I'm a Basket Case

I don't do statuettes, ceramics or most knick knacks for decorating. My preference has always been baskets, tins and glass bottles. Baskets are my passion. From the teeny doll house sized ones smaller than a dime to giant laundry baskets, I love them all. Every room in my house has them stashed on top of bookcases, in little nooks on shelves and sitting beside chairs. There are baskets made of wicker, pine straw, yarn, fabric, plastic and more all through my house. Some I purchased, some I made. I actually have one carved from a peach pit by a former co-worker. It is one of my favorites.

I know most people have junk drawers but I prefer junk baskets. I have designated baskets in every room that get batteries, lighters, matches, pens & pencils, misc screws and nuts, and all those "what do I do with this" items. Got a loose part and you can't remember what it goes to? Put it in a basket. Finish a bookcase and have parts left-over? Toss them into a basket. Remote control missing a back? Hunt through the junk baskets.

I have been through several phases of mixing other items with my baskets. In the late 70's I split a booth at a craft show with friends that sold brass. They gave me wholesale prices and I stocked up. I loved the look but after a few years I realized that the constant polishing was a royal pain LOL. Little by little I gave the pieces away or tossed them into yard sale bins because my to do list is too long to need extra cleaning chores LOL.

On a smaller scale I love "tins". My favs are tiny tins, especially with hinged tops and vintage designs. My pride and joy for many years was a small palm sized tin that had a vintage cigarette ad on the front. It had a hinged top and I used it for a long time to carry my change and money at work. I gave it to my son when he started rolling his own cigarettes. It was perfect.

Sadly over the years I have had to toss some of the tins out because of rust. They were too much work to redo by the time I discovered the damage. However quite a few have survived and still hold tea bags, rock and jewelry collections and more.

My one other collectible is glass jars. I prefer larger ones with bale clasps like the antique mason jars but I have a variety stashed here and there. There are old ketchup and medicine bottles found on various digs. They are as much a reminder of the fun of the day with friends as they are valued for their history. There are some large bale jars found at yard sales that hold popcorn, rice and other food goodies. If they keep it $1 or less I will buy any bale jar at any flea market or yard sale LOL.

I do have two little shelves on my bedroom bookcase that are for gift items - tiny stuffed bears, mini statues saying I'm the best friend/mom in the world. These are my tiny treasures saved for my eyes only. Some days when I am sick and stuck in bed I can look up and see my little collection of "love tokens" to cheer me up.

So what do you collect? In all honesty, these are just my "accent" pieces. I collect books, movies, music, sewing fabric and notions, tons of stuff for crafts (one entire room full of stuff), and enough yarn to open a shop. I am in the process of getting rid of most of these items so I can move into a small studio apartment in town. All of the VHS movies (almost 1000) are gone - or transferred to one small basket of DVD's. I am currently working on books and music. Also I plan to hook up my knitting machine and use up some of the yarn making afghans this winter so my stashes are dwindling. The baskets, tins and glass are staying but everything else is going.

Hugs,
Linda B in TN:)

Belated Happy Thanksgiving

Yes, I am a day late but I am still celebrating. After 15 years of working
in a tourist area where I didn't get holidays off, I am used to spreading
it out over several days. Also between having only a hot plate and
counter top oven to cook with plus tiring very easily and aching joints, I
spend several days just preparing a meal like this.

First I bought my pies pre-made last week and have already sampled
them - chocolate pecan and pumpkin - yum :) I made my stuffing, cranberry sauce and cabbage Wed night. Thurs I baked a loaf of bread but mostly enjoyed the gorgeous sunny day and gave all the critters a bath.

After a long nap I got up about 1am this morning and made mashed sweet potatoes, got another loaf of bread going, cleaned the kitchen and put the turkey in the oven. It will take about 3 - 3 1/2 hours to bake. The oven has a 2 hour timer so when I get up later I will stagger to the kitchen and turn the timer to start the first round of cooking. When I finally drag out I will set it again so I can finally have Thanksgiving dinner for brunch or dinner today plus warm the kitchen since the temps are currently dropping and will be down to the 20's by evening :)

Hugs,
Linda B in TN:)

Fall is Almost Over

Blowing winds today and heavy rains are yanking the last of the leaves from the trees. I suffered a until mid Oct with that miserable heat. Many of the leaves turned brown from the heat and fall wasn't quite as glorious this year but it was welcome. We had our first snow about a week ago. It only lasted a couple of days and then we were back to more normal weather. I have been in heaven.

I started last spring with a remodel and clearing out of my crafting room. I had fought with mice and rats the last two winters and finally drove them out but they ruined everything in there. Much of my stuff from the shows was packed in banana boxes and was chewed up, shredded or peed on. I tossed out tons of bags of stuff. Even my towels and crocheted washcloths had chewed and shredded bits. It was so disheartening.

The heat moved in early and I tried now and then to work on it but it was just too miserable. I had moved a lot of stuff into the living room and it was stacked with totes and boxes. Since the weather has cooled I have been working hard, in between raking and winterizing, to finish the room. I still am only able to work one or two days and rest for a few.

Lately I have really been pushing in order to have it all done in time to put out my Christmas decorations, something I haven't done since I moved here in 2006. I have one little section in the corner left and some more sorting and it will finally be done. Most of the stuff is out of the living room. Now I want to rearrange it. I am hoping I will be able to finish it by Thanksgiving but it is good enough for company right now if my son decides to show up for dinner.

Not long after my last posting Miss Snow pushed the screen out of the porch window and discovered the back deck. She loves it out there and also has staked out an area about 50 x 50 feet over by the pump house. It is a weedy area at the base of the hill and she loves to go over there and sit for hours, even in the snow and light rain. Every morning when I let the dog out she heads out too. She lounges on the railing for a little waiting to see if I am coming out to sit in the middle of the bench so she and the dog can get on either side of me to be scratched and petted. Then she makes a beeline for her little patch. I don't know if she is chasing mice out there or just likes it because the dogs outside leads will not let them into that area of the yard. Maybe she just wants some time away from all the dog smell LOL.

Oh and the guy I traded my car to, he did half the jobs then hasn't shown up again so my deck didn't get the mold power washed off and I still don't have my little fenced in yard for the dogs. I have run long leads off the back deck and hook them to the dogs when they go out. It gives them about 50 feet each. I also rigged a gate that they haven't figured out how to get out of so I just turn they onto the deck if they need to go out during the night or I am not able to handle going out to hook them up. Some days it just isn't that easy. I was really hoping for that small fenced in area to give them an area to run around and could start keeping big dog inside all the time. He is too strong for me to wrestle with all the time so he stays outside except on cold days and nights.

Today was grocery day and I am exhausted. Lately the best bargains have been at SavALot which does not have an electric cart so I am pretty beat by the time I get out of there. Just wanted to pop in and say hello. Hope to catch up more soon.

Hugs
Linda B in TN:)

55 Days of High Temps....

and it continues on. Next weeks predictions don't show any relief. Yesterday was the absolute worse. I went out to feed and water the animals about 630pm. I hadn't picked up my mail and newspapers since Fri so I hobbled out to get them too.

I was only out there about 20 minutes but I nearly passed out. I came inside and grabbed some ice water. I was panting, sweating, dizzy and couldn't swallow. I made it to the bedroom and stripped down and grabbed a few washcloths, soaked them in cold water and started putting them on my neck, arms, shoulders and face. I wanted to jump in a cool shower but was so dizzy I was afraid to. I finally cooled down but it was really scary going for about 30 minutes.

Snow is doing fine. She still refuses to leave the living room/kitchen area. She stretches out in the window over the sink which is on the shady side by the bank. There are lots of birds, snakes and other entertaining things to watch out there plus it is much cooler.

In the meantime I spend my days sleeping and stretched out in the bedroom. It is much warmer but I tried sleeping in the lounger and it just didn't work. I can fall asleep there but I can't stay longer than 5 or 10 minutes then I have to turn over so I end up toddling back to the bedroom.

I traded my Chev Tracker for work around the house. I can't drive and it will be another few years to never before I can again. The car is just sitting there ruining, mice eating up the interior, mold growing everywhere, tires rotting and going flat. It was time to let go. The young man works construction and is doing some work around the house for me like putting up fences, insulating the bathroom and lots of small jobs. He fixed the hot water heater last weekend and put a grab bar in the shower. I have been able to take wonder showers all week and not worry about slipping and falling. Awesome.

Hugs,
LindaB in TN:)

Snow is Staying - You Knew She Would LOL

Yes Miss Kitty is staying. BTW I didn't change her name which is Snow or Snowy. Not very original but why confuse the baby when she has to deal with these smelly boy dogs LOL.

First - I changed the covers in the LR and put down light covers so I could see if she was still doing damage. Only once since last week.

Second - I got one of those draft dodgers and sealed the door to my crafting room. She could slide UNDER the door. That route is now blocked so no more problems in there.

Third - she started climbing on me and curling up on my chest and purring. Well you know what a sucker I am so she had me right there. We have bonded. She even let me give her a bath and only clawed me once!!!

Fourth - as if I needed another one but the biggest reason of all. Remember this guy? Remember me complaining about being overrun by mice after losing Bianca two years ago? I put down mothballs, tons of cotton balls with peppermint essential oil and tried every other remedy I found in books and on the net. I even bought sets of those electronic plug ins. Still, I was killing 20-30 per week and barely putting a dent in the population explosion.

Then I got the bright idea of putting down sticky traps. Yes they trapped the little ones which I believe became the bait for the big ones like this guy. A couple of times I had seen mice on them just before going to bed and could hear them squealing. I am assuming the big ones heard the squealing during the night and came in for the food. The traps would be across the room or caught on the edge of the furniture the next morning with no mice stuck to them. I knew something big had to be moving them. I had to pump heavy duty poison into the walls to get rid of these guys. This one was found dead in the middle of my living room. Not going that route again. I figure what's a little cat pee if it keeps away this type of beasties?

BTW a lovely black snake took care of the hundreds that had taken over my garden and dog yard. I would go out on the deck in the morning and see hundreds of them scooting about doing their morning shopping in my garden. After the snake showed up one fall day the population slowly reduced to zero. He nearly gave me a heart attack. I was sitting in the glider talking on the phone when I saw him slithering just a few feet away. I watched him slide over and into the wood pile where I had just seen several mice running in and out. I was cheering him on - once my heartbeat resumed LOL.

Hugs
Linda B in TN:)

New Visitor Soon to Be Gone

This little lady came to live with me on May 11. She hid behind the chair for a few days but finally came out. She is a pretty kitty but still will not let me hold her and will not go past the living room/kitchen. The dogs stay in the bedroom and she is not happy about it.

Sadly I will have to take her back to her previous owner next Tuesday. She hates my dogs and is peeing on everything I own. She keeps going in my storage room and has gone to the bathroom on everything in storage boxes - craft books, clothes, towels and fabric for crafts, and lots more. Many things will have to go in the trash which is sad. I have been giving away a lot of my craft stuff away but I hate the thought of just tossing it in the trash.

The worst part is she is peeing on my furniture. I have never had a cat do that. She has two litter boxes and I clean them every single day but she gets in my chairs and pees in the corners. Luckily I already had thick covers on the lower half of each chair just in case the dogs hiked their legs. I discovered it the other day when I left the dog leashes in one of the chairs. When I went to pick them up that evening they were wet. I checked and she has been peeing in both corners of every single seat in the living room.

I tried adding sprays and pepper but I checked this morning and she is still at it. I am sure it is because of the dog smell but I can't deal with it. I have very little furniture (3 chairs) and can barely keep my kitchen moderately clean. Vacuuming once every two weeks wears me out for days. I sure don't have the strength to steam clean my furniture every week.

I called Charlie and he said to bring her back if I needed to so I will return her when I go to town for groceries next week. She is a cutie and I have been wanting a cat but I will have to try again later. She was happy at Charlie's. He has one kitten and no dogs LOL.

Linda B in TN:)

Wandering down memory lane.......

I made this pillowcase in the late '80's. Last week I found it in the bottom of some things packed away. I haven't been able to find its mate yet but every time I look at it on the bed it reminds me of all the crafts I have made over the years. Many of them are gone - some worn out, some lost to a hurricane or other minor disasters in my life.

The pillowcase also makes me think of my grandmother. The very first creative craft I did was embroidery. Yes I made crafty items at school and Vacation Bible School but those were done with items from kits and made exactly as directed by teachers and counselors. (I was a very obedient child :)

When I saw my grandmother embroidering pillowcases, I fell in love. I had to know how to do some for myself. She taught me a few stitches and gave me a couple of skeins of embroidery yarn and needles. At home it was all plain white pillowcases so I had an endless palette. I drew my name and initials in the fanciest script I could manage and chain stitched around them. As I got braver I learned French knots and started designing and doing flowers. The added bonus was I could do them in colors I liked. The late 60's was overtaken by yellow, avocado green and day glo orange. I hated all of them. I could make pretty stuff in my blues or greens and maybe even add a splash of pinks.

They have all fallen apart now. Back in the eighties they started coming out of the laundry in shreds. I decided it was time to make some more. In the early 80's I had become hooked on Xstitch so I bought some pre-stamped kits and planned to make them all up. I finished the set in the pic but the rest got stuffed away in my "round tuit" box. I need to do some digging but I am sure they are still here in that room full of craft goodies.

Silly, isn't it. How something so simple can bring back so many memories and also inspire. Now I suddenly find myself with a craving to create again. I look around and I have nothing of my own anymore. Nothing in this house except a couple of xstitch pics and that pillowcase proclaim that I live here. I suddenly feel a need to create some pillows, chair covers, pillowcases and more. I'd say it is time to get back to crafting:)

10 Little Things That Lead to a Happier, Healthier You

My friend Leslie has written a great and thought provoking list on her blog. Check it out:)
http://addictedtoscrapbooking.blogspot.com/2010/05/10-little-things-that-lead-to-happier.html

While you are there check out the other listings. There is a great recipe for Pizza Muffin Cups. She is the mom of four and her kids scarfed them up. She is just getting started but keep checking back, she always has the best ideas for recipes, raising the kids and where to find the best bargains.

Her list made me think about myself a bit. I am still dragging with the winter blahs. To be honest it all started last August with 2 months of nonstop rain that led to even my clean clothes in the closet being covered in mold. I tried to get into the senior living place in town but was turned down for now. I have to get paperwork proving the mobile home I turned over to my son was really repossessed and I don't have any equity in it. I may try to resolve all that this summer and try again next winter. I am not sure I can take another winter of $200 plus heating bills.

We have had a few weeks of off and on nice weather. Then it will turn freezing again and frost everything plus lots of rain. I have managed to catch up most of the laundry except for the sheets. I think all the winter stuff is done and just waiting to be sealed in the space bags.

Now I need to get off my butt and put the Oasis back - my old glider and an umbrella that I trot out to every morning. I love to go out and sit. I have a bag with the latest book I am reading, my "through the Bible in a year" Bible, a notepad and pen. I usually toss in the latest mail and paper plus a bottle or two of cold water and some sort of snack (fruit, yogurt, granola bar).

The dogs join me at the Oasis. It is hard for me to walk them but I drag them out there with me. They forage around for a bit then curl up under the umbrella with me to nap or gnaw on a treat. They are simply happy to be anywhere I am. It is so simple and gratifying.

I start out each visit to the Oasis by doing my Bible study and having my morning prayers. This relaxes me and makes everything seem right with the world. I always start with Joel Osteen's favorite quote from the Psalms: This the day the Lord hath made and I will rejoice in it. I keep saying I am going to put that in Xstitch and hang it where I can see it when I open my eyes each morning LOL. It is always my morning mantra reminding that God has blessed me with another day and it is my duty to find out what he wants me to do with it.

After that I snack, sit and stare at nature, read, do a Sudoku or just zone out. It doesn't matter but I spend an hour to two hours out there and it just seems to make the day go so much better. I don't sleep well so I sometimes think I need this refreshing to make up for it. If I go to bed at 11pm I will be up at 2-3am and unable to go back to sleep until about 8am. I can never sleep for more than 2-4 hours at a time so I am usually feeling tired. However my visits to the Oasis seem to invigorate me and give me the strength to get a little bit of housework done.

OK company this weekend and rain over the next few days but I will definitely be getting out to put the Oasis back together by the end of the week.

Hugs,
Linda B in TN:)

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

I watched Alice in Wonderland. The Depp/Burton team never fails to amuse and entertain me and I loved it. Of course, Lewis Carroll's riddle was heard throughout the movie and I wanted to see what the internet made of it. It is the riddle with no answer that drives everyone crazy or is it?

From The Straight Dope:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1173/why-is-a-raven-like-a-writing-desk

"Lewis Carroll himself got bugged about this so much that he was moved to write the following in the preface to the 1896 edition of his book:

Enquiries have been so often addressed to me, as to whether any answer to the Hatter's Riddle can be imagined, that I may as well put on record here what seems to me to be a fairly appropriate answer, viz: 'Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!' This, however, is merely an afterthought; the Riddle, as originally invented, had no answer at all.

Did this discourage people? No. They figured, that dope Carroll, he's too dumb to figure out his own riddle, setting aside the halfhearted attempt just quoted. So they ventured answers of their own......."

Some of their attempts and more about the riddle and Carroll's book are located at the link above. It is enjoyable reading for insomniacs like myself.

Nite Nite

Linda B in TN:)

Still Here and A New Blog

I have been sick and slacking but I have to get some weight off. I am actually hoping that it will also help improve my health. Several friends want to know how I am doing it plus I need to keep a journal for my diet group. My new blog is called The Village Blob: 25 Years of Bad Diets, Bad Health, Bad Habits and SelfDelusion

http://villageblob.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to check out the links on the right for more of my blogs. I promise to get back to using them more. I tried sending a lot through the Google group but want to go back to putting crafts and recipes back on those blogs.

Enjoy,
Linda B in TN:)