Wordless Wednesday

Show and Tail

For the first time, I am joining Angela over at WV Treasures by participating in Tuesdays Show & Tail. I learned of this meme from my friend Sandie at Chatty Crone.

Ms. Chelsea Kabob

Taken a couple of days ago, out in the drive, in the sunshine.

Look at that smile!
Initially, I thought that the name of the meme was Wags and Tails...Chelsea doesn't have a tail, so she can't wag. She does "wag" (or wiggle) her stump. In Britain, there is a ban on removing the tails of Welsh Pembroke Corgis. If it were up to me, I would not have done it, but by the time we met her, at three weeks, it was done. I even said to the breeder, "I don't want her tail docked." And the breeder said "um, it has already been docked." Chelsea was born on June 30, 2008. It is hard to believe that she will be two years old this summer. She has settled down a lot. Don't get me wrong, Welsh Pembroke Corgis have a lot of energy. A couple of weeks ago, I took her out on the rails to trails for seven miles and she came in and started tearing around the house like a crazy person. I have learned, it isn't the distance that wears her out, but rather, the speed. I picked her, or rather, she picked me (she licked my arm) when she was three weeks old. Then we went to the farm to see her at five weeks and one more time before we took her home at eight weeks. She weighed three pounds and we have a video of her walking around on the kitchen table and at the end of the video, she walks right up to the camera. She weighs around eighteen pounds. She was the next to the smallest of the litter. (The "runt" didn't make it.) She is an unusually small Corgi and people always think she is a puppy. I am one of those moms that loves to dress her up. As of late, she has been sporting a jaunty lavender and pink bandanna. She always gets a lot of attention and compliments whenever I take her out. We belong to a local agility club called "Flying Paws." This will be her second summer. She does a lot better than I do. I am the one that holds her back.

She is the joy of my life. She always gives me kisses and runs to greet me every morning.

Who cares what you wear?

Tonight I put the first coat of paint over the primer on the cabinets

while Doug shot some photos for me.

I thought I would share the latest in painting wear here in Indiana. t-shirt and shorts, already stained with paintgarden crocs and old smiley face socks

catch those luxurious locks up in a bandanna I like this small tray and roller, especially for the cabinets

When I went in to Lowe's, I told the salesman what I wanted to do and basically bought what he told me to buy. I bought the oil based primer which he mixed my paint color (Churchill Hotel Ivory) into and then bought the paint he told me to buy. Because we live near the woods, from time to time we have moisture issues. The paint has a lifetime warranty and is Ultra Premium by Valspar Interior Kitchen and Bath enamel, mildew proof. I think this is some of the best paint I've ever used (no endorsement from Lowe's for saying this). It goes on smooth and even. The salesman advised me to buy a small sponge roller and it works great on the cabinets. I also prefer the wedge cut sponge daubers for edges and corners.

getting there

I had some peculiar thoughts as I painted tonight. I have a desk job at the university and my mind can't wander. I can't be thinking about other things while I'm working on a spreadsheet. I need to get the names of chancellors and deans and trustees correctly and must record the correct amounts of payments in the correct columns. Painting is something you can do, and do correctly, while letting one's mind wander. I was thinking about how when I was ten years old, the first year I went to established camp in Girl Scouts that my mother made a fine bedside table for me to take with me. She took an old crate, put in a shelf, painted it white and added a blue towel to the front for a curtain and voila! I had one of the best bedside tables of anyone at camp. Wasn't that nice of her? And I also thought about my paternal Grandma, of how my kitchen is beginning to remind me of hers. I suppose I've always fashioned my home after her home. Her home was welcoming and comfortable. I felt safe and loved when I was there. And if I recall correctly, I believe at one point, her kitchen cabinets were cream with celery green walls. I'm quite certain she is looking down on me and smiling.

I also thought about my friend Jeanna and I. She told me she would come over and help me paint, just because she enjoys painting. I thought about how much fun we would have if we started a part-time painting business and was even thinking up names for said business...Two gals with brushes, Have brush will paint, Two old broads with lots of energy...as I said, my mind was wandering. I will finish the second coat of paint tomorrow night. Took me about three and a half hours tonight, but I believe it will go faster tomorrow evening. Then to finish the doors and put them back on. We are going to soak and clean the old hinges and then spray paint to coordinate with the new knobs.

Prime time

Today we started priming the cabinets. It was pouring rain outdoors, so it seemed like a good day to get started. I didn't talk him into tearing down a wall yet, but I did get him to take out the cabinets over the refrigerator. I didn't have anything in there, couldn't reach them without getting up on a chair. So, outta here! this is where Doug pulled out the cabinets over the refrigerator
Stuffing newspaper over the items

in the cabinets was Doug's solution.
This way, we didn't have to take everything out of the cabinets.
starting to prime

First, we sanded. Then, I scrubbed everything down. Then we started to prime. I probably won't be able to move tomorrow. I hope I can because we are hoping to start painting. I was surprised at how quick we accomplished so much. Unfortunately, the oil primer gave me nausea and a headache, so we went out to dinner.

The cabinets will be cream, the walls celery green.

Here we go again

Do you remember last August or September when we started working on our kitchen? I primed and painted the ceiling and bulkhead. In the process, I got more paint on my body than on the ceiling and bulkhead. We were supposed to be hosting Doug's family for Thanksgiving, or so we thought. We were using the holiday as our motivator. One day I was talking to Doug's sister on the phone and she told me that we were not hosting. Basically, our kitchen re-do came to a screaming halt. And then we hosted my family! When it was still warm, Doug said we would get to the painting when it cooled off and we weren't outdoors every opportunity we could get. Then, when it cooled off, he said we couldn't paint because of using oil based primer and paint. You get the picture.
Since it has started to warm up, he has announced that we would get back at the kitchen re-do. So he started taking all of the cabinet fronts off of the cabinets and all of the drawer fronts off of the drawers. It makes it much easier to see where things are, but here are a few photos of how the kitchen looks currently.

(we have to put our bread in the cabinet so the cats don't get into it)

outlet covers have been gone since last August or September when I took them off and ripped off all of the ugly wallpaper.

switch plate covers have been gone as well

once I took them off, I wasn't putting them back on!

I will keep you posted as to how it goes. The cabinets are cheap, the kitchen (entire house) is dark and I am going to paint the cabinets cream color and have celery green walls. Should lighten up the kitchen a lot.

I want to rip out the wall between the kitchen and dining room, but haven't been able to convince Doug of that, yet. He is afraid the ceiling will fall in. The dining room has a sliding glass door and it would really lighten up the kitchen. All you women send me some convincing karma, okay?We will see where I get with that idea.

New layout

Surprise! I haven't changed my blog in three years. Blogger has improved a lot from what it was when I first started with them. What do you think? Do I get a thumbs up or a thumbs down? I kept fiddling with it until I got something that felt comfortable for my eyes. I like this background because it hints of what we will soon be seeing outdoors. Be honest with me because I can always change it again.

Lambie Pies!

Driving to work the other day, I just happened to look to the right and lo and behold, there were lambie pies! I called Doug and said "guess what? The farm down the road has lambie pies!" Doug kept saying "WHAT?"and I kept saying "lambie pies" and finally he said "are you saying LAMBS?" and I said "Yes, Lambie Pies!" Mama and babies
"ba ba blacksheep have you any wool?"
King of the hill!

the twins

I jus loves me some lambie pies!

Wonderful Wednesday

I try to keep my Nikon with me at all times. This was the scene as I drove up my road this morning. I literally pulled my car as far to the right as possible, hit the flashers, grabbed my camera and jumped out to snap this photo. Up to greet the dawn

My fur kids

Two "people" in my life that I love soooo much are my fur kids, Chelsea and Milo. Milo is my male orange marmalade kitters that I've now had for eleven years. He is getting old and there are days that he seems old, but other days he still enjoys playing the "mole game." Whenever I put clean sheets on the bed, Milo is quick to jump up on the bed and attack the sheets. I then put my hand under the blanket and move it around and Milo attacks it.

Chelsea is my female Welsh Pembroke Corgi. I cannot believe that she will be two years old on June 31. She is so sweet. She is finally calming down a bit. Just a bit. This past Saturday she and I walked seven miles on our rails to trails. Then as soon as we came in the house, she started tearing around like a crazy person. Doug turned to me and said "maybe you need to take her back out." I took these photos last Sunday afternoon. Chelsea was holding down one end of the sofa

and Milo held down the other end.

Chelsea gets shy when I start taking pics of her.

Oh, she is so handsome! Don't you think?

Milo doesn't get too concerned about being photographed.

They are always happy to see me- greet me every morning when I come out of the bedroom. They never hog the remote. They never flip channels during commercials. They never say "are you going to wear that?" They never take a huge bite out of every piece of pizza or my sandwich. (Although Milo did leave teeth marks in my sandwich the other day. I ate it anyway and didn't die.) They don't pout or get mad. They just love me. Unconditionally. And I love them right back.

Spring!

It is official, spring is here! I don't know what kind of weather you experienced today, but here in Southern Indiana it was rainy and gloomy. So I thought I would share some photos of some beautiful flowers that I photographed last Wednesday. A friend was in town for a visit and it was St. Patrick's Day so we visited a local winery for tasting before dinner. I found a few good selections for summer. These beautiful flowers were blooming. There isn't anything in my yard that is quite to this stage yet. Our yard is still wet and muddy. crocus
crocus
crocus & snow drops
crocus

daffodils

Doug & me

What is blooming where you live?

Recipe for Sunday Brunch

Don't you just love Sunday brunch? I know I do! Today we relaxed with the paper and a recipe that I have been making- oh, forever. It is Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast. In war times, military men called it "shit on a shingle." I usually make toast and tear it into pieces. I've also served it over biscuits.

french tablecloth by Target'

old newspaper clipping

Just how long have I been making creamed chipped beef on toast? Since I was a newlywed in 1978. We were married on September 16, 1978 and this was in the Columbus Dispatch on October 18. I was very young and working hard at being a good Suzy Homemaker. Just for the record, I haven't been Mrs. Don Bennett since 1989.

But, I'm still making creamed chip beef on toast.

Here is the recipe I follow:

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons flour

2 Cups hot milk

1 3 oz package chipped beef (I use Buddig or Eckrich)

salt and pepper

Melt butter, stir in flour. Cook over medium heat for two minutes until it is a smooth paste. Add hot milk gradually, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes until smooth and thick. Cut chipped beef into small pieces and stir in. Serve over toast or biscuits.

I use real butter and 2% milk. In my opinion, you just can't make gravy with skim milk. Doug thinks I'm crazy but before adding the beef, I pour the gravy into my blender and give it a whirl. I feel it makes it thicker and creamier. Don't knock it until you try it. Oh, and even though he gave me grief for using my blender, he sure gobbled it up!

This makes a nice warm breakfast or dinner in winter or an excellent Sunday brunch.

Last night in Hawai'i

We flew in and out of Kona, so we returned to Kona for the last two days of our trip. Our last night, we stayed in the Kona Tiki, which is located on Alii Drive. We thought it was very inexpensive. There is no television, phone or AC. But, you are right on the ocean. You are right on the sea wall. The sea water splashes over the side of the sea wall into the pool. my view from the bed

lanai

Japanese style sliding door opens to the lanai. We slept with it open with the sound of the waves crashing and the ocean breeze sweeping over us. Perfect for our last night. this close to the sea wall from the lanai

Our last day in Kona we decided to spend it each in our own way. Doug went snorkeling and I walked Alii Drive and visited a lot of shops. I walked a very long distance- all the way to the bay at the far end of Alii. We met for breakfast and lunch and then went to watch the sun set. this shot is my screen saver We were not flying out until 10 p.m., so we went to eat dinner and then sat and had a couple of drinks while watching the Olympics and listening to a local band. Going to Hawai'i, it was difficult for me to imagine putting on shorts, sandals and tank tops. Then coming back, it was difficult to pull on socks and shoes and my bluejeans. I didn't change until just before leaving for the airport. I felt sad to leave Hawai'i and told the ocean "good-bye." Now, ever so often Doug says "so, when do you want to go back?"