A new knee

This is me at the age of 16 and pregnant with my daughter Dee. I wish I would have known then what I know now. Take care of yourself, have more fun, don't get old! Well, the last part is just wishful thinking, but the rest is true. I am paying for all the fun I had back then. I will be going through another surgery, this one is on my knee, I need a new one. It has me a bit worried and a bunch afraid. It will be a long recovery and I hate taking the time away from my plains. I will not be running in that marathon, now it is a fast walk. I was looking forward to getting out and practicing for it, it would have been so grand. I will have to wait until next spring and speed walk, not the same. I have worries about the pain and recovery too! It is just a lot to think about. I have to have tests done on my heart and even take a class before it will take place, that puts me off to June. I have the help of Howard and daughter Dee, she is living with us again. She will be a huge help to me. I guess I should think more positive and feel lucky. I have many blessings.......

Lemon Tree

 

My lemon tree! I knew the first thing I wanted in California was a lemon tree and I have one. It has almost doubled in size, I had one bloom last fall. We haven't really had what I have always known as Winter here yet. The lady (Vicky) next door has roses in her yard, red roses. I am doing a small battle with a squirrel right now, it is hiding its nuts in my flower beds. I am winning with the help of coffee grounds, something Dee taught me. We do have a problem with oranges & lemons cross pollenating with each other. We have the biggest, sweetest, orange lemons I have ever seen. The thorns are long and sharp, this I have never known. I have lots of yard work to do this spring, planting and painting, so much! I think a yard tells a lot about a person, I like medal, wood, brick and rust kind of a person. The more rust the better for me. The mobile home will be yellow and go great with the lemons! Now all I have to do is wait until Spring to get busy, I will work on my room until then.    
   

Remodel the bedroom

I wasn't going to put any pictures on about my bedroom until it was done, but I changed my mind. We have been so busy with all the other important things in life and it all gets to be a blur. This room had giant mirror closet doors where the bed sits. We ripped them out before we had the carpet put in. The room was a little dark for me, so how about another arch, take that bathroom door down, who needs a door! We have picked the paint for the walls, but it is going to take some time. I want all the different colors of white and yes there are many whites. I want something different this time and white is  my favorite color. We have the entire bathroom to remodel, I get tired just thinking of it all. The fireplace will be in the corner with the television over it. There will be doors to close it when we want to put it away. As we go along it will be better, I hope! I am in a hurry to get some of it done because I will be getting my knee replaced very soon. This will slow me down, but won't stop me. I need to slow down, it seems so hard for me, I do love to work on the house. The quilt shelf is made from a tired old dresser, missing drawers, just take them out and add a shelf, done!!   

Give things another life

 

This really was a $10.00, almost new oak desk. I got it at an estate sale, one of my favorite places to go. I am always a little sad because it's almost always the end to someone's else's dream. Much loved and cared for possessions. The other side of any sale is I get to have some fun making my shabby Kerry stuff. Paint it, sand spots, beat it up some and use stain to enhance the now old dressing table. An old mirror I bought 20 years ago is perfect. It was bought without the dresser. The old handles were taken from old broken treasures. Nothing is safe when I get a great idea! The old chair is one of two I have had for many years, recovering when I find a fabric I can't pass up. I am almost never short on ideas, I have had some dry spells, but they are short lived. Life should never be taken so serious, fun and learning is the key to so many joy's. My Howard and I have become a great team at yard sales and such, he now looks at the bottom for trade marks, So funny!! I feel the need to say more about the team work for a happy and successful life. The thing is we are all so different and I have no business giving advice. I can only write about me and mine, so when I go to far pull me back!! I am only enjoying sharing my days.      

Yard sale treasures

 

I am a firm believer in recycling everything, with a few exceptions, socks, shoes, under garments, etc. My home is filled with cherished items with a history. I have replaced most and bought very few new things. I find it all very warm, comfortable, the warn spots so endearing. I fear the dreaded cooties and bedbugs, this keeps me from mattress's and other thoughtless deals. I love the blend of like items such as my kitchen stools. They do match in an odd way or is it just me???? I bought my fat chief menu board at a restaurant sale out. He is one of my favorite things, great for BBQ's! The old radio in the bottom picture was a $5.00 buy, the best thing about it is it works. I guess I look at things different than most, I am taking care of the treasures of others. I give them a good home, love them and enjoy them in my home.       

Chandeliers, shabby?

 

I love chandelier's! I would love one or two in every room. Very elegant in a shabby kind of way. I bought one large one and two small one's at a yard sale many years ago. Lovely crystals, very old and working great. All the man said was "You can have them for $5.00 if you take them all". Well, it didn't take me long to get them to my car. I just bought another one for my bathroom, what a wonderful way to use them. I refinished the ceilings and love to put in the light sconces to make them even shine more. The kitchen light took the place of a big ugly wooden box I couldn't wait to be taken down. The fantastic pan rack was another yard sale find. It was just laying there in an old barn, not sure what it was really used for, but chains, wire for hooks and a few holes made it the perfect pan rack. A very cute light fixture next to it was a 1960's rare find. The colors go well with my fiesta kitchen ware, so colorful and lively!    

 

Deco the wall, so cool!

 Icky guest bathroom! This room is getting a complete make over. First thing going is that wooden toilet seat!!!!! The cabinet is the second thing.

 Oh my! This is just not going to do. I really hate everything about this room. I did try to  clean it and I just couldn't use it. Ick!

 Yes deco the wall with old news paper. I have always wanted to and this is the perfect room for it. Dark blue walls, I don't think so!!!! It does give you something to read, the oldest paper is in the late 1800's.

 New sink and the walls need lots of work! I am just the guy to do it. Howard had to put in the ledge behind the sink to get rid of the cabinet, a great place to set things.

 My little cupboard goes in. The door to the bathroom had to be reverts to make it fit. I love the cupboard I need a place for towels and bathroom things.

 

 Antique mirror, a few vintage items and it is starting to feel good. The color is off it is really aqua paint. The real color is perfet for this small guest bathroom.

 The  room turned out so nice. Howard put in a new floor, it really needed that. I had an old chair, so a little white paint and an old quilt, so cute. I buy unusable old quilts for just this kind of job. The foot stool is vintage, perfect color just needed the legs painted white. I love the room now!

 

The wall turned out to one of the best ideas for this bathroom. I would like to do more of this, but I think a little is enough. All done!

Having MS and dealing

 

I got my old radio out of storage today. I do love it and it works!! It plays records on one side, I still have my records from the good old days. I am sure the kids would look at it like "what do you do with that"! I have MS and have been sick for most of my life. My home and the old things in it bring me great pleasure. It is so pretty, it helps clam my body and sprite. I think you should use candles, use fresh flowers and play the old classics, the great composers and the big band days. Yes, I admit I love long hair music. I clean non-stop, I use it to chase away the pain, it works too! The more I work the better I feel, until the dark comes. At night I take a hand full of medicines, this includes the ones for pain. I have to give myself shots, sub cutaneous shots burn and welt into small apple size welts. I the to give these under my arm, tops of my legs, my hips and my stomach. The welts last for 3 to 4 days and it is important to rotate, giving time for the area to get ready for the next shot, ouch! Because my MRI came back with too much brain activity I have no choice. I cry and my husband holds me and the ice packs in the red hot spot. I take at least one day a week to feel sorry for myself and then get back to looking for a good tomorrow. I hate the thought my daughter, Dee, has such a big chance of the same illness. She has so many of the same signs. My wonderful Howard has helped and loved me through 42 years of this. He is my soul mate and my best friend. For better or worse, in sickness or health, for the rest of our lives. He had a little locket engraved for me on our first anniversary "As one always". He writes it on every card or letter he gives me, he is all to me. With all the exacerbations, depression,blindness, headaches, falling and breaking ribs, skinned knees and he is there to lead or pick me up. We don't know what's ahead, but we will deal with it as it comes. It takes a strong man. Thank you my sweet husband. xxxxxx      

Kitchen is perfect

Poor ugly little kitchen! New floor needed, white cupboards, glass in cupboards doors, new walls, new ceiling and that very ugly light has to go. It needs a shelf over the sink with a light, lets put in a few more lights, wow lots of work! Don't forget to take those ugly cupboards down at the end of the kitchen, shelves and the washer & dryer go there.

There's that helpful bulldog again. What a mess, well it as to get bad before it gets better.

Oh yes, a plate rack for my Fiesta. The shelf and light is done. This is so perfect!

Glass doors, pan rack, White cupboards and little white knobs. It is getting there, I love it!

Howard punched the tin for the first time. He did a great job. I love the looks of the metal over the stove. Great place for magnets.

This was a white wall, but I changed my mind, I do that until I am happy with the look. Then I changed some of the furniture, Just a little OCD.

Howard put a window in the door to the little office. Then he dutched the door, I love dutch doors! It just looks sweet. 

An arch at the end of the kitchen, perfect. You can never have enough arches.

Wall paper and paint

 

We finished the walls and the ceiling and even put up this pretty chandelier. I think every room deserves a chandelier. The one in this picture was the only one I didn't buy at an yard sale or estate sale. I bought most of mine before they were so popular and I got then for a great buy. Two walls are an odd peach color, a prefect color. Howard wallpapered two wall with the textured paper and then we painted it gold. I love the look of it around the arch. The large arched window add a nice touch. The room cane together nicely.



The front gets a new make over

There were so many different sized brick laying around, so I set off to build a walk way to the steps. Then Howard built me planter along the sides. With so many more bricks I built a parking place, we can use more parking. With more planters we will have areas to plant some green. We will be putting rock in the yard, less work and less water. After painting the shed yellow, we made a false door, put old tools on the shed and built a large fence with no way in. It has a gate but it can only be opened from the inside. I get asked how I come up with the pattern for the bricks, I say I just lay down what ever is near me, What ever I pick up I lay down. It turned out so great! A few pieces of yard art and my new lemon tree, I have always wanted a lemon tree. 

 

A new touch for the front deck

 

Changing the front deck. First take the steps off the side of the mobile home and build new ones down the front. I didn't get a picture of the Redwood rails, one huge mess, loose and ugly! Building the deck large for all the patio furnisher we have, a place for the BBQ. All the lattices, white paint and the steps down the front, perfect. Howard dose great work and Martha is there to lend a paw. We have the perfect gate for our Martha, she thinks she needs to greet everyone, too friendly. All the dead grass, weed and over grown bushes are gone.  We get the thumbs up from everyone, it is going so well. Keep going, so much to do!!!!