A Few Thoughts and My Heroes 11/11/13

Okay, another reminder of my Pinterest page, where there are over 12,500 images, beautiful images, and over 9,800 followers viewing them. I have nothing to gain on telling you this, just your pleasure at seeing all the photos I've collected in one spot for you to see. I promise you will not be disappointed. Plus I'll never be able to post them all on my blog, just too many. So go over there and enjoy all the eye candy you could possibly want to see.
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We went out to dinner a few nights ago, planning on joining another couple but they never showed up. We ate and then left, no problem. But the waitress was very chatty. She was also adorable and cute and hubby mentioned it to me before I said it to him. He then said, "But not as cute as you." Saved his backside BIG TIME! :-) But it got me thinking about how the waiters and waitresses chat us up all the time. Sure, it's very nice of them and they're probably told to be very friendly, but I truly don't need it. I'm just fine being with my hubby chatting away or with friends chatting. I don't need it. Not that I'm opposed to it but I have absolutely eaten in top notch restaurants and for the most part, wait people are to leave the diners alone. Be there but be unseen while taking care of the diner. I like that much better as hubby will tend to chat right back and keep it going. He can't shut up! He's just a gregarious guy and more so if it's a cute chick. Sigh.
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One of the most profound things ever said to me, and it was my hubby that said it, was: Not everyone thinks like you do. I was rocked to the bottom of my core. Truly. I didn't know what to say it shocked me so badly. Of course I thought everyone thought like I did. Good was good and bad was bad; evil was bad, etc. I've since realized he was absolutely correct. Nothing brings it home like politics.
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It's starting to get cool here in Idaho and they're forecasting possible snow in a few days. We'll see. I love this state. However, we know a man named Wrangler, one named Colt. Can you tell I live in Cowboy Country? :-) Love it here.
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We're pretty humorous in this family and the other day I was putting on makeup and pulled all the stuff I needed from the cabinet to the countertop and told hubs this is what I needed to be beautiful. He picked it all up, put it back on the shelves and shook his head as he was brushing his teeth. The point being that I was beautiful without makeup. He's a killer, I tell ya. Won some brownie points but it isn't true no matter what he says. I proceeded to tell him he can't be treated to a gorgeous beauty everyday, that being the days I go makeup-free. ;-) Gotta love a man who can lie that well.
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A few weeks ago, I sent hubby to WM to buy some shredded sharp cheese for tacos. He called me on his cell phone saying he was having a problem finding it. I walked him through it. Sigh. He's lost without me. ;-) Then he asked if I wanted one or two bags. I said to get one bag as I was hesitant on his "choices" of something.—he rarely gets it right. So he said he'd get three. I said no, just get one. He said he'd get one. He came home with two bags. Sigh. But how in the world did we exist before cell phones?
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I haven't been blogging as much as I used to because I'm very focused on other things right now. I'll probably never blog like I once did but I try to do it at least once or twice a week. So keep watching and you'll see new posts. Promise.
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This is one of our heroes returning and the story a man on the airplane wrote about it:

What you’re looking at is Delta Flight 2255 after it landed in LA earlier this week from Atlanta.
It was an ordinary flight in every way except one.
One board was the body of a fallen soldier in the cargo hold.
None of the passengers had any idea until the pilot made the announcement about 45 minutes before the plane landed.
“The plane went quiet as he explained that there was a military escort on-board and asked that everyone remain seated for a couple of minutes so the soldiers could get off first.”
“He also warned us not to be alarmed if we see fire trucks since Los Angeles greets their fallen military with a water canon salute.”
One of the passengers on board was a man who calls himself Johnny Jet: The Travel Insider. And all these quotes are from the blog that he wrote about what it was like being on the flight.
“A few minutes after touchdown, we did indeed have a water canon salute. The water glistening on the windowpanes looked like tears.”
After the plane pulled into the gate, a military officer came onto the plan and spoke to the passengers.
He said:
“It is a sworn oath to bring home, to the family, the fallen. Today you all did that, you are all escorts, escorts of the heart.”
He then thanked everyone and walked off the plane.
Can you imagine being on a plane and witnessing something as powerful and emotional as this?
“Everyone was silent and no one got up, not even that person from the back row who pretends he doesn’t [understand] English so he can be first off the plane. I’m sure most had meteor-sized lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes like I did.”
And it got even more emotional once the passengers finally did get off the plane.
“There was a large number of passengers, who are normally in a hurry to get home or make a connection, standing by the window to witness something truly moving.“
“To see the Honor Guard and family waiting patiently, while LAX baggage handlers and a military loadmaster removed the flag covered casket first from the cargo hold, was humbling to say the least.”
“ I’m not sure if it was the fallen soldier’s mother or wife who I watched slowly walk up to the coffin while a few other family members, wrapped in blankets, stood near with a dozen or so of the Honor Guards standing in salute.”
“As soon as I saw her reach out to put her hand on her baby’s casket, I walked away.”
“This ordinary flight became extraordinary and is one that I will never forget.”
“Thank you to all the military who protect our beautiful country and let us live the lives we are able to lead. Without you we would be nothing.”

I couldn’t have said it any better. 

[I agree with that writer wholeheartedly!]

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 And one more video about our returning heroes. If this doesn't reduce you to tears, nothing will and there's no hope for ya! This makes everything look insignificant in comparison.

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Truly I do love all-white rooms. And this one is gorgeous with its pop of pink. "POP"? Where did that word come from? I find myself using it much more than I ever did and am finding it a bit trite. And I love this room with its ruffles and roses. But I need color and my favorite color is pink. I can't imagine not having colors I love all around me.

A cheery little kitchen and dining area. Very, very cute!

If only I could have a porch or patio that wasn't so dusty, it might look a bit like this. Hey, an idea just struck me!!! Why not use a canvas drop cloth over some lawn furniture? That might work to keep the dust from our farmers' fields around here from covering the seats and I could pull it off and wash it quite often. I think I'll try that.

My great-granddaughter loves the books of Fancy Nancy. I just bought her one about FN's delectable cupcakes. Who can refuse cupcakes? If you had this in your hand right now, I'd probably mug ya and run! Dieting is never fun.

I love the Cath Kidston and Green Gate kitchen ware. Those 2 designers are the most fantastic I've ever seen for beautiful kitchen items.

I don't know where this bread box came from but it is the most darling one I've ever seen.

This would be a joy to have as a craft/sewing room. It would be just the right size for me.

More darling kitchen ware. Does anyone know what kind this is? I'd love to know. It's probably antique but I've never seen it and I'm pretty old!

Looks like a party going on here but I love the curtains especially. I have them hung on 2 entrances in my home. One on the living room going into the dining room and one on the arch going into our family room. I love them softening archways.

One of the most darling little girl's rooms I've ever seen. It's just stunning with that headboard.

I actually like this style of sofa a lot, especially with that fabric and pillow.

I also have a love of birdcages no matter how big or small.

Now this is camping or glamping as it's called now. I wouldn't mind camping so much if I had this to look at when out in the wilds of Idaho!

I also adore beautiful pink and roses china. This to me is stunning.

Who in the world wouldn't love a room like this with all that sun shining through all those wonderful windows?

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Linking up with Pink Saturday.

Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie. The Day the Blender Died.

Reminder about my Pinterest page. I now have almost 9,300 images on there that you won't see on here for a long time. Also, a reminder about the giveaway I'm going to have. It'll be on 6/12 so be sure and be here to check it out.
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This is a long post so be prepared.

Some people who read my laundry post emailed me with a homemade detergent recipe. I had read blogs extolling its frugality and effectiveness, but I'm lazy and didn't want to make it. Not all that stuff works well for some of us. Plus I have a year's supply of Tide. But, hey, I'm game to try it out if so many of you see results. So onto the shopping list went Fels Naptha, Washing Soda and 20 Mule Team borax. Hubs wondered why in the world it was on our shopping list and I told him and he remembered his mother using Fels Naptha and I remembered the same about my grandmother slicing it up into her round ringer washer and me helping her with it, so he was game for it. (Any conversation of this sort fondly recalls memories from his childhood and I have to listen to—get the pleasure of hearing him tell me the stories. That should have been my first clue. ;-)

So on one of our twice weekly visits to Wal Mart the items were purchased. I also read the instructions from one particular blogger that said it works really great and it was cheap. Cheap never enters into my shopping decisions. I've been thwarted more than a few times; no, make that more than a lot of times. I simply don't care if something is cheap or not if I want it. I know some of you understand that. Of course, I always watch the circular that a store here in town sends us for Pepsi so I can get 4 cases for the price of 3 cases. Other than that I don't care.

So I pulled out my blender to use as I don't use it much at all anymore. In fact, it's in a closet in our 4th bedroom. I use a food processor now for all things I have to make/cook. This is in lieu of eating out, which I prefer above all. Need I say more? No!

I cut the chunks into small pieces after setting the blender up. I took off the cap in the lid to drop small chunks in. Well, it went flying all over the kitchen. I immediately stopped. If you look very closely at the buttons, between the last white button on the left and the 14 Speed Blender on the right side, you'll still see bits of Fels Naptha. It was a mess, so I had to stop and clean up a bit.

At that point, I'd stop the blender when I dropped a new chunk in, put the cap back on and blended again. We're talking soap here so it was a bit waxy/clingy. That's when the blender started smoking—big time. I thought my kitchen was going up in flames. That brought about the ambivalent feeling of "do I let it happen and eat out for weeks" or "should I try to put out the fire and cook for the rest of my life." I had to stop and think about that one. Saving my house and the embarrassment of explaining to the firemen was the biggest consideration. (I've already had the police here with our security alarm going off and me not remembering the code or contact person. The policeman told me that's one and I only get 3 of these alerts before they start charging me for trips to my home. Sigh. But that's another story that I've probably posted about before on here and can't remember at this point.)

I then poured the 2 cups of the other 2 products into a bowl and emptied the blender stuff into it. I'd forgotten the smell of Fels Naptha from my youth. It isn't bad; it just isn't Tide's smell. I could get used to it I suppose. But it didn't blend as well as the instructions said it would. If I ever do this again—and that's pretty iffy at this point—I'll grate it with my grater that I was afraid I'd thrown out but found later in the day. (Due to the availability of cole slaw already chopped at the stores now, I refuse to grate another cabbage! In fact, most times I'll even buy the salad greens already chopped in their neat little bags. I'm all for someone else doing it for me.)

I'll let you know after a few times of washing how it does. I guess putting in the fabric softener will dull the smell a bit. The nice blogger said she'd gotten used to the smell. I doubt I could because I'm such a fanatic about good smells, especially in my home.
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Now, onto the second item of business here.

When we moved into this new house, there was a large mirror over our double sinks in our bathroom. I thought we needed more shelving over our sinks before we needed a huge mirror. So we took it down, gave it away and put in 2 medicine, or in my case, makeup chests instead. It worked fine but now I thought we needed more shelves in there as my counter was becoming crowded. I then saw this photo on the internet and asked him to make me one. That was a marriage-killer right there, let me tell you.

 My hubby has to get it perfect or try. It is NOT perfect but you'll see the photo down among the flowers below here. He drove me nuts. I wanted 4 shelves but he said he couldn't do it with our ceiling height and the light bar over our sinks. Fine. Adjust it. Then he had to go shopping for special lumber. Heaven forbid, he doesn't have we'll-use-this-sometime-in-the-future-lumber out in the garage or his shed. But off to Home Depot he went.

I wanted bars across it to hold items better. I didn't get them as he said it wasn't high enough between shelves to lift a bottle up and get it out. Then he wanted to spray paint it after he assembled it. I told him it would be easier to paint before assembling but he's his own man and did it his way. Is it perfect? No. But it's definitely better than having 3 mismatched shelves in that space, plus there's more surface to put things on.

I wanted them done in a timely manner. Riiiight. That'll never happen around here as he's involved in too many things. So my makeup and few random items sat on the countertop for several days before I made a deal with him. I offered to do a task for him one night while he installed the shelving. I have to say it's not what I expected but it'll do fine. He's such a good husband that I don't want to burst his bubble. And he is going to do a perfume shelf for me in our bedroom. That will have the cross-bar to keep my plethora of perfumes from falling. I've just about destroyed my dresser top from spilling perfumes and oils on top of it. I'd redo it but I just don't have the energy and it would take a lot to haul it outside to refinish and that's not going to happen—due to the energy problem, mine, not our natural resources.

This is the blender sitting on a small freezer in our garage. I put it there so the garbage can wouldn't catch fire as it was still smoking. He just happened to be walking in as I was taking the blender out to the garage. I told him what happened. He didn't even flinch. He knows me too well.

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This is the first peony of the season. Hubs sure can grow beautiful flowers.

One of our rose bushes. Sorry, he hasn't had time to weed them yet.

Another gorgeous rose. I usually only buy David Austin roses. They're very fragrant smelling and have performed magnificently for us in this hot summer desert.

It's very hard to have a favorite but this one is at the top of the list. Perhaps that's because I love pink and yellow above all other color combinations.

This is the shelf hubs made. Sigh. It actually looks pretty good there between the 2 medicine chests. We could only go so far in the width but lower than the 3 mismatched shelves we had there before. Plus the shelves are deeper so that worked out even better. You can see the birdcage I have hanging over our garden tub also.

Another peony, different day.

This is the little tin that I put the washing detergent in. I'll be sure and let you know how it works after several wash loads.

I'm rather chatty today, but this gorgeous blue in this hydrangea reminds me of a color of Jantzen sweaters that was called French Blue back in the late 50s and early 60s. I longed for a Jantzen sweater that other classmates had before I got mine. I didn't wish for much and rarely bared my feeling to my parents. I don't know why I didn't get one for a long time but when I did, it was a double-breasted cardigan in this color. It was gorgeous. I loved it. When I think about those lustings back in my teenage years, I have to chuckle. I am rarely envious of anything anymore that someone else has. Oh, I see the beauty in some things but I'm just glad I'm this old and alive, have beautiful kids, grandkids and gorgeous great granddaughters. I am truly blessed in this life.

I think this is a gorgeous home. I don't lust for it but I doubt I'd have turned it down when I was younger. Now? Too much yard and too many levels.

A delightful kitchen in aqua and white.

A shop somewhere that I'd love to go visit. I see a couple of things that tweak my interest.

Same with this shop. Notice the beautiful French doors to the entrance and the molding on that doorway. I could probably spend a long while in this shop.

A cheery dining room with a vintage table, chairs and red roses on the curtains. I like this room a lot.

Oooooh, I don't know where to begin on this porch. I want mine to be this pretty and relaxing. I say every year I'm going to do something with ours but I haven't so far. Maybe this will be the year I succumb to those desires and get my bum off the sofa and do something with our large porch. :-)

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Tidbit:
 I've always been interested in English since an early age. I loved English and majored in it in college. But I'm always seeking out the abuses of our language. That's why I find these little tidbits to pass on to you. I'm forever correcting someone's English and grammar, whether written or verbal. Sigh. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. Right, Claudia? ;-)

Just Deserts:
The phrase has its origins in the obsolete word 'desert', meaning that which one deserves. In use since at least the 1300s, it is commonly seen in print as just desserts, as in the sweet final course of a meal. It is pronounced this way, but the spelling is incorrect.
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Linking up with Pink Saturday, NMH
and SSS. 

Speaking with Confidence and Authority

Another reminder: I post regularly on my Pinterest page so you might want to go visit even more photos that I haven't put on my blog yet. There are currently almost 8,400 images. You truly won't be sorry if you like images of gorgeous things and eye candy. Promise!
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I have had a few friends through the years who were rather wimpy, especially in their voice, speech and conversations. I think it's insecurity from childhood and the teenage years mostly. Young people for the most part aren't sure of themselves yet. Shy maybe. I know I was that way.

In the early 60s, I had a friend who told me her mother thought I didn't have a personality. What?! I had a personality, probably one she didn't like maybe but I had a definite personality, shy a bit but always laughing and humorous. I think later on this friend had psychiatric problems. She was the daughter of a preacher and a kind of domineering mother. I found her on a website of our old school but she seemed distant. We were very good friends and I'm thinking her adult life didn't turn out as well as mine has. Patti didn't seem wimpy when I knew her in the 60s but in the 90s when we communicated a few times via the internet there was just something there that wasn't right. I really don't know what her problems were so we didn't get together as she seemed to hesitate on that issue.

I've always been a person from my late teens/early 20s who was confident and spoke with confidence and later authority also, especially in my job. There's no sense in being wishy/washy or mealy-mouthed about things. I'm not an insipid person. I speak well and try to articulate what I'm saying but I've always spoken with confidence and not afraid to say something. Well, hurting someone is not something I'd do. I hold to good values. But I think when we speak with authority it empowers us to do things that are important. I know it does me. People listen to me AND I listen to friends for advice. I've always been told I'm a Leader. I don't want to be a leader. I want to stay home with my hubby and visit kids and grandkids when I want to. I'm tired of leading. I want to just be a grammy and mom now. I'm too tired to lead! (This conversation came up today with a friend of 13 years and she knows me well.)

I think we should try and get these young people speaking properly and help them with confidence and authority. After all, they'll be our future leaders and the way some of them are right now is a bit unnerving to me. Stand up! Be proud! Speak with authority and confidence. Make this world a better place than it is now.
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This is my absolutely favorite couture gown from all I've seen lately.

Pretty vintage tablecloth setting for a dinner in the yard.

And a gorgeous pink and gold and blue table setting.

Lovely lavender bedroom.

A secret pathway? Hmmmm?

My kind of roses for a table.

This has to be a Christie Repasy chair. It's so gorgeous. I'd love to have it.

I really do like these tiny ruffled bags.

A very unusual living room wall. I'm not sure I'd like all those vines running up my wall but it makes for a stunning picture.

Just a simple decoration for a picnic with cards hung on wires.

Too pretty to eat!

Beautiful chandelier with roses, crystals and butterflies.

Just like this fabric—stripes in pinks.

Kind of a retro feel for this kitchen making it quite adorable.

A lovely home with an abundance of flowers along the lane.

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Tidbit:
The right lung in humans is slightly larger than the left. The total surface area of a pair of human lungs is equal to that of a tennis court.
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The World's Ugliest Ottoman Transformed!

You get an extra post this week. Isn't that exciting? LOL Anyway, Happy Valentines Day to everyone and hope your sweetheart makes you as happy as mine makes me.
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This is the world's ugliest ottoman and I am almost ashamed to admit I bought it in 1973. Yes, I did! But the upside to this is that as ugly as it is, it's been used every single day since we bought it and hasn't lost its foamy-ness (just try to figure out how to spell that since there isn't a word) or its usefulness or its cushiness. It was well worth the price. The chair it came with is long gone. I just couldn't stand it anymore. Gone to chair heaven with all the other hideous stuff I've bought over the years. Remember, when hubs was a Marine, we took hand-me-downs and whatever we found cheap at garage sales. This was the sixties so you can imagine what we had. This ottoman and its matching chair I actually picked out myself new. Bleecchhhh!! Must have been cheap because I wouldn't even consider it today. That's why I gave it a new cover. This is what I made for it a couple of years ago. It's in the forefront here.

Here it is uncovered, ready for a new fresh cover.

I used a $20 drop cloth from Home Depot and had some left. Now, here's the story.

I used the old cover as a pattern so that worked out well. But when I put the skirt on the two seams were inside out. Now, I did this over a couple of weeks to not get frustrated and hurried and make mistakes. Sigh. Mistakes happened anyway. I ruffled the skirt and them sewed it to the border around the middle with the seam showing on the outside. Hubs told me to just take it apart at the two seams and turn them. I started doing it for then I realized I not only sewed a straight seam but I also sewed a overcast seam and that wouldn't come out as easily. So I thought I'd be creative, leave the seam inside out and add a feather stitch up the seam. Turned out fine. I simply didn't want to take it completely off and turn it around after sewing it on and overcasting all the edges.

This is the top with a ruffle of rose and cream stripe. I still need to iron the whole thing and hem it. But it's pretty much what I wanted to do.

Here is the seam if you look closely. Just a cute embellishment, I must say and there are only 2 seams so that's a bit of luck.

A fence with a plethora of roses on it.

I thought this wintry snow-covered road was beautiful.

Look at those darling little crocheted shoes for a little baby. And those little legs? Adorable!

Just a beautiful look at fall foliage.

Another look at a European village and the beautiful homes and walkways.

A lovely study in blue.

Just can't get enough of these thatched cottages and will display them as long as I can. They are so serene-looking.

And I love looking at dining chairs now that I am on another quest to find 2 more chairs for my dining room.

I love this setting but I think it's more than one tablecloth. I could do this and think I shall when I get some time. First come the dining room table and 2 French chairs, painting them with some chalk paint. This may take a while though. I'll be looking for some old cotton sheets for making the 2 cloths.

I thought this was one of the cheeriest 2 rooms I've ever seen. Just so bright and cute.

This has also given me an idea. I have a chandelier just like this over my dining table but done in pink. But I am going to add some little roses to the lower arms like this. Truly, I can't get enough roses! :-)

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Tidbit:
Worldwide, Norwegians drink the most coffee and have the highest rate of anxiety disorders.
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Linking up with Inspire Me Monday.