Some of my collections and other happenings

Hiya everyone!  Sorry I haven't updated since the Emmy's, it's been crazy around here the last few weeks!

Seamus started school and LOVES it!  His teachers say he is adjusting well, he hasn't cried at all since the first day and he's adjusting to the school schedule with no problems




There was one problem, though

Two days after he started school, he became very ill and ended up in the hospital for 2 days.  At first the doctors thought it was appendicitis, but that was finally ruled out.  They think he just had a bad intestinal virus.  He bounced back after 4 days and was ready to head back to school!

 Sean and Jaret and I have been adjusting to our days without Seamus, it's been strange, the house is so quiet, no one is running after a little one constantly.  We miss him, but I have to admit it is nice to be able to get things done.  When he comes home from school it's all back to normal!

I have been displaying these apron banners and signs on my site for ages and never bothered to show my aprons.  I only had 3 of my own that I had found in antique stores, but my mother gave me a treasure.  I now have 6 of my Grandmother's aprons, I am so excited!  I remember her wearing these, it is so wonderful to have these aprons that were so much a part of her.  She is the only person I remember that wore an apron, so I will proudly carry on the tradition and after I lose a little weight, I will wear her aprons proudly (I can wear them now but they look better on a slimmer figure ;-)

My Grandma's Aprons

This one I got at an antique shop, I'm doubting that it is very old.

Aren't they lovely!?

Ok, now here is another one of my collections, I just started collecting vintage salt and pepper shakers last year.  I like weird and silly styles.  My collection isn't too big yet, I am very picky about what I purchase so I don't get new sets often.  Of course, I don't hit the antique stores often so that may be the real reason it hasn't grown, LOL!

My newest collection is very small but I hope to add some more to it.  I love pigs, especially pigs from the 40's-60's.  They can't be too cutesy, but these are just right!

It just happens to be that they are both planters, I am considering getting a nice golden porthos to plant in the yellow piggie and maybe a philodendron for the other.

Big news for me, my cube shelf is finally done!  Hubby worked on it over the weekend and Sean and Jaret and I painted it yesterday.  Here is the IKEA Expedit shelf I wanted---

And here is the Scott version:



  Mine's bigger, LOL!
Who needs IKEA????  Well, I do---they have some delicious dishes that I want to get---only $25 for an 18 piece set!  I wish they had a store in Ohio--other than Cincinnati---it's closer for me to drive to the Pittsburgh store than the Cincy location!  Scott did an awesome job on this, I am so proud of him and happy to be a recipient of his talents!

Anyway, I'll be working on organizing my sewing room and getting the cube shelf filled up this week and maybe by this weekend I'll be able to sit and sew!

Oscar night and other tidbits

So, I'm finally sitting down---it's been a busy day and I'm exhausted!  I got up and immediately set about to clean the kitchen from top to bottom and do about 8 loads of laundry.  It hadn't had a good cleaning since before my surgery at Christmas time so it was WAY overdue!  After that, I dusted and finally put away my snowmen and the rest of the Christmas/Yule decorations.  I ran to the library and went to the grocery store and then came home to start the 3 hour process of making chicken enchiladas.  They were well worth the effort!  After dinner,  Jeremy reminded me that the Oscars were on so instead of folding laundry, I'm watching the Oscars. I haven't seen any of the movies but I've read and heard enough about all of them that I feel I know which ones I would root for, well based on the little knowledge of them! I'd like to see Colin Firth win an Oscar for The Single Man----I don't think he will because of the bigwigs that are nominated with him but I just love him. Ever since I saw him in Pride and Prejudice--well, I'm sure many of you can relate.

The tribute to John Hughes was sweet.  His movies were so awesome, I mean, they defined what it was like to be a teen in the 1980's---and I was there.  It was weird seeing all those actors who were so young and sweet, now they are older and look just like anyone else---well, maybe with the exception of Judd Nelson, LOL!  I'm glad that they did recognize John Hughes, his movies get ya, each one of them makes you feel something, and it's a good something!

noting the lack of Pretty in Pink :-(

Well, I joined these blog hops and I had fun---the Parade was fun and I got to hear from a lot of people but the Show us your Life one I wasn't so impressed.  Lots of people stopped by but only 3 bothered to leave a comment.  Isn't the point to meet new people?  Oh well, their loss!  I always leave a comment when I stop by, it's the polite things to do!

This weekend was quiet.  Seamus' doctor had ordered new medicine for his ADHD  and we had started it on Tuesday---he's no longer taking it.  He had 2 major psychotic reactions, pain, hallucinations, anxiety, screaming, crying, it was so awful and I feel so guilty about putting him through that.  His last episode was Friday, I spent 3 1/2 hours holding him so he wouldn't hurt himself, it took every ounce of my strength!  By Saturday, the both of us were completely wiped out, we both had colds and our bodies were sore and weak from the day before, so we just laid around the house all day.  Today, he was back to his usual self, hyper and running all over, climbing bookcases, using my bedpost as a fire pole, throwing duplos around the room.  As irritating as it can be to constantly have to stop him, I was so happy to do it today, better than then a confused, terrified, scared little boy.  The worse part of the whole experience was that he could not verbalize what was happening, what he was feeling.  I'm just glad it is over and we're looking for alternatives to handling his ADHD.

I'm heading to bed, if I can tear myself away from the TV because Jimmy Kimmel is hilarious tonight!

I'll have a full post in a day or so, I've got some craft ideas up my sleeves so hopefully I'll be able to get to them!  Until then, have a good one and talk to you soon!

TTFN,

Leslie:-)

Show us your life Fridays

 

While exploring the blog universe during the parade, I can across Kelly's site and saw that she had a pretty cool thing going on.  Each week she asks us about our life, specific questions that we are to answer, in details.  I like reading about other people's lives, it makes me realize how much we all really have in common--and how different we are at the same time.  Please, leave a comment so I can say hi to you and check out your day!!!  Plus, I like comments.  :-)  So, here is a day in my life.  7-7:30 am:  I have to get up to fill up the woodstove or it'll be really cold when the boys get up!  Typically, I go to bed around 1-2 am and I get up somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30 to stock up the stove, hubby gets it stocked up around 5:30 and I'm up to start the day around 7.  Most of the time it's still burning ok but there are a few times when I've slept later and woke up to a freezing house---I don't like that one bit!!!  Oh, and by freezing I'm talking low 60's, LOL! 

 8:30-9 am:  Seamus wakes up like clockwork.  Usually he pulls his curtains down and then proceeds to hit the window with the curtain rod until I come in.  Believe me, it's not something I encourage but with an Autistic kid, routine is necessary and he's made that part of his morning ritual---I haven't been able to break him of it yet.  To make things easier, I have his curtains on spring rods, they come down easy and go back up easy!  After he gets up and I get him his juice and his medicine, we curl up together and watch a little Nick Jr. before the boys get up. 

9:30 am:  Time to get the boys up!  I call them both 3 times and then go back into the living room.  Sean usually comes down immediately and after he wakes up a bit he plays with Seamus so I can go start breakfast.  Jaret takes a bit more prodding to get his butt out of bed but the aroma of baking bagels and hash browns cooking usually does the trick! 

10:00 am:  If I need to, I'll start mixing up my bread doughs and bagel doughs so they can rise while we are eating.  After breakfast, they are usually risen enough to punch down and form into loaves or bagels and then sit back to rise again.  I'll start any crockpot meals now or slow cooking items on the stove.

11:00 am:  Any lessons we are going to do today are usually started about now.  I'll start out one of the kids with a lesson that they can do unassisted and the other with something they may or may not need my help.  That way, one can be independent and one can have my attention--as long as Seamus is busy and happy!  We'll do this for 3 hours and then take a lunch break. 

1:00 pm:  One of us has to go out and feed and water our chickens and rabbits.  We wait until the afternoon to feed and water them because they also go out to free range at that time.   We want to give the chickens time to lay their eggs in their boxes so they don't lay them in the woods.

2:00 pm  Lunch time!  Usually the boys will go and play Wii for a bit while I make lunch.  Seamus either plays with them or keeps me company in the kitchen, pulling out my pans or messing around on my laptop. 

3:00 pm:  Back to work or off to field trips or outside play or the library or shopping.  If we have a lot of running around to do, the boys just bring their books in the car and finish it while we are traveling.  We live 15-20 miles out of town so we have to do a bit of driving to get anywhere---which gives the boys time to work on schoolwork so they are done when we get home.  We do have 2 small groceries 5 miles from home, but they are SO much more expensive than Walmart.  I do buy locally for meats, though, I no longer get any meat from Walmart or the chain grocery stores.  In season, I get all produce from local farmers (or my own garden!)  Jeremy gets home from school around 3:30 so if we are leaving later we wait for him.

5:30  Hubby is home, yay!  The boys do their chores and bring in firewood and then they are free for the rest of the day.  Scott takes over with Seamus while I make dinner. 

7:30 pm:  Dinner is served and the family is all together and we talk about the day or whatever.  We try to engage everyone in some conversation---or I like to pick a question for everyone to answer.  Today's questions were from the Blogger Parade!  Everyone had fun with that! 

8:30 pm  Kitchen is usually cleaned up by now and hubby and I sit down with Seamus and spend a little time with him before his bedtime.

9:00 pm  Seamus is telling us it's time for bed. 

9:30-10:00 pm After Seamus goes down we either sit down and watch our shows or we head up to my studio and Scott catches up on work or reads and I work on whatever project I've got going.

11:30 pm Scott heads to bed, Jeremy is in bed and the boys are getting ready.

Midnight.  I have the house to myself.  Blissful peace and quiet, the only time of day I truly have time for me!  I love nighttime!

1:30-2 am.  I stock up the woodstove, grab my book I'm reading and head to bed, ready to get up in a couple of hours to stock up the stove again!

 

It's that time now!  Good night :-)

Who doesn't love a good parade?

Hiya all!  As I was cruising around my blogger universe, my new friend Kim had posted about a parade she was joining in, so naturally I had to check it out myself!  It looks like fun, so I am going join in and hopefully you'll get inspired and join in on your blog as well!

Here are my answers to the interview questions, hopefully it'll let you know me a little better :-)

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?

My favorite time of day is late at night when everyone is sleeping.  The house is QUIET, it's quiet outside and I can actually sit and think and be creative without disruption!  I like to either sew away up in my studio or sit in the livingroom and read in front of the fire with a cuppa hot chocolate!  I like to hear the crackling of the wood, the creaking of the old house and the sounds of sleeping people around me!  Can't hear any of that when they are all up!

2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?
Fried chicken, coleslaw and mashed potatoes and gravy, LOL!  Oh, and Cheesecake for dessert!

Since I don't consider Chocolate unhealthy---I will eat that ALWAYS!!!  :-)

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?
I would want health for my family and friends.  We've had some health issues in our little circle lately, I'm hoping my son will be helped with his Autism most of all!

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?
Probably my grandiose ideas!  I always do things BIG, whether it's cooking for a party, planning a garden, or making all the gifts for my family for Christmas, I never choose the easier path--for which my friends and family tell me I am crazy but they are happy recipients of my grandiose ideas!

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be? 
OMG, this is a hard one!  For the movie pick,  I would like to be Francis from Under the Tuscan Sun.  Moving to Italy into an ancient house In beautiful Tuscany? I wouldn't mind being Diane Lane, either, LOL!

For the TV show I'd like to be Anne Heche in Men in Trees---remember that show???  She had the perfect life, a posh apartment and job in NYC and a cabin in the woods and a fairly simple, primitive life up in Alaska--man I miss that show!

For the book I'd have to say Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.  She didn't have to suffer horribly like some of the heroines of that day--before finding happiness.  Sure, she had some issues---like having to be proposed to by her idiotic cousin, or Lydia going off with Wickham, but otherwise she had a nice life!

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?
I would like to belly dance.  I have 2 left feet, 2 left hips, 2 left arms, just no grace at all---a few years ago my friends tried to teach me middle eastern dancing---I felt it but I couldn't do it!  I was much better as a middle eastern drummer!

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?
The British Isles, I've always wanted to go!  Being Scottish and Irish, I feel a pull for both countries and someday I am going to get there!

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?
Rock and Roll!  I had a band in high school, I fancied myself the next Joan Jett or Pat Benetar.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?
Home Depot.  I would be able to get a lot of the materials we need to rennovate my kitchen and bathroom!

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?
Well, having been in the SCA for many years, I would say medieval times---but knowing how those times REALLY were, and knowing from my family tree that I would not have been a landowner, I think I'd pick the late 1800's.  I would want to have been a pioneer woman, forging a new path, a new life in the west.  I'd want to live like Laura Ingalls Wilder!  I can see myself cooking from scratch, making clothes and quilts, taking care of the chickens---oh wait, I do that now!  LOL!  Well, at least I have electricity and computers, now!

 

http://www.barnyardwagon.com/html/wagons.html

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?
I look good in earth tones so I'd have to say green!

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?(Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey)
Sneezy, definitely sneezy.  Major allergies!

13. What's the last album you listened to?
Last ALBUM?  Probably Pink Floyd, The Wall.

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?
While I love my homesteading life and living on my farm, which has been a dream my entire life, a little part of me would love to have a loft in the city so I could go to clubs and dance.  I've never done that, not even when I was younger---but I've always thought it would be cool!