To Paint or Not to Paint?

To paint or not to paint? This is my question!

I found this little guy at a rummage sale for, get this, $2.00. I had to have him. I don't know why but I do. Right away I pictured him with his insides cleaned out and a candle inside. I think he would look great with a tea kettle on top maybe with some flowers. I don't know if I want to just clean him up or paint him. Once I do paint him, I can't go back. So...please help me decide. I would like to know what you think. I will follow up with the pictures of him completed and properly placed when he is done.
I love daisies and vines. I think I may go with that.
What color do you think and what design? Or, leave him his happy little self? What do you see in him?

Oh yeah, and by the way....
Nothing happened to me yesterday. Nothing at all! Nothing exciting, nothing new, nothing, nothing, nothing!
But then I was thinking......hmmmmm,
My family was not sick.
I have lots of friends.
The sun was shinning.
The birds were singing.
Kids were happy.
Hubby was happy.
Website did not crash.
Everything I wanted to do yesterday, I did.
So...I guess it was right. Something good did happen to me. NOTHING BAD!

What's New Today?

This is my "horror scope" for today> too funny. No, I really do not believe in this stuff but I thought it was kind-of weird. I woke up this morning with the strangest feeling. I do not know if it is because it is Friday or if something special is going to happen today. Did you ever get that feeling? You do not know what it is but it makes you feel all energized and excited to start the day? Just thinking something great is coming my way today! (I'll let you know)

You have help from unseen quarters today as your 12th House of Universal Consciousness is strongly activated. Things seem to fall your way and you appear to intuitively know which direction to go. Whether it's angels watching over you, spirit guides sending you clues or just the luck of the draw, don't resist the good news when it arrives. And keep in mind that you may have to set logic aside for now so you can follow your intuition.

But then..........
Reality sets in. If you want to talk about "LUCK", I am not the person to speak to. I have none! Ok, I take that back. I do have luck....it's just mostly bad.

You see, I started this "SCHEDULE' so that I could get more done. Silly women! Apparently, children and husbands do not know what that is. To them, all that means is this silly women thinks we will stop bothering her and let her finish "her stuff" and then we will ask for help. Oh no, no, no! This is how, (in my brain) it goes.
*6:00 am. I wake in the morning, (thank God) rush to the coffee pot. (no one talks to me before my first cup and if I could make this last just a bit longer I would but I am a coffee freak!)
*6:05 am: Wait for husband to tell me he is going to work (staying home to annoy me) or needs me to do paperwork, invoicing or find a map or check the weather. He is a self employed cable splicer. We have cable equipment every where. Cable reels (these things are huge), parts, tons of (junk) equipment.
*My schedule says,
*6:00 am: (drink at least two cups of coffee really fast) "check email, read blogs, answer questions (hun, did you see my ____, mom, where did you put ____, baby, do you know where, sweety, can you check the weather for me) from my online friends etc."
*6:15 am: get another cup of coffee
*6:30 am: say goodbye to everyone and take a deep breath and start the (relax, they are all gone, I can sit for 5 min. and not be bothered, find my stash of chocolate) cleaning and the laundry.
*6:35 am: make another pot of coffee.
*8:00 am: Teenagers cell phone calling home from the bus: "mom, I forgot to tell you, the basement flooded again and I tried (not even a little) to clean it up but there is water everywhere. Sorry. Have a nice day."
Me: "That's ok, you did not have time (because you spent the first hour and a half of your morning eating and resting because you were so tired from all that (texting and talking on your cell phone) sleep you got last night) before school. I will take care of it and thanks for telling me. Have a great day."
Spent 2 hours mopping up water from the basement floor.
* 10:00 am: (Drink my 7th cup of coffee and get rid of the chocolate wrappers.) Start working on the latest (phone ringing: mom, I forgot my ____at home and I need it at school (right now) as soon as you can get here) clay project that Cindy showed me yesterday.
* 12:00 pm: Finish the pot of coffee and need to find something healthy (chocolate that I have cleverly hidden somewhere in this house but cannot remember where) for lunch.
*1:00 pm: Check email and decide what to post on my next blog (phone ringing: Baby, I need my _____ it is in the garage, hanging on the north wall between the ____ and the _____. It looks like____. Can you please run it to the job site for me. (I need it right now) whenever you have a minute because I know you are working on your crafts and you are happy doing that and I am behind you 100% and don't want you to give up on them (because you are frustrated that you can never get enough of your stuff done because we won't let you)). You just need to run it to _________ it should only take about an hour to get there and I love you! and work on my crafts.
*3:00 pm: Start to figure out what to have for supper and try to not be down because I have accomplished nothing on my schedule. My crafts were (looked at) started and my email is still (full) being worked on. Looking at the clock trying to figure out how I can accomplish a whole day schedule in 30 minutes before the kids get home and my work will begin again.
*3:15 pm: Found the stash of chocolate, made another pot of coffee and headed out to the gazebo (my take "5" space) to think clearer about supper (to eat the whole bag of Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Fudge Milano Cookies (that were in the cupboard the whole time) (cleverly hidden in the towel drawer. I do all the dishes so they have no use for a towel when they have perfectly good curtains to wipe their dirty hands on) and feel better!
3:30 pm: Here they come, ok, chocolate remnants gone, check, coffee pot empty, check, supper figured out, check.
Children: "Hi mom, how was your day?"
Me: "I had a wonderful day!" (I had a horrible day, what do you think? I spent the entire day doing everything for all of you and you were not even here and still managed to take every minute of my "stay at home job" away from me. I am not a mean person or a horrible mom so I happily do all these things for all of you and not be upset with you one bit because you are all so important to me and I love you all) "How was school?"

Wow, I did not think I was capable of rambling on like that. I am sorry for such a goofy blog today but I think I just needed to vent. I refuse to take these things out on my family. I am a wife and mother first and crafter second. It is what I chose to do. I must live with my decisions. (common, can't they show just a little mercy?) I am truly happy with my life and everything about it. I am very lucky (only sometimes wish to trade them for a new craft room) to have the family I have.
So....as far as my "horror scope" yeah right, when pigs fly! We will see.
Oh, and have a wonderful, sunshiny day everyone!

Laugh Out Loud

Laugh Out Loud
If you want to take a break and just crack up laughing, check out this blog. Lol everytime I read another post. Go ahead, take a break, you deserve it!

DISCOVERY

Today I smiled, and all at once

Things didn't look so bad.

Today I shared with someone else,

A bit of hope I had.

Today I sang a little song,

And felt my heart grow light,

And walked a happy little mile,

With not a cloud in sight.

Today I worked with what I had,

Nor longed for any more,

And what had seemed like only weeds,

Were flowers at my door.

Today I loved a little more,

Complained a little less,

And in the giving of myself,

Forgot my weariness.

Grace E Easley

I just love this poem. It makes me feel so happy just reading it. What are some "little things" that make you feel happy?

I am one SPOILED MOM!

On Friday, we went to our sons Spring concert at school.
He was a little bee! So cute! He was not mad at all because we took this picture. He was such a happy little bee.
I just love seeing the little one's in plays and concerts.Then we came home and I thought I would finish my website. I only have a few pictures to adjust and wa la...done! Now I can tell everyone to take a peek and tell me what they think. I did a few and thought I could just finish them up the next morning. No big deal.

Saturday morning is here. What a great day! Sun shinning, kids all happy and playing nice together. Hubby out in "Man's Garage" fixin' something. House to myself. Quiet.
Let's just take a looksy at the website and get it done once and for all so tomorrow I will not have to worry about this and I can relax and enjoy my day!
Ok, www.klaykisses.com. .......what the heck.....I did not type London Bridge......lets try again (ya just never know - it's early)
www.klaykisses.com.......London Brige......Give me a break....come on fingers....work......www.klaykisses.com.......ok..I give, you win.....Phone call....what the heck is going on?....I think something is wrong with my site....Yup...sure enough....crash-a-roni! All that hard work....Not smart enough to back it up once in awhile cuz I will wait until I am ALL DONE to do that...
Now I am back in bed, bawling my eyes out. Hubby comes in to make sure I am diligently working on my site and getting it done. What the heck...no one on computer...no one cleaning...no one doing laundry or making a meal...
He comes into the bawling room to find me hiding under the covers and sobbing. Being the most wonderful husband in the world...Well, hunny, what do you think went wrong? Did you do something wrong to it? It's ok. Just call the guy for your site and tell him you need the "back-up copy uploaded. Nothing to cry about....
Well...darling husband...your wife was not smart enough for a thing called "back-up". She had faith in her site and nothing could ever happen. She was almost done. At the home stretch. Back-up? Who needs to do that? Not until your done and everything is perfect. Dah!

Saturday bad....Sunday will be good...

Last week we had a friend come over and spray our lawn for all those nasty weeds. They grow faster and taller than the grass. We have a huge lawn. No more yellow in my yard. Remember, I love flowers. I have gardens every where and tons of flowers. I do not need anything in my grass. Including dandelions. The only time I consider them a flower is when the kids pick them for me. Has anyone ever heard of dandelion wine? My aunt and uncle use to make it. That meant, all of us kids, adorned with a laundry basket, had to go out into the yard and pick these yellow creatures until the basket was full. They went into a big crock to ferment with oranges and raisins and (I don't really know). I hated it. Now, I dislike them so much, I have to have someone spray to get them out of here.

You will never guess what I got for Mother's Day while sitting out on my deck saying to myself, "sinara suckers...you'll be dead soon and I will have a beautiful GREEN lawn and no weeds!" Die, DIE!!! Please don't judge me, I have issues with these things.
The most beautiful bouquet of pretty flowers I have ever seen.
How could you not love them coming from such a sweet child. So, get the vase and put them in the center of the table to enjoy them ALL DAY LONG. What mother's have to do.. oh boy...They were apparently hiding in the field and of course, he found them. Only the biggest and the bestest for me!!!



I was to stay in the back yard and not go near the "MANS GARAGE" until I was notified. All the children and the hubby were working on a project for me and I could not see it until they said. Dandelion boy was coming into the back every so often to give me an update on the progress. (making sure I was enjoying my fresh picked bouquet). "They got one side done and are working on the other side but you can't see yet and I can't tell you what it is", he said.
"Now they got both sides done and are working on the middle" he said. Hummmm....what could it be....two sides and a middle.....
"Now they have to re-do one side but they are almost done" he said.

1 1/2 hours later I was taken into the yard, blindfolded to see my Mother's Day surprise. (very scary considering the girls were now keeping me company and the boys were doing the project and walking me blindfolded) The thoughts were, "boy, I hope they truly love me and don't think playing a trick on me on Mother's Day is a good idea."
Yup, I am one spoiled mom! This is what I received....

Ok, I must have done something right throughout the last year.

My family knows how much I love being outside near my gardens. Last year I received a gazebo and a three seat swing. This year I received all the additions to my space. The frog birdbath, a little wobbly mushroom my chair seat and a garden rock.

This is my place! This is where I go when I want to "take 5" for myself. I sit and listen to the birds and rock on my swing. Read a book. Do anything I want with no phones, no kids, no hubby, no computer, no cooking, no cleaning, no finding, no searching, no nothing. Just me and nature. I love this place and my family has made it so special for me. It is tucked in between two rows of pine tress and is still a work in progress. The flowers are just starting to peek out of the ground.
I will post an updated photo when it is complete.
My family is AWESOME!

This was yet another Mother's Day I will never forget.

And, like that was not enough, my 18 year old daughter brought me yet another awesome gift!

It will have a beautiful home in my gardens soon.

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day and God Bless you All.

Sometimes, Change is Good!

Ok. I have had this blog for a while now. I tried to have a schedule of some sort. I find being attached to this schedule limits me on my "creative end".
I would like to change things up a bit and let you get to know the "real me".
I am a huge fan of crafts and I absolutely go ga-ga over antiques. I love to garden and start my own flowers from seed and from friends. I have my own website. I am sure you have heard this before. It really is almost done. Just a few finishing touches, and away I go!
These items listed above are what I truly love to talk about. Don't get me wrong, I think humanitarian issues are very, very important. I will continue to do work in this area. I love to help people in any way I can.
So...
from this day on...
each and every post will be about something I love. I will continue to highlight the blogs I find that I would like to share. I will be posting pictures of my latest antique finds. I will post about my garden and my home. I will post about my crafts. I may even stick in a few surprises along the way. Subscribe to my post so you don't miss a thing. You will be glad you did.

And the first item....

I found this sewing cabinet at a rummage sale for $3.00. My husband looked at me like I was some crazy lady when I told him to load it into the truck. He asked why I would want a cabinet that someone has cut a hole in the center of. After a "brief" explanation of what this item was, I had to begin another conversation on "what" it was to become. Another story for another day! That was exhausting!

Now I have this item home and in the garage (the manly garage...not for items of this nature) where I proceed to explain what I am going to do with this "hideous" cabinet. (that is the comment from my husband, not from me) I saw potential the minute I laid my eyes on this.!

Ok, so I needed to borrow some tools from the "big guy" that he so generously lent to me.
Did I mention I received my own tools after this? Apparently, outside in the garage, everything has it's place and if you want to use the tools, you had better put them back in the proper place. This is not the inside of the house you know, where there is no place for anything except on the table for me to put away "in it's proper place".

Anyway, this is the result of two weeks of hard work! Still needs a little work on the bottom and I

would really like a glass top for it. But that will come in time...

I think it is a bit of an improvement!








My husband even likes it now!

Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take -
but by the moments that take our breath away."

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.

My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person
who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm
so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words.
If they don't know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it.
I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.

My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

I wish you Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions!!!

I'm Back and Ready to Go

I am feeling much better today. I have been down with a terrible headache. Nice! It has been beautiful outside and I could not stand the light. Migraine. Yuk.
So, I am behind. I missed Saturday: Thoughts on the Week, I missed Monday: Inspiration (which I could of used a little of myself).

Well, today I play "catch-up".

Last week was a good week. I am looking forward to finishing my website. Still. I did not realize how much work it is. I guarantee it will be worth the wait.

Today, I would like to highlight ROSE VINE COTTAGE TWO.
Her name is Kelly. I am sure you all know her, she has 169 followers and her last post alone had 60 comments.

She has the most beautiful cottage which she so kindly shares pictures of with us. She recently won COTTAGE OF THE MONTH! You so deserve this award. This is one blog I visit as often as I can.
Her decorating style is simply amazing. Every thing fits so perfectly in place.
Kelly is a very talented decorator, without a doubt. Please visit her blog and see what I mean. I just cannot find enough words to describe what she does other than Absolutely Beautiful!

Kelly, you are my hero for being able to keep such a beautiful place with 3 boys, a dog and a husband. I will continue to follow this blog and hopefully learn a lot from Kelly and have a home as beautiful as The Rose Vine Cottage.

I myself have 3 boys, 3 girls, 2 husky's and a husband. Not sure if I will ever be able to pull this off but I will certainly give it a shot. I am thinking I will need to walk tall and carry a very big stick. But, if I could just get them to know the rules, "If momma ain't happy, Ain't nobody happy", all will be well. I am putting my foot down! No more ATV parts in the house, that is what the garage is for, No more muddy boots in the house, "Life is full of choices: Remove your shoes or scrub the floor", is my new motto. Any other tips you might have for keeping a white, clean, crisp, beautiful home with the male persons living in it?

Great job Kelly! I am truly envious of you and your home. Until I can transform my home, I will be visiting your blog daily for more inspiration. Keep up the awesome work.

More of Did you know...

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.



REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.



......... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS


Even if the message is saved on your phone, you will be charged for the minutes to listen to it.



To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222 .


It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.



HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. It takes about 20 seconds.

It is Friday! Did you know....

Just in time for a Saturday cleaning....

Rice:
Not just for chopsticks!
Do you have a vase or small opening in a jar that you cannot get anything into to clean it?
Put a little rice in the vase/jar (about 1 tbsp) and fill jar 3/4 full of water. Cover the opening with your hand and shake. Walla...clean as a whistle!

Tea:
I am not what you would call a "tea connoisseur" but I do like tea. This one was hard to do (not drink it) but it works like a charm.
If you have garden tools that are rusty and need a cleaning, brew a couple pots of black tea. Once it has cooled a bit, pour it into a bucket. Put your rusty tools in with the tea and let them sit and soak for a couple of hours. You'll be back to the garden in no time with clean tools!

Now that I have given you something to do...Go on...Get to it!

Terms and conditions:
I will not be held liable for anyone that is now without rice or tea. Please put this on your grocery list as soon as possible. And...Have a happy sunshiny day!

Cindy Lietz of Polymer Clay Tutor

This has to be my new "BFF".
Her slogan is "I learned by making mistakes... Now you don't have to."
I first ran across her blog from The Crafty Bag Lady (a *very* funny story teller). I fell head over heals for her blog. She has so many tips and lessons, I just do not have enough time in a day. Well, I make the time. That means hubby can wait, lost items can be found by someone other than me, if it is broke, someone else can fix it....you get the point. "Mom's busy, please wait!" I just cannot stop. I have learned so much in such little time that it gave me new inspiration to create items that , until recently, could not figure out.
My first lesson was about 3 Common Mistakes that Cause Frustrations for Polymer Clay Beginners. And I was making them all. Trust me on this!
Cindy has Weekly Video Newsletters and Weekly Color Recipes that are packed full of useful information. Not just for the beginner. I bet even the "seasoned clayers" can learn a thing or two.
Bottom line is you have to visit Cindy. You will be glad you did. I know I am.
Of course I have joined every thing I could that Cindy has. Since then, it has been like Christmas every time I open my computer to see what Cindy has sent me today!
I have to go. Inspiration calls!!

Paul Harvey Writes:

Something to think about! I love Paul Harvey and the words he writes and they way he thinks. It always makes me sit awhile and really think. Just to let is absorb and then say, "Wow, how right he is."

Make sure you answer the riddle at the end of this post. All correct answers will receive 20% off coupon for anything on my site. (the site is currently being updated) The coupon will be good for 1 year.

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.
I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I really would.
I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.
It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he/she wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's/she's scared, I hope you let him/her.
When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you’ll let him/her. I hope you have to walk up hill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.
On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as un-cool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.
When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flag pole.
I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don‘t like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hanukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you-tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.
To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
We secure our friends, not by accepting favors, but by doing them.

PaulHarvey

RIDDLE:

When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.

What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, And if you eat it, you'll die?

The curse of the Daylilies!

Saturday is here! I wanted to work in the gardens today but the rain decided to beat me outside. I will have to wait. I love spring. Every thing starts to come back to life. It is like a fresh start for everything.

Year one: When we moved into our home, there was a very long garden in front of the house. Is is approx. 60 feet long by about 10-15 feet wide. It was filled with daylilies and pickers. I decided that I was going to "re-do" this patch and get rid of the day lilies to make room for a lot of different flowers. Has any one ever tried to get rid of day lilies? Don't get me wrong, the are pretty and I do like them but I did not want a whole garden full of them. They never die. You can never get rid of them. Ever! We have tried everything.

I tried cutting them down so I could at least see the ground. Then I thought, with all the time I have (ha ha), I will just dig them up and throw them in the waste pile in the back (soon to be a compost pile). My husband watched me spend entire weekends working so very hard digging these tubes up and taking the wheel barrow for the trek into the back yard to dump them. (We have 12 acres and this pile is in the far corner on the other side of the property). Pile after pile. I was going to get rid of these if it was the last thing I ever did. It almost was. Then my husband, being the very helpful loving husband that he is, made the biggest mistake of his life. He asked if I needed help. In tears, I said "yes, please." He is a strong man with a heart of gold. He dug this entire patch down 2 feet to try and eradicate all of these tubes for me. We piled the dirt on a trailer and made ATV jumps (another story for another day) with all the dirt. Then we went to the yard and garden center to get bags of dirt to fill the area back in. One trailer full of 60 bags of dirt outta do it. He filled in the patch, bag by bag, but it was not enough. I felt bad having him work so hard on this project of mine (really, I did) so I said I would take the truck and go get more dirt. I did not think I would need that much. Maybe another 50 bags or so.

I unhooked the trailer and left with the truck (Expedition). Do you know you can not put that much dirt in the back of a truck like this? I do now. I got back home and my hubby took one look at the truck which was almost to the ground in back, and said in his most loving voice, "hunny, what have you done?" I said, "what do you mean? I just got more dirt. Is something wrong?" Umm, dah! "Have you looked at the truck?" he asked. It was at that very moment I realized how very smart I actually am not. This also explains why the guy at the garden center looked at me funny as he brought the pallet full of dirt to my truck. I just thought he was a little strange or something. I have never left in the truck, from that day on, without talking to my husband about what I was taking the truck for and making sure that what I was going to get would be ok to put in the back of the truck.

Year two: With that over and done with, I continued to make this garden my dream garden. I received a lot of plants from my Aunt and Uncle. I planted each one in a carefully chosen spot in my new garden. They were so beautiful. I was out there all the time pulling weeds and tending to this garden that my husband and I poured our heart and souls into. You will never guess what happened next. All of those daylilies began to grow again. Each one, rising above the dirt, to meet the sun. I dug them out and with anger, threw them into the wheel barrow and off they went. My husband came out to check on my progress and made the second mistake of his life. "What is the matter hunny? Lots of weeds?" With tears in my eyes again I said, "they are still here. They will never be gone." He could not believe that with all the work we did the year before they were still there. He asked me what I wanted him to do. He knew how bad I wanted this garden. I said that I thought if we got some weed barrier they would not come through it. Silly, silly women! He did as I requested and picked up the weed barrier and left me to the task of carefully cutting it and placing it on top of the dirt and around my flowers, to once and for all, get rid of these things. We got mulch to place on top of that, (with the trailer this time and my hubby by my side) from the city garage. I did mention to him that I could handle this task alone but he would not think of it. Wonder why? He removed it from the trailer and shoveled it into the garden for me.

Year three: My beautiful garden is now a dream come true. You will never, ever guess the next sentence. Yes, the day lillies are much stronger than I anticipated and still grew though the weed barrier. I give up, they win. They are only here and there and I learned to just live with them in peace. I cannot battle them any longer. My husband is so happy with me that I learned to come to terms and live happily together, FOREVER, with the lilies. Oh, did I leave out some little point I should not have? Did I fail to mention my husband absolutely dislikes gardening? Hates it, hates, hates it! He never comes to check on me when I am in the garden anymore. Weird. From across the yard, he tells me how nice my garden looks. What a guy!

The garden is still a work in progress. I plan on adding more flowers this year as soon as the rain stops! More pictures to come.

Items from around the house...

Did you know you could use:

White Bread and Ketchup

Use white bread to: Dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime.

Use ketchup to: Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

I did not know these two things could be used for anything other than PB&J and Hot Dogs!

This came from Real Simple Solutions.

Another great blog...

Today I am highlighting Colleen Maloney's Blog. Once you check it out, you will understand why I picked this one. I love the way she writes.

Free to Be
The makings of a disciple in Christ and the everyday adventures thereof...through poems, thoughts and memoirs on life

Thank you Colleen for allowing me to highlight your blog!

http://colleenmaloney.blogspot.com/

Let Go, Let God

The Spirit of God sustains and upholds me at all times.If difficulties are mounting at home or at work, I may feel as if I'm struggling to keep my head above water. I then ask myself, Why am I trying to go it alone? I know what to do as I read words of Scripture: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord." It's time to let go and let God. It's time to stop struggling and let any burden be lifted from me.

This is a sweet and gentle reminder that I am never alone and that there is no need to struggle. God loves me and calls for me to turn within. The Spirit of God sustains and upholds me at all times. I release all to God--all worry, all pain. Both physically and spiritually, I feel peace wash over me. I am comforted. The Spirit of God is here--within me and everywhere around me. I accept, I release, and I am free.

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts."--Zechariah 4:6

Did you know....

Handy, dandy tip of the day!

Did you know you could spend only $4.00-$5.00 on 32 "AA" batteries? How you ask?
The average "AA" batteries cost around $5.00 for a pack of 4.

Check this out!

Puchase a Heavy Duty 6v Lattern Battery for around $4-$5. Take the lable off the battery. Pry open the top with a screw driver. You will need alot of muscle to do this. Once the top is open, you will need a wire cutter to cut the wire attached to the lid. Go ahead, peak inside....

There are 32 standard "AA" batteries inside!

Now you will have enough batteries to power all your "AA" battery eating electronics! That is like paying only .15 cents per "AA". Imagine how much you could save! If you have teenagers, you will truly appreciate this post!

World Peace

With faith and compassion, we shine the peace of Christ into the world. This is a time for a new world. Nothing is stagnant, for change is the norm. This is a time for renewed belief in peace for the world. With the Christ of our beings as our ever-present partner, we follow divine guidance, cocreating a world of peace. The peace of Christ saturates our thoughts and actions. Inventive approaches make room for new solutions. We do not see or expect to see our circumstances remain the same. Our faith and compassion are expressed, creating healing and influencing change. Relationships are renewed and situations are transformed. Understanding and peace prevail. One heart at a time, we establish peace in the world.

"For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love."--Psalm 106:45

Thought of the day...

ASPIRE TO 'INSPIRE' BEFORE YOU 'EXPIRE'

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. 'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.' The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?' 'That's because I have a lways known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.' 'For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.' Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them. SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Just Wanted To Share

I am sure most of you may have read this or heard this before. But, for those that have not... think about this...

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning....

He noted that first came the date of her birth

and spoke of the following with tears,

but he said that what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that she spent alive on earth

and now only those who loved her

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters nott, how much we own,

the cars... the house... the cash...

What matters most is how we live and love...

and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard,

are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what's true and real...

and always try to understand

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

and show appreciation more

and love the people in our lives...

like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

and more often wear a smile...

remembering that this special dash

might only last awhile.

So when your eulogy is being read...

with your life's actions to rehash...

Would you be proud of the things they say...

about how you spent your dash?

Well now, oh happy day!

You see so many people out there have a website of their very own. How hard can it be right? Well, let me start by saying, "Congrats to those of you listed at the top of the "Golden Google" Pages!" What an accomplishment! How did you do that? How hard was it? Did you have help? Did you have a lot of money to pay someone to tackle this project? Apparently, you are not computer illiterate. Great job!
What is the secret? Shhhhh, I promise I will not tell. (Unless you want me to).
I am just starting out. I have finally graduated from Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook etc. to having my own website. Codes? Who knew? Not me that is for sure. Even the help pages were not much help to someone who could not figure out, "you want me to put this HTML code where? How do I find it? What is it?
Yes, I am taking a class right now and my coach is excellent. He puts everything in a language even I can understand. If you would ask me to create a spreadsheet that could track your cash from page to page and total and subtotal and sort etc., no problem. But, when it comes to those gosh darn codes, please, speak my language.
I will get there and when I do, look out! Yup, that is right. They will change the rules on me again and the new things I have learned will no longer even be taught to a first grader.
I would truly appreciate any comments about my site. Any tips, dah's, etc. Go ahead, be harsh. I do not mind! www.klaykisses.com