Tweak Not Twerk Nor Twitter

I looked at prior photo in post and thought

It's OK...

but this is better. 

I kept everything from before

and just added some shapes and color.

Tweaked it

 A couple days after my changes and I love the room

more every time I walk thru.

Change is good baby

Lighten your load

To help you decide

about your spaces I recommend

taking photos. 

What doesn't fit or is "off"

will be glaringly obvious.

And as for Twitter

I never did it

and after #45 I never will.

I Am Woman I Can Do Anything

From base cabinet

to cart

from cart

 to two totes

to one tote

one flip

second flip

 floor

TA DA 

Mickey and Me

Halloween 1988

and now Mickey is getting married.

Updates

Updates on the personal front.

Ben and Helene

 have set a May wedding date 

Ben just finished working on

the first season of 

Chasing the Cure for TNT.

Hannah and crew are making preparations to 

go to Amsterdam with their 

winning short for that festival.

If they place in the top 10 there,

 they go on to Cannes.

Tom is playing Goldstein in

 George Orwell's 1984 

adapted by Michael Gene Sullivan 

with Tim Robbins and 

The Actors Gang

Busy enough?

The holidays are going to be crazy

 as the kids are making pit stops here,

both before and after they head 

to Detroit  (DD and TOM)

and AZ ( DS and DD2)

Not sure yet if we will all be in

the house at the same time.

I hope so, for

2019 is likely to be the last Christmas in

the house where they grew up.

It will also be the easiest Holiday as I 

sold off about 75% of decorations.

My trusty go-to picks are still out there,

so never fear.

Howie back at vet today

progress, but not there yet.

I have a new cardiologist as of this Saturday.

Cross your fingers eh?

and

I managed to slide the hutch top 

( see yesterday's post) off and down

onto this cart easily enough

but now can't get it off the cart.

I need 2 more step down pieces

 to get close enough to floor.

Stay tuned...

Z

another update:

I received a comment from a good and trusted blog friend

who thought perhaps I was altering my personality

by paring down so drastically.

 I appreciate such honesty and agree that

I am changing.

It's not just about moving

It's not just about selling the house

It is about very positive changes

that I think we all need to address.

About Nathaniel

Another friend wanted a close up

Again stay tuned

Shake It Up

THIS

USED TO BE 

THIS

Now before you think she's crazy, why 

would she do this?

 I'll tell you.

Because it is all too much:

too much to care for

too much for a house showing

too much for down sizing

too much for me to leave behind

for kids to deal with.

Those of you who have followed along

know the process has been ongoing.

Well, now we are in the final stretch.

See where those ( now clean) baskets were on top?

Constantly dusty, and the dishes

in the hutch with glass shelves?

A constant annoying issue.

A bonus:

When entertaining I now have a serving board.

More importantly for me

I now have a place of honor 

for my beloved painting by Nat Fast.

I loved him and miss him.

Nathaniel painted many subjects

but my favorites were always the pickers in the 

near by Santa Maria fields where he lived.

I requested one and he did this for me.

 I have kept it upstairs all these years

where most folks never saw it.

Now they can enjoy it as much as I love it.

Stay Tuned 

There is more

Z

Basket Washing Day

Anyone else give their baskets a good bath now and then?

I don't soak, I quickly, thoroughly spray, then wipe,

and set to dry where they will dry 

completely and quickly without heat.

I took a basket weaving class early 90's

from a wonderful instructor 

and like most things I take on,

I quickly became obsessed and the baskets

were rapidly breeding. 

Several moms from the same elementary school

my kids attended also took the classes

and we then went on to meet and weave once a week. 

I've kept a few I made like these, and 

another apple harvest one that I painted white

and several smaller ones. 

I also have two very old ones made a very long 

time ago by talented craftsmen that I treasure.

So why today did I begin washing baskets?

Because furniture is on the move 

around oldgreymare.

Yep, it is time for several minor, 

and a few major shakeups.

Stay tuned

Z

Toyland

I bet you remember these, or your kids do.

This is probably the last I'll see any like them

as a gal coming by today to purchase.

The other sets already sold the day of the sale.

I am amazed at how well my kids 

took care of their things and then I've

 had them safely boxed up for nearly 25 years.

These were great toys

where kids used their imaginations

and happily played for hours.

Not following the flashing lights

or shooting at things.

Don't get me started..

I had hoped to pass on to grandkids

someday but the kids say to let them go,

so I do.

It is difficult.

The Worst Is Over

...and we all survived.

It nearly took a village to get

through it all but it's now in the past and

I'm moving forward.

We shot these quickly for the ad before 

we had all the furniture out on the front yard. 

Obviously so much more as we nearly hit the $3,000 mark.

We may hit it as just now a gal 

wrote from the craigs list and may come

for FP toys.

We had a preview for invited guests Friday 

night as usual and then decided to put up a couple

signs by the entrance and we nabbed a few more shoppers.

Tidied up a bit, closed the door and tried to sleep

and raised the garage door at 6:30 to waiting folks.

Hauled out everything stacked in 

the back yard and living room

and fired the starter pistol.

By 3 we were winding down

 and kids convinced me to

 do 8-10 Sunday morning, something I never do. 

Slashed prices and Hannah bless her heart went back out

and modified signs.

Glad I did as we were able to give some children

2 train sets that had them beaming.

Meanwhile, through it all Howie 

was vomiting his medicine off and on for three days 

and also the stress of all the people and cousin dog Tubs.

AND Hannah had her HS reunion squeezed in there,

along with renting a truck to 

take some furniture back to CA. 

My daughter to be, and daughter were doing dishes

 non stop and cleaning up. Ben was feeding us

 and doing some home repair for me.

It really was a 3 day frenzy.

Many friends stopped by to say hello

and shop and ask "where are you going?"

My love and gratitude to my three blessings

DD and DS and DD2 for 

always being there for me.

To Annie, Sue and Pam :

Could not have managed without you.

Thank you so very much.

I have some vintage toys left including both 

American Girl Dolls and one overstuffed chair.

Two carloads full to the roof to donation.

One carload to the roof to library.

(took them three trips to get into library with huge cart).

DD2 cooked some lean burger and rice for Howie

and he has not vomited since, and this will

be a lifesaver if it helps him recover

from this infection.

Whew! right?

Now phase two. 

Is there any way I can stay in house? 

Move to Ca? When to sell? How to sell?

Where to rent? What can I afford?

and what the hell is wrong with my health?

Today is more sleep and slowly putting

garage back together and then I am going

 to sew and craft for days and days.

Ben will now have time to get 

my beautiful new website tweaked so that I can sell

again and it's a brave new world..

If we survive the election.

I love the folks who populate my world

including all of you.

Those I've emailed with for a decade and those

who just follow along unknown to me.

Blogging has been a gift.

Thank you for sharing your lives with me.

 I wish I could have you all over for lunch.

With much love

Z

The Sale

Ben's Ad for "The Sale" yesterday:

Come with me, all of you, down memory lane,

For a story of antiques and vintage toy trains.

This woman is moving and cannot be late,

So she’s hosting a SALE and marked it “estate.”

It’s stacked floor to ceiling with one-of-a-kinds

Rows of beautiful pieces and incredible finds

Like linens and fabrics and new skeins of yarn,

Farm tables and dressers brought straight from the barn!

There’s chairs and cabinets and baskets and racks

And plenty of crafting piled in stacks

Over all of these wares you surely will geek

They’re reasonably priced (and so shabby chic!)

Cookbooks and look books and book books galore,

Pitchers, pots, plates, platters, pegboards, and more!

See vintage toys making hobbyists drool,

From Fisher Price, Little Tikes, and Playskool,

It’s stuffed to the gills with grills, drills, and mills,

Old costumes and clothing—denim, lacy, or frilled.

Cookware and keurigs and flatware? You bet!

Plus Rudolph toys—and it’s a full set!

Wooden shoes, stars, and mirrors, plus more vintage smalls,

Come check it out—we’re getting rid of it all!

Her kids moved the heavy furniture all day,

So they sure would be grateful if you came by her way.

We’ll start wheeling and dealing 7:30 on the dot

You’re all beautiful people and we like you a lot!

Sold so much, but some big pieces are left so we marked down

 even more and we're trying two more hours this morning,

then donating all the rest.

Kids headed back to CA

Mama headed to bed.

Exhaustion is the name of the game 

Z