Sun bathing dogs, crashing angels, seeing a man about a job

It has been a lovely week here in the Lilac Thicket.  Professor has been hard at it cleaning our new sofa, planting the lovely flowers (pictured above) and other cleaning marvels that have never before seen in our lovely secluded Eden.  He claims that our beloved 12 year old Britney Spaniel has been supervising him and that is why various things happen or don't because Rose is/is not watching close enough.  Case in point, I get an IM that he has broken my folk art angel on the entertainment center in pursuit of an over-vigorous cleaning.  It was Rose's fault she was too busy sun bathing to supervise him properly.  Oh well the angel is now in heaven where all angels end up.  I am enjoying every minute of Professor's cleaning, no matter how many angels end up in heaven.

Professor and I were discussing our printer issue, we needed to "find" something to put it on in the front room.  Mom's neighbor had his house repossessed which is very sad but the bank cleared everything left out of the house into the front yard.  My mother went over and got a lovely dining table and 4 chairs AND a bottom half of a china cabinet.  She called and told us to come over to take a look at them, she had thought of us.  The chairs need to have the legs glued but it is definitely a lovely set for the cost of nothing.  The cabinet bottom has a top that is marred badly but a nice doily or table runner would cover that, Professor and I think it is tall enough for a sofa table.  My darling brother is going to pick them up and bring them over this weekend.  My current little kitchen table, we are going to put it in my craft room as a work surface, as soon as that room is cleaned out.  I am so excited and Professor keeps proclaiming how all is coming along so smoothly, we both believe it is God working for us. 

But to get back to the printer table we walked over to the pile in my mother's neighbor's yard and we both spotted the above end table.  It needed cleaning and it also needs a screw or two in one of the legs, but it sits nicely in the corner and hides a lot of the cords for our laptop.  It was a great solution and it cost us nothing but a little gas and elbow grease.

Professor Kleenz It Up quickly changed into his Professor Birdwatcher attire on Wednesday, he should have dressed in pants not shorts because there was a cool breeze off the water and little sunshine.  But we drove out to the lake and broke in his binoculars on some birds.  We spotted a Great Blue Heron, a blue bird, swallows and ducks and ducklings.  We sat up at the Marina and just marvelled at all the shades of green and the sound of the water lapping onto the shore.  It was a wonderful morning and I enjoyed sharing it with the Professor. 

This weekend I am going to start my tomato seeds and begin the cleaning of the guest bedroom.  I have a special dinner I plan on cooking for my Professor Lover Boy.  Besides my brother bringing over our furniture we will make a trip over to my other brother's to see a man about a lawn job he wishes Professor Lawn Care to do for him.  We should have a wonderful weekend in the Lilac Thicket and I am certain it will go by far too quickly for my taste.  May you know the happiness and joy we residents of the Thicket know.  God Bless us Everyone.

Miscellany of good stuff!!!

http://istitchcharts.blogspot.com/

This is a new designer to me.  Carol R of I Stitch hales from the U.K.  She has some wonderful designs for purchase AND some darling free designs.  The above shown design is one for purchase.

http://www.elizabethabernathy.com/2011/04/refashion-tutorial-pillowcase-tote-bag.html
A tote made out of a pillow case...how stinking cute is that!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/04/22/beautiful-handmade-bookmarks-teacher-appreciation/


These would be cute gifts, bookmarks made of scrap fabrics.

http://classiclyamber.com/blog/2011/03/21/super-easy-spring-wreath/


It's pink, it's flowers, it's freaking darling! 

http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/2011/01/diy-bangles-dress-up-your-wrists.html


Very, very, cute, cute, girlish, girlish, bangles, bangles!

http://www.polkadotbride.com/2011/03/flowergirl-hair-clips/


My favorite colors, pink and pink and of course it has to do with cute hair!

http://kojodesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/sincerest-form-of-flattery-guest-erin.html


I might have to change my mind about the pillows I want for my "new" sofa.  I love, love, love this one!

http://megardengal.blogspot.com/2011/04/ugly-book-tote-to-vintage-lace-and.html


Oh this is the vintage style a girlish girl like myself loves and it is made from one of those ugly old totes everyone has hanging around. 

http://vayou.over-blog.com/article-grilles-gratuites-fees-69116128.html

Isn't she a cute fairy?  It's a freebie and I love, love, love freebies!

Happy Easter Gentle Readers

Everything I learned from the Easter Bunny!!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Everyone needs a friend that is all ears.
There is no such thing as too much candy!
All work and no play can make you a basket case!
A cute tail attracts a lot of attention!
Everyone is entitled to a bad Hare day (say it ain't so)!
Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits!
Some body parts should be floppy!
Keep your paws off other people's jelly beans ('specially the pink ones)!
Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.
The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.
To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.
The best things in life are still gooey and sweet.

 

We had the sweetest discovery here at the Lilac Thicket, just in time for Easter.  A Mama robin has built it's nest on the rain spout at the front of our dwelling and is sitting on eggs.  I couldn't get her to smile for her portrait, she could have been having a bad feather day with the rain and all. 

So my fine and gentle reader I hope you have a wonderful Easter and I know you know the reason that we celebrate Easter is not a bunny or a peep or an egg!  Thank you my Lord and Father for sending your son Jesus to us to die for our sins so we can enjoy an everlasting life with you in heaven!  God Bless us Everyone!



A bargain and a household tip to easily remove blood!

A new sofa in the Lilac Thicket, well not so new but  a wonderful find at my favorite Thrift Shop which you have heard me speaking of in a previous post.  My beloved and I went up there Wednesday in search of sweatpants for his Royal Professorship.  We both saw this Lazyboy Sleeper Sofa and commented on it.  It had been marked from $100 down to $60 and were told if we hauled it out of the store upon paying for it we would get an additional 25% off.  I called my nephew with the pick-up and he could come to our rescue so... we have a "new" sofa for $45.  It needs a little cleaning and it will be beautiful. Next I want toss pillows and I saw this....

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2009/12/winning-tutorial-snow-ruffle-pillow.html

They don't look too difficult to make and I was thinking a blue fabric for the pillow form cover and the ruffle in white!  I think it will be very pretty. 

Well his Royal Professorship (RP) has been a domestic wonder and I love it.  Nothing in my life is as it was 3 weeks ago, a little bit of confusion such as losing my debit card, his house key and my wallet has ensued in the cleaning and reorganizing that has been ongoing.  However RP makes a comment how I need to be "more careful" with my "things" because I am misplacing my items!  So after the police and EMS left upon tending to RP's injuries (there sure is a lot of blood shed when someone accidentally is thrown thru a window) I gently reminded him that when I leave for work my home looks one way and when I get home it has been rearranged, making it is difficult to remember where I last placed something.  Domestic Bliss, I love it.

No stitching has been accomplished in the Thicket, maybe my next day off.  Wednesday if the weather is nice we may go to Missouri Town 1855.  RP loves westerns and this reconstructed town from 1855 would really be interesting to him.  I hope he can navigate the old town on his crutches and he is still having double vision issues due to his unfortunate flight thru the window, so I guess he will enjoy it twice as much.  Love is a wondrous thing!

So my gentle readers please be careful around plate glass windows and hydrogen peroxide works wonders at getting nasty blood stains out of drapes and carpets!  God Bless us Everyone!

Domestic Bliss

Yes there has been no stitching at the Lilac Thicket...none!  We have a new resident in our secluded corner of suburbanopia.  He is the washer of cars, the mopper of floors, the buster of dust, the destroyer of all that is sewage, the master of the lawn mower and the king of my tranquil domestic bliss!  He is a keeper, a wonderful pious man of God and he has brought order to the chaos that is my Lilac Thicket. 


His sister told me he is the Domestic King, he loves to make all he purveys homey and comfy.  I had already figured that one out.  My mother was concerned that I might not adapt well to the presence of anyone in my home as I have been alone most of my adult years but I have acclimated myself well and wouldn't want to go back to the solitude.  God did not want us to be by ourselves, he wanted us to rejoice in a relationship and work together for the common good of family, no matter how large or small.


I have a pot of black beans cooking on the crock pot, haven't done THAT in years and tomorrow I am going to bake myself some cookies.  Oh my gosh, I have had a conversion!  I am blissfully happy.  Got more housework to do but so much has been done.  We had a runny toilet, a clogged bathroom sink, a leaking kitchen sink AND a basement filled with water.  Well Roger the Plumber made several trips to our troubled plumbing nightmare and we are all good now.  The huge trees in our front yard seem to be causing issues every couple of years with our sewer line, it is a great adventure to see poop floating about in one's basement, not to mention the lovely oh-door that permeates the dwelling...me thinks Glade needs to think about a room freshener called eau de pooh! 


Tomorrow I am going to make these cookies.  They are SO good and my dear friend Hip Hop Dot shared her Peanut Butter Cookies recipe.  Here it is:

Hip Hop Dot's Peanut Butter Cookies

Bake @ 375° for 8-10 minutes

3 cups flour
½ cup butter
½ cup lard
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt


Cream fat, add sugars & mix.  Add peanut butter, beaten eggs, vanilla and mix.  Sift together flour, salt, soda & mix with creamed mixture.  Shape into balls and place on greased cookie sheet.  Press with fork to make criss cross design with sugar.


I also want to make some chocolate chip cookies.  My brother came over to help my Knight Sir Kleenzalot with the lawn mower and I wanted to make some cookies to thank brother for his help.


So my fine and beautiful readers of the Lilac Thicket may all your pursuits be successful and joyous!