Sunday, December 13, 2009

Meet Miss Dixie


Yesterday I got a new dog. Miss Dixie from Tennessee and Chicago Anti Cruelty by way of a kind couple from a Wisconsin rescue group.Thank You!
She is a small medium golden retriever with a very silky coat
Dixie has been on death row twice,a lot for young dog of two years! She spent the last month or so in the slammer.Poor Thing!
We are getting along quite well.She understands me better than I understand her.
The first night with me she slept all night on a dog bed in my room,I had to wake her this am!
She's spending the day gated in the kitchen,so far so good,(I am checking on her during the day.)
I wish I could bottle a puppy's energy! It is endless!
Back to decorating,later.Priorities.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Grateful Thanksgiving Day 2009

So much to be thankful for this year.
Lucky to have a wonderful family.
Grateful that I am healthy.
I am thankful that I have a house to clean.
Thankful for the clothes that I have to wash.
Grateful that I have food to cook.
Glad that I have a job(that I like most of the time.)
Appreciative of all the thoughtful caring people in my life.
Fortunate to be able to make choices.
And the list goes on.....Thank you God.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Decorating A Candy Themed Christmas Tree


Let's have some Fun! I want to share with you some of the work that I do. Decorate Christmas trees. 15 of them. I plan on showing off 1 a week. This week Candy is the theme! Think about ALL the different types of food and candy and put them on a tree. Gingerbread men,popcorn,candy canes,cupcakes,the list goes on and on....
Look for candy and food items in different shapes and sizes. Don't forget the Ribbon!

Insulating the Attic

My son insulated my attic this past weekend which meant I had a mess in my house.Not from the insulation but from all the "stuff" that came out of the attic,and it was almost empty,except for the crib, rocking horses,baby things from the 70's,sleeping bags...all big stuff.
A lot of things got pitched. A few were saved to be cleaned up and... disposed of in one way or another.
Still working on the eBay project...endless.Another thought to rid my home of "things"recycle! The post office has no cost envelopes to recycle items like ink cartridges and cell phones etc...
So I'm going to designate several boxes for things to sell,to give away,to recycle.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Getting organized to sell on eBay

Today was busy!Attended an eBay webinar,which means I had to download a program,Microsoft office live meeting.Whew! It took a while to figure out what I needed to do, but I did it. A double learning experience,the eBay webinar and using Microsoft office live.
To simplify my life and eBay selling I came up with a list of things to do to be more organized.And this weekend,I hope to follow my own advise.
  1. Try to put all your items you are selling in one room or location.Having a large shelving unit to place the items on that you are going to sell.
  2. Research what the items might sell for on eBay.
  3. Make a simple photo booth or table and lights for photographing your items.
  4. Learn about different shipping options..I think this is the toughest part.
  5. The more different categories you're in,the harder it is to keep track of everything,try just a couple to start.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

How to Start Downsizing

Ways to get started downsizing your life.
  1. Get rid of things you don't need use or want.This is fairly obvious but hard to do.
  2. You many want to go room by room or drawer to closet,depending upon how methodical and organized you are.
  3. Donate items to charities,you'll feel better about parting with your "stuff" if someone else can use it.
  4. Start looking at ebay listings and find categories that your "stuff" fits into and start selling.(I kinda liked this because as I sold items I got instant gratification,which made it more fun than work.)Money is a great motivator!
  5. Try spending a few hours, a couple of days a week working on downsizing.It is not fast,but its a start.
  6. Have a garage,yard or tag sale if you're in a populated area,otherwise follow me as I continue to part with my belongings.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Apple Pickers


As I opened my side door to go run some errands,there by my apple trees were four deer.I quickly and quietly went back inside to grab my camera,sneak back outside and start shooting pictures.The best picture was of the one that got away.The deer was looking right at me with an apple in his mouth!We both startled each other and he dropped the apple and disappeared into the corn.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Todays Success

Success! Changed my ebay store name and user name and about me info (had trouble with a picture,will try again tomorrow.)You can do and learn sooo.. much,but it takes time.Plus,I was able to link my ebay with this blog and a couple of my web sites!!.Tomorrows project will be linking this blog to ebay and my (very basic beginner) web sites.If I knew how to include a smiley face now I would!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Getting Started Downsizing

What if I lost my job and had to relocate?That's how I got started with this idea.Thirty five years of stuff! How can I clean house,break my ties,make some $$ and move on.This is a challenge.I've been dabbling in Ebay for a year now,it helps in the cleaning out and making a few bucks but....I need to work harder at it.So I'm going to try to list ten items a week and see what happens.
Getting started is always the hardest part of any project.The second hardest is getting organized.The third hardest is learning what you need to learn to be successful,which is an ongoing project.
I am lucky that this old house doesn't have much storage space,(though I have a loaded garage.)My adult kids already have taken all their belongings.So a couple of things taken care of,but much more to go.
What I really want to do today is go to a shelter and get a dog,but I'm waiting for a golden retriever rescue dog,so I'll just have to be patient.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Not Part of the Plan


My heart is broken.I didn't see it coming,I knew in the coming year I was going to have to let her go.But not yet.Not like this! Neither of us were ready.My best friend and companion for the last 13 plus years,gone in less than 12 hours.
I knew she wouldn't be with me next summer,age 14 is very old for a golden retriever.Her eyesight was going and the stairs were a bit of a challenge,it would be a tough winter for her.Yet she still loved to chase a tennis ball,bark at the deer and sleep on the couch.
Just the previous week she had gotten a clean bill of health from the vet (I try to practice preventative maintenance)but sometimes things are beyond our control.
It has only been two months so I can't tell her story yet,tears cloud my vision.
I know I gave Maizy the best life I possibly could,but I am still sad.I know she'll be waiting for me at the rainbow bridge....