Wednesday, February 29, 2012

It's raining ice....

or it's raining and then turning to ice!
Either way there's no school today.
My daughter will be happy
as she had a couple of hard exams today,
one being physics....
she does well in this class,
but it is a struggle for her.
This will give her more time to study!

On dark, gloomy, cold days like these,
I like to go around my Home and light a few candles!
(my picture taking needs work, so please excuse me)

 ~white chocolate~

This was just an inexpensive little local grocery store candle.
But, once it pools the scent is amazing!

~ vanilla cinnamon brulee~

This is a cheapy from Menards.
I know my candle topper is fall themed....
but I like how the light looks thru the cutouts.

~ hazelnut cream
fresh baked muffins 
chocolate pound cake~

This 3 layered lovely I picked up yesterday at Wal-Mart.
I have good luck with their candles.
I find if I let my candles burn long enough to pool at the top,
that is when I get the most scent & the candle isn't
wasted with a bunch of wax clinging to the sides when
it reaches the end.  Of course the wicks need to be 
trimmed everytime I light them to burn.  That
saves on the wick being all sooty so to speak
and releasing all the black stuff into the air.

 pure yummy~ness!

After I dropped my daughter and her friends off at the mall
for her Birthday on Saturday, I went around to the stores 
I enjoy.  It was nice to be out and about after my long
stay at home the last few months.  I picked up this bright green
ceramic bird topiary at T.J. Maxx.  It is crackled and I love the color!

I picked this bird up at Tuesday Morning.  I really like his 
metal legs.  I've had the nest a few years, not sure where I 
picked that up.  I'm starting to get my Spring on here in our Home.
Just nudging nature along a bit!


 I picked this little green planter up at
T.J. Maxx and thought it was perfect for 
the pens and stuff on my desk.
Love my birds!

 I'm probably the last one to pick this up....
It's a bit more then I usually spend on a magazine,
but I couldn't help myself!
A girl deserves a treat now & then,
don't you think?

So I will spend some time here in my 
favorite spot, perusing it
and hopefully getting some 
good ideas to decorate my Home!

Hope you have a delightful day
in your corner of the world!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

You wouldn't know it....


But Mallory's
17
Today!

and she still likes a good
penny pony ride!

Please stop by and tell her 
Happy Birthday!!

We are off to the mall with 6 of her friends
Have a Great Day!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Hello Friends....

 We are having our Big snow of the season today.  Yesterday it was sunny and in the 40's.  That's nice weather for Michigan.  Balmy....almost!  Heat wave...so to speak!

 I took these photos when we had our last snow
It's much worse outside today!
I like how this bit of snow 
is just sitting there holding on.
A form of art!

 Taking the place of birdseed in 
my little feeder....
Poor birds!

 My wooden wheel barrow....
waiting for those summer flowers
to replace the cold snow.

 My rain~chain....
is now filled with Snow!

 I love how the snow forms on 
a pine tree....
the needles poking thru,
staying strong.

 Sometimes she's a 
bird bath....
sometimes she's a
 planter....
But she's always beautiful....
I think!

 Thank you for strolling thru my yard with me today.
I will now go back in to our warm
Home....
and enjoy a snow day
with my daughter!

Enjoy your corner of the world....
are you getting snow?....
or are you enjoying warmer temps?

Monday, February 20, 2012

Mid-Winter Break....

GOOD MORNING!
I'm so excited today!
It's my first day back with 
MY Car....
must sound silly, but I am excited,
the freedom of having a car to my beck and call
makes me Happy!

So, since our youngest daughter also has
mid-winter break today
(really since Friday)
we are going down to visit
the Grandpa's!


I pulled out my
faux Forsythia the other day
and on Saturday the sun was shining so brightly
I snapped a few pictures.


Around these parts 
when the Forsythia starts blooming,
Springs coming....


So I thought I'd give it a bit of a nudge....
Can't hurt right! 



I put them in this rattan flower holder.
I'm not sure where I got it.  I've had it quite a while.
Probably Target or something.
I like that it has a galvanized 
vase of sorts in it that holds the water. 

No sillies, I didn't add any water to these flowers!



It's quite large....
and holds quite a few flowers. 



I brought them out one day last week,
when I was feeling kind of down.
It was actually Snowing outside,
but they seemed to brighten my day.
The little bit of light that was coming through
the windows, made them seem so
vivid and alive.  

Yes, they made me feel better!



So today we are off, with hopes of some Sunshine.
Down the road to spend some time with
my Dad and my FIL
Grandpa & Grandpa
for our daughter.  We will make it a fun trip!
Maybe stop for a Biggby fix....
sf nutty buddy latte' & maybe a hot cocoa!

Feeling good about our time with the one's we love.
And just maybe bring some Sunshine to their
ordinary day!

Hope you have some Sunshine in Your Day too!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Rest of the Story....

(Dec. 9th)

Well, my husband had his Pow Wow with the powers that be concerning our car.  It went Way better then he thought it was going to Saturday Night as he tossed and turned and lost so much sleep.

The shop owner right off said he would do whatever My husband wanted to take care of the situation.  So when they all got together and talked about it, it turned out positively.


(American grill...wrong one)

Brad pointed out his issues with the engine.  All the "loose" parts....Guys just know these things.  Me...clueless!
The grease stains in the interior.  The wrong front end, which they pointed out was a "Japanese" version and ours was what you see on an American version.  So they took that route, but will change to the Japanese version because it's what we want.


(Japanese grill....correct one)


The best part of it all is our insurance is giving us a lifetime warranty  on the engine parts that my husband has issues with.  So he is now happy!   And it all got ordered today and should take one day to remedy!

Let's sure Hope so!

I wrote the above post on the 13 th.  Then thought, since it is only supposed to be "one day" I will just wait and do one last post about this dang car.  But, today is the 18 th and we just picked it up last night at 5:30 p.m.!


As they were doing the repairs that they should have just done correctly to begin with requested, they realized that the serpentine belt had been damaged during the accident and it need to be replaced.  So the shop owner went ahead and replaced it.  That was the "next day".  When the ins. rep. came to check it out and sign off, he  refused to pay for the serpentine belt because it was on the opposite side of the car that the accident was on. I'm telling you, the things you have to go through to get what should be done, done! So that took another day or so to get it hammered out.  The belt was going to cost us $130.00 if the ins. wouldn't cover it and my husband after all we have been through in this process was danged Not going to pay for it!


(what we wanted)


So in the end, our deductible of $500 was paid for, the $130 for the belt was paid for (by ins. & shop owner....not us!) and we finally after
74
seventy four
DAYS!!!!



Got our car back.....my Husband's Happy (so far),
 I'm Happy (even happier next week when I can go and do)
and I'm sure....
The Shop Owner 
is Happy to have it 
DONE!
Perhaps You all are as well!!
and I don't Blame you!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

I have a question?....

What would you do or better yet think, if you turned on your computer in the morning, opened your email and found this from one of your sisters?  She also sent it to our oldest sister at her work place email!

"Hello:  Can’t find Melinda’s email address for some reason, so you’re the only one getting this.  Got a call from Dad around 5:15 tonight asking where I was.  Said was still  at work, leaving in about 10 minutes, is everything ok.  He said, no. He was shaken.  I said are you ok.   He said no, I  went outside to get the mail and I fell and hit my head and blood is running down my face.  I said, Dad, I’ll be there in 10 minutes.   Flew out.  Got there.  Yes, he cut his head open, but didn’t require stitches.  He was shaken by every sense of the word.  He hurt his wrist area, but not sure how much.  I packed some ice and got him settled in and his wrist on ice.  I’ll watch it the next  couple days to make sure he didn’t jam it somehow.  Just a heads up realization that our father is getting old.  When I was icing his wrist, he was literally shaking.  Not nervously, but just shaking.  He’s alone, and like anyone his age, alone, he wants to  make sure he call reach someone at any point in time and know that they are there.  I’m going to call him in a few minutes to double check on him.  I’m sure he would appreciate a phone call.    Take care, hope all is well."  

Our Dad is turning 82 in April.  There are 6 of us kids.  A brother that lives in Colorado, 3 sisters and 1 brother that live 10-20 minutes away from Dad and ME that lives 1 1/2 hrs away.  Would you Not expect at least a phone call when something like this happens....when it happened?  I mean at least then one of us could have made the choice to go be with him or call him through out the evening to check on him.  My husband doesn't see it the same way.  Of course he's an only child that lives the same distance away from his now alone Dad.

Am I over reacting here?  Just asking!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

I have something for You....

They're Fresh from the oven!

 Smelling so Blueberry Sweet!

 You can see I have plenty....
Your Welcome to as many as you like!

 With 
OR
without
Butter?

~I say With~

Have a Happy Love~filled Day!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Here we go AGAIN....

Again, this post is for journaling! You all have felt MY pain with me through this and I Thank You for that!  A girl needs to know that there are people out there that Care.  And I know you all do!

But, my husband lost ALOT of sleep last night, tossing and turning and finally getting up at 4 a.m. over his car.  To have it gone for as long as it was, we expected more then what we got back.  You see, his car was  purchased "used" on his birthday Oct. 7 ,2011.  It had only 30,000 miles on it and the engine was in Like New condition.   Pristine for a car engine!  He loved this car and took really good care of it, until his accident on Dec. 9, 2011.  So to have it gone for 64 days being repaired and to come back in less then pristine condition is....Unacceptable!  We are not demanding, obnoxious people.  We just want what we had and ask nothing more and surely nothing less!  We are very patient although it was EXTREMELY hard for me towards the end  people and allowed them to do the work they needed to do to repair our car so it was safe to drive and looked like it should.  But, what we got in return was a car with the wrong front end, the wrong grill altogether and parts to the engine that look like they came out of a car that had WELL OVER 100,000 miles on it for sure.  A radiator with bent "fins" as my husband called them, a fuse box that the lid won't stay attached, and what's looks to be roof tar or something globbed in areas where it shouldn't be at all.  To say we are upset over this is putting it lightly!

Because of the terrible weather we were having on Friday when the car was "ready" to be picked up, we couldn't go until Sat. Needless to say this shop is NOT open on the weekends so there was no one to speak with at that time. Besides the fact that the car itself was covered with snow and ice and it was below freezing out, my husband didn't take a REALLY good look at it until we had it Home.  So disappointing!  Because now with the condition of the engine parts that they did put in it, we know that there is no way that this car looks or will perform like a car that has only 30,000 miles on it!

It is NOT our fault that they didn't "total" the car, as maybe it should have been.  That point was definitely pointed out to my husband when our insurance rep called and said the car was "ready".  It is Not our fault that they chose to go the "cheap" route and put junkyard parts in our engine and think we would call it "good"!  It is NOT our fault that our insurance company ok'd going the route of over $10,000 + in repairs on our car for the workmanship that they got....WE got in return!

SO....Today, we returned the car to the shop and parked it in front of their front door and locked it.  My husband called every phone number that he knew in association to our car and these problems and left messages.  He has typed up a letter (4-5 to be exact) and plans on having a little "pow wow" as he calls it with our insurance people and the shop owner!  We only ask for it to be in the condition it was in, looking like it DID....like new engine, correct grill, no grease spots in the interior and so on.  We don't think that is too much to ask?
Do you?
So, I do not know how much longer I will be without a car!  I'm hoping they throw in a rental at least this time!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Ok....So, It's Back....BUT....

This is mostly for journaling!
So....64 days later our car is "done"....
But, it is another Snowy Day here in Michigan.
A day that get progressively worse as it goes on.
Husband has to work and the car won't "officially" be ready 
until after 2:00 p.m.
because they want to "clean it" up
before they give it back to us.

Now, the owner called ME in the a.m. to tell me that
it has been check and double checked
to make sure it was 
"okay" to return to us.
I didn't know this but he had asked
my husband if he could
"test" drive it to his home the night before
to make sure all the "bugs" were worked out.
Hubby said, "okay"!
Remember the before picture when the accident happened....


Please pay close attention to the grill of the car....
notice Black really cool 
sort of "honeycombed" looking grill????!!!!



Notice the  grill we received back....
a  standard
run of the mill
most Toyota Camry's have
type grill...... 


 the headlights are
Foggy looking.....
our's were NOT....
they were completely
CLEAR....


This is the grill we should have seen
on our car when it was returned to us....
there are other things wrong also,
under the hood....
that are different.
Men know
what's under
their hoods, ladies....
they do!
I know my 
Guy does,
and what he is seeing 
is NOT
what was under
his hood, when the car 
went in to be repaired
64 days ago
on Dec. 9, 2011
Now on,
Feb. 11, 2012
when we actually picked up the car,
and find that
it's NOT
what it should be
we are not Happy!

This too needs to be fixed!
It came back Completely EMPTY of gas....
GREASE stains in the interior,
on the arms of the door
&
on the center console.
Just stuff that you know if the shop wanted 
to make it right with their "customer"
they would go that EXTRA mile....
I just don't feel that we can
give a decent comment
IF any....
back on this business.
EVEN though
they paid the last portion of
our deductible!
You just expect more
in this day and the way the economy is
out of businesses!!
Just sayin'!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Update to Seriously....

I just don't know what to believe anymore with this car!

My husband called me and said that he called the shop owner.  He was told that they got our car all re-wired and it wouldn't start.  So they had to figure out where the problem was. Turns out they had crossed two wires or something. They got that all straightened out, then there was a problem with the heat being mixed up or something.  Now keep in mind, He assured me that he has done this a million times in his 25 yrs of owning this shop!  I had asked him if he had ever done this before and if he knew what to do....he said Yes!

Apparently they got the heat mix up fixed and took it for a test drive and it didn't go down the road as straight as they would like it to, so they sent it to another shop to get an alignment.....that's where it is today!

So tomorrow the insurance rep. is supposed to go and "check it out"....give his approval, settle the bill
AND THEN.....we should be able to pick up our car!

Excuse me if I am just not totally believing this!  I am usually a total~ Glass is half full kind of girl....but, this experience has really made me a 3/4 Empty!

Seriously....

63 Days....

Sixty Three Days....

60...3...DAYS!

Still NO Car!!!!!!

Sorry, but Seriously....
I was basically promised thought for sure we were on the last day, maybe two, last Friday of getting our car back.  I had talked to the owner of the shop twice, my husband talked to the owner once, the shop owner was supposed to call me Tuesday at noon, he promised, but he didn't and the insurance rep. called my husband....To say they were still working on it!  NO ONE called either of us yesterday, Wednesday!  I just sent my husband an email to call and check on THE CAR....I didn't yell, but I kinda want to!  No I'm NOT glued to this house....but the truck full of wood in the back for weight on slippery roads Vehicle I am left with is not one that I can go to far with and do anything but go to the grocery store 6 miles away with.  I REALLY  am not understanding any of this now!  I am grateful that our deductible is being taken care of.....but, Seriously, I just want MY car back!
Sorry for venting!

Monday, February 6, 2012

If you want a giggle....

This is my oldest daughter's blog!  She captured this perfectly!
I've got some complete overhauling to do with my stove cleaning to do today as a result of this needless to say.  Thankfully there were only a few on this pan....this is priceless!
http://thepineapple.tumblr.com/post/17122717380/20-minutes-into-super-bowl-and-my-dad-almost

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Took me long enough!....

This is a recipe that I have made just a few times.  Then I misplaced the catalog I found it in, which was Through The Country Door Fall 2011 catalog.  I found it on-line last month and made them and thought I had saved it "correctly" on my new laptop.  But, I didn't and spent most of this morning Google-ing every. which. way. I could think of to find it.  They don't even have it in their recipes section for there catalog....go figure! At least I couldn't find it!

But, I looked through some of my saved favorite piles of magazines and WaLa.....found it!
So I thought I would share with you and do a little post and save it and then I am sure to have it, just in case I misplace my catalog again!

Do you ever do stuff like that?

Friday, February 3, 2012

Hello....

Here is a seldom seen peak into our Home
This is where we do our 
Living!
This would be considered our
Family Room....
this is where 
Friends & Family 
Gather....

There are 17 rooms in our Home....
but, besides our kitchen &  our bedrooms
this is our most used room.
Probably because of our fireplace.
It's warm and comfy in this room!

I took down the last of the snowmen & cleaned up the fake snow I had on the mantel, those 2 white things hold whatever I might hang up there next or I might just remove them, I haven't decided yet!
Yes, my fireplace needs to be cleaned or painted, but having a fire right now is more important here during the winter months....so it will have to wait!

 Especially on days like today....
dark & gloomy!


 I tend to sit here....
with a soft down pillow behind my back....
and my slanket over me.
Nice and toasty!
Do you have a spot to sit in your home?


 I like it because I can look straight at the fire.
This is where my hubby sits....
We both have our favorite spots!

Today seemed like a good day for a fire.
While I did a bit of laundry....
made a few beds....
and vacuumed!
Real Life Living right here!

What did you do today?


Now a little Update:
Still no car back! BUT, just after my last post about this car, the owner of the shop where it's at called.  He explained some of the reason it has taken so long and I listened, then I as calmly as I could explained our reasons for being upset.  He agreed it has taken too long, but seems the insurance company is the reason totally mostly to blame!  My husband later that day talked to our ins. reps. boss' boss....shame you have to go to so many different people....and Long Story short they are paying the bulk of our deductible.  Then today, my husband called and spoke with the owner of the shop and he explained to him (as he did to me) that he went thru all the "hoops" our insurance co. wanted him to and the car was not doing what it should electrically, it's a Toyota Camry, and he was not comfortable doing what the ins. co. wanted him to only to possibly have us return in 6 mths with problems.  So he insisted on re-wiring the whole car!  A part that had to be ordered directly from Toyota and at the cost of $2000.00 (on top of what it already cost for repairs, which the ins. co. were refusing to ok were trying to finagle!)  That has been the whole hold up! They wanted him to basically splice wires together!  I could go into more detail, but you are probably sick and tired of it so I will spare you.  But, then he told my husband he is going to cover the remaining amount of the deductible!!!!!  Yeah....finally we feel as though we are being taken care of!  He told my husband that the part isn't there yet, but probably will be by Monday.  It takes a FULL day to re-wire a car, so it should be done Monday.  My husband said, Well, we would rather you not rush this part...we don't want to turn on the radio and have the wipers start working....if it takes until Wednesday, what the heck we've waited this long!  

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

What to do?....

We've all been there, I'm sure.  The kids grow-up and you find you no longer need the stuff that was so needed while they were doing the growing up!  You know what I mean right?
For instance this cupboard below....

 FULL of all those Disney VCR movies.  
They no longer watch them....
They don't seem to want them....
and I'm Pretty Certain,
that by the time I'm a
Grandma.....oh goodness!
There will be a whole new way
to watch these  
Wonderful Movies!


And don't even get me started on these....
BOOKS.... 


And These 
Books....
I mean really, do you know how much money
I have hidden in these cupboards?
What do I do with them?
I want to start a new Project in 
this room....
No.... I'm Not Sharing 
right now!
But, first I need to know....
What do you suggest? 
I would like to donate,
but where....
Let me in on what you did?

Updates....


You guessed it....
54 days
and still not done! 
Do you feel my pain??



and the decision is in....
Brad's opinion  as well....
BUT,
I'm not going to tell you yet!
I need to buy the paint....

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