Goodwill, Garage Sale, & Grove

My busy life just does not allow me to write on my blog as much as I would like! 

Two weeks ago while I browsed at the local Goodwill, who should approach me but my second husband!  Now, I haven’t seen him for years but thankfully recognized him.  Thinner, different glasses, but still the same.  We talked children and, for him, grandchildren, age, work, and life in general.  It was actually a nice visit.  Most of all I was happy to be looking put together with acceptable make-up and hair.  Nothing worse than running into someone when you happen to be out browsing on a Sunday in sweats, second day hair, and clean-scrubbed face!

Last week son Jordan came home after several days away and announced he was moving in with his new girlfriend.  Candy.  39 years old.  Wow.  However, Jordan is a grown man of 22 and it is his life and his decisions to make.  He knows he always has a home at Mom’s and I wish him good luck and happiness with this new adventure in his life. 

Last Friday I had a wild hair and decided to hold a garage sale Saturday morning.  Thankfully Sam and his buds were available to help me organize the sale and price items.  You never know what kind of treasures may be in store when one is digging through archived odds and ends.  There is a big trunk in the garage which I knew contained a variety of items; however, it had been so long since I had last opened it that what treasures inside were lost in my recesses of my memory.  Carefully opening the lid, an abundance of books appeared – craft and decorating books, makeup and fashion books, and a variety of fictional novels.  There were also some school papers for Sam and Jordan along with a photo album from my second marriage when the kids were young.  Sam ended up at one of the trunk browsing through his school papers while I flipped through the scrapbook, which contained many photos from a Long Beach trip years ago.  We ended up having to shut the trunk because we were getting too far off base digging through pictures and books to focus on the garage sale items.

Friday night found me unable to fall asleep until 1am; I then woke up at 4:30am.  Ugh.  Roused Sam and his buds at 6:30am to set up the tables on the driveway then proceeded to flop in a picnic chair while I waited for the crowds to show up. 

It ended up being an ebb and flow of customers.  A wave would show up, browse through the items, and then depart, leaving a 15 minute stretch of nothing.  Although it wasn’t labeled for sale, we did get one bite on Sam’s Impala which hopefully will pay off.  The day began getting warmer and warmer and warmer.  I ended up closing the sale at 12:30, moving all of the items back into the garage for perhaps another day.  And my reward?  A whopping $27!!!

After spending my earnings on gas and groceries, all I could think about was a nap.  However, Saturday afternoon I made potato salad and visited with my good friends Stan and Susan, who stopped by about 3pm to view my garage sale items.  Once the salad was done and my friends had departed, a nap on the couch became my next agenda item. 

Sunday morning I again woke up early, this time due to allergies.  It was blue sky and sunny so I grabbed my little Stubbs and we took a road trip to Willow Grove to play on the beach of the Columbia River.  Nobody was around so we took a walk (no leash!) in the sand.  Stubbs was in heaven – plenty of things to sniff, smell, and pee upon.  After gathering up some shells and driftwood, we returned home where I made homemade biscuits for breakfast. 

After mowing the back yard, my Sunday afternoon then became a time of creativity.  I had a framed canvas beach picture that I thought would look cool painted with a neat sea turtle mosaic I found on Pinterest.  After about an hour or so of painting, it became clear there is no Van Gough, Picasso, or Matisse blood flowing in my veins and I was forced to come up with a better idea for the picture.  I ended up gluing several of my plain and painted sand dollars from Cannon Beach onto the picture to provide a 3D effect (but mainly to cover up the hideous turtle.)  I also made a driftwood, bead, and sand dollar wall hanging along with a larger piece of driftwood which I embellished with a clear “Blessings” decal.  The finished items may not be perfect but they definitely provided me with a relaxing outlet for my Sunday afternoon.

Sunday evening found me popping a Benadryl to rid myself of allergies then relaxing on the couch watching the boob tube, preparing for another Monday. 

My upcoming excitement for this week?  I’m looking forward to my annual mammogram Wednesday morning bright and early!  Nothing like having your boobs pressed and flattened to give you an experience to remember!

 

  
 

Cold and Cannon Beach

Time flies when one is sick and on vacation!  Two weeks ago the dreaded cold bug sidelined me for a week. Not only was it a cold but a monstrous cold sore erupted on my lip....ugh!  The timing was off but following my absence from work for being sick, Steve and I went to Cannon Beach for a week.

Our trip was glorious!  Sunny, warm weather, sandy beach, and plenty of time to relax.  We ate salmon and dungenous crab, toured the Oregon  Coast Aquarium, played miniature golf for the first time in my life (and got a hole in one!), bumper cars, kite flying, outlet shopping, and ended our trip visiting with his parents, who arrived the day before our departure.

For the 4th, we first went to the Manzanita viewpoint to watch the fireworks; however, it wasn't that great if a show due to the distance so we returned home.  The neighbors shot off a ton of awesome fireworks and we had a front row seat on the deck.  It was an incredible icing on the cake for our trip.  Also, it was the longest amount of time we spent together and I'm happy to report we are both still alive.

The best part of the trip is the house was still standing when I arrived home!

I also got to visit with my big brother Jay, who was at his shop in Cannon Beach.  It was definitely an awesome trip and I can't wait to return.

Countdown to Vacation!

Two more days until my beach vacation!  And I've been put through the wringer leading up to it.

Last week a nasty cold sore sprouted up on my lip. And we aren't talkin baby hive....we are speaking of a full-blown, sock on the mouth, pus-engorged chancor that could not be conquered by any brand of concealer in my makeup arsenal.  Ugh!

Saturday, slathered in Lystine ointment and full of ibuprofen, I tackled the yard, mowing, weeding, arranging, and cleaning. I worked my diva ass off and, for repayment, I stayed in bed all day Sunday with the start of a cold!

Coughing, sneezing, and sniffling, I was only able to work part of the day on Monday, missed Tuesday, then showed up for our company picnic today. Still warm and coughing, I left early. Made a doc appointment for tomorrow morning in order to prevent any future complications that may affect my beach vacation with Steve!!

Here's to no cold, no cold sore, and beach sunshine in my future!!

Lovin the Beach!!

This weekend I got a little taste of what my vacation at the end of this month will be all about!

I took Friday off at the last minute in order to get a head start with Steve on our weekend vacation to his family’s beach house in Cannon Beach, OR.  We ended up leaving about 2pm and met up with his parents, brother and his wife, and niece and her boyfriend at their beach home.  It was lovely outside – sunny, blue sky, and warm.  We spent the evening on the deck catching up and sharing an awesome dinner.  

Saturday after sleeping in (with help from my friend Benadryl due to my allergies) Steve and I took the niece’s dog Sadie to the beach for a stroll.  Steve and the dog ended up packing it in and I continued on, walking a total of three miles on the beach.  It was so gorgeous outside.   Arriving back at the house, Steve worked on nailing new shingles to the house while I sat on the deck and soaked in the rays.

Later in the afternoon, we drove into Cannon Beach proper to check out my brother Jay’s new store Flair.  We walked in and while I started to browse, Steve mentioned to the employee, Shelby, that I was Jay’s sister.  Oh, it was a red letter day for her being able to meet one of Jay’s siblings!!!  She was the sweetest gal; she insisted we take a selfie together so she could send it to Jay.  The store looks fabulous!!!  Lots of unique items.  

After Flair of course we had to stop in his other store.  More items to dig through – there were some mermaid pictures that have my name on them that just might go home with me at the end of the month!  Steve couldn’t resist the huckleberry jam, syrup, and chocolate bar so he grabbed those before we made our way back to the house.

Unfortunately, Steve’s mom, dad, and brother had to leave unexpectedly so we spent Saturday evening with his sister-in-law Michelle, niece Chelsea and her boyfriend Dan.  Michelle made some of the best halibut fish and chips we’ve ever had – coating was perfect!  For the second night in a row we ate strawberry shortcake with berries that Steve had picked himself.

Sunday arrived sooner than expected.  Steve relaxed while the rest of us, along with the dog, took a final stroll on the beach.   Steve and I then made our way into town and had lunch at Bill’s Tavern – service not the greatest but the food was awesome.  
After that it was nap time then final clean up at the house before we departed about 5pm.  Hitting a big traffic jam, along with some side travels through the country, we ended up at Steve’s about 8:30.  I finally made it home about 10pm, chatted with the boys until 11pm, and then went to bed.  Actually, went to bed then struggled to fall asleep due to the two cups of coffee I mistakenly drank at Bill’s during our late lunch.  Five-thirty this morning arrived too soon.

Steve and I easily made it through three days together so our trip back to the beach at the end of the month is looking promising!  We really had a lot of time to visit, share stories, and hanging out with his family was a plus.  Hunting, fishing, and the country is so important to him that it was also a treat on our way home when he showed me places where he hunted, farmland where he worked, the pair of cinnamon teal ducks that return to roost every year, and just both of us talking about life in general.  When you normally get to see each other twice a month, it’s pretty sweet to spend more than one evening together!

Don't Measure A Woman's Worth By Her Clothes

I ran across these pictures awhile back...aren't they thought-provoking?

TGIF!!

Took a couple of days off from work to simply work on household chores and attempt to clean the garage, which I did today. Now I've got a whole pile of stuff for a garage sale. Thought about doing it this weekend but the cleaning wore me out so that idea will be executed on another weekend.

I've also started going back to the gym. Was slacking off for a few months and the lack of exercise made me feel blobby and depressed. Was hard to return but I did it - that first day I almost veered toward home but persevered and went in. Such a good idea now I'm gettin back into the groove!

Tomorrow my nephew Stephen graduates...big kudos to him!  I'm unable to make the trip for his party but lots of hugs and good wishes are sent his way.

Last Sunday I drove to Steve's for dinner with his parents. Steve barbecued bacon wrapped duck breast for dinner and it was divine!  Next weekend we are going to meet his family in Cannon Beach for a work party, although his mom said the guys will be working and the gals will be playing.

At the end of the month Steve and I will be staying a week at Cannon Beach. So looking forward to taking an extended vacation from work.

Here's to everyone enjoying this very sunny weekend!

Friday is Almost Here!!