Chickens on the Farm

"By Trudy Connor"

Nesting Hen Needlepoint Primitive Bentwood Sieve

There were chickens on my grandparents farm, nothing tastes like farm fresh eggs. 

The chicken house was always occupied and my grandparents had boxes built along one wall for each nest. When you walked into the chicken house the hens would talk to you, warning you off. I could just imagine them saying: 

"See what I did, now leave my eggs alone!" Gathering eggs could be hazardous as the hens peck when you reached for the eggs. My grandmother's trick was to spread some cracked corn outside the chicken house to draw their attention elsewhere. 

Each spring a few sitting hens would occupy the temporary nest in the smoke house. They were happy keeping their eggs warm the 3 weeks needed until the eggs hatched. The smoke house location was excellent. Near enough to the house to prevent visiting grandchildren from gathering the wrong eggs and disturbing the hens. 

Chicken Water Bowls

Spring heralded the arrival of tiny chicks delivered by mail. Yes they came by way of the US Postal Service! The chicks would stay near the wood stove, until the brooding house was warm enough to usher them into their new home. My grandmother used self watering gallon jars, in the brooder house. I enjoyed the magic of filling and turning over without spilling concept as a child. 

I found a self watering trough on Etsy! Danielle and John at IndustrialPlanet gave me permission to use their photo! Just click the link to purchase them.

First day of ownership

"By Trudy Connor"

Written in November 2014 and forgot to post. Opps.  

Saturday morning, as I drink my coffee our agent called. We agreed to meet at the carriage house to give me the keys.  A grey and rainy day cleaning began. The heart of the home is first! 

First thing, I begin cleaning the dishwasher by running 2 cups of vinegar through a short cycle. The dishwasher does not look heavily soiled. I am lucky.
While the dishwasher runs, I unpack the housewarming gift to myself, the new Mikasa Lucerne White Dinnerware. 

I was amazed at the number of toast crumbs all over the counters. Nothing was cleaned out after she moved. Cleaning the kitchen cabinets inside and out is next. The shelves needed to be cleaned, oil residue still on the shelves! Microfiber cleaning rags soaked in vinegar tackled the interior and exterior, 3 shelves required the addition of "Bar Keepers Friend" to remove soil.

Just over halfway through the kitchen cabinets the dishwasher stops. Opening the dishwasher door I check the results. The dishwasher looks good no signs heavy soiling left. I ran out of clean cleaning cloths, vinegar, toilet paper and it is time to break for lunch. 

At the rental, I take a break, eat, and talk to my husband. He wants to help. Physically he is unable do much of the labor, I ask him to sort out the stack of paperwork I have not managed to get to.

Next we are out of milk, off to the grocery to stock up on a few items, vinegar, baking soda, toilet paper, and a lasagna for dinner.

Back to the carriage house, and the remainder of the kitchen cabinets. Then I move on to the bathroom mirrors, cabinets, sinks and commodes. The commodes I left with 1 cup of vinegar in each bowl to help lift any heavy soiling. No toilet brush at hand. These will wait until I return. The air conditioner is not cooling. I grab all the manuals for the carriage house before I leave.

Out of steam, and very tired, I return to the rental and start the lasagna. My husband is reading the manuals all nicely organized in a binder. I added the few not in the binder before my husband started to read them.

Sunday, I plan to clean out the refrigerator, laundry cabinets and begin filling with inventory. Christmas Items will go in these. One of the 3 cabinets will have bedding and linens.

I am going to invest in a few Occupancy Sensor light switches for the bathrooms and laundry room. 

Our Move Begins

"By Trudy Connor"

Last August we placed an offer on a carriage house in the community we are renting living in.

When we sold our home last year we had a very fast close. I wanted a carriage house and my husband wanted to remain in a "house", thus the decision to rent a carriage house.

Our offer was accepted in Late October, closing looked like it would be in December. The carriage house is an estate sale and short sale, purchased before the housing crash.

Friday November 15th, while packing boxes, Lawyers began "discussing" the carriage house sale.  Here I am with an accepted offer, boxes being packed. Neither lawyer mine, they represented the Estate and Association, as of 3pm our agent did not think the closing would happen at all.

Frustrated I began ironing! Yes ironing, laundry waits for no one.

3:10 we get a call 5 minutes later the agent showed up with the contract completed and the closing began.

Papers flew back and forth as 3 errors were found. They were corrected by 3:30 and the closing commenced the Bank wired the funds. Everything finalized late that evening.

Saturday I get the keys!

Note: I am posting this blog post later than written. I forgot to hit Publish!

The beauty of color

"By Trudy Connor"

The beauty of color. Planning and choosing colors is fun!  Until your husband says the blue has to much gray in it! The challenge picking colors out without being in the condo is difficult! I plan to get sample colors made of the following colors! And a few gallons of Oklahoma Wheat. A color I have used in the past and love!

Ralph Lauren Calla Lily for all the doors and moldings, plus interior of closets. Yes I plan to paint the closet interiors before we move in! The perfect time, they are empty!

O the garage floor needs to be painted also!

Dream Laundry Room

"By Trudy Connor"

The changes in laundry facilities has become noticeable. I watched and helped my mother and grandmothers do laundry. The old wringer washing machines, scrub boards, rinse tubs, and of course the clothes line. On my grandparents farm the chore began with hauling hot water to the machine in the wash house and filling the 2 rinse tubs. In the summer we pulled the machine and tubs outdoors. Then sorting the clothes emptying the pockets into an old coffee tin. As a young child, I excelled at sorting by colors! The first items washed were always the whites, as they came cleanest with hot water. Wash in the machine and pass through the wringer. Next into the first rinse of hot water hand wring and into the second rinse in cold water. Anything to be pressed was dipped into starch. Then through the wringer again. Before carrying the load to the clothes line the next was dropped into the machine the water was not changed nor heated up. As the basket filled you carried it to the wash line and began hanging. Sheets always pinned on the outside line then pinned to the second line to keep them off the ground. Panties, slips and bras on the 3rd line. Next the shirts and dresses. Then finally a line of pants. While you were hanging on the line the next load is twisting away in the machine.
The biggest difference between the farm and our house in town was is town the machine was in the unfinished basement with a drain in the floor. We used a waxed box to carry clothes up and down the stairs. Making many trips as there were seven of us to do laundry for. The last load was always my fathers work clothes, as he would have oil and grease on them from the machine shop where he worked. By the time we would get to the last load we would begin bringing in the dry clothes. A bottle sprinkler would be used to moisten the shirts before pressing. We would moisten cottons all at once and roll them up one by one. Ironing began with the first shirt rolled. We did not have a steam iron!

Enter today and a new laundry room really a hallway just off the garage. The days of the wringer machine are over and the clothes lines no more. Nostalgic I may be, but I want to improve the function of the laundry room. While not a bad arrangement it needs a few things. This photo is a stock photo!

After all form follows function!

1. Safety! Yes I need to maintain the walkway as wide as I can to allow my husbands wheelchair to pass through. With my husband's tendency to fall, I need to think high, but not so I this vertically challenged person (me) cannot reach it!
2. A handy shelf on the back of the washer and dryer would be a great addition, and keep items from dropping behind the appliances!
3. A way to store hangers.
4. I need a place to hang clothes coming out of the dryer.
5. A place to store the ironing board. Yes, I still iron!
6. A way to sort clothes would be great also! The space is to narrow to sort on the floor my usual way!
7. Oh, a place to hang jackets also!
8. I also want a motion sensor light. One that lights the way when I need it and turns itself off when I am not in the room!  Hum, for the bathrooms also?
9. Cheerful place. Wall color needs to be bright as the room has no windows.
10. Shipping Station. While I usually do my shipping out of my laundry room. This one does not have counter space! No room for most of my shipping supplies. This will require some thinking.
11. Cork Board/ note board



Lutron Occupancy Sensor Switch

12. Drying rack to cut down on energy consumption!

Now how to do it all!

Moving Books

"By Trudy Connor"

I sell books on line and have over 2,000 books at the moment. Each book is cataloged and item location is noted. My mind is good but not always good enough to remember where all the books are.

How do I...

1. Relocate them without jumbling them to much?
2. Move them without getting hurt?

First I have collected wine boxes yes the boxes have come from Costco and do not have lids. I will be moving my entire inventory myself. The last move I discovered if I used larger boxes I hurt myself. The smaller the box the more trips, but also less risk of injury.

Each of the 12 stacks have between 6 -12 shelves. I have begun at the top keeping the books in order filling a box and placing the box on the shelf the books were on. Items are still actively for sale and I plan to keep them up for sale except for 3 days of actual relocation. Preparation is the key!  Now I have 10 of the stacks boxed up and plan to finish by tomorrow the last stacks.

The actual move will entail loading the car and carrying them to our new home. boxes will be lined up in order I hope. Then the big job will come of disassembling the bookshelves and moving them.  

Two of the bookcases are 8 foot tall and 10 feet long, 4 stacks each.

To Choose a blue or is it green

"By Trudy Connor"

To Choose a blue or is it green?

Oh these drapes might work well in the adjoining bedroom!

The bathroom project is an interior space receiving no natural light. I want a color with some life to it, but I do not want it jumping at me. My husband is leaning more to the blue grey colors. Until we close on our new home I cannot paint sample swatches. But I am collecting paint swatches to check during the home inspection. A drive to the paint store is in order. Finding colors on line is great, but I know there are subtle differences in each computer.


       

New wall colors

"By Trudy Connor"

A change in setting.
A change in life.
A new abode.
Changes to be made.
Handicap alterations needed.
Shower no Tub
Grab Rails
higher toilet.
Storage higher up.
A few of the colors considered.

Hopefully, only 6 weeks to begin the work.

I want to save the floor, a no lip shower in place of the tub. Large medicine cabinet to add storage.  Drawers below would help.

     

Cinderella's White Mouse and Pumpkin Smiley Jack O' Lantern Halloween Decor

"By Trudy Connor"

Cinderella's White Mouse 

Smiley Jack O' Lantern 

Halloween Decor

A spooky evening is coming up! Halloween is a favorite of adults and children.

While a scary decor can be fun sometimes it is just as fun to add a touch of whimsy.

Why is this called a Cinderella's White Mouse Jack O' Lantern you ask? A young girl saw this pumpkin from the back and insisted this was Cinderella's pumpkin. The white mouse turns into a horse that pulls the pumpkin carriage after the pumpkin turns into the carriage. The mouse is just waiting on the magic to appear! When I turned it around she laughed and said they were dressed for Halloween.

As the years have passed I have pictured the young girls face many times. Perhaps this will bring the magic to your home!

Blog Revival

"By Trudy Connor"

I want to thank David Kutcher and his Google+ post. A trigger I need to begin blogging again. 

In May I opened an WhatnotGems on Esty shop, slowly building the inventory to 280 listings. Sales have been slow and varied. Several Vintage Patterns, A vintage Movie Projector, some felt, a table cloth, and one of my favorite cordial glasses have found new homes. 

Visitors to my shop have been low, but not missing. The key is patience. Many of the items I have for sale are unique.

How many know to search for a Vintage Smoking Head Ashtray? This Porcelain Whimsy has Wanna See Smoke Come Out My Ears on the base. 

"A single wink and a cigarette resting in my mouth, will produce smoke coming out my ears!"

Do you collect Ashtrays or other tobacciana also known as tobacco artifacts.

Purchased in Japan by a Navy Officer this ashtray was carried by aircraft carrier to the United States. I remained in his collection, until I listed it for sale. The crack in the glazing is original according the the GI.

You can find my Smoking Head listing at WhatnotGem on Etsy.

Thus I have began again, can I maintain this blog is the question!

Selling on Line

1. Selling a wide variety of items, most one of a kind, on the internet variety takes time. 

   

   Enhanced with colors.

2. Researching to verify the information is correct. Some Gems collected have no dates, brands, or other marks and my knowledge is just the beginning.
3. Photography. Being a novice photographer I have learned a lot over the last 2 years. But there is always room for improvement. Taking a marketable image is not always easy.
4. Editing the photos. 99% of the editing is done on the backgrounds. Very little to the item itself and the usually then only the color adjustment. I want all flaws to show.
5. Writing the listings. Each item gets different information in the listing. Title, manufacturer, Publisher, Author, Illustrator, MPN, ISBN, UPC, Color, Size, height, length, width, texture, material, description to name a few.
6. Double checking the condition. This a chance to get a listing correct. I try to list all flaws.
7. Storing neatly and recording location. Not all items need the locations stored. Selling books entailed over 10,000 titles. With the drop in the book market, Donations have reduced the number. A relocation reshuffled many more titles. A shelf coding helps immensely, as inventory changes and shifts this coding is invaluable.
8. Determining the price. Although some research has been done, as to price, the numbers a second time. I want to price items fairly.
9. Now it is time to activate the listing. How does it look? Any errors. Yes I make them. and I correct them when I find them. Hopefully, I do not miss to many.
10. The hard part, wait to see if an order comes in. I have had items sell the day I list them and other sell a year later.
11. Shipping, this is the tricky part I usually use the USPS, Books ship media mail, other Items shipping is determined by weight and speed. One Store front has a USPS calculated shipping method the other, strictly a flat rate. Changes in postal rates mean a change in the shipping rate. Invisible cost must be considered. How much does the packaging cost? Bubble wrap tissue paper, shrink wrap, the boxes, envelopes and the shipping tape. Printer ink and labels. Time allowing, I turn used boxes into shipping containers. Recycling is great to a point. As a caregiver I am finding less time to make the boxes. My time is getting more precious. 

Look at My Display Tent!

It has been awhile since I posted here. Season has begun in Southwest Florida and I am raring to go.

This last Saturday, I began by setting up my display tent at the Promenade in Bonita Springs where I will set up every Saturday Morning until April!

The day began at 3 am. Preparation the day before, included loading the car and managing to squeeze in 5 large boxes of Children’s Books. Preparing the day before allows me to sleep in.

Friday included an 8pm phone call from our real-estate agent; the house was going to be shown at 1pm on Saturday! Ah preparing for an event always leaves bits and pieces lying around. (Displays not being used, signs cardboard little things.

Thank heavens the car was loaded, I finished cleaning the house to show before leaving at 5 am. Arriving at my assigned location at 5:30 began setting up my display in the dark. By 7 am I was ready. My new earring display board is working out very well. I want to do more to display necklaces and sets!

Now the morning always begins watching the shoppers racing each other to be the first inline for the fresh fish stall. One of these days I will manage to get some fish this week he was sold out by 10am! The flowers and vegetables are always wonderful! My first sale of the day was a mini book. I love selling these are they make great card replacements. What a beautiful morning with many smiling people. I did catch a few without smiles, but they were smiling as passed my booth. One couple, I told them I love to see the romance, they came back they were holding hands to keep form falling over. What a great laugh. Another couple, I just said “Hi Smiley” and they began to smile. A beautiful morning is complete with a smile.

I had several little girls trying on necklaces, I had told them before, they began I sold Adult jewelry, but they could try on one necklace each to see what they thought. They left with instructions to show me something they made next time they come.

You may ask why I do not sell to children, it is simple, young children tend to put jewelry into their mouth. I just do not feel comfortable with them potentially swallowing a piece of jewelry.

Harry Potter Sorting Hat

I also showed them the mini books I had with me! Two of the children really wanted the Harry Potter Sorting Hat Sticker Kit (Mega Mini Kits) they are saving their allowance to come back next week.

A slow day as season begins, a few looking for gift ideas, I handed cards out and several told me they would be back.

At noon, I began to dismantle! 4 tables boxes of jewelry bookshelves, and the grab bag box all where gathered together and place into the car in 45 minutes along with the canopy and sides, the fastest I have ever managed to break down. Off to the next event, which began at 3pm in Fort Myers.

Eating a small snack in the car the temperature had risen, by 1:30 I began to set up. The canopy first, it is warm I left the sides off, and the set up began, many of the vendors expected the event to be indoors. They did not even have umbrellas. Here, I unloaded the boxes of books for donation, I had left in the car. Off to the side they waited until I could get them moved into the school. By 3pm, I was exhausted but set up they way I wanted. I need to paint the back of my display boards!

In the car, I keep two golf umbrellas, these I shared vendors. I wish I had had more.

The bounce house was busy; the school activities in progress and the shoppers did not show. I had planned on donating 10% of my sales after I sold $50.00. I did not meet my minimum. I sold 1 pair of earrings.

The event ended at 6pm and I began the break down, finally catching someone who could take the books indoors. Finishing at 7pm, I ran home unloaded the car and collapsed.

NEXT TIME ONLY ONE EVENT IN A DAY!

Books on Sale

New Copies of Books

Suffering from a book overload, with many older titles, and boxes of books yet to be listed for sale. 

This week will begin a purge, With the kindle's entry onto the market, print book sales have dropped.

While some titles will remain for sale, others may be repurposed, donated, and perhaps tossed.

Now, this is a time consuming process.

What will determine be the outcome?

The Writing Beatle by John Lennon

1. Price - Postage and packaging prices are rising, while using recycled packaging whenever possible (turning cereal boxes into shipping boxes) this is not always possible.
2. Number of Copies for sale - Very popular, these you will find hundreds of copies for sale, does it pay to store them waiting for a buyer? 
3. Condition - Paperbacks from the 60's and 70's can be fragile, are they still in the condition they have been listed in?
4. Emotion - A tough call, some books just have an emotional feel, inscriptions, nostalgia.
5. Status - Already listed for sale or processing, more of the unlisted will go without listing.
6. Space - with every nook and cranny in the stockroom full, the inventory has been creeping into unused spaces inside our home. 

P. Buckley Moss: Painting the Joy of the Soul & Singing The Joy Of The Soul, Off Set Lithograph 1997

Shop while you can. Ordering more than one? Combined shipping can be arranged.

800 square feet of BLISS

I stumbled across a new blog today, Rustic Living.  Stopping to read an entry 100 square feet of BLISS.'

A memory triggered, of our move to a new town. My parents moved us in during Christmas vacation. My youngest sister was just a few days old, making a total of 7 people living in a house 796 square feet. A little larger than the 100 square foot this single gentleman lived in.

Village "School House" Wall Plaque

Village "School House" Wall Plaque

The home was built in 1900 and everyone referred to it as the Ford House. With thick hard plaster walls and a steep pitched roof. We kids slept on the second floor, the girls walking through the boys’ room. Now, I know they are counting the square footage from wall to wall, but the roofline met the floor. When I stood, at five foot, I cleared the single bare light bulb by an inch my brothers soon began to hit the bulbs as they grew.

What most people would use as a dining room, my parents used as their bedroom. With my youngest sister placed in an old drawer tucked into the corner. The second floor being to cold for an infant.

The bathroom jutted off the rear of the home, and old porch conversion. With freezing pipes and drafty floors, winter bath times were quick. One quirky thing about the home, there was a second sink by the rear door. When we sat at the table, whoever had a seat near the door had to be careful to not hit the sink with their elbows?

The living room had the only source of heat in the house, an old oil burner. Tucked into the corner too up most of the free space. With the front door, one to the kitchen and one to my parent’s room, each on a different wall, and a door to the “basement” a crawl space for storing can goods. Made setting up the furniture difficult, a single sofa and chair. I know there had to be a TV, but I cannot recall it clearly. The days before cable I think we managed to receive 2 stations clearly and a third depending on the weather.

More later...

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Writing in my dreams

How I Write by Janet Evanovich 

Maybe You Should Write a Book

Maybe You Should Write a Book

As I lay my head at night

a story seems to come to light

ah just what to write you see

in the morning it cannot be

the words have gone

the story done

disappeared with the morn.

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Traveling Shoes

Vintage BALLY Adorna 

will they also be brave enough to travel?

Have your shoes ever taken a trip without you?

These shoes are made for traveling,

 and that's just what they do

One of these days these shoes,

 are going to stop and visit you.

Well, I had a pair of shoes decide to travel the country, without the new owner.

I had two orders to ship with severe gallbladder pains hampering my vision. Printing the mailing labels, I attached them to the shipping boxes. Dropped the boxes at the post office on my way to the hospital. 

RoseFeather Lifelike Handmade 

Ruby Red Feather Roses

One box contained a dozen feather roses being shipped to a wonderful woman in  Washington State, from her son for Mother Day. The other contained a pair of shoes on their way to Texas. Imagine my surprise when the shoes decided to arrive in Washington State.

I promptly sent a new shipping label to the understanding recipient in Washington state.

Off for testing to see if I needed surgery.

Emails flying, Doctor's visits, and the prognosis, luckily, the shoes arrived before my scheduled surgery.

The grand tour courtesy of USPS Priority Mail and two shipping labels.

FORT MYERS FL               5/5/12 10:40am

OAK HARBOR WA                    05/19/12  2:59pm

KENT WA                          05/19/12 11:15pm

COPPELL TX                       05/20/12 10:55pm

TAMPA FL                         05/22/12  9:53pm

FORT MYERS FL                    05/24/12  4:51am

COPPELL TX                       05/26/12  1:24am

MCKINNEY TX                      05/26/12  1:24pm

These shoes should bring the new very understanding own many adventures, as they are not afraid to travel.

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Stay Alive... Just Drive

SAFE DRIVING IS NOT EXPENSIVE, IT'S PRICELESS!

"Since the introduction of the automobile, distractions have always been a major factor in the safe operation of a vehicle. Distracted driving puts other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians in the bull’s-eye. Given the number of distractions in these days of electronic technology, along with eating, grooming and dealing with small children, society needs to accept the fact that distracted driving has become a public health threat."

Why I rented a spot at the local Stay Alive Just Drive Public Safety BBQ Cook-off held at Harley Davidson Fort Myers.

#1 it is a great organization.

#2 I wanted to work on my displays!

What my set up looked like when I began this season.

A borrowed blue canopy top left dark shadows.

Here are the results of my new booth set up!

I hung displays on the walls of my tent. 

Reorganized all of my displays.

Now to improve the set up time. This took me just over 2 hours, after 3 weeks of preparation.

I really like the looks of my booth from the front.

Views as you walk towards my tent.

The concrete blocks on the tent footing are a must, as wind will move the tent. But I do not like the looks.

And Here I have a friend visiting me during the event.

A customer!

The white carpet does not stay white on blacktop. 

Carpet squares would be much easier.

And adjustment to my signage is a must this one is hanging to low.

Earrings were raining down as the breeze hit the tent walls or people passed between the tents. Knocking the earrings off the display. I need to reinforce and place a buffer between the tent and the board.

I will be ready for next season. For now the temperature is getting to high and most of the shoppers have gone north.

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