from the mixed-up files of a middle-aged mind

So like all good remodel projects this one hasnt been without its setbacks. Aside from it being impossible to get someone from the flooring retailer (from whom I am resigned to purchase my   carpet because their bid came in at about half of the one I got from RC Willey for the same carpet) to come and measure for the carpet, things had been going fairly well until yesterday afternoon. When I had a panic attack. Im trying to invest a bit more time and money to do this the right way. Which means Im sanding everything before I paint, painting one coat, sanding again, then painting a second coat. But yesterday while I was sanding a little chunk of paint came off and I more or less stopped breathing.  What if I had just painted Latex over oil-based paint and the entire room would peel off much like one would peel a banana ? YIKES! I was fairly certain this wasnt the case because a friend of mine who does faux painting professionally painted my daughters room over a year ago a...

The Little Red Hen (known heretoafter simply as LRH, but not to be confused with  Lucky Red Hen  whose presence is sorely missed in these parts) decided she was tired of worn and dirty carpet and ill-painted walls and she needed to update her look. So she ordered some new flooring and chose some new paint and jumped into the project with both feet. Who will help me put things away? LRH asked. Not I, said each of her four chickadees all at the same time. Then I will, said the LRH. And so she did. Who will help me move the furniture? asked LRH. Not I, came the unified reply. And so it went. No one wanted to do the boring stuff so LRH was left to do it all herself.  OK, well a lot of it anyway. Who will prep the room(s) because even I dont want to do that? said LRH, but in spite of her bad habits of usually skipping that part she resigned herself to do this job the right way. Now who will help me paint the walls? whispered LRH a bit sarcastically. I will! ...

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Preface: As many of you know, it has been a life-long  challenge  for me to discover the  zen in the art  of  homemaking . Sooooo… Yesterday when they got to the part in  Relief Society  meeting in which the sisters shared good news I turned to my friend and admitted the following: “I can’t say this out loud, but my good news is I finally got  all  the laundry folded and put away.” Trust me, the washing is the easy part For those of you who have it together (that would probably mean all the rest of you), that may be a daily or weekly occurrence. But not chez moi. I’m really good at washing it, but then it just piles up waiting for attention. It had spilled out of the laundry room an into the family room in the form of a mountain of mostly folded towels sheets, odd socks and hand-me-downs gathering dust on our second-hand pool table. My goal for the weekend was to clean it off entirely, find a place for everything and put everything in ...

my kids attended with various levels of enthusiasm. or not it's always fun to hone in on someone else's photo shoot and that was a photo op not to be resisted