My bed hasn't been made in a week...

Yeah, that's right. 

My bed hasn't been made in a week.

I haven't had a good nights sleep in so long,

I really can't remember what it feels like. So I have been making time in the morning and again in the afternoon, just to rest. 

Just to sit, or lay, or walk slowly.

No television, radio, phone calls, texts, or anything.

We are now 7 days post operative to the the neck surgery we knew was coming. We had been trying so very hard to get some projects done around our house, before this forced-vacation date arrived.

 Last Monday, I received a

Cervical Disectomy Fusion Anterior Approach

and a

Cervical Decompression

All due to

Herniated Discs C5-6 and 6-7.

Well, now those painfull boney discs are gone. Dr. replaced them with this:

and he put it right here

under my jaw bone.

He went thru the front of

my neck leaving about

a three inch

incision.

So Day 8...

I am still taking pain medication, muscle relaxers and moving very, very slow.

So I am still needing and asking

for your prayers!

Thank you,

Redecorating Reveal 2014!

 Welcome to my Spring 2014 Reveal!

After a couple of months of painting, scrubbing,

purging and a little crafting...

we are close to having it done. 

Close enough for me to share some photos.

It started with new floors in the kitchen and dining room.

But before we could start that project we had to paint the ceilings and walls.

This is a total color change for me. 

In the past, I have had my favorite pansie dish sets from

Corningware displayed for almost twenty years.

So my colors always referred back to the

purple and yellow of those colorful pansies that I dearly loved. 

But this time,

I packed them up and it was time for a change.

I wanted to stay in the neutral colors

 and only change out my

accessories for adding color.

We love our oak here in The Ozarks.  I have thought many times I want to paint my cabinets a light cream with a dark gold wax. But we DO really like our oak whether it is in style or not, so we will keep it the way it is. 

I tried adding some blues here and there

and just kept having fun finding those

treasures as I ventured out and up into my attic.

I was worried over my choice of the dark stain

but now that is is down,

I am pretty happy with it.

I like the dark contrast against

the yellow of the oak.

The small green cabinets may get painted this fall, 
they hold all of my computer

and camera cables and I use them often.

I bought that cream colored iron table with glass top 
just for that space near the patio doors

 It keeps all of the dog/cat 
treats close by when we go in and out. 

My favorite space of all is my wide pantry doors.  

I was able to get all of my cleaning and
storage behind those doors therefor

 no one, will ever see my dirty laundry basket again!

The master bathroom floors also were redone in the dark stain.

I have to thank Lloyd the tile guy for
choosing this brick cut natural stone.

I wasn't even looking for it, when he laid it out in the store

and we fell in love with it. 2 more weeks and we can seal it which will give it a little shinier finish.

The living room is also close to being done. 

The ceiling needs a second coat of white to reach that
clean, crisp white I am wanting.
And the 2 side chairs need new cushions,
I have found some but still want to
look at some fabric samples and have
someone make them locally if possible.

And as life goes...

I am almost 5 days post surgical for having 2 discs replaced and fused in my neck. Pain and nausea are my biggest complaints right now along with not being able to sleep for more than an hour at a time.

I have been able to sit up at the table the past two days so I plan to hop' around and do some blog reading. I am asking for prayers for a fast and speedy recovery please.

Linking up with:

Brenda over at

Cozy Little House

Tweak it Tuesday

Linda over at

Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Marty over at a 

Stroll thru life

Inspire Me Tuesday

Kathe over at

Kathewithane

Love it Tuesday

In the beginning...

We started with dirt,

a bulldozer, and a man.

I call him “thehubs”.

Here he is, moving dirt,

preparing the land for our

new home back in 2002.

We decided to move out of the hurried lifestyle of our big city. We wanted to get away from the traffic, waiting in lines, and the noise. We were ready and willing to give up our city luxuries such as takeout food, pizza delivery, hot donuts on Saturday morning, late Friday night soft serve ice cream in our pajamas and fancy grocery stores filled with exotic fruits, cheeses and pre-cut vegetables.

"I miss those things especially the hot donuts.

Now you know why I get so excited when

I drive 90 miles to shop for groceries!"

We wanted to enjoy the outdoors.

So we moved. 

We downsized and built a handicap accessible (almost) home down a country lane just a few miles from a small town in the country.

Anyone remember the movie

“Funny Farm” with Chevy Chase?

I loved their mailman delivering the mail!

This is the same small town where I grew up and went to school. Our high school mascot was a blue and gold Wildcat so I guess that makes me a former Wildcat. 

What were you in high school?

What was your school mascot and colors?

And as life goes...

I had 2 discs in my neck replaced and fused Monday morning. I've had nausea since the surgery and am still having a difficult time keeping the pain under control.

I am asking for your prayers.

ps: we almost have the rest of the new baseboard trim down, the house

project is getting closer to being done.

Storage solution becomes trip down memory lane!

We are back home after a 5 day trip and 700 miles

with lots of stops along the way.

Traveling along Highway 65 along the Arkansas and Missouri

line, you go through

small town USA.

It is a two lane highway with lots of curves, steep hills and dangerous downgrades with escape routes for run-away trucks. At several high points you can see for miles and miles. 

The view is beautiful. 

It was my favorite kind of trip, slow and easy, stopping when we want, curious to make new friends and discover new places. We will make this trip again in June with more plans to stop in and visit with friends along the way.

I found inspiration in the many

“Mom and Pop” shops,

little diners and

remote grocery stores.

Today I have to share some inspiration

I found and was able to fit into my budget.

I fell in love with this.

I am always looking for storage solutions that allow me to display items that I use. I have inherited several sets of dishes and I love them but I don't have the space to keep them on display. So I had to choose one piece from each set, that I use regularly, and that was the platters.

If you can picture me on my hands and knees unloading a china cabinet so that I can reach for that special platter, it isn't pretty, it isn't practical and I avoid it. Well no more, these platters are going to be at my hands reach and displayed with the respect they so deserve.

I remember having a makeup suitcase just like this one when I was young. It held all of my important

“girlie” stuff.

So I bought one, just like the one I had so many years ago, 

ahhhh...

a trip down memory lane feels so good.

And here it is, a quick put together after I got our suitcases unpacked. All of these items, I use often and will be so easy to get to when I want them. 

Now...

onto the 7 loads of laundry

I brought back with us...

Have a Greatfull Day!

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I am linking up with Cindy over at

My Romantic Home Blog

Show and Tell Friday

and

Megin over at

VMG206

diy Sunday Showcase

Hop on over and see all the

talent at these linking parties!

and

Marty

over at

A Stroll thru Life

214th Inspire Me Tuesday