GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V50

Sunday, December 13, 2015 - rain beading up on roof of my car

As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, the Central Coast of California got a bit of rain! Californians get EXCITED about rain due to our multi-year drought. So, anytime we get ANY rain (we had less than 1/2 of an inch yesterday)... that is the "talk about town". A GOOD reason to celebrate!

Monday, December 7, 2015 - Bunco party treats

Last Monday, I hosted our Bunco Holiday celebration. No, we still don't play BUNCO, in fact, we don't even know who has the box (with dice, scorecards & pencils)??? but, we DO love to EAT & TALK about what's happening with our families... All of us are at different stages of our lives. A few are retired, most have grandchildren, a few have grown children who are getting married or defining their career paths, and almost all of us have creative interests (gardening, sewing, painting, decorating, baking or entertaining). 

JPE made dinner for us - lasagna, fresh olive bread and I added a kale salad (prepackaged from Trader Joe's). As everyone arrived, we munched on dried apricots, nuts, crackers & cheese. 

If you haven't tried this cheese, run (yes, run, because it's a seasonal treat) right out to Trader Joe's for a chunk of STICKY TOFFEE Cheddar Cheese. It's not a very pretty cheese (color, bleech!) but it's filled with toffee bits, raisins & dates... a RANDOM tidbit to add to your holiday eating!

Arroyo Grande Village Holiday Party - store window

I'm first to admit I cannot draw... but I do like to try my hand at lettering signs. I created a chalkboard drawing for Allison's and Stephanie's wedding. It was an opportunity to add my personal, FUN touch to their very unique weddings. If you haven't tried chalk lettering, Pinterest is the place to search ideas, or better yet, visit Lily & Val to order a copy of this book... The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering, by Valerie McKeehan. 

Well, must get to my house cleaning! then run a few errands before meeting JPE in San Luis Obispo for dinner with friends. YEAH! 

posting with Tamar at Random-osity!!

give her blog a peek! & tell her I sent you!!

WILL YOU DANCE WITH ME?

quote by Shira Tamir, blogger

Tuesday... A relaxing day?!?

Plumber came to fix the backed-up drain...

Took Mom to get a massage from Patricia...

JPE bought a turkey...

(having our Thanksgiving feast Friday) 

Talked to Allison & Brian...

(Lola photobombed our FaceTime visit)

Began our House of Cards Marathon...

(watching ALL 13 episodes of Season 3 w/mom)

Listened to the rain...
(considering a rain dance for more rain tomorrow)

PEEK INTO MY CLOSET...

Several weeks ago, JPE & I took everything out of our walk-in closet, so I could freshen it with a new coat of paint. Actually, I hadn't painted the closet since 1999, so the walls really "ABSORBED" a lot of paint... like a gallon and a half! I was shocked!

Changing things up!! we rearranged the closet & reinstalled the wire shelves differently! Our closet is good size, so we put our chest of drawers along one wall, which gives us more room in our bedroom. A good scrubbing and the racks looked like new. I hated the thought of buying new racks if we didn't need to! With a bit of rearranging, we had room for another long rack and a shorter one! Amazing!!

Just opposite the chest of drawers, JPE installed ALL the racks on the right side. After we got the support bars installed, we "READ" the directions & learned we had installed them incorrectly. SO, ever the "patient" worker, JPE, removed the bars and repositioned them in different places... which meant, I did some patchwork and touched up the paint before moving everything back in.

You can see... we have plenty of room for a chest of drawers (on the left) and my Grandmother's maple desk on the right. We got a "workhorse printer" for JPE's teaching (see the black printer) and have our color printer sitting next to it. JPE also purchased a larger computer monitor (sitting behind the gray printer) for the times he is working on detailed spreadsheets  - much easier on the eyes! He likes working on the dining room table, which looks over the back patio, so he moves the computer monitor downstairs when he needs it.

Feels "GREAT" to have another project checked off the list!

Cost = $35. for one new 6' foot rack (mine) +
a 4' rack over the desk + new screws to rehang the shelves.
PAINT = NO cost! used paint we already had!

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 10.13.13 + SONG-OGRAPHY

10.13.13

TIME FOR SONG-OGRAPHY...

Drop by the blog, DON'T SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT & 

thank KATHY for hosting!

Looking out our bedroom slider... 

JPE was the working man

(washed & waxed his car yesterday)

in the driveway...

NO rain and nothing burning...

HE wasn't saying anything...

BUT, I noticed the trees are turning colors

(see the reflection of his car roof)...

this definitely s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d my imagination!

and now, this week's 

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY

words:

M is FOR..., WHAT I SAW TODAY, CORNER, PINK and HANDS.

what more can I say... ghouls & goblins everywhere!

M IS FOR... MANIAC MUGS!

you'd think I liked Halloween? N-O!!

actually, it's my least favorite holiday...
But, WHAT I SAW (last night) were all these colorful photo ops!

the old Wineman HOTEL has been restored...
it really brightened one of the main intersections downtown SLO. 
the CORNER rooms are rented to low-income, disabled seniors!

a PINK tutu - in the SOCK Shop window!

the HANDS of my hard-working JPE!

he made raspberry jam yesterday...

(& washed & waxed his car)

You can check out the SHS bloggers at RAMBLING & PHOTOS.

See ya tomorrow!

YOU'VE GOT MAIL...

American mailbox (Big Bear Lake, CA)  ~  Italian mailbox (Venice, Italy)

I fear we are s-l-o-w-l-y moving away from MAIL.

A confession...

I just signed up for a new magazine...

just so I would be getting something in the MAIL!!

{well, it was also a fundraiser for Allie's school}

When I buy stamps...

they last months before they're gone!!

{sadness. I don't get to sample all the designs} 

But, don't get me started on JUNK MAIL...

{now, that's something I wish would GO away}

Well, I'm s.l.o.w.l.y puttering my day away!

Back to laundry!

SITE 33 - CAMPING @ PLASKETT CREEK

Plaskett Creek Campground, south of Big Sur

gorgeous views of the ocean... a 90 minute drive from our house...

Lydia chose to sleep in her own tent this year... ummm...

no shoes in the tent...

 ...almost done!

surprise... due to lack of running water (low water table),

we weren't able to build a fire!

so'mores over a propane stove?

they were actually G.O.O.D!

...it's heavenly having clean hair!

and riding bikes!!!

...building memories!

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 6.30.13

SHS 6.30.13

Thought I'd better get myself "in gear" and grab my camera!

{this meant putting down my paintbrush}

The SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY words posted by Ashley

are ones I suggested a couple of months ago!

So, without further hesitation,

here are my interpretations of:

MOTION, TOOLS, DOTS, SWEET & STRIPES.

We drove up to the cabin late Thursday evening - here to celebrate Lydia's {& Natasha's birthdays}.  

The weekend before July 4th is pretty quiet! Not many boats, jetskis or kayaks on the lake - but, caught the neighbor in MOTION on his jetski last evening.

JPE getting his tackle box ready for some fishing. Last year he got a fishing license for the lake & spent his gift card on some TOOLS {hooks, sinkers, bait & a new pole} of the trade.

Wondering where I found these DOTS in this heat wave? Actually these are DOTS of "pitch" or "resin" from the pine tree. They've found a home on the outside fireplace hearth!!!

SWEET! a tasty SWEET ice cream birthday cake for the "girl's" birthdays!

The wind is strongest in the late afternoon... so Jack & Taylor pulled the kite out... Brilliant, bright STRIPES --- makes it easy to find the kite from anywhere on the lake.

Well, off to breakfast! taking the boat across the lake!

P52 {WEEK 20}

SLO County Writing Celebration 5.20.13

Celebrating & recognizing

first-twelfth grade authors!

Last evening, our office (San Luis Obispo Co Office of Education) hosted an awards ceremony to recognize 126 selected authors for this year's academic writing event. ArtsObispo, our local arts council, assisted with the expenses of the event & designed the programs, plus an anthology of winning entries. 

As much as I LOVED formatting, creating and editing this ANNUAL PUBLICATION, it was a great relief to have someone else produce an anthology! Kristi (support staff for this project) & I would spend at least 4-5 weeks putting the SLOCOE publication together. With budget cuts to education, those days are gone, so having agency support was crucial to keep this academic venue preserved.

POETRY OUTLOUD flags

ArtsObispo also coordinates the local Poetry Out Loud Competition (for high schoolers), a national poetry recitation competition sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. 

One event completed, another to go! Tomorrow evening, our local ADL (Anti-Defamation League) advisory board will recognize all the schools & after-school programs who participated in three student-identified projects.

Other than painting & putting our condo back together, I haven't had my camera out...

master bedroom & this bathroom were both painted last weekend... 

Ecru... a nice color to tone down the previous "sage green" tones in these rooms.

the "Creole Cottage" color really warmed up the guest bedroom...

still need to bring in books, hang pictures, etc...

but, the bed is made! 

OKAY Mom... book your visit for June!

I'm participating in Tamar's P52 Project... posting pictures from the previous week (similar to Scavenger Hunt Sunday)... You can see the other participants HERE!

Tomorrow, I'll share details about my next camera adventure! See you Wednesday!

GRATITUDE...

quote by Lorraine Hansberry

Loving the fresh new paint... getting our condo put back together... 

painting the master bedroom today!

My friends keep asking if "I'm sore" from all the body contortions required to tape the room, paint & the constant up & down the ladder(s).

YES - I'm sore! but I'm GRATEFUL my mid-60 year old body is holding it together!

Well, off to "don" my painting colors

(old exercise clothes)...

TRANSFORMATION!

Sorry for the different shades of light!

these photos were taken at different times of the day.

Our condo is 30+ years old. The contractor told us there was not much we could do to make the staircase look better (prettier... is what I asked for!!) when the condo's were built, there wasn't any thought that the stairs would have anything on them BUT carpet. Hence, the "block, rough, utilitarian look"...

This is our solution. Utilitarian carpet (but, it's pretty) and wood toe-boards!

'ROUND THE MAYPOLE?

Did you ever participate in a MAY-POLE DANCE?

or make a paper cone and fill it with flowers from your garden

& hang it on the neighbor's front door?

As an elementary student, I participated in both these activities as a way to commemorate the First of May or MAY DAY!

According to Wikipedia, there are numerous explanations about the background of MAY DAY... But, as a child, I believed it was a day to celebrate fairies... I don't remember why I thought that, perhaps because of something I read in a book?

Today was Day 3 of our condo renovation!

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures...  too busy sweeping the dust (or perhaps "stirring up the dust"). The ceilings were painted & the shower tile was installed...   tomorrow, downstairs crown molding + floor installation!

Hope to get some photos tomorrow!

P52 {WEEK 17}

Check out that cottage cheese ceiling... 

that stuff's gotta go!

Getting ready for the reno! Sample paint chip taped to the wall.

Testing paint on the wall!

Thank goodness for those "taster paints" (sample sizes). Don't like either color!

Looking toward the fireplace... more "taster painting"... 

SEE the ceiling? Cottage cheese G.O.N.E.

Ceilings will be painted tomorrow.

Carpet ripped off staircase!

Steps are be finished with a berber (?) carpet.

Don't want to slip & break something.

REMEMBER THIS DAY?

Getting up & down those stairs on crutches was a bummer! Longest six months ever!

Bamboo composite for bedrooms upstairs!

The color is a smidge darker than the bamboo downstairs...

BYW, bamboo composite is stronger than the bamboo floor

we had installed downstairs in 2005.

The "new" bamboo strands are twisted then covered with a resin - resulting in a stronger flooring (more resistant to dents).

The bathroom we call the "master" (it's off the largest bedroom)

has a new wall installed...

...giving us a larger shower stall.

The new wall makes this bathroom smaller, but, we're looking excited about having a tiled shower (not that molded plastic shell).

A light will be installed in the ceiling of the shower!

This "reno" was prompted by the fact that we had MOLD

(no pictures, but we saw job supervisor's pictures)

& a water leak (went undetected for years)

in the bottom left hand corner of the shower stall!

we expected D.U.S.T.

SO, I think we can live with that T.E.M.P.O.R.A.R.I.L.Y!

Gotta go shake out the bedspread & put on fresh pillowcases.

Tonight will be like CAMPING!

Posting this at TAMAR'S for P52!

I hope to have a few rooms tidied by next week at this time.

Keep checking back for updates.