What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~Spring Cleaning ~Room by Room: Living Room #Flatten the Curve #Stop the Spread #COVID-19 #Stay Home

When I returned home from staying with family,

I made a commitment to self isolate for 14 days.

Since I had traveled from out of state,

I did not want to take the chance of

spreading this virus, just in case I was a carrier.

This photo illustrates what is most important.

Notice the words...

Home and Families.

Staying at home is a perfect time to tackle Spring Cleaning.

With our foyer complete, I moved on to the Living Room.

It had been a while since I cleaned all the way to the edges.

Remember, last spring I was occupied with

a temporary part-time job,

a trip to stay with family in Okinawa,

a trip to visit family in NH & MA,

and a fractured fibula.

So, it is good to feel like I have some

purpose and direction while here at home.

The Living Room is where I like to “show off”

some of my favorite things...

Great Aunt Birdie’s Sewing Machine,

gifted to me by Aunt Mona.

I also used this opportunity to change the centerpiece

and pillows from Winter to a Spring theme.

We are all set for April Showers and May Flowers here.

When I’m not Spring Cleaning,

I have spent some time in my Sewing Studio.

This Face Mask pattern was posted

on the Avera St. Lukes Hospital Website.

It goes together pretty quickly.

Let’s all do what we can to stop the spread

of COVID-19 so we can return to our lives and enjoy

familiar spring and summer activities.

Stay in your homes.

Wash your hands.

Don’t touch your face.

As of yesterday, my 14 day self-isolation expired.

Thankfully, I feel fine.

Stay safe and well.

Take care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~Spring Cleaning ~Room by Room: the Foyer ~Social Distancing ~COVID-19 ~Flatten the Curve ~Stop the Spread

I have been home for a week and a day.

Since I had traveled home from a high risk area,

in two planes, through three airports, 

I committed to self-quarantine for 2 weeks.

If  I am carrying the Virus, I don’t want

to pass it on to anyone else.

As you know symptoms don’t always show up right away,

 and the recommended time to self-isolate is 14 days.

So far, I feel perfectly fine.

When I returned home I first cleaned

everything with Lysol Spray...

my luggage,

the doorknobs,

the light switches,

the remotes,

and all the handles in the house.

Since most of you are stuck at home, there is

no better time to start your Room by Room Spring Cleaning.

As you can see, I stripped the room

and cleaned everything from top to bottom.

  I have displayed some of my grandmother’s hats.

Remember, a lady did not leave her house

without covering her head.

This is my Grandma, Hilda,

with her mother’s headstone in 1964.

He mother, Caroline,

would have been 100 years old that year.

 

On the back if that vintage frame, my mother’s handwriting...

From over eight decades ago.

These are the names of the girls

that she lived with in that Girls Dormitory.

Other keepsakes in our foyer include this

Vintage Chair from the Normania Country Schoolhouse,

which was just a mile from our farmhouse.

I purchased that shopping bag at the World Market

when our daughters and I traveled to Hawaii, years ago.

This doll greets everyone who visits our home.

Notice those little scissors?

They belonged to my mother’s great aunt, Birdie.

She always carried them in her purse.

Your foyer is the introduction to your home.

While it may be the smallest room in your house,

it is also important to feature the style and colors

that visitors will see when they visit the rest of your home.

It feels so good to have the foyer clean from top to bottom,

that I have moved on to tackle the next room.

And most of all, stay in touch with your

family and friends

during this time of self-isolation.

Stay safe and well.

Take care,

~Natalie

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Where the Week Went ~Planning and Prepping

As I clean and organize the bedrooms & family room

I occasionally come across a few treasures...

like this precious photo.

This was what our Christmas looked like 26 years ago.

No, we women did not send out a memo to wear green,

And yes, our daughters are wearing matching,

home-sewn, Christmas Pantsuits.

I can’t wait to all be together again this Christmas!

While my days have been spent enjoying holiday preparations,

we do take a break to watch some Bison Football.

(I have yet to master the art of taking a bathroom selfie)

We all get into the Bison Football Spirit here.

My grocery list was so long it filled a legal pad.

I could not figure out why the supermarket was so busy...

and then I turned the corner into the liquor department.

It was their monthly Wine Sale, complete with samples!

I also enjoyed a little pampering for the holidays.

Thank you, Diane, for making me look young again!

This is why we are referred to as The Hub City.

A freight train is a frequent reminder to stop and just breathe.

This photo was in my Facebook Memories.

It is the last time I celebrated Christmas with my mom.

We had traveled to visit her at the Assisted Living Facility.

We brought a gift and some sweet treats.

She loved looking at the photos on my laptop

and I showed her how to take a selfie.

This photo, also in my Memories, is our old Farmhouse...

you remember that it was surrounded by water, but

we were able to drive out there over the ice.

This is before the vandals shot out all the windows

and broke in to steal precious family possessions.

While my Bison Tshirt is my Saturday attire,

this Tshirt is appropriate every..other..day..of the week.

Hallmark Christmas Movies do help

to make the Season Bright.

I have also been having some fun in the kitchen.

I made a big roaster full of Party Mix

for those that like a Salty Snack.

And a big roaster full of Homemade Granola

for those that like a Healthy Sweet Snack.

There are a few more tasks on my ToDo List,

but Hubby and I are enjoying planning and preparing

to have our family all together...

in just a couple of days!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

Looking for my Blogworthy ~Countdown to Winterfest~Five Days #WinterfestAberdeen

It’s been a while since I have posted an update here.

Whenever that happens, I check my photo albums

to see what has been blogworthy in my life.

I feel like all my posts have been the same lately.

*Winterfest Projects

*Bison Football

*What’s for Dinner

*What Lizzie is doing

You can see I have finished the little Snowmen

and this Rafter of Turkeys.

Hubby used his Wood Turning talents to create pedestals

for my Vintage Wool Bluebirds.

These Snowmen are also created with Vintage Upcycled Fabrics.

We enjoyed a Bison game on Veterans Day weekend.

I tried a new recipe for Chicken Mushroom Pasta.

I added fresh herbs and cream cheese to make it rich and tasty.

Then there’s Lizzie, my helper cat.

She plays hard...

Then, sleeps hard.

Her new favorite place to nap is on the rug by the kitchen sink.

She discovered a heat register there.

Who can blame her?!

I should have more Santas and Snowmen finished

and ready to show you tomorrow.

Local Friends,

We hope to see you this weekend.

Take care,

~Natalie

Things in my House Thursday ~The Little Things that Make Me Smile ~Birthday Gifts ~My Family and Friends Spoil Me

You all know that I celebrated my birthday 

a couple of weeks ago.

It was a great day with family at Fenway Park.

That should have been enough, but I also enjoyed gifts 

from our daughter and son-in-law,

my sister-in-law,

my long-time friend from college days,

and my best friend here at home.

A package came from the east coast, 

a package came from the west coast,

and packages were delivered here in person.

Who doesn’t love a surprise?!

All the gifts were thoughtfully chosen just for me...

gourmet cooking ingredients, 

my favorite kind of coffee, my favorite scented candle, 

and easy to eat snacks.

My friends also know that I have a thing for all things vintage.

When you are my age, you will agree that the bests gifts 

are practical and consumable in nature.

There are napkins that match those pretty summer paper plates 

and a couple of kitchen gadgets that you can’t see in the photo.

And then there is this...

I just can’t help but smile!

Thank you, everyone.

I am blessed.

Take care,

~Natalie