McCloud and I have been to Flamey's a few times and got to meet YaYa, Twinkie, Gabby and Lurch on the first trip. What a blast that was! Had hoped to meet Jen this past Fall when we went to FB's but she stuck her finger in her eye and couldn't drive. LOL Nah, she really got something in her eye from CLEANING, silly woman! And YaYa had a conflicting trip so I missed her this last time too. Granlan and I had the pleasure of meeting Nita, JerriTX and Gabby one afternoon. We went to a 'windy' Palo Duro Canyon State Park and had a picnic. Or, tried too anyway. Whatever we could keep weighted down on the table we ate anyway. LOL On a trip to AR we stopped in Tulsa and picked up Dottie and went to a steak house and met up with Coral and JanOK. What sweet and funny ladies. We really enjoyed our visit. I miss them all. We've (McCloud, Granlan & I) had MaryAnn and Jammer here at the house for breakfast one morning on their way through town. That was a joy to get to meet both of them, even if it was a short visit. Buzz and Ed have been to see us a couple of times as they were traveling through in their RV. First time Granlan and I met her in town. Can't ever be too cautious when your dealing with a road kill eating bird you know. LOL Next time, they came out and we had a really wonderful visit. Couldn't talk them into eating with us though. Guess Buzz was anxious to get to the closest Road Kill Cafe. :) Most recently we got to enjoy a visit with Okwriter and her hubby. They were coming through on their way to CO. on vacation. We had a lovely afternoon. I hope I'm not leaving anyone out. I wouldn't take for getting to meet our KTers and hope I get to meet many more as time goes by. I've made some life long friends and cherish everyone of them. Would I go out of my way, you bet I would.

I'm always interested in looking at other ideas. Pick up an idea here and there. I already use several of them, shelf over bath door, shelf splitters and addon shelves, hanging bottles from a towel rack, baskets in fretc. ig, I don't use the tension rods to hold things but I do stand things up in the cupboards as I can. Buying things that nest are a great space saver. I miss my Ingenio cookware. That stuff was great. I have a wall rack for the foil, plastic wrap, etc, but it doesn't have enough slots and I don't want to buy a second. So I use a hanging shelf. I'm a person who believes form follows function and my kitchen isn't meant to be a showplace or try to get on a magazine cover. I have wire shelves attached to the soffits and that added a lot of space and function. Easier for me to reach up than bend down. And I can hang cookware and cooking utensils since there's no room for a pot rack. Another house thing I would like to have is a pot rack. I keep a couple canning jars on the counter for some flatware. Serves dual function. First it's handier for grabbing a tasting spoon when I'm cooking and when I sit at the counter to eat, it's right there. The one side of the frig gets used for hanging things like the strap wrench, instant read thermometers, top popper, etc and I made a magnet shelf to keep dish soap, etc. to increase useful space by the sink. I use the shoe organizer on the back of bedroom doors and in the living room closet. In the LR closet it's great for holding gloves, vacuum bags/belts, winter scarves, stocking caps, etc. Great for a grab and go and the bags are right with the vacuum when it needs changing. I won't store swabs, toothbrushes, and the like out in the open in the bathroom. No way. But under the washer or dryer is space that i wouldn't use for the frequently used things like laundry soap, but it'd be a good spot for storing holiday decorations or something. You can bend over a couple times a year for that, which you probably do anyway. I really like the binder clip idea. Not sure where I could use it, but it's creative. I also like using clothespins inside cabinet doors to hold packets, recipes, keys, etc. They work as a clip and a binder.

Are you looking for simple ways to freshen up your home? Maybe you want to paint or redecorate a bit.The trick is finding a way to do it with minimal cost and effort. Below are some clever interior design tricks to transform your home. Change the look with a fresh coat of paint Grab a paintbrush and a gallon of paint! A new paint job will always work wonders for a room. First, come up with a basic colour scheme. If you aren’t a design expert, many paint stores have brochures to suggest paint colours that compliment perfectly together. The rule of thumb is that when choosing a colour palette, assign 60 percent of the room a dominant colour, 30 percent a secondary colour, and 10 percent an accent colour. Brighten up the room with mirrors Mirrors add instant light to your living space. Plus, they bring light and depth to visually expand any space. A handy tip is to ensure they reflect something interesting like the outdoors or an artful display. Splurge on a good sofa You’re going to use it forever so buy a sofa with good, durable fabric. To get the best buy for your buck, check the frame.Having a sturdy frame means a long-lasting sofa. Test the springs and the fit.Make sure it supports you properly and feels comfortable to sit on. Get a fabric that meets your family needs.Sofas for everyday use need durable fabric. If you have kids or dogs get a durable, washable fabric that will stand up to the test of time. Mix and Match It’s important your room feels like you.You want to look around and feel a sense of home that evokes special memories. Before running to the store take a good look at what you already have. Mix old collected family treasures with new pieces. Everything doesn’t have to perfectly match.Go through the attic. Shop at thrift stores. Mix up patterns and textures. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive.Use your creative genius to seek out treasures you’ll love. Declutter your space Gather together all the household items that are in piles and gathering in the corners of your space.Simple lines and organization bring a feeling of peace and unity in a space. Simplify your bookshelves.Place simple items like books, plants and vases in a visually pleasing way. Sometimes less is more. Just add plants Plants can soften the look of your interior spaces. They bring life and warmth to any boring corners and areas of your home. They can be used as a centerpiece, room dividers or a focal point in a room.Not only are plants beautiful but many can clean household air and balance humidity. If you aren’t a green thumb, silk plants can have a similar impact. Add layers of light Get as much natural light as possible into your home and consider using full-spectrum lights. Ambient lights add general illumination where task lighting is needed for reading. Accent lighting will dress up any room. Go Feng Shui Add energy and flow to any space with feng shui design principles such as: Don’t place all your furniture against the walls. Put at least the front legs of your sofa on the rug — not just around it. Get rid of everything you do not love in your house. Eliminate clutter and you’ll feel lighter and more peace in your space. No doubt, Feng Shui can create balance and vibrant energy in all areas of your home. I hope these tried and true design formulas help you make your living spaces a little more beautiful without breaking the bank. If you would prefer a professional take care of this for you to ensure an ideal outcome, contact me for a design consultation if you live in the North Vancouver area of BC.

Yes, given 20/20 hindsight, Japanese bombs on the mainland proved to be a fluke. Rewind to June 1942 though and bombs have landed not far from where you live (155 miles by car, closer by crow), your house is on the approach to Boeing, a large part of the fleet that would defend you is rusting away at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, what would you be thinking? Assuming the cellar was scratch built 1942ish, the only problem with material to build it would have been reinforcement for the concrete. Re-bar, mesh. Wood for the forms, cement, sand, aggregate, not so much. The first scrap metal drives started that summer (1942). If the needed steel for reinforcement wasn't obtainable at the hdwe store, it was probably still scrounge-able. Or substitutes like old fencing, bedsprings... OTOH, the structure could well predate WWII by a couple of decades, original intent as a root cellar. (Assumption that ground water level is too high for basements to exist in that locale.) And then re-purposed as dual purpose bomb shelter/ root cellar with the addition of the concrete benches. I do not think that the benches would not have been original to a root cellar. Accessibility, the need for good air circulation would all seem to preclude the fixed benches. For sure, the latest use is tool shed because of the spark plug wrench laying on the bench. Interesting puzzle. Guessing that the creepy factor some people are experiencing could owe partly to the tomb-stone shaped interior?