There Is Hope...

 

When we bought our house in February, the previous owners left us lots and lots of useful stuff behind. A really nice lawnmower and snowblower, yard and garden tools, a couple of newer portable air conditioners, etc. They are great and kind humans. 

There Is A Little Positive Light During My Extreme Bout Of Frustration

 

I'm aggravated. Instead of starting the process of painting our home office, I have spent most of the afternoon and evening prepping food for the week. It's warm. Humid. The 2 portable air conditioners that we rolled back out on Saturday because Mother Nature can't make up her mind are not helping much. 

I Did Several Happy Dances Over A Custom Made Raised Platform With Handles

 

Most people are well aware that Grace is not my middle name. I trip over air. I sustain some rather comical minor injuries. There is always at least one bruise on my legs. In fact, when I announced on my personal Facebook page last weekend, a friend replied, "I love ya, but know you’re a klutz. Please Be careful." 

This Solution For Eliminating Stink Bugs Is Magical

 

I hate stink bugs with every ounce of my being. Aside from the obvious reason, they creep me out. They can fly. They seem to just appear out of nowhere. They're a pain to dispose of because you don't want to release their stench. And, most products don't kill them because of their hard exterior. 

Before And After Photos Of Our Bodacious Dining Room

 

I promised I would post before and after photos of our Big Bodacious Painting Project. The dining room is the first room we decided to tackle. It's a separate room off the kitchen. The walls and trim were white. I have an aversion for white or off-white walls. That wasn't always the case...

The Dining Room Is Finished And We Are In Love

 

As most of you know, our Big Bodacious Painting Project started on Monday. Last weekend, we bought paint and supplies for our dining room and home office. That was after we visited our favorite orchard for apples, squash, hot cider doughnuts, and our first ever cider slushy. 

A Burst Of Color And Homemade Apple Pie Ice Cream

 

My original goal for this week was to get the dining room and the home office painted. But, after a frustrating day yesterday, that's not going to happen. But. That's okay because even though I personally have a deadline, we don't necessarily have a deadline. Things don't always go as planned. I'm okay with that. 

My Bodacious Dog Mom Day Was Equivalent To Drinking Orange Juice After Brushing My Teeth

 

If my day had a taste, this would be it. My quart-sized mason jar of iced coffee and pickles. I seriously ate this for a snack. I love both, but when you put them today it's equivalent to drinking orange juice after I brush my teeth.

The First Day Of Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Was A Success

 

So much stuff happened today. I don't even know where to begin. But, I'll start here. Lisa had to cover 2nd shift in her department today. So, it's after 9 p.m. and I'm sitting here writing this. Why? Because it's the 1st day of our Big Bodacious Painting Project. 

Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Has Become A Reality

 

Our Big Bodacious Painting Project is becoming a serious reality. Today was the day. After visiting our favorite local orchard, we headed to Lowe's for paint and supplies. I can't even begin to tell you how incredible it felt to pick out colors for our house. Our home. 

The Weekend Before Our Big Bodacious Painting Project

 

It's the weekend before I start on our Big Bodacious Painting Project. Exactly a week after I mentioned doing things differently than our last painting project in May of 2018. I have spent this entire week wrapping up a few online projects including launching my Lisa's Bodacious Kitchen Facebook page. 

Lisa's Bodacious Kitchen Has Come To Life

 

My goal this week was to get my food page up and running on Facebook. That happened yesterday and I am so excited. I finally have a dumping ground for my food photos and recipes. It's a page where I hope to inspire people to try new recipes. More so, it's a page where I post what I cook and bake. As is. 

You've Got Time To Say Thank You...

 

One of my favorite authors is Robert Fulghum. He was the inspiration behind how Lisa and I planned our wedding day and the reason why we don't exchange Christmas gifts with each other. In the late '80s, Robert Fulghum wrote a popular book titled, 'All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.' That book came to mind today. 

This Was Equivalent To A Human Toddler Dropping The F-Bomb

 

Before I share the conversation that happened earlier this afternoon, I want to let you know that Lobo has never chewed on shoes, fabric, plush toys, or anything else aside from chew bones. Until today. 

They Did Not Specify Human Kids Only

 

Earlier today, there was a contest posted on Facebook. You could win a gift card to one of our local ice cream/eatery places. All you had to do was post a back to school photo of your kid/s. So, I did.

We Are Not Etching Anything In Granite Because 2020 Has Been...

 

When it rains, it pours. And I'm not talking in the literal sense because we're in a severe drought and there's no rain in sight for the next 7-10 days. I'm referring to the sudden outpour of emails, texts, voicemails, and private messages. 

Total. House. Love.

 

We only have a week to get a lot of stuff done before I begin our Big Bodacious Painting Project. I also want to finish up a few online projects that I've been working on. In addition, Lisa and I need to choose colors and figure out which order the rooms, hallway, and entryway will be painted. 

Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Will Be A Lot Different This Time Around

 

In May of 2018, Lisa took a vacation week so we could tackle our Big Bodacious Painting Project. Our goal was to get it all done within that week, but that didn't exactly happen. When Lisa went back to work, I continued to paint the rooms that we had not gotten to. 

When You Get Excited Over Nail Trims...

 

There was a time when I used to trim our kid's nails. However, a few years ago while trimming Coco's black nails, I snipped his quick. It bled. We couldn't find our container of Kwik Stop Styptic Powder so Lisa rushed to a local pet store to grab some. Between her leaving and getting back, I tried to stop the minor bleeding with baking soda. It worked a bit, but there were still blotches of blood on the towel. 

Where Oh Where Is Willa

 

I always know where our kids are day and night. Throughout the day, I always check on them at least twice an hour. They have their favorite napping spots so it only takes me a minute to glance here or there. Once in a blue moon, one of them throws me for a loop. That happened today. 

I Just Want To Say...Thank You

 

This photo has been residing in my drafts on this blog site since November of last year. I have attempted to write dozens of blog columns to accommodate this photo with the title being, 'To The Young Adult Who Told Me That I Sit On My Fat Ass All Day...'  With every draft I've written, I've deleted it. Over and over. Month after month. Until today.

It's Almost Time For...

 

I was in the kitchen earlier today and a gigantic thought hit me like a wrecking ball. It's almost the middle of September. Next month is October. The month that Lisa and I had set aside to tackle painting projects. Yikes!

Our Kids Wake Up From Nap When They Hear Fresh Produce Being Prepped In Our Bodacious Kitchen

 

There is a meme that I see quite frequently on my social media streams. It has several pictures of the same dog laying down and lounging in various circumstances like the doorbell ringing, someone breaking into the home, the mail being delivered, etc. The last photo is the dog being awakened and completely alert. The caption for that photo is, "The sound of a cheese wrapper being opened" or "The sound of food falling on the floor."

Our Latest Homemade Ice Cream Adventure Is Pumpkin Pie

 

For most, Labor Day marks the end of the Summer season. It's celebrated with backyard barbecues, soaking in the last of the Summer swims, boating, and...Fall Fairs. Unfortunately due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the Fall Fairs in our state and beyond have been canceled. That was a really big deal and people were disappointed. Fall Fairs are a deeply rooted tradition. So is Fair Food.

When You Get The Big Dog Bed All To Yourself

 

I made a rather large DIY dog bed in early May from 4 chair cushions that we had purchased in March and forgot to return. They were too small for our dining room chairs. We always have a thick plush blanket on top. All of our kids love the bed. If I'm working in our home office, that's where I put the bed. If I work from the dining room table, the dog bed is moved to the dining room. 

The New Desk Chair Was Too Short For Me, But Coco Loves It

 

Every year for Mother's Day, the kids surprise each of us with a gift. It's something we've done every year. This year was no exception. The theme was chairs. I needed a comfortable desk chair for our home office. Lisa wanted a chair for lounging on our screened-in back porch. 

I Drank A Pumpkin Spice Latte And I Liked It

 

I'm not one to rush the seasons. You'll never hear me say, "I can't wait until the (?) season is here." Life is short. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. And, a lot can happen between point A (the here and now) and point B (whatever time frame you're wishing to fast forward to). This year is a little different. No, I'm not rushing the seasons, but it's September 1st and I've already had 2 pumpkin spice lattes, made a batch of whoopie pies, and there's a gorgeous loaf of pumpkin bread sitting on the counter.