Some of my favorite people

Put the baby on the shelf!

Been out here in Indiana with my grandbabies, Momma and Daddy.  We are going swimming today at the lake.    Momma and I snuck out to Kohls one evening.  I got my shopping fix.  I bought an adorable patriotic mat for the front door.  I love every minute with these little guys.   These visits fill my heart with priceless treasures.  Maybe I like to make my home comfy to soothe my soul while I am away from them!

I didn't do it

Last week end I got up early and hit some neighborhood yard sales.  It is kinda fun because I am getting little things, looking at all these blogs I follow.  When I get home the flood gates are gonna bust open to get this stuff out and play!  I’m seeing red checks and paisley and stripes and white and green! Oh my!

Recipe secret

Is it a secret if you could go to the web and get this?  OK- let’s just say that not many people use this.  Folks are always surprised and the pat line is- “I’ll have to get some of that!”  What is it?  Saco buttermilk mix.  Right there at Walmart next to the canned milk and dry milk powder.  A little canister is less than $5 and it makes alot of good stuff.  They have a web site with awsome recipes.  I make up the baking mix- whole wheat.  It is my own whole grain baking mix. 

I am still setting around waiting to get better.  Today I have food on the brain.  I went to the web site listed above and copied all their recipes down for using the mixes.  I plan to print a cute label for my mix and print off those recipes.  They should fit on one page and I can put it on cardboard and stick down in my baking mix  I will cover it with saran wrap.    I should be up and around tomorrow or the next day.  I will be a wild woman going full steam ahead.  I’ll take pictures and let you see what I’m up to.

I use the buttermilk mix to make homemade ranch salad dressing- 1 cup low fat mayo, 1 cup low fat sour cream, 4 T buttermilk mix, 2/3 cup water, 3 T dill weed, 1 T garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. salt.   I am addicted to flavored creamer- it is my splurge.  I save those plastic cartons for so many uses.  I put this ranch salad dressing in the container for easy pouring.  Another way I use them is to mix weak miracle gro water.  It makes watering plants a breeze.   I save those jar lids from mayonnaise, peanut butter and anything with a lid like that.  When we make homemade jelly- I just use the lids and a layer of saran wrap on the surface of the jelly- forget the parafin.

OK here is the “fence” section

Fixin up the front porch with primitive fence

 Well, I couldn’t wait!  I hobbled out to take this pic for you.  I am getting so excited about the front porch.  I have lived here 5 years, since we got married.  I am just figuring out what I want to do on the porch.  It is coming together nicely.  I am supposed to be on bed rest right now.  My rheumatoid arthritis has my hip flared up.  At least I can walk with a cane instead of a walker today.  And, not long from now, I will be running with my grandson at the park!  God is just giving me time to reflect on the good times right now!  Don’t you love the primitive “fence”!

Trash to treasure!

Well this is where other people dump their yard waste.  I have to go inspect everytime they dump.  This time I took the truck down with me!

Their trash is my treasure

Loaded up gold mine

 Eventually, I ended up with this potting bench for the front porch!  I have already moved it.  I am still playing with how to decorate it.  I need color on the porch.  Since I won’t be around much this summer I hate to plant real flowers.  My DH won’t water much.  Remember, I will be with daughter and grandbabies all summer.  

Hmmm here or there- what to put on it?

 Do you like the rustic birdhouses I made out of scraps of the oak?  I just cut the tops at angles for the roofs.  I plan to add spanish moss and rusty hearts and stars garlands, maybe some checked fabric ribbons.  Want to get some red, white and blue.  Have a large flag on the porch too.  This bench will be so much fun for the holidays. 

Love the hole in this 55 inch tall old oak beam....

 Hmmm.  What will I do with this?  I am thinking of getting this right by the front door- maybe holding a spindle to hang a welcome sign or flag- or banner……………  Still thinking.  Can’t wait to show you a pic of the whole porch.

Summer!

Summer marks a change in season.  Well, I am still making changes myself.  I made a decision nearly 3 years ago to leave my healthcare profession.  I fumbled around in the work place- transported children with behavioral disorders for awhile.  Could not handle 23 hour days– yes some days we drove 23 hours- others- barely 3.  Tried cooking at the local school- WOW that is where the behavior disordered kids go work when they grow up.  I am sorry, these were some mean ladies!  My rheumatoid arthritis dictated to me to quit this job.  I had won those mean old ladies over and gained their respect and cooperation.  Won’t miss that job.  Loved the hours, done at 1PM.  Well, now I plan to spend the summer with my daughters’ family and will start school this fall for pharmacy tech.  I have to be able to be there when all my grandbabies are born!  Number 3 is on the way!  So- I am off to see the babies for now!  Have a wonderful summer.

Summer time!

Dancin in the rain

Hi there! We’ve all seen the quote about dancin in the rain. After I got out of the hospital, my Dr. informed me that I needed to stay home a little over a month to recuperate. As I got stronger, I got primin! I found the website- A Primitive Place and got inspired to get out paint and all kinds of stuff I’ve had setting around. Now, I call that dancing! Tomorrow I’m off to go see my daughter, SIL and grandbabies out of state for a week and then it’s back to work. This is my first post- I hope to get pictures up soon of some of my “primmin”. My husband helps me on some projects. We built a cabinet together for the kitchen. You would not believe what all we used. First we had been given an old upright piano for the wood. The legs for the cabinet came from that. The doors came from an old hoosier cabinet Dad found thrown out by a river where he was fishing. It still had the etched glass in all four doors! The handles are from an old dresser we bought for $2 at an auction. What a thrill that the drawers were filled with stuff, too. The wood for the cabinet came from remodeling at church- they were going to throw it away. Put it all together and add some paint and you have a cabinet 6 1/2 ft. tall, 7 ft. long and custom made for my junk! It isn’t done, 1 door was warped – we are trying to straighten or flatten it before hanging it.

Couldn't wait to see the doors in the cabinet

Some people see broken, faded, worn out….

I have always seen possibilities in old, worn out things.   My husband’s grandmother had furnished a parsonage, it had set unused for several years.  She asked if I would like the furnishings for our apartment when we got married.    I re-finished everything including the iron bed.  I was SO proud of our home!  She was thrilled to see everything loved and used.  It was so much more proud of our home having put all that “love” into it.    That was in 1979.  I still love to re-new old things.  I draw a personal parallel to possibilities for the old and worn out.  This year my rheumatoid arthritis has reared it’s ugly head!  I was in the hospital for 12 days and bed rest for 2 months.  I am still weak and tired.  Being the re-newal agent that I am.  I don’t feel all washed up!  Just like those items I bring home and strip, paint, recover- I know that I will be like new- if even in a new way- one day.  I am not done.  I too can be re-newed.  I have good days and boy do I make them count!  My biggest desire is to have good health this summer when I go stay at my daughters.  They have 2 boys, 2 and a 1/2 and 10 months old!  And, now we have another on the way!  I love being gramma!   I can assure you they don’t see old worn out broken gramma.  They see GRAMMA!   My life verse is Romans 12:21  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.  Living by that verse has given me the ability to grab the good that every day has to offer.  It takes some effort, but afterawhile, it gets easier, and it’s worth it!

Spring fever!

There is no time like the Spring to appreciate working 6am to 1pm.  I was a healthcare professional for 2o years.  Since I have become Gramma, I have been cooking at the high school.  Even though my daughter is 550 miles away, I was able to be with her when both grandsons were delivered.  I feel like I still have all day when I get off work so early- and yeah you guessed it- my DH is setting right beside me snoring away!  We normally go to bed before the chickens!  I get up at 4am. Work or not.  (A good grandma is wide awake at 4am.  Momma’s love it.)  I got energetic yesterday; I decided to waterproof a couple of wooden pieces on the porch.  We got this weatherproofing stuff at an auction- I thought I would see how it did.  I am including some pictures.  The other picture is a rooster I got at a thrift store!  What a bargain! 

I thought it was priceless!

Of course, I am counting down until summer break so I can go see the kiddos.  In the meantime, making the best use of my time.  I also got busy and put the landscaping fabric down around my hostas and put the mulch on them.  One day, I will put a pic of me on my little lawn tractor and cart.  (My DH has the big tractors, dump truck, trailers and heavy duty stuff)!

Prims on the front porch.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!