A TABLESCAPE & THE LATEST

It has been a little slow in Blondieville lately.  I like that in small doses, I guess. The dreaded computer problems continue...I keep losing my connection.  A new modem.  Two visits from Comcast.  Finally being told we need a wire extender that starts in our crawlspace.  Wait.  WHAT???  Remember the pretty little rose bush I recently scored for ten bucks?  Although The Husband had told me not to plant anything in front of the opening to the crawlspace, I thought, "Ha!  When will we ever need to get in there!"  Oh, Lord.  I need to think this through.

We never made our little weekend trip to the lake.  The Husband had a big trial coming up this week and thought he would do some of his work there.  Alas, Internet problems there, too, (hence no blogging from there lately).  So we were stuck at home.  In order not to rip my hair out, I made him take me to dinner Saturday night.  We went to a place I had never been to before called Mart Anthony.  A cool, casual place in an up and coming area in the South Loop.  Great Italian food.  I loved it and we had a really good time.

It was sort of funny...we chose a table in a dark corner, so dark we couldn't read the menu.  I tried using the flashlight on my phone until the owner brought over a candle.  He muttered something about needing a light put in over this particular table.  After a wonderful dinner we went up to the bar for a drink.  We noticed new patrons at the table we had had, holding the menu up to the candle and straining to read it.  I mentioned to the bartender that we had a problem seeing things in that corner as well.  He agreed, they needed a light.  The Husband asked, "Oh, yeah.  The owner said that.  How long have you been waiting for one?"  And the guy replied, "Oh, a few years."  We nearly fell off our bar stools.  I guess if you really love a place you can put up with something like this.  I'll definitely go back!

So that was my big weekend.  I did get to dogsit Tulo.  This is a picture of him exactly 2 months ago lying in Milo's dog bed.

And this was Saturday.  He's like an elephant in a china shop here.  And the vet told my son that he may peak at over 100 pounds.  He's much larger than Milo now and still wants to play like a baby.  He's so clumsy, he bats at Milo with his big paws and then falls over!  Layla is terrified of him and stays up on the couch or my bed, yipping and growling if he comes near.  She has definitely set the rules!  And Jeff has his own great rules.  Tulo is not allowed on furniture and he knows this.  My spoiled dogs are allowed, in fact, Milo sort of has his own chair that I have a quilt on.  When Tulo sees Milo in his chair, he whines and barks.  If Milo gets down, Tulo jumps up and settles in.  Ha!  I know I'm going to be one of those grandmother's who sneaks my kiddies candy and cookies to no end.

I made chili and garlic toast the other night and Abby and Tom stayed.  I didn't want to set a fancy table but since we never have company I decided to take it up a notch.  These are paper placemats that I found in Asheville.  They come in a tablet of fifty.  Just rip them right off.  So this was pretty simple.

Tom had gone somewhere that day to have his fingerprints taken for a teaching certificate.  I was teasing him that we were going to find out his true identity finally, whether it be a spy or Superman.  When I decided on these chalkboard napkin rings, I knew I had to keep the joke going.  And yes, these are the same napkins for the third time since Easter.  A dirty little secret...the cabinet I keep all the linens and runners and place mats in is stuffed to the max.  I have to unload half of it to dig partway down and then I pull out the wrong things.  So, that's on a huge list of boring, mundane things to do.  

We have been talking about getting new carpet in our family room and office for what seems like years.  It's the only part of our house that doesn't have hardwood floors, that being because directly beneath it is the crawlspace (yes, the dreaded crawlspace I mentioned above...it's truly haunting me).  The Husband believes the carpet and padding keeps the room warmer and I have to agree.  Finally I found a woman that Emily knows on a Facebook page for area mothers that does the whole carpet deal for you..  So I made an appointment and she was just the nicest lady.  We know some of the same people and love the same area restaurants...I felt like we were good friends.  So anyway, I picked out a very neutral, pretty sort of flat carpet, but very soft.  The price came in and it was sensational.  The Husband had gone to Home Depot and got prices to compare and we are getting such a great deal.  

Well, now is the fun part.  Everything has to be moved out.  They can work around my humongous sofa, loveseat and chair.  The office however...it gives me chills to even think about.  Emily has stuff in there from when she went to school.  I have craft things in there from 10 years ago.  Books are stacked up on the floor and bins are filled with every conceivable thing but what they were intended for.  This is a room that has become what it is because each of us have been afraid to throw out something that is important to someone else.  I am SO not looking forward to this.  And I also have to have our blinds installed.  I picked them up from Home Depot well over 6 weeks ago.  It's free installation.  I don't know about you but I really dislike having someone fixing or installing or doing something in my home.  I have to put the dogs in the basement and then I feel like I'm at odds with what I can do while they are there.  It's irritating.  And for the love of God!  I have 16 windows!  They are going to be here til Thanksgiving!

 

I do have something to be really happy about.  We have finalized our plans to meet up with my favorite blogger Cindy from Applestone Cottage.  Many of you know that Cindy and her husband Dan have become our good friends since our first meetup in Galena, Illinois.  We absolutely clicked and this will be our 6th year getting together.  We chose Madison, Wisconsin this year.  We live bout 5 hours apart (Cindy and Dan in western Wisconsin) so this year we are closer to their neck of the woods.  One year they drove 7 hours to stay with us at the lakehouse!

We chose a B&B out in the country but just a short drive from Madison, The Speckled Hen Inn.  It's on 5 rolling acres with horses and lambs and goats and llamas and chickens!  There's a pond and a gazebo and big veggie garden to explore.  Doesn't it look like fun?  We will be there the weekend of August 23.  I bet this would be a beautiful place to stay in the fall.  This particular weekend is Cindy's birthday.  We are going to have her dancing on the tables!

So, that's it for today.  I am making ribs on the grill tonight, well actually soon because I think they have to cook slow.  This is my first time doing them on the grill.  I thought about inviting some of the kids (one couple, that is), but I'm worried that they won't turn out.  Isn't that silly?  Actually, it's more about my state of mind.  If it's just The Husband and I, at the lake for instance, I'd just throw those babies on, maybe remember to look at my watch, sit back with a glass of wine and read the lake newspaper while they smoked away.  But with company...my expectations and worries go up.  We'll see.  I still have 45 minutes until I have to get them going!  Ha!

Have a great rest of the week! :)

XO,

Jane