Out with the old!!!

Well it's almost over and what do I have to show for it? I guess really a lot. I and all my family are well at this time, (other than my broken toe). I have gained a new fulltime position at Giles Memorial Hospital in the ER that I have been waiting for for about 1 1/2 years. I love it there!

We have bought some land near Philpott lake and have very high hopes for it in the not to distant future. I have paid off a lot of debt and spent a lot of money. I plan to be a little more frugal in 2008, we'll see how that goes as I have a "need" list started lol.
A new european foam mattress for my bed. A cream seperator as I will soon be milking my dairy goat Saphira that I also acquired this year. A new solid wood Amish made cherry dining table to seat 8-10 and the jumbo paddleback chairs (8-10). A kitchenaid stand drop bowl mixer. These among other things, I may not do so good with living frugally ok maybe on some things I can sacrifice in order to get the things I really want. Oh I thought this was a need list!!!

Christmas was great in the Moran house this year, I think everyone was happy! I made several gifts this year and it really felt good to get back to sewing. Oh yeah I acquired 3 new sewing machines this year also... I also gave Leslie a sewing machine for Christmas A Kenmore machine just like my newest one that is a fabulous little machine. She has had 2 short lessons so far and has made Colton and Emma pillows to use while watching TV and the kids were so proud of their mom. It does my heart good to see her interested in sewing for the first time. She will definatley not be the same again since she has been bitten by the bug. You know the disease that has no cure only temporary remissions immediatley after a trip to the fabric store or sewing center or just after finishing a long anticipated project. I have had this disease for too many years to count. There's a bumper sticker at schoolhouse fabrics made just for me "Whoever dies with the most fabric wins" of course they had it made for me my family says.

My mom and sisterinlaw Wanda got new Singers for Christmas as well. I am very happy for them. My mom has already made several aprons among other things..

My biggest resolution, well maybe the only one I may be able to stick to, is to become more organized. I have started with my home office, oh yuck tax time is coming. I have worked most all day on cleaning out drawers and purging. Oh Purging really feels good as I am the number one packrat of all time. I am going to take at least one or two drawers a day and clean them (in my whole house) and throw things away and rid my home of tools!!!! we have been remodeling for 6 1/2 years and I am so sick of tools in my house. We do have a garage. Paint cans are another problem of mine as it seems that I collect them. I don't know why. But they are going too. I WILL finish all my painting this spring even the garage and outbuildings and get every paint can OUT of my house>>>>>>> that feels good just saying it!!!

My 2nd resolution of course is to lose weight, no, change my lifestyle and I know what to do so I will just have to show myself..... enough said about that.

3rd is to start living better, you know just being a better wife, mother, grandmother, coworker, friend, citizen, child of God etc............. I also know what to do here, so I guess I have no more excuses...................


I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and may all your wishes be granted and your resolutions fruitful in 2008.

Love to you all,
Becky

My new best friends!

Here are the pics of my stove and of "rosemary" the nice lady who gave her up for me!!!

My antique wood cook stove!

I have been real busy the last couple days on a new project. I purchased an antique wood cookstove from one of our fellow farmgirls "Rosemary" and picked it up at her house yesterday. She lives in Warrenton Va 4 hours from here but a real nice trip other than the speeding ticket on the way home.



The stove is exactly what I have been looking for for 31 years. My parents had one that was almost exactly like it when I was about 10-14 years old and I loved to cook on it. On Sat and Sun when I was out of school and my parents were building our house I would prepare lunch for them. I would fire up the stove and I would drag anything I could find out of the freezer or make anything that took several hours to prepare and I was as happy as a lark.



I would putter around the kitchen cleaning the whole time that I was cooking. I would have my metal dishpan of dishwater on the stove where it would stay hot and would wash up my dishes as I went. The dishpan would drive my mother crazy for some reason. I learned that trick from a little old maid that would hire my brother and I to do odd jobs around her house. She always had a dishpan on her wood cook stove with hot water in it but I am most assured that the water was never emptied for days and days as she was too tight to use too much dish detergent!!



I have pics of the stove up and running and yes there is already a fire in it!! I will have to post those tomorrow. I worked all day long scrubbing and buffing on the stove. I used this "Stove wax" which is a blackening that has no smell or fumes when a fire is started. That I liked. Danny had to do some work on it that required braising ???? The stove looks like it is in showroom condition now! Only $400 and it was a Christmas gift from Danny, see I have been really good this year!!!!!



Danny and I both were so happy when we fired her up and she did not even begin to smoke. Ah the crackling and popping of the fire was so relaxing. The stove is in our "great room" (awfully small room) so we can enjoy it while watching TV or eating our meals either one. I hope to have many years of service from it and many good meals!! It will also be great to use if the power goes out as it has for 3 days this weekend Fri, Sat and Sun, just blinked off but that is a bad sign...



Enough for now, getting sleepy...