Thursday, December 29, 2016

The WWR Chronicles ~ Part I

{In 2014, we undertook a HUGE remodel project.  During (and since) that time, several followers asked me to post photos of the remodel project (yes really).  I never have...for the following (among other) reasons:(1) the project isn't really and truly "complete;" (2) I didn't have the sense to take good "before" photos; (3) I doubted a lot of people would be interested; (4) I really didn't know where to begin; and (5) By now, it's old news and I thought that most of those followers who had asked had long since drifted away. Well, with regard to the last point, I may be mostly correct, but there is, in fact, one faithful follower who still asks...and so begins the WWR Chronicles.  These will be divided into separate posts, and clearly labeled as such, so if you have no interest in WWR, you can pass over quickly with my blessing.  I have no idea HOW many segments there will be at this point (heck, they, like the remodel project, may never end)....but I do intend to intersperse "regular" blog posts in between the chronicles so as not to completely drive you all away. Oh...and if you're wondering what WWR stands for:  WHEN WE REMODELEDTo first-time visitors and passers-by: this is really not my typical blog fodder LOL.....}    

Once upon a time, in the cold, cold, land of Nod, there was a teeny, tiny, house.
Mama and Papa Crow had purchased the little house when they first married and thought it would be a great starter home.  And, indeed, it was:  the little house kept them warm and (mostly) dry, saw the addition of a Little Crow, and, overall, was cute as a bug's ear.  But, alas, over the years, the little house was stretched to the limits of its square footage and, in time, became far too small for the Crow family...especially since Mama Crow was somewhat of a collector gatherer hoarder.


For years, Mama and Papa Crow dreamed of finding a nice piece of land....one with more acreage and lots of woods, but still somewhat accessible to civilization...and building a larger house.  But every piece that fit the Crows' (somewhat particular) criteria did not fit the Crows' (somewhat limited) budget.

Well, as things go, when Little Crow grew older, he developed an affinity for taking things apart and putting them back together....rather large things, like cars and trucks. And not just the Crows' cars and trucks...but a lot of peoples' cars and trucks....neighbor's cars and trucks, friends' cars and trucks...you name it's cars and trucks.....
This put a strain on the little house's little garage....so, eventually, Papa Crow built Little Crow a separate garage....complete with all the accouterments a young mechanically-inclined crow could ask for.

(Little Crow's "garage/shop" is to the left and behind the main house...far left building in this photo.... The building to the right is the original (detached) garage that came with the little house.)

This kept Little Crow mostly amused for a good long while.  But inside...ahh...inside, the little house was still a little house....And it was becoming a TIRED little house...sporting the same wallpaper that the owners before the Crows had put on its walls 30 years ago and that no longer even covered the entire walls as the Crows had replaced the little house's windows somewhere along the way.

Mama Crow suggested that the wallpaper be removed, but if that was done, it only made sense (to Mama Crow at least) to replace the leaky outdated calcified gross kitchen faucet...and...maybe....perhaps....the outdated fake wood countertops... But Mama Crow's suggestions went no where....

Until the day the toilet in the little house broke....


{To Be Continued.....}

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Home for Halloween

Some say all hearts come home for Christmas....
While I dearly love Christmas, it is Halloween that steals my heart and calls me home....

And no matter how long I've been gone or how wretched of a blogger and follower I am, Blogland is my "home" when it comes to social media.  The friendships made here run deep and last longer than any I've made elsewhere...

And we have had us some amazing Halloween fun along the way....Halloween blog hops, scavenger hunts, 13 Days of Halloween post challenges...and more.  So, I guess it really is no surprise that my thoughts turn to Blogland during Spooking Season.

I haven't decorated a great deal this year either despite my best intentions. Some life-altering events have seen to that (more on those in another post, another time)...but I thought I'd share a bit of what I did manage.

(In my laundry room)

(Dolls from Kimberley at Red Cupboard Post; punch needle by Debbie St. Germain at Woolensails; "All Hallows Eve" tuck by Robin at The Primitive Hutch; Blackbird tuck by Jen at taylorsfarmhouseattic; and other stitcheries by Susan Hoover at Olde Threads....and gee...bet you thought I didn't remember.... ;o) ) 

(My dear skelly girl from years and years ago....Pumpkin by Old Lady Morgan)

(Some of my vintage papier mache jack-o-lanterns)

(Black kittehs by Dru at Cinnamon Creek)

(Laundry room)


(One of my very first Halloween decorations....so he definitely qualifies as "vintage")

Thanks to all of you who "left the light on"....this prodigal child is home for now. 


Saturday, October 1, 2016

Sunday, August 21, 2016

For the Love of Tansy.....

I was never a huge lover of yellow flowers.

Perhaps it was because they conjured less-than-fond memories of pulling golden rod and yellow rocket from the fields as a child....a chore I dreaded almost as much as picking stones.
And then, of course, there is the ubiquitous dandelion.

But then I met tansy....and I was smitten.


If its name weren't endearing enough, its camphoric aroma and rich history and lore will lure even the most unsuspecting into its circle of admirers.


Tansy has been used to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism, digestive problems, fevers, sores, and to "bring out" measles. 


It also has astringent qualities and, therefore, makes a refreshing face wash that lightens and purifies the skin.

 

Tansy is perhaps best known for its natural repellent tendencies.  In years gone by, it was packed into coffins and wrapped in funeral winding sheets to....well...you know....  Oftentimes tansy was woven into wreaths to place on deceased loved ones.


{NOTE:  COMMON tansy (to which I am referring) should NOT be confused with tansy RAGWORT.... Although very similar both in flowers and foliage to common tansy, tansy ragwort is POISONOUS.... It is generally unpalatable to livestock, but often cannot be avoided if it is mixed with hay, silage or lush pasture grasses.  It is especially toxic to cattle and horses, causing a chronic liver disease that is irreversible.  While I am not an expert, the best way I know of distinguishing between the two is that common tansy (the good stuff) has round button flowers like above, whereas tansy ragwort's flowers have spiky petals as in the photo below.}


So, long story short, that lil' yellow flower has stolen my heart....and come tansy season, you will find it fresh filling jars and tins and pitchers at my house, drying on racks and rods in every cool, dark, space I can find, and, yes, blooming happily in my yard.


Friday, August 12, 2016

Better Late Than Never??

I had the best intentions of posting these back in June...
Even July would have been acceptable...
And now it is August.

I don't know what happened.
Truth be told, I don't know what has happened to the past several years.
I think it may have been a touch of stage fright....
Or just wondering how to pick up where I left off when so much has intervened.
Things that cannot be summed up in a single blog post...

And although someone very wise once said it is usually to start at the beginning, I'm not sure where "the beginning" is even anymore.  So I will just start...and try to fill in gaps and pieces as I go.

I have not decorated for the holidays the past several years like I normally do...
Mostly because 2 years ago, all my things were packed in a storage unit awaiting an extensive remodel project (fondly referred to as "WWR"...i.e., "When We Remodeled.")  Last year, the remodel was fairly complete, but, alas...I was...and am still struggling with the boxes left in its (and the major flooding we experienced in the process) wake.

So...long story short...I finally managed to make it through the boxes that held my Americana decor, and surprised myself by actually putting some things out.

(Top of my jail cupboard)

And, what goes up at my house, doesn't easily come down....


Actually, I start putting up the Americana in May in honor of Memorial Day...and then leave it up until Labor Day...which I consider a very Americana kind of holiday....

(In my laundry room....)









So there you have it....
A start....
Better late than never.

(PS...I've missed you all terribly!)

Thursday, March 24, 2016

The Legend of the Pussywillow



According to an old legend, a mother cat was crying at the bank of a river in which her kittens were drowning.

The willows at the river's edge longed to help her, so they swept their long graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens who had fallen into the river while chasing butterflies.

The kittens gripped on tightly to their branches and were safely brought to shore.  Each springtime since, goes the legend, the willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds at their tips where the kittens once clung.....  

*****

Here in Nod, our pussywillows are just that...legend...as they lie beneath a blanket of white....  Old Man Winter seems fond of our frozen landscapes, and isn't quite yet ready to make his departure.  He "gifted" us 13" of that white stuff yesterday/last night....  

(View from my kitchen window)

But this afternoon, the sun peeked through, and spring's hope was renewed....

Hope it's spring where you are......

Monday, February 22, 2016

Once In A Full Snow Moon.....

It's a full snow moon tonight....


They come around more often than full blue moons....
And almost as often as blog posts from me; but hey, I've almost posted as much so far this year as I did all of last year, so anything is possible.

The truth be told, there just hasn't been much exciting going on in Nod.  I know that hasn't stopped me before (because, really, I can't remember the last time something exciting did happen in Nod), but I'm getting winter weary.  

And that almost always spells trouble.....because "winter weary" is a close cousin to boredom, and when I get bored, I either eat or shop too much.

Case in point:  The following list of damages that I incurred at the antique show a few weekends ago.  (Take note because this is as close to a confession as you're likely to get....) 

Sweet little German candy containers....They will be in good company with the rest of my herd....

A hinged French butter mold (oh, and a few cookie cutters):

How could I possibly leave this heart mold behind?

You better not be counting the number of chairs that come home with me....

 And everyone knows I have a shoe fetish....

This red and while quilt stole my heart:

This Swedish bible belonged to the dealer's great grandfather. I never understand how people can part with their familial treasures... What I would give to have my great grandfather's bible....

No, I don't collect mammies, but I couldn't leave her behind...and she looks ever so sweet in my laundry room....

Other than that, not much is news.... Tomorrow I will be going with Little Crow to find a new wizard....  Three surgeries down and he still has a very wayward knee...and tremendous pain.  Your positive thoughts and prayers, if you are so inclined, would be most appreciated....


Enjoy your snow moon.....