* Happy Thanksgiving *

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful day and evening!

* A LITTLE DECORATING, A LITTLE CLEANING, AND A JOB! *

A Little Decorating....

 

As you can see, the kitchen in our townhouse has definitely not been updated lately. It has the old wood grain countertops, old kitchen cabinets, and a white tile backsplash over the sink. The renters before us painted some of the walls red, which I don't dislike, and have actually come to embrace.

 

Months ago I decided I was going to put black and red "scrolly" stickers on the tile to give it a little umph. I found the black ones at Hobby Lobby but searched everywhere in stores and online for similar ones in red. I could not find any.

 

 

I came across other designs that I thought might work,

but it's too long and way too boring of a story, so here is the finale. Ta Da!

I just added those very few red squares to give it some red color and

 I think I did okay in achieving the Umph. What do you think?

 

Oh, and how do you like the tiny lights I put under the cabinets? It looks so pretty in the evening when they are the only lights on in the kitchen.

 

~~~

 

A Little Cleaning....

I don't have any photos to share, at this moment of any cleaning I've been doing. More on that later.... J

~~~

 

And, A Job......



 

Have I mentioned I'd been "semi" job hunting the past couple of months? Full-time or part-time, hopefully close to home. I wasn't being very picky, and yet it appeared that either I was too old, or didn't have the skills for much of anything! Depressing! So, just when I decided to forget about it, a job came along.

 

 

 

Isn't that how things usually happen?! It's like my favorite quote/personal mantra by Joseph Campbell:

 

"I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."

 

For now, I'll just say this. It's part-time. I start tomorrow. It's close to home. And, I'm a bit nervous! Wish me luck, and I'll report back soon!

 

~~~

 

* I'd like to welcome my newest follower: Sandi of Dandelion Tea. Hello Sandi! I hope you always enjoy what you read and see. Thank you very much! *

 

* Listen to the Radio....Online *

* I had a variety of things to blog about this evening, but then remembered this:

Have I mentioned that I was interviewed a couple of weeks ago for a Des Moines, Iowa radio station? An amazing man, John Busbee, read my memoir and asked to interview me about it. And why would an Iowa radio station want to interview me? My maternal grandparents, and my parents were all born and lived there for many years....So my roots are in Iowa. In my memoir From Pigtails to Chin Hairs I write about my magical summer vacations in Greenfield, Iowa. It is still my favorite small town in America!

source: free clip art

It will air tomorrow, Wednesday November 12th, a...t 11:13 AM CST. If it's possible, please listen to it Streaming Live at http://www.kfmg991.org/

They don't have the capacity for archives at the moment, but I will receive a CD of the interview some time soon.

I'm a bit nervous but at the same time, can't wait to hear it!


* I'd like to welcome two new followers! One is Janet Givens, and I think the other one is "Phyllis." I say, "I think" because Janet's is the only new face/icon showing. And from what I can tell, the newest "blank" follower face is Phyllis. *

Welcome to you both and I hope you always enjoy

what you read and see. Thanks very much!

~~~

 

 

Please don't forget......11:13 AM CST, Wednesday, November 12th! 

 



 

* A SPLENDID AUTUMN MORNING.....AND * BOING! *

♪♪ It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor.... ♪♪

 

 

Vern and I went on our usual morning walk this morning. It was sunny, crisp and just beautiful. I decided it was a good day to take a couple of photos of him and the crunchy leaves. He was moving as I took these with my cell phone camera. They came out pretty good, didn't they? 

 

 

 

  We walk past this dazzling fire bush

  every time we take our usual route.

 

Okay, so what part does the word BOING! have to do with today? We've lived in our townhouse for a year and a half now and every morning Vern and I walk outside through the garage. I hit the button next to the light switch and we meander towards the opening door. We're usually at the door as it's going up and I bend slightly to walk on out.

Do you think it's possible the door was rising slower than normal, or was I just not paying attention when I smacked my forehead on it?!

B O I N G!

(be sure to click on the link)

Ahhh, a story to add to the klutz chapter of my sequel!

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend....and my next post should have a variety of information.

"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air." - Eric Sloane

 



* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time Again for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

Hello and Happy Nostalgic Sunday. Today's nostalgia pertains to two things.

(I've been lamenting lately about trying to get back into blogging on a regular basis. Although I was pretty sure I knew the reasons why I hadn't been able to solve my problem, I was still stuck. And wouldn't you know that serendipity came along just when I needed it? I happened upon the blog of Jennifer Brown Banks @ Pen & Pro$per and when I read her post about blogging, taking breaks from blogging, etc. Ah Ha.... And so, here I am today....)

~~~

 

Yesterday, The Ronald and I attended Trash or Treasure in the town of Collinsville, Illinois, which is about 40 miles from our house. Trash or Treasure is very similar to the fabulous PBS program, Antiques Roadshow, only a smaller venue. If you're a fan of the roadshow, you've probably dreamed of having something that's worth a lot of money, just like some of the people on the show!

 

Beautiful bowl left to me by my Great Aunt Grace

.....and a different view

 

I have a couple of items I thought might be worth something monetarily, so The Ronald and I drove over there. It was a chilly, but glorious, sunny day and the trip was such fun.

We traveled over highways we hadn't been on in a long time, and drove over the new (Feb 2014) Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge for the first time. We'd seen videos of it on the local news while it was being built, then when it was completed and opened to traffic. But being on it, of course, is amazing. It's really beautiful! These are the two pictures I took while we drove across it....one from inside the front windshield, one out the back.



It is a "cable-stayed" bridge, which I'd never heard of before. I assumed it was a suspension bridge, but NO....they are two different things. The link explains both, and shows pictures and drawings, which I didn't bother to read entirely. (too much like a math word problem to me!)

Photo from Stl.today  (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

SO....the two different nostalgic things on this post are:

1) The beautiful bowl from my Aunt Grace: It's not worth much, monetarily, which is great to know because now I will have it out where it can be seen, and at times maybe used. And of course, it means THE WORLD to me because it was my aunt's and she chose me as the recipient!

I wrote about the bowl in my memoir in the chapter titled "Self-Centered Sadie." I'm still very grateful that I actually retrieved it and can enjoy it until the day I pass it on to a beloved relative of mine...yet to be determined!

~

2) The new bridge named for St. Louis Cardinals, Baseball Hall of Fame member, Stan "The Man" Musial. Stan was a baseball favorite here in St. Louis his entire baseball career, from 1941 - 1963. (That just doesn't happen these days.) His nickname could also be "The Gentleman" because that's what he always was. I was aware of him and how important he was even at a very young age. And would you believe I also mentioned him in my memoir?! It's in the chapter "I Adored my Dad."



"Sharing tales of those we've lost is how we keep from really losing them." - Mitch Albom, For One More Day

(One of my absolute favorite books. I've read it at least three times in the past couple of years !)