Happenings this Week...and an Update

It's been a busy week around here...projects, school conferences, work, Christmas open houses, craft fairs, football and volleyball, plus a host of other things!!!

Remember neighbor Ken??? He came over this week and made my garden pretty again!!! Yea!!

I know I should cut down my mums, but as long as their is a little bit of color, I just can't do it!!!! We'd like to get a cover crop on the garden, but I think it's too late. It's supposed to get very cold here by the end of the week, but maybe that will at least keep the weeds from growing back!!
My dear Lynda had her annual "Pie Party"!! It just sounds so nice doesn't it??? We were missing Karen this year, but Terry and I were there with eager anticipation! This lovely sight greeted me as I arrived!!

Lynda set a festive table, served a great salad and a yummy soup that she got the recipe for off of "Behind My Red Door".

We each had a little goodie at our place setting...

And of course, the pies!! Terry made a very rich and tasty chocolate pie, Lynda made my favorite, pecan pie and I "brought" a peach pie from Costco...more about that later!!!

This weekend Ashleigh came home and brought her 13 year old "sister", Georgia. I thought I had taken pictures of them, but no, not one!! They were so cute too!!! Ashleigh reads to her every night!! They are reading the Harry Potter books right now!! Ashleigh loves to read and Georgia loves to be read to!!

They also talked me into getting into the attic and getting down all the American Girl dolls and paraphernalia!!! We haven't gone through this stuff in years!!! They "played" with it for hours!!!! (me too!!)

They weren't very tidy...

She got to visit with lots of friends and family, went to our old church, had coffee at Woods with her brother, went to Grandiflora with me, played games and hopefully had fun while she was here!!

Miss you Ash!! Come back soon!!!




A little update on the bedroom make-over...

Walls painted...window and door trim up...

Furniture painted, but not sealed...

Battens started...
Chair rail up...

While I've been blogging, Brian got most of the battens up and things caulked. We have someone coming in to lay a new floor in the bathroom and then we can get the trim nailed up in there too. We're waiting for an order of wood and then we'll spray the room with paint, move the furniture in and....decorated it for Christmas!!!!!

Remember the Kitty, Miss Abby??? Well, we had to put her down a few nights ago. Tyler accidentally hit her with his car as he was pulling into the garage. He (and I) was so sad. He stayed with her the whole time and buried her in the garden next to Bailey. We did have a laugh though, as the vet told us Abby was really an Abner!! Oops!!

That was the reason for the Costco pie. Sorry Jayme, I really wanted to try your recipe!!

RIP Abby...

What are We Thinking???

This weekend our plans were to:

1. get the generator working and tested...supposed to be a nasty winter...
2. put the lamp posts back together...after painting and adding outlets...
3. plant all the plants that are sitting in pots on the porch and around the garden...
4. paint the entry...lots of parties coming up
5. start making a slipcover for the chair...
6. work on the Christmas quilt that is now going on the fourth Christmas...I still like it...





Instead, we got it into our heads to do this...

I'm not so good at taking the before pictures, but this was my son's room when we first moved here. We had painted the walls with aluminum paint and then my hubby made all the trim, chair rail and crown molding. We (he) made it all out of sheet metal, and used big screws and washers to attach it to the wall. It was very cool!!!! Lots of metal shelves, black bed and red accents around the room.
When my daughter moved out, my son took over her room and we just moved her furniture into his old room. She has all white, cottage-ie-type furniture, 4-poster bed stuff and it just never looked quite right!!!

She's coming home this weekend so of course we started a new project, which won't be done in time for her visit, which means she has to sleep on the couch in the bonus room!!!!

We're going to do board and batten on the bottom and dark brown on the top, with crown molding (from our old LR) on the top. I need to paint everything and then repaint all of her furniture too. I should be doing this now, as it's actually nice out, but probably won't get to it today!!

Needless to say, not much of our list was accomplished!!! Brian and Tyler did get the lampposts back up and working, and I got most of the plants in the ground. Also got the lawn mowed yesterday. I keep hoping it's the last mow of the season, but 4 days later it needs mowing again!!!

In other news:

I found out my friend Debra is a rug hooker. She invited me to her home to show me what she's working on. I've always wanted to learn this art and after seeing her rug...I'm "hooked"!!!! I can't wait to see the finished project!

This piece is quite large and will hang above her couch. Do you see the pumpkin patch??? And to the left of the little house is a clothesline with dungaree's on it!!!! I only want to make this and then I will be quite content in the rug hooking business.

There is a group of "hookers" that meet once a week at the senior center and I've attended the last 2 weeks. They are so eager to share and teach and their projects are amazing!

This lady is making one of these for each of her four children. This is where they grew up and where they lived. The Teton's are in the background and I believe this is for her son who works for the railroad. She tries to make each one personal, but the general look is the same for each kid. What a beautiful legacy!

The cutest things there, of course, are the seniors!!! What a happening place!!! Lots of activities, but every Tuesday there is dancing from 1-4!!! Live music and everyone dresses up just a little!! No jeans here!!!! A whistle is blown, (quite loudly, I assume because they are hard of hearing) every minute or so and they have to change partners. This is a good idea, cuz some of those men are quite good, while others seem to be falling asleep on their feet!!!!! The little ladies have their hair all curled up and their high heels on and darned if they all aren't the cutest things!!!!

A few weeks ago we had quite the rain storm. As it was pouring behind my house, the front of my house had this to feast on......

The top picture is from my front porch. I couldn't get a picture of the full rainbow, but you could see it from end to end!

And then...it doubled!!!!

Reminds me of the song...All God's Promises are Yes and Amen!!!!! Nothing is prettier than the pictures He paints!!!