Can you believe it?

How...in the world...can it nearly be 2011? I keep writing October, 1998, on my checks. Why is that? Denial, or just really, really hate change? Yep, 'fraid so.

I plan to do more and do less in the coming year.
I plan to pray more, move more, and try to understand my spouse more.
I plan to eat less, be crabby less, and require less to be happy.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

How do you gals feel about the ending of a year, and entering another? Does it make you sad, or invigorate you to new meet new challenges and goals?
We're another year older, another year wiser...surely that counts for something!?
Best wishes to all as we enter 2011.

Blessings and Hugs....

Wishin'...

Jim and I haven't exchanged gifts for years, we just find a few things to drop into our stockings. We speak on the phone each evening while he's on the road. Last night, I asked him NOT to get the annual Skor bar for mine, as I want to begin Diet #4002 the day after Christmas. "So, what do you want? You have to give me some ideas," he said. I couldn't come up with a thing...which got me thinking at midnight, then again at 6 a.m. What, is my true, heart of hearts Christmas list? Well, there are two lists.

The Unselfish List:
1) Peace~worldwide and "inner" for all.
2) A blanket of kindness across the land that touches everyone.
3) Good health, joy, contentment for all family and friends, and everyone else.
4) America, back on track.
5) A full time job with benefits for anyone who wants it.

The Selfish List:
1) A day at the Ocean; from sunrise to sunset. An entire day to soak up the sand, surf, smells and sounds of the beach.
2) A day of Romance. From the butterflies in the belly, to the hand holding, eye gazing, feeling that sense of new excitement...and oh, yeah...a good necking session!
3) To be rid of my turkey neck.
4) A canister of guilt-free Almond Roca!
5) A longer lifespan for the corgi kids.
6) A winning lotto ticket for just enough, not millions, so Jim could quit driving truck and have time (for that necking session!).

Give yourself a little gift of nostalgia, frivolity, and nonsense. Dream up your own Christmas wish list. Just for shits and giggles if not for anything else.

Birthday Princess...

Addie was born on Christmas Eve. She'll be nine. She and Jake attended her birthday party. Since next Friday will be a tad busy in the kitchen, we celebrated today. They share a plain McDouble on their birthdays and get a nice run behind the high school on the prairie. I want to come back as a pampered corgi.....wouldn't you?
They ran amok in the field sniffing rabbit tracks while I gathered fresh pine boughs loaded with pine cones to decorate the bird feeders. Even the birds like a little holiday in their domain. Peace on Earth!

If only I had a brain...

Yesterday, Josh and I had our annual cookie baking day. In the background, we had National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation playing on the small kitchen tv. It's the classic movie for the quirky population. Some warm moments, but mostly wacko, out there scenes that each and every family can relate to.

We yukked it up, while both of us pre-quoted many of the nutty lines as we created Christmas shaped sugar cookies, using the famous family recipe. The corgi kids were underfoot, sniffing the butter scented air. They are "dog-logs" and truly can be hazardous, lying in wait, making moving about in the kitchen...dangerous!

Did I catch any of the decorating efforts of Josh's as he created a holly decked stocking cookie for his lady love on film? Nooooo....duh! It just never occurred to me to do so...being so distracted by the homemade pizza lunch...then the rolling, the baking, the laughing over the "shitter was full" line....sheesh!

Josh also had his Christmas date with Jenny at Applebee's last night.
We meet in a town 26 miles away for them both...meeting in the middle, in a town with several chain restaurants, about once a month, long enough for them to share a meal together. It's so sweet...we've talked about this before.
This year, he did a phone interview, asking her what her favorite color was, favorite candy, hobbies, etc. He wrote each answer down. Then, he filled a plush red stocking full of the answers. This guy is so romantic and sweet, it really does bring a tear to the eye.
Here's an old pic, since brain farts are happening left and right, and taking a picture of current events just ain't happenin' around here!

Pat it, and roll it, and put it in a pan!

We are so nuts. We thought that we followed the recipe, but nope..we doubled everything but the flour. That's what happens when you get three gals in the kitchen, yukking it up and trying to keep eyes and hands on the butter-sugar-egg concoction being flung out of the bowl by Emmy left and right. Sheesh! Let us just say, that stirring, is not her forte'! So...we had to knead more flour in before we could roll it out and cut out from a mega pile of cookie cutters.


That little Emmy had flour from her nose to her waist! She really enjoyed the whole process and need I say...clean up took a while!





April has a nice little baby bump, and that bump gave a terrific kick, startling us all!
She's a tired, but very patient mommie to her little kitchen helper.


It was a fun few days in North Carolina. The kids had a lovely, fragrant, Frasier fir tree this year. I haven't been near a real tree since the nineties! Also, I was surprised how cold it was there! The kids had a movie night out, while Em and I had a jammie/popcorn/Bernstein bears moviethon of our own. We saw the Disney Toy Story 3 ice show which was very entertaining for all.
The planes were all on time, and not as scary as feared. A good trip. It's always good to be back home, but the missing begins at the airport....sigh.
Jim picked me up and we hit a Cracker Barrel on the way home which took longer than the flights! Went back to work today. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the season in your own way.

All ready...

Snowman apron...packed.
Santa turtlenecks....packed.
Cookie cutters and mini wooden rolling pin...mailed and delivered.
Yep...tomorrow, is the long awaited day.
Flying out of Indy, a three hour trip from our NE Indiana home tomorrow.
Hubby dropping me off at the door, and scooting home before the snow hits.
Will return Tuesday with a boatload of memories I hope.
Going to NC to bake cookies with my girl and grand girl.
And check out the new baby bump.
Oh, and to see a Toy Story Ice Show in Raleigh on Sunday.
Oh boy, oh boy!

...willing to share this~

"Lord, I love you
and I need you,
Come into my heart,
and bless me,
My
family, my home, my
finances,
And all of my
friends,
In
Jesus' name.
Amen."


Sometimes we just need to say a prayer...and this is a good one. Short and Sweet, and covers all bases. I need it today....do you?

A lesson learned...

Thanksgiving is normally a day of excess. Excess in football, excess in grub. I was a bad corgidogmama. Little Addie ate way too much turkey. She upchucked and groaned all evening. She had the dry heaves. Finally, after several hours her belly emptied, she licked a rolaid, and all was quiet at the front.
The next day, Jim dug out the carpet cleaner machine that has been living in our cellar for ten years. Unused. Until Black Friday. The bedroom, and living room was a puked on zone, and had to be cleaned.
Jim groaned and needed a rolaid of his own after that ordeal.
I swear, on my two corgi kids heads, that I will never, ever, feed them human food to such excess again.
The problem was this. They had about a half cup of turkey/gravy when we had our meal. Oh...and then the dogs helped with the dishes.
Then....stupidly, I fed them their regular amount of chow at their normal supper time. BIG MISTAKE.
I was in a turkey induced coma. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

An Alternative?

Following the roasting of, and deboning of, and the clean-up of a twenty-one pounder last night for the soup supper use....it all came back to me, just how much work this whole turkey thing is.
Not sure doing it again on Thursday is so appealing.
However, it did make the house smell great.
It did drive the corgi kids nuts.
Oops, several pieces did fall on the floor for them.
And, my mom and I had to taste it as well. One bite....honest!
Needed salt. Have never made a fresh turkey before.
Where were the salty additives that give so much flavor and tasty chemical zip?
First they take away our red dye and msg. Sheesh....it's a commie plot!

Give a dog a bone...

One of my favorite places to monitor shop on Etsy, is High Priestess of Chaos. She's from Maine, and speaks my language. She's a sick and twisted sista. And, doggone it, I like twisted people! Go visit and see her wares if you'd like.



Got a chuckle last night. Jim called to say that he was pulling a load of 44,000 pounds of Milk Bone dog biscuits. Isn't that a hoot? Bet dogs had their noses up all along the Indiana/Illinois toll road! They are faves of our two piglets...I mean corgis.

Josh and I are working at the fellowship of churches soup supper Tuesday night. Only they won't be serving soup that night. It's going to be a full-fledged turkey extravaganza. Will roast a twenty one pounder, fresh turkey this weekend, to deliver deboned, for the dinner. Our church had a freezer full of donated birds to prepare for the dinner. We'll go help serve and clean up. Should be a fun way to contribute to our little community.

Today, a 68 year old fella, came to the library to work on his resume' and send it to job prospects he found on craigslist. He said that he still owes 80,000 on his home, and at 68, he's trying to figure out the workings of a computer. He needed a LOT of help. Times are really bad. We're living in situations that at 40, we never dreamed we'd be in. All we can do I guess, is to be thankful, and pray a lot, and try to help each other through this rotten time.

Sure hope that we'll come out of it. More households have been touched by this down turn than we realize. What do you think? Will 2011 be our bouncing back year, or another year of depressed finances and futures? Does anyone have full time work with benefits any more? Not in our neck of the woods. Very slim pickings and at minimum wages.
Still...we have more than other countries.
Still, the majority of us have family and friends to brighten our days.
We need to reach out, and touch some lives if we are living in blessings.
Spread it all around.
I'm not talking money, guess I'm talking time, kindness, maybe a bag of food, a ride to the store. Making ourselves slow down enough to notice if someone is having a bad day, or is experiencing pain of some kind. Two minutes to stop and speak and pat an arm.
Actions truly do speak louder than words. Let's all give it a whirl. I double dog dare ya!

~Dumb Broads~

Egad.........I'm not ready! Are you? Found a Butterball for a buck a pound at Aldi's and made room in the freezer. Want gravy, want sweet taters with that crunchy good topping, dressing, and real whipped cream for the pie.

There's a whole lot of cleaning to be done. Did the pilgrims get this excited and stressed on that very first T-day? Did they sweep their dirt floors with a corn husk broom? Sheesh, why do we women do this to ourselves?

We're nuts that's why. Sermon over. Amen. Really..........!

Newsy November...

The eleventh month seems to be flying by. Somehow, a turkey needs to fit into cramped freezer space in the bottom of the fridge. Family is coming which means deep cleaning. Mama, bro and sis-in-law head south the day after turkey day so time needs to be spent together to say goodbyes. Sigh...when, and how does all this get done?

Emmy Lulu had a nice surprise the other day. Those of you who are regulars know that in Chapel Hill my grand baby resides, and she'll be four in early February. She found out that she'll be a big sister in May. Lord willin' and the creek don't rise that is. My own baby-girl isn't so lucky at pregnancy. She's had her share of heartbreak. Too many times. We are all cautiously hopeful.
She's three months now. Em told her parents that she wanted a girl...no boys! Frankly, she'll be thrilled to have a baby in the house as she loves dolls.



Jim's brother from Texas, and his sis from Colorado will be visiting the first weekend in December. His cousin will join us from North Carolina on turkey day as will my MIL. Son Josh and his dad will fly down to NC to be with my daughter and family T-day. The second weekend in December, I fly with cookie cutters and apron packed in my carry on to bake cookies with April and Emmy over a long weekend.
Lots to do in the next few weeks. Why does it seem that November and December are always in fast forward mode?

First Snow!

Each year we mark the calendar to commemorate the first snow of the season. Yesterday was the day. Yikers....totally unexpected! It was enough to cover rooftops and the ground in a matter of minutes. Luckily, it didn't take long to melt, but it entertained the dogs, and a few stunned humans in the household. I covered the roses, thinking that Mother Nature was sending a kick in butt reminder to do so.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
Thanks to Penniwig for this timely jpg offering today!

Growing Pains?

We all have a favorite month, or season. October is mine. Today we said goodbye. November has arrived. Earlier this month, I became 59. Somehow, saying "pushin' 60" sounds more vibrant and zesty, don't you think?
It took this long, it seems, for me to finally figure out...that happiness comes from within, and if mama ain't happy, then SHE better do something about it. Many of us wait...and wait, on others, to complete us. Trust me...it's not gonna happen! Do you feel that acceptance of people or a situation is resignation, giving up... or growth?

Many of you are smarter than the old dog mama writing this. It hit me, this month, that life was passing by, and my wait and see attitude, was ridiculous. I was waiting...waiting for the right time to act, or for people to change, or was blaming, and often practiced other unattractive, negative, passive-aggressive behaviors. While the true way to create change was... Duh... to change myself!

Today, after attending church with Josh, I made dinner for the family members who live in town...because I like to cook. Then, I raked the yard, smelling the autumn scents and listening to the rustle of leaves. The sky was the exact same color as a blue jay. The sun shone, the corgi kids and my MIL's golden retriever were all outside enjoying the day with me.
The air was crisp. I was getting exercise, and it felt good. The dogs and I circled a cedar-scented fire in the fire pit as we relaxed and soaked in the soft afternoon rays. The fire's heat on my knees and feet felt wonderful.
The bird feeders were filled again after a summer of the birds fending for themselves. Three pairs of cardinals and a dozen wrens celebrated the banquet. It was a darn nice day.

Contentment goes a long way.I gave it to myself. No demands were put upon
on anyone else by going outside, and entertaining myself, There is a danger to this... this going your own way, and not being demanding. People do require a certain amount of attention in a relationship. Over time, that lack can chip away at feelings. But...I'll think about that later, fiddle dee dee. For now, letting go is very freeing. I think, that now, at pushin' 60....this old gal, just might be growing up. Consider me, these days, a work in progress. Baby steps.

Not moon over Miami....but close!

An email pic from Chatty!

Greetings from Possumville...

This little bugger was in our garage....it was dead....but there it was. We're thinking that there is a family of these guys living under our deck. We're thinking that these are the guys who gathered all the corgi fur from the yard to make their beds snug and warm. The dogs always sniff the floor of the deck, and all around the steps when we're outside. To tell the truth, until a few days ago, we thought it was rabbits under there....nope....it's Possumville. Ugh. I'm repeating myself. Ugh.

On a lighter note....just enjoyed another fire outside. We burned a piece of cedar which made the air so fragrant. The leaves are at their peak color, the sky was blue, and the air was crisp enough to want the fire. Sitting in a swing, enjoying the day, dogs getting belly rubs, meatballs in the crock pot simmering away....does it get any better? I think not. A darn nice afternoon. Little gifts come to us in many ways. I told Jim that Halloween came early this week and his gift was in the garage....and I wasn't playing possum, either!

It was the perfect autumn weekend in small town Indiana, weather wise.


It seems as if the farmer's market vendors bring more and more each Saturday morning to sell. It's obviously been a bountiful harvest for them.Most of the fields have been combined, and the grain trucks, full of yellow corn and soybeans lumber down the two lane highways. The dust the combines create makes us close the vents as we drive through the cloud. It was a good weekend to work outside. Jim winterized the motor home, took it for a run to charge the batteries, and put it to bed for the winter.

Stuffy noses happen this time of year for many reasons. Things are coming to a close.
I closed up the back porch, and tore down the flower beds. My bra filled with morning glory seeds as I tore the vines off the arbor out front.


The flower beds are decorated for fall, and the scarecrow is bunge corded to the arbor, with his arm up, waving to passersby.






I've been hankering big time for a bonfire, and last night was the night.

The corgi kids came out and sat on the deck swing with me as we gazed deeply into the flickering flames. If the fire snapped, Addie quickly turned her back to it, and snugged her nose into my armpit.(?)Is there safety in there, do you suppose?

The color of the tree across the street, and the bright stars were the perfect background as evening slipped into night.


It was my 59th yesterday, and by gum, I was determined to make myself happy, and a fire always seems to be able to do that.
What better gift for a pyromaniac? (heehee).
Pushing 60 makes one have some thoughts about mortality, happiness, and peppermint ice-cream!

Spoils of War (?)

It looks as if a massacre had happened in our back yard....
or, perhaps, the lawnmower ran over a rabbit, or even a corgi.
How horrid the headlines would be....how tragic.



Of course, none of those things occurred...



It was a common, everyday thing...happening across America.





Just the simple act of Saturday night baths in a (corgi) kid household. It wasn't pretty. Oh my land...it was a hairy experience indeed!

The snapping, the snarling...from Jim and I, hee hee.

The dogs, mildly, gave up the battle, and meekly accepted their fate.
Suds, towel rubbing and worst of all...the dreaded b-r-u-s-h-i-n-g.



But....we're all the better for the experience. Amen.

Fall Antics...

Do you explore Etsy? I visit that site daily. It's just amazing, how talented women are, across the country, creating and selling their wares. It's brought the idea of the cottage industry back. highpriestesschaos is a favorite stop on Etsy, and she is so creative, and sarcastic, that you just have to love her stuff. Go take a peek. The photo is one of her works, and she never fails to make me snicker.

I've decided that I'm a glutton for punishment. Tomorrow is the annual Yard Sale in our front lawn. Josh is my right hand for this event, and I ply him with diet cherry cokes in payment, to keep him happy. What mother in their right mind would condone rat poison down their son's gullet? Sigh....he's 36, and it's his worst vice, so be it. Amen....and, a mama's gotta use what works!

Still trying to figure out if all the work involved, readying for a YaRd SaLe is worth all the trouble...financially, that is. What you do gain, is space. That is about the only plus in this venture I fear.

My MIL filled about eight boxes of baskets, craft supplies, measured material from her stash. It'll go like hotcakes. Melody, who hosts the Herbfest booth with me will bring antiques, linens, quilts, and primitive items. Her stuff sells like hotcakes.
Josh said he will be contributing to our sale as well. Last year he made necklaces using a wide array of beads in glorious colors and played salesmen, selling many at two dollars each. I never know what he's been creating in his secret laboratory.

Most of our items are out of the rv. The rv is listed on Craig's list, and while many ask for photos and email questions, no nibbles yet. We went back to work, and a perfectly wonderful diesel motorhome is sitting in our driveway, aching for a road trip. We plan to take a four day get-a-way the second weekend in October. We're going to run amok, and head up the west coast of Michigan. (Monica...look out, we may stop and see you!) There are lighthouses to see, and the waves on Lake Michigan. It's a favorite trip of mine, taken in previous years with my Mom, and once with Mom and Josh. We'll have to clean out the motorhome again, but who cares. We're treating ourselves to this for our fall birthdays. Forget the cake, we just wanted to escape in the corgi doghouse on wheels just once more.
Anyhoo, TMI, I'm sure.

Stopped on a country road this morning to pick some bittersweet. The fence row was up a hill. There was a ditch in front of the hill. I grabbed the twined branches and hung on for dear life, straddling the ditch, and tore off a few precious pieces of orangey prettiness. Made me think of Holly (Penniwig) who loves this stuff. Must find more.....it's the mantra in my brain now....must find more....

Wishing you all a pleasant, perfectly wonderful nearly Autumn weekend. It's a wonderful time of the year, ain't it so?
Hugs, Corgidogmama

There are flowers enough in the summertime,
More flowers than I can remember—
But none with the purple, gold, and red
That dyes the flowers of September!

–Mary Howitt (1799–1888)

Adventures of "CoRg-ZiLLa"...a short story (of nonsense).

This week I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and join in on Angela's meme.
We call Jake, our male corgi, who will be eleven next March, "the normal one."
He's laid back, has good manners, is active, doesn't bark, and is even tempered. He's a coward, but he's lovable.

Then....there's Addie. Addie was two when she came to us, and she was packing lots of baggage. Both in mind, and on her hips. She was pushing forty pounds, and was a snarling hunk of corgi. She grew up in horse stalls, and didn't socialize much. Her world opened up a great deal after coming to us. She became a traveling dog in the corgidoghouse on wheels, and met many folks and their pups in campgrounds. She's mellowed a great deal, in the six and a half years we've had her...however, she's still a snarly, bossy, demanding, barky female with attitude. At least she's down to thirty pounds now, but I digress...




When we visit our animal friends on our country road runs, she becomes the dreaded CoRg-Zilla. In five seconds, she can empty several fields full of bleating sheep. With one high pitched bark and a pop up stunt like a jack in the box, she can set off a crowd of woolly four legged creatures into a unit of fleeting fluff. It's incredible to watch. Sheep mentality amazes me! One yip, and ZoOm...they're gone!

She was SO proud of herself, and seemed to say, "OK Mom, my work is done here, let's move it along!"
She looks so sweet, doesn't she? Underneath that corgi fuzz is an alpha monster.
She's all bluff, and now, we realize it. We both thought that we had made a huge mistake the night we brought her home. Luckily, she's our little girl...but a mouthy one.

Saw this on Facebook today....

A short tour...

Today was almost a perfect fall day. On our sheep run this afternoon, the corgi kids and I spotted an entire yellowed tree. The emerald green cornfields are fading to beige now too. Oh yeah, it's coming...summer is on its way out.

Decided to show you my favorite room in our 720 square foot cottage. It's the craft/guest room, right off our front door. The room is tiny...TiNy! Possibly 9x7 feet. This will give you a 360 view.

The narrow dresser was my payment in lieu of $$ for our booth space in last week's disastrous festival. I love it, more storage too! I saved the top drawer for company to use, the rest are filled with scrappin' junk!





The quilt on the wall, was my second attempt at quilting. I made it in 1988.
Thank heavens you can't see it close up!


You may remember that Jim built this storage wall unit for me several Christmas' ago. It's perfect for my stash, and he really listened to how I wanted it. April, my crafty daughter, sighs and drools when she visits, and asks that it come to her when her mama kicks the bucket. Is that rude or what?


The little green desk with side shelves was a terrific find several years ago. One buck at a yard sale. Thank heavens I have a large car trunk and bungees at the ready!



No craft room is complete without a corgi mascot. Jake keeps my feet warm while I snip and glue. It's nice to have the company.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign....

Do you remember that song? If you are over 55, then no doubt that you do.
"Do this, don't do that, can't you read the signs?"

Leaves are changing colors. The apple fruit is beginning to get a blush. Caterpillars, are woolly, dark, and crossing country roads. School starts tomorrow here. There were hardly any kids at the library today, wasting their last day of freedom InSiDe. Holly, at Bannerhaus, formerly Penniwig, has been saying that Autumn has been knocking at the door, and it's true.

Hollyhock gals...your seeds were mailed out today. Expect a lumpy package! The mailman was scratching his head as he weighed them this morning, hee hee!

Herb Fest on Saturday was a nightmare. It rained when we set up and tore down. It rained inbetween. We were soaked, froze, and got wet again. Sales were slow and spotty. Ugh, whatta day. A hot mug of soup and a super hot shower almost made it all go away!
Hope all are doing well. It's almost September! I'm ready to kiss summer goodbye...who's with me?

Everybody wins!!

I've been harvesting hollyhock seeds this evening. Murder on arthritic thumbs and fingers is all I'm gonna say about it! There's plenty, in a variety of colors. Wine (nearly black), magenta, yellow with peach centers, lavender rimmed in white, and pink. It's a real hodgepodge in my little garden basket!

The corgi kids are lazy bums. They rolled in the grass and sniffed, and ate grass, and watched hummers, and sat at the gates to see the street action, while their mama did yard work. They're exhausted, and they are most likely holding out for biskeys. Phooey on 'em.
I've made an executive decision...not getting that experience often....
Anyone who commented...there are ten of you bloggie sista's out there...and you know who you are....can follow these instructions if you'd like to claim your seeds and generic directions on the care/planting of these here seeds.

Email me at retrosue@gmail.com, give me your addy, and a packet full of bumpy seeds will arrive post haste to thee from me!
I'm not a stalker, or weird.....OK, OK, Jim thinks I'm weird, AND OK, a little scary, (just because I pointed a few pointy objects at him)...but really, it'll be fine......snicker, snicker.....




The shapes of these birdhouses are exactly like the ones I've been embellishing and painting for Herb Fest this Saturday. Will take photos of our booth. Josh has his cinnamon hummingbirds made. His apartment must smell divine. My fingers, tonight, are covered in modge podge...oh these last minute projects. A job SO gets in the way here, with our little crafty projects!

Anyhoo....send me your addy, and little packages will come your way.
Darn corgis.....oh, wouldn't you like to come back as a short, pudgy, high maintenance, noisy little much loved corgi? Sheesh....but, I'm the only one here who can reach the biskey jar!! So much power.........

3~3~3 Thinking in threes....

Hollyhocks...the skyscraper, higher than a cat's back, heady flower that can enhance your domicile by waving its stately blooms on a current of air.



Ok, because I've begun gathering seeds...and because I'm the third and youngest in my childhood family...and Jim's third wife....and if something happens to him,(snicker) I would replace him with a third corgi.....I want to give away three packages of home grown hollyhock seeds.

Leave a comment about some kind of nonsense...such as....using three little words to describe this blog. Flattering or not, I don't care. The two corgi kids will select the winners in three days.
I'll get back to y'all!

Three Bucks!

Last weekend was the town's first annual town-wide yard sale.
It was a real hit, and lordy-lordy, there was plenty to choose from.
My sweet deals totaled fourteen dollars. They included a jar full of cookie cutters which are headed to NC for lil' Emmy Lulu and her mommy to use; several nice primitive type pictures (one with sheep which I adore as you may remember); a stretched doily in a small old window frame, a virtually new Vera Bradley handbag and matching wallet (50cents), a turquoise cross pendant and earrings...perfect for my friend Mel who does HerbFest with me, and a darling little wicker chair.





The wicker chair was three bucks. It had a loose rocker arm which I glued, and had been painted several colors, all nicked off, but mostly was a faded white. The cushion that came with it though was in terrific shape.

Think butterscotch....that's the color I spray painted it. Warm, not too orangey. The cushion was covered with a quilt that was stacked in a pile on top of the clothes dryer. Today, it was all put together and placed in our living room. It's smaller in size and is a better fit than the chair previously there.

Don't you just love it when you find a little something to zing up a room, and it costs next to nothing? What kind of items have you found this summer and made your own with a few changes?

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- Erotic lustfulness
- Loss of motor control
- Loss of clothing
- Loss of money
- Loss of virginity
- Table dancing
- Headache
- Dehydration
- Dry mouth
- And a desire to sing Karaoke

WARNINGS:
* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering
when you are not.
* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over
and over again that you love them.
* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.
* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically
converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.