Taping the Corner

YES, YES, YES!!! I can't believe it worked. FINALLY! I wanted to put on another coat of mud but I have been busy today :). First when I got home from church I wanted to make this new pancake recipe I found in one of my magazines. Oh my! They were sooooo good, Orange Buttermilk Pancakes, made with fresh orange zest and fresh squeezed OJ. . .yummy, yummy. They tasted so much like MORE!!! :). Then of course there is the clean up which I finished just in time to watch the Bears play the Saints and then after that was the Patriots and the Colts. I rooted for the underdogs and they both won...now what? I like them both so it doesn't matter to me who wins the Super Bowl. Actually, I can't believe I spent the majority of the day watching football :). At any rate, that is what I did today so no work in the New Room.

Comparing Mylar and Red Lion Amaryllis

I wanted to compare these two Amaryllis' side be side to check out the differences. The flower color is the same but the Mylar is much smaller measuring about 23" in height and the Red Lion measures 35". I didn't measure the size of the flowers but the Mylar was slightly smaller. Anyway here they are together to at least check out the color. I don't think I ever got a full picture of the Mylar...well, actually I guess I can do that right now. So here they are side by side so you can see how much larger the Red Lion is. I think the shorter flower stalk of the Mylar will be easier to keep growing straight.

My New Room

Remember, you can enlarge pictures by clicking on them.
Okay Lynnie, this may be more than you asked for but here are a few pictures of my room as it is at this very minute. There are many patches including a large, very large hole that was hidden by a huge poster (what wonderful children:)). That hole was behind the door. There is a marble top dresser next to the door, my sewing machine on a small desk, a cart that goes on the deck when spring has sprung, which came in handy since I brought it in for the winter and I didn't have any place to put my TV. They are all covered so you can't really see them but I will take pictures when I am all finished if I ever get the corner done. I don't really have that much furniture but I'll be on the look out for just the right stuff at the right prices. I would like a comfy chair for reading, a table/TV stand and a smaller desk than the one that is in there right now. There is no picture of that in these photos, but it is a huge metal desk with 3 drawers on each side. I guess it would be great for a cutting surface when I have sewing projects but it definitely does not go with the decor I have planned. The corner has been very difficult. I am on my third attempt to fix this. Ripped off the tape 2 times. They say the third time is a charm.....I'm not so sure. I don't really know what I'm going to do if it doesn't turn out right this time. . .well. . .yes. . . I'LL SCREAM!!! Obviously I don't have the right technique down so...I may have to hire someone to come and take care of it (Oh Dad...! :)). The table I was telling you about that my Aunt gave me is also included. I am kind of liking it with the blond top. However, I won't be working on this until the room is all painted. Then I will have to decide how to finish it. Anyway, here are the pictures.

Amaryllis - Day 41

oops! Forgot the flash on the first one :). Okay, all the buds are open on my Red Lion Amaryllis. They actually were open yesterday which was day 40. So we now know that it takes approximately 40 days from the time we see the first growth to full flowering stage. Of course much of this most likely depends on the environment an Amaryllis is growing in. In a few days the buds that were first to open will start to fade. I'm guessing it will take 2 weeks for all the buds to fade away. Then I will cut the stalk near the bulb and let the leaves continue to grow. Also, as soon as the stalk is cut I'll be bringing up another from the basement :) but I promise, I won't bore you with the day to day growth.

Winter Pic's

Took a few pictures after work today. Successfully capturing the glittery glass look of ice coated trees after the most recent Ice storm is difficult. It was beautiful while I tried though. No complaints here with regard to the ice storm, Mother Nature has been kind to us so far this winter.

I didn't get to work in my room yesterday. There was a detour on my way home from work due to some power lines being down. Five minutes after I got home the power went out and didn't come back on until almost 9:00 p.m. So I got to laze around :). Hopefully I will get to my room tomorrow.

I never thought of winter as being so black and white but as I looked at these pictures I noticed there isn't much color. So I got to thinking (I try not to do too much of that :)). It is not only the lack of sun light that touches our lives with depression during the winter months, it is also lack of color. In winter most color dies away but Mother Natures roots live on. Animals hibernate waiting for warmer temperatures. We humans (at least some of us) do the same thing. As soon as the ground warms and crocuses come out and begin their colorful show we too come back to life as all flowers, trees, shrubs and all living things do that took their rest during the winter months. Spring. . .the big explosion of life. Enjoy it when it comes.
To everything there is a season. . .Thank you God for a time to rest.

Thought for the Day

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

Author unknown

Amaryllis - Day 37

Here are my latest pictures of the Red Lion Amaryllis. As you can see, it has two flowers open and two more on the way. I would love to see them all opened at one time. It may happen. It took little more than a month ...about 5 weeks to flowering stage. They do not all grow that easily however. For instance the ones I bought at Walmart are still sitting and doing pretty much nothing. They are in bright locations but still nothing much is happening. I will just be patient and wait. After all, who was it that said: "All good things take time"? Hummmm what a good lesson. May we remember this while performing even the smallest of daily chores, during any and all activities each day and especially during our most difficult times. In this way we will enjoy and appreciate every blessing.

Amaryllis 3 days later - day 32

Remember, you can click on pictures to enlarge them.

Okay, I think I posted the last pictures on Monday which was the 29th day. Today is Thursday, which makes it the 32nd day and the bud is slowly opening. I can see it will have four flower buds two of which you can see beginning to open. I wish they would all open at one time and last for a few weeks. That has happened before but not usually for me anyway. I don't know what the secret is for that. Guess it was just a fluke.
That is about it. I did a little biking this morning for 45 minutes (longer than usual), went 7.96 miles and burned 173 calories. I know it is not a record breaking time but that isn't my goal. The goal is to burn calories so I can eat more :)! No, not really, the goal is to get to read. I can't keep up with my magazine subscriptions and this spinning provides reading time. AND I thought I was incapable of multi-tasking :). Okay, time for breakfast: Spinach, egg and cheese omelet with a whole wheat english muffin (hope we have some cheese left).

The Christmas rush is over.

Things are returning to normal.

Did you miss it?

Think about it! What does Christmas really mean?

Everyone have a wonderful, peaceful day.

My New Room

I have been thinking about my next indoor project. Since the baby has moved out of state I now have an extra room. I have been working on giving that room a new look. The kids certainly had no hesitation in putting holes in the walls whenever and wherever they wanted to hang something. So I am filling holes and then I'll paint. I have legs to a small table that my Aunt gave me. Making a table top for it is something I've been working on. Okay, so I didn't really have to do that much work on it. I bought a rough piece of White Oak (what the table legs were made of). I then had to find someone with a joiner to smooth the edges so I could glue two pieces together since I could only buy White Oak in a 7" width. The table top needed to be about 12x24. Well, a wonderful man very kindly smoothed the edges and offered to glue it and then cut and finish the sides for me, and all at no cost to me. So the table top is complete. Now I just have to work on finding the right stain to match the legs. It will be one of the pieces to my new guest/sewing room. I have already purchased a quilt and a comforter (couldn't decide which I liked better) and some lace curtains for the window. There will still be plenty to do to finish up but the basics will be there once I finish painting. I bought the paint on my lunch hour today :). Does anyone have a winter project they are working on?

Amaryllis Growth - 29 days

Another week has come and gone and this Amaryllis continues to grow and is just about ready to bloom. My how time flies. Christmas and New Year's have kept me very busy even though we were off for a week. Just about finished taking down Christmas decorations. I have only the tree, the Manger scene and some lights. I was hoping to do that today but....oh well, God willing, I'll have another chance tomorrow.

Amaryllis Growth - Day 22

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Okay, this is Day 22. It has grown quite a bit as you can see. I had to tape the bottom of the stem with some floral tape for support. I'm not sure why but the leaves were leaning to one side. They still are. Perhaps the quick growth? I don't know! I've been rotating it too. I have to tell you, I was shopping at Walmart and noticed they had several different varieties/options for Amaryllis purchases. You could buy just a bulb, or one already growing in a pot or you could buy a kit that has the pot, soil and bulb included. I couldn't resist so I picked up a few of them. Well, actually I think it was 4 or maybe 5 more bulbs (I already have 3...4 counting the baby). But first I got a friend involved and we went together to scope out all the bulbs and make our choices. A few days later I went back and bought 11 more :). GOD only knows why. I'm obsessed! I gave some away and the rest are in pots. I want to go back....Somebody help me :-)))!!! The second picture is of one of my new purchases. The label says it is a Mylar but I think it looks like a Red Lion. The one on the dining room table that we've been watching the growth on is a Red Lion. I thought the Mylar was going to have some white in it but it doesn't. So when it flowers, we can compare and see if there is anything different about them. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve.