Purple Rose of Sharon

HomeFurnishings.com Has Launched

2009-11-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

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Bruce, Lord of the Dance

2009-03-16T20:47:00.001-04:00

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-16T20:24:00.001-04:00

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How Low Will It Go???

2009-01-15T23:03:00.002-05:00

BRRRRR

2009-01-15T21:51:00.002-05:00

Congratulations Brittney and Andrew

2009-01-03T23:12:00.000-05:00

My eldest niece Brittney started the year by marrying her best friend, Andrew. The wedding was originally scheduled for summer 2009, but a pending military deployment made the couple decide to move up the date.Here, my brother, Mike, gets a hug from his daughter before she leaves on her honeymoon.

All I Want for Christmas...

2008-12-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

is a new kitchen floor. I've been wanting a new kitchen floor since we moved into this house six years ago. The flooring was old linoleum that just would not come clean. I had hoped to have the new flooring installed several months ago, but we ended up waiting until just before Christmas to get the project going.The new flooring is 12 x 12 composite tile that required special pre-mixed grout.

Trouble at the Border

2008-12-15T21:25:00.002-05:00

The guy at the Taco Bell drive thru is quite the joker. Watch this video for a few laughs...

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-02T21:20:00.000-05:00

After Bruce got the Christmas lights up on the front of the house, I was thinking of ways to jazz up the empty flower boxes. A quick shopping trip to Big Lots and 10 minutes of arranging and the boxes don't look so empty any more.

More Christmas Fun @ CVS

2008-12-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Buy three American Greetings cards at CVS and you earn the privileged to buy these singing Christmas Bears for $4.99 each (see video below). Not sure what the big deal is... they don't even move.

I'm Not A Computer Expert

2008-11-30T21:23:00.003-05:00

I know how to surf the web, send email, use a few computer programs, burn CDs, resize photos and a few other things that may make me seem like I know a lot about computers.But, other than using a computer, I don't know much about computers. In fact, when my computer gives me the blue screen of death or similar error messages, the only thing I know to do is to shut it down, shake it and then

Critter Cam

2008-11-30T20:55:00.006-05:00

The back yard was full of critters today.Squirrels eating bird food...Birds patiently waiting for the squirrels to get their bellies full...Squirrels eating squirrel food...

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2008-11-30T19:07:00.000-05:00

Fun at CVS...

I never heard of Mitch Hedberg before today, but I like his sense of humor

2008-11-30T13:22:00.006-05:00

Mitch Hedberg jokes:I was at this casino minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, "You're gonna have to move, you're blocking a fire exit." As though if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit.I saw a commercial that said, "forget everything you know about slip covers!" So I did. And it was a load off my mind

Making The Most Of The Weather Reprieve

2008-11-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

The outside temperature was 28 degrees Saturday morning, but the sun came out and it warmed to about 45. That's considered a heat wave this time of year in northern Indiana.We took full advantage of the break in the weather to take care of a few outside chores.Bruce carried about a cord of firewood from the woods to the patio and stacked it into the log racks he built.Then, he hung the Christmas

My new favorite website...

2008-11-29T10:27:00.003-05:00

Let me Google that for you is the perfect website to look up answers for people too lazy to do it for themselves.Ever been on a message board and seen someone post a question that they could have easily answered for themselves with a quick Google search? Instead of answering the question for them, head on over to LetMeGoogleThatForYou.com and type in the search query and generate a URL and then

Guitar Hero Battle

2008-11-27T23:56:00.001-05:00

After Thanksgiving dinner, I played Guitar Hero with brother Mike and his girls Caitie and Jessica. Look for Jess on a stage near you soon -- she rocks!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T23:52:00.000-05:00

Not only did we make homemade stuffing (instead of using Stovetop) and homemade gravy (instead of using store-bought gravy in a jar), Bruce cooked one of the turkeys on the Weber grill and deep fried the other turkey. A big thanks to my friend, Cheryl, for the excellent cooking tips!Here, Spike watches Bruce prepare the grill.Here's a photo of the turkey, fresh off the grill.And, here's Bruce

We Are Thankful For Grandma

2008-11-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

We were blessed to have Grandma join us for Thanksgiving dinner. I can remember many dinners around her table and she was an incredibly good cook. Now it's nice to have her over to dinner around our table.

Macy's Rick Rolls America

2008-11-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

There I was in my kitchen mixing up the yellow stuff for deviled eggs, with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade playing on the TV across the room, when all of a sudden I was Rick Rolled.

Whooo Hoooo -- We Won The Lottery

2008-11-26T19:37:00.001-05:00

Going through some old papers, we came across a lottery ticket that had never been scratched. Turns out it was a $100 winner. What a great way to start off a long holiday weekend!

I'd go broke if my job was flipping houses

2008-11-24T19:39:00.004-05:00

I've noticed, in all of the Flip This House episodes, that the key to a successful flip is working fast. That way you get the work done and the house sold before the first mortgage payment is due.Around our house, home improvement projects move in slow motion. I really don't think it's because we're procrastinators. More likely it's because we're unsure of ourselves when it comes to such

Fun in the Christmas Aisle at Lowe's

2008-11-23T17:04:00.002-05:00

We had to go to Lowe's this weekend to pick up a circuit breaker. Not much fun to be had in the electrical aisle so we headed over to Christmasland to check out the holiday kitsch. We were not disappointed.Guitar Hero Christmas Edition

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2008-11-20T23:34:00.002-05:00

It's snowing yet again here in northern Indiana. This is the 4th snowfall of the season. Total accumulation as of Tuesday was four inches. It did warm up enough on Wednesday that most of the snow had melted and the grass was visible again. But, tonight it started snowing again. It's going to be tough going bringing up the split firewood from the woods to the patio this weekend.

Everything Is On Sale... Nobody Is Buying

2008-11-19T18:20:00.003-05:00

Seems like I get about 10 emails a day from every major retailer with coupons and incentives to buy their stuff. Well, listen up guys, I don't need anything. I need to pay my mortgage and utilities and buy food and gas for my van. Other than that, I'm not spending unless it's something I really, really need. And, it's very doubtful that something I really need is on sale at Macys or JCPenney

So Cute It Will Make Your Head Explode

2008-11-15T10:35:00.001-05:00

Enjoy the Shiba Inu Puppy CamFree video streaming by Ustream

The Last Package of Cookies

2008-11-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

I haven't been keeping up to date on news from the cookie world lately. Apparently the company that makes Archway cookies has filed bankruptcy and has stopped production.It's been a while since I bought any Archway cookies, but when I saw there were only two packages left on the shelf at the grocery store, I snatched up both of them. One package of Windmills and one package of Coconut Bars.I

All ( Catholic ) Dogs Go to Heaven

2008-11-12T21:17:00.002-05:00

A friend emailed me this series of photos documenting a church sign debate between Our Lady of Martyrs Catholic and Cumberland Presbyterian, a fundamentalist church.I realize this was the product of a creative soul, using the Church Sign Generator, but I still liked it. You'll have to click on the photo to see it large enough to read.

New Camera Arrives Today

2008-11-11T23:01:00.007-05:00

I finally got my new Canon camera today. The poor FedEx guy was here three times but couldn't leave the camera because nobody was home to sign for it. Yesterday I was only out of the house for an hour (at the dentist) and FedEx came while I was gone. Anticipating that would happen, I left a note for the delivery guy to let him know I was letting him off the hook and he could leave my camera at

Thank a Vet For Your Freedom

2008-11-10T22:29:00.005-05:00

King Size Coke

2008-11-09T18:49:00.005-05:00

We have a local television station that plays retro shows like the Brady Bunch and Leave it to Beaver and during the breaks they play old-time commercials. Today we caught a commercial for king-size Coke. I joked to Bruce that king-size, back in the day, probably meant 16 ounces. A quick Google search proved out my theory.Wonder what the 24-ounce Diet Coke I'm drinking now would have been

Yummmmmmmm

2008-11-05T22:44:00.004-05:00

Dinner in High Point, NC tonight was wonderful. I'm here in North Carolina meeting with the National Home Furnishings Association and they treated for dinner at the Blue Water Grill.I had a house salad (see below) and shrimp and scallop dinner. Very tasty and beautifully presented.

We're Screwed

2008-11-04T18:35:00.003-05:00

I really have a hard time trying to figure out why so many people are voting for Obama. Well, this news clip solves the mystery. Seems someone spread the word that Obama is going to be making mortgage payments and buying gasoline for all Americans.I had a brief conversation with a friend over the weekend and, after he told me he was going to vote for Obama, I asked why. He said he thought

Busted

2008-11-03T23:27:00.000-05:00

Driving back from the Chicago office this evening I passed an Indiana State Police car that was parked in the median trying to catch speeders. My backseat passenger (my boss) pointed out the cop and I assured him that I was driving the speed limit so there were no worries. Yes, I was driving in the passing lane, but that was only because the right lane was filled with semi trucks driving at

New Camera - Part IV

2008-11-02T18:20:00.001-05:00

Once again I've broken my camera. This time it's totally not my fault (at least I don't think so). I got my camera out of my purse tonight, to take a photo, and the little screen display told me it had a lens error and that I should restart the camera.A quick search on Canon's support website told me that it probably happened when the lens tried to extend while it was being blocked (most likely

Marsupials Scare Me... Because They're Fast

2008-11-01T22:56:00.003-04:00

Kevin Pollak does a great Christopher Walken.

Lunchtime Visitor

2008-10-30T12:48:00.003-04:00

This cute little chipmunk was looking in as I was heating up leftovers for lunch today. Just like Spike, he was on standby, hopeful that I'd share my food.

A Sign of a Civilized Society

2008-10-29T23:44:00.000-04:00

The shopping carts at Martin's Supermarket are always lined up nicely in the cart rack. I take that as a sign that the shoppers at Martin's are a bit more civilized than those at Wal-Mart or Meijer. We have one grocery store in the area, Aldi's, that charges 25-cents to use their shopping carts and you don't get your quarter back unless you line your cart up neatly with the cart in front of it

Let the Christmas Season Begin

2008-10-28T23:41:00.000-04:00

I stopped by CVS this week for Halloween candy and saw they already have their Christmas lights out on display. They were squeezed between the fake pumpkins and the turkey basters.

First Snow of the Season

2008-10-28T23:19:00.000-04:00

Monday afternoon we had rain and hail. The weathermen said it wouldn't stick, but when I woke Tuesday I had to hunt down my snow scraper.

Working from Home Rocks

2008-10-27T23:16:00.000-04:00

It was really cold here in Northern Indiana today. I'm too cheap to crank up the furnace so I was wearing a jacket and wrapped up in a blanket, doing my work from my comfy chair in the family room.Bruce came home from work at lunchtime and brought in some wood and made me a fire. Sure made for a nice working environment.

Why Does Being Healthy Hurt?

2008-10-25T21:13:00.000-04:00

We took advantage of the drive-through flu shot clinic at the Elkhart fire station this morning. Luckily we had cash on hand because the Health Department wasn't sophisticated enough to accept my HSA debit card for payment.

Here in Elkhart County Leaf Burning is Still Legal

2008-10-23T20:33:00.001-04:00

Dancing with the Candidates

2008-10-23T19:46:00.000-04:00

The Beauty of Fall in Northern Indiana

2008-10-22T21:55:00.001-04:00

A showy display on the Indiana toll road, as seen on my way back from Chicago today.My passenger took the photos -- my hands were on the wheel and my eyes were on the road.~~~ The sassafras tree in our back yard is the most colorful spot in the yard right now. ~~~

The Garden - Pre Frost

2008-10-21T22:24:00.000-04:00

We had our first frost last night. The remaining flowers in the garden are now frostbitten. Here's the last photo of the garden pre-frost.

Freecycle Rocks

2008-10-20T23:50:00.002-04:00

It's a well-know fact that most Americans have too much stuff. We buy Rubbermaid boxes to hold all of our stuff. We have space bags to store our stuff in less space than it would normally occupy. We have attics, garages, storage sheds and closets full of stuff.When you're ready to purge, visit Freecycle.org.Most people who know me know that I hate clutter. A few years ago I stopped buying

Still Making Progress

2008-10-19T22:16:00.001-04:00

One of the boards on our deck has been warped for the past several months. One item on our fall chores checklist was to replace that board. We did have an extra board to use, but Bruce found that a few screws solved the problem.

Have You Carved Your Pumpkin Yet?

2008-10-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

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Newfound Respect for Pork Steak

2008-10-15T21:52:00.003-04:00

During this past weekend's freezer inventory project, we came across a few pieces of meat that have been in the freezer for a long, long time. I know why they've been in the freezer for so long (because I didn't want to cook or eat them) and I wasn't anxious to thaw them out.1) Bag full of cut up fish chunks (not sure who gave this to us, but definitely not store bought). --I knew Bruce would

Spike Loves Grandma

2008-10-12T20:53:00.003-04:00

We had Grandma over for dinner this evening. It was nice for us to take a break from the fall chore list. And, it was a relief for her to get out of the institution for an outing that didn't involve a trip to a medical facility.After dinner and pumpkin pie, she snuggled with Spike for a bit. He had been a little miffed that after all of his begging during dinner, the only handout from Grandma

Halloween Decor Gone Horribly Wrong

2008-10-12T20:45:00.003-04:00

In December I wrote a blog post about the house that threw up Christmas. Turns out that as the seasons change, so does the color of their vomit.

Worried About Our Economy

2008-10-12T18:24:00.008-04:00

As Cheryl and I were finishing lunch Friday, Bill Moor, a columnist for the South Bend Tribune, stopped by our table and asked if we would comment about how the free falling stock market is affecting our lunch conversations and our everyday lives.We've actually been talking about this quite a bit lately and we were happy to share our thoughts with Mr. Moor. My 401k statement had actually arrived

Crossed Another Fall Chore Off My List

2008-10-11T18:09:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a difference this stain made on the cedar fence. We just put the fence up this spring and it had really faded quite a bit over the summer.Someone that lives in a nearby neighborhood had such a beautifully stained fence that I knocked on their door to find out what they used on it to get that color. They happily shared the info with me and I picked up two gallons of the stain at the

Mystery Frozen Food

2008-10-11T12:14:00.004-04:00

I had planned to get an early start staining the back of the fence this morning. But, I found a few distractions along the way. I conned Bruce into helping me take inventory of the food in our freezers (both the chest freezer and the refrigerator's freezer). My trick is telling him that I need his opinion on something. And, as he gets out of his easy chair to come give me his opinion, I spring

Never Buy a Used Rental Car

2008-10-06T22:14:00.003-04:00

Today was the first day of my new twice-weekly schedule of renting a car to drive into my work's Chicago office. I've driven Fords for the past 20 years so when I do rent cars, I spent the first 15 minutes trying to figure out how everything works.Today's rental was a 2009 Nissan Altima with .5 miles (not a typo -- it had one half of one mile on it). The rental car guy told me how to start it (

Have You Decided?

2008-10-05T08:35:00.001-04:00

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Garage Revitilization Project - Phase II

2008-10-04T23:14:00.000-04:00

I've finally finished the first half of the garage make-over project. I finished painting the ceiling today and then touched up the top of the walls with the wall paint color. Then we moved all of the cabinets, freezer and everything else over to the finished side so I can start in on the other side.Unfortunately, as we moved all of the cabinets back to that side of the garage, we gouged the

Bruce Makes Progress on Fall Chores

2008-10-04T22:09:00.000-04:00

The neighbor behind us played the "bitch and win" game and won! He'd been complaining about our bushes making it hard to mow the back of his yard. Today Bruce gave the bushes a major trimming. When he finished, I mentioned that if we put edging down around the bushes and filled in with mulch that the area would look a lot better. He suggested I invite my friends at HGTV over to take on that

Spikes Loves Sarah Palin

2008-10-04T11:19:00.003-04:00

HGTV Makeover - I Want

2008-10-04T10:04:00.000-04:00

I got stuck in the HTGV mode Saturday morning. This front of house makeover was particularly interesting because the house has the same basic shape as ours and their Craftsman makeover is exactly what I want.These people had a huge budget though. They spent $2,000 on four light fixtures. $18K on stone and $22K on the stamped and stained concrete driveway. We don't need new windows thankfully -

Let the Halloween Season Begin

2008-10-02T22:47:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, Halloween was just one day. Well, for my brother it was three days -- he'd go trick or treating the night before Halloween, on Halloween night and again the night after Halloween.Now, Halloween is an entire season. It starts in late September as the back-to-school supplies are replaced with bags of candy at the stores. Then come the pumpkins doing disgusting things emails.

Another project... what in the heck are we thinking???

2008-10-01T22:07:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd finish painting the garage ceiling tonight. Well, at least half of it. But Bruce had other ideas. We've been complaining for months about the doggie urine smell coming from our dining room. So tonight Bruce ripped up the carpet.We don't have any new flooring to put down yet and will probably wait until one of the home centers has another six-months-same-as-cash sale before we

Why is this taking so long???

2008-09-30T23:32:00.000-04:00

Several times a week I watch home improvement shows on HGTV in which people make major home renovations in 30 minutes including new flooring, kitchen counters and paint. Yea, I know there's a lot of editing involved, but I seriously think I'm the slowest painter in the world. Good thing I work in an office instead of as a home improvement person.I'm still working on the first half of my garage

A Needed Distraction

2008-09-29T23:48:00.000-04:00

Now that the walls look so nice, I'm ready to tackle the ceiling. But, I hate painting ceilings. The last time I painted a ceiling I ended up covered in little specs of paint.So, as a distraction from that project, I painted the garage cabinets.Here's the before...And the after...

Cortina Valley

2008-09-28T22:19:00.004-04:00

A quick trip to Menards for some wall and ceiling paint turned into a major shopping trip. We settled on a very light green (cortina valley) paint for the garage walls. Painting a light color in a room with bad lighting is not that easy to do. Now that it's dry, I can see a few spots that I missed. So, tomorrow night I'll touch up the walls and paint the ceiling.Thanks to our Menards shopping

Notre Dame Beats Purdue

2008-09-27T21:28:00.000-04:00

Late Friday afternoon Bruce received a call from WRBR letting him know he had won entry into their Notre Dame tent party, along with two friends. Kelly and I were happy to join him.We ate tons of free food from Taco Bell, played the corn hole game and ran into several friends and neighbors.One of the WRBR staffers was passing out t-shirts using a shirt cannon. Rather than pointing the cannon in

Bread Bag Comes to Life

2008-09-27T20:04:00.000-04:00

As we pulled into the ATM in Osceola Saturday morning some movement in the grassy area caught my eye. It was a bread bag jumping and spinning around. Turns out it was actually a squirrel inside of a bread bag.

Social Media at its Finest

2008-09-27T08:55:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love social media. ...1) Complain about something.2) Point out the spelling mistakes of those who complain about your complaint.3) Tell people to stop complaining about other people's complaints.4) Rinse and repeat.

Go Jimmies

2008-09-26T22:08:00.002-04:00

We've lived in Jimtown now for five years and tonight was the first time we went to a Jimtown Jimmies football game. We started by going to the Original Jonah Fish Fry at the high school and then moseyed on into the stadium for the game.Many of our friends and neighbors were at the game, and other than the uncomfortable seats, we had quite a nice time.

What a Difference Some Paint Makes

2008-09-26T21:58:00.004-04:00

I've had this long-time fantasy of having a garage with stark white walls, a shiny floor and nothing at all in the garage except for my Ford Mustang Convertible. And, of course, that Mustang is on a turntable so it spins around while I admire my car from all angles.We'll today I patched up the garage walls (still working on just the south half of the garage while all the junk is crammed on the

Wouldn't I Look Great in This

2008-09-25T22:28:00.002-04:00

Planting a Tree is Easy...

2008-09-25T21:30:00.005-04:00

... when someone else does the digging. Two more fall chores crossed off the list: Tree Planting: DoneFront Yard Seeding: Done~~~

Planting a Tree is Hard

2008-09-24T20:37:00.006-04:00

I'm skipping around on my fall chores list. The garage floor epoxy seems dry to the touch, but I think I'll let it set for another day to really firm up before I start in on the garage wall patch and paint job and then epoxy the other half of the garage floor.Tonight's projects were going to be planting the Japanese Maple tree that I bought earlier this summer, and sowing a bit more grass seed in

Garage Floor Epoxy Project - Day 3

2008-09-23T20:47:00.004-04:00

I came home from work Monday, anxious to finish the first half of the garage floor revitalization project. Sunday night I slow cooked enough food for the entire week so I could jump into my fall chores each night after work, rather than wasting time cooking. So, as I warmed up and ate Monday's dinner, I watched the garage floor epoxy instructional DVD. Step 1 -- rinse the garage floor, apply

Fall Chores Continued

2008-09-21T20:21:00.004-04:00

I crossed #2 off my list today. I painted the front door. I'd really like to get a new front door, but the one I have my eye on is nearly four grand. I don't want it that bad!As I stood back to admire my paint job I noticed the porch lights are quite rusted. I think I'll add a #11 to my fall chore list and paint those light fixtures. They have a brass finish now, but I'm thinking about

Garden Cleanup

2008-09-20T20:12:00.000-04:00

Saturday I pulled the last of the kohlorabi and cukes out of the garden. The tomatoes have been done for a few weeks. The strawberries and peppers are still blooming. I spent a few hours Saturday morning pulling up the dead plants and spent vines. Garden cleanup was #1 on my list of fall chores. I know I'll have another full day of garden cleanup in the coming weeks, but for now, I've

Still Running After All Those Miles

2008-09-19T19:51:00.000-04:00

My 1998 Ford E150 Van turned over 200,000 miles today. I really like this van and am sad to see it start to show signs of aging. The body was perfect until a couple of unfortunate incidents last year. One dingy woman decided she was tired of waiting for traffic to clear for her left turn so she turned right, right into me. I wasn't even moving. A few months later, I ran into a very short, but

Sign of the Times

2008-09-18T20:44:00.000-04:00

I don't feel the need to know what Saulo Ribeiro Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is, but I thought it was a neat idea that they added "Google It" to this sign.

Honey Bees

2008-09-17T22:40:00.000-04:00

My asters are in full bloom, finally. I transplanted them from the patio area to the side yard this spring. Last year they got so huge they blocked the sun from smaller plants around the patio. This evening I noticed they were covered in honey bees.

The Speak Out Column in The Paper

2008-09-16T20:53:00.000-04:00

Previously in this blog, I've poked fun at the Speak Out column from our local, weekly shopper newspaper, The Paper. Here's another "winner" from this week's issue:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~COP OUTI believe when a man and a woman are married, they should communicate and try to work things out. In fact, I have had a man come and cry on my shoulder who I thought was my friend. He sure had a mental

I Love Gumbo!

2008-09-15T20:53:00.002-04:00

My little sis tipped me off that my favorite Indianapolis cajun restaurant, Yats, just opened in Chicago. I had to go to Chicago today for a meeting and made it a point to stop by Yats to get a bunch of food for carry out.As soon as I had secured the Gumbo, Chili Cheese Crawfish Etouffee and Red Beans and Sausage, I called hubby at worked to let him know what was coming for dinner. He was

SNL

2008-09-14T16:59:00.000-04:00

Did you see SNL this week? The skit with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Senator Hillary Clinton was hilarious. I actually liked this version of Hillary better than the real thing.My favorite lines:Hillary: "I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy."Palin: "And, I can see Russia from my house."Hillary: "I believe global warming is caused by

Hope you filled up before the hurricane hit

2008-09-14T15:29:00.002-04:00

New Church in Osceola...

2008-09-13T21:54:00.002-04:00

... Not Really ;-) Make your own Church Sign at ChurchSignGenerator.com.

New Grass

2008-09-13T17:46:00.005-04:00

I'll need to get some more grass seed down this week. The new grass is coming in nicely, but there are a couple of bare spots.Compare this photo to the photos below. Since April we've removed all of the bushes, removed 13 trees, brought in 16 tons of black dirt, planted several new types of flowers and reclaimed much of the formerly wooded area into grass for the lawn.~~~~~~~~~

It's Official...

2008-09-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

It got pretty wet here today.

Rainy Morning

2008-09-13T16:09:00.004-04:00

The rain gauge shows 3" from this morning's rain. I usually complain about our sandy soil, but today it was helpful in quickly draining the 7" of standing water in the culvert under our driveway.

Fun with Potatoes

2008-09-12T23:29:00.002-04:00

Ever wonder what goes on in a restaurant's kitchen when business is slow?Late Friday night, the head chef at Hunter's Place in Elkhart came out of the kitchen to visit with a few patrons and show off his artwork.

Celebrating New Beginnings

2008-09-12T23:25:00.000-04:00

Here Coy wishes both Lori and JoAnn the best of luck as they start a new chapter in their lives. Lori is going full time with her photography business and JoAnn starts her new job on Monday. I sure will miss having these girls in our office.

September 11, 2001 Remembered

2008-09-11T21:17:00.003-04:00

From: BreakingNews@CNN.COMSent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 8:52 AMSubject: CNN Breaking NewsBREAKING NEWS from CNN.com-- World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has crashed into tower. Details to come.--------------------------------------------------------From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM [mailto:BreakingNews@CNN.COM]Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 9:21 AMSubject: CNN Breaking

Still Working on Curb Appeal Project

2008-09-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here's a before and after view of the front of the garage. We took out the bushes in April and added some flowers. Later this fall I plan to add some red mulch, but that will be much easier to do after all of the flowers die back.~~~

Another Freaky Bug

2008-09-10T23:57:00.000-04:00

This one was hanging out on the garage door this evening. Its body is about 3" long with a huge stinger sticking out the back.

No Painting Today

2008-09-07T22:33:00.005-04:00

I had planned to paint the front door today. But, I didn't have the heart to scrape off or paint over the many critters hanging out there.~~~~~~~~~

Many Critters Hanging Out in Our Yard Today

2008-09-06T22:26:00.000-04:00

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New Fall Sweater

2008-09-05T22:16:00.001-04:00

I haven't bought any new clothes since February and was hoping to make it to the cold weather without having to buy any season- transition clothes.Turns out I didn't have anything light weight, yet warm enough for my Chicago trip. Too cool for short sleeves, but not cold enough for a winter sweater.I found this light-weight, 3/4 length sleeve sweater with a built-in blouse collar and cuffs at

Where is Room 800?

2008-09-04T23:55:00.001-04:00

I had a business dinner in Chicago Thursday night followed by a meeting Friday morning so I had to stay in a hotel rather than drive back and forth twice.I checked into the hotel and took the elevator up to the 8th floor and made two complete rounds of the floor without finding my room. I had to call down to the front desk for directions. They sent up a security guard to escort me to my

Such beauty

2008-09-03T22:02:00.003-04:00

Turns out I can't bear to leave the praying mantis as the lead photo of my blog tonight. So, I'm ending my evening blog session with a pleasant photo of the butterfly bushes and rudbeckia that are still in full bloom around our deck.

My Biggest Fear

2008-09-03T21:52:00.004-04:00

A friend sent me an email earlier tonight that asked a bunch of questions and I was supposed to respond with one-word answers.One of the questions was, "What is your biggest fear." It took me a bit of thinking to come up with something. My final answer was "Illness."As I was searching Google images to try to identify the blue and red bug I saw in my sunflower photo, I came across a photo of a

Colorful Bug

2008-09-03T21:36:00.003-04:00

I didn't even notice this bug as I was taking a photo of a sunflower that is about to bloom behind my shed. But, when I started to crop the photo I took a closer look and noticed this oddity.It reminds me of a tropical fish...