tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60053247674500320962024-03-17T08:40:27.398-04:00for the love of a housefor the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-17731298196110382442020-07-28T20:09:00.000-04:002020-07-28T20:09:45.260-04:00Let's do this again!!! #girlpower<div style="text-align: center;">
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Several years ago I came upon a Instagram post that had a profound impact on me. <br />
I was made aware of the </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://kdef.org/" target="_blank">Kenya Drylands Education Fund </a></span></div>
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(formerly The KERA Project) that was co-founded by Sarah Hadden, in Vermont, to help girls that live in extreme poverty in northern Kenya who do not have access to the most basic of sanitary products. <br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);">KDEF provides </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-family: lora;">menstrual hygiene kits </span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-family: lora;">to girls which contain 4 <i>reusable </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #020031; font-family: lora;">menstruation pads, underwear (since many of the girls do not own underwear) and detergent - a kit will last each girl<i> a year </i>or more.<span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm11huQLosyEquKKreng_Tg2715TamIamBee6ThuDMOA6SwOoeb_RSitygtBAt-c53U2U4liarybQEcu6q4-CaRX5ssVlGBQNsCx3_oIOzVAjNHnzBVfVugd2tFUsa6BQWSG4933KRxmOm/s1600/KDEF-Opportunity-Kit-%2528menstrual-hygiene-kit%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm11huQLosyEquKKreng_Tg2715TamIamBee6ThuDMOA6SwOoeb_RSitygtBAt-c53U2U4liarybQEcu6q4-CaRX5ssVlGBQNsCx3_oIOzVAjNHnzBVfVugd2tFUsa6BQWSG4933KRxmOm/s640/KDEF-Opportunity-Kit-%2528menstrual-hygiene-kit%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Many girls are deprived of an education because of the lack of this basic necessity since going to school without any form of menstruation protection subjects them to the shame of staining their clothes. Very often menstruation caused girls to miss school, drop out altogether and then to be married off at a young age.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Being one of millions who enjoy the </span></span><i style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7); font-family: lora; font-size: 18px;">the bountiful excesses</i><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> of a lovely life in a free country, until I read about this fund it never even dawned on me that this is a need for these girls. <i>For a mere <b>$25</b></i><b> </b>your kindness will be giving the gift of personal hygiene to an </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">impoverished</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> girl for one year. </span></span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7); font-family: lora; font-size: 18px;">Please...</i><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7); font-family: lora; font-size: 18px;"> stop, think and take in the entirety of this situation for one single moment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><i>can. you. even. imagine</i>???????????????</span></span></span></span></div>
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To donate one Menstrual Hygiene Kit, or more!</div>
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Please click<br />
<a href="https://kdef.networkforgood.com/projects/79946-general-support" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">HERE</span></a><br />
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When I first shared this with you you were all AMAZINGLY GENEROUS. We raised enough funds to donate 250 kits!!! I am hoping that this year we can beat that total!! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuoNFJsSil_X3KUfSSzj596EDBLl1W_DOTsxMloVGAVq_wJzZeAX4AM9WSga01qwL2aCatFg2lrcHLcGK8N-UU1AIRuVjpDiEXB7FGNsUZhF6FTBJKptTI3-f7j-djj4n2qdyWFHktEUP/s1600/Girls-with-OK-kits---for-website.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuoNFJsSil_X3KUfSSzj596EDBLl1W_DOTsxMloVGAVq_wJzZeAX4AM9WSga01qwL2aCatFg2lrcHLcGK8N-UU1AIRuVjpDiEXB7FGNsUZhF6FTBJKptTI3-f7j-djj4n2qdyWFHktEUP/s640/Girls-with-OK-kits---for-website.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://kdef.org/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://kdef.org/" target="_blank">Kenya Dryland Education Fund </a>is a wonderful non-profit that has expanded to supporting High School Scholarships (If you'll recall, back in December I asked you to donate to a full 4-year secondary school scholarship for a deserving young girl, Catherine. Myself and 49 readers donated a full 4-year scholarship for Catherine!), Mentoring Programs, and water and class rooms for their students and surrounding communities. I hope you will take a look at their website to see all the amazing, important work they do.<br />
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From the KDEF website:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">"KDEF is committed to supporting menstrual hygiene programs in schools by donating menstrual hygiene kits and providing training to school-going girls. Through the program, KDEF also offers instructional training on use and care for the hygiene kits.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this poverty-stricken part of the world, girls have limited access to sanitary products. Having protection during their monthly menstrual cycles is essential if females are to stay in school. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">With these kits, girls can attend school without interruption — no longer missing one week of classroom instruction every month. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Girls can have a chance to achieve their full potential, getting the education they need to obtain jobs that contribute to the economic stability of their families and communities. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Deputy Headmistress of Korr Primary School reported that prior to 2014, 50% of her female students missed up to one week of school each month due to menstruation. After the kits were distributed, absenteeism dropped to 10%. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">The kits are an essential part of helping the girls be able to pass their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams in order to be able to go on to high school.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 17.8432px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">KDEF currently supports 32 primary schools in Marsabit and Samburu Counties of Northern Kenya – a 91,000 square kilometer area that is rural, remote, and impoverished." </span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: lora;">KDEF is a 501(c)3 organization, and Kenya NGO. All donations are tax deductible</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";">KDEF also has a <a href="https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1992106" target="_blank">Guidestar Goldseal of Transparency for 2020</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7); font-family: lora; font-size: 18px;">Please join me in donating: </span><br />
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<a href="https://kdef.networkforgood.com/projects/79946-general-support" style="background-color: white; font-family: lora; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.7); font-family: "lora"; font-size: 18px;"><strong style="color: white; font-family: Esteban; font-size: 16px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">All donati</strong></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #020031; font-family: lora; font-size: 18px;">If you are more comfortable sending a check the address is:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #020031; font-family: lora;">KDEF</span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="background-color: white;">535 Prospect Street</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">Manchester, VT 05254 USA</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">Also, please share this post if you can. What a wonderful gift it would be to have young girls/teenagers (it would make a great Senior Project!) who take this necessity as normal, or for granted, to see this need and want to help these girls who have so much less than they do too!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">thank you. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">xxojoan</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7); font-family: lora; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela</span></div>
for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-21021763320804050712019-12-12T17:16:00.000-05:002019-12-12T17:16:55.569-05:00Please Help and become part of a "village" for this lovely young girl in Kenya...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHnfgiotYHFft76B5R1T21oxDBP76mfOiwiwQDxWJiTI_HeJqSrXia71KmNuPX4e41n61s_k2bXJ3XOw0rja42vk6BJUroApHuwnuLT-g1R0pqXrLw5lcjKVnJ24KKSTejGmNkZoWEXFw/s1600/IMG_5934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="976" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHnfgiotYHFft76B5R1T21oxDBP76mfOiwiwQDxWJiTI_HeJqSrXia71KmNuPX4e41n61s_k2bXJ3XOw0rja42vk6BJUroApHuwnuLT-g1R0pqXrLw5lcjKVnJ24KKSTejGmNkZoWEXFw/s640/IMG_5934.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Catherine Letipo, surrounded by her uncles in northern Kenya</span></div>
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In this season of giving I am hoping we can all come together to become a <i>village</i> and give the gift of a high school <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">education</span></i></b> to this beautiful girl, </div>
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<i>Catherine Ntasanwa Letipo</i>, who lives in northern Kenya. </div>
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(Her story below)</div>
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In support of the <a href="https://kdef.org/" target="_blank">Kenya Drylands Education Fund</a> (KDEF) which offers a <i>High School Scholarship Program</i> to promising secondary school students from vulnerable, impoverished families in Marsabit and Samburu Counties in northern Kenya with resources they need to complete four years of study in high quality boarding schools, without distractions or want for food, clothing, supplies, and safe housing I have started a GoFundMe for Catherine! Secondary school is expensive, especially for families living on less than a dollar a day. A four -year scholarship provides for full-board tuition, uniform, bedding, books and sanitation supplies for girls. </div>
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A full <i><u>four-year </u></i>scholarship costs $3,400. <b><br /></b></div>
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The new school session starts in January 2020.</div>
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Please donate (and share) this<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-be-the-quotvillagequot-for-catherine-in-kenya?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1" target="_blank"> </a><b><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-be-the-quotvillagequot-for-catherine-in-kenya?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1" target="_blank">GoFundMe</a> </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>for Catherine</i></span> </b></div>
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<b><u><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-be-the-quotvillagequot-for-catherine-in-kenya?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">HERE</span></a></u> !</b></div>
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Won't you please join be in becoming "a village" for Catherine, to empower her through education, to make her dream of becoming a nurse a reality so that she can help herself, her family and many others out of poverty? Imagine how wonderful we will all feel if we can give this young girl an education all because we came together because we love houses! <i> </i></div>
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KDEF<span style="background-color: white; color: #12432a; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify;"> is a </span><span style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #12432a; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">501(c)(3)</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #12432a; font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b> non-profit organization and a Kenyan NGO. Any donation is tax deductible and all money raised goes directly to KDEF. </b></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugyidcB_ghDF_qHys_bjeZ_ymuAJg0sT3F719g1KQ4TsYSCPBlcnejO5fCIb3XfDh5hsPQhoyr1V5pZxwvpD1CKt8G30fFoXU-F8JODoD9cyVKmhLKXalkC_mSqNX9kWgj8fr9VpK6tRn/s1600/IMG_0593.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="682" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugyidcB_ghDF_qHys_bjeZ_ymuAJg0sT3F719g1KQ4TsYSCPBlcnejO5fCIb3XfDh5hsPQhoyr1V5pZxwvpD1CKt8G30fFoXU-F8JODoD9cyVKmhLKXalkC_mSqNX9kWgj8fr9VpK6tRn/s200/IMG_0593.jpeg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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You were all SO wonderful and SO very generous when I posted several years ago about KDEF (formerly KURA Project) and their Menstrual Hygiene Program <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-kura-project-for-girls.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> </span>which gives "opportunity kits" to girls who attend school (and their mothers) that live in extreme poverty in northern Kenya who do not have access to the most basic of sanitary products. Many girls are deprived of an education because of the lack of this basic necessity since going to school without any form of menstruation protection subjects them to the shame of staining their clothes. Very often menstruation causes girls to miss school, drop out altogether and then to be married off at a young age.<span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #020031;"> "Opportunity kits" contain 4 <i>reusable</i> menstruation pads, underwear (since many of the girls do not own underwear), soap, soap sack, and a nice bag. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: lora; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #020031;">One kit will last each girl<i> a year </i>or more.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #020031; font-family: lora; font-size: 18px;">KDEF is an amazing non-profit that is doing remarkable things for the people who live in northern Kenya . Please read about all of their projects <a href="https://kdef.org/projects/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></div>
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KDEF's High School Scholarship Program provides promising secondary school students, both boys (about 20%) and girls, from vulnerable families in northern Kenya with the resources they need to complete four years of study in high quality boarding schools. The students must score above 280 on the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam in grade 8. </div>
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Catherine's story:</div>
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When I contacted Sarah Hadden, co-founder of KDEF, regarding starting a GoFundMe for a scholarship she was literally on her way to the airport to fly to Kenya attend one of KDEF's Mentorship Programs. She informed me that all the scholarship slots had been awarded for the start of the school year in January 2020. I asked if there was anyone <b><u>we</u></b> (you and me) could sponsor at this late date and she immediately contacted their Kenya Country Director and he said there was a girl, Catherine, who had just been told by her father that she would have to drop out of school and forget pursuing her high school education because her father had lost everything.</div>
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After 18 months of severe drought, the rain finally started falling at the joy of the pastoral communities of northern Kenya. The kinsmen could finally return to their homesteads after having been gone for 18 months herding their cows, camels and goats to find water. Catherine, 14 years old and the only girl in her village to get a secondary school education, had just passed (with flying colors) her Primary School exam.</div>
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Catherine wants to become a nurse.</div>
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When her father returned home she received the very sad news that her older brother had died, and that bandits had stolen all of her father's livestock. Because of these tragic, life-altering events Catherine was told she could no longer pursue an education.</div>
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And this is where <b>we</b>- <u>you and me</u>- come in! Together, we can change her life and her future. We can empower her through education and raise her up with love from around the world.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please donate </span><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-be-the-quotvillagequot-for-catherine-in-kenya?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">HERE!</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Catherine with one of her uncles</span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">If you are more comfortable sending a check their address is:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">KDEF </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;">535 Prospect Street</span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Manchester, VT 05254 USA</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">(<i>Please note your donation is for Catherine in the memo line</i>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Much love,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: lora;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">joan</span></span></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-83304453905251277612019-11-11T12:00:00.000-05:002019-11-11T12:32:42.683-05:00Pop-Up shop: Artie Vanderpool<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kiUCR11Nct158eUhS369stTMFD9AxHRjxH-IzZCndEx0zi_nH4vyx-donbqlxB2bfSZLLs3PJboIHHMyiKUkzBxr-H9LclpvGLFlD44sdq5UFuZG1J5A9D-AfwtdbiPeH-U3BZOdcYd0/s640/popupartgallery.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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I am <i>very</i> excited to invite you to a pop-up shop I am hosting from my friend, designer and artist, Artie Vanderpool.</div>
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I am honored that this beautiful collection was "inspired" by the farmhouse and our property. Artie has been our guest and seen the farmhouse in person!</div>
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Artie's works are about movement and color. He paints with feelings, starting with abstract line making and moving into broad and energetic brushwork. His paintings have a rhythm and conversation. What you see in a painting is what the painting can be for you. Many pieces are signed on the back allowing for framing options in either horizontal or vertical display. These are original paintings at price points for every collector. Prices start at $35.</div>
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Below is just a <i>sampling</i> of the beautiful paintings being offered in this pop-up. We are in "the season" so keep in mind that art makes for a fabulous Christmas/Hanukkah present!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">To purchase please go to Artie's blog page <a href="http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/2019/11/art-pop-up-with-joan-from-for-love-of.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></b></div>
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(Fair Warning... Artie's pieces go fast and I mean <i>FAST,</i> so if a piece speaks to you do not dally as you don't want you to lose out on owning one of his paintings. Also note that simply putting a painting in your "cart" does not make it yours. The first person to actually purchase the piece gets it. Pop-up runs through Wednesday, November 13)</div>
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Whether you are buying fabulous paintings for yourself, or as a gift, you are also helping to support animal rescue- win/win!! Artie and I are both native Texans💗 so he has chosen to give back 10% of all sales to <a href="http://ccpal.info/" target="_blank">CCPAL (Cowboy Capital Pet Assistant League)</a> a no-kill, 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization just outside of my hometown of San Antonio, in Bandera County Texas. <a href="http://ccpal.info/" target="_blank">CCPAL</a> pulls dogs, most on euthanasia lists, from high-kill shelters and city pounds in and around San Antonio. My dear friend, Alice Lang, volunteers to get these sweet souls adopted to families all over the country. Please take a look at their available dogs <a href="http://ccpal.info/adopt/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and adopt!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">To purchase please go to Artie's blog page <a href="http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/2019/11/art-pop-up-with-joan-from-for-love-of.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></b><br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-84383953916383610532019-11-10T17:44:00.003-05:002019-11-10T17:44:23.203-05:00you can never have too much art!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Art makes me happy! </div>
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Every time I look at my bedside table filled with favorite things my heart races a bit. That's the magic of living with things that you love💗</div>
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A new favorite is the small painting done by my friend, designer and artist <a href="http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Artie Vanderpool</a>, on an antique envelope. Artie happened to show me several pieces he had just completed and when I saw this piece my heart went "thunk" and it was true love! I asked him if it could be mine... please! As I was fawning over it I thought it would look good on my bedside table next to an antique oil painting I had there, but I had no idea just how perfect these two pieces of art would look together. It's as if they were made for each other. I framed it in an acrylic frame to keep it simple and your focus on the painting. </div>
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I am excited to host a pop-up shop tomorrow featuring a collection that Artie did which was "inspired" by the colors and energy of the farmhouse and property. Artie has even been to the farmhouse himself! </div>
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Come back here on the blog or over at Instagram tomorrow, November 11, at 12 noon EST to hear the deets on how you too can become a proud owner of one (or more;) of his paintings!</div>
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xxojoan</div>
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<br />for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-77793137828785018482019-08-01T19:30:00.001-04:002019-09-26T11:55:25.710-04:00my mother...<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em;">
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I thank each of you for your kind comments, thoughts and prayers for the loss of my mother. Your love and support was very comforting to me, thank you. </div>
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We live in the Monadnock area of New Hampshire, i.e. mountains, as opposed to the seacoast. The other day while raking the grass area in front of the stone wall at the road I found behind one of our huge antique maples a <i>seashell</i>. A seashell... just sitting there. This is an area that Dan mows regularly and we tend to, but there it was, out of the blue, and definitely out of its natural environment... a seashell. A sign from my mother, born and raised in Hawaii, who loved the ocean and the beach?? I brought it to Dan and showed him and said "Mama," and he said "oh, I've found two in the last couple of weeks." He hadn't mentioned it to me as it didn't resonate with him, but he had saved them and went to retrieve them for me. They too, were in bizarre places on our property just sitting there like they had been gently placed. A sign from my mother? Of course they are. In ten years of tending to the farmhouse I (we) have never found a seashell - ever. I think my mother knew that I would try to write it off, so she placed two in Dan's path, so that I would know without a shadow of a doubt that she was here visiting. She never made to New Hampshire, never saw our farmhouse, but now she has and that makes my heart happy. </div>
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Much love,</div>
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xxojoan</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA27fGZA7xBQdHL2NaMM9NoGqybKboKx5TFZHiNTvUFl2MYz_7p9QwfdRUr4ihs5bWV3zn8VPyiUyv4zQAHEQZxXt9SrTzaaUQZncPWREY6p4Uyo42TopDaQZxeA-FH3Rt4RYe7kYV-OgC/s1600/Mama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="304" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA27fGZA7xBQdHL2NaMM9NoGqybKboKx5TFZHiNTvUFl2MYz_7p9QwfdRUr4ihs5bWV3zn8VPyiUyv4zQAHEQZxXt9SrTzaaUQZncPWREY6p4Uyo42TopDaQZxeA-FH3Rt4RYe7kYV-OgC/s400/Mama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My mother died last Friday. </div>
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She was 91 years old, three months shy of 92. This is one of my favorite recent photos of her taken last Christmas at my cousin Kim's house. My sister and nephew had planned a trip to visit her last week. My mother was excited to have them take her shopping and take her to Ulta so she could buy some makeup and nail polish! Instead they arrived for her final hours. She was sharp as a tack and lucid until the last week when her health failed her. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">She died peacefully listening to a tape of her late second husband, Tim (her high school sweetheart whom she reconnected with at a reunion after my father's death twenty four years ago), singing songs and playing the ukulele expressly to her. My mother was born and raised in Hawaii, and Tim grew up there. You might remember a blog post I did on my mother being a child in Honolulu when Pearl Harbor happened (<a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2009/12/today-is-pearl-harbor-day.html" target="_blank">here</a>) Per her request, her ashes and Tim's ashes will be spread together in their beloved Hawaii.</span></div>
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I attribute, as I told my mother many times, my design aesthetic to her. My childhood home, albeit modest, didn't look like my friend's homes. I didn't know, nor think much about the "why" until I was in my twenties, but it was different because it was decorated with antiques (she had many antique Chinese porcelain pieces which she learned to love and value from her own mother) and collections and things that meant something special to her. It just had a certain je ne sais quoi that my friend's homes didn't have with everything being brand-new inside of them. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I learned about the love of houses from my mother, because she loved hers.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">My mother taught me that you didn't have to have money to have a pretty house. Since my sisters are eleven and twelve years older than me I basically had my mother to myself growing up in the 60's</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Several times a week we would walk to a decorative shop called Gizmo's in San Antonio. At 5 and 6 years old I learned the power of interiors and have magical memories of the big spiral staircase and indoor fountain at Gizmo's and all the beautiful "do-dads" (as I grew up calling decorative items) and how happy my mother was shopping for her home. She taught me how to collect. She collected Blue Danube, which was a gift to her children and my father as we always knew what to get her for birthdays and Christmas. She taught me patience in design, that a home is an ongoing project. I remember as a child her putting two porcelain ducks</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> on layaway at Ethan Allen, and how it felt every month when we went to make a payment. I always felt very fancy walking through the store and imagining living there I realized at an early age how I felt different just being in a beautifully designed space. One weekend in college I came home to find that she had had a contractor take part of the living room to create a huge walk-in pantry off of the kitchen. If you ask any of her grandchildren what their favorite place in their grandparent's house was- they would all state the Pantry! I learned from her example that you kept your home pretty, neat and clean. She loved vacuums. I love vacuums! One Christmas when I was in college she gave me my first vacuum- I was over the moon! I came back to school to all my sorority sisters talking about the clothes and purses and </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">jewelry</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> they got for Christmas and I was going on and on about my vacuum!! They thought I was nuts- ha! My mother taught me by example early on that you kept kleenexes and other </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">utilitarian</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> things in drawers not out on the counter. That you fold the towel after you use it in the bathroom. That you set the table for every meal and you use cloth napkins. That you use her bamboo flatware that she had brought with her from Hawaii every summer. That you ALWAYS light the wick of a new candle even just for a second to give it a used look. An unlit wick on a candle is a huge pet peeve of mine to this day:) She gave me my love of fishing floats! She had found several at the beach in Hawaii growing up. She loved to paint and my love of landscape oil paintings comes from her no doubt. She taught me how to garden and my love of being outside and tending to the yard and garden. She always had a beautiful yard. She taught me to always.... always write thank you notes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So, I write this post as a thank you note to my mother. Thank you Mama for teaching me the importance and love of<i> home.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Miss you Mama...</span></span></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com174tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-29952451399672523962019-07-12T14:32:00.000-04:002019-07-13T17:09:39.189-04:00Jalapeño Crab Dip and the "farmhouse" margaritas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I posted this photo of a margarita happy hour we had last weekend over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofahouse/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> I had <i>lots</i> of requests for the <b>Jalape</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><b>ño Crab Dip</b> recipe that is seen in front of the basket of chips (fyi- the recipe made two poreclain baking dishes, only one is shown.) I've been making this dip for over ten years and it is always a crowd pleaser! If you try it be sure to come back and tell me what you think!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;">And "yes," you're <i>all</i> invited next time!😉😆</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jalape</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><b>ño Crab Dip</b> </span></span></u></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;">1 med-large or large red bell pepper, diced</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;">1-1/2 t. extra virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;">1 (14-oz. approx.) jar/can</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"> marinated artichoke hearts, drained and diced</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;">1 cup Mayo</span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">1-1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (I either grate my own in the food processor or buy it aged and grated from Costco)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">3/4 cup green onions- thinly sliced, using both the white and green parts</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">1 T. Worcestershire sauce</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">2 or 2-1/2 T. minced jarred j</span></span>alape<span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;">ño</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"> (not fresh, this makes a big difference)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">1 t. fresh lemon juice</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">1/4 t. celery salt</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">8 oz. fresh lump crab meat, drained</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">kosher salt</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">pepper</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Saute bell pepper in olive oil over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until softened and lightly brown. Cool slightly, then place in mixing bowl.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Add remaining ingredients except for crab meat and mix well to combine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Fold in crab meat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Spread mixture in an 8" baking dish (or similar equivalent.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven) until lightly golden on the entire top.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Let the dip cool to barely warm before servivng (about 15-25 minutes) to let all the flavors meld.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is wonderful on crostini, but my favorite way to serve it is with tortilla chips! The flavor combo is perfect. Oh, and cold leftovers are amazing! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And, since it was a <b>margarita</b> happy hour I will include how I make my margaritas! These are my favorite margarita glasses (and favorite glasses period, which is saying a lot because I have a "thing" for glassware:) <a href="https://www.cb2.com/marta-cooler/s522228" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></span></div>
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I make a sugar, kosher salt and cayenne rim. I do this in advance so the mixture sets up and hardens on the rims. Sorry... no exact measurements, just to taste and sight. Go lightly on the cayenne as you just want a hint of heat!</div>
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I use a 1-1/2-1 formula.</div>
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1 part Tequila (we love Costco's Silver, and also their Anejo if you can find it</div>
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1/2 part Grand Marnier or Cointreau (Dan & I are Cointreau fans;)</div>
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1 part <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Swami-Bone-Daddys-Margarita/dp/B01E4OLROK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OI7EV51ZZPQ8&keywords=dr.%2Bswami%2B%26%2Bbone%2Bdaddy%27s%2Btop%2Bshelf%2Bmargarita%2Bmix&qid=1562949891&s=gateway&sprefix=dr.%2Bswami%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1&th=1" target="_blank">Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy Top Shelf margarita mix</a> </div>
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and a squeeze of 1/8 of a small lemon AND lime, </div>
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with lots of ice! I like to add a straw- the perfect straw to me is a McDonald's coffee stir! I wash and reuse mine, but open a new one for guests!</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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(Please reuse your personal straws. When we are at a restaurant and ask for water we always say <i>"no lemon, no ice, no straw, please" </i>(your sever usually garnishes the glass and they are<b> not </b>washing their hands every time they pick up a lemon slice- watch and think about it;), and ice machines... well, enough said;) and straws because of the following..... <i>Please</i> read...</div>
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<a href="http://www.ecocycle.org/bestrawfree/faqs" target="_blank">SOURCE</a></div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; color: saddlebrown; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2px;">
Q: You say 500 million straws are used in the US every day, but I can't picture that--what would 500 million straws look like?</h3>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b294bd18-a3f3-1af5-d867-168da5c73c4d">500 million straws could fill over 127 school buses each day, or more than 46,400 school buses every year!</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b294bd18-a3f3-1af5-d867-168da5c73c4d">500 million straws per day is an average of 1.6 straws per person (in the US) per day. Based on this national average, each person in the US will use approximately 38,000 or more straws between the ages of 5 and 65. So the sooner we can begin to use fewer straws, the better - it is never too soon (or too late!) to start!</span></div>
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Also this article from <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/04/plastic-straws-ocean-trash-environment/" target="_blank">National Geographic</a></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hope you are having a great summer!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #414141; font-family: "lora" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">xxojoan</span></span></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-7368491148168201782019-02-15T15:50:00.001-05:002019-02-15T15:50:34.040-05:00We have, officially gone to the dogs!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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And then there were Four.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Richard Ortega</span></div>
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Meet our new rescue girl....</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Bunny!</span></div>
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Given (by me;) name... Bunny <i>Williams</i>! </div>
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Bunny, because of those <i>ears</i>, and Williams, well- because of my adoration of the iconic designer and dog rescuer <a href="http://bunnywilliams.com/" target="_blank"><i>Bunny Williams</i></a>!! You can read about my birthday lunch with Bunny Williams <a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-lunch-with-bunny-williams.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> .</div>
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Yes, I name all our girls with a middle name, my maiden name and then married name! Because rescued princesses should all have long, fancy names don't you agree?!💝💝💝💝 </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Richard Ortega</span></div>
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When we adopted Magnolia and Louise three and a half years ago <a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2015/08/meet-new-girls-yes-two-new-girls.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> it changed Ella's life in all the best possible ways! Ella was 11 and she became a puppy all over again, playing with Magnolia all the time- running and chasing each other. (Louise loves all, but isn't a big "play" girl; she loves to be chased though and she runs like a greyhound!) Ella is now 14-1/2 and can still keep up on 2-1/2 mile walks with her younger sisters! She still plays with Magnolia some in the yard, but over the last six months it became apparent to me and Dan that it wasn't enough playful interaction that our silly-billy play-girl Magnolia wanted and needed. It made us sad, and we realized that we owed her a playmate.<br />
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I started looking on at my Texas rescue friend, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVwVDbnWJAOGizkERMYzM3w" target="_blank">Alice Lang's</a> <a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2016/03/updated-lytle-animal-shelter-dogs.html" target="_blank">Ltyle, Texas dogs </a>and now <a href="https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/tx/bandera/cowboy-capital-pet-assistance-league-inc-tx364/" target="_blank">CCPAL </a>Dogs and, of course, on <a href="http://petfinder./">Petfinder.</a> You know how I love me my southern💓 girls! I also started following several rescue groups on Instagram. </div>
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One of the rescue groups I started following was<br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/nycscr/" target="_blank">Second Chance Rescue NYC</a>. (NYCSCR) Over the months of following them I came to realize what an amazing rescue group they are. They rescue from NYC animal control, all around NYC and also dogs from high kill shelters in the south. They also take in the <i><b>really</b></i> difficult abused and/or critically injured animals. (All people who work/volunteer in rescue are angels on earth in my opinion. The horrors that they see must break their hearts on a daily basis and yet they continue on and on and on... sadly, because they have to. There is a special place in heaven for each and every one of them🙏 ) NYCSCR is an all-volunteer 501c3 rescue and the majority of their dogs are in foster homes, but they do have their own Center where they board the dogs that they don't have enough fosters available for. You can read their mission statement <a href="https://www.nycsecondchancerescue.org/about/" target="_blank">HERE </a>. And see their adoptable animals <a href="https://www.nycsecondchancerescue.org/adoptable-dogs-cats/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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About a month and a half ago, maybe even two months, I saw this face on their Petfinder page and I gasped. She was so beautiful, and those <i>ears- </i>swoon. Her name was Momma Misty.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Richard Ortega</span><br />
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She was rescued in early fall of 2018, along with four of her pups, from a high-kill rural shelter in the south, heartworms and all. They were saved <i>just 24 hours</i> before they were ALL to be killed. Sadly, in some states puppies are euthanized. Second Chance Rescue NYC pulled her and all of her babies and brought them to NY. All of her babies had been adopted, but Misty still waited. She was about 2 years old, they guessed, and was very good with other dogs.<br />
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I kept her page pulled up on my computer (I'm that crazy person who always has no less than 25 tabs open at any given time- welcome to my brain😱 ;) then I would save other dogs, then would overthink it and tell myself we were crazy to adopt a 4th, could we fit 4 in the backseat of the car?, and on and on. I was really good at talking myself out of getting a 4th, so I would delete the dog pages, only to go back and look days later and once again fall in love with her face and have her back and several others in my open tabs. But it was always her. That face. Those ears. That sweet little snow-ring marking on her nose. But, then I would think- she's so beautiful and sweet and good with other dogs certainly she'll get adopted. But she didn't.<br />
Then a little over a week ago I saw this image and post on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtegnhFFPYl/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and my heart just broke for her and I thought "<i>give her to me.</i>" Dan, of course, was right there with me, so I submitted an application.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come to find out she had been in boarding at the Center for the past </span><i style="font-size: medium;">five months, </i><span style="font-size: small;">not in a foster home</span><span style="font-size: small;">. My heart broke for her again. There are only so many fosters and at the time when she came in there were no fosters available for her and her babies, so she went to the Center. Now, the Center is a nice shelter mind you, but it's an industrial park setting where there are many dogs, barking dogs just as in any shelter. And, these are the lucky ones! They are loved, walked four times a day, fed good food, have social interactions with the volunteers who are there every day, but still it's not a home. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>NYCSCR will adopt to within a 6 hour radius of NYC. So, after talking and texting with the rescue we drove to Westchester, NY to meet her this past Saturday. The meet and greet went well and the dogs all had really good body language between them; she and Magnolia just wanted to play, and wasn't that how this all got started?!!<br />
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So, they suggested we foster to adopt, which we did and is a fabulous option, by the way, to make sure a new dog will fit into your existing pack. Two days later (even though we really knew the first night;) we told them to send us the Adoption Contract- she was "home." She needed us. And we needed her. She needed a home, sisters and us as parents. She is such a good girl, but doesn't know any commands or directions and we are good alpha-dog parents and will have her well mannered and polite, like her sisters, in no time (fingers crossed!) She pretty much learned sit within the first 24-hours. If you saw my video of feeding time on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofahouse/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>/<a href="https://www.facebook.com/fortheloveofahouse/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Bunny is well on her way to having that down too. She is pure muscle and very strong. At the Center she was pulling super hard to the point where she kept choking herself. We stopped at the first Petco we could find and bought her the same harness that we have always used for Magnolia and Louise- the PetSafe Easy Walk Harness <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009ZBKG4?ie=UTF8&tag=forthelove005-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B0009ZBKG4" target="_blank">HERE</a> (this is a good price, we paid $29 at Petco.) And, omg, it instantly made a <i><b>huge</b></i> difference. I highly recommend this harness with the lead-ring at the chest. If you have a harness with the lead-ring on the back it actually encourages pulling as it's a natural reaction for them to try to pull harder when pulling forward and being held back. The rescue called her momma, but I thought it was time she passed that baton to me, her new mama, and she could just be a happy, balanced, loved little puppy girl. The first time I saw her I thought "Bunny," so Bunny it is!<br />
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The girls are getting along great. Magnolia and Louise have given her some corrections when she gets a little too excited and she takes their advice;) very well with no reaction. She follows me everywhere, but don't worry Dan will soon enough become her favorite;). And is quick to understand our "aant" which is the sound we use to correct them from doing an undesirable behavior. We are all learning to trust one another and create a routine. So far, so good. One of my favorite things I do with all the girls is to let them "smell" things. I learned from Cesar Millan that a dog experiences the world through their Nose, Eyes, Ears- in that order. So to show them respect I present an object, be it a votive candle to a apple or anything else and say "smell" and they all come up to give it a whiff. I do it a good 5 inches away from their nose so they are not being presented with it and try to eat it, but instead they learn that smell means to simply smell but I am honoring/acknowledging their incredible sense of smell <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/dogs-sense-of-smell/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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Bunny is probably 2 years old, is a pitty-mix (heavy on the pit!), she is more grey in person than black, weighs about 43 pounds, and is very smart and <i>loves</i> to play. And, I'll be damned... she's a southern girl!!! She was found as a stray in Yazoo City, Mississippi! So, we're all still speaking "y'all" around here! Isn't that the darndest?!!! And would you look at this Texas Longhorn blaze on her chest!!! Do you see it?! I'm thinking this girl has some Texas lineage😍<br />
Hook 'em Horns!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>the first walk!<br />
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playtime!<br />
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sisters!<br />
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Our first walk!<br />
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Checking out the fireplace in the living room.<br />
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Poor baby, her little elbows are worn from laying on a hard surface. Louise had this too, the fur will fill in with time. Ohmy, looks like my cuticles need some <a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2019/02/a-simple-skincare-tipbecause-i-love-you.html" target="_blank">CeraVe</a> lol!<br />
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snuggle Bunny!<br />
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Over on Instagram and Facebook I asked you to guess what her name is! Boy, did y'all have some <b><u><i>great</i> </u></b>(and some lol funny) names! Thanks for playing along!!<br />
The top contenders you named were:<br />
Valentine, Pinky, Pink, Violet, Rose, Olive, and four of you guessed correct with BUNNY!!! (and two of you had Misty, so y'all were correct too;)<br />
Here are all the great names, so go out and adopt some dogs & cats<br />
!<br />
Lucky, Bunny, Rose, Maura, Miss Luna, Precious, Suzanna, Misty, Greta Cocoa, LouLou, Olive, Valentine, Louise, Rosie, Papillion, Violet, Pinky, Pink, Thelma, Bella, Sweet Pea, Petunia, Peaches, Betty Jean, Lilac, Pinky Tuscadero, Maggie, Sugar, Abliene/Abby, Clementine, Camellia, Annabelle, Scarlet, Pru, Gray, Joy, Heidi, Lilly, Lucy, Lola, Jubiless, Ouiser, Truvy, Gloria, Savanah, Georgia, Augusta, Charlotte, Sally, Ears, Floppy Ears, Gretchen, Clara, Babe, Grace, Abigal, Shelby, Cerave!, Hazel, Angel, Gracie May, Ruth!, Maud, Millie, Daisy, Penny, Sweet Caroline, Beatrice, Steve!, Pepper, Martha, Lexi, G.G.(for GreyGirl!), Lacy, Pippa, Piper, Claudia, Rosebud, Delta, Valentina, Blackie, Adelaide, Bugs, Floppy, Lovey Dovey, Myrtle, Ruby, Happy, Fancy, Hope, Lark, Bella, Alice, Breezy, Helen<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">If you are so inclined, please consider a donation (or perhaps a monthly gift, as we have done) to Second Chance Rescue NYC </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.nycsecondchancerescue.org/donate/" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> to help them to continue to rescue the unloved, abandoned, abused and injured dogs and cats. Also, if you are within a 3 hour distance from NYC, you can apply to foster, and within a 6 hour distance ADOPT!!!</span><br />
thank you. xxojoan<br />
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<i>A very special thank you to Dana at Second Chance Rescue NYC for loving our girl so much and being her advocate and biggest fan. xxo</i></div>
for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-53064247963631197722019-02-08T13:47:00.001-05:002019-08-01T13:15:35.759-04:00a simple skincare tip...because I love you!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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While <i>for the love of a house</i> started as a renovation blog some 10 years ago now; I feel it has morphed into a lifestyle blog at this point. I love sharing our life, our girls, our home, my designs, projects, the gardens, my favorite things, et cetera with you. I have several "favorites" posts that I've been compiling for over a year that I'm excited to share, but this one simple tip deserves it's own quick post because it has had a huge impact on the health and well-being of my skin, not to mention my daily comfort level since it has been over a year now since I've experienced a single day of dry skin, I kid you not! I'm sure you can imagine the toll a winter in New England can take on one's skin;) I hope this tip will aid (at least some of) you too if you suffer from dry, itchy skin. (fyi- we do this year round, not just in winter)<br />
Sometimes I feel foolish sharing such random little things with you and I will question myself and talk myself out of sharing, but I always revert to the old adage "if it helps one person... ." I have found over the last 10 years of blogging that those little random tips/shares are often the things that I get repeat feedback/thanks about even <i>years </i>later. I'm also trying to post more on what's on my mind instead of overthinking posts which I usually do and then end up not posting at all.... you know, like for over a year😲 ;) Enough of my rambling...<br />
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Does your skin look or feel like this?!<br />
<img alt="Image result for dry desert" height="640" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSi4lo85PB1Sgz2-9dtx7NE3_V7vElYM1F9qzuXz3Kg4J9tYkL3" width="614" /></div>
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Are you ready for this wonderful tip for your body's largest organ?! It is simple and will cost you zero, nada, zip....nothing (except for the moisturizer ;)</div>
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I learned this from a <i>board certified dermatologist</i> that I follow on YouTube,</div>
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Dr. Andrea Suarez aka, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnxmUrGMtpQT844Yd_l7Zyg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dr Dray</a><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><br />
She is like having a best friend who is a dermatologist and goes into depth about all the things you want to know from your own dermatologist, but there is just never enough time in your annual exam to ask everything!<br />
You DO get an <i>annual </i>exam from a dermatologist yes????????<br />
If not, find one and make an appointment <b>now</b> as they can easily book be booking now for an appointment 6 months down the road. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">After you shower/bathe apply moisturizer IMMEDIATELY to <i><u>wet </u></i>skin. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do <i>Not</i> towel dry or even pat dry- simply apply moisturizer and air dry. Yep... that's it. </span></b><br />
Mike drop<b style="font-size: x-large;">🙋!!!!!! </b><span style="font-weight: bold;">hahaha </span><br />
Yes, it is a wee chilly to air dry (even in the summer), but I promise you your skin will feel amazing and it is totally worth it! (I will address this more below;)<br />
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By doing this simple act you are preventing <b>transepidermal water loss</b> (TEWL) from taking place. TEWL is the process in which moisture from the deepest level of the skin (the dermis) evaporates through the outmost layer of the skin (the epidermis). TWEL is a continuous, passive process that is not to be confused with sweating.<br />
Towel drying or pat drying your skin and <i>then</i> applying moisturizer allows for <b>transepidermal water loss</b> to occur, because TWEL happens very fast! In less than a minue (between the time you have towel dried then applied moisturizer) the TWEL may have decrease by more than 50% <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12236888" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SOURCE</span></a><br />
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This is an excellent article that explain TEWL<br />
<a href="https://www.lexli.com/lexli-skin-care-blog/to-treat-dry-skin-start-by-understanding-tewl/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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(Also, for those of you who use olive oil as a moisturizer you should know that Dr. Dray has stated that when olive oil is used as a moisturizer (i.e. left on the skin) it has been shown to <i><b>increase </b></i>the TEWL. It impairs the skin barrier.)<br />
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We use CeraVe moisturizing cream in the tub <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TTD9BRC?ie=UTF8&tag=forthelove005-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B00TTD9BRC&th=1" target="_blank">HERE</a>, </span> We use this on our face <i>and</i> body, but they have lighter moisturizers, and daytime with spf/nighttime moisturizers as well. (Check with Dr. Dray for more recommended moisturizers- she has many favorites and gives honest reviews on all.)<br />
Yes, it's a bit difficult to get on your back, but the application helps you get much better with the reverse prayer pose in yoga!!<br />
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Why CeraVe, because it contains ceremides, it is readily available and is inexpesive. "Ceramides are lipids that help form the skin's barrier and help skin retain moisture. Ceramides make up 50% of our skin barrier. They also help the skin protect against environmentail aggressors like irritants, and pollution. Without the proper ration of ceramides, the skin's barrier can become compromised, leading to dryness, itching and irritation." <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.cerave.com/about-cerave/what-are-ceramides" target="_blank">SOURCE</a></span><br />
As we age our body makes less ceramides. But the amazing thing is that if you apply ceramides <i>topically</i> (i.e. in the form of a moisturizer) your body will start to make more of your own ceramides!<br />
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<img alt="Moisturizing Cream" src="https://www.cerave.com/-/media/project/loreal/brandsites/cerave/master/us/product/moisturizers/gallery/moisturizing_cream_12oz_front_v1_clnt.png" /><br />
(Yes, yes I know- it contains petroleum and I got on my high-horse and told you how I quit using mineral oil (a petroleum based product) on my soapstone kitchen counter tops for a <i>natural</i> wax product, and here I am using it on my entire body! WTW?!! I am a hypocrite😁 and I accept all responsibility 😂 But here's the thing... upon researching petroleum it is an organic compound that was formed millions of years ago from the remains of ancient marine organisms. So doesn't that make it organic?!<br />
It you are worried about the use of petroleum based products, and/or mineral oil I highly recommend you read these articles<br />
<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/petroleum/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<a href="https://www.newbeauty.com/blog/dailybeauty/9569-is-mineral-oil-bad-for-your-skin/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<a href="https://www.livestrong.com/article/226763-side-effects-of-petrolatum/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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Okay, so the mere thought (much less the actual event) of getting out of the shower with still-wet moisturizer in the dead of a freezing New England winter makes me have goose bumps! To make it bearable I purchased this little heater <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TTV2QS?ie=UTF8&tag=forthelove005-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B000TTV2QS" target="_blank">HERE</a> (I found mine at Costco) that I turn on for only a couple of minutes to take the chill off. (The heater part is SO NOT Dr. Dray approved, but if I didn't do it I wouldn't moisturize on wet skin, and then my skin would still be dry and itchy, so I figure it is a motivational tool for me!:)<br />
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I am a skin care junkie, and I'm not going down without a fight with this whole aging business! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnxmUrGMtpQT844Yd_l7Zyg" target="_blank">Dr. Dray's YouTube channel</a> has been an eye-opening fact-based education as she teaches what actually works, what doesn't, reminds you to wear sunscreen <i>every single day of the year</i> and in the meantime saves you tons of time and wasted money on ingredients/products that don't work and actually harm your skin barrier (i.e. anything with fragrance.) She has topics on all types of skin issues/diseases and cosmetic procedures, suncreen ingredients, etc, etc. If it has to do with dermatology she talks about it! The following are links to two vlogs she did on how to moisturize skin and on mature skin. (And to my sweet young things reading this, you can NEVER start taking care of your skin too early! Moisturize and use sunscreen daily! xxo)<br />
don't forget to follow her too!</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBTOKNiBOZA" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHllrqKIMg" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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I will leave you with this cute story...<br />
At the end of October Dan and I flew out to Portland, Oregon where my mother lives in a lovely retirement center, to surprise her on her 91st birthday!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYUmhN-4joub_TsDIzQK39TieTyMdkB3kV3xtbMBZuhKEXHu5NWcjbj1Tsu-UljqIW4QM7aTeEHCSxsfC6KOu7jccJg1qzCcltGSKFEODu0MNgEoDzidu3k6I348xUtKrZUtBJwCV7QxO/s1600/Mama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYUmhN-4joub_TsDIzQK39TieTyMdkB3kV3xtbMBZuhKEXHu5NWcjbj1Tsu-UljqIW4QM7aTeEHCSxsfC6KOu7jccJg1qzCcltGSKFEODu0MNgEoDzidu3k6I348xUtKrZUtBJwCV7QxO/s1600/Mama.jpg" /></a></div>
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When we arrived my mother's skin looked like a peeling onion, even her ears😰 I took out a tiny tube of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016F3MESG?ie=UTF8&tag=forthelove005-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B016F3MESG" target="_blank">CeraVe Healing Oinment</a> (which I keep in my purse to use on cuticles) and started applying it to her face. Her skin went from peeling onion to peach and looked ah-mazing! (Look how great it looks in the photo above!) I then went out and bought her literally 6 <i>tubs</i> of both the moisturizing cream and the healing ointment and had her start applying it herself. She looked, and more importantly, <i>felt</i> so much better- no more itchy, peeling skin. So about a week later my 50-something cousin, Kim -<i>aka Saint Kim</i> as we call her;), went to visit my mother like she does most weekends, and she could not get over how "incredible" my mother's skin looked. Kim told my mother that she looked like she was only 70! My mother told her about the CeraVe that she had been religiously applying. Kim said she needed to get some!<br />
Kim then went to visit her 23 year old daughter and her roommate and told them how her aunt got this great cream and her skin looks amazing , like she's 70. The twenty year olds laughed and said "that's great, if you want to look 70!" 😄😜😀<br />
Then a couple of weeks later, after Kim had been using CeraVe she was back visiting her daughter and roommate and was bragging how great the product was and that they should try it. They teased her and said that now she looked 70!<br />
Fastforward a few more weeks and Kim is visiting her daughter and roommate again, and the roommate thanked Kim for telling her about CeraVe! She said her skin had never been softer! The other girls laughed and said they wanted to look 70 too!!<br />
My mother loved the story and Kim told her that she had started a trend because now everyone wants to look amazing like her and look 70!!<br />
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Now go on...and make that Dermatologist appointment, moisturize and apply sunscreen every day- because I care about you and Dr. Dray said so!!<br />
xxojoan<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-47827030771888897952018-12-31T14:41:00.002-05:002018-12-31T14:41:37.065-05:00a holiday tradition, please leave your calling card 2018!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year's Eve! <br />
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Here are a few shots around the farmhouse from this past month!<br />
The $15k Christmas wreath;) finally made a return on the barn- after its three year absence 😲 (despite my <strike>bitching</strike> disapproval, Dan put it up himself, but this time with the help of Big Blue, the tractor, securing the ladder's base.)<br />
You can read the story <a href="https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2015/12/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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It's been a lovely December, but no snow😥😥 We get amazing night skies living on the hill- both to the west <i>and</i> the east; sometimes you can't decide which way to look! Candles on stakes lit in the garden bed in front of the dining room.<br />
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Christmas lights on the front porch.<br />
Nothing says "Christmas" like a Patriots flag;)!<br />
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View from the back meadow. A wreath is on the folly gate at the cutting garden. The entire upstairs in this photo is the master suite! On the left is the bedroom, in the center is the bath and on the right is the closet.<br />
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Below is the barn room fireplace with a very simple mantel of fresh garland and an antique iron bakers rack tray (I kept one of the trays from the rack that I sold years ago.) <br />
Someone on Instagram asked to see our Christmas tree; I replied that I hadn't put one up in probably 15 years (actually more like 17.) Another person asked if there was a reason for that which got me thinking about what made me stop. It was the year that we realized that the stress and anxiety, and the "illusion" of the perfect Christmas made us sad and not enjoy the season. Dan feeling like he had to go to the "mall" (we have never been mall shoppers) and find a Christmas gift only added to that stress and angst. We decided to do what we could to change the way we felt about the holidays. (<i>"If you change the way you look at things the things you look at change."</i> Dr. Wayne Dyer) That was the first year we decided to stop exchanging gifts on Christmas, since we certainly didn't <i>need </i>anything and I didn't want Dan to have the added stress of finding an unnecessary gift. The Christmas tree seemed lonely and sad without any presents under it, so I simply stopped putting one up. (I will say though, that the last couple of year's trees were gorgeous- no ornaments, only white lights and the 197 crystals that I removed from the chandelier in the dining room, the same one that hangs in the farmhouse.) Making the decision to cut out anything that dimmed the spirit of the season for us has made us enjoy Christmas again! We simply focus on what is important to us and take away all the societal stresses and expectations, and that has worked for us!<br />
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Fresh wreaths on the antique iron gates in the barn room.<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyThE9X-f26ev_47yU9jvOBNnwIsFKKzubWGT6BC6AC3YbUO29P9LLHjeeMrfykLXlEuCzAB2fneMa8rxojKfF4MiXy7wnsaxHILavTe3LLW2NlJfONsIUquaYj15AHFg7XFppTVMiBuxR/s640/IMG_3489.JPG" /><br />
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Our Christmas card on Instagram this year! Ella is in our neighbor's truck, but Louise (on left) and Magnolia were having NO part of getting in the back of the truck. After this photo we went into the barn to visit with the horses, hinny and chickens!<br />
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The girlies in the living room.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.56px;"> As you might recall from Christmas' past, this antique Victorian brass tray is a favorite of mine that I like to bring out this time of year. It was originally silver-plated, but now only </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.56px;">hints</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.56px;"> of silver remain on the solid brass tray.</span><br />
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It is marked... .</div>
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<strong style="line-height: 21px;"><em>MA<br />from<br />Mary and Nannie<br />Christmas<br />1881</em></strong></div>
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<i>Over the years I have spent hours wondering who was MA?, who were Mary and Nannie?, what was their Christmas like the year this beautiful tray was given as a gift?, where did they live?, and on and on...</i></div>
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<i>Just as I wonder about these three people whose names are engraved on an antique tray that has a presence in my home, I also wonder about <strong><u>you</u></strong>, who also have a presence here. <strong></strong></i><br /><i>Some of you I know, as you leave me dear comments or send emails....but others of you remain a mystery. On my site meter I get repeat visits from places that are near and dear to us, and places that are far away and magical. Dan and I often talk about and wonder who <u>all </u>of you are!</i><br /><br />One year I mentioned that I would notice a regular visitor from a tiny town in Oregon and that we would love to know who that person was, as Dan's father (who died when he was two) is buried in a cemetery in this small town.<br /><div>
Several days after Christmas that year I received an email from the woman. I cried as I read it to Dan. She wrote that she lived within walking distance of the cemetery where Dan's father is buried, that her son learned to ride his bike there, and that she and her husband often take walks in the cemetery. To know that someone across the country <em>just happened</em> to find my blog, and now visits our home, and to know that that person lives so close to Dan's father's resting place, and that this all happened because we share <em>a love of houses </em>is a sweet and dear connection that makes the world seem that much smaller. </div>
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You just never know the connections that we <em>all</em> have to one another... . </div>
<br />It was the custom in the period of this Victorian tray, that guests would leave their printed "calling cards" in trays at the homes they visited. </div>
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It has become a Christmas tradition on the blog to put out the tray and invite<b> you </b>to leave your</div>
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"calling card" and tell us who you are, where you live, and/or anything else about yourself that you wish to share. I would also love to hear what kind of things you would like to see on the blog!</div>
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We would<u> <strong><i>love</i></strong></u> to hear from each and every one of you- those who visit regularly, and those of you who usually come and go quietly!!</div>
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<i>Please leave your calling card in the tray!</i></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com216tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-17012955244911798622018-12-25T16:49:00.002-05:002018-12-25T16:49:45.990-05:00Merry Christmas... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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to you and yours!</div>
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With love,</div>
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Joan & Dan</div>
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Ella, Louise and Magnolia</div>
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<br />for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-857018378993727722018-12-05T15:46:00.001-05:002018-12-05T18:08:04.437-05:00Hello, it's me...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Hello, it's me</i></div>
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<i>I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet</i></div>
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<i>To go over everything....</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">-Adele-</span></i></div>
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Helloooooooooo!!! Is anyone still here?! </div>
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I am <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">SO</u> sorry for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosting_(relationships)" target="_blank">ghosting</a> you for over a year on the blog and five months on Instagram. I have no excuses... none... nada... zippo... nothin'... . Nor do I have any explanations. I simply just fell off the proverbial social media. I will blame it on my introvertedness (not a real word, I know) and just needing to be quiet.</div>
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We are <i>all </i>very well- healthy and happy I am very pleased to report! I apologize to those of you who have contacted me out of concern for our well being; I'm really sorry to have made you worry. </div>
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Something major <i>has</i> happened in our lives and if you follow me on Instagram you already know this, but for those of you that don't Dan <strike>retired</strike> <i>graduated</i> from flying this past July after 31 years with American Airlines. The FAA mandates that commercial pilots must retire at 65. Dan turned 65 in August. </div>
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I chose to call it "graduating" because it sounded so much more upbeat and fun as we start on this next adventure!</div>
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Since this was, and is, a big part of our lives I thought I would start back posting (here and on Instagram) where I left off on IG with Dan's retirement flight. I want to share the experience, which was really cool, and also have these photos all in one place for the sweet memories. </div>
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I went along on his last trip, which was a three-day trip with layovers in Tampa, Florida and Boise, Idaho. I had not flown on his plane with him in over a decade. Being on his final trip and, ultimately, his final flight with American was exciting, fun, bittersweet, and so insightful about all that he would be leaving behind. </div>
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My very handsome <i>Captain of my</i> 💓</div>
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on day-one of his final trip. </div>
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This was my last post on Instagram from July 31 😱 (again... sorry for the ghosting.)</div>
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I received a very sweet and funny email from a concerned reader named Sandy who wrote... "<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have not posted since it was to be Dan’s final flight?? Did you not make it home?Did you disappear and get a new identity? Are you on a lonely island somewhere? All this is said in fun, but I miss your posts."</span></span></span></div>
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Especially with that new show this season called <i><a href="https://www.nbc.com/manifest" target="_blank">Manifest</a> (</i>where an airplane and its passengers go missing for five years)<i> </i>I bet lots of you thought the same thing!:)</div>
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Day one started very early. We had to get up at 2 a.m., (which was a weekly occurrence for Dan) to arrive at the airport by his 4:30 a.m. sign-in time, which is one hour prior to take off. Our ritual was that he would always text me when he arrived at the airport (texting because I was back fast asleep the second he drove down the drive:) as I worried more about him driving to Boston than him flying all over the country. </div>
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Walking the jet bridge to the first flight of the the last trip! </div>
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Dan always tells people that I could fly his plane since we've discussed everything about his various airplanes for the past 31 years, so I thought I would give it a try:)</div>
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Let me pause here a moment to brag a bit, if I may! ... Dan was an amazing airline Captain. First Officers (the pilots in the right seat) loved to fly with him The first day after the trip his phone was dinging all day long with texts and phone calls from his fellow pilots and pilot friends congratulating him. FO's would trade trips if they ever saw his name in open time just to fly with him- they enjoyed him as a person and appreciated his relaxed, articulate flying skills. He was an exceptionally skilled pilot having also flown F-4's and F-15's with the Air National Guard. He has 38 years of military and commercial flying time. He loved to mentor his FO's knowing that many of them would be moving to the left seat (i.e. Captain seat) in the next several months. He was a wonderful ambassador for the airline. Besides looking cute in his uniform (!) and having a great intercom voice (!) he would (time permitting) learn his first class passengers names and walk the isle introducing himself and talking to the passengers. Most people were shocked to see him "in the back" and would say that in all their years of flying they had never seen a Captain do that. He was quick to recognize who wanted to chat and those that did not so as not to disturb anyone. Dan never rested on his laurels and continually worked at being an even better pilot. He sought to keep his passengers (and crew) informed and comfortable in any situation- if the flight was on time, was late, or there were any mechanical issues that needed to be addressed. Safety first. He would do everything he physically could to ensure that his passengers made their connections. Being the dog lover that he is when he found out there was a dog(s) in the cargo bay he would check on the animal and then have a flight attendant inform the owner how the pet was doing. He has always stated that his job as a pilot was 5% flying and 95% situational management, and he was excellent at his job. He also endeavored that every leg that he flew had the smoothest landing possible. A "grease job" was his constant goal.<br />
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Several months prior to Dan's last flight one of his very favorite BFF First Officers asked Dan if he had anyone lined up to fly his last trip. He had not thought about it at this point. Dave offered his service for the flight and Dan was thrilled. The morning of the flight Dave was pulled off the trip by the company to fly another trip (it happens), so Dan flew the first day with Jim, who jumped at the chance to fly one last time with Dan. Dave, knowing how important this final trip was to Dan, moved a mountain to get back on the trip for the second and third day. Lots of calls to bosses in Boston and DFW and he was back on the trip!</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xkqkdyd1t0JpFT7qNNYFF-5Es5DtkzX1faM4LYDZWWX6J8aRp07Hbr6f1vAm4NltxFKIWC6IJXeSCy5eXxVy8zlpOlPd3w5buiVgeLmi9M12MgYtMDtJZ1HnZxhyphenhyphenIBUurXJC1FoFk-c8/s640/IMG-1144.PNG" /><br />
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A hug and a kiss to start the first day off!</div>
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The jet bridge has been pulled away,</div>
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and the tug is pushing the plane back to the taxiway. As you can see in the photos it was a gorgeous morning to go flying. The flight attendants announced at the beginning of each flight that it was Captain Dan's final trip after 31 years. He received rounds of applause with his landings and many congratulations and well wishes from deplaning passengers! It was all so sweet and heartwarming for me to witness. I was so happy for him. </div>
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When we arrived at the first layover hotel in Tampa we walked into the room to find this presentation which was setup by Dave who had arrived at the hotel a few hours before us. Isn't that just the sweetest?! We met up with Dave for dinner night one.</div>
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Day Two.</div>
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This is Dan's friend and First Officer- the very smart and wickedly funny Dave. I can't tell you the last time I've laughed that much for three days straight! Dave was the perfect First Officer to have on Dan's final trip and I'm so grateful to have been along for the last ride.</div>
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So proud of him and his career!</div>
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The captain at work. It is seriously crazy how much commercial (and military and contract and ...) pilots have to know to fly a plane. Next time you fly, thank your pilot!!</div>
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We arrived in Boise right after lunch on the second day.</div>
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I'm bummed this photo is so bright and blurry because it was such a fun time, but I wanted to include it for the fun memory of the afternoon. </div>
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Day Three.</div>
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One leg to Dallas and then one leg, the final leg, to Boston. This photo is in Dallas right before the final leg home to Boston. One of the chief pilots in Dallas met us at the gate and asked Dan if he would like to say something to his waiting passengers. This was totally unexpected. I couldn't get my cell phone out fast enough to record the entire speech, but was able to get some of it!</div>
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Click<a href="https://vimeo.com/304710755" target="_blank"> HERE</a></div>
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Last leg of last flight. I was starting to get a bit emotional at this point.</div>
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As he taxied the aircraft to the runway in Dallas Dan received a "<a href="https://www.aviationcv.com/aviation-blog/2016/water-salute-touching-airport-tradition" target="_blank"><i>water cannon salute</i></a>!" This is when Dan got emotional.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBjzuFFM8iBblUr0QGs2KaH5iUaMaNvJ3xlF-XyGAXLROyyH0yKfEQHAVrozU5NkPzGOxaSKtxF8dH7ZK3LQHm8dcE21iR-Gu2fgvHgF8Oxo60YDGW5ThrIcWVGGwDr9XZGA3ofKZfcpM/s1600/_storage_emulated_0_VZMedia_21130.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBjzuFFM8iBblUr0QGs2KaH5iUaMaNvJ3xlF-XyGAXLROyyH0yKfEQHAVrozU5NkPzGOxaSKtxF8dH7ZK3LQHm8dcE21iR-Gu2fgvHgF8Oxo60YDGW5ThrIcWVGGwDr9XZGA3ofKZfcpM/s640/_storage_emulated_0_VZMedia_21130.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Video of his water cannon salute<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwN7ekSSih3ZrORlF4ljxmoHpr74_SZClGUAx-seOqmpcCHO_xCkA45TDUgUUEMvYak13b6wWuXUnCuFlzuxg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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This video was sent to Dan from DFW Operations.<br />
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My late father and Dan were very close. As I sat in my seat waiting for the last flight to take off I said a prayer to God, the Universe and to my father that Dan's last flight and last landing would be a great one since I knew how much that would mean to Dan. I was sitting in an isle seat and the man one row ahead of me in the opposite isle seat had a newspaper open that was in my direct line of sight. Now mind you, if the person next to me- either to the right or left, or the person directly in front of me had a newspaper open it would not have been in my direct line of sight. On the page of the newspaper I stare at a very familiar image... a large photograph of the Tower of Americas in San Antonio, Texas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1HpcFmxB2H7dNgef6_CBIExsCp0dIC1-GoYIFfrkJGsdS3joUtsVajGlpjRuZ_N3IL6VoN0r-FUDcG5_48MYXxPoSYhT3DmpcO5HMfz2YGr1sRiptWSKYWLus1bqBFARFMb9-SuQhH9Q/s1600/tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="326" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1HpcFmxB2H7dNgef6_CBIExsCp0dIC1-GoYIFfrkJGsdS3joUtsVajGlpjRuZ_N3IL6VoN0r-FUDcG5_48MYXxPoSYhT3DmpcO5HMfz2YGr1sRiptWSKYWLus1bqBFARFMb9-SuQhH9Q/s400/tower.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I grew up in San Antonio and my father, who worked in the engineering department at the City Public Service, helped design and layout the electrical for the tower in 1966/67 during its construction for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HemisFair_'68" target="_blank">HemisFair 1968</a>. I remember driving to the site with him on the weekends to check he progress. The tower has always been a symbol of San Antonio (home) <i>and</i> my father for me. In that moment I knew my father was there with us in spirit. After wiping away my tears the next time I looked up the man was looking at the "Sports" page (my father loved all sports) and then he turned the page again and there was the familiar font of the front page of the San Antonio Express -News that I remember well from growing up. That man in the opposing isle seat, the only seat in my direct line of sight, could have been from anywhere in the world on this flight to Boston, but he arrived from San Antonio and was reading the San Antonio newspaper which just happened to have an article about the 1968 Tower of Americas in it on this particular day and he just happened to be looking at that page with that symbolic image to me when I just happened to look up. Coincidence? I think not.</div>
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I could overhear two gentlemen (brothers) sitting in the row behind me talking about the Tetons where they were returning from a fly-fishing trip. Dan and I spread my father's ashes in the Tetons many years ago as it was his favorite place in the world. The signs were all around me that my father was there with us and he did not want me to miss a single one. </div>
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The flight, and Dan's landing in Boston were perfect, by the way. </div>
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After looking down the road at retirement for so many years it feels a bit strange to both of us that it is actually here. His being home all the time just feels like he is on a long off-period between trips. Dan is <i>loving</i> not having a schedule. When people would ask what he would do after "graduating" the joke was "Whatever my wife tells me to do on the to-do list:)" But the truth is we haven't done a single thing! I think we've just been settling into this new adventure and living life. (I think the new year will be a perfect time to start cracking the to-do list whip, don't you?!) Since his last trip we have had several guests visit, and in October we flew to Oregon to surprise my mother on her 92nd birthday, and to see Dan's mother who is in poor health. Otherwise we are simply enjoying being home and loving on puppy dogs! We tend to stay busy, but I honestly couldn't tell you what we do. Dan occasionally toys with the idea of doing corporate flying, so if you, or your company, or anyone you know has a private jet and needs an excellent pilot give him a holler:)!</div>
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It feels nice to be back writing. Thank you for letting me relive this experience and share it with you. I haven't seen the photos in a while, so it was lovely to remember the trip... for both of us.</div>
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xxojoan</div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-34300729628069805562017-09-04T17:57:00.002-04:002017-09-06T11:36:02.555-04:00Texas Proud...<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">TEXAS STRONG.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.adweek.com/agencies/the-ad-council-and-matthew-mcconaughey-want-to-help-you-contribute-to-hurricane-harvey-relief/" target="_blank">source</a></span></div>
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I lived in Houston for four years after college, and as a native Texan I have been <i>gutted</i> by the devastation that Harvey brought to my home state and the city I once called home. My constant thoughts and prayers go out to all of south Texas and Louisiana and to every single victim of Hurricane Harvey. My sympathy and condolences for all that has been lost.</div>
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To the readers and followers of my blog who have been affected by Harvey... I hope and pray that you, your loved ones and your homes are safe. I am so sorry for all that you have gone through and all that you have lost. My heart breaks for you. I send you my love. I would love to hear from you personally in the comments or in an email. xxo</div>
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My niece, Liz Ann, and her husband, Jose, both architects and owners of <a href="http://www.makstudio.us/" target="_blank"><b>mak Studio</b></a> in Houston, were thankfully spared the wrath of Harvey at their business and home and have been volunteering with the Red Cross since <i>the moment</i> the water started rising. I am so proud of them both.</div>
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I simply have no words, as I can not imagine the horrors of the hurricane nor the aftermath of the destruction. I am proud of how Texas and Houstonians have rallied together, but not a single bit surprised. Texas is <i>Texa</i>s and hell, or high waters will not take it down. </div>
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Like you, we have made donations, but so, so many need our help. </div>
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If looking for a place to give here are some thoughts...</div>
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If donating to the<a href="https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-harvey" target="_blank"> Red Cross</a> keep in mind that many companies are matching donations - <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/business/michael-dell-foundation-harvey.html?mcubz=3" target="_blank">Michael Dell</a> and <a href="http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/08/28/patriots-owner-will-match-first-1-million-donated-to-red-cross-for-harvey-flooding/" target="_blank">Robert Kraft</a>, owner of the Patriots, come to mind, but there are many others (if you know of any please name the matching companies in the comment section), so find one that <u>doubles</u> your donation and donate through them!</div>
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If you are looking for a different fund raising effort you should check out <a href="http://jjwfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Houston Texans JJ Watt's foundation</a>. He is has set up a<b> </b></div>
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<b>HOUSTON FLOOD RELIEF FUND</b></div>
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<b> <a href="http://jjwfoundation.org/" target="_blank">HERE</a> </b></div>
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and to date has raised over 18.5 million and <i>counting </i>for the victims of Harvey. There is now a petition to rename a Houston freeway after him! He's a good man. His flood relief fund will give directly to the people of Houston. Yesterday 10 semi-trucks of <i>donated</i> goods came from his home state of Wisconsin to bring supplies to the people of Houston <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houston-texans-jj-watt-hand-out-supplies-to-harvey-victims/" target="_blank">HERE</a> (I 💓 this video.)</div>
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This is a wonderful list provided by PNR of <i>many </i>different links to how you can help those affected by Harvey </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546745827/looking-to-help-those-affected-by-harvey-here-s-a-list" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<i>Now, to my heart of hearts.....</i><br />
<b><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546745827/looking-to-help-those-affected-by-harvey-here-s-a-list" target="_blank"></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9bAaPPfnEUcuB3IattdhDqiUHwX2m_ErE45uLevV2lFyp6Sgc-I00fkH2-o49gIF-p85TNKCielSur4SafFy35hxMxYc0C-F3mjZSFbji17-0uYZS9ukLNL7EWpf7azVDGZYLILuvrh2/s1600/harvey-7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="1600" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9bAaPPfnEUcuB3IattdhDqiUHwX2m_ErE45uLevV2lFyp6Sgc-I00fkH2-o49gIF-p85TNKCielSur4SafFy35hxMxYc0C-F3mjZSFbji17-0uYZS9ukLNL7EWpf7azVDGZYLILuvrh2/s320/harvey-7.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://people.com/pets/hurricane-harvey-pet-stories-rescues-reunions-animal-refugees/" style="font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">source</a></b></div>
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I have been so very touched by all the photos of people carrying their dogs (cats) through feet of water refusing to leave them behind. And then heartbroken, but grateful, to see the photos of dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc. being rescued by rescuers. There is a special place in heaven for you people.</div>
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This video is from the facebook account of Noeline Duffet Hartel. This is her son, John, and two of his friends, Kyle and Dylan, rounding up stray dogs on the streets of Houston. This mama raised a good boy. Bless them.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="476" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnoeline.hartel%2Fvideos%2F1788307357876599%2F&show_text=0&width=267" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="267"></iframe></div>
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I have had several people ask me (knowing I was from Texas) to suggest places I would recommend to donate to the dogs (cats/pets) that need our help.</div>
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Here are but a few shelters/rescue groups I am familiar with that are working non-stop to save and rescue dogs (cats.) I know there are many, many more so <i>please</i> share info in the comment section of any other Harvey relief shelters needing donations.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.austinpetsalive.org/" target="_blank">Austin Pets Alive</a> </b></div>
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a <i>wonderful</i> organization rescuing hundreds of dogs from Houston<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/paypal-me-4pawsfarminc?utm_campaign=Emails&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email/...can." target="_blank">Harvey Disaster Animal Fund</a></b><br />
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<a href="https://support.bestfriends.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app293a?df_id=1820&1820.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=B74F0D7C4718957137B0CFFED1DA3E21&_ga=2.220783505.886677121.1504711711-538703463.1504542772" target="_blank"><b>Best Friends Animal Society</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.houstonhumane.org/" target="_blank">Houston Humane Society</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.houstonspca.org/?referrer=https://www.google.com/" target="_blank">Houston SPCA</a> </div>
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the <i>rumors </i>that the SPCA is euthanizing dogs are NOT true <a href="http://www.khou.com/news/local/houston-spca-were-not-euthanizing-animals/470479348" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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<i> For my <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Austin</b></span> area readers...</i></div>
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<img alt="Image result for yard bar austin tx" src="data:image/png;base64,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" 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<img height="426" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zT_RFxNuxPn0uovMq4jw34EzoeU=/144x0:864x540/1200x800/filters:focal(144x0:864x540)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47251234/11885398_961596113882308_4022312606414674402_n.0.0.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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I wanted to share with you that <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://yardbar.com/" target="_blank">Yard Bar</a> </span>(the owner Kristen, also an architect, is a best friend of my niece Liz Ann whom I mentioned above) is having a donation drive to support the pets and pet owners displaced by Harvey throughout the month of September with the goal to fill this container! <br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="589" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYardBarATX%2Fposts%2F1664560310252548%3A0&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yard Bar</span> is located at <span style="font-size: large;">6700 Burnett Road </span>and is <i>a restaurant, bar and dog park all in one</i>!💓 (I can not tell you how much I want to take the girls here and have dinner- the food looks amazing- and drinks!! I am so jealous Austin has this!)<br />
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From Kristen per her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YardBarATX/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page here is what's needed: </div>
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Food - Dog and Cat, dry & wet<br />
Kennels<br />
Blankets, towels, linens<br />
Small litter boxes<br />
Clay cat litter<br />
Small silver bowls<br />
Poop Bags<br />
Leashes, Slip leashes & Collars<br />
Disposable paper ID collar</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
MEDICAL<br />
DAPP and Bordatella vaccines<br />
Hibaclens<br />
Flea treatment - capstar, bravecto, frontline spray<br />
Antibiotics - amoxicillin, convenia, cephalexin<br />
Unflavored pedialyte</div>
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Wound care supplies<br />
Irrigation solution</div>
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Medical gloves<br />
Work gloves</div>
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Hand soap<br />
Hand sanitizer<br />
Dawn dish soap<br />
Mosquito repellent - a lot.</div>
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Sharpies<br />
2 gallon hefty ziplock bags<br />
Heavy duty garbage bags</div>
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Human snacks! Volunteers gotta eat.<br />
Bottled Water</div>
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Make a donation and receive a $5 off coupon for dining at YB.</div>
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DRINKS & Smirnoff Matching Challenge<br />
Enjoy any Smirnoff cocktail or our "Underdog" cocktail in the month of September and Yard Bar will donate $2 of your purchase to Harvey Relief.</div>
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Our goal is to raise $2,000 and Smirnoff will MATCH for a total gift of $4,000.</div>
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This event and donation drive is in the very early stages. Please check back for updates soon and SHARE SHARE SHARE!</div>
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Do you know someone with a specific needs for our stuff. Distribution partners are welcome. Please email kristen@yardbar.com what you need, by when, and who can pick it up.</div>
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love to you all,</div>
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xxojoan</div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-46871607832577445422017-06-29T11:15:00.000-04:002017-06-29T11:15:06.362-04:00thank you, thank you, thank you!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I <span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-style: italic;">LOVE </b>💗💗💗</span> my wonderful readers... yes, that's YOU! </div>
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And I want to thank you for your generosity to the KURA Project! Y'all are THE best!!! </div>
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Below is a thank you from the co-founder Sarah Hadden:</div>
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(if you missed the original post, please click here and <i>please</i> donate to this wonderful cause if you can! <b><a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-kura-project-for-girls.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> )</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">I would like to thank ALL OF YOU for your generosity of spirit along with donations of funds towards KURA Project "Opportunity Kits" (reusable menstrual pads, underwear and soap) for girls in northern Kenya. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">Because of the response from this blog post enough money has been raised to purchase and deliver 250 kits that will keep 250 girls in school without interruption and allow them to participate in all activities without worry. This kit will also last them a year or more.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">We at The KURA Project believe in every woman's right to go through her monthly cycle with dignity and have access to education. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">Thank you in behalf of KURA but more importantly thank you from the girls in northern Kenya who are benefiting from your generosity. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">With Gratitude,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">Sarah Hadden</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">President/Co-founder</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">The KURA Project </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">kuraproject.org</span></span></i></b></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-70990533882807421962017-06-06T16:44:00.004-04:002017-06-29T10:54:13.183-04:00The KURA Project... for girls<div style="text-align: center;">
post script added June 29th from Sarah Hadden:<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">I would like to thank ALL OF YOU for your generosity of spirit along with donations of funds towards KURA Project "Opportunity Kits" (reusable menstrual pads, underwear and soap) for girls in northern Kenya. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">Because of the response from this blog post enough money has been raised to purchase and deliver 250 kits that will keep 250 girls in school without interruption and allow them to participate in all activities without worry. This kit will also last them a year or more.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">We at The KURA Project believe in every woman's right to go through her monthly cycle with dignity and have access to education. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">Thank you in behalf of KURA but more importantly thank you from the girls in northern Kenya who are benefiting from your generosity. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">With Gratitude,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">Sarah Hadden</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">President/Co-founder</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">The KURA Project </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: justify;">kuraproject.org</span></b></i></div>
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<i>Hello!</i></div>
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I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been dealing with an issue with my 90-year -old mother for several months now and it has emotionally and creatively drained me. Hopefully the situation is resolved and she <i>remains</i> safe and healthy in her lovely retirement community. Something I have found most interesting is in the small group of people that I have mentioned this to, <i>everyone</i> had their own story- either they, or their mother/family member were dealing with an elderly parent/family member and the stress and difficulty of the situation. The elder attorney, my sisters and I had to hire, even said that it is an isolating topic- that people just don't talk about it with people outside the family. What I was dealing with was absolutely minimal (it did not involve a health issue) compared to what so many people have to deal with every single day and yet it stopped me in my tracks for several months. To those of you who deal with an aging parent on an ongoing basis I salute you and honor you. I hope you reach out to get support and to remember to take care of yourself along the way. xxoj.</div>
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As I've mentioned before, even when I am not posting on the blog (I promise to try to be more frequent;) I can usually be found posting on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofahouse/" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM.</a> Being a very visual person I<i> love</i> IG as a visual diary of our days and lives. I post only once a day, if that;), and look for special moments that I want to remember or share. </div>
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Last week I came upon a IG post that a profound impact on me. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vermont.house/" target="_blank">Vermont House</a> posted about their friends, two Vermont women- Sarah Haddan and Barbara Lowes , who started </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.kuraproject.org/" target="_blank">The KURA Project </a> </span></div>
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to help girls, and their mothers, that live in extreme poverty in northern Kenya who do not have access to the most basic of sanitary products. </div>
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Many girls are deprived of an education because of the lack of this basic necessity since going to school without any form of menstruation protection subjects them to the shame of staining their clothes. Very often menstruation caused girls to miss school, drop out altogether and then to be married off at a young age. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);">The KURA Project provides<b><span style="font-size: large;"> "opportunity kits"</span></b> to each girl/woman which contain 4 <i>reusable </i></span><span style="color: #020031;">menstruation pads, underwear (since many of the girls do not own underwear) and detergent - a kit will last each girl<i> a year </i>or more.<span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></span><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-28kKOx7Sxf1LUAw1SKxLWBwpphGomiw7Dl_0DXgxsNyQiSHLPxGmbKShYYm83OYk4xmzr6aiE6kEII7gOIRgIR0txGfH8L9SbqCoJ07Y8_xNV_8YCTEx8cRTHC4F7PgBR35q3MhiVJ4-/s1600/Screenshot_20170606-162525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1080" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-28kKOx7Sxf1LUAw1SKxLWBwpphGomiw7Dl_0DXgxsNyQiSHLPxGmbKShYYm83OYk4xmzr6aiE6kEII7gOIRgIR0txGfH8L9SbqCoJ07Y8_xNV_8YCTEx8cRTHC4F7PgBR35q3MhiVJ4-/s640/Screenshot_20170606-162525.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><i>Please...</i> stop, think and take in the entirety of this situation for one simple moment. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><i>can. you. even. imagine</i>???????????????</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Being one of millions who enjoy the </span></span><i style="color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7); font-size: 18px;">the bountiful excesses</i><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> of a lovely life in a free country, until I read about this project it never even dawned on me that this is a need for these girls. I immediately donated several "opportunity kits" and I am hoping that you are so moved that you will donate one yourself! <i>For a mere <b>$25</b></i><b> </b>your kindness will be giving the gift of personal hygiene to an </span></span><span style="color: #020031;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">impoverished</span></span><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> girl for one year. Please join me in donating: </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701960784313725); font-size: large;"><a href="https://secure.squarespace.com/commerce/donate?donatePageId=541b0a36e4b03814779bddb2" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">If you are more comfortable sending a check their address is:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">The KURA PROJECT </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">P.O. BOX 505</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">Manchester, VT 05254 USA</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">Also, please share this post if you can. What a wonderful gift it would be to have young girls/teenagers see this need and want to help these girls who have so much less than they do too!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #020031; font-family: "lora";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;"><b>thank you. xxojoan</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.7); font-family: "lora"; font-size: 18px;"><b>The following is from their website, and there is a YouTube video at the bottom of the page...</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.7); font-family: "lora"; font-size: 18px;">After delivering supplies to several of the schools, and receiving letters of thanks for the donations, a common theme appeared. Each letter and sentiment passed on through Kura expressed appreciation for sanitary towels.</span></div>
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Many girls are deprived of an education because of the lack of this basic necessity. Many girls must remain home during this time and risk the danger of being married off for cows at a very young age.</div>
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In 2012 The KURA Project began raising money for AFRIpad kits. These reusable sanitary pads last the girls and women up to one year, keep them in school and allow them to go through their monthly cycle with dignity.</div>
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Kura informed me in the fall of 2013 most of the girls and women (we supply each mother and daughter a kit) did not own underwear. It is impossible to use the kits as intended without this basic necessity.</div>
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Because The KURA Project received a generous donation of 1,000 AFRIpad kits from the Lunapad company we were able to purchase underwear to go along with each kit. To date 2,000 reusable sanitary towel kits and 1,400 pairs of underwear have been delivered to the following schools in the northern Kenya:</div>
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Ngurunit, Loiyangalani, Elmolo and Laisamis, Maikona, Kalacha, Dukana, North Horr, Helmer Girls, Bubisa, and Torbi Primary </div>
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Four schools and community members from in and around Manchester, Vermont, have also helped raise the funds to make these deliveries possible. </div>
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Over 30 schools in Marsabit County remain in need and are waiting for a delivery from The KURA Project. </div>
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In January of 2014 we began sponsoring students for high school. Through generous sponsors we currently support four students through four years of high school. We hope to grow this number so as to help as many students as possible reach their dream of getting an education.</div>
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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela</blockquote>
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Sarah Hadden<br />
KURA Project </div>
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To donate, please go ...</div>
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<a href="https://secure.squarespace.com/commerce/donate?donatePageId=541b0a36e4b03814779bddb2" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-24748219007395519352017-04-21T18:17:00.001-04:002017-04-21T19:27:30.505-04:00for the love of Daisy, please microchip your cats<div style="text-align: center;">
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I've been meaning to pin this post for several months, and today as the story came full circle it seems like the perfect time to write it.</div>
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Though it is no surprise that I have a <strike>obsession</strike> great love of dogs, especially <i>rescue</i> dogs, I also am very fond of cats. I've never had a cat, I am allergic to some. But, I've always had this feeling that living here in New Hampshire, surrounded by woods, that one would eventually find its way to us and we would have a cat. </div>
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It was the middle of last November- it was a very cold, dark grey day and we were expected to have our first really hard freeze that night. As I was walking through the upstairs master bedroom I saw something in the back meadow. I thought it was a bobcat. We've seen the occasional bobcat (and in fact, this was a month after a neighbor spotted what she thought was a cougar in the area and sent out a "watch out" email) , but something about this sighting was odd- the animal was moving really slow and would sit hunkered in the grass for long periods of time making it difficult to get a good look at. We assumed it was stalking a mouse in the grass We got the binoculars out and decided it was a small bobcat. It had beautiful coloring. It wandered onto my neighbors property and disappeared. Throughout the morning I kept an eye out for the cat, even going up to the fence to see if I could spot it on my neighbor's property.<br />
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Later in the day Dan is out with the girls in the front yard and I come out to the front porch to say something to him. He turns to talk to me and then sees something and points to the corner of the front porch, and there curled up behind a chair is the teeniest, tiniest cat. I thought it was a kitten it was so small. I slowly walked up to cat, talking softly to it and it gently gets up and jumps off the porch and starts walking towards the barn. Dan gets the girls inside (they would love to meet and play with a cat, but I wasn't sure this cat wanted to meet them :) and I follow the cat hoping to befriend it. As it came to the tall stone wall at the corner of the garage it jumped down to the gravel drive and you could tell that big jump had knocked the wind out of the poor thing. I scooped the cat up and it melted into my arms- such a sweet, tiny thing. The cat was a beautiful tortoise color.<br />
As I loved on and petted the cat chunks of hair started falling out and the cat seemed very out of sorts, and <i>very</i> cold. Dan quickly cleaned out a small carrier we had in the basement so we could take the cat to our vet and I held the cat in my arms thinking that "our cat" had finally showed up just like I always thought it would. <br />
The last time I had seen the cat in the yard it was heading towards my neighbors house. If the cat had gone to that front porch it would have never been found as my neighbor is rarely home and wasn't there at this time. I think the cat sensed the energy of our dogs and the warmth of the farmhouse and felt that our house was a safe house.<br />
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As we drove the cat to the vet I was wondering if it was a girl or a boy. I just had this feeling that the cat was a girl. So, then, I started thinking what will we name her? The first name that came to me was "Daisy." Daisy was on my long list of dog names (I love dog names and always have a running list going, just in case!) when we adopted Magnolia and Louise, but as it turned out the names that we would call them came organically and didn't come off a list. Something about the cat just seemed to fit the name, so I thought to myself, Daisy it is!</div>
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When we got to our vet the first thing they did was check to see if she had a microchip. And, to all our surprise, she did! I held the cat in my arms to warm her, and Dan and I stayed in an examining room while the clinic called the microchip company and then called the phone number that was on the cat's account. After a few minutes they came in and told us that the cat was actually one of their clients. The dad answered the phone and was <i>shocked </i>to get the call because the cat had been missing for<i> 3 months</i>, and they had just assumed the cat was dead. He said he would be there as fast as he could.<br />
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Turns out the cat <b><i>was</i></b> a girl, she was 8 years old, and her name was......<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Daisy</i></span><br />
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I. kid. you. not. <br />
I about fell off the chair and freaked everyone out when I told them I had named her<i> Daisy</i> on the drive over. <br />
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<img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6NX6KLXSt_5hbzXoII-C6QEnEGSygP4ER4BD_TzwVk49Ia2JsVkGF69nx6IbHQ1Cd6bQAZODaw9cNaXl2AnEdHFHfJ_taFoeZ9y5HEedqhoLEkX0VYnuxRwE9iY5toSC760ly8nLlGgL/s640/5872.jpeg" width="640" /><br />
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Daisy normally weighed 8 to 9 pounds, but the day we found her she weighed 3 pounds. With her current health condition, which turned out to be <i>very</i> dire, and the impending hard freeze expected that night the vet and staff felt sure she would not have survived another day. Daisy was an indoor cat who escaped through an open window one lovely early fall afternoon. As the crow flies, she lives about a mile and a half from us. That she survived even one day, much less three months is amazing considering the thick woods between our house and hers are filled with all sorts of wildlife, and she would have been easy prey.<br />
We waited at the vet's to meet Daisy's family. The dad and two little boys quietly walked into the room and they were in complete shock that they are looking at their Daisy. Daisy's mom was at work when she got the call from her husband and broke down sobbing that Daisy had been found. The mom and dad had been gently trying to explain to the two little boys that Daisy was not coming home, but the little boys were convinced that Daisy would come home again! Ahhh, faith through the eyes of a child!<br />
Daisy had to stay at the vet's for over a week to be force fed and monitored. In the meantime Dan and I received texts, phone calls, a gift and cards from Daisy's family <i>and</i> Daisy's grandparents!! Turns out Daisy was one loved and missed little cat! Daisy arrived home right before Thanksgiving and received lots of love and attention and lots of licks on her face (per Daisy's mom) from her dog-brother!!<br />
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Daisy made weekly trips to the vet for weight checks and blood work which were all slowly improving! Daisy and her mom even stopped by the house one day on the way to the vet. It was so good to see her regaining her health, she was up over 7 pounds and her blood work was back to normal; she looked like a completely different cat than the one we found.<br />
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It had been several months and I had been thinking about Daisy a lot last week, for some reason, and kept meaning to check in to see how she was doing. Then several days later I got a text from Daisy's mom saying that Daisy's health had declined. She had developed diabetes and lost weight, back to almost 4 pounds. No doubt due to her time in the wilderness and the toll it took on her little body. Her family knew that their time with her was short, but they wanted me to know.<br />
<img height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1fTwH4jXu1eB-51RDq02ELp99EJLg7UbkVFP3kPgqvd1YAmB6KuvFfqxJ-Ajj6oTNntmxbc9pa4Ljyrq-mHayuinwb5_eBl8fiJptovAh97ptyFgsj_iRCrPToGNKi4KEdiloCCYL5KC/s640/8485.jpeg" width="640" /><br />
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This morning I received this text...<br />
<i>Hi Joan, this is the final update... we will be putting Daisy to rest later this morning. It's time. xoxo</i><br />
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We were so sad to get this news, but yet so grateful that Daisy got to go home and live out the rest of her life with love and her family.<br />
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It was late this morning that I was standing at the kitchen sink, on the phone with Dan, when out from the woods in the back meadow, not far from where I first spotted Daisy, was what appeared to be a bobcat. (We have not seen a bobcat/cat since that November day.)<br />
But was it??<br />
I had thought Daisy was a bobcat the first time I laid eyes on her too. It's raining and cold today and the windows are closed, but as I spoke to tell Dan what I was seeing, the cat stopped... turned its head and looked directly at me. I had chills. I walked upstairs to get the binoculars and I reached the window just as the cat was disappearing into the woods. I have not seen the cat since.<br />
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I think it was Daisy... coming to say goodbye.<br />
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We learned the day that we found Daisy that it is rare for people to microchip their indoor cats, thinking they don't need to because the cat live inside. Shelly, the wonderful woman who manages the front desk at our vet said in her 11 years of working there this is<i> the first time </i>she has ever seen a microchipped cat returned to its owner. She said on the rare occasion a cat is found with a microchip the information on the chip is outdated and the owner can not be found. <br />
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<i><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #666666; font-size: large;">So... this is a pet-friendly reminder, for the love of Daisy, to microchip your cats too and to all pet owners.... make sure your information is up to date!!</span></i><br />
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In honor of Daisy I have an "Adoptable <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Cat </b></span>of the Week" from Lytle, Texas Animal Care and Control posted at the top of my sidebar. Please share if you can.<br />
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Tomorrow I will find some <i>daisies</i> to take to her grieving family.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo via Pinterest</span><br />
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xxojoan<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-1859242160065293962017-04-08T14:46:00.000-04:002017-04-09T22:28:41.477-04:00for the love of a house in "The Boston Globe" !!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I am <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">extremely</span></i> honored and excited to tell you that tomorrow, Sunday April 9th, the farmhouse and blog will be featured in a special spring home hunt section, called "Address" in<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Boston Globe </span>!!!<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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You can read the online article <a href="http://realestate.boston.com/style/2017/04/05/from-texas-to-n-h-for-the-love-of-a-home/" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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Update Sunday, April 9th<br />
Here it is in print!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWKQYek8WGJatwIhSVuLU3Mt62Di1HKTL2_xpkHf0mvr-R_ZyMhZqfhyphenhyphenhin9WwnDX8Y5cwcle_o5fCghm7L3oTbEFhwnjGKgEeajhoDAY6uObzEPrXS6pfbccUUDkmtLWSjpNH6rGEcI1/s1600/IMG_3408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWKQYek8WGJatwIhSVuLU3Mt62Di1HKTL2_xpkHf0mvr-R_ZyMhZqfhyphenhyphenhin9WwnDX8Y5cwcle_o5fCghm7L3oTbEFhwnjGKgEeajhoDAY6uObzEPrXS6pfbccUUDkmtLWSjpNH6rGEcI1/s640/IMG_3408.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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xoxjoan<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-69447711864894310292017-03-14T20:29:00.003-04:002017-03-14T20:41:44.282-04:00Nor'easter March 2017 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post is for all my southern peeps who were asking to see snow photos from </div>
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around the farmhouse on Instagram today. I posted a video this morning of the snow event, aka blizzard, we are having. If you don't follow me on IG (Instagram) (<i>and you really should!</i>:):):) then you can click on my photos from Instagram from my sidebar > to view the video. </div>
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Yesterday (when we had zero snow on the ground) I wrote on IG that I was pretty sure Dan and I are the only people in New England not quite ready for spring<i> just yet</i> and we were excited to have some more snow. I was pleased to get a lot of comments from New Englanders who shared our sentiments. Nice to know we aren't the only crazy ones;):)</div>
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By definition a "blizzard" (i.e. big crazy snowstorm) has to meet three defined criteria to qualify as a blizzard: <br />
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2. Considerable falling and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to under a quarter mile.<br />
3. The above conditions must continue for at least three consecutive hours!</div>
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So, put on your gloves, hats, coats and boots and join us in our blizzard!</div>
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The stone beehives at the entrance. View from the road</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWji3deFN8gmXHxcRhNbG1VxCy3pxhugLqU8_Z4vGeS3gEoo6a1-SRd9cL30pkHz657thg2OmjI6TF6avp9s_TWYmtttLFkJ_bIWBsmYYbR3xDXJqLhIDvlNsefx8hKdh0hT1hbRaHdPb/s1600/2017-03-14+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWji3deFN8gmXHxcRhNbG1VxCy3pxhugLqU8_Z4vGeS3gEoo6a1-SRd9cL30pkHz657thg2OmjI6TF6avp9s_TWYmtttLFkJ_bIWBsmYYbR3xDXJqLhIDvlNsefx8hKdh0hT1hbRaHdPb/s640/2017-03-14+003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had about 14" when Dan and Big Blue braved the elements to plow the drive and create a p-patch for the girls! They had tried to go out just prior to this and got to the bottom of the front steps and couldn't get beyond. Daddy and Big Blue to the rescue!</div>
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You can see how deep the snow is in this shot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaq8cP_IFV5wbjOxef4WHqyfLPtrcg6hr_p8KsQla2sbGPwgsKWMQXQv_pCSCjfCayyHaNDM9bn58gZWRSZbrRHg1zvfjKaHR8r0fnzpleXaYJ0ITCKMZKZGx5CewrZw2QFAUTaSCDJJo/s1600/2017-03-14+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaq8cP_IFV5wbjOxef4WHqyfLPtrcg6hr_p8KsQla2sbGPwgsKWMQXQv_pCSCjfCayyHaNDM9bn58gZWRSZbrRHg1zvfjKaHR8r0fnzpleXaYJ0ITCKMZKZGx5CewrZw2QFAUTaSCDJJo/s640/2017-03-14+010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thank you to my "plowboy" for taking all these cold exterior shots!</div>
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<img height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhuGY5q6F-3zKixjHikem3hpQyXEwpAAkcdplK-LIA0wYVyT6tN4Wioh7DS4QkWJklHJIkV7Cu-k37BNiFYp8LxQmP8uMYc5l8YDbXt9nwtZYvx7BL2-lV9i_Pyt5M7dz2G8c0akmoSfu/s640/2017-03-14+019.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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As quickly as Big Blue could plow a path, the snow would quickly fill back in.</div>
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<img height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Chyphenhyphen3niIs1FhRRY4wsgT8kIU9OD18WlbSObCVBSfO4chRBVQfWaZvbjDQfT1C6iQ99dPvEAZ-QOlD7MPFdTmD2mhVBujkVwLvSN3ylwPXZPf_t0DxYihPc9QQ3Ncx85dMzBzJeG_O4Isq/s640/2017-03-14+020.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmFcOEgejuI-tlRzfiPrv5lpNEATOvGgjQUzWGrx-lctLVYgLwElDDl4P8NFSyRuvfqJ61qgcSOtcnTztahYWe9FDblILfd54lkLl7pVJkMeEopYAmE_arkWSXCWw5rQvcJO4R-1yvNr6/s1600/20170314_174009+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmFcOEgejuI-tlRzfiPrv5lpNEATOvGgjQUzWGrx-lctLVYgLwElDDl4P8NFSyRuvfqJ61qgcSOtcnTztahYWe9FDblILfd54lkLl7pVJkMeEopYAmE_arkWSXCWw5rQvcJO4R-1yvNr6/s640/20170314_174009+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The upstairs master bedroom porch. Our winter has been so mild we never got around to putting the porch furniture away :( The wind blew the chair in the forefront to the center of the porch.</div>
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The view from the master bedroom.</div>
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Snow piled on the new copper roof from a window in the south guest bedroom.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPo3-KRuoyQf6guBh60XBhyphenhyphen6wEf_7brqKDjAtW_GRwMAG9Zk2vZmTL7E3V4WWjtX6mAeT9Z9JfI0BkqrtIRpcR10Mmj99Uur2NovdCo9qz2NOizfm_XAqviQQ7ye6tFxMkLClW_cuXfHI/s640/2017-03-14+037.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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The upstairs hall. Again, the shadow at the base of the window is snow accumulation on the copper roof at the front porch.</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcVEm2o4Ag1l2uSPbp-B8LS0lXwRdJzwwYiF35Ye6IuJP4iwoFOzXLPIdPK5_nMluzAQ3Osxuya4xuXI64557t682qoG_qeG2f331gXb4G5mztt-Uzsx9cex5HzBHkeVoQAGL3T_sg02x/s640/2017-03-14+038.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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Different angle, but still pretty!</div>
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<img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPRKEmd0-UvwnnGpJZ1OfB5e7tGSs0z5sFmr5e6DfXxkfsmvCMK7h6hArAiEMOcqAN4Nmwvk3ybgT4vl1mhOR8GBDuxgo13A-iikRQTUVVXONgIL5PeE7w70F_FBQJ477xSXmSF4m2dF2/s640/2017-03-14+036.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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Snow blown and stacked on a kitchen window.</div>
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The plowboy's down gloves drying over a heat vent!</div>
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The kitchen porch with a big pile of blown snow in the middle.</div>
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View from a dining room window.</div>
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Another pretty view from the kitchen window.</div>
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The winds have been so strong that the snow has blown off the roof.</div>
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The girls going outside this evening! Magnolia and Louise always forgo the steps and sail right over the top! Louise is in the front, Magnolia is in the air and Ella is bringing up the rear!</div>
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These southern girls love the snow!</div>
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Silly Magnolia (in the center) is crouched behind a mini snow berm waiting to play "attack" her sissy, Louise, as she approaches</div>
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The attack unfolds!</div>
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The "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_hour" target="_blank">blue hour</a>" from the living room.</div>
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The blue hour from the reading room.</div>
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Looking into the courtyard from the reading room.</div>
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The girlies waiting to be given the okay to snatch up their <a href="http://charleebear.com/" target="_blank">Charlie Bear</a> treats!!</div>
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"Okay!!!!"</div>
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It has been a wonderful, beautiful snow day, safe and sound in the farmhouse with a fire going, coffee and tea, breakfast as dinner, and lots of puppy sugar. The girls love the snow, but they are quick to go outside, do their business and come immediately back in! Smart southern girls:)<br />
Hope your day has been warm, safe and cozy too!<br />
xxojoan<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-34758431948455374302017-02-14T15:27:00.000-05:002017-02-14T18:50:50.690-05:00Happy Valentine's Day...come to a Celtic wedding at the farmhouse<br />
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Well... not a "<i>real</i>" wedding, but a wedding photoshoot for my very charming, talented, detail-oriented and fun friend- event planner <a href="http://www.eventsbysorrell.com/about" target="_blank">Sorrell Downing</a> of <a href="http://www.eventsbysorrell.com/" target="_blank">Events by Sorrell</a>! </div>
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The photoshoot highlighted a long list of talent from makeup artist, hair stylist, florist, baker, calligraphy artist not to mention an amazing photographer, <a href="http://preftakesphoto.com/about.html" target="_blank">Kate Preftakes</a> of <a href="http://preftakesphoto.com/" target="_blank">Kate Preftakes Photograpghy</a>, gifted florist <a href="http://posiesbytrim.com/design%20inspiration.htm" target="_blank">Trim Hahn </a>of<a href="http://posiesbytrim.com/index.htm" target="_blank"> Posies by Trim,</a> and of course meticulous planning by Sorrell to bring it all together. I had the opportunity to work with Sorrell and Kate to style some of the photos, which was so fun. It was a fabulous day surrounded by creativity! </div>
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Since today is Valentine's I thought it was the perfect day to share these photos from the photoshoot with you! It is also the time to start thinking about and booking your wedding planner and photographer for your upcoming summer wedding. Sorrell, Kate and Trim do events all around New England, and I<u> highly</u> recommend them. </div>
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Since the photos I take of the farmhouse are all photos of rooms and design, I thought it would be fun for you to see some of the rooms with people in them for a different perspective.</div>
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This post contains a <i>lot</i> of photos since <i>all</i> the photos that Kate took were beautiful and they were all my favorites I had a difficult time narrowing them down. Except for the large punch bowl and cups, all table pieces (i.e. napkins, glasses, flatware, candles, etc.) are mine.</div>
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I know you will enjoy all the photos as much as I do!</div>
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<i>Credits and contact info for contributors can be found the end of this post. </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>All photos: Kate Preftakes Photography</b></span></div>
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CREDITS:</div>
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Event Planner: <a href="http://www.eventsbysorrell.com/" target="_blank">Events by Sorrell</a></div>
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Photographer: <a href="http://preftakesphoto.com/index.html" target="_blank">Kate Preftakes Photography</a></div>
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Flowers: <a href="http://posiesbytrim.com/" target="_blank"> Posies by Trim</a></div>
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Cake: <a href="http://frostthisnh.com/home.html" target="_blank">Frost This Bakery</a></div>
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Caligraphy: <a href="http://www.southerncalligraphy.com/" target="_blank"> Southern Caligraphy</a></div>
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Hair & Makeup: <a href="http://studio105hairdesign.com/stylists/" target="_blank">Terri Crowe- Studio 105 Hair Design</a></div>
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Dress: Melissa Decatur Martel</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;"> Decatur Martel </span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">Melissa Decatur Martel </span></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-54988560825552199312017-02-05T13:14:00.002-05:002017-02-08T21:45:03.767-05:00It's a new year... bring some joy to your life! <div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">ADOPT!!!</span> <br />
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It will change your life, change the life of a dog/cat that<i> needs you</i>, plus open up another space in a shelter/rescue for another homeless pet.... win/win/win!!! </div>
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If I could bottle the laughs/joy/love/happiness that our three rescue dogs bring us every day I swear people would pay <b>a lot</b> of money for just one bottle. I can't imagine<i> not </i>having these three girls in our lives; and as this is our first time to have three! at once, I never realized how much fun having multiple dogs can be!<br />
But, since I can't bottle up the laughs/joy/love/happiness I can at least share with you some much deserving sweet dogs and cats from the City of Lytle Texas Animal Care and Control (a kill shelter btw) that <i><b>need you</b></i>. The shelter transports dogs and cats to both the east and west coasts! <br />
Be sure to watch the videos which really show the personality of the individual dog/cat! Also, please share with anyone you know who might be in need of some laughs/joy/love and happiness in their life!! <br />
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Click on the dog/cat's name to read more information about them and to watch a video (most have videos.)<br />
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If you would like more information or have any questions, or would like to fill out an application for adoption on any of these precious babies, please contact <i>Alice</i> at: <b> alicesavesdogs@gmail.com</b><br />
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Alice also has a YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVwVDbnWJAOGizkERMYzM3w" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">HERE</span></a> where you will find more videos! Many of the dogs have multiple videos, so take a look and subscribe, I do!<br />
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(If you'd like to read the story of how "<i>I</i>" "adopted" this shelter :):) <a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2016/03/updated-lytle-animal-shelter-dogs.html" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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Meet their dogs<i><b> and </b></i>cats:<br />
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<a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37353922#video-holder" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Dutchess</span></i></a>!<br />
A 1-1/2 year old, 30 lb. sweet, <i>sweet</i> girl! You must watch this sweet girl's video.<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEfprBOPXaWZMIN4VbVm4vGwI0yZAgTiANKoOAwNp_30dpt2p-86ODSqYpSDy4PsrEHtM6hbhDjr2XOwsjRnuNDqGeeeqtt9MP9K791ZcW1Amd8IbO0fTqO0d1_LO_UL_iKNwj5pT1a1m/s400/dutchess.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37355527" target="_blank">Grady</a></span></i><br />
A sweet, shy lovebug. He is 1 year old and weighs only 20 lbs!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37095867" target="_blank">Elvis</a></span></i><br />
3 years old and 45 lbs!<i> </i>Sweet shepherd mix. Look at that face!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllqYzRCCPRGmg1InaOPC69LX2yyV_vvWirPDH2fRwgCT14fYTaFsbcAX_dLlC9jXB51sDe6fC4oJm75oSb8cT99fIiGraHTQ1vk-cx7HFKmNiRnFs8JLvviKVL3VHapQB-Mkax0Zk8cTA/s1600/Elvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllqYzRCCPRGmg1InaOPC69LX2yyV_vvWirPDH2fRwgCT14fYTaFsbcAX_dLlC9jXB51sDe6fC4oJm75oSb8cT99fIiGraHTQ1vk-cx7HFKmNiRnFs8JLvviKVL3VHapQB-Mkax0Zk8cTA/s400/Elvis.jpg" width="346" /></a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37195035" target="_blank">Callista</a>- <b><span style="color: red;">ADOPTED!!!!</span></b> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">by Elizabeth in NH!!!!!!!</span></i><br />
This precious little 1 year old girl is a Shar Pei mix and weighs only 30lbs! She is an amazing and very special girl. The shelter staff says she is a gem!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37353895" target="_blank">Beau</a></span></i><br />
3 year old Bernese Mountain Dog mix. Beautiful and gentle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKj0AKRy4qGrg9IzCDfg5Fe-acmhH8S9BIeYSAH9dM-doKeftGUTz0XyXihfvReaW6Mfjq2LjMoMU2uS7e7NnX5LWls48FDYU4Xs0V7S9Gljm_JBHvAo-ieXYT0_dNK9AF_QqkaU1NTxb/s1600/Beau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKj0AKRy4qGrg9IzCDfg5Fe-acmhH8S9BIeYSAH9dM-doKeftGUTz0XyXihfvReaW6Mfjq2LjMoMU2uS7e7NnX5LWls48FDYU4Xs0V7S9Gljm_JBHvAo-ieXYT0_dNK9AF_QqkaU1NTxb/s400/Beau.jpg" width="389" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/36669445" target="_blank">Callie</a></span></i><br />
6-7 months old, 20 lbs. Playful and smart puppy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtchY-hQZDo0GRehyvs7GBM1KaOW2ZyAvIsdFKx_TC0sVq_qrAik5ZcEpInczXLkvAyfO_-CI3jkl0i7MhCs1B7WgwMwiMS3KjeUzWDcVjNoGBJJVW1b5SHcDY6_SuaN9CuWw26EGM3Gd/s1600/callie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtchY-hQZDo0GRehyvs7GBM1KaOW2ZyAvIsdFKx_TC0sVq_qrAik5ZcEpInczXLkvAyfO_-CI3jkl0i7MhCs1B7WgwMwiMS3KjeUzWDcVjNoGBJJVW1b5SHcDY6_SuaN9CuWw26EGM3Gd/s400/callie.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37353486" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Gavin</span></i> </a><br />
10 years old, 7 lbs. with lots of love to give. He is a very special, "good" boy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJkccCnwCEjI22Q1YBAXGDelqWzq3kNyH9h1G46Uoy3Xr5F02O1S2nW29z9tvGnVCssyPI_JT8hfluYgRYt0oeHxnTKxsCnEvAa6zs762QgfCx-slAKfBFBLoFChej1hiGrlhZJ-Rm6lx/s1600/gavin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJkccCnwCEjI22Q1YBAXGDelqWzq3kNyH9h1G46Uoy3Xr5F02O1S2nW29z9tvGnVCssyPI_JT8hfluYgRYt0oeHxnTKxsCnEvAa6zs762QgfCx-slAKfBFBLoFChej1hiGrlhZJ-Rm6lx/s400/gavin.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37356240/" target="_blank">Mona</a></span></i><br />
3-1/2 years old, 50 lb. she is friendly and sweet girl who gets along great with all dogs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuA2lU3lvESRIxlbiAnzWNi4M9CDO7kKdBbzfrhscBIniZHLhF7gXVvUZWEEwR3TSB3lY8dv2r_8TAVzmC_DCo3YWM0rT0pG7EB8mxbT-ffGGkrlJ1Uj8Dbhm5J255J87Zy1XjvjnjmPX/s1600/mona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuA2lU3lvESRIxlbiAnzWNi4M9CDO7kKdBbzfrhscBIniZHLhF7gXVvUZWEEwR3TSB3lY8dv2r_8TAVzmC_DCo3YWM0rT0pG7EB8mxbT-ffGGkrlJ1Uj8Dbhm5J255J87Zy1XjvjnjmPX/s400/mona.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37355309" target="_blank">Juan</a></span></i><br />
3 years old, 15 pound and sweet, did I mention sweet?! Must watch his video! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NvXWw1dzIPJ-kJG1nNn3IOzkBo3aEvzpVfIX98MazX8GFHq6eOl6Lo0owkkB1Eme5Hot0UmUJx-s84FGQSPjLMBNtEfEVxMViAyLnwKLfowOYpZfQ_mdlj5QkDXGnI_ISgjliea16Cli/s1600/Juan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NvXWw1dzIPJ-kJG1nNn3IOzkBo3aEvzpVfIX98MazX8GFHq6eOl6Lo0owkkB1Eme5Hot0UmUJx-s84FGQSPjLMBNtEfEVxMViAyLnwKLfowOYpZfQ_mdlj5QkDXGnI_ISgjliea16Cli/s400/Juan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37248645" target="_blank">Jacque</a></span></i><br />
4 months old and gorgeous!! He gets along well with other cats and dogs! Look at the video to see his gorgeous coat!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUEUetniFbz8PzCF7j4nFWmLsuAW-96THl12xE0a719t1QlKdB03JxV4o30afEsSWi9SGWh6lFT-_IQ5R7GB9v1nMJqfKL0Q7PhHDr_QmpkSE0hOGpxoi40hvgUZgPyMdIt3ibspGymsO/s1600/jacque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUEUetniFbz8PzCF7j4nFWmLsuAW-96THl12xE0a719t1QlKdB03JxV4o30afEsSWi9SGWh6lFT-_IQ5R7GB9v1nMJqfKL0Q7PhHDr_QmpkSE0hOGpxoi40hvgUZgPyMdIt3ibspGymsO/s400/jacque.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37248716" target="_blank">Dak</a></span></i><br />
Affectionate, low-key... and ahh-dorable dachshund mix born to a stray dog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m0v-20N6N3VJRz320R1e2XnyUoIQT15pxlbf5HgA7XtaFTrEmgaHKvpH_Dx6a_NbETIFHbEToDjKGLvg7TgPssiDQSPZKBv8bDbAUNh4eRsymbsxGejDeDsbR6902NSI72oOnFDyaj-g/s1600/dak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m0v-20N6N3VJRz320R1e2XnyUoIQT15pxlbf5HgA7XtaFTrEmgaHKvpH_Dx6a_NbETIFHbEToDjKGLvg7TgPssiDQSPZKBv8bDbAUNh4eRsymbsxGejDeDsbR6902NSI72oOnFDyaj-g/s400/dak.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37246540" target="_blank">Lilly </a></span><br />
1 year old, 50 lbs Staffordshire/Lab mix is a happy, fun energetic girl who is good with other dogs! She will want an active family!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm33QmXx7dN8fyR22dmLWtthg_3mUHRJbM3pWV97XxxuQw1mSqt_LMEBhhwUo4YO9AduxIoKt3x4P8fzIwqYPNa3nllf6ISrFhBP48_p3wF683lPrsVfwLL23tNX_z8_NXX8MMQkb7E3r/s1600/lilly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm33QmXx7dN8fyR22dmLWtthg_3mUHRJbM3pWV97XxxuQw1mSqt_LMEBhhwUo4YO9AduxIoKt3x4P8fzIwqYPNa3nllf6ISrFhBP48_p3wF683lPrsVfwLL23tNX_z8_NXX8MMQkb7E3r/s400/lilly.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37248574" target="_blank">Jewel</a></span></i><br />
Gorgeous 4 month old (Jacques' sister) She is good with other cats and dogs!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37353611" target="_blank">Ryan</a></span></i><br />
This cute little girl is an Australian Shepherd mix will be about 50 lbs when she is full grown<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37353540" target="_blank">Stevie</a></span></i><br />
A female terrier mix. She will probably be around15-20 lbs when full grown. She has a high-energy level as most terriers do and will need an active home to be a happy girl!<br />
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<a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37248704" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Trevor</span></i></a><br />
A dachshund with maybe beagle mix that is sweet and affectionate!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37355940/" target="_blank">Tiger </a></span></i><br />
This precious angel was dumped weighing only 1.5 ounces :( He is now well, cuddly and<i> very </i>affectionate thanks to the loving care of Rachel, at the shelter! <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/37356465/" target="_blank">Panda</a></span></i><br />
Precious 1-1/2 year old, 30 lb. male Shepherd mix is sweet, smart and a cuddle muffin!!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Please spread the word: <i> <a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2016/03/opt-to-adopt.html" target="_blank">Opt to Adopt!!!</a></i></span></b><br />
xxojoan<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-22042502140725840292017-01-12T11:22:00.002-05:002017-01-12T23:18:17.613-05:00a copper roof for christmas<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXe0MmgVc8GPAn4XefhlAVs8mzCWjVwbVHTgJ887-v-AtqTENjgViDNL2WByw8H1_y-veTxHlfKZ3cf7yWNiTxNfRGu4Jw2BcbgCwVjVEgQs8UzXY7BkdntJmbPFLiGp_G-7YwloqNp93/s1600/20170102_174247.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXe0MmgVc8GPAn4XefhlAVs8mzCWjVwbVHTgJ887-v-AtqTENjgViDNL2WByw8H1_y-veTxHlfKZ3cf7yWNiTxNfRGu4Jw2BcbgCwVjVEgQs8UzXY7BkdntJmbPFLiGp_G-7YwloqNp93/s640/20170102_174247.png" width="624" /></a></div>
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The farmhouse got a copper roof for Christmas! We have wanted a copper roof over the front porch of the farmhouse ever since we renovated the house and added the composite roof, but at the time it wasn't financially feasible. Since removing the black exterior shutters this past summer when we repainted the house HERE we felt the house would look especially fabulous with a front portch copper roof. We also have a couple of places where we desperately need gutters, over the front door being one, where water run off was causing damage. For those of you who don't live in a cold/snowy climate gutters in the north are a love/hate item. You love them until the snow melts and creates ice damns and the weight of the ice pulls the gutters off the house, then you hate them. You could call them a necessary evil. I would guess that the majority of houses here do not have them. This past summer we got serious about copper gutters and roof and sought out bids from several companies/individuals (that were across the board crazy btw.) We decided upon which roofing company to go with, then... as we are wont to do 😏 with projects after a busy project-filled summer, we got tired, then lazy and simply let the roof slide off our to-do list. Then we were <i>really</i> bummed as we watched copper prices quickly started to inch their way up, thinking we had missed the copper boat. </div>
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A week before Christmas the metal roofing company called <i>totally out of the blue</i> and asked if we would like them to start the roof tomorrow. Tomorrow?? We had snow on the roof and heavy rain and wind in the forecast. So, what did we said, but "<i>Of course</i>!!!" The company also held to our original bid price, so that sealed the deal. Much to our surprise we found out that roofing companies work year-round here. I asked what they would do if we had 8" of snow on the roof and they said they would (snow) rake it and use heaters to remove the rest. New Englanders are a hardy bunch... a <strike>little</strike> lot of snow doesn't deter them one bit. It was a two-day project with demo starting two days before Christmas and the roof was completed two days after. It was a delightful Christmas surprise for us and the farmhouse! This old girl (yes, our house is a girl- she has a skirt <a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2009/02/all-sorts-of-progress.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> :) is wearing her new bling proudly. The roof is a standing-seam roof. </div>
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We will let the roof naturally patinate (which will take years, first turning brown) and will add <a href="http://www.egutter.com/Half-Round-Copper-Gutters" target="_blank">copper half-round gutters</a> next spring. </div>
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Thought you would like to see the project evolve.</div>
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The farmhouse "Before" with her black composite roof covered with a bit of snow.</div>
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The side view which shows the living room bay window to be covered in copper.</div>
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And it begins! The rain and wind I mentioned, along with warmer temp (thankfully) melted all our snow just in time for installation day!</div>
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Doesn't she look pretty?!</div>
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We are quite smitten with the farmhouse's new jewelry and think she looks absolutely perfect now! These last two photos were taken yesterday. We had pounding rain the night before which melted all the snow on the roof and we have highs in the 50'syesterday and today. Crazy. It feels more like a spring mud day than winter in New Hamphsire.</div>
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So... what do you think?!!! Do you like the farmhouse's new bling?!!<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-79895533648225509862017-01-08T16:11:00.000-05:002017-01-08T16:12:16.080-05:00for the love of a house kitchen in New Hampshire Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am excited to share with you our kitchen featured in <a href="http://www.nhmagazine.com/" target=""><i>New Hampshire Magazine</i></a>!</div>
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The lovely, fun and talented <a href="http://homeglowdesign.com/" target="_blank">Amy Mitchell of Home Glow Design</a> also writes for <i>New Hampshire Magazine. </i><br />
The magazine article is <a href="http://www.nhmagazine.com/January-2017/Shaker-Style-for-Today/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Amy also did a blog post on her blog<a href="http://homeglowdesign.com/2017/01/07/timeless-shaker-style-kitchen-wont-hate-10-years-get-look/" target="_blank"> HERE</a>. <br />
I love the history of a shaker kitchen that Amy has included in her post and think you might enjoy a different perspective of the kitchen from someone other than myself :)</div>
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With permission from the photographer Sabrina Baloun of <a href="http://www.sabrinacolequinnphoto.com/cover-page/" target="_blank">Sabrina Cole Quinn Photography</a> , I wanted to share with you the photos from the shoot! <br />
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To read all the details of the kitchen from my earlier post <a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/kitchen-details.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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<br />for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-64125205733006833372017-01-02T13:26:00.000-05:002017-01-02T14:51:56.020-05:00Happy New Year to you!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing and fun holiday season and you are excited as I am about this new year! I think it is going to be a <i>great</i> one. </div>
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Thank you to everyone who left your calling card on the Christmas tray for our holiday tradition. I heard from several people that they tried and couldn't leave their card. I am sorry for the<br />
blogger issue, but so appreciate that you tried and then contacted me on <a href="https://snapwidget.com/v/in/1418451696199306270_44349485/?ref=eyJpdiI6IkpCUHJMakRSVnp5aExZcGtZb0RHUnc9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiSHdhblk5ODJWVUVPZTd3Y01ZQnQrdzM4Q29cL3M3UDUxb0o5M0p3MGNwd1NvTFM5cWRVSG84VjFOYnp6MjhhWUxzUXlYZENKV0ZTTFNhYWU4N0E5XC9NQT09IiwibWFjIjoiNjAwNGQ1YjMyMjg0ODAyNTdiNDgxNDQxMDQzOWY0OTYxMDQyNmRiMDFlNDI3NmViOGVlZjQ4NDJjODZiZWFlNCJ9" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and email. It is always <u><b>so</b></u> lovely to hear from all of you and read about you; and is nice to hear from those of you who usually come and go quietly. Your comments remind me that you are still here reading and inspire me to continue to write, so thank you!</div>
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Speaking of which... I am <u>really</u> excited about upcoming blog posts I have to share with you, so please stay tuned! Please don't miss the adorable "Beasley" -my adoptable dog of the week from Lytle, Texas who is available for transport to the east or west coast!<br />
You <i>must</i> watch the video!! He is just so sweet and precious! Such a lovebug! He also has a brother that looks just like him. Would love for you to <i>share </i>all the dogs that I post so that together we can find them their forever homes.</div>
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Until then... <i><span style="font-size: large;">I wish you health, peace, love and joy in the new year!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">xxojoan</span></div>
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<br />for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-55183915152528345272016-12-22T15:50:00.002-05:002016-12-22T15:50:24.521-05:00Please leave your calling card.... a holiday tradition<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.56px;"> As you might recall from Christmas' past, this antique Victorian brass tray is a favorite of mine that I like to bring out this time of year. It was originally silver-plated, but now only </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.56px;">hints</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.56px;"> of silver remain on the solid brass tray.</span></div>
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It is marked... .</div>
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<strong style="line-height: 21px;"><em>MA<br />from<br />Mary and Nannie<br />Christmas<br />1881</em></strong></div>
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<i>Over the years I have spent hours wondering who was MA?, who were Mary and Nannie?, what was their Christmas like the year this beautiful tray was given as a gift?, where did they live?, and on and on...</i></div>
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<i>Just as I wonder about these three people whose names are engraved on an antique tray that has a presence in my home, I also wonder about <strong><u>you</u></strong>, who also have a presence here. <strong></strong></i><br /><i>Some of you I know, as you leave me dear comments or send emails....but others of you remain a mystery. On my site meter I get repeat visits from places that are near and dear to us, and places that are far away and magical. Dan and I often talk about and wonder who <u>all </u>of you are!</i><br /><br />One year I mentioned that I would notice a regular visitor from a tiny town in Oregon and that we would love to know who that person was, as Dan's father (who died when he was two) is buried in a cemetery in this small town.<br /><div>
Several days after Christmas that year I received an email from the woman. I cried as I read it to Dan. She wrote that she lived within walking distance of the cemetery where Dan's father is buried, that her son learned to ride his bike there, and that she and her husband often take walks in the cemetery. To know that someone across the country <em>just happened</em> to find my blog, and now visits our home, and to know that that person lives so close to Dan's father's resting place, and that this all happened because we share <em>a love of houses </em>is a sweet and dear connection that makes the world seem that much smaller. </div>
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You just never know the connections that we <em>all</em> have to one another... . </div>
<br />It was the custom in the period of this Victorian tray, that guests would leave their printed "calling cards" in trays at the homes they visited. </div>
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It has become a Christmas tradition on the blog to put out the tray and invite<b> you </b>to leave your</div>
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"calling card" and tell us who you are, where you live, and/or anything else about yourself that you wish to share.</div>
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We would<u> <strong><i>love</i></strong></u> to hear from each and every one of you- those who visit regularly, and those of you who usually come and go quietly!!</div>
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<i>Please leave your calling card in the tray!</i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">From our home to yours...</span></i></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas - Merry Everything!!</span></b></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Joan and Dan</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Louise, Ella and Magnolia</span></i></div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com312tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-58601540041043166242016-11-25T15:36:00.002-05:002016-12-01T11:21:48.859-05:00giving thanks and a giveaway<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! </div>
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I hope you had a <i>wonderful </i>Thanksgiving day. </div>
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We had a very relaxing, simple day filled with lots of puppy love (and football;)</div>
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We are very grateful to have so much to be thankful for. I think it is important to be thankful <i>every day</i>, so Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.</div>
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I usually make the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal even for just the two of us, but this year decided to opt out. I can <b><i>not</i></b> figure out how one single meal takes three days to prepare, but as you all know, <i>it does</i>. Instead, we had pizza and margaritas! It was fun and whimsical and perfect for the cold, rainy weather we had and sitting in front of the fireplace in the barn room.</div>
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Before we head on into Christmas, and winter, I wanted to share this artwork of Ella that the very talented, and oh-so-kind, <i>Patricia Van Essche </i>of <a href="http://www.pvedesign.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>PVE Design</b></span></a> painted of Ella from a photo I posted on the blog several years ago. She, then kindly sent me this print of the painting. I framed it in an antique gilt frame.</div>
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Patricia captured the essence of Ella in this piece and I love it so much. </div>
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Contact Patricia if you would like a painting of your own dog. I know several people personally who have had her paint their pets and they are so happy with the final work. </div>
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Patricia also paints houses! To read all about the painting she did of the farmhouse and the notecards she sent please click <a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2011/11/talented-patricia-van-essche.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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Patricia's artwork makes a wonderful gift and since we are coming into <i>that season</i> I wanted to share her work with you in case you were in need of a special gift.</div>
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The original photograph of Ella from the blog.</div>
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Patricia captured Ella so beautifully.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif;">Patricia is also a Director for the fabulous<a href="https://www.indiahicks.com/rep/pve" target="_blank"> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>India Hicks</i></span></a> , and has offered to</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif;"> give away one of India's candles to my readers! I am personally crushing on the description of The Grove, but do tell me <i>which candle you would chose?!</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif;">Head over to<a href="https://www.indiahicks.com/rep/pve" target="_blank"> India's website</a> and have a look around. There are wonderful accessories, jewelry and bags that would make for a great gift!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif;">Giveaway will close Wednesday, November 30th at 8pm EST. I will contact the winner via email, so p</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif;">lease be sure to leave your contact information in your entry comment! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b>Casuarina</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>The simple green fragrance from the Casuarina tree that I pass by as I walk my dogs at dawn down our jungle path. The island only just beginning to stir, my own house still asleep. A time of silence, before the madness begins</i>.</span></div>
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<b><i>Black Hibiscus</i></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: , , serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Tea and oranges: England in the tropics, captured by the suggestion of sea air, oranges and Earl Grey tea.</i></span></div>
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<b><i>The Grove</i></b></div>
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<i>This fragrance is reminiscent of our island palm grove, stretching lazily from our terrace down towards the end of the garden. We planted this avenue the year our first child was born. A seductive concoction of mandarin, orange blossom, gardenia petals and salty air</i></div>
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<i>Our candle burns for a good long time, believe me I have tested this, at every Get Together I light our candle to bring a little bit of home.</i></div>
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On a final note, I want to thank <b><u>you </u></b>for your interest in our farmhouse, my decorating, our lives, and our sweet rescue girls. Your presence here is a great gift in my life and I am ever so thankful for you.<br />
Post Script: don't forget to check out the adorable adoptable dog of the week (and watch the video) on the top of my sidebar!!! </div>
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xxojoan<br />
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Post script:<br />
After deducting the 4 extra comments that left a total of 96 entries.<br />
My Little Bungalow is the winner. <br />
Congratulations Claudia!<br />
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com90tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6005324767450032096.post-13164391964606363352016-11-11T12:50:00.000-05:002016-11-11T12:50:28.947-05:00Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins<div style="text-align: center;">
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These Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffin are <i>the ultimate taste of fall- </i>sweet with a burst of tart from the cranberries. They are<i><u> a-mazing</u></i>! I have made this recipe every fall for over a decade now, tweaking the original recipe, that I found in a cooking magazine, here and there. I can not tell you how many times I have had people say they are the best muffins they have ever had! Seriously, they are <i>that</i> good. They would be <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">perfect</span></i></b> for Thanksgiving breakfast! And since Thanksgiving is <i>right around the corner</i> I wanted to share it with you. I shared this recipe on the blog several years ago, but wanted to remind you how wonderful they are, and share with my new readers who might have missed it.</div>
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So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!</div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<em><span style="color: #ff6600;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins/Bread</span></u></b></span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">(this recipe makes 4 dozen muffins or two 9 x5 loaves)</span><br />
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<u style="font-size: 15.4px;"><i>dry ingredients</i>:</u><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">3 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1 Tablespoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">3/8 teaspoon ground cloves (3/8 t. is = to a slightly rounded 1/4 t.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">2 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt</span><br />
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<i style="font-size: 15.4px;"><u>wet ingredients</u></i><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">2-1/2 cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1/2 cup butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1/2 cup vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">4 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1 can 100% pumpkin (15oz.) I use Organic</span></div>
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1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice and</div>
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zest of one orange</div>
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3 cups cranberries (if using frozen cranberries, add frozen directly to mixture, no need to thaw)<br />
2 cups chopped Pecans,or nut of your chosing (I use a large chop, as opposed to fine)<br />
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<i><br /><u>Directions</u></i>:<br />
Preheat oven to 350.<br />
Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. OR butter<span style="font-size: 15.4px;"> two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans</span><br />
Blend dry ingredients. Set aside.<br />
Creme sugar and butter, then add oil.<br />
Add eggs (one at a time), orange juice, and pumpkin.<br />
Add dry ingredients to wet, blending until just moist.<br />
Fold in cranberries and pecans.</div>
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I fill a large ice cream scoop <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VLTLQFM?ie=UTF8&tag=forthelove005-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B00VLTLQFM" target="_blank">HERE</a> to<i> level</i>, then place in the cupcake liners to make filling easy.</div>
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<i>Bake:</i> </div>
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25 or 30 minutes for muffins, OR <span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes for loaves (or when cake tester comes out clean.)</span><br />
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Enjoy!</div>
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xxojoan</div>
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for the love of a househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13151787635612708698noreply@blogger.com33