More questions I must answer

It's on to the next 5 questions. I actually like these questions better- and it's not because one of mine is in this group. These are more tangible to me I guess....

From Anne in Reno

What do you do to keep from being depressed at the state of the world (as you see it) and the way things are going around you? How do you take control of your environment in a positive manner?

Although the "state of the world" isn't all that great- it's not all that bad either. Things could be a lot worse. A lot. Around me, things are ok. The Mr. is still gainfully employed. My parents are doing well. My Dad doesn't have kidney cancer. The MIL is doing fine- getting on with her life- dating and having fun. My boy is healthy, happy, and doing well in school. As I said, things could be a lot worse. As for taking control of my environment- I never had control of it in the first place- not during my cancer, or accidents, or my Dads cancer or my FILs death. For me at least- going with the flow works best.

Part 1: If you could live anywhere at all, where would you live?
Santa Fe New Mexico part of the year and Austin Texas the other. I love both those places and miss them every day.

Part 2: In what style would you live? (I don’t mean MCM or traditional, I mean opulence or simple or whatever...)

Well, I would probably live in a small adobe style house with a courtyard in both places. Some land- a few acres- and surround myself with friends, animals and art. Lots and lots of art.

Do you really care what kind of car you drive?

This was my question. The answer is no, I don't care what I drive- as long as it runs and runs well all of the time. I loved my Jeep. I loved my VW Beetle. I would love to drive a 1970's pickup truck. I drive a Ford Focus, and like Wende, I am amazed at how well it drives and what I can stuff in it. It works for me and my family isn't concerned I will roll this one down a hill.


From Christine in DC

If you were given $250,000 that you had to spend (i.e. no savings, like that old Richard Pryor movie...), how would you spend it?”

This isn't a ton of money- even if it is after tax. I would buy some land in the UP of Michigan. This is 189,000 - I would tear down the trailer and put up a cabin.
- that would blow through the 250,000, plus another 50,000 probably.
Or, I would just make sure the boy had enough money to go to college and then we could travel the world for 6 months. Either one sounds good to me.

What would you be doing with your life right now if you were free of all present constraints (family, money, geography, time, health, etc.)?

I would be driving around the country in my Jeep taking pictures, looking at outsider art and painting. That's it. That's all I would be doing.

Why are grown women wearing pajamas in public?

That was the thought that I had going into the boys school on Tuesday. When did it become OK for grown ups to go out and about in their pj's?

Then I realized what I was wearing. It was super cold outside- I was out in flip flops, levis that are way too long for me, a t shirt that I had spilled an iced tea on earlier that day, my husbands way- to- large- for- me jacket, my hair was thrown up in what my friends used to call "house hair" and I had 2, count them 2, pair of glasses propped up on my head-Sunglasses and reading glasses. No purse- my keys stuffed into my levis. I was a sight.

who am I to judge?

But at least it wasn't my pj's......

thanksgiving and it's aftermath

The new stove rocks. It cooks evenly and well. And much, much faster than my old 1985 version. That meant that dinner was served nearly one hour earlier than advertised. Thank God everyone was here and I had things well under control or that would have been a disaster. It wasn't. Everything was very tasty, done, and a good time had by all. I only took a picture of the turkey though. Sorry. There was a mad rush near the end on my part so the camera wasn't allowed- I thought it might fall into a vat of mashed.

Today, since my roots are from Indiana, I am trying my greatgrandmothers favorite dish- chicken and noodles. Except, I will use turkey. Why? Because like everyone family in the USA, I have leftovers. So, Turkey and Amish egg noodles (I'm not making my own today) and stock. I will go against tradition and add in the leftover carrots and some celery too I think. Really clean out that fridge.

Thanksgiving

I host Thanksgiving every year. Really, it started so my little family didn't have to travel to my moms and his moms houses for the day. I hate that . I liked the thought that they would all have to travel here. I'm selfish like that. Same for Christmas - except there is a "no family" rule on Christmas Day. Grandparents are welcome on Christmas Eve DAY- but they have to be all gone by 7pm- don't worry- I feed them on that day too.

You have to have rules I find, or you will be run over with requests. We traveled to and fro when I was a child. It sucked. I will not do that to my kid.

Anyway- this is the menu for the day. I am making it all except for the cranberry sauce. That comes from a jar at my moms house. It's whole berry sauce if that makes anyone feel better. I like it.

Turkey. This year it's a 16.23 lb one. It's thawing in the fridge as I write this.

dressing. NOT stuffing. I find stuffing gross, and it's a chance to give your entire family food poisoning if not done correctly.

mashed potatoes. Yukon Golds with cream and real butter.

Turkey gravy

roasted carrots
Roasted sweet potatoes. No sugar or marshmallows. Ick. Some salt and butter please

sweet corn

biscuits

dessert is Pumpkin Gooey Cake. I make it every year. It's a Paula Deen recipe so it has a God awful amount of butter in it. It's very, very good.

That's it. Iced tea since no one drinks. Not very exciting really. As Wende says, I"m "exceedingly normal" . I'm ok with that. Better than OK really.

more inspiration pictures.

This Is a post and run job- so I'll be back to post some links if I can. This first pic was just on Apartment Therapy today- I love love love those lamps This is everything I want my kitchen to be....

I love that ceiling and it would look great in my house. This is from Storm Interiors.

I love this color and that window covering.

The sofa and the wood wall is what does it for me in this picture.

Later- I have to go to school -22 kindergartners are waiting for me

5 down, 5 to go

It's the next group of 5 questions- good thing too- SCB is going to wear her fingers to the bone cleaning! Also, my husband is in the hospital now -as I write this- having a CAT scan of his head. He's been ill and they have some things they need to check out. This will get me mind off it. Why aren't I there you ask? The boy. Flu is rampant here and I am not taking him to where sick people go and sit.

Here you go-
What is the first movie you ever saw in a theatre.
I don't know. The first one I remember is "Star Wars". My Mom, Dad, my brother and I went to go see it. That in itself is amazing because I think that is the only movie I remember my Mom and Dad going to- either with us or without us. They are not movie people. Now, Dad watches DVDS, but my mom could care less.

oh- because I lived in a small, small town and it had one theatre, with one screen- "Star Wars" played forever.

What's the book that had the biggest impact on you?
When I was very small it was "little house on the Prairie" books. I read them all. They were yellow, paperback and I had the entire series. I loved them.
When I was about 12 or so I read "Gone with the Wind" , "The Godfather", and "The Stand"
Later, I would add "East of Eden" to that list of books. I loves these books, I still have copies of them by my bed. Really, they are about relationships, trust, and good vs evil.

I never was into the entire Judy Bloom thing, or VC Andrews and those damn kids in the Attic. There wasn't really any teen vampire stuff back then, and things like "Catcher in the Rye" and "Lord of the Flies" just didn't do it for me.

In what fictional place would you like to vacation, and what would you bring back as a souvenir
I don't know really. All I can think of is that I would love to go to the beach. Any beach. I would bring back sand.

What place (where you live) gives you joy?

My back yard, down by the river. Or, the upper peninsula. It's beautiful up there. quiet.

What's your drag song?
I don't get this question. I guess "It's raining men" by the Weather girls. I have always liked that song.

That's it. Thanks for helping me kill 15 minutes!

Cure week 5- it's the officespace week

I know that I'm actually doing the one room cure. I understand that, but when I read the cure posts and see that it's office week- well-my office needs help too. So does my computer desk in the kitchen and my bills desk in the dining room. I think I have to add office week to my to do list this week. Here are my before pictures-

This is my actual office. The tower of white boxes is stuff that is on-or going to be on-Etsy. The rest is just crap.
This is my "bills" desk in the dining room. The tubs are Etsy stuff that need to be put in the shop, the dress form needs to go to the sewing room. The crap on the desk- that's the big issue.

This is the computer desk. It's actually been cleaned up once this week. This table is just a crap collector. I knew it when the Mr. built it- but I didn't think it would be this bad....

I have a lot of work to do this week huh?

curing the living room

living room-south side
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

I'm just cleaning the living room this week. This is my 35 dollar 11 ft long sofa. It's ok, the pattern is nuts, but the price couldn't be beat.

The sewing room project

BEFORE picture of the sewing room
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

First off, it was really messy. Second- it reminded me of a bunker. So, I removed everything and the Mr. painted the floor-

Then I painted the wall green. I had the paint already- it's a gallon of mistint I got for 5 bucks. Then I put some of the stuff back in, but edited. A desk and table for my sewing, some lamps. A painting. Now I have to think about storage and start work on the wall across from the desk. That wall is going to be paneled and painted white with shelves and a rod.

It's the questions meme- 5 at time is the way to go!

SO, it seems that doing the first 5 questions tonight is the social norm. Far be it from me to rock the boat here.

Lauralynne
Would you rather eat Reese's Cups or Peppermint Patties?

Reeses, matter of fact, I just at a huge bag of them. We don't get trick or treaters at the chair household. Too remote. But-JUST IN CASE- I always buy one bag of candy. A bag of candy I wouldn't mind eating myself. Reeses. Jumbos. Yum.



Would you rather never listen to music again or lose your TV?
I would die if I lost my TV. Or my cable. Or my ON DEMAND. Or my HULU. Well, you get the point. I'm visual. I love my tv.

If you could visit any one time period in history, when would it be?

I'm with Wende on the problem of hygiene. Especially the oral part of hygiene. Plus, being a woman with a vagina is problematic during most, if not all, of the really exciting eras of human development. That said, I would love to go see the Mayan and Aztec civilizations when they were humming along. As long as I got to keep my heart in my chest, that is. We don't know a whole lot about that society and what they did. I sure would like to see it for myself.

Would you rather die peacefully, but unexpectedly in your sleep at 60, or at 90 after years of disease...

Before the cancer, I would have said 60. Now, it would be 90. I really, really, really don't want to die. Have I made that clear? I want every available medical test, trial, drug or machine at my demand to avoid leaving this earthly plane.

Do you think that questions such as "what's your favourite colour/ice cream/album of all time" help you get to know another person?

Nope. It just lets you know what color/ice cream/album they like at the time they answer the question. I don't know if anyone can tell anything about me by the fact I like mint chocolate chip ice cream, the color green and the Dixie Chicks. But go ahead if you think that opens some doorway to my soul.