Swinging

I asked Zora if I could take pictures of her while she was swinging.

This is what I got.







She was very tired of swinging with her head down at this point and finally looked up! What a great face!

Have a swinging day.
Kristin

On the Road (Hazzards)

While on the drive home I saw some interesting things. I took a lot of pictures of barns and farmland, but this was one of the most unusual finds.

The red truck was towing the white truck. The light yellow lettering on the back of the white truck said -

In Tow
Guatemala or bust


This was a road hazzard, even on the road at the rest stop. They pulled over and I passed them before they even got on the highway. I'm glad because I didn't want to know how fast this partnership could go.

I wonder if they really were going to drive all the way to Guatemala?






This guy had his feet out of the passenger side window for a very long time -- swinging them, holding them up real high and then letting them crash to the side of the door. He obviously doesn't own that van or he wouldn't be denting the door like that!



I finally did pass them, when they took an exit, and the guy in the front seat was almost laying down, but not quite. It looked incredibly uncomfortable. I guess he didn't think so.



Have a safe drive!
Kristin

Exterior Paint

I took a trip to Michigan to see my family, attend a graduation party and meet my new niece, Stella. I drove. 1172.2 miles on the way up and 1168.2 miles on the way back down. Same route. Less turning around on the way home I guess. I took a million pictures, but the one picture I couldn't wait to take was right here in Jacksonville. The Flip house on Jupiter Court was painted while I was gone.

Lets take a gander at what we purchased....

Ahhh, ain't she a beauty? This is day one, hour one. April 11th, 2008




Here we have all the tyvek on and some of the siding going up -- this was roofing day.




The front of the house is almost completely sided. The front door area was finished while I was in Michigan, so I don't have a picture of the entire front finished (before painting)




Well, here it is!! Yellow house, white trim, green accents. I had brown drip edge installed with the roof, instead of white, so that the discoloration that always comes from the water running off the roof won't streak the white trim paint. I think it looks pretty good.

Well, actually, I'm thrilled to pieces - I think it looks amazing!



Here is a detail of the window area. The Window boxes were installed and painted, too. And the shutters look so nice.




We even have a visitor to our new place.

I am so pleased. The house looks Awesome! (That's a Dan saying)

Have a Great Day!
Kristin

42

I honestly can't get over the death of my cousin.



I guess I didn't say that correctly. It has only been a few days since his death, so it is totally natural to not get over it in such a short period of time, what I meant to say is that I am thinking about it constantly. I can't get it out of my mind.



He was my age.



He was born just 2 months and 12 days before me.



He had 6 kids. 7 grandkids. Two wives. (one divorce)



I have one husband and a cat.



Did he live his life fast?



Did he run from the gate so quickly and get everything he needed to do into those 42 years so that he didn't need to live here on earth any longer?



My Mother's brother died at age 21. He had already been around the world twice and had a pilots license.



I have a husband and a cat. I've been to Norway twice. I have taken a few cruise ship cruises to the Carribean and through the Panama Canal. Am I living my life at a snails pace? Is that OK? If you go through life quickly does that mean that you get out quicker?



I don't want to get out, absolutely, I don't want to get out, but I am wondering if I am living my life a little too slowly. Maybe at 42 I should have seen more of the United States. Maybe I really should have had a child. Maybe I should have kept in touch with more people, since I don't have any children to run after. Maybe maybe maybe.




These are my Grandparents - Eddie and Mildred Corlett (& me, peeking out from behind them.)

This is Arlas' grandparents. Hazel and Blanche Gilliland. I called them Aunt and Uncle. Aunt Blanche and Uncle Hazel.


My Grandmother and Arlas' Grandmother were cousins and best friends. They had a double wedding and 50 years later (Pictured here), they had a double 50th Wedding Anniversary party. In 1974 I was 7 years old and Arlas & I had one of only a very few photos of us taken. Most of the time Arlas and I were filthy from our heads to our toes. His grandmother, Blanche, would hardly let us into the house because we were so dirty. So it is funny that the only picture of Arlas and I that I own, is one where we are dressed up in our very best clothes.

This is us - Arlas and I. It must be at the beginning of the party because both of us have pretty straight looking hair and we haven't gotten dirty yet. The corsage that I have on is plastic. I still have it. When my Mother saw this picture the other day she said that she had always liked that dress that I wore that day.

I guess I don't have to hurry up. I don't have to have children. I don't need to go around the world or drive truck across the country. I need to be me and I need to love those around me, those that I care about and those that I think of...



Have a great day!
Kristin

Arlas Hazen

This is my cousin.

I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this man. We rarely saw each other as adults, but as kids we were holy terror in the summertimes when I would come visit. I saw him about 5 or 6 years ago in a truck stop in Iowa. He and his wife were traveling I-80 in their truck and I was traveling I-80 going out to California. We sat for a few hours in the truck stop jabbering at each other. He drank a lot of coffee as I recall. I remember thinking that I had to soak in each moment because we might not get to see each other too many times.

I am planning on going to Maywood, NE in September and I had just found Arlas's business card and wanted to share the good news with him and see if we could meet up. However, I had a trip to Michigan planned for the next day, so I put the business card on my pegboard to call when I got home. Oh, how I wished I would have called. I'm still in Michigan as I type.

I really wanted to send a little toy Volkswagen to have placed with Arlas (it was our most infamous event) but instead I sent a page with three photos. One of his grandparents, one of my grandparents and one of the two of us. These were all taken in 1974 at the 50th Wedding Anniversary of our grandparents. They had a double wedding and a double 50th. I will post that photo when I get home. It is very cool indeed.

Love you Arlas. Rest in Peace.

Kristin

Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapels & Monuments

---

Arlas S. Hazen
(August 6, 1966 - May 31, 2008)

Arlas Shawn Hazen, 41 of Maywood, NE died on May 31, 2008 at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte.

Arlas was born on August 6, 1966 at Red Willow County St. Catherine’s Hospital in McCook, NE. He was the youngest of four children born to Alfred Dale and Donna Darlene (Gilliland) Hazen of Curtis; NE. Arlas started kindergarten in Moorefield in 1972 while his mother traveled there to teach school in the upper grades. In second grade he attended Maywood Public School and remained there until he was a fifth grader. The family moved to Colorado Springs, CO area to manage motels. He attended school in Colorado until the family transferred to Guernsey, WY to manage the Railroad Complex there. Arlas asked to go to the Christian School in Wheatland, WY some twenty miles away. He attended there until returning to Maywood for his junior and senior years graduating in 1985. Following graduation he enlisted in the National Guard.

Arlas married Marla Miller in February of 1986 to this union were born four children. On February 14, 1995 he married Kathleen Schutz at the Maywood Christian Church in Maywood. To this union were two additional children.

Arlas was a member of Awanas when he was younger and the American Vets Post 30. Arlas loved farming, mechanical work, and was a professional truck driver. He enjoyed spending time with his family, the guitar, mud racing, dirt bikes, truck pulling and his dogs.

Arlas is survived by his wife Kathleen (Schutz) Hazen of Edison, NE, son: Craig Hazen and girl friend Andi Laverack of Maywood, NE, daughters: Aislinn and husband Randy Nelson of Curtis, NE, Rachel Hazen of Scottsbluff, NE, Cassandra Hazen of Scottsbluff, NE, Sarah and husband Trevor Anderson of North Platte, NE. parents Dale and Donna Hazen of Curtis, NE, brothers: Allen Hazen of Curtis, NE and Dennis and wife Deb Hazen of Curtis, NE, sister Joyce Fischer of Lenora, KS. Also surviving are seven grandchildren Jeffrey and Bailley Nelson, Zakk and Paige Hollers, David, Nicholas, and Abigail Anderson.

Arlas was preceded in death by his grandparents: Hazel and Blanche Gilliland and Neil and Frances Hazen, son Kirk Daniel Smith, and great nephew Jordan Ryan.

Memorial services will be held Thursday June 5, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at the Maywood Christian Church in Maywood, NE with Pastor Dale Heimer, officiating. Burial of cremains will follow in the Maywood Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 3, 2008 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Blase-Wetzel-Strauser Memorial Chapel in Curtis.

Memorials are suggested to the Arlas Hazen Memorial Fund in care of Blase-Wetzel-Strauser Memorial Chapel in Curtis.

Online condolences may be given to the family at www.blasestrauser.com

Jack Benny & Grandpa

I chatted with my Dad tonight on the phone and somehow I got to talking about Jack Benny. I just loved Jack Benny - so much so that every time the PBS station has on the the little biography of him during their fundraising events, I watch it. I must have seen that darn thing 10 times. You don't see many Jack Benny clips anymore, he's part of the old time comedians.

George Burns, Bob Hope, Jack Benny.

I heard that Harvey Korman died the other day. I really enjoyed his comedy, too.

OK, so back to Jack Benny. My Dad tells me that my grandfather (his Dad) loved to tell stories. In fact, he had many of the same facial expressions as Jack Benny. I don't remember the story telling part of my grandfather, he died when I was 10, but maybe one of the reasons why I like to see the old Jack Benny shows is because I can see my grandfather in him.

I think that's really cool.

We named one of our cats Rochester, after a character Jack Benny created. I can hear it now - "Oh Rochester..."

Have a great day!
Kristin

May Links

• May Links
• Sculpture
• Chimney bricks
• Secret Scrolls
• Chandeliers
• Mailboxes
• Paper Prayers
• Happy Birthday Jim!
• Woodpecker
• Aluminum Foil
• Kindness
• WFMW - SASE
• Twitter
• Travel plans
• Number 5
• Attic Stairs
• How Many of Me??
• Jupiter Ct.
• Secret Scrolls
• Commenting on Comments
• Zora the big sister
• Walter - updated
• WFMW - Remembering Passwords
• What a day so far
• A new roof
• Survivor!
• Jim Jr. - updated
• Secret scrolls
• It's Summer
• The Kitchen
• Fun Lighting
• Jupiter's main bath
• Planet Earth Video
• WFMW - Water
• IKEA
• New stuff!
• Write Zoom
• Mocha's cat bed
• Master Bedroom
• Crayons
• Buddy & Beverly
• May Day

Sculpture

Tom and I went to Orlando recently to visit IKEA. Just to say Hi, how ya doin' ?

Actually, to purchase much needed items for the Jupiter house, as I have gone on and on about the past few weeks.

After a long day of shopping, my dear husband wanted some BBQ. He discovered this little spot on HWY 1 in Ormond Beach, FL. It is the new home of the Harley Davidson dealership & amusement park. Well, OK, not really an amusement park - but there is a pavilion , a few hotels, lots of little restaurants, and these sculptures of roosters in front of the BBQ place.

I loved these guys. I wanted to have one in my yard.
Today please.
Oh right, I live in a condo.

OK, so I took some pictures.
Aren't they cool?!

The BBQ was incredible, btw. They had diamond tread on the walls. I love diamond tread. Did I mention that the BBQ was incredible? Yes, yes it was.




So were the roosters.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Chimney bricks

Have I shown you all the brick pile from the chimney? These are some really cool bricks. Some are long and skinny and some are pure white without any holes in them.

What do you think of the PVC and screen accents we have given the brick pile - pretty cool huh?

We were planning on building some landscaping interest with these bricks - maybe a path, or as a border for some flower beds.

We aren't going to do that now - as I think we have a buyer for the house and we aren't going to do the landscape - they are. So this pile of bricks, combined with the pile of bricks at the Springfield house are going to be used in some other landscaping event. Not sure when, but I can tell you, I'm going to let you know.

Unfortunately, since the brick thing is my project, I'm pretty sure that I'm the one that's going to have to haul out and find a place to store all of these puppies. So I have any volunteers?

Have a great day!
Kristin

Secret Scrolls

Most people feel powerless to help others, when in fact every single human being has a power within them that, when directed properly, will help beyond anything else. You can direct this power by focusing on people in difficult situations being in joy, by imagining them in joy right now. Hold to the outcome of joy for them. By doing this, you will cause the unfathomable Creative Power to move through you to bring them joy.

The Secret daily calendar inspiration

Chandeliers

I love love love this chandelier that is painted on the wall. I wanted to do this when we staged the Jupiter Court Flip house for sale. Although, I wasn't going to paint it on the wall, I was going to have it painted on a canvas and have it hung above the bed. I don't believe we will be staging the house at this point, as it quite possibly may be sold before we get to that point - so no chandelier over the bed.

When my sister, Hillary and I were out shopping for clothes in December of last year, there was a New Years dress section of the store where there were these beautiful acrylic & mirror chandeliers hanging. I asked one of the employees if those were for sale anywhere in the store and she said that they were just Props. Recently, I found those props in an online store out of the UK. I couldn't find a price for them, but the chance of me ordering one was probably nil anyway. The cool thing though, is that they do exist and a regular joe like me can order one, if the price is met.

Chandeliers are showing up all over as accessories.. printed on fabrics for curtains or pillows and even, as seen above, as wall art. I do fall for trends - but I usually don't buy them - but I fall. I look longingly at the trendy item in the stores or in the store catalogs. I see the items online and drool over them. I imagine where I might put such an item in my home and then I look around and notice that there isn't a chance in heaven that whatever it is I want, will fit into this already crammed to the gills household, the dream ends.

I still want to get a chandelier painted on canvas and hang it over a bed...even if it isn't mine.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Mailboxes

I've been thinking about mailboxes lately. We've got to purchase one for the Jupiter Ct. house.
I thought I'd look through my photos and see if I had any pictures of a mailbox. I found several.
I didn't realize that I was drawn to mailboxes so much. I always knew that I liked them, but not to this extent!
The condo where I live, we have a little kiosk of sorts that houses about a hundred small postal boxes. Everyone has a key to get into their box. There just isn't any fun in that. Remembering the key, fiddling with the lock, opening it up, fighting with the mail to get it out of the small little box.
Maybe I have gathered all these mailbox photos after we moved here, to the land of the unfriendly mailboxes. I have met a lot of neighbors at the mailbox though, so I like that part.
Jupiter Court needs just a single mailbox, out by the roadside. The mailman walks through the neighborhood so we could have a box at the door, but I think the trend is to get them all by the road.
My friend Bob is always on the lookout for a manatee mailbox when she comes to Florida. I included this shot just for you Bob!

Paper Prayers

I've mentioned before about how much I like the idea of writing things down in order to make them come to fruition. In Japan, they've been doing that for a very long time, in a different sort of way.

The picture shows paper prayers, probably tied to some sort of string that has been erected for just this purpose.

I've heard of people writing their prayers and sticking them inbetween rocks in a wall, burning them in fireplaces, or even coming up with their own ritual to get the prayers sent off to the Universe.

Victoria Moran, in her book "Creating a Charmed Life" talks about a New Years Day ritual that she has done with a friend of hers and their daughters - where they write out their wishes for the coming year and tie them to pencils, I think. Then they bury them in the ground...or something like that. I wish I had the book in front of me.

Victoria's idea was to make it fun and interesting but also to do it with purpose. The people who write out their prayers on little slips of paper and tie them to a string with thousands of other prayers are doing it with purpose. I'm sure a little ritual also takes place when they do this as well.

I often write down things I want to do, things I don't want to forget when I go to the grocery store, movies I want to see and little bits of inspiration, but rarely do I write down my prayers. I found one woman who made a prayer bowl out of a glass bowl, a votive holder and candle and some river rocks. She said that she writes out her prayer(s) and tucks them into the river rocks and lights the candle, to send them to the beyond. She keeps the prayers in the bowl until they are finished or she believes that they have been worked enough. It was an interesting thing to do.

I have a large glass vase of sorts where I place all of the inspirations from "The Secret" daily calendar. It is just filled with little bits of paper from the past 5 months. I reach in there every so often and read one or two of them. I have a little jar that has some of the fortunes I've received from fortune cookies. It might be nice to have a little jar or vase that contains some paper prayers. I just may try that.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Happy Birthday Jim!

Happy Birthday Jim!!

Woodpecker

Peckin'

The saddest thing I ever did see
Was a woodpecker peckin' at a plastic tree.
He looks at me, and "Friend," says he,
"Things ain't as sweet as they used to be."

by Shel Silverstein


I just saw this on Miz Booshay's blog which of course I got through the Pioneer Woman's blog. I remember reading Shel Silverstein's books to my sisters. When I was last in Michigan visiting, I think Zora asked to be read something from a Shel Silverstein book. He is timeless, I guess. I even picked out a poem from one of his books and wrote one of them in the Christmas cards I sent out one year.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Aluminum Foil

I just read this blog Because Wendi Said So and she posted something that was totally cool. Something I had never noticed before. I've used this product for years (although I have to admit, not very often) but still, I never noticed.

Wendi wrote it so beautifully, I'm just going to quote it right here...

I have been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to remember.

I love the product and its many uses.

Sometimes it can drive me nuts.

Like when I am trying to tear off a large sheet of the stuff and the whole darn roll comes out of the box.

Then you have to try and re-roll the foil back on the roll.

Let's face it.... it never goes back on easily.

Or very "prettily".

Pay attention, this is where the sharing comes in.

The email "tip" I received said to read the end of the Aluminum foil box.

Well, of course I did.

Don't tell me you are not already in your kitchen drawer digging out your box.

I know you are.

Right on the end it says, "Press here to lock end."

Are you kidding me?

All these years of fighting the AF roll and I could have just pressed and locked?

How long has this little locking tab been there?

I have some Aldi brand Aluminum Foil and Saran Wrap.

That means it is generic.

Guess what?

Press and lock tabs there too.

If you already knew this... simply close this window and step. away.

Don't make me feel dumber than I already feel.

If I have just shared with you the secret to a happier relationship with your food coverings:

I just looked at my own Reynold Wrap & sure enough, that little locking tab is there -- How Cool!! It doesn't completely lock the roll from turning, but it certainly does slow it down so that you really can't unroll a mile of it quickly.

Thanks Wendi for that awesome tip!

Have a great day!
Kristin

Kindness

As I was looking through the labels that I have set up for the posts I write, I noticed that the Random Acts of Kindness label only had one post. It looked really sad - like I was never kind or something.

Maybe it only had one post because I don't want to toot my own horn about how fabulous I am. Yeah, that must be it.

I do lots of random acts of kindness - I hold doors for people all the time, that is just a given in my life, so hardly random. I clean the elevator in our condo at least once a week. I either take a wet sponge and some paper towels and wipe up the floors and walls or I pick up candy that someone has dropped on the floor (This is a surprising number of times!) We have a service that cleans the elevators but that is just weekly. I have a neighbor who also cleans the elevators, so between the two of us, they are really clean most of the time.

There was a moving company that came into our community one day to unload and that was a day when I happened to have a million things to do and all of them included coming back to my condo to get something I needed and had forgotten. I ended up seeing these moving guys several several times. I really inconvenienced them a few times, as I recall. Seriously, I was a mess that day lol Just a few days later I met those same guys at the gas station. One of the guys was behind me in line and he had an armload of snacks and drinks. I told the cashier to ring it all up on me. The mover man knew exactly who I was when he saw me and he didn't exactly smile - but when I told him I had just paid for all of his snacks he was speechless. He had a huge grin on his face and I told him that I was terribly sorry that I was such a pain the other day. I remember it clearly, he said "Aww shucks ma'am it wasn't a big deal" but we all know it was! It was fun doing that for those guys and totally unexpected.

I often let people into line when I am out on the roads, but I am surprised at how often people aren't paying attention and instead of getting into line, they just wait. I have always wanted to pay someones toll at a toll gate, but there just aren't many of them here in Northern Florida. When I go through the Orlando area and use the toll roads, I have one of those automatic contraptions that you put in your car and you don't have to stop - so I never think of taking the slow route, just so I can pay someone elses toll -- so maybe that isn't practical.

I will try to remember to post more about some random acts of kindnesses, whether I do them or I've seen them.

Have a great day!
Kristin

WFMW - SASE

Welcome to another edition of Works For Me Wednesday! Each week hundreds of people link to Rocks in My Dryer for WFMW and share their tips. Please take a look when you have finished here. Thanks & I'll see you again next week.

I sent my sister a little stack of self addressed stamped envelopes (SASE) a month or so ago, so that she could send me some of my neices artwork whenever she felt like it. Something very cool has happened -- she is sending me stuff every week or two. I got pictures of the new baby a few days ago, I get coloring pages from the 4 year old, I got a card & other assorted notes. All of these things might not have come my way as easily if it wasn't for the envelopes just sitting there at her desk, already addressed and stamped.

Here is how this got started. I had some left over Christmas cards & envelopes. The envelopes were real nice heavy paper with red foil on the inside and they were large. I think they were 4"x6.5" - half of a sheet of paper. I tossed the cards (I was in the tossing mood) and took the envelopes, a bunch of different colored pens and sharpies and a book of stamps and addressed the envelopes in all types of different colors and handwriting styles - this way, when they arrived in my mailbox, they all looked different.

My neice almost always embellishes the envelopes with stickers and drawings - I love that, too.

So that's what works for me. Sending my loved ones Self Adressed Stamped Envelopes so that I get some fun mail & Kid artwork every so often.

I should really do that in reverse, too - Pre address envelopes to family and have them handy.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Twitter

I first started Twitter because of the Thirty Day (30DC). Ed Dale said that I needed to be on it, so I was. I would follow Ed about anywhere, he is just that spectacular. After the 30DC I kept up with it for quite sometime then towards the beginning of this year I read the updates from other people and enjoyed what they posted, but really didn't participate much.

Now I see that there is an easy Twitter widget to add to my blog, so whenever I update my Twitter, it is automatically posted on my blog. Isn't that fun? I think so. So I'm going to start twittering more. The 30DC has just started it's Pre-challenge phase, and I am most certainly going to join in on that again. By the time the 30DC beings in full, we will be done with our Flips.

If you would like to follow me on Twitter, just click the link on the left hand side under the Twitter Updates.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Travel plans

In my list of 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days, I wrote down some vacation destinations that I have been wanting to see. I only picked a few places because this is afterall just 1001 days. I wanted the list to be very realistic in the goals. Here are the places I put down.

47. Travel to...Hawaii

48. ...France

49. ...England, Ireland, Scotland

50. ...Maywood, Nebraska

51. ...Chicago

52. ...Memphis with Bob

53. ...LasVegas

I thought the European destinations were going to be a real stretch, but I put them down because I want to go. I put my belief in the "Write it Down, Make it Happen" theory of the world (I love this book, by the way). It is also a part of the Law of Attraction, too - Ask, Believe, Receive.

About 6 weeks ago my Mother called to tell me that she was going to go to a reunion in Nebraska and would I like to come. Yes! I said jumping up and down, Yes! Her reunion is probably in Curtis, NE or North Platte, NE - both just a stones throw from Maywood. My Dad grew up in Maywood and I visited my grandplarents there for years and years. I still have cousins that live there and I just adore the countryside. I like to see what the houses look like now, from when I was a kid, too. Last time i was in Maywood was for my grandmothers funeral in 1995, so I am anxious to go back with a different attitude. So the Maywood, NE trip - entry #50 will be fulfilled this year... Write it down, make it happen.

About a month ago my Dad called us all and asked if we'd like to take a trip together - the whole family. Our name hails from the Isle of Man and has been a place all of us has wanted to go for many many years. This is the location my Dad wants us to go - The Isle of Man. That sounds an awful lot like Entry #49 - because chances are we will see more than just The Isle of Man. Write it down, make it happen.

Tom has been talking non-stop about going to Vegas. We like Vegas and haven't been in a few years, so this is pretty much a no brainer...but still, it is funny that all of a sudden he has got it into his head that he wants to go.

I keep working on my 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days and I don't even realize it - how cool is that?!!

Have a Great Day!
Kristin

Number 5

I live on the fifth floor of my condo - I see this number every single day on the elevator. It seemed so common and everyday, so I decided to Jazz it up a bit.




This is a drawing of the photo above. (from the photobucket effects department) Doesn't it look so nice and soft? It really looks like it is on a piece of white paper and oh so subtley punctuated with color.





If the number 5 were to be made out of red neon, it would have this effect. It reminds me of the pictures that I've seen of the highway at night and the streaks made by the taillights of the cars.



I really like this effect. I used it with the Burger King photo aq few weeks back and it looks splendid here as well. I really like numbers for some reason.

Have a Great Day!
Kristin

Attic Stairs

This weird looking thing is actually the attic stairs that the boys installed today. I thought for sure I took a picture of it installed, but alas, no. Believe me when I tell you, its installed. Below you will see what was required for installation.

What it doesn't say is "the top of one mans head." Because that's what Dan used to hold the stairs up while he was holding onto a piece of drywall as a measure of how far down from the rafters to screw it in & his other hand was trying to hold the front of the stairs up. Kenny was sitting in the attic on this 90° day, trying to get the screws into the stairs as quickly as possible.

I didn't see these boys use an adjustable wrench, a hand saw or a hack saw. I did see a Sharpie, a carpenters level, a skil saw & some shims.

I think they need a more complete list of alternatives.

The stairs are in!

Thanks Kenny, Thanks Dan!

Kristin

How Many of Me??

I found this little diddy at Musings from Left Field and thought it would be fun. Here's what I found out about me. If you do this, post a comment about what you found out...are you alone out there like me or do you have quite a following?


Here are my results...

Kristin

* There are 150,522 people in the U.S. with the first name Kristin.
* Statistically the 397th most popular first name.
* More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Kristin are female.


Corlett

* There are 2,037 people in the U.S. with the last name Corlett.
* Statistically the 15004th most popular last name.


Kristin Corlett


* There is 1 person in the U.S. named Kristin Corlett.
(However, there is a Kristen Corlett, she's an artist)

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Jupiter Ct.

Have I shown you the front of the house lately? Well, here it is. New roof, new siding, new soffits.

I'm just giddy.

Have a Great Day!
Kristin

Secret Scrolls

Some of the great thinkers of the past referred to the law of attraction as the law of love. And if you think about it, you will understand why. If you think unkind thoughts about someone else, you will experience those unkind thoughts manifested. You cannot harm another with your thoughts, you only harm You. If you think thoughts of love, guess who receives the benefits - you! So if your predominant state is love, the law of attraction or the law of love responds with the mightiest force because you are on the highest frequency possible. The greater the love you feel and emit, the greater the power you are harnessing.

This is a quote from the daily Secret calendar page, May 15th.

I just recently purchased the audiobook of The Secret. I'm sure I have mentioned it before, but I have been just listening to it over and over while I toodle around town. It has a bit more conversation than the DVD. It just seems to explain a little more clearly the little tricky bits of the Law of Attraction.

I have really been focusing a lot of my energy into being calm and thinking good positive thoughts. House flipping can be very very stressful. I've seen it on TV on the house fliping shows and I've watched myself go off the deep end a few times when we were building a house and later when we remodeled our house in Daytona. The positive thinking and remaining calm has really worked. I hardly feel any stress at all about these flips. Sure I've had a few moments where I wasn't pleased but I got it resolved quickly.

One of my rental condos was vacated this past week, so I've needed to find a tenant. I wanted to go pass out fliers, but never found the time. I did however, keep it in my mind that someone would call this week. I just expected someone to call. I got one email and one phone call. Both people want the unit. I am supposed to sign the lease with one of those two people tomorrow. All this without even passing out one flier.

The Law of Love -- I like that. What do you think? Have you watched The Secret yet?

Have a great day!
Kristin

Commenting on Comments

My crazy (loveable, delightful, funny, crazy, crazy, crazy) friend spent an evening last week reading my blog and commenting on most of the posts. She is such a goof-ball. I thought I'd answer her all in one post. Just to be funny that way.


Denise has left a new comment on your post "Planet Earth Video":
Hi, sweetie. The video is great. going to check out the secret website. on your way to orlando, maybe i can catch you?

Catch me if you can! I arrived back home without a Denise sighting, so I guess that means you never made it out of your state.


Denise has left a new comment on your post "Jupiter's main bath":
Oh this is nice. I haven't gotten back to the desc of Jupiter Ct. yet, but my memory is that is is small, 1 story. Are the bath and kitchen next to each other (they usually are--why do they do that? Who wants to take a good u know what when suppers cooking?). What i meant to say is that it will be a great visual!

Oh goodness - you are totally hysterical. Yes, Jupiter is a small one story house - it is three bedrooms, two bathrooms. The bathrooms are right next to the kitchen but you cannot access the bathrooms through the kitchen, so not a problem there lol


Denise has left a new comment on your post "Fun Lighting":
that would be fun! would you let the occupants choose what to put in the lamp? what a kewl idea!

It would have been a cool idea, but I think it would have been too distracting for a staged house. People would be all caught up in the stuff in the light and not focus on the kitchen cabinets! LOL I would love to have this lamp. I would play with it all the time.



Denise has left a new comment on your post "The Kitchen":
You are becoming (or have you always been) the IKEA QUEEN! All is so lovely though, neat, simple, clean lines. I love it. Great job!

I have loved IKEA for many many years. I have just never lived near one. This has been my closest now - just 150 miles. I dream of having an organized, clean lines, no clutter, simple lifestyle and furniture. So maybe IKEA is just a way for me to live out my dream without actually having to go there LOL



Denise has left a new comment on your post "WFMW - Water":
Dang and the two things i had on my list for your for your birthday? A mini fountain, and a big ol' conch shell! Back to the drawing board!

Oh Lordy :0)




Denise has left a new comment on your post "IKEA":
No, Ike's not a good swedish name, is it. Rollin' Rollin, Rollin down the river!
Words like Ikea have a way of finding their path into webster. Maybe one day, we'll all say, see my new floor? IKEA'd!

"Why don't you just google that?" "I googled you."
I can see where IKEA could get into Websters, just like Google!
I just like to say the word though - IKEA! Sort of like Eureka! IKEA!



Denise has left a new comment on your post "New stuff!":
Not having worn a bra regularly since the 70s (yep, big as i am, i eschew them!), i've always wondered....
where do they wear out?
and if it's the front--can't they wait?
i'm so fresh!

I always break the underwire on my bras, that's how they wear out for me. Once the wire starts poking me, it's done.

You are quite fresh!



Denise has left a new comment on your post "Write Zoom":
Oh mi god. Where did THAT come from?
I saw the new bandaid commercial (i am stuck on Bandaid cause bandaid stuck on me) and they've changed it up and i get all discombobulated cause somebody's not singing the right words. It's like being in church, singing the doxology, and their singing different words. A discordance. But hey! that's wayyyy off topic here. (i couldn't figure out what the topic was!) Sorry!

You live in New England and you haven't heard of ZOOM? or were you wondering what got me to post the song (but you have heard it before?) Well, I sing the Zoom song fairly often. Somehow it got into my head about 40 years ago and never left.


Denise has left a new comment on your post "Mocha's cat bed":
Um, Kristin, Mocha still looks pretty flat out to me! She is a cutie, isn't she?

She is!!! Gotta love the Mocha kitty.



Denise has left a new comment on your post "Crayons":
Kirsten, i don't know if this is true, or just the imaginings of my little brain, but crayola came out with a whole LINE of flesh tones for our multicultural world, so flesh and Indian red (imagined color of indian skin) may have gone by the board at that time...just a thought.

To be politically correct, I do believe, they changed the names. Another friend of mine said she thought that Flesh became Peach and Indian Red became Chestnut. That is probably the case.



Denise has left a new comment on your post "Buddy & Beverly":
You are a blessing, Kristen.
I know you were feeling some pain, so know that you are in my thoughts.

Thanks. Thanks so much.



Denise has left a new comment on your post "April links":
you were busy in april. I'm gonna dive in! i can't believe it has been that long since i talked to you!

Thanks for stopping by!


Denise has left a new comment on your post "WFMW - sleeping haven":
Thanks for the tip Kristen. Now my bed is only half full of junk rather than 3 quarters full! Ahhhhh...

How is that bed this week? Is it totally cleared off yet? huh? huh?


Denise has left a new comment on your post "Auctions":
Never did hear about the TV! did you fix it?

TV gone. It had lines through the picture, on every station. Even when it was unplugged from the cable. Not sure what to make of it. I had to buy them a new one. I hauled the broken one up to my condo though and it is in the living room as we speak. I think one of my contractors, Kenny, is going to take it and see if he can fix it or just keep it in his garage LOL




Denise has left a new comment on your post "Rice Salad":
OK i'm hooked, 6wbmo or nO! Thank you. What a great way to begin and end a wedding day, doing something extraordinarily ordinary.

It was. That's an interesting way to think about it - extraordinarily ordinary. I really should write about it one day, but I had a fantastic wedding. It wasn't perfect, but it was perfectly fabulous.


Denise has left a new comment on your post "Happy Birthday Zora!!":
Yaaayyyy! Happy Birthday, Big Sis!

She is such a doll that Zora.


Thanks for joining me on commenting on comments -- well, Denise's comments anyway LOL

Have a great day!
Kristin

Zora the big sister

I wanted to chat with my sister today. Her father in law died the other day and she had a baby a few weeks ago, so I wanted to check in with her. The phone rang many many times & I got the answering machine, so I just started talking. I assumed that Alison was feeding new baby, Stella, so I just wanted her to know that I called to just check in...

Well, as I was just about ready to hang up, I hear this.... "Hello" I thought it was Alison.

Then I am told "This is Zora"

It sure was! So I started asking her questions. I have only talked on the phone with her once before and she didn't want to talk, so this was a totally new experience.

One of the first things Zora said to me was that she really liked the playdough that I sent to her & I told Zora that I had gotten some coloring pages in the mail from her and that they were on my fridge - she said that she was very happy I had them there.

I found out that Stella's eyes are still blue, brown, & black. (She's almost a month old now)

That Zora was making designs at the dining room table. I asked if she was making clothing designs, or designs that just went on paper and she interrupted and said - "I am making designs that will sit on the dining room table." I couldn't argue with that!

I asked if Stella can laugh and Zora said "She's still a newborn, so she doesn't laugh yet"

So I asked if Stella has smiled yet and Zora told me that she was just starting to smile.

I asked if she gets to hold the baby and she said that she got to hold Stella in the hospital! So I guess the answer is yes lol

I asked Zora to give a kiss to her Momma and Daddy and Stella for me and I hung up.

What a fun conversation. I'm so glad I called.

Thanks Zora!! I'm sure we will talk more in the future.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Walter - updated

Walter got called for his Lung transplant. I got the call last night around 7pm that they were on their way to the hospital. This means that he was probably transplanted just a few hours ago.

When I woke up yesterday one of the first things that crossed through my mind was something about Walter receiving a lung. I was not at all surprised when they told me that they had received a call from Mayo. It is so interesting how things like that happen.

I wanted to post this, so that healing thoughts can be sent to Walter through everyone who reads this. Also prayers for the family that has just recently lost a loved one. Thank You so very much for being a part of the Organ Donation process. Thank You.

Kristin

Updated...

Walter went into surgery last night around 1am and was out of surgery at 6:30am. The surgery went real well. He is in ICU at the moment and they have him on a respirator - but that is very very common with Lung transplant patients. The new lung takes many days to many weeks to work on its own. Walters daughter has arrived, along with her boyfriend, so Walter and his wife won't be alone through this.

I say alone, as in family - because Walter and his wife know nearly all of Mayo Clinic and nearly every patient in the place. They have a large group of friends around here, but still, sometimes you really need family. I'm glad that their daughter could come.

I was planning on going up to the hospital today, but have decided against it. The first day is usually really rough. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll go up tomorrow. Day two is usually a much better day.


5/16/08 - Walter took a turn for the worse yesterday evening. His daughter told me this morning that his new lung is totally inflamed and is not working properly. They put Walter back on a ventilator and are probably going to give him a tracheotomy. I have so much confidence in the Mayo Clinic that I am just positive that this whole thing will turn around and Walter will come out of it just fine. This is just a major bump in the road.

I'm still praying for you, Walter.

WFMW - Remembering Passwords

Welcome to another edition of Works For Me Wednesday! Each week hundreds of people from around the world gather at Rocks in My Dryer for WFMW and share their tips. Please take a look when you have finished here. Thanks & I'll see you again next week.

This is one of my favorite "inventions" - I'm sure that someone else thought of it, posted a note on their blog about it and I read about it - but I woke up one morning and I thought --

Self! Why don't you put all of your websites and passwords into a book!! How about you put it into an Address Book! You have several very nice address books that have nothing in them - lets find one and put it to good use!

So I did.

I first made up a little secret code for my passwords. I have to admit, I only have three different passwords. So I named them P1, P2 and P3 -- I know what these mean. You should come up with your own secret code for your passwords so that you can remember it.




















This is how I used my password book.

Under the P tab of the Address book I have

1st line --- www.photobucket.com (I alphabetize by name of the website)
2nd line --- the email address I used when I signed up
3rd line -- the password or the secret code to the password
4th line -- anything else that might be important to that site. secret questions, secret answers, telephone number you used, etc.

I have 4 different accounts with Photobucket, so the address book has come in VERY handy when I can't remember what email went with which account.


This book has come in handy when I travel or when I am using a computer that isn't my own. I rely on my list of "favorites" on my own computer and have trouble remembering my favorite sites if I can't just use my bookmarks.

Even if I don't have to have a password or login name, I still write down websites - like Rocks in my Dryer, for instance, just so I have a record of sites I like.

I hope you found this to be helpful. I look forward to reading your tips!

Have a great day!
Kristin

What a day so far

Sometimes a day just goes in a totally different direction than you had planned when you woke up in the morning. I don't mind those days - not all - well, unless it is a bad day, then of course I don't want that. However today is a good day & a lot of unexpected events and thoughts have raced through already and it isn't even 2pm yet.

I went to our rental condo to finish up the cleaning (it didn't happen) but I got nearly done. The carpet was pretty stained, so I put on a carpet cleaning product and it has to dry before I can vacuum it up again, so that is the delay at this moment. I'll vacuum it tomorrow morning. The rest of the place is tide-clean. It will be ready to rent tomorrow.

While I was there, the neighbors, also my tenants, got a call from the Mayo Clinic. They have him on stand-by for a possible lung transplant. Oh glory. This is his third or fourth call and all have been canceled before he even had a chance to go to the hospital. I do hope that this lung is keeper for him. He and his wife have been with me for 10 months so far. Before it is all over, they will be here for a year. Good tenants, but still, I'd like to see him transplanted and get to go home. That is the goal - Come and stay for a little while and then go home a healthier person. I spent quite a bit of time with them, helping them with a few things in case he did need to go to the hospital today.

Now I'm home, waiting for my phone to charge because it was on it's last second of fuel. I had lunch & read my email. My aunt just emailed to say that when she handwashes her dishes, she thinks of me! I love it. I really love that there are things about me that triggers a "Kristin Memory" in someone and they think of me. What is so cool about that, is that this happens to everyone. There isn't a moment that goes by that someone in this wide world isn't thinking about you. Is that just incredible! Thanks Marg for mentioning the dishwashing event...it is like a big Ah-ha moment.

I go through the people I know sometimes like a Rolodex file. Flipping through Highschool, college, the other college, the final college, events, family, parties, etc. I like to recall the fun stuff, the good conversations and the peoples faces. If I think about people and send out good thoughts to them, then I know that I am getting that from others. Those good vibes crisscrossing the globe. I can see it now. I think the thoughts I send are in a corkscrew pattern though - not a graceful arch. It makes for a fun visual.

Well, I'm off to IKEA again, time to pick up the sink that was out of stock when we went last week. I called and it is being held for me right now. I plan on having a great drive to Orlando & back. Tom is staying in town. He has doors to hang in the Springfield flip, he is picking out tile for the kitchen over there and someone needs to be in town in case our tenant does indeed get the call that the lung is his...and if they need anything one of us will be around for them.

Hope you have a great day!
Kristin

A new roof

This is just a quick slideshow of the roof and some interesting things that sort of go along with the whole roof thing.

Les is standing up on what is left after all of the roofing has been torn off the roof. When I went inside the view is quite clear - straight to the sky! We need a new roof.





The sunlight pouring through was so cool. I wish we could put skylights in that mimicked that -- oh goodness, that would be a VERY expensive roof. The hallway was so bright with all that light streaming through. Unless something drastic is done, this is the most light this hallway will probably ever see.




All of the roofing supplies have been hauled up to the roof - the felt paper is already nailed into place. The shingles are next!



This is the back of the house. Dan, mr. carpenter man, is putting in my skylight. OK, so he's actually just cutting the hole, but I'm so excited. I wanted a tube skylight in the new bathroom because it doesn't have a natural light source...It is smack dab in the center of the house & it needed light. I have always thought these solar tubes were very cool - the one I purchased has a diameter of 10". Small but mighty, I guess haha


This is the finished roof. The boys were just gathering up their tools. It's only 1:30 in the afternoon. These boys were awesome.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Survivor!

Oh goodness I love Survivor. I've watched every season (in reruns) but started watching season three, I think. Tonight was the final episode + the reunion show. I really really enjoyed this season - it was so much fun to see the blind-sides actually work...even when I was absolutely positive that they HAD to see it coming! Oh goodness.

I won't say any more about the final episode.

not a single word.

Have a great week!

Kristin