with each husband. She has been laid off now for months. This is not the first time she has been laid off for an extended period of time. She's not lazy or a bad worker- but I fear she has no common sense what so ever. Her husband is extremely smart- but what we call up here "bone idle"- part time work sometimes. No work now. They now have no money. None. This isn't the first time this has happened either.

I thought maybe I had written something last time this happened, and maybe I did and erased it- I don't know. Last time they had their house, car and motorcycle repossessed. My aunt went out and bought them an older used car, and tried to get them set up for job interviews and some public assistance (my Aunt is VERY connected in that field where they live) I don't even know if my cousin is looking for a job. My Aunt doesn't think so. She isn't even trying to get public assistance to stay afloat.

My Aunt doesn't know what to do now either. I know she wouldn't help my cousin and husband anymore- but there's grandkids involved (ages 5 and 6) . She can't have them stay with her- she lives in one of those age controlled condos- I think you have to be 55 at least to live there- when she bought it she just met the age conditions herself. Plus, now she's the head of the board of that condo- so she really can't break the rules. In addition, she has NO money herself. She works in a non profit education system.

Anyway. I don't know what to do. I feel so bad for those kids. In December, without a job, they will lose their rental house and have the electric turned off. (my Aunt paid this month apparently at the last minute) .We have no extra money. We live too far away in another state to have them stay with us (besides, my county has a 13.4% unemployment rate) . Her Dad is jerk and they don't talk. His Dad is no help either. There is no extended family except me.

I want to go down there and kick her ass. I'm pretty sure that won't help though. I think her first husband-father of the oldest kid- will try to get custody of him. Ripping the brothers apart doesn't seem right, but at least one would have a roof over his head and heat.

Can I do anything?

The illness that just won't go away.

2009-10-25T11:06:00.002-05:00

As I have written before, I am sick. Really sick, not just cough, cough sick. I spent all of September off and on sick because the boy child started school and the petri dish that is kindergarten is very contagious. Then, 12 days ago I got the flu. Probably. I got all the symptoms, but they don't test anymore up here. 5 days after I got the flu, I got an ear infection and a sinus infection. The ER visit followed. The antibiotic didn't help. one. damn. bit. 5 days later and I'm sicker than ever- no earaches, but sicker than ever. The cough syrup did work like a champ though, so sleeping was easier.

I called my Dr. on Friday. When I got put into hold hell I knew things were bad in this area health- wise. There is a 3 minute recording that lists all of the symptoms on H1N1, what is dangerous, what isn't. They are trying to get everyone to stay home for 7 days if they are sick, not just the 24 hours after the fever breaks. I was on hold for 22 minutes. Finally I talk to a nurse, explain the issue, she transfers me to the triage nurse. Triage. In small town Michigan. She takes all my info, tells me she'll call back. See, I still have the infection. I shouldn't still be sick. After 4 more hours, she calls back. Tells me to stop taking my antibiotics, they are calling in a more powerful antibiotic and to make sure to read all of the cautions. I don't have to see the Dr. I can't see the Dr. They are too busy.

The cautions are horrific. Tendon breakage is the oddest of the 4 pages. Just as I'm about to take the first one, my Mom calls. She's been in the ER. Infection and breathing problems. They prescibed the same very powerful drug to her- gave her one in the ER. Now, this is two separate hospital systems, so now I have a bit more confidence in this drug, but these side effects are scary. I decided to take it anyway (Moms not having any side effects yet) The drug makes me dizzy. Not horribly, but dizzy all the same. Yesterday was a wash. I wake up today though, and feel better than I have in 12 days. I think this might just work.

The pills (10 of them total) cost me 20 bucks with my insurance. Retail cost was 158.00. My Mom got 7 pills. It cost her 39.00 with her insurance. Same pills. I hate our insurance industry.

hysterical!

2009-10-21T08:33:00.001-05:00

Going through the Anthropolgy catalog and I see this collection . Gwen Frostic. Now, I love her work. I have her letterpress books and some art. They want 28.00 bucks for a copy of "To Those Who See." I think I have 3 copies that I bought for buck each. I have other books of hers too. I got a framed print for 75 cents. For a while this summer I couldn't go to a sale and not find something of her work. She's from just north of here.