My Yard (Look what I am up to this year!)
 I
decided this year that it was time to take on the front
yard. It has been neglected for years so I decided it
was time to tear it out and start over. Now, in the
South "Good grass" means you need lots of water. Lots of
water means you either chase sprinklers all day or you
automate it. So, I decided to put in a sprinkler
system before the new grass. And when I say I was
putting it in, I mean I am putting it in. I am
digging, gluing, spacing, testing and all the other parts
and pieces of a project like this. So here are the
current pictures. I will update as I complete the
project. |
My Pond (This is last years news!)
_small.JPG) I
got the fever! Check out the pictures of my pond.
You can see what it looked like when we bought the house and
what it looks like now. |
Pet Jewelry
 Did
you have any idea I was this talented? Just Kidding!
This was a hobby of mine and every time I had Joli out and
about people would ask where we got her collar. Well
one thing led to another and before you knew it, I was in
the business of making pet jewelry. Stay tuned on this
one folks!
Joli just loves it when I put an outfit on her and
complete it with a nice shiny collar. These are made
of the finest Swarovski crystals and pearls. As a
matter of fact, I have friends who have asked me to make
bracelets and necklaces out of the same materials. You
just don't know how nice these are until you feel one in
your hand. They have weight and are really well made.
It sure is a fun hobby turned part-time business. |
Vintage Sunbeam Mixers
 I collect old mixers. Not just any mixer, but
specifically old Sunbeam mixers from the late 1940's to the
early 1960's. I can't tell you exactly how I acquired
this interest, but I suspect it has something to do with the
fact that as a child I used to help my Aunt Mary bake
cookies and she would always let me run the mixer. The
picture above is of three of my favorite machines. Each
has been painstakingly restored by a gentleman in Ontario
who restores them for a living. His site is found at
http://www.mixerfixer.com. He does amazing work. When
he is finished with the mixer it is exactly as it was
the day it rolled off the assembly line. As I am an
avid baker, I can assure you these mixers get used often.
The mixer on the right is the model mixer I used to run
for my Aunt. If you have an interest in seeing a site
devoted to these machines, please visit
Classic Sunbeam Mixer. |
Vintage Appliances
 Another one of my passions is old appliances, more
specifically old dishwashers. Don't ask me why, as I
wouldn't be able to answer the question. I acquired the
fascination at a very young age. As a child I had the
honorable distinction within my family as the one who got the most
dishes in one load. I
still hold this coveted award within my family.
Hey, you've got to be remembered
for something. Right? How many people will be
remembered for this? Click this link to see photos of
my first Vintage Dishwasher. It is a
KitchenAid KDS-17A. They sure don't make them like
this anymore. Here is my
current daily dishwasher. It is identical to the
Bosch we had in the condo except it was re-branded as a
Kenmore Elite.
I am a member of a website known
to lovers of vintage appliances. These folks are
serious about their old appliances. Check out
http://www.automaticwasher.org if you'd like to see
some examples of what people are doing.
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Vintage Appliance Print Ads
 Over the years I have collected hundreds of appliance print ads dating back to the
late 1800's. Did you know that dishwashers began to
appear in home kitchens in the very early 1900's? I'm
not sure they did the best job, but if you could afford it,
you could have one.
My collection consists of all kinds of ads having to do
with the kitchen. While my interest is primarily in
dishwashers, I love looking at how the home
kitchen has evolved over the past 100 years.
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