Tinta's Treasures

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

2009-04-24T10:03:00.007-05:00

I've been doing waaayyy too many things lately. I'm gonna have to step back and decide which one is gonna get done first. My house cleaning has taken a back seat to all my projects. This weekend is going to be nothing but cleaning. (yuk) I have a craft show next weekend and I know I'm gonna be busy making things and there won't be any time to clean. So if I'm gonna clean first then I can put all my time into making things for the show.

Here's a few things that I have been up to.........

On my way to a garage sale I drove by this site. Not sure why they are watering the field cuz we've had plenty of rain around here? Kinda seems like a waste to me.

After taking the pictures of the 'sprinkler', I had to stop for a train. Some of the cars were 'decorated' elaborately. I guess that's one way to advertise your talent. (lol) Some of the cars were really pretty.

Some call these selvedges and some call them mill ends. I call them potential rugs. I have a loom and I weave these into rag rugs. They turn out fluffy. They've been a big hit at the craft shows. The rag rugs made out of old blue jeans are still a staple tho. I've got plenty of blue jeans from family and friends but I don't have the time to cut them up, sew together and then weave them so I'm going the faster and easier route.

Oops, I almost forgot to take a before picture. I started to prime and then remembered to take a picture.

This is my sons old room. We have two bedrooms upstairs and I chose to use my sons bedroom for my craft room. We painted it gray and black for him several years ago. The other bedroom will be for him if he chooses to come back. But in the meantime it will double as the guest room. I'll show pictures of that room when I get a chance to do something with it.

This is the embossed wallpaper that is in my soon to be craft room. I wanted light colors to make the room bright and cheery but I'm not liking how it turned out. I've done a hallway with an embossed wallpaper and it turned out fabulous, but this one didn't. Maybe the colors are too closely related. This picture may look okay but the overall appearance of the room doesn't. So I just gave up on the room for now. It will probably be a couple of weeks before I get back to it.

This is a quick project I did the other day. The apple plaque is a piece of slate. I put the two together and this is how it turned out.....

I just turned the slate over and put it on top of the little table (or maybe it's a plant stand, I don't know). The two taller flowers in the vase are made of glass and the shorter one is made of metal.

Wow, I'm getting tired just recapping on what I've been doing. I think I better stop there. I had better get to work now.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Cindy (tinta)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...........

2009-04-15T10:16:00.003-05:00

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mom and Dad. Mom's day was March 19 and Dad's day is today. I guess I could mention that mine was last week on the 8th.

I celebrate all three of ours in my own personal way. You see, I lost my mom on September 4, 1969 when I was only 5 years old. Then I lost my dad on July 21, 1970 and I was only 6 years old. I went to live with my grandparents (dad's parents). They were the best grandparents in the world. I'll be posting about them another time, tho. Today is a day to celebrate our birthday's. I tend to pick April 15th to celebrate. I think it's because of being the last day of tax day and I hate to think about tax day. Taxes have been on my mind for 2 1/2 months and I don't want to think about it no more!!!(lol)

My dad was the second child for my grandparents and their only boy. He was momma's boy and his sister was daddy's girl. He was born at 12:10 pm on April 15, 1942. Happy Birthday Dad

My mom was the 7th child for her parents. And then there was 2 more after her. How my grandma took care of all of them I don't know. Mom was born at 10:45 pm on March 19, 1942. Happy Birthday Mom.

Me, I was the second child for my parents. Born at 8:34 am on April 8, 1964. My parents first child was a boy born 2 years before me but passed away shortly after birth. Hey, how about a big Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Here's a couple more pictures of my Mom and Dad.

Look at that hair!! What about that t.v.? (ha,ha) The picture above the t.v. is me. Mom was only 5'2"(5'5" with that hair) and weighed maybe 90lbs. Tiny little thing. My daughter takes after her. I wish I did.(lol)

Look at that handsome man!!!! (My son has that same widows-peak.) I'm surprised he didn't have a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I'll bet Mom made sure he didn't. (ha,ha) As tiny as my mom was, she could really push this 6'2" 200lb man around. (lol)

I also need to say Happy Birthday to a couple more people. My cousins daughter (dads grand niece), Jessica, was born on this day. Jessica is expecting her second baby sometime in May. I think she's 24 today. And my husbands cousin, Daryll, turned 51 today. Happy Birthday you guys.

FYI: Midnight is the deadline. Have you all sent in your taxes!!!

Cindy (tinta)

UNDER THE WEATHER

2009-04-06T08:32:00.004-05:00

This is where I spent Monday thru Thursday last week. I had strept throat. That is one thing I don't ever want again!!! As you may remember, I had granddaughter #2 spend the night. When daughter brought her, she wasn't feeling good. Just assumed it was a cold. Monday she want to the doctor and it was strept throat. Monday is when I started feeling bad. Tuesday I went to the doctor and sure enough, I had it too. I slept right thru tuesday and wednesday. Thursday was much better. Friday better yet but the sinus' decided they had to show off too. So all weekend I've been blowing and wiping my nose. I'm starting to look like Rudolph!!

This week is for playing catch-up. I have housework and a show to get ready for. A friend puts on a benefit car show for "Multiple Sclerosis". She asked me if I wanted to set up a booth. She hasn't done the craft thing in the past and not sure how it will go. The last time I talked to her, I was the only one that was going to be setting up. That's okay. Anything for a friend. Our small little town doesn't usually have craft shows, so maybe she's on to something. I just may have to call on some fellow venders to help her out.

I must go now. The housewife thing is calling me.

Cindy (tinta)

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

2009-03-29T12:31:00.005-05:00

I'll start with the bad. It rained yesterday then turned to snow over night. Hubby and I got up at 6:45am to feed the goats and looked out the window and we had a few inches of snow. We put on the coveralls, winter coat, stocking cap and gloves and head out the door. Oops, door won't open. Try the other door. Nope, it won't open either. So we get a window open, crawl out and scoop the wet, heavy snow from in front of the door. Bang on the door a few times and it opens. Okay, what were gonna do? Oh, yea, feed the goats.

Just think, two days ago I blogged about being outside in the nice weather. Remember the picture of my stacked rocks.

Well, here they are today....

I hope the weatherman is right. It's supposed to be in the 50's Monday thru Friday. Snow won't last long but the next thing we have to worry about is flooding. We've had enough of that!! I guess it's not as bad as what I heard on MSNBC. Red River in N.D. is really having a flooding problem. Thousands and thousands of sand bags to keep the water a bay. I wish them all the luck.

Now on to the good. Daughter brought granddaughter #2 over last night for a sleepover. Granddaughter #1 is staying at the other grandmas house. We have been having a blast with her. She sure keeps us in stitches. We're getting a little brake while she's taking her nap. Since I'm just sitting around waiting for her to wake up and play again, I thought I'd tell ya how my day has been going. Here's our little one napping......

Ain't she just the most precious thing? :0) The quilt that she is laying on is the one I made for her when she was born. You can't see much of it with the pillow there, but I had to brag about that too. :)

Hope all are staying warm. I will be 'someday'!!!

Cindy (tinta)

RANDOM PICS AROUND MY YARD

2009-03-27T08:51:00.011-05:00

This is my stone cairn. A cairn is a conical pile of stones used to commemorate a sacred site or place of burial. In a garden, a cairn can mark a turn in the path. I read about cairns in a gardening book one time, and I had to have one. This one sits in the middle of my hosta garden.

My hostas are popping up. I try to leave as many leaves covering them as I can but the wind out here has been awful. Our weatherman is saying that we could get 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow. I am soooo over cold weather.

Here's one of my lilac trees. I hope it will be okay after the snow. One year my lilacs didn't bloom cuz it got too cold for the new blooms. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't happen again this year.

I think these are iris'. I can't remember. I got them from the neighbor up the road last fall. I just dumped them on the ground and never got around to planting them. Hardy little suckers aren't they!! I guess I'll have to find a spot for'em.

This is the foundation of our barn. I have always been amazed at how a big ol' barn could still be standing when the foundation is built like this. The corners do have solid concrete tho. What craftsmanship!!! Our barn is probably over 100 years old. It was even put together with wooden pegs. There are not nails or screws in it, just pegs.

I just had to show off my peacock. He hopped up on the tractor while we were working on the goat pen. Then he decided that he was ready for bed. He sleeps up on the rafters of the barn. The one he's sitting on is an 8" square beam. He's able to slay his body on it and let his tale hang. I bet it can be hard to get around with a 5 foot long tale dragging behind you.

Well, while I have you in the barn, I might as well show you the goat pen. We finally got it all done last night. (yea) We still have alot to do in the rest of the barn, but our main goal was to get the mammas and babies out of the kidding pen and into their permanent home. We still have the fense to put up outside but in the meantime, they have more room. The kids were having a ball. I sware they were born with springs in their hooves!! We won't be putting the three that we are bottle feeding in here. The moms would have a fit. We'll wait until they are weaned and more able to defend themselves against the bigger ones.

Well, since I mentioned the bottle babies, I just had to take you to see them. From left to right is, Bucky, the boy, Butt-er, cuz she thinks she has to head butt the bottle when she's eating and then there's the sweet one. We haven't named her yet but we tend to call her the 'precious one' or 'sweet one'. I don't know if I will be able to get rid of Bucky. He's my buddy!!

I found this hen chillin in the bush as I was walking around taking pictures. They all like to scratch around under here but I guess she just decided to take a brake.

Hope you enjoyed your little trip around my yard. Yesterday was such a nice day I just had to get out and enjoy it. I didn't get much work done around here but that's okay. Like Scarlet would say, "I'll think about it tomorrow. For tomorrow is another day".

Cindy (tinta)

ANOTHER FABULOUS GIVEAWAY FROM KI

2009-03-25T08:52:00.007-05:00

WIN THIS NECKLACE

Click on this link http://junkrevolution.com/community/topic.php?id=272&replies=33 and sign up to win this great necklace. You've got till Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 5pm. Ki will be drawing the winner at 7pm.

I guess I could take this time to show off a couple of my necklaces that I made a couple of weeks ago.

These were made from old spoons and pieces from old broken necklaces. I cut the spoon from the handle. I then bent the handle over to run the cord thru. Added a couple pieces from the broken necklace and added the clasp at the end of the cord. So simple. Give one a try. You don't have to use silverware. You could restring your old favorite necklace that may have broke but you don't want to part with it. You can get a kit at Walmart pretty cheap and use whatever you have lying around. I'm gonna try making some more for a craft show I have coming up in April. I'll let you know how it goes.

Cindy (tinta)

I'M STILL ALIVE

2009-03-22T20:50:00.008-05:00

I'm still alive. Been very, very busy. The baby goats have been keeping us busy. We're still trying to catch up on sleep. I have them down to three feedings a day. Oh, sleep is so good. I'm the type that if I don't get my 7 hours of solid sleep, I can't function. I've been getting 6 1/2 hours now and I seem to be surviving!!!

We've been working on building a loft and a large pen inside the barn, to house all the goats we have. We have a total of 2 adult does and 7 kids. We have had to sort thru everything we have been storing in the barn. I didn't realize how much crap we had. We have been selling, giving away and throwing away alot of stuff. BUT, there is still alot left. I will admit that most of it is now my stuff. I really do have plans for most of it, tho. If we ever get the goats situated, I might be able to have some time to put all that stuff to use!!! At this point, it's not looking like it's gonna be in the near future. When we get the pen done, we have to start on the fencing on the outside. A woman's work is never done!!(ha,ha) We haven't been getting any help from our son or daughter. Our son is working on the new house that him and his girlfriend got. They've been ripping up carpet and sanding & staining the hardwood floor. They've been working their tails off. Our daughter has been busy with cleaning up the mess left over from their corn crib being tore apart from the wind.

Now for a few pictures of our loft and pen project.....

I always forget to get the before pictures. As you can see, the loft is up. A friend of ours came over to help us with the stairs. He's a carpenter and it only took him about 2 hours to get them done.

Here's all my stuff, packed into the corner. It won't be able to stay there long cuz we will have to put the kidding pens here.

This a stack of 12" clay tile and wood on top of them. This is some of the stuff that was left here when we bought our house. I hate to admit it but that was nearly 10 years ago. I've wanted to use the clay tiles for something but never could come up with and idea. Then stuff kept getting pile on top of them and in front of them, then I couldn't get to them, even if I would have come up with some idea.

Kitty was exhausted. He had a hard day checking out all the new smells and waiting for us to stir up a mouse or two while we were working. No mice so far!!!

One of the geese thought he had to check out what was going on.

Oh, I forgot. Here's a few angel's that I had made before all the building began. My junking has been put on hold for now.

Hope you enjoyed all the pictures. I'll try to remember to keep taking pictures of the progress.

Cindy (tinta)

PICTURES OF TRIPLETS AND CORN CRIB

2009-03-10T09:16:00.007-05:00

Haven't had much sleep since the triplets joined our family. They need to be fed every 4 hours. Do you realize it's been nearly 20 years since we have had to get up for those late evening and early morning feedings!?! I'm not sure if our alarm clock can handle the weird hours either. Enough whining about sleep loss, here's some pictures of the triplets.....

My 3 year old granddaughter and me. I'm playing with the buckling. We're calling him 'Bucky". As you can see, he likes when I push on his head. I am going to regret playing with him like that. When he gets 100+ pounds with horns, I have a feeling I'm gonna be in trouble!!!(lol)

Me and both granddaughters. My daughter is taking the pictures. We just got done feeding them. We wanted to get a picture of the girls feeding them but it turned out to be more of a chore than we thought!!(haha) We weren't able to get all three goats and both girls in the picture at the same time. The one year old kept calling them "key-key" short for kitty-kitty. She calls all animals 'key-keys'.

In another post I mentioned the corn crib at my daughters house. Well, she brought her camera that had pics of the crib on it. So I downloaded them on my computer to show you.

This is where it is supposed to be.

This is where it ended up.

Up and over the boat. The boat didn't move, but the crib must have hit it cuz the side of it has a dent in it.

Aside from the high winds, we've been having rain. So much rain it is starting to seep into our basement now. We don't live far from the Illinois River but far enough that it doesn't effect us but the weather man says it's above the flood stage. This morning they are saying that the smaller rivers and streams are rising to flood level. I'm feeling for the local farmers right about now. Especially the ones that farm next to the Spoon River. That river seems to over flow its banks and into the fields. It's going to take a long time for the ground to dry up before they can get the fields planted. Gotta love Mother Nature!!!

Have a good day

Cindy (tinta)

Quick Update

2009-03-08T11:08:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to take a few minutes to update ya'll. Thursday and friday the weather got up to the 60's, so I was outside enjoying the sun and warmth. Got a little bit done outside but I still got a lot to do to get ready for spring. Friday afternoon our other doe had her babies. We got twins again. She had a girl and a boy. I walked out to the barn to check on them at about 2:15 and she was is full labor so I stuck around to see if she might need my help. Mother Nature is so amazing!!! I will post pictures of them later. Saturday we called to check on a fellow goat friend. He has been having bad luck with his does and babies. He has lost a few babies and on mom doesn't want to have anything to do with her babies. She had triplets. Our friend asked us if we wanted then triplets cuz he has no time to bottle feed them. So guess what....we have three, 4-day old babies. Two girls and 1 boy. Bottle feeding every four hours for about two weeks is going to be very time consuming but if we can save these babies it will be worth it. After about two weeks we'll be able to cut back to every six hours. So far babies are doing good and they've taken to the bottle like pros. I'll post pictures of them later, too.
It's about time to get the bottles ready. Darn, it started raining again. We are so swamp with water here. Hope the dehumidifier keeps up!!
If I can get over to my daughters between feedings I'll try to get pictures of her place. She thinks a tornado may have gone thru last night. When they got up this morning, their wooden corn crib wasn't were it was supposed to be. There wasn't much left of the crib to begin with, just the shell and the tin roof but it got picked up and sat back down next to the barn that is about 75 feet away. The granddaughters plastic toys are still in the same place as they were the night before. Go figure!!! Hey, didn't I just say "Mother Nature is amazing"?

Pictures coming soon.
Cindy (tinta)

I JUST GOT AN AWARD FROM KUDZU

2009-03-04T10:47:00.004-06:00

KudzuKween was so sweet to send me an award. Now I am to list my top 5 things I am addicted to and send this on to 5 people. My list could be longer than 5 addictions but I will narrow it down. Here goes.....

1) My current addiction is my goats. The twins especially. They are so adorable and fun to watch.

2) JUNK. Oh, the things I have learned from fellow bloggers and junk sites.

3) My granddaughters. At 3 1/2 and 1, they sure are adorable. So much fun to have around.

4) Garage sales, thrift stores, auctions. They are so addicting.

5) Blogging. I've only been blogging since December 2008 and I've been having a blast. I have met sooooo many wonderful people.

Okay, so here are the 5 people. These are some really creative blogs.

1) Snowman Hill. A mother daughter team.

2) Refunction Junction. JunkerMidge

3) Random Vintage Finds. Jennifer

4) Red Neck Chic. Robelyn

5) Fluffy Flowers. Felicia

Thanx Kudzu

Cindy (tinta)

TWO NEW KIDS YESTERDAY

2009-03-02T09:52:00.003-06:00

Let me just start out by saying, I was hard on myself this weekend. Friday night we ended up having several people show up at our house. Rick and Tracy showed up around 8:00p.m. They were on their way back home from a visitation (which we had been to earlier). We talked about the good ole days, the grandkids, etc, etc. Then Gerald and Helen stopped by about 9:00p.m. All of us have been friends from grade school. Well, out came the "drinks". The music was blaring and we were all having a good time. Rick and Tracy left around midnight. Then before we knew it, it was about 3:00a.m. and Helens daughter came out to party with the old people. The dancing started and we danced and talked till 6:00a.m. Yep, you read that right, 6 o'clock in the morning. I can't even remember the last time I stayed up for 24 hours!!!! Actually, I'm not sure when the last time I had a 'drink'. Well, and I can say it will be a long time before I have another one. In a month I will be 45 years old. To me, 45, is not really that old. Until you start acting like your 25!!! (haha) Now, I know how far I can push this aging body. I did absolutely nothing all day saturday except sleep. I told my husband it was his fault, cuz about 4:30a.m. he decided to fix us all breakfast. I should have never ate.

Okay, now on to the "kids". Sunday morning, I was feeling a little more like myself. My hubby went out to take care of the animals that morning. All is well on the farm. So he decided to go to Menards to buy some lumber. I chose to stay home this time. I'm feeling better but not ambitious!! After he got home and lumber unloaded a friend called so out the door he went. He said he would check on the goats before leaving. We knew that they could be kidding at any time this week. So at about 1:00 he checked on the goats and left. He returns just before 4:00 and goes to the barn with another load of lumber. Don't you just love friends and unload their extras on ya??? He came walking up to the house at a steady pace. I didn't think much about it. Then he walked in the door announcing we have twin kids. Within the 3 hours that he was gone, one of our does had given birth to 2 bouncing babies. Well, let me tell you, I got my cover-alls, boots, hat, gloves and coat on in record time. Oh, I couldn't forget the camera. Here are our 3 hour old kids. I tried to get the best shots that I could get. But I'm sure most of you know that giving birth is a pretty messy situation.

WARNING: IF THE SIGHT OF BLOOD BOTHERS YOU, DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER. I TRIED TO CROP OUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TRIED TO PICK THE PICTURES WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT. I JUST COULDN'T GET THE GOATS TO POSE FOR THESE PICTURES. (lol)

We are awaiting our other doe to kid at this time. I will be checking on her throughout the day and will post when we have more news.

Cindy (tinta)

WEEKLY PICTURE BACK ON TRACK

2009-02-27T10:03:00.004-06:00

I've kinda slacked on my weekly pictures but I'm gonna get back on track. You don't have to put on your thinking cap for this one. Just a cute little thing that I remember grandma letting me play with. I used to put pennies, or beads or whatever I thought was a treasure at the time, in it.

Have a great weekend.

Cindy (tinta)

MY VERSION OF KI'S TOTE

2009-02-25T11:38:00.005-06:00

In an earlier post, Ki from Junk Revolution is giving away a tote bag. Me, I hardly ever win anything, so with that in mind, I decided to my own version of a tote. I have had alot of people give me their old clothes. I have bags and bags of old clothes. Well, I take those old clothes and cut them up to make rag rugs out of them. The oldest recycling in history. I purchased a Union 36 loom a couple of years ago to make my own rag rugs and when friends and family found out, they started cleaning out their closets. Now they're all in my attic and every corner of the house. So instead of using them all for rag rugs why not make my own tote.

About a year or so ago, I bought a whole bunch of fabric samples from JoAnn Fabrics and they seemed to be the right size for a tote. So I got out a couple of samples and sewed them together for a sample tote. Very little cutting, just sewing. Well, the fabric is pretty thick and hard on my 25 year old sewing machine. So off to my stash of clothes. I found several 'scrub' uniforms and started with those. Alot of cutting and mixing and matching but I think they turned out ok.

Here's my fabric sample one. I didn't change the thread in the machine to match it. I was just using this as a sample tote anyway. It's nice and thick but not too heavy. I may try to do another one but like I said above, it's kind of hard on my machine. It really needs to have a lining in it tho. The material is fraying. I used a zig zag stitch, so it shouldn't fall apart from the fraying.

These two are made from 'scrubs'. The darker one was the second one I made. I was pleased at how it turned out so I tried another one and that's where the kids/pink one came from. This one I lined the inside with the pink. The scrubs are pretty thin and that's why I decided to line that one. I am pleased with that, too. I think I am going to line the others from now on.

This one kind of fell together. This one is made out of scrub bottoms. Each leg had a pocket so I cut them up so I could have a pocket on each side of the tote. Sorry you can't see them in the picture. I'm not done with this one yet. I plan on adding other things to it. Not sure what yet, but probably applique or something like that.

I've got an old chenille bedspread that I would like to try to make a tote out of. It will probably be hard on my machine, too, but I'd like to give it a try.

Hope you enjoyed my version of Ki's tote.

Cindy (tinta)

Pictures Of Our Goats & Puppies

2009-02-20T10:51:00.003-06:00

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!!

Both goats are due to have kids and they've both have had twins before. We're gonna have ourselves a herd in no time. (lol)

The puppies came from the same litter and they're both male. One will stay here to guard the goats and the other one will be going with my son and fiance when they get settled in their new house.

None of us can decide what to name them, the goats or the pups. Suggestions would be highly appreciated!!!

Have a good day

Cindy (tinta)

CHECK OUT THIS "TOTE GIVEAWAY"

2009-02-19T21:40:00.004-06:00

If you like repurposing, reusing, recycling and all the 're' stuff you really need to visit JUNK REVOLUTION. Ki is having a giveaway of one of her Totes. Her sister designed it. Register/sign in and visit the 'community' page. There are sooooo many talented ladies there. I visit the community every day and I learn something new and interesting every time I do. If you like turning trash into treasures this is the place for you. While your there, don't forget to visit the 'store'. Lots and lots of wonderful creations to buy.

Hope to see you there.

Cindy (tinta)

PINECONES, POTPOURRI, AND LIGHTS

2009-02-18T15:38:00.004-06:00

I filled the 5 gallon crock with left over whatever. Material, packing peanuts, newspaper whatever was close by. I left enough room to top it off with pinecones, that I found out in the yard, and some straw woven balls. Then I layered in scented potpourri, then a small strand of clear christmas lights in a large glass container. I'd sprinkle potpourri then drop in a little more of the lights, then potpourri, etc, until I got to the top. I let the last of the light strand hang out the top then I added some more pinecones on the top. I set the whole thing next to my china cabinet. I chose that spot cuz it was the only place I had an open outlet, but it turned out to be a good spot. The christmas lights get warm enough to heat up the potpourri and fill the air with a wonderful scent. It really doesn't fill the whole room but it's sitting in a spot that gets a good amount of traffic, so you get a nice light scent when you walk by. Nothing over powering tho. I guess I didn't mention I put a glass on top of the crock. It was one that I had lying around. Left over from those table kits. You know, the ones that had the three legs that screwed onto the the round plywood top. Then you would top it with a round topper and then topped it off with the round glass.

My granddaughter left her signature on the front of the crock. I didn't notice it until I got the picture posted. Could she be the next Monet? (lol)

Hope you enjoyed

Cindy (tinta)

2 NEW ADDITIONS TO THE FAMILY

2009-02-16T11:39:00.004-06:00

We just had two baby chicks hatch. One yesterday morning and one this morning. We really intented to hatch goose eggs. Our geese started laying their eggs pretty early and we were afraid that it was still too cold out so we decided to gather up the eggs and put them in the incubator. Then we decided to fill up the rest of the incubator with chicken eggs. We really wasn't sure if any of the eggs were fertile but we gave it a try anyway. Well, the goose eggs weren't fertile and only two chicken eggs were. The other set of geese are now laying their eggs but we are going to let them take care of their own eggs. Maybe they'll be fertile.

Here's a couple of pictures of our peahens sitting in the sun. The one in front is the young one, hatched in June 2008. The one in the back is the older one. We think she is about 3 or 4 years old. She laid eggs last spring (none hatched) so we're hoping we get some that will hatch this year. The male wasn't around to be in the picture. I'll be showing you pictures of him later when he struts his stuff with is tail fanned out. That tail of his is amazing!!

One of the hens wanted to be in the picture too!!

Have a Good Day

Cindy (tinta)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

2009-02-14T15:09:00.007-06:00

Happy Valentines Day Ya'll

This sure has been a very busy week. We've been cleaning out the guys' shop to make it into a kidding room. We are venturing into the goat business. We didn't plan on buying any goats until we had the shelter and fencing up and ready for them. Well, needless to say, we couldn't wait. A guy had two pregnant goats that he wanted to sell and they were dirt cheap. What we paid for the two pregnant goats was about the same price as what 1 goat that isn't pregnant would cost. So you see why we had to jump at the chance. Well, we had to hurry to find a place to put them, so we cleaned out the shop and put up temporary stalls to put them in. They should be having their babies somewhere around the first of March. The shop has heat in it, so it won't be cold in there when the babies come. I haven't taken any pictures of the goats yet. They're just now getting used to their new home and I didn't want to scare them anymore than they were already. I took a few pictures while we were putting up the stalls.
Here's what they look like.......

Friday we went to pick up our new Pyrenees puppy. He is so adorable!!!! :) He's 8 weeks old and weighs 15 pounds. While we were researching on how to raise goats, nearly all the places had a Pyrenees guarding them. All the places we visited had a couple of Pyrenees dogs guarding their goats. So, while we were looking for goats we were also looking for puppies, too. When we got home with him, he and our son instantly bonded, so we called up the owner and asked if we could get another pup from her. We should be getting him Wednesday.

Our son just walked in the door and gave us the news that it's final that he and his fiance are getting their house. They expect to be in it in a month. I'm happy and sad all at the same time. Our baby is leaving!!! We will officially be empty nesters. What am I going to do with his room? Hummmmmmm!!! (lol) Guest room, craft room, oh the possibilities!!!!

Picture of the week

I might as well cram some more into this one post. I didn't get the 'picture of the week' posted on friday so I might as well do it now while I have the time.

Did you guess what it is? A glass baby bottle from 1900. This was my grandma's baby bottle. The pictures didn't pick up the writing too well. The first and last picture is of the top of the bottle. It says "Perfection Feeder Colburn, Birks & Co. Peoria, ILLS. The middle picture, which is the bottom of the bottle has the marks for 'fluid ounces'. It can holds 8 ounces. Then, of course, a rubber nipple would have been slipped over the opening.

Not a very unusual item, but so fascinating how the baby bottle had changed over the years.

I guess this will be all for now. Will keep you all updated on the goats, puppy and the son's new house. Hope everyone has had a good Valentines Day.

Cindy (tinta)

WEEKLY PICTURE

2009-02-07T08:23:00.004-06:00

Not much to right about this one. I think once you see this one, you might recognize it. My grandma used to use it as a door stop. She would let me play with it. I used to move the tail up and down to make the mouth look like it was barking. Every once in awhile grandma would have some nuts on hand to let me crack them. It really didn't do a very good job. I could see them being given as gag gifts.

HERE'S A BONUS PICTURE SINCE I DIDN'T POST ONE LAST WEEK

A Glass Float?

I'm really not sure what this is called. I believe it is some kind of floating thing. Was it attached to a net, along with many others, for something to do with fishing?

This one I need your help on. What to you think it is? It's glass with a thick jute-like rope woven around it. The glass is supposed to be clear but has been 'etched' over the years. I think that because if you move the rope, the glass is clear underneath it but the open areas have that 'etched' look.

I would love to hear your ideas.

Cindy (tinta)

DON'T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEIR HATCHED

2009-02-05T10:13:00.009-06:00

I was so excited on my last post. Thought our son was coming home. That was a short lived excitement. He called to tell us that the airlines computers were down and they didn't know when they were going to leave. Well, it turned out they were only about an hour behind schedule. So, he's on his way to Georgia. I get back on the internet to check and see if the plane that he is supposed to get on to come home in is going to be delayed. Of course not. I'm now just hoping the pilot can make up some time in the air and get to Georgia before the other plane leaves. My son's plane is scheduled to arrive at 10:05 and his plane home is scheduled to leave at 9:50. That plane is the last plane of the day. No more flights to home until morning. Well, needless to say, the plane home didn't wait to bring him home. As he was landing in Georgia the plane home was leaving. What a disappointment. :( So the airport set him up in a nearby hotel. They shuttled him to the hotel and then will shuttle him back to the airport in the morning. When he got to the hotel room he called us right away. He's staying in a $500 a night room in the sheraton. He also got a $10 meal voucher. Now we're all jealous!!! He went to go get something to eat but decided to just get something out of the vending machine. A cheeseburger was going to cost him $15. Boy, their food must be lined in gold.

Tuesday morning, me, the hubby and the fiance got up and headed for the airport around 9:30. My son's plane wasn't expected until nearly noon but we decided to go out for breakfast. Not so good weather came thru that night so we were a little cautious with the hour and a half drive. We decided to go straight to the airport to check on the status of the flight. Good, right on time. We went to Burger King to get a quick bite. Don't go to a fast food place when you're on a schedule. They screwed up one of our orders. So we had to hurry and eat. As we were pulling up to the airport we saw his plane landing. We got into the airport to find a good hiding spot for his fiance and just in time. Hugs, kisses and SURPRISE. He sure was glad to be home. He says it's going to be a long time before he flies again and he's not going to fly into that Georgia airport again.

Waiting for the order they messed up.

The fiance.

Fiance drawing the "welcome home" sign on the chalkboard. The chalkboard is one of my trash to treasure projects. Just spraypainted chalkboard paint on it and voila'.

You may have seen this on another post but I just think it is the neatest thing.

HE'S HOME!!!!

The other guy is a friend that was coming home at the same time. They were both glad they didn't have to deal with flying alone this time.

Look at the happy faces!!!

His luggage arrived with him.

More good news. My daughter called this morning to tell me granddaughter #2 took her first few steps alone. She will be 1 year old tomorrow. Her birthday party is going to be sunday. I guess I better go shopping, huh. Me, the procrastinator.

Cindy (tinta)

OH HAPPY DAY

2009-02-02T09:07:00.003-06:00

I have two things to be happy about. First is my son is coming home today. He's been gone for two weeks on a job in Colorado. We go pick him up tonight at the airport. We have a little surprise for him when he gets off the plane. His fiance is going with us. She told him she wouldn't be able to be there so he thinks he won't be seeing her until tomorrow. I'll be taking my camera with me so I'll be taking pictures to show off tomorrow.

The second thing is my computer is up and running. My antivirus subscription ran out and I didn't renew it right away. That's me the procrastinator. Well, as you know, if you don't have any protection, viruses just love your computer and mine was FULL of viruses. I spent 3 days working on it. When you live out in the boonies like I do, it feels like the whole world has forgotten about. I've had no contact with the outside world. But now I'm back. I wasn't able to add my weekly picture on friday, so I'll just wait to show you on this friday.

Gotta go do that dreaded housework thing.

Cindy

A GOOD DAY OF SHOPPING & SUPPER TOO

2009-01-27T20:07:00.009-06:00

Boy, did I have a good day shopping. At Salvation Army that is. I found alot of goodies to make some totems, flowers, etc. I'm not gonna ramble on about my day. I'm just gonna get right to the goodies.

Actually, I got these last week and I'm just now getting to posting them.

I was hoping that this picture would show up so you could read the tag. It says, "Tower - Sears, Roebuck & Co." It's not very wide or tall bit is pretty deep. It looks like it may have held index cards or recipes.

I just loved the white bowls. The blueish colored scalloped plates will be neat made into flowers. I guess I'm gonna have to get to making things so I can show them off, too.

Now here's the best part of the day.......

My dear husband is the cook in the family. Well, I should say chef. Everybody thinks he should open a resteraunt but, as you can tell by his work clothes, he's sticking with welding for now. I'm a really lucky woman cuz my son took after his father. He's a chef, too. He used to be an assistant chef for a resteraunt but needless to say, he's taking after his father and doing the welding thing. We just can't get him talked into culinary school. (darn) Well, while I'm on the subject, I can't leave out my daughter. She certainly didn't take after me. She would take her brothers place at the resteraunt when he couldn't do it. Me, well, I try not to get near the kitchen. I just reap the rewards. (he he) And if you're wondering, I don't have the figure like I used to. Too many chef's in this house to have a 'model' figure.

Don't forget to check back friday for my 'weekly picture'.

Cindy(tinta)

WEEKLY PICTURE

2009-01-23T09:34:00.005-06:00

Well, today is friday, and time for a new picture. This one isn't gonna be a hard one. I'm sure most people have seen or used one these in their lifetime. Maybe at Grandma's house for Sunday dinner? Maybe sitting on display in Grandma's china cabinet as a reminder of the good ole days? Or if Grandma didn't have one, I'm sure you've seen them at antique stores and auctions by the dozens.

Are you ready to see it.......................

Yes, another 'animal'. For some of you, you probably already know what it is, right.

You're right. A salt cellar.

F.Y.I. - Salt Cellars (aka salt dips) were used from the middle ages to about the 1940's. Salt cellars were then replaced by the salt shaker in 1950. Not long after that, the salt cellars became a collectors item. There is a slight difference between the 'cellar' and the 'dip'. The 'cellar' had a lid (like this one) and the 'dip' didn't. If the salt cellar had a spoon with it, then it was usually used by the 'head of the table' and then passed around to the others at the table. The most popular material to make these with was glass, pewter and wood. This is the only one I have that has a 'lid'.

I remember using the salt dips. In my neck of the woods, when the garden started producing is when the salt dips came out. There would always be raw veggies sitting on the table at meal time. Everybody would have their own salt dip to dip their veggies into the salt before taking a bite. Anybody that knows me, knows I don't like veggies except for maybe carrots but not if they're cooked. I would lick my finger then dip it into the salt and then lick the salt off.

Hope you enjoyed your stroll down memory lane.
Cindy (tinta)

I'VE BEEN PRESENTED AN AWARD

2009-01-21T13:14:00.004-06:00

I feel like a movie star. I just received an award from Kudzu http://kudzukween.blogspot.com/. It's called "The Lemonade Award".

This is a special award. It is for bloggers who show great attitude and/or gratitude. I just feel so special!! Upon receiving this award, you are to pass it on to other bloggers whom you think show great attitude and/or gratitude. Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude.
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I am passing this great award onto........
1. Vanessa Covington
2. A Day In The Life Of A Tomboy
3. Ann, Magpie Cottage
4. Beyond The Picket Fence
5. Kelly's Korner

I am sorry that's all I have to send this wonderful award to, but I've only been blogging for about a month now. Also, others have sent this award to some of the same bloggers I visit with. I really enjoy my blogging friends!! To the ones that I have chose, enjoy, and know that you truly deserve this.

Cindy (tinta)

And to Margo (who also has received the Lemonade Award). I received your calendar yesterday. It couldn't have come at a better time!! I have flipped thru it so many times already, I'm gonna wear out the pages. I need to find a special spot to display it.
For anyone who wants to get a calendar like mine, I think Margo has a few left and they're marked down, too. Just visit http://robolady.blogspot.com/ and order yourself one.

MY SON'S ADVENTURE FLYING ALONE

2009-01-20T16:10:00.011-06:00

My son is 19 years old but not the greatest person at following directions. Driving that is. Well, today my husband and I just saw him off on his first trip on a plane by himself. He has been on a plane before but it was four years ago and he was with a group. So, the way I look at it, this his first time flying. I was a little worried cuz I knew he was going to have an hour to wait in Atlanta. I had a bad feeling that he wouldn't be able to find the boarding gate. I just kept telling myself that he's a big boy now and I don't need to worry about him. (ha ha)

We had to get up at 2:30 this morning to get us and the suitcase packed cuz we had an hour and a half drive to get him to the airport. Nowadays you have to get yourself and luggage checked in an hour before your flight. Well, his flight was leaving at 6:10a.m. so we wanted to be there by 5:00a.m. We are not a family that flies. You can't get my husband on an airplane. So, it's obvious that we don't know the workings of an airport. We were sure we would get lost or screw something up so we wanted to have plenty of recovery time. All in all it went down like we were pros. Got his boarding pass, luggage tag and gave his luggage to the right person. We were good!! All done in plenty of time so we went to a so-called restaurant and had a little breakfast and chatted for a while. Then they announced that they were boarding the plane. He went thru the detector and it went off. Oh, great. Good thing it turned out to only be his belt. He took it off and stepped thru again. He passed!! Now off to Atlanta, Georgia.

We got a call from him at 7:50a.m. We were literally walking in the door at home. Wow, he went have way across the US in the same amount of time it took us to drive home. Flight went good. It seems I worried for nothing. Then.....Yep, I knew it!! We get a phone call at 9:00a.m. My heart skipped a beat knowing that he should be sitting on the plane on his way to Colorado. Yea, right!! You guessed, he missed his flight. Me, being the cool headed one in the family, the one that never panics, gave my directional challenged son instructions as to what to do. We hung up the phone so he can concentrate on the task at hand. A few minutes later, he called to say that they got him on the next flight out at 11:30a.m. A two hour wait but he's still gonna make it to his destination.

Now my next worry is the luggage situation. It's gonna arrive in Colorado before him and have to sit around and wait for him for 2 hours. All the bad scenarios are running thru my head. I don't dare say a word or panic will set in on both hubby and son. We talk to him a few times while he waits, alone, in an airport. My plan is to call him a half an hour before his flight time so he doesn't miss this one. I called like I planned and all is going good. I asked him to call me when he is sitting on the plane so I know that he hasn't missed this one. Then a call. I looked at the time and knew that it was too early to be on the plane and instantly thought that they cancelled the flight or some stupid thing. Airplanes are never early, right!?! Well, this one was. I nearly had a heart attack when he said he was sitting on the plane. The first thing out of my mouth was, "are you sure you're on the right one?" I know, stupid question. They wouldn't have let him board the wrong plane. Would they? No, they didn't. Good!!! The next time we talk to him will be after he has landed in Colorado. Got the call at 2:30p.m. that he was there safe and sound but he couldn't find his luggage. Yep, I knew it!!!! So, I got on the internet and got the baggage pick-up areas floor plan. That didn't work, he still couldn't find it. So I called lost and found. Are those people for real. I hope they don't get paid for working that job cuz all three people I talked to claimed they don't work for the lost and found. My next plan was to convince my son to give up and we'll buy him some new clothes. If you lose your luggage at an airport it won't return, this year anyway. Just as I hung up from the so-called lost and found, my son called to say he had found it. He's not sure how it got to where he found it but it's back into his possession now. Now, the last hurdle to jump is to find the right area to wait for his ride. I give up!!! You're on your own Son.

All this going on while I'm coming down with a sinus cold. Sneezing, blowing my nose every five minutes, head that feels like a balloon just to the point of popping. My nose is starting to shine like Rudolph's. Then keeping my mother-in-law up to date with how her precious grandson is doing. Reassuring her that everything is going good. My chickens are out of feed and the feed store wasn't open yesterday (MLK) so I definitely had to do that today. Then my 3 year old granddaughter had to come see her grandma. I have been missing her so much I couldn't pass up the chance to give her hugs and kisses.

The clock just chimed eight times. Wow, is it really 8 o'clock!! It is still Tuesday isn't it? I better get some pictures loaded here so I can go crash.

This scene was one of the first things we saw when we got to the airport. I would love to have that sitting in my yard. What a conversation piece it would make!!

My son and husband giving me one of those looks. I had just taken the picture of the statue and lady (the one above). They both think I'm nuts. (ha ha)

Here is our server. She makes a mean breakfast, too. (ha ha)

Checking the boarding pass. This is where he goes on and we stay behind.

Waiting to go thru the detector. Notice no shoes.

Going thru the detector again cuz he had to take his belt off. He's holding onto them tight.

There he goes. At this point I'm hoping he can find where he is to board the plane.

Night all. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed living it. I have one more thing that happened today, but I'm too tired to tell you about right now. You'll just have to check back tomorrow.

Cindy (tinta)

WEEKLY PICTURE

2009-01-15T18:49:00.005-06:00

This is an idea that I had. I'm going to go digging thru my house, from attic to basement, looking for unusual items that I have. One of my grandma's passed away several years ago, and I was the only grandchild of this grandma, so I was left nearly everything. From junk to antiques. I haven't been able to part with anything so they've been packed away. Some items have been packed away since I received them. My house isn't big enough to display everything, so they are packed away and put in the attic, basement or extra closet. I do feel a little guilty for not having them out to enjoy them but what else am I going to do. Then it hit me. Why not share them with all of you so everybody can enjoy them. Some items are things you may recognize, some you might remember using at one point in your life and then some you may not have a clue as to what it is. I may even have a story to tell you about an item. It may be something I played with or something that grandma would say, 'look but don't touch'.

My plan was to post a picture every friday. Well, today I gathered up the first 4 items that I planned on posting for the next four weeks and I just couldn't wait til tomorrow to post the first one.

SO HERE IT IS. Can you guess what it was used for before you get to the last picture?

As you can see, it has a handle to carry it with. Don't scroll down too fast. Give yourself time to think about what it is.

I'm sorry the picture doesn't show it, but there is a screw and a wing nut on it's belly. You might be able to see the wing nut in the first picture. Also, you can't tell by the picture, but it is made out of some kind of metal. I'm pretty sure it's cast iron cuz it is very heavy. So, now that I told you that, I'm sure you have come to the conclusion that it can open up. Any guessess. No, not a piggy bank. OK, on to the last picture.........

Now you're freaked out, huh!!! Any ideas yet?

It was used by students at 'vet' school. Some Vets would use these as refreshers before operating on a pig. It used to have all the 'inerds' in it for teaching, but when grandma got it, the vet didn't leave them in it. Well, that's what she told me, but I think she had grandpa throw them away so I wouldn't get grossed out. They used to raise pigs and was probably afraid if I saw all that stuff, I would be afraid of the pigs from then on.

So, did you guess it? Tell the truth!!! I'd love to hear from you on what you thought about it!

Cindy (tinta)

I WON

2009-01-14T10:25:00.008-06:00

I won Margo's 2009 Junk Calendar. She was having a 400th post giveaway and all you had to do was send her a note saying that you wanted your name put in the hat. That's it!!! Congratulations Margo. You have been an inspiration to all of us junkers. Keep up the good work.

Finding out couldn't have come at a better time. The weather here is very cold and snowy. Things have been going pretty good since the first of the year. It's been in the 20's and 30's which hasn't been too bad. But last night we got about 3 - 4 inches of snow and didn't stop until 10:30 am. The snow wouldn't have been bad but we've been getting 20 mile an hour winds. As I'm sitting here writing this, I can look out my window and see the snow blowing across the road. The snow is so light that it flows so easily in the wind. I can barely see the house up the road which is about a 1/4 mile from me. I can't even see my driveway anymore. It's a good thing we own 4 wheel drive vehicles. Bad on gas mileage but at least we have a chance to get to town in bad weather like this.

This one was taken just at the steps to the deck. There should be a sidewalk under the 8" drift.

Here's one with a 13" drift around the tree.

This is where my driveway should be.

It's a good thing for the open field. At least the snow has somewhere to go instead pile up on the road. Say "hey" to the neighbors!! The road is pretty bad up their way. It usually drifts shut till the plow gets to it. Which is in two days!!

I'll be waiting patiently for my calendar to get here.

Cindy (tinta)

spare bedroom being transformed

2009-01-11T21:17:00.005-06:00

The passed 3 days, I've been working on our spare bedroom. We're going to use it as our bedroom because it is on the main floor. Tonight will be the first night sleeping in our new room.

We had started to remodel this room about two years ago and got tired of it. It's one of those rooms that nobody sees so if it takes ten years nobody will know. But when we started thinking about making it easier on ourselves so we don't have to go up and down the stairs anymore, that room had to be finished. I finished mudding the closet and sanded the walls in the room. Then I painted the all the walls and the ceiling. I guess the wall color I picked out wasn't a big hit with my husband or son. That's okay. They'll change their minds when I get the 'junk' up on the walls. I then put all the trim back up. Well, that's not exactly true. I put up what trim I had. I didn't have enough to completely finish. That's okay, I'll get to it another day. Got the floor vacuumed, furniture arranged, bed made, the mirror washed the alarm clock set and the t.v. going. Gotta have the t.v. I didn't move all our furniture into the new room just incase we decide we don't like using that room. Besides, I didn't feel like lugging a king sized bed down the stairs. We'll just have to deal with a twin bed. If we stay in this room I'll have the hubby and son do the moving.

While I had the white paint out, I thought I'd spruce up an old dresser that's been around my house for as long as I can remember. Heck, it's probably older than me. (44) (sssshhhh don't tell no one) Here's a couple of pictures of before and after.

I just added a few decorative cut-outs. I really didn't have enough to do all the drawers but I figured if it didn't look good with just the two, I could go get a couple more. I don't think I'll need to, tho. I'm satisfied with just the two. What do you think? Do I need to brush on some more white or is that enough?

The mirror sitting on the dresser (what you can see of it) was left here when we bought the house (9 years ago). Yes, I'm a pack rat. I've 'collected' so much stuff that even I'm getting to the point that "something's gotta go". That is my goal this year. Go thru all the junk and prioritize. I'm gonna have to get rid of some or I'm not gonna have enough room for us to live here. Maybe I'll get up enough nerve to take pictures of my basement and barn so you can see how bad I am. I have to think about it tho. I'm not sure if I really want to see how bad it is. That'll be another day, tho.

Cindy (tinta)

Yesterday was a good day shopping

2009-01-07T09:22:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was a day to go grocery shopping but I made a quick stop at the Salvation Army. I didn't expect to get much so I only picked up the carrying basket instead of the cart on wheels. Big mistake. I had picked up several plates at the beginning of my shopping spree that my arms had gotten a good workout by the time I left there. There were a couple of things I didn't get that now I wished I had. There was a tricycle and little red wagon that my granddaughters would have liked. The tricycle was only $3.99 but the wagon was $6.99. They probably won't be there the next I go. :( What was I thinking??

Here's some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Hey, don't hesitate to give me some suggestions on what I can use them for!!!

When I turned this over, I could see it as a flower.

I closed up the 'petals' to show you the feet. I haven't seen one made like this. I wish I could remember, but I saw someone use the 'petals' for some cute project. I guess I'll have to go searching for it. If I find it, I'll give the credit to you.

I thought I'd use these in my totems or I could make some large bottle bugs?

Wow, 13 inches!! I thought I'd use these for the base of totems or drill a hole add other plates or bowls to it to make a flower. Hummmm?

More plates that could be used for totems.

It might be a while before I can get to do anything with these cuz I've started another project already. I'm turning our spare bedroom that's on the main floor into out bedroom. The hubby is tired of walking up and down the stairs. Oh, boo hoo!!! I keep telling him we need it upstairs for the exercise. If we keep trying to make it too easy for ourselves now, what's gonna happen when we really are old? Ha Ha. We're only in our 40's now!!

Have a good day

Cindy (tinta)

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T23:12:00.004-06:00

I know, I'm a few days late. Better late than never I guess. Nothing has happened this week. My husband and have been talking about getting us some goats. I've been doing alot of research on how to raise them. Today we went to a goat farm to get a first hand look at one. The gentleman and his son were very helpful. If we can get our barn cleaned out, we'll have enough room to house them. That's gonna be our biggest hurdle. The barn is still full of garden tractor parts left over from our tractor pullin' days. I guess I can't blame my huband and son totally. All the junk I've been collecting for my trash to treasure projects have begun to pile up. I've brought home doors, windows, bed frames, tables, chairs, etc. I'm gonna have to do something with them before we clean out the barn or I'm afraid they'll all get put on the burn pile. (uh oh). Here's a few pictures of my previous trash to treasure projects.

Here's the doors, beds and windows I mentioned above.

My plans are to turn the beds into benches, the doors into benches to sit on and possibly potting benches or hall trees and I'm trying to get enough windows to make a greenhouse. I will probably never use it as a greenhouse but I think it would look cool anyway.

More trash to treasure pictures as I get them done.

Later
Cindy (Tinta)

To Grandmothers House We Go

2008-12-28T16:14:00.002-06:00

Today we went to see my husbands grandmother. She's 98 years old and just went to a nursing home this year. Along with other family members, we all went to the home to take presents and spend some quality time with her. She is a very sprite person. She enjoys writing letters, playing cards, crocheting (which is getting difficult for her to do now) and doing word searches. I don't ever think this lady ever used a calculator in her life. You can give her a math problem and she can whip out the answer in no time. She's been in a wheelchair for the past several months but gets around all by herself real good.

We had a great time today and hope we can do this again next year.

As John Edwards says, "We should always communicate, validate and appreciate." Maybe that should be a New Years resolution instead of the usuall lose weight and save money because if you don't have family and friends all the other stuff doesn't matter.

Peace To All

Cindy (tinta)

All Wrapped Up

2008-12-24T20:25:00.001-06:00

I finally got all my Christmas shopping done today. Yes, I'm one those last minute shoppers. Everybody is getting so hard to buy for that I can't come up with any good ideas anymore. Well, that's not exactly true! It's getting hard to find things that aren't so expensive to buy. The things kids want nowadays are way out there in prices. This year has been a bad year for finances so I went cheap this year. My kids are adults now, so they should understand. The granddaughters on the other hand......It's so fun to watch the little ones open up presents!!! :-) Isn't that what Christmas is all about anyway?

After I did my shopping, I came home and wrapped. This is another thing that I tend to at the last minute. It took all afternoon. Oh, yeah, I also just got the Christmas tree out today. I had to have somewhere to put the presents. (lol) After wrapping presents I went to the kitchen to try to make some divinity. Grandma made divinity every year at Christmas time. To me, it's just not Christmas without divinity. I had her show me how to make it once, years ago, so I wasn't sure if I would remember but I was going to give it a try. Well, two batches flopped and I'm out of sugar. Oh, well. I'll try again next year.

Hope your Christmas is a happy and healthy one.

Cindy (tinta)

No Power

2008-12-22T19:42:00.002-06:00

We've been out of power since Sunday morning at about 4ish a.m. We are one of the lucky ones though. We have a generator. We were a little worried if our generator still worked. We haven't used for about 2 years. And even then my dear husband only started it out of curiosity. If we can remember right, it is about 10 or 11 years old. It got used regularly when we used to go camping but we haven't done that in about 5 years. Any way, it ran, so we plugged in our furnace and water pump into it but it didn't take long sitting in the peace and quiet with nothing to do that my husband thought about plugging an extension cord in to run the T.V. What a life saver. I called our electric company off and on all day to get the updates on how soon we may have power but they didn't know. Several trips out to the chickens and all the feathered animals to give them fresh and thawed water. We're so glad they're not far from the house. It never got above 1 degree all day but with the windchill it hovered around 20 below zero all day. Darkness sets in and still no electricity so out came the candles and flashlights. It comes in handy when you make your own candles. I have about 8 dozen to choose from and about 40 different scents to choose from too. I sell them at craft shows.

We finally got to sleep around 1 am Monday morning but right back up at 5 am. Dear husband went out to add more gas to the generator and noticed it was leaking oil. Oh No. We decided to let it go to see what would happen. We really didn't have a choice. Turn off the generator and freeze to death or let it go till it blows. We chose heat!! My husband works at an impliment dealership and they sell generators, so he called them to get one but of course they were sold out. But wait, they have one at the other dealership. So they went to pick it up and called us at 3 pm to come and get it. Hubby got it home, we got it unloaded and running and a half and hour later power was restored. (4pm) Go figure. We used our new $2000.00 generator for half and hour. No power for 36 hours!!

Now wait, the story doesn't end there. The dear weatherman says we could get snow tonight, then tomorrow he is expecting us to get a wintery mix. That means more ice, freezing rain and a little snow mixture. Then more snow Wednesday. Combine all that with winds ranging form 10 miles an hour up to 25 miles an hour. Fun Times, huh?

Have a safe day and keep your fingers crossed we don't lose power again.

Cindy (tinta)

A Cold Winter Day

2008-12-19T17:13:00.001-06:00

I have been contumplating on starting up a blog space and thought today would be a good day to do it. We live in Illinois and an ice storm came through last night. Not much to do but sit in the house. So glad we didn't loose power. I'd really be bored!!! I got myself all bundled up and went outside with my camera to get some pictures. The sun was glistening off the ice and it really did look pretty. I'm new to this so I hope I can get the pictures put on here for you to see.

I guess what they say about "rain, sleet or snow will not stop the mail from being delivered" didn't apply to us today.

Here are a few more pictures from around the yard. When you get to the picture of our GS, no that is not her house. She just posed for the picture. She's an inside dog and wouldn't have it any other way!!!

I think I need to learn to turn off the date stamp. (lol) I like to have the date on, so when I take pictures of the granddaughters I don't have to try to remember after they were developed. They say the mind is the first to go.(lol)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Have a safe and happy holiday to all

Cindy (tinta)