Life Through the Eyes of my Scattered Brian

Okay, so I am a bit unprepared for Trash to Treasure Tuesday! Why you are wondering, well…for one, I forgot to get the pictures together until late last night right at time that I was heading to bed. So at that point I also wrote up a quick piece to go along with my pictures but I needed to edit it. So, instead of posting it to my blog, I sent it to work, via email and figured I would do it first thing this morning before work got started. Since I don’t have that to post, gosh I wonder what went wrong. Either I think I clicked on send or it is floating around somewhere in cyberspace. Then again sometimes emails will get held up in the hopper of our email provider, scanning, checking for spam and things like that for a bit…but I really expected it to be here this morning. Oops! So instead of doing my regular Trash to Treasures Tuesday I am going to refer to a blog I have been following and one that I just love. The thought and ideas that I have learned and that have come to me in the pa...

Last week I posted a blog on Trash to Treasure Tuesday about the little lamp I got at a yard sale that was made out of a mason jar with crayons in it. I went to dump the crayons since Caleb has enough of those at the house and really don’t care much for coloring anyway when the recycling person in me came out once again. I owe that to my brother Mark who through the years has instilled that quality in me. What should I do with those older, fat crayons? One thought came to mind. As children we use to melt them down over a glass jar to make a candle holder or a vase. I knew Caleb had never done this so I figured I would save those crayons for when he was at the house and we could make that our next Caleb/Nana project. Jar? I really didn’t have one to use but I remembered an empty wine bottle I had saved for the purpose of using it to paint on and make a candle holder or something. That would work perfect. I used a large plastic empty coffee container to sit the bottle down in and as I he...

How many of you out there have had dealings with a Chiropractor? Back issues, shoulders, knees...etc? Years, and years ago in my early 20's (that would be 20 something years ago) I saw one for a short while. After I felt better, I stopped. Again in my early 30's I saw one for awhile, only to start feeling better and stop. One issue I had with them was that it was a continuing thing. Something that you have to keep coming for to keep things in working order, or at most, several upon several visits to get you feeling better. I guess when I was younger I thought things should be simpler and it should be a lot easlier of a fix. Funny how we think when we are younger. Now in my past the Chiro's I saw normally just did the xray, saw the problem and adjusted for that issue. But like I stated, it was not something that could be done over night and you had to go several times a week for weeks to do this adjustment. In the early years I had heard Chiro's called Back Crackers, Qua...

When my kids were younger I decorated for all the season's. In doors and out. Over the years as they grew and they got older, I got older! Somewhere along the line I stopped putting as much out here and there for this holiday and that holiday and along the line I got rid of things. As I have been surfing other blogs I have seen where everyone has started to decorate for fall and for the Halloween season. It started to put me in the mood, so Friday before leaving work I put my things out around the office. But as I went to look for my Halloween things to decorate with this year at home I realized that I did not have that much stuff anymore. I guess I really need to get busy and start making somethings to decorate with at least to bring in the fall season but with the planning of Octoberfest, photo shoots of class seniors ( I do part time photography), trying to get my back issue back in working order (slowly) and work, I am not sure that I will get much done this year. The sun did s...

Two days ago as I was leaving the office my cell phone rang. I was unable to get it but when I got in the car I returned the call. It was from my friend, Nancy from Ohio. She apparently was not able to get to my call also so I left a message. As I was driving home I heard my cell beep, like I had a message. I checked it and sure enough I did. Upon listening to that message, from Nancy I realized that she had just called back but I could not understand how I had not heard it ring, you see, I have my ringer up loud and it plays “Does your Momma Know”! How could I miss that? During my conversation with Nancy, still on the drive home, I explained that I had been having a few minor issues with my home from time to time. Usually nothing more then it telling me to insert the sim card or smart card, when its already inserted or going straight to voice without ringing. But I admitted that maybe since the phone was an antique that maybe it was time I got a new one, you see, I was probably the la...

One day a few weeks ago I showed this item that I had gotten at Goodwill on my Trash to Treasure Tuesday. This past Saturday I was at the local animal shelter fund raiser and I ran across another one that was almost like my first. I had to get it. I paid $1.50 for this one. They both look so cute on my porch. Also, I picked up this Christmas wire basket type thing. I love it. It will make a perfect basket for gift giving for Christmas. I found this one at the local animal shelter fund raiser also. This one also cost me $1.50. From there Mom and I stopped at a couple of yard sales. I found this cute lamp. I was not to crazy about the shade but the old mason jar and lid was really neat. The crayons will go and I will replace them with marbles maybe and I will also replace the shade. This will look so cute on the counter in my kitchen. Works great, I gave a whole 75 cents for this item. Now, to show you a couple of pieces that I picked up several years ago at a senior citizen home fund ra...

My daughter thought my grandson needed a dog a couple of years ago. That lasted about six months or so then they moved and were not allowed to have pets. It was not that big of deal cause Dakota (dog) and Caleb (grandson) had not really bonded. When I say not really bonded I mean Caleb being a boy, bored, not many kids around to play with, he tormented that poor puppy. Not hurting Dakota but doing boy things such as chasing him with remote control cars, chasing him under beds, growling at him and the poor puppy just did not care for that, or Caleb. Anyway, two years ago this past August, Dakota came to live with me. He was at that time just six months old. He is a Jack Russell terrier. Now, the deal was, could I keep him for a couple of weeks until they could find him a home…..yeah right. I knew how that would go, so I started to look for him a home. After a couple of weeks, he had started to worm his way into my heart, even though I stand firm in saying “I did not want a dog”. My daug...

Happy Saturday evening all.... For those who know me well know that I love hot air balloons, The Wizard of Oz and clowns. Maybe its a child like thing, the colors or the fantasy, I don't know, but I love these things. Today there was a fund raiser for the local animal shelter where my sister in law volunteers. It was to raise money for the shelter and to try to adopt out some of the animals. My sister in law, Lori, had homemade squash relish, canned tomato's and salsa. Donations were taken for these items. There were booths set up all around with lots of items for sale. It was like a rumage/yard sale type thing. I picked up a couple of items that I will probably have this Tuesday on Trash to Treasure Tuesday so come back then to see what buys I got. But today I want to tell you about the gift I got that came from this sale. My brother, Ray, was there first thing this morning and as he was walking around he spotted three pictures that brought me to mind. Knowing that I love clow...

Ever just have one of those days where something is said that just sticks in your mind and hangs with you? A saying, a phrase, a comment or a statement…. In my office we tend to pick up on those type of things on a regular basis. For a while there I was even keeping a weekly list for the “phrases of the week”! That got a bit hard cause at the end of the week when I sent the list out to people, I either had to remember what the conversation was that lead up to that phrase and or comment or I had to explain it to someone that happen to not be around when it took place…it was getting harder to do that each week. And then there were those times with each comment or phrase that it just was not as funny unless you were there, you know the ones I am talking about…the ones where you busted a gut laughing at but when you retold it, the impact was just not there! Today one was said that just seems to be hanging with me. Deborah in the office made the statement that the hand sanitizer she used at...

I have always been one that is always full of jokes, fun remarks and laughs even at the office or work place. I found that if you did your job but there was laughter it helped to make the day go by faster and the work to flow smoother. I found that to be true for sure on the job I have now. But little did I know that there would be so much competition in that area! Most times before I can come up with a good one liner (and I am usually Johnny on the spot with them) someone else has jumped in with one or before I can think of a good trick to play, someone else has come up with one…..not this time. We work in nice neat little cubes with about 5 foot or so walls. We tend to talk to one another over the walls through out the day. There is a man that works down from me, very nice retired Navy man, keeps to himself, and there are some days that I wonder how he handles the days with all of us women around him. He never remarks on our conversations, our comments or remarks, unless we call out ...

Today I am going to feature in my Trash to Treasure Tuesday two really great pieces that came my way. The first is a oak cabinet with three glass sides. The right side opens as a door. It has a light in the top but it has not worked since I got it. I have yet to get in there and mess around with it to get it working...Maybe that will be another project. This cabinet includes three glass shelves also. I have several of my favorite items displayed in this cabinet in my kitchen. I found this item at a yard sale next door to my Mom. The family that was living there had sold their home and was moving out west and selling most everything they owned... no they were not going by wagon train! The buy on this was just way to perfect to pass up. Not a scratch on it.... $10.00! What a steal. I love it. The next item was an even better steal. Can you say FREE. I love FREE. The woman that lives a couple of doors up from my Mother had this in her home and during one of her sales she was getting rid ...

Octoberfest is just a month away so I spent all day Saturday (okay, I cleaned the house and put laundry away first) on some plaques for the sale. I had been making some “Welcome Friends” plaques for porches or front doors when it hit me that I made some other plaques a few years ago that were really cute…..the light bulb went off! On the way home from work Friday evening I stopped at the local craft store (Hobby Lobby…gotta love it), and picked up some things I would need for the new plaques. I am thinking that these will be good sellers since people will probably be thinking Christmas gifts or decorations while walking through the many tents of Octoberfest. Or at least I try to think that far ahead. Check out the new plaques. I think they are so cute. For those of you who wish to make some here is what you will need. Wooden plaque –oval, round, etc (your choice on that as well as size) Stain Ribbon or jute Bonding glue Paint And craft Christmas lights – flat on back side Stain the ...

In a way it’s hard to believe that it has been eight years already but yet in other ways, like with the war, it seems forever. It was a time when we all came to a standstill. Planes stood still. I remember sitting on my deck where planes usually fly over often to hear pure silence. To drive the interstate at dusk to see no semi's on the road. It was an erie feeling. So strange to what we all knew. I want to say a prayer and I hope all join in for all the men and women who are away from their families today fighting for us, the US, you, me, our families, so that we can blog, we can email, we can pray and we can hug our kids today! Bless each and every one of you. Bless Phillip, one of my best and long time friend’s son. He should, as we speak be recently arrived back on American soil. And bless Michael, another long time friend’s son who also at this time is on American soil from a recent tour in Afghanistan. These young men are fighting for our us and when I say us I mean yo...

Up until a few months ago, I had no clue as to what this was, thanks Danny for enlightening me to this one! Now it seems that every where I turn I hear about “playing cornhole”! To enlighten me even more I took my grandson, Caleb, to our regular grandson/Nana/Kids Project Day at Home Depot this past Saturday and they made a mini one. I have blogged about the Home Depot Kids Project before, this is something that Home Depot does for kids up to 12 years of age, 9 am to 12 pm. on the first Saturday of every month. It is free and it is so nice for the kids, it allows them to get in there and make something with their hands and they have such pride of doing that. Anyway, as usual, I got off the subject, Caleb made a mini cornhole board. These boards are simple in construction basically. In Caleb’s kit there was only 5 pieces that he had to hammer together. The hole in the main board was already cut. Two of the smaller pieces that go under the main board are for holding the corn filled bags ...

I remember when I was young not liking older things at all. I liked history but I can’t say that I liked the history behind an item or the desire to have an older item in my home, with or without that history. As I have aged, that has changed. My home is a mixed of new and old, hand me down and then the newer things. I find myself leaning more to the older hand me downs or the things that I have acquired at a sale, flea market or antique store. These are my trash to treasure items that I am posting today. First there is my black kettle. I would say this is fairly old for one reason and one reason only….its so heavy and so well made, you don’t find items made like this anymore. It was given to me by an old friend a couple of years ago and a great added addition to my kitchen. A couple more items given to me are the meat grinder and the egg keeper. A friend of my Mothers that lives up the street from her was having a yard sale a year or so ago and these items belonged to her Mother in la...

Octoberfest is coming up for 17th and 18th of next month. Although I have been to these things and to different kinds festivals I have never been a part of anything like this so this will be all new to me. Wish me luck. I will not be doing this alone. My friend Debbie has rented the booth with me. I am not sure what she will be putting in the booth but I have several projects going that I will be puttting in there. One of my projects is a flip flop flyswatter. These things look so cute! I make these using a childs small flip flop and bambo sticks for the handles. They are really strong although they do not look very thick. I drill a hole in one end to run a ribbon through for hanging the flyswatter when not in use. Then I drill a hole in the end of the flip flop. I insert the bambo stick with a bonding glue on the end into the hole. From there I decorate to any style. Cute aren't they? Next thing I will putting in Octoberfest is some homemade candleholders. These are made from cup...

That is the score that my grandson, Caleb got on his math test two days ago in school. His Nana is so very proud of him! Way to rock it Caleb. The teacher even added the WOW to the top of the page which made him even prouder of the grade he had received. Caleb is a very smart little boy, he learns fast and easy but the best part is he retains what his little brain soaks in. I love it…math was my worst subject in school. Course, I don’t think I will really share that with him just yet. Caleb finished the 2nd grade reading well into a 4th grade level. He loves to read science books and it amazes me the things he comes out with from time to time just in a normal conversation. I have turned to the internet a time or two just to check it out after he has left my house! Usually he is right on the number with it! Not only does he learn in school and from books but I have had him tell me things and when I ask where he learned that he will tell me either on Animal Planet or The Discovery Channe...

The diamond drop Austin I have always tried to have a camera in my hands. I think I got my first one, a Polaroid Instant camera when I was about 12. Of course that was a black and white that took a flash cube. From there I went to a pocket camera with the flash bar. From there I lost track of the camera’s I had and for a short spell with running a household and paying bills, a camera was not a priority. That meant when one died the money was not there to replace it and there was not always the money there to have film developed. So for a few years I did without. But then came the nicer 135 mm cameras. Still not the professional type, but they were just fine with me. I never had the type that you changed out lens or flashes. But I still loved taking pictures, usually the family and the kids. Then, five years ago I went to work for Photo Services for the State of Tennessee. This was the department that did the photographing needs for the state, state parks, Governor events, any s...