Sunday, September 11, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Dye the Ocean Green
Friday, September 2, 2011
Getting Ready for School
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hello Hurricane Irene!
This is a picture of Long Branch - a few towns over- during the hurricane. So far we have been very lucky. Brief power outages, nothing severe. The trees look like they are holding up pretty well. Just branches and stuff down. My back and side yard does look like a lake but if that is the worst of this hurricane I'll take it.
I did park my car under a tree I thought might fall. I am looking to buy a new one so I thought "Instant Kelly Blue Book Value"! Of course that guaranteed that the tree is still standing tall.
Hopefully everyone is staying off the roads. I doubt it. While watching the news reports, I saw pictures of people on the boardwalks in Long Branch, Asbury Park, Avon-by-the-Sea, and Belmar. We have a certain strain of stupidity here in New Jersey that apparently must be upheld for the whole nation to see.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
PANIC
This pretty much sums up the feeling around here for a lot of people. I did go and fill my gas tank up this morning. I sure hope it doesn't flood too much. I would hate to see my car with a full tank of gas floating away.
Everything is put away, tied down or nailed down. It is truly the calm before the storm. We are supposed to be hit with Irene tonight. I know we will lose power - we have been pretty much guaranteed that. So this could be my last post for a few days.
I have to give kudos to our governor, Chris Christie. Upon seeing pictures of people still laying on the beaches yesterday he stated,"Get the hell off of the beaches and get the hell out of your beach houses." Perhaps if someone had been this forceful in their statements during other hurricanes the loss of life would not have been so great. You know, many people complain about our governor but you have to admit he tells it like it is. People just sometimes don't want to hear the truth.
Anyway, good luck my fellow East Coasters....see you at the end of this mess.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Batten Down the Hatches
The warnings are out, the evacuations are in full swing, all the water and bread is gone and now it is the calm before the storm.
Literally. We are sitting waiting for Hurricane Irene to hit. We have voluntary evacuations but we are sticking it out. We are being told to expect no power for three days or so after this hits. If someone sneezes around here we lose power so this is pretty much expected.
It should be interesting.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Hurricane Season Begins
The above picture is probably what will be occurring tomorrow and absolutely Saturday here at the Jersey Shore. We have so many stores right within walking distance. Nos shortage of eggs or milk or bread. But the people here -- they hear the word "hurricane" and they go ballistic. They buy more food than you would need for a week, a month!
Now I'm not downplaying the damage a hurricane can do. But dear Lord, you could reach out and touch your neighbor here. The good thing about jersey people, when the chips are down they will give you their shirt....unless it stops them from getting their bread or milk.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Earthquake On East Coast Today
There was an earthquake today in Virginia. My daughter called me on my cellphone (I was in the JC Penney dressing room).
"Mom, the house walls just moved I think there was an earthquake!"
Of course I laughed and said,"Earthquake? Really?!"
Little did I know that there was an actual earthquake and it was felt as far away as Maine.
I get home and pull into the driveway and you would have thought Armageddon was just beginning. Neighbors running out of the house shrieking and crying about the earthquake. Neighbors thanking God that they had their children with them. Asking if a tsunami would be forthcoming.
I started to get a little nervous. I have a friend who lives in Virginia..should I call her?
I dialed the phone and my friend Denise answered. Immediately I asked her if she was OK. She said she was in the hen house cleaning and she didn't feel a thing. Huh.
I turned on the TV. Must have been a slow news day. People reporting on a non event. No damage, no one hurt but there were the reporters interviewing everyone asking if they felt the earthquake? How did the earthquake feel to you? What did you think as you felt (or didn't feel) the earthquake?
Only one guy on FOX News had the guts to tell everyone to calm down. It was a non event.
There were shots of a water tower that had crumbled some in NYC. Let me tell you, from the picture of the water tower a chipmunk could have sneezed on it and it would have toppled.
I went on Facebook and the posts were hilarious. People posting songs like "I Feel the Earth Move", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Shaking". Someone suggested they should show the movie "Earthquake" from 1974. Someone posted a picture of toppled yard chairs. Someone else wanted to sell "I Survived the VA Earthquake 2011" t - shirts for $15. I laughed. It was good to see people with a sense of humor and a sense of not blowing some small thing out of proportion.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Crown Molding
The "guys" are supposed to come tomorrow morning "nine-ish" to put in the crown molding. I hope to spend the day in my craft room purging it. There are things in there that I will never use and I need to post them on ebay or barter them on the MJF chat room.
I am hoping that by letting go of some of the things that I am holding onto tightly that I will let go of other "things" I have been holding onto in my psyche. If I "lighten my load" by ridding myself of unnecessary things hopefully I can lighten my load physically and mentally. I need to become more organized and focused in my room.
I am looking forward to tomorrow!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Clearing out rooms again?!
Just when I thought we would have peaceful moment in between doing the floors and painting -- my husband tells me that the painters are coming on Monday between 8 and 9 am to put up the moulding. What?! OK I am chilled out now... Then I ask the million dollar question, "When are they coming to paint?"
Now you would have thought I was asking the sphinx a riddle. I get a blank stare, you know it, the deer in the headlights look. So I repeat my question. At this point he says that he isn't quite sure. Could be this week, could be next week.
I am no leader in industry, but I have to figure if you are running your own painting business you have some type of a calendar so you can, you know, schedule out your work jobs.
Is it just men? Is it me? Am I expecting too much to be let in on the mysteries of the universe? I know everything is going to look so much better when this is done. But I just want it to be done. I want to put my clothes in the closet. I want my bookshelves with my lovely books back in the living room. I yearn for my teapots to be gracing the top of my cabinets in the kitchen. I just want everything to go back to "normal". Whatever that is.
Am I being too demanding to ask that it is done by Labo Day weekend so that I can get ready for school in my own bedroom? Am I being needy ? Am I being so self centered because I don't want to live out of boxes anymore?
Am I having a pity partty? Anyone want to join me?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ewwww! That smell!
The feeling of joy yesterday when I knew I could get back into my house. SJ and I went home, opened all the windows and strarted cleaning, dustin, moving, dusting, dusting.(Did I mention dusting?)
After several hours of this, with the windows open, we felt ill. Just dizzy and nauseous.
So SJ and I headed back to Grandma's and spent the night there. Peaceful, quiet bliss. SJ would like to live here with Grandma and Grandpa.
This morning we are going to try to head back home again. Hopefully the smell has abated and all will be well with the world again.
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Saga of Sanding Wood Floors
I woke up this morning at 6am to a buzzing alarm clock that was across the room and no idea where I was. Ahh yes, the beginning of Day 1 of the actual finishing of the floors. I rushed, umped in the shower, got dressed, ran out the door stopped at Starbucks and got an iced passion tea lemonade(yum) and a morning bun(yum yum) and drove like craz to get to my house to let the workmen in. And...nothing. I was a little early. I went downstairs where we are keeping the cats and opened the door and, in a flash, Jasmine was up the stairs and trying to find somewhere to hide. But there wasn't any furniture about and SJ's door was closed. I scooped her up, put her back in the room and fed and watered the cats.
Ring Ring! I hear the phone ringing. Now you have to understand that the only operational phone in the house at this point is in the kitchen. Sounds really easy EXCEPT there is a sectional sofa (apart) a dining room table(legs off) an easy chair and various other sundry items stacked higgidly piggidly in my kitchen. My shoulder was still sore from the day before moving all aforementioned stuff, I took a dive , leaping across the furniture, grabbing the phone on the way down.
"yeah" I say
It is my husband sounding annoyed. I don't have my cell phone (which is why he is annoyed). He is lucky I was conscious enough this morning to get dressed! But he wonders aloud how I mangaged to get to the phone in the kitchen. I tell him I took a bullet for the team. He is noot getting my early morning humor. He tells me the workmen will be 30 minutes late.
To their credit, they do show up on time, 30 minutes late. I show them around, explaining how there was no way on God's green earth that we could move the hutch. No problem he tells me.
I head back down into the cat room, turn on the tv, and sip my iced tea. I hear the sounds of thunder, explosions , I can't even explain it coming from above. They are sanding the floor. The smell of wood and whatever else they are using fill the air. I open all the windows in the cat room,(with the air still on), open the sliding glass door and turn on the fan. Better.
But I haven't actually seen Josie (cat) and I start searching the room for her. Under , over , around, behind, on top, underneath. No sign of her. She is houdini like in her ability to escape into cat space. I figure she has got to be somewhere in the room.
I am just drifting off into sleep when I hear SJ at the sliding door. I let her in and we begin anew in our quest for the missing cat. 30 minutes later (this is not a big room we're talking about) we find her wedged up and under the couch, refusing to move. Fine.
I want to leave the house in the worst way but my guilt about leaving the cats to endure the noise, smell and rumblings overtakes me. If they have to go through this hell then I should have to also. Finally I hear the men go. But maybe I shouls stay longer in case they need some talk or pet therapy for enduring this. It is at this moment that I finally get a grip on myself. What am I? The Mother Teresa of cats? No. I just need to go home (mom's) and double up on my meds.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wood Floors
We are having our wood floors refinished. How can 7 simple word strike terror in the hearts of men and women? Just ask me. Let me share the hell that has become my life. All summer long I was home, not really doing much of anything. Home all the time. Then my husband takes a week off, not really doing much of anything, just home. Now I have a jib and a classroom and new texts that I have to look over. Now my daughter has to finish up the last day of class. Now my husband is going off to work..long days at work. NOW we are having the floors redone. I can't tell you how long I have been on my feet wrapping everything in bubble wrap, cleaning out closets, carrying boxes and lamps and furniture into the garage. Moving furniture into my daughter's room(carpeting) while she is trying to complete her final project. Moving furniture unto the bathroom - YES the bathroom (tile floor) trying to catch two wily cats and out them into the downstairs TV room (carpeted). It was all set to be a go on Tuesday but they called today and asked if they could start tomorrow. No problem. I just had to move at lightning speed. To top it off, my husband does not do well under pressure. Remember the seizure incident with my daughter, uh huh, he doesn't respond quickly to "dial 9-1-1". And he did not respond quickly to evacuate the house and pack it up by tonight.
I sit, for the time being, in my mom and dad's house(they are in Maine). I would try to explain our circumstances here but it would involve 3 level air conditioning and a television even NASA could not decipher. But it is quiet. Even better - there is a large basement where my husband will spend his evenings.
With luck on Wednesday we will be able to enjoy our new floors, I will realize it was all worth it.
Then painting in two weeks.....
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Returning to What I Love
I was so happy to get the news that I was hired to be the new 4th grade teacher at a nearby school! I have been out of education for about 5 years and I have missed it (at least the teaching part). I have been having so much fun going to my classroom and setting it up. I have so many great ideas and the technology that is available to the kids is awesome.
I am so excited I can't wait for September to be here! (SHHHHHH! Don't tell any one that or they will think I am crazy!)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Happy Birthday Month
I do love the month of August because it is my birthday month. I embrace my sun sign. I really did identify closely with it. I am loud. I am talkative. I am loyal.
I also love the month of August because, ever since I was young, it makes me think of new beginnings. I operate around the school calendar. When I was a kid it just seemed natural. Your year began in September and ended in June. July was just a beautiful free form time and August was the time to get ready to go back to school and September was like January 1st - New Year's Day.
Of course I felt this way all the way through college. Then I had my first job teaching and it still felt that way. The only lapse was when I was vice principal and principal because, unfortunately, I had to work all year long. But I could still see the teachers coming in and out to set up their classroom. I could smell the clean waxed floors. I could smell all the new books.
Then came the year, about 6 ears ago, when I didn't return to school because of health reasons. Wow. That first September was rough. I could feel the empty pang in my chest as I watched all the kids get ready for their new year- September!
It got easier to deal with the loss of my "September" as the years went on. I still tend to buy new clothes in August. I love browsing through all the notebooks, folders and organizational stuff in Staples in August. And I still hang a student calendar that starts in July on my refrigerator. I still tend to look at this month and this time as a time for new beginnings.
I guess I always will.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Kayaking
Another beautiful day spent kayaking with my brother and his family at Cedar Creek. We spent about 4 hours kayaking. It was soooo much fun. I think next year I'm going to sell my kayak and get a yak board - easier to carry, transport and navigate!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Beautiful Sunset
This is beautiful summer sunset in St. Agatha, Maine in front of Mom and Dad's house.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Acadian Village, Maine
An old stove. I love this old stove. When I go up to Maine to see my mom and dad in the summer we go to the Acadian Village. There they have houses set up to show the history of the Acadians in the St. John Valley. This old black stove is in one of the houses. It just makes me happy to look at it.
I also love the picture of the kitchen table in the same house. I could just plant myself down at that table, have someone make me some ployes on that stove and be a very happy person!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Quilting Possibilities
This morning, Sara Jane and I took a ride down the GSP (from exit 100 to exit 74) to Forked (pronounced fork - ED) River. We recently found the most quilting shop - Quilting Possibilities. It is located on Route 9 in Forked River. The people who work there are so helpful and just plain pleasant! The amount of fbric that they have there is amazing. I have never seen so much fabric in one place. The quality of the fabric is incredible also.
The best part of the store is this tiny room that is called the "Sale Room". The fabric in there goes for $5 a yard. The quality and diversity of fabric is just great. It is especially great because it looks and feels so expensive yet is inexpensive enough for a begiining quilter like me to feel comfortable using it.
So on our jaunt this morning I went into the "Sale Room" and came out with 4 yards of MODA beautiful rose themed fabric. $20 total for that and then a cute white rose theme fat quarter for $1.35. So much quality fabirc for such a great price!
Now I just have to finish my Alice in Wonderland quilt and I can make my rose quilt. Let the quilting excitement begin!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Buttons
It is official - the heat has finally gotten to my brain. It is just too hot to be outside - so I was looking around my craft room for something to do. I had a shoebox full of buttons. I had seen pictures in a magazine "Where Artists Create" and had seen beautiful canning jars filled with buttons sorted according to color. It was so sparkly and pretty.
I sorted all the buttons by color and then ran to WalMart and bought 12 canning jars. I was so excited when I got home and out the buttons in the jars. They really look so pretty!
Friday, July 22, 2011
I Live on the Surface of the Sun!
OK I can deal with heat but this weather is ridiculous. We have had above 100 degree temperature all week. That is not figuring in the humidity. I truly feel as though I am living on the surface of the sun.
Just to walk from my house to my car - I was drenched in sweat. Walking across the parking lot caused my flip flops to start to melt. There was an actual trail of black goo as I walked. My flip flops were melting away under my feet!
Sara Jane said that when she was outside and was breathing it felt like her lungs were being seared.
It is so bad that on a church sign it said:
Satan called.
He wants his weather back.
Ain't that the truth.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Killer Cupcake
I don't know why - but I really like this picture of the cannibal cupcake. Maybe because it is so unexpected - such a juxtaposition between the comfort of cupcakes and the scariness of cannibals. I found this picture on the internet when I googled for images of cupcakes. I was looking for ideas to decorate an ATC card with the theme "cupcakes" for a swap on MJF.
I almost was going to use it. But I thought it would be disturbing to some. Really unless you know me and my slightly warped sense of humor - this would not be taken in the spirit in which it was given.
So I nixed the idea for the ATC. But I really do get a chuckle out of this picture.
Really.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Roses
I think I might have mentioned this before, but it is worth mentioning again. My mom bought me these two beautiful red knock out rose bushes a year or so ago. They spread like crazy and are rambling and for that I love them so. I love them so much that I planted two pink knock out rose bushes in my front yard next to the mailbox. Aren't they lovely?
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Loving the Flowers in My Garden!
I am just finding every excuse to go outside (even in this unbearable heat) to look at the flowers in my garden. I just love looking at those big tall sunflowers - they make me smile just looking at them!
Then there are the roses. I love how they are not formal roses - just kind of all over the place roses. My mom bought me the rose bushes last year and i love love love them!
I love going out to the garden in the early morning and watering and talking to all my plants. Sometimes I think the plants are the only things that listen to me (LOL).
Next year, I plan on doubling the amount of sunflowers that I am going to plant. I love the seeds and they just plain make me happy.
Monday, July 18, 2011
ATC Cupcake Swap
For this swap the theme was cupcakes. It made my mouth water just thinking about it! I looked at tons of pictures of cupcakes, illustrated cupcakes, I took pictures of cupcakes, I even toyed with the idea of a 3D cupcake using real cupcake cups and cotton balls. But then I remembered one of my favorite pieces of Britannia "Keep Calm and Carry On".
Why not? Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake. Now that is a mantra I can live with!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Paul McCartney
Sara Jane, Haskell and I went to Yankee Stadium on Friday night to see Paul McCartney! It was such a wonderful show. He sang for almost 3 hours straight and I knew every song he sang! It was just a great night.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Mary Jane's Farmgirl Swaps #1 Group ATCs
I have been participating in the swaps on MaryJane's Farmgirl Chatroom for some months now. What an absolutely lovely and talented group of ladies!
Of course, it has just recently occured to me to start taking pictures of my swap items before I send them out. It didn't even dawn on me to do this until AFTER I had packed up my item for the quilted dish drainer swap. But I did remember for these three.
The first swap was really interesting. I love making these ATC cards. Usually we do it in bulk (20). But for this swap we were in groups of three. The first person had three blank ATCs they put something on it. Then they mailed it to the second person in the group who added another item. Then that person forwarded it to the third person who finished the ATC and then mailed the other two cards, completed, to the first two artists. All of the artists' names are on the back of the ATCs.
It was really a fun swap. I was the last person in our swap. I added the flower and the picture of the woman.
Of course, it has just recently occured to me to start taking pictures of my swap items before I send them out. It didn't even dawn on me to do this until AFTER I had packed up my item for the quilted dish drainer swap. But I did remember for these three.
The first swap was really interesting. I love making these ATC cards. Usually we do it in bulk (20). But for this swap we were in groups of three. The first person had three blank ATCs they put something on it. Then they mailed it to the second person in the group who added another item. Then that person forwarded it to the third person who finished the ATC and then mailed the other two cards, completed, to the first two artists. All of the artists' names are on the back of the ATCs.
It was really a fun swap. I was the last person in our swap. I added the flower and the picture of the woman.
Swap#2 Fall Matchbox Swap
Here are some pictures from the matchbox swap. Inside each one I put a tiny yo-yo heart.
Swap#3 Altered Spoons
I didn't even know what an altered spoon was until I googled it. Wow! So many different things to do. Here are some of the pictures of my altered spoon:
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
News Flash
News flash! SJ has opened her new Etsy shop: Cutie Patootie Apparel. The link is here under my links and I'll post it here as well:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CutiePatootieApparel?ref=pr_shop
Please take a minute and check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CutiePatootieApparel?ref=pr_shop
Please take a minute and check it out!
First Zucchini of the Season
Jasmine is not loving the first zucchini of the season. It is almost as big as Jasmine so maybe she thinks that it is an alien coming to get her. Who knows what goes through the mind of a little five pound cat?
SJ and I took a ride down the GSP to Forked River today to check out a quilting shop "Quilting Possibilities". Get off the GSP at Exit 74 make a right onto Lacey Road, then a right onto Route 9 South and it is right after the WAWA on Route 9. So easy to get to. And were we ever surprised at what we found! It was a HUGE shop. When we walked in - we were totally overwhelmed by the amount and selection of fabrics. Not only fabrics but patterns, sewing machines, notions, on and on... The store associates were very helpful and very pleasant. We will certainly be going back to that store. It was a nice ride there and back with my sweetie SJ.
When we came home SJ went in the house and I headed into the garden. It is like a jungle out there. I do mourn the loss of my peas, green beans, and kidney beans. I think I saw some evidence of nibbling on my pumpkin stems - but I can't be sure. But the vines for the zucchini, summer squash, pumpkins and cucumbers are all over the place. I corralled them in with the mesh from the bean trellis, the bean tee pees and actually used some left over chicken wire to make a trellis. It certainly looks a little neater. That's when I found the zucchini. I see several more starting. I also see some small peppers and tomatoes starting. The sunflowers look like they should be blooming soon. I can't wait until they do and I can take some pictures!
Next year I need to get some gravel down on the non garden part of the garden, pathways, etc. I also need to make a better gate and really attend to any spots where little critters can get in. Tomorrow I will head to Lowe's to get some wood to make my scarecrow!
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