HIGH BUTTON SHOE
February 2, 2007
The farm updateHigh Button Shoe...oddly enough I haven't had much trouble remembering to write the date as 2007. Usually it takes me to about mid March to remember to do that. However, my troubles this year, seem to be the inability to know what day it is. I am taking that as a bad sign. Lately, along with trekking down the basement stairs to fetch some needed item, I find when I get there, I don't remember why I went. So not knowing what day it is fits right in. I do know that I best be getting better as now realizing it is February, that means the dreaded income tax preparation. I have to file the business taxes by February 28. So getting them organized and ready for the accountant by mid month, so she has time to file them means I will be starting this mind wrenching chore next week. Oh joy! as goodest friend RhettaMae would say. Always thinking I am doing one more productive method of saving paperwork each year, I often find something else has taken its place to reek havoc with my preparations. The accountant sends me an "organizer" (un-huh... I knew you would smile at that one..as organized is the oxy-moron of definition of me) to follow. I find my own outline I follow each year, more to my understanding, and just try to put MY outline into THEIR organizer. I must say, I have the entire taxes done before I take it to their office. Then they put MY work in the appropriate places, charge me a weeks pay, and send it off to the IRS. However, as much as I sputter about this method we do each year, I do feel 'safer' with them doing the putting of the numbers in the box they know is right, and I on the other hand, go numb just looking at the forms.I am painting. And staining. And waxing. After digesting all the possibilities offered us (this time me, of the duo of we, of which Ronnie is usually the more productive of the we), I opted, after not so gentle persuasion of the other half of the duo, to buy unfinished cabinets and paint, stain and wax them to make them look old and nasty verses the original (mine) thoughts of Ronnie using old doors etc to make the bathroom cabinets. Occasionally his logic is stronger than my visions. After leafing through all my saved decorating books, before I mailed them off to Gina, I set my mind on one color combination of a very early painted piece that showed the base coat of pumpkin and the peeling top coat of sage green.Armed with one of my old metal sage green dustpans and this book, I went to the paint store. After gazing upon no less than one hundred plus color choices in those 2 colors alone, I matched 2 to my book and dustpan. And came home with visions of my new cupboards looking like something 100 years old and nasty. In hindsight I believe, it is now me that looks 100 years old and nasty. I have put on 3 coats of paint. The base coat of pumpkin is reality looks more like Pepto Bismol. So that faux paux alone is adding 2 more steps to this already lengthy, many steps paint job.So then 2 coats of sage green. 1 coat of wax. Then 'peeled' the paint off. No, not ALL off, just some to make it look natural and old.Which you have NO control over. I would love to tell you this is a Clotilda honed talent, but in reality, it is just however it chooses to outcome. This morning, I stained it over all the paints, wax and peeling. Later today, (after a BIG pot of coffee), I am going to add the last stain. At least I hope it is the last stain. This will be a gel stain. The finished result is supposed to look like hands have used that spot for decades. And I am hoping the 'old' cabinet will go with the ordered counter top, which I picked out before I changed my mind about the cabinet colors. Originally, I had intended for the cupboard to be old nasty white peely paint. The bathroom by the way is coming along very nicely. For those of you who remember it from being here, it is completely changed, except for that old sage green door I kept, the door jams, and the old door knob.I am still cleaning closets. This week, in a moment of weakness, I cleaned the front room closet. This is the closet no one uses. That would probably be, because it is jammed with coats, boots, hats, mittens and scarves, we haven't worn in years. I hate that closet. Obviously. It literally is one, I don't like to open the doors, because the door never shuts right due to everything in it after you open it.Have I mentioned before I hate closets? I threw away a big garbage bag of mittens and gloves with no match. Gloves with holes. Hats and scarves that had moth holes. Found 3 baseballs. 2 umbrellas (WHO knew those were there, and here I have been going around in rain, with the only umbrella I thought I owned that has a big piece of it missing.)Took out all the coats I knew I could give away, and piled them in a box, along with at least 8 pairs of practically new boots. Threw away one boot I could NOT find a match for. AND came to the conclusion that I apparently have not thrown away a purse in probably 20 or more years! Also apparent was that I don't always empty a purse before I store it for 20 years in the closet I never open. I found 3 sets of contact lens, pens, pencils, lipstick, several match books (which is odd as I don't smoke), business cards that have no meaning now to me, AND $9.90 in change. And with the exception of one purse which I gave to the coat place, I threw all the purses away. Not particularly fond of purse shopping, I tend to carry a purse until it is way past prime, and people are probably looking at me wondering why that poor woman can't afford to buy a decent purse. So that closet is cleaned. AND the doors shut good! The linen closet is next. Oh joy!Ranting Raven (www.rantingraven.com ) came out yesterday on the first. I did eventually remember what day it was. But as I was paint and waxing, you did not receive word of it. We can be found athttp://www.rantingraven.com/Exhibit95.php . We are offering some early primitive lighting, an old cardboard egg carton with wood eggs, and a great cat makedo, and something else which for the life of me escapes my memory at the moment. Paint fumes, you know. Beulah, the daughter and webmaster, has been extremely busy with life lately, but will be putting up several new things soon. AND we are taking down the holiday sales, so if you want something better speak quick, as they will be gone!We will have more in The Tilda Collections, as I am downsizing some of my own things. There will be more in the Spring icon. We are making bunnies, carrots, eggs, etc. Don't forget to get your antique grass! It looks great in your Easter basket or yelloware bowl! I am making Net LaCRoix's bunnies and cats, which Ronnie refers to as "road kill", as they look somewhat like they were run over. I have 7 dolls, finished in a technique I am trying, that will be shown soon in the dolls icon.But I want to concentrate more on the antique smalls and my own collections. And of course, I have those drated income taxes to do!I did upload a couple items for ebay this week.check them out. The book bag is fabulous!While you are perusing ranting raven, be sure to stop and see Miss Elspeth's PineBerryLane offerings! www.rantingraven.com/Exhibit165.php I love her work. I am adding what she wrote last night in her newsletter. Miss Els is surely an old soul and writes the most profound and deepthoughts.The words of Miss Elspeth...What simple things bring you joy? A plain jar of herbs set on the windowsill… The song of the red-winged blackbird (now only a few months away)… Shadows cast on the floor by bright moonlight streaming in your window… The soft sound of thread being pulled through fabric… Wool, be it the fragrant curls of raw lambswool or the wonderful texture of an old wool blanket… The soft breathing of a beloved canine curled up next to you… Fresh cut grass…the chirr of crickets…a curtain floating on a breeze… The rich nuances of color in white ironstone (white ironstone sounds plain, but the best kind isn’t)… Maybe finding a wonderful, old scalloped-edge ironstone bowl perfectly crazed and discolored? Better yet, finding two – one for you and one for me! Simple, honest, deep joy – one of the great balancers in life! ......Okay, I must get back to the staining process. Just getting to the old house requires my arctic packs, that old red wool hat (NO..I didn't throw that away, althought it surely would fit the discard pile description...) a felt flannel shirt, my house shirt, a dickie, a scarf to hold the dickie in place, mittens, and a hooded sweatshirt I should have thrown away because I always get caught in the zipper. Don't you hate that? It's a wonder it isn't torn to shreds as I have been caught in it a couple times, and in the ensuing panic, have to get out, or wait for Ronnie to come home and get me out. Yes, yes, I really should throw that one away. BUT if I don't zip it up and get caught with that stupid zipper that won't go up or down and traps me, it is a warm sweat shirt. So I just wear it unzipped to be on the safe side!Thanks for asking to be a part of our farm! Should you decide not to, merely reply with unsubscribe and I will oblige you.in fond regard,Clotilda, the painterno fingernails to be hadthe pending tax preparer