Does this happen to you?



Flickr Credit

I could, can and have spent all day long, posting, re-posting, reading, sharing, and adding to my list of to-do's the wonderful things I find on Facebook, Pinterest and the many great blogs.  I just get lost.  Many times one click leads to another click... to another... do you know what I mean??

So I have decided to STOP and finish up some uncompleted projects, clean up and put away and find homes for stuff, get organized and then:

work on that kitchen table that is sitting on the patio distracting from me making my outside oasis.

So for this week, I am going to turn off the laptop, take it room by room, and if I am awake, check in with everyone after dinner...
unless of course I am watching:

• The Voice
• The Scandal
• Missing
• Criminal Minds

Let's see how this works.... wish me luck!  I'm already behind schedule.

take down your sails...

How many times have we struggled, trying to keep our heads above water?  I've wondered so many times, when is this storm going to pass??  How long is is black cloud going to follow me?  It kinda became a joke, although, sometimes just unreal and other times not so funny! 

2008 Black cloud following me home from work.

Compassion - Caring Like Jesus 
had this picture in a search I did for a ship in the storm.

But this is what started this post:

the thoughts of abandoned love: take down the sails: We can find ourselves in the middle of chaos.  I always picture a ship, and this ship is fighting to stay above the waves...

Thursday, March 15, 2012

take down the sails

We can find ourselves in the middle of chaos.  I always picture a ship, and this ship is fighting to stay above the waves.  There's water crashing everything...it seems hopeless.  The chaos is overwhelming to those on the ship.  The sails are tearing and the rudder is cracking into a million pieces.  We fight so hard to float.  We fight every single wave that hits us.

"Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." - Jesus

After I read this, I picture the people on the ship taking down the sails.  I see the people letting go of the rudder...maybe letting it shatter.  We stop fighting to stay afloat.  Instead we let go.  We let the one who was always supposed to be in control...guide us through the chaos.  When that happens...the chaos starts to change to peace.  What's happening may not change...but we are trusting, with our everything, in the ONE guiding us home.  We take down our sails.  We let his LOVE guide us where we were always meant to go.

May we take down our sails.

We are called to ABANDONED LOVE.

I took down my sails in February...just before my birthday on the 19th.   It hasn't been absolute smooth sailing but I am much better at adjusting my sails and going with the flow.  Peace...smooth sailing to you!

Have a great Sunday!
~pat

Don't let anyone deter you from your dreams.

There are days that you just don't feel like doing much of anything and you're cruising down the internet highway and you're not really paying attention and P O W !!!   First, of course this picture jumped out at me.  Besides the beachy picture with the turquoise and blue waters to just drift and rock along, blue skies, clouds but the bright sun like the North Star leading the way on such a peaceful day.

Don't let anyone deter you from your dreams.

Sometimes people will find their way to your insecurities and doubts and dig in where it hurts the most.

Don't you know, that is what they are really good at.
...
Really.

So this is what you need to do when you have been pushed around a little too much for the day.

Close your eyes and travel to the place within you that is made of your worth, inner knowledge and self respect.

Yes there is a place like that, and right inside of you.

There you will find your higher self that lives outside of all the hurtful words and the pain.

I will ask you to stay there a few moments and take in the inner knowing and strength that belongs to you and invite it to join you in your outer world.

 

It was a post on Facebook on Second Firsts' page.  The "About" says:  www.secondfirsts.com   We focus on growth and rebuilding after loss with an action based approach to moving boldly forward. www.secondfirsts.com/newsletter/ 

It is resinating with me; is it with you.?

Seed Bombs

In May's issue of Coastal Living, on the editor's pick for gifts for Mother's Day, Seed Bombs caught my eye.  They are $6 for a muslin bag of 5 bombs.  I love the bag!  Here's what I found on: Anthropologie :

Toss these gumball-sized seed-and-soil pods out into your garden - no need to even dig a hole - and they'll eventually bombard your yard with a bee, butterfly and bird-friendly wildflower mixture specific to the United States region of your choice. By Cincinnati design studio VisuaLingual.

• Set of five seed bombs
• Soil, flower seeds, muslin
• 4.5"H, 3"W
• Handmade in USA

West Coast: includes cornflower, Shasta daisy, farewell-to-spring, garland chrysanthemum, Sweet William, mountain phlox and California poppy
East Coast: includes baby blue eyes, baby's breath, blue flax, dame's rocket, black eyed Susan, gloriosa daisy and coreopsis
Mid-West: includes forget-me-not, prairie aster, wild larkspur, purple coneflower and rose mallow
Dog & Cat Friendly: includes catnip, wheat, oats and rye
Herbs: includes, Basil, dill, cilantro, chives and parsley

(Note: I realize there are spelling errors but copied and pasted, and not sure, for example if they mean cone flower or corn flower, so I left it alone.)

Have a great day!
~pat

And the sign says...

Always reminds me of this song:  Signs, signs
The lyrics (Arthur Thomas) are posted below:
[Originally by The Five Man Electrical Band)

And the sign says "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"
So I put my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine outstanding young man, I think you'll do
So I took off my hat, I said "Imagine that, huh, me working for you"

[Chorus:]
Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs
Blockin' up the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

And the sign says "Anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight"
So I jumped the fence and I yelled at the house
Hey! What gives you the right!
To put up a fence and keep me out, or to keep Mother Nature in
If God was here, he'd tell it to your face, man, you're some kind of sinner

[Chorus]

Oh, say now mister, can't you read
You got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can't watch, no you can't eat, you ain't supposed to be here

And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" - uh!

[Solo]

And the sign says "Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray"
But then they passed around a plate at the end of it all
And I didn't have a penny to pay
So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own fuckin' sign
I said, "Thank you Lord for thinking 'bout me, I'm alive and doing fine", oh

[Chorus 2x]
So here are some of my signs:

BEACH (bathroom)

Relax (bathroom)

Bakery (kitchen)

You Are My Sunshine (kitchen)

I got this to go outside on the patio.

Finally found a flip flop flag
for the front.  KICK UP YOUR FLIP FLOPS!

directional pole

 

That's all I have to show you now... there will be more.  It's such a beautiful day I am determined to enjoy it, even if it means doing nothing.

My Summer Beachy Wreath

I saw this wreath this week on Home Talk.  I immediately fell in love with it and Debi was nice enough to share some tricks she learned along the way.  Silly things get me excited and I couldn't wait to make this!  Here's my inspiration, Debi's wreath:

Debi's Summer Memories Wreath
Debi's home-decor on hometalk

Debi said to glue the 3 hula hoops together first and then she used fishing line to wrap them together.  I did glue them together, then glued the space in between on one side, when dry, glued the space on the other side.  I did not have fishing line and didn't find any while out shopping so I am using braided twine.  (I may still pick it up if I come across some while out.)

After that, it's just a matter of decorating as you will.  I started with flowers.  I got almost everything at the Dollar Tree; which means everything was a dollar... even what I did get at Dollar General.  The flowers are part of Dollar Tree's Luau section.  I got 3 Laius for a dollar.  I started in the middle, to cover where glued, and wrapped each around the hoops and used hot glue to secure.

Added some accessories:

Now is time to decide and (hot) glue accessories to the hoops.  I got pineapple sunglasses.  Although Debi got margarita glasses, she took the backs off so the would be 'clicking' glasses. I left mine together and used the (over the ear parts) to glue to hoops.  I glued 2 fish facing each other to the hoops.  I got the fish and others at Dollar General for $1.00 each at Christmas time.



I added more but the middle bugged me.  It needed something but what?  I played some more...here's my drinking alligators:

the pair of flip flops with star fish:

The center under the Beach House sign bugged me, so I added a straw hat:

  I still want to  add something to the middle of the hat...

I had a palm tree ornament from Christmas but it has red and green presents at the bottom.  I was starting to get frustrated until I started playing with shells.  I found a shell that was the right size to cover both gifts!!  I found my center piece for the hat! Once I glued the shell to the palm tree and glued the palm tree to the hat, I added a few more shells.  I added 3 necklaces too.

Now is the real test:  will this (biggest) hula hoop be too big for my front door?  I should have checked this in the beginning...oh well.   I stuck a hook, up-side-down on the inside of the door and hooked the braided twine over and TA DA!!!

I LOVE IT!!

little flamingo

Cheers



Tree and Shells



added beads too



sunglasses



fish



I hope you find inspiration during your day.

Dick Clark, I will miss you.

I have spent more Saturday's and more New Year's Eves with Dick Clark than anyone else in my life...and I will miss him greatly.

Saturday mornings were cartoons but early afternoons (before the ball game) was time for American Bandstand.  I didn't realize that I was watching Rock-n-Roll history and how many of the artists I was watching getting their start and I'd be listening to for years to come.  Dick has amazed me...  He never grew older!  (although I did!)

On Saturdays, we would to go to my Great-Grandpa's in Kew Gardens (Queens, NY).  At the time it was just my brother and I.  To entertain us, Mom put on Bandstand and sometimes we'd dance:

Dick Clark started hosting American Bandstand in 1956...I was born in 1956.  So Dick Clark was there (for my) forever.  Barry Manilow's Bandstand Boogie is the only theme I remember.

WATCH:  30 year Special


Bandstand stopped running on ABC in 1987.  My son was 7 years old.

In 1972 Dick started hosting Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve.  I have had a date with Dick every New Year's Eve.  Actually, there is only one or two that I remember having a "date" outside the house that didn't include Dick.  (Sorry Dick, didn't mean to stand you up!)  I was never big on going out on New Year's because it just didn't seem like a good time to go out when you knew everyone was out drinking and celebrating and then driving, so I am the one that stays home.  After my son was born I was home anyway.

Ryan Seacrest joined my celebration in 2005.  I hope Ryan and I make it through the years to come but it will not be the same without Dick.  Every New Year's Eve to come, I will remember Dick.  Watch and listen:  It's just another New Year's Eve (without you, Dick)

Rest Peacefully my friend.  I will miss you.
Dick Clark  1929  Mount Vernon, NY -  2012  Santa Monica, CA.  Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Where to Buy | Southern Living Plant Collection

Where to Buy | Southern Living Plant Collection

Painting furniture

This is the table I brought home last week after seeing it along side a dumpster.  Although I like as it is, I just can imagine it cleaned up, painted and waxed to see the details and then it can live in my kitchen.

Read this: Love Annie Sloan colors but not the price?

First, I must thank Mandi for her great post. Not only am I new to painting furniture, I am disabled and on a ridiculous budget (as are many people these days). I have looked at Annie Sloan as well as Ce Ce Caldwell paints and keep putting it off. I can paint a room (which I have to do) for the cost of painting a piece of furniture that I have or found by the dumpster! I can’t justify the cost.

I am not selling the furniture, I am just trying to redecorate my home. It is just a matter of dollars and cents, some common sense and convenience for me. If I decide to do it today, I can go to Sherman Williams, Home Depot or Lowe's and get what I need and go to it.

Mandi took the time (and trouble) to come up with paint color comparisons for Annie Sloan (ASCP), Sherman Williams (SW) and Behr (Home Depot's paint).  She lets us know that SW must be clear coated or glazed, with Minwax Paste Finishing Wax and/or Minwax Wipe On Poly.  As a newbie, I thought anyway.  ASCP Dark Wax is the same shade as Ralph Lauren Tobacco Glaze; and  instead of ASCP Clear Soft Wax used Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.  Mandi also has an e-book about painting furniture.

The other thing is, the comments were great! Some additional information was extremely helpful… although I must tell you that I thought I might have been eavesdropping on a Summit for World Peace!!   Please don't shot the messenger. I am just trying to make my home pretty at a reasonable cost and share that it can be done with others.  And Mandi told us how!  We are talking PAINT here.  I am sure if you ask Lowe's and Home Depot who's better, they each would say they are.  Let's face it, there is room in the world for more than one...that's where choices are made.

To be continued.  In the meantime, have a wonderful day!

I AM an UNFINISHED Woman.

Journey
1. a traveling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time; trip: a journey down the east coast.

2. a distance, course, or area traveled or suitable for traveling: an east coast journey.

3. a period of travel: a week's journey.

4. passage or progress from one stage to another: the journey to success.

verb (used without object)

5. to make a journey; travel.
6. make this journey, with "Journey".

End

1  a : the part of an area that lies at the boundary the southern most point of Playalinda Beach; b (1) : a point that marks the extent of something ...had enough; (2) : the point where something ceases to exist <world without end> the past; c : the extreme or last part lengthwise tip of the iceberg; d : the terminal unit of something spatial that is marked off by units e : a player stationed at the extremity of a line (as in football)

Every day is a journey and it now feels like home to me.  I am enjoying the journey because it's "mine".

here's my journey's end

 My Journey's End is simply the end of beach access at the south end of Playalinda Beach.  Translated it means pretty beach and it is.  Just past that fence is the secure area for Kennedy Space Center.  As I've mentioned before, in the distance, there is a shuttle on the launch pad (almost direct center).

Last year, I was going through a period where, as best as I can describe it is: I was sitting on the fence, neither here nor there.  The pickets were hurting my butt!  It was dragging me down. I was so down {I've been down so long, it looks like up to me!} and knew I didn't want to be there but didn't know what to do to get out of it.  I didn't know anymore, what I wanted to be when I grow up. Life for me had changed AGAIN and I didn't know what to do with it.  Many of us wait to be right where I was but it wasn't in my plan yet. 

I left New York with my rottie, Journey, (yes, that's his name).  With what ever would fit in a U-Haul, my car in tow and a job transfer with Linens 'n Things,  south bound on I-95 we went.   In the craziness (and there was lots of it),  I had to return the truck in Jupiter, FL  but live and work in Vero Beach. ..not close to each other.   After being there just 6 months, I found out on-line that the store was closing.  I stayed till closing, took a week off and transferred to Jupiter (right where I kinda started).  I had plans to go to New York for my sister and niece babies showers and while sitting in the airport on my smart phone read something about the store I was in was closing... nothing I could do about it then.  Long story short... Linens 'n Things was out of business and all stores closed before the end of the year in 2008.   I nearly managed to stay there on unemployment until I moved here in September 2009.  There was a snag with that.  Journey was too big for park rules.  I don't talk about that very much at all 'cause it rips my heart out still but I have a little Chihuahua, Heidi, now that thinks she is a rottie!  I digress...

I love to read and I'm always looking for a good read.  I don't know how but I stumbled across a book : 

A Weekend to Change Your Life by Joan Anderson [Find your authentic self after a lifetime of being all things to all people]

I like Amazon, and that you can usually read excerpts.  Take a look: a Weekend to Change Your Life -Authentic Self  My sister has going through her phase of grown kids and lost job too, so I sent her a copy at the same time.  Hell, let's see what a weekend can do.  I didn't have anything else to do.  Then I saw all these other books Joan wrote too.

Joan Anderson is a journalist and the bestselling author of A Year by the Sea,  An Unfinished Marriage,  A Walk on the Beach, A Weekend to Change Your Life and The Second Journey.   I also know she is writing another book.  She lives with her husband on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and conducts weekend workshops for women around the country.

I ordered them all!  I got "A Weekend..." first and started reading it.  Then the others came and I put them in order and start reading the first one:

A Year by the Sea [Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman]

That was it!!  I was hooked!  I AM an UNFINISHED WOMAN!

"I am as unfinished as the shoreline along the beach, meant to transcend myself again and again."  ~Joan Anderson

Joan was exactly where I was in so many ways but most importantly as a woman.  I laughed with her, understood her, and found people I know in her life.  I gobbled up that book like there was no tomorrow.  I started to read her second book: 

An Unfinished Marriage.  Now seriously, I've been married and divorced twice, so I did think about skipping it and just send it along to my sister (who will be married 32 years this year...wow!).  Even as I began reading it, I'm thinking to myself: yeah, OK, let's see... Joan hooked me in again.  OK, so I don't have a husband, not even a boy friend, but I have other relationships and friends that matter and maybe it's about me as a woman - maybe feeling settled - maybe being me, in my own skin.  

I was reading for a while and taking it all in.  Then there was one of those light bulb moments.... ah ha ~  now, understand, I was getting better at going through the motions but very much in a real good fog...And it lifted!!  ~hallelujah~ It happened in  a moment.  I forget either January or February but by February I was myself but better.  I was full steam ahead...only draw back: my body couldn't keep up with my mind.  My mind  thought we were 30 but my 56 year old body was disabled and out of shape. 

I am still reading the second book, An Unfinished Marriage.  I dropped it and lost my place so I've been re-reading/scanning page by page to figure out where I was but refreshing as I go.

I will tell you that so far, everything takes place on the beach of Cape Cod...who would not love that... and you are immediately transformed to be walking the beach, working the fish market and most definitely swimming with the seals!

I hope you will take a look at these books and give them a shot.  Joan found her way and has had to have helped millions of 'unfinished women'  just like me...just like you?

Headed for that Beach House on the Moon



Dune Fence on it's way...

I don't know what I did to my back but it cut my day short.  I got to do only a few things outside.

I picked up picket fence border the last time at Lowe's (garden center)  it's here.  I was pretty excited about it, because for $20 and 15 feet, I thought it would be easier than making it myself.  I wasn't thinking when I started planting aloe along the patio. It was right in the spot that my dog used to cut to the yard to smell the flowers and do her business, so the fence takes care of that.   It comes all rolled up so I unrolled it and just placed in to kind of relax it.  I got it to turn the corner and started hammering the picket end into the ground.


outside of patio




looking towards the front

 



LIFE'S A BEACH
watch out
for the
CRABS

the fence hasn't been hammered in yet.  I
had to take blocks out so I can
bring the fence forward for a vine to climb.






AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST:



Worked on a basket of shells, air plant, fish net, flip flops
and a sun.

 That's it for today.  Heading to bed early to be flat on my back so hopefully I'll get more done tomorrow.

Good night all ~pat

Keep on Going

Completely Coastal posted this on Facebook:  Driftwood-insanity-in-the-sunset  It is totally amazing and beautiful.  Completely Coastal is such an inspiration!

I've been outside cleaning out the shed; just finally unpacked my great-grandmother's dishes and glasses (pictures to come) and besides needed to be washed, I want to display at least some in the kitchen.  After all, that's what it is all about... heritage, memories, and they are from Czechoslovakia.

I had gotten fencing that I thought would be easier to cut but NOT!  So I've used one full 15 feet in the front and another along side the patio.  It has pickets but I put it upside down to have a "dune fence" look and staggered hammering them into the ground to give that wavy look...

Besides other plants that I potted, I have some grasses to plant and the other side of the shed to clean up.  There is a glimpse of the fencing behind my 'new' table in yesterday's post.

I'll be popping by but will take pictures later today...meanwhile:

Keep Calm

and

Keep On Going

Free is good!

I'm always so jealous of the Dumpster Divas finding treasures on the night before garbage pick up, inside and outside dumpsters, in front of homes on the curb and even on the curbs of New York City.  Well yesterday I made a score! 

So here's the story:   (Remember, "what's the story, Jerry?")

I was just running  driving down the block to the little deli like store.  I pass this little apartment complex.  On the right side, there was some yard waste and old furniture...I may go back and check the chair frame.  Just passed that is a dumpster with a round wood table.  I kept driving, thinking that table has got to weigh a ton! 

I go to the store and on the way back... what the heck.. I turned in next to the table.  It is very dirty and scratched up but it doesn't weigh a ton!!  I drag it over and in the back, with the door wide open and do my best to drive home ever so slowly... and drag it to the patio.  Where there she sits:

Besides a good cleaning and sanding, I want to try CeCe Caldwell's Paint.  It all nature chalk and clay paint.  Here's their website :  CeCe Caldwells  I think I want to do it in the light yellow and do a stencil on top, so when the table cloth is off it is still dressed up pretty!  It's going in the kitchen and the bistro table is going outside.

So the list just grew again but free is good!

Have a great day  ~ pat

God grant me...

God grant me...

I want to make those state string art boards for the living room.  I decided to do one side of my North Captiva picture (poster size) with a New York theme and the other with Florida.  First thought was to try to combine the two states but couldn't figure out how I would run the string.  Maybe two different colors and one heart between them.  Then I was thinking one for each state in an 8x10 for each side.  I haven't figured it out yet.

Anyway, I found this web site that gave different options of maps to print out, which I printed out a map that gives towns.. the Florida map shows the Keys.  The others I printed were just outlines of the state and a star for the capital.  This outline did not have the Keys although New York included Long Island.  That's about as far as I got.

While looking around I came across book marks, and two sets of book marks for the Serenity Prayer, a page of the short version and a page of the full version.  I was needing some serenity the other night while I was looking so printed and sharing the full version here:  bookmarks/serenityprayer-full  The short version is also available there too.


God grant me
the serenity to accept
the things I cannot
change;
courage to change the
things I can;
and wisdom to know
the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment
at a time;
Accepting hardships as
the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is, not
as I would have it;
Trusting that He will
make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be
reasonably happy in this
life and supremely
happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen
God grant me
the serenity to accept
the things I cannot
change;
courage to change the
things I can;
and wisdom to know
the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment
at a time;
Accepting hardships as
the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is, not
as I would have it;
Trusting that He will
make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be
reasonably happy in this
life and supremely
happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen


I'm sorry I couldn't get a picture to post, but here's my serenity picture for the day:

Mary Vican (flicker.com)

Have a wonderful day ~ pat