Where’s My Kitchen? Part 3

Our kitchen has been and still is, an ongoing project.  It’s OK though.  When we finish something it looks like we just got a NEW kitchen….again……this year. 

The latest was our track lighting.  It has elbows and we wrapped it around our pot rack. 

We’ve got nice lighting pointing at our counter now too, as well as dark corners.  Dr. Woo Hoo really shines now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love it.  I can totally blind myself with this lighting, which is probably not a good idea.  We’ve had our under the cabinet halogen lighting since we put our cabinets in and I do love them, but they get hot.  Really hot.  Especially if you’re using them ALL the time because there’s no other lighting unless you’re using the sink or the stove.  For instance, they can get so hot that the covers will just fall off.  I actually gave someone a batch of green beans in a clear plastic container not too long ago.  My friend called me later that night to ask me if a clear glass disc that says UV something meant anything to me.  I was all, heck ya, I’ll be right over.

Next up was that nasty, wooden window sill that I’d painted white about a million times because that’s the only way to keep it looking good, and that’s an understatement.  You can decide for yourself.  It always looks dirty, was not meant to get wet and definitely was not wide enough to hold anything except a cherry tomato.  Totally useless.  I took this photo after I sanded it down, cut the ends of it off and trimmed the edging in brown.  Huge improvement already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But then, the coolness arrived.  Ozarks Cultured Marble.  You guys rock.  I’d forgotten about that place until fellow blogger Ann, was doing a bathroom remodel and it came back to me then.  Thanks for shaking my brain up.  We attached the new sill to the original sill with some carpet glue, because this totally looks like carpet.  Just kidding.  We couldn’t find our tile mastic.  Misplacing stuff is classic around here.  The cost?  A whopping $48, this piece measures 35 inches long in case you’re interested.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyways, it’s totally gorgeous and functional.  The pattern is so neat.  And it’s not stone, it’s a paper transfer.  Can you believe that?  A paper transfer.  I can put my dish soap up there.  I can put a full size tomato up there.  Or hey maybe a gallon of milk, a full pot of coffee, or even a 2 liter!  It’s 4 1/2 inches wide, that’s a saucer people.

I played hookie from teaching yoga tonight.  The weather was awesome and the yard was flooded with walnuts, again.  I even hit the houses on both sides of us and I’m not done yet.  Thanks for the tips a few of you have sent me on free walnuts.  If I ever get this area finished, perhaps I’ll branch out.

Taking It Easy

This past week has been a full one.  We had middle school open house on one night, and another evening was spent shopping for dress attire for our son.  He was headed to Homecoming which happened last night.  I’m not much of  a shopper and in fact, possess zero fashion sense, but I think we did OK.  My sister actually called while we were out shopping.  I totally needed her to be there at the time, but since she resides in Florida, that wasn’t an option.  She knows what to buy, how to wear it and where to shop.   His date was wearing black and white and they had ordered yellow flowers.  I haven’t seen her photos yet.  Frank had to work late last night, and I have a killer cold, so we didn’t get over to her place for the massive parental photo shoot. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather yesterday was amazing.  I came home from yoga to find this butterfly on the hummingbird feeder.  I grabbed my camera and got a few shots.  One of her wings was quite tattered.

 A few minutes later I found out why.  My cat Jackson, jumped out of no place, grabbed the butterfly and made a snack out of her.  Ah, the circle of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also heard screeching birds later that same day.  In the walnut tree I spotted a Tufted Titmouse hanging upside down as she pecked away at a web.  I’m assuming she was after the insects or worms inside.  I love these little birds.  On the other hand, I don’t really enjoy the sounds that they make.  They’re smaller than a Cardinal, but larger than a Chickadee.  I like the little crest on their head and their soft, pastel coloring on their underside.  They usually travel in groups of at least two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friend called me to sub a yoga class this morning, but unfortunately I am unable to help.   I’m also missing Yoga on Trail this nice morning, which was my original plan.  I was really looking forward to it.  Yoga in the morning, outside on the Iron Bridge at Springfield Lake.  All the money raised went to the Greenway Trails.  And they were able to secure two matching grants.  So if I showed up and gave $15, that turned into $45.  I was also looking forward to picking up the walnuts, we’ve already got a ton on the ground.  So far, I’ve had the stomach flu and now an upper respiratory infection.  After this, I’m taking a flu shot and hopefully done being sick until next winter!  This cold is kicking my butt, so it’s time to put in a movie, have some soup and hang out on the sofa.

Global Yoga Mala News

On Sunday, September 20, our yoga community participated in the Global Mala Project.  This was actually the tenth yoga mala that we’ve put on and with great success indeed.  That same Sunday, there was a lot happening in our town.  Cider Days on Walnut street, a Loft Walk on Commercial street and the MS 150 Bike Ride.  We had yogis that missed the mala because of their prior commitment to these other events.  But none the less, we still brought in $441 for Doctors Without Borders.  We’d been having some pretty gloomy weather and the clouds did part that particular Sunday as our event ended, allowing us to view a spectacular sunset.

Our next yoga event will be a Yoga Free Dance, at this same venue the Tower Club.  Hopefully, we’ll have a wide variety of live musicians participate, engage in some chanting and just have an all around good time.  This should happen some time in November.  After that, it’s back to the UU Church for the New Year’s Day Yoga Mala, our largest ever as people renew their commitment to the practice at the beginning of the year.

I’m off to lead my FREE yoga class.  The response is huge and the crowd is awesome.  I so look forward to my Tuesday mornings.  View a complete mala photo album here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the day.

GLOBAL YOGA MALA

September 20, 2009

5:00-7:30 p.m.

Hammons Tower Club

901 St  Louis St., Springfield, MO

Join us in a charity celebration as we cruise through 108 sun salutes for Doctors Without Borders.

We will move to the vibration of live chanting and drumming as we take in 27 sun salutes followed by a short break.

Do all 108, or do few.  Sit.  Meditate.  Chant.  Reflect.

Babysitting will be provided.  Please bring a finger food to share if you wish.  Otherwise, bring your own mat and bare feet.

Watch the movement of the sun over the Springfield skyline.  Meet like-minded people.  Renew your commitment to yoga.  Get involved.

For more information visit www.bowstudios.com or contact Kirsten at 417.830.9528

Yoga Boutique Revamp

Labor Day weekend.  What did I do?  I labored.  Awhile back, I repainted our entry way and lounge area to the studio.  It was long overdue and it looks beautiful now.  The store was next.  The week I’d planned to do it, I came down with a stomach virus.  No need to say anymore. 

The boutique had been painted the same fleshy, neutral color as our lounge area about 10 years ago.  I also had some great wall grid left over from my video store that I thought would be cool to hang our new line of clothing on.  By the way, all of our Stonewear Yoga wear is 75% off now.  That’s like…..free clothes people and it’s going fast.

Of course, what was supposed to be a two or three hour project turned into a nightmare. 

After the yoga class on Sunday, my fellow teachers helped me clear out the store which involved the heavy rug I’d brought from home way back when.  The rest of the stuff wasn’t too bad to move.  The boutique is actually an old bank vault as our building was a bank at one time.  The floor is concrete like the rest of our lounge and entry space, except in this vault they had painted the floor about 24 inches (or more) all the way around with the wall color.  We’d noticed it had been getting sticky and wondered who had spilled something in there.  Once the rug was removed, I mopped it.  Revelation time.  The floor had been painted with flat, latex paint which cuts with water.  So with the high humidity in the basement, this paint had turned tacky. 

Uh oh.  This is the part where all the other people leave because they have something else to do.  And it’s OK.  This was my idea, my project and I was going to handle it.  Classic independent Kirsten.  Not needing any help from anybody.

Practicing what I preach, I decided to nip this in the bud with no anger.  I stayed calm and focused on what I had to do.  I ran home.  I got a swiffer-like paint scraper on a pole.  I did a small area before I thought I would die.  I tried to not think too much about the outcome.  I stayed present with the task on hand knowing that this paint would eventually dissolve.  

Then, I asked for help. 

I called my husband to see if he had any other ideas.  He showed up shortly with a shop broom and an extra bucket.  We scrubbed the entire floor with water and that shop broom.  Then we scraped the rest of the paint away.  We had a bucket full of paint when we finished.  Too bad we didn’t have a place to use it.  This took about three hours and mind you, this area is only about 9 x 15 feet or so.  I was extremely grateful for the help.

After that was  finished and I’d mopped it a couple more times, I could prepare to paint. 

Finally.  Sheesh. 

The painting only took a couple of hours.  I let the paint dry over night and returned on Monday to put the place back together. 

Boutique Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boutique After

Secret Lake

My husband has access to a secret lake not too far away.  Today was a beautiful day so after I got home from teaching my yoga class, he asked me if I wanted to go shooting.  I always laugh as he knows I don’t really care for guns.  I said, “No thanks” and he replied with, “I meant you and  your camera.”  I grabbed my camera and he loaded several guns (for himself to shoot) and off we went.  The gate at the property is locked with a giant padlock.  My husband and others use this land to hunt, fish and shoot guns.  There’s a good sized lake out there as well.  It was built in the 50’s.  None of this can be seen from the road.  One has to have a four wheel drive to even think about entering.  It’s awful.  Awful like your head bounces up to hit the headliner in the truck.  More than once.  Big ruts, crevices and steep hills with the added crossing of a creek all before you hit the lake.  Then you arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know who built this chair, but I love it.  It’s sturdy and stuck into the ground.

While he was shooting his assortment of ammunition that he’d reloaded himself, I took a huge hike.  Some people have built little shacks with smokers and what not for hunting in the cold weather.  Some people have just brought in sheds (I would’ve liked to have seen how that happened on this type of terrain) and some people went all out and have sweet little house like cabins with docks and the whole bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think there’s like 180 acres out there, it’s quite a large space. 

My husband said this is called Goldenrod and supposedly it means there will be frost six weeks from when it blooms.  To that, I say duh.  It will be October.  Might be a chance of frost ya think?  Old timers are interesting. 

 

  

I spent lots of time looking for different kinds of insects, flowers and wildlife.  Got some great shots of funky spiders and webs.  I saw lots of flowers, but not much in the way of wildlife.  I wonder if the noise from the shooting of guns had anything to do with that?  I think so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, a perfect end to August.