Weekend Shopping

The sales-tax-free weekend in Oklahoma is this weekend.  It started on Friday and ends at midnight tonight.  We don't have to buy a lot anymore, since we don't need school clothes.  But Bill needed jeans, shirts for work and socks.  Otter need jeans and she also got a pair of shoes.  I found a few t-shirts at Walmart.  We saved a whole $12.36!  (I'm being a little sarcastic here.)  Not a fortune, but it all helps.  Otter wanted to get her glasses adjusted so we went to the mall for that but didn't actually buy anything there.  We got most of the clothing items at WalMart and one of Bill's shirts at Sears.  But the mall was still fun.  We also went to a Goodwill, where I made another Fenton find:

These are stock photos, but I found one of them.  $1.50!  I'm not really into the bells that much, but Fenton at $1.50?  Yes, it will come home with me!  This one did.  I had just remarked to Otter that I didn't think I was going to find anything at the store today, and it was on the next shelf.  It doesn't have the sticker that the last picture shows, but it's the Daisy and Button pattern and it is in perfect condition.  It's a little more iridescent than the pictures show.  The clapper is intact, which is usually the first thing to be broken off and lost.

I did get my closet rearranging done yesterday, like I planned.  It wasn't difficult.  I mostly had to move a few boxes around and then shift the longer clothes to the center of the closet rod.  And then I had to hold my left foot over the sink while Bill poured peroxide over it, after I dropped a small wooden box on it!  It wasn't a long drop, more of a slide out of my hands than an actual drop.  But it landed on the top of my foot and caused a small cut.  No damage, it wasn't hard enough of an impact to worry about broken bones or anything, but I'm probably going to have a bruise!

We got Maggie Moo another bed yesterday.  She was so funny.  She was a little on the confused side, but then she generally is, when she couldn't find her bed.  We kept the pillow out of the old bed, but the bed itself was thrown out last week.  It developed a hole in the bottom of the bed when I washed it one time and it slowly grew larger each time the bed was washed or the dog rearranged herself or the pillow.  Since they are somewhere around $7.00, we figured we would just go get her another one.  Yesterday, we ran a couple of errands and then went to Otter's store since that's where the first bed came from.  I brought it inside, cut the tags off and put it in the place by the couch where the first bed had been.  The Magginator was outside at the time, when she came in and saw the bed - she squealed like an excited toddler!  Then she literally bounced into the new bed, curled up and went to sleep.  Silly baby!  She made a few new puppy friends on our walk this morning, so she has had a good day.  She's snoozing on her blankets at the moment.  She was napping under the futon when I left to get Otter and she's been rearranging the pillow in her bed today too.

I also got the soup made yesterday, but I put off making the pinto beans.  Possibly one evening this week.

Bill's assorted frozen spots are fine, they are still a little sensitive but not actually painful.  He slept on the couch Friday night, we figured out that he would be more likely to stay on his right side and not his left (the wart was on the left side of his nose) so we made him a bed on the couch.  I went to bed before he did, but sometime after he got into his nest, he realized that he was laying on his right side and that was the arm that had the frozen spots!  So, he switched to his back.  Which means that he didn't sleep too well.  Last night, he decided he'd better stay on the couch and we fixed his pillows up a little so he'd be propped up more which would help him sleep a little.  I'm not sure where he's sleeping tonight, but he may decide to stay on the couch again.  I'm just glad it wasn't actually a skin cancer on his nose after all.

Sun Tea is happily being made on the back deck!  I forgot to put it out yesterday, but I remembered this morning.  When I picked Otter up for our shopping trip, I noticed that her jar was out on her patio today, too.

I think it's time to go check on the load of jeans I have in the dryer now.  Then I think maybe I'll answer the call of the chocolate that I can hear calling me all the way from the freezer!

First Friday of 2010

2010 starts with Friday! It's gotta be a good year! :)

It also started with a little Fenton, I found a match holder which resembles a bucket at a store yesterday when I found the Rose piece. The match holder originally came with a metal handle, they are not really common pieces anymore and finding them with the handle is even less common. It's green, really a pretty piece. Today, Otter wanted to go to a "junktique" store we love and they had a match holder in amber with the handle. Needless to say, it came home with me. I now have two match holders, so I'm probably set as far ast they go. I also saw a few other pieces I liked but either had enough of already (rare for that too happen!) or they were out of my preferred price range.

I've noticed something recently. While I am still seeing a lot of milk glass, not just Fenton but frequently in the hobnail pattern, it seems like I'm seeing more and more clear colors in Fenton but again, not just Fenton. I'm thinking that the collecting trend is changing, away from milk glass and towards clear colors. Which is fine with me!

It's still cold, it's coat weather mostly. But it's also sunny and even though we're still below freezing, we've been above a couple of times and with the sunshine the snow is melting. Which means that muddy season is starting. As Frasier and Maggie can attest! When Otter and I got home from our errands, we let the dogs in. And then we promptly had to tackle Frasier and clean his feet! He was not amused, and he immediately ran back outside to refill his feet with plenty of mud. We had to let the carpet spots dry, then Otter ran the vacuum and it looks good for now. But probably not for long!

It's been a good vacation. We've gotten a lot of stuff done around the house, had plenty of family time and really enjoyed Christmas. Otter and I did manage to get quite a bit of shopping in, of course! We got another piece for her bathroom today, all she needs now is a trash can and I'm going to repaint the shelf & kleenex box cover. It's turning out really nicely, the burgundy shower curtain is a really good color and it looks very nice.

Well, Bill just informed me that he's heading out to the garage to do some de-cluttering so I guess I'd better go with him. It's less stressful that way! At least, for me that is. :)

Happy New Year!

Some Tuesday Thoughts & Ramblings

The rest of the pictures from Oklahoma City. CHIHULY!

This is a close-up shot of the glass tower that is immediately inside the museum. There is a similar one inside the downtown library in San Antonio, or at least there used to be one. Although it wasn't quite this tall. These things always remind me of squash blossoms.

Standing on the main floor.

This shot was taken from the 2nd floor.

This is the one I want. However, since it probably COSTS MORE THAN MY HOUSE I don't think it's in the budget.

This was set up like an acquarium. It was behind glass and a little dark, so the picture didn't come out the best.

I like these, too.

Chihuly glass is known for the lip wrap, or edge color, that is on most of the pieces in this style. It's heavy glass, much thicker than it looks and must be extremely hard to handle while it's being created. It's all blown glass. They are also very large.

Otter liked the color of these.

This is what I was most interested in seeing. It's a glass ceiling. And it's covered with Chihuly! I told Bill that this is how I want our bedroom ceiling to be decorated. Silly boy, he thinks I mean painted. I'm talking the actual pieces.

More of the ceiling.

And still more ceiling.

This reminds me or either spiders, or Fiesta. Any San Antonio natives will know what I mean.

I absolutely love this one. I'd take it in a heartbeat, but I'd still have the same problem as the green set I like.

This one resembles a sunflower, so of course I like it.

Here's a better shot.

OK, that concludes our tour of the Chihuly Exhibit.

Moving on.

We discovered something this afternoon. The builder that owns the lot behind us is putting up a privacy fence. The entire length of the area that runs behind our street. Wish they'd done it a few months ago. Like before we planted bamboo! And before we installed the bamboo block, which was the real work. They have just put in the posts today, we're going to watch and see how fast they actually get the fence put up. And then in all probability, we'll (we being Bill) go dig up the bamboo. Which won't be that hard, it's not all that spread out yet. We did discuss leaving it. But the privacy fence is set back a couple of feet from our fence line, which would leave about a 4' gap between the bamboo and the fence. Also, the privacy fence would block the light that the bamboo needs which would mean it wouldn't grow very well. If at all. But we would be leaving the block installed, as moles can't get past it. But we'll wait and see, it may take them months to get the fence finished. Although we don't think so.

Other happenings: We are pool-less! Saturday afternoon, the pool decided it was time to leave. It split down one side and was non-repairable. Bill saw it happen and we were able to get out there and redirect the water so that a) no tidal waves taking out the deck, b) no tidal waves coming in the back door and c) the septic system wasn't overloaded with a sudden influx of water! We are going to replace the pool, but it might be at the end of the summer when they are on clearance. Unless we find a good deal now. Of course, this coincided with the "hot" weather hitting and heat alerts being issued for the week. (The hot weather here is pretty warm, but it's still not S. TEXAS hot).

Froggy arrives the day after tomorrow! Thrifting, flea marketing, many trips to Braum's, lots of gossip await.

Fast & Frantic Friday

I'm still alliterating.

This will be short. It's Friday. It's been a long day and I am tired. And my feet hurt. I've been on them a lot today.

Anyway, we had a great visit with Nana. Bill and Otter took her back to the airport this morning after I went to work. They went out to breakfast on the way to take her. They are spoiled (Bill and Otter)!

We visited the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial yesterday. I have a bunch of pictures and will post them along with my thoughts. It was very intense. I have to think about what I want to say.

Also, we went to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Where they have an entire wing devoted to CHIHULY! I took a bunch of pictures of that as well and they will be posted, but probably on a seperate post from the Memorial.

And now, I'm going to go surf the 'net for a little while. Then I think I'm going to go have a glass of wine and prop my feet up.

Terrific Tuesday Tales!

I'm into alliteration today, apparently. (All the words begin with the same letter). At least as far as my title goes.

It's Day 2 of Nana's visit and we are having a great time. We went to the Chinese buffet for dinner last night. Otter & Bill took Nana to a well-known local shopping center today. Then they made the obligatory trip to WalMart. Tomorrow, I'm not sure about. We made buffalo burgers for Nana tonight. She really liked it. Then we made strawberry ice cream.

But Thursday we will be going to Oklahoma City. To the Memorial. It's a trip I'm torn about. I really want to see it. But I still remember April 19, 1995 and how bad it really was. Nana and I have decided that we will take lots of kleenex. Because we will probably need them.

If we have time after that, we will be going to the art museum in OKC. The one with the entire floor devoted to Chihuly. For the uninitiated, Chihuly is a glass artist. What he does is so beyond mere art that there are not words enough to describe it. I absolutely love glass in all it's forms, and I have been wanting to see the Chihuly art for a while so we are going to try to work it in. We probably will be able to.

Maggie's confused. She's back to being locked out of Otter's room, since Nana doesn't want to sleep with a furry beagle. Frasier's confused but happy about it. His confusion is the result of the hamsters cage being moved to the office. It's low enough that he can see them easily. And he wants them. He's confused because he can see them, but he can't have them.

Poor baby, I don't feel a bit sorry for him!