Sold Sold Sold on 6/16

Saylor Street Cottage is no more.  We closed on Friday 6/16 with no issues.  I'm so happy to have that part of the journey over.  It was a bit stressful living in the house while waiting for the closing day.  I'm not generally a nervous person but I kept stressing out every time it rained or was windy.  What if's kept coming into my head, what if the roof leaks, what if the chimney blows off, what if the siding gets damaged.  But thankfully nothing happened and we were able to hand over the keys to the new owners without a hitch.  I hope they'll be happy in our little home. 

Some pictures to remember her by from our listing.

 

Many a times we had two leaves in this table but still not enough room.  The little ones often sat on the stairs to eat!

I used to have an antique set in this room but my daughter took it for her home.  We had to scramble but got a free couch for the showings.  It fit nicely.

Yes, we had to show the house with the lizard in his tank.  This basement hosted many sleepovers and video game get-togethers for my son.  This was a new couch AFTER he left for college.

We didn't leave the punching bag for the new owners.  Often times Mr. Saylor could be heard punching it as he went into the laundry/workroom. 

Many dozens of cookies were baked in this galley kitchen.  I fed a houseful out of this room!

 

 

I think I've mentioned this before but Saylor Street was only supposed to be a transition house.  We were hoping to move into something larger along the way.  Thirteen years later we were still there.  We saw our kids go off to college or into their own homes, we hosted family parties and backyard bbq's and had some lovely memories in this house.  To be honest though, this house never spoke to my heart, it never made me excited.  Until the end and that's when I realized why.

 

Over the years we were just so busy, work, school, sports, family events and visiting friends.  The house was just a place to eat and sleep.  It was getting dated and in need of updates and it wasn't until we decided to move that we started to change a few things.  Pulling off the stained carpet and adding a runner on the stairs was inspiring.  We had to scrape, sand and stain the treads.  We pulled up carpet in the basement and painted every room.  I cleaned up my laundry room and added a white tongue and groove panel to the old drywall.  I painted my master bedroom with a cheery color and added fun pictures.  We updated the master bath.  It all came together so nicely and at the end I felt happy in the house.  That's when I realized that all this time I was decorating it in the colors and textures to fit the lake house I was hoping for. 

My sons room after he moved out.  It was never this neat when he lived at home.

Our updated master bath.  This one was hard to let go. 

The bright and cheery master bedroom.  We even did custom trim around the windows.

 

A happy backyard.  It almost felt like there was a lake behind it.

 

For two years I had been decorating the Saylor Street Cottage as if it were my lake house.  I made Saylor what I wanted my next house to look like.  You can see the nautical decor in the pictures. 

The last day before we left I walked through the house to say goodbye and realized I wasn't going to miss it.  We had built some memories but it was time to go. 

We close on the new house this coming Friday.  I have been homeless for a week and it's been stressful.  Thankfully my daughter has an extra bedroom! 

Our new house is going to need some slight updating but it will be fine.  I have all the décor pieces I need to make it feel like home almost immediately.  It's on a quiet channel that leads out to the Fox River.  There was a little glitch along the way with regards to flood insurance and I have become quite knowledgeable on FEMA and flood plains!

New beginnings are exciting.  I'm looking forward to making new memories. 
Now I have to find someone who is selling a boat at a reasonable price!

Come visit me at my new blog home @ https://dutchcreekcottage.blogspot.com/

Officially On The Market

Saylor Street Cottage hit the market on Friday April 14th and we received 3 offers the next day.  We accepted an offer and today was the home inspection.  I'm a little nervous about it because we have an older home with older appliances.  I didn't replace the appliances because in my opinion if I would have replaced the appliances then I might as well have remodeled the kitchen.  The kitchen is dated but we made it cute.  We also have a home warranty and have had one for many years.  Whenever an appliance needs repaired we pay only $75 per visit.  They once repaired our refrigerator for over $800 which I thought was a waste of money on their part but we only paid $75.  If they can't repair they will replace so I suppose it's more in their favor to try to repair.

We of course had to leave the house during the inspection and it felt a little weird letting people dig through our home.  It's still ours until we close and even thought we're under contract it's still a part of us for now.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything went well.  I'm sure they will want some concessions for the older furnace and air conditioner but they're covered by the warranty as well.  We will be transferring the warranty to buy them time should they decide to replace them. 

So the hard part is over as far as I'm concerned.  If all goes well we will need to find our new home.  Nothing good has come on the market where we want to move and I may have to be less picky.  I'm looking for something on the water.  I get scared of flooding so I need to find something that is high and dry! 

This moving stuff is a lot of stress, money and sleepless nights.

Knobs and Other Hardware

Our kitchen cabinets never had any knobs on them and we were ok with it.  We decided to add some stain to the cabinets and I thought that some hardware would add additional character.  I went with venetian bronze and I like that they are on the darker black side.  The stain took a while to dry and we're going to clear coat them to protect for washing.  I can't wait to finish them.  At that point the kitchen will be complete.  Well, Mr.Saylor doesn't know it yet but I'm replacing our stove. The control panel was a black paint that has flaked off.  It looks horrible and I think it makes the kitchen look ugly.

We had some shelves in our master closet that I never used.  The old owners didn't have them set up and I didn't need them.  At some point I added a bookcase in the closet and it became the dumping ground.  When we had the carpet replaced this week I took everything out.  It makes our closet look huge so I really don't want to close it up by adding the book case back in.  Instead I'm going to put back the shelves.  I bought brackets today only to find that the ones I bought were too short. I have to go back to Home Depot and buy longer ones. 

While at HD I bought some shellac and sprayed it on my ASCP painted shelf.  I hope it fixes the chipping problem.  Well see tomorrow.  How did a little shelf painting project become a weeklong project?  I just have to stop myself from making changes.  It's time to get organized and get her on the market!

Sometimes I feel like we should get our own episode of First Time Flippers on TV.  We're not actually flipping this house but the little projects seem to be challenging!

We're almost there!

Almost Finished.

We're so close to being finished with the house.  I think now I'm starting to go overboard but sometimes those little touches just finish it off. 

Saylor Street Cottage is an older cape cod style home so nothing is perfect but I've tried to give her some charm.  Recently I decided to paint this ugly cabinet we have in the kitchen.  I tried to take it down but it's glued to the cabinets above the refrigerator.  I bought a can of ASCP Old White about 2 years ago and decided to try it on the cabinet.  It looks nice but started to chip.  Now I have to go get some shellac to try to get it to stop chipping.  A job I didn't need to do. 

We just had a new carpet put in our bedroom and need a plumber to fix a stripped faucet in the bathroom.  All these little extras add up but have to be done.

I just can't wait to get her on the market.  Deadline is 3/31/17!  It's coming fast.

A big 2017

I don't make new year's resolutions anymore because I honestly never hold to them.  I think it's important to set goals for the year like one does at a job.  Life really isn't a job but goals give us a road map to follow. 

This years goal is to finally lose enough weight to be healthy.  Looks aren't the goal but health is.  As I slide on into my mid fifties I can't fool around anymore.  This year won't be some epic lifestyle change, I'm just going to start focusing on making healthier choices.  I want to be at a weight so that this time next year losing weight won't need to be a goal.

We're moving along on the updates on the house.  We're so close to finishing and being able to list before the spring.  I want to replace a couple of windows because they're drafty and we probably should have done this a while ago.  We had the waterproofing guys in to fix the foundation, then replaced our basement carpet.  It didn't cost nearly as much as I thought so that was a win!

My daughter bought a house of her own and moved out about a month ago.  Now that I'm technically an empty nester the house stays pretty tidy.  I can remember when the house was in constant disarray and chaos.  I would get the kitchen cleaned up and the next thing I know someone would pull a bunch of stuff out of the fridge or cupboard. The basement family room was always a mess but now you can barely tell that we are even home.  I almost miss those messy days.  They were stressful but fun.

I'm hoping to post more pictures as we finish up our chapter in Saylor Street Cottage.  I've got lots of little things to do.  Paint trim, was out cupboards, polish and shine.  I really hope that we'll be able to spend Easter in a new lake house home! 

Topsy Turvey on Saylor Street

So much is happening at Saylor Street Cottage and I can't believe I added fuel to the fire. 

In September we put to rest our beloved pet Chance.  He was such a beautiful boy who meant so much to us.  He was one of the boys as he hung out in the basement with my son and his friends.  My son said he was like a brother.  My daughter loved to take him for walks and he cuddled up with her on the couch, slept in her bed and followed her wherever she was.  He was our baby and is missed everyday. 

Along the way the my son and daughter brought home a little kitten.  Chance was so gentle and tolerated the little guy as he jumped around the place.  We named him Dude and he has become our little furry teddy bear.  He ruled the roost around here because Chance in his older years didn't pay much attention to him.

We have been deep in renovations and upgrades since we're planning on selling Saylor Street.  So what does a glutton for punishment do?  She goes out and adopts a dog! 

We went to the shelter and met Sheba who now has a new name Zena.  She is a Labrador Greyhound mix.  She is 5 years old and the poor thing is heartworm positive.  She is considered a special needs dog and now our life has been turned upside down.

I am happy we have her but I'm heartbroken that my cat is so scared. She wants to investigate him and he wants nothing to do with her because Zena is a bit of an excitable dog.  We're supposed to keep her calm due to the heartworm but that's almost impossible when she see's the cat!

I'm praying that they will learn to like one another.  I know it takes time but it's just breaking my heart that my lazy old cuddly Dude is now residing under my bed. 

Meantime we just tore out the shower in our master bedroom bathroom.  I'm painting every room in the house along with trim and ceilings.

What am I doing?!

Pictures to follow. 

My Word for 2016 on my 101st post!

Happy New Year!

It's completely coincidental that my 101st post is on the first day of 2016. One of my goals of 2016 is to post a little more often this year because I've certainly been slacking on the blog front.  I love love love to read others' blogs but don't spend enough time updating my own. Heck, I still have last years Valentines Day pics on my blog heading.  Truth be told it's not the blogging part that holds me up, it's uploading pictures.  It's a slow process that I'm only now learning to master because I just don't spend enough time learning an easier way to do it. 

This leads me to my word for 2016.  Zoom Focus!  Not just focus but zoom focus. My goal is to attack whatever it is I'm doing with fervor.  I have the usual goals for 2016, save more money, lose weight, home improvement and even a possible move.

I'm always busy and I'm always doing something but I tend to do many things at once and ultimately something will be neglected. 

2016 is going to be the year I zoom in on those goals and not allow myself to be distracted.  No matter what it is, from cleaning the bathroom to painting a room to cooking a meal, the task will be given my 100% attention so it is completed and completed well. 

 

 

Welcome 2016!  I got this!

The Little Tractor That Could

During the summer I went to the Elkhorn Flea Market in Elkhorn, WI and found the cutest little tractor and trailer for only $5.  Had I known I would have had this much fun with a little tractor I would have kept some of my sons Hot Wheel cars!  Imagine the possibilities!


In the fall my little tractor was filled with putka pods that look like mini pumpkins.  

And here he is with a few miniature Christmas trees for the holiday season. 

I sprinkled some snow flakes and added a small tree to make it a little more festive.   

I'm afraid to admit but this is the only holiday decoration I've set out apart from some greenery!  Tonight is Christmas tree night.  We're not hosting Christmas this year so I've been a little slow on the decorating front.  Although I have spent and inordinate amount of time following all of the holiday home tour blogs, so much so that I'm neglecting my own home!

At least I've gotten some fun ideas. 

I'm not totally hopeless though because I got a few batches of holiday cookies done.  I think I need to get in gear this weekend.  Christmas is only two weeks away! 

Until next time!

Debbie

Beauty Everywhere!

I stated in my previous post that I wanted to focus on beauty throughout November and heading to Colorado this weekend was the perfect way to find true beauty.

My daughter and I went up to the Rocky Mountain National Forest to do some hiking.  We packed water and some snacks and off we went.  Sometimes I think I overestimate my abilities because I had no fears and it truly didn't dawn on me that I would be hiking in a Mountain as in (a) the air is thinner in the higher elevations, (b) at some time I would be hiking UP the mountain.   Hiking up the mountain was a LOT harder than I anticipated! We started out going down 3.6 miles and then stopped for some snacks.  Then it was time to hike back UP 3.6 miles.  I had to stop several times just to get my breath.  But I made it and I'm really happy that we did it together.  The scenery was too beautiful for words and even the pictures I snapped on my IPhone can't convey how breathtaking the scenery was. 

We stopped at the Red Rocks

A pic of the snow covered mountain

Part of our hike

My daughter taking pictures near a little lake

 

A herd of Elk

I asked for more beauty in my life and got a boatload this past weekend.  The chance encounter with the herd of the beautiful Elk was the tip of the iceberg!

It will be a while before I'll be able to top this one!

Heading To Denver

My daughter booked a flight to Denver a few months ago because she was planning on meeting up with a bunch of old work colleagues to celebrate one of the group’s new store opening.  Unfortunately my daughter was the only one who actually took it seriously enough to book the flight only to find out that the grand opening of the friends store has been postponed, a couple of other’s flaked out because they couldn’t get the time off and one is just MIA.  They all work in retail except for my daughter so her schedule is the only one that is fairly consistent.

She has another friend she planned to meet up with during her visit but she didn’t want to impose over an entire weekend.  When she told me she wanted to do some hiking my motherly instinct got all churned up and I worried she would be abducted out on the trails all by herself.  She’s 24 years old and travels quite a bit for work and I know that she can handle herself but we live in such a scary world that I couldn’t let her be alone.  So I’m going to fly out on Saturday and meet her there.

I’ve never been to Denver, I’m not much of a traveler mainly because I’ve always found other things to do with the money, like survive, but I’m not getting any younger and I want to experience some fun things along the last leg of life’s journey, (hoping it’s going to be a long last leg)!

I’m looking forward to this quick weekend trip.  The Denver film festival is this weekend, there’s an art festival and of course hiking.  We bought some clothes for hiking last night although we didn’t get the Bear Pepper Spray as my son suggested.  We will scope out the locals and see if that is necessary along with the mountain lion issue he brought up.  I think he’s just trying to scare us but I did find the information below on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife center. 

 I’m not sure I want to run into a bear this weekend.  Unless it is a Chicago Bear winning a game for a change, but then I wouldn’t run into one of them in Denver this weekend since they’re playing the Chargers on Monday….but I digress!

Wish me luck!  The last part says tell an Adult.  I am an adult so who am I going to tell!  

Creative Energy - Finding Beauty in an ugly world

I hate starting out on a negative note but living in a suburb of Chicago means you don't have to look too far to find the face of evil. 

The other day a nine year old boy was gunned down in Chicago.  He was playing basketball and died with his ball right next to him.  What monster would do such a thing?  The children in that area are never safe and they have nowhere to turn. 

It made me think of my son when he was nine.  He had a normal childhood, he could walk anywhere at any time, he could ride his bike safely anytime of the day or night.  The police in town know who all the kids are, they know the bad ones and the good ones.  We don't live in paradise there are still a number of crimes committed but for the most part it's as safe as you can get being only a 20 minute ride from the city.  Drugs and violence will always find a victim no matter where you live but those incidences are against the norm in our town, whereas in parts of Chicago it has become a way of life.  I only wish those Chicago neighborhoods could clean themselves up.  Innocent children shouldn't have to die while playing on the street.  I grew up on those streets but they weren't nearly as mean as they are today.

I thank God everyday that we were able to raise our children in a town with very little violence.  We really couldn't afford the homes in the area but found an old fixer upper that did us well over the 10 years we lived in it.  When it was time to look for a new home we almost left town but my daughter begged us to stay because she was only a year away from high school and didn't want to have to make new friends.  We ended up with a small house because we sold at the time the market was high.  We sold high but had to buy high to stay in this town.  Here we are another 11 years later and the kids are grown and about to fly the nest.  Now we are setting our sights on a new area because we don't have to worry about schools and proximity to the city. 

So this morning I decided to look for something that symbolizes beauty.  Something to help spark some creativity in my day.   As soon as I walked out of my door to get in my car she caught my eye.  A lovely little rose blooming for the last time before the cold weather sets in and the plant goes to sleep. 

It was foggy this morning and the sun was just starting to rise so the light was lovely.  I snapped the picture and love the vibrancy of the colors.  I didn't have to alter the picture in anyway.

I've decided that I'm going to try to look for something of beauty every day for the rest of November.

A Return to Blogging!

Time to start Blogging again! 

I can’t believe it’s November and the last time I did a blog post was April!  That’s just crazy.

No recaps just yet.  I’ll save those for later posts because I PLAN to post more often!

For now I’ll just start November with my latest projects to be completed. We’re planning on moving in the spring so I’d like to post some pictures as I go along. 

I’ve updated my window frames in my bedroom.  Painted the room and now just need to get some new carpet.   The old carpet has been through 12 years of living, children and a dog and it shows.  I’ll throw some pictures on the walls and be done. 

My new home is going to be on a lake so I’m going to decorate in country/farm chic/shabby chic/French country, but most importantly Coastal!   I have come to realize that as I’m getting older I really don’t have a style.  I just like what I like and whatever that is that's my style.   We'll see how that comes about in my new home. 

In October we were invited to a bon fire at a farm and had a wonderful time.  One of the women had an apple orchard so she brought a truck load of apples and handed them out.  My daughter brought home two big bushels.  So I made 2 apple pies, a tarte tatin and the rest are in the freezer to be served for Thanksgiving. 

This time of the year is always a lot of fun but I’m really really going to miss summer.  I took a new job that is a 1 – 1 ½ hour drive from home during rush hour.  It’s not the best way to spend ones time and I’m not looking forward to the drive when it snows.  But I’m a Midwesterner so I’ll just have to deal with it.   Unless of course I can find a fancy new job in a warmer climate, then I’m outta here!

Good bye Summer.....

A New Wine - Even on a Monday night

My daughter and I like to try new things and we especially like to try to new alcoholic Adult beverages.  We've had some hits and we've had some misses (let's not talk about the pickle juice and tequila shots).  Our recent yummy find wis Lillet, a French aperitif fortified wine. 

A few weeks ago my daughter found a French cookbook on sale at Anthropologie so she grabbed it and brought it home.  We browsed the entre's and sides, but became engrossed in the desserts and cocktails, of course!  There was a cocktail in there that used Lillet which sounded so refreshing. We researched the wine and called our local liquor store to see if they even stocked it.  They confirmed so off we went and bought one bottle of white and one of blush.  It's not dreadfully expensive but considerably more than the 3 buck chuck from Trader Joes.  We had NO idea how it would taste but we really wanted to try it.  I can't remember what the cocktail was (not because I had too many, but because I just don't have much short term memory, which may be a direct result of all of the alcohol consumed since high school but I digress.   I know it involved some club soda but that's about it.  The goal was to find a summer drink and I think we found it and will make again as soon as we find the cook book. I'll have to post about it later when we find the book.

Anyhow, tonight I wanted a glass of wine and remembered I had some leftover Lillet.  So I cut up an orange and a lime added it to the glass with some ice, poured the Lillet and viola, I had a nice refreshing drink. 

Even though Lillet is a bit expensive I do see it becoming one of our go to cocktails this summer while we sit in the sun in the evenings and weekends.  While the temps have dropped back down to almost freezing my Lillet cocktail made me think of warm summer days not long to come. 

 

I'm also intrigued by the recipes on the Lillet website.  I think I'll try this one:

  Millefeuille. 

 

Oh I can already feel summer coming around the corner and I think we'll have a few signature drink concoctions. 

 

Debbie

 

Spring Salad

Recently we were invited to dinner at our friends house. They were making steaks and I offered to bring some potatoes and salad. I wanted to make a fancy salad with lots of different fresh ingredients. We have a local grocery store that carries a wide variety of produce so I decided to start there. 
I picked up a bunch of kale, fresh radishes, red leaf lettuce, bulk spinach, green onions, avocado, and strawberries.  I had some dried cranberries and walnuts in the cupboard and threw them in.  I made sure to cut the cut the kale away from the spines because kale can sometimes be a little bitter. 

 

A friend of ours fishes up in Northern Wisconsin and my husband always orders a wheel of Blue Cheese. It sits in our refrigerator and eventually becomes Gorgonzola.  Either way it is amazing and tastes great on just about anything.  So I decided to add it to our salad.

 

 

We picked up a bottle of Brianna's Blush Wine Salad Dressing.  It paired well with the strawberries and cranberries.  That salad was amazing!

 

I'm looking forward to the spring and summer produce.  The warm spring and summer weather make me crave fresh cool salads with lots of different ingredients. It's easy to find new things to try but you do have to be brave on some of the ethnic items.  I'm amazed at how grocery stores have evolved since I was young.  I can remember when my Mother had difficulty finding leeks.  We lived on the Southside of Chicago so leeks probably weren't in high demand in our neighborhood.  They probably aren't today either but I can't be sure since I don't shop there.  Today in the burbs the gourmet grocery stores have everything.  It's a culinary trip around the world in those stores.  Things like Malanga, Chinese Eggplant or Karela (which I will NEVER try again after a recent taste test) and so many other exotic fruits and vegetables available from all over the world at reasonable prices are available.  Sometimes my daughter and I Google a recipe just to know what it is used for. Sometimes we buy it and try it which is how we figured out we will NEVER buy Karela again.   

 

Who would have guessed a trip to the grocery store could be so exciting! Oh, and what makes it even more of an experience?  Some even sell wine and beer along with a full service restaurant.  Saturday morning grocery shopping is the new Happy Hour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Menu

Years of Easter Sunday dinners have taught me many lessons.  I could never understand how the Queen of homemaking, Martha Stewart could serve up beautiful dinners and look so calm and collected.  Ok Ok, I know that was made for TV but I secretly always wanted to just one time be that organized and "perfect". 

I never accomplished it and probably never will but I'm getting close because I've discovered the art of pre-planning, cooking ahead and organization.

My family isn't that sophisticated to care, we're a very down to earth bunch and honestly they wouldn't be happy sitting at a formal dinner but I still like to set up a wonderful buffet of flavorful tasty dishes.

My Easter Menu is simple this year.  Mr. Saylor loves to buy some special HUGE ham that will produce leftovers for weeks ahead.  I'm in charge of the sides.  Past years I've made two meats but this year we're sticking with the ham and ham alone.

My Easter Dinner:

Ham
Glazed Carrots
Roasted Brussell Sprouts w/bacon
Mashed Turnip
Corn Casserole
Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Green beans w/Almonds

Cheesecake
Mini bundt cakes
Lamb cakes
Dirt pudding cups for the kids

 

I've got my new table cover, my new table runner, my forced Hyacinth bulbs are all set, can't wait to see how it all turns out!

 

A Blessed Easter to all.

Cornish Hens

Cornish hens always seemed like a difficult dish to prepare so I never tried making them for my family.  Sometimes that proverbial light bulb can go off in my head and make me realize the obvious.  If I can roast a big old chicken I can roast a little Cornish hen right? 

I bought some Cornish hens at the grocery store and decided to try to make them for our Sunday dinner.  My son is always skeptical about my new dishes so of course he made some comments when he saw those little birds going into the oven. 

First I made a rub of salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and sage.  I rubbed the little hens with Olive Oil and then rubbed them with the mixed.  I added about 10 cloves of garlic in the pan and put them in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Then I added a couple of cups chicken stock, some carrots and onions and turned down the heat to 350. 

While the hens were in the oven I made some wild rice, added some cranberries and walnuts.  Then I made some sweet potatoes and some fresh green beans and dinner turned out beautifully. 

My son Mr. Skeptical actually enjoyed it.  I plan to try them again on our grill.  Barbequed Cornish hens sound amazing.  If only our weather would cooperate!

 

It was a little sad when I was preparing these little hens so tiny and cute.  I sometimes understand is exactly why people go vegetarian.  

A Book Review - I'll Know It When I See It.

I love blogland for so many reasons. It's like one big magazine all rolled up in one touch of a button.  I used to love wandering around book stores and picking up magazines, interior design books, cookbooks, novels, romances and whatever else struck my attention.  It would be so exciting and yet so heartbreaking because I couldn't leave the place with $100's in books. I had to make choices and they were never easy.  The internet opened a whole new world of choices but sadly the bookstores suffered.   Now I get my book ideas from blog reviews and sign on to Amazon.  Sometimes it's just a click of a button and boom there it is on the kindle.  Other times it's fun to get the book in the mail.  I'll admit I'm cheap and never pay the full price.  I always buy the used books because honestly once I finish the book I'll most likely donate it to a local charity.

Recently I stumbled across a fashion blog that is unique because it focuses on older women.  It's called Advance Style by Ari Seth Cohen.  I don't know how I found it but I find it a fascinating blog because it showcases elderly women who love life and fashion and being uniquely themselves.  An inspiration to women of all ages because they show us you're never too old to make a statement.

In one of his posts he spotlighted an author named Alice Carey and her book titled I'll Know It When I See It, A Daughter's Search for Home In Ireland..  I started out slow reading this book because I tend to read several books at once.  I'm a multitasker when it comes to reading.  As I got deeper into the story I couldn't concentrate on any other book. 

Alice Carey wrote about growing up in New York with her Irish mother who was a maid for Jean Dalrymple  an American theater producer, manager, publicist, author and playwright.  Carey intertwined the story with her experiences as a poor child in New York who was exposed to the theater and arts, her experiences in the New York gay community and the loss of friends due to the AIDS epidemic, while searching for and remodeling a country home in Ireland.  She flashbacks to her younger days in New York and travelling back to Ireland with her "mammie".   She touched on the taboo things like pedophile priests, the way the Catholic School nuns tried to enlist her into the sisterhood and how she didn't want it, Catholic guilt, family and leaving behind the things you love.

It was a touching story and near the end of the book I couldn't put it down. I loved this story and am so happy to have found this blog and this book. 

 

 

 

I highly recommend the book!

 

Until next time,

Debbie

Five On Friday

A belated Five On Friday!

I've been so very busy at work that I didn't even realize it was time for Five On Friday!
So I'm going to do my Five on Friday on Saturday.  I was planning to base my post on Valentines Day so I wasn't too far off by posting on the actual day.  I am joining fellow bloggers for Five On Friday for one more week.   A different group of bloggers taking five  minutes from their day to enjoy five things.  At the bottom of this post you will see who else is joining in this week.  Our host Amy at Love Made My Home is adding a button to her Five On Friday program.  I thoroughly enjoy doing this post and like the fact that we'll be able to post 5 on Friday randomly. 

First off we had a Valentines Day celebration at work.  We were supposed to wear red or pink colors and we could wear jeans.  I had to laugh because one of the young guys in our office wore red jeans.  We work in a corporate environment and most people are pretty conservative so he stood out with his red pants.  It was bold and brought some energy to the office.  That's one of the things I love about working with the younger generation, the energy they bring.  I remember when I was their age and was full of energy and excitement and promise.  Fun memories.

Well, back to our Valentines Day celebration.  I thought we were supposed to bring a treat to share.    So I baked my red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting which is an office favorite.  It's funny because they rave about them all the time when I make them.  I never take credit for them because I use a BOX mix, Duncan Hines Red Velvet.  However, I always make homemade cream cheese frosting.  Maybe that's what makes them special.  I decorated them with sprinkles and set them out around 9am.  They were wiped out by 10.

 

 

It's a frosty cold Valentines Day this year.  It's 5 degrees and an icy cold wind is blowing.  I'm hoping we start to see a warm up soon.  My husband has made reservations for us to go out for sushi tonight.  I really don't want to go outside in the cold but the Sushi is totally worth it.

 

 

My son is in college so he doesn't have much money, well he has NO money because he doesn't work while in school.  His little girlfriend is so sweet and because neither of them has much money they decided they wouldn't get each other anything for Valentines Day.  Now I love my son very much but I will tell you that little girl has earned a Valentines Day gift by putting up with my son.  So I went to the store and picked up a couple of things for her.  I had a heart box from last year and put the candy in it.  He later went out and bought her a bottle of her favorite wine. 

 

 

 



 

I love Pop Rocks.  I remember buying them at the corner store on the way to school.  I couldn't resist picking up a package for her gift.

I put together this silly cloche for VDay.  It's a bunch of cute little pink and red rubber duckies!  Usually my son makes fun of my decorating ideas but this time he didn't say anything.  I guess that's a good thing.

 

To close off the day Mr. Saylor ordered flowers to be delivered to my office. I always find it a little embarrassing having flowers delivered to work.  Everyone makes such a big fuss over it.  They were very pretty though and I wanted to bring them home since they would have to sit there all weekend. At least I can enjoy them at home, that is until my little cat tries to eat them.

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day! 

 

am joining in Five on Friday, taking five minutes from our day to enjoy five things.  Please go and visit the other people who are also blogging about Five on Friday this week.

 

Amy from Love Made My Home
Helen from Woollybluebells
Gina from Fan My Flame

Joanne from A Whole Plot of Love 

Rosie from Corners Of My Mind
Lil from House With Hearts 

 

Longing for a hot summer day

As I was watching the news tonight they reminisced about the blizzard of 1967 that hit here in the Chicago area.  Funny that I've lived most of my life in Chicago and the area and have endured so many cold, snowy winters but that particular 1967 storm I was just a wee lass still living in Scotland.  We emigrated in 1967 but not to Chicago.  I wonder if my parents watched the news that year and saw Chicago getting blanketed in snow.  I bet my mother didn't even think that one day she would be raising her children in Chicago. 

As I watched the newscast about the blizzard about to pour down on the East Coast I started to long for some hot Summer days.   I'm picturing the warm days at my friends summer house, floating in the lake, feeling that hot sun beating down on us and jumping in the water to cool off.  Family fun at my brother's pool, a baseball game or two.

 

Pontoons and Jet Ski's

 

Baseball games

 

Swimming Pool fun

 

 

Summer Concerts

and

Summer Flowers

 

 

 

 

I have to remind myself Summer is only a few months away.

 

 

 

Five On Friday

I am joining fellow bloggers for Five On Friday this week.   A different group of bloggers taking five  minutes from their day to enjoy five things.  At the bottom of this post you will see who else is joining in this week. My post is very late on Friday this week because my work schedule is crazy busy but I didn't want to miss thinking about 5 things today.

Since we're in a deep freeze here in the Chicagoland area I decided to focus my Five On Friday on five things I love about Winter.  I could probably come up with at least 5 things I hate about winter but to get me through this time of the year I thought I'd focus on the positive.  Wintertime is a magical time of year, it's cold and snowy, sometimes brutal and cruel and yet can be beautiful and serene.  I thought the best way to face the harshness of winter is to embrace the positive!

What five things do I love about Winter?

Promise

 

The best part about winter is that it doesn't last forever.  When we are facing temperatures 15 degrees below zero we know that it's only for a little while.  We know that in a few short months the temperatures will be rising and the snow will be melting.  The promise of spring is always there.  In winter things go dormant, trees stand tall and brace themselves against the cold brutal winds.  They signify strength and the promise that better days lie ahead.  Soon the sun will shine warmly, their leaves will begin to bud and they will flourish.  I think that's a great metaphor for all of us when we are facing challenges in our lives.  We can look at a cold spindly wintertime tree and know that someday soon that tree will be full of life again. 

 

 

Resiliency

 

The cold harsh winters remind us of just how resilient we can be.  I can remember walking to school in the city as a little girl along with my two brothers.   We used to tease him and if he cried little ice crystals would form on his eyelashes.  Looking back now I think how cruel we were but we were just kids.  The fact is we never missed school on those days and our schools rarely closed.  Today the schools close all the time when we have sub zero temps or heavy snows.  I suppose it's a good thing but what is it teaching the next generation about commitment?  I made it to school every day in the cold and I grew up into an adult who doesn't miss work due to weather.  The newer generations are different.  I will admit however that there was nothing more exciting than a "snow day"!  It was so rare back then, today the kids expect it!

 

 

Beauty

 

The first snow falls are beautiful.  Our worlds are covered in a blanket of pure white that glistens in the sunlight.  We know that the snow signifies the holidays are near and our worlds become a Christmas card.  I love that time of winter but after the holidays is the time when I start to hate the snow.  Then a big snowfall comes through and it's beautiful all over again.

 

 

 

 

 

Anticipation

 

After months of cold weather and snow my anticipation for Spring starts to happen.  Things slow down in the later part of winter.  I can't do much outside and so I start my spring planning.  I order some special seeds for the garden and start to make plans for what and where to plant.  I love to go into the stores and see the Valentine's day décor and spring gardening merchandise starts to pop up and the winter seems to get that much easier.  I start to anticipate the first signs of new life.  The snow puts everything to sleep and when it melts it nourishes the plant life waiting below the ground.  The first sign of spring bulbs popping through the ground is exciting and rejuvenating. 

 

 

 

Hibernation

 

The cold winter sends us all indoors for the season.  As I write this post the temperature outside is 5 degrees.  The wind is cold and chills you through to the bone but there is nothing more comforting than to come inside our warm house and snuggle under a blanket like a bear in a cave with a cup of hot chocolate.  What's comical is that in the spring all our neighbors start to come out of their homes and it's as if we haven't spoken for months.  It's just it's so darn cold during the winter that we run from our cars into the house.  I love it when the weather breaks and the neighbors kids come out to play. It's amazing to see how much they have grown in the winter.  It really is like we're all a bunch of hibernating bears coming out of our caves. 

 

 

I hope my Five on Friday helps you get through the winter if you're feeling the cold weather like we are here in the Chicagoland area!

 

I am joining in Five on Friday, taking five minutes from our day to enjoy five things.  Please go and visit the other people who are also blogging about Five on Friday this week.

 

Amy from Love Made My Home
Helen from Woollybluebells

Gina from Fan My Flame

Joanne from A Whole Plot of Love 

Rosie from Corners Of My Mind
Lil from House With Hearts