Happy Home

We have a sweet new family that has moved into our house. 
This nice little nest home is in the corner of our front porch.  

I first noticed this when checking something on the porch.  I was alarmed when a bird flew right over my head. So, I look up and there is the nest.

SO SWEET!!!

I was worried that the robin would be too afraid to return to the nest, but she came back after just a few minutes.

She is a very good Robin mother. Very consistent about sitting on her nest.  Even when we go in and out the front door, she remains at her post.

She will only leave if you get really close.  But we can check on her from inside the house by just looking out a window right by the nest.

It is going to be fun to watch the progress.  Looking forward to new Robin babies.....

Enjoy your day♥♥

Spring has sprung!!

Spring has come to our area and it is really beautiful.  This is the trellis on the side of our house. 

Each spring and summer it is covered with flowers.  I just love it!! Requires basically no care from us and gives us such beauty in return.  ♥♥

"Earth laughs in flowers."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Makes me smile.

Enjoy your day♥♥

HAPPY EARTH DAY

Happy Earth Day!!!  There are a lot of sites that can provide useful information on how we can take care of our home.....

I ran across this one and it seems interesting.
recyclebank.com

There is a variety of info, ads and places to explore on this site.  I haven't fully explored it myself.  It does say that you can sign up to receive points for "eco-friendly actions" and then these points may be redeemed for coupons or gift cards.  So check it out.  I intend to browse around the site myself and see what it is all about.

Have a great day and enjoy our lovely home.....the earth is a glorious place that we all need to cherish and take care of♥♥

Enjoy your day♥♥

Where did the day go - Part 2 ?????

So this is the chair that broke.  Poor thing just couldn't take my squatty butt sitting on it anymore....

I actually spent some time attempting to fix it before my new chair arrived. 
This attempt involved metal brackets, duct tape, glue and a variety of tools. Nothing worked.  My dog, Scout, watched the whole process and she was quite perplexed  by it.  She listened to all my frustrated utterances....most of which should not be repeated....heehee.

So, the new chair arrived in a box and had to be assembled. You know you always need to be concerned when it says "easy assembly".  That is a sure fire way to know that you will be spending some serious time getting this put together.
It wasn't too bad though and I have to say I love my new chair. It is comfortable and it is blue, my favorite color.  

I couldn't part with the pieces of the old chair just yet.  I am thinking about what I can make out of it....so it will hang around for a while with all the other things that are supposed to be destined to be transformed into something wonderful.

Enjoy the weekend♥

Wonderful Women

I

I am consistently touched by the gentle, courageous, open and strong spirit of the women I meet.

Yesterday, I ran into a wonderful woman in the grocery store.  Well, I almost literally ran into her with my cart----I'm not the best grocery cart driver.....but that's a whole 'nother story....

We started a conversation in the dairy aisle about Almond Milk (which is GREAT by the way).  Very quickly we discovered we are both breast cancer survivors.....and instantly we are connected by this bond of understanding.

So there in front of the dairy case we share some of our 'cancer journey' with each other....our boobs, chemo, our hair (or when we didn't have any!!).....all inhibitions gone.  No self consciousness about our discussion.  We laugh and share info like old friends.

I left the store feeling like I'd made a new friend even though the chances are I won't see or talk to this gentle woman again. She's now part of my story and I feel like a part of hers......and I wish her all the best and thank her for bringing a smile to my day and to my heart.

Enjoy the day♥

Where did the day go?????

W

Well, I know we all have "those days".  I'm talking about when you take on a little project that you believe will take maybe 5 minutes to  complete.  And then a long time later, you still have not completed the project.

Mine began with a simple squeak in my desk chair.  Now this is not a top of the line chair to begin with, but it serves it's purpose.  Unfortunately, it developed this really annoying squeak.  I put up with it for quite a while until I decided I couldn't listen to it any longer.

So I rounded up my usual tools for a minor repair job.  I examined the chair for the source of the squeak, applied WD-40, tightened screws....and the squeak remained.  Did some more examining, applied more WD-40, more tightening of screws.....and we're still squeaking.  

At this point, I seriously debated the merits of even attempting to rid the chair of the squeak and entertained wistful thoughts of just replacing the chair.  I felt sure someone, somewhere would love to find this squeaking chair at my local donation store.

But I am stubborn (just ask my family!) and would not let this squeaking chair get the best of me. So I trudged forward in my quest to desqueak the chair.

FINALLY, after a LOOOOOONG time, it stopped squeaking. Success was mine!!
I was so proud of myself.  I just had to take a few moments to sit in the chair and bask in my squeakless joy!!!!

Of course, in the  process of desqueaking the chair I had made a bit of a mess.  Now I had to clean up.....and then decided that since I was in clean up mode I would straighten up a few other areas of my office.

By the time this whole deal is done, a large portion of the day has evaporated and none of the things I had planned to do have been accomplished.  But hey....I have conquered the squeak in the chair.  Now, that has to be worth something in the scheme of things, right?!?!

The end of the saga is that I sat in my chair this morning.....the day AFTER the desqueaking session.....and the chair BROKE!! Oh, the nerve of this chair!!! I can still sit in it, but it now leans and wobbles.......and I know it is not long before the seat completely breaks apart from the chair stand.  

So, it will be a new chair after all.....hopefully without squeaks.

Enjoy the day♥♥

Women's Health

This is a website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  It has a lot of facts on a wide array of topics.

It can lead you to places to find good info on what you may be researching.
womenshealth.gov

Good to browse around so all of us fabulous ladies can stay happy, healthy and gorgeous-both inside and out!!

Have a FANTASTIC day♥♥

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate

This delicious treat is from an etsy shop,
Nicole's Homemade Treats.
www.nikid.etsy.com

Everything in this shop is wonderful♥
This particular treat is:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40052685  


I recently read a little blurb in Oprah magazine about the benefits of chocolate.

It stated that "the creamy indulgence confers health benefits, including possible protection against cancer and heart disease." and "It turns out that chocolate can also reduce skin damage from sun exposure." (Oprah Magazine, March 2010, page 106)

Now we can all indulge in chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.

I plan to eat a bit of chocolate everyday....for health reasons, of course....heehee.

Have a chocolicious day♥♥

Health Information

    

As a breast cancer survivor, I am particularly interested in health information.  I like to read about new research as well as learn things that are new to me.

I discovered this site that offers some good info.  They have different categories to browse that include:  health topics, medical encyclopedia, news, and drugs and supplements.

Take a little time and have a look. 
nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

I hope you have a happy day♥♥

Helping Animals

 The EFA charity of the month is Ambulance Alphen.

"This Dutch animal ambulance service provides emergency care to injured animals and transports them to the vet. Also they transport animals to specialized shelters troughout the country. The ambulance staff is highly trained and in possesion of a diploma for Animal First Aid.... Also for transporting your pet to the vet and back home, you can call upon the animal ambulance. "


Aren't these pictures precious??!!


If you would like more information you can check out the EFA site.
http://efaartistshelpinganimals.org

Have a wonderful day♥

Pediatric Health

O

 Our daughter is grown now. I can remember clearly though the days of chickenpox, measles, colds and all the other ailments that seem to come home from school with our children.  It was often difficult to navigate through the health concerns.  

Things like:  Do you need to see a doctor or not? Which medication is the best?  How much sleep do they really need at different ages? And so on......

So I ran across this new site that I hope may shed some useful light on some of the issues parents face with the health concerns of their kiddos. 

It offers diverse information on a broad array of topics.  Seems easy to use and understand as well.
So give it a try and see what you think.  
Healthychildren.org

Enjoy the day♥♥

Organization Idea

 I have this angled section of wall in my studio.  It is a place where the roof line slants to accommodate the shape of the room.....this was an added space.

I couldn't install shelving here due to the angle.  Then I thought of a VERY simple way to utilize the space.  I attached dowels to the ceiling with silk ribbon that I had on hand.  

I made three separate hanging rods that are staggered.  They work great for my ribbons and clamps. 

I have also used them for a variety of other tasks......for instance hanging projects to dry.

So, if you have a space like this, give it a try.  Simple, inexpensive and very useful.

Craft on♥♥

Pets Find Their Way Home

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 I found this site for lost and found pets.
It is sad when one of our furry family members gets lost.

I hope that this site can be useful.
www.thecenterforlostpets.com

Have a beautiful day♥♥

Personalize Exercise

I

  I personally do not like exercise.  But I know that it is something that I need to do. And the truth is, when I actually do exercise, I generally feel better.   Go figure. So I have taken to daily encounters with "Teddy the Torture Treadmill".  It would be a stretch (pun totally intended!) to say that we have become good friends, but at least I no longer shudder whenever I gaze at the thing.

So, we have reached a mutual understanding.  I agree to walk everyday, if possible.....and not to use "Teddy" as a clothesrack.  "Teddy" in turn, has agreed to....well, I'm not really sure "Teddy" has agreed to anything. 

I also ran across this website that I like. It offers a lot of diverse information on fitness:  exercise programs, calculators, recipes, and other miscellaneous info.  So you can check it out:
acefitness.org

Have a great day.
Sharon♥