Summah's over...where did the time go?

Today I realized that the summer (summah) came and went and I didn't post the FIRST thing!

After the wedding in April, I got down to doing projects here at the house in SC that needed to be done.   In less than a year, I have managed to repaint the kitchen, dining room, great room, and three of the bedrooms.   And repainted the banisters inside, the mantel AND removed the outside handrails.  Oh, and I put Thompson's Water seal on the deck, which was still raw wood from when we built it a few years ago.

Most of my summer was spent in the yard/garden, planting, mowing, weeding, and watching and hoping that we get a bounty crop this year.   We DID as far as tomatoes goes, but the rest, was MEH.  Pumpkin vines and no pumpkins.  Watermelon vines and not the first watermelon (thanks, Andy the squirrel!)  Our neighborhood has new families that have moved in, bringing lots of young children.  These children come by nearly every day to "play" with Cici, Daisy and Bella, our four legged kids.  It's cute to watch. 

My baking has taken a backseat to outdoor activities.  However, today I am baking some sugar-free cupcakes that my husband requested for a co-worker who is leaving.  Then I have another project to be created for a party this weekend.  I promise pictures.   Really.

I hope to visit the Biltmore Estate before the Dale Chihuly exhibit comes to a close (first week in October, I think).  I adore his work.   check it out here:  www.biltmore.com

Catch you all later!  

New England Christmas

I have been living in New England, more specifically Cape Cod, for almost two months now.  When I moved up, I was still wearing flip flops and tee shirts.  Now, I learned how to layer to keep the wind at bay, I know how to keep my feet warm, and I have also started wearing a knit cap to keep my head warm and to keep the wind out of my ears.   One thing I know for sure...the wind rarely stops blowing.  Not sure if it is because we are surrounded by water or not, but it sure has me styling BIG hair most days!

I sure miss my boys and hope to see them in the not too distant future, but in the short amount of time I have been here, I have gotten my new drivers license, Cape Cod license plates on my car, and I got a job!  Yes, a job, and in a much shorter length of time than it took to find one in Greenville.  I am the front office person for Miracle Ear, in South Dennis, and it is exactly 3 miles from our house.  I got lucky!

We have decorated our tiny house as best we can, given the fact that we have no room to do much.  We have garland and lights outside, and wreaths on the doors.  No village, though.  No place for it.  Next year....

Tonight we drove down Route 6A with the intent to take photos of some of the more beautifully decorated historic homes located there.  The phone didn't take such good ones, though so we are going back tomorrow night armed with the camera.  Hopefully I will have some lovely ones to share.

Have been baking Christmas cookies for the last few days.  Tomorrow I finish the baking, and start packing boxes to ship out for Christmas.   Sit tight...pictures to follow!

Catching Up

I just realized I have not posted ANYTHING since last October. I skipped over totally Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and now Valentine's Day. I aim to get things posted; pictures, etc. Perhaps tomorrow I will start. For now, I am about to make fish & chips for dinner. Bought cod and a Guinness Stout with which I will make beer batter .... and just baked a lemon meringue pie. Keith is here this weekend, and so is Ashley, his girl. Today is laundry, watching Olympics, and here I sit - trying to figure out what to post. I think I will start with pictures (and recipes) from tonight's meal. Stay tuned.....

Fall Cleaning - let's start with the sofa!

Common Household Cleansers for Leather Upholstery

General contractors, home builders, and more ∨

Browse living room ideas, from sectional couches to a unique chandelier and floor lamp, for your next interior design project.
For small bathroom ideas, browse photos of space-saving bathroom cabinetry and clever hidden mirrored medicine cabinets.

I found this easy way to clean leather. Don't try it on Italian purses, though - don't think it would work! Happy Autumn! By far, my favorite season. I have not posted since mid-summer. Stay tuned for updates!!!

Hanging in There.....

My last post was nearly 2 months ago.  In that post, I disclosed our Buster Boy's illness, his lymphoma.  We since have found another vet, who seemed to think he would benefit from chemotherapy and who assured us that dogs don't react to chemo the same way humans do.  This vet is in Blythewood, which for us is quite a long trip.  So, once a week, Buster and I load into the car and I take him to the vet, sign him in as a 'stay for the day' and then I drive into downtown for work; in the afternoon, I go back and pick him up.  He started his chemotherapy regimen on April 30.  About 10 days into it, he developed a fever, and we had to give him antibiotics.  Basically what happens is the chemo wipes out his white blood cells, which are needed to fight infection.   The massive doses of chemicals that flooded his little body left him unable to fight the elevated temps.  So, he spent the night at the vet, got antibiotics, and came home.  He's had another week or so of treatments, then this past Monday when I went to pick him up, she (the vet) said his white blood cells were too low to give the treatment.  We go back tomorrow and hopefully he will be able to have it then.  His lymph nodes had virtually disappeared, but now I can feel them again - not terribly large, but still....

I hope this all is not uncomfortable for him.  He appears happy and his appetite is beyond good.  He will eat ANYTHING you give him.  Doesn't chew it, just swallows it!  But he always did that.  I guess as long as he's eating well, we have to be thankful. 

Let's hope tomorrow brings good news.  I'm so tired of bad news.  I just want more time with him.  And he wants more time with us.  Let's hope we can have that.

On a positive note, we have our house on the market.  So far, only 2 people have looked at it and neither of them were impressed.  Our listing does not expire until August.  I hope we find the right person to want our home.  We put our heart and soul into it and whoever buys it will get a wonderful home.  If it doesn't sell, well then I guess we will figure that out at the time. 

I am working downtown now - five days a week.  Every day I spend nearly 2 hours in the car.  Already I am tired of that.  I wish I was close enough to be able to go home for lunch.  And spend time outside...in the yard.  At the same time, I am fortunate to have a good job.  I am thankful.

We have a long weekend coming up.  Memorial Day weekend - the 'jumping off point' for summer.  I am so ready.  Ready to fire up the grill, sit back with a cocktail and just BE...

Happy Holiday, everyone!!

Merry Christmas!

This morning it is already 61 degrees outside.  Last night it was suitable tee-shirt and shorts (and Rainbows) weather.  Hardly conducive to singing Christmas carols and looking at holiday lights.  Right?  Well, unless you live in a tropical, always-warm locale when palm trees outweigh Christmas trees during the holiday season....

Today I have to finish up my stocking stuffer shopping and get the kids their Christmas 'bling'.  And I will have one last baking session before tomorrow night, when it's The Feast of the Seven Fishes.  Grease all the way, my friends!

For those of you unfamiliar with this 'fishy' tradition, check out this site:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes

Hey, it's an Italian thing.

Santa visited the nursing home yesterday.  We had a lot of fun.  Had to go in the afternoon while the 'old' kids were still awake.  usually after dinner, they turn in for the night, even if it's only 6 pm!  Being 'senior' children, they are so entitled.  Here, Santa is wishing my mom a "Merry Christmas".  She thought he was her brother, Jimmy.  Then she thought I WAS her brother, Jimmy.  Oh mom....

Here's wishing you and yours the merriest of Christmases, and the most wonderful New Year anyone could have.  Please share in enjoying our Christmas with us:

 Here's our main Great Room tree - filled with collectible ornaments from our travels all over the place.

 This is 'the kitchen tree'.  It is decorated with food and drink ornaments, including mini wine bottles and corks.  The star at the top is a "Carolina Snowflake" from the Gift Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway - handmade.  Check 'em out:  www.brsbaket.com

 Our Colonial Christmas Dining Room complete with hurricane shades, fruit, berries and grapevine as the centerpiece.  Very Colonial/New England.  I like that.  (notice the Wine Santa in the corner?)

Notice, no fire....FIRST OF ALL, way too hot.  Second, Santa would burn his butt coming down the chimney.  Don't want to hurt Santa, do we?

So, from my family to you and yours, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Buona Festa, Merry Christmas!!!

Jeannette, Paul, Jonathan, Keith, Daisy, Stormy and Buster Pompi!!!!

Turkey Day

Today I began preparing my Thanksgiving menu. Well, I sort of already knew what I planned to have, but I sat down this morning with a cup of coffee and pen and pad and wrote down each thing I plan to cook; and made sure I had all the ingredients. I will never forget one holiday many years ago that I did not have any celery and my mother swore the turkey 'wouldn't be fit to eat'. Well, fit or not, we ate it. God forbid!

Anyway, we are having turkey (unbrined, but seasoned under the skin) with meat stuffing (yep, stuffing - which means inside the bird; dressing is the same food but cooked separately in a pan), rice & giblet gravy, Italian broccoli with garlic and lemon (this stuff will make you want to slap someone; if you wanted to do that anyway, you have a legit excuse), steamed green beans with almonds, pan sauteed' brussel sprouts; ginger glazed baby carrots; sweet potato souffle (sort of) with maple syrup infused right into the whipped baked potatoes, along with creamy butter & miniature marshmallows, then baked in a casserole dish; fresh cranberry-orange relish (and the canned jellied variety, my mother in law's special recipe!!), potato rolls, and my desserts that I spent most of today making. They are (in no particular order): creamy chocolate pie, gingerbread, maple pumpkin pie, and spiced almond wafers. There will (naturally) be fruit salad of some type, prosecco, white & red wine, water, iced tea, and coffee!

Later in the afternoon, we have a couple coming over for Thanksgiving cocktails. So, more prosecco, wine and beer will be served, along with Italian Antipasti items (you know, cheeses, salame, proscuitto, cheeses, olives, etc.).

I would like to hear what everyone else has planned. Turkey is not my favorite thing, but once a year I can handle it. This is why my food preparations are taking 3 days; I want to be able to do something on Thanksgiving besides COOK, EAT, and CLEAN UP!!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Given that this year has been a rough one, we've made it virtually unscathed. I hope that continues. My mom will be here too - and at age 96, I'm truly thankful for that above all else.

So, tell me - what's on your menu for Turkey Day?

Let There Be Light

Remember the renovations that are still continuing?

Late this afternoon, Jim came by to install the shower light .... a new recessed, waterproof fixture. Problem is, he couldn't install it from DOWNSTAIRS in the shower. Someone had to go up in the attic, scurry across the rafters - carefully so as not to step on the ceiling and FALL THRU to the downstairs - and find the electrical box for this particular light. Well, guess who got the honors? Yep, me.

I am crouched in the attic, wearing my slipper-clogs, advancing precariously from joist to joist, scooping insulation out of the way using an piece of cardboard, looking for the light.

I found it. Then Jim asks, what does it look like - is it attached to the side or the bottom? My reply - I don't know; I didn't bring a flashlight. Oh. No flashlight. Here comes Paul. We pass on the same floor joist - HE has the flashlight. So, I'm sitting at the top of the attic stairs, reading old Christmas cards; Paul is bent over the light box - with the flashlight - attempting to dislodge it without being electrocuted - the electricity is still on. Jim, the contractor, is standing at the bottom of the steps, drinking a cup of coffee....and not just ANY coffee. He is drinking a cup of white chocolate macadamia nut coffee.

After I finally shut off ALL the electricity in the house, we manage to install the new light fixture. Now we need a light bulb for it. Oh, and a new switch. The one that controls this newly installed fixture is broken. Now the light is on, and we can't shut it off. We have to remove the bulb to turn it off.

Jim leaves, Paul has to change as he has insulation in his pants. Ants in his pants. HAHAHAHAHA

I'm going to make dinner. And pour a glass of wine. Perhaps two.

Tomorrow, we might get the shower door.

And the renovations continue......

tomorrow is another day.

Water, Water Nowhere

As you know, our home 'renovations' all started because the ice maker water line leaked onto the hardwood floors. Between then (mid-June) and now, we've had the floors in the kitchen torn out and replaced with tile, the dishwasher has been torn out and we're waiting for the new one to be installed with help from Chris, the tile guy. We have the shower in the master bath partially torn out because THAT water was seeping under the floors (in the kitchen, no less). So we can't use the shower. We are waiting for the contractor to come - he was supposed to be here last Monday, changed it to today, then upped it to this COMING Monday. We'll have a full house - the contractor and tile people in the bathroom starting Monday and the countertop folks installing the granite counters in the kitchen and baths starting on Tuesday. A full house IF THEY SHOW UP.

Anyway, we have been using our guest bath which has a tub/shower combination. Well, wouldn't you know it - the ONLY shower we have in the house....IS NOT WORKING! That handle in the middle of the hot/cold knobs (you know, the one that switches it from tub to shower) DOES NOT WORK. Now Paul gets it to work - he has to turn the center knob to 'tub', then turn on the water, then turn it off, then turn the center knob to 'shower', then turn the water back ON again. It's ridiculous. He hasn't had to kick it yet, but I feel that coming next! Most of the time I can't get it to work and think that pretty soon unless we get this water mess all taken care of that we'll be bathing in a pan of warm water heated on the kitchen stove (which is still functional, thank goodness). It seems every place we should have water coming out of ... there is none. Oh, and did I mention that because the dishwasher is not yet installed, I AM HAVING TO WASH ALL THE DISHES. ALL OF THEM! ALL THE TIME. And can't use the garbage disposal, so I'm having to scrape the food trash into the garbage. What a pain. And because the icemaker broke right after it caused the water on the floor and we didn't replace it because I didn't want the expense ($98), we are using ice trays. I hate ice trays. Funny, I didn't want to spend the $98 but we have spent thousands on repairs that are not yet finished; repairs that have been ongoing since June. That $98 is just a drop in the bucket. What else is new????

As long as I have ice cubes for my gin & tonic at happy hour time, life is good. And I'm ordering that ice maker pretty soon....

Home Renovations and Sad Realizations

We have ordered the granite for both our kitchen AND bathroom countertops.  Check out this marvelous company we got them through:  Stone Interiors http://www.stoneinteriors.com/

They are being cut to size as I write this.  Next week our shower is being torn out and reconstructed with beautiful travertile tile on the walls, and travertine mosaic on the floor.  We have a glass shower wall being installed with Tuscan Bronze Faucets, etc. 

Once all this is done, we'll have to repaint and repair the walls for any damage that will have been done as the result of this soon to be beeyoutiful renovation.  Any suggestions on color?

Every day I search for jobs.  I apply for jobs.  I get turned down for jobs.  Day after day.  Most of the companies I apply to never even respond.  It's more than disheartening.  It's difficult for this baby boomer to come to the realization that I am too old for employers to need me.  It's also difficult to not be needed ANYWHERE.  I thought this would be the happiest time in my life - kids are gone and now it's time for me.  I was wrong.

SO, I signed up for a catering class online through Midlands Tech.  Don't know if I'll ever use it, but it can't hurt to have it to go along with the floral design and cake design courses I have already taken.  Never know when that B&B will present itself.  And it keeps me busy and keeps my mind off what I can't do anything about. 

I can dream, can't I?

Around the House

I haven't posted anything in a while - since we got back from that trip to New England, where we didn't find any cooler temperatures.  Reason being:

Home Renovations!  Not by choice.  The icemaker line broke - flooded the kitchen with water.  The water buckled the hardwood floor.  The insurance company told us to 'put fans on to dry out the wood'.  OK.  We put fans on.  The floor swelled up like a sponge.  I don't think the fans did what they were supposed to do. 

Now the insurance company enters the picture.  They decide the floors have to come up.  OK, fine.  We removed some of the wood - and boy was what we saw NASTY.  Wet, mildew, mold, yuck.  We decide no more wood.  We pick out tile. 

Now the entire floor comes up - and more news.....there's another spot that is not caused by the errant icemaker line.  THIS one is because of the shower drain pan on the OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL.  Now we have to rip out the shower/tiles and everything associated with it.

I have decided, since I am a fanatic of HGTV/DIY, that we need an updated bath.  Glass shower doors, take out the wall, new tiles, the works! 

Did someone forget to tell me my maiden name was Rockefeller? 

I hope that one of these days soon I can actually get back in my kitchen to cook...and bake.  I'll post photos as soon as I download/upload/whatever you call it load them.  Geez - what started out as fun has really turned into a drag.  Wish I were a patient person, but I'm not.  My husband says - hey, we have to wait.  We do what they tell us to do.  Wish I was that way.  Nope, it might take me forever to decide something, but once I decide, I want it RIGHT NOW.  sigh

Happy End of Summer!