Thursday, October 30, 2014

TOTAL RANDOMLINGS & OUR FAVE LADY, MARTHA S.


I'm feeling good...no mention in this post of that horribly stiff and sore hand that still has two sore incisions and though now un~bandaged, refuses to cooperate in the simplest of things without sending me through the roof.  Nope, no mention.  






The morning glories  are hanging on to the porch railing even though the leaves have turned brown and shriveled up.  They owe me after blooming so late!  These are actually more pink than they look.  I ordered the seeds from Renee's Garden a few years ago, a mixed packet of blue and pink...very, very pretty.  I take the seed heads in the fall and crumble them off the porch down to the bed below.  And then they start over again every spring.  I save a few heads to give away and to start in other spots.  Let me know if you'd like some...they will be easy to mail...just email me.






Ta Da!  I finally made an apple pie, courtesy of a lovely recipe from Kathy at Kathy's Cottage.  She is the Queen of Pies!  Her crust is one I truly believe in...half butter, half shortening.  This turned out delicious, but as usual, I get stingy with the apples thinking I have way too much.  Alas, they shrink and my top deflates! Seriously though, we ate this in less than two days.  Three of us!!  You can find the recipe here.  By the way, I will never win any awards on looks or presentation.  Let's just call it rustic.  Actually I simply took a quickie on my phone to send to my daughter to let her know I had been busy that afternoon.  They think I sit around looking pretty all day.   :) 




Okay, I confess...I saw this natural wood and grapevine "window" at Plough and Hearth.  LOVE.  I'm completely finished now.  I am ready to start on gifts (Did I mention I picked up some cool gift wrap at Homegoods).  Okay, enough confession here.  

I am projecting to November 11.  Tomorrow is Halloween.  Laundry and packing between Trick or Treating.  Not me of course, the children in the neighborhood!  Then Saturday we are off to Asheville.  We've planned some great things to do during our week there.  We both really need it.  When we come home I have a day to get oriented again and then I have the next surgery November 10.  Enough said.  So I'm projecting because that's how I love to keep myself awake at night.  I am neurotically thinking of luggage weight restrictions, how the dogs will do with no one  here all day except a brief popping in of one of the kids to let them out.  Will Abby lock the doors when she leaves, turn off the flat iron?  Will I have enough time to get ready for Thanksgiving?  Will I please. please, please everyone?  I know better now but somehow, it keeps me up at night.  Last night I laid awake for 4 hour.  Nothing new, I've always been an insomniac.  The worst thing is (besides some horrid song running through my head over and over) is worrying about how tired I will be the next day.  And then last night I had an epiphany...maybe I just don't need this much sleep.  Maybe I'm like Martha Stewart and can get by on five hours.  Without looking like I'm bragging or anything (and, dear, forgive me), my niece has worked as a Senior Editor for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine for the past few years.  And hurray!  J got engaged a few months ago.  Think of all the wedding ideas she will have!  Oh, I love her Martha stories!  How did I get on this tangent??

I may bring my laptop...we'll see how much I can stuff in my bag.  If not I will see you sometime after the 10th.  Shhhh...wish me luck, I will sleep better! :)

***Just wanted to mention that I have added a little thingie on my sidebar where you can get my posts in your email inbox.  Just enter your address and you will be surprised with a post once or twice a week***

Jane xx 



36 comments:

Jenny S. said...

Three blind mice? OMG!

Row homes and Cobblestones said...

Good evening Jane. Have a wonderful vacation in Asheville. I'm sure you will be wearing your adorable blue suede boots ;-) We have a no shoes policy in our house... Reason being my Panther cat Simon the 22 pounder has cost us a bundle with Vet bills with getting eye ulcers. Poor kittie, very painful, so I asked the vet if it could be a virus carried in on shoes. Perhaps was her reply ... Well happy to say Simon is now 3 years eye virus free so yes shoes coming into a house does track in virus's.
Your new rug is very striking, love the color combo. Also love Martha stories and Martha. Apple pie is my favorite pie and still smiling over three blind mice.
xoxo

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

How I love it when you get into writing! Especially the part about not being able to sleep, the song going through your head..all of it. the very same thing happens to me. Exactly!
I just plain LOVE the way you write.
The Three Blind Mice? Just too darned cute. You mean you aren't taking your computer with you? Really? Brave soul!

Linda said...

Have a wonderful time and don't worry about ANYTHING!!!
You say it took YOU 15 minutes to read MY post???? AND I had videos!!! (which you do NOT!! I have NEVER heard your voice!!)
It took me a good while to read YOUR post - and I loved every minute and every word!!!
Rest and HAVE FUN!!! You can DO this!!!
Then tell us all about it - in every detail!!! I will be waiting......

deb @ frugal little bungalow said...

enjoy your trip! :)

LOL love the mice :)

Am now craving pie...

Stacey said...

I love the idea of picking up a few Christmas decorations and gift wrap. It would inspire me at this point.

Your yard looks so pretty and green! Is that cool weather grass? Ours goes dormant in the winter and it's just beginning to fade now. We are finally in the 50s this morning! Hallelujah!

I sure hope your hand situation gets better. I know that's frustrating for you because you are a busy bee.

Unknown said...

I laughed when you said about you can't have cream color rugs anymore....I went from cream to blue thinking maybe it would hide dirty little paw prints then realized it is better to have no rugs at all in our house. Your yard looks sooo good!!

Anonymous said...

I love that window frame, wow, thats beautiful , your pie looks delicious for sure, I can understand the rug change, its lovely!!! The photo of the girls is hilarious!!!!Have a wonderful week away ,, relax and enjoy!

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

Have a wonderful trip Jane! Enjoy fall in the mountains :-)

Traci said...

Josephine & Daphne are adorable!!! Love the rug & the mum is gorgeous! Have a great weekend!

Helen said...

I'm flashing back to the 50's and Blue Suede Shoes! Jerry Lee Lewis wore white suede when I saw him in concert ~ 1958!! It was thrilling, had seats up front! Have a great little journey south!

Carla from The River said...

Love the Three Blind Mice!!
And want the window frame...so cute.
Have a great trip, can not wait to hear all about it.
Happy Halloween,
Carla

Kathleen Grace said...

Girl you can cover the topics! Lol. Yes, I love the rug, you are probably right that a white rug next to an entry I not a great idea. For once we actually got the yard cleaned up before the snow (which by the way is happening now! Yeesh!)The garden is cleaned out and ready for spring and I even dug the dahlia bulbs so I can replant them next year. The ballerina reindeer is so cute, I'm looking forward to seeing where she ends up this year:>) Have fun in Asheville and take lots of pictures!

bj said...

I am in love with the boots and the wooden wreath from Plow.....adorable.
I saw that recipe at Kathy's and ran to see how many apples I had..only ONE.."Mr. Sweeet....did you eat all my pie apples???"

Bluebird49 said...

Had just pressed "Send" on an e-mail to you (it's short-I've been sick this week-I'll write more very, very soon) and decided to just check to see if you had a post up! I was SO happy to see you had. :) I will put my e-mail address on your sidebar "thingie", so I will know when you have one up all the time!
I must ask you sometime--how long does it take you to put together such a darling post--EVERY SINGLE TIME?? You have the pictures and the sweet little "secrets" (Well, okay--NOT secrets--but fun topics.) you share with us. I was just never able to put it all together anywhere like you--so I decided to be a blog reader instead of writer-and I'm glad I did. It takes me forever to type anything up-- (that was one thing), but you can--and do--do it with ONE hand.

You MUST take your laptop with you to Asheville--you will regret it if you don't, and so will I.

A niece who works for Mrs. S?? Surely you jest! ;)

Em's picture was so cute--well, both of them. She is a darling, and I know you two have the most fun....and get into the MOST trouble! By the way---I can't wait to see where your Daphne goes this Christmas. (That sounds kind of "strange", doesn't it? Ah well--you know me well enough now to know I AM strange!)

OH! The Three Blind Mice costumes were too funny. I love that little girl--I'll bet she's a lot like her mom.

AND--I love that window--and I don't think your rug was "trendy"---I like the design, and I think it will stay "in" as long as you want. You make such good choices in your decor, Jane--AND your shoes! You know quite well..you're NOT going to stay away from shoes--that would not be Jane. If you were not Jane--well, I would not BE here! HA!
Be safe!
xoxos, Trudy

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

I can't believe how green your grass is! We have St. Augustine grass here and it goes totally dormant in the winter. It'll be brown in another month or so. The good news is that our high temps have only been in the 70's, so it looks like we're finally cooling down. :) Love your new rug. I have a similar one in my master bath. I was a little worried about it being trendy too, but I really liked it, so I went for it. :) Oh my goodness...I love Daphne!! She is just darling! Have fun on your trip!

Mary@mydogsmygardenandmary said...

Jane have a wonderful time in Ashville. Enjoy your self and get some rest. The foliage should be beautiful and hopefully they will have a lot of their Christmas gifts out for sale. Hope you hand gets better and quits hurting.
Happy Vacation!
Mary

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

I am signing up right away for e-mails!!! I hope that hand of yours feels better, being in Asheville (one of my favorite spots) should help:):) Love that window too. I can NOT buy one single Christmas thing, nada!!! I have WAAAay too much and am trying to give my daughter some more. Have a FUN trip. Oh, BTW, can you cover the picnic table with a tarp for the winter and bungee cord the tarp so it doesn't blow away? Just a thought:):)

Susan Shull said...

Hope you are feeling better by now. I have been learning to live TODAY and not yesterday or tomorrow. It isn't when even retailers are against it!

Anita Diaz said...

Hi Jane, here is my email: anita-faraboverubies@live.com. Hope we can get together!

Doreen@foxdenrd said...

Oh dear! I commented on this post last night but I don't see it! I would never have known if not for fact when I logged into Google your post popped up.

I will try again...I'm a bit of an insomniac also. Rarely need more than 5-6 hours.

Ashville has some snow, and I must say it looks beautiful.

How cool that your niece is getting married and works for Martha! That will be a wedding to remember.

I think that about covers it for now at least. Enjoy your trip. You deserve some down time my friend.
XXX

Debbie said...

Good grief...where do I begin?
Glad you got the yard cleaned up, and the way you like it for the winter months.
Oh Josh and Main...your rug is so nice, Jane! LOVE that place! Good choice.
The reindeer is darling, and I think the names are wonderful! The frame you found looks very, very nice sitting on the chair.
I went over to get that crust recipe. I'd like to give that a try.
Sleep eludes me also. My brain just won't shut off! Until the alarm goes off in the morning. Then I can sleep.
The Three Blind Mice are cute as ever!
Have a super trip! You both deserve some down time. Enjoy it!!
Debbie
xo

Theresa said...

Oh girl, love the rug! I sure do! I am not much on trends either, mostly just choose things I like:) I hope you enjoy your trip, get lots of rest, take tons of pictures to share with us and eat WAY TOO much good food! Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Sarah said...

Jane, I confess I bought two Santa figures last week. They are resin, but look like natural wood. What can I say? I've been searching for a natural wood Santa for two years. ;-) I think they look great on either end of the mantel.
Love the dancing reindeer. Too cute, but the Three Blind Mice, may be even cuter. Very clever. I will send you an email w/ photo of a young friend in LA. She and her friends were Three Lies Your Parents Told You ~ Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and The Tooth Fairy. Oh, these clever girls!

Anonymous said...

Hi Janie! I'm sorry you're poor little hand hurts like that! It does feel good to get the yard cleaned up! We'll be cleaning up leaves until the cows come home! :) Love your rug! My daughter has one like it except it's blue. Love that design. Ooo, apple pie - I love it and yours looks so good.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Unknown said...

Oh I LOVE that carpet Jane - and I still have a no shoes policy here ( well except for summer ) is that passe ?
Loving your blue suede shoes ( let's just call them shoes - it has a ring to it - should be a song )
I'm not ready for winter - the backyard is - sort of - kind of - almost - but I'm most definitely not LOL
Three blind mice is absolutely brilliant!
xoxoxo

Elaine said...

Enjoy your vacation. Did they really have snow today in Asheville? We had a little snowfall today. It was pretty.

Sorry your hand is still hurting you. Hopefully it will be much better by the time you return from vacation.

Daphne on the roof, you crack me up!

A Joyful Cottage said...

The rug is very pretty. I like the design. Cute shoes; love the color. I think the pie looks beautiful, how could it look any better? Okay, more prayers for your hand. Hope you have fun on your trip, Jane. You need a break. xxx ~ Nancy

TexWisGirl said...

the pie looks great! the cool window frame is neat! and i'm so very sorry about your hand... *sigh*

chateau chic said...

I haven't started cleaning up my flower beds and yard for the winter...yours looks great. Love your new rug!
Have a wonderful time in Ashville, Jane. Three blind mice...such a cute idea!
Thank you for such lovely comments on my blog.
Mary Alice

Gypsy Heart said...

OMG, I wish I had that apple pie right now!! In connection with my well woman check up, Dr had the usual blood work request. Well, my triglycerides are elevated and I mean elevated...as well as cholesterol. I hate to take statin drugs so I'm going to really try and watch my diet. I need to anyway re: weight. :)

Hope you have a fabulous trip! I hate that you have insomnia so badly. Have you determined how much your worry helps? :) I don't mean to be ugly, it's just that worry is for naught. I have a LOT of difficulty sleeping too as my mind won't shut down. Trying to remember what to get at the grocery store, calls to make, things to do.

The 3 blind mice are awesome! Oh, and I'm so glad you added the email thingy.

xo
Pat

must love junk said...

OH, the 3 blind mice crack me up!! :)
I think your new rug is pretty, and of course you had to have 'Daphne'...she is too fun!
Susan

Melanie said...

Love your new rug! I've always liked that trellis design. We have a loose shoes off policy in our house...we always take off our shoes and hope that guests do so too, but we don't insist on it or anything. If it's rainy or snowing and we're expecting guests and they don't take their shoes off, I just cross my fingers that they wipe their shoes well on the entry rug! Thus said, I take my shoes off when I go to other people's houses, too. With your picnic table, could you cover it with a tarp? That's what we do with our big patio furniture, then set it up against the house. Your apple pie looks delicious and love that grapevine window you found.I hope you're having a great time in Asheville!

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Love your new blue boots…they are great. A suggestion for your table that you have to leave outside. We used to cover the one at our cottage in Maine with a piece of plywood we have cut to fit, covered it with a blue plastic tarp and then securing them with a holding strap. Totally protected from the snow and wind all winter.

Kathleen said...

We have a no shoes policy. I have a felted cube in the hall closet filled with soft, washable house slippers in assorted sizes and colors for our visitors. (Workers who come to paint, repair, etc., do not remove their shoes. They simply step into plastic grocery bags and tie in a knot at the top. ) After being totally grossed out when reading about the quantity of dirt, germs,animal droppings, feces, viruses, allergy causing seeds, pollen, etc., carried into the home, I decided that this would be a good idea for us. To each his/her own, right?