No title...

I have no title for this post because I don't know what I want to say. I will start by numbering the one hundred million crazy thoughts I have in my head. We will go to ten as fast as I can.

1. The leaves in my yard are up to my ankles. I have raked until my back aches. Wow my fat ass is really out of shape. I have 15 bags of leaves and that's just the front yard. I like to do the work though. I guess that's the joy of being a home owner. This is one of the times that I wish a I had big strong strapping man to help out. Well, it's not the only time. There are lots more and none pertain to the house. That's not the case and I'm left to do it all by myself.

2. On the stove right now is some homemade chicken noodle soup that I made a couple of weeks ago. No it's not been in the fridge this whole time, I froze some. I even made the stock from scratch. I know for all you foodies reading this you are saying "big effing deal". Well, for me it was a big deal. The Pioneer Woman I am not....yet.

3. I'm am just finishing my first Crown Royal and ginger ale. Not my first ever, but my first one of the night. YUM!

4. A friend brought back some delicious dark chocolate from Italy and I am TRYING to not eat it all at one time. Thanks, Jason!

5. After raking I came in and cleaned out the refrigerator and washed all the little plastic dishes that contained just a couple of scoops of something wondering that I had made weeks...months ago. Why the hell do we do that? Why don't we just throw it away instead of saving it and saying to ourselves "no, I'll eat that this week." Whatever.

6. I'm a little concerned about my job.

7. I'm a lot concerned about my job.

8. I love my kitties. Mostly because they love me. I love to feel their little warm bodies tucked in tight next to me in bed. It's very reassuring.

9. I'm really glad that I took my knitting class again. I love my teacher Barb and I really did have a brain fart. I don't think that I could have even cast on by myself.

and finally,

10. I went to the Farmers Market today to buy some bread. A couple of weeks ago, I was there and found a woman that I know, but now really well. She makes the best breads. When I shared with her my fear of making bread, she said just "try it. It's just bread" When she answered me what she didn't know is that I didn't mean just breads. I have a stack of recipes half why up to my knees that I want to "try". Everyday I pour over my favorite blogs for recipes. I print them, sigh and say...I'm going to make this and then I don't. I don't want to have a ton of desserts or sweets around the house (see #1 and the big fat ass reference), and it's hard to cook for just one person. I want to have people over for dinner but can only seat two people at my table at a time. The simplest words, "just try it" have taken a great weight off my shoulders. Thanks, Karen. I'm going to....

Talk to you all later. Time for a fresh cocktail and the Real Housewives of DC reunion.

Fall Ball

Good morning, all.

Now don't be so surprised that I'm up this early and that I'm blogging so soon after my last post. I told you, I'm trying to turn over a new leaf,

I actually just wanted to send out a cosmic "Good Luck" to my MN Twins. Playing ball in the fall is a dream every year for ball players. Hopefully, we will be playing into November.

I get to watch the game live today for the first time in our new stadium. I have my "uniform" all picked out.

Now to work before I get fired.....

Memories vs. Reality

I'm starting this post without naming it, because, quite frankly, I don't know what direction it will take. I see that it's been a month since my last post. I know that I promised last time that I wouldn't wait so long in between. I have however been somewhat busy. Also, they blocked blogs at work so unless it has a dot com at the end I can't get it. Which is good, because I'm supposed to be ummm working. It's is at work that I get ideas for blogs. Since they haven't taken away my pen and paper, I'll have to start jotting notes the old fashioned way.

I drove through the country the other day where I grew up. While it is only probably 45 minutes away, I haven't been back there in several years. It was a cold, rainy day and the fall colors were at their peak. As I drove past houses and farms I was struck by how much things had changed. Some homes were only slight different but some were...for lack of a better word, just sad. For example, growing up I rode the school bus for 1 hour on the way to school. Along the bus route was a large cattle farm. This family had several different farms, including one big operation where the "main house" was. The grandparents rambler was there as were two small rentals. One was the home of my best friend. I loved to go there. It reminded me of the farms you saw on TV. All the buildings on all of their farms were painted the same color, a goldish yellow. You knew whose property you were on just by the color. Everything was well groomed and prestigious. I was sort of envious. Fast forward 25 years. I was shocked to see the condition of the buildings. All were in desperate need of paint. There were no cattle present. It made me sad and I wished that I hadn't driven past. I liked my memories better then reality.

As I continued down this country road, I drove by the cemetery where my mom is buried. Our family headstone is one of the closest to the road and you can read our name quite clearly. I didn't stop as I was on some one else's time schedule. I haven't been to visit her grave for many years and I felt guilty.

I continued up the road about 1 mile and saw the house that I grew up in. It was sold to a member of our family and I was very pleased to see that they had taken great care of it. I didn't stop there either.

I wondered if this little visit would have been lost on me if I went back more often? Would I have been hit with such guilt and nostalgia?

It feels like fall...

Hello everyone!

No I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I am still here. I'll tell you why I was away for so long or at least one excuse. I told myself when I started this blog that I didn't want it to turn into a bitch fest, an open forum for me to be snarky and mean about people in my life or if shitty things were happening to me at the time. To tell you the truth, I had quite a bit of that going on in my life for a good portion of my summer. Not to go into details, but...I had a falling out with a person that I volunteered with and now it's quite impossible for me to go back to that activity while this person is still involved. I would like to send out an electronic F.U. to this person. So there it's done!

On to better topics...

As I sit here I have most of my windows open and there is a chill in the air that I look forward to feeling all year long. I love fall. I smell that one of the neighbors is having a fire. It's not my crazy neighbor who burns his garbage in his fire pit. Thankfully. That's a story for a different time. This summer has been hot and somewhat miserable here in central Minnesota so the change in temperature is very welcomed. I heard some geese fly over the other day. Everytime I hear their honking I stop whatever I am doing and just listen. It's one of my favorite sounds in the world.

Things are progressing slowly on house projects. I did take a couple of days off last week to clean and tackle my project list. It was awesome to cross things off the list. All the moving boxes have been carried in to the house. They aren't all emptied but we are getting there. I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel.

For my step-sisters' 40th birthday, they wanted to go skydiving and needed a group of ten to get a discount. So, on August 21st at around 5:30 pm, I put my foot on the step of a plane that was flying at 11,000 feet and jumped head first out of a perfectly good airplane. It was awesome!!!! I would highly recommend everyone to try this at least once. I believe that I'll be doing it again. It was the biggest rush I have ever had. Some one described it to me as "air-gasm" and it really was.

Well, that sort of catches you up on what I've been doing. I know it seems like not a lot. But don't forget I work two jobs and that keeps me pretty busy. That and I still managed to drink some beer from time to time. The sound of a beer can being cracked open is another favorite sound of mine.

Until later,

Thanks for stopping by Nelle's Nook.

Here I go again...

Well, it's been a while since I've posted (again). I keep telling myself that I should do it more often and then one thing or another creeps into my life and boom it's been weeks and weeks. Often I don't blog because I don't think anyone will want to hear what I have to or even scarier I won't have anything to say. My friends think that I could write a Minnesota version of Sex and the City. Let's face it, I could with probably a lot less sex. I have a great, wonderful, funny life and yet I edit myself here because I want to this to be a blog that doesn't offend anyone. I can't just right about the characters at the bar where I bartend, or the the crazy nights out with friends where we drink way too much and talk way to smart. I think that I thought that this would be a way to explore the other sides of me. On my "bucket" list is to write a novel or at least publish something. Maybe this way I can work on my creative writing skills. I guess I'm not sure.

Recently, I've been I've been spending a lot of time reading blogs about letter writing. For those who follow me (ha ha), you know that I love to write letters and receive them. This too is a hobby or interest that I have let go because I felt like I didn't have anyone to write to. I'm going to try and change that. The Missive Madame, 375 letters, the Letter Writing Alliance and a letter a day are all good blogs. You should check them out.

So what have I been doing...well I am slowly working on unpacking the never-ending stack of boxes since moving. I am ready to just throw the rest of it away instead of unpacking it. The house has a long list of to-do's, including having the bat guy come out and rid my house of bats. Good thing was that he didn't find any (I had one - that's another story which includes me hiding in the bathroom and calling a friend to come and get rid of it - proud moment). I have curtains either to buy or make. I hoping to find some vintage dish towels to use in cafe style in my back entryway. There is painting to be done, flowers to plant, lots and lots of things. I know that is how it is with every home owner. I'm not complaining. I just wish I had the funds and the time to make some major progress. I guess I've only lived here from 3 months but patience isn't really one of my virtues.

I am in the middle of helping to plan and pull off another city festival. Did I mention that before? I am on the board of directors for our city festival which includes a pageant, parade and food fest. It's very rewarding yet challenging to work with all the personalities involved. Sometimes I wonder why I do it and I am sure my friends, who have to listen to me vent (bless you) wonder the same thing. Then I think, I don't want to miss out on doing something fun that brings a lot of joy to a lot of people. I guess part of it is that I want to be part of something big and we are. We throw one heck of a festival.

I like to think that I'm challenging myself to find more sides of me, to make my life rich and full (even more then now). Maybe even to make new friends, you know who you are. Maybe that's why I write this blog. Hopefully, I'll have time after the festival to figure out how to post some pictures.

Until then, be patient with me and keep stopping by Nelle's Nook. Who knows what I'll say next.

Fleeting moments...

Since moving into my new house, I have had "moments" in which this "house" felt like "home", my home. One time was last week when I was sick in bed all day. I got to see the sun come up an pass over the whole house. Each hour bringing a different glow or shadow to a room.

The very first one was before I bought the house. I was with my realtor and a friend in the basement when another friend arrived and I was running up the stairs and I stopped all of a sudden because a sense of "home" came over me. Like being in my home with my friends coming to visit was a sense of completeness.

Tonight was another one of those feelings. I had come home after a particularly crappy day at work. Finished raking some leaves and decided that it was too nice of a night to just do chores in the house. I wiped off a new lawn chair, got a soda (yes...soda), brought my book outside and sat down. I just looked around my lawn and my house and my garage and my trees and my birds (yes...they are my birds)and breathed. In and out. Out and in. Again I was overcome by a feeling of completeness.

Now I know that as time goes on these won't be fleeting moments anymore. They will just be how I feel all the time. Will it become the norm. Will I not stop and look at everything when I first come home? Will I just go up the walk, start the laundry and look at the bills? I hope not. I hope that while they are fleeting moments, they are the moments that fill me with pride, happiness, and yes completeness. I hope they never go away.

Until later....Nelle's Nook!

PS When I picked my blog name, I had no idea that Nelle's Nook would actually become a real structure and not just a feeling.

Moved In...

Hello out there...

It's official and the papers are signed, the boxes have been packed and some are unpacked...I have purchased my first house. It was a very scary step, but I'm glad I've done it.

What have I learned in this adventure? Well, first and foremost, I learned or should I say I was reminded that I have the most amazing friends in the world. They supported me through the initial process, they moved, they've painted, they've racked my lawn. They have done so many things for me that I'm not sure how I'll ever thank them. The fact that in 24 hours my little house went from drab to fab... No really it did. The previous owners really, REALLY like sponge painting. It was everywhere. Now unfortunately, my camera batteries went dead the minute I started taking "before" pictures so I'll have to figure out a way to get some pictures on here for you to see.

I've spent more money in the last three weeks at the Home Depot then I ever thought that I would. I've really come to love walking around the aisles. Plus they are very show a lot of patience for a girl who doesn't know grass seed from her a...well you get the picture. So any advise you can give me...I appreciate at.

Now I want to wonder off to a totally different topic. April is National Card and Letter Writing month. If you've been reading along, you know that letter writing is a topic that is dear to my heart. So I challenge you to send one letter a week, at least, for the rest of April. It doesn't have to be long or pretty, it should just come from your heart and should brighten the recipient's day. Of course, finding fun, pretty stationery doesn't hurt.

Until next time...Time to close the nook up for the night. Thanks for listening to my ramblings

Randon thoughts

Random #1: So it's roughly two weeks until I move into my house. I'm getting very nervous and scare and excited. I hope to have pictures to show you - before and after. I pray that my friends will help out their inexperienced friend with her house woes.

Random #2: Is watching "Real Housewives" really that bad? I was having drinks and apps with some friends and one thought it was appalling that some of us watched it.

Random #3: How do people who you don't know get listed under the "suggested" friends on Facebook. It's stalker like

Random #4: Will this blog ever be viewed other then the two people who I know are reading...Thank you by the way.

Random #5: Thank God for friends...I'm starting to doubt finding a man that wants to be with me.

Random #6: Why is Coor's lite soooo good. (yes it deserved 4 "O"s)

Random #7: How much crap does a girl and two cats really need?

Random #8: What is it that a cat sees when it stars at a a spot on the wall.

Random #9: I miss when I don't see my church ladies group.

Random #10: How did the Pioneer Women get to where she is.

Well, time for another beer...everyone have a good night

Church ladies and cats

I think that I've talked before about my church lady group. Tonight was our second official meeting and it was poorly attended. I'm hoping that people weren't there because they were glued to the TV to watch the Olympics, however, I still made it...
Anyway, there were four of us there and I was for sure the youngest person in the room. Our bible study question was "When God says no" It was about answered prayers. During our conversation I said I sometimes feel that it seems that God is punishing me for something by not bringing just one good man. Of course we all laughed and I said I know that God doesn't punish us but just brings things to us when we are ready for them. The conversation continued to online dating. I said that I wasn't really into it "wasn't how I rolled". It was then when the oldest woman in the group who is probably 65 said, now this is 13 years ago so there wasn't really online dating but I put an add in the singles section and that's how I met my "P". She launched in the best story I've heard in a long time. She said that by the time she hung up the phone after talking with him for the first time, she turned to her cat Daisy and said "well, Daisy are you ready to become a farm cat?" She knew just after that one conversation that this was going to be the man she was going to marry. Now this was her second marriage but still a love story worthy of being put to paper.
I was struck by two things I thought were incredible, 1) she knew right away that this was a good man...one for a lifetime and 2) she talks to her cats TOO! See I'm not crazy.
So I left there feeling recharged with spirituality, the potential of blooming friendships and the hope that true love can find you at any age.
By the way, it's hard to type with a kitty on your lap.
Until next time...

Elm Creek Quilts

Hello Blogworld

I have a confession to make....I'm lazy. I know there are probably better terms such as overworked. But I'm not one to sugar coat things sometimes and so it's out there...I'm lazy. So instead of packing, cleaning, organizing, paying bills, knitting, quilting, cleaning, packing, I've been reading. What have I been reading that has been so good that I have been neglecting my chores. It's a book series called "Elm Creek Quilts". My sister, who you can visit over at needles threads & crafts has borrowed to me the first six books of this series. I cannot, CANNOT put them down. If you are looking for a good read whether you are a quilter or not, you should pick these up. I'm sure that you can find them at the library. The problem is, I think that I'm missing one. Now these books don't need to be read in order, but I would suggest that. While they do talk about quilting and use some quilt terms, the basic story is about the lives and history of a group of women who support each other. In other words, if you are looking for a good story, you should check these out.
Of course, it does make me want to break out sewing machine and start in but if you reread the first sentence, I have work to do. However, if my sister is reading this, I need to know what book comes after the "Master Quilter". Is it "The Sugar Camp Quilt" or the Christmas one? Help your sister out.
I hope that you are enjoying reading my blog. I don't hear anything from anyone, although I'll admit, I'm a creeper too. I visit blogs without leaving a message. However, I wonder, what happens to my words once I press "publish post". Do they just go away never to be read again. But I guess the point isn't to have them read so much as it is for me to just write them down.
No house news. However, for those of you that are like me, I have my idea binder purchased and the pictures of all this cool to go into it. Isn't that a start at least?
ta ta for now

Church Ladies

Hello blogworld,
Tonight I had the great honor of joining a 100 year old tradition. Or at least I think it's that old. I met with my "church ladies group" for a service project. We haven't decided on a name yet but I keep telling them we can't call it group or my friends will think I'm in therapy. Anyway, we formed a small women's group in my church. We met for the first time last week and decided that the main kitchen of our church need a scrub down. I was by far the youngest of our group so far. It's good to finally be the youngest again at something. I just am so amazed how much fun I had. This group of women range in ages, careers, background, financial stability but all of us came together and were all equals. Now we've decided that we aren't going to be the cleaning crew. Much like the circles that used to meet in Lutheran churches everywhere, our group hopes to have the following criteria: fellowship, stewardship and bible study that pertains to our lives today. I'm very excited about this group. Perhaps it's because I lost my mother when I was younger and I yearn for someone to fill that void. At any rate. Stay tuned for updates. Hopefully we can come up with a decent name.

No house updates. I can't wait to move. Hopefully, I will have a bunch of friends to help.

May the sun shine upon your day tomorrow no matter where in the world you are.

New House!

Hello blogworld,



Well, I did it. In one short month I thought about, looked at, pondered over, made an offer and bought a house. Now this house is little and old...not unlike me...well except for the little part. HA HA. I never thought that I would be buying a house on my own at this age. But I decided to take a leap of faith and here I am.

In the coming months, I'll be taking photos, lot of before photos. Hopefully, it won't be too long before some "after" photos appear here as well.

As I mentioned this house is little, approximately 940 square feet spread out between a main level and a basement. It does have the requirements that I always said I wanted. I wanted three bedrooms no matter the size, I wanted a garage and I wanted to stay living here in small town Minnesota. While it does have all of those requirements I am not looking through rose colored glasses. This is not my dream house. My dream house would have been a huge affair with many bedrooms and bathrooms, a huge dining room where my friends would gather, with horses and land and a rich husband to pay for it. So instead I have this house. It's cute and hopefully I will make it warm and inviting. I guess that all I really wanted is a house where my friends would want to come and share good times and probably some bad with me. Where they would feel welcome and comfortable. What this house does lack on size I guess it's up to me to make the rest happen.

There are some quirky things about this house. One of the things is that i don't have much for closet space and that my organizational skills are going to be tested to the limit. Hopefully, you all will be kind enough to share some tips and tricks.

I am going to need to lean on my friends for advice and help (moving and painting). I don't really know what I'm in for but I know I can count on them to ease my fears (or bring me beers).

It's going to be a couple of months before I can move...now I have to start packing...Wish me luck.

May tomorrow be a good day for you.

Delayed Christmas

Hello all,
Happy New Year! As you may have read in a previous post, one of my resolutions was to blog more so here I am. One was also to clean and keep up with laundry. Well that's not getting done because I am here with you. Oh well, there is always tomorrow to do the dirty work.
I hope that you all had a safe and fun New Year's Eve. I spent the night with my sister's family. Any time I can spend with my nieces, ages 4 and 9 months, is a good time. My sister and her husband are pretty fun too. Although if you judged us by our New Year's Eve celebration you would think that we were 100 years old. The only one of all of us who saw the new year in was the 9 month old. You can read about my sister and all of her adventures in crafting at her blog, needlesthreadsandcrafts.blogspot.com.
We had our "delayed Christmas" present opening and it's always one of my favorites. Not only do I get to hear comments like "I love you Auntie" when presents are opened, but my sister stick close to the lists I give and gets me things that I want but haven't bought for myself. A book, fuzzy socks, a cookbook that I have been crushing on for a while, "Baking...from my home to yours" from Dorie Greenspan and a camera. Now I can add pictures. Yea!!!
For some of you in blogworld, you may be familiar with Dorie Greenspan. She's got her own blog and is referenced all over as TWD or Tuesdays with Dorie. TWD is where other bloggers are chosen to bake something and then blog about it. It's pretty cool.
Well, welcome 2010. I hope that all of you have a good year with much happiness and good health.
Until next time.