tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56456394533844538352024-02-19T14:09:36.689-08:00This Stop WilloughbyWilloughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.comBlogger352125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-2825435240468555772014-08-27T09:25:00.000-07:002014-08-27T09:57:50.863-07:00Skip Breakfast And Have An AdventureWe're skipping breakfast again. I know you were expecting Mr. Willoughby to dazzle you with his cooking skills, but he doesn't feel like cooking today. He wants to go skydiving.<br />
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Yesterday, a friend sent us a link to an article about a new place to skydive in Michigan. When I clicked on the link, I was surprised to see a familiar face. We'll get to that in a minute.<br />
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You may recall that Mr. W started skydiving by taking a tandem jump a few years ago. With a tandem jump, having a great instructor makes the difference between a fun experience and an amazing experience and Mr. W had Josh Sheppard; one of the best. Josh is experienced, enthusiastic and passionate about skydiving. Mr. W had such an amazing experience that he decided to take the AFF course (to learn to jump solo) before they were back on the ground. <br />
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So back to that article, the familiar face I saw was Josh. He and his brother Abe have started a new skydiving business in Owosso, Michigan called <a href="http://skydivemi.com/index.html">Skydive Owosso</a>. Both Josh and Abe have impressive credentials and were part of the skydiving team that set the Guiness Book of World Records largest wingsuit formation flight. They are open to all jumpers and have some fantastic tandem packages. They're lots of fun, too!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh Sheppard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe Sheppard</td></tr>
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I asked Josh if he had a good story about being a tandem instructor that I could share with you and he did. It cracked me up and I think you'll enjoy it too:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #3e454c; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day a girl came out to Midwest (Midwest Freefall Sport Parachute Club). She booked a tandem for her and her boyfriend. We were in the small plane, Randy's 182. When I told her to get up so we could start getting ready, she starts crying hysterically!! It was hilarious and heartbreaking. We got hooked up after a group hug with the pilot! Lol. I was telling her everything is going to be fine and going over the instructions. The entire time with her crying her eyes out!! We jump with her crying through Freefall! I open the parachute and as we pleasantly fly through a clear blue sky on a perfect Michigan summer day, she is still crying... Trying to comfort and coddle her is not working! She isn't having fun which is becoming frustrating for me. By 1500 feet I need to start setting up to land. The girl is still freaking out and I yell "Hey!! This is fun!! Shut up and have a good time!!" She stopped crying and smiled immediately!! I couldn't believe it. All I had to do was tell her to "Shut up and have fun!"</span></blockquote>
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See what I mean? Having a great instructor makes all the difference, even if you are nervous. I already told Josh that I'm planning to visit Skydive Owosso for a tandem jump next season (The anniversary skydive that I told you Mr. W and I were going to do didn't happen. Our anniversary was just a month after my dad passed away and I wasn't ready). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our son's girlfriend on her tandem jump<br />with Josh</td></tr>
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If you've been thinking of crossing skydiving off your bucket list, you need to come and see them. Even if you don't live in Michigan, you should make the trip. You won't regret it. I promise. In fact, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you become addicted to skydiving like Mr. Willoughby. And maybe me.<br />
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For more information about <a href="http://skydivemi.com/index.html">Skydive Owosso</a>, visit their <a href="http://skydivemi.com/index.html">website</a> or their Facebook page <a href="http://facebook.com/skydiveowosso">facebook.com/skydiveowosso</a>. We wish them great success with their new business and can't wait to visit!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-62417571359792174092014-08-24T12:12:00.001-07:002014-08-24T12:12:24.571-07:00Brrrrrrr!My regularly scheduled post has been postponed. Mr. Willoughby was going to demonstrate how to make a breakfast favorite, but he was busy doing something else. <br />
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A friend nominated him to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and he accepted! Wanna see?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUaJlWqW-sk_K0rkK88gMZfshY8nJ7B2SmVi-czHJpEJ_W9IIOPGH7GEi2wiORAxFx5Adn91C60VAaHqGkmw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I'll be back soon with the breakfast post.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-89481975361924876412014-08-20T10:16:00.001-07:002014-08-20T10:19:04.394-07:00Gardening On A Budget DIY<div>
This spring we made a commitment to work with supplies we had before buying anything new for our house and yard. I also wanted to keep the budget for plants and flowers in check (I tend to get carried away at the local nursery), which meant I was going to have to get pretty creative.</div>
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I still went to the nursery and got a few flats of annuals, but I found some great free and inexpensive ways to fill in the empty spaces in the yard. In no particular order, here are some of my favorites.</div>
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<b>1.</b> <b>Transplant wild plants/flowers (with permission, of course). </b> This was easy for me because my mom's house is on a wooded lot and she told me to take anything I wanted.</div>
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I had no idea wild snapdragons existed until my sister in law and I found huge clumps of them growing in a flower bed in my mom's front yard. I dug up a half dozen plants and they transplanted beautifully.</div>
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Years ago I had tried to transplant wild black raspberries without success, but this time I made sure to take plants that were growing in the shade so I could transplant them in a shady spot in our yard. They've done very well. There are no berries in the photo because it is done producing for the year.</div>
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I was going to try rooting a cutting from one of my mom's wild grape vines, but this small vine was easy to dig up. It wilted and looked dead for a few weeks, but I kept it watered and now it's growing nicely. I don't expect grapes for a few years.</div>
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<b>2. Buy plants at the end of the season.</b> I stopped at the nursery mid-July to pick up a few more annuals. I saw that they had all plants marked down for the end of the season, so I snatched up some tomatoes, peppers and herbs. They may have gotten a later start, but they're producing like crazy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR_fEtpgnjQ5vSK9TG-XOfkkICS9aqQZmCKZD536yE3fETzC7vKn82yE61V-0SeXveWeatW8rH4sDBTBXgsirH9b7Ca9tsbEwvR5HujJNYQqYauiuB_8btyTjHKMzaFD2-eHRyyWFA3Qr/s1600/babytomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR_fEtpgnjQ5vSK9TG-XOfkkICS9aqQZmCKZD536yE3fETzC7vKn82yE61V-0SeXveWeatW8rH4sDBTBXgsirH9b7Ca9tsbEwvR5HujJNYQqYauiuB_8btyTjHKMzaFD2-eHRyyWFA3Qr/s1600/babytomato.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Grow from seed, later in the season.</b> I haven't had a vegetable garden in years because I don't have a good sunny spot for one in the backyard, but after I bought the tomato and pepper plants, I needed one. I decided to create one in the side yard, between the house and the driveway. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bush bean sprouting</td></tr>
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I had some extra space around the other plants so I picked up some morning glories and some vegetable seeds that had been marked down for the end of the season. I paid between ten and twenty five cents per packet. You may think that July and August are a little late for planting seeds in the garden, but lots of gardeners plant a second or third planting of things like beans and peas when their first crop has stopped producing. For such a small investment, it's worth a try if you've got the room. Also, because we've had a fairly cool summer, I've been able to continue to grow lettuce.</div>
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<b>4. Take advantage of plants that reproduce.</b> There are lots of plants that do this, but in our yard, Rose Of Sharon is the most successful.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i8Dj5a8UKCeMQfboMP5KFgtG_Dw-oO8SPCSAg_03cUK3o8JSUZynaeaWet4Z6IycHYl3_DnWWk5KF7AcJjFhyYVMoooATfC5ukd0J2UQXnCGCKRtzSAFkQS7vDWRoc7lLojdD5Fhyphenhyphen0lO/s1600/roseofsharonblossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i8Dj5a8UKCeMQfboMP5KFgtG_Dw-oO8SPCSAg_03cUK3o8JSUZynaeaWet4Z6IycHYl3_DnWWk5KF7AcJjFhyYVMoooATfC5ukd0J2UQXnCGCKRtzSAFkQS7vDWRoc7lLojdD5Fhyphenhyphen0lO/s1600/roseofsharonblossom.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Rose Of Sharon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTX7EKm7H2XrH3GpG1QEOe_R4YH85a8VV9PIst9xNq-XvXHpUJq8s8_djPC00mHcwhkoUyb1xPhhtm385MBKm_u4E69KA6W1hyqx1xU98lWyBTankay65_-FQN0u_eYIfYKRkD6svZp26U/s1600/roseofsharonpink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTX7EKm7H2XrH3GpG1QEOe_R4YH85a8VV9PIst9xNq-XvXHpUJq8s8_djPC00mHcwhkoUyb1xPhhtm385MBKm_u4E69KA6W1hyqx1xU98lWyBTankay65_-FQN0u_eYIfYKRkD6svZp26U/s1600/roseofsharonpink.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Rose Of Sharon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBiI6yjQhkr7CFHkdDrFFwjpHMuBbvx_UMPLRvn_pYu2LeBFAJBwF3OMw0VqYJfS-Y5D7kGxfsV1l7oe6t9NxUUYGBosOUwvy1t-jFKyAFsurRT0fV9HQX9v-uZwXbw7IMGPuvPVNp4em/s1600/roseofsharonseedpods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBiI6yjQhkr7CFHkdDrFFwjpHMuBbvx_UMPLRvn_pYu2LeBFAJBwF3OMw0VqYJfS-Y5D7kGxfsV1l7oe6t9NxUUYGBosOUwvy1t-jFKyAFsurRT0fV9HQX9v-uZwXbw7IMGPuvPVNp4em/s1600/roseofsharonseedpods.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Of Sharon seed pods</td></tr>
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Rose Of Sharon develops seed pods which break open. The seeds sprout nearly everywhere they land and can be easily transplanted. If you don't have Rose Of Sharon in your yard, but know someone who does, I'm fairly certain they would be willing to give you some seedlings or seed pods. If not, email me and I would be happy to send you some. </div>
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<b>5. Root cuttings of plants you already have or ask friends/family if you can take cuttings from their plants.</b> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmImjH50z5a1pXCs70j6qgBwB8QVzAqF-F1NQUi5aH0WpugKJ0z4H36rkxrwVw-1VCDGKVIj-4XyhY20F1A_WZ52OlBQua6XY98J9PMixVEXIMUWqxLcrbBquSFzS_YlRIb_gnkAeU8tzz/s1600/hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmImjH50z5a1pXCs70j6qgBwB8QVzAqF-F1NQUi5aH0WpugKJ0z4H36rkxrwVw-1VCDGKVIj-4XyhY20F1A_WZ52OlBQua6XY98J9PMixVEXIMUWqxLcrbBquSFzS_YlRIb_gnkAeU8tzz/s1600/hydrangea.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hydrangea is a good candidate for root cutting propagation.</td></tr>
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A little research will help you determine which plants can be propagated from cuttings (and whether you need root powder), but sometimes, you stumble on them accidentally. When one of my bamboo plants needed a little support, I grabbed a piece of a Weeping Willow branch Mr. W had pruned from our tree. I used a hammer and pounded it about 6 inches into the dirt and tied the bamboo plant to it. A few weeks later, the willow branch started to sprout new leaves and, I suspect, roots. I'm going to leave it in the flower bed until spring and then transplant it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBni6lcu7G95uG5rM4Vxz3m3MOuspt3wxK0zBT09PopaGNy-BdaAGH9VfYkAGUAnG4aG0ItMdOltRPM7spmYQGaF4VbUetaJCK8E4jMWoOcxbzvbQW49d7HY9wN4Y-3sZSUljaXOXe6gv/s1600/willow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBni6lcu7G95uG5rM4Vxz3m3MOuspt3wxK0zBT09PopaGNy-BdaAGH9VfYkAGUAnG4aG0ItMdOltRPM7spmYQGaF4VbUetaJCK8E4jMWoOcxbzvbQW49d7HY9wN4Y-3sZSUljaXOXe6gv/s1600/willow.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self propagating willow branch</td></tr>
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Coming up next on our DIY spree, Mr. W demonstrates a breakfast favorite.</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-13549244055938744542014-08-12T08:47:00.001-07:002014-08-12T08:47:30.252-07:00Sweet Treat DIY - Chocolate Chip Cookies And A Rule Breaking Technique Or TwoI'm a little behind schedule. I had a different sweet treat that I was going to post, but I don't have all the potentially necessary step by step photos to show you exactly how to make it. The last time we made it, I got so into the process that I completely forgot about the camera. Too bad, because it's a delicious recipe that you would most definitely want to make. Your friends and family would have been so impressed that you made something this awesome that they would have lavished you with praise and, maybe, large gifts of cash. It would have changed your life. Really.<br />
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No worries, I'm still planning to share it with you. Just not today.<br />
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Instead, I'm going to share my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I know you're probably thinking that there are a million chocolate chip cookie recipes, so this one can't be all that special or life changing. But it is. It comes from years of experimenting with different recipes, changing and tweaking ingredients, proportions and techniques. I can't tell you how many cookies my family and I have had to eat to create this level of perfection. I'm just that dedicated. You're welcome.<br />
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A quick note before we begin. I'm a rule breaker. I also hate having extra bowls and utensils to clean up, so while most recipes will instruct you to sift (or stir) your dry ingredients together, I'm going to tell you to add the baking soda and salt to your butter/sugar mixture, instead of premixing it with your flour. Pastry chefs everywhere are gasping at the thought, but it works and will save you a step as well as an extra bowl and make you feel all cool and dangerous. Again, you're welcome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOyT8Ci2ETUUg0lSXAH7hsIRRbkZ4hNSG_7bLqrcRRPhqsaotbyn5QcKLu8PCq5CWuVho1Cf4lMqReizcwGqOoIxqXZLBSr9DpmOXjFci7pCIQlwlYgAP2zjt59lOLyp003WYh2P4nSm8/s1600/chocolatechipcookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOyT8Ci2ETUUg0lSXAH7hsIRRbkZ4hNSG_7bLqrcRRPhqsaotbyn5QcKLu8PCq5CWuVho1Cf4lMqReizcwGqOoIxqXZLBSr9DpmOXjFci7pCIQlwlYgAP2zjt59lOLyp003WYh2P4nSm8/s1600/chocolatechipcookies.jpg" height="400" width="340" /></a></div>
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Rule Breaker Chocolate Chip Cookies<br />
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1 cup butter, softened<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or dark chocolate if that's your thing)<br />
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Most recipes are going to tell you to preheat your oven at this point. Don't do it. To achieve the perfect texture, you really need to refrigerate the dough until it is thoroughly chilled. More on that later.<br />
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Beat together softened butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt and continue mixing until they are fully incorporated. Gradually add flour. Stir in chocolate chips.<br />
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The dough will become quite stiff after refrigerating it, so now is the time to divide it into portions. I use a #30 scoop (1 1/4 oz.), but you can roll it into 1 1/2 inch balls or rounded spoonfuls if you don't have one. Refrigerate the portions in an airtight container or zip top bag until they are thoroughly chilled.<br />
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When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°. Place chilled dough scoops on an ungreased baking sheet with a few inches between each scoop. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They should still appear slightly underbaked, that's what you want. Allow to cool briefly on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack or serving plate. Any cookies that aren't eaten immediately should be stored in an airtight container. Leftover unbaked dough can be kept refrigerated for up to a week.<br />
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For a little variety, you can easily turn these into chocolate, chocolate chip cookies. Just add an extra tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup baking cocoa to the butter/sugar mixture, then proceed with the rest of the ingredients and baking instructions.<br />
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Coming up next on our DIY spree, it's either a surprise or I'm just saying that because I don't know what I'm going to post. Come back and see for yourself!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-85144262790768982482014-08-07T12:53:00.000-07:002014-08-07T12:53:20.114-07:00The DIY Spree Continues, Making New Wood Look OldEarlier this summer, Mr. W and I used some wood leftover from another project to make some planting boxes. I didn't like the way the bare wood looked, so for the first box, I brushed on some light walnut stain. It's not bad, but it's not the look I was hoping for. I wanted something that had the appearance of age. Like it had been sitting around a potting shed for the last 50 years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3cvsKyTS8GSBafTK-wUx12ZPsHBUfVAC8TgnZm-cMe5rmODedJiLmTR79WWczrf8h0kabSMA7DcLHTcjkoOlMasINoqjrfzdnAM1FMmo7yp0qIkqwmFR0TKP93JBnFurc93XWRLM96Sc/s1600/lightwalnut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3cvsKyTS8GSBafTK-wUx12ZPsHBUfVAC8TgnZm-cMe5rmODedJiLmTR79WWczrf8h0kabSMA7DcLHTcjkoOlMasINoqjrfzdnAM1FMmo7yp0qIkqwmFR0TKP93JBnFurc93XWRLM96Sc/s1600/lightwalnut.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my salad box stained with light walnut. Those are little lettuce seedlings. </td></tr>
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I played around with some other colors of stain we had in the garage. I made swatches on a piece of scrap wood, but none of them were giving me the aged look, so I searched the internet for some ideas.<br />
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Lots of websites had recipes for mixing different colors of stain to achieve an old, weathered look, but I didn't want to buy multiple cans of stain for just a few small projects. The technique that appealed most to me was using vinegar. It's super simple and you can make gallons of this stuff for just a few bucks. There is no guarantee on what your final color will be because it's not really a stain, but a method of speed oxidizing the wood. I could explain the science behind it, but do you really care? Bottom line is that you can use this concoction to get a cool, aged look in just a few minutes, but the color will vary depending on what kind of wood you have.<br />
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To make this magical concoction, you'll need a container, distilled white vinegar and some steel wool. You will also need a paint brush and gloves. I can't stress this strongly enough, DO NOT skip the gloves! Not because this mixture will burn your skin (it won't), but because it will stain your hands. Badly. You will look like you haven't washed your hands since elementary school. Old clothes are probably a good idea, too, because it will also stain your clothes.<br />
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Okay, now pay attention because this gets pretty tricky. Pour some vinegar (a few cups or so) into your container. Pull the steel wool apart a little and add it to the vinegar. Now let it sit overnight. I've heard you can cover the container, but I didn't bother. If you think someone in your family may mistake it for salad dressing or a beverage, you might want to.<br />
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Application is equally tricky; paint it onto the wood you want to age. There is no right or wrong way to do this, but you do want to try to avoid drips because they will show once the wood is dry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKbnnv66EXt6X2BpnQN3TuXC-EB-qmxBeEIqCb4oxFQDvDSaDjpGZM8k5wgoICwnKBIog40W6c_3in3uK1AeBNEx3cvLkmhb6nmzpVfT5GSEYIXTajwRs1VOBu2j82Uk18bKPwdn7YBEh/s1600/agedwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKbnnv66EXt6X2BpnQN3TuXC-EB-qmxBeEIqCb4oxFQDvDSaDjpGZM8k5wgoICwnKBIog40W6c_3in3uK1AeBNEx3cvLkmhb6nmzpVfT5GSEYIXTajwRs1VOBu2j82Uk18bKPwdn7YBEh/s1600/agedwood.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five minutes after painting the stain on the center portion, you can see how much it has "aged".</td></tr>
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Now stand back and watch the magic happen. The wood will age right before your eyes. It will get lighter as it dries, but it will still look really cool and agey. Like it's been sitting around for 50 years. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLokwMhNJzo_XUWGieJI82T4O-ch6_Mpfwid_jwF0ve9Ly6li0bR4yXNKijILxfhO6gGaNzikzOjlxPstQOJyiNGwmK4LcN3tKqPBiM9CYilIoXAK1gEXq_U4UG5tutK4KyJWNoNUMZJk7/s1600/antiquebox2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLokwMhNJzo_XUWGieJI82T4O-ch6_Mpfwid_jwF0ve9Ly6li0bR4yXNKijILxfhO6gGaNzikzOjlxPstQOJyiNGwmK4LcN3tKqPBiM9CYilIoXAK1gEXq_U4UG5tutK4KyJWNoNUMZJk7/s1600/antiquebox2.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "50 year old" planting box.</td></tr>
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I'd love to hear about your results if you try this. <br />
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Coming up next on our DIY spree, a sweet treat.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-76385914042192395822014-08-05T07:19:00.000-07:002014-08-05T07:24:02.131-07:00Vintage Flair DIYWe're going to kick off our DIY project spree with a simple project for your kitchen and/or bathroom. We're going to make a mason jar soap (or lotion) dispenser. You've probably seen these all over the internet. They're pretty popular and there are a number of ways to make them. If you don't want to do any work at all, you can buy the precut lid with the pump insert and just pop it into a mason jar. You can use a new jar or an old jar, either way you'll get a vintage look.<br />
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The method I used is pretty simple. You will need a mason jar, an empty plastic soap bottle and a few basic tools.<br />
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Begin by unscrewing the pump and setting it aside. Next, cut the top off the plastic soap bottle. I chose to cut just below the "shoulders" of the bottle, but you could cut just below the threaded portion of the "neck" if you prefer. A hack saw works well for this. Just be careful and take your time.<br />
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Next, trace the opening of the bottle onto the seal of your mason jar. Use a sharp nail and hammer to poke holes all the way around the circle you traced. When you've made it all the way around, gently pop the center of the circle out and slip the threaded portion of the bottle through the hole. If the hole is too small, you can punch more holes to enlarge it or very gently enlarge it with pliers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHaO7QKF559U46IwYBFO71ITgUxBc7XScQIg5n028epXVSE7C57AvmZGRiO9kAejU6SYbTWIV32au8fiZ62u7fB5rmcAAYZWNoxPp13kyIC7bwbrcIzNNZ1SFcbC29ngpTn66OFCqAa2j/s1600/nailsoapjar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHaO7QKF559U46IwYBFO71ITgUxBc7XScQIg5n028epXVSE7C57AvmZGRiO9kAejU6SYbTWIV32au8fiZ62u7fB5rmcAAYZWNoxPp13kyIC7bwbrcIzNNZ1SFcbC29ngpTn66OFCqAa2j/s1600/nailsoapjar.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I flipped the seal over, traced the circle and punched my holes on the underside.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCBkm45zHKtPpOfnVlmgCx5NVCm20B8o9Tp7YSvVhrsigtSdqx6f3Nfvzx5PM8skTWk7zJZv2wqkmcDiZtZGFjj4zeLN4NzhM3cJ4gLu6g7mKPQNGbOR6rP8kH_A7MXHp1Th9037yI-z8/s1600/jarlid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCBkm45zHKtPpOfnVlmgCx5NVCm20B8o9Tp7YSvVhrsigtSdqx6f3Nfvzx5PM8skTWk7zJZv2wqkmcDiZtZGFjj4zeLN4NzhM3cJ4gLu6g7mKPQNGbOR6rP8kH_A7MXHp1Th9037yI-z8/s1600/jarlid.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now screw the pump back onto the threads (if the neck is loose in the hole, you can use a bit of silicone adhesive or hot glue to secure it to the seal). Fill the jar with soap, screw on the lid and it's ready to use. Trim the pump tube so it just touches the bottom of the jar if it's too long.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidQDY3jY3hEaVPaUeIlfTgmIhuDv-1nySP2i50aurzk2WoaWujMvGVmIR3NJ9VTGxx2DbImYE15_i4i87u8soIBSce0aJsg6hOGR6KlBUY7vEYVHLrmWvthvL72hyphenhyphenUJQcyqu9WMkiE32K/s1600/masonjarsoap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidQDY3jY3hEaVPaUeIlfTgmIhuDv-1nySP2i50aurzk2WoaWujMvGVmIR3NJ9VTGxx2DbImYE15_i4i87u8soIBSce0aJsg6hOGR6KlBUY7vEYVHLrmWvthvL72hyphenhyphenUJQcyqu9WMkiE32K/s1600/masonjarsoap.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't want to alter the vintage lid and seal, but I wanted them to be white,<br />
so I painted a new set.</td></tr>
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I also had a few jars that I wanted to paint. I tried brushing on some latex paint, but the look was too rustic for me. No matter how careful I was, the paint was uneven and you could see the brush strokes. If that's the look you're going for, that's fine. Just be sure to apply a protective clear top coat when the paint is dry.<br />
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If, like me, you're looking for a smooth, less rustic finish, spray paint works well. I especially like epoxy appliance spray paint. If you use white, the result looks very much like milk glass. Just be sure to take your time and apply the paint in sweeping strokes. Multiple light coats will prevent drips and give you a smooth finish. Go light on painting the threads of the jar or you won't be able to screw the lid on!<br />
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You can lightly sand over the writing to remove a bit of the paint if you want the lettering to stand out. I chose not to, but it's up to you.<br />
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BONUS PROJECT!<br />
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I liked the look of the white epoxy appliance paint on glass so much that I decided to try painting a clear glass dollar store votive holder. It turned out great! It gives a beautiful, soft glow when it's lit.<br />
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Coming up next on our DIY spree, a fast,easy, cheap way to give new wood an aged look.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-84874451478292598682014-08-04T09:06:00.000-07:002014-08-04T09:06:22.475-07:00Busy, Busy, BusySummer is so short. You've got to make the most of it while it's here, and that's what I've been doing. Mr. W and I have been keeping busy with all kinds of projects which doesn't leave me much time for blogging. I started wondering, would anyone else be interested in the projects we've been working on?<br />
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I'm going to take a chance and assume they would. So for a while, I'll be posting some simple (and some not so simple), inexpensive DIY projects. I'll post photos and info so you can do them, too, if you'd like.<br />
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Tomorrow, we'll kick things off with some upcycled vintage flair. See you then!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-82781854063472729032014-06-08T13:13:00.000-07:002014-06-08T13:13:28.089-07:00It's Summer, Let's Talk About Your BackyardIt may not technically be summer just yet, but after the severe winter we had, it's been summer to me ever since the temperature started to stay consistently above thirty degrees. Now that we've got that straight, let's talk about your backyard.<br />
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People always tell me how lucky I am that we have a hot tub and a pool. I suppose it's true that a little luck was involved, but it certainly doesn't have anything to do with money. It's no secret that we got both our pool and hot tub from people who didn't want them. We found them under the "free" listings on craigslist.<br />
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It's the hot tub that I really want to talk about, today, because I have a little secret for you if you should decide that you would like one in your yard. Unless you're buying a new one and having it delivered and set up, you're going to need a strategy for getting it out of it's current location and into your yard and that's where the secret comes into play.<br />
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If you find a hot tub on craigslist that is calling your name, you're probably thinking that you need a big truck or trailer and half a dozen big, strong people to help you move it. The truck/trailer thing, that's true, but you don't need a large group of friends to help. You can do it with one or two friends and the help of six (or more if you've got them) pieces of six foot long PVC pipe. At one time, we had multiple hot tubs (long story) and Mr. W used this method to move one from our yard to our neighbors yard by himself. It's a long, bumpy, grass covered distance and he did it in less than 15 minutes.<br />
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Start by lifting the edge of the hot tub just enough to push one piece of PVC pipe underneath with your foot. Push it back as far as you can, about a foot or so, then set the hot tub down on it. Repeat with each of the remaining pipes, pulling the hot tub toward you each time to distribute the pipes approximately a foot or so apart. You will now have "rollers" to move the hot tub to your truck/trailer. Every few feet you push it, you will need to pick up pipes and move them in front to continue. Try to keep two or three pipes under the hot tub at all times and you will be able to follow your path fairly effortlessly. You will need one or two strong people to help you lift it (or tip it, if possible) into your truck or trailer. When you get home, reverse the process.<br />
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One more thing I'd like to add. We don't find it to be a lot of work to keep our hot tub clean, but you do need to use a test kit (or strips, if you prefer) to monitor the chemical levels of your hot tub. Some people use bromine, but we prefer liquid chlorine for sanitation. Not only because we use it for our pool, but it works much faster than bromine tablets. A skimmer works well to get out bits of grass and other debris, but for anything that sinks to the bottom (dirt, sand) a suction type water shooter (from the dollar store) is useful and fun!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-41273641725642909342014-05-28T19:39:00.001-07:002014-05-29T08:57:39.251-07:00Do You Do It?Do it yourself, that is! <br />
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In this house, we're all about DIY projects. There is an immense sense of satisfaction for us in taking something and turning it into something else. Or starting from scratch and ending up with something you've visualized.</div>
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A few years ago, we found this door at our local Habitat for Humanity store. It was dirty and beat up, but it had its original hardware (love, love, love original hardware) and it was the perfect size for our office. </div>
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We had two pieces of leaded glass that were given to us by one of Mr. W's friends, and we wanted to use one in this door. We had a little retrofitting and some painting to do, but here's what that door looks like now:</div>
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As you can see in the picture, our office is a pretty narrow room. There was no way we were going to be able to use pre made furniture and get a good fit, so the window seat and the bookcases were also DIY projects.</div>
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For the bookcases, we purchased unfinished wall cabinets (base cabinets would have been too deep) and mounted them on a base to lift them up high enough to use the same baseboard trim we used in the rest of the room. We built the shelves separately and then installed them on top of the cabinets. After that, we primed and painted and then added trim and hardware. They give us a lot of storage for such a small room.</div>
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The window seat doubles as a guest bed. Underneath the cushion, we installed the top of the frame from a cot (the kind you would take camping). It acts like a box spring would in a bed. There is more "give" to the cushion/mattress than there would be if it were sitting on a solid piece of wood. It's very comfortable. We ordered the foam and had it cut to our specs at a local shop. I made the slip cover. The niches underneath have storage bins.</div>
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Most of the decorating in the room is DIY, too. The art on the back wall, above, is a collection of artwork my kids have done over the years, as well as some photos my son and I have taken. Most of the frames are from the thrift store. They were all different colors. I spray painted them all black.<br />
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The desk is more a matter of repurposing. It's an antique sideboard that belonged to my grandma. I've thought about refinishing it, but I kind of like the flaws it has. The pictures on the desk, all but the heart shaped frame, are thrift store frames spray painted black. The doorknob? We found it laying around somewhere in the house when we moved here. I just like it.<br />
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On the wall next to the door, I have a really special piece of DIY artwork. It was given to me by a fellow blogger, Joanna at <a href="http://www.thefiftyfactor.com/">The Fifty Factor</a>. She's from the real town of Willoughby and picked up this poster for me (along with some other goodies) at a festival. I matted and framed it in, you guessed it, a spray painted frame from the thrift store.<br />
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I didn't want to display my collection of paperbacks in the bookcases, so those are in an old suitcase (I heart old suitcases) on top of the armoire in our bedroom. <br />
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There are quite a few more painted frames around the house with family pictures and photographs Mr. W. and I have taken.<br />
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Painting frames and accessories black is a simple way to create a cohesive look. I found a pair of bookends (um, yeah, thrift store, again) that were shiny gold. I loved the shape and the weight, but the gold wasn't my taste. I sprayed them with black spray paint, but intentionally left a little gold peeking through. <br />
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You would think I had gone through dozens of cans of spray paint, but I only used three or four to paint everything I've shown, plus a half dozen more things that I haven't shown. I really like the kind that is primer and paint in one.<br />
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When I can't spray paint something, I can screenprint it. This was a leftover piece of deck board. I white washed it and then Mr. W. and I screenprinted it. <br />
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We've done lots of projects around here and I have ideas for lots more. How about you? Do you do it yourself?<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-43280148112855246062014-05-19T09:51:00.000-07:002014-05-19T09:51:29.529-07:00Less Thinking Yet More Productive And Oddly More PunctualWe haven't had a home phone for almost ten years. That's not entirely true, we do have a phone line that plugs into our cable modem (I think that's how it works, you'd have to ask Mr. W), but we don't use it. I couldn't even tell you the phone number without looking it up. The only reason that we have it is because we got a better package deal from our cable provider if the phone was included. It would cost more to get rid of it than to keep it. How much sense does that make? In any case, it's not even plugged in. You can still leave a message for us because the voice mail system works regardless of whether the phone is plugged in. We don't check the messages, though, because anyone we would actually want to talk to would call our cell phones. The only calls we get on that line are from telemarketers and political candidates. Small wonder we never bother listening to the messages, right?<br />
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For a long time, we had flip style cell phones. I loved my bright red Razor. You couldn't do anything but make and accept calls on it (we didn't have texting in our plan back then), but it was cute. I had a Breaking Benjamin tune as my ringtone. We were happy with those phones until they became dinosaurs that dropped calls because Sprint didn't support them anymore. <br />
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Next up, we got sliding phones with the text and data plan. The guy at the store told us they were a great, affordable step toward smart phones because you could access the internet with them. We thought that would be a handy benefit. Ha! We got lost on a bike ride one day and tried to pull up Google maps. After nearly twenty minutes of "thinking", the information finally loaded, but you couldn't enlarge the screen and I didn't have a magnifying glass in my saddlebag so the whole internet thing was worthless. The camera worked pretty well, though, so I was able to take a picture of our surroundings and send it to the search party.<br />
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About six months ago, we finally caved and got smart phones. As soon as I figured out how to turn it on and do a little bit of navigating, I heard the sound of angels singing. Where had this tiny wonder been all my life? I could go on and on about all the fun gadgets (I used the built in flashlight when we lost power last month), or gush about being able to wax poetic in my texts with no character limit. I could also tell you how much I love reading ebooks or watching Netflix while I'm sitting in the school parking lot waiting for my daughter or tell you how invaluable this phone has been for managing our shop and staying in touch with our customers when we're out and about. But the thing I love most is Siri.<br />
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Siri is the automated navigation app you can access by voice. She is my best friend, my personal assistant, my secretary and my alarm clock. She organizes my notes, finds information on the internet and reminds me when I need to do things. It's like having an external brain, so much so that I've been considering not using my real brain at all anymore. <br />
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Truth is, I still have to think because I have to tell Siri what information I want her to find or what tasks/appointments/deadlines I need to be reminded of. The down side is that now I have no excuse for being late. I also can't say "I forgot" when it comes to important things like getting out of bed in the morning or cooking dinner.<br />
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Gotta go! Siri just reminded me I have something to do....<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-5106871268872201352014-04-28T10:54:00.001-07:002014-04-28T10:54:57.573-07:00SundogOn March 15th, a little after 10:00 pm, my dad passed away. He had been receiving home hospice care and they had told us he was beginning the process of "winding down" several weeks before, but still, I wasn't prepared.<br />
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He had been struggling with a number of health issues for a long time. Over the past year he had undergone bypass surgery and two amputations and had been bouncing back and forth between the hospital and a rehabilitation center. When they finally sent him home and recommended hospice care, we knew our time left with him was short.<br />
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We were told to expect ups and downs; a roller coaster ride. Really, though, he had more good days than bad. He was confused at times and would say things that we didn't understand or would call out for me when I was sitting right next to him. Occasionally, he would ask about their dog. "Maggie has been gone for 15 years, Dad." "I know," he said "I'm talking about the dog that looks like Maggie that comes in and sleeps on the floor. I don't know her name so I just call her Maggie." There was no dog but I didn't see any point in telling him.<br />
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The whole family spent as much time with him as we could. We did our best to keep him comfortable and happy. He couldn't go places and do things, but we could bring him his favorite foods. The nurses told us we didn't have to worry about keeping him on his diabetic diet, anymore, and that he could eat whatever he wanted so that become much of our focus. If he wanted pizza, he got pizza. If he wanted McDonalds, someone would go pick it up. If he had asked for lobster, we'd have driven to Maine. <br />
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We also watched a lot of movies. He had always loved bad, old movies. The worse they were, the more he seemed to like them. We'd pick apart the plot or laugh at the clothes the actors were wearing. Like food, it was one of the few pleasures he had left. Sometimes, though, I found it upsetting when the channel would go to a commercial break. They would promote an upcoming movie, something that was scheduled to air a week or a month away. I couldn't get it out of my head that my dad would probably be gone by then. <br />
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The last good day I spent with him was the Thursday before he died. He was in a really great mood and seemed to feel good. My sister in law and I watched movies with him all afternoon and brought him whatever he wanted to eat. We talked and laughed a lot. It was such a good day.<br />
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It may have been foolish to feel hopeful, we all knew he wasn't going to get better, but we started to believe we had a little more time. Since everyone was planning to visit on Saturday, I came up with the idea to have a cookout. There was still snow on the ground and the weather was more winter than spring, but I thought it would be fun for everyone. I especially thought my dad would enjoy it.<br />
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On Friday, my oldest brother said he was going to bring lunch and spend the day visiting, so the rest of us took a day off. Mr. W and I went shopping to pick up hamburgers and hot dogs. We exchanged phone calls and texts with the rest of the family discussing what everyone was going to bring to the cookout. We were all in a party mood.<br />
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Saturday, since Mr. W had to work, I prepped the food so we could leave as soon as he got home. Late in the afternoon, though, my sister in law called and said my dad wasn't doing well. They had put in a call to the nurse and I should come right away.<br />
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He had fallen asleep after breakfast and my mom hadn't been able to wake him up. We tried squeezing his hand and talking loudly to him, but he didn't respond. Even on oxygen, his breathing was labored and his color was draining. The nurse confirmed what we already knew, it wasn't likely he would make it through the night.<br />
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We took turns sitting with him, each of us having time alone to say our goodbyes. I don't know what anyone else said, but I didn't say goodbye. Not because I thought it would change anything, but because it wasn't what I felt like I needed to do. I just sat and talked to him the way I would have if he were awake. A few hours later, we were all at his bedside when he quietly passed. <br />
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Mr. W and I stepped outside shortly after. It was a cold night, but the sky was clear and there was a gorgeous ring, like a circular rainbow, around the moon. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. I have no doubt that it was a sign from my dad telling us that he was at peace.<br />
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I've since found out that the ring was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog">sundog</a>. I didn't know you could see them at night, but I've always loved spotting them because they appear so rarely. A few days after my dad died, I was driving home after shopping with my mom and I was thinking of him. It had been cloudy all day, but just then the sky brightened up and a sundog appeared. I pulled over and took a picture with my phone. Every sundog I see is not a sign from my dad, I know that, and yet I find an odd sort of comfort in seeing one.<br />
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Although I'll never stop missing him.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-57981245858946867692014-03-02T14:13:00.001-08:002014-03-02T14:13:52.753-08:00Stocking Up On Chocolate Bunnies and BandagesEaster is coming. It's about a month and a half away, so it's a little too soon to worry about what I'm going to make for Easter dinner. Still, I'm a little scared because I've managed to hurt myself in the kitchen on every holiday since last Easter.<br />
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Along with the ham, I had decided to make scalloped potatoes. I was using the mandolin (with the guard) to slice the potatoes, but I was rushing to get it done. The guard slipped and I ran my middle finger across the blade. For a split second, I wasn't sure I had cut myself because it didn't hurt. But then it started bleeding, and I mean BLEEDING, and it hurt like crazy. I had cut all the way to the bone. I could actually see it. Really. I grabbed a gob of paper towel and put as much pressure on it as I could. Then I put a bandage on it (which wasn't easy, I was home alone at the time and more than a little woozy after seeing bone), slipped on a disposable glove and finished cooking dinner. Amazing as it sounds, I only have a slight scar. <br />
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On Thanksgiving, I was basting the turkey when I bumped the edge of the oven rack with my arm. This time it hurt immediately. I ran the burn under cold water, which probably stopped it from getting any worse, but it still left a nice scar on my arm. <br />
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Christmas was probably the strangest injury of all because, while it happened in the kitchen, it was not cooking related. We were all sitting around the kitchen island after dinner. My son got up to get something, so I stood up to give him more room to get past me. He accidentally bumped me and I fell against the stool I had been sitting on. It came down on my foot, hard. In trying to lift it off my foot, I lost my balance and fell against it, driving it down harder. The pain was pretty intense and I truly thought I had amputated my toe with the leg of the stool. I asked Mr. W if there was blood on my sock (I had closed my eyes because I was in so much pain). When he said there was, I was terrified to look. Eventually, I got up the courage to take off my sock. Luckily, my toe was still attached. Crushed, but attached.<br />
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So that brings us back to this coming Easter. Maybe I should just make reservations?
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-71955844959582647652014-02-27T14:52:00.000-08:002014-02-27T14:52:21.581-08:00Cabin FeverBeing indoors all the time is starting to drive me crazy. Today is sunny and the sky is clear blue, but I can't get out and enjoy it because it's wicked cold outside. The wind chill bottomed out somewhere around -16 degrees this afternoon. It snowed for a short time, but instead of coming straight down, the wind whipped it into a horizontal blizzard.<br />
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All day long I've felt overdue for a nap. Sure, there are things I could do to keep myself busy. I've got a few loads of laundry waiting for me and those tax returns aren't going to do themselves, but I don't have the energy or the focus to deal with either one of them.<br />
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Yesterday, we got an advertising circular from a local home improvement store. The front page was filled with paving blocks, landscaping timbers, planters and hose reels. Everything about it screamed spring. It made me feel hopeful and sad at the same time. Hopeful that spring is coming, sad that we still have five feet of snow in the front yard and nearly as much in the back.<br />
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I was working on a custom order for our shop the other day and I needed to find a particular picture to create a mock up. Going through my files, I got sidetracked looking at pictures I took last spring and summer. Flowers we grew, day trips we took, our pool and hot tub, summer sunsets. All the things I've been missing so much during this long, long, long winter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB9PdOozXms_Lj6l73Mg3UQvHXuifJjSSVh5zCvd2tuo25sPDfE0tTncWYKMsDeuofWlVbWnZjSYYVICdN1iWvK50lh4rRvkMV_Hd6fkkcCBqnSIRbWXLlnCLzGsqemQpP1Gr4_Yo87rz/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB9PdOozXms_Lj6l73Mg3UQvHXuifJjSSVh5zCvd2tuo25sPDfE0tTncWYKMsDeuofWlVbWnZjSYYVICdN1iWvK50lh4rRvkMV_Hd6fkkcCBqnSIRbWXLlnCLzGsqemQpP1Gr4_Yo87rz/s1600/sunset.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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If spring flowers, road trips, an open pool and summer sunsets don't get here soon, I'll lose my mind!<br />
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All work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl, all work and no play makes Willoughby a dull girl.....<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-86444497379113142812014-02-16T11:16:00.000-08:002014-03-02T12:31:01.258-08:00Rotten Tomatoes!Tomatoes are a total mystery to me. I buy them, I grow them, I eat them, but I can't say that I understand them. <br />
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First of all, why is it so hard to get a good tasting tomato in the middle of winter in Michigan? I know some tomatoes are imported from warmer places and some are grown in green houses. Unless they're labeled, I usually can't tell the difference. Neither one has much flavor and they're usually mushy.<br />
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Next, I just don't understand what to do with them. Whether it's February and I'm getting the flavorless ones from the produce department, or the middle of July and I'm harvesting fresh tomatoes from my garden, I've always followed the conventional wisdom that you should not refrigerate an uncut tomato. So I don't. I leave them sitting on the counter. This poses two problems. Number one, I like tomatoes to be cold (I don't care that someone, somewhere says they're more flavorful at room temp.). Number two, they go bad rapidly. RAPIDLY!<br />
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My mom recently gave me some extra grape tomatoes she didn't want. She had kept them in the refrigerator, so I refrigerated them when I brought them home. The next day I took them out to put them in a salad. Here is what they looked like:<br />
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On the flip side, I picked up a nice looking hot house tomato from the supermarket a day or so later. I left it on the counter overnight. The next day it looked like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtE29_qdYSJFgh7R-k6c58xockWPuCbwlLrCV_4QwQmG1cZiAyalzVI9WuyjwAQ5PXekBld-IJ8vB7mNWIydB8WDBd4eHAhyi5uIczoQ-GKUCQdDqL5YNEH8oMumpVbeE9kODcvO_rU9E/s1600/tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtE29_qdYSJFgh7R-k6c58xockWPuCbwlLrCV_4QwQmG1cZiAyalzVI9WuyjwAQ5PXekBld-IJ8vB7mNWIydB8WDBd4eHAhyi5uIczoQ-GKUCQdDqL5YNEH8oMumpVbeE9kODcvO_rU9E/s1600/tomato.jpg" height="326" width="400" /></a></div>
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So which is it, refrigerate or not? I just don't know. I guess the best choice is to buy them and eat them the same day or wait until summer and pick them fresh moments before I need them. Or stop eating tomatoes.
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-80268115481495310182014-02-06T13:25:00.000-08:002014-03-02T12:31:39.003-08:00Winter White - A Photo EssayThe color of the year appears to be winter white. The snow in our front yard is approximately five feet deep. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPS_JnUpUXur-MTITMB9GGl9onCjvB5aIVrqovnCVBU5o4koLvYZy28u73mY5Hgbi002qTUo6mdVlU8opzu8ZMnasIABjgQlXK7Fcrcn5X4Wiz5EE7kEsTL6wPg-QcEt7JjNnDB83L3jL/s1600/frontyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPS_JnUpUXur-MTITMB9GGl9onCjvB5aIVrqovnCVBU5o4koLvYZy28u73mY5Hgbi002qTUo6mdVlU8opzu8ZMnasIABjgQlXK7Fcrcn5X4Wiz5EE7kEsTL6wPg-QcEt7JjNnDB83L3jL/s1600/frontyard.jpg" height="640" width="411" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken at eye level.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCFCo2Cpw9oMEadx260nKFWM8IuTaTuF1A1B5ovu-uoPnTo7nSuXf3JgCJldFlnj1fzhqvB8_yUc-tKe-T39MpnChjzlJvj6wX7Y8nKq5Rz7SVdi930TdyHbJvun6O0nHwoL3yvQTtFai/s1600/yardsnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCFCo2Cpw9oMEadx260nKFWM8IuTaTuF1A1B5ovu-uoPnTo7nSuXf3JgCJldFlnj1fzhqvB8_yUc-tKe-T39MpnChjzlJvj6wX7Y8nKq5Rz7SVdi930TdyHbJvun6O0nHwoL3yvQTtFai/s1600/yardsnow.jpg" height="640" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward our neighbor's house.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNeLmbeEedYWTh4hlpEa0BvDatU8agUpoleNnjHLzcoBVODFrZnnrjIW4V625OhewILWPx-ksDV1xuRRVvSnhUz_mZvQfuzEIaqiIWw6sbVjYv1scR_eR0v3byN_CGMGO4Y6w-TJdSLHY/s1600/ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNeLmbeEedYWTh4hlpEa0BvDatU8agUpoleNnjHLzcoBVODFrZnnrjIW4V625OhewILWPx-ksDV1xuRRVvSnhUz_mZvQfuzEIaqiIWw6sbVjYv1scR_eR0v3byN_CGMGO4Y6w-TJdSLHY/s1600/ice.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO40QApnTrs1mG7CXE7YG0R-kVl9HqXBJoPXRjl5DetoAVIGYj07vK9CDnfGG0YkIlZd6_hyicDPCyXS2apWpB069b-fZPVQMZBzrZyYl1KavMclFZCc01zgu1wHa0zA5B0vGnTlLllUyX/s1600/snowbuds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO40QApnTrs1mG7CXE7YG0R-kVl9HqXBJoPXRjl5DetoAVIGYj07vK9CDnfGG0YkIlZd6_hyicDPCyXS2apWpB069b-fZPVQMZBzrZyYl1KavMclFZCc01zgu1wHa0zA5B0vGnTlLllUyX/s1600/snowbuds.jpg" height="640" width="492" /></a></div>
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What is the weather like where you are? *Warning, shameless plug!* If you need to keep warm, stop by our shop for some <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SunAndAsphalt/search?search_query=blizzard&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search">blizzard swag</a>!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-59937662170480825252014-01-25T15:07:00.001-08:002014-01-25T15:13:19.370-08:00Playing Catch Up With Blogging and Bucket ListsBack in July, I tried to get back to blogging. Considering this is my first post since then, I guess you could say that my return wasn't terribly successful. Blame it on timing, blame it on laziness....I don't know. In any case, here I am, back again, trying one more time.<br />
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To help me decide on a topic to blog about, I went back and reread some of my older posts. One that really jumped out at me was a post about <a href="http://thisstopwilloughby.blogspot.com/2011/04/just-like-morgan-and-jack-but-without.html">Bucket Lists</a>. Since the original post was written, I have, sadly, not crossed one thing off my list. Mr. W, however, has now been skydiving. He and our son started with tandem jumps and then took lessons to get their "A" licenses. Wanna see? Here's Mr. W on his graduation jump.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QP7tGjlKnjA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Since the guys liked it so much, we gave our son's girlfriend a tandem jump gift certificate for her 20th birthday. She loved it. So now, even though when I wrote the original Bucket List post I said I was far too afraid of heights to ever go skydiving, I'm considering it. Our 25th anniversary is coming up in April and we've considered jumping together to celebrate. Well, sort of. Mr. W can jump on his own, I would have to make mine a tandem jump with an instructor, but we could go up together. We'll see....<br />
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Nothing on my original list has changed much, but I do make additions all the time. There are so many places I'd like to go and so many things I'd like to do. How about you? Have you added anything to your Bucket List or crossed anything off? <br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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You can now follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-36559837523960654192013-07-04T10:14:00.001-07:002013-07-04T10:14:20.759-07:00Quick, Easy and Fun Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_rwFMoTIPMcRq3_FRNMeI9rWtnVERCEmbs31x7TLH85n82VNYY1b1cBTFrYQ4Hl2eZiK3bEO0W_aFmKeccdYwQssJ19wufzsI3jIiWWaM6vJFVTTz-XeAY92j4dG_CkaiJNnFuszu1y4/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_rwFMoTIPMcRq3_FRNMeI9rWtnVERCEmbs31x7TLH85n82VNYY1b1cBTFrYQ4Hl2eZiK3bEO0W_aFmKeccdYwQssJ19wufzsI3jIiWWaM6vJFVTTz-XeAY92j4dG_CkaiJNnFuszu1y4/s400/006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mr. Willoughby came across our kids' old wagon while he was cleaning out the garage a few days ago. It's still useful for moving gardening supplies around the yard or hauling wood to the fire pit, but we had a different idea to put it to use. We wanted it to look like a vintage wood wagon. We didn't want to damage the wagon in any way, so we came up with a way to give it a totally reversible makeover. If you would like to try this project, you'll need a wagon (you can do this with any wagon, old or new, but you'll need to improvise if the handle is attached to the wagon and not the axle), lumber and screws or nails.<br />
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Basically, you'll be making a four sided box, so you'll need to gather enough lumber to make the box. We used leftover cedar decking for the sides and deck spindles for the corner supports, but any scrap wood would be fine. Next, you need to measure the long sides of your wagon. To that number, add the thickness of the boards you'll be using for each end. Measure your boards and cut them. Now you can measure and cut the boards for the short end of the wagon. <br />
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Next you'll need to measure and cut your corner supports. These will support the box on top of the wagon and make your box more sturdy. Measure how tall your "new" sides will be, then deduct the depth of your original wagon (we wanted to set our corner supports down from the top edge a little bit, so we deducted an additional inch). Cut your corner supports to the determined length.<br />
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Assembling the box is simple. Start by laying out your short sides. Screw or nail the corner supports flush to the edge of each short side. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RppVefjwNLQV0zMaol7mOHmcqH_KqNfSfjEw7Nap0RQTnq4pNFG-2Vm6FFtGbsemawqM3lOJu_0wn-gaVKqKUBqsDZkNWOSEGWNqChanudruYse0H-BpUS6hb1ZNoojI_NNBCIB7msWn/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RppVefjwNLQV0zMaol7mOHmcqH_KqNfSfjEw7Nap0RQTnq4pNFG-2Vm6FFtGbsemawqM3lOJu_0wn-gaVKqKUBqsDZkNWOSEGWNqChanudruYse0H-BpUS6hb1ZNoojI_NNBCIB7msWn/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now attach the long sides to the short sides using screws or nails. Your box is now finished and can be set on top of the wagon.<br />
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Our wagon originally had wood slats bolted to the sides. We put screws through the old bolt holes for some additional security, but it isn't necessary if your wagon doesn't have these holes.<br />
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Sand the cut edges and your wagon is ready to use and/or display! You could stain or paint it if you want to. I thought about stenciling ours, but decided to leave it plain and let it age. I also chose not to clean up the wheels because I like the cracked, peeling paint.<br />
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We could have stopped there, but instead, I lined it with heavy duty clear plastic sheeting. Then I added potting soil and herbs to make a rolling herb garden. It works out great because I can move it around the yard to give it more sun when needed. I can also roll it right up to the grill and clip fresh herbs while we're cooking.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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<br />Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-25829029060887717372013-06-21T13:58:00.001-07:002013-06-28T12:23:17.140-07:00Remember me, Willoughby?<br />
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I've been away from blogging for a long time. My last post was more than a year ago. It was never intentional, it just kind of got away from me. Also, it didn't seem that I was all that far removed from blogging because I've kept in touch with so many of you through Facebook and email.<br />
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Every time I've tried to start blogging again, I've run into the same problem. What should I blog about? Does anyone care to read my ramblings anymore? I don't know the answer to either question, especially the second one. Time will tell, I suppose. In any case, I've decided to try to pick up where I left off and get back to blogging.<br />
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So what have I been doing all this time? Lots of things, actually. Mr. W and I have been working on quite a few home improvement projects. We've taken some great day trips and cooked some fantastic food. A few holidays have come and gone and seasons have changed multiple times. Our store is doing well and we've started an adventure journal style blog. Little by little, I'll be telling you about all of these things. Well, the more interesting stories, anyway.<br />
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I promise I'll do my best to get caught back up with all of you. I've missed you and I can't wait to see what's new in your corner of the internet. Also, I'll be posting a special Novica giveaway very soon, so I hope you'll be back for that.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span><br />
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**Google Reader will disappear on July 1. You can still follow me through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6570673/?claim=6m9f7skm4ph%22%3EFollow%20my%20blog%20with%20Bloglovin%3C/a%3E">Bloglovin</a>.Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-38349227623331956812012-04-17T10:37:00.001-07:002012-04-17T10:39:34.087-07:00Imaginary NeighborsAbout six months after we moved into our old neighborhood, a man named Tom moved into the house across the street. He seemed like a friendly guy and would wave and say hello if we were unloading groceries or taking out the trash. Sometimes, if we were working in the yard, he would come over to check out our project and chat. At Christmas time, we left a tin of cookies on his porch just like we did for our other neighbors.<br />
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I wouldn't say we had become friends, exactly, we didn't go to his house for cookouts or invite him to our house for drinks. Our conversations were usually just small talk; complaining about dandelions in the lawn or gas prices, the weather and such. We didn't really know much about him. He was just a nice guy who lived across the street.<br />
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One day, about a year later, Tom mentioned something about his wife, Darlene. We were dumbstruck. Tom had a wife? We had never seen her or heard him talk about her before. How could she have been living there all this time without us having known she existed? It didn't sound like they were recently married and she must have left the house every day because Tom told us where she worked. We considered the possibility that he was a little delusional and she was a figment of his imagination. Unlikely, but plausible. If children can have imaginary friends, why can't adults have imaginary spouses?<br />
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It immediately became a casual obsession for us to watch for her. There were two cars at Tom's house and we had seen both of them coming and going, but never at the same time. If the red minivan was in the driveway, the silver coupe was gone and vice versa. We would try to spot the driver whenever either one of the cars were in use, but the windows were tinted in both vehicles making it nearly impossible to get a clear view. The landscaping obstructed our view of the driver exiting the car.<br />
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Finally, on a Saturday afternoon, we saw a woman step out on the porch to get the newspaper. She was out and then back in the house so quickly that we weren't able to get a good look at her, but we were pretty sure it was Darlene. Over the next few weeks we spotted her several other times. Strangely, though, we never saw her with Tom. We wondered why they never seemed to be together.<br />
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We became convinced that Tom and Darlene were the same person. It seems like a stupid idea, I know, but it was unbelievable the way we could never catch sight of both of them at the same time. One day, in particular, they were doing some landscaping around their property. After shoveling some dirt into the flower beds, Tom disappeared into the garage. A moment later, Darlene walked out of the garage with a flat of flowers. After planting them, she headed back into the garage and Tom reappeared with mulch. This went on all day. Tom in one door, Darlene out the other, never together.<br />
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It wasn't really possible that Tom and Darlene were one in the same and we knew that. He was tall, she was short. He had tattoos on his arms, she had none. But it was just so funny how we were never able to spot them together. We don't live in that neighborhood anymore, and I don't know if Tom and Darlene still do. But wherever they are, they're probably living happily ever after in separate rooms.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-60090431041868748732012-04-11T10:39:00.000-07:002012-04-11T10:39:59.674-07:00A Hair Raising Ghost StoryYou may recall that we frequently have visitors of the supernatural variety in our home. I told you about a few of them <a href="http://thisstopwilloughby.blogspot.com/2009/10/ghostly-encounters.html">here</a>. There have been many more since then, but this most recent visit was different in several ways. One, it was not human and two, it left a calling card behind. This story is 100% true.<br />
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Last Thursday evening, right around dinner time, Mr. W, myself and our daughter were sitting around the kitchen island. My daughter and I were facing Mr. W with our backs to the doorway, but from where he was sitting, Mr. W had a view straight through the dining room and into the living room. He was looking past us and had an odd look on his face.<br />
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"Did we get a cat?" he asked.<br />
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"No, why?"<br />
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"I just saw a cat walk through the living room." He held up his arm, then. "Look, I've got goosebumps."<br />
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If any cat were going to visit us "from beyond", I assumed it would be our beloved caramel colored puff ball who passed away a year ago at the ripe old age of 21, so I asked, "Was it Chester?" <br />
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"No. This cat was much lighter. It may have been white," he said.<br />
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We took a quick look but found nothing. The visiting cat had vanished into thin air.<br />
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The next day, I had forgotten all about it until I noticed my daughter's hand held game charging on the ottoman. She had set it there because it's close to an electrical outlet. As I picked it up to unplug it, I saw something in bold contrast to the brown leather. A single white hair, curved, about three inches long. A cat hair. I'm not kidding.<br />
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I tried to come up with a rational explanation for the appearance of the hair. I thought maybe it wasn't a cat hair at all, but a human hair. However, that seems highly unlikely. While Mr. W and I both have a little gray coming in, his hair is much too short and my hair is much too long to match the hair on the ottoman. The kids don't have white hair and we no longer have any pets. We don't have anything with fur on it except the hood of my daughter's coat. Even then, it's fake fur, and much shorter and darker than the hair I found. Above all, after having cats for more than 20 years, I know a cat hair when I see one.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-81129312256210976352012-04-05T15:34:00.000-07:002012-04-05T15:34:02.256-07:00Is There A Time Warp In Here Or Are You Just Messing With Me?I'm 44 years old. On a good day, I look 43<span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">½</span> . On a bad day, maybe 50 or 55, I'm not sure. One thing is for certain, though, the only time I look under 21 is in pictures that were taken when I was under 21. Why am I telling you this? Because there is a cashier at our local supermarket that insists on carding me every time I buy beer or wine. Every. Time.<br />
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When I go shopping, I like to use the self check-out lanes (we call them U-Scan). If I'm buying a few bottles of wine or a 12 pack of Landshark (I'm not much of a beer drinker, but Landshark just <i>tastes</i> like summer to me) the routine normally goes like this: I scan the product, look over to the cashier and wave, she waves back, overrides the age requirement and I put the beer or wine in a bag. Easy, peasey. Unless "Carol" (I don't know if that's her name) is working the U-Scan station.<br />
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The first time I came up against "Carol" I was buying a few bottles of wine. I scanned the first one, looked over at her and waved, then waited for the screen to show that the age requirement had been waived. I was still facing the U-Scan monitor when I saw her approach out of the corner of my eye. She walked right up to me and stared without saying a word. When I turned in her direction she said "I need to see your whole face." She had already seen my whole face, but I guess I look 20 years younger in profile, who'd have thunk it? Weird.<br />
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I gotta be honest, that sort of irritated me. There are dozens of different cashiers in that store and no one had ever behaved that way whether I was going through the U-Scan or a full service lane. <br />
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A week or so ago, I found myself once again checking out in the U-Scan with "Carol" running the station. I scanned all of my other groceries first and saved the wine to the end. I dragged the bottle over the scanner and waved to her (making sure she could see my whole face) so that she could see I was "of age" to purchase alcohol. Still, she came over and stared at me. I asked if she wanted my birth date and she said she did. "Three eighteen sixty-eight," I said. She just stood there and continued to stare, so next I asked if she wanted to see my ID. Yes, it turned out, she did. "Do I look under 21 to you?" I asked her. "Maybe," she said, "but that could be because I'm so old." Using that logic, she could mistake my 12 year old daughter for a toddler. I had no idea what she meant but I showed her my ID through the window in my wallet. I was just waiting for her to insist I take it out so she could hold it up to the light. <br />
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So what's the deal with this woman? Could she be against the purchase of alcohol in general or is it just me she has a problem with? Does she know that Prohibition was repealed in 1933? I know that stores have to protect themselves from selling to underage customers, but come on, do I look anywhere close to 21 to you?<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-8814567352873982302012-03-30T14:04:00.000-07:002012-03-30T14:04:05.198-07:00Pondering Things Like Cat Litter, Canadian Music and Sea MonkeysYou know me, I'm always pondering something. On my mind today:<br />
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Cat Litter - We don't have a cat anymore, so I haven't bought cat litter in a long time, but I was looking at a display of one popular brand at the store. It comes in several varieties. One is for instant odor control, another has maximum odor control for multiple cat homes and yet another is for long lasting odor control. My question is, why all the different formulas? Can't each one have instant, lasting, maximum odor control? Has anyone ever wanted delayed, minimum, or short term odor control from their cat litter?<br />
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Grapefruit - Who came up with the name grapefruit? They don't look like grapes or taste like grapes.<br />
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Cookies - What if we called them bakies instead?<br />
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Celebrity Endorsements - Do you think Beyonce stops at Rite Aid to grab a box of L'Oreal when her roots are showing? Is Weight Watchers the reason Jennifer Hudson lost so much weight or could it have something to do with her personal trainer?<br />
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Regional Availability of Music - Our local Alternative Rock radio station broadcasts to both Michigan and Ontario, Canada, so they play songs from quite a few Canadian bands. Ashes of Soma, Default, KO, Nickelback, Theory of a Deadman, Evans Blue, City and Colour, Billy Talent and My Darkest Days are just a few. Do you hear them in your area or is it a regional thing? (Scroll down to my player to hear these bands. Be aware that some songs are not kid friendly.)<br />
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Sea Monkeys - How is it they can be dehydrated, stored for months, and then brought back to life by re-hydrating them? Imagine if they could do that with other animals. Farmers could buy their livestock online and have it shipped to them. Of course, you would need a really big tank to re-hydrate something like a cow. Would a dehydrated cow give powdered milk?<br />
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Pants - When did people start wearing pants? First they wore nothing, then loincloths, then flowing gowns/robes and then, presumably, pants became the thing to wear. Did they catch on right away? Had underwear been invented by then?<br />
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Still pondering.......<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-1525258446328130032012-03-28T14:10:00.000-07:002012-03-28T14:10:25.618-07:00That Will Wake You Up In The MorningWhen I read the newspaper, I can't help but scan the obituaries and death notices. Is that morbid? I don't really think it is. It's not like I'm hoping any particular name will show up.<br />
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It isn't often that I find a death notice for someone I know well. Once in a while I come across the parent of someone I went to high school with, or maybe a teacher I had or a former neighbor. When a friend or relative dies, I always read their obituary, as well. I'm not sure why. It's just part of the process of accepting that someone is really gone, I suppose.<br />
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One morning a few years ago, I was casually scanning through the list of names when I came across one I immediately recognized. My own. I nearly did a spit take with my coffee because I was fairly certain I wasn't dead. I think I may have even called my mom to confirm it. Once the initial shock wore off and my blood began to circulate again, I read the entry. The deceased woman was older than me and lived in a different town. Our last name being fairly uncommon, I figured she must be a relative so I called Mr. W and asked him. It turns out she was an aunt he hadn't seen in years. <br />
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I've often said any day above ground is a good day. The same is true for any day you don't find your name in the obituaries.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-74836831869022485092012-03-07T12:59:00.000-08:002012-03-07T12:59:54.405-08:00Have You Heard From Me Lately?If you received an email from me, lately, it probably wasn't from me. Someone hacked my Yahoo email account and sent spam laced emails to all of my contacts. I didn't even know about it until someone mentioned on Facebook that they had been receiving strange emails from me. When I looked into my account history, I was shocked to see that my account had been accessed from several other states and countries. I have no idea how it happened, but I hope I've put an end to it.<br />
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I did send out an email explaining the situation. You should be able to tell it's from me (and not the hacker) by the heading which reads "My email was hacked, delete all recent emails from me". Sorry about the confusion!<br />
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My hand is feeling better and I should be back to blogging very soon!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645639453384453835.post-88201590459899562172012-01-16T13:17:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:17:39.346-08:00Brace Yourself, If You Need To, That IsI'm right handed. Very right handed. My left hand is good for a few things. I use it when I'm typing and for non-dexterous things like holding an object, but other than that, it is simply there to give me a symmetrical appearance. If I attempt to write with my left hand, it looks like a child's writing. I can't even imagine using my left hand to cut with a pair of scissors or chop vegetables with a knife. It wouldn't end well.<br />
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My dad is left handed. When he was in elementary school, it was frowned upon to use your left hand for writing. Teachers would force him to put the pencil in his right hand even though it felt awkward to him. For some reason, they believed you chose your dominant hand as opposed to it being predetermined. It did eventually serve a useful purpose for him, though. He severed a tendon in an accident while at work. He had surgery and his left hand was in a cast for weeks. The company gave him a temporary position that required a great deal of writing which he had to do with his right hand. <br />
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My husband, on the other hand (pun intended), is ambidextrous. He writes with his right hand, but does a lot of other things with his left. He plays sports left handed (except golf) and uses tools left handed. With scissors and knives, he uses his right. Interesting, huh?<br />
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Back to me. Like I said, my left hand is my stupid hand, but it was never an issue until recently when my right hand started to give me problems. At first, it was a little achy if I was using it a lot. Sometimes it felt stiff in the morning or sore at night. I chalked it up to the onset of arthritis and took ibuprofen for the pain. It helped, so I figured it was just something I had to learn to live with. Around Christmastime, I started to have problems gripping things and my hand was so sore that I couldn't make a fist. Soon after, the pain in my hand was waking me up in the middle of the night. A few times, it felt like the circulation had been cut off and I was afraid to look at it for fear that it would be dusky. I was beginning to lose function in my hand.<br />
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To shorten an already long story, it turns out that I don't have arthritis, I have carpal tunnel syndrome. I caught it early enough that it appears I will have no lasting problems. To alleviate the symptoms, I have been wearing a wrist brace to keep my wrist in a neutral position. For the time being, I am wearing it during the day as well as at night and removing it only when I will be getting my hand wet. In time, I will be able to switch to wearing it only at night and then, eventually, I won't need it at all if my symptoms subside. <br />
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The reason I'm telling you this story is that it can be easy to attribute hand and wrist pain to a number of other things. Anyone who does a lot typing can be at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome, so that includes my blogging friends. If you are experiencing pain, tingling or numbness in your hand, fingers and/or wrist, don't ignore it. If it is, indeed, carpal tunnel syndrome, permanent nerve damage can occur if it is left untreated (<a href="http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/carpal-tunnel/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-topic-overview">click here to see the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome</a>). It's been less than a week since I started wearing the brace, and it's made a huge difference for me. I haven't had any pain and I have full use of my hand again.<br />
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</div><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC';"><span style="font-size: 40px;">Willoughby</span></span>Willoughbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260987219988824912noreply@blogger.com10