Out and Away...

I have been needing a day 'out and away' and the sun has been shining,

I thought I'd take a drive about and loaded my trusty camera's in anticipation...

Then woke to find this resting low on the mountains out side my window.

As is part of my a.m. routine

(routines are great except when they become ruts by the way).

So I checked out facebook and there was my encouragement!

An invitation -hard to pass up-' The Barn'-

and company on the treck!

The sun was coming up and bringing new possibilities with it!

After gathering camera's, refreshments, and an un-knowing accomplice...

out we trapsed for a day of new adventures!!

We topped the mountain and the sky's were beautiful the snow sparkling, the mood light...

Then we started the decent into 'The Valley'...where we have seen it so foggy at times, that you could drive past your own driveway and not know it for a few houses!

Hore frost was blanketing everything!

The fog must have been as thick as pea soup!!

We had to do first things first;

It was rough, but  we forced ourselves to venture into the book store-and emerged victorious-with book's bulging the confines of our bags.  Next the dreaded outlet for necessities...

Then we were off!!

"The Barn" awaited!

My back seat driving abilities were honed as we headed out.

( I have very patient Sister's did I mention that?!)

In spite of my help, we made it to our destination in tact.

and it was a barn to set an emagination fast at work!

 The first thing we noticed were the windows!!

As Country Momma filled us in on its  history

she told us of a barn owl that found the top window a comfortable spot to rest

and servey it's surroundings.

She has told me of how a fire once took its tole,

 and how a Grandpa repaired and rebuilt it...

Being the 'investigator' I am...

I couldn't stay out at the road and not at least peek in the windows!

So, off I set over the pilings and through the tracks to the family barn I went...

Nana couldn't resist, and wasn't far behind...

(Isn't it cool?!)

After trapsing this far,

 I kept going...through knee deep snow,

trying not to fall over while we were laughing.

When I came across...

Critter tracks!

(Hummm, so that's what cats do when they fall through the snow lol)

Once to the door, in I went,

across roofing tin with a bit of ice covering it-

(I guess it sounded worrysome from Nana's point)

I saw that the inside had the same quaint touches as the outside!

I'm glad we went and can't wait to go back in the summer!!!

We next made a quick stop at this little house-a revisit spot.

Then home again, Home again, Jiggidy, Jig...

And it was good.

Check out Nana's side of the adventure here;

http://grannysrambles.blogspot.com/

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Happiness & Memories

The way we see things...

We may all look at the same things, but we each see those things so differently.

Each person brings with them many complex componants from their life experiances, family traditions, their understanding, and a host of other contributing factors...

That being said,

I wanted to show you two pictures...

First the Wisteria-

It's growing on the clothesline pole at the edge of Yvonne's patio surrounded by flowers from Daisy's garden's, from "down on the farm". Deep purple Flags and large poppy's...

It was Spring and the rain was a light mist...
The yard isn't how I remembered it as a child...the huge willow and the Owl that made it home, has been gone for  many years...but the stories that came from it were repeated often...with happiness.

I like this picture for many reasons-and I like how the tree seems to be 3D...

Now this next one is just...

the happiness of a child.

Do you remember when you were young and could run as fast as the wind-

and jump as high as the sky?!

Children can be such examples to us-if we are willing to look and to learn from them.
Older people have wonderful tails to tell and oddles of experiance we can learn from...
if we take the time.
I've never heard of any one who has to much happiness or to many pleasant memories...
Go make a bunch for yourself-I'm going to!!

 

Smile and remember;

We're fools whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Simple Woman's Day Book...

I found this site a long time ago and have used it for my personal journal writting-I just thought I'd try it out here-thank's for humoring me :)

For today...I'm only thinking about things I CAN do.

Outside My Window...the sky is winter grey and there is not a sign to be seen of blue sky. But I know it's out there and will come streaming through my window soon. 

I am thinking...About what to make for dinner-I know it's a little late in the day for that-so whatever it is it's going to be easy to make and to clean up after :)

I am thankful for...my Honey! My family. And most of all I'm thankful for today.

From the kitchen...I hear the humidifier working-it's a soothing sound.

I am wearing...myself out with night time worries that I allow to rob my sleep. 

I am creating...a hat. I made one, but alas it was to small-so I had to undo it and start over-that's ok.

I am going...to savor reading to Honey. We enjoy that time together. 

I am reading...one of Kristi's French word-a-day book's I borrowed from Betty-it makes me happy.

I am hoping...for the best.

I am hearing...car's going by out side with people going to and fro. Either to the store or picking up kids from school. The Dr.'s office's are close by too...It's only busy twice a day and pretty quiet most of the time. 

Around the house...stacks of "stuff" are waiting for me to take care of them (that usually mean's relocating them is all). 

One of my favorite things...as a girl was to watch for may Dad to come home from work and run to meet him at the corner-he would give us a treat from his pocket-sometimes it was hard candy or gum-sometimes it was sin-sin's...I thought that it was pretty nasty tasting, but it was good because Daddy gave it to me. 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: To figure out this hat and get it done-get my laundry all done-take some time to do something for myself-to go for a ride on the first sunny day! 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

 

See why I love him?!

 

 

 Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

 

 

http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/2008/04/join-simple-womans-daybook.html

Fixing Grody Doll Hair a.k.a. Saving Cinderella

Have you ever had doll's that have been played with to the point

they aren't any more?

Who want's to play with a doll with Grody hair?

More often than not it's the 'Favorite doll' that has the most problems.

I have been noticing this happening in the toy box...

they are pulled out and looked at with an "Oh no!!"

and tossed unceremoniously back in and end up at the bottom of the box getting even grody-er!

(Happens to Barbie dolls a lot!)

It was 20-some odd years ago I learned to "fix grody doll hair" in the hopes that Busy Mommy would stop cutting all her doll's hair off at the roots! Or taking the heads off  and tossing them under the lawn mower...

It did help some.

It takes a fair amount of time

(this one was around 6-7 hours because it was a big-bad mess!)

and elbow grease.

So, here are the things you will need:

Real Windex. Baby shampoo, Liquid fabric softener. A wire pet brush works best (but this is what I had). An apron for when things start to flip, fling and fly...and something to wipe up with.

First take off any doll clothes that may get ruined.

Be sure to keep as much of the Windex, shampoo and softener

off the doll as possible.

Next, take out any elastic's and things...

If your doll has a lot of hair you may want to braid it to keep it out of the way

while you attack the rest of it...

I started this project Thrusday night and this is where we picked it up Friday morning...

(That's why she's braided-

if you need to break up your hair restoration times

it may help to keep what you have like this...)

Working on a hard flat surface seperate off a little hair at a time

(if you can)...

Spray the hair (knots & tangles) with Windex (it usually takes a lot)

Start combing at the bottom, then the next stroke go a little higher up

et patati et patata.

(the French word-a-day for today...means: and so on and so forth)

you may find it easier to work with small sections of a larger section...

After you have detangled the hair using the Windex- carefully rinse the hair under tap water.

Return the doll to the work surface and use the baby shampoo in the same way.

Just squeeze it on there and comb it through the hair...

Again rinse the hair under warm tap water.

Repeat the process using liquid fabric softener...

Next you will want to style the hair...

I did this one into a pony tail with many smaller braids...

As you can see the ends of her hair are pretty fried...I will be trimming them even...(when Tiny Dancer isn't here...because she is pretty sure 'Babee' hates her hair done as much as she does...)

And once she was able to pry the doll away from me  hold the doll and give her oddles of loves and snuggles...both were happy once again!

I just wanted you to know that only this much hair was lost during the whole process...

it was about the size of a walnut. And about 1 to 2 inches of length will be trimmed.

Good luck and happy doll restoration's to you!!
(Not for doll's with human hair!)

http://french-word-a-day.com/

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

The Tuff Ol' Bird's In My LIfe...

"The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,

and what will the robin do then, poor thing?"

Was what Aunt Leona said as her open coat was flapping
as she was running barefoot over our new blue living room carpet...

Her eye's don't give away a thing do they?!

I was pondering the other night...

My Aunt's, Grandmother's and Mom ...

and you know what?

 They were some pretty tuff ol Bird's!

They each had hard things in thier lives...

The kinds of hard things that feel like they will kill you,

but just barley don't~

And yet these women all had  a wonderful sense of humor.

They were amazing women who did hard things.

I have that example in my life,

I have that blood in my vien's.

I have been seeing these amazing women's traits 

and abilites emerge in the lives of my sister's and myself

all my life. But am just now realizing it more fully...

And I feel confident telling you 

We have done, and sadly, continue to do hard things...

and we each have a pretty good sense of humor

~ I think ~

So remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

The Crib

I used to really enjoy going to garage sales on antiquing quests.

Then I started going less and less...

When one a fine Summer day a few years ago I saw a sign on the curb in front of an old, rickity looking, falling down house. I wanted to see what the inside looked like...So I took myself on in.

It was like stepping back in time!   I came out with none other than  ~  treasures!!!

I got some old sewing patterns that I was thrilled about. I got some old clothes pin holder dress' ~ with the clothes pins and clothes line pants hangers! A Mustang hot wheel's type car with doors, hood and trunk,

that open!

Thats right-garage saling isn't just about the girley things.

I asked if I could poke around the house  and the man told me to

 "Go right on ahead".

I found even more treasures although I was to late to get the 1960's table and chairs~

in RED...

Up the steep narrow stairs, down a narrow hall with slanted celings, into a small attic bedroom, I saw it sitting in the corner. A once loved and now forgotten...drop side doll crib.

(I remembered pictures after we got a fair start on it)

It spent a few years out on our patio, then moved to the garage...when finally I talked Honey into helping me fix it up! 

We spent New Years Eve tinkering with it in the Mr. Heatered garage.

Tiny Dancer tried to sit in it the very first thing.

It held her hulking 26-28 pounds with groaning protests.

Honey and I think we know how to solve most of the remaining troubles that plague the poor thing.

And just as the day I spotted it, I look at it and have an inner need to restore it to a loved position in the life of a child.

Even if that child is mostly hidden inside my ageing self...

Smile and Remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.