Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Still Thankful...Yes I Am!...Really!

Two steps forward one back...or vice versa! Scrubbed my fridge out and traded items that I'll be needing for the next 24 hours of harried cooking with the fridge in the garage. Trying to squeeze in a moment for a bit of sustenance, I noticed my little pumpkin wax warmer in the window needed emptying and a new cube of smell-em-purty...I took the little pumpkin stem top with hot waxy stuff off and promptly dropped it on my new kitchen floor...of course it was red...& I broke my little "lid". Thank God husband wasn't here...he would've freaked!!! The next half hour or so was spent in the floor with a metal spatula, magic sponge, kitchen scrubber & my trusty little vacuum cleaning it up and saying a prayer that the red wouldn't stain. Phew! Life is good...all is well...almost...
Next project, getting ready to pulse bananas in my mini processor and suddenly a loud hum comes from the direction of cooking yams in the microwave...then silence...no interior light...no clock...no nuthin' but some hot yams...the little microwave I keep upstairs is now thawing my strawberries, thank you very much! Taking a moment for a deep breath before plowing in again...

 I've decided the appliance fairy owes me...again...we just replaced the washer a few months ago after they decided it wasn't worth fixing again and they gave us a generous credit for a new one...my dryer is currently screaming like a turkey getting it's neck wrung...parts are on the way...just replaced our old dishwasher with the one from our daughters so she could use our "sorry your flooring hasn't arrived yet, gift card" to purchase her pretty new stainless one...my range looks like a refuge from a sad, sad cooking accident and needs replaced and now the microwave...what's next?
 
I hope things go better with the turkey tomorrow...
 
~Nancie Anne, Appliance Killer

Update:  Well that didn't take long...the appliance fairy just called and says the repairs on the screaming dryer are too extensive and they are giving us a credit for a new dryer.  Thank Heavens we added an extended warranty when we bought the old appliances!  Still tempted to crawl in that sink though!
 

Monday, November 17, 2014

My New Favorite Toy!!!

Having had nearly a years notice that Vet Girl and Vet SIL would be coming home for Thanksgiving this year, and knowing she was excited about sharing some of her childhood Christmas traditions with him, we decided Christmas would begin earlier at our house this year than it usually does.  Normally we're about half way through December before we finally get our tree, as the result of a little raised eyebrow and toe tapping routine I've gotten accustomed to performing each year.
I knew that this year it would be too early to put up our usual & preferred cut tree, then I leapt upon a great deal on a tall enough to suit me, artificial (gulp!) Christmas Tree (oh the sacrilege and shame of it all...) for about 80% off last season.  It had been on display...which translates to, having been lit 24/7. since October!
We just sat it up the other night and had about 5 boughs that didn't light and we couldn't find the culprit(s) especially since there is flocking on the tree and on most of the lights on the skyward side of the boughs
So I decided to take a chance and purchased this little red toy at my favorite big box home improvement store for $20 while out on an adventure in the foot of snow that had fallen over a 24 hour period last week. 
 
I am not a Dr or a paid spokesperson.
Could it really work or is this one of those too good to be true gadgets that you see advertised on TV?  Well, I'm here to tell you, It Worked! And better yet, I was able to call my husband and say "Neener, Neener!  I fixed the tree...all by myself!"  The little gun beeped and told me where the interruption in my lines were & the package included 4 little replacement bulbs that are now shining brightly in our completely lit tree!
 
Hubby is home this week to help get the house ready for our Thanksmas Celebration next week and 
I can't wait to find that big box of tangled burnt out strings of lights that gets fuller every year as the frustration mounts and play with my little "Red Rider" gun some more! 
 I didn't even shoot my own eye out!
(Hmm...might have to sit down and see if I can make it all the way through that movie this year...I've never been able to get through the whole thing in it's entirety!)
 
Sew Much For Quilting!  For Awhile Anyhow!
 
Nancie Anne   Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way....