Missing My Muse

There is a part of me that would love to blame my lack of posting on the disappearance of my Muse, or maybe I could explain it as my Muse left when my husband retired and she felt her services were no longer needed among the talk and laughter and coffee drinking that goes on in a house with a happy retired couple. There may be some truth to that, my life has gotten crowded, not a bad thing, I just don't have much time for thinking...

My bowl painting has continued. 

One of the bowls I designed and painted for the
Tarrant Area Food Bank
on display at the Empty Bowls Event 2014.

More bowls from the 2014 Empty Bowls Event.  The green
bowl at the top and the striped bowls are "my" dog dishes. 

And I am still painting in the house. 

Will this madness ever end?  You make one little change,
which leads to another little change, then another, and...

I enjoy visiting with my family and friends. I get a little crazy when they tell me they follow my blog - they know what I'm doing and I have no clue what's going on in their life - they read my blog... They are too busy to tell me what they are up to.  I'm not too bitter. 

I'm still reading blogs - o.k., some days I'm so busy I just look at the pictures... Just wanted to say a word of thanks to all you clever bloggers out there. Thanks! ... And if you should spot my Muse somewhere out in this great, big world, maybe you could tell her she's welcome to come home anytime.


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Well, that didn't take long...

Our kitchen remodel is almost complete. In an old house like ours, once you make a change it inspires you to make another change, and another...



Coffee and a bit of whipped cream.

Once we got the counter top in I decided the wallpaper would have to be changed - - - Mr. J&C suggested that it be eliminated.  I begged him to let us get rid of the old wainscoting that screamed 1966. Stalemate.

A day or two later our neighbor, Terry, walked in and asked when were we getting rid of the old, ugly paneling and when I told him how right he was and wouldn't the room look better with when I got it all wallpapered, he looked at me like I was nuts and announced that wallpaper went out in the 1950s. After he left, we picked ourselves up, decided to go for broke, and ripped out the paneling and the wallpaper. Sigh. Sounds quick and easy. We were lucky that there was sheetrock, this was the summer we got to learn about "mud" and "tape and bedding." Then we had to put texture on the wall - I would redo that in a heart beat, and probably should, but for now it will do.

Before...

Almost done...

If it's Friday, the plumber is scheduled to come back and properly attach the dishwasher to the countertop. Also, we have wood trim to put up around the floor and the windows and the door - - - did I mention we took out a door, jamb and all, and now I've got to go to the lumber yard to get trim and ...

Someday this will be done. During our two months of construction we've had house guests, friends over for drinks, and friends over to play Mahjong (I'm learning a new game!).  Life has not been all play and no work or all work and no play. The dust has not yet settled but we think we are going to like our new old kitchen.

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Waiting, Working, Waiting

Our kitchen remodel continues, happily so does our marriage.  We are both ready to get this done.  Not in a sad way, an "Oh this is terrible, I wish I was through with it!" way.  But in a happy "I can't wait to see what we've created!" way.  Still, I don't care for the waiting part of this redo...

Right this minute I would like to be playing with or reading to my grand daughter...

Or playing (hiding) in the garden like Rodney...

Not now, not today, there's work to be done...

Moving furniture to make room for the coming destruction and reconstruction of the kitchen...

Waiting with all our new cabinets...

that are still in the boxes... waiting for Tuesday... and it is Thursday.


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Winner!

The winner of my book give away is:

 

 

Janey

at

Thick and Thin (air) 

a fun blog about life in Texas and Colorado. 

On this fine day I've got lots to do.  The new hot water heater failed the city inspection so we will wait for the plumbers to return and make things all better. We can take hot showers so life is still good, it just the whole pass/fail thing.  *Sigh*

In Kitchen Remodel News:  We have learned that we can't take down the wall between the kitchen and the family room, still we will carry on, somehow.  *Sob* I would love to open up all the space, take down this wall that blocks my view -- but since this particular wall is holding up my house and it would cost more than I care to spend -- the wall stays.  *Sigh*

Mr. J&C has reminded me (more than once) we don't want to put a $1,000 radio in a $300 car.  That balance of old and new is a bit tricky but I think we can make it work.

Right now, I'm going to finish my coffee and then I'm going outside for a walk.  It's a beautiful day in my corner of the world, whether there are ants...

or flowers in the sidewalk, life is good. 

Tomorrow, I'll deal with the plumbers and sweep the sidewalk.


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Book Club Adventure

As I type this I am humming the Sesame Street song, "One of These Things Doesn't Belong Here..."  Can you guess which picture was not taken at my house? 

The past two weeks in my garden...

That's right - The Butterfly.  In March, my book club read Flight Pattern by Barbara Kingsolver and we had our meeting during the first week in April at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden - lunch and a tour of the butterfly exhibit. We visited just before the Asian butterflies left town.  A good time was had by all.



This exhibit was amazing.

The butterflies were beautiful.  I wasn't allowed to touch them or bring one home with me. It's just as well, we are getting really serious about our kitchen redo. So serious that I am trying to make room in the house for all the kitchen stuff that has to be moved during the remodel.  No room for the odd butterfly or two and, to show my husband I can "get rid of things," I am giving away my copy of our March book.

If you would like to own Flight Pattern it just so happens I have a copy that I would love to send it to you. Just let me know in the comment section and I'll put all the names in mixing bowl and let Mr. J&C do the honors. 

The winner will be chosen the next time I post a blog or next Wednesday - which ever comes first.  Chances of winning are if-y to a sure thing depending on how many / if anyone comments and if I can find a mixing bowl.  I'll contact the winner to get your mailing address and send it to you - yes, I'll even send it to far away places like Dallas or New Zealand...

I made these photo collages using iPiccy - the version I use is free and it has been updated to include ready made sizes like Facebook Cover and Twitter Picture. I used iPiccy to create my header and that's also how I 'signed' the pictures in this post...

What Day Is It?

Spring is busting out all over here in Fort Worth.  Lots of buds and blooms and grass growing and leaves sprouting and, well, here's something I don't see every day.



Spring - time for a young lizard to look for love



 

or



 

maybe just a place in the sun.

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

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Perfectly Good Home

I am enjoying the benefits of grand motherhood. Once a week I travel 30 miles to the west to visit the most beautiful and intelligent baby in the world. Sigh. Life is good.

Sometimes you have to look around to find a place to call home.

For a few weeks Mr. J&C and I toyed with the idea of moving to the other side of town. It was a good time to look around and see what is out there because after a year of retirement we want to make a few changes in our home (the kitchen). Why put the money into this house when there might be a perfect house just down the road?

Sometimes all it takes to make a place your home is adding a few touches of your own.

There is no perfect house. 

I really hate that. 

On the other hand, getting out and looking at a few houses has given me new appreciation for what I've got. So this weekend I will happily weed in my garden in the morning and in the afternoon I'll continue to look for clever ideas and inspiration for our kitchen remodel.

Sometimes we realize our house has become our home because of who shares it with us.

We are keeping the same 'footprint' just changing the wallpaper, moving the fridge, changing out the cabinets, getting a new sink, knocking out a wall between the kitchen and family room... Shouldn't be too hard, right? 


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