A DIFFERENT KIND OF THRIFT DAY

IF WE CAN SCHEDULE A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT IN TOPEKA ON A TUESDAY we do it knowing that on Tuesdays GOD'S STOREHOUSE blesses the elderly with a 20% SENIOR DISCOUNT.  GSH is one of my fav stops.  Visiting GSH makes the trip to the medical appointments tolerable.

RIGHT NOW, it's HOLIDAY TIME and they are selling a multitude of Christmas decorations everything from Nativity items to Santas and misc. of this and that.  Last year they had a Christmas tent and we stood in line freezing with the bitter weather until time to go inside.  The people crowded the place so badly you couldn't hardly see the merchandise for sale.  This year the goods are inside and have been for a couple of months.  Less of a crowd.  Outside they sell faux Christmas trees.

Over at St. Marys 37 Pine, they decorated outside their entrance with twinkle lights on faux trees of various sizes.  It's so pretty that I thought I might do this next year out front of our yard.  We got rid of our WINTER WONDERLAND two seasons ago and now I'd like to have a faux Christmas tree display out in front of our porch.  NICE THOUGHT THOUGH.  This is all subject to change as I keep morphing along.  There's the issue of storing the trees when out of season.    

When at God's Storehouse, I usually always find something to purchase to take HOME.  Today was no exception.  I wanted a CHRISTMAS PILLOW for the church pew on our front porch. Check.  When I saw the twig shaped letters for the words NOEL and JOY, I knew these would go with me as well.  Our trip was short, but profitable to say the least.

These are probably stocking holders, but I think I can get away with just displaying them on the porch this year.  We won't be hanging the stockings by the fire with care in hopes that Saint Nicholas will soon be there.  No fireplace here.  No Christmas tree this year.  BUT I do have the Nativity Scene displayed inside and that means a great deal to me.  

WHEN THRIFTING, I can decorate for little.  The lamp, the word art (stocking holders), the soft pillow and the wood Believe sign were all purchased for under $15.  

My morning started around 5.  Did some paperwork and figured my day out.  Headed to TOPEKA for HUBBY's lab appointment.  Arrived at QUEST LABS early so he was dealt with early.  His appt. was for 8:30 and we walked out of there at 8:18.  Now that's what I call service.

We planned on eating at THE BIG BISCUIT.  A first for us and we were not disappointed.  Food was good, service excellent and atmosphere pleasant.  I'd go there again.  

https://bigbiscuit.com/the-big-biscuit-menu/

HUBBY's FAVORITE.  Chicken Fried Steak.

Rye toast for me with a Spinach Turkey Omelet and some potatoes.  I drank a large glass of chocolate milk.  It's been years since I did this.  I was proud of myself for not eating all of the potatoes.  With this large Breakfast, it kept me full until Supper time.

Went to Starbucks for my Green Tea.  Then to the thrift store GSH.

https://www.facebook.com/GodsStorehouseThrift

  
I heard about another Thrift Shop in the area and wanted to check it out. THE GIVING TREE.  It was nice enough and I'll go again.

https://www.facebook.com/givingtreetopeka

Off to NATURAL GROCERS for multi-colored carrots, Wild Caught Salmon, crisp celery, pears and apples.  SAMS was next.  Peanut Brittle was the first thing I picked up.  Chocolate chips, butter, bottled water, mini Sprites, and a new magazine, WILLOW AND SAGE HOMEMADE BATH & BODY.

https://willowandsage.com

TRIP HOME WENT WELL.  Weather was decent, but felt the cold creeping in with the wind. Another dip in the temps.  After putting the goods away, I had to take a NAP.  Couldn't help myself.  When waking up, I felt like I was ruined with fatigue.  Guess I am really tired.  Having been on the go so much catches up with me and NAPS become a priority.  

I had a thought come to me about the next step in settling in.  With the Wednesday weather supposedly going to be in the high 50s, it makes for a nice day to carry CHRISTMAS TUBS from the storage shed to our cellar.  I will have the opportunity to take a peek at what's in each tub, make a judgment call about the decorations as to keep or donate then place donation items in cardboard boxes and carry the keepers down to the cellar.  The donation boxes will be loaded in the car and taken right away to the drop off at the Manhattan GOODWILL.  

After resting some, the newly emptied muscle racks in the storage shed will be filled with BOXED STUFF that is taking up room throughout the COTTAGE.  It will need to be dealt with later.  JUST GET THIS OUT OF THE COTTAGE.  We would clear out much that is in the road. Again the stuff that we no longer want can be donated or given away.

If we get this far this week, it will be a huge relief that we have cleared such clutter out of the house.  We would no longer look like HOARDERS while getting settled from having moved from the large house that we are selling.

WE MUST MORP RIGHT ALONG.  Probably after Christmas, when we hit a decent day and have nothing else going on, then we can begin clearing out the garage and make HUBBY a Art STUDIO.  He'll insulate the walls, do something with the walls like panel them, fix the ceiling, paint the concrete floor.  I am excited that we will be doing this and I pray we can make quick work out of it.  Then he can sit up the studio.  

So much to do as we downsize and make LIFE in the COTTAGE a place to live and play.  With Christmas here, it is what warms my soul because the outside temps do not.

Merry Christmas!

OUR THRIFTING on TUESDAY went well.

~d

CONTEMPORARY TREES ON THE WINDOW LEDGE

SLEPT VERY POORLY LAST NIGHT.  Woke around 5:30 which is better than at 4 though.  Yesterday, I came across a small box that held small, contemporary trees and began thinking where can I place these for some Christmas/WINTER cheer in this very crowded COTTAGE that's very limited in spaces to display anything?  The Kitchen window ledge came to mind after little thought.  SO this morning I cleared the Kitchen window ledge above the sink then used glass cleaner on the glass and wood ledge to display the small collection of trees. Whaalah.  Finished.  Making quick work out of this made me sing.  With so much to do, seeing some progress makes a nice difference.

We are wintering/living in the little FIXER-UPPER COTTAGE.  

If I recall, I bought these contemporary trees at Target in their dollar binds, but they were more than a dollar as everything has gone up in price.  I was HAPPY to come across these as I unpacked boxes.  I actually FORGOT I had them.  Oops.  The poor little window screens are in terrible shape.  Next Spring they will be repaired so I can open the windows to let fresh air inside keeping the flies and mosquitoes out.  The brass hardware has long been painted over.  They should be stripped and polished.  The windows still open and close by ropes, sash cords.

Will I miss my large Garden Window I had in the other house's Kitchen?  The answer is YES, but I have to let that go.  Now it is a fond memory, not a point of contention.

SLOWLY, I am going through the moving boxes tweaking where things go.  I have to move things about to make room for other things.  A slow process, but somebody has to do it and it might as well be me.

I had grouped hangers together in the closet awhile back and this morning I moved these hangers to a lower rack.  This little task allowed a freed up rod to hang clothing on that are worn frequently.

I have most of our shirts and blouses hanging on multi hangers that hold five articles.  They are not the easiest to rehang articles that have been laundered so they are more like an off season storage hanger which isn't very handy for a day to day kind of thing.  Eventually the closet will get a remodel, but for now I have to come up with some kind of system that accommodates clothing for two people.  It's been years since we shared a closet.  I'm spoiled and have to return to what once was.  This can be done and I will do it.  

AS FOR CHRISTMAS DECOR.  I had hopes of going through all my decorations before December rolled around and didn't make it as we were so busy getting moved into our COTTAGE and preparing the HOUSE to sell.  There's only so many hours in a day and that's the reality of it.

SO if it takes way longer than I had planned, it just does.

I still watch videos about decluttering and getting better organized.  Seriously, I learned something HELPFUL each time.  SO KEEP WATCHING.

AND THE WEEK CONTINUES...
~d 

A DAILY RAMBLE

This picture reminds me of my childhood HOME TOWN at CHRISTMAS time.  To step back in time comes to mind when I see pictures like this one.  I can close my eyes and remember how I felt as a kid in Kansas with crunching under my snow boots as I walked on the snow packed sidewalks.  Frozen.  I was shivering in the cold even with a wool coat on, socks on my feet, muffins on my little hands and a stocking hat on top of my blonde curls.  Sometimes I wish I could return and stay for awhile.  The older I get, the dearer the memories are causing me to become nostalgic.  

BACK TO THE PRESENT.  Laundry is drying in the clothes dryer while I wait to do the next best thing.  Sipping on hot green tea.  I have plans of doing this more often.  I'll fold and hang the clothing articles before going to the city to look around at MARSHALLS.  It's been about a year since I last shopped there.  Wanting to get out of the house for a few minutes means a day trip to a different community to shop.  I have a few things I want to look for as I organize our HOME.

I gather ideas from the internet, think about it and then go looking.  Getting ORGANIZED is a priority to me as I unpack the many things that are still in boxes needing a new HOME.  Because the COTTAGE is small, I have to be selective in what is kept. 

Waking early again this fine morning, I was off to an early start.  I organized the top shelf of the freezer.  Grouping items and placing small, thick cardboard boxes in the freezer to hold them in place.  On the Homefront of unpacking, I put more things away that were in boxes.  Placed pillow linens in a white plastic basket.  After I get further along on settling in, I will launder all the linens, fold and place them in baskets.  They need freshened up.  

I need to do the same with my HUSBAND's t-shirts.  Many have not been worn in a long while and they need freshened up as well.  I think we will go through the t-shirts together to determine which ones are his favorites to keep.  Another pile for work t-shits then donate the rest.  The keepers will be stacked on a shelf in the small closet as the space required for storing folded t-shirts is quite small.

This is a different challenge.  Both of us are using the same small walk-in closet.  We went from a house that allowed us each to have a single closet per person that were cedar lined, closets for sentimental articles, coats, linens and blankets.  Going from 6 nice size closets to two extremely small and a walk-in.  We're downsizing to make this place work for us.  Creative ideas will help manage the small space we have to work with.

I gathered casual clothing to wear for the day trip to town.  Wearing comfortable shoes is a must. Since we'll be out, I think we'll get a salad to eat.  Supper tonight will be a different salad.  Can't believe I'm saying this...two salads in one day.  

It's not snowing or raining so the traveling should be good.  We'll be in the small Cruiser as our larger car is scheduled to go to the mechanics for work to be done.  We have patiently waited to get the car into the shop.  I don't do well when having to wait so long for certain items to get repaired.  Finish the laundry.  T-shirts.  Fold and put away.

Get groomed and dressed.
Go to town and pick up the mail.
Travel to the city for Starbuck's drinks.
Then Marshalls.
Lunch.
Burlington.
Hy-Vee.
Menards for more storage units for packing Mom's dishes.
Not sure which other stores to go to.
Drive to the main house and check in on her.
Go HOME.
Unload goodies.
Put away.
Rest.
More CHORES.
More laundry.
Telephone my Sister to visit with her and my Mom who are both suffering with C o v i d.  Second time for both of them.  
Supper.
Watch some tele.
REST.

I'm so BLESSED.
I have a roof over my head.
A running automobile to get me around.
Food in the cabinets, in the fridge and freezer.
Medication.
Furniture to use.
Time and the freedom to pray and think.
A family to call my own.
A savior to guide me.

BLESSINGS,

~d

  

SOME DECORATING AT THE COTTAGE

Some greenery above the antique mirror brings the outdoors indoors to warm the room and I really like having greens above mirrors, pictures and windows.

Greenery at Christmas: an overview
The history of bringing greenery indoors pre-dates Romans.  In early times, evergreen plants represented new life in mid winter, and gave hope for the spring. The Romans had a Saturn Festival at a similar time to Christmas, and decorated with greenery.

Why do we bring greenery in at Christmas?

By the late Middle Ages almost all surviving church records include entries for the purchase of holly and ivy in the winter. For Christians evergreens symbolized eternal life and the promise of the return of life in the spring.  We know that private homes would also have been dressed in greenery at this time of year.

A NATIVITY SCENE IS DISPLAYED on the antique walnut chest that sits in the Living room on December 1st which pleases me that we started the month out with placing the Nativity Scene.  I placed some twinkle lights behind the scene.  Makes for a HAPPY face to have this Nativity scene out.  I wasn't sure if we'd get to the place where we would even have one due to overcrowding from moving boxes.  

A few days ago, we came across two vinyl storage boxes in one of our storage units holding the stable in one and the people with animals in the other.  Took these boxes HOME and today the pieces were unwrapped and displayed.

This morning I woke early because my neck hurt.  A pain in the neck stands true.  I got up and took a potty break then sat in my blue chair reading.  In the early hours of the morning I located a red table runner to lay on the chest before getting the stable out.

I made a special trip to St. Marys to purchase two faux Juniper Berry garlands that I hung above the mirror and above the HOME SWEET HOME picture.  

I know 37 PINE has faux garland when I saw them about ten days ago.  They are 20% off.  37 PINE is beautifully decorated for the Christmas HOLIDAY.  So festive.  They'll be having their OPEN HOUSE on Saturday and more than likely they'll sell out of their garland that looks so real.  

I bought some last year and have yet to get it out of the shed.  Where are you and in which BOX is a mystery.  I had truly hoped that before CHRISTMAS I would have gone through all the CHRISTMAS DECOR and thinned down also relocating the boxes into the cellar.  AUTUMN was so busy I didn't get to this.  Didn't happen, but it's not the end of the world.  When we have a warm snap I hope I can get back to it.

Back to bed I went and fell asleep waking mid morning.  I felt better after sleeping.  My stomach has been a little queasy.  7-up time.  

I'm staying in my housecoat today all day resting.  A load of laundry is going.  The rubber seal around the door of the machine was cleaned as the machine smells slightly musty.  Washing blue jeans.  Will launder some towels and curtain panels through the day.  I'll be tinkering on everything else.  

It will be pleasant to have more things off the floor and in cabinets.  The KITCHEN pans will be worked on off and on.  

YESTERDAY was a very full day as we returned the moving truck to it's rightful place.  VICTORY.  We accomplished getting much off the property.  Hubby had emptied the truck earlier in the morning and we needed to return her before 1.  We succeeded then drove on over to Manhattan to get Hubby a BIG BRUNCH at IHOP.  We went to TARGET to look for blue carrots and of course I just wanted to browse.  I visited with my Mom and Sister ON THE CELL PHONE while browsing the store.  They are both terribly ill.  

Remembering that 37 PINE in St. Marys would be having their OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, I drove on over to St. Marys to purchase some Juniper Berry garland.

There will be little decorating in our HOME this year, but will have some greenery in various places.  No tree.  For the front door, I would like to find my plain faux green wreaths that are in the shed and simply place Burgundy colored velvet ribbon on them.  Burgundy instead of red.

UPDATE on the selling of the house.  We have a contract.  Inspections were done along with the appraisal.  There is additional expense when selling property and the expense of it comes out of the proceeds.  If everything goes well, we are thankful that we will not have to WINTER the property.  Closing date will be soon and we will celebrate.  PRAISE GOD.  Praise GOD.

When I go over to the house, it's like a dream that we have moved.  Already a month has passed since we started sleeping at the COTTAGE.  Our big adventure started.  The digging out of the boxes will be a thing of the past in 2024.  Clearing the storage units will take us until SPRING.  I'm not going to kid myself, it will take until SPRING.  SO much stuff.  It will be answered prayer to be in order and have downsized.

ANSWERED PRAYER,

~d

DECORATING THROUGH CHANGES

Finding MY TEXAS HOUSE on facebook, I turned to admiration for this woman's decorating taste.  ERIN.  I would like to morph my decorating style more in lines like this.  This natural looking phase when it comes to decorating seems to be more in lines with a Scandinavian decor.

The trends change often as we skedaddle through LIFE.  The shabby chic phase was a hot one for decades.  Still popular.  Chippy paint was welcomed into home interiors.  I couldn't get into it at the time when it first became popular, but have relaxed a great deal with the distressed look with all its dings.

FARMHOUSE DECOR with natural textures, whites and lots of light colored woods have made their mark on this go round of decorating.

I believe I will RELAX my decorating and get on with LIFE.  Naturals and neutrals will be welcomed. 

~d

 

NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION

 MERRY CHRISTMAS,

~d

COLOR WHEEL DIET

FINISHING THE SIX DAYS OF THE COLOR WHEEL DIET CAME TO A EARLY STOP.  I didn't finish successfully as I had difficulty finding blue corn, blue carrots and blue potatoes so I ended the day with chili.  Brunch was blueberry pancakes topped with blueberries and blueberry syrup.  Terrible detour.  Late afternoon snack was a NATURE'S BAKERY FIG Whole Wheat Fig Bar and ending the day with Chili for Supper.

The chili was mostly red, but I gave up on blue foods when I couldn't find the items I was needing.  

On Day Seven, I can eat left overs of all colors.  I will take it easy on what I eat and stay firm with portion control and eating a large variety of organic fruits and vegetables, some meat, little dairy, little grains.  More salads which I have come to LOVE the crunching and flavors.  

Some of the foods I ate this past week
on the COLOR WHEEL DIET were as follows:

GREEN FOODS.
BREAKFAST: Skipped.

LUNCH:  Bibb lettuce, green grapes, green peppers, avocado.

SUPPER:  Cabbage, green beans, zucchini. 

YELLOW FOODS.

BREAKFAST: Skipped.

LUNCH:  Corn, yellow potatoes.

SUPPER: Grapefruit and Potato Salad.

ORANGE FOODS.

BREAKFAST: Skipped.

LUNCH:  Orange slices, sweet potatoes, baby carrots.

SUPPER:  Spaghetti Squash.

SNACK:  Sweet Potato Chips, Pimento Cheese Spread.

RED DAY.

BREAKFAST:  Strawberries and Raspberries.

SNACK:  Cherry Yogurt.

LUNCH:  Red Chili.

SUPPER:  Salmon Steak, Red Potatoes
with Red Peppers.

PURPLE DAY.
BREAKFAST:  Purple Grapes.

LUNCH:  Purple Chips and Beans mixed with salsa.

SUPPER:  Eggplant, Purple Potatoes, Purple Cabbage.

BLUE DAY.

BRUNCH:  Blueberry Pancakes.

SUPPER:  Chili.

WHATEVER COLOR OF FOOD YOU WANT DAY!

Leftovers.

This may not be the most nutritious meals to consume, but I was focusing on getting an array of foods without having so many grains, dairy and meats.  This was fun and easy to put together.  Now, to continue the journey of dieting. 

  ~d