GOOD DEALs

   Face it. Keeping a child in clothing is an expensive. And if you have a girl *or girls* they LOVE cool clothes. Whether they are into grunge style, girlie girl, or lives for , , or , one could easily go broke putting clothing on a child’s back * and tush, legs and feet, .*. Its a blessing to be able to buy inexpensive clothes, but truth be told, nothing wears as nice as well made clothing. After multiple washings, and sometimes several children, well made clothing shows itself well worth the money that is involved in the initial investment. I have passed and clothing onto children after Brenna has outgrown them, and the clothes are on the 3rd or 4th child and still look almost brand new! Gotta love that!

   In order to afford for my child to dress in the cute, trendy clothes that she likes, we hit the local thrift stores. I LOVE thrift stores! Let me amend that, I love GOOD thrift stores. We have a couple of good thrift stores local to us that we frequent. Today was a RED BANNER day for thrift store shopping.

  Today’s thrift store run just about finished my winter shopping for Brenna, save a few winter dresses, which I am bet my my mother-in-law will buy her a couple, which she does every year. Look at all the goodies I got today:

 Orange Limited, Too hoodie and Aeropostale tshirt.

 Thirteen shirts which included 3 Limited, Too, 2 Aeropostale, a Danskin leotard, a white dress shirt from Macy’s, 2 GAP shirts, 3 Old Navy shirts, and 1 shirt that was of less well known brands.

  2 Dresses from Target, 3 skorts *2 from Limited, Too, one from Old Navy*, and a pair of Old Navy shorts.

   Eleven pair of pants, brands included are Lee, Levi’s, Limited, Too, Old Navy, *there is a black Limited, Too shirt in here too*,

9 puzzles that were from 50c to $1.50 each.

  8 books for Brenna and a phone *$2 for a brand new phone*.

   This is not a thrift store item, but I wanted to show this. Brenna REALLY liked this jacket when we saw it at Good’s in Quarryville in Lancaster County. I bought it for her and it was only $17.

   So Brenna is set for winter! The puzzles and books are not clothes of course, but they were stuff we were looking for. I needed that phone…and of course books are always needed!

   The grand total for all these items, plus 4 pair of pants for Michael in a Joe Boxer style: $104 *less the $17 jacket*. 32 pieces of clothing for Brenna in name brands!

  Did I mention that I LOVE THRIFT STORES!!!

                          Blessings…  

                                                Kathie

  A  Ramble  on  worries 

  Isn’t it interesting how from one day to another, from one moment to the next, our reactions in a given situation can change? Walk through this with me for a moment while I ramble…

  I know for myself that my attitude towards things change depending on how much sleep I have had, whether I am under the influence of certain montly cycles and hormones, what I may have been doing that day, etc. In general though, I run pretty even. I am predictable in my reactions: I react strongly but fairly in given situations that would be deemed stressful, and if I am irritated or upset it is very short lived and then I go on with life. There have been moments now and again, but they are infrequent, more so now that I am in my 30s. I am not a dweller, a fretter, or one that tends to live in the moment that stressed me. Is it because I “have it all together”? Is it because I am emotionless? LOL..man that so totally doesn’t fit me~ NO It is because if I dwell on something, it tends to make me physically ill. I don’t want to suffer migraines and stomach ulcers, diverticulitis and insomnia. Now, there have been occasions when things definitely HAVE gotten to me for a certain period of time, but they are few and far between. When that was happening I realized that this was something extroidinary. Was it a spiritual attack? Was it because something in me physically was out of balance **HELLOOOO HORMONES***? Was it because I had unrealistic expectations or a control issue about a situation? If that was/is the case I tend to earnestly seek to set that right. I don’t and WON’T live my life dwelling on the negative, dreading the future or next day, or waiting for the proverbial “axe to fall”. I am definitely a “the glass is half full person” if there ever was one.

  I firmly believe that God has a reason that he says to “cast your burdens upon me.” He knows that these poor bodies and minds we have can’t handle the physical, emotional, and spiritual travails that burdens cause us. He wants to take those burdens from us, but we have to be willing to hand them over. This isn’t something that the Lord will come up and rip out of our hands. He isn’t a puppet master that He pulls our strings so that we will give over what we sometimes clutch so tightly to our chests all the while moaning about the situation. He wants us to voluntarily bring our needs and wants, our fears and concerns to Him beleiving and having faith that He will take care of what we can only worry about.

 I don’t know if it is my personality that allowed me to some years ago to say ” Ok, Lord..this is yours! Go for it. ” or what. I just know that I prefer that over the angst and physical aches the stresses and burdens would cause me when I would hold on instead of releasing them to Him. I don’t know what makes it difficult for others to do the same.

 I want to be an encourager to those whom have trouble doing. Each of us at various times have things that it is hard for us to let go of: physical healing, a trust for a monies to arrive in time, a replacement or repair of a vehicle that we desperately need, a house, conception, our child’s education, fuel for heat for the winter…it can go on endlessly. I know that in my own life, God has provided over and over, and never failed to meet daily needs. He has never failed to show me that He has me in mind first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I want to rest in that peace and stand on the remembrances of those times.

 I see that same concern and care for His children in others that constantly seem to be in fear or discontent over things in their lives. A schoolyear is upon us: children need clothes: the fretting begins. Why? Hasn’t the Father said He WILL SUPPLY our daily NEEDS. Hasn’t He said that He will care more for dressing His children more than He cares about the flowers in the field that are more beautiful than Solomon in all his raiment? Why is it that someone can trust God for salvation…eternal life…but not for clothing? for food? for a car? Why is it that people worry about not have money for taking care of the home which God has provided for them * assuming they sought God before buying their home and didn’t get what they got only because that is what their eyes lusted after even if their pocketbooks screamed over it*? If God gives you a home, HE WILL give you what you need to take care of maintenance and repairs. Why fret? Talk to Him, turn the need over and wait. Is waiting what is the hard part? Or is it trust? I have a hard time seeing the difficulties involved in that. I don’t it judgementally, but if He has proved himself over and over again, why is it we humans have such a hard time believing this next time? Or the time after that?

  I watch someone in my life that has over the 16 or so years I have known her, make herself physically ill over the most inane things. I see her constantly suffering from illnesses of the intestinal track that I KNOW are stress induced. Even enjoyable situations become times when she isn’t enjoyable to be around because she becomes so stressed that it is no longer fun. At those times I can’t be around her. I don’t know if it is spiritual or what, but her RE-actions in a given situation make me physically stressed and anxious. I can’t live like that. I am so NOT a type A personality! I have watched another woman that I have been on a mailing list for almost 6 years with, fret and worry about daily needs and happenings to the point that no one on the mailing list even want to read her posts. Nothing in her life has changed: today is the same stressed and freaking out over small things that God proved Himself to her on over and over and over and over and over and…well you get the idea. If she would put as much energy into letting God have the situation as she does grousing and fretting, her life and those of her husband and children would be immesurably BETTER. Instead, I sit here month after month watching her cripple her children with her worrying and IT mAKES ME NUTS.

  What do people see when they look at you? Are you a believer that REALLY believes? What is it you believe in? Do you beleive He died for you but that is all He cares/cared about?  Or do you believe, that like a lover or a child of our own, He wants to care for and nurture you in all of the ways you care to let Him? When something happens that has the potential to become a worry, do you act, or RE-act? An action has the connotaion of being planned and is thought out before proceeding. A Re-action usually is born out of habits and are done without thought. Is your reaction to hand the situation over to the Lord, or is your reaction to grab it and run??

    Blessings…  

                             Kathie

Another freebie! Another project! 

  By now most of us have heard of Freecycle.For those that haven’t, Freecycle are a mailing lists that are set up for the area in which one lives. List members post “give away” items which they want to keep out of the landfill, bless another with or just plain get the heck out of their house! Perhaps you have a fish tank that is cracked, so it doesn’t hold fish. Someone that has lizards may be able to use that, though. Post it! Old windows or an old sliding glass door? Post it! Too many day lilies? Post it! Baby or children’s clothing, a usable rug in a funky color, paint, stair stepper, furniture, etc. Post ‘em! Or if you have a need. For example, I posted looking for Stella d’Oro lilies, which are hard to find in my area, and which reproduce like mad. Gardeners are known to be generous people, and knowing this I posted that I was looking for some if someone had some to share. My request was answered! I also posted that I was looking for quilting cottons to use for making charitable quilts with students. I had a woman write to me about it. Some of the requests people are making are a bit crazy: I want a sailboat, a canoe, a laptop computer. One woman seems to have put her entire Christmas shopping list on the group! LOL Some people have brass ones, that is for sure!

  To see if there is a Freecycle group in your area, or to see about starting one up, go to http://www.freecycle.org.

  So Sunday night a lady posted to the group that she had a ladies writing desk that she wanted to move out of her house. I just jumped right on that one! I had been saying to Michael that Saturday, just the day before, that I wanted a small desk for the bedroom to use as a bill desk. I wanted something to fit just behind our loveseat in the sitting area of the bedroom, and guess what! The ladies desk is PERFECT!

 For some reason Mike seemed to think the desk was too big, but it was exactly what I was picturing when I was talking about it. Now to get a nice wooden desk chair.

 Of course, I want to refinish it. lol I have honey colored pine furniture in our bedroom, and I want to paint anything else that we put in there with some sort of painted furniture finish. I am thinking to make the desk either red or green, then paint it black and sand off the edges and certain spots to make the other color come through. OR paint it green and age it with black or sienna over it. I am hunting up furniture pictures online until I find “the” inspiration. I have time..it isn’t like I don’t have 12 different painting/construction/rehab projects to do! Most of them have been waiting on cooler weather, and the garage being cleaned out and fixed up so that I have room to work in there. I was in the garage yesterday and decided that, yes, I have plenty that I too, can Freecycle.

  Do it..join a Freecycle list! It is FUN!

Blessings…

                                     Kathie

  Tonight I am going to make a “breakfast” supper. Bacon, eggs, and Belgian waffles. Not a low carb meal by any means! I make waffles about once every 3 months and we are due for it! )

  Homemade is best, of course! Here is the recipe I use from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American:

Belgian Waffles Recipe

 4 eggs, separated

½ tsp vanilla

1 TB butter

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

1 cup milk

  This recipe makes 4 waffles.

  Beat egg yolks until very light. Add vanilla and butter. Combine flour and salt and add with milk to egg mixture. Beat well. Beat egg whites until stiff and very gently fold into batter.

  Bake in a Belgian waffle iron. I use Pam spray to prevent sticking.

  These are often served with strawberries and powdered sugar, or sliced bananas, sliced peaces, blueberries, etc. To make chocolate pancakes, add one package hot coca mix to the above mixture. Cook as usual, watching for excessive browning due to the chocolate. Top with chocolate chips and a scoop of ice cream. You can also add whipped cream and powdered sugar to make it exceptionally decadent! My mom was a manager at IHOP for years and years, and they used to serve a chocolate chip waffle and chocolate pancakes make this way: cocoa in batter, chips on top, scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and powdered sugar.

   People often ordered this as a meal! Talk about a sugar rush …WOOO EEEEE

  In any case, the waffles are awesome!

Blessings!              

                                               Kathie

 

  Hey I think I said that on here there other day. Well, at least I am consistent.

  The fact that Ikea now has solid pine furniture makes me happy. While it isn’t hardwoods, that is still cool. Pine and I hang out a lot together…it has definite country, Euro-country kitchen and craftsman leanings. That will fit around here.

 So today we helped with worship at Living Hope (church plant from our church) again. It went well, though I goofed up on one song. “*slap* Ok…the Lord doesn’t care but I do. I totally was embarrassed. I am not confident enough in my singing that when I goof up I get over it quickly. *slap again* Its all part of keeping me humble.

 I invited Scott and Tammy over to lunch today after church. I have only been meaning to do so for the almost 3 years we have lived here. The house was all cleaned, we were not promised to anyone or anything, and a quick trip to the grocer solved the need for making a meal. It was nice and we had a nice time. Did I mention Scott and Tammy are the pastors of the church plant? They also just bought a house and moved about 2 miles from us! FUN STUFF. They are good people and God has laid the two of them on my heart and mind repeatedly. I think they are going to be in our lives a lot in the coming future. I’ve known Scott for many years now, before he was a pastor, and was a plumber. Yet another one of my many friends who from years ago became pastors. My guy friends all, almost to a one, either became pastors or work with computers full time. I am trying to decide if I have some weird attraction to computer geeks and spiritual men. Weirdness.

 On that note, I will leave you with some of my favorite quotes from movies:

                             ***
Miracle Max  : You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.

(The Princess Bride)

                             ***

Inigo Montoya : Who are you?
Westley : No one of consequence.
Inigo Montoya : I must know…
Westley : Get used to disappointment.
Inigo Montoya : ‘kay.

(The Princess Bride)

                           ***

Igor : You know, I’ll never forget my old dad. When these things would happen to him… the things he’d say to me.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein : What did he say?
Igor : “What the hell are you doing in the bathroom day and night? Why don’t you get out of there and give someone else a chance!”

(Young Frankenstein)

                         ***

God : Every time I try to talk to someone it’s “sorry this” and “forgive me that” and “I’m not worthy”…

(Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

                      ***

                           Blessings..                                              
                                           Kathie

  Well you get the idea.

  So before I drag my crampy
arse to bed I am going to write at least a dozen things that make me happy
and that I am grateful for. No particular order of importance here…

1,) my handsome husband who is a
fantastic friend, delightful daddy, amazing lover and hard-rocking
musician. Somewhere in there goes day-time computer geek but it kills the
groove

2)  my friends, among them
but not limited to: Brian who never fails to make me laugh, gives me good
advice on everything from motors to golf to woodworking, who is willing to
pray with/for you at the drop of a hat, has a killer smile, is like a
brother to me, and has one of the most genuine hearts I have ever had the
pleasure to know; Shea who is as different from me as one can get yet is
one of my best girlfriends because she has HEART and is real, I can talk
to about anything and is always there no matter what, has the wryest
wittiest sense of humor that I have ever had the pleasure to see, one of
the best mothers that I have ever known, and who always has my back;
Carolynne who keeps me motivated and moving no matter what it is that
needs doing, another kindred decorating soul, who is so NOT a Southern
girl and it is my great pleasure to mess with her Northern-raised mind,
who never fails to be there for me; Terri who has been one of my best
friends for over 20 years, who I have never had a "short" conversation
with, who never is at a loss for words, who knows 3/4 of the county;
Andrea who stays with me after hours to just laugh and laugh and laugh;
Lisa who has heart and depth and who I am getting to know more each week
and whom I feel I have known for ever much longer than I have; for Ray and
Shelly and Donna and Cindy and Lisa and Jeff …. I have more friends than
I could ever have imagined I would have, and each one I count on so much
in different ways that my life would be incomplete without each of your
uniqueness to complete me. Thank you all…

3.) My beautiful, talented, and
sweet daughter, Brenna, who I too often forget is so precious and just
plain a good kid, because I get caught up in the business of being "on top
of it all" so it is done "right" Thank you for being so precious and
forgive me for not taking the time to tell you as often as I should.

4.)The simple act of rubbing my
face in my dogs’ fur.

5.)My home that is cool and dry,
or warm and dry whatever season it may be. It is not just a place to rest
my head and feet but a place where I can welcome others and make them feel
they can rest and be refreshed.

6.)A vehicle that not only runs
but runs well, has a/c and that I feel good about owning. That is a
bonus…

7.) Music..all of it…

8.) The cool breeze that came in
today and blew away the humidity and oppressive August heat of a Maryland
summer. There is a spiritual parallel in there worth exploring another
time.

9.) Peace. God given when I need
it most, for myself and for others.

   OK…I am slowing
down now, both because it is later and the Motrin is making me fade and
because my brain is tired. Onto 10…

10.) Color…I am grateful for
colors…of flowers and grass and the brilliance of tonight’s sunset.

11.) Computers…my life wouldn’t
be the same without it. Let me count the ways…but not tonight.

   And last but not
least…

12.)

…thinking…

12.) My place of Worship.
Wherever it is the Lord leads us, whether it be Grace or Living Hope, I
know that He goes before us and will be eagerly waiting. Not only that but
He will be walking beside us. I couldn’t ask for more….

OK..now to bed. My aim was to
think about pleasant things and bury the maudlin feelings that were
starting to wash over me. It seems to have helped some..

Have a blessed Lord’s Day… and
no matter what, Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!

                                     
Kathie

  We did SO much that today I can take it a bit easy. I am glad because I am wicked crampy *ok, TMI I know..sorry*. I only have a couple things left to do from the big list, so I am erasing all the “done” stuff. This gets small fonts today because it isn’t today’s focus.

   Don’t have a focus yet today *yeah, I know it is almost 2 p.m. … I need to pick a focus.

Living Room: Done

Family room: Done

Kitchen: Wash front of fridge *I will add cleaning inside fridge shelves for this week*

Dining Room: Put up windows hardware and water plants

Breakfast Room: Done

Laundry Room: Vac and straighten room

Master Bedroom: Done

Brenna’s Bedroom: Done

General: -clean & vacuum a/c units

Main Bathroom: Done

Master Bathroom: clean shower, vacuum floor, dust shelves, clean sink, put new toilet seat on

   I think today I will focus on not feeling icky. 800 mg Motrin is my best friend today.

   On a nicer front, Thursday a teenage son of a friend called me. Daniel was helping his girlfriend Ashley and her aunt finish moving. She had a vanity that they weren’t taking with them and that was going to wind up being trashed. Daniel wanted to know if I could use it/wanted it. I told him sure, as I had to come pick up Brenna over that way in a few minutes anyway. If I couldn’t use it, then I would see if anyone else, could, or I would drop it off at the thrift store.

  Brenna will soon have a vanity for her room. I had been thinking of something EXACTLY like this just a few days before. God is so cool! I plan to sand and paint this with primer, then white, and then I will pick a floral pattern and give it an antique painted furniture finish. I plan to do that with all her 1960s era maple furniture that was her daddy’s. It is good furniture, but it just happens to be just about the only type of wood I don’t like! lol Paint is a wonderful thing. Here is the dresser in its current state ( and current location of my family room, soon to be remedied ):

V More projects! I love them but I have enough to keep me busy at LEAST full time for a year. Last month my friend Brian *Daniel’s dad, in fact* gave me an old Lane Cedar chest from the 1960s, early 70s.

  It is laminate over cedar, and it looks “very” 1970s. I plan to cover the laminate with wainscoting material and white wash it, and paint roses or something else suitably shabby chic on it. The foot piece is just screwed onto the bottom, so I think I will take that off and buy fence newels *ya know, the round nobby guys* in pine and add those to the bottom. I will white wash those also. That will go in my guest bedroom as a blanket chest, most likely. I was going to work on that outside today, but between my cramps and the drizzle, that idea is toast.

  Another project which I am going to finish it this week is the stenciling on my kitchen table:

Mike primed and painted the table for me, and now I need to stencil the top. I picked pretty stencil and am going to use a delft blue. Then it will be polyurethane topped. The bench and chairs will also be white-washed, and a cushion made for the bench. I will be reupholstering the chairs. I have three of them.

   This is my sideboard in my dining room:

    I paid $25 for this at a thrift store! It is solid wood with a cherry veneer. It has damage on the top * very visible here* and on the bottom left the laminate has a damaged spot. I am trying to decide how to “relife” this piece. I am leaning towards painting it black with gold trim and highlighting hte routed edges in gold also. I may paint florals on the top, front, drawers, etc. and make it look like an antique painted piece. I have seen original pieces like this and they are FABULOUS. What do you think?

   Lastly, here is my pie safe that is about 100 years old.

   This was Mike’s great grandmother’s. His aunt that was here last night is the one that stripped it. All the family was looking at it and saying it looked familiar.*they are up visiting from Virginia* Finally, they realized it was their grandma’s piece. lol I am just going to treat this with tung oil and put it in my spare bedroom. It will be a TV chest and used for storing my sewing fabrics inside.

   If I am able to get these projects done by mid fall I will be ECSTATIC. By the end of the year, really happy. lol If the weather cooperates today I may be able to get something started as I feel better. If I am forced to stay inside I will do my stenciling on my breakfast room table.

Slowly slowly…  D

                                                   Blessings..                                                Kathie

  OK…this is what I, with Brenna’s help **allbeit under a bit of protest during part of it** finished tonight. The family didn’t come over tonight, thankfully, so I can finish my bedroom with its multiple loads of laundry that needs to be folded and put away, and do the dusting and vac’g.

Living Room:

-vac stairs, dust everything, vac floor, window ledges and sofa

Family room:

-vac floor and stairs, wash sofa cover, straighten computer desk, built in desk, dust, clean off library table

Kitchen:

-clean window ledge and doodads, clean sink shelf and doodads, wipe counters and island down, empty icky stuff from fridge, vac floor, mop floor, feed dogs before I mop floor, vac walls and ceiling, vac top of fridge, start dishwasher, clean stovetop, catch up on pots and pans, empty drainer and put that away, wipe down cabinet fronts of fingerprints, wash front of fridge, water plants

Dining Room:

-empty and dust pie safe, empty and dust sideboard, dust and polish table, vac floor and window ledges, put shade tie hardware up, water plants

Breakfast Room:

-vac floor, dust, water plants, dust ceilings and walls, clean off tea pot shelves (UGH…lol) **DONE YESSSS…man were they nasty**

Laundry Room:

-vac and straighten room

Master Bedroom:

-put away clothes, dust, vacuum, make bed

Brenna’s Bedroom:

-vacuum and make sure it is straight

-hallway upstairs vacuumed

-clean & vacuum a/c units

Guest Room:

-HA! Shut the door. Its hopeless until the room is totally emptied and redone.And let me tell you, that door getting shut was hard…rofl

Main Bathroom:

-clean tub, clean sinks, vac floor, clean baseboards, clean window, clean full length mirror, clean toilet

Master Bathroom:

-clean shower, vacuum floor, dust shelves, clean sink, put new toilet seat on

                                     Blessings..

                                             Kathie