A Calm Life

I do declare that it has taken me this long to recover from the holidays - and they weren't even that busy.

The Grinch came and stole up Christmas on Dec. 29th.

I had it all neatly stowed in the attic on that day.

I'm all about New Year's Day.

It's one of my favorite holidays - if you can call it a holiday - it's a fresh start - it's a new beginning - a year with no mistakes in it -

yet.

I love January.

The holidays are over - it's a month to pause - yet to renew commitments - it's a month to ponder - yet get busy.  It's a month to take a good long hard look at your life and change what needs to be changed.

It's also my birthday month - but that's neither here nor there.

: -)

I'm also finally going through real and true empty nest syndrome now.

When Aaron originally left - I had the holidays to occupy me - now?

Hmm.

He's doing terrific and texts me everyday photos like this:

Are these not the cutest kids ever?

I'm sure that is milk they are drinking.

I'm just sure of it.

I'm on a big time sewing kick - as in Icantgetenoughnotions.

I swoon over new pins, and bobbins.

I bristle with excitement with my JoAnn fabric coupons and more ideas than I know what to do with.

I just flew through another rag quilt.  I wish that I would have backed this one with the brown, and then the fringe would have popped more...live and learn...live and learn.

I'm planning on having a Spring Open house here in March - selling some of my glitter sculptures and whatever else comes off my table.

(I know what you are saying - 'she's taking pictures with her phone again, isn't she?'  Why - yes, yes, I am - but at least I've enhanced them a little for your viewing pleasure!)

I finally hitched the buggy up and went to town to the new fangled 'libary'.  Oh it's a beauty - three floors - an Internet cafe and piles and piles of books.

I got a couple of audio books so that I can listen while I sew.

I've been a thrifting fool - and these dishes have me up in here so happy I can't bear it.

I'm all about the saucer now - in fact - I hereby declare it uncouth to drink a hot beverage in a cup without one.

My house absolutely cannot contain one more dish.

How perfect is this tea set for my vintage camper 'The Squirrel'?

It's not out of focus - it's just so dreamy that you can't get an in focus photo of it.

True story.

I've been enjoying my luxurious Ugg slippers that were gifted to me by a dear friend.  I feel rich and famous padding around the old farmhouse in them.  I have to be careful not to wear them out feeding the chickens.

Evenings find me and Glenco bundled on the couch watching Netflix of previous seasons of shows like 'Deadwood', 'Dexter' and 'Spartacus'.

Blood, guts, murder and a lot of swearing.

Gracious.

We temper all of that with our beloved Downton Abbey.

Is Bates really innocent?

I'll say no more.

I've continued my big Declutter 2013 project and have a large box sitting by the back door as I type this - going out tomorrow.

I'm resurrecting the Pink Chicken - remember her?

I even decluttered the pantry today and gave this food away on Craig's List.

Is that gross?

This was all leftover holiday food that I don't want in the house.  I just couldn't bear throwing it away.

The can of biscuits burst in the bag before it was picked up.  Scared the daylights out of me.

So that's what I've been up to - 

got all of my seeds ordered for the garden this year - cleaning the oven as I type this - it feels really good to be getting on top of things around here.

I'm enjoying this new life - even though my heart still aches for the BoyChild daily.  It's odd to have an uninterrupted thought - or a day to myself.

Life is lovely right now - and that's OK.

I say 'poopoo' to busyness and running all over tarnation.

I love home.

What about you?  What do you like or dislike about January?

What shows are you watching?

Fabulous

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

I've been trying to get a blog post going - but something is up right now with Blogger and uploading photos....

 

I'm bristling with excitement up in here!

Stay tuned...

 

In the meantime, I just wanted to remind you how fabulous you all are!

 

 

 

 

Sharing the Love

 

I couldn't let another day go by without checking in with you all.

I've gotten so many sweet emails, real - up in the mail paper Christmas cards and even a gift (thank you June!)

I'm astounded by the love, community and friendship that you all offer.

From the bottom of my heart - I thank you all - so very, very much.

 

 

I'm still not done talking about the trail - but I just thought I'd give you a photo journal of what I've been up to since I last wrote...

 

I apologize in advance for the photos.  I've gotten into a terrible habit of taking pictures with my phone exclusively.  They look great on the phone - on here - not so much.

Perhaps it would help if I actually stood still during the snapping of said photos, or pointed the camera at the subject.

 

It's been a homemade Christmas - the best kind.

 

I made a quilt out of all of the old Life is Good shirts and pajama pants I had that are now too big.

I gave it to the person that gave me all of the Life is Good shirts in the first place.

 

 

I love this blanket so much it makes my stomach hurt.  These rag quilts are fun to make.  I see many more in my future.

 

I've also been making these sculpted figures.  I made this one for a dear, dear friend that became a first time grandma.  She loves reading to her grandson.

 

 

I squealed when I finished it.  I just love it.

 

 

I think I'm addicted to glitter now.  I couldn't stop m'self.  I made this for my sister and her newish husband.

 

 

Of course, I had to represent the chickens -

this one is for the fabulous Janie Fox -

 

 

These pictures do not really do them justice - they are so cute - I may start making them and selling them.

 

Story of my life.

 

 

I've been busy in the kitchen as well.  I'm not sure it's a good thing - it brought back so many memories and emotions.  I still struggle with food addiction and well - I had to sample everything I made - a few times - and the evening ended with me worshipping at the porcelain throne.  My body is not used to those type of foods anymore at all. 

 

Maybe it was all the glitter that I swallowed - Glenco was always teasing me wondering how I got so much glitter around my mouth when I was working on the snowmen.

 

I still adore baking - I so enjoy the windows getting fogged, the sound of the stand mixer whirring, O Holy Night playing in the background - and just that feeling you get inside that all is calm, all is bright.

 

 

I really hope y'all aren't up in the kitchen trying to do your Christmas baking and cooking when you are all tied up in a knot of stress.  Wait until you are calm and happy - trust me - it's better that way.

 

 

It's been a long time since I've had this much butter up in the house.

 

 

Help me Jesus.

 

 

 

 

I added cinnamon to my caramel recipe this year - genius - it really made them uber delicious.

 

 

I remain the best fudge maker in the land.

Selah.

 

 

 Glenco is of a Swedish descent - and early in December - we hosted a Swedish Christmas party here with his side of the family.  A pox upon me for only getting this photo.  A Swedish Almond Cake and a Swedish Chocolate Bundt cake.

 

I realize I don't talk about Glenco that much here on this ole blog - but rest assured he's here.  If he weren't - nor would I be - I'd be out among the English asking you if you wanted fries with that.

 

I laughed the other day thinking about how I speak of him so infrequently here you might think that our relationship is like that of Dolly Parton and her husband.  Oh, you didn't know Dolly was married?

 

Exactly.

 

 

There he is!  Jax is checking out what he's eating for supper.

Hard to believe in 8 short months Jax has gone from a fluff ball to the huge cat you see here before you.

 

 

The other day I had to stop myself from going to the shelter and adopting all the cats - bringing them home and making catnip mice for them and feeding them turkey dinners.

I'm aching for furry companions.

 

 

It's a good thing my mom isn't alive to see this photo.  Law!  Cats up on the table.  She'd be bleaching things so fast it would make your head spin.  I've taught my cat some terrible manners - and I don't care.  I'm a childless, perimenopausal woman and I can do whatever I want.  I promise not to feed you off of dishes the cat has licked.

 

 

As I type this - all of my gift baskets have been delivered - all of the gifts I made are done.  All Christmas dinner groceries are nestled in the fridge and I'm DONE.  That alone is a Christmas miracle!

 

 

Aaron arrived last night and is up putting a roller set in a dummy head.  The kid won't quit.  Added to the glitter, sugar and cat hair slurry on my kitchen island - I now have bleaching powder, hair clips and foils.

 

I've never been happier.

 

 

About ten days ago - I had to go to the school so that Aaron could use me for his Practical Test.

He passed with flying colors.

 

Four days ago he turned the ripe old age of 17.

Glenco and I drove down and had a quick lunch with him -

 

 

I brought four dozen cupcakes to his class.

 

 

We've been busy around here - and that's a true story.

I'm looking forward to a relaxing holiday now with family and friends.

 

I'm wishing you the same - a holiday filled with love, hope, peace and the assurance that the coming year will be filled with all the goodness life has to offer.

 



The Trail - Part Two

 

 

Lord have mercy on my soul.

There is something I will never be able to understand.

How you guys with small children can have a cohesive, lovely blog.

I'm up here with an empty nest - and I still can't find the time to blog.

If I wore a hat, it would be off to you.

Seems like lately I'm lucky I have on clothes and a brassiere, let alone a hat.

I've been suffering from some pretty severe headaches - bad enough to make me feel like I'm having an out of the body experience at times.

I'm assuming they are hormonal, and it's not an impending aneurysm.

 

near the cabin in TN - photo by my friend Kim - (I still feel like life may be incomplete without a canine companion)

It's noon thirty in the afternoon and I haven't brushed my teeth yet.  I have a front yard full of freshly cut greens so that I can do my containers and decorate in the house - and those greens happen to be laying next to the corn shocks, pumpkins and mummified mums.  My bed isn't made yet, and I haven't yet a clue what I'm doing for Christmas gifts.  I just looked at my calendar for next week and I don't have a free day after today until Dec. 16th.

I really need to talk to the person responsible for my schedule.

 

Another thing that I know - menopause and Christmas decorating doesn't go well together.  I've been indulging in a bit of dairy again - thinking that maybe my body can tolerate it - and don't ya know I'm gassy as the day is long, and the hot flashes started right up again.

You don't want to have a hot flash when you are precariously balanced up on a counter stool trying to put Christmas lights up in the kitchen. 

 

 I do declare that yesterday I would have shot and killed Bing Crosby if I heard him sing 'where the tree tops glisten' one more time.

I began to resent how he treated Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas and decided he was much too old for her anyway.

Christmas was almost done and cancelled up in here due to raging menopausal hormones.

For the love of God.

Maybe no one will admit acting a fool like this - but I have a feeling I'm not alone.

 

near the cabin in TN - fabulous photo by my friend Kim

All is right as rain today as my hormonal roller coaster comes screeching to a halt along with my obsessive Chobani yogurt ingestion.

 

This IS a blog post about the Appalachian Trail - you'll see.

 

Aaron when he was 3 or 4 - help me - where did the time go?

But first - I can't even begin to say thanks to all of you that have ordered Caper Bags! 

The Selfish Punk is going to Vegas baby!  Not only is he going, but we've sold enough to help his roommate go as well - he was short a few bags.

Aaron has been asked to be a model for the 'curl segment' of the deal - and well - I'm not sure the BoyChild's head will fit in this old farmhouse when next he visits.

He's doing great and sounds so happy.

Thank you.  I'm humbled by your kindness!

(Hedy King - I have tried to email you a couple of times, but it keeps bouncing back....)

 

OK, where the heck did I leave off at the trail?

I believe I was pantless and we'd just arrived in Tennessee.

 

 

The funny thing about this trip - I was 'so along for the ride' which seems indicative of my life in general - a bit clueless, but happy nonetheless -

I wasn't even sure where we were going - friends would say - 'oh, where are you going?' and I'd reply 'North Carolina I think - but they keep talking about Tennessee' - so as you see, I wasn't sure where we were going.  I knew it was a cabin in the South.

Good enough. 

I'm in.

 

 

Let me tell you a little more about the trip down there - as I said, my friend Melissa is a Road Warrior extraordinaire. 

One of my fondest memories was driving through Kentucky - and I told her that we must decorate the cabin for fall - so if she saw a farm stand selling mums and pumpkins to pull over...she was more than happy to oblige.

 

I really wanted to take photographs of the place we stopped, but I didn't,  so let me paint a picture with words.

 

We pulled up to this shack type structure - and when we disembarked the vehicle - there was this loud booming sound coming from the aforementioned shack. - It was kind of hellfire and brimstone preaching that I haven't heard since I was last in these parts.  I fully expected a man full of the Spirit to come out of the shack with poisonous snakes.

 

The proprietor of said shack was a woman of short stature - stereotypically missing a few teeth, and smoking cigarettes.  There was a cobbled up cardboard sign that read, and I quote:

 

 'Ice cold Mountain Dew - 60 cents a can'

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

 

I really wanted to take a picture of that lady and that sign, but felt that it would have been in some way demeaning to her - so I didn't.

 

 

We got a mum and a few gourds, and we were off again.

I couldn't bear the thought of being in a cabin in the woods without a pumpkin and some fall decor - it could downright spoil the trip.

 

 

 

Melissa and I were first to arrive at the cabin - it wasn't luxury accommodations - but it was fabulous - very homey.  We poked around in every room - this cabin could sleep about 15, had a full kitchen, a couple of bathrooms, and a large living room with a big fireplace, wood burning stove and plenty of cozy places to hunker down for the night.

 

 

It was at this moment that I realized that for some reason I hadn't packed enough clothes, pants mainly - luckily they had a washer and dryer in the cabin, and I'm used to wearing the same clothes for days since I'm a seasoned hobo camper - but there is a very exciting twist to my pantless story which I will tell you about when next I write.

 

I'd go back to this cabin in a heartbeat. 

It's come to my attention that the month of October is not nearly long enough.

Oh that October would last about three months - surely that much time is needed to do everything that one would like to do with October.

 

one of my favorite activities - wandering woods and picking things

I brought this home and it dried nicely - it's in a basket now - such a sweet memory

 

The photos I've shared today are some photos from around the cabin - one of the most awesome features about this cabin is that you could actually walk to a portion of the Appalachian Trail from the cabin.

 

I'll end this blog today with some photos of that leg of the trip - up next - Aaron smashes his leg at gymnastics whilst I'm 700 miles away - and we go ziplining.

 

fresh cut up fruit with a dollop of Greek yogurt and raw almonds

the infamous CoopKeeper turkey sausage - did you know it's going in Dr. Mark Hyman's new cookbook?  They sent me some release form to sign - so I guess it is - I submitted it - I have to put a link to the recipe in my sidebar - I get a ton of requests for this recipe!

we found an old abandoned log cabin - I was in heaven!

I wanted to fix this place up and live in it - I do hope to live in a one room log cabin one day

the whole time I was taking pictures, I was mentally decorating the place :-)

we found an old cemetery out in the middle of no where

I found some turkey feathers on the trail.  I think they suit me, don't you?