Why am I on the blog when I still have more to do preparing for Karlene's party? Just wanted to tell you that this time, I stressed way less, Ginger helped alot! Dad cleaned up his own mess and some trash. I put everything away in the kitchen, plus bought groceries and put them away! The old fridge is still in dining room, Jaime said he will come back Sun, am. (Grrr, waiting again!) The new fridge needs the water hooked up, and the oven needs 220 hooked up. I sure hope Jaime knows what the H#%*! he's doing with electricity. He's only 28, and tried to put the dishwasher, but forgot to bolt it. The new dishwasher works fine, inspite of not being bolted down. So the oven worries me a little. God will provide, God is in control, He will make a way!

Ok, instead of getting frustrated, I kept working. Ya see, Ginger cleaned dining room, living room, the brick patio. Her grandson was here also and cleaned the dog poop (I paid him). (I just erased a negative comment, thank GOD for delete!) THE HOUSE IS LOOKING MIGHTY GOOD!!! The dining room is really pretty, Ginger got me a new clock and 2 new plates we hung on the desk wall. I'll try to get some photos taken AND send online. Ginger is so sweet and caring, she and Oscar want to help put the back splash tile, which I have not chosen color yet. I think I want white subway tile (looks like brick shape.)

I know I have school work to look at for next week, it will get looked at, probably at school! Yeah, it's almost party time. Food needs picked up; two 3 foot burritos; cake from Cosco; ice & sodas. I hope Dad will do these errands. Bob will make his delicious Spanish rice, and his refried beans (not Rosarita's) I will ENJOY MYSELF, I WILL HAVE FUN AT MY HOUSE. This remodel is just the beginning of continueing parties, or get togethers. There is something planned here every month for the next 6 months.

The beautiful new counters are in, well almost! They look like marble, oooh, ah.

They got delivered today, set up, sink is cut out. Then the guys found that the cabinets were not installed straight! So they are taking the counter near the stove back to, do what? I mean, I want to call Jaime to get back here and straighten the cabinets. WTH? Ok, too tired to type anymore, just finished typing a bunch of homework. Talk to you soon, Bye.

Since you were talking about "Lost", thought about linking to an OC magazine article, http://www.orangecoastmagazine.com/site/pp.asp?c=ahKQL8NTE&b=7060 about the cute blond guy. The article tells how they film "Lost" in Oahu, where this guy lives.

Ok, Larry is a great guy, really!

He and Ceaser came over this am and intalled the new antique chandelier and 2 porch lights. One new light on front porch, a Thomas Kincade lamp. Traded old porch light from front to over the French doors. I don't know If I mentioned that the windows Larry put in, look wonderful. Him and Ceaser dinished the dry wall and outside wood siding very well. Next Larry is remodeling Jackie's 2 bathrooms.

Ginger came over and completely cleaned the dining room. We put pretty things in the newly painted cupboards, with new glass doors. She said I could put the can goods away in the cabinets, even tho the counters are not intalled yet.

OHH, we have NEW carpet up the stairs and thru the hall, sooo pretty!!! And it smells very nice. Each time a new thing was put into this remodel, from paint to wood cabinets, to carpet I soaked up the new smells. You know, like the new car smell, only in the house. NOw trying to keep the cat off all the new surfaces, that's a challenge. I almost fired her out of a cannon today for peeing in the upstairs bathroom floor, and towel. I kicked her booty out the back door with her litter box, food & water. Then I politely asked grandma to leave also, so Ginger & I could clean and the carpet guys could work. Hubby was gone. I actually enjoyed cleaning. Is something right about this picture?

Ok, so now getting pretty tired of not having a complete or even workable kitchen. Guess I'll call the counter guy, and Jaime. Maybe Jaime can install the fridge, oven & microwave. Then (me thinks) when counter guy puts in sink, cook top, but not hooks up; Jaime can come back to hook those up.

Oh, need to think about curtains, buying or making. Making them would make me feel proud, but buying is easier, and maybe cheaper. Any thoughts, Kandy? Does Penney's have curtains to match the dishes you showed me?

Quite a busy week, already!

Monday, the new vinyl floor got installed. The Hood is too big for my cabinets over the stove. Went to RSSA to talk about exchanging the 36" for a 30" hood. They said the Company charges a restocking fee. Let me back up to last Thurs, when I asked Larry if he would drive me to RSSA to pick up the new hood and kitchen island. I should have just paid for delivery. Listening to a preacher like Larry (the know-it-all) was quite an ordeal for me. I KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT THE WHOLE RIDE. Um it actually hurts to keep my mouth shut, it hurts my head to hold in all those pent up words to tell someone off! So of course, I exploded when I got home, well thru gritted teeth so Larry would not hear. Anyway, the point is, we should NOT have taken the hood on Thursday, he measured and we knew it was too big. So, this week, Mon & Tues, I went to RSSA from college, cuz it's close. I exchanged the 36" hood for a different brand 30" hood, it will be here soon. The first hood I had to wait for 6 weeks.

I asked the young guy who installed cabinets if he would install appliances, how much he would charge. He is reasonable, and extremely busy! Did I tell you he was from the cabinet place where I worked with no pay? So after the counter gets installed, then Jamie (J is H sound) will come back to install appliances, and we'll pay him. THEN EVERYTHING IS DONE, WHOO HOO!!!

• Here's what has been done so far, since Aug 1, 2005:
• Larry and Ceasar demolished old walls and ceiling
• Put new wood where needed.
• Had us order windows so they could install them.
• Door was widened from 31" to 96" (8')
• back door closed off
• drywall
• primer paint
• choose yellow paint for walls, white molding
• cabinets arrived after 4 (or 5) weeks
• found someone to intall, while Larry was on vacation
• Larry & Ceaser intalled 3 other windows; laundry, both baths
• They also finished the outside of kitchen, looks like no door or windows had been there
• got the new kitchen island
• floor installed
• counter tops
• back splash tile (who & what to decide)
• appliances hooked up
• Ginger helps me put dishes and food away, after we clean new cabinets.
• new carpet for stairs and hall Oct 20
• PARTY FOR KARLENE, Oct 30, first party in new kitchen!

Through all this I have had 2 midterms, learned CAD, stayed sane (well better than expected). Made a quilt for new grandson. Whew, I need a vacation! A spa treatment? Guess I'll settle for a pedicure spa and lunch with Ana.

"Old me: Why do I have to do it all? (housework)New me: I do what I can, when I can. Everything I do in the house blesses my family. " Quote from a Flylady member about "NO WHINING"

Ok, I'll do a 5 minute rescue before bed. Even this blog takes alot of time.

My house is looking good. It will be such fun to have Karlene's birthday party here! And other girlie parties like my Creative Memories, Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, Southern Living at Home, Home Interiors. Family gatherings like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, various birthday parties.

Still in college, so have to keep priorities about homework vs fun work (parties).

"I lift my eyes up to the mountain, where does my help come from? My help comes from you, maker of Heaven, creator of the earth." Mount San Jacinto, Mount Baldy, Mount Zion is where my help comes from. Where is your favorite mountain memory? Yosemite half dome is awesome to recall.

My new dishes arrived today, the Corelle Living ware from Cabizon outlet. The dishes are the thin Corelle, with the blue & yellow flowers, leaves. The serving pieces are the heavy stoneware with the same design. Pretty! Now I want to find dishtowels, hot pads, a rug to go with the dishes.

Tomorrow a floor guy is coming to estimate the linoleum. I went to the floor store and brought a sample, showed Ginger. I joked with her that the color already looks dirty, so I won't need to clean it as much. I know I have a problem with cleaning, I read FlyLady , just need to follow her easy plans for cleaning and blessing our home.

Right here and now, I am apologizing to my family that I did not have a clean or safe house. I'm what is called "a messy." I was rebellious about cleaning. I wanted to have fun with my children. I did not have a balance of fun and clean. AND to teach them to have clean rooms. So that's enough of picking on me for living in a messy envionment! You guys survived. Philip had asthma, but he grew out of it. We all could have died from the mold and mildew that was hiding in the kitchen ceiling and bathroom, that just got remodeled. BUT, we all survived!

I used to compare myself to my dear sis-in-law, and get depressed! I found out that I'm a creative person, who needs help getting organized. Some is out right laziness, some is wanting to do something else more rewarding than cleaning, that gets dirty after all that effort. With creating something that you can see and feel, and admire, the feelings are better to me than cleaning so hard and then pouf, the first person to step on the floor, leaves dirt. FlyLady, says to clean to bless the family. and even housework done wrong, yet done, is ok. We are not perfect. And some problems in attitude, are "if you can't do it right don't do it at all." Her attitude is do something to clean for 15 minutes at a time.

Ginger's attitude is she can never just sit and enjoy, she wants to clean a drawer, a cupboard, a closet, a room, a hall closet, a garage. That's when I say to her, if you love to clean so much, come help me. And she does, and I pay her. But she also knows me, and she can get in my face, and not let me get away with some of my bad self 'tudes. So, I'm not trying to hide my bad habits, I'm confessing them, and trying to change to good habits. And I want my children to forgive me. I would also like to be accepted as I am now, loved, and let me be me. I know I need to have a joyful spirit, and that comes from God and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will teach me all things.

The money is running out again, so the furnace gets a back burner again, pun intended. Ah but the electricity is working, more circuits, so the electric heater doesn't blow circuits as much. The new stove is gas, new oven is electric, gas dryer. You know, to warm up in mornings; turn on dryer with towels, turn on a burner with tea kettle, toaster, oven, coffee maker, electric heater. I wonder if there is energy saving furnace that would save all these appliances.

Great weekend at the women's retreat in Palm Springs! Brought back teenage memories... ( warning, long blog)

Back when I was in youth group (Luther League), all the churches in the area sent their youth and counselors to Palm Springs for a retreat. They stayed at The Riviera, well, before I met my boyfriend/ husband, I saw him there. He and his friend, Kyle were going around the long halls with a woopie cushion. They would walk past an old couple let off the woopie cushion, turn and look at the couple with a dirty look, then keep walking. Then of course, the guys would laugh and run away, so mature! Just thought I'd share what a great guy I married, ha ha! Actually it did bring back good memories, I forgot how funny hubby was.

The first day, Friday, Carol Olive drove 3 women, I got dibs on front seat. We went to Cabizon, an outlet mall, just like the one in Aurora, OH. I said, if I can find dishes with yellow, blue & white, in a store, I'll buy them. The first store I saw was a Corningware outlet. The first thing I saw as I walked in was serving pieces with those colors. Then I walked over to see if there was dishes. Yep, the same pattern of blue & yellow flowers & leaves on white background. They were on sale for buy 1 get 1 half off. Each place setting was service for 4, I knew I needed 3 sets to fit just our family. With the sale, I purchased 4 sets, and the serving set. The serving set had an oval baker, 2 covered caserole dishes and 2 small bowls, all oven-safe, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe. Yeah, I live by the microwave and freezer. (Well I really live by Jesus, but these amenities are His blessings!) Then I asked if they would ship the dishes to my house, since Carol's car was already packed with her electric riding vehicle. They will ship this week.

The view I had after I checked into room,and went down to pool was of Mount San Jancinto. The mountain had a cloud and the sun behind the cloud, with sunrays coming out all around the top of the mountain. I love sunrays, my nickname, Rae of sunshine. I always thank the Lord for sending His sunrays for me to enjoy and Praise Him. I did not have a camera, so I tried to sketch the scene later. Later that night, after meeting, some of us went into Jacuzzi, there were duck families that swam in the pool. They came from the adjoining golf course, they were so cute!

The rest of the weekend was spent with different people, 2 roomates whom I got along with, a ride to wherever (Target, Tuesday Morning), I know , I could have done that at home. I went to my room to watch HGTV, cuz I don't have cable at home. Meetings were good, worship good, friends the Lord gave me over the years, priceless!

Now "Back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now..." College has tests this week, CAD went well. Larry's back, said that the cook top won't fit in the drawer cabinet that is installed. Got to call the cabinet place, and find the flooring. Study for a test today.