New blog look

Well, that's what I want anyway, though I can't find anything that really appeals to me.

I've loved this template, but can't seem to make it do what I want it to lately... and the right column is 'jumping' on both my computers so I'm guessing it is on everyone else's too - REALLY annoying.

Obviously want something to do with irises - wasted most of this afternoon looking around online.

So, it's frustrating.... but then I get frustrated easily these days it seems.

Need a new coffee pot!

Mine died this past week.  Fortunately I still had my old one so it's back in service.  Unfortunately, I seriously dislike it!

Here's my want list:

• Auto program to come on 
• Keep coffee hot/warm for 2 hours without getting stronger
• NOT spill every time I try and pour a cup
• Pause & serve
• Minimum 10 cup (prefer 12 cup)
• CHEAP

My last one had a thermal carafe.  It went off when the coffee was made, but stayed reasonably hot for awhile.

The one I'm back to using will shut off in 2 hours, but coffee left sitting in a glass carafe on heat tastes really nasty after 2 hours.

My daughter in law gets up at 5AM - she drinks the first couple of cups.  I'm normally up around 7ish - I'm the "bring coffee and no one gets hurt" type, so I don't want to have to fool around with making fresh coffee.  Choices right now are warmish, burnt coffee, or cold coffee.

Nor can I see paying $100 for a coffee pot that isn't going to last more than a year or two (they never do).

Saw this DeLonghi online and technically it fills the requirements. Well, the price not as good as I'd like, but possible...but didn't get very good reviews:

Then there's this Cuisinart - which does get good reviews - but it is $100.

SOOO, anyone have any suggestions, ideas???

Meet Willow

... she IS a deer, but I'm sure she thinks she's a goat.  I've posted pictures of her before, but she's considerably closer to the house this time.  And, I've decided if she's staying (and I hope she does - it's such a blessing to me to see her), she must have a name.  I've chosen "Willow".  Just seemed to fit.

I have a yard fence between my yard and the pond - not far from my house at all.  The goats like that area on the bank of the pond - even when there's no water there.    She's been joining them there most days, and she's always out grazing with them.

... my pond has water and there was a pair of mallards there this morning.  We used to see them all the time.  Mallards, Canadian geese, even a call duck occasionally, but then the pond went dry.

I told hubby he needed to get a soil test before having the pond dug, but he was sure it was okay.  He chose the location because he wanted to sit on the back deck and look at it.  That worked fine as long as he was alive, but the year after he died - the pond went dry.

It's mostly just been a big unsightly hole in the ground since then.
But, we've had a pretty wet winter and so far there's still water.  

So I'm thoroughly enjoying the wildlife I'm seeing again.  I hope they hang around.

Who's bed is this?

... well, actually it's Frosty's - but Emma Grace tries it out occasionally.

Heard Frosty barking the other day and went to see if he wanted to go outside - no, he wanted Emma Grace to get out of his bed!

Okay, my big news today is that I'm now officially a SIX year breast cancer survivor with NED (no evidence of disease).  Check out my breast cancer blog

Please, don't ever take good health for granted.  It can happen to anyone.  And, if you find a lump - CHECK IT OUT.  If they tell you "nothing to worry about" - GET A SECOND OPINION.

I have deer

... and I love watching them.  It's always such a blessing to see one.

They don't come in the yard - it's totally fenced with a large dog - but they're in the pasture that's only separated from the yard by the fence.

Heard the dog (big, OLD lab) barking the other morning and looked to see what he was barking at.

There was a deer feeding just on the other side of the gate.  She looked up, but didn't seem particularly concerned.  This first picture I actually took through my bedroom window.

This one I walked out on the deck.

A couple of days later I was sitting on the loveseat in my living room - french doors look out into the pasture - and there was a deer grazing on grass, right in the middle of the goat herd. Obviously they get along okay.

Coffee table is finished

... and I'm officially out of the furniture refinishing business.  I'm TIRED of painting furniture.  One table wouldn't have been so bad, but of course, I had to get carried away and do 3 pieces.

Aside from the 'hunt' to find the tables (several months actually), I started the first one on January 19 and the coffee table was moved into my living room late yesterday (February 8).  Almost 3 weeks.

My coffee table actually has 'sage green' legs - they don't show nearly true color in the photo.  I used a fabric swatch of my drapes and had the paint matched to that.

In case you missed the original post - here's what it looked like when I started... pretty ratty and scratched up - but all wood and quite solid.

So, I sanded... gave it 2 coats of primer (then curing for 7 days), 3 coats of sage green on the legs and skirt, 2 coats of stain on the top, then 3 coats of polyacrylic on the top.  In case you're counting - that's TEN COATS of some sort of paint, with all the waiting/curing time time between each one which means it wasn't a quick project!  I don't understand how they do this kind of stuff so quickly on HGTV.  Oh wait!  It's TV, right?

And, here's the inspiration photo (which did come from HGTV):

And here's what it looks like altogether:

I considered doing the coffee table in yellow (did I mention, I love yellow?), but decided to use the green.  I'm really pleased with the results - but I did get pretty tired of painting stuff.    (note - that's a cat on arm of love seat, and dog sitting on love seat... though he does like his new dog bed.)