Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Two Sided


I am blogging and looking at craft websites while I wait for the Department of Transportation to come meet with me about our trucks. What a strange combination my life is. I hope I look back and say something smart and wise like; what a good balance my life has had. Well, wish me luck with the Feds.

Here's a pic of John grinding a stump of a huge tree he had to remove after 2010 Oklahoma ice storm.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Look What Came in the Suitcase



The tag on the suitcase clearly said the price and linen's included. I didn't even see what they were until I got home. I wanted that suitcase! Here they are, the wonderful, vintage, treasures that came out of the case. I also added a picture of Sam enjoying the weather and helping me by modeling the vintage door knob plate for my website.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Vintage Finds


John and I drove to Table Rock Lake on Sunday and took down a huge, dead Sycamore tree at a customer's lake house. It went great. It was one of those trees that scared me to see my husband in. I am glad I can type that because marriage lately has been a constant test. Since this is a blog I will keep it all sweet and sugar coated, but if you have ever worked with your spouse or had step children you can probably fill in the blanks. Any who.... On the way back we stopped for lunch and since he has been in the doghouse I asked if we could walk through the antique store next door.

It is not torture for him, we used to enjoy it. I am not a horrible person for making him do it and using his being a jerk lately to get something. We enjoyed it, and look what I found. This wonderful antique suitcase full of old linens. The linens have been washed and they are going on the line. A bunch will be tea stained and then become something. Can't wait.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Friday of Procrastination



I am trying to vacuum and fold laundry. Really I am. But, I keep getting distracted, so here is a picture of my little green picnic table that I scored for $5 bucks at an auction with the benches. I loved the color and I can pick it up and move it around. It is under my blooming apple trees and it is holding all the little planting projects I am doing right now.

It sounds like our weekend is going to be removing a huge sycamore at Table Rock Lake. I hope to have a few hours in Eureka Springs in there somewhere. Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Trimmin Trees and Takin Names


Today was a day of tricky tree trimming. There was a micro-burst in Kansas city a week ago and that part of town had big soft maples and elms and cottonwoods. The first one was a "tank and spank" get in get out. Cut up the fallen soft maple, stack the firewood and drag the rest to the curb to come back and pick up with the skid steer. The Second was also a silver maple fallen into the neighbors tree and wedged and heavy. It involved a rope, 2 chainsaws and a big dodge truck bumper. These are the ones that scare me. That tree may flip out just like I do occasionally and snap either way from the pressure it has been under. It went well and it is now ready to pick up too. Successful raid on Ruskin. Sorry about the gaming terms, they just sneak in there sometimes.

I came home, shipped a couple packages. I always think its fun to see something I painted go to Hollywood! Then I listed a couple of gourds on the new site. This gourd It is all dressed up for country decor in my handmade grubby spools and antique buttons. I love antique buttons.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Spring Brings Fresh Starts



I just got the email containing my new banner and avatars for Trellis! I am so excited. I feel like I have so many earth friendly, country, organic, renewed, creative things to offer and this site brings them together. I plan on listing gourds and also kits to make gourds, renewed hard woods from our sawmill and organic canned goodies, hand painted vintage treasures all from our little corner of the country.

ExquisiteExpressions made my banner and avatar. Isn't it PERFECT and lovely. Check out her shop and see how creative she is.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

The Reader


Last night I read the book The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. I read the whole thing. Well, close. I had started it before the movie came out, probably a year ago and read some of the juicy stuff and put it back down. That is how I read, not fast, not all at one time. I knew this was a deep book about Nazi concentration camps and forbidden love, and I didn't have the room in my life for more drama. So, when I couldn't sleep last night and I didn't have a fun fantasy, kick some dragon ass book to read I picked this back up. I read the whole thing. It was an easy read and that disappointed me. Why wasn't I crying and laughing and living with these characters? The book cover still looks new. What the hell, what a waste, he could have expanded these metaphors and gone deep into his feelings for her. Why didn't he explain the trail and her inner thoughts?

Then I fell asleep thinking about it and then I dreamed about it, then I woke up thinking about it. Then I took a shower and stood in the water thinking about it. Then, just like Micheal's revelation, I rode my own literary bicycle through the hills in the story and discovered for myself; She loved him. This was written in the same numb gray style that clouded the persecutors of the Jews. Wow! This was a different angle at a story in history that we have seen over and over and expect to see piles of dead bodies and we do not cringe like we did the first time we saw it. It brought out questions of morals and guilt and links it to our own relationships in today's world. It made me think about my own marriage and the things you hold back from loved ones.

Now, do I see the movie? Will it change the way I discovered things in the book? Was that book really short, because as I play it out in my mind I see more and more to each scene?