way-back wednesday

Penny and I are about the same age in these two pictures, right around 2 years old. I'm finally starting to see more of myself in her instead of just "Jason in a dress."

rocking chair redo

I've been on a project kick lately as you may have guessed from my recent posts. I've been trying to clear up space around the house, to make it more beautiful and less cluttered looking. My favorite of these projects was making a late 19th century family rocking chair presentable again. It also happened to be the most frustrating and rewarding of the many goals I have listed. 


The main problem concerned the caning that covers the back portion of the chair. Gorgeous when it's done; a nightmare when you're the one trying to fix it. 

First I cut out the caning, which was easy enough. Then I removed the cushion, sanded and then stained the whole chair. Then I started working on re-caning the back. I watched a dozen videos on youtube and read the book the cane came with at least that many time but after a week of nights spend hunched over the chair, I gave up and found a professional. 

She was able to do in about a week what I never would have accomplished. And it's perfect. I then had Jason cut me a new seat that I re-cushioned and covered. The fabric is a beautiful celery green with off-white dots.

As soon as I make room, this beauty is going into Penny's nursery. She already loves climbing up on the seat and rocking. I can't wait for nights of rocking and reading stories together in my favorite new/old chair. 

way-back wednesday

Today we go all the way back to high school. For those who can't tell, I'm the one of the left and yes, this was before I got my braces off. Such a good look on me. Having braces as a teen was rough but not nearly so difficult as just being a high schooler. Lots of people say, oh yeah, I'd do it again. Nope. Not me. Not a chance. There are definitely things I miss about that time, people and such, but the school part isn't one of them.


So I'll just be glad I have the photographic proof that I was there to make my child laugh some day. I think the mid-90's fashion should be enough to make her pee her pants. 

adventures in laziness

I've been feeling out of sorts the last few days. "Out of sorts." That's what Jason and I say when we're grumpy enough to punch someone in the face. I've been feeling the discouragement that goes with having more ideas than motivation. 


OK, I'll call that what it really is - laziness. I could dress it up and call it a malaise of the spirit but that would just be poetic. Pure sit-on-my-butt-and-eat-brownies laziness is what it is. And every few months or so, when my laziness and grumpiness collide, my motivation gets left in the dust. Then I start feeling sorry for myself. What happened to my determination? Where's my resolve? When did it get so easy to ignore my world-changing ambition?


Too far? Yeah, I thought as much. 


Still, I do have ideas. Lots of them. So many that most nights I spend the last minutes before bed hurriedly jotting down notes so I don't forget the brilliance of me. And still they sit, ignored in the notebook for weeks. I have the extra time yet I choose to do nothing with it. Sometimes I get so caught up in the fanciful "I could be doing" that I forget about the things I could complete. 


I push aside that compelling need to exercise. And the rocking chair project I'm thisclose to finishing. And all the old family photos sitting in shoe boxes that need to be scanned. I don't want to be such a slacker anymore. I want to be a do-er not a wisher. 


So I'm adding one to the New Year's goals. Stop making excuses. 


...........


OK, I've noticed the posts have been a little more sullen and lacking in sunshine lately. But that's what life's all about. It's how I've been feeling. I'm aware of it and am trying to change it. But one step at a time.


On a more uplifting note - 


Wednesdays will now be "Way-back Wednesday."  I will be posting photos from different years of my life. Mainly because it gives me a good excuse to get all those pictures scanned that I have lying around. 

Christmas past

You only have to read the other new post to see that, yes, I am completely aware that I've procrastinated and now look like an idiot finally talking about our Christmas holiday. Which is why I've decided just to post some pictures instead of going into details long since past. 


Christmas was fun but the best part by far was getting to watch how a 2 year old reacts to such goings on. Christmas morning was a delight like I've rarely seen.