New Flooring

This is what I wanted for a new kitchen floor. Everyone turned their noses up when I told them. ( Well, people in the real world) They said it would look terrible. The only one who could see my side of it was Mom. She said she thought it would work.

Mid-November, hubby and I went to pick out new flooring. We needed a couple of estimates. One of the stores we went to sent home samples. Hubby didn't think it would work, but when I laid the two samples on the floor side-by-side, he chose the black & white.

The grandsons came at two different times within the next few days and I asked both of them when I laid the samples down. They both voted for the black & white. Mom did as well. So, we ordered it.

Two weeks later, I phoned to find out why we didn't have a date for the flooring to go down. They'd promised it would be done for Christmas. The young man who answered the phone said the flooring had never been ordered and that I wouldn't be getting it in time for the holidays. I told him, oh yes, I think I will. Someone (the owners) were to call me back. Two days later, still no call. I phoned them again. The floor would be ordered that day.

By this time I was getting just a little annoyed. I kind of lost it but still tried my best to be pleasant. The lady who works there did phone me back that same afternoon and she told me it would be laid December 16th. No apology for not ordering the flooring on time, just the fact that it didn't get ordered.

I wasn't impressed. Because our place is so small, we can't put up one Christmas decoration until the flooring is down, as we have to move all the appliances and furniture into the living room. But...I am going to have it for Christmas. I will try to get both before and after photos.

Book Swap Partners

I have closed the book swap and went to Random Generator. org to choose the partners. There were ten people who wished to join. They were:

1 Jojo
2. Paula
3. Denise
4. Sammi
5. Midlife Mom
6. Jackie
7. Pea
8. Barbara H.
9. Melanie
10. Mary

The partners are as follows:

Jackie and Paula
Jojo and Melanie
Mary and Sammi
Midlife Mom and Barbara H.
Denise and Pea

I will be contacting everyone with their partners name and website.

3rd Annual Christmas Book Swap

*This is a sticky post and will remain at the top until December 1st. Please scroll down to read my regular posts.

For the last two years, I have hosted a Christmas book swap. It's been so successful that I'm going to host it again this year.This will be loads of fun, just as it was last year. We must get the books in the mail by December 7th to be sure that everyone receives their book before Christmas. So I'm going to make the deadline to sign up December 1st. This will give me time to partner everyone, gather the addresses and let everyone know who their partner is. I've extended it a couple of days to see if anyone else would like to join.

Now for the rules. The books have to be Christmas books, either fiction or non-fiction. Christmas decor and cooking magazines are fine if your partner agrees. Talk to your partner and find out the type of books they like and then send them a book or magazine that they can enjoy. Please do not send books that are not Christmas oriented unless it is included as an extra surprise.

Please, if you sign up, be sure that you send a book. What a disappointment to sign up for a swap and receive nothing after you have done your best to send your partner a book that they will enjoy.This was a LOT of fun last year and I hope you will join in. Everyone is welcome. Just leave a comment saying you'd like to take part. You must either have a blog or leave an email address where I can contact you and of course I will need your mailing address.
Blessings,Mary

THE BOOK SWAP IS NOW CLOSED!

I saw something over at Betty's Country Charm that brought back memories of a different time in life. I hope Betty doesn't mind that I share it with you.

Both Mom and Grandma had a clothes line when I was young. At a very young age, as soon as I could reach the clothesline, I was taught to hang the clothes out to dry and then bring them back into the house. This gave the womenfolk time for other chores. This is what I was taught.

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:
(If you don't know whatclotheslines are, better skip this.)
1. You had to wash the clothesline before hanging any clothes. Walk the entire length of each line wiping the line with a damp cloth.

2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbours think?

4. Wash day on a Monday . . . Never hang clothes on the weekend, certainly not Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

6. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather . . . Clothes would "freeze-dry."

7. Always gather the clothespins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothespins with the next washed item.

9. Clothes had to be off the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED? Well, that's a whole other subject!

And this little poem also stirred up a few pleasant memories. Thank you, Betty.

A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two. For then you'd see the "fancy sheets" And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths" With intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth From folks who lived inside -
As brand new infant clothes were hung, So carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed,
You'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way . . ..
But clotheslines now are of the past,
For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!
Author Unknown

I still use my clothesline if I can, though now I have to climb a steep set of stairs to access it from the upper deck. Still, there's nothing so pleasant as the fragrance that comes from the fresh air when clothes are hung out to dry.

I also find it relaxing and good exercise to hang clothes on the line. If there's a brisk breeze, towels couldn't be softer. How times have changed.

Christmas Angels

I have been visited by Christmas angels before in my life, but this year, the angels are at work early. They knew that we needed a new set of winter tires for our van. The ones that were on there were in very poor condition. The front ones were worn badly on the outside because we hadn't been able to get the van aligned. The back tires more or less racing slicks. They had absolutely no tread left on them and the one on the left rear had had a plug put in it last summer when we found a screw in it. After that, another screw in the same tire, so another plug. Hubby was having to pump up that tire two to three times a day. I was thankful that we had one of those tire pumps that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It made pumping up the tire easy as well as free. Most places here charge $1.50 for air.

Well, we made an appointment to take the van to get new tires. It was going to put a real financial burden on us. However, when it came time for hubby to pay $630.96 for the tires, the manager at the garage told him it had been taken care of. We were stunned. Who would have paid for a complete set of tires and an alignment, plus the $20 disposal tax that is on tires here in Ontario?

We asked the manager who paid for it, but he told us that the person wished to remain anonymous. Who would have done that? We hadn't seen anyone in the garage or the store attached to it who we knew.

We still wonder and will always wonder who paid for those tires. Another Christmas angel story to add to my memory book.