A new day

The cleaning service came yesterday and measured the rooms because that's how they figure out how much the cleaning cost will be. They  are really sweet ladies and said for me to just go in my bedroom and take it easy today and let them take care of the soot. They have to clean everything that is in the cabinets even. Then next week, they will come back to finish. It's not a one day job with my collections. A man will come after that and do the rugs and carpet. I did wash my curtains in the dining room and kitchen, but the living room is full of windows so I will just let them do their thing. When I tell you there is soot and fire extenguiser powder every where, I mean it's a lot for such a small contained fire, but the stove melted and the vent is totally gone, my wall paper is a mess and not sure what they will do about that. It certainly won't match the rest of the kitchen, so not sure if they will replace all of it, so there is a good side to every thing that happens. And right now I need to look at the bright side of every thing. I took a picture with Al's camera but can't find the cord to download it. We already bought the white paint for the kitchen, so after they finish with every thing, we are going to paint it white with pink accents. I am thinking of a soft rose pattern for the wall paper, something that will make me happy to be in the kitchen, but Al said until they figure out why I am so forgetful, he doesn't want me cooking when he is not home, only microwave. Thanks for all the kind remarks, because I was ready to just throw in the towel so to speak and just let them clean it up and leave it like it is, but a fresh new look will cheer me up and everyone's kind words helped me see the bright side of things.
Stephanie, that is so sweet of you to think of sending me something. I will look forward to it.
I hope you all have a great day. I think since I have to be out of the cleaners way, I will visit blogs today and finish the candy bouquets for the benefit on Saturday. Love and hugs, Pat

Kitchen Fire

Well just came in to say I will be away for a few days. I accidently caught our kitchen on fire from a pan of grease. Who knew a little thing like that could do so much damage. The stove even burned, but luckily I can feel good in the dark and found the fire extenguiser and was able to put it out by the time the firemen got here. With me having bronchitis, I inhaled a lot of smoke and had to be taken to the hospital. A cleaning and air purifying company is coming to day to clean up my mess. I was fortunate that the First Alert got there and were able to put me on oxygen right away. Now we have to face the adjusters and we have a $500 deductible, which isn't too bad and we have full replacement coverage, so we expect the damages to be around $2,000, so hoping to get a new stove and vent. It shorted out and kicked our breaker so I was left in the thick black smoke, which went into the kitchen, dining room, living room and bath. It's horrible, but I am safe and it's only material things that can be replaced. So I will see you in a few days after all this is done. Love, hugs, and prayers, Pat

No pictures today-the love of a husband

Well I don't have pictures to post, but I thought I would drop in and say hello. I'm still battling the infection and will go for more blood work on Thursday, then back to the doctor on the 4th. I am so sick of the pain, I took a crying spell and told hubby that I could still remember the day my life changed. May 23, 2000. The day before I work in my garden finishing up some landscaping and planting new vines, then the next day, I am in surgery and nothing has been the same since. No one needs to hear that you will be in pain for the rest of your life and that it will get worse with age. It was like a death sentence for someone like me who walked 5 miles every day except Sundays. I was very active, did craft shows several times a year, worked every day in my craft room till sometimes 4 in the morning and now I can barely care for myself. That's the one thing  the staph has not taken away yet. I can still bathe and doing little things around the house, but to be able to spring clean has to left when someone can help me and I give instructions. That's where hubby came in and took over. If you ever met this man, you would wonder why I even left him, but stress is a killer of all things good and bad. But the happy news is that is has brought us closer, so God knew what He was doing.  Everyone says, they have never met a man like him and he is a good man. His life changed along with mine, so on Sunday afternoons, it's his time. When I go to bed, it's his time or when I stay in the country, he has a little time for himself. He is an awesome husband and dad and always has time for other people. I don't think I ever remember him saying no to someone who needed a helping hand. Our house has suffered because of this and needs painting, but with working over time, he just doesn't have the time to do it right now. Hopefully my new injections will allow me to do more things and give him free time to do the things that need to be done.
Well got all that off my chest and feels like I have been to therapy free of charge. I know sometimes my posts seems like a downer, but today is supposed to make one feel good. There are many husbands who aren't taken seriously and I want you all to know that I do have a wonderful man to take care of me. Many would have just walked away and said to heck with this, but he stayed, even after hearing what the doctors said about the pain. And I do love him. So thank your hubby for the little things they do---like writing a love note with lipstick on the mirror before they get up. I can' tell you how many times I did that and then had to clean the mess-lol. I hope you have a wonderful fall day. It is beautiful and cool today, so no air condtioning on. Love and hugs, Pat

Hurry up Christmas

Happy Monday everyone. Not much to say today, but I did get my blood work done, but couldn't tinkle for nothing. Drank 8 cups of water and still nothing. They are checking my kidneys because of some of my medications can cause renal failure. I pray it justs something simple, like dehydration. The test were done at 7am and I still haven't been able to go. I now this is a creepy post, but it's the only way I can put it.

I have 2 benefits I am working on and one is on the 2nd, so I must get busy. I made the candy wrappers already, so I will work on the kiss roses if my test go well. Still weak from what ever is wrong and hopefully my doctor will have the results tomorrow when I visit him.

It's very hot already and I am tired of summer, so looking forward to fall. The floor supports are up and will soon be starting the sides of the storage room so I can move back home. Things are going great and I am a much happier person now that I let God take over what I can't change. I never in my life dreamed that my sister and best friend would turn on me like a shark, but my life has to go on, so I no longer hold any grudges and wish that she could let go of the past and move on like I did. It would be wonderful to reunite with her, but I am not counting on that. Whatever God decides will happen and if He feels we shouldn't get back together, then so be it, but I do miss her terribly and I can't lie, it hurts very much, but she refuses to even speak to me.

I am so excited thinking about Christmas this year that if I wouldn't be afraid of the white coats coming after me, I would start decorating now-lol. I did purchase a few little things for my gingerbread tree. Found some adorable little cupcake ornaments to go on the tree.  Well hope I didn't bore you to sleep. Love and hugs to all my followers and those who just drop in without commenting. Pat

Driving Miss Daisy

Last night we went to a Broadway Show in our little town of Jennings and I can tell you that from experience, the players were awesome. The woman who play Miss Daisy never miss a beat and she was at the perfect age to play her, but the best part of the play was the man who played Hoke, her driver. The directer who is a friend of mine taugh him to correct way to speak fluant english and lose the African American diaolect, had to teach him to speak it again. This was also his first play and he was super great. If you have seen the movie, you know it was funny in the beginning, but very touching and tearful at the end. The cast had you believing you were right there in Atlanta where every thing took place. If you ever get a chance to go to your Community Theatre, you wlll not regret it. We had seats on the 4th row and it was so enjoyable.

My friend did a great job directing it and even though there were only 3 characters, the changing scenes were many and the man who controlled the light and sound had just gotten out of the hospital that day, and he was great and never missed a correct sound when it needed, including birds singing. It was truly a great new experience for me because I had not been to one in our little town before..
I am still on the down side of a bad chest cold,but should know something on Tuesday. It has dragged on for over a week and I'm afraid of it turning into a bad infection that could put me in the hospital, which is usually the case, so please say a little pray that antibiotics can do the trick. There is not much I can take for coughing due to my other meds. I am having friends over for dinner today, so that should be fun. Going to make my easy shrimp scampi with Texas toast and cake.
Hope you all have a Blessed Sunday. Love and hugs, Pat

My wonderful son

You have to love this smile. It's one of my favorites. My son Donnie is excited about his trip to France on the 29th and he has been wanting to go since he graduated from High school. I am so happy for him, but I wish he could fit me in his suitcase. He will also try to get to Italy also if time allows. He has a wonderful job that requires flying alot and when he was young, we had to use elevators because he could not get on an escalator.

He was my first born and I had him the natural way and I never once regretted it and I didn't find it that painful. Of course I was very shy back then and I listened to whatever they told me to do, so the only thing that really bothered me was the sweat. I had very long hair and it was soaking wet. When I first laid eyes on him, I just thought how angelic he looked and now I look at him as the handsome young man he has grown to be. He is polite, gentle, and kind. Not sure I like the tatooes he has, but most of the time, they are covered up. He enjoys his work at Nike in NYC where he is Divisional Manager for Talent and Development, so his job allows him to travel to many states and see the USA on the Eastern Seaboard and Canada. He enjoyed his trip to Canada in the dead of winter and loved it and has since gone back for a mini vacation.

I know I sound like the bragging mom but let's face it, we all do it from time to time and I am so very proud that my children did not get mixed up with drugs and the wild side of life. Never had to intervene like so many parents have to do these days and I pray hard for todays parents. The social life can have so many pressures and some children just can't resist being part of the crowd. So sad. I will pray for all mothers and fathers that are going through this because I cannot imagine what that feels like.

Other than bragging, I have been a little down lately. My back has been so bad and now I caught a cold and I think it's from the stress. My brother is hard to take and there has been a lot of drama in his life, but he is slowly getting his life straight, but his wife, soon to be divorced in October, keeps calling him, then decided to press charges against him for breaking the restraining order. She called begging him to take her back and I flat out told him, I would beat him with mom's cane if he even gave it a second thought. LOL

 I have got some organizing to do. My craft room is a mess and Al has started buying the lumber for the storage room. I am planning on moving back as the more we stayed apart, the closer we got. I know I walked away, and it's something I regret doing, but we all have to live with our mistakes and mine was a huge one the day I moved to my sisters house, but I can't go back, only forward. I will probably get nothing from our inheritance, but I look at it this way now. I didn't have it before and so it's something I won't miss. God will take care of our needs and sometimes He gives me what I want, so it's all good.
Pet Peeve for today
I hate it when people get into a line that is meant for 20 items or less and they have a full basket of groceries. No sense in having a speedy checkout if you let people check out with their full baskets, while your quick trip for ice cream turns into liquid.
Best get to what I need to do. Hope you all have a great week. Love and hugs, Pat

A Day we will never forget.

On the Anniversary of 911, I hope everyone stops for a minute to pray for the victims and their families that were hurt or killed on 911. The memories of that morning are stilled etched in my brain, especially when my son called to tell me to turn on the TV. The images will never fade away. He couldn't get in touch with his partner and he often visite the Trade Towers, but luckily did not that morning, so one had to call me and I would call the other, because they couldn't call each other in NYC, so we relayed messages all day. It was a sad day for America as we watched and were unable to do anything but pray and go to the firestation to donate money.

I hope your day is good. I didn't have anything to post yesterday because all of my pictures are on my other computer, so sorry I couldn't participate this week. Love and hugs, and any prayers to all who are ill or taking care of aging parents. Pat

FruFru Friday

Sorry that frufru Friday will be late today. I am driving with my friend to Baton Rouge to find out if it's a tumor he has. I have been praying that is not it, but we have to wait and see. They made him take 2 MRIs to be sure of what they found, so Please keep Bryan in your prayers and his sister is also having surgery this morning. Until later, I am on my way. Love and hugs, Pat

Happy FruFru Friday

Happy FruFru Friday. These are angels my mom made that I keep in my craft room. She has so much lace and trimmings, I don't know if I will ever be able to finish all of them.

This one hangs on the wall and the same goes, with lots of wide lace to make just about anything.

This blue angel was glued onto the top of a  candlestick and I have over 70 doll heads and arms to use. She is really frufru, but blue is not my color, so who knows, I may sell this one.

This is the back of the angel. My mother always finished the backs of things to give it a professional look. She sold these for $15 and I can't begin to tell you how many she made and sold at our craft shows.

Now this simple angel was made by yours truly. I love making dolls with clothespins and I have the wings from mom's collection, so I may make some for my shop, which I still have not given up on. I just need hubby to weigh everything for me so I can open the blog store and list the items.

I found this silver tray at a thrift store and it will be part of my store. The huge candy will be used with the rest of my Christmas candy ornaments.

This is my frufru TY bear and I just love her to pieces. She sits next to my beads in my craft room.

And last but not least, this is a doll hubby bought me and the little tag says "You can do it". How sweet of him to think that of me, but she is one of my muses that keeps me wanting to craft. I used to make dolls with occupations and have done a nurse to a doctor(special order). They are all sold, but I did find 2 of them that someone got tired of , so I bought them back for pennies.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my little frufru things as much as I like having them. Time to pull out some christmas frufru or halloween if I can get to them right now.

Wishing you all a safe Labor Day weekend. Love and hugs, Pat

Storage room on it's way

I thought I would post some before pictures of where my storage close will be built. This used to be my square gazebo and you can see that all the beautiful vines have been pulled out and the structure torn down.

The above picture is where it will be. the size will be 8X20, so part will be my clothes closet when my craft room is expanded and the other half will be a sitting area in my bedroom. Al is starting this weekend with the piers and the foundation, so as he works, I will post pictures of the progress.

                                               This is a view from the opposite direction and you can see where I painted on his shop and has held up for over 13 years. I used patio paint to free hand and stencil some butterflies on it. The little picket fence is just nailed to the building. The only thing left to do is pull up the lariope and I just don't know where to put them. I hate just throwing them out, because they aren't cheap anymore, so will try and put them in pots, so that I can relandscape the area when done. I hope to show you the finished room soon. I'll be using it to store my craft room cubes, so that I can move my bedroom set back from the country. Looks like I'll be moving back after the first of the year. The few years apart have helped our relatonship a great deal and it will be 39 years in November that we got married, then remarried on the 10th of December in a church ceramony.

See you tomorrow for frufru Friday. Hugs, Pat