She’s Gone, I’d Better Learn How To Face It

October 10, 2009 at 8:51 AM (Around Our House, Help Me Please, Whatever)

Just a little Hall and Oates on a gloomy Saturday morning.

Our Windswept Pumpkin is gone. Hence the title of this post.

I was just beginning to love her, and make plans for her future. And name her.

I was leaning towards Patti. Patti Podner Pumpkin. Has a ring to it, don’t you think?

Our neighbor, about 5 houses up the street, stopped by and asked about her. Was she ours? I told him the Windswept Tale. He was so glad  to have found her, evidently he had been in big trouble.  His wife was mad at him for putting her out on such a blustery day. They take their Halloween seriously down there at their house. They have TWO of those giant,  blow up  thingys.

Everybodys high on consolation, everybodys trying to tell me what is right for me…. but  it’s plain to see that they can’t comfort me. She’s gone.

Loves taken her toll on me, she’s gone.

So she’s gooooooone, oh oh oh oh I, I’d better learn how to face it.

They can never be what she WAS.To.MEeeeee. She’s gone.

I would NOT beg the devil to replace her.

She’s just gone. Goodbye Patti Podner Pumpkin. RIP.

8 Comments

A Mighty Wind

October 8, 2009 at 6:06 AM (Around Our House, Cats and Dog)

Thank you all for your lovely, encouraging comments yesterday. I so appreciate you all.

It has been a little windy up here in The Mitten. When Honey came home yesterday morning, he said there was a pumpkin in our front yard. I have not bought any pumpkins yet this year.

When I left for BSF, I had to go look at the pumpkin.

011

Yep, it was a big old pumpkin. Lying next to our dug up sprinkler pipe . I thought maybe it was the next door neighbors, so I left it there. That must have been a ginormous gust of wind.

When I came home, it was still there. It must not be our neighbor’s. It would be very unlike our neighbor to not put something back in it’s place. It was still there when I took Mousey to swim practice at 5. I decided to investigate it further. I took the mighty watchdog with me.

019

It was a fake pumpkin!

I brought it up closer to the porch, so it wouldn’t blow away again, but tried to leave it out so it’s owner would see it and claim it.

This has happened to us before. Our house must be the final resting place for all things blown by the wind. Leaves, balls, trash cans and lids, papers, recyclables, BBQ covers. And now a pumpkin. We are the last thing to stop flying objects. Beyond us is a creek and a field.

I’m never sure what to do with the item. I usually leave it out on the lawn in hopes that someone  will retrieve it. They rarely do.

Ironically, I have been to Michael’s, JoAnne’s, Homegoods and Hobby Lobby, this very week  looking for a fake pumpkin, or fake mums, or something. I was hoping to find a way to beautify our front porch. I didn’t find anything that I liked and finally decided to scrap the whole idea. With the way our front yard looks at the moment, it was sort of  like putting lipstick on a pig anyway.

017

If no one claims it, I’m going to plop it right on that chair and call it a day.

3 Comments

This and That

October 6, 2009 at 7:32 AM (Around Our House, From the Heart, Pretty Things, This and That)

Well, I’m not sure how to explain the meeting with the city people. It was all very quiet and professional. Honey explained our saga, complete with visual aids, compellingly. The city agreed that something needed to be done. While, of course, not assuming responsibility. But not denying responsibility either.

We left the meeting with the understanding that the City Sewer Guy was going to speak with our Plumber Guy and hear all the gory details and speak sewer talk with him. Then, somehow, the City People would verify all the Plumber Guy’s information, and we would reconvene for another meeting in a week or two. Or more likely, 3 or 4.

So, what I have to tell you is nothing. BUT, they did not say they were not responsible, and don’t let the door hit you as you are leaving, so I choose to take that as a positive. That gives us more time to pray. God knows the perfect solution. Even if we don’t. Or the city doesn’t.

And maybe, the solution is to not worry about the whole kit and caboodle, because the Lord is coming back before we have to sell our house and the whole point is moot.

Thank you all for your prayers and concern. We are, as always, waiting expectantly to see how God is going to work.

Hey, I broke out the knitting again! I have a bunch of delicious scarves to make. For sure 5, and possibly 10. Do you know what I have discovered? It takes me almost as long to prepare all of the yarn and put the colors and patterns together, as it takes me to actually knit  the dad gum things!

025

But they are delicious!

7 Comments

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

September 21, 2009 at 6:23 AM (Around Our House, Confessions, From the Heart, Honey)

The sewer guys came on Friday to dig up our front yard.

We had moved out pretty much all we could. The rocks, the other rocks, and then we moved some rocks.

At first, all we had was this yellow thing. Honey informs me that it is a back hoe. It removed the grindstone, trees and shrubs and the dirt.

027

It dug down 11 feet. The first thing the guy said was “this is a problem”.

See that guy on the cement? He went to school with The Ab-Cat. I know his Mama. Hi Daniel! Small world.

029

That’s Honey with his upset stomach. Getting more upset as the day wore on.

030

Then all these guys came. We had guys swarming all over the front yard. Guys doing this, checking that, blowing out this line, standing around waiting for other guys.

031

The plumbers said our builder didn’t install  the sewer line properly. The city didn’t inspect  the builder’s sewer line properly. All I know is, WE  had nothing to do with the sewer line. Even if we had an opinion about the sewer line 10 years ago, no one would have have listened to us. We are not sewer line experts in any way. You would think that someone would remember that.

When Honey called the d***  builder and told him what was going on over here, all he said was that he might come by and take some pictures, “to protect myself”. He never came. He was probably too busy looking for legal advice.

The inspector from the city came by at the end of the day. All he would say was he needed to go pull up the paperwork, and talk to an engineer. He blames the builder. The builder blames them.

The Boss Man Plumber finally came to have a little chat. They have a solution, but it will make a mess of our entire basement. And that little job, added to the amount to fix the line outside of our house, will cost more than our first house.

There is another solution that could possibly work. But it would take the city stepping up to the plate to fix something that is obviously their fault. When you build a house, you pay thousands and thousands of dollars to your city to have things inspected. That is not a choice.  Our line could not possibly have been inspected. These safety checks are in place to prevent d***builders from making stupid, colossal mistakes. No matter what our builder did, the city inspector did not do his job. They need to make it right.

This is not the first time we have been in this position. Well, it is with the sewer business, but not with our life. We have been caught between a rock and a hard place before.  Multiple times. And if I am being truly honest, sometimes I feel we have been there enough.  But God is the boss of that, and He is not seeking my opinion or advice.

 And while I know that His plan for our lives is best, that doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes wish to exchange the plan. Especially in the midst of a really sucky situation.

When I feel put out  by life’s circumstances, I like to read the first chapter of James. I have a feeling that James understood the whole rock and a hard place scenario.

Here is The Message translation. James 1:2-8

Faith Under Pressure

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows it’s true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do it’s work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you are doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Honey and I were sitting on the couch after the little chat. I was trying to cheer him up, cause I was seriously concerned that his blood pressure was going to cause him to have a stroke. I was reminding him of many other times that it seemed like there was no hope for a good solution, no good to come of a heartbreaking blow, no possible way God could work this for our good.

And do you know what God did? He caused us to remember. We told each other of time after time when He did come through, He did make things right, He did remove truly heinous people from situations,  that in spite of being knocked down so hard  that we couldn’t imagine ever getting back up, He was there, surrounding us with loved ones to help us and care for us when we could hardly care for ourselves.  He solved problems and provided solutions that were more than we asked for. More than we could have hoped for. I am thankful for the reminders.

He didn’t always fix things the way we wanted, the way we felt would be fair, but, we believe that  He was always working things out for our good. When we get to heaven, maybe He can explain things better. I have a feeling that we might not even care then.

So, here and now, we are praying that the city will agree to fix their mistake. And if God has a better idea, we are ALL ears.

13 Comments

Sorry Schmenky, It Only Took Two Months

September 12, 2009 at 10:26 AM (Around Our House, Friends, Pretty Things)

I asked Capri Patt to help me get my house together before the Family Reunion we hosted back in July. Because she is my interior decorator.

She helped me do a TON of work about 6 or 7 years ago. Painting, shopping, pictures, rearranging. You name it, she did it. I was clearly overwhelmed by the ginormous walls in the house we had moved to 3 years before. And when I’m overwhelmed, I tend to not do anything. And I hadn’t.

Plain white walls, uninspired arranging, and no rhyme or reason to my selection of the knick-knacks. None of my junk from the previous house looked right with the new high ceilings. Like my neighbor once said, the wreath looks like a Life Saver over the mantle. Everything needed to be BIG.

When she asked me what I wanted to do, all I could think to say was, “I REALLY like your house”. So it began.

We have painted the entire main floor of our house, all 3500 square feet of it. Except for The Boy and Mousey’s bathroom, which is an abomination and undeserving of attention. We wall papered the dining room, we have shopped for some furniture, logged many hours in the Trifecta of Good Shopping,  Homegoods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, looking for this and that, and loverly things. All the while, she has patiently taught me many useful skillz and transformed our boring beige house into a vibrant, comfortable home.

We enlisted Capri Deb’s skillz as well. She is a wonderful sew-er, no to be confused with a sewer!  Although, right about now, we would LOVE to have a wonderful sewer. She made beautiful cushion covers for our ratty leather couch, sewed many pillows, and has made many valances to grace our windows. She is really way more than a sew-er. She is an Artisian. Very diversified!

After Capri Patt helped me enormously, I did not do too much else.  I loved it so much and I didn’t want to wreck it. It had remained mostly untouched, except when she would come over and move things around. She likes to do that. It’s like “Where’s Waldo”. I hear she does that at other homes as well. Like a little calling card.

Sometimes, before she and her husband go south for the winter, she gives me little homework assignments. That I rarely do. I need her here, cracking that decorating whip.

She has been suggesting that we needed a couple of chairs for our family room. Or maybe I suggested it and she agreed,  because that big naked space has always bothered her. She looks at the big picture. My concern was providing more seating for our television viewing pleasure. See how our needs dovetailed nicely?

Honey had told me earlier in the summer to go ahead and get those chairs, as we had been planning to get them the year before anyway, but ran out of time.

She took me to a delightful little furniture store, cleverly named “The Furniture Store”, to look at some chairs she had found that she thought would be perfect for the family room. Another great thing about Patt. Not only does she shop for herself, if she loves you, she shops with YOU in mind!

My requirements were that they swivel and rock, to facilitate better TV viewing pleasure. Her requirements were size, they could not be too large, and the look of the fabric. Actually, I was all about the fabric too. Stain resistance was my goal.

I loved  the chairs she had chosen. And I really loved  the fabric! It was an upgrade, and that was a concern. You know, The Ford Fiasco Family Budget and all.  So we called Honey and tried to explain what it looked like.  Matches the existing furniture well (good), Micro fiber (GREAT), looks like alligator skin (pause on the phone). Well, not really alligator skin, but we could not find the right description of the fabric. Finally, he said to do whatever we felt best. Because he is a big old Hunk of Honey, and he has always been happy with End Results by Patt. But I’m sure this one had him worried. And that upgrade? Do they really consider $15.oo per chair an upgrade???

We bought them and they came some weeks later. I promptly locked them up in the dining room until after the cats had their permanent manicures. Because, as I have said before, they like to feel new furniture. With their claws.

I asked her to come over this July and help me stage our house. I wanted to spend as little cash as I could, so she just used things we already had. Really, she moved things around and took down stuff, because I am notorious for buying something that I have no place for. I’m pretty sure I drive her crazy.

As a matter of fact, she has banned me from EVER buying another picture frame or sign with words on it. Banned, FOR LIFE.

Here are the loverly new chairs, that meet both of our needs!

025

The “alligator skin”

027

The only other thing we bought were the tall things to go in the vases (that I bought last year at Ross Dress for Less for $9.99, while on the Capri Weekend Extravaganza). I don’t remember where we bought the tall things,  OR how much they cost. See yesterday’s post.

033

Please pretend that the lid is correctly on the basket that holds our winter down throws. I know I will.

Mrs. Schmenkman has commented several times that she would like to see a picture of the new additions. Here you go Schmenky!

And a big THANK YOU to Capri Patt for her invaluable assistance in getting The NutHatch ready for it’s close up!! I heart you forever!

7 Comments

Back to Life, Back to Reality, Summer is Over

September 8, 2009 at 8:19 AM (Around Our House, Confessions, Family Life, Help Me Please, Honey, Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Labor Day is over. And in Michigan, that means BACK TO SCHOOL!

Only for Mousey, as the older ones started college 2 weeks ago. Hard to believe we have only one child left at the high school. Honey and I are flying towards the empty nest. That makes me sad.

We had a disjointed holiday weekend. We had big plans to start wrecking our landscaping, why should the sewer people have all the fun? We did have a fun get together with folks from our CareGroup on Saturday. We probably chose Saturday so we would have more uninterrupted time to move rocks.

But because people chose to sleep, and do other things that had nothing to do with moving tons of rocks, that operation did not occur until Monday afternoon, around 3. Honey, The Boy, Mousey and I worked steadily until about 5:30, when the floodgates of heaven opened on us and curtailed all the rock hauling. So clearly, 2 and 1/2 hours of hard labor on Labor Day Weekend was all we could possibly manage.

Even though that seems measly, I just now took a back pill to ward off the muscle spasms that I feel coming on. It would appear that I am no pioneer OR, demolition landscaper.

I spent the rest of my free time reading back postings of a blog that I didn’t know existed! I already read Bye Bye Pie regularly, love that June. But NOW, I  discover that she had a previous blog, Bye Bye Buy, that had been unknown to me until this very weekend! Buried like a treasure, a pirate’s booty of of hilarious gems!

Oh, I have to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this! The premise of the blog was to share, in great detail, about June and her husband Marvin’s decision to not spend any money over and above their allocated expenses.

Now, this subject interests me for several reasons. I once saw a woman on a morning news show who wrote a book about this very subject. I would tell you her name, if I could remember it, and the title, if I had a stinkin’ clue. But that information is just plain Bye Bye Bye. Complete with hand motions like N’sync.  Anyway, I checked this book out at the library and thoroughly enjoyed it. Except for her tendency to go on about her liberal political agenda, which I can’t even remember, so she made no convert here.

I really liked the way she thought about spending, and not spending. It made me think about the way I spent. Or shouldn’t spend. No hard core changes, but it made me think.

Another thing that  fascinates me on this subject. How people save money. As you KNOW, I am a devotee of The Little House Books, and their simple life has always been a source of curiosity and admiration. I also received “The Tightwad Gazette” newsletter for several years. That Amy Dacyczyn, aka The Frugal Zealot, she is a wealth of information on saving money. A good deal of it I would never do, but it is interesting to read her thought process. And I have to say, she is a very engaging writer. Oh, I was SO sad when she retired and stopped writing that newsletter. It was like losing a friend. I wish she would take up blogging.

OK, so I have established that I like to THINK about saving money. Honey is laughing his patootie off somewhere reading this.

Back to June. June Gardens, not the month. I have only read through September of her year of living without spending, but I have learned a LOT. Mostly about June and Marvin, but, hey, that’s just a bonus!  Once again, it has gotten me to think about how we can cut back, and why we spend on some of the things we do. All good information, since we are participating in the Ford Fiasco Family Budget and all.

So, even though there was not a ton of hard labor going on, it was a very productive weekend. In my mind.

What about you Guy’s? How was your weekend?

2 Comments

Things I am Loving

September 4, 2009 at 7:11 AM (Around Our House, Cats and Dog, Friends, Lists, Pretty Things)

I am resorting to the handy dandy list format, because I still feel as dry as a bugs hull. No identifiable juices flowing.

1. I am still loving my confetti lantana. I hope I can find another next year. That’s how much I heart it.

007

2. I love, love, love this color of impatiens. And I especially like it paired with this yellow.

017

3. Always love this kitty-witty. Halle Berry,  peeking a boo.

004

4. Loving “Top Chef”, and ”Project Runway”. I was trying to get Mrs. Schmenkman to get on board and watch. So we could discuss it. She said no, all the drama reminded her of beauty school and the salon. I can see her point, but I’m still watching. Maybe she will join us soon for the biggest loser show. Maybe not.

5. And last, but NOT LEAST! I am loving having 2 new drivers in the house!!!! I love their new found independence, self confidence, AND, less schlepping for me!

Finally, something that I am NOT loving. Once, several years ago, on the first Capri Weekend Extravaganza that I was invited to attend, Capri Lis (aka, Mrs.Schmenkman) made a comment that I didn’t quite understand. She said she loved all God’s creatures, except the Japanese beetle. She thought that perhaps God had made a mistake. I had no comment about the subject, since I didn’t know anything about Japanese beetles. When I saw these scourges, I had the thought that they may just be a little beetle-ish. I asked Capri Patt, and she confirmed that yes, they were the dread breed. They done wrecked my sweet potato vine! Chewing and mating all over the place. Nasty bugs.

012

How about you all? Loving anything? Or NOT loving anything?

6 Comments

The September Mess

September 2, 2009 at 6:38 AM (Around Our House, Help Me Please, Honey)

I told you all about our “water” problem in the basement last summer, here.and here. Please go read and get yourselves all caught up. Because I can still barely speak of it.

We have had many plumbers that came and scoped, and made movies, and snaked, and did some sort of ultrasound of the earth in front of our house where the sewer line exits. They have come to a conclusion.  There are bellies in the line. It could be bad.

They want to replace the sewer line that leaves our house in front of the dining room window. The one that goes through our landscaping, across a part of our circle drive, through a berm, and on through the sidewalk out to the road. I had one request. Please don’t wreck any of our big, beautiful trees. I can deal with the rest of the fallout.

Honey and I want to save what we are able to. So we had a guy from the plumbing company come out and mark where they were going to dig the  trench. That’s him down by the road. The trench  he outlined had great potential for us to lose our flowering crab apple, our beautimous evergreen and our healthy Bradford pear. Plus assorted other bushes, hedges, plants.

002

He then told us that he hopes this will take care of the problem that our builder created. Honey can’t speak of the builder. This is just another black mark against the builder’s lack of building skillz. Speaking about the builder in any sort of detail causes Honey’s blood pressure to elevate to an unhealthy level.

If this doesn’t  take care of the builder caused problem, they will have to dig up our basement floor and do something that I don’t fully understand. It involves words and phrases like pitch, and elevation, ripping up carpeting and walls and ceramic tile, and d*** builder.

Now that we know where the demolition will be, Honey and I can begin to move landscaping bricks, tons of rocks and whatever plants we can. I have a few garden beds that can be turned into makeshift nurseries. We can’t do anything about the concrete or sod. I am really hoping they can save the trees. That would be such a shame. I might cry.

And we are praying that this outside work will take care of the problem. So I don’t have to hear all those other words  and phrases again.

6 Comments

All American Past Time

August 29, 2009 at 7:12 AM (Around Our House, Honey)

Honey has been occupied  lately. He has been watching some world champion, grand poobah, series of Little League games. And, evidently, it is never ending.

Just when I think it’s over, another game comes on. Games between countries I have barely heard of, and games between states that I have.  I am then called to come look at this kid or that kid. This one is 12 years old and is 6′2 and weighs 220, that one needs to shave.

When he came home from work  early yesterday morning, he got himself all situated to watch a game he had taped the night before. He was loving it, until it stopped recording on the last play of the game. With two outs and the bases loaded. Oh my goodness, he was beside himself! He then booted me off the computer so he could find out what happened.

Something big is going on today. He had a moment of worry in the car yesterday afternoon, when he thought he forgot to record something. He carefully thought it through, and decided it was happening this afternoon. Whew, that could have been a major league disaster!

I have no idea how much longer this will go on. He is obsessed.

2 Comments

This and That-Things I’m Loving

August 21, 2009 at 7:23 AM (Around Our House, Lists, This and That)

I have just a few schnibbles of goodness to share.

1. This has been my breakfast of choice for most mornings this summer.

001

A generous helping of Dannon plain yogurt, add 3 Splenda’s, a handful of blueberries, and 4 strawberries. Then add a goodish amount of this granola. I have tried other kinds, but have come to the conclusion that only this brand will do. It’s the perfect amount of crunchy. Since Sam’s no longer carries it, as they discontinue all of my favorite things, I was happy to discover it at Trader Joe’s. They had a much better price than either Meijers or Krogers. Yummo!

2. Big “Top Chef” AND “Project Runway” started this week! We are so happy, oh so happy!

Except we were so  disappointed  that Korto did not win the all star challenge episode of “Project Runway”, instead of Daniel. Her designs are so consistently fabulous and wearable, and I’m sorry Daniel, I just don’t know what the judges were raving about. I don’t know anyone who would wear anything you created. And judges, you thought his restaurant part of the challenge was “fun”? Honey thought it looked like she had dynamite strapped to her torso! OK, we are out of touch with fashion in America. We love you, Korto!!!

3. My confetti lantana is looking beautimous! It was a pathetic wreck of a thing when I bought it for $5 at the meat market. I had seen one at a house on the garden walk that I went to with The Peanuts Champ, so I knew how loverly it could look. Best yet, it’s loaded with blooms!

 007

4. That our ridiculous humidity has dropped for the moment. I was melting.

5. Loving that the festival known as “BoobSmash”,  is over until next year. This year, my reminder note told me not to wear any deodorant. They usually say light deodorant. I believe I may have mentioned that my internal thermometer is about 10-15 degrees warmer than usual these days. Why, no, I wasn’t at all nervous as a cat about being Hottie McDottie with NO deodorant. I had it in my purse and it was the first thing I did when I got into the car. Sweet relief.

What are you loving these days?

4 Comments

« Older entries