Snow Creatures - Outdoor Adventures

Warning! This post contains pictures of animals

in the snow. (Includes tame, wild and fake)

What a beautiful week!

But what did the animals think about it?

Elizabeth watched the snow out the bay window everyday.  I

know she was wondering when it would all go away.

The little blue cottage was snowed in, too!  I wish I had

thought to have someone fill it with food for the birds before the snow.

Sardis loved the snow!  He thought it was play time!

I think this squirrel was bored because he/she stayed on this

branch looking IN the window at us!

This little buddy was slipping and sliding everywhere!  He stopped

running when he was able to get some traction.  Again, this is by the

bay window so he/she can watch us inside the house.

Now, for the fake animals......

The deck squirrels stayed put the whole snow.  I 

think they liked it!

The deck bunnies still have a front row seat!

The front door dog kept his cool!

And the back door frog kept everyone safe.

(My son says when you start checking on fake animals,

you might be an old lady! He just might be right! ;-D

Hope you are having a good week!  See other pictures of

Outdoor Wednesday at Southern Daydreamer.  Stay warm!

Hugs,

Lottie

Hall Makeover - Blue Cottage

I love January.  Not only is it a beautiful time of  year, but you

get to stay inside and read....and watch movies ...and drink 

hot chocolate.....and....CLEAN and SHINE your house! YES!

 I washed down my hallway and cleaned all the wainscoting.

(Be careful what you wish for.)

 

I was talking about polishing the banisters on the stairs when
I turned around and DH had finished them!

Door on the left goes to a full bath downstairs and the door
on the right goes to the kitchen.  The hall mirror was the only
thing I bought for the hall.  Our first home (that would be My

Little Tiny Green Cottage) had no hall.  The sofa table fit 

nicely in here.   

                                                BEFORE                                                              

So here is my problem.  The wall on the right has lots of odd

shapes about it (thermostat, doorbell, stairs) and nothing
about it was beautiful.  So I took some things off the walls
from other places in the house and created a special wall.

AFTER

I love it! 

The plate in the middle is the Syracuse China plate that DH
gave me for Christmas!   The only thing I bought was a $2.76
plate hanger from Micheals for the new plate.  Everything
else I have had for years.

I'll do the rest of the walls another day!  Thanks for dropping
by to see the hall makeover.  Be sure to stop by
Between Naps On the Porch  for Metamorphosis Monday to
see other makeovers!
Hugs,
Lottie

Pink Saturday! Syracuse China

Happy Pink Saturday!

This is about the best Christmas gift I have ever received!
DH was with me when I saw it in a little dark antique shop
on a shopping trip 40 miles away early in December.  I
thought this was the most beautiful dish I had ever seen.

I didn't buy it because I was being practical that day.  DH,
after 38 years of marriage, knew I would never forget it.
So, one day before Christmas, he drove back to that shop
(80 miles round trip) to buy me this beautiful $3.00 dish!

What a sweetie!

Be sure to check out the other Pink Saturday treasures at

Beverly's How Sweet the Sound.

Happy Pink Saturday!

Lottie

The Power of Three

It snowed!  We got 6 inches and the world is beautiful! I stayed
inside and organized and cleaned.  My son (26) was home today,
too. Maybe it was cabin fever, but he moved things around on the
mantle in the kitchen. 

 BEFORE

I told him I didn't like the new mantle and he gave me a lecture
on symmetry in engineering.  I told him decorating was a little
different.  I explained about the power of grouping three objects.
He didn't believe me so I waited till he left to change it back.

 AFTER

Then I started looking around the house.  I saw where I could
make some changes by grouping things together.  I didn't see it
before but now with the Christmas decor put up, I can see it.

I thought the top of this corner cabinet could be improved on.

So I grouped three pieces of folk pottery together.  I love the
look now.

I grouped three photos in three different frames across the
top of the train cabinet on the opposite wall of the den.  It
may have looked better with three different heights, but this
is what I had to work with on a snowy afternoon.

It is funny how we have such busy lives that we sometimes
don't notice our surroundings.  This was fun!  What are you
doing on your snow days?
Hugs,
Lottie

The Snow is Coming!

This is my view out my kitchen window at 5pm.  

Those are snow clouds behind those trees.  The weatherman

says the snow will be here at 9 pm tonight!  We have prepared all day!

In the South, we don't do snow well.  Really, we don't do snow!

We can't drive in it and we don't know what to do but prepare.

So we go to the grocery store.  Yes, I've gone twice!

We go to Sam's. Yes, I've stocked up today.

And we go to the Dollar General Store.  Have to stock up

on everyday things.  We have to prepare because we are afraid.

What are we afraid of?  The darkness, of course...

Why sometimes the power goes off....for days!

And the roads are not clear .... for days!

So in order to prepare, we shop and eat out.

After all, we may be cooped up with our relatives... for days!

This is what I found at Dollar General today on the markdown.

A HAPPY HOLIDAYS plate for 37 cents!

OK snow, come on....I'm prepared!

SNOW *********

(Really, we ARE scared of snow

here in the south.  It overwhelms us!)

Hope you have a good week!

Hugs,

Lottie

Resolutions and Wants for 2011

"An unexamined life is not worth living."    Socrates

This year I took a little more time to think about my New Year's

resolutions.  I wanted to make sure I really "resolve" to do the

things I come up with.  So here goes...

1,  To eat "real" food this year.  I resolve to eat healthy whole
      foods and try to eliminate 99%  of processed food.  I plan
      to continue learning about healthy eating and make changes
      in our diet, such as whole wheat flour instead of white.
      (I've done this for five months and lost over 30 pounds
      so why not do it again in 2011.)

2.  To not procrastinate by over thinking decisions.  I will
      put a time limit on my "thinking" and a due date on my
      final decision.  I often think about going on vacation
      for a whole year and then three days before I go I still
      don't have definite plans where to go or where to stay.
      
3.  To reach out to people more.  I tend to be a little shy
     and enjoy a quiet day alone.  So I plan to use my
     telephone and check on people more.  My mother had
     a great telephone outreach while she was living.  She
     had a way of keeping everyone connected!

I think three resolutions are enough to work on during the

year, but I have three little "wants" for 2011
.

1.   I want to build more fun into our lives.  We often work
      hard all week so we can come home on the weekend and
      work hard at home.  Work, work, work!    
2.  I want to stop and recognize beauty everyday.  The sky in
     the morning is spectacular!  The gray clouds in a winter
     sky are majestic.  I want to feel the "wind" blowing my
     hair when I walk down to the mailbox.  This is real life!
     Stop and live it!
3.  I want to take the time to tell people I love them (because
     I do), or squeeze their hand because they are special (they
     are).

So, this is where my thinking is.  I've enjoyed reading all the

New Year's Resolutions on other blogs and I felt like I wanted

to open my heart in this post.

Hugs,

Lottie

Spectacular Morning Sky 

(during morning commute to work)

          

New Year's Menu

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!  

2011

Wish you could come celebrate with us tonight!

Menu

Herb and Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Collard Greens

  Black-eyed Peas

Sweet Potatoes

Corn Bread

Cold Buttermilk

Best Wishes for the New Year!

Hugs,

Lottie