HAPPY TO SEE YOU HANGING AROUND

HUNG A SQUIRREL.  Pinecone and all.  I went to 37 PINE to buy a pumpkin for my exterior arrow that holds seasonal ornaments.  I looked at the pumpkin ornament for Autumn decorations and then I saw the squirrel.  I looked at the squirrel for a very long time and admired it.  I looked at the pumpkin and I looked at the squirrel.  I looked at the pumpkin and I looked at the squirrel.  

Squirrel it is.  Hubby stayed in the car as he was so tired knowing I was able to buy a pumpkin and I came out with a squirrel.  grins.  I was so happy with my purchase.  She's hanging on our porch in record time.  This little gesture makes me feel like I am taking baby steps toward making the COTTAGE into a HOME.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY are occupied with working at the COTTAGE.  Hubby made headway putting sheetrock up in the storage shed side of COTTAGE garage.  It's looking so much better than what was there. 

FIRST the old paneling that was water damaged and ruined was gutted.  He repaired the three windows in the shed.  Paneling and sheetrock were purchased in two different trips.  Hubby tore the icky paneling out.  NEXT the sheetrock goes in. 

When this shed is finished, it's back to working on the Bathroom that awaits us.  While he soaked his t-shirt with sweat, I sleeved papers indoors that were inside large labeled yellow envelopes.  When I finished going through the long elongated cardboard box, I felt a sense of satisfaction.  Finally, I made huge progress with this paper monster.

Once I got HOME to the main house, I rested before doing more paperwork that waits for me at HOME.  I was a bit overwhelmed with how long it is taking to get to where I need to be.  I never dreamt it would take so long.  Months on end.  I'm just about to the place where I can start filling binders with loose sleeved papers.

Sleeving graduation announcements, baby announcements, showers, engagements and wedding announcements, artwork, school papers amongst other paperwork, took some time and effort.  I finished shredding old, old checks, monthly checking statements from way back, old credit card statements,  medical statements, paid medical receipts that go all the way back to when we lived in Omaha, Nebraska in 1985.  

I've grouped medical articles that need stapled together, sorted and filed for later reading and referrals.  Some political and religious articles that I went over deciding which to keep and which to pitch.  A multitude of other subjects as well like decorating ideas, health related articles and recipes.  How to do this and how to do that.  Grandchildren items.

Not sure I can pitch old greeting cards just yet.  Sentimental me at her worst.  

My task to go through boxes has shrunk to one large cardboard box filled with misc. papers...plus some vinyl storage boxes that are still in the garage that I will have to take a deep breath when going through just to see what is in there.  Sigh.  Instead of getting really excited that I am about finished with this huge task, I get flabbergasted that I am not DONE.  

FLABBERGASTED.  Though I cannot work on this 24/7, I am putting in quite a few hours and feel determined to get it done.  There's a drive in me to get it done.  I shall overcome.  

As we were working on our projects, QUEEN ELIZABETH died.  Prince Charles is now the King of England at 73 turning 74 in November.  He isn't a spring chicken.  I touched base about the Queen's life through the years.

Hubby was reading to me what now KING CHARLES's son Prince William inherits since his Grandmother, the Queen passed.  Unbelievable amount of money plus real estate.  Unbelievable.  Not sure what the King inherits.  Many titles.    

I have no desire to be this kind of Royalty.  I shall be thankful that I have the parents I have and grew up the way I did.

The week-end is upon me.  I believe I will force myself to get the Kitchen cabinet painted her first coat since I haven't gotten that far.  Paint is bought.  Paperwork worked on and housework done.  I am diving into the Daniel Diet big time as I have another doctor's appointment in November that I am going to try really hard to lower my cholesterol before then.  REALLY HARD.  REALLY REALLY REALLY HARD.

Isn't this special?  Losing weight, lowering A1c and lowering cholesterol.  Really special.  DAILY Walking will begin.  Again.

You know the ROYAL FAMILY is one thing, but being a child of GOD makes one a SAINT and a child of the MOST HIGH GOD.  How do I carry myself?  What do I wear?  How do I speak?  How do I behave?  How do I think, eat and sleep?

  

Blessings,

d

LIVING LARGE IN A SMALL COTTAGE

I HAVE MOMENTS WHERE I GET EXCITED THINKING ABOUT when the COTTAGE is completely remodeled and we're living in it full time.  Getting to this place will take great effort and time.  Slowly we are making progress.  Slowly.  Slow is better than not at all...yet a faster pace would be appreciated.  

Remembering when my Grandparents redid a log cabin and made it into more of a RANCH style habitat.  They stuccoed over the logs, made walls inside the structure for rooms, etc.  They were in their 60s and I thought them soooooo old to be doing this.  I am 67.  DO I feel soooooo old to be remodeling a COTTAGE?  Sometimes I do.  Sometimes I don't.  

Grandpa and one of his brother-in-laws did the work taking an empty log cabin structure and turning it into a very nice livable HOME.

I saw photographs of them laying the linoleum tile in the dining area.  Two OLD men sitting on the floor working away.  My Grandparents lived there from the 1960s until they moved into town living in a huge bungalow in the mid 70s.  Grandpa would pass away in this bungalow in 1978. While taking a nap that he didn't wake up from, he passed away so peacefully after his morning walk about the neighborhood.  

The only time I ever saw my Grandma cry was at his funeral as she stood alone looking at him in the coffin, she cried out loud, "What am I going to do without you..."  This is itched into my memory.  Grandma lived another 12 years or so.  She'd relocate to Syracuse, Kansas to be closer to her sister.  Grandma had grown up in the Syracuse area so back she returned.  She was contented, I think.

What we have in our COTTAGE is something to work with.  I will be a painting fool in the next few months as I will be painting inside the COTTAGE as well as painting in the main house. Part-time GIG.  This week-end I hope to finish priming the tall Kitchen cabinet then next week actually applying the paint.  Once again I can visualize the finished product.  This keeps me going.

This afternoon I was working at planting a coleus clipping that I had rooting out in a throw away cup.  Beautiful root ball and ready to plant.  As I worked on the patio planting it, I heard a noise overhead that I thought was a squirrel in the tree.  Down came a small branch falling on my head.  It scared me as I thought the squirrel had jumped into my hair.  Ha.  Nope, it was a tree branch.  Now the timing and location had to be just right for me to be standing just where I was to be the target of a tree branch to fall and hit me in the head.

I let out a scream.  I wasn't hurt.  Still, it makes me wonder if God is trying to knock some sense into me.  The last few weeks I have had some accidents and this one tops the list.  Thinking back...as I worked in the COTTAGE closet a large heavy box fell on my head rolling off my back. On a different day, a stack of cabinet door fronts fell over onto my right foot.  Scratched it was all.  No pain.  I tripped over a box of floor tile and landed on my right hip.  I jarred my back was all on this one.  A week later, I tripped going up the porch steps landing on my knees.  This one hurt worst of all.  Both knees hurt plus wrists and hands again jarring my back and neck...now a tree branch fell onto my head.  Okay this is more than enough accidents.  I think I have outdone myself.  Enough is enough.

OFF TO THE COTTAGE to paint and go through old papers.  Beautiful week-end.  I have to stay focused and stay busy getting downsized and organized.  My newest HOBBY.  A phase in life right now.  A part-time job.

Living LARGE in a small cottage hopefully will not be all about being an obese woman in a small house.  I have this ongoing issue about losing weight at 67.  Lord, I pray that the vegetables will help me shrink.  Being healthy is desired so no more tree branches on the head.

~d