Should I Try To Make a Resolution or Two?

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Happy New Year to you all.

I usually never bother to make resolutions.

I mean, I might have but they never lasted so I don't even remember.

This year I have got to make a REAL EFFORT to organize and de-clutter things in this house.

It's starting to drive me nuts.

I found a site that I'm going to try and follow. 

How to declutter for 365 days, 15 minutes per day!

(I'll put the address at the bottom)

I can do 15 minutes a day right?

RIGHT?

I did clear my kitchen island and get the new calendar.

I think the trick will be not to re-clutter the places you've de-cluttered!!

Hmmmmmm.

And

There's something else I want to re-try!

I think I blogged about having an over-abundance of food in my freezer and pantry and that I was going to stop going to the grocery store except for perishables and live off what I have.

Here:

http://shirleys-world.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-think-im-food-hoarder.html

Well . . . 

That hasn't worked so far.

I did go through everything and threw outdated stuff away.  

(Which was a lot but I still have way to much)

So I'm going to try that again.

My problem is reading wonderful sounding recipes on line (darn Pinterest!!)

Then I want to make the dish but I need one or two things at the grocery store.

Which, of course adds up to a basket full.

More stuff into the pantry!

Everyone makes a resolution to lose weight and exercise, right?
Well, since I don't really need to lose weight (don't hate me!), I do need to get myself moving, become more active like I used to be just a little over a year ago and to get out among people more!!
So I have made the first steps:
I joined "Silver Sneakers" and today I joined the Rec. Center which is free when you are a "Silver Sneakers" member!!

You can read more about this journey on my other blog:
"It's Always Something"
http://shirleysworldproblems.blogspot.com/

As promised the web site of the Decluttering 365 is here:
http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/declutter.html

Have a nice day everyone and a very Happy New Year!

Shirley

Trompe l'oeil

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This is a re-post of one I did back 5 years ago.  Nothing has changed in here though!

trompe l'oeil. noun, often attributive trȯmp-ˈlə-ē, trōⁿp-ˈlœi\. : a style of painting in which things are painted in a way that makes them look like real objects.

This is the mantle that we put in the library. The mantle itself is an antique; it had been pulled out of an old house. My husband and I got it at an antique dealer in N. Carolina.  

I love the flaked aqua paint color.

Now it's the fireplace middle that I'm posting about. Just putting a mantle against a wall just doesn't do it. 

 You have to give it some depth.

I got a large piece of plywood and painted it black. I then laid the mantle down and drew around the opening so I would know where to paint the stones.

I splattered some black and white paint in a tray and then got a 4 inch roller and rolled it back and forth a few times in the paint till I got the desired effect. Each time I would roll a "stone" it looked different. After I got the "stones" painted, I took a small brush, going around the inside edges with black paint to round them and make them a little more real looking.

So here it is, still sitting in the same spot as we put it when we moved into this house. It just seems to fit here. A fireplace where there wasn't one.

Have a wonderful day.

Shirley

Short Visit to the Barn

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I stopped at the barn this beautiful sunny December day to see my guys.

They were out enjoying their hay in the courtyard.

There are several paddocks besides the big pastures.

They were closest to the barn.

They came right over to see me.

I'm sure they heard the treat bag with cookies and carrots in it.

Hi Preacher!

Beautiful Echo

These are the new hay racks.  Keeps the hay off the ground.

It is so great to have my horses at this facility where they are given top notch care.
There are a lot of days in the cold winter when I don't venture out!
I took advantage of this wonderful 50 degree day!

Shirley

Back to the Normal Routine

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It's the day after Christmas and no, I don't do that crazy shopping for bargains with the big crowds.

I really never did.

I'm back to my normal routine at home and will go to the barn later in the day.

The dogs are fed and napping.

The barn cats have been fed and mamma cat is off hunting or whatever she does everyday,

Pepsi is lounging under the heat lamp.

It looks like there's snow outside but there's not, it's just really bright today.

The sun is actually out and the temps are going to be in the 50's later before the big drop later in the week.

So I'm going to spend as much time as I can outside in the sun, soaking up some Vitamin D!

I fixed the chickens a treat of the oatmeal and corn I had leftover.

That's usually for when it's really cold but I had to use this up.

They, of course, love any treats!!

Little girl Spirit is not the least bit "birdy"  She doesn't even point or make a fuss about the chickens.  She's watching me in the chicken run here.

The girls are starting to lay already.  I got these 3 yesterday!

Since the chickens have moulted and grown back their nice new feathers, Lily no longer has her dirty little face.

This is her now.

This was her all summer!!

I think she gets her little face feathers all wet and sticky from the summer watermelon then roots in the dirt!!

OK, I'm going outside again.

Hope it's sunny by you!

Shirley

Christmas Morning with Dexter and Spirit

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Dexter had Christmas presents last year but this may be the first Christmas presents Spirit has ever gotten.

She seems to be good at opening the package once she got the hang of it!!

I love these two!!

Merry Christmas,

Shirley

Post note:

The head is already ripped off the duck so far!!

Memories from Christmas 2014

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Last night, Christmas Eve at my son's, was all about the grandkids, Ava and Jack.

They could hardly wait till dinner was over to get to the gifts!

Here's a few photos.

I always wish I'd taken more but everyone was taking them 

so my daughter will probably post more on FB.

Merry Christmas

Shirley

Christmas Eve

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It's Christmas Eve afternoon.

I have Christmas music playing and feel like I should light a fire in the fireplace.

However, here in NE Ohio, for some strange reason, it's 60 degrees today and part of tomorrow!!

Strange weather!

So I'm saving my wood for a cold, cold day.  I'm sure they are coming back shortly.

I got two handmade cards from my sister this year. 

 One had my gift of the two gift cards I enjoy the most.

Starbucks and Panera!

I did almost my entire Christmas shopping on line this year.

The few times I had to go into the stores, it was not an enjoyable experience!

Maybe I was just too much in a hurry which you can't be with those crowded stores!

And it was exhausting!

I found it so much better shopping from my desktop.

I have the car trunk loaded with gifts to take to my son's tonight.

Plus cookies and fudge.

We have Christmas Eve there now.

I enjoyed having it here and I might start that tradition back next year if they'll come!

I probably wouldn't make a whole big dinner like Linda does but we'd have something!

We are supposed to have high winds starting later this afternoon.  I'm hoping my house doesn't lose power while I'm gone.

Plus poor Dexter is so afraid of the wind sounds.

Well, Merry Christmas to you and yours from me and the dogs, cats, horses, and chickens!

from

Shirley

Dexter and Spirit

Preacher and Echo

Pepsi and Angel

and

Martha, Molly, Eggo, Lily and Dottie

A Simple Christmas Table-scape

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I haven't done a table-scape in awhile but I wanted to do a Christmas one.  

I had gotten this new table cloth and also learned to do a Christmas Tree napkin fold!!

I think there's a you tube video about how to do it somewhere.

And for the tea drinker.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Shirley
Shared on How Sweet the Sound
Pink Saturday
Holiday addition
http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Are You Getting The Right Kind Of Sleep??

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Well, there's an app for that!!!

Of Course!

And I must say I'm REALLY impressed.

A lot of times, I feel as tired when I get up as when I went to bed.

The problem being . . . maybe I'm not getting enough REM sleep.

Also, if you wake up to an alarm, you don't want it going off when you are in a deep sleep.

That's when you will feel like a zombie!

But how does one know unless you go in for a whole sleep study!

Well, here is the way.

I downloaded the app yesterday to my iPhone.

It costs only 99 cents!

It's called "Sleep Cycle"

The graph of my sleep pattern last night looked pretty good.

This is me. 

I love this techie stuff!

I can't wait to go to bed tonight to see my sleep pattern again.

It also wakes you when you are in a light sleep with wonderful soft sounds or music that you choose.

Take a look.

Here's how it works.

http://www.sleepcycle.com/howitworks.html

http://www.sleepcycle.com/

Shirley

The Christmas Rush

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My daughter (the photographer) came over this past Saturday, so at least I have my Christmas cards.  Most are going out over the internet however!

I know that's the cheaper, easier way but, oh well, that's me anymore.  I'm still frantically ordering some things online hoping they will get here before Christmas.

I just emailed the cards out when my email went out.

I've been trying to fix it all day but it's beyond me so I will have to give Applecare a call.

At least face book works or I'd really be out of touch.

Spirit, my new little girl pointer, is working out really well with Dexter so I've already sent in the adoption papers.  Now she has her very own home forever.

I have to finish my table-scape in the dining room but I made the island in the kitchen look a little more like Christmas.

I will have lots more pictures of Spirit that Michele took but I have to wait till my email is working for her to send them to me in bigger files.

I have to bake Christmas cookies yet and wrap presents!!

Oh My!

Hope you all are getting things done in the Christmas rush.

I really envy the woman who can have all her gifts bought and wrapped by August!!!

That's never been me, that's for sure!

Shirley

Here's my daughter's photography website.

It sure is worth taking a look.

http://www.mzezulakphotography.com/

Spirit's Arrival

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My new doggie is here.

(AKA foster dog)

My pet sitter Jolene was so good to offer to drive me down near Columbus to make the connection of the last leg of Spirit's trip from Florida.

The Pointer Rescue Org. transport team did the rest.

The trip even included a couple of the legs done by Pilot's-N-Paws.

So Spirit even had an airplane ride part of the way!

She is certainly the sweet girl that everyone talked about.

I had already thought I would adopt her if she got along with Dexter.

Well, Dexter seems happy to have a sister and everything is going fine.
Originally she was found as a stray in Oklahoma this past Spring and taken to a shelter where she was found to have a mammary tumor plus the fact that she was so skinny.
The shelter removed the tumor and spayed her and the
Pointer Rescue Organization(PRO) took her in.
She was then transported to Florida where she's been with a foster since August.
Here's the picture after she arrived here Sunday night.
She was so tired and was glad to go to bed.

Yesterday she tried on her new winter coat.

After all, it's a lot colder here than FL!

Purple looks good on you little girl!

She has such sad, soulful eyes.

I hope she will soon realize that she is now home for good.

The first part of the day I let Dexter and her meet over the gates but I saw that they were fine and let them together.

Dexter wanted to play!

I think he thinks she is his Christmas present.

I've let PRO know that I will adopt.

They played all day between naps.

Then slept on the couch together like all pointers do!

I sat by the fire in a chair and watched "Major Crimes".

This morning I took her up to my vet and had her all checked over.  She's in good healthy shape and is 6 or 7 years old.

She could lose a couple pounds but we'll work on that!  I got Dexter about this same time last year!

Merry Christmas to me!!!

Shirley