We received lots of packages in the mail yesterday. Two of them were Christmas gifts for the girls from my Mother-In-Law. I opened the boxes smoothed out the newspapers from Philadelphia so my Husband could read about home and put the packages under the tree. I heard an odd noise this morning and found Cadillac, one of the cats, chewing and clawing his way into a gift bag of clothing???? He is more weird than most cats anyway.. But really?? The last time any of the boys messed with things under the tree it was our old rabbit, Pepper, who had an affair with a wrapped leather purse there. My children and the cats make me smile every day. I hope this story makes you smile too.

On Saturday after my daughter's music lesson we went to two new (to us) Salvation Army Stores. She found a few pieces of clothing for herself and for gifts at each store. She also found an elephant figurine with its trunk up for luck and good fortune. The clerk broke off the ear and so she got it for free. The ear is glued back on and it is as good as new. I found some books, some sheet music from the 1800's, some new in the packages 1950's sheets and pillow cases and the best find a vintage in the box with all the parts photographic laboratory scale!! All will be in my store as soon as I have time to list. Even if we hadn't found anything we had a great day! We got home and my oldest daughter and her boyfriend came to dinner. I had made an easy to eat quiche for my daughter. It is one of her childhood favorites, dinner pie, and with her Bell's Palsy she needed some comfort food she could actually eat. Sunday my husband made her some spicy chicken peanut soup that is pureed so she could sip it through a straw. On Monday I went for a walk the first day it wasn't really slippery out.. Plus it is hard to keep me home on trash day. Anyway, I found a pile of books that will either be used for art projects or donated to the library, nothing special in the bunch but books shouldn't be thrown out, a trophy that I am going to try to turn into a lamp, a small Christmas tree that I will decorate for next year with tiny ornaments and the best thing as far as I am concerned a bird bath base terra cotta embossed with birds in mint condition. I can't wait till spring to put that out. Now I have to figure put exactly what I will top it with. Maybe the perfect top will be thrown out next week??

I can't say I love it but I did put the tree up today. Everyone is always so helpful putting it up. I end up taking it down alone. Oh, well. We have only lights on it so far and maybe it will stay that way. The boys have all ready climbed it and weren't about to let anyone near their new plaything. I have it tied to a bolt in the wall my husband put there just for this reason... When the cats are up in the tree they knock it down. The best part of this is I had to clean the living room. I hate housework but if you are going to move furniture for the tree I feel I might as well do it right. I brought the bakers rack in from the Florida room for the potted plants that are wintering over in the house. That will stay in the living room till Spring. I am thinking that the coffee table will go on freecycle tomorrow and I'll bring the coffee table in from the Florida room too. I like that one better and my husband hates them both so it won't matter to him. I make the family sound like Grinchs but really they're just busy. My younger daughter and I nearly fell to the floor laughing as we started to bring the tree up from the basement and the bottom fell out of the box. She spent an hour fixing the branches at just the right angles and putting the lights on it. When S got off the bus and I pushed her chair in the front door her face lit up. She knows Santa is near when the tree is up. She shared her chips and salsa with a stuffed reindeer. Tomorrow is two craft shows and some shopping for stocking stuffers with my daughter. Sunday I am going fabric shopping with a friend.

It was nice to be back on a schedule this morning. It was very cold and the pond had actually iced over. I was very careful on the boardwalk bridge over the edge of the marsh as well. That always freezes over first. I had let S sleep in so I had her in her chair for part of the walk. I dropped her off at school. I found a copper and plastic wall hanging of The Last Supper in the trash. Made me smile the rest of the walk. I also found a plastic planter that I can see three heads of butter lettuce in come summer, also some wire hangers, perfect for taking clothes to the Resale Shop. Someone had thrown out a flag and I was going to pick it up on my way back from the high school but the trash men got it first and had it in the cab of the truck as they went by. At least they had some respect. As we were walking by the small pond by the high school I saw lots of ducks swimming around with what looked like a piece of drift wood dragging behind. It turned out to be a muskrat that didn't like the ducks in his pond. By the time I got back out of the school the muskrat had given up the chase but here are some photos of the ducks in the pond. Also a photo of the copper masterpiece and a couple of photos of the new bird feeder my husband surprised me with. Of course no photo array would be complete without a picture of at least one of my cats.

I had announced months ago I was not cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. Most people seemed horrified. It has been the best decision I have made for Thanksgiving. No one in my family likes more than two of the traditional menu items anyway. It is an unpleasant menu to make all alone in the kitchen. My youngest daughter works retail. She was at work till three this morning and the store opens at the insane hour of four tomorrow morning so she has slept most of the day. My oldest daughter and her boyfriend have dropped their dog off with me for the afternoon while they go to his families house for dinner. My middle daughter (she is handicapped) has had a wonderful day watching ball games and movies with Daddy. The only ones not happy with the day are the cats.... They hate Sam, the dog. Anyway, I made a pasta salad, mashed potatoes and baked chicken for dinner. There are berries and heavy cream for desert. I think everyone did what they wanted and had a good holiday. I worked in both etsy stores all day and didn't even get dressed! It was too cold and damp to walk. Tomorrow I'll walk (if it isn't snowing) and get the laundry done and probably even get dressed! I hope everyone had the Thanksgiving they wanted this year. We did.

I took a walk this morning in the fog. That really reminded me of life in Pacific Grove! It was foggy on that part of the California Coast all the time. It is warm for November in Michigan. They are saying snow on Friday though. That's OK... It won't stick yet, the ground is too warm still. Anyway I took some photos of the fog on the trail today. I was eye level to a hawk on the path. He was on a tree branch that was growing in the gully, hence the eye to eye thing. He was fine with me but flew off when he heard the whir of the camera powering up. He was close enough to touch you'll just have to take my word for it.

Yesterday was a busy day and I ended up walking close to ten miles. First it was trash day so that means my Monday figure eight through two sub divisions. I found a pop bottle (10 cents) on the walk plus a globe. I got home and picked up the car because just around the corner were 3 mirrors, a table, 2 bedside tables, a large box filled with wrapping paper (some still in the wrappers!) and 2 chairs. Sadly the chairs were broken more than I can fix at this time, as were two of the mirrors. I wanted the table but it was too heavy for me to carry alone and it wouldn't fit in the car. The bedside tables were hideous!!! Black and gray laquer 1980's bachelor pad with missing drawers!!! My daughter and I are thrilled with the wrapping paper and the mirror with frame is very nice too. I then walked to the high school for my daughter's class's Thanksgiving Feast. I found 2 cents on that walk! Plus had a wonderful time with my daughter and her classmates and had a free lunch. Later I walked to the post office. I figure I walked enough to earn the extra large piece of pumpkin pie I had for dinner. I am back to really healthy eating today. The cats were posing so nicely I couldn't resist taking a few photos of them too. I may be turning into a crazy cat lady! Very few photos of my kids lots of the cats!!

The doctors visits were good yesterday but the waiting kept S and me from Zingermans for lunch. We are good to go for another month. After my husband got home G and I went to the mall. I had gotten a coupon in the mail for a free pair of pearl earrings. I wanted to be sure and get them since it is a perfect stocking stuffer and the price sure was right. We walked around the mall and looked at stuff. Then we went to the fabric store and looked at things there. Then to Target for Buffalo Chicken Wing flavored chips. I am sure they are horrible for you but they sure are tasty! Today is buckle down and get some work done around here. First though is a walk.

As odd as this sounds I love days when my daughter and I have medical appointments all day. It forces me to stay focused on one thing and sit still. No getting up to switch laundry loads or flit from one project to another and most importantly no going to the kitchen for a snack! Today I am taking a book, a crocheted Christmas stocking project that I should be able to complete and a crocheted blanket project in case I do get the stockings completed. I am putting a chicken in the crock pot so that when we get home dinner will be ready. In between everything hopefully we'll have time to stop by Zingermans for lunch and a trip down to the Treasure Mart and over to Found as well. Trying to pack so much into one day but I like to make the most of my gas money and do as much as I can in Ann Arbor when I am there! Enjoy the day!

I had a lovely walk this morning. It is a tad on the cool side but no ice patches yet to slip on! No good trash either..... But I found a dollar bill! Yesterday all I found was a penny so I got a raise today. I will spend the dollar at the hospital parking lot tomorrow. My daughter and I have appointments and need to pick up meds there. Last week trash day netted me two empty pots with trays for next years tomato plants, a pot with hens and chicks all ready planted in it that is now brightening the front window and a quilt that turned out to have a few minor stains and color fading after a spin in the washer at extra hot. It is really new so not even worth cutting up for country chic pillows or "whatevers" but it is pretty and will go to Salvation Army and will keep someone warm. Yesterday my daughter was complaining she didn't have any comfy pants, for working floor sets, that were long enough and had pockets. I searched through patterns and found a couple of stretch fabrics for her to choose from and ran up a pair of pants in no time with the pockets she wanted, in a soft stretch fabric sadly in a yucky color. The pattern is right, she had pants for work and even if she never wears them again it was worth it. I have far too many started projects and not enough finished ones so to finish something was a real motivational boost! I am off to run errands. And just maybe I'll get another project done today.

While my youngest daughter was gone on a road trip my husband and I got a glimpse of our future with only our handicapped daughter and the cats at home. I do believe after this incident we will need to get a few new hobbies. I heard my daughter laughing and found her in the Florida room watching the cat go crazy at the window. It turns out there is a mouse in between the glass and the screen safe from the cat and not budging. I got the one cat out of the room and found the other cat napping so things were safe but the mouse was not coming out of the window. We continued on with our day and soon the mouse came out and sat on top of the mini blinds. When my husband got home from work we went on a mouse hunt. We are apparently not great mousers. It took two adults with two oatmeal containers and an orange juice can a long time and a race through the house to not only keep the mouse away from the cats but catch it too all with my daughter following us giggling. The good news is we did catch the mouse unharmed and he was put outside, my daughter had a few laughs and that is worth the world to us and the cats got some exercise. Also all though the containers we used were for projects of mine they went immediately into the recycle bin. I took some similar pictures with my phone and sent them to my wandering daughter who wanted us to get a cage so we could keep the mouse as a pet. I think not.

Yesterday was trash day and it was a fruitful walk. Not only was the weather perfect for me to walk in we also saw a herd of deer in the woods behind us. Many does and fawns eating and keeping an eye on my daughter and me. The squeaky wheel on the wheelchair certainly kept their ears pricked! I wish I had had my camera with me then. I have to start remembering the camera every time I go out. Anyway, here is a picture of our haul from yesterday. There is a nice hard side Samsonite suitcase, a lamp and 2 shades, a really nice coat hook, and my favorite a rusted bird cage shaped like a church. There was also a styrofoam skull in the front yard. A good Monday all the way around.

Back to the cats for one day. I woke up far earlier than I wanted this morning with "The Boys" on either side of my head staring at me. They wanted breakfast. I wanted to sleep in as I am nursing a cold. The cats won this morning. I suppose they did me a favor, I have things to do today.

As sick as I am today and as sick as my daughter is, both of us with colds I thought a walk would do us some good. It is trash day after all. I am hoping the exercise will help me sleep better tonight and with my daughter bundled up in her chair she might feel better too. It worked! She is a tad more alert and I have been able to get a few things done around the house. I know my energy will give out soon but I am ready for that with a good book and crocheting. I am without a car this week so this mornings walk included a trip to the post office to mail a couple of vintage book orders to far flung corners of the globe. I also took pictures of the fall leaves to use as my etsy store avatar. I took photos of S in her chair loaded down with our finds but for some reason they didn't turn out???! I am the worst photographer in the world. Anyway today I found a wooden bench to use as an end table. This replaces the smaller wobley bench that was there that the cats have knocked over twice in three weeks that I know of, once with a bowl of soup on it and once with a cup of coffee. The smaller bench has all ready been listed in freecycle. I also found 2 small trees to use as displays at craft shows, an ugly wreath that I will take apart and make pretty and a metal plant stand that all ready holds a large potted plant in the front window so it will catch the weak winter sun. All that and 2 pop cans that equal 20 cents!

On a road trip last week I had about 15 minutes to kill before an appointment. It was cold and rainy and I saw an Estate Sale sign. My companions were dismayed. Needless to say we were late. I could have stayed several hours and needed many more dollars. I did find some wonderful books, a Pennsylvania Dutch style tablecloth and several jars of buttons. I did see a Rock M' Sock M' Robot in the box that I would have loved also a train set but alas with the luggage and wheelchair there was no more room. One whole wall piled on the floor were reproduction oil paintings and prints. I would have loved to sort through them. And then there was the kitchen and garage that I couldn't even make a dent in. I am having fun playing with the new to me finds.

I have had a whirlwind couple of weeks. I'll start at the first of October and work forward. Our little town has PumpkinFest every year the first weekend in October. There is a craft show, carnival, contests and a LONG parade. Usually I put my daughter in her chair and go see the parade and then walk to the craft show and make a Saturday of it but thus year it was cold and rainy. We know lots of people in the parade and S usually has a good time waving at all her friends and filling a bag with giveaways from businesses and organizations. This year her sister was Up North and wasn't in the parade with her preschool students and most of her friends were staying home because of the weather. I thought that at least on Sunday we could walk down to the Craft Show and watch the dog contest but the weather was still cold and it was pouring rain. I stopped in to the craft show that afternoon to support the local crafters on the way to the grocery store. I shared the hallways of the Middle School with many wet dogs as the dog competition had to be canceled due to weather., also lots of wet people. I did my best to support fellow artists and crafters. I got a huge jar of Michigan honey for my husbands tea this winter, 2 greeting cards for 2 of my In-Laws October birthdays and the best 2 salt lamps from a lady who has been at the PumpkinFest forever and has had to stop because her back can't lift the heavy boxes for set up anymore... The cards were beautiful but one was a bit too fat and cost way extra in postage, my Grandmother-In-Law is worth it though! That is just something to keep in mind when making or buying cards. I got a pyramid shaped salt lamp that heats up with a night light set and a natural rock shape lump of salt that holds a tea lite candle. A few years ago I had bought my oldest daughter a pyramid shaped one that she loves. I wish I had had the money to purchase something from 2 other vendors. Vintage Silverware Treasures had jewelry and home decor items made from vintage silverware pieces. Beautiful stuff and there table set up was terrific. The first layer was a plain white table covering with a white chenille skirt. Next came beautiful vintage hankies laid flat like placemats, then to create levels they used vintage clear glass cake stands. The other vendor was Alphabetical Architecture. This couple had a great eye for taking architectural photos and seeing the alphabet in them. check out www.alphabeticalarchitecture.com. I went off to the grocery store after that and my most excellent day was improved by a book sale in front of the grocery store. They were selling hardcover books for a dime and paperbacks for five for a dime. I bought a few books to read and a couple to sell. I love it when I fall into stuff like that.

Yesterday afternoon I walked to the post office and found seven cents.. Not much but I always do the math as I walk on.... added to the cans I found earlier that is thirty-seven cents which covers the etsy fees on one of the packages I was mailing and if you add up all the pennies and cans I find over the year I have enough to pay one month of our homeowners insurance. I stopped in at The South Lyon Resale Store and found an unopened package of soft yellow yarn and I can't wait to crochet a baby blanket out of it, a yard of black cotton fabric with hot pink polka dots (I can't pass up polka dots) and the best thing a winter jacket for Stephanie! I have been looking for a year making do with her thread bare jacket from five or so years ago. I found, at the same resale store, a dress winter coat this Spring but she can't wear that in her wheel chair. I brought it home and Gaela gave it her fashion approval so off to school Stephanie went this morning in her new coat. Stephanie and I are going to pick up my Mom in Illinois tomorrow. She has been there for a week visiting her life long best friend. Mom lives in California. I am so excited. I miss living near my Mom and look forward to her visits! Add a road trip into the mix and it is almost too much! Enjoy the day.

Well, yesterday my walk ended up rewarding... It always does on trash day. I picked up a cd something about the shine on a cd makes me know I will be able to do something with it.. I have a stack of them. How they end up on the road with such regularity is beyond me. Anyway, I also found a cheap print in a really nice mat and frame. The glass is broken but that is easy to cut to fit something else and the frame will come in handy as well. I had seen an old battered sled that I was going to throw in the trunk of my car as I left the sub for appointments in town, but sadly (at least it isn't in the landfill though) it was gone as I drove by. I was going to use it as a plant stand in the front window for the potted plants I winter over inside. A few houses down from the missing sled was a stack of encyclopedias in great condition that hadn't been there earlier (I walk really really early). I passed, thinking what would I do with those and what will my husband do with me??? I got a door down and put the car in reverse. I just couldn't let a book go to the landfill. I thought I could donate them to the library or cut them up or fold them for altered art projects. Then I thought how am I going to fit my daughter's (Stephanie) wheel chair in the trunk with all those books? The solution... I asked her teachers while I was picking her up if they wanted a set of encyclopedias for the classroom they were out the door with a wheeled cart faster than I could wheel Stephanie out the door. Good news for the planet and the classroom. Today on my walk I found three beer cans...Not good since they had been thrown from a car... drinking and driving.. I am so not a fan... But the good news is here in Michigan finding three cans is like finding three dimes! All that and I burned a few calories and thought a few thoughts and saw lots of geese and ducks getting ready to head south.

Yesterday my oldest daughter,Elizabeth, came over with her dog and we went for a long walk. Sam , the dog, is a sweet yellow lab and he enjoyed the path hear the pond the most. We had put Stephanie in her chair and it was nice for her to get out in the fresh air too. We walked nearly four miles. I just finished reading "I'll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do)" by Mark Greenside. Essays about adjusting to life on two continents. Very amusing. It got below freezing last night.... The second time this month. I'll have to bring the rest of my potted plants in today to winter over. The cats will love that... They think all the house plants are appetizers! Today I am cooking several casseroles to freeze and take to Illinois with me later this week. I'll make double batches so I won't have to cook this week at all! Gaela was in Detroit last night at the Hanson concert. Last I heard she had a blast. I'll hear more later. I am off to enjoy the day. It is sunny and cold here just the way I like it.

Just A Question Today: Why is it a cat won't let you take a picture of them when that is what you are aiming for and won't stay out of the picture when you need to photograph something else??

Walked this morning. Perfect weather for a walk, cold and dry. The rest of the morning has been listing items in the store and figuring the schedule for the rest of the day. A lot to pack in from the time my daughter, Stephanie, gets on the school bus till the time the bus returns her. Especially on Monday when I have so much to do that was put off from the weekend. Off to get to it then.

My first blog and it is hard to know where to start. First the boys, my cats Cadillac and Pontiac, are lying to me about who fed them breakfast.... My husband,Pat, has fed them.. They are trying to tell me otherwise. It isn't working. My Sunday plans are always simple and quiet, grocery store, finish laundry and read read read. Unless I feel more like sewing or the creative muse hits on some other project. On Friday my youngest daughter, Gaela, and I went to a rummage sale. For the first time in a while I found stuff for myself instead of just things for my store (vintageinmichigan.etsy.com) and materials for projects. We got home and I rearranged the mantle with some of the new things. I am trying to decide whether or not to finish the quilt top I bought for myself or sell it..... That can wait.