Kitchen getting cleaned up

Last night my husband made breakfast for dinner while I sat out side and watched it rained.  In the stuff we took from his mom's apartment was a cast iron mini pancake maker. This is a cast iron flat pan with 6 or 7 3 inch indents to cook the batter.  This was something she use to use all the time to make mini pancakes for breakfast for the boys.  I think he was honoring her by cooking breakfast for dinner.

After dinner, it was way to humid to stay outside so I went to a back room to watch TV online. Hubby came back and asked if I told K to do the dishes.  I said I didn't ask her to do that.  Well, I went into the kitchen and she had completely cleaned it... she did the dishes, put all the food away, wiped all the counters down, cleaned off the table we use as an island.  I was so happy. 

Thank you my sweet K.

My Mother-In-Law passed away

My Mother-In-Law passed away on 7/22/10 at the age of 84. She was a consonant New Englander who was always concerned with others and worried what other would think right up to the end. She was under Hospice care and when her 4 sons would visit (and they were there every day for the last 2 weeks of her life) she was worried about them eating with her. (The staff of the care facility welcomed the family and we were always invited to eat.) No one else seemed to have 4 men there at dinner or lunch time. We could get her to believe it was OK and they probable just didn’t have as much family in the valley.

On the Friday and Saturday after she passed her 4 sons and the 4 wives cleaned out her apartment and divided most of her belongings. I am so glad she moved into this apartment at the retirement facility in 2006. There was not the emotional attachment that we would have had if she had still been in the house she and her husband had shared for 45+ years.

My husband brought all the photo albums home and spent hours, even before she passed, going through them pulling out photo to have made into a CD for her service. When my MIL was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we were told she had about 3 weeks to 2 months to live, my husband started going through all of the family slides (we got them when she move – no one else wanted them). He did such a good job at choosing the pictures for her service.

We also brought home boxes off stuff from my MIL’s apartment and those got dropped on the floor in front of our sofas. Because my sofas were free-bees from a coworker about 6 years ago they are in tough shape, so we took the recliner and love seat. Oh and we got her cat stroller. Because we dropped boxes of stuff in front of our sofa, we cannot get them out to put in the recliner and love seat so they just between the living room & dining room. All the boxes to photo are on the floor by the computer desk, which is between the dinning room table & back door. I warn everyone who stops by that my house looks like a hoarder’s house. I know this is temporary and we plan on finishing our remodeling once the estate is settled. Until then we are working on packing up stuff and taking it to my office to store them.

The Hand Me Down House: It's Time...

The Hand Me Down House: It's Time...

Earlier this week, I came across a blog called The Hand Me Down House. This title really intrigued me, since most of the funiture I own falls into this catagory - and I have been married for 27 years. I am always looking for crafty ways to revamp the stuff I currently own. So check Amanda's blog out, by using this link to her give away.

Holly crap it is hot!

I have lived in the Phoenix area since 1976. The day we arrived, we stepped off the plane in mid July and it was 114 degrees out.  My dad was in the Air Force and we had been at Clark AFB in the Philippines. I can recall listening to the news with my parents in late July, early August and hearing the weather men say the humidity was high.  High it was only 15 – 20 percent; sorry but after the Philippines that is not high.   They don’t know what high humidity is.  Try living with 90 degrees and 90% humidity for 6 months out of the year.

For 18 years I lived in a house with only an evaporative cooler.  This worked fairly well until the due point was over 55 degrees.  For most of those years it was fine, but as I got older, come August I really wanted an AC unit on the house.  It was to the point of telling my husband “Don’t even think of touching me”. 

Now at age 50 with menopause kicking in, I don’t like the summer much.  To hang laundry I have my hair up in a pony tail, have a tank top on and a wet towel over my shoulders.  After standing out there for about 10 minutes, I turned the hose on and wet my hair and top. When I came in, I sat in front of the fan with a wet tee shirt on. This feels really good.

I am looking forward to the next time I can go back to my mother’s cabin.

My Rug is Done

Here is the finished project. 

I had to barrow a large crochet hook from one of my mom’s friend to finish the last couple of rows.  I started it around the 14^th of June and worked on it for a couple of hours a few nights a week while I was watching TV.  I have more fabric cut up and ready to start a second rug.

I also sewed up a fabric elephant for K.

4th of July at the Cabin

I am spending from July 2^nd to July 10^th at my mom’s cabin in Forest Lakes, AZ.  I brought my youngest daughter, her friend and a friend of mine.  We got here on Friday, July 2^nd in the afternoon.  We were welcomed by rain and a temperature around 70.  Compared to the 112 in the valley it was heaven!

On Saturday, the Forest Lakes community had an Arts & Crafts fair and picnic. 

My daughter helped out by working the snow cone booth.

My friend brought up her Jack Russell Terrier and was keeping her on a leash.  All of a sudden she came off the porch through the bars and almost caught a mole gopher.  I had never seen on close up.  It is only about 4 inches long and kept coming towards my shoes.  It finally ended up under the porch.

Roxie

The Mole Gopher

On the rafters at the back of the cabin a robin is busy creating a 2^nd nest of the season.  My mom said she already had one set of babies and they have fledged. 

Robin On Nest

Squirrel damage to the hammock

Columbines can be found all over the place.

Harvest

Lettuce, yellow zucchini water melon, onions, cantaloupe & a pumpkin.

These are all from our back yard garden. There are still more melons growing and as long as they are kept somewhat shaded we will have melons for most of the summer.