When you buy or sell a home built prior to 1978, you’ll have to sign a lead-based paint disclosure form.  The form contains the usual legalese of cautionary tales: blah blah lead based paint is bad blah blah don’t blame your realtor blah blah blah you could die if ingested or breathed in blah blah don’t let your kid eat it (I just saved you two pages of reading).

Jag is experiencing the drama of stripping paint from a 78-year old house.  I have to say her house looks beautiful, but I don’t envy the work ahead of her. 

Lesley recently had to surrender a tea rose bush to an eager young lad which prompted this little trip down memory lane:

One day, I was working in the yard and saw in the corner of my eye the little boy next door (also four at the time) walk across my driveway toward my front yard. A minute later, I saw him walking back with a bunch of pink tulips in his hand. As I went after him, I noted the lack of pink where my tulips used to be.

“Jan Bailey, where’d you get those flowers?”
“I picked these for my mommy!”
“Oh, okay. Well, you picked those from my yard, so those are my flowers. You’re not supposed to pick flowers from other people’s yards.”
“These are for my mommy!”
“Oh, okay.”

Altogether now, “Awww!”

So…do you still have Christmas lights, decorations, maybe even a tree up? From Cathy of Domestic Psychology we have a little wagering going on:

It’s that time of year again. Time to place your bets on when the outside Christmas lights will be taken off the house. Will the lights come down:

A. this weekend
B. …

You’ll have to hit her place to see the rest of your options and cast your vote. Personally, I’m rooting for option “D”.

Amy from Lavender *Sparkles* wrote in to ask:

My husband is looking for a local place where he can get scraps of hardwood. Not a huge retail store that happens to sell standard planks of hardwood (like Lowe’s) but a sawmill/wood mill where they would have little leftover throwaway pieces he could buy. He doesn’t need big planks of wood; he just needs little scraps of various kinds of hardwoods (to make toys for our little guy). He’s done some googling but hasn’t been able to come up with anything…I thought maybe someone at MCB would know of a place or know someone who knows something

That’s a good question. I have no idea, but I know some of y’all are handy and probably have the answer, so let us know!

“Who knew so many women get excited by yarn? I’m thinking about all the money spent plying women with alcohol, and its enough to make me cry. I could have simply brought some yarn, piled it on the bar and given out numbers, like they do at ice cream parlors. Dammit it all!”

Why is this man crying in his afghan? Tune in over here and here…and here.

Ariah has recently bought a new home, and he is now experiencing the whole nickel and dime affect of home improvement:

I found myself looking around the house and thinking about what need to be fixed, repaired or ‘improved upon.’ Not that any of these things are bad, but they just fit into different categories. Having a working kitchen sink is one thing. Installing a waterline for your automatic ice maker is different. We’ll probably install the waterline at some point, but how I budget for it will be different since it is not a ‘need.’

Walking around Home Depot, I found my self ’shopping’ more and more. I wasn’t just going in with a list of the things I needed, I was walking the aisles, looking at prices, thinking about how certain ‘improvements’ would look in our home. Again, I’m not saying this is bad, just that you need to be aware and careful about it…

I’ve always said that Target has a $50 cover charge, because I can go in there for a roll of paper towels and come out with at least $50 worth of merchandise. Did I really need the other stuff? Probably not. We live in such a consumer-driven society and, shoot, Target can make everything so attractive and mesmerizing…even paper towels and laundry detergent!

Home Depot gives the appearance that you’re buying in bulk so it must be cheaper…but I really don’t think things are.

Go check out Ariah’s post at Trying to Follow. He gives good advice to new home owners, but it’s advice we could all do well to heed.

Make a really cheap gift for your loved ones this Christmas.

Man, the Murfreesboro government are a bunch of killjoys.

Hey, you, sitting in the duct-taped La-Z-Boy on the front porch. Take note: The Murfreesboro City Council means to end your lounging ways.

Pretty soon, if a new citywide measure is approved, the indoor furniture will have to be moved back inside — or you will be cited.

Whenever I think of people sitting outdoors on a sofa, I think of D’Angelo Barksdale and Bodie hanging out on that orange sofa in the Pit at the lowrises.

It cracks me up that the broke-a$$ college kids can’t keep their couches on their ratty front porches anymore. What will that do for our Tennessee backwoods reputation?

Mel is a Nashvillian transplanted to Greece. She always has the most interesting stories. Today she’s talking about what it’s like to live on a Greek Mountain.

One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t ever have a good appreciation for dense fog until you have lived in the thick of it for days on end. Sure, I’ve been in situations where the fog was so heavy you could barely see in front of your car, and on Olympus we had moments when we were totally ensconced in fog, but never for more than a few hours. When you can’t really see past your balcony you start to feel a little uncomfortable, especially when it lasts for two days. But after awhile it seems kinda cool, like you are the only people floating on a cloud way up in the sky. The creepiest thing is when a dog or cow walks out from the fog, like a ghost from the ether. I compare it to the corn field in Field of Dreams.

Which I guess literally translates into “There are no worries here about food that costs $15/oz. and smells like cat food.” I can’t help it, whenever I read something that is two words of three syllables, both with the emphasis on the penult, I have to say them to the tune of “Hakuna Matata.” Which leads to me dancing around the kitchen in my underwear with my dog singing “it’s NEL-lie the POOD-le.”

I’ll give you all a moment to wash that image from your brain. Think of a sunset or some crap like that.

Done? Better now? Good.

The post which “inspired” this rantlet is “Bottarga Spaghetti,” from the lovely and talented Claudia over at Cook-Eat-Fret.

Admit it. You’re humming “botTARga spaGHETti” even as you’re reading this. Sorry.

Anyhoo, you need to be reading what this woman is eating. Her love of good ingredients combined with her commonsense approach to simple meals makes her a go-to blog when RUABelle and I are looking for food inspiration. Her turn of a phrase and excellent photographic composition of her meal beauty shots make Cook-Eat-Fret something akin to high class food porn. Like Giada De Laurentiis meets Henry James. It’s good stuff.

This particular post tells the story of our blind date food threesome experience. I won’t spoil the surprise, but I will let you know that we all ended up fat and happy and glad that we’d met.  There was no happy ending, though.

At least, not yet.

There’s nothing like a being transported to a special time or place by a wonderful scent.

Over at Home Ec 101, Ivy received a letter asking how to keep the linen closet smelling fresh.  This brought to mind the wonderful aromas that remind her of her precious Grandma…

My grandma always had the best smelling linens. I remember going to her linen closet and standing in front of it just to smell. When I got older, I asked her why her linen closet smelled so much better than mine, and she told me she used sachets in her closet, with lavender as the scent.

Be sure to go check out Ivy’s simple instructions on how to create a sachet of your own!

What a perfect way to remember such a special person, Ivy…

…now every time I open my closet or put new sheets on the bed or jump out of the shower, I breathe deep and remember my grandma.

After a weekend of HGTV, Kat is pondering the purpose people purchase homes for these days*…

Doesn’t anybody buy a home anymore? You know–a place where they plan to live? After watching these shows I feel as though most people look at house-buying the same way they view playing the stock market. Just another buy-low sell-high experience.

What happened to having the kind of house where you plan to stay forever? Where you pencil in the growing child on the doorjamb? Where you bury pets under a tree?

Most of my family live in the same homes in which they started out their marriages, etc.  We’re talking 20, 30+ years in the same home. I guess I’m from that same old school…I drive my cars until they can go no more (I’m 40 and have only owned 3 cars in my life) and I plan to stay in my house at least until my daughter gets through Elementary school (so she can have some consistency).

Read Kat’s entire post here.

Which school of thought are you from? Do you hang on to your large purchases to actually use them up or do you buy low/sell high and move on to the next bigger thing?

*Nice alliteration, huh? Thankyouverymuch…

The end of this month will mark three years I’ve owned my 40-ish-year-old home in Nashville. In those three years, I have remodeled a bathroom, done extensive work on the kitchen, refinished some floors, repaired the HVAC unit twice, and replaced the roof. And there’s still a long list of things yet to be done. But it’s okay, because it’s mine. Well, part mine and part Countrywide’s. Regardless, like Jag, I’m proud of my money pit.

Yes.  We do indeed own things.  We own a hot water heater that hasn’t worked in a week.  We own an air conditioner that went kaput as soon as we needed it.  We own water leaks and chipping paint and a refrigerator that’s circling the drain.

Still, I’m proud that all that crap is mine. 

Did you say refrigerator? I know a Busy Mom that feels your pain. And yes Emily, this is what you have to look forward to. But it’s great. We promise.

The fine dames at Home Ec 101: A Kitchen Oddity are having a dry t-shirt contest.

I’ll let them tell it:

Did you know that September is National Mushroom Month? In honor of this we are running a contest. We want your favorite recipe featuring this fab fungus. Portabella, shiitake, button, we don’t care,

Head on over there for the entry requirements.

If you win, you get a t-shirt. Not bad for a day’s work.

Last week the President unveiled a plan to help homeowners who are facing foreclosure. While the Bush plan falls short of being a true bailout, it still qualifies as government intervention. What do you all think about this plan? Should the government help, possibly even enable, people who have made bad decisions? Should the responsible consumer/homeowner be taxed to pay for the mistakes of the irresponsible? With the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors supporting this idea, was this proposal merely a result of lobbying? Do you think that the government should actually do more?

When I heard that Bush was about to propose something, I was geared up and ready to oppose it. In fact, anytime Bush the Keynesian proposes anything domestically, I cringe. At least he didn’t go as far as I thought he would though. I can live with this. What about you?

…or…Teamwork! Teamwork! Everybody, Everywhere!

Our resident Coyote has given the call-out for some assistance.

I need to build a round pen, and I need to do it over a weekend. So, I will need one crew on Saturday, Sept 8, and another on Sunday, Sept 9. Two people on the auger, two on the saws for one day. Then, roughly the same number to set the rails after the Quick-Crete has hardened. It will be relatively easy work, but many hands is key. I will provide tamales and beer, or soda if you must, and of course material and tools, though, if you have a decent hammer, bring it. Saturday’s crew will mark and set posts, hang the gate. Sunday’s crew will hang the rails, and set railroad ties and spread footing.

This could be the first ever blogger joint effort day! If you think you can help, please leave an email in the comments, or send mail to me via freespeech43 over at yahoo.

Outside work. Sweat. Tamales. More sweat. Plenty of suds.

What the hell else could you want?

I’m in…big hair, painted nails, and a hammer! What the hell else could you want, Mack? hee!

Let’s help him out…it’ll be fun!
Remember: A blogger in need is a friend indeed!

We’re in a drought. Crunchy grass, cracked soil and the slow leeching of green from tree leaves are obvious signs of a part of the land thirsting for water.

Our beloved Ivy has been covering the nuances of our current rainless state over at Shakyard.
She has several good instructions forwhat homeowners can do to counter the drought

homeowners have to make a decision on where to use their water resources- newer plants don’t have an established root system to be able to get what moisture is available in the ground, so newer plants should take some precedence when deciding what to water.

She lists a few upsides to the drought here and talks about the negative effects here.

Between the Easter freeze, the drought, and the intense, prolonged heat, this has been a rough year to be a plant. (Well, it ain’t no picnic being a human in all that, either, but that’s not the point of this post.)

Southern Beale writes about the sorry state of her garden:

So as far as garden survival goes, I’ve moved from a first aid operation to full-on triage. I’ve given up on the flowers, impatiens were pulled up yesterday, hostas are a gonner. Now the goal is to minimize shrub and tree loss.

I’ve noticed a lot of leaves drying up and falling off the trees in our neighborhood. It’s really weird seeing and hearing all these leaves falling so early in the year. It’s like mid-October in mid-August.
Aunt B wrote about her plant problems the other day, too:

When I water my herbs in the morning, their dirt is more the consistency of crumbled leaves than soil. I worry I’m making tea instead of nourishing them.

The tiny bush by the front door probably won’t live and the grass in the neighbors’ lawns is bleached and crackles like tiny bones when you step out on it.

As I commented over at Aunt B’s, my whole garden is looking rough. (And so are all the other gardens in my neighborhood.) I wish I could help the plants, but they’re behaving like they’re being starved and overwatered at the same time. I’m pretty sure most of them are goners, and it bums me out.

Anyone else having any luck? If so, what are you doing to keep your garden healthy in these tough conditions?

It’s ON, Bitches!

Mack throws down the gauntlet

I even manage to vacuum often, even though this sets the Pomeranian into a complete meltdown when I do. In short, I make those bitches over at Home Ec 101 look like amateurs.
…
So, I am looking for “wives.” I use quotation marks because it’s important for me to make clear that this is no traditional wife-like role. I’m not seeking additional sex-partners. As a Coyote Creek Honorary Wife, you are expected to keep a supply of boyfriends/girlfriends/lovers that you see on your own time. Please do not bother me with whatever petty physical needs you may have… Just do your share of chores ’round the place, and you’ll get no shit from me.

The Bitches at Home Ec 101 however, seem to be busy giving birth and stuff. Perhaps they will yet drive out to Greenbriar and kick some hindquarters.

Homeless Guy has an apartment on offer:

A friend has offered me a room in an apartment, and I’ve accepted it. This does mean that I will be moving to another city, in another state. Sure, I’ll be leaving a lot behind. But, it’s the only opportunity I have to get off the streets and into a home.

Our HBIC has discovered some excellent ways to repel mosquitoes with certain plants!  Hey, Aunt B, she even found out that mosquitoes hate your fave fragrant herb, rosemary!  Coool.  With this being the dog-days of summer and stocks in Chig-a-Rid going through the roof, this might be a safe and fragrant way to keep them at bay!

Check it out over at Shakyard.

This is soooo cool.

Yeah. Okay. I’m impressed.

Day after day, I pulled stacks of books from dusty bookshelves, located and entered into the database their individual ISBN numbers [sic].

Deb is organising her home library. With ISBNs. She’s got some amazing software-fu to help her out. Nevertheless, I stand in complete awe. My home library organisation is “it’s either in one of the boxes in the basement or on the shelves by my side of the bed.”

One of my principles for life is to live on what money I have and not run up a bunch of debt. Sure, I have house debt and car debt, and the ubiquitous student loan debt, but the good news is, my credit card debt is nil.

One of my fave blogs that is primarily about saving money is Like Merchant Ships by fellow Nashvillian Meredith. She’s got a great series right now about living well on less. Be sure to check it out.

Shakhammer is thrilled to announce our very first Super Cool Tools Giveaway with Ryobi from now until midnight August 10th.

Go here to see how!

I can always use some good power tools…I’m all over this!