Treasure Hunting

I am really enjoying these long weekends and will be a little sad when they're over!  It will be nice to return to a normal 8 hour work day though.  Last Friday, the weekend started with a fun girls' day with Mom, Aunt Connie, and Grandmother.  

Saturday we continued what might be a new hobby for us...another auction.  This wasn't as big as the one we attended a few weeks ago, but there was still a LOT of stuff!

 We are learning along the way - things like, some people don't follow the rules, some people have the same taste as us and will bid on all the things we're interested in, and I spend way too much time thinking before I put my hand in the air.

 The picture above is just a very small selection of the HUGE amount of galvanized stock tanks, buckets, tubs, etc. at this farm auction.  David went to check on the second ring while I stayed close to the Mason jars and sent a text telling me that he'd found the mother load of galvanized stuff.  He was right!  We brought home the two stock tanks to add to our raised bed garden for next year, as well as the two milk cans that David wanted.  And a wash tub on a stand, which I have been wanting for quite a while!  We also brought home a couple of Corning Ware dishes for Mom!  We felt like we were pretty successful at this auction.  Maybe a little TOO successful!

This was inside the barn.  My photography teacher in college told us that she'd seen enough pictures of barns, kittens, and babies to last her a lifetime and that we should find something else to photograph, but I just can't help a barn picture every now and then.

After we got home, we went to dinner with friends.  After we parked and were walking toward the restaurant, a woman parked next to us commented on the stock tanks that were still in the back of the truck and asked if we wanted to sell them.  In retrospect, I think I shouldn't have been so quick to say no.  We might have turned a profit on our auction day!  Oh well...I am already planning next year's bigger better garden.

Independence Day

This year we spend the 4th of July with David's family in Oklahoma.  Edmond has a great 4th of July parade, and the weather was perfect.  We stood and sat in the shade with a nice breeze.

 I thought this was really neat - boy scouts were carrying this very large flag along the parade route.

 There were lots of floats, bands, and other groups.  This was a neat old military truck.

 I'm not so good at the selfie. ;)  I keep getting my arm in the shot!

 After the parade, we went to his cousin's to have lunch and see everyone.  All three of his dad's sisters were able to be there, and lots of cousins.

 I didn't take many pictures, but we had a great time visiting with everyone.

 After a nice long nap, we met up with his cousin again to watch the fireworks at the UCO campus.

Before leaving OKC on Saturday, we went to the Oklahoma City National Memorial at the site of the Alfred P Murrah building.  It's a very sobering place, but I'm glad we went.

Stars and Stripes

We enjoyed our first pedicures so much that Mom and I went back for a second.

 It's probably a good thing that we just discovered this indulgence.  Now that I know how nice it is not to paint your own walls OR toes, I may be in trouble. ;)

 Grandmother went with us this time and seemed to enjoy the massage chair!

I enjoyed the beaches last time, but this time went with a patriotic look for the 4th of July.  It was another fun pedicure day!

A New Look for the Kitchen

Here's an old picture of the kitchen, before the new counters, sink, faucet, and knobs.  The walls are a light neutral with a slight pinkish cast.

A little closer view...

And here's the kitchen with the new honey beige paint!

 In some lights, it's much more honey, in other lights, much more beige.

 Either way, it's warm and gives the kitchen a nice warm glow.

 And, just like the bathroom, the best part is that I didn't have to do it!

New Bathroom Paint

Soon after we moved in, almost 9 years ago, I stripped the wallpaper from the master bath and painted it this dark blue.  It looked fine...at first.  Soon though, the paint began flaking away from the places where I hadn't sanded off enough of the wallpaper glue.  

 It stayed like that, getting worse, for several years.  It's amazing what a person just gets used to!  But when I learned that a Parkview teacher was doing some painting this summer, I decided it was time to get it cleaned up.  David and I selected an Eddie Bauer color called Mercer Blue which was a little lighter and grayer.

 It is so nice to have fresh paint on the walls!  I just keep walking in to admire it.

 David had these framed gas station prints drawn by our friend Jim Arnall hanging at Ming and I'd always meant to get the mats changed to go better with the old blue.  The best intentions didn't get that done though, and the mats matched the new paint color so much better.  I love the way they look hanging in there!

 It's so nice and fresh...and the best part is that I didn't have to do it!