Attention west coast readers (all two or three of you), here is a blog I found on the Calistoga Pottery Website.

http://californiatravelgirl.blogspot.com/2008/12/art-wine-and-castle-in-calistoga.html

I have been meaning to get a picture of this pottery. We have been using these pieces from Calistoga Pottery since 1995!! Still no chips! When we bought these plates we had four teenagers in the house. This pottery survived the move from California. They keep hot food hot and cold food cold.

THE HOTEL/ PARKING GARAGE THAT ATE FAIRHOPE:

This hotel has been shoe-horned into a street in Fairhope and as you will see from my expose, asserts itself into every nook and cranny. On the plus side, assuming it stays full , this hotel will be a big boost to the shops in Fairhope, flooding the area with shoppers. That will be good. Note the views from the courtyards.

ARCH UPDATE:

Pay no attention to that clutter on the Island (you should see the dust EVERYWHERE from just that little bit of drywall sanding).

A renovation job has morphed and snowballed into a recrafting of the opening to the kitchen.

It all started with one Travertine tile. We were going to tile the bathroom. We brought one tile home, it made the carpet look old and ugly. We then decided it was time to paint that big white wall. Next thing you know Patrick is framing out the opening to the kitchen.

How about Spray Paint???

Remember that ugly sawdust encrusted refrigerator in the Garage?? I cleaned it up and painted it.

Coming soon - more fun with spray paint. I am going after the ugly brass switchplate covers.

In honor of my beautiful creative niece Rye who cleverly named her blog "wryeter's block" even though she has no block, I give you:

Titles I Could have used for the blog but didn't. (Most of which will be used for upcoming blog entries.)

How about Spray Paint???
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
The constant duster
Coffee on the keyboard
Should have used a T square
Way too much yellow
The unfocused resume
The color of tea

OOHH, I felt like Brian today. I was hanging out in the Electrician aisle at Lowe's. I saw CONDUIT and JUNCTION BOXES. There were these three guys talking "electrician" talk and they completely ignored me. I could have fallen on the floor and had a heart attack and they would have kept on talking. Frequency, Fittings, grid, heavy duty. Man it was a bunch of parts that is for sure.

P.S. On one of the HGTV shows the homeowner used junction boxes for spice racks.

http://www.abbeyroad.com/visit/

This is a really cool website. A Webcam on Abbey Road!!!!

Sorry Paul, this restaurant is now gone from this location. A victim of progress. This road is being 4 laned. It did move to County Road 32 so it still lives on. When it was at this location it did the business!!

Lets just say a visit to the foot doctor with my parents is not my favorite way to spend the day. I had to go in with each of them and see their really gross toenails and puffy dried out feet. Then I watched as the foot doctor sprayed toenail matter all over the room as he cut their toenails. GAG. I never heard a vacuum cleaner so I am assuming that the next person going in the exam room waded through the filthy muck of who knows how many toenails.

After breakfast at McDonald's we ventured over to the Beauty Shop.

Belinda cut Dad's hair and blew it dry. She had a really nice talk with him. She is very pro assisted living for them. She grew up on DIP and knows how bad their neighborhood has gotten. Dad's hair looked really good and mother's looked good as well. Good for another week!!

OK, still no sewing but I do have an excuse. Little Kate was here for four days and she her bed is in that room. I have a dress for her all cut out, just have to get in their and do it.

On the parent front. Catherine Place is holding a first floor unit for Mom and Dad. The Unit will be available the end of February or beginning of March. The economy is hitting the elders. Many families are moving their relatives to the smaller units. That is why the one on the first floor will be available.

Mom and Dad will be the ONLY married couple in the place.

Dad is planning on what to bring with him. Mom is vowing not to go.

So this Tuesday I am taking them both to the foot doctor to get their toenails clipped, then to the beauty shop to get their hair trimmed. Today I washed their clothes, cleaned out their fridge and did some garbage duty.

I had a blast working out of my home. At times it was stressfull but most of the time it was rewarding. I worked with a great crew and had some amazing bosses. In 04 my job was transferred out of the country and I joined the newly unemployed. Fortunately I was able to attend college fulltime for two years. I completed an Art degree. Still my home office had stayed a home office/study. Now my workspace has been replaced with a machine that has struck fear in my heart and brought out my worst "turtle on the sidewalk" tendencies. I have replaced my office laptop with a vintage Singer sewing machine and, yes, I am going to use it.

This is bay access on a street next to Bayside Academy in Daphne.

This is what do it yourself tileing REALLY looks like. The tile master cut the tiles and installed in the pantry. One more project completed.