Posts

Posted on

Interior decorating

Author: Joyce Mccall

I really want to learn more about interior decorating and how to make spaces beautiful. I’ve always been interested in it, but now that we just bought a new house, I’m especially interested in it because I want to make this home beautiful, and a place where we can be proud to bring guests. I’ve looked at some decorating books at the bookstore that are pretty good, but I want to get access to all the ideas and pictures that are on the internet. I love me a good before and after picture! We’ve been wanting to get internet at home for awhile now, and I just don’t think I could wait any longer. The only thing, though, is that where we live, our options are dial-up or satellite, and I’m not sure which one to go for. I’ve been looking at www.satellitestarinternet.com to help me make the decision. It is going to be so nice to not have to wait until I am at work, or a friend’s house, to get on the internet!

Posted on

Hugs are awesome

>I’ve always thought that hugs are the mainstays of feeling loved, needed and cared for. There are so many different kinds of hugs, but the best are those that are sincere and tight. Not the pat, pat, on the back then quick break away hugs. Or the ones that are half hugs. Tight mean it hugs are awesome. I needed a hug today, and when my daughter got home she automatically came to me and pulled me out of my chair. She said, “You need a hug, Mom.” Then she gave me the biggest tightest hug. It did make me feel better, I admit. It’s amazing how she knows when I need a hug and gives it just at the right time.

Posted on

Low income building supplies

There is a new sort of store in town that actually looks like a thrift store for all home improvement items. I actually is extras from Habitats for Humanity houses, that are brought in and priced really low, so others who are on a limited budget can fix up their homes.

I wanted to go in to look at some lamp globes and actually just to see what this place carried. I found they carried everything from washers and screws to gently used furniture at very low prices. They even have some really lovely ceiling fans and light fixtures that would have cost a great deal of money, had it been at any other store.

I asked about the policies that they had and once of the stipulations was that a person had to be low medium to low income families, or people, who owned their home or who have a mortgage and were using the store to do home improvement. I don’t know how they find out if all this is true or if they just go on the “honor system,” but I guess it works.

The store is only opened two days a week, so I’m going to perhaps do some shopping there tomorrow. I have a list of some things I need. I am looking for a neat bathroom sink but didn’t find see anything when I was there to just check the place out. There are some calking things I need, some washers, and a new porch light globe. Plus some outlet covers and little odds and ends. Since I am indeed on a limited income, this will help with money matters a great deal for me.

Posted on

Learning about Double Glazing costs

A friend of mine who lives in the UK wrote to me about getting replacement windows and quotes about All Double Glazing. I personally love her letters, because her enthusiasm is catchy and when she writes a letter, it is lengthy. Maureen goes into great detail, and it’s like she and I are sitting across the table having tea together, while she is telling me all about her new home improvement projects. Since things are so different in the UK than in the USA, she likes to inform me of all the little details and in the process, and tells me about how the folks in the UK live also I would love to take a holiday and see for myself, and also spend time with her.

Maureen said that since she wants new windows with double glazing, there are even grants that can be had to do this project if she qualifies. The double glazing cuts down on the heat bills, drafts and the condensation, and since they are double paned, the air in between the panes acts like a sort of insulation also. To me, this is awesome. I have double paned windows that in no way do this. I bought what I thought would be energy efficient windows, and there are drafts all around them, the windows themselves are super cold to the touch and I have seen a rise in our fuel bill since having these installed.

By reading the information my friend wrote about, it would be nice to have such services here, as there is in the UK, for home improvement and saving money while doing it. I can’t wait for her next letter telling me how she likes her replacement windows, what the quotes where and all about the double glazing. One day I indeed plan to visit my dear friend.

 

Posted on

Irises are showing green

My Irises are poking their head out of the earth I noticed today. Must say, in this zone they are a bit early, but then with the weather the way it is, nothing is surprising me at all. I love my Irises. I have a full “fence” of them and always have extra’s to share with friends and family. Sometimes I can even barter with them. I love to barter. It’s good for both parties involved.

When I saw the  Irises, naturally I had to check out all of the gardens for signs of new greenery. I see that my Valerian is starting to pop it’s heads out a wee bit, and even my chives are showing theirs, if one looks close enough. I couldn’t cut my sage down last fall, so as soon as it gets a bit warmer outside, I’ll cut it way back and get all the dead branches and leaves off of it. The sage grows really fast for me, so I’m not too worried if I cut it down a great deal.

I’m still keeping an eye our for the dandiflowers…okay, dandelions as everyone else calls them. Two years ago, on Jan. 29th, in the middle of a snow storm my youngest son brought me in a dandiflower, after he shook the snow off of it. I couldn’t believe it. How strange is that. I of course pressed it in one of my heavy herbal books, and marked the page with a note that it was from my son for my birthday. What an awesome birthday present in January!

Posted on

Tornado season early

Tornadoes are common here, even sometimes surprisingly even in November or later. With the weather being as strange at it is and has been all over the United States, nothing surprises me anymore. Last night we had a big storm roll in, and the wind was really roaring, and I saw branches broken and also garbage cans, being blown down the road.

The wind picked up more and we did have a tornado watch, but I never trust what it says on the alerts, as we’ve been under watches before, and I tornado has actually touched down in our back field. So much for giving us any warning. THAT was scary.

During all the sounds of wind and hail coming down, I heard a big ripping like sound that came from the East side of the house. All I could think was, another bill and more home improvement. I’m sort of getting used to thinking that lately. When I went out in the morning, sure enough…there is another project. The siding was pulled and blown off the corner of the house. I’m glad we kept extra siding, as what was off and loose was bent all to heck and back. There isn’t enough damage to make the deductible, with the insurance company, but just enough to be a pain in the butt to replace.

Posted on

A ski holiday in Whistler

My dear friend Maxie called last and right away started talking about  Ski Holidays in Whistler. Now, I know my friend and of course the wheels started turning right away, since I knew what was coming next. She realizes that I am a total klutz. I have no desire to ski. I hurt myself just tripping over cracks in sidewalks. I hate cold weather and snow, even though I do think clean pure snow is quite beautiful, but that is my extent of liking winter and the cold.

Maxie though, has recently come into some money and has saved some holiday money and gave me a site to look at, to take a look at the ski accommodation in Whistler, at least. She has wanted to take me on a holiday for a long time, and loves trying anything new. I must say that the idea of sitting before a fire and looking out at the snow and the ski slopes. The mountains and all the beautiful scenery. While looking at the site, it actually got me thinking about being adventurous.

I was a little bit concerned about her paying my way though. I’ve always been like that. But money is tight for us right now and living in the US, has made things a bit tough for everyone job wise. I do have money put away for something special, and when I checked out the prices, they weren’t bad. There were great discount whistler lift passes also. So, I’m thinking about it the holiday she has proposed to me. We’ll have to see what happens and how really serious she is. Knowing my Maxie, she is pretty serious.

Posted on

Mr. Tree and advice

My oldest daughter sent this to me, as some of her “sage” advice. I thought it was pretty cool. For one, I love trees. You can say, yes…I am a tree hugger, person. And I really liked the advice, considering I’ve been fretting a lot about things and realize that it’s time to go out and embrace nature to get a firm grip on my out of control imagination. She sent this to me at the right time. I’m not sure which category it falls in actually, but I do know that indeed it is an opinion and also a reminder that I have to get back out and go hug a tree and groove with nature to feel better. It’s been a long tough winter.

Posted on

Botanical gardens

This coming weekend if all goes well, I’m planning on going to the Zoo, that is in the city that I grew up and go home to nearly every other week. The Botanical Gardens are open all year around, but I like to go around this time each year, to get my garden incentives flowing.

This is a wonderful place to go. And this is just a start. I have to say that some of the local exhibits and also the out of town attractions and recreational places to go, are indeed a great joy to me.

When I go to the Botanical Gardens, I can stay there all day. Not only do I love the warm humid environment of the massive greenhouse, but I also love the earthy smells, the smells of the plants and exotic flowers, along with the more known species. There is also a simulation of a rain forest in another part of the zoo that I like to go to, when I am in that area. It’s amazing. Complete with the alligators, turtles, fish and all kinds of birds native to the rain forests. Not to mention the really unique plant life. I’m in seventh heaven when I’m there and always plan to be away from the time they open in the morning, until they close in the evening. I’m really looking forward to this.

Posted on

New picnic tables and benches

Since I am on the board planning the park reconstruction here in our small town/village, I voted for new commercial picnic tables. The old ones are falling apart, and the wood is splintered. I firmly believe they are dangerous for families having a picnic or kids climbing on them as kids will do. The ones that are there now were just the kind that a person would buy at a hardware place, put together themselves and not treat with any kind of weather protection. The commercial picnic tables the board is looking at, are better than the run of the mill kind, and in the long run, would save all kinds of money, but not having to replace them for a long time. The upkeep or maintenance is very low also.

Since there are quite a few shade trees in the small park, that surround the play ground area, us ladies thought it would be awesome to have some park benchesto sit on, instead of having to haul our own chairs, to the park. We usually always bring blankets to spread out for the tired little ones to rest on, but having the park benches would be a great way to cut down on what we need to take our kids, or in my little tiny kids for others, just to play in the park for a few hours.

All in all, the plans for the park are going well. We are still within our budget, which makes everyone happy. What makes me happy, is that we will have safe and sturdy tables and benches in our little park and it cuts down on some of the worry about safety issues.