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Friday, September 28, 2012

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

backyard at Sweet Briar Cottage
                                                To everything there is a season,                                               
                                                a time for every purpose under the sun.
                                                A time to be born and a time to die;
                                                a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
                                                a time to kill and a time to heal ...
                                                a time to weep and a time to laugh;
                                                a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
                                                a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
                                                a time to lose and a time to seek;
                                                a time to rend and a time to sew;
                                                a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
                                                a time to love and a time to hate;
                                                a time for war and a time for peace.
                                                            ~ ecclesiastes 3:1~
 
Hello dear friends!   First I'd like to thank all of you kind and gentle souls that wrote to me to inquire about my absence and left me encouraging little notes.  Words will never express how very dear those words have meant to me.  
 
We have  arrived at  a new season of life at Sweet Briar Cottage.    My darling Ran has retired and now has taken up residence.  We have managed to squeeze him in, but it has taken a lot of organizing and disencumbering to reach the point where he now has a place for his necessities and treasures.   Retirement is like all important steps in life, first you analyze it from all angles, then you pray over it, then, like all major decisions you just take a giant leap of faith and do it!   Just like deciding to marry or to have children, if you get too analytical about it, logic would say it's impossible, but in the end you must follow your heart.  

Retirement means big changes in our lives.  For one, we will be as poor as church mice. But that's fine with me, because I've always loved the challenge of making a dime stretch into a dollar.  There's always something new to learn about being thrifty.  Do you know what I did yesterday?   I made my own vinegar from the peels left over from the apples I was freezing!   Now that I have a "mother" batch, I'll never have to buy cider vinegar again, as long as there's windfall apples in the world! 

Another exciting event for us, is that our house renovation is finally finished!   Above is a picture of our little cottage.   The first I've ever shown you of it taken from the front.  I had always hated the big ugly picture window and the aluminum siding  that was scratched and really just an eyesore.    The final touch was placing the "Sweet Briar" quarterboard  over the door.  Ran and I have scrimped and saved for years to  redo this little cottage.   Even before we owned it.  We always dreamed of a little cottage on Nantucket, but of course, some dreams are out of our grasp, but now we live in a little seaside town with or gray weathered shake Cape Cod and we are overjoyed.  Lesson learned - find a way to make your dreams come true, even if it is not the conventional way.  I had to cut down all of my roses so the workers wouldn't complain, but I can't wait until the grow back and travel up and over the roof again.   I'm sure Jeff, our contractor, will have a fit, but the cottage has to live up to it's name, so he'll just have to look the other way when he drives past!   Don't you think the front yard is crying out for a white picket fence?

My dear friends, this will be my final post.  I have discovered that life with Ran leaves very little free time!  I really admire all you gals that  home school, knit beautiful things, put three meals on the table AND blog.  Maybe time management is something I need to work on!   Goodness!   By the time I make breakfast, do the dishes, get cleaned up and dressed, make the beds, gather what needs to be gathered from the gardens, and  walk to the post office, my morning is over and it's time to start in on making lunch.  How do you all do it?  Anyway, I'll still leave my blog open, so that those that wish to communicate with me can leave a note in the comment section. Or you can e-mail me.  I will still try to leave comments on your blogs as often as I can find a spare moment.  

So I leave you with my final piece(es) of wisdom.  Never borrow trouble.  Always seek joy.  Never try to keep up with the Joneses, but look for contentment in your own little world.  Be encouraging, rather than discouraging.  Remember there's no such word as "can't".  Self-sufficiency is the only true path to freedom.  Jealousy is such a useless emotion, no one get richer, thinner, or happier by envying others.  Never complain about the cards you have been dealt in life, others have it much worse.  Speaking of which, there will always be someone that is more  talented, more beautiful, richer, thinner, luckier, than you, so you best just get on with learning to be content with "you" and your lot in life before the whole shooting match is over.  But most importantly always remember that this is a day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalms 118:24)

                                      LOVE, PEACE, AND HAPPINESS TO ALL!


70 comments:

  1. Hi Jane! I am so happy for you. How wonderful that you can have your Ran home with you now. You were a real trouper, but I know that it must have been hard being apart while you both worked toward the fulfillment of your retirement dreams. The house is so beautiful I can only imagine what a wonderful feeling it must be when you walk through the door. You have put so much loving care in the home and gardens and it shows! I will miss your posts, but I do understand and I am so glad that you are going to keep it open so that we can continue to stay in touch. You have been such a loyal supporter of my blog since almost the very beginning, you have inspired me in so many ways. Although I have never met you in person, I feel like we have been friends for years. Enjoy this wonderful time in your life and I'll be sure and stay in touch. I am proud of you Jane, and wish you and Ran all the happiness life can bring! With Love, Delisa :)

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    1. I will continue to be a zealous reader of your blog, dear Delisa! Thank you for all the sweet encouragement you have given me. Yes, the last couple of months of dealing with contractors and mechanics has convinced me that the independent life of a single woman is not the life for me. Ha! One thing that is certain is that life with Ran is never dull! Thank you for the well wishes, I'll be seeing you on your blog!

      Love
      Jane

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  2. Dear Sweet Jane ~ Your little cottage is lovely and I can see a picket fence for sure.

    I'm glad you are leaving your blog open. Just blog when you can. A lot of people don't blog regularly. I've cut back myself as there is much to do in living life each day.

    You have been such an inspiration. We'll keep in touch via email. You are dear and special to me.

    Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

    I need to get up to fold and put away clean laundry.

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    1. Hello sweet Rainey! We certainly have a bond that distance cannot break. I'm so glad your DH is starting to feel better and will continue to pray for his recovery. The gusto with which you two embrace life is an inspiration for me. Plus your gardens make me feel like such a slacker, which is a good thing since it motivates me. Sorry that I haven't returned the e-mail yet (but I promise to soon). Been busy finishing up baby sweaters. It takes less time to make a human being than it does for me to knit a couple of sweaters. Ha!

      Love and Hugs always!
      Jane

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  3. Jane~ Your home remodel is just beautiful! What a wonderful home, I am so fond of seaside towns, I can imagine that it will be the perfect place to retire. I have so enjoyed getting to know you through your blog, and your comments and support at my blog. I have always loved reading what you have to say, and am glad you are leaving your blog open so I can go back and re-read your wonderful posts and recipes. I do understand though, it can be very difficult to keep up with blogging among the daily chores and family activities.

    I love Ecclesiastes 3:1, it is one of my favorites, and I completely love every bit of that last paragraph, such wonderful thoughts to live by!

    Love~April

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    1. Hello April! I've always enjoyed reading your blog and seeing your cute little face in photographs enjoying activities with your family. You have such an aura of joy about you. Not to mention, I'm really enjoying your fairy tales. Do you know, that no one has ever read me a fairy tale? So you are filling an important void in my life! Now I know some wonderful ones to tell my grandchildren. Thank you so much!

      Love
      Jane

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  4. Hi Jane!! Your long-awaited final post! First of all, your home looks beautiful! It certainly looks like a cottage in Nantucket! You dreamed and it came true! I am so happy for you.

    When my husband retires (4 1/2 more years) we will be on a shoestring budget too. Funny how one starts out on one, and ends on one! But this time, that's ok, because we don't have to save up for a house. I just hope my car lasts 30 years :)

    Although I loved blogging, it felt like an extra "job" nonetheless. So having quit, I feel liberated. My goal is to strip away things like the internet (I already rarely watch t.v.).

    It did make me joy-filled to talk with you through blogging, and I think of you from time-to-time. love,andrea

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    1. Dear, dear Andrea, how do I tell you how much I've enjoyed meeting you via our blogs? Who else understands that sweet era that we lived in? Yes, life certainly does come full circle, doesn't it? Except now instead of having little children that demand all my attention, I have just one big child! Ha! I keep thinking how, when I was younger, I cooked. cleaned, nursed and still found time to sew and create and volunteer. The only things that I could see that are different are that now my garden is much larger and the internet. Well I can't give up the garden so that means the internet must go. So, have you heard anything on the grandmother front yet? Tomorrow's October and the babies come this month!

      Love
      Jane

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    2. Hi! No babies here yet! Your month will be exciting! I just read that due to the factory explosion in Japan which makes a necessary chemical for disposable diapers...there may be a shortage. I'm thinking of cloth diapers right now...and when anyone gets pregnant here, I am going to buy some for a reserve. Who would think I'd have so many types to choose from?! I used plain old cloth diapers for the first three babies of mine...then I treated myself to disposable! :)
      love,andrea

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    3. Happy first day of October, Andrea! Busy canning peppers today. I used cloth diapers fir the first couple of months with the boys. And they made the best dust rags when we were finished with them. That's interesting about the chemicals in disposables. My DIL Erin cornered the market on some fancy cloth ones. I don't know what kind they were, but she said they were hard to obtain. Who would think that there would be a run on diapers? Ha! When my sister was expecting, we sewed our own out of flannel. We made burp cloths and belly bands also. Guess those two things have gone the way of the horse drawn carriage! Have to say that I thought disposables were pretty great, especially for the toddlers!

      Love
      Jane

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    4. That is interesting Jane! Yes, I agree, the best dust cloths! I didn't waste any old diapers. Hope you canning went well. I'm making bean soup today. love,andrea

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    5. Yum! Bean soup sounds great, Andrea. We've had the perfect soup weather here lately. The pepper canned up great, now I have to tackle the carrots. They are humungous! They kind of give me the creeps they are so huge, like they got nuked or something. Really they are like something out of a science fiction movie. Made an apple pie the other day, now I'm hungry for a pumpkin one. Doing anything fallish?

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  5. Oh Jane, this would be for me a dream house. I think it's a very different life together now. Its give and take. ( Dutch saying) I hope there will be many precious moments that give you beautiful memories.

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    1. Thank you my dear Warm Sweater! Keeping giving me things to ponder!

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    2. Hi, how are you Jane. I write here with my other account. Welcome on my other blog :-) I think you like it.

      Greetinges Aritha/Jedidja.

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  6. Enjoy! How exciting a new phase in your lives I hpe it all is wonderful and full of joy.

    Erika

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  7. Congratulations! It must be wonderful to have him home full time.

    I had assumed you were quite busy and I can see I was right -- I was just thinking in terms of putting away for winter instead of settling in for the next great phase of your life.

    Your cottage is just so -- so cute, so inviting, so.....many adjectives could work. I'm glad it is a dream come true for you.

    I'm going to miss your posts, but I do hope you'll continue to pop in and out of our blogs so we'll know you are okay.

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    1. Oh, I'll be popping in for sure, my dear thrifty sister! Yes, it is wonderful to have Ran here, but it sure makes the time pass quickly!

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  8. Hi Jane - I am so pleased for you that your husband can be with you all the time now. Your house looks beautiful and you can look forward to such rewards from your hard work and sacrifices. We are just about to embark on the start of our move to our dream. I have not been online much either; firstly being so busy getting ready to sell our old house, but then sadly losing my beautiful dog and feeling too sad to blog. I understand about the time thing - I am glad I am not the only person who seems to spend all days jumping between meal duties!! Lily. xxx

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    1. My heart was so heavy when I read about your dog, Lily. That's the problems with pets, they steal a piece of your heart, but they are not long-lived. Perhaps we should all get turtles, they live for centuries, but of course, there's not much lovable about them. I hope soon you will be on your way to making some happy memories in your new home.

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    2. Thanks for your kind words. Apparently parrots live a long time - cactus too. None are as cosy as a dog or cat though. With Love, Lily. xxx

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  9. Dear Jane,

    So begins a new adventure! I pray that you and Ran will be blessed with many years of good health and high spirits as you feather your nest together. Pop in whenever you can!

    Love,

    Marqueta

    p.s. The first house we owned had a picket fence made out of pallet wood that actually looked quite nice. It was brown, but white would be sweeter!

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    1. Thanks Marqueta! I
      've seen some amazing things made from pallets. But I think people are on to them around here. You used to be able to get them for free, but now you have to pay for them.

      Love
      Jane

      PS: I'm sure Ran will supply the high spirits!

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  10. Jane! Your post brought tears to my eyes! I am so excited for you and Ran, and thank you for your words of advice, I cannot tell you what that means to me. Good luck and enjoy this season! Your home looks gorgeous and so comforting - just like a home should :)

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    1. Thank you Jane! That's so sweet of you to say. Hope you have lots of success with your cheese!

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  11. You honeymooners! Hope Ran and you have a marvelous time now that he is a full-time roommate! What a lovely way to look forward, Jane! I know that we will keep up with each other, but I will miss dropping by for a peek at your day! Now, perhaps, we can get you two in a car and headed South for a few days! Come in the spring. It is drier! LOL And, I could use your good hands in the garden!

    Keep in touch, Jane. You were my first blog buddy. I don't want to lose you!

    Enjoy! Have fun! Laugh often!

    Matty

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    1. I highly recommend retirement Matty. We're having a ball and the first month has gone by in a flash. Hopefully we'll head south sometime in the spring to see the grandbabies. Although Tati would object to being called a baby!

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  12. Beautiful post Jane! Happy retirement to you and Ran! It is a special time.

    I learned a lot from you - on a variety of subjects - and still think now and then WWJD (What would Jane Do?)

    Best wishes in your next chapter!
    Sandy

    ps I love your cottage!

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    1. Hi Sandy! So good to hear from you again! I think we all know what I would do. Can it, mend it, re-pupose it, or recover it! Or do without! Ha! Thanks for your good wishes.

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  13. Oh Jane, I sure have missed your wonderful words this past summer!

    Your new season in this life, is quite exciting...isn't it? I am glad that you are all doing well and enjoying this time together :)

    Stopping completely? Yes, I can truly relate to what you shared. Lately, I have realized how hard it is to be a keeper of your home, and find time to be here in blogland. Something has to give!

    Deciding this is not easy for some of us, but it is becoming doable, especially as you step away and let go :)

    What a blessing you have been in my life Jane! Thank you for your kind words every time you visited.

    May Our Lord continue to bless you and keep you close :)

    Maria

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    1. Oh Maria! That is so sweet. Thank you so very much!

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  14. I disappear for a while and THIS is what I come back to? Wah... (that's a crying sound)!

    I will definitely miss your encouragements and words of wisdom although you certainly summed it all up in your final paragraph, and capitilized it with the final sentence of that paragraph.

    Your cottage is picture perfect and a beautiful sight to leave us with. I will now forever picture Jane happily doing and being in the quaintest of cottages.

    Be blessed, Debbie

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  15. Hi Jane,
    I am so happy for you and Ran, embarking on this new phase in life! You two probably have so much catching up to do for all the years you spent so much time apart. Once you both get settled into a routine, you may find more time here and there to blog. In the meantime, I will tell you just how much I cherish your friendship, and will be checking in on you from time to time, as well as email.(ironically, I just got my internet back up and running). Your cottage is absolutely beautiful...You both are so blessed to have such a sweet home (together)! Take a peek at my blog pics of Point Betsie shoreline along Lake Michigan when you get the chance...we sea- lovin' gals gotta stick together! LOL ;D ~God Bless~Lisa

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  16. Jane, I am going to miss you! I, too, just can't seem to find the time to blog these days. My hubby isn't home yet, but is scheduled to be laid off from his job around the middle of December. It will be the first time we've both lived together full time at HOME in close to 10 years! We're praying that he'll find a local job as soon as possible. Knowing my resourceful husband, if there is a job anywhere to be found, he'll be the one to find it. Meanwhile we're looking at our budget, trying to find ways we can continue to cut back; saving every penney we can while paying off a final bill as quickly as we can; trying to get our garden restarted, and thinking of getting some chickens and a beehive or two, as well. So life on the farm won't be all that laid back, lol!

    Love your lovely cottage home, as well as your final words of advice to us all. Keep in touch, and have a wonderful time living a real life (vs. a cyberspace one!)

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  17. 彡♡°
    Passei para deixar um abraço carinhoso.
    Boa continuação da semana.
    Beijinhos.
    Brasil
    ¸.•♫°`♡♡彡

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  18. I hope you are both enjoying your retirement. Just wanted to stop in and tell you you were on my mind.

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  19. Hi Jane! I'm back...with a slightly different name (again).
    ha...don't ask...I am just fickle...I can't offer any excuse for my coming and going. Maybe it is just that you and the other bloggers are so nice and I missed you! love,andrea

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  20. How wonderful Jane! New babies would definitely point towards the true meaning of Christmas. We hardly had any wind from the hurricane. Not much is new with me. I am trying to simplify my life by not driving about so much, which means going to church closer to home, as that is my main activity! Can't wait until gardening time! Congrats, and you are so lucky to have your grandchildren.

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  21. I would think you would have snow! We've only had a dusting, which was on christmas eve, which was nice! But that is normal for us (to get snow later).
    Home remodeling...nice but hard for a housewife to live through!

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  22. Thanks Jane! I really appreciate your expertise! that is neat info!
    True, estate sales might be the only real place to find a real antique.
    With the internet, it is probably hard to get a bargain because you would guess people might look up their goods to determine the value of them, and then sell them accordingly. I love history, and it is neat to have an antique as a memento of history, as your sipping on an antique teacup.

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  23. God Bless!
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  24. Hi Jane! Thanks! It was quite squishy raising the kids. but everything you said is so true! And there is a comfort (and less stress) that comes with being able to heat your house and feed your kids by living small! Ha...I always liked a golden book we had about cartoon rabbits and how they slept in bunkbeds with many levels!

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  25. Such wise,wise words,I just found you through Lily,Gingham and Daises and see that you no longer write,I'm just dipping in and out and enjoy reading others blogs much more than writing too.I'll probably be just updating my crochet makes from time to time this year.I'm off to read more of your lovely blog but just thought I'd say hi.take care juliexxx

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  26. I just read this. I'm going to miss your blog posts (even though it takes me a while to get around to reading) Your cottage is so awesome. It's beautiful. Being near the ocean sounds so wonderful. Thanks for the great words of wisdom, especially the part about making dreams come true. I heart that.

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  27. Thanks for that good comment! I answered you this in my blog (put it here for you to see so you don't have to go back)
    I know Jane! I thought that too....when Sandy Hook was getting all the attention, and I believe the deadliest school massacre was in 1927 in Bath Township, Michigan, so this is not the worst, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster) I was anguishing over the silent killing of 55 million babies so far in our country...3300 each day!!! What arrogance to ignore this in our country.

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  28. oh, I will miss your down to earth thoughts and ideas. What a loss! I am just now checking in, I guess because I started working part time in September and things got put aside. Your little cottage is beautiful and I always admired how you stretched your money and were content. It's really sad to lose people such as you from the blogging world. God bless!

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  29. Hi Jane! That is exactly what I was thinking....I bet if I didn't have insurance for both places I went recently, they wouldn't be offering what they have!! I think there is a bit of funny business going on these days with wanting to have more money coming in...and it just leaves me uneasy feeling! My crowns all feel a bit sensitive. I bet all that trauma to the tooth only makes an old tooth feel older! This is why I normally stay away from checkups!

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  30. That was neat about the word verification...I rarely get a real word, let alone a prophetic one! I'm beginning to think God just means for some things to get old and modern science isn't all that perfect as we think for fixing things! I told my dentist if I ever need another root canal, I am just getting the tooth pulled!

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  31. My Christmas cacti had alot of blooms ready to pop, and then i fertilized it and they fell off. Now I think I know why they say to not fertilize during the blooming period! Your snow-ride sounds so nice! I was watching "Leave it to Beaver" this a.m. and thinking how we need to have more formal manners again these days!

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  32. I do like pancakes! I read that when you consider processed cereals for kids, good old-fashioned pancakes are really a healthier choice! I was a bit of a meanie on valentine day when I was a kid...I remember giving classmates who I didn't like the animals in my card pack that I didn't like! (I guess valentines were animal-themed for me). I guess I had a mean streak in me! ha.
    One thing I did enjoy, now that you mentioned you loved your sweet valentines..was the valentine shoebox our teachers had us bring in and decorate to hold our valentines. Hmmm...I might make one for fun...I used to have my kids make one when they were little.

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  33. It would be nice to get any cards in the mailbox these days! ha. Everyone is getting too cheap for good old-fashioned heartfelt sentiments! I do have one sister who is my snail-mail penpal! I just keep my shoes in their shoeboxes, at least the ones which don't fall apart right away. I have a neighbor who has two large closets full of shoes! She just turned 90, and is fascinating to see how her house is still in 1950 decor! :) And she has an outfit for each pair of shoes, the same coordinating color!

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  34. That is a good idea, about outlet cover. I especially enjoy the 99 cent breakfasts at IKEA.

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  35. Thanks for the info Jane! I've read books that those video movies were based on..all true what you said! Yes, I agree, the bottom line is that we Biblically turned our backs on God!

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  36. ha..so basically one good benefit of retiring is knowing you are paying less taxes! I know...we pay alot of taxes and we have little benefits from them to amount to much. I feel sorry for our kids with their future. DE does have low property taxes, but our state income tax goes up to 7%....(or 6.95%)
    Nearby Maryland's is two points higher..just went up. And after paying all our taxes, we spent money on our kids' education and didn't use public schools. It would've been nice to at least have tax credits for that! Luckily I am a low achiever and don't care if I have much money in retirement!

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  37. Love that verse!
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  38. Happy Valentine's Day to you too! I mostly like my roses because they were cheap, sometimes the prettiest items are cheap! (And I bought them yesterday to prevent my husband from wasting money on flowers). We have been known, here in DE, to get our worst snow in March, so I am not out of the woods yet! Before you know it, you will be puttering in your gardens and feeling quite hot!

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  39. ♪♫º♫♫º
    Olá, amiga!

    Passei apenas para te saudar.
    ღ°Bom fim de semana! ♪♫º

    ♪♫♫º Beijinhos.
    ♪♫º Brasil.♪♫♫º
    ♫♪•.

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  40. Hi Jane! I don't known why it isn't updating! (I keep using your blog as a check point as I go over all the settings to double check them all...and still no luck...I even removed my outside "no copy" script).

    I hope it fixes itself! Meanwhile...I keep looking at your header pic...as I might order a (made-in-usa) arbor from amazon and put my husband to work while the winter is boring, once the ground thaws more that is!

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  41. I know..that Pozy gets cozy is so perfect! Her pics too! No, don't worry..it is not you...with my posts not showing up...it is me...somehow...because mine doesn't show up on anybody's. I check my settings every day hoping for the genius answer to my problem..ha...hopefully it will resolve itself soon!

    I was thinking cement too..for the arbor....my husband puts everything into cement...swing sets..posts from now torn-down decks....then after a while he has to dig up the cement and cart it to the dump..a heavy task..ha.. I think husbands do best when they are busy! (and we appreciate the new things they build!)

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  42. Oh my ! I just picked out the same style arbor as yours! ha!

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  43. Enjoy your cozy fire with the snow coming! Snow is beautiful and serene when you can be inside! This seems to be my year for dr. checkups...as I usually hide from them and put them off!

    I'll have to mention that about painting to my husband...he is going to say "What! I have to paint it too! "(He knows I do a bad job) ha. Thanks for the pointer!

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  44. Yippee i fixed it...i think it was me at least...I think my problem had to do with the site feed. I had it on full. Which didn't seem to work, so I put it on custom and did full for everything under that!

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  45. Hi jane! We should live out by you...period!
    very crowded out here in the NE!

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  46. That sounds like a nice home! Home-looking around here is so depressing. You'd have to go into the 400,000 range to get something nice. That is why we stay in our cheap home...at least it feels like part of our family! (like an old car or old doggie!) Even if I look out into the countryside of Pennsylvania, the taxes...I don't know how people can pay $500 to 1000/month on taxes alone in eastern pa! I do love our historic places to visit.
    But did you ever see the movie "marley and me"? (I love that movie...didn't think I would!) That historic house they moved into in Pa....so unrealistic...that house would have cost at a fortune...in fact...i might blog about it!

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  47. You're right Jane..it is all about jobs in an area. I've seen short sales and foreclosures in nicer areas...I'm expecting young couples bought nice homes and lost jobs!

    I didn't know that about Susan Branch! I'm sure lawyers make out the best in divorces. I think the real monetary pain of divorces will hit when women are near retirement and find they are not prepared with at least having a house paid for!

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  48. Hi...boy you got me going down memory lane! Besides all the customer service in the olden days, yes I do remember alot of door-to-door salesmen. Nowadays, we don't get any bonifide items being sold...just a constant replacement windows, siding, etc (they know what development is getting old!) company who can come around up to 8 times a year! Very annoying. Once I did have some native Americans driving around (this is 30 years ago) selling pine outdoor furniture for only $25 for a loveseat, and I bought one...many of our neighbors came out to look and did. Now we are weary and afraid of being robbed. I live in a cul de sac and we are like our own little Fort Knox though! ha.

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  49. I think you discovered the key .....we don't know people in our neighborhood these days. I think the culprit was building cheap suburbs which don't have any neighborhood structure! And someone had the video on their blog (can't remember) that showed how walmart-type stores come in with cheap goods and close down the small local stores and leave the downtown a ghost town!

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  50. Hi..I did hear about cinnamon but not Brazil nuts...and turmeric...so thanks! It is too late for me to have the chia lower my cholesterol this year...as I will have my blood test before Easter. Better luck next year for me! ha. You were smart with college AND retirement. I think age has sneaked up on most people and they now realize they did not plan for retirement! Now all our past frugality doesn't look so frugal huh! It looks common-sense.

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  51. Your home is beautiful! Your blog is fascinating and very interesting with lots to read and lovely photos. Ann

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