Happy Saturday...

This weekend the United States is celebrating Memorial Day weekend...the time that we celebrate and remember the brave soldiers that lost their lives in the service of our nation.

Memorial Day weekend traditionally signals the beginning of summer and vacation season here in the USA, too...cookouts, picnics, family gatherings, etc.  In celebration of the unofficial start of "summer", I decided to buy some new cushions for our porch furniture so we can enjoy the new, warmer weather!

I had power-washed the front of the house and the porch furniture on Mother's Day, but the old cushions were just too far gone to use again...they were 12 years old, so they needed to be retired.  I saw that Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Bridgeport had patio cushions on sale, so yesterday when I was out and about, I stopped in and bought some!

Doesn't it look like an inviting place to come sit and visit for a while?  And that's just what my neighbor, Kathy, and I did last evening.  We partook of some wine and caramel corn (don't judge us!) and enjoyed the evening on the front porch!  


I've been busy with working my two jobs these days, but am still trying to find a few moments now and then to sneak into the quilting room and work on the "Sherbet" quilt...

I'm also trying to get the machine quilting finished on the Choo-Choo train quilt for my grandson, Alex's first birthday coming up the beginning of July!  

Even though this quilt is a gift, I can still post about it because it is now a family tradition that all grandchildren receive their Choo-Choo train quilt for their first birthday!   They are all the same pattern and the tradition was begun when the original quilt was gifted by an aunt to my son when he was 15 months old.  Both of the children used and loved that quilt and they each wanted one for their children.  So...each grandchild now gets one for their first birthday!  :)

Now...I need to go outside and spray the weeds in the driveway and walkways.  Ah...the joys of home-ownership!  :)

Loretta

I'm BAAAACK.....

Quote for the day:

"Monday Monday, can't trust that day,
Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way"

~ (lyrics) The Mamas & The Papas 

Hi Everyone!  

I was feeling better...hadn't taken any pain meds since 1 PM on Saturday...until this afternoon.  I'm off of work for the day per the care provider I saw on Saturday.  

Then today I made my couponing runs to Walgreens and Rite Aid, came home and swept the front and back porches to take pictures of them...and my back started aching again.  Not as bad as before and only in the back...not down the leg.  But still..sheesh...it took so little to get it acting back up again!  :(:(:(:(:(

So I took 1/2 of a pain pill and am feeling better now...but I don't like the "drugged" feeling.  

In September when we went to Tennessee for Sera's 4th birthday, we had our front wrap-around porch and the back porch floors rebuilt with PVC tongue-and-groove flooring...guaranteed not to rot!  YIPPEE!  

When we moved here in 1998, the porch floors that were original to the home (built in 1927) were rotted.  In 2001 we had them replaced with pine tongue-and-groove.  However, the wood they use these days is from 25 year old trees, not "old growth forest" like when the home was originally built and doesn't last like "old growth forest".  The new floor actually started rotting just a couple years after it was put down.  

Fast forward to 2010 when it got to be unsafe to walk on parts of the front porch...

We had our contractor come out, pull up the old flooring and replace it with this.  I had to sell both kidneys to pay for it, but is was worth it!  LOL  

Expensive as all-get-out...but had we spent the extra money for it in 2001 we would never have had to go through this again!  (Actually, I'm not sure if this stuff was available at that time, but you get the gist.)  Do it right the first time and you should never have to do it again!  

Anyway...I thought I'd show some pictures of the porches...

this is what the front wrap-around porch looks like...

all 400 square feet of it!

some close ups...

The back porch is only 5' X 11'...just big enough for a swing...and this is the picture of the floor it has now...

This stuff looks like WOOD!  not pvc!  I love the variance of color that makes it look like the original flooring!  The color is "Weathered" wood and is a cross between brown and gray. 

I hope you enjoyed the "tour" of the porches!  LOL  Now on to some decluttering...

October is the month to stock up on cold and flu remedies from Rite Aid as they have lots of stuff that is free after you submit your receipt (online) for the rebates.  I went and got stocked up for ourselves and with some stuff for the grandkids (some of the freebies are for children).  When I went to put the new items away in the medicine cabinet, I went through what I already have and tossed out the expired items.

This is what I tossed...

It isn't much, but it's outta here now!  

Neither Andy or I got ill last winter and I'm hoping for the same this winter.  But just in case we do...or just in case you should come to visit and get sick...we are prepared with a stunning variety of cough, cold, and flu meds to soothe the troubled soul!  And all FREE!  :)

Please leave a comment to let me know what you "released" into the wild today!

Loretta