LIFE'S A BEACH

It's been very hard to be gone for 8 days in a row!

But I am back and digging myself out of the jam I'm in for doing just that!

I have missed you!..and my internet access that I took so for granted!

WEATHERED WOOD PROJECT

See this stack of raw pine?

It was beginning to hurt my eyes!

as is all the bird poop on my car from my garage being blocked

see this bare ceiling?

also not so easy on the eyes after a few months

see this man paint?

Hard to imagine him in a stiff shirt and tie isn't it?

see this man patiently paint a stack of raw pine?

one by one?

see the raw side become the painted side?

here's our trick...

one part water base accidental dark gray color stashed in the garage to 10 parts water

because weather stain is in Amarillo 90 miles away and contractor forgot to pick up

we are clearly NOT on his mind

don't forget your drop cloth, pandora, 

mimosa

and when contractor finally gets around to your house?

it's quite possible to turn this

into this

next?

18 x 18 on the diagonal marble floors!

which hubs will do with the help of his trusty Chad!

and remember...my poor pooped on car?

it can't get in the garage anyway because that's where my bathtub is

floors, tub, car

maybe when my car can get in my garage that's when I will know

that we are nearing the finish line

THE LAND OF NOD

I heard on KVII Channel 7 this morning that insomnia is caused by intelligence....that intelligent people's minds cannot quiet down enough to sleep and often race during the night....this kind of perked me up from my slumber that I had just entered into around 4 am...about the time my mind quits thinking about 

1.  What am I going to do tomorrow (today)
2.  Do I need to call the Nat or go there to speak once again for those awesome tables that were $30 each
3.  Do I put mirror on those tables or left over marble--Annie Sloan or leftover flat wall paint?
4.  Did I invoice by email PTCI?  After all it is September 3 (4th)
5.  I am loving loving loving all the stuff I'm seeing on my favorite blogs
6.  Ok...I'll browse one more time my favorite blogs...man I love my iPad
7.  Will I bless God today with my actions words and deeds?
8.  Is it time to get up yet?
9.  Do I really want bees or just bee skeps...yep!  both!

INTELLIGENCE and INSOMNIA...PROOF that my days have no closure!

10. And Tuesday is Blog Day at all the HPOs...and this one is a great one that made me laugh...my bo peep writes for the Perryton HPO and she's pretty darn funny!

EMBRACE THE GRACE

I think I just about have all of my bases covered except for the damn dirty chicken......
Does it really make a difference? Not sure (ask me in 5 years and if she hasn't entered hormone fed poultry induced puberty, I will say yes). 

and glory be to the heavens!  

there are actually a few folks here working today at 822...so no Nat in Amarillo for me...oh no...I will be poised outside my 2nd story dormer cleaning my new windows that hubs installed on his vacation day, unobtrusively spying on what kind of work is really getting done!

so that in the middle of THIS night I can think about

1.  my  new weathered wood ceiling
2.  that they really really could poke 75 feet of electrical wire while it was underground
3.  how great those colorful tiles are going to look on my stairs
4.  what the heck am I going to do on a beach for 7 days?
5.  is it time to get up yet?

JUST A HINT

of something different

in the air

on Barkley Street

I HOPE

You're doing it

TODAY!  YESTERDAY AND EVERY WEEKEND YOU CAN!

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE

Email from hubs

B: check our hotmail account

Me: Okay, why

B:  You'll see

Can you guess?

I have never heard of it

but it seems just like the place I'd like to be in early September

with my man!

The Dominican Republic

with my man!

oh yeah!

THE OWL AND THE THUMB THING

Last week, we were out back and Betty was sitting on the porch when I saw her mother snap a photo of her thumbs with her phone.

Me:  What are you taking a picture of?
Grace:  Betty's thumbs
Me:  I look and see how she's holding them
Grace:  I do that very thing too...so strange
Me:  It is, I don't think I do it
Grace:  It must be a comfort thing

LATER

I am walking early in the morning and I realize

I am holding my thumbs, both hands, in the very same way
I cannot believe that I have never noticed it before and I never would have without Grace taking the photo

EARLIER

Grace buys me an owl necklace.  And then I buy her one.  And then she buys me another one.  Owls are back in style and I have discovered several around the house left here by Mike from the late 70's.  I find a very cool vintage orange one and buy it for Grace.  We laugh and promise...no more owl gifts....so strange...

LATER

Betty:  Poppy I have a surprise for you..close your eyes and come with me
Me:  Don't let me crash into the wall
Betty:  OK...open your eyes...her mother has given her a box containing all of her baby items (Grace's) which include the outfit she came home from the hospital in, a lock of hair, missing teeth, baby dolls and ....
Me:  BETTY...quick!  go tell your mother to come here right now!
Grace:  What!
Me:  I pull out...from the bottom of the box of precious items

a tiny brass owl that his been tucked away for 25 years

so...strange?

I think not

THE GARAGE SALE

This was no ordinary garage sale!

When we arrived at the Been residence to begin our fun weekend

hubby said to me..."ooo there's a garage sale down the street"

to which I replied.."maybe I'll walk down later"

expensive mistake!

After we had skulked about all over Lubbock looking for cool stuff

since we need more cool stuff..really we do

Mattie and I made it down to her neighbor's house...

Sandra..who is from Columbia..the country

and this is what I found..the photo does not do it justice

Table...$30

EXACTLY what I have been looking all over for

$30...

S.O.L.D.

but the hairstylist that bought it was to be back by 1 PM

with cash and if she didn't return..the table was mine!

I literally, I hate to admit it, but I literally went back to Mattie's in the quiet of my room and said a prayer

"I want that table...please oh please oh please let me have that table...please?"

but there was other cool stuff to buy!

like this cut lead decanter

to join hub's collection of vintage bar ware

and a set of glass tables that I put beside guest room bed

$30 for the pair

a piece to an old piano...where they foot pedals are? not sure, but

is this not an awesome architectural piece?

wine crates..by the dozen..we only took 3

we had golf clubs!

well...as it turns out, the hairstylist came back, cash in hand and picked up all her stuff

including the cool table

I literally, I hate to admit it, but I literally begged hubby to go beg her to buy it...right off her truck

reluctantly, he did and he offered her $75...she took it...if it had been me I would have said

NO WAY

but she took the money which proves

prayer works...even when you are being a spoiled brat

yep..this photo is in 

MY GARAGE!

we also found this wonderful picture at a neat garden store

that I do believe I will hang on the Jerico wall instead of the Poppy 

which I originally planned

Hey....that looks like some pretty cool stuff all stacked up there 

waiting waiting waiting

and speaking of waiting

ELEVEN UNDER

This weekend was spent raising money and doing all we did for a good cause

and that good cause was 

the American Cancer Society 

where the New Mrs. Coach Been works

We spent a lot of time on Buddy Holly Avenue listening to live music beneath the big Texas Sky

and at the Caprock Winery

crushing the harvest with our feet

but the thing I can brag about the most is the golf tournament we played in

where we scored -11 and nearly got in a fight

~a worthy fight~

because the "intoxicated set of four" behind us kept hitting into us

in honor of the weekend,  I have taken this opportunity to brag

on Mattie's golf career

1st on the left with her golf team

and the fact that hubs would get in a fight on a golf course to come to the rescue of his team

don't let this easy going demeanor fool you

and I have taken liberty with old photos 

where some things are missing and some are added 

hair and weight--in that order

but skill is intact

and Coach Been?  If I had a photo of you golfing and 

could show how really great you are...I would put it here...but since I don't, everyone will just have to trust

that you are one heck of a good driver, chipper and a fancy putter

and son!  

Congratulations on Closest to the Pin!

NEW BEGINNINGS

It seems like the laughter at Gus Birdwell Elementary just ended.  Summer is now officially past.

822 is so close to the playground I can hear it from my backyard...but today...the laughter will be different

Grace was born in Hansford Hospital and I think I might have been the only patient besides her...it seemed like we were in a spa...except for the ouchie part

But, when Charles was born, I was in a very large hospital on the maternity floor and he was one of 5 baby boys born that day

when they would wheel those hungry little boys down the hall

I promise you...I could hear his little cry over all the rest as he came my way

Today and this year...the laughter at Gus Birdwell Elementary will be different...

because mixed in with all those precious little voices will be a voice...the one giggle...that I will be able to hear above all the others...

as I listen to the laughter on the playground

at Gus Birdwell Elementary

beginning

today

MAKE IT HAPPEN

WHAT. DO.YOU. WANT.

?

I want:

Q:  To be with people I love and who love me

A:  Love is not a feeling it's a choice

Q:  To be healthy

A:  I walk, I work out, I eat right and don't smoke or drink or chew

Q:  To have a comfy bed

A:  I ordered down pillows and beds and comforters from Overstock.com with $2.30 shipping every day

Q:  To travel

A:  Sometimes I can afford Santorini and sometimes I can afford Amarillo..they are both an adventure

Q:  I want to create...I need art

A:  822 S. Barkley

Q:  I want an abundant life to share

A:  Give

Q:  I want I want I want... my prayers and wants and desires

A:  Habakkuk 2: 2

Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it

I believe all that is asked of us is a heart of gratitude and simple faith

ART LOFT STAIRS

Do you remember my friend Paula?

 I did a blog about her stairs. When she first moved to town, she hired me to create them....with much more than paint.   We became good friends and today I would have done them for free!

I used all kinds of colors, and papers, and jewels and music..you name it...

it's on here--under a couple of thick coats of varathane

I really liked how they turned out

(I didn't take these photos)

They are very whimsical and they fit her fun personality

even though I could, I would not re-create this in our small town

so I have to come up with a different plan for my back of the house stairs leading to the art loft

only 7 will be in view unless you're walking up to the loft

and I think this is it...I know it's it--because

We've ordered tiles for our stairs like this

each stair will have 8 6x6 tiles

 and each stair will be

 different with (Jerico) greens, blues and oranges (no bright reds...softer colors)

with  dark scraped wood risers

This will be on the floor

I can't wait to see it all together...everything surrounding it will be a soft neutral (except for that one green wall)..so a big impact in a small space...lots of color...

kind of like

only not so cushy and quite a bit taller