A Week of Painting

Before -

After - Do you notice the differences?

Before -
After - Now do you notice the differences?


M m m my Martina

The Let's Be Friends Award
(From my new friend at Nikola's Book Blog)

Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.
I am passing this along to two bloggers - Missy at Missy's Book Nook, She has been a real good friend to me lately, we've exchanged sob stories and found out we have a lot in common. Thanks Missy!
And - Anita at California Girls Adventure, She is going through a real difficult time right now and I think she can use an extra friend! Everyone give her a hug. Anita - I love you girl and you are in my prayers!


What's happening - A week of painting -
Day 1 (Mon) Sanded and spot primed.
Day 2 (Wed) Painted Tall posts Antique white.
Day 3 (Thur) Painted all the spindles Ant. white.
Day 4 (Fri) Painted the railing Dark Blue the stair risers Ant White.
Day 5 (Mon) Painted the rings on the posts Burgundy.
Day 6 (Tues) Painted the Stair railing Dark Blue.
Finished.

Hubby has been working in PA From Sat. till Tues. night (coming home tonight). Then he will be working locally the rest of the week.
I am going to go help my daughter move today. I am only helping move a few boxes and get stuff from here. She is having her friends help do the rest, which I am glad for. She should be having her friends help. Tomorrow (Wed.) I will go over and spend the day with her to help arrange and decorate. This I enjoy.


Knitting - Socks and bath mat. Still.

Books I have read - There was a change in plans. I was going to read "This Childs Gonna Live" but after only 1 chapter I changed my mind. I still do want to read it, just not right now.
So, I read - "Homesick Creek" by Diane Hammond (my Oregon book), really liked this book. Takes place in a small town. Sad poor town with sad poor people. A diner waitress Bunny and her car salesman husband, Hack. And Bunny's best friend, the once lovely Anita, and Anita's secretive spouse, Bob. Good stories don't always have happy endings.

Contests - Dar at Peaking Between the Pages has a few good and interesting giveaways! OH! Just checked her blog, she has a new giveaway! Five copies of - "The Smart One and The Pretty One" by Claire LaZebnik.
Missy at Missy's Book Nook still has a giveaway going on.


Reading through the states - I'm getting there!
Alabama- Florabama Ladies Auxiliary and Sewing Circle, by Lois Battle (14)
Alaska- Building from Within, Joan Koponan (15)
Arizona – Whispers, by Erin Grady (13)
Arkansas – Sweet Baby, by Sharon Sala (18)
California – Echoes, by Erin Grady (1)
Colorado- Tomboy Bride, by Harriet Fish Backus (16)
Connecticut – Perfect Family, Pam Lewis (32)
Delaware- Unspoken Fear, Hunter Morgan (36)
Florida - In her Shoes, by Jennifer Weiner (2)
Georgia – Wild Card Quilt, by Janisse Ray (25)
Hawaii - Flip Flopped by Jill Smolinski (22)
Idaho – Indian Creek Chrinicles, by Pete Fromm (11)
Illinois - The Perfect Match, by Kimberly Cates (20)
Indiana- Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld (26)
Iowa – The Learning, Love Beyond A Lifetime I , by Ruthann Weaver (3)
Kansas – Waiting for Summer’s Return, by Kim Vogel Sawyer (10)
Kentucky – The Believers, By Janice Holt Giles (6)
Louisiana – Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris (40)
Maine- Waiting for the Moon, Kristin Hannah (34)
Maryland- No book planned for this state yet.
Massachusetts – A Year by the Sea, by Joan Anderson (4)
Michigan- What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, by Pearl Cleage (35)
Minnesota – Hit by a Farm, by Catherine Friend (7)
Mississippi- The Help, Kathrine Stocket (28)
Missouri- Language of Sycamores, Lisa Wingate (30)
Montana – My Hutterite Life, by Lisa Marie Stahl (9)
Nebraska- Now reading - My Antonia, by Willa Cather
Nevada- Plan to read - Skin, by Ted Dekker
New Hampshire – Handle With Care, by Jodi Picoult (23)
New Jersey- Welcome to the Departure Lounge, Meg Federico (29)
New Mexico- Once Upon A Day, Lisa Tucker (41)
New York - The Lives they Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny (12)
North Carolina – Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, by B. Barkley & H. Hepler (8)
North Dakota- Nothing to do buy Stay, Carrie Young (33)
Ohio- Plan to read - A Date with the Other Side, by Erin McCarthy
Oklahoma- Children Of The Dust: An Okie Family Story, Betty Grant Henshaw (38)
Oregon- Homesick Creek, Diane Hammond (42)
Pennsylvania- Plan to read - William Henry is a Fine Name, by Cathy Gohlke
Rhode Island- The Maidenstone Lighthouse, Sally Smith O'Rourke (39)
South Carolina - Bastard out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison (5)
South Dakota- A claim of Her Own, Stephine Grace Whitson (27)
Tennessee - The Ballad of Frankie Silver, by Sharyn McCrumb (24)
Texas- No book planned for this state yet.
Utah- Heart Breaker, Karen Robards (37)
Vermont- Plan to read - Casting Spells, by Barbara Bretton (thanks to Shanyn)
Virginia - Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl, Susan McCorkindale(31)
Washington - North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley (19)
West Virginia – No book planned for this state yet.
Wisconsin – Tyler: Whirlwind, by Nancy Martin (17)
Wyoming – Letters of a Woman Homesteader, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart (21)


Top 5 - Things you wanted to do this summer but didn't get to.
1. Visit friends more
2. Change the playroom around (there really is no other way to arrange it)
3. Change the living room around (to accommodate big TV my parents gave us)
4. Clean out the pantry
5. Spend a full, fun day with my daughter

Painting porches

My front porch before final painting.


Finished sock from Chris' pattern.


My Martina.


What's happening - I am finally painting the porch! Well - sanding, priming and painting. The above pictures are the "before" pictures. Hopefully next week I will be posting "after" pictures.

Saturday was my Mother-in-law's birthday. She and my F-I-L came over in the evening. I was glad that Ashley was not working so she could come too. I baked an Angelfood cake and we had it with strawberries and vanilla ice cream. It was a nice evening. I like hosting small parties like that. If I had a bigger house I would do bigger events more often. I have Christmas at my house every year and the whole family comes over (about 15). If I had a nice big formal dinning room I would like to do Thanksgiving every year for the whole family!

Today I am going shopping with my M-I-L. We haven't really gotten together at all this summer and she has a certain grand daughter who has a birthday coming up who just so happens to be the same person as my daughter who has a birthday coming up (her 21)!

Knitting - Done with the first pink and purple sock ready to start the second (this is the pattern from my friend Chris). I have also started a bath mat out of cotton yarn. This is my first rug so we shall see how it turns out and if I will ever make another one.

Books I have read - Shanyn from Chick Loves Lit recommended that I read "Dead Until Dark" by Charlaine Harris. This was my first Vampire book! Well I didn't love it or hate it. I am not into fantasy, sci-fi, or vampires, but I did love the main Character - Sookie Stackhouse. She was very likable. This was not your typical dark scary vampire book it was more mystery/love story/chick-lit/vampire with a lot of quirkiness added to it. For some reason Sookie reminded me of another character - Odd Thomas in the "Odd Thomas" books from Dean Koontz (which I loved!) she could read people's thoughts and he could see dead people.

I also read "Once upon a Day" by Lisa Tucker, I really liked this book, it was a very sad love story... kind of. A young woman leaves her sanctuary home to find her brother, in finding him she also finds love in a cab driver who takes her in. She also finds she has been living a lie all her life - her father took his children and hid them from their mother telling them she was dead. Nineteen years later she finds the truth and comes face to face with the mother she didn't know existed.

Only 9 more books to go in my Reading Through the States Challenge.
I am now read a book taking place in Maryland. The only states I have left are - Nebraska, Nevada (I think I have one for NV though), Ohio, Oregon (would like to read an Oregon trail book), PA (would like to read a coal mine book) Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Any suggestions, let me know. No hard feelings if I don't read it, I may have already found one.

Contests - Dar from - Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of "Time of my Life" by Allison Winn Scotch, This looks like a really good book. I hope you all enter!
Shanyn from Chick Loves Lit has a few giveaways to check out!

Top 5 - For my top 5 I would like to know what colors there are in your house. I thought this would be fun. So keep the rooms on the list just change the colors. You can add rooms if you want - like a babies room or kids room.

1. Living room - Dark green, sage green, cream
2. Kitchen - Burgundy, cream, little bit of dark green
3. Bathroom - White, dark green, little smokey blue green
4. Bedroom - not really one color, bed quilt is blues
5. Dining room - Cream, burgundy, green
6. Laundry room - Lt. gray, dark blue

Boring week, boring laundry

Martina, my sweetie


My husband's boring laundry


Finished socks


New socks started


What's happening -
I have seen alot of talk about book covers that exactly alike or very similar. I found a blog that has some good ones - Lookalikes. There are alot more that I have seen too. It is actually amazing how many there are.

My daughter is moving to a new apartment in two weeks. This one looks real nice and I think she will be alot happier there. It is still close to work, not too far from where she lives now.

Wow, I just don't have much to say this week! My mother-in-law's birthday is this weekend, my niece's birthday is this month, school starts in a few weeks (day after Labor Day) and I have still not started painting the porch. Not my fault though, The Hubby has not had a chance to get out all the paint and brushes etc. On Mon. we had a high of 94! Yes, you read it right - 94. And we don't even live in FL or AZ.

"So You Think You Can Dance" came to an end, I was very happy with the winner.
"American Road Trip" is down to the final two, My team went home last night :-(
"America's Got Talent" is in the quarter finals, so far I am happy with all the decisions.
I can't wait for the new shows to start! Some good ones I will be watching are - Trama (can't wait for this one!), Mercy (I think this will be my ER replacement), Glee, as well as Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, and another round of So you Think can Dance!

You know the week has been boring when all I have to talk about is upcoming TV shows!

Knitting - I finished my Lime Green socks! I am very pleased with the way they turned out.
I have started another pair already. This is a pattern that my friend Chris designed for Scheafer Yarn. Click on the picture to get a better view of the detail. It is a real nice pattern, pretty and knits up quick and painless! I love the color of the yarn I am using!

Books I have read - "Children of the Dust: An Okie Family Story" by Betty Grant Henshaw. This is a GREAT memoir about Betty's life in OK during the early 1900's (the dust bowl). She was raised pickin' cotton and moving from one rental house to another. They moved where ever there was work. This is a great American History book. It was very interesting but also warm, sad, and funny. By the time I was done (and I didn't want it to end) I really felt like I knew the family. I highly recommend this book!

Contests - Toni at "A Blog of my Own" is giving away some yarn!
Dar at "Peeking Between the Pages" has a couple of book giveaways going on.
"Jenn's Bookshelf" is giving away a Book.
Shanyn at "Chick Loves Lit" is giving away a book.
I hope you do try out for these giveaways I tell you about, I have won several books and so has my mom and daughter! So it is worth the try.

Top 5 - Instead of a top 5 - I thought it would be fun to do this very quick quiz to find out what literary character you are and post you result in the comments. Chick here


Here's mine - You are Karen Blixen from the book Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen. You are a strong woman with an adventurous nature. You can hold your own and aren't afraid to speak your mind.
The 1985 film Out of Africa is based on the novel written in 1937. The novel hearkens back to the romantic view of Africa and the author relies on her actual experiences living in Africa from 1914-1931. Africa is shown as a land where everyone lives close to nature and while the novel has tragic elements it portrays a pure Africa.

I think this does fit me! What do you think?

Hazy, Hot and Humid

Pictures - The pictures of Martina were taken by my daughter one morning when she was here for coffee. The last picture is one of the bookmarks I made for my mom-in-law.

What's happening - I am babysitting again for a couple of days. I am glad they called me. I told all my parents that if they needed someone once in a while to call me, that I just couldn't do it every single day but a few days here and there is good.
We went up to our lake property on Sunday. Glen mowed the lawn, driveway and lake front. I cleaned out the camper and packed up all our stuff. So it is all ready to go if anyone wants it. We stopped over the neighbor's for a while before we left. They are very sad that we are selling. They are really nice people. They invited us up to stay in one of their little cabins for the night to hang with them one last time, kinda the last hurrah! So we will try to do that in a few weeks.
Glen has been going back and forth between getting home early (around 5:00-6:00) and very late (9:30 or so) but he has been home every night. He is really good about calling and telling me he is on his way home so I can make (or re-heat) dinner.
My niece and her baby came to visit from CT! Her husband couldn't come because he had to work - well I certainly understand about that! We love him though and did miss him. It was great seeing Paula and Emmah! I picked up my daughter and took everyone out for breakfast in Ithaca. I was so surprised how good baby Emmah was in the restaurant. She didn't fuss at all, just sat there and looked around. Very happy baby.
It has been hot and VERY humid here! You walk outside and feel like you are walking under water. The air is so thick it is almost hard to breath. The news person said the humidity should break soon... we'll see. I love sitting on the porch and drinking my coffee early in the morning but even that has not been enjoyable.

Knitting - Still working on the socks. I am always working on at least a couple knitting projects at a time because I easily get bored. My mother-in-law's birthday is coming up so I thought I would knit her a couple bookmarks.

Books I have read - Unspoken Fear by Morgan Hunter. Good book, very suspenseful. I thought I had it all figured out. I thought it was going to be predictable but I didn't care because I liked it. BUT... turns out I didn't have it figured out at all. LOL This took place in Delaware.
Also read - Heart Breaker by Karen Robards. If you are like me and choose books by the cover and the title. This one really surprised me, I would have never picked it based on the cover or the title. I do not care for romance books, and I thought this was a romance but I needed it for my Utah book so I read it anyway. Wow - it was full of adventure and excitement! I was on the edge of my seat all the way through. Only one graphic sex scene which you all know I don't like, so I just closed my eyes and read real fast (figure that one out). It also had some gory graphic scenes which I do like! LOL Two good books in a row. I have been really lucky with my state books, I haven't had to read too many that I didn't like.

Contests - Dar at Peeking Between the Pages has some giveaways, they are listed on the left of her blog. Toni at A Circle of Books has some giveaways that are also posted on the left on her blog. Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit still has some giveaways going on. Click on the word giveaways on the left on her blog. A Sea of Books has lots of giveaways listed on her blog.

Top 5 - Pet Peeves (my mom asked for this one!) I had a hard time with this one, I thought I had a lot of pet peeves but I couldn't think of any.
1. People who drive slow right in front of me! I am not an especially fast driver but please people, go the speed limit!
2. Dishes put in the dishwasher in the wrong place. Come on now, it is kinda like kindergarten putting the reds with the reds and the blues with the blues. But no! My husband will see bowls and put his bowl with the plates.
3. Leaving dirty dishes or soda cans or water bottles in the living room. Just take them to the kitchen!
4. Shoes left right in front of the door or in the middle of the walkway. Do you want me to fall and break my neck?
5. Glen leaving his overnight bag right in front of my dresser. Does this sound fair? He takes all his space and mine too! I usually just give it a good kick to get it out of the way.