Ye Olde Red Brick House

of being a homeowner is raking for 4 hours and only getting 1/4 of the yard done! I might have gotten further if it didn't start raining on me. It also rained on my just cleaned SUV... darn! lol thank goodness for street sweepers the oak tree is the culprit :)

Got the lights all hung up last weekend... boy, was that a job! My 6 foot ladder wasn't near tall enough, but with the kindness of a neighbor, I managed to borrow a 10 foot one. It has been raining non-stop for several days. I so love the rain, but I'm hoping it stops tomorrow so that I can rake the gazillion leaves in the yard. Today, I spent about 3 hours wrapping presents; almost done! I love Christmas time. :) my sign above the door says 'naughty or nice, I still get what I want' you can't tell here, but all the lights on the porch lattice are dragonflies my little Jewell

My little Jewell loooooves Barney... this is her singing 'I love you, you love me' on Thanksgiving Day. She doesn't get the words quite right, but the tune is right on. :) We are blessed enough to hear her sing it about 30 times a day. lol

I didn't post last night; oops! Some of you have asked about Lilly, my new kitty. She is wonderful. I've seriously never had such a great cat in my entire life. I put her litter box, food & a comfy chair in the hallway (I have a square hall area). She lays on that chair any time I am not home. It's like they trained her to stay off the furniture! She only gets on the couch when I am sitting on it. Good kitty. She did sleep with me for a few nights, but now sleeps on her chair in the hallway. She had this habit of pouncing on my limbs when they peeked out from under the blanket. After being told 'no!' a few times in the middle of the night, she succumbed to the chair. Which is better for me anyways, because I was waking up several times a night when she slept in my bed. I am doing fine allergy wise, as long as I take a Claritin every morning. The 1st 3 nights, I had itchy, watery eyes and runny nose; was a little worried I had made a mistake. Jewell gets so exci...

I'm so sorry... I don't get on the computer much anymore. I'd like to say it's because of been remodeling or decorating my house.... but, eh not so much. It seems like I've been sick ever since I moved in. Either migraines for 7 days at a time, stomach virus, insane laziness (yes, that is an illness). This week it's depression. I always miss my dad and brother around the holidays. I know they are in a better place and all that... but I want them here with me; I'm selfish like that. The girls came over on Thanksgiving day though and we had a nice lunch. (Still no dining room set; hopefully this weekend). Then my oldest and I went to see the movie '2012'. It is an awesome movie. I will try and update more later, getting ready for work right now. Thanks Victoria and Karen Anne for the little nudges. :)

She's a Siamese mix, about a year old, spayed, and house broken. I'm adopting her from an animal rescue ranch tomorrow! I took Jewell over to meet her to make sure they get along... all was good! Afterwards, I went to Petsmart and spent $135 on a scratching post, litter box, carrier, etc... and almost everything is pink. So... I'm thinking she's going to be known as Princess Lilly. haha I was sitting in the dark last night watching tv and realized how lonely I get in this big old house. Lilly will be the perfect companion to snuggle up with on chilly nights. :)

I have a new friend named Michelle. Her mom passed away last year and left her a lot of antique furnitrue. Also, she got married in the past year, which means two combined households. She and her husband have an abundance of furniture. They were buying a house, but the deal fell through... so they are renting an apartment across the street from me. A small apartment. I told Michelle that I had been looking for a antique dining room set, but that everything was beyond my budget. She sent me an email a few weeks ago, with these photos attached. She said her husbands grandparents bought the set in the 1940's. They are paying $80 a month for storage unit. Her husband wants the set to go to someone who will cherish it and keep it forever. So... I am getting this gorgeous dining room set for $500!! I really hope I have it before Thanksgiving, as I can see my family gathered around this beautiful table! Regardless, I'll be patient and wait for them to dig it out from the back of the s...