working in the yard

Thank you all for your comments and opinions on my last post about my sofa. The majority agreed that I should leave things be until I can shop for a new sofa. I agree. Too much work to change things around. Not worth it.

Yesterday, Sunday, we got a one day reprieve from all the rain and cold temperatures we've been having. It was so wonderful to feel the sun and warmth on our faces once again. We're back to rain again today and looks like we won't see the sun again until Friday. It's bad enough being quarantined for so long, but when you can't even get outside for a walk, it gets pretty darn depressing.

But! Yesterday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and worked on some yard projects. Brian did all the back-breaking work; I dug out weeds, raked, and swept. I normally would've helped a lot more, but I currently have a little medical malady (don't worry, it's nothing serious!) that had me feeling out of sorts. This is our butterfly garden which obviously doesn't have much growing yet. Right now we only have daffodils, sedum and lamb's ear, with appearances being made by phlox, black-eyed susan and columbine. In the summer, it's filled with all those (except the columbine; that fades away), plus bee balm and purple coneflower. We've had this wine bottle border for years, but pulled all the bottles out a couple of weeks ago and scrubbed them with soapy water. Yesterday, Brian "replanted" all the clean wine bottles. Another project on my yard to-do list is power washing that bench to get all the moss off, then painting it.

Brian also laid paver stones along a long garden bed on the north side of our house. We originally had these pavers in the culvert area in front of our house, hoping that someday Brian was going to make some kind of border wall, but it never happened. Besides, our village Public Works department worked on our culverts last week and made them not only more aesthetically pleasing, but functional, too. More on that in another post. 

Looking the other way. You can see that we don't have much growing here. Just some hostas (all of which haven't appeared yet - a monster-sized one appears on the corner every year) and ferns - which are barely poking out of the ground. I'd like to add something for height and interest in this area, but I have no idea what to do. Since this is the north side of our house, it is mostly shade. Might have to use this extra quarantine time to do some gardening research.

 We got our daily walk in this morning before the rain hit. I had to stop and snap this picture of a neighbor's magnolia tree starting to bloom. Isn't it beautiful?

We were going to make a trip to a local, independent garden store today, but then realized that we wouldn't be able to plant anything this week anyway, so why bother. I'd have to keep all the plants on my front porch and even possibly move them into the garage at night, because there's still some nights where it's going down into the 30's.

Have a wonderful week and stay safe!

time flies ~ a lot of little things

It's been awhile since I've posted. Nothing is wrong; just things in life that are taking up a lot of my time lately, where it's hard to find time to sit down and write a blog post. Then I was having phone and computer problems. Long story short, I use OneDrive for my photos and my photos from my phone weren't syncing to my laptop. I obviously need my photos for a blog post. I spent many hours Googling the problem and trying to fix it. Which I think I finally did late last night. However, when I went into my photos in OneDrive today, I found that I couldn't edit them. But all the photos also went into Dropbox and I could edit them there. Sometimes technology can drive one nuts!

Here in the US, last weekend was Labor Day weekend, which signifies the end of summer - though technically, we still have two-and-a-half more weeks to go. I went to a friend's BBQ on Saturday, though we were all crammed into her small house because of the rain. And on Sunday, I went to another friend's house and we were only able to sit outside for a little while (though it was so hot and humid, we were drenched in sweat) until more rain came. Monday, of course - more rain. In fact, the storms were so severe here that we had a tornado warning. I didn't even know there was a warning - I never heard the sirens go off, nor did the weather alert alarm go off on my phone. It wasn't until my mother called me and asked if I was in the basement, that I found out about the warning! It was a short-lived tornado warning this time - the storm passed us quickly with no damage. Driving past houses and cornfields this week, there's standing water all over the place. The Canada geese are having a ball, splashing around in the "ponds" in some of the now-empty cornfields. We only had a couple of light sprinkles today and it looks like dry weather is finally in the forecast for the next week, though much cooler. Fall is on its way, though I'm still in summer mode.

I had a very unpleasant experience with TJ Maxx yesterday....I will start out by saying that I normally like shopping there because of their decent prices and the ability to find women's clothes that aren't the cookie cutter ones from department stores. Last week, I had picked up a few tops and a lightweight zip-up cardigan. I don't try clothes on in the store, so I brought the clothing home, tried them on, and found the cardigan and one top fit. The other two tops needed to go back. I washed the cardigan and the top that fit on the gentle cycle and in cold water. Then I hung both to dry instead of putting them in the dryer so that they wouldn't shrink. I noticed after the top dried, it looked smaller. So I tried it on again, and sure enough, it was very tight. I was angry and disappointed, as I followed the label instructions for washing and drying. Of course, I didn't have the store tags anymore, since I thought I was keeping this shirt. 

I returned to the same TJ Maxx store to return the tops that didn't fit, plus the one that shrunk. I explained to the clerk what happened to the shrunk shirt and why I wanted my money back. She automatically said that because I washed it, I wasn't allowed to return it - period. That the store return policy was even posted on the front door. I could feel myself getting angry, but I remained calm and firmly stated again that I didn't even wear this shirt. That it was not my fault that the shirt shrunk when I followed the exact washing and drying instructions that were on the care label. And this was not a cheap shirt: it was a Michael Kors. At this point a store manager walked over and reiterated what the clerk had said, but that she'd "make an exception this one time." I said to the manager, "I'll even take a store credit instead of you crediting this back to my debit card." While this store manager was talking to me, she never made eye contact with me and the expression on her face was one of annoyance. I was polite enough to thank her. The clerk then said, "I guess it's your lucky day." I bit my tongue but I wanted to say, "Excuse me? Your store is selling defective merchandise; you don't want to accommodate a customer; and you're saying it's my lucky day because a manger 'made an exception' to your awful store rules?!" 

I have returned clothes to Kohls and Burlington where I found problems with them after they were washed and tagless with no problems at either store. No fuss, no hassle. Instead, an apology and my money back. Guess who has lost a clothing customer?!

On to more positive things...

I won a giveaway from Linda at Itsy Bits and Pieces! 

I love this huge ball of blue and white vintage twine...I think it'd look great under a cloche. And then Linda also included a bag full of all kinds of vintage ephemera...game pieces, bottle caps, Bingo cards, children's flash cards, a hankie with the original Woolworth's tag still on it, a spool of thread, etc. If you're not familiar with Linda's blog, head over and take a look. Her decorating is beautiful; she does some really creative projects and makeovers; and she always comes up with amazing thrift shop finds.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

after the rain

 Sure hard to believe today is Tuesday. With a long holiday weekend here in the US and nothing but rain here most of the day today, it seems like a Monday. The heavens opened up this morning and it poured for seemingly endless hours. The humidity was a killer...my feet were sticking to the hardwood floors, my hair looked like a Brillo pad, and my arm with the lymphedema swelled up. But then it'd be like someone flipped a switch. The rain would abruptly stop and the sun would be shining. Ten minutes later, it'd be pouring again.

I ran outside at one point to take some photos when the rain stopped. I don't know where all these tree seeds are coming from this year...previous years were never this bad. Cleaning up the patio when we dry out a bit isn't going to be fun.

 Raindrops on a dahlia...

 The chive blossoms were at their peak after all the rain...

 I cut a bunch of the blossoms and put them in a Ball jar and filled the jar with rice vinegar. I'll keep the jar in the dark basement for two weeks, then strain the blossoms from the vinegar. I'll then use the vinegar to make vinaigrette (that will obviously have a slight onion flavor).

 My office (used to be Phil's bedroom) is at the back of the house and one of the windows faces west. The afternoon sun that comes in that window is brilliant. I love how cats seek out sunbeams, so it was no surprise that I found them in this room at one point when the sun was shining. Clementine chose the top of the chair, while her "baby", Monkey took refuge on the rug.

Zippo chose my desk, right by the window.

 

 My oldest niece's graduation party was yesterday...I'll post about that later this week.

Happy Monday Tuesday!

 

comfort in a bowl ~ soup recipes for those chilly autumn nights

Day two of gloomy, gray skies and rain. Blech. I'm one of those people who's affected

by the weather both physically and mentally. Give me a sunshiny day and I'm cheerful and

motivated and full of energy. Gloomy days? Something usually hurts more than usual on

this middle-aged body and I feel lazy and blah. 

I find myself craving soup in this kind of weather. I love the process of making it, too.

There's something cathartic about mindfully chopping vegetables. Then there's the

fragrance filling the kitchen as the onions, garlic, and celery saute on the stovetop. And

finally, the whole house fills with the aroma of simmering soup. Ever walk into a house

where soup is simmering on the stove? It smells like comfort. It smells like home.

The first recipe I'm sharing with you is one of my family's favorite, tried-and-true classic

soups: Pasta E Fagioli. It's hearty and delicious, makes great leftovers, and is easy

to make. Recipe below.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

  (Recipe from cookbook, Full Of Beans)

2 T. olive oil

2 oz. pancetta or bacon, minced (sub vegetarian Canadian 

bacon or omit entirely, if vegetarian)

1-1/2 c. finely chopped onion

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 T. crumbled dried leaf sage or 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage

1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

5 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 16-oz. can Italian-style chopped tomatoes with juice

(or use plain canned chopped tomatoes & add your own Italian seasonings)

3 c. drained cooked white beans such as cannellini or Great Northern

3/4 c. small dried pasta such as ditalini or tubetti

Salt

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large, heavy soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta

(or bacon) and cook until the fat is rendered but not browned, about 8 minutes.

Add the onion and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the

vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes

and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil over high

heat, add the pasta, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered until the pasta

is al dente, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. (Leftovers

can be kept for a couple of days in the refrigerator and reheated, but if making the

soup ahead, don't cook the pasta until shortly before serving. It tends to absorb liquid

and become soggy as it stands.) Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese.

 ******************************

Another great thing about making soup is that it's so adaptable. I make up a lot of my

own recipes. Basically, if you have basic staples on-hand such as broth, vegetables

(fresh, canned, frozen), tomatoes (fresh or canned), any kind of pasta or grain, and if

you wish - some kind of protein such as beans or leftover chicken - you can make soup.

My yoga teacher mentioned last week that she made up a recipe for Mexican Chicken

Soup. I told her to tell me the basics of what she put in it - and here's what I came up

with. I love to make up my own recipes and with soup, it's easy to do so.

MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 poblano peppers, coarsely chopped

1 cubanelle pepper, coarsely chopped

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1-2 tsp cumin (start out with 1 tsp, taste - add more to your liking)

1 T. chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

5 c. chicken broth

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 c. frozen corn

Juice of 2 limes

Fresh cilantro

In a large, heavy soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion,

celery, poblano peppers, cubanelle pepper, and carrots. Cook over medium

heat for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add the garlic, cumin, chili

powder, and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, chicken, and frozen

corn and simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes or until all the flavors come together.

Right before serving, add the juice of two limes into the pot of soup and stir. Ladle into

bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

 Nom nom ~ enjoy!

Sharing with Cozy Little House - Tweak it Tuesday.

nifty thrifty finds ~ and getting rid of stuff

  I've been working hard at purging a lot of stuff from my home...I went through my

closet and took down the tops and sweaters that I didn't wear all winter and bagged

them up for donation. I figured if I didn't wear something yet all winter, then I never

would. I also got rid of anything that didn't fit exactly right or that was uncomfortable.

Moving on, yesterday I worked on clearing out some vintage and a few newer items

that no longer serve a purpose for me. These are items that are more "valuable", so

I don't want to just donate them. But yet I don't want to sell on eBay or etsy either.

For right now, I have listed the items for sale on a couple of Facebook pages, but 

whatever doesn't sell, I think I'll list some things here on my blog to see if any of

you are interested.

Needless to say, I haven't been thrifting as much as usual. In the past few weeks,

I've run into Goodwill in passing and only came home with a few treasures. At

least I'm getting rid of a lot more than I'm taking in!

I'm a sucker for small, pretty pictures. This one of the Cosmos flowers looks

like someone hand-painted it on glass.

I thought this small oil painting of the roses was so pretty...

Whoever painted it, wrote a message in Polish on the back...

I passed up this business card holder a few times before deciding to buy it.

I'm glad I did - I love it! So cheeky.

Brian and I both love Sun Tea (usually herbal) in the summer. I'm slowly phasing out

all the plastic in our house, so this glass jug is perfect.

And speaking of phasing out plastic and using glass, I found these two small 

Fire King containers. Great for storing small amounts of leftovers in the fridge.

What about you ~ are you bringing more stuff into your home or getting rid of

things? Or, a little of both? Happy Thursday, everyone. Its a chilly, rainy day here

in northern Illinois ~ but, at least it's not snow!

---------------------------------------
Having fun with ~

 Green Willow Pond - What We Accomplished Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday
Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

the gifts of friendship

Deb was one of the first neighbors I met when we moved here almost 23 years

 ago. She and her husband and three little boys moved into their house soon

 after we moved into ours. Our boys all grew up together and Deb and I have

 always been close friends. She was one of the first persons to come

over when my son, Phil passed away 3-1/2 years ago. She sat with me and 

helped me breathe and not pass out or completely "lose it".

It has always been Deb's desire to move out west and live off

the grid. Her dream has finally come true. Her husband is retiring next year

and they have already bought a tiny house in the mountains of northern

Washington on five acres of land. Since they are moving to such a small

house, they are now greatly downsizing. Deb had a bunch of her girlfriends

over to her house the other night and we all got to choose some of Deb's 

personal belongings that she didn't want to sell to the general public when

she had an estate sale. Honestly, there was nothing I really wanted ~especially

since I'm purging things out of the house myself right now with cleaning up

after our basement flood.

However, I did want a couple of her larger plants. I'm in love with this

Christmas cactus. She said it flowers beautifully, and she basically left it alone.

 I'm hoping it will love my house as much as it loved hers!

 Brian carried home this very heavy pot of plants for me. There's a bunch of 

different plants in here including Mother-in-Law's Tongue, ivy, a spider plant,

a couple of others I'm not sure of...and then I added my  "shamrock" plant.

How gorgeous is this piece of furniture?! Deb had it marked at only $5

for her estate sale. I snatched it up immediately. When the weather is warmer

and the rain goes away (seems like I've been saying that all month), I'm taking

this baby outside and priming and painting it. Then she'll get new knobs.

Brian's currently using it as his nightstand.

 Today has been one of those l-a-z-y days. Cold, gray, and drizzling rain. Just

what we need here in Illinois - ha. The rivers are overflowing onto the sidewalks

and streets. Some towns have even been declared a state of emergency.

We feel a bit safer with our sump pump now, as Brian went out and bought and

installed a battery back-up sump pump. Even the cats haven't gotten out of bed

all day except to eat. Monkey has been curled up in front of Brian's pillow all

day. I normally make my bed every day, but if the cats take over, I let them be.

 I'm off to bake some banana bread now. Cooking Light has a fantastic recipe.

 

dreary monday ~ but what i have to look forward to

 This is the view outside my living room window right now.

Nevermind my neighbor's dilapidated, eyesore-of-a-garage. 

I'm talking the gray skies and endless rain. Seems like we're either getting

socked by snow or rain. Can't seem to catch a (sunny) break.

I have zilch motivation to get anything done in this kind of weather.

I did manage to read a few magazines in my huge pile. Yeah, I kinda

have a magazine and book addiction. What can I say ~ I love to read! 

 Had to pick up some cheery yellow flowers when I was at Trader Joes the other day.

Still amazes me that you can get a huge bunch for only $3.99. There was enough

to put in three spots in my house. One small bunch in the kitchen...

a centerpiece for the kitchen table...

and another bunch for the side table in the living room.
 

Despite the gloomy weather, I have a huge dose of cheer coming my way.
 Tomorrow, I'm meeting Jane from Blondie's Journal for lunch. Think we'll stop talking

long enough to actually eat our food? I'm sure the time will fly by.

Thursday, I'm meeting Penny from At Home in English Valley for a mutual

 favorite activity ~ thrifting!

And then on Saturday, I'm meeting 24 other bloggers at The 4th Annual

Midwest Meet-up. Not only will locals from the Chicago suburbs be coming,

 but bloggers from Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan, too.
 And  Karianne from Thistlewood Farms and Heather from At the Picket Fence
   are coming all the way from Kentucky!

Sooo...be gone with you, gray skies and rain. I'm kicking your dreary butt with 

a sunshiny dose of friendship.