On the homefront

I know, I have not given you any updates on my kitchen and it’s not that I have not wanted to share it’s just that I have had nothing to share. We have had a time getting the contractor and the adjuster get together and then ya throw in there holidays and before you know it nothing has been done. I have picked out some things but not made a final decision. I can’t, not without knowing what my budget is. That and the contractor is a flake, he has taken the attitude that this is a $50k job when it is not. I mean come on my dear internets what does he think we are, dumb a$$’. I think not! I have done and been around construction for over 20 years, hell I owned a remodeling company and if I had the physical ability to do it I could so do it, hangin sheetrock, tape and float, texture, paint, laying tile all except electrial.

Oh my dear internets I am tired and my family is tired of living in a hotel!

Ok so we found out that a guy in our car club actually does this kind of work so we called him and he is working up a price for us. We intend to let this other crazy contractor go, he has not done much of any work and in fact when Rick was out looking and measuring he found where the contractor was working on something and was using the wrong kind of pipe, one that was not rated to code. It would endanger our safety and we just can’t have that. And I sit here typing this without knowing how it’s gonna come out…

Is our hotel stay going to be extended? Are we going get a contractor that will actually do the work? Are we going be home for Christmas? And if so will we have enough work done to put up our tree?

Perhaps my lesson here, is endurance? So don’t cry for me Argentina nor anywhere on the www cause my new name is Patience and Endurance is my game!

I hope all y’alls shopping went well, I don’t do the whole “black Friday” thing, all those people trampling and grabbing is just too scary for me.

But still I’m curious what kind of deal-e-os did y’all get?

Gobble, Gobble y’all

I made some spiced peaches; ¼ cup of white vinegar, a tablespoon of whole cloves, 3 cans sliced peaches in syrup bring to simmer for about 15 minutes; cool on the stove then refrigerate overnight, warm up just before serving, remove cloves put on a pretty dish or bowl and serve with beat up heavy cream {whip it, whip it good if you prefer}

Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear Internets that celebrate this United States Event, wherein our Government proclaimed a special day each year specifically for giving thanks to God. May we never lose this.

You so better be with your families and giving thanks

But just in case you are tired of all the open mouth chewing and all the burping and farting that is going on in the living room (den of football shenanigans) let me entertain you before you have you pre-shopping nap or your pre-shopping campout for the best price on the gift of your choice. Which should I mention that I would so much like to have a kitchen for Christmas…so if you see one for a bargain, I mean a totally cheap a$$ price (or better FREE) please pick one up for me, you have my Thanks in Advance.

Now onto the entertainment, enlightenment and just becauses

Turkey Texas

Turkey Game (FREE)

Turkey Coloring

I am thankful that God has made me available to let His glory shine through me

I am thankful that I have the Right of Freedom of speech

I am thankful that I have Freedom of Religion

I am thankful that I have y’all as my dear internets. {{hugs}} for everyone and blessings for a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Oh lookie someone put up a Christmas Tree at our hotel house. Listen, can you hear it…Christmas Bells are Ringing

Life in a Texas Town

One of my dear internets nominated me, yes moi, for the 2009 Weblog awards in the category best humor. This is so thrilling for me because I did not have to nominate myself so once again I shall ask that if I make it to the finals, and you know if I do I will tell you, then you yes all of you my dear most dearest internets shall cast your vote my way. That is if you think I qualify , but if not I'm sure that there will be at least one best humor blog you would be willing to vote for. In further weblog awards news our friend Jannie Funster was also nominated for Best Humor, Georganna of A Writer’s Edge for Best Literature, Dirty Footprints Studio for Best Video, Kind Over Matter for Best Web Gem, and don’t forget that I nominated myself for Best Blog. How’s about y’all, what news in your world?


And totally unrelated, just before the removal of my “Baby Barn” I was finally able to talk Beloved into taking me to see Big Ol’ Sam Houston in Huntsville. I mean really I have been past that giant statue a gazillion times... and every single time he looked like he was gonna step across the freeway. So anyways I've been to the artist studio in the Heights area of downtown Houston, David Adickes, which I posted about here. But what I really want to show you is a photo that my beloved took...

I know too funny huh? It's an optical illusion my dear internets, I really did not pick Big Ol’ Sam’s nose.

And this is a picture of some type of rose (I think) that I took in the park. Very pretty I thought

And now on to another unrelated topic Snaggletooth of Exit Stage Right in a post talked about a town where people were limited on the number of cats they could have. You know the one for which she received the Humane award, anyway I told her that in my town we could have any kind of animal, even within the city proper, other than pigs. I told her about the folks that had a donkey and to prove that fact I drove by to take a photograph...

Surprise, surprise and surprise one more time. They now own not one but three donkeys. How's that for a kick in the a$$? But also please note they got rid of the cow, well at least it’s not in the yard anymore. Now I know what y'all are thinking, everyone in Texas wears boots, cowboy hats, drives a truck, owns oil wells and cows. You do to, you so know you think that but my dear internets I do not, that is unless you count a ceramic cow or two.

And on to one last unrelated thing...So what kind of pie are you having at your house for Thanksgiving and are you gonna make your own whip cream or are you going to spoon it from a tub or squirt it from a can? It’s okay you can tell me, I’ll keep your secret all safe and sound in my comments.

Me I love Goode Co. Pecan Pie I know it's costly but I so need me some Goode Company

Hello, can you hear me...

Can you  hear me now?

Yes, well good. Hello my dear internets. Did you miss me? I missed you


I am doing well and everything came out just fine, ha ha. I will not show you the before and after photos because that would just be sick. And besides I was unconscious and could not take any ha ha. I am tired and in a little bit of pain but that's okay I will recover here at our home away from home. We have received a little bit of money from the insurance company though not enough but I suppose it will get us started. Cross your fingers that we will be home for Christmas. I will keep it short for today and hopefully when I wake up from my little nap I will be around to see y'all.

Yes, as a matter of fact you can find this exact photo at 365 Views by Me

and no this is not cheating. It'Snot either. go ahead giggle, you know you want to.

Ta Dah-not an Autumn Adventure Post

A while back Deanna over at Deanna’s Blog (where else?) awarded me the Humane Award. I am humbled and grateful that she thinks of me this way. I don’t know how I could ever live up to it. So I won’t try I will just keep on being me ~ the one ~ the most awesome Paige that you know. Yes the Queen of my Paradise Valley. Remember that echo when I’m falling over the edge and laugh, laugh, laugh. I mean what else can one (Queen talk for me) do?

Thank you Deanna you are a bright spot in the Blogsphere or Boglandia whichever you prefer. (please note my educated use of Blog slang or is that language)

Y’all know how hard it is for me to choose among my dearest internets, I mean to pick just one or just a few… but a while back Snaggle Tooth over at Exit Stage Right posted about a Cat Lady being forced to get rid of some of her kitties (post is here) and her voiced opinion has earned her this award.

You-who Snaggle, are your there? I take pleasure in offering this award to you. Please enjoy.

UN related yet curious question…


Have y’all decided what you are making from your leftover turkeys?

Speaking of cut ups – tomorrow is Hysterectomy Day, hope to read y’all soon!

Autumn Adventure...YES again!

Well my dear internets to continue on with my autumn adventure/saga we were staying in a local hotel about 5 miles from our house fairly convenient but we had to eat out every day and the insurance company does not care so much for that. We have now moved to a nicer hotel that has a kitchenette, heated pool and workout room. It also smells better, our bed is way better, but Baby girl however is sleeping on a pullout. She says that the heated pool makes it okay.


About the insurance adjuster we received a letter stating that we did not have mold coverage but re-mediation, whatever that means. But you know what it's not my problem, God will do what needs to be done in His time in His way and we are blessed.

I do know that all my hardships have been very hard to follow as I'm not typically quite so depressing nor whiny, it's just not my style, ya know? I am normally more sarcastic and smart a$$ed which is a far better coping mechanism than this. Don't y’all think? That is a rhetorical question, not really meant for you to answer. But thanks so much for agreeing with me. So from now on let’s just have happy thoughts, smiling smiles and jiggly giggles. Yes jiggly, well okay for you my skinny dear internets just giggles cause us chunky/healthy girls get to jiggle with our giggle.

Beloved mentioned how rich we were now that we have a house “in town” and “one in the county” I know I fell out laughing too.

Okay so we are going to leave all this far behind that said I've written a little poem. It has been ages if not for ever since I gave you one. Thanks for being my dear internets.


Away

The music has fallen away
Lips no longer echo the lyrics
In harmony on the air waves
Or even in disharmony

The soul does lie open
As an unplayed score
Upon the maestros stand
Wand and hand slice and dice

Through the air, instructing
Notes to bounce and boom
Cajoling voices into instruments
Giving beauty to the rise and fall

Sweet melody ringing, tingling
Tickling the very breathing air
From which the music has fallen
Away, too far away from the heart


It is not really finished as I believe there should be at least one more stanza, a positive one. These were just thoughts that I have had on my not singing, not that I am some great singer or sumthin;-I have not sung to the songs on the radio for weeks maybe months now feels like forever. It is hard to say but I've really only recently noticed and I have not been able to make myself sing the songs any songs that use to move me, make my spirit take flight. Now seeing the problem, admitting the problem are the first steps in recovery. I cannot explain how this situation started, but it ends right now.


Tell me my dear internets do you sing? I know you do so tell me where do you dare and what do you sing?

WeBlog Awards

I have been nominated for Best Blog (so what if I had to do it myself) the important thing, IF I end up being a finalist you, that is you, yes you, all my Dear-Dearest most favorite Internets will be able pop over there and cast your vote my way.

Edit for correction---thank you Dear Georganna for reading the finer print (I forgot my glasses at home, my valid excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

Please scroll down for my newest post

More Autumn Adventure

And here I sit my dear internets at the laundra-rama while at home my new washer and dryer dustily sit. We finally got connected with our insurance adjuster they talked to our contractor and are working on an adjustment claim. We don't know the dollar amount that we will receive, however it will be somewhat negotiable -- whatever that means.  In the meantime I've come to grips with the disaster and am excited to be getting a new kitchen. Because the walls (sheet rock) have come down, I spoke to the contractor and it is very doable to put the washer and dryer in the garage instead of in the house in the little pantry, no extra cost. (you believe that right?) We're going to totally take the pantry walls down put counters in and a floor to ceiling pantry cabinet thing with pullout shelves. I mean why not, I didn't like the cabinets anyway and there was not enough counter space. Yes I will post pictures when they get put in. if that ever happens

We are not really fancy people however we do like nice. I found a floor tile that looks like wood and we hope to be able to put that in the entryway, hallway, and living room. The contractor suggested adding a small bar that mimics the little bay window in the dining room to separate, some want, the dining area kitchen from the living room. I thought that was an astounding idea therefore I need to pick another tile to go in the dining room kitchen area, a cheaper one I think will be best. Is this exciting or what?

Now the paint color… as you know my daughter Erin just painted the living room for us when I was off that week of my surgery and because I am not inspired as to a specific color, at this time, we are going to go with divine white. The lighting in my kitchen was not the best in fact it was barely sufficient so as the opportunity has kindly arisen I have picked out two new ceiling fixtures for the kitchen and they will install a hanging light over the sink (yea) and I've chosen one to replace the dining table chandelier. That may actually light things up.

Our fireplace had tile around it, not anymore duh, so once again I have picked a tile and a small trim piece for that. I love our ceiling fan in the living room so we will be keeping it although it is polished brass and the new fixtures for the kitchen are sort of chocolate brown/aged copper like color. I am sure it has some kind of fancy a$$ed designer name. I will show you, if of course it works out as I am planning. Okay, okay I'll show you even if it does not work out the way I'm planning. All because I love you and your amazing support of me, my family and our situation.

Perhaps we'll get lucky and be able to have the bed rooms re-carpeted, just in case I picked out brown carpet for them. Yes it may be darker than what most people would pick but I have lived with that light tan deer colored carpet for over 20 years probably more like 30. And that is enough!

In more exciting, okay maybe not exciting more like good news, my stitches have been removed now for a few days and the cut looked gross at first but it gets better every other day. Because of the pain in my right arm I have asked my doctor to do a letter in regards to my ability to work. Mostly because the hysterectomy that I'll be having on the 16th will keep me from having surgery on my right arm, and that has been scheduled for December 14th ...On accounta I got bad news...cause it has not been enough yet.

My office will be closing at the end of December (rumor has it that I will be reassigned to work from home- which would be totally awesome). Yet I am saddened at not working with this great group of folks that I have known most for 15 years. You bet the timing looks very suspicious and if I had planned it it dam sure wouldn’t be during the holidays. Cause how will I get to cook in my new kitchen? If I get a new kitchen. This whole timing thing is bad and please believe me when I say how horrible it makes me feel, I love my company it is the best, absolute bestest I have ever worked with, they are considered family.

I'm having a hard time fighting the tears, which is making this post hard to write. My software barely understands me already due to my charming Southern accent to which Jannie can attest. Bless her heart she said “pardon", "sorry what” more than a couple of few times. So anyway I’ll wrap this up by signing off for today and sending you all my hugs and great thanks for your support.


I know that no matter what God will do what is best, love is at the center and it radiates outward.

Speaking of radiate—where is that solar man that started all this?

How are things with y’all? Got that turkey picked out yet?

Autumn Adventure 2

When I last left off we were at the point of sucking a ton of water out of my home. We emptied the shop vac at least 30 times, it holds approximately 20 or 30 gallons, is that crazy or what? This does not include the many towels that we used to sop up and ring out in the kitchen sink. Once we got the water puddles cleaned up we left a message for the insurance company and went back outside to watch the tree crew finish up. The tree crew was amazing nothing was broken and they ground the stumps to the ground. God is truly good to us.


We in the meantime were worried about water setting under the cabinet's and becoming a swamp full of green algae and all manner of stinkiness not to mention leeching into the walls and insulation so we called the contractor that built my studio and Sunday afternoon the guys that did my pegboard were at our house checking the sheet rock and telling us that it was wet. Really ya think. Because we needed to actually talk to our insurance company first, a real live person, we could not do anything yet.

My beloved called the insurance company again on Monday to ask if we could make a claim, of course they told us our deductible and yes we were covered. They said they would have an adjuster call us and come out. Yeah no one called by Monday afternoon and I had the guys come up and open the walls. Needless to say it was hot outside and surprise, surprise the gunk, sortta like with mushrooms, didn't take long to grow. And yes, oh yes Erin is a bit upset over the cutting of her freshly painted walls.

The next morning I went out to the little freezer in the garage and I was almost knocked down by the nasty smell. Super gross my dear internets would be putting it mildly. I cracked the garage door open turned on a fan, closed and locked the door into the house and went to work. I mean what else could I do?

Speaking of work my left hand still in stitches and a half cast of sorts couldn't do much so the brunt fell on my right, which if you remember hurts like a SOB. Fortunately we were kinda slow and it wasn't too bad for a couple of days. Then the right one began to really hurt the more that I one finger typed. My coworker, the one that had the neck surgery, had vacation set for Thursday and Friday. And you know what that meant, we got busy. Which is typical every time she goes on vacation argh!. But that's okay well sort of okay, I did what I could. Driving is extremely difficult, my left hand is no good and my right one with the shooting pains the numbness, well crap it just hurts. Enough whining.

The beautiful new washer and dryer arrived. We can't use them, can't hook them up so they set and collect dust. But they are beautiful.

just makes you want to wash some laundry huh?

We played phone tag with the insurance company on Thursday and Friday and in the meantime the laminate flooring buckled and I just knew mold was growing. But at least the weather cooled off and we were able to sleep with the windows open. Then good news it was the weekend and I was to meet Jannie and the whole Funster family. So we went on the trip and forgot about the pain and the growing mold and the stinky house. It was a good weekend.

Too soon I was back at work and by Tuesday I was out of pain pills. My coworker was back and I told her about my problems, but between you and me I think she's really mostly worried about all the vacation she has scheduled for December. I won't delve into my feelings about this but I did postpone my left hand surgery so she could get her neck done. That would be my bad. Now, now my dear internets it was my choice after all. No hard feelings because I know all things are according to God's plans and His time schedule not mine.

Oh the big machines are de-humidifiers and make a lot of noise and are hot. Good news no hide nor hair of brother in law—if work of any kind may be involved he suddenly disappears. Well you know what else could he do? Oh and we are getting to stay at a local hotel, because the house is in such disarray and bla bla bla.

And yes next post it gets, how shall I say better when I really mean worse...



The November Poetry a Day challenge has started over at Poetics Asides. Should you wish to play, you don’t have to post your work, drop by and grab the prompt of the day.



Are you making plans for the Holidays yet?