It's Random

There isn't really anything going on here at the Stone House but I haven't posted for awhile so here comes some random writing.

*Do you plant a garden? I see seed packets and they look so tempting and pretty and then I remember that gardeners have to water, weed, and harvest the garden.  Yeah, that's not happening here.

(photo from the junk gypsies)

*This dinner was leftover lemon turkey breast, pasta, and mushrooms, red pepper, garlic and onions sauteed with wild sage mushroom oil. Super easy supper for me as Hubby did the cooking that night.

Delish.

*I took a screen shot of this photo and then later I was looking at it and trying to figure out why I saved it.  The trailer, the bracelets it was advertising, the chalk on the door.  Hhmmm, nope, it was the steps.  I think I need Hubby to build a set of big steps for Huaka'i Annie for trailer shows. People are always falling out of Annie.  Aren't the pineapples cute?

*My trailer tribe is a lil cray cray at some of the rallies.  There is Hawaiian night, girl scout uniforms, fiesta night, 50's night, Petticoat Junction night(I'm really confused about that one because I am too young to remember that show), 

Western night, hippie night... anyhoo, it's a lot.

I saw this picture and it reminded me of my tribe.  We need to get our game on. If only we had these bowling gowns and bowling ball bags. Those. gloves.  Let the search commence gals!

Rally season is coming!

 *I tend to wear jeans with a black tee, a lot.  If Hubby sees me wearing my uniform and he has on a black tee he insists that one of us should change because we are not those people.  You know, married people that have shirts or jackets alike.  He's right, we aren't the twinning type.  Honestly, I don't think the black tee counts as twinning.  And furthermore, it was my uniform first!

I've been a busy little online shopper.  Hubby and I needed some new clothes for trailer trash parties.

Since we don't do the twin thing I am careful not to go too far and yet have us coordinate.

Our flamingo set.

 Our red, white and blue set, with some gray to tone things down.

I just have to laugh about our trailer fashions because for Hubby and me, it is a stretch.

One of those, who'd have thought?

 * Congratulations to our daughter-in-law, Jess! She completed her masters program yesterday. We are so happy for Jess and so proud of her accomplishment!

*I have a been substitute teaching a lot and have a lot of days scheduled for May.  It's a busy time of year for subs.  It's all good though because summer is coming.

*When I promise random, I deliver.  Enjoy the sunshine today!

First Day of Spring

Happy Spring!

Don't you just love the seasons? The change is good for me.  Every time the seasons change I think, oooh, this is my favorite season.  I don't think I can pick a favorite. 

This week I was sick, a virus last week which was a 24 hour bug, ended in throat, sinus and ear infections this week.  I've been down.  A Z pack from my doctor and I am on the mend.  There hasn't been any walking, very little working and zero fun this week.  Oh, and no voice, so no talking.  So, I am ready for Spring, a change and some fun.  Though I have a low key weekend planned.  I think the fun will come later as my throat still hurts and the cough is setting in.   

The First Day of Spring does make me feel better.

When I was in school the girls wore dresses until I got in 6th grade, then the rules changed and we were allowed to wear dress pants.  By the time I was a freshman in high school we were allowed to wear jeans to school.  A dress, everyday!  On the First Day of Spring we wore a brand new Spring dress.  When I was in first grade my Grandma Vander Haak bought my dress.  It's a very clear memory as it was unusual to receive a gift for no reason.  It wasn't my birthday or Christmas and I got a dress in a gift box from a store in Bellingham. Oh, the joy!  It was empire waist with a pale chambray fabric on the bottom and the top was red with tiny white polka dots.  There was a small ruffle on the neckline, gold buttons and a tie around the empire waist of the red fabric.  When I got to school I was happy that I had the new dress from my Grandma.  I am the oldest child and I don't think my Mom or I would have known of this tradition had my Grandma not stepped up and bought the dress.

My Mom quite often sewed my First Day of Spring dresses.  I remember one of them was a print with white, and a bright pink and green.  A drop waist and some small lace trim at the neckline and a green bow at the ruffle.  My sis, Kathi and I wore identical dresses that year.

When I was in junior high my Mom sewed a red, white and blue dress with a collar and a front zipper.  I ordered red, white and blue boat shoes from the JC Penney's catalog using my babysitting money.  Practically a fashionista!

Little girls wore dresses, ankle socks with black mary janes on Sunday and saddle shoes on school days.  Play clothes after school and on Saturdays.  My Mom sewed many of our dresses, or ordered them from the Sears or JC Penney's catalogs.

I don't have pictures of the First Day of Spring but this picture is of first grade or kindergarten on the first day of school.

 I think this picture was third or fourth grade first day of school.

 My sister, Kathi, my brother Ken and myself are in this next picture.  There was a lot of plaid.  I still  love  plaid dresses.  My Mom did a lot of sewing for us and our dolls.

 Girls wore dresses and had to learn to sit like a lady from a very young age.
Never mind that I am sitting on the arm of the sofa instead of on the sofa.

Getting a perm was NOT a fun tradition for little girls.  I remember my Mom and my Aunt Clarice giving Kathi and me perms.  Aunt Clarice went to Newberrys in Bellingham in the morning and bought the perms and popcorn.  My life changed that day.  I was bent over the kitchen sink, perm running in my eyes as Aunt Clarice rinsed my head.  I was crying, my eyes were stinging, and it was stinky when Aunt Clarice gave me the bad news about suffering to be beautiful.  It was the first time I heard that girls have to suffer to be beautiful. 

Obviously, the picture was taken prior to the rinse and the bad news.
Kathi and I didn't even see that rinse and bad news coming.  We had popcorn from Newberrys, oh happy day!

 There is no new outfit for me today.  Just my old jeans, a T and sneakers for some house cleaning and laundry.  I wonder if the little girls at Lynden Christian School still have a new First Day of Spring dresses.  Probably not.  It was a fun tradition but it's probably over now.  Fortunately, little girls don't have to get perms anymore, or wear a dress everyday.  Of course, they aren't learning to sit like a lady or how to suffer to be beautiful either.
And on that note, I sound like an old lady, so let's wrap this up.
Have a good weekend, enjoy Spring and remember to sit like a lady!

June 2 - Favorite Shoes

A picture of my favorite shoes, that was easy. The shoes I wore when I walked down the aisle to the love of my life on my wedding day are my all time favorite shoes.

I have wide, hard to fit feet. Foot surgery kind of bad feet.

I found my wedding shoes at Nordstrom at the half yearly sale. They were the only ones in this style and they were my size. I never dreamt that I would be able to find satin beaded shoes for my wedding day that would fit my feet. Oh happy day!

They made me feel like Cinderella.

Still love the shoes and the guy!

Good Advice

I found this great advice on House of Fifty blog. And I wanted to share it with you.

Lovely Advice

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did in 2010.
7. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
8. Sleep for 7 hours.
9. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

1. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
3. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
6. Dream more while you are awake.
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
8. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more.
14. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

1. Call your family often.
2. Each day give something good to others.
3. Forgive everyone for everything.
4. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
6. What other people think of you is none of your business.
7. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

1. Do the right thing!
2. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
3. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
4. The best is yet to come.
5. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.