Sweet Giveaway! & Open House

I absolutely love this toaster oven cover that Char over at The Pickled Pepper Patch is giving away in honor of her daughter's 21st birthday. I sure do hope I win it as I've been wanting one since I saw one on a website quite a few months ago. Go on over to enter your name and good luck!




I'll try to keep up on my blog this week, but this is my set up week for our open house. If you're near or in Maine and would like to come, leave me a post or your e-mail and I'll get you directions. It should be fun, fun!
Thanks for visiting! Hugs & Blessings ~ Birgit

Giveaways!

I was just over visiting Lisa at Cranberry Flats and she has got the cutest little giveaway going on in honor of her 100th post. I'm not there yet, and by the looks of things, it will be a while before I hit 100 posts. Anyway, I hope you'll stop on over there for a visit and put your name in the hat.


Also, Debbie, over at
Ribbonwood Cottage is having a drawing for the most adorable blessings book. I really hope I win that, but you can win it too! Stop on over to her blog for a visit and see some of the cute things she makes. I know I'll be visiting her blog often, now that I found it.

I'm Still Here!

I can't believe how much time has passed since my last post. Really, I am still here! I've been so busy making final preparations for the upcoming open house and then.... I ended up in the hospital!


It couldn't have come at a worse time as my open house is my main event for my website shoppe. We send out over 200 invitations each year between Betty and myself. Can you put a rain date on an emergency??

It all started on Tuesday, with the most severe stomach pains I had ever felt. I was literally on the floor doubled over in pain. I was home alone with my son and daughter when this overwhelming pain brought me to my knees, which is exactly where you need to be when you need help from the Lord. Thankfully, my son just got his drivers license last March, so he drove me to the hospital to take me to the Emergency Room.


All the way in there, I was laying in pain in the back seat praying that if it was nothing, God would take the pain away. I couldn't stand the thought of going through all this and having them tell me it was GAS and send me home. By the time we got there, the pain was bearable and I went back and forth in the parking lot thinking, we should just go home. My kids finally talked me into going into the ER and as soon as we walked in, I knew we were in for a long wait. I had the kids bring me back home where I slept soundly for the entire night.

Wednesday, I'm going about my business trying to finish different projects for my open house, my daughter was home sick that day from a nasty bout of the cold. She helped me carry some things up to start pricing and again I'm hit with these terrible pains but they went away almost as quickly as they came. I'm thinking maybe I've got a stomach virus or something. It will pass.

Enter Thursday... after eating a bowl of homemade turkey noodle soup (thinking it would be light on my stomach) I was on the floor again in pain. Back to the ER we go, me and my kids. Of course they were so busy in there and there were about eight names before mine, all people waiting to be seen with some type of emergency issue. Again, I started feeling like I shouldn't be there, it's just a virus. We should go home. My son called his dad and he told him not to let me tell him to take me home (I can be stubborn at times).

Finally I get to see someone after waiting for an hour and a half. By that time though the pain was getting worse and I was beginning to think maybe I should be there.

To make a long story short, as this is already longer than I wanted it to be on such an issue, the doctor I spoke with thought it showed all the symptoms of it being my gall bladder. So what purpose does the gall bladder have I wonder? They gave me something to ease the pain and it didn't even touch it. They sent me for a chest X-ray (didn't they say gall bladder... is that in your chest??). It didn't show anything. Okay, so I'm still in pain and now it's looking like it might not be my gall bladder. Just let me go home then!!

My hubby shows up and son goes home to study for a chemistry test. Isn't the world supposed to stop when someone you love goes into the hospital?? I guess Chemistry waits for no one.

They give me something even stronger for the pain and I immediately start feeling light headed and dizzy (does that come in a doggy bag??). After conversing with the surgeon (who's currently in surgery) he tells them to admit me.

My hubby and I make preparations for my M-I-L to come stay the night with the kids and he, being the sweetie that he is, said he would stay there in the hospital with me. They get me to my room and all settled in. They are so kind to get my hubby something to eat since it's getting late and he hadn't eaten. I think the hospital must be the only place in the world that can get away with billing you $50 for a turkey sandwich, a bag of chips and a small carton of skim milk. They brought him a pudding (forgot the spoon, guess he'll have to suck it up through the straw) and a fruit cup. Hey, who's the one who needs attention here?? We settle down, me in my bed and him on a very uncomfortable upright chair and feet up on another chair. I offered for him to slide in beside me but he declines. The nurse on duty comes in and offers him to sleep in the bed beside me. She'll wake him if they need the bed for someone who really needs it. That's nice of her, we both agree. Who was I kidding? I'm a very light sleeper and every little sound on the floor seems to be magnified 100 times including my husbands SNORING!

The surgeon finally gets to my room at midnight and all I've done so far is try to sing a song in my head that's louder than my hubby's snoring. The surgeon and I discuss the days events and he checks me out, meanwhile my husband lays there snoring away into oblivion. I had to say, "please excuse my husband, he can sleep through a tornado". The surgeon laughs and says that he's been told he can do the same. Men!

The next stage of the night bring my nurse in to change my IV from an antibiotic to just fluids. We quickly discover that my IV wasn't hooked up securely and all the medicine is now in a pool on the floor and in my bed. So we get up and change the bed linens, she brings me a fresh blanket and an dry gown. Meanwhile, hubby snores on....


I decide at 2:00 that I need to relieve the first bag of fluids from my bladder so I go into the bathroom. I pulled the chain (as I was instructed to do) that said for emergency and suddenly I've got three nurses standing at the doorway as I exit the bathroom. Talk about awkward. I explained myself and they just laughed and said it happens all the time. Maybe that pain medication is stronger than I thought. Meanwhile, hubby snores on...

They come in to check my vitals every couple of hours, the last one being at 5:00. The young nurse and I carry on a lengthy conversation about the joys of being a stay at home mom and her desires to have children someday. We talked and laughed while hubby layed snoring in the bed beside me.

It's finally about 6:00 and my caring and concerned husband wakes up to see how I'm doing. I just laugh and tell him how amazing he is. At least one of us got a good nights sleep. I go throughout the day with puffy eyes and disheveled hair and he still looks good and very well rested.

I was scheduled for an ultrasound at 10:00. I still can't eat or even drink a sip of water and my lips and mouth are parched. The nurse comes in carrying a nice cup of hot coffee for my dear hubby.

After waiting for what seemed like hours, the nurse finally comes in to take me down to have the ultra sound. I have to say here and now, that I have the deepest respect for people in the medical profession. The years of learning and training they have to go through to be able to pick out the kidneys, liver and gall bladder on a screen that makes everything look like a moon thats made of cheese. Vast blackness and gray is all my hubby and I see although he's sure he saw a sandshark swimming around in my gall bladder. No wonder I don't feel well! Get that sand shark out of there and let me go home. But no, the ultrasound technician saw something totally different. She saw gall stones, many of them.

They finally felt sorry for me and fed me lunch to see how I would react. Since I passed the test with flying colors and no pains, they let me come back home to my kids, my dog and cats and all the messes I left behind. I'm on a very low-fat diet (which means no Recee's peanut butter cups for me) and an appointment to talk about having my gall bladder removed. That's just fine with me! They will have to wait until after next weekend when I have my long awaited open house. Please pray that I'll be a good girl and eat a healthy diet and stay pain free until then.

Thanks for listening to my long, but shortened story about my absence here in the bloggin world. Hugs to you~ Birgit

Repurposed Cupboard Doorsand 3 giveaways

I can't believe it's been a week since I've had time to add to my blog! I've been so busy making things, refinishing and getting things ready for my open house on November 1st and 2nd. Today has been kind of a down day, since I had lots of errands to run and groceries this morning. I came home and watched a movie with my daughter and now have spent at least an hour catching up on the computer. Time sure does fly by!


Anyway, I thought I'd share pictures of the old cupboard doors that my dh and I repurposed into shelves. I posted the picture of the doors in an earlier post, but I'll add them here again for your convenience. :)


My hubby brought these doors home from a remodel job. They were otherwise going to be thrown into the dumpster! We added a shelf to the top (which is actually the side) of the cupboard door and then added some shaker pegs to the bottom. I painted, sanded, stained and hand rubbed with wax for a nice soft finish. We did the other door the same except I used a crackled technique instead of distressing it. Here is a picture of it hung and decorated with some of the open house offerings.



Currently, I'm working on repainting an old desk for the open house. I'm loving how it's coming out! If it doesn't sell, I might have to find a space for it and keep it! I have so many projects that I had hoped to get done but it doesn't look like they'll all get finished. We have a secretary's desk that my dh and I built years ago, an old harvest table, a chest of drawers and an old oak armoire that needs just a little bit of work. If there were just more time in a day and more energy within me to keep going.

I'll leave you with a picture of the beautiful foliage here in Maine. It has been spectacular this year! Thanks for visiting! Hugs~ Birgit


Ahh yes, the giveaway! I can't forget to tell you about this great giveaway that Dani is having at the Olde Homestead Peddler. She makes some yummy looking candles and room sprays! Be sure to stop by and enter your name!


The next giveaway is from
Farm Chicks Kitchen. She also is a candle maker and the scents she makes sound so yummy! Be sure to visit and enter your name. YOU could be the lucky winner!

This giveaway comes from
My Little Raggedy Blessings. She made an awesome pumpkin pin that is perfect primitive "bling" for the season.

Feeling Nostalgic & A Giveaway

I've been a SAHM for 16 years now, and never once have I regretted it. I have never felt like maybe I'd be more "important" if I had continued my career in banking or I would be more influential in my community if I had continued working. No, I've always been very content caring for my two kids and keeping our home comfortable.

Yesterday, I went to Massachusetts for the day with my dear friend, Betty. We left at 5:15 in the morning and didn't get home until after 7:30 last night. It was the first time I've been away from my kids for the entire day, leaving them home alone, ALL DAY! Their dad had to work and put in a full day plus. He didn't get home until after I did, so that meant that my kids had to be at home all day without either one of us there. Did I mention that they are teenagers?

Our son, Christopher is 16 and our daughter, Amanda is 14 and they both are great kids! They do well in school, are involved in their church and youth group and have a good head on their shoulders. I'm so proud of both of them for their good choices and the young adults they are growing up to be.



So I called home around 1:30 in the afternoon to check in and see how things were going. Christopher said that they both went to church (just the two of them!) and after church they went to visit my mom & dad. They stayed and had lunch with their grandparents, which they both claimed was an AWESOME lunch! They had just gotten home and Christopher was outside with our dog, Hunter, and Amanda was in the basement changing over laundry.

WOW! I was thinking to myself. They're doing great without me there pointing them in this direction or that. They're doing things on their own without guidance from either Daryl or I! It was actually, bittersweet for me. I felt like, they don't need me any more. They're on the right path and going in the right direction, and they don't need me any more.

As it turned out. They went over to our neighbors house to visit (they don't have any kids) and Christpher played football with Nick while Amanda and Erica just talked and visited together. Christopher got Amanda to work on time and picked her up after work. By the time I got home, the dishwasher was running, Amanda was showered and they both greeted me outside when we pulled in the driveway, with warm hugs and kisses.

So this morning, I guess I'm feeling nostalgic. Somewhere between wishing they were small and needing me again, and feeling a sense of accomplishment that maybe they'll be responsible adults without me. So, where do I fit in now? What's my purpose? What am I needed for anymore??? I don't have the answers to those questions, but I put my hope in God, as I have ever since my kids were little, that I am doing the right thing by God and my family. He'll show me my purpose as I enter this next stage in my adult life.


My two little blessings then...



My two biggest blessings now!



Now that I'm done feeling nostalgic and emotional, Tammy, A Country Girl At Homeis offering a great giveaway for her 100th post. Please stop on over and see what she's been up to and say HI!
Thanks for visiting me here. Hugs~ Birgit

I Love Living In The Country

It's not every day you look out your kitchen window, while baking cookies, and see cows meandering down the center of the road. Well, that's just exactly what happened here today in New Gloucester! My daughter and I were in the kitchen baking some goodies and I happened to glance out the window in our kitchen that faces the road and said, "Cows"! "There's cows in the road!"

We live just a mile down the country road from a beautiful place called Pineland Farms. They have lots and lots of cows for producing both milk and beef. Apparently, some of the cows decided that they wanted to go in search of greener pastures, so they did what every cow would do, they kicked the fence down and walked out.



I quickly grabbed my camera and my daughter and I went outside, struggling to keep our big dog on the inside of the door as he was barking like crazy. He didn't understand why he couldn't go see the cows too.



Now mind you, we live on a road that's sort of like a roller coaster. Lot's and lots of blind hills and the cars like to drive it pretty fast because it gives you the feeling of butterflies in your stomach as your tires come off the road as you reach the top of the hills. I don't even feel safe walking on our road sometimes, because drivers just drive it way too fast. Thankfully, the cars that were coming up, saw the cows and went pretty slowly until it was safe to pass although one guy who was driving too fast, almost hit one of the cows as he crested the hill. Thankfully he was able to avoid the cow and quickly slowed down. Hopefully he learned a lesson too and will drive more slowly on a roller coaster, back country road.





Needless to say it was quite an exciting afternoon waiting for the cow catchers from Pineland Farms to arrive and round up the cows. They had to walk them back down the road in the direction they came. But this time, they were escorted by one of their trucks with flashing lights and three tagalong cows and three prodders going behind them, keeping them in line. I just love living in the country!!

Celebrate October Happenings

I can't believe it's October already! My mom and dad celebrated their birthdays, both yesterday and today. They also celebrate their 45th anniversary this month on the 16th


and my dear hubby and I will celebrate our 19th anniversary together on the 7th.

This is a picture of our little family.
So many reasons to celebrate!


I've been so busy getting things made and ready for my friend Betty's and my annual holiday open house. We've got it scheduled Saturday, November 1st and Sunday, November 2nd. This year, we are doing it a little differently as we'll each be having them in our own homes, instead of together. We've also got four other crafters that will be joining in on the fun and hosting an open house at their homes on the same dates. We're all within less than a 10 mile radius, so it should make the day fun for our customers, going from house to house.

Here's a couple of pictures from our last year's open house.




















So, today I've been working on making candles for the open house. I really enjoy burning soy candles since they're so much cleaner to burn and also, by purchasing them, we help support our local farmers as soy beans are grown right here in the good ol' USA!

Guess, I'll go for now. I think my votives are ready to pop out their molds and time to start a new batch!
Thanks for stopping by! Prim hugs & Blessings~ Birgit