November is also...

A time for cleaning. Like Spring Cleaning, but Fall Cleaning. 

Thursday was a get 'er done type of day. Now I am no fixer type person like Sandra is. But I'm in the same kind of mood for cleaning and organizing. I think many of the other Bloggers I follow [and some I just visit regularly when I can] are all doing the same sort of thing.

Sorting.
Cleaning.
Organizing.
Getting our indoor lives straightened out so when the frigid air comes, we can enjoy our comfy spaces.

I cleaned the walls, tore everything out of the closet of our bedroom and separated the clothes that would go to Bethel Buttik [they pronounce it Boutique!]. I donated the clothes in hopes that they will be used for those who need them.

So my mess looked something like this...

I took out the frame that was under our bed and replaced it with the original frame we've had for 30 years. The little frame was lower and easier for hubby to get in and out of until we swapped to a hospital bed.

And I flipped the bed position around. Hey, it makes sense for me and it feels right for now.

I had to prepare for the snow and rain event we are supposed to have tonight. So I cleaned Little Richard's stall and set things up for him.

Then I got with the program and finished the up with the chair. I sanded it and put the final coat of acrylic satin finish on it.
TA-DAH!

I'm sure someone could say that I mixed up all sorts of colors that may not really go together. However, the chair is full of whimsical colors. 

Whatever happened to make me happy at that moment was the color that went on the chair. I see that now...

I will have to work on those other two chairs! I won't know exactly what colors they will be until I start. The chair gives me an idea of what I should do.

You read that right. I don't plan, I just do what the chair seems to want. I imagine this one wants to be pretty. Don't you think?

I have begun to write a very detailed To Do List for each day so I can keep on track. I also make sure that I have adventure days. I have to equal adventures with work so I keep in balance.

My 'work' around the house and farm days do include an hour of walking the forest with Charlie. He needs to get out in the woods and so do I. 

How else would he be able to make sure that all creatures great and small know they are on his land???

I enjoyed the forest enough before it started raining to do some play time. My mind says that we are all on an epic journey of sorts. That journey is called Life.

We must give into it and live a life as we can and enjoy it.

I re-joined CrossFit --> Legends and am so happy for the movement and friendships I have in that class. I need to continue to work on my balance, strength, and friendships to continue to be healthy.

It is snowing now and we are expecting to have almost an inch of snow on the grasses by morning. I can't wait to wake up to a new day.

And to those that wonder. 

Yes. 

I miss HIM every single day. I still ask him questions and opinions on what I am doing. I see him laughing at me in a gentle way and telling me to 'Go ahead. Your going to do it anyway, no matter what I say!'

Gun Season and Christmas Chair

Maybe I won't complain

....about deer hunting this year. Hubby demands that I stay out of the woods for the whole season, but I have ways I can get down into the creek and explore the dry runs. They are deep and they are like being in trenches, except they are full of mossy boulders.

Generally, this is what I call the 9 day Clean Up. I wash ceilings, walls, and take down all knick knacks and sort through the boxes in the basement. I bring out all the heavy winter stuff and hang it on hooks after washing it. I sort through gloves, mittens, and face masks. I find my winter ski goggles and brush up the snowshoes. 

I clean out the little hutch in the living room and rotate out the items on the shelves so I can put in some Holiday decorations. 

This generally only takes me a day or two to do. The benefits of living in a small cottagel

I need to decide how to set up the 'new' Christmas Chair. Am I going to use the Coal Scuttle as my 'tree of bare branches' this year? Or use parts of the old fake Christmas tree?

I don't know, I may just wing it. Clean and organize first and then figure out how to take our tiny living room and perk it up.

My old Christmas Chair's seat has finally split into two. So I went out this summer and found another derelict chair in the shed. It is a Bent Hickory Chair that was going to get a new seat at some point in its prior life. 

It was stored in a wet environment so the bottom of the legs were rotted off.

It seemed Perfect for a new project.
I sawed off the rotten part and then added pads on the bottom so the legs wouldn't scratch the new floor in the living room.

I painted the wooden seat which was supposed to be a cane seat, I guess. However the flat surface will work perfectly.

Below is Charlie showing off the whole living room on the day the ripped out the carpet and put down the new floor.

And here it is with some of the items back in place.

Over the years, I've used the corner where the concentrator now resides. It was perfect and out of the way. The old concentrator was replaced by a Huge one and it has to take up residence in a place I do not want it.

Decisions! Decisions!

What about that old trunk I disparaged over this summer? It is a great spot to fold laundry or add fun little touches in the kitchen area.

Last year's Chair/Tree was by the window. 

Oh...the anticipation!

Time to get to work....

Mud Season

Me.
I look at the house and see the mud covered rugs and cringe. Our weather is changing back to Mud Season in March.

Him.
He sees no trace of dirt. Mud? He suggests I wait until mud season is over.

Me.
"I see muddy dog tracks on the new beautiful kitchen floor."

Him.
"Don't look at it like that. Don't look at the tracks!"

Me.
"I see them, they are there and the rugs are grey with dirt. Look at the dog tracks!"

He squints his eyes and tips his head.
"They don't seem to bother the dog much."

I sigh. It is mud season. But I like a clean floor.

Time to break out the broom, the mop and wash the kitchen floor and the rugs.

In a day or two I can repeat the process.

However I have set up the boot bucket outside with a brush to dip and wash boots before coming into the house.

Welcome March Mud Season.

Going to be busy.

While cleaning out the back 'almosta' room, I came across and abundance of seeds.
Apparently I am a hoarder of seeds and didn't realize it.
I have now located all seed packets past and present.  I have an ice cream bucket full of them.

Combine that with all of the perennials that I have yet to dig up before the remodeling starts and those I gave away, it is a wonder that I should even have a yard.

Well this year I am sharing my seeds and my neighbor is getting quite a few perennials as we thought sharing would be fun.

I know some of the seeds are old but I'll plant them anyway and see what happens.

I finally got some Stella Doros to plant.  I have always loved their cheery blossoms in the summer.
I look out my window at the place where we have our garden.  Last year it was used as a pumpkin/squash patch and not weeded.  It looks like it will be an intimidating job to clean up and plant.

I am hopeful though.  I have beets, lettuce, and green beans to plant.  

Of course then reality hits.  I have a mess in the driveway from the last big snow fall, I had raked and cleaned the yard already once and now need to do this task again.

It looks rather daunting.  I started work on it again yesterday until the rain/snow/sleet forced me back inside.

After it quit, I went out to do some more work.  Alas the mess had turned to muck and there was no raking or shoveling it.  It needs to dry out again.

Then there is hubby who is finishing up cleaning up the Dexters's summer pasture.  We spent a whole day picking up the last remnants of stumps and debris that we intended to take care of last year before he had to go through cancer treatment.

This section was the messy area. The tree stumps are those left over from trees that were damaged in a bad storm.

It has taken us quite a while to get it all cleaned up.

The rest of the cow pasture is in good shape.

As soon as this weather breaks, it looks like I'll be back to fence repair in the Merry Meadow.  The deer and coyote have busted some of the electric line on the second wire.  We have brush piles to burn and more trimming to do.
Oh.
That is to be done while we are remodeling, and somehow I need to stick gardening in there also.

Hmmm.  Don't forget work!

Looks like a very busy spring.  

Busy as a Bee...Blood Roots!

I didn't expect to find anything coming up in the woods at all.  But it was warm on Saturday and I was taking a break from working on cleaning up the veggie garden so I took a walk and found these on one of the rock outcroppings.

These Maiden Hair Ferns were just barely above the moss!

I cut across to the place where I figured that the Blood Roots would come up and Lo and Behold!

The Blood Root was up and looking very good!  I'm sure after this rain we'll have more popping up on this hillside.

We have Barberry growing like crazy in the woods.  Personally I dislike it.  It is sharp and an invasive species.  I clip and dig up all that I find on our own land.
But this is the first year that I've seen Barberry keep its little fruits while leafing out.

It is pretty but it sure is sharp!  I hate trying to wade through these when they are intermixed with berry briers...unless there is fruit on the berry briers!

My short interlude into the forest brought me some much needed 'peaceful' time to collect my thoughts and attitude before returning to the vegetable garden and transplanting perennials so the would be out of the way for when the house is re-sided.

However, I do love Nature's Gardens even if they are not always so easy to locate.

Today we have much needed rain so it looks like a good day to pack up things for Good Will and finish cleaning out the extra bedroom.

Hubby will be in Madison for a procedure and will be back some time on Tuesday.

Our elder Subaru is taking a quiet and slow road to engine death and our Jeep has a lot of miles on it.
This summer looks to be a real crazy one as far as travelling.

Hubby suggested that I get something new or near new because of the miles we will be putting on this summer.  Plus he felt I needed a 'better' vehicle for getting back and forth to work.

Hmmmm.  I haven't had a car that was less than 10 yrs old in I don't know how long.

Looks like the rain will jump start our tulips and daffys into blossoming.

Well off to chores and some whirlwind cleaning inside the little house!

The Dish Faerie and House Faerie Ran off...

...or they abandoned ship.

Now I know I left them in charge when I left to go visiting family.

The Dish Faerie was paid well, to wash and help take care of the utensils and the dishes.
I wasn't worried about the coffee cups or glasses as I know my dear sweet hubby will just rinse them and use them over and over until they are so cloudy you can't see through the glass...
or the cup becomes the same color as the coffee.  

And then what would it matter anyway right?  Coffee is coffee.

But no.  She did not take care of the spoons or utensils.  It was a good thing that I did come home when I did.
Hubby only had one clean butter knife and spoon left.
That would have meant that in another day or so, he might have to rinse one of the utensils off to butter his bagel in the morning.

There was a tidy stack of dirty dishes on the stove.
Well.

Because that is where you put them right?  The sink must be reserved for washing out the paint brush...
For the hound dog box pieces that were brought into the house and put on the clothes drying rack in the living room.
The floor is partially covered in plastic so no paint gets on the carpet.  I think the pieces of plywood and plastic go nicely with the decor.  I'm thinking of putting Christmas lights on them too.  You never know how long this project may last.
Ahem, back to the sink...

you don't really need to get all the paint out of the sink just yet because the paint job isn't done and the Dish Faerie ran out of the house screaming on the second day I was gone.  

Ahhh, where was the House Faerie?  She got smart and ran first.  She saw sweet hubby taking apart the hunting rifle and spreading it across the newly cleaned off table and knew there was no hope for her.  Not with Hoppes gun oil and other yummy things spread across the table.
Or maybe she saw the rugs in the kitchen collect hay chafe and sawdust and decided that she didn't have the strength.

I guess that is okay.  Those housekeeping faeries never seem to be able to stand up to my sweet husband while I am away for a few days.

I must say though it didn't take quite as long as I figured to clean the dishes as I had expected.  However the table is somewhat of a disaster area.  I went to sit down with a cup of coffee and a nice Panerra Bagel this morning and was perplexed as to where I could make room.

Sweet hubby pushed aside the gun cleaning oil and some screw drivers, knife, hammer, steel wool, and made some room so I could sit down.

Oh it is nice to be back home!