Torn Trap, Restoring Antique Framed Family Photos, Rehabbing Ikea Trash, The Laying Has Commenced!!!

Torn Trapezoid- 
Well Spring is most definitely here! We had two days with near record high in the upper 60s and yesterday we got a good rain which we needed. Temperatures have dropped back down into the low 50's in the day and 30's at night. Lots of things are coming up in the garden front and back-

Tulips and Asian Poppies

Crocus

I haven't been posting much lately because I've had a really chronic shoulder problem with my right trapezius. It was so inflamed and painful that it was really wearing me out. I was really lucky that I was able to do acupuncture which helped a lot. Since my insurance didn't cover it I used a local acupuncture Co-op that has sliding fee scales. They're also open 7 days a week, just really helpful when you work weekdays So between that and Chiropractic I am about 90% good at this juncture. I've been doing heat/ ice, stretching, Arnica Gel, natural anti-inflammatories as well, so I did a multicultural approach so to speak. I have this happen a year or two ago and I think it's a little bit of overuse from doing so much keyboarding at work but that's a guess. Good news is, I'm on the mend. Then last weekend I god a cough and sore throat, not a good combo, just really wore me out. Cough cold almost gone, just lower energy still. Did my usual Homeopathic remedies, essential oils and stayed home Wednesday from work and rested. It all helped. 

Restoring Antique Framed Family Photos-
When we went to Portland in December for my husband Dave's annual family Christmas party he was able to bring home a couple of framed sets of photos of his father Tony. The frames were really old and the wood was dried out. Some of the pictures were askew and just needed some TLC. I basically took everything apart and here's what I did-

Flaws in the original placement

Wood dried and beat up

I slid the back off both and re-taped with some Scotch Create Acid Free Tape, costs $4.00-

Also found some good info buried under the backing- who was in the photo-

I used dark Old English wood oil and really coated both frames. Let dry and polished.

I washed the glass and put back together, looks much better! Hanging in our front hall instead of in a box somewhere...

Rehabbing Ikea Trash-
A few months ago I bought a few Ikea items online and had them shipped to the house. They're shipping is only $5 when you buy certain items so I was pretty excited at the great deals I got. One of the things I bought with it was a really large vase and it arrived in PIECES. Not only was I shocked that Ikea did such a poor packing job, but the fact that the box was mostly empty, didn't have a lot of packing left me scratching my head. I did send an email for a refund along with photos of the box with all the pieces of the vase inside. They gave me a full refund pretty quickly.  I decided not to re-order since I was afraid the whole thing would happen all over again. I started thinking that there was actually several very clean breaks in the stoneware and that maybe I could glue it back together. My thought was even if it look pretty rough most of the way around I could use it outside on my deck. I could fill with Ivy or something that would camouflage it. So last week I went ahead and glued it all back together. I think it actually came up pretty good! I found this glue that worked great-

I started with the front then did the back, then the handle-

Back

Front, not bad!!!

The Laying Has Commenced!!!
I was really shocked this week when I went out to close up the coop for the evening and found tTWo EGGS! Sadly around the time that two of our hens were killed, by what appeared to be a random local dog, the other two also stop playing. That was probably back in about October. So we have had ZERO eggs since then. Since both of our hens will be 6 years old in a few months I figured they were probably just done. But no!!! This week I had two eggs the first night, two eggs the next night and one egg yesterday. Bless their little feathery hearts, they are back into their laying mode. I assume some of it' the longer, warmer days. It is really nice and I told them how much I appreciate them. I'm planning on getting two or three new pullets (female baby chicks) in late spring/ early summer. We buy ours from a local hatchery a few days old and it always depends on what their supply is. When we first started keeping chickens I made the mistake of buying chicks on spring break which was a huge mistake. They need to be kept inside where it's warm until they feather out and that is always a mess. Not too bad for just a couple of chicks though. So the great news is we do have some fresh eggs again and I am SO grateful. I knew my girls were worth keeping even though I are thought they were retired. Who knew that they were not retired yet? They say that chickens are born with all the eggs they will ever lay and once they're done they're done so apparently mine are not HAHA!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

We just finished a nice ham dinner just the two of us and had dessert. I baked my favorite Cranberry Tart with fresh cranberries and cornmeal, yum!

No snow here, just rain, but Santa is still coming. Dave came down with Influenza A last week and I got hit by normal bronchitis two days later. Lots of homeopathic remedies out for me, essential oils for both of us and Dave on Tamiflu. He felt much better with that, amazing stuff when you need it. I'm feeling much better this afternoon, cough mostly gone. We're having Christmas Day here, then dinner at one of my daughters. Starting a new job Wednesday with my same company, will be nice change I think. Did some baking today, listened to holiday tunes, and took a nap. Not bad all in all! All the presents are wrapped, downsized, (more later about that). Mellow times and off to watch a holiday movie! Happy Holidays to you all!!!

Independence Days Challenge, How I Beat Cold/Flu In 4 Days!

Independence Days Challenge-
It's been a couple of crazy weeks with Thanksgiving, my birthday, then the flu (more below). Now we have an inversion, cold polluted air pressed down by high pressure. Gray, cold and bad air, yuck. BUT we still got some things done! Grand baby Oliver has just started walking! Now we have two grand children up on their feet, wow how time flies! I'll be putting out winter decor this weekend, photos coming. It was really nice to take a breather between the holidays. Thanks to those of you who have joined us at Facebook! Nice to see some of you migrating over, and no worries if some of you aren't interested. So here we go...

1. Plant Something- Sadly wrong time of year here. I did get the new Baker Creek Heirloom Seed catalog! Seeds galore!

2. Harvest Something- Herb box still has survived the cold! Love fresh herbs in recipes.

3. Preserve/Store Something- I read this article and never had thought of How To Can Water For Emergencies, great idea and a way to use empty/extra canning jars. 

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- Bought some items at Costco. Been getting good monthly deals at the Natural Grocers Store with their monthly sales- organic free range eggs ($1.99), Dave's Killer bread ($2.50) , and organic apples ($1.99 lb). My lousy hens are still on strike! No eggs sadly. Babies in the spring will take care of that! I got a couple of calendars, one for a co-worker (Secret Santa) and one for my desk at work, huge selection-

Mini Calendar from Calenders.com love it!

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe- I bought some cranberry/orange scones/biscotti at Costco yesterday. BIG, more like a sticky bun/scones. Great flavor! I made some more French style baked Eggs with french bread and veggies for dinner. Great on a cold night and cheap! I'm doing more egg recipes now that I have a good source. 

6. Build Community Food Systems- Not this time of year. 

7. Recycle/Re-Use- Re-used some cardboard boxes for mailing eBay items. We donated my used monitor to a high poverty school near Dave's job. They were thrilled to get it! I will be going through more winter/holiday decor to see what to give away. I just keep downsizing "stuff" and it great not to have to store so much. We actually have EMPTY SHELVES in the garage now :) 

8. Skill Up- I've been reading an ebook I bought about building up my blog. I want to start reorganizing it, with tabs at the top for easier access, maybe a dot.com address, etc. You'll see some gradual changes over time, and feel free TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS!!! I'm thinking tabs at the top for things like- DIY, Recipes, Chicken Keeping, Food Preservation. What do YOU think?

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- I was having trouble with my steam mop, not sending out quite as much steam as normal. I did some research online, took off the head, sprayed with Lime Away and let sit. I rinsed, filled up the mop and boy did it steam!!! Worked great!
Dave's light weight boots are now coming apart a bit at the soles, so I will break out the Shoe Goo. Works excellent. I even used some to reattach a corner on a silicone Purse Gummy, they work great, but mine got a bit loose, all fixed. These gummies are awesome, put them on my purses, no more slipping off my shoulders!

Click on photo for more info!

How I Beat Cold/Flu In 4 Days!

It's that time of year, cold and flu season. We have patients in our clinic coughing all over practically every day, then we're all exposed out in the rest of world. Germs are everywhere. There's that gray area between a cold/upper respiratory infection and Influenza. You actually need a Flu "test" to determine what you have. I have learned over the years to take vitamin D3 year round to boost my immune system. Because I have asthma I can get NASTY bronchitis, closing the airway and making for a terrible time. A few years back a friend started to teach me about using essential oils. I started using her "recipe" as soon as I felt any symptoms coming on. I mix 2 Tbl of a plain "carrier oil", I use sweet almond massage oil, and 16 drops of Organic Tea Tree oil. Mix well in a little bottle. The massage oil was about $10.00 for a big bottle, Tea Tree oil about $8.00, enough to last a few years. Monday at work I started sneezing really badly all day, glands started to swell, nose was closing up. That night after I showered I rubbed the oil mixture on the pads of both feet, including between the toes. I also rubbed it into my throat glands and under my nose. I slept really well about half the night. I woke up really headachy about 3 a.m., tossed and turned until 6 a.m.then called in sick. I slept until 10, got up, no energy, still had the headache, no appetite. I always keep some Boiron Oscillococcinum for Flu-like Symptoms on hand which has helped both Dave and I many times. I also have Boiron Homeopathic Cold Calm Tablets for Colds always stocked in our hall closet. I decided to do something different and I took BOTH, not together, but spaced out a bit. I rested, drank liquids and parked with kitty Anya in front of Netflix. By dinner time, I was able to eat a light dinner and sinuses had backed way off! Slept much better hat night. Since I couldn't quite tell if it was "flu" vs a "cold" I had treated both. Homeopathy is such a great blessing to health. Read up on it if interested and I HIGHLY recommend you keep these on hand during flu season. No side affects, works great, just do your own research before using.  Be responsible. As of today, Friday I feel like I'm back to 90% normal! No antibiotics or steroids as in the past. Happy dance!

During An Illness- How Not To Say The Wrong Thing

During An Illness- How Not To Say The Wrong Thing-
The following article really hit home with me, as I have been on both sides! I think it's excellent advice-

It works in all kinds of crises – medical, legal, even existential. It's the 'Ring Theory' of kvetching. The first rule is comfort in, dump out. By Susan Silk and Barry Goldman

When Susan had breast cancer, we heard a lot of lame remarks, but our favorite came from one of Susan's colleagues. She wanted, she needed, to visit Susan after the surgery, but Susan didn't feel like having visitors, and she said so. Her colleague's response? "This isn't just about you."

It works in all kinds of crises – medical, legal, even existential. It's the 'Ring Theory' of kvetching. The first rule is comfort in, dump out.

"It's not?" Susan wondered. "My breast cancer is not about me? It's about you?"

The same theme came up again when our friend Katie had a brain aneurysm. She was in intensive care for a long time and finally got out and into a step-down unit. She was no longer covered with tubes and lines and monitors, but she was still in rough shape. A friend came and saw her and then stepped into the hall with Katie's husband, Pat. "I wasn't prepared for this," she told him. "I don't know if I can handle it."

This woman loves Katie, and she said what she did because the sight of Katie in this condition moved her so deeply. But it was the wrong thing to say. And it was wrong in the same way Susan's colleague's remark was wrong.

Susan has since developed a simple technique to help people avoid this mistake. It works for all kinds of crises: medical, legal, financial, romantic, even existential. She calls it the Ring Theory.

Draw a circle. This is the center ring. In it, put the name of the person at the center of the current trauma. For Katie's aneurysm, that's Katie. Now draw a larger circle around the first one. In that ring put the name of the person next closest to the trauma. In the case of Katie's aneurysm, that was Katie's husband, Pat. Repeat the process as many times as you need to. In each larger ring put the next closest people. Parents and children before more distant relatives. Intimate friends in smaller rings, less intimate friends in larger ones. When you are done you have a Kvetching Order. One of Susan's patients found it useful to tape it to her refrigerator.

Here are the rules. The person in the center ring can say anything she wants to anyone, anywhere. She can kvetch and complain and whine and moan and curse the heavens and say, "Life is unfair" and "Why me?" That's the one payoff for being in the center ring.

Everyone else can say those things too, but only to people in larger rings.

When you are talking to a person in a ring smaller than yours, someone closer to the center of the crisis, the goal is to help. Listening is often more helpful than talking. But if you're going to open your mouth, ask yourself if what you are about to say is likely to provide comfort and support. If it isn't, don't say it. Don't, for example, give advice. People who are suffering from trauma don't need advice. They need comfort and support. So say, "I'm sorry" or "This must really be hard for you" or "Can I bring you a pot roast?" Don't say, "You should hear what happened to me" or "Here's what I would do if I were you." And don't say, "This is really bringing me down."

If you want to scream or cry or complain, if you want to tell someone how shocked you are or how icky you feel, or whine about how it reminds you of all the terrible things that have happened to you lately, that's fine. It's a perfectly normal response. Just do it to someone in a bigger ring.

Comfort IN, dump OUT.

There was nothing wrong with Katie's friend saying she was not prepared for how horrible Katie looked, or even that she didn't think she could handle it. The mistake was that she said those things to Pat. She dumped IN.

Complaining to someone in a smaller ring than yours doesn't do either of you any good. On the other hand, being supportive to her principal caregiver may be the best thing you can do for the patient.

Most of us know this. Almost nobody would complain to the patient about how rotten she looks. Almost no one would say that looking at her makes them think of the fragility of life and their own closeness to death. In other words, we know enough not to dump into the center ring. Ring Theory merely expands that intuition and makes it more concrete: Don't just avoid dumping into the center ring, avoid dumping into any ring smaller than your own.

Remember, you can say whatever you want if you just wait until you're talking to someone in a larger ring than yours.

And don't worry. You'll get your turn in the center ring. You can count on that.
Susan Silk is a clinical psychologist. Barry Goldman is an arbitrator and mediator and the author of "The Science of Settlement: Ideas for Negotiators." From- Latimes.com