Month: July 2012

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Shopping for porch furniture

Yesterday when I went to the stores for some things I needed, on a whim I went into the garden section to look at furniture for my porch. Everything is on sale! From chairs to the glider seats that I love so much. Even the porch swings are on sale, which I really love.

If I check on finances, and all is semi okay on that count, I’d love to have at least a couple new chairs and the porch swing. The kind of porch I have would be perfect for the swing.

Growing up, we always had a front porch swing and as I’m writing this little add to my blog, I’m even more convinced that I want the swing more than I do even the new chairs. Hopefully there is still one at the store I went to left tomorrow when I go into town again. On the flip side…I just may go get it later on today! I think the family would like it as much as I would.

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Touch of elegance for the bath

Since my bathroom is nearly complete and I must admit is also starting to look very elegant, I would like to get bath accessories that will elude elegance  also. This room is my personal bathroom and I want it to stay nice. Also I’d like for it to be finished as a reflection upon my taste, which is sometimes a bit eclectic, but also more expensive than I would put in my spare baths or in my kid’s bathrooms, for instance.

In my opinion, my bathroom is a haven. A place for me to relax and pamper myself. I love and want all of my accessories to match and make the room to feel comfortable, and classy also. I went with more expensive tile, sinks, mirrors and flooring, so I’m not going to scrimp on the final touches and decor, that make it all come together.

Looking for just the right candles, soap and toothbrush holder, sponges and towels has been a joy to shop for. For once, everything is going to match and yet can also be mixed with various other colors so I can change these, depending the moods I have. Even my face cloths will have my initials on them. I thank my husband since this room is my first big anniversary gift from him. I must admit, he didn’t make me go easy financially on what I wanted to make my bathroom start to come together just exactly the way I would like it!

 

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Enjoying the pool and duckie

When it comes to my kids and swimming, I do believe they are part fish. I personally was a spring and high board diver while I was growing up and then into my late teens. At one time I had considered training for the Olympics, but situations change and things happened that I never did get to go to tryouts. My youngest son has the diving gene in him also swims like a pro, but lately he’s smitten with a floating duck I brought for the grand kids.

We taught kids in our family how to swim as a natural part of our summer lives. We were always going to the water of some sort or fashion. Whether a pool, a deep creek or even the big Lake Michigan, we were always in or near the water on hot summer days.

I wish every kid had the chance to learn how to swim at an early age so they would never be afraid to be in or on the water. You have to learn young – before you become afraid of things like that. I think the perfect age is 4 or 5 for most children. Some people even like to take babies in the water and teach them proper breathing techniques. I think that is wonderful – we need more of this in our children’s lives.

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Garden planning for next year

This years gardens and lawns did not do well at all. It’s sad because I had seeded, planted and even reseeded in hopes that my plants and flowers could or might do well despite of lack of rain. I was wrong. Even watering from the hose didn’t help.

I’ve been looking at various seeds and plants that might do well despite the lack of rain, in case next summer is anything like this summer has been. In our growing area, it’s pretty sparse pickings. No pun intended.

In the mean time, I’m trying to get the remodeling of my bathroom finished, so at least I’ll have the extra money to plant new flowers, plants and veggies next spring. Hopefully, that will be finished toward the middle of next month if all goes well with the plumbing. As far as my gardens go…I’m still trying to water, but it’s a loosing battle.

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In need of outdoor furniture repair

Because of someone, meaning my sons and husband, seem to have had a small party over the weekend, they or their friends went a bit overboard and now I am in need of someone who specializes in outdoor furniture repair. Around here, this is no easy task. I really like the furniture I have and want to keep it, but I know that it might be hard to repair or heaven’s forbid cost more than it would take to replace it. But I’m bound and determined to have my old furniture repair. It matches my deck and all of the other finishing touches I added that also mate the furniture.

To refinish patio furniture, I want someone who knows exactly what they are doing and I believe I have found such people to do this. I’m glad, since my furniture is not antique, but it is vintage and I’m really partial to all of it.

I have one patio chair that is going to need a whole lot of work. It is my favorite and happens to be the chair I always sit in. It looks like it went though a hurricane and was spit back out by the wind and ocean, after being dragged to yonder and back. I indeed will be needing a patio chair repair person who knows exactly what they are  doing. I know for a fact that the next time I go away, there will be no parties or disrespectful people here, but at least I found people who can fix my furniture, at a good price, so I don’t have to go out an buy new things that can’t compare with the good items I have.

 

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Went away and came back to a mess

Being not sure what happened here while I was away for the weekend, and the guys not talking, to be honest I’m pretty miffed. Miffed is a word I use when I actually want to say something else that may not be acceptable here on my blogs. Not sure about that and will have to check…

I’m not sure if someone had a  party or if a strong wind came through and ruined a great deal of my lawn and porch furniture, but suffice to say, it is not going to improve my mood since I have to either buy new things or I need to find someone to fix what I originally had. If I have to fix this stuff, believe me, after heads roll, then it will be paid for out of blood, sweat and tears if need be…and not mine. Miffed…Pffft. Not even the word I want.

I got home to a mess. Go figure, leave the sons and grand son home with my husband who doesn’t pay an ounce of attention to what is going on in or around this house. Now I have to assess any damage and take it out in hides. I guess one would say that I am about to go on a rampage.

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Great garage sale finds

Because of this season, I love all of the yard sales, garage sales and the barn sales. Oh heck, I love all the roadside sales we veer right into while taking road cruises.

Today, since most garage sales start on Thursdays, I didn’t think I would find much, but one’s man junk is another man’s treasure. I’ve been wanting to find my daughter a ceder chest to uses as a “hope chest” since she will soon be leaving home and moving out of state. To be honest, this is sort of tearing me apart, but I did find a Lane cedar chest that she can be proud to have. I got the man down by bartering, from 100.00 to 45.00.

This chest does have some dings and a bit of scratches in it, but it is old. I’m pretty certain it is an antique, but will have to check with a friend who deals with these kind of things. I’m sure it isn’t worth more than what I paid for it, but I’m happy with it, and know my daughter will be, after I clean it up some and use some natural scratch cover on it. Now I can start stocking it!! 🙂

 

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Healthy Ducks for Sale

After me voicing that I wanted a pond in the back yard, my husband jokingly said to find some Ducks for sale while I was at it. I don’t think that is a bad idea at all. If all goes well with building the pond that I would like to have at the edge of the back yard, they would be an ideal addition to it. Plus, not many people I know like duck eggs, but I do! They have a nice rich flavor and are great for omelets, in my opinion.

If I can Buy Ducks along with the chickens, I’d be on way to becoming a back yard farmer of sorts. Plus I think these animals are so darn cute to watch. They would be a most welcome addition to my back yard. They might even turn out to be nice pets also!

I thought it would be so nice to find some nice laying  Chickens for Sale. I would love to go out to their coop and fetch my own eggs that came from my own chickens, and ducks without having to buy them in the store at a really high prices for brown chicken eggs. My whole family love fresh eggs, and brown ones are the best. I think they have a much better flavor when they are fresh and brown.

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A perfect hard boiled egg

After trying dozens upon dozens of tips on how to make the perfect hard boiled egg, I decided to wing it and try to make the perfect egg without using these tips. I didn’t want a green outside for the yolk and I didn’t want my eggs whites, to turn out like rubber. Below is what I did and the results were perfect for me.

Put one dozen eggs into a large pan big enough to hold them without crowding. Cover with water, an inch or so over the eggs. Put on burner at high heat, until it comes to a rolling hard boil. Boil for one half of a minute.

Take pan off heat source and cover. Leave it alone for 9 minutes. Drain and stick in the sink filled with cold water and ice cubes. I waited until the ice cubes melted to take my eggs out. One tip is, to use old eggs. I bought eggs especially for cooking hard boiled and let them sit in the refrigerator for two weeks. Took them out and got them to room temperature before I put them in the water. My eggs peeled perfectly, and were a nice yellow color with no grey or green tint to them! I’m not saying everyone’s will turn out like mine. I think it’s trial and error…like to each their own in the cooking department when it comes to hard boiling eggs. That is at least my opinion.

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What is for supper

I hear this all the time. The problem is, since it’s summer and the temperatures have been as high as 105 degrees, I by no means what to fire up the oven. My gas grill isn’t working right and pure and simple, it’s just been too hot to cook.

I’ve been buying a lot of produce, fruits and also cold cuts for the family. The extent of my cooking lately has been to make things like potato salad, egg salad, tuna salad and ham salad. Oh yes, pasta salad of various sorts also is on the menu.

Tonight I’m going to suffer a bit and make a large supper. I plan on making a pork loin roast, a leafy salad, baked potatoes and also corn on the cob. At least that is the game plan. My husband bought me a very large floor fan for the kitchen and I’m going to try it out. Supper will be later than usual, since I’m going to wait until the sun is going down, but I don’t think anyone will complain. I’ll put out some light munchies to tide them over until my roast is done.