Thank you so much for all the wonderful suggestions about kitchen redos. I'm going to do a post sometime next week gathering all this information for my benefit. Does everyone use her blog as a clearinghouse of ideas? I find that aspect of blogging so helpful, though I notice that Miss Sandy is one prepared gal when she goes shopping...check yesterday's post right *here.*
As you can see, I've been at it again. This began all over when I visited Linds and saw her bloglift. I immediately noticed how calm the background was and how easy the page loaded, etc.
The wonderful thing about Cutest Blogs on the Block is that all the information for doing one's own blog is there. I followed directions to the letter and I'm pleased that things have calmed down considerably here. The former background from Cutest Blogs was a bit busy with the green and yellow. The green was a nod in John's direction as that is his favorite color. I think he was a little indignant when I reminded him that my color is yellow. He said that green was the color of new life. I asked him what the color of yellow was and he told me "bananas!"
In order to use a background of one's own creating, you must have a Photobucket account. (Perhaps other photo hosting sites also work.) I've had such an account for years, but was not using it for anything related to my blog. Imagine my surprise when I discovered all the incredible new features there. You'll definitely want to check it out. If you've ever wanted to do your own facelift...just saying! You'll find everything you need via the EDIT button once there.
I'm off on Nonni duty today... Reporting from the Haven snuggled down in the snow....Enjoy your Saturday!
(Imagine a really lovely blue kitchen here with an apron sink. Sorry about that!)
Is it possible that I've been hanging out at Linda's Restyled Home too much? She has a thing for beautiful shades of blue and I think that I've caught it.
The thing is that I've spent years trying to avoid blue. The first home that I owned had a hideous blue kitchen...depressing and unattractive. The seeds of intense blue dislike were sown. My current office has blue wallpaper...depressing and unattractive. The roots go deep.
Now I find myself discussing the kitchen cabinets with "the carpenter" deciding what we can do as a redo without a major remodel. I watch him as he ponders the possibilites. I question him. He says he's "just thinking." Though I'm ready to move beyond that stage to the doing, I'll slow down for him because he always has good thoughts and when he's ready, he'll be ready.
If you were to paint your kitchen cabinets, what color would you choose? What type of hardware would you select? What countertop material would you like? If you couldn't have what you really wanted, what might you take as a less-expensive alternative? One last thing...have you seen a kitchen redo in Blogdom lately that you think I'd enjoy seeing? Thanks for your help!
Today is my 475th post. Good heavens! What have I possibly found to talk about in all those posts?! This blog originally had the subtitle "an eclectic mix of fluff and stuff." Guess this represents a whole lot of fluff.
When the 400 number came up right in the middle of holiday preparations and busyness, I decided that I would allow it to pass by without comment. Now that I have some extra time on my hands, I would love to have another apron giveaway celebrating both my 400th and 500th posts. So, if you'd like to leave a comment on this post and only this post, please do. This is limited to those who have a blog, but not limited to location so feel free to leave a comment no matter that you live in East IshBish. Just one request, do not comment on your blogs or link back to me. This is only for the gal (or guy) who wanders in and finds it on her own! I'm keeping comments open for one week. When you see comments closed, all those who've commented (once is enough) will be entered. The winner will be allowed to select her own color preferences so once the winner is announced, I'll be in touch for all the particulars plus a bit of snooping on your blog.
* Snowstorm bringing a foot of new snow, as opposed to old snow, I presume. (This weather description always makes me laugh.)
* Snowstorm bringing a secluded day...
* Snowstorm bringing stillness and calm...
* Snowstorm bringing work and lots of it...
* Snowstorm bringing a world of white...
* Snowstorm bringing hidden images in trees...
* Snowstorm bringing the noisy plow...
* Snowstorm bringing fresh, crisp air...
* Snowstorm bringing peanut butter toast and hot cocoa... (John tossed that one in here; I had absolutely nothing to do with it.)
Thanks for the compliments on the header. I'm sure that a lot of my blogging friends are cringing because they are experts and they can see that I'm just a pretender, but a gal's gotta start somewhere. As you can see from the hidden images in trees above, I've become a bit woods queer. Apparently, I have too, too, too much time on my hands.
Hopefully, I'll get some organizing accomplished today or some sewing or something besides giving John new glasses on Photoshop. Ha!
Either one or both of the two Yahoos that live at the Haven that's who...
This all began when I asked my beloved to take a picture of my new haircut so that I could share. Because that's just what I'm all about — sharing.
This meant a bit of a camera lesson for him as we repeated an earlier lesson from way long time ago. So I demonstrated by taking a photo of him seated in the wicker chair where he is wont to sit of an evening watching me putter about at the computer. It's kind of dark here in the evening, but here it is...
Nice picture...thing is, I showed him all about my amazing skills as a plastic surgeon via my Photoshop program. So he wound up looking like this...
He rather likes it.
Ah, now it's my turn...
Oh, ackkk! Where's that knife?!
There! Nothing that some serious cropping and photoshopping can't fix. Wait, do I look puffy to you?
I should have stopped with The Carpenter's first photos of me...
It dawns on me that I don't often keep my promises on this blog. I say that I will get back to you on this or that and I don't. There are two such promises that come to mind, one in recent days and one from over a year ago. Allow me to set this right, okay?
Here's the first...
This was my attempt to create a nine-inch "beachball" for my grandsons with some leftover scraps from those dozen or so aprons I made as Christmas gifts. Neither of my grands has ever paid any attention to this ball. It sits untouched and has now become an experiment to see how long it will take. At this rate, they'll be 21 and 20 before they notice. I found the directions right here at The Purl Bee. I'll let you know when they notice...yeah, right, sure I will! ;>
And this is the one from away back in October of 2007...
At that time, I had purchased a Butter Bell for my sister's birthday (a green one, I think) and I said that I'd let you know what I thought of the butter keeping system having first seen these featured on the Martha Stewart program. Probably the most pertinent thing that I can tell you is that I have since purchased an additional four. The white one above is my own and I love it because butter must be fresh and when one is dieting and doesn't get more than a smidge, a stick of butter hangs around for a long time. A butter bell keeps the butter fresh (soft, too) for all that span — even in summer!
You can read more about Butter Bells right *here.* (I see that they are having some great savings on Christmas items.) Be sure to check out some of their recipes, too. Now why didn't I purchase that beautiful yellow one? Perhaps I need another... (photo used by permission)
There, I feel better about keeping my promises already...thanks!
(My cold is better, too. I swear by that Airborne and hydrogen peroxide in the ears. Thank you so much for all your good wishes.)
Have you seen me experimenting with backgrounds over the past few days? I think that I've settled on this one obviously from The Cutest Blog on the Block. They have hundreds of background designs and it's very easy to add one without stressing over codes, etc. Since I'm late to the party, you probably already know all that I'm sharing today.
Aunt Amelia told me about other wonderful backgrounds available at The Background Fairy. Using their backgrounds will also place a little advertising in the top left corner, but that's a small price for a free background. Aunt Amelia says that she changes her background all the time. I can see why it's tempting.
Some time ago, Dawn gave a tutorial on how to change backgrounds on your own (without having any advertising) right *here.* She included some very attractive backgrounds to use as well.
Also, I've been playing with banners at Big Huge Labs Blog Header program where one can easily upload a picture and it will create a header automatically. That was a bit of fun and now when you see it, you'll know where I did it. This is one that I made there without all the finishing touches. I added the title with my own Photoshop program. (I don't like the color match and will be redoing it.)
It's been great fun playing with blogkeeping; now I'm moving on to higher ground...housekeeping. So why am I feeling sad about that?
Enjoy your Wednesday!
"People like us, you and me, raised in the understanding that we are free, that we have inalienable rights, and that the institutions of this country have our best interests at heart, will tend to tie ourselves in knots rather than contemplate the idea those authorities might actually be working against us now. I took that thought of benevolent, well-meaning authority for granted for most of my life, God help me. Not to put too fine a point on it, I was as gullible as the next chump...
It is hard to think the unthinkable. It’s hard to think that all of it, all the misery, all the suffering of the past and to come might just be about money, greed and power. It is hard to tell yourself you’ve been taken for a fool and taken for a ride. It’s hard, but the view from the other side is worth the effort and the pain. Open your eyes and see." ~Neil Oliver
The FDA lied to you. The CDC lied to you. The corporate media lied to you. Big Pharma lied to you. Your doctor lied to you.
At this point in recent history, we all don’t really need more reasons to despise the corporate media and the federal government’s public health establishment but we have one more reason nonetheless: Ivermectin is an effective treatment for the COVID virus.
This is a reminder that the CDC and the FDA ( and Fauci and Birx and Collins and all the rest of them) suppressed and banned Ivermectin in order to force the America people into taking deadly mRNA vaccines that don’t stop COVID but do change your DNA.
Almost the entire American medical community bent the knee to the CDC and the FDA too — which means that they failed to protect their sick patients from treatments that don’t work (COVID vaccines, Remdesivir) and failed to give them treatments that do work. Our doctors waited to treat sick patients until COVID was well advanced, and then hooked them up to useless ventilators and useless drugs until they died — because our doctors and our hospitals were incentivized by the U.S. federal government to do so.
Fascinating! I'm going to think twice about flu vaccines for sure.
February 4, 2021
"I am a member of the world population, a world population that observes from some distance and, as a member of this world population, these are the options:
I can continue cutting the branch I am sitting on...the branch on which others are sitting with me.
I can continue with the mask madness, the creation of panic, the madness of the vaccines and pseudo-solidarity or I can take a different path.
I can take the path of the joy of life.
I can take the path to activate my healthy self.
I can take the path to be loving, loving with myself and with others.
I can take the path of being truthful, being honest and building a real community.
Everyone has a choice.
Everyone can ask the question
Whose side am I on? "
~Professor Franz Ruppert
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:7-10
So much to fret over if I were a fretting kind of person. Who am I kidding? I am definitely one of those.
This is how Congressman Jim Jordan stated it on the 16th. Doubtful that things have improved in the two days since.
"Today your freedom:
-To go to church
-To go to work
-To go to school
-To have friends in your home
-To leave your home
-To dance at your daughter’s wedding
-To celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving
The Conservative Treehouse is a site where I have read and commented for the past six plus years. It is the reason I have a Wordpress account. When Wordpress kicks the Treehouse off their platform, I will be deleting my Wordpress account. I don't know what this means for my Wordpress blogging friends, but thought I should give a head's up. This may mean goodbye. 😢
AG Barr: “What makes me concerned for the country is, the first time in my memory, that the leaders of one of our great two political parties, the Democratic party, are not coming out and condemning mob violence and the attack on federal courts.”
July 5, 2020
<Imagine a video showing fireworks blasting off all over the city. The video has been removed like so many videos of late.>
Fireworks blasted all around my small hometown last evening until well after midnight. I sent a text message to my sister with a small video of the blasts. She responded, "Same here. Isn't it wonderful?" Yes, indeed it was. This video from California blessed me. I sensed that "where the Spirit of The Lord is, there is Liberty." Patriots have often been silent, but not last night.
June 24, 2020
Excellent interview with Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
When asked what can be done about the rioters and unrest, Dr. Carson says this: You may be a little surprised at my answer. The answer lies in each one of us. Those of us who actually love this country, love the freedoms that we have, wanna pass them on to our children, are gonna have to stop being quiet...you've got to be brave and stand up for what you believe in; otherwise, it will be taken away from you.
May 20, 2020 *A moving tribute to Ravi Zacharias by Kaleigh McEnany.* At one point, with tears in her eyes, Kayleigh says something like we don't have to grieve because we are Christians. If I were able to add a gentle admonition, I would say that The Word does not tell us not to grieve, it's just that Christians grieve differently. Our experience on earth is, after all, much different from Ravi Zacharias's in Glory. Comfort to all who are grieving this great man's passing... The Lord is very near.
ETA March 1, 2021: I considered removing this paragraph and then realized what a cowardly thing that would be. Instead, I am sharing a link to the blog post where Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me expresses her views on what has turned out to be a huge fall from grace. My hope is that, though there seemed not to be time for RZ to make public amends, that there was time to talk it over with God.
November 4, 2019 Emotional, raw truth. It may make you weep. https://twitter.com/DavidJHarrisJr/status/1191034620474728450 May 26, 2019 A Day of Prayer is Called for June 2, 2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx7GtWyD67z/?igshid=sn9gn091n7nh March 25, 2019 Kellyanne Conway Speaks With Media I love this gal! She can be pleasant and snarky at the same time and she doesn't allow the media to push her around. (I am not a fan of most media. They are truly embarrassing. Not many real journalists left. The genuine ones make a very short list.) February 14, 2019
There is much to be concerned about in the past week's events. Yet nothing compares to what New York legislators did with Governor Cuomo at the helm. Unbelievable and frightening. I much appreciated what *this doctor had to say:*
Great Interview with President Trump from Pat Robertson of CBN. Pat may be elderly, but he is a sharp cookie and he knows what's going on. Further, he actually allowed President Trump to answer, which allowed me to learn many new things I'd never learn from the Fake News Outlets.
July 4, 2017
June 16, 2017
This has been a difficult week in the political sphere. The tone of political discourse has become totally foul and ugly and I blame many on the left for it. The problem seems to be that we can't courteously disagree. I am in complete agreement with the following quotes from Mark Steyn and I have provided the video sources from which they come. I double dog dare you to listen.
If you don't want to have the debate, you're the fascist; if you're wearing a mask and beating up people at a book launch, you're the fascist; if you're sending a female professor to hospital, you're the fascist. ~Mark Steyn
Right, and if you're shooting Republican senators at a baseball practice or cheering about it, you're the fascist. If you are pretending to stab the President or decapitate him, YOU are the fascist. (Sorry, I know the word should be capitalized, but I refuse to do it.)
We don't actually need unity; we need robust, civilized disunity.
Three days after the election and progress has already begun. I'm not here to educate anybody so Duckduckgo.com it for yourselves. ☺
Oh the pearl clutching. Oh the hand wringing. Oh the wailing and the tears. I have backed out of so many blogs in recent weeks without commenting. I took note. I frowned. I smiled. I decided not to go there.
I thought that I would post my little comments on the front page, but have since decided against it. My commentary may be perceived as contentious so I'll backpage it. No, I pay little attention to the cute little graphics concerning how I should behave post election.
Good grief!
The very nerve!
=/
So I am thrilled with the election. Thought it would be even bigger actually, but corruption runs deep and that is why you saw so much dismay on those journalists' media types' faces. They could not believe that the vote overwhelmed the plan/cheating/corruption. (A lot of Clinton supporters just don't want to hear all that she's been up to. You know, the nausea-inducing things we learned a week ago. Remember: Duckduckgo is your friend. And she won the popular vote? Go try to get some fool to believe that. Both houses were won and she has the popular vote? I don't think so. And all those protestors? Democrats wonder why they lost? Here's a clue: We are sick of this kind of behavior. Sick of it. Enough is enough.) This win was God at work. It's not their loss; it's not our win; it's God.
I was in Trump's camp from about week two of his campaign. John was much more reserved. It took him another week. A week of not being on the same team was not pleasant. Finally, I said in total exasperation, "Listen, listen, listen to the man. Listen to what he is saying and he's the only one saying it and he sounds just like you." Well not exactly just like John, but very close if John had been a more profane man.
A lot of people in my family had plenty to say about Trump's language. The same ones who have a pretty fair potty mouth of their own, but they were pointing fingers. I'd rather have someone who says it when he has a mouthful than some mamby-pamby pukey pc person.
So see? I really have been showing great restraint! I have dropped a hint or two, but restraint was the order of the day. I didn't feel that Trump needed my help as I had felt last time with that mealy Mitt. (What a huge disappointment he turned out to be.) Further, I didn't want to jinx the momentum.
And I get royally annoyed by those who want to pussyfoot around and say how flawed and rotten Trump is. Really? Really?! He came along when this country needed him the most. The most. Does anyone really think he needed the job? Come on now! He risked his life, put his family on the line, spent his own money, worked like a dog, connected with the people, was not politically correct (thanks be to God because political correctness is killing us). He took a lot of hits; he gave a lot of hits; he knew that he was supposed to do this and he knew that he was the only one who could. I fully expect that with the help of God, he is going to right this ship. If not, the country is heading for the rocks and, as the United States goes, so goes the world. I was not voting for Pastor in Chief. Definitely not. I remember Jimmy Carter all too well. Those years were rough ones and the past eight have been even more rough and have cost me a lot, including my husband. So, yes, I am feeling pretty passionate about this.
Godspeed to President-elect Trump. He has my continued support; he has my attention; he has my ongoing prayers.
November 10, 2016
Sorry, I still feel like dancing...
September 1, 2016
To all the politicians, donors and special interests, hear these words from me today: there is only one core issue in the immigration debate and it is this: the well-being of the American people. Nothing even comes a close second. ~ Donald Trump in Phoenix, Arizona on August 31, 2016
May 5, 2016
As more folks find this place, I thought it would be interesting to share a post from 2010 that illustrates my evolution from being on the front page to now when I keep things on a back page. I do this so no one feels compelled to comment. (Comments are not allowed here.) We have been through (and still are in) a period of time when many are quite certain that punishment has been doled out to those who speak up in a political way.
I am, by nature, a political gal. I enjoy the discussion and I like to keep up with what goes on. If we visited in person, you'd know that quite quickly. So"Let's Get Political" is my way of not being too forceful on the average reader. For some crazy reason, I have attracted a lot of liberal leaning readers whom I love, but with whom I do not agree. Consider this page my attempt to be true to who I am.
ETA: 2019-01-27 This video has been removed since last time I saw it. Ever notice how many suspensions of videos and Twitter accounts there have been? I have. Shocking!
November 10, 2012 We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth... For my part, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst; and to provide for it.~Patrick Henry
So you have found IT again. Yes, this is the repository for my thoughts through the coming four years: 2013–2017. My thoughts will be placed here in this one post with a date. The ticker of the national debt will continue to fire off at the bottom. Newer posts will be at the top. If you want to comment about anything you see here, feel free to email me as comments here are closed.
Often, one can settle down after an election when realizing that, while things may not be to one's liking, everything will level out. Not this time. This time there has been a decided shift and if you are a reader of persons, you know this well. You, too, can hear and see it in "the tone." Be wary, pay close attention, and stay well.
