Sideboard Refinish...

My Dining Room Sideboard

I love to find a piece of furniture from the 1940's or 1950's and refinish it into a style that will work with my decor. In my new house it is taupe, black and white and the pattern is "Waverly County Life Toile". I seen this piece in a local second hand store and fell in love. It had carvings on either side and nice detail to the legs. I stripped the original finish, and it had a gold layer beneath. It was almost impossible to strip that, as it was quite a waxy service. I sanded to the best of my ability and painted it with a white melamine. I put the original black metal backing back on the door centers, and took the Asian inspired "pulls" off and replaced it with crystal pulls. Now it houses my canner, pressure cooker and other large items that will not fit in the kitchen cupboards. Now I just need to find a great deal on a china cabinet...........

Deck Building & Mosquitoes.....

We are almost finished our deck, considering we ordered the first supplies in April and got the original decking delivered in June, ~ it was defective, ~ we finally got the new load last week--we are not doing too bad!
How was the original decking "defective"? well, we ordered the EON decking, from Home Depot which is a plastic composite decking. It sounded wonderful, except unbeknown to us and the local Home Depot store in Cranbrook~ EON went into receivership in March and now a new company had taken it over and is now offering rather than the 25 year replacement warranty it originally had, a 5 year replacement warranty and up to 20 year depreciated warranty of 10%. If that wasn't enough to make us concerned, when we unpacked it, there were white splotch marks that wouldn't wash off and 3 were so "bellied" they wouldn't lie straight. When we searched on the Internet for "problems" boy, did we find them. Home Depot was wonderful about it, sent the truck back out to pick it all up, when they delivered our new Redwood Cedar decking!
We also got some great railing and will have the job finished this weekend, as we have family arriving on Tuesday.

I am amazed at the work our property holds, it keeps us busy! The work doesn't really bother us--its the mosquitoes! When we are out working on the deck, the fence, the garden, ect...they come in hoards and they will not leave you alone. I have tried repellent (which works great, until you have sweat it off!) Candles, Coils, Sprays....I am at a loss. I wouldn't mind paying the $100 for the "Bug Zapper" but on the box it has a disclaimer "Does not control mosquitoes". So, I itch and swat and finally in sheer frustration head inside, irritated with our lack of outdoor working hours.

I am new to the area, so I am not sure when the mosquito season ends, but I have been told it is in October, when the temperature turns and there is no longer a need to work in your garden or build outdoor articles to make your backyard livable...sigh.....

Its a new day....

Well, learning to actually TRUST is a life-long achievement, at least for me. I always have been the type of child, teen and adult that will do for herself and not depend on others for very much. I think it started in Grade 3 when I was moving to another school and my best friend just abandoned me, overnight. My mom sent candy with me to school to "bribe" the other kids to essentially "like me". I think I learned very young that people can be fickle and nothing is "secure". Again in 11 grade, I was graduating a year early and missed a week of school due to being sick. That was my only time missed in my entire history of going to school. Another girl transferred in, and both my girlfriend and boyfriend "replaced" me with the new girl.

So, lesson I learned is people like candy and never be sick a day in your life ;-)

Happy 16th Anniversary....

Not traditionally known as a "special" anniversary, but I realize all years you have together are all special! We have worked together all of our married life, and its been a great relationship on the whole--not that there hasn't been the blow-ups, but on the whole its been a great paring!

Happy Anniversary Best Friend, may we always have each other.....

Frances Hunter Dies

Frances Eileen Hunter
May 8, 1916 - July 14, 2009

I was saddened to hear of Frances Hunters death on July 14, 2009~she was 93 years old. Not sad for her, but for he beloved husband of 39 years--Charles, and her children/grandchildren. What a pistol! A more exuberant woman I have never known, I seen her in person once and wrote her a few times, but read many of her books. She was a part of the "Happy Hunters" a husband & wife team who for year went from country to country, State to State, and province to province with the sole reason to share the love of God. I was a mere child when I first heard of the Happy Hunters, they would have been in their 60's~they had come to Abbotsford, BC from their home in Texas to the Pentecostal Church. My dad was in very bad shape, had been going into traction on a weekly basis--they would put weights at the end of the bed, and he was on two different pain killers, one was called Blue Heavens. Mom was convinced if dad would go and get prayer--he would be able to throw away the pills and never go into that traction bed again. Charles called up anyone who had a bad back, dad went up and he prayed over him that his back would align and his leg would "grow out" (the term used when it appears the leg grows out, when alignment occurs and both become equal again). Dad walked out of there, and the pills got dumped down the toilet, free from back pain and traction. Dad is now 83 and he has never had a back/traction issue since.

There is much mocking of "faith healers" today, and some rightly so, selling miracle water for $100.00/24 pack and prayer cloths for money~ but Charles and Frances were the "real" deal. Money was the last on their minds, and they once told us they prayed for 10,000 people before they seem one miracle--but when that first miracle occurred--they were off to the races! They just had "faith" plain and simple and they never focused on the thought "What if.." they said they were called to pray, and it was up to God the rest. They wouldn't take the credit or the criticism. Awesome, wonderful people of God, who loved people so much, and that love just oozed out of them.

I am sad she is gone, but I am happy for her, as she is "resting in the everlasting arms"....

One of my Watercolors done a few years ago. Life has been so busy, but my goal is to get back into my paintings and start working in oil, acrylic and watercolor formats.

Thankful....

Don't you just hate it when you pick out a gift for a person, send it away for them....and wait till the phone call to come....and nothing. You check your e-mail, you silently question "Could the person not received it" and finally you make the contact to see if indeed they received the parcel, only to be told, "Oh, yes~I love it!".

I just shake my head, I was raised to call right away and show your appreciation to the giver of the gift, not so in some homes. Some people it does not come natural, to "thank". It is sad really for them, as many times people will stop giving, as they feel their effort is not appreciated.

As I sat and pondered it all, I realized how many times God had blessed me with a gracious gift, and I did not recognize the sender. How many cool breezes, just when I was so hot working in the garden, came and graced my forehead. How many times an e-mail came in just when I was feeling blue, to cheer me on my way ~ just little things that mean so much when you are in the middle of it.

So, thank you Lord for all the things you have done~that I have not seen, the earth angels you send my way~when my head is bowed in weariness, and the Grace to which I will be eternally grateful for~Thank-You!