We had some friends and family over and went to the Barter Theatre today. River wanted to look nice for our guests so he got out a few neckties to look over.
“I dunno,” I heard him say. “Nothing really speaks to me.”
He finally decided on green which was what I recommended as the others are too summery.
We’d been busy getting the house somewhat decorated. River has enjoyed helping although he gets tired sometimes.
Last week we put up a few things outdoors…wreaths..
And garland..
Our house is a country house…so we use lots of natural things that I can find around Mendota. Inside the house, I’d set the table and had it looking really good the day before and a cat got on it, knocked the flowers over and spilled water everywhere so I had to improvise. My tablecloth today was not ironed and the red carnation and greenery arrangement bit the dust as well. These flowers are just a bouquet I grabbed at Sam’s Club.
I have been thinking of getting rid of my antique dinnerware but I used a few pieces today and enjoyed seeing it out so much that I know I will be keeping it. Here’s one of my antique plates. Guess what the name of the pattern is? Bristol.
In both the Washington County Business Challenge and the Southwest Opportunity Cup Challenge, we met some great folks. One such person was Katherine of Sweetworks. She made these mini cupcakes. They are so yummy.
There’s some left over. I’m going to get one now. Christmas is just 19 days away. Can you believe that?
It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and I have started decorating. I love a natural, country Christmas. I started with the sled that I bought in Mendota for $15. Paired with stems of boxwood and a velvet ribbon, I’m so happy with it. It’s right by my front door.
I am lazy about holidays. Everything that comes out, has to go away come January, but I can leave that sled out after Christmas. Same with this grapevine snowman.
My True Love, Lowe’s, recently opened a brand new store in Bristol. It’s awesome, but no matter how good you are, when Home Depot has wreaths like this for $6.88 on Black Friday at 6 am, I’m going to be at Home Depot. I had a gift card and I bought six wreaths and four packs of pine garland. How pretty is this?
And I started making fresh boxwood wreaths…I’ll put these all over the inside of the house.
I preserved some of these a few years ago. That post (here it is if you’re interested) has been viewed thousands of times. I didn’t try that this time because it takes about three weeks to preserve the stems. They’ll keep at least until Christmas without preserving.
But all this might be for nothing. Christmas could be in trouble.
This is more of an update since I already mentioned Muffin’s house in this gratitude journal. However, what good is a great house if you don’t go in it? That’s what easily could have happened. Remember…we have a heated garage that Muffin refuses to enter.
So, I am so, so thankful that Muffin the Feral Cat likes his new home that Mike made for him. Look at him! He stays in there all the time. Well, he comes out to eat or sit by the door and hiss at my indoor cats.
River walks by and sticks his nose in — or…he did once. Muffin reached out and smacked him. Remember last year, when we hurriedly made a box house for this feral kitty that showed up? We used the grill cover on top of it? We could not get near him at that time. Now, he arches his back to be petted. I did have the pet heating pad in there, but it was not insulated like his sturdy new home is.
However, I may have to go back and use the grill cover again for extreme wind and cold because of the cut out. At any rate, I am grateful today that Muffin has such a fine house and that he likes it!!
Here’s the thing about a daily Thanksgiving journal that is also a blog. Sometimes it’s hard to post, and I’m nine days behind! Over the past nine days, I’ve been thankful for so much. Likewise, the tragedy in France makes me unsettled. Why do people have to do this to one another? I do not understand it.
On November 7, I was very thankful I had the weekend to myself. Mike went to Akron, and I had the house for three full days. I enjoyed having this space. I had started to go with him but decided against it. I wanted to clean the house. I’m cleaning and trying to sort through things that I still like but do not have a place for….does anyone locally want this? I do not want to ship it. If you want it, please message me. I am not selling it. I’m giving it away. I stitched it in 1986. My kitchen was all done in Williamsburg blue, and I made this to go with that kitchen. Love what it says “Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want but the realization of how much you already have.” Isn’t that true?
On November 8, I was so excited because I picked up a few things a local person, Pennie Jarrett, painted for me. Here’s one of them..(excuse my.terrible picture). She did this for me for $25. Pennie rocks! She actually made several things which I’ll show you later.
I’ll be using this at Christmas. I’m decorating with Christmas carols this year. All of my rooms are Christmas carols.
On November 9, I was glad that Mike was back home and had arrived safely. I had the space I needed and was done with it. On every day, I am grateful for this sweet face. He’s enjoying having toys.
Who could not love River?
On Tuesday, November 10, I had a great day at work. It was nothing special, but I am lucky to work for nice people, have interesting work, and I have a BFF at work. I am grateful for my “real” job, and following that day, I got to do something I’d wanted to do for a while. I also do a bit of work for About Face, a great (as in “the best” !!) med spa in the Bristol area, and Sue, the owner, recently purchased an IPL laser. We’ll be rolling this out in December, but Rhiana gave me my first IPL treatment for those “spots” on my hands. We took a before picture. This will take a few treatments, and I’ll show you the “after” pictures in six weeks or so. They’ll be gone. This picture is not of my hands but this is what I can expect.
This laser is really smart and our estheticians, Lisa, Rhiana, and Nina are loving what it can do for clients. I’m grateful for my relationship with About Face and Sue. She’s a sister from another mister.
So, Wednesday thru Friday flew by. I so enjoyed listening to the book from Jan Karon called “Come Rain or Shine.” I love a good book whether it’s on audio or in pages. Oh! And I’m thrilled that Hallmark has started Christmas movies.
I was fixing dinner one of those nights, and I realized how grateful I am for locally raised beef. I’ve quit eating processed meats but I still eat red meat, and Mike fixed me a rib eye steak that was the best. I asked him what was different, and he told me that “it was one of the steaks you bought from your girlfriend.” I could not wait to tell Sabrina Fleenor. I’d bought the beef several months ago and just not got around to fixing it. If you are local and want to get in touch with Keith or Sabrina Fleenor for your beef, let me know. I love small business people. Local beef packed locally at Russell County.
Sometime during the group of days that I missed in my gratitude journal, I went shopping. In Mendota. Can you believe that? I went up to the old store building in Mendota and bought a couple of things from “Doc”. For $15, I bought this sled which I’ll put a wreath and bow on and have a great outdoor Christmas decoration for the porch.
This is all so counter to my plan to get rid of things, but I’ve wanted an outdoor sled to put up on the mantle or out by the door for a long time.
I also bought a chair to make a spring garden chair. I have so many plans for spring. Look at that chippy green paint? I guess I’m thankful for chippy paint. LOL.
There’s all kinds of good stuff in that old store. After Christmas, I’m going to buy an old headboard with plans to do something like this for RiverCliff Cottage–our overnight guest house. Someone tagged me with this on Facebook. I love it. Sorry it is so little.
There’s old wrought iron headboards up there that would look great on a wall. I saw lots of old lanterns. There is a Hoosier up there. Lots of yummy stuff.
Finally, I’m thankful for those feet in the left of the picture –that’s Michael’s feet; he’s been hanging pictures for me. He’s got some good help with our little man.
I’m still droning on about the My Southwest Virginia Cup Challenge. Bear with me, I seldom win anything. I showed you this picture before. Why didn’t you tell me my sweater was too big? Seriously. I thought we were friends.
This is my favorite picture (below). It was our publicity photo. Of course, my little man…my little prince…River…had to be in it. Look how shiny and pretty he is. And a special message to the person who shot at this little dog and hit him before he found his furever home….”may you rot in hell.” He is healthy and loved and even has health insurance now!! He’s a rock star!! However, Mike had a drill in his hand walking toward River and me last week, and River tucked his tail and hid. When my friend had her camera tripod in its case and it looked similar to a rifle case, again, River was frightened. We’re going to obedience training soon. I hope he can handle it emotionally. He certainly needs it. He’s running things around here right now.
Today while being immensely thankful for River, I’m also thankful these were decent pictures. I normally am not so lucky. Normally I look like I have a jar of prunes nearby and just cannot keep them out of my mouth. Example:
But this one was much better, but wow…what a lot of teeth. No wonder River is good for me; he’s afraid I’ll bite him.
This is the last mention of the Cup and I’ll put the pictures of me away. My 15 minutes of fame is over. Sigh.
These are some of my thankful thoughts on this 6th Day of Thanksgiving. I hope you find many things to be thankful for in your life, too.
Today I am thankful that Adventure Mendota placed in the My Southwest Virginia Opportunity Cup. I’m so happy with the whole way the evening went except that I wanted everyone to win. Everyone.
I heard some awesome people speak of small businesses and of Southwest Virginia, and I realized we are kindred spirits. It’s not just about small business; it’s about Southwest Virginia. We love it.
One speaker, and oh my… I do not know his name, spoke of the rise and now the fall of coal which has been Southwest Virginia’s economic engine. He recalled when there was no need for entrepreneurs. The “company” took care of everything from painting the house to fixing the roof. Today, I realized how different things must seem to this gentleman as Alpha announced they did not feel that they could pay their retired employees benefits. Everything has changed so much. The folks at Alpha are good people; I know they do not want to do this.
But there is hope. There are seeds of vitality. We must reinvent ourselves, and endeavors such as the My Southwest Virginia Cup Challenge reward efforts. Southwest Virginia must have the most pristine and beautiful natural resources. Our food must be better than food anywhere else. We must be nicer. We must be better! And you know what…I think we are!
I was so sure that we did not place that I didn’t want to go to the event. Mike made me go. If you do not believe that I was surprised that Adventure Mendota placed, look at the crazy look on my face! Yes, I’m holding a big gold cup in my left hand and a big ol’ check for $10,000.00 in this picture, and I have an insane expression on my face. However, do notice the grip on that check. It wasn’t going anywhere.
Here’s a picture of a few of the contestants. This is the second entrepreneur’s challenge I’ve been in. The first one was early in the spring, and Adventure Mendota came in second in that one as well. We didn’t win money but we were happy with the Chamber of Commerce Membership we received. The winner was a hot dog place called the Political Dog. We were beat by a wiener the first time.
In the picture above, to my right stands the first place winners. They are the Wolfes of Wolfe’s Barbecue. Do you know what this means? This year, I got beat by pork! What is this conspiracy???
As day 5 winds down, I am thankful that Mike and I took Adventure Mendota to the “Cup” and came in second.
I took a picture of both the check and the cup together on the kitchen counter. Then, the three of us (the check, the cup and me) went to bed.
Another funny thing happened in an interview following the presentation. Hannah, an intern from UVA Wise, was assigned to interview the contestants. She keep looking at me and finally said…”do I know you or your husband?” I told her I didn’t think so, but she added, “do you like Pal’s tea a whole lot and does your husband drive a gray truck with a black dog in it? Turns out, she occasionally works at Pals in Gate City. Note to self…cut back on the tea or wear a disguise.
Or…better yet. I’ll start drinking my tea in my new, gold cup.
As day five winds down, I feel very happy. I’m grateful for that.
Today I am thankful for my husband Michael and our shared compassion for Muffin, the feral kitty that arrived at our house last winter. Muffin was a feral kitty that lived several miles from here and my young cousin had been watching over him for a number of years. Somehow he got lost in the snow and ended up here. At first, we had no idea where he came from and even when we learned he came from my cousin’s place, he’s not the type of cat you can easily transport in a car, so we decided to care for him as long as he stayed here. So far, he’s still here. He’s actually gotten quite friendly.
Last winter, we quickly made him a make shift box home..actually a box inside a box with bubble wrap and a heating pad. It was not great, but it provided him with heat and the necessary shelter to survive the -8 degree temps we experienced.
This winter, we wanted to make sure he had something more sturdy…so here’s what we did:
We bought two Rubber Maid storage boxes. One was larger than the other.
We inserted pink insulation inside the large box surrounding the smaller box.
Mike cut openings out in each of the boxes so he could easily get inside.
There was a gap between the small box and the large box at the entry point. We had to build Muffin a foyer.
We inserted this foyer in the entrance. Muffin’s house is really quite well appointed.
His heating system is powered by a “pet pad” which is designed for outdoor cats.
This required drilling some small holds for the cord to exit the house and be plugged into the wall. The great thing about this house is that I can open the top and look in and make sure that the bed is clean and dry.
I thought he’d be a little scared of the new house, but that was not the case. He went right in. And stayed the night.
I am so grateful to Mike for fixing Muffin a solid house that is well insulated and dry. His pet heating pad has a much lower temp than a heating pad that we’d use ourselves, but I know that with his fur, the insulation, and the heat that the heating pad does emit, Muffin will be snug and warm during the cold winter months ahead.
And that is what I am so grateful for as day four turns into night.
Possibilities. Today I am thankful for possibilities.
Last year when I “pitched” my small business called Adventure Mendota in the Washington County Business Plan Challenge, I blogged about it and talked about it on social media. I then had to come back and admit that I was beat. By a wiener no less! (The Political Dog which is a very cool hot dog eatery won fair and square.)
This year (never one to be deterred) I went back and “pitched” to another group — the My Southwest Virginia Opportunity Cup. Here I am at our practice pitch. Each week during the process, we gather and hear speakers, focus on relevant topics, share, practice, and eat! I look like I’ve been eating too much. Probably not practicing enough but definitely finding the pizza or Jersey Mike subs that are normally served.
Mike did a stellar business plan but my pitch was not as well done as it should have been. I had worked all day. I was tired, and I didn’t have a podium as I did in the picture above. I missed that podium!! I had no place for my notes, so I laid them aside and just referred to the Power Point–which meant that I kept turning my head away from the judges and back at the screen. And I might have had a Mountain Dew which really makes me hyper. And…there is the wild, crazy, friendly dog issue. Mike compares me to our dog, River. He said my presentation had all of the style and presence that River demonstrated Sunday when we purchased a bunch of Halloween toys at Pet Smart for 27 cents each. Oh my…Heaven help me.
We will soon know the outcome of our efforts and I’m over being anxious about it. I am just grateful I got to compete. I’m thankful for that as I finish up this day.
Okay…this is just day two, and I’m not sure what my number one thankful item for today is. One thing is for sure–I was driving home thinking that I’m absolutely not thankful for daylight savings time ending. I love leaving work at 4 pm and it’s pitch dark said no one ever.
While driving I began thinking about Mike going to Lowe’s twice today and my brother-in-law going to Lowe’s three times today because of the 30% off moving sale–man…I’ll bet they would both say they were thankful for Lowe’s! I don’t blame them. It has and always will be My True Love. But thinking about Gerald made me think of my sister, Nancy. I’m grateful for both of my sisters, but Nancy came to mind tonight because her birthday came and went and I didn’t even say anything. Happy belated birthday to my sister! I love you!!
Nancy and I went to Florida with Mother a long time ago, and we had such a nice time. We went to Busch Gardens and got dressed up for one of those old time photo booths. This is one of the pictures that was taken of that trip. We were saloon girls! There is another picture of mother with all of us, and she was Ma Barker. I’m grateful for that day as well as my sister. She is wise and kind. And she’s fun. I do not get to spend as much time with her. I want to change that.
So…driving along–in the dark I might add– I thought about a conversation someone at work had with me regarding travel. Travel is getting more dangerous, but that is not really why I don’t like to travel. I like my home. I always have. However, there was a time I traveled quite a bit. Mike liked to go away every quarter after the “quarter closed.” If you’ve been married to someone in sales, you understand how relieved everyone is for a quarter to be over–especially if it went well. Bad quarters? Well, we don’t talk about those! Whatever. It’s not part of our world today. My favorite place to travel at that time was the Cayman Islands. We went frequently. In this picture, however, we made our one and only trip to the Bahamas. We lived in New Jersey and the couple with us were our close friends from Raleigh. This picture fell out of the photo album tonight, and I so enjoyed looking at it. That night I gambled–about the only time I’ve ever gambled–on the roulette table, and I won $500.
Today I am thankful not for just I have today, but for what I’ve had yesterday. I’ve had some amazing vacations and even more amazing friendships…Some remain. Some do not. For all of them, they brought me–and sometimes Mike–as in the case of Garry and Sue Gardner pictured with us–such joy for the time that they existed.
And now…sorry for the giant picture, but let me also be very honest. One thing I’m EXTREMELY grateful for are my pots that look like glazed pottery but are really a composite and weigh only about one pound each. They will look great on my front porch next summer, and I’m so happy I found them at lunch today and got them 35% off at…you guessed it…LOWE’S. Oh how I love my True Love Lowe’s.
I’m celebrating Thanksgiving all month. I am not going to share the big things I’m thankful for. You know what they are; it’d be like a disclaimer. I’m going to share the little things that have made my step lighter…smile brighter!
Lowe’s is moving from Exit 7 to Exit 5. Everything in the store is 20% off. I’m thankful for that today. I picked this little thing up for about $7. It was discarded…off to the side. They had used it for their display which was gone. It’s not going to stay where it is…I just stuck it up there. I may not even hang it up at all this year. I may. Who knows?
But this is what I’m thankful for today. Lame, I know.
This laser is really smart and our estheticians, Lisa, Rhiana, and Nina are loving what it can do for clients. I’m grateful for my relationship with About Face and Sue. She’s a sister from another mister.
