Beautiful Entertaining

Wonderful week-end to you,

d

Living Proof In Shower Styler/Over 60 Beauty

                                             

Hello Blogland Buddies.

Summer heat is going to my head.

  

A  few days ago I discovered Melissa55 

on the internet.  

A 60ish Wife, Mom and Grandma.  

Every once in a while, I get hooked on videos and become a fan.  

Stay cool.  Stay sweet.

SUMMER Blessings,

d

Middle Of The Week

As I sit in my Husband overstuffed chair this evening, the tireds settled over me.  I am tired.  Had a full day rising early, folded towels and shuffled the linen closet.  Had my cup of coffee while looking over the bills.  

Polishing two curio cabinets with beveled glass fronts and glass shelves, I got my cardio work-out right at HOME.  Sweating as I rubbed the glass smudge-free over and over.  Glass cleaner, soft paper towels with old lady power did the trick.  They sparkle.  

Looking good and are ready for dishes and crystals.  Didn't think I'd ever see them again after the fire.  Really thought they were too far gone to save, but I was wrong.  Kind of like when Jesus gets a hold of someone awful and turns them into someone that shines. 

This week I hope to dig out of the boxes my china that has been boxed up for over 8 months.  It will be wonderful to place the dishes in the cabinets.  I don't have my bowed-front china cabinet back yet, so I decided putting my china in the cabinets and when the china cabinet returns, all the glassware will go in that.  It will be a few more weeks before the other furniture arrives.   

As the morning wore on, I waited for Lil Miss to come by.  Made some phone calls, looked over the bills and made a hair appointment.  Measured the floor for where some sofas hopefully will go when they arrive later this SUMMER.  Scrubbed a sink, tidied in the Kitchen and made some Christmas-themed coffee in July.  Sugar Cookie and Peppermint Coffee.     

Lil Miss had a doctor's appointment this morning and will spend the rest of the day with me.  She was eager to chat about her new doctor and how funny he was.  Having a sense of humor is good medicine.

We had a McDonald's sandwich for Lunch, stopped off at the Library, went to the Dollar Store, took a drive to Alta Vista where a wonderful Hair Dresser works magic with my thyroid hair.  The ride over was a hot one as my car does not like the heat and wouldn't cool properly.  Windows down and hair a mess we walked into the salon where it was comfortable to be.  

Within an hour my hair was washed, trimmed and styled.  Lil Miss told me that I looked YOUNGER!  haha.  I needed that as my birthday is next week and I will be older than dirt.  We had a lively conversation knowing that my dear Husband had said he'd fix spaghetti for supper.  He has been ready to use the kitchen.  We are still in our boxes.  Slowly we are making headway, but the Kitchen is still a mess.  

Car ran better on the way home across the Flint Hills.  Smiles.  The air was working just like that.  Cooler.  The heat hit 91 today with the humidity high making it hotter than comfortable. 

AS promised Supper was cooking by the chef himself when we arrived HOME.   I sat in front of the fan and Lil Miss colored in her new coloring books.  

We had a delicious meal together and chatted about LIFE,
d     

My Friend Joan

Joan no longer lives here as she and her husband sold this lovely rock house before they took off to sail the ocean blues.  Joan would become ill while on their adventure and become very frail with cancer.  She died before I knew it and didn't attend her funeral.  She's been gone a few years.  

She would open her HOME for Bible Studies and share her faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.  Always a sweet lady and helpful. 

I came across this picture on the internet advertising a new business in her old house.  Sure brought back memories.

 JOAN'S KITCHEN

I miss my friend Joan, but am so glad I knew her.

LIFE goes on and we must as well.

d

Colorado Memories

When the skies are overcast with grey and the outdoor temps are in the 70s, memories come to mind  of my childhood family vacations that were spent in the Colorado mountains.  It's pleasant to be able to recall those SUMMER days when I was a child.  

Remember.

Mom and Dad loved Colorado in August.  We'd sleep in a green tent on the hard ground in our bedrolls.  As the morning hours arrived it would be overly cold.  Bundling up in a heap of shivering, my little body shook to stay warm.  It would be so cold in the early morning hours.  Felt more like WINTER.  

We'd shiver until Dad built a fire for us to warm up as we stood around the flame with hands outstretched.  So many times, the smoke would burn my eyes.  Moving to the other side of the fire pit was required.  Mom would serve up her HOME-MADE hot chocolate made from the powdered mixture she had fixed especially for our FAMILY VACATION.  

Mom had wanted to relocate to Colorado.  We never did, but she sure wanted to. Mountains.  Fishing.  Chilled air.  

Dad loved to fish in the rippling stream waters.  I wasn't fond of fishing.  The worms weren't my cup of tea.  I'd play with pinecones that there were in abundance with no shortage of them.  Little towns made out of pinecones.  No need to clean up these little towns.  They'd be left behind for others to find.
  
As a grown woman, I have only returned to Colorado a few times.  
Never to camp,
d    

It was never like this.

If it had been, I might have gone CAMPING once again.

SOLUTION

From an older post.  Hello.
A Sunday snippet.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST:
Don't be fooled by the saying that 40 is the new 20.  It isn't true.  40 is 40 and 20 is 20.  As I've aged and thought a lot about what should have been done differently in life, I have come to the conclusion that it is always best to do things right the first time verses having to labor at cleaning up a mess when working at getting on the right track.  It seems like there are times during the clean up that the resistance one faces is like trying to raise one's head up while riding a roller coaster and the force makes it very difficult to do that as the chin is now somehow stuck to the chest.
With God's help, guidance and grace...difficult things can become doable.  I know in my heart that doing things God's way is the best way.  The way to get Blessed is by doing things God way.

If you wake up one morning and see that your destructive habits and actions have ruined your life by having done so much wrong, being remorseful turning to God with a contrite heart and asking HIM for forgiveness in godly sorrow and guidance on how to fix this thing will be a strong place to begin the clean-up.

BLESSINGS,
d

June Bugs In May

June Bugs came out in the month of May.  June Bugs in May, Lightning Bugs in June then Locust buzzing in the background.  Birds singing their native tongue to tunes they know by heart.  By God's design.  

Just like that the month of June became JULY.  Vanishing before me like a Kansas sunset behind the clouds on the horizon.  I couldn't hold onto the month if I had tried.  Quickly disappearing.  Every day was full of activities.   So busy. 

June had many pleasant SPRING DAYS with cooler temps early on then heating up as SUMMER ARRIVED.  The rains were welcomed but not the thunder storms with strong winds.  Tornadoes are the worst. 

MOVING is a big ordeal to me.  This move is very different to some from years ago.  Each move has to be dealt with the best way we can handle them.  One day at a time.  Every item must be handled.  Just get a dumpster and throw everything away?  No.  Not so.  As we go through all the boxes we will set things aside that are no longer needed in our Estate. 


THIS 4th of July will be one that I cannot ignore as we have our HOLIDAY of INDEPENDENCE to think on things far greater than just another SUMMER DAY.  
Independence is victory over oppression from tyrants.  

Still have to guard our freedoms 

which requires sacrifice. 

     
Families will have get togethers and Family Reunions with Bar-b-ques galore. FIRECRACKERS will be set off and watched by many admiring their glittering glory that lights up the dark skies with a host of displays that declare our independence from across the pond Royalty.  

HOT temps in the air will be cooled by distracting our attentions elsewhere looking upward toward the skies ablaze with brilliant sparkles.  Sparks.  Besides Summer's sweltering heat will be booming sounds of man-made thunder ringing out to remind us that freedom isn't free.  Echoing that INDEPENDENCE came.

Will it be allowed to stay?

Many people have laid their lives down so we can call to remembrance their great sacrifice through the years not just with the military personnel, but also with those desiring to make a go of it in this country being their home allowed to live a better way.  

ALL rolled into one HOLIDAY is Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day where we can talk freely about our pursuits of happiness and liberties to keep alive to live by.  Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to be able to work at the things we desire.  Represented in the government and law making.     

Our RED, WHITE and BLUE Holiday will also be involved with taking care of details busy with polishing the inside of two curio cabinets that were returned to us this past week.  They were in the fire and taken away to be refinished in Kansas City.  

8 months later I am filling them with crystal and Blue Willow dishes.  Need to take a before and after pic.  Husband wants to clear out an area by the Carriage House to plant Day Lilies and Irises we brought with us.  Hostas will go else where in the shade.  We have already worked hard at moving on after the fire molested our home life.  This move continues to teach me a great deal about what it takes to setting up a place to live and getting settled into a new community.  We're going on 43 years of marriage this August and it feels like we're trying to squeeze 43 years of living into a time warp of three months.  It can't be done.  It has to be a new way of living.... a different way.  A new norm. 
         

JUNE REVIEW:   

JUNE passed by faster than I ever imagined.
With loading over 650 boxes into a moving truck to unloading them into our new home I wore out needing a vacation that I didn't get.  FEELING the burn in my old body.

A Church Pew was made available in the Dining room so I could sit and rest in front of a fan to cool off as I went through so many boxes.

A house full of boxes to shuffle throughout.  Where to begin comes to mind.  It already began.  Keep on keeping on.  We continued sorting through fire recovery boxes, carrying boxes into the proper rooms, packing more items from the COTTAGE to bring to our new home across the county line.  Utilities set up.  Toilet paper in the bathrooms.  COFFEE MAKER up and running.  Fridge filling up with goodies.  

Set up our mattress and boxsprings in our Master Bedroom.  Sleeping in comfort.  Made huge progress on fire recovery.  Hung some curtain rods and curtains.  Emptied many boxes.  Continued to wash smokies and recover even more of sentimental items that I am not ready to part with.  They may not mean a thing to anyone else, but they do to me.  I count.    

THE HIGHLIGHT of JUNE wasn't just getting into a different house filled with boxes of our things, but was wood furniture returned to us.  Could not believe how nice the pieces turned out.  Gedminas and Sons out of Kansas City did state of the art gorgeous work.  After all was unloaded into the house, I stared at the furniture in disbelief that they are here in mint condition.  I am in disbelief that furniture can look so good.  Un.be.lievable.

I will sing high praises for these people.

They are very skilled at what they do and it really shows.  

http://gedminasfurniture.com

Thunder storms are wicked here in Kansas and we've had a few.  Much rain in time to wet down the grounds before the Fourth of July.  Our oldest Son turned 42 and a Granddaughter had her tonsils taken out.  Creature comforts are beginning to appear in our new place.  Television is hooked up in the Living room.  The lawn had a cut.  JUNE has come and gone.

JULY HOPEFULS.  NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS ORDER. 
Wishful thinking for JULY....I will turn 62 on the 14th.  
Hope to eat cake.  
Insides of drawers and cabinets all sanitized.   
Clothes in closets and clothing neatly folded in dresser drawers.    
Kitchen up and going with all the makings.  
All the boxes out of the Living room.
The Dining room turned into my BLUE WILLOW Dining room.
The Dining room dishes out of boxes and displayed just so-so.    
The book shelves organized.
Family photos grouped.  
A couple of mattresses and box springs ordered.  
The Master Bedroom bed assembled with newly refinished headboard, sides and foot boards.  
Curtain rods and curtains hung in the other bedrooms.
Flowers planted about the Carriage House and along the fence.
Storage Unit emptied.

  


HOT DOGS and BAKED BEANS are on the menu along with  WATERMELON, POTATO CHIPS and Ice Cream with toppings on the side. 
    

Will July quickly fly by as FAST as June did?  Probably.  THIS Summer will be devoted to getting better settled.  

Aiming for Autumn,

d

Product Review

Diet

Cheerwine

              Soft Drink

We were at the Grocery Store this evening 

and spotted this diet drink in a glass bottle.

Thought it would be worth a try.

Hadn't heard of it before, 

but now know it has been around for awhile.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheerwine

I give it a thumbs up!

Enjoyed this chilled right out of the bottle.

https://cheerwine.com

A cherry flavored soda

just in time for the 4th of July.

May you have a wonderful

week-end and especially

4th of July,

d

What A Day

WHAT A DAY...WHAT A DAY.

A very pleasant day.  Started with a coffee cup in one hand and a notepad in the other figuring out my day-timer as I call it.  Shuffled some boxes in HOME*SWEET*HOME and off I went to the laundry mat to wash a load of SMOKIES.

One of the large capacity washing machines was OUT OF ORDER.   I, myself, cannot afford to be out of order right now as I forge ahead with attempting to recover what others have said is non-restorable.  THERE ARE MOMENTS I AM OUT OF ORDER and can go no more.  Done...finished.    

Only did one load of SMOKIES then drove across the county line to the COTTAGE to hang items up to air dry.  Put a regular load of everyday clothing in our home machines and dried another.   Stopped off at DOLLAR GENERAL to pick up a few items.  Even washed my hair before the THUNDER STORM.

Went outside to check on some other SMOKIES that need washed in a large capacity washing machine.  I left these out on the picnic table to air out some.  SMOKIES are what I call items that the RESTORE people decided could not be restorable.  After 8 months they still STINK SO BAD it hurts.

I am slowly trying to get the smell out of everything.  My TEDDY BEAR Collection got hit hard with chocolate brown stains and smoke smell.  If I can get the smell out, the stains are livable.  Between working on the SMOKIES, packing the COTTAGE things up, loading and unloading, also going through the SERVICE MASTER boxed filled what they cleaned, moving out to move in.....my plate is full.  Busy woman.

TOOK A DRIVE and oh how this comforts me.  Enjoyed it so much.  A BEAUTIFUL day for a drive.  Drove through the country.  Getting back onto the highway where the demons speed by in their autos is challenging.  They don't slow down for the likes of me even though I can look   WENT back to the Laundry Mat to do another load of SMOKIES.  Home to rest before SUPPER.

OH HAPPY DAY.
WHAT A NICE DAY I HAVE HAD.
REJOICE,
d  

It's One Thing......

It's easier to move when being a fit younger person than to be an out of shape  o l d e r  person.  
Duh.  DOUBLE DUH.......

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out.  I believe this move of ours is a REAL toughie.  It's taking me longer to move about.  The lifting of even smaller, light weight boxes gets to my 'ole back.  Every day we're making 

HUGE HEADWAY.

 

THANKFULLY we have time to  s t r e t c h  this move out.  The entire SUMMER will do.  I have to stay focused and determined to get this all done.  THANKSGIVING is on the horizon.  BUT first the FOURTH of JULY must come with independence, Labor Day with more work, Harvest TIME will be high lighted being we're settled.
  

HUBBY REMINDED ME THAT BOOKS ARE HEAVY AS PAPER IS AS WELL.
I COMPLETELY AGREE....paper is heaveeeee.
PACK BOXES THAT HOLD BOOKS WITH FEWER BOOKS.  THIS MAKES LIFTING AND CARRYING MORE MANAGEABLE.

Today, I gathered up boxes and more boxes...then grouped them into the COTTAGE Parlor.  Ready for us to carry them out of the house to the car so we can transport them across the county line.  Trying like heck to be better organized when it comes to this event.  Husband and I loaded up both of our cars and drove across the county line to HOME*SWEET*HOME.  I had to sit down and rest this back of mine.

When my Dear Husband finishes unloading his car, he'll rest and we'll watch PBS's GRANTCHESTER with snacking on TRAIL MIX.  

Tomorrow, we will clear a path through the house for the delivery workers to carry inside some of our wood furniture that has been refinished in Kansas City.  Our Bedroom is ready for what will be delivered.  The other Bedroom has to be cleared out for the Bedroom Suite.   I'm squealing....the excitement tis mounting. 

SOON we will have to order a new mattress and boxsprings so the Guest bed can be used for real people.

The Dining room is near ready for what they will be delivering.  THEN, Lord willing, I will begin to fill the curio cabinets with Blue Willow dishes and crystal.  By the week-end, I think our Dining room will look more like a Dining room instead of a warehouse full of boxes.  I will begin my hunt for some Dining room chairs that we will use.  

JULY will be here soon.  I will still be waiting for a few more pieces of furniture that will be refinished.  Two of the Bedrooms will hopefully be functional.  WAITING for Living room furniture.  The Grey Bedroom will morph into an OFFICE and Doll room.  Curtains up.  BOXED things will migrate into the room that they shall be in.  

AND the Kitchen should have pots 'n pans, our everyday dishes, drinking glasses, silverware, food, etc. should be in place.  THIS SUMMER will be one of getting settled.


We still have a storage unit and another garage to clear out this SUMMER.  Slowly we will tackle this.  

S L O W L Y.

This evening the birds are singing loud with clear distinct notes.  Beautiful melody for a cool evening.  I have slowed down to listen.  


It's one thing to be settled,
d

    

CHI

LAST WEEK I went into a thrift shoppe that I had been eyeballing for years.  Every time I passed this store, I'd tell myself that I would like to go in there to see what they had.

On our way to Topeka we took a detour and went inside.  I picked up a red alligator looking clutch with detachable chain strap and saw such a cute table with two chairs that my husband said he would paint black for us.

It was a successful shopping spree. 

Today I decided that I would look up on the internet what I could about CHI clutches.  I am really out of the fashion loop and had no idea who CARLOS FALCHI was.  I have been educated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Falchi

I am now the proud owner of a lil CHI red lined clutch purse with detachable chain.  When I think about it, I do like purses, nail polish and lip stick.  I'm getting so LADY LIKE in me old age.  If I'm not careful I'll catch myself wearing skirts throughout the day and go shopping wearing jewelry with red lipstick and Red Door Parfum.  I had better shave my legs for this one.

   ~How To Be More Lady-Like In My Old Age~

                ANOTHER GREAT BOOK TO WRITE.

BLESSINGS to you.  

Thank you for stopping by.

You are loved,

d

  

DEAR LORD

HEAVENLY FATHER,

Thank you for LIFE and LIFE everlasting 

through Jesus Christ our LORD.

In HIM I have my being.

Thank you for the blessings of being filled 

with the HOLY SPIRIT 

where I can read the word of God,

the Bible and have understanding for myself.

The many blessings.

Through the Lord Jesus I have been given favor.

No need of paying money for this favor.

I have it.

Thank you.

Thank you for the beautiful day this is.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen.

d