Happy Memorial Day
And to those who've served (including Husband Dave, his father, both Dave's brothers, my dad)...
Thank you.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Happy Memorial Day
...remembering those who gave of themselves in so many ways, so we could remain free.
Happy Memorial Day
And to those who've served (including Husband Dave, his father, both Dave's brothers, my dad)...
Thank you.
Happy Memorial Day
And to those who've served (including Husband Dave, his father, both Dave's brothers, my dad)...
Thank you.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Memorial Day Weekend Projects
Apartment Therapy just posted 10 'weekend DIYs' that use wood molding. These range from kitchen cabinets to a fascinating mantel makeover (Domaine):
The bifold closet doors from DIY Design are just spiffy:
These book ledges (from And Then There Was Home) are just what I'm thinking of for the large basement room downstairs:
Instructions are included for each of these projects.
...not that you have anything else to do, right?
* * * * *
Maybe it's all the racket that prompting this interest for me. We have a full complement banging away at the roof right now. Troy from Pay It Forward Services is our contractor, and has been organizing everything. (He's great, by the way. If you need an honest contractor who will go out of the way to give you the best price, using good materials, he's your man. He takes time to explain things out, too -- not that important for the Brick who, being an engineer, understands most of the layout. But for an English major like me, it's critical.)
Three guys replacing shingles. Two working on putting in skylights. (Ours were trashed at the same time the June hailstorm took out the roof.) One supervising.
So far, we've dealt with electrical lines in the wrong place (just repositioned the skylights); a dumpster too far over for the roofers to throw shingles in it (the company moved it); and the need to re-deck the entire roof before shingling. (Last year, Castle Rock just passed a new code that said roofing boards couldn't be any further apart than 1/8". Needless to say, ours are. An extra $2500 on the final roof price, at the very least. No choice on this, Troy says.)
Footsteps. Huge somethings sliding off the backside of the roof. (Shingles, I presume. No screaming yet.) Hammering and saws. (Ditto.) The dogs have stopped looking alarmed at every bang or crash, though they jump a bit at the big ones.
The chickens are hiding in the furthest corner of the yard. (They come out at lunchtime and check out the guys' equipment. If you need a spy, hire a chicken.) The dogs, especially Abby, are staying close to my feet, occasionally going to peer out the back deck door.
And I am teaching myself not to wince every time Troy strolls in and announces, "We've got a problem..."
The roof and skylights should be done by Tuesday. (They'll take off for the weekend.) After that: the windows. Oh boy.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Investing...A Few Coins At A Time
I wrote a post last week on investing in gold and silver for my 'other' boss (Joe at Retire By 40).
Are you interested in increasing your investment portfolio, a little at a time?
Try buying coins.
The cheapest, of course, is silver. And part of that is the 'melt' price, something you can find at Coinflation.com . Precious metals are valued by the ounce...and gold is a heck of a lot higher. Currently, it's running about $1400 an ounce, versus silver, at a much more reasonable $25 or so.
Why the big contrast in pricing? Thank Grover Cleveland for that - he put the gold standard into law back in the 19th century. The U.S.'s money was backed by gold, instead of silver -- which meant that silver prices dropped like a rock. The move bankrupted many people, especially out West, who had staked their fortunes on silver, instead of gold. (If you'd like to learn more about this, try my book Quilts of the Golden West. It's got a lot of history about the Gold and Silver Rushes, financial panics and other tidbits about pioneer life. Oh yes, and several quilt patterns. Go here for more. (Mention this blog, and we'll even give you a $5 discount on the price. More bucks to buy coins!)
If you want to invest in gold coins -- the easiest way to do it, since ingots are very heavy -- there are several out there to choose from, including South Africa Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs and U.S. Golden Eagles. These coins weigh an ounce each, and are currently selling for $1400-1700 each. More gold options are here.
The easier way, though, is to consider silver coins -- their price lets you buy a little at a time and balance out any changes in the market. Junk silver is what you want — half dollars, quarters and dimes minted in or before 1964, when coins were still 90% silver. (The term “junk,” by the way, refers to the coins’ value as a source of bullion. They’re generally not collectible for other reasons.) These cover Kennedy half dollars, Washington quarters and Mercury and Roosevelt dimes — and, if you’re ok with less silver content (40%, vs 90%), Kennedy half dollars from 1965-70.
Not only are they more affordable for the average person -- they can also be used as legal tender, if it comes to that. (Gold pieces, on the other hand, will be much more difficult to exchange.) You'll find these coins in rolls and bags on Ebay and elsewhere; prices will vary, especially if you're looking for coins in mint condition. (More silver options here, as well as here.)
Buying a few coins, even if you only do it every now and then, expands your portfolio and gives you added options. And in the long run, it helps. In the past 30 years, gold and silver prices have gone up and down somewhat, but they've generally gone up -- and stayed there.
I bought a handful of Morgan silver dollars some years ago for $8 each. They're now in the neighborhood of $37-49 each. Oh, that my other investments were showing a 400% or higher profit!
Are you interested in increasing your investment portfolio, a little at a time?
Try buying coins.
The cheapest, of course, is silver. And part of that is the 'melt' price, something you can find at Coinflation.com . Precious metals are valued by the ounce...and gold is a heck of a lot higher. Currently, it's running about $1400 an ounce, versus silver, at a much more reasonable $25 or so.
Why the big contrast in pricing? Thank Grover Cleveland for that - he put the gold standard into law back in the 19th century. The U.S.'s money was backed by gold, instead of silver -- which meant that silver prices dropped like a rock. The move bankrupted many people, especially out West, who had staked their fortunes on silver, instead of gold. (If you'd like to learn more about this, try my book Quilts of the Golden West. It's got a lot of history about the Gold and Silver Rushes, financial panics and other tidbits about pioneer life. Oh yes, and several quilt patterns. Go here for more. (Mention this blog, and we'll even give you a $5 discount on the price. More bucks to buy coins!)
The easier way, though, is to consider silver coins -- their price lets you buy a little at a time and balance out any changes in the market. Junk silver is what you want — half dollars, quarters and dimes minted in or before 1964, when coins were still 90% silver. (The term “junk,” by the way, refers to the coins’ value as a source of bullion. They’re generally not collectible for other reasons.) These cover Kennedy half dollars, Washington quarters and Mercury and Roosevelt dimes — and, if you’re ok with less silver content (40%, vs 90%), Kennedy half dollars from 1965-70.
Not only are they more affordable for the average person -- they can also be used as legal tender, if it comes to that. (Gold pieces, on the other hand, will be much more difficult to exchange.) You'll find these coins in rolls and bags on Ebay and elsewhere; prices will vary, especially if you're looking for coins in mint condition. (More silver options here, as well as here.)
Buying a few coins, even if you only do it every now and then, expands your portfolio and gives you added options. And in the long run, it helps. In the past 30 years, gold and silver prices have gone up and down somewhat, but they've generally gone up -- and stayed there.
I bought a handful of Morgan silver dollars some years ago for $8 each. They're now in the neighborhood of $37-49 each. Oh, that my other investments were showing a 400% or higher profit!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
A Three-Minute Trip to Chicago
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound...ever heard of this group?
They're (JC specifically) from sweet home Chicago. Love that 'big band' sound, especially the trombone.
Get ready to boogie with his "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart:"
(an interview with JC Brooks here.)
They're (JC specifically) from sweet home Chicago. Love that 'big band' sound, especially the trombone.
Get ready to boogie with his "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart:"
(an interview with JC Brooks here.)
Tornadoes and a Miracle...Moore, Oklahoma
While you're saying a little prayer for Libby Lehman's progress, add one in for Moore, OK.
Dozens of people killed -- incredible damage done in just a few minutes.
And at least one amazing event: a survivor reunited with her dog, on camera. (Watch the full report on her here, if you can - it's just a few minutes longer, and gives you a clearer picture of what it was like for this dear lady.)
and more about the general situation here:
Amazing.
Update: You might enjoy this slide show of rescued animals during tornadoes and hurricanes.
Dozens of people killed -- incredible damage done in just a few minutes.
And at least one amazing event: a survivor reunited with her dog, on camera. (Watch the full report on her here, if you can - it's just a few minutes longer, and gives you a clearer picture of what it was like for this dear lady.)
and more about the general situation here:
Amazing.
Update: You might enjoy this slide show of rescued animals during tornadoes and hurricanes.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Loving Spring. Or Is It Summer?
Lots of digging in the garden awaits this week. That's not a chore -- I really enjoy the clean smell of fresh dirt, and the hens are thrilled with an earthworm snack now and then. It's a pleasure, knowing the fresh veggies that will soon be coming.
We seem to have gone straight from spring into early summer, here in Colorado. The trees are suddenly bursting into leaf, when a week ago, they still looked like brown sticks. Sadly, most of our spring blossoms were killed by record-setting low temperatures last month. Our peach trees, for example, won't be producing anything, for the second year in a row. But at least everything looks (sort of) healthy.
I have a great job this afternoon, scrubbing down the back stairs. I'd planned on ripping up the old carpet and getting rid of it in the dumpster. (Delivered this morning for the roofing guys.) But the task became even more insistent after a Sam's Club-sized bottle of maple syrup fell off a shelf, bumped all the way down, and smashed at the bottom of the stairs. YUCK.
It is no fun to smell like maple syrup. Every bear in the county must be mentally checklisting our house for a future visit. Not to mention the ants.
While I'm scrubbing (sooo looking forward to it), you really should do something else -- like checking out these goodies from the Internet.
Dyeing your own sandals. (Wow, these are pretty, R&R Workshop. Easy, too!)
What if your plane went down...and you were the only one who lived? What would it feel like? A new documentary out, "Sole Survivor," follows the lives of several people who had this happen to them.
Did you know that George Clooney's related to Abraham Lincoln? Ancestry.com opens up its files on Honest Abe, including several unusual documents and correspondence. (Take a look.)
An easy app to check out current yard and estate sales in your neighborhood. The list starts with Craigslist, but you can add other sites. Not only does the 'Yard Sale Treasure Map' give you locations, but it plots them on a map for simpler driving. How easy can you get!
Free Redbox rentals, whenever you want. (Thanks, Andy at Tight Fisted Miser.)
Some great present-less parties to celebrate a kid's birthday. From Man vs. Debt. (two words: 'potluck' and 'byo.')
Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman have changed some of their favorite tunes. Basic melody's the same, but there are definitely some new notes and variations. Is it a good change, though? Man vs. Debt also has a very interesting discussion on this.
Zombie debt. Yes I Am Cheap's approach to this subject.
What Wayne Brady has to say about Bill Maher's pronouncement of him (Brady) not really being black. In a silly way, this is amusing -- if you're not Wayne Brady, or someone else who takes pride in their culture. Maybe Maher's counting on that. (Not to mention the extra publicity for acting like the class idiot.)
And yours truly's posts elsewhere --
Investing in Gold and Silver (Retire by 40)
Five Ways to Hedge Your Bets -- financial and family ones, that is. (Midlife Finance)
And life goes on. Have a good week.
We seem to have gone straight from spring into early summer, here in Colorado. The trees are suddenly bursting into leaf, when a week ago, they still looked like brown sticks. Sadly, most of our spring blossoms were killed by record-setting low temperatures last month. Our peach trees, for example, won't be producing anything, for the second year in a row. But at least everything looks (sort of) healthy.
I have a great job this afternoon, scrubbing down the back stairs. I'd planned on ripping up the old carpet and getting rid of it in the dumpster. (Delivered this morning for the roofing guys.) But the task became even more insistent after a Sam's Club-sized bottle of maple syrup fell off a shelf, bumped all the way down, and smashed at the bottom of the stairs. YUCK.
It is no fun to smell like maple syrup. Every bear in the county must be mentally checklisting our house for a future visit. Not to mention the ants.
While I'm scrubbing (sooo looking forward to it), you really should do something else -- like checking out these goodies from the Internet.
Dyeing your own sandals. (Wow, these are pretty, R&R Workshop. Easy, too!)
What if your plane went down...and you were the only one who lived? What would it feel like? A new documentary out, "Sole Survivor," follows the lives of several people who had this happen to them.
Did you know that George Clooney's related to Abraham Lincoln? Ancestry.com opens up its files on Honest Abe, including several unusual documents and correspondence. (Take a look.)
 |
| Our Martyred President- photo from Wikipedia |
Free Redbox rentals, whenever you want. (Thanks, Andy at Tight Fisted Miser.)
Some great present-less parties to celebrate a kid's birthday. From Man vs. Debt. (two words: 'potluck' and 'byo.')
Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman have changed some of their favorite tunes. Basic melody's the same, but there are definitely some new notes and variations. Is it a good change, though? Man vs. Debt also has a very interesting discussion on this.
Zombie debt. Yes I Am Cheap's approach to this subject.
What Wayne Brady has to say about Bill Maher's pronouncement of him (Brady) not really being black. In a silly way, this is amusing -- if you're not Wayne Brady, or someone else who takes pride in their culture. Maybe Maher's counting on that. (Not to mention the extra publicity for acting like the class idiot.)
And yours truly's posts elsewhere --
Investing in Gold and Silver (Retire by 40)
Five Ways to Hedge Your Bets -- financial and family ones, that is. (Midlife Finance)
And life goes on. Have a good week.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday Rest...and French Toast
We woke up to a cooler breeze and overcast skies...veered back and forth from sun to gray all day.
Got some reading done.
Planted a raised garden bed, and put in a few pots of herbs. (The hens were checking them out within a few hours, but I was too quick for them -- the netting was on top!)
Got the deck area cleared out, so the roofing guys can start tomorrow.
And spent some lovely time with the Brick.
He is very fond of waffles, pancakes and that favorite of leftovers everywhere, French Toast.
Did you know that the Brits call it Eggy Toast, or the Poor Knights of Windsor?
I'm guessing that the Poor Knights didn't have too much money, because this dish makes good use of basics: milk, eggs and bread. (Stale bread, if you've got it, is best.)
FRENCH TOAST FOR TWO
6-8 slices of bread
2-3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
olive oil and a pat of butter
Mix the eggs and milk while a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter are heating up in your frying pan (med-high). Dip the bread into the egg mixture, and quickly place in the pan -- you can usually get 3-4 slices in. Flip when browned (about 2 min.) and brown the other side, then sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.
Serve piled on a plate, drizzled with maple or blueberry syrup. Add a side of meat - we had sauteed pork chops this morning --and a bowl of mandarin orange sections besides.
Things to make it even better --
*Use extra-thick bread, put in a greased baking dish and pour the eggs/milk over. Let sit for an hour, or even overnight, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 min.
*Add a spoonful of sour cream to the egg/milk mix, or a puff of whipped cream on the finished dish.
*Sprinkle a handful of pecans on just before serving.
*Fresh sliced fruit on top is also nice.
We put away the last firewood and flotsam/jetsam in the rain, and came in to supper, hot tea and the movie The Artist. (An amazing flick, if you haven't seen it -- but you must concentrate. It's not a 'talkie,' after all.)
What a nice way to end a weekend.
Got some reading done.
Planted a raised garden bed, and put in a few pots of herbs. (The hens were checking them out within a few hours, but I was too quick for them -- the netting was on top!)
Got the deck area cleared out, so the roofing guys can start tomorrow.
And spent some lovely time with the Brick.
He is very fond of waffles, pancakes and that favorite of leftovers everywhere, French Toast.
Did you know that the Brits call it Eggy Toast, or the Poor Knights of Windsor?
I'm guessing that the Poor Knights didn't have too much money, because this dish makes good use of basics: milk, eggs and bread. (Stale bread, if you've got it, is best.)
FRENCH TOAST FOR TWO
6-8 slices of bread
2-3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
olive oil and a pat of butter
Mix the eggs and milk while a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter are heating up in your frying pan (med-high). Dip the bread into the egg mixture, and quickly place in the pan -- you can usually get 3-4 slices in. Flip when browned (about 2 min.) and brown the other side, then sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.
Serve piled on a plate, drizzled with maple or blueberry syrup. Add a side of meat - we had sauteed pork chops this morning --and a bowl of mandarin orange sections besides.
Things to make it even better --
*Use extra-thick bread, put in a greased baking dish and pour the eggs/milk over. Let sit for an hour, or even overnight, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 min.
*Add a spoonful of sour cream to the egg/milk mix, or a puff of whipped cream on the finished dish.
*Sprinkle a handful of pecans on just before serving.
*Fresh sliced fruit on top is also nice.
We put away the last firewood and flotsam/jetsam in the rain, and came in to supper, hot tea and the movie The Artist. (An amazing flick, if you haven't seen it -- but you must concentrate. It's not a 'talkie,' after all.)
What a nice way to end a weekend.
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