November Notes, Day 15

"Fabric Fanatic"

Spent most of the day today working on organizing my new craft room.  Today I focused on fabric. I've started dabbling in quilt making, and I want to design purses (I love totes) and stuffed bears.  So, I've bought a lot of fabric over the last several years, and finally have a place to store it instead of plastic containers.  Since my bestie is in town, she helped get things organized.  First, we had to do a little shopping...

Then we needed to add a little organization.

Then we started to go through boxes and bags of fabric..

This is only a small part of all the fabric I still have.

There are several UFO's (unfinished objects) in the top small bins,

several small quarter panels assorted by color/theme in the medium bins,

and bear, purse and large quilt fabrics in the largest bins.

Now to get my sewing machine set back up again...

November Notes, Day 14

"Racing for Home"

This stained glass window now sits at the top of the stairs

leading to our master bedroom.

It was the icing on the cake

topping two stressful weeks trying to get

things done before our annual Fall party.

I sail, and my husband hang glides

so we're both represented here.

I love how the clear glass picks up the color

of the landing really enhancing the sunset feel.

I'll be sitting and staring at this for many days to come...

November Notes, Day 12

It's been a long five months, including several times when I almost divorced my husband due to a choice of lighting....

but we've gone from this...

To this...

And from this...

To this....

We took this...

Created this...

And now this is one view of our

master bedroom

There are still a few more things to finish, 

(like the stairs on this window seat)

but we are so close to being completely done...

and, I'm still married

despite some lighting choices...

November Notes, Day 1

It's been a while since I have written. (Has it really been since July!?!?)  Given that it's National Blog Posting Month, at least the traditional month of November, I thought I would start blogging again.  I don't have a planned theme this time, just thought I would write about whatever was topmost in my head that day.

Today I thought I would start by writing a little bit about myself for those that don't know me, haven't follow me in the past, or who might have forgotten since they joined me for the last blogging event... I forget sometimes a little myself these days:

I work as an Emergency physician in both rural Northern California and metropolitan Sacramento.  I like working as an ED doc on the front lines of medicine.  I hate to admit that sometimes someone's worse day is my best day, because, let's be honest, we train for emergencies.  That's what keeps our juices flowing, and some days it's the only thing that keeps us going back for more... that hope that something "exciting" will come in.

Work allows me to pursue my other interests, like travel... and cycling... and painting... and quilting... and filling my home with setting hens and squirrels... 

We bought a house up in Northern California in 2011, and for the last 4 years we've been slowly remodeling it.  Let's just say our "five year plan" is now our "ten year plan" but it's been a lot of fun, and I've learned a lot about construction and can confidently talk about such things as "header beams" and "rough openings" and "3-0/5-0 windows."

Anyway, I plan to write about random things,  and I hope you'll come along for the ride... it should be interesting.

Birthday Shuffle Year V - Day One - Home

Four years ago, I was a month away from finally realizing one of the dreams 

I had been working toward for many years... my own house.  

I started the "myPod Shuffle" then to count down the days until we would be able to move in.

I've done it every year since as a means of keeping up my blog,

and also to remember the path that brought me here

through the music on my iPod.

We had actually bought the house in April, but we gave the prior owners a few months to be able to transition to their new house.

Our house in July 2011

The house was built in 1980 and had not been worked on since.

We came up with the "5 year plan" and started to work

on making the house our own...

Over the last 4 years, dramatic changes have been happening 

on both the outside and inside of the home.

Here are the ways in which the outside changed...

This is how our home looks now...

There are still a few more changes that need to be made;

windows, deck, landscaping, etc... 

but I'm feeling proud and blessed to be able to call this place

my home...

I hope you'll join me over the next month as I celebrate another birthday month,

relive my memories through the music on my iPod,

and maybe I'll share a little more of the home and life 

I've built in this little corner of Northern California.

Day 13 - A Little Dab Will Do Ya....

I've always hated this wallpaper

Watch it slowly disappear...

Voila!  Gone...!

It only took three years...

And the bathroom... gone is the obnoxious wallpaper trim...

Now a pretty peach look...

Don't even get me started on the chandelier in the mother-in-law....

sweet...!!

One Month Down...

How are your New Year's resolutions coming along?

We recently traveled up to Yosemite for a conference,

and while I was there I made several life decisions for myself.

One was to get into better shape...

which I discovered I was sorely lacking after 

trying to make this hike while in Yosemite.

While I did get to see some beautiful vistas,

I know I could have had a much better experience if

I lost some of the extra weight I put on this year

and really got into a better exercise plan.

Then, while sitting and catching my breath

while taking in the amazing scenery, I realized I really

missed writing poetry and doing more creative work

in photography and painting.

I did start going to some art classes put on by a

local artist, and have been having fun paining again.

So one of my other goals is to get my "craft room" finished

and set up, so I can get back to this relaxing part of my life...

Not bad for a first time... n'est pas?

Well, it's a start anyway....

Cheers to following that unknown trail

and seeing what the rest of the year will bring...!

Hopefully, next time without all the

huffing and puffing...

Happy New Year!!

It's been quite the year with lots of changes to the house

both inside and out...

but mostly out...

More changes to come over the next year...

I hope you and your family

have a most Blessed and Wonderful 

New Year!!

Day 18 - Going in Tile...

Thought I would catch you up on the remodel...

 We've gone from this....

to this...

And this...

And, this...

Now the glass men are coming in to give me estimates on a shower door,

and everything still needs to be grouted,

and the fixtures need to be placed,

and the toilet and vanity need to be set,

and the walls need to be painted,

and, and, and and.....!!

And, In Our Last Episode...

Where has the time gone...?

That's one of the things I like/love/hate about the blogging challenges...

they keep me writing daily so it becomes a necessary part of the day.

Just like my exercise program, I get lazy, fall off the wagon,

and BAM!  no more postings for over 4 weeks

and sneaking hamburgers when I'm supposed to be eating salads...

Let's catch you up on life...

This month's travel took Momma, the husby and me, plus the dogs (as always)

to Lake Tahoe...

I actually won a small jackpot ($250) on the first night,

and Momma exacted her revenge by winning the remainder of the time.

She is the Slot Machine Queen after all and wanted to make sure she kept us in our place.

The rest of the time, I've been putting that extra money

I've been earning in Sacramento to good use...

We're finally doing some more remodeling of the house.

Here's a before and current...

As you can see, the face of the house is completely changing

and many trees in the back have been cut to allow more

sunshine into the back yard.

Those big sliding-glass-door window in the front will be changed out,

and there's going to be a side arbor to the porch.

It's a lot of work...

For some reason, this picture reminds me of those NYC skyscraper

shots from the 30's... yeah, I think it's kind of majestic like that in a way...

In other news, the flock count has changed again.

We started off with 6 turkey chicks.

One died the next day, and two developed splay leg (spraddle).

One had to be put down after about a week because it started to develop sores,

the other was put down after about 6 weeks because it was outgrowing the 

different splints I was applying to see about correcting the problem.

So now, there's three "turklets" one male and two females...

Here's the male showing off for the first time...

We also exchanged Benny the Rooster for another rooster 

who I call Frederico

since it seemed Benny didn't know what he was supposed to do around the hens...

But then, about 2 days later, Hawkeye, who had disappeared a couple of weeks back,

reappeared with two in tow...

So maybe Benny was doing something right after all...

He's in a new home, with a new flock,

but his memory will live on here.

We also had to put down one of the original chickens who

seemed to start going blind and started losing weight.

Her sister has disappeared, and if the bobcats haven't gotten her

Benny may live on in yet another generation of chicks...!

What else has happened...?

One of the goats developed a Listeria infection that caused her

neurological problems, like spinning around continuously

because it affected her nervous system.

So it was every 6 hour high dose penicillin shots,

along with B vitamins,

and a lot of anxiety given what I went through with Boots.

Luckily, through a lot of dedication, Shirley pulled through.

I think that's about it for this time.  July is just around the bend,

and I will do my traditional iPod Birthday Month Shuffle,

so I will be posting more...!

Thank you for visiting along...!