Wednesday, July 31, 2013

I've got the bug!

Photo bug that is!

Yes, I have it. I have been diagnosed. I have the photo bug. It is contagious. I got it from a friend.
Me... and my grandpuppy
"Feeling so Greatfull!

A few months ago, a long time friend who lives far away came for a visit. I felt like a teenager again, laughing, giggling, shopping, talking about anything, sitting at night and reminiscing. A tingle came alive in my heart and soul.

With the declining economy in the past few years, our world had turned to work, work and more work. Jumping each time the phone rang, making plans and then having to change them, eating on the go, sleeping only because you have to. That is what it takes sometimes to survive, to pay the electric bill, put gas in your car, pay medical bills, and so on. Don't get me wrong, I was greatfull” for the work that I had prayed for. We had it better than most of our colleagues.

Then cancer came along and broke my heart, made me cry a lot, made me question our future, and turned me into a fighter. Myhubs is a cancer survivor, a strong man, a hard working man and now a very hyper man (even more than before). Due to the chemotherapy he will be on for the rest of his life, his metabolism is always high. He is ready to go, must go, and can't stop at the end of the day. 

And we are “greatfull” for the miracles that have happened along this journey!

But through all of this, creativity just stopped, it moved over and made room for cancer... and more work. The list of “gotta do's” was long, then longer. Well, he is one year cancer free and I am feeling “greatfull . But it is time to create some "dazeeze" and make room for it in my life.

My friend suggested one day to try taking some photos, just for fun. And that is what I have found, fun... I take long walks, I walk in the rain, I look for the best pose, angle, light, just so I can run to the photo lab and see what it turns out to be. I am excited again. Oh... How it feels so good.

This blog is named Greatfull Dazeez for two reasons. To always be great, always be greatfull, always enjoy my days, and add some ease  from time to time, so that creativity can rejoice and be greatfull!.



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Makeover Monday...

I love the designing blog Teal and Lime.  Recently she posted this quote and I found it true and applicable to myself. Here it is:
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"This post is scary to write, because I am really going to put myself out there. But I also know that until you tell someone, you are not really committed to those hopes and dreams. Telling someone holds you accountable. It also can, hopefully, open the doors of support and encouragement."     Teal and Lime 

Here is the link to her blog: http://www.tealandlime.com/home/
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So I am telling...
I have been dreaming of redoing some of my living room.  After 5 years of this maroon color on the walls and gold on the ceiling, it is time for a change.  I guess I could refer to this paint scheme as my “colorful years”. Our home is very open, with the living room, kitchen, dining room and office open to each other, with tall ceilings, lots of windows and few walls.

I began my “colorful years” with lots of yellows, maroons, greys, and golds. It was so hard to decide on the colors because I wanted the rooms to be different but doing it with no walls between made it hard to choose. After 2 months of color swatches taped to the walls, myhub's took me to the paint store, stood in front of the paint counter and gave me 15 minutes to choose. I was part mad, part scared, part relieved. I was forced to make a decision. Scary... to say the least. I based my choices on a corningware pansy canister set that I still consider my favorite. I love the array of colors in pansies.

It is time for a change. It is time to go with less color, more decisive color and to finish those projects that are still unfinished. I will show you...
I'll call this my before...

This is my fireplace wall, the choices for this wall is few. So many fixed pieces, the fireplace, the television, the windows so there isn't much I can do for this wall except paint it a less bold color. I love the chairs that were once a part of a patio set.

Project to do: Recover cushions on chairs, paint walls, sew new window treatments.


I'll call this my before...


This is the couch wall, the only full wall in the living room, and the only place for the couch. A new couch is coming and it is dark brown and has no pattern in the fabric. I received a new sewing machine as a gift so I am excited to make new window treatments (which will match the cushions on the chairs in the previous photo). The round table was a wedding gift to my grandmother, it is a family treasure and I will have it always, no matter where we live.

Above the couch is an unfinished project. The metal sculptures are to hold photographs and should have a quote underneath them. Any suggestions?

As you can see the photos can be changed for each holiday and inserted in the leaves. At Christmas, this is where I place my Holiday Cards, on Valentines Day I insert Valentines, and so on...



Project to do: Decide on my quote and place under the metal scultpures, print some of my favorite photos, and bring in the new couch. (and get new sconces to go on each side, story about that to come later when myhubs isn't looking)



This is one of the photos to print and place....it is a canna flower outside my living room in one of many flower beds. It was  taken on a rainy day. 

Thanks to picmonkey software and a very dear friend who has encouraged me, taking photos has given me much pleasure, especially on a rainy day.


It is difficult to start and finish inside projects in the summer months. We garden, have many flower beds, and like to go to the lake so these projects will happen as the temperature starts to fall and the gardens turn brown.

There will be more to come as the projects unfold, as I hit the publish button I am committed to finish them.... and please hold me to it.


Sunday, July 28, 2013

"Yum Award" Maggie Mae's Tea Room

Food and Atmosphere at Maggie Mae's  gets my "Yum Award"!

Yum! Award Winner!
When we get a pretty day to play, we head to Miller, Missouri for a tasty sandwich and salad. And we are never disappointed. 

After 13 years of dining there, we crave their atmosphere, home made food, and amazing desserts. Maggie Mae’s delivers the goods, I mean goodies... galore!

From the baked fudge to the club sandwich, it is filling, satisfies every taste bud and leaves you with that wanting to come back again feeling. You can order from the menu or dine on the specials. You can choose from a delicious italian pasta dish, mexican chicken enchiladas, or salads, or croissants.

We love the food, love the atmosphere, love the gardens. Whether you are meeting your book club, garden club or friends, everyone will have a great meal. Even my hungry man loves it and leaves too full to order from their mouth watering choices of homemade desserts, including my favorite, the baked fudge.




Maggie Mae's Tea Room is located in small town America. With only 699 residents in this rural America named Miller, Missouri ,located just north of Mt. Vernon, Missouri and that famous Old Route 66, Maggie Mae's draws a crowd. And they keep coming back. It is a family run business, with family values, and is family welcome.

And you can shop while you eat. All of the décor is for sale. You can choose the garden room, the tuscan room, and several other rooms decorated and styled in a unique atmosphere. Or you can sit outside, enjoy the gardens, the flowers, the decor and the fountain. 

Even the parking lot is exciting, take a look at the vintage gas pumps!

No address is necessary to find Maggie Maes, just turn north from Old Route 66 towards Miller, Missouri, then look for their sign. This is small town America, if you drive past it, just stop and ask someone. Miller Missouri is a very friendly small town, with their own school, their own post office and everyone is so friendly.


We enjoy it, want to go back soon, and tell our friends about it. 

You can like Maggie Mae's on Facebook with this link:
 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Maes-Tea-Room/97234499799


Monday, July 22, 2013

Reflection Monday

Today's question to self: “If you could start a conversation with your "younger self" what would you say?” I would say "slow down, take the time to get to know yourself, to learn to grow and trust your inner voice"

Oh how I wish, I could turn back time! To be able to do so many things over. To have the knowledge and experience to have made better decisions. To have been aware of greater opportunities and experiences that were offered. To have slowed down. To have simply enjoyed the time I was given.

For now, I see myself running out of time. Time is the only gift we get when we are born. In my younger years I didn't realize that time was so precious and that we all have a limited supply. Time was going too fast, too much to do, too much to get done, sometimes I look back and the past is a blurr. A blurr of responsibility, commitments, and 24 hour cycles of that ol “gotta get it done” attitude.
I laugh when I hear a celebrity say “I have no regrets”. For how can you live a long life and not have any regrets. Haven't you ever made a mistake, overlooked something, or just not had enough information to have made a better decision? Well I have, and I do have regrets. I am not perfect, I have made mistakes that I wish I could change. But there is no “back” button in the desktop of life.

My recent birthday was quiet. I took the time to hear myself. To ask myself some questions about my future, about my past, about tomorrow. The answer was not what I want to do, it was how I want to do it. I want to do it with more consciousness. I want to enjoy each moment, to breathe it in, to smell it, to hear it, to fully participate in it.

So this is my Monday and every day after, a day to reflect, a day to smell, hear, and listen, to breathe...


Sunday, July 21, 2013

Greatfull Daze...

Rainy Sunday mornings,


                                          in July,



                         are a time for quiet reflection,


  
                                  and silent prayers,



                         for the beauty surrounding me.






Wednesday, July 17, 2013

My New hobby!

Quote for my day: Do what you can with what you have, where you are. Theodore Roosevelt

I just started a new hobby. If you knew me that announcement would seem strange. I have never been crafty. I have tried to be many times in my life. I have tried flower arranging, crocheting, knitting, needlepoint, rug making, ceramics, macrame.... wow just naming them makes me feel overwhelmed. I tried to try to find my passion, my gift or my talent only to feel unorganized and messy. But I tried.

I have known many people who do have great hobbies and create master pieces with their skills. I have also known many people who create... shall I say not-so-great master pieces. I have friends and family who have many, many hobbies,. They have hobby rooms, hobby tables, hobby lights, and a large budget for all those hobby supplies.

But... I have OCD tendencies, coupled with a “have to put it away” personality. And I hate clutter. So having a hobby required more of me than I was willing to give. Where do you keep those unfinished projects, all those supplies, and still feel creative? And what do you do with all of those masterpieces? Or those not-so-great masterpieces? That is why my desire to have a hobby always stopped, dead in the road.

This time, I approached my “want to do” project with a new attitude. After visiting a store in my area called “repurpose”, I became intrigued with all the beautiful masterpieces that are created in that store. All by using stuff you already have, and finding a new purpose for those old treasures that you just can't part with. You can find them on their facebook page by linking below:

Here you will find a mix of some of my dishes (garage sale finds), candles that I have had for years, placemats I use everyday, plants, etc. They have all been repurposed and come together to fill my dinner table, and a side planter. All repurposed and used.

I created the centerpeice from an old glass vase, twine and an old necklace that I was tired of. Added some pearl beads and put it on one of my favorite plates.

So I think I will not call my new adventure a hobby, it shall be called...

My "re-purposing"...

This is what he does...

Quote for my day: Freedom is from within  . Frank Lloyd Wright

This is what he does. He works very hard, spends hours on the phone, and the computer. He reads entire files of legal documents, pays close attention to multiple tiny details and deadlines. He keeps our yard in a constant state of green, always trimmed and manicured, looking like a park. He chauffeurs me to and from, and runs any errands asked of him with great efficiency.

But when it is his time to relax, to take a break from his everyday responsibilities, his every day work load, and his everyday stress...

This is what he does....


And he does it for hours. He does it in the daylight and by those old head lamps at night. He gets on that old tractor, wearing his favorite old hat, and he drives. First east and west, then north and south, around the old tree, around the well, and down the valley. He knows the exact location of each big rock, old stump, and an old pile of barbed wire.

He watches the neighbors cat run outside hoping to catch a rabbit taken by surprise and running for cover. He watches field mice scamper trying to stay out of sight of that cat.  He finishes and turns the tractor for home feeling physically tired, hot, sweaty and... happy. 

He listens to nothing but the constant and steady sound of that old ford tractor. That is what it is about, a physical workout, a mental break, and the feeling of creating something beautiful. It looks like a park filled with rolling hills and shade trees and the sound of an old Ford N tractor and... happy.

This is what he does...

Saturday, July 13, 2013

The best chocolate recipe in my book!

Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond is a genius in my recipe book. Most of her recipes are made with ingredients I have right in my pantry. They don't require a special trip to the store, or a trip to the bank for more money to buy an expensive ingredient that I have never heard of before and will never use again. She illustrates the recipe with photos, step by step, on her website www.Thepioneerwoman.com. If you haven't visited her site, please do. If you know of her and her cookbooks, and her Food Network Show, then you know what I am referring to. Yes, I think she is a food genius sent to me via the internet, to boost and re energize my cooking/baking desires.


Her “Best Chocolate Sheetcake Ever” is just what the name says, the best chocolate sheetcake ever. It is easy to make, feeds many hungry chocolate lovers, and satisfies my craving for a rich and sweet piece of chocolate. It stays moist for several days if wrapped tightly and it goes well with home-made ice cream.

Here is the link to her Tasty Kitchen Recipe:


My life changed its routine recently, and I have been creating new goals for myself. I have always wanted to try new recipes, and I have a big stack of great recipes that I have saved for many years. They are stuffed into an old cookbook alongside some of my most reliable recipes. I will be trying them and sharing them, both the good and the bad, the tasty and the not so tasty.

This morning, after looking into my pantry and doing a quick look at my inventory, I decided to try Trisha Yearwood's Recipe for "Sweet and Saltines". It seemed very simple to make, with ingredients I already had.  I laid out my ingredients, prepared the pan, then the phone rang.  I was distracted for just a few moments, taking my eye off the butter and sugar boiling on the stove. Suspecting that I had boiled it at too high a temperature, I went ahead and completed the recipe not sure if it would have a slight burnt sugar taste. Well it sure did, and it was not good. 

But here is the link, and I can only say I will try it again.

Only next time I will let the phone ring...

Monday, July 8, 2013

Monday, Monday... tears...

Quote for my day: Tears are God's gift to us. Our holy water. They heal us as they flow. Rita Schiano


Tears are flowing at our house this Monday.

After a long holiday weekend filled with watermelon feeds, banana splits, homemade ice cream,and giant hamburgers on the grill the refrigerator is full. Big breakfasts, big sandwiches and big barbecues and lots of desserts. No need to cook tonight, it is “empty the fridge night”.

Our celebrations were filled with fire crackers, red, white and blue decorations and the sound of big and small booms so this Monday I feel the need for quiet. No television or radio today. Quiet computer work, a few phone calls, and the sound of the washer and dryer spinning.

We spent our holiday telling funny stories, laughing hard, playing hard and eating goodies. Then the phone call...

A dear and much loved cousin had left us, had died quietly, and the tears flowed, the Kleenexes were distributed. The feeling of your heart hurting. Being surrounded by family when you get that kind of news helps. Someone will tell a funny story, a memory that will make us all laugh. Then tears flow again. Then another story, then more tears. Prayers went up knowing that our family was hurting and needed help from above. Phone calls had to be made, more tears, more phone calls.

So this Monday is quiet, sad, and slow. It is full of fond memories, conversations with loved ones and tears. And another box of Klennex.


My Mondays aren't supposed to be like this.

Monday, July 1, 2013

It's another Monday...


And the laundry, oh the laundry... the basket runneth over....

 She left Wisconsin and came to California in a covered wagon, went to school in a one room school house, danced through the roaring 20's, was married to the love of her life for more than 70 years and survived three wars. She was a housewife, a home manager and expert at keeping her house in order, and we knew not to ask her to change her ways. She was my Grandma.

Mondays were her “wash” day and she always referred to her laundry soap as “washin powders”.  She used vinegar, rubbing alcohol and a brush to remove stains, reduce static and keep her linens fresh. She added liquid starch to her rinse and then hung her clothes out on the line. She also misted her “ironin” with vinegar water and let it sit, then pressed it in the afternoon when it was too hot to work outside.  Every meal was served with a crisply pressed linen napkin on a beautiful white tablecloth.

She sewed like a professional seamstress, was self taught, and made all of her clothes. She saved each piece of cloth, button, zipper, and clasp. She even saved the thread from the hem and wrapped it on an old wooden spool. I saw her remove a pocket from a pair of my Grandpas worn out jeans and sew it onto another pair that had a bad tear. And yes, she shared her talents with all of us. Even making my daughter a pair of playtime overalls from an old suit, a unique item to say the least, Grandma was proud of it and she expected it to be worn when she she came to visit. Nothing was thrown away. Everything had a purpose.

Her Mondays were like that!