Thursday Thirteen~ Crazy Wallpaper Edition

There are 13 different black and white wallpaper or borders in our master bedroom/closets - We've lived here almost 5 years and haven't had the where-with-all to change it because all of our money and efforts go into our rental properties instead of our own.

this wall is part of my walk-in closet

1. flowered border
2. brush stroke wallpaper











3. Paisley border
4. Heart wallpaper
5. Gingham base border












6. striped wallpaper
7. gaudy border around windows
8. striped with a touch of gold wallpaper
(some border like just below stripes is also on another wall as is the bottom base border)








9. Checkered wallpaper













10. Newsprint wallpaper
(more stripes and borders)
11. Flowered wallpaper in background










12. Another kind of striped wallpaper in the Captain's closet














Details of the different papers by the double windows above






Details of the flowered borders near the master bath


















13. Another striped wallpaper in my closet

Thursday Thirteen ~ 13 things I'm whining about

Thirteen Things about Pauline 13 things I'm whining about Break out the cheese, I'm about to whine! My weight – since getting the grandkids 2.5 yrs ago – I have gained 35 lbs. Yikes!!!! – but, the doctor wanted me to gain at least 10 – and I’m pretty healthy and still weigh less than most Maine women in their 50s lol No privacy at home – since getting the grandkids, I can’t even go to the bathroom in peace… but, before they came I was incredibly lonesome with The Captain gone to sea so much. My job – my job used to be my haven, things have changed so much it gets really tense… but, I still get treated well, good pay (better than most women in Maine lol – by about $6more an hour), help with insurance premiums, paid holidays and vacations, great co-workers. The price of gas!!! It costs me about $60 a week to get to and from work. My car is a gas hog - … but, it is 4-wheel drive and gets me up my steep driveway in the Maine winters. I miss my family – I have a son who lives on the west coast, a son and sister who lives in Arizona, a daughter and sister who live in Minnesota and I don’t get to see them very often – not even once a year sob, sob, sob. …. But, I have unlimited long distance phone service and yahoo for the internet email. My car is old – no air bags, no cd player and I drive for over a half hour each way to work and would love to listen to different programs on cd since they don’t make them on cassette tapes anymore boo hoo …. But, I do have a lot of tapes and my car gets me safely to and from work and I don’t have any car payments. My dog doesn’t want to travel with me anymore – I have to practically force her to get in the car – she’s getting older (and perhaps wiser – and doesn’t like my driving – see a previous post)… but she has been a faithful companion and guardian for the past 8 years and she still loves to see me when I get home. My house needs so many repairs! Both decks need to be replaced – a lot of wood rot, the kitchen door needs to be replaced – the double pane window in it has gotten moisture inside and always looks foggy and dirty, we get sand in the tub and sink from the well, we have no a/c and lots of lots of windows that don’t open…but, we have a roof over our heads, and a fantastic view. My closet is a disaster! I have way too much in it. A lot I can’t wear anymore – see #1, and some I just haven’t worn for years, some I should pack away for next winter, my shoe rack keeps falling off the door…but, I have an abundance of clothing and resolve to give some to good will – I guess you could say my closet runneth over. My husband is hardly ever home to help me with the kids or the housework or deal with the tenants or just to talk to and to hold … but, he is a hard worker, he loves and provides for us – he makes us laugh (when he isn’t pushing us towards excellence) My driveway (actually a shared dirt road leading down from the mountain that we share with 2 other families) is so full of potholes, my car is eventually going to fall to pieces…but, I never tire of the wonder of the narrow mountain road’s offering of wild life – deer, partridge, wild turkey, daisies, blackberries, pine, birch –totally awesome! Tenant problems! See a previous post here and pictures here – tenants can be nightmares! We have 11 rentals right now – one is empty and needs a lot of work before it is habitable again… but the others (well, one has a whiny tenant) are all rented with excellent tenants – they keep the places neat, pay their rent on time, don’t complain – most have been in the same unit for years. I’m not great with math but the percentages are definitely on the good tenant side. My computer at home is soooooooooooo slow – I have dial-up service and an older computer, I have trouble downloading or uploading pictures or even blogging much … but, I do own three computers, do have access to the internet so what in the world do I really have to whine about?

Thursday Thirteen ~ Weird things on my shelves

Thirteen Things about Pauline

1. A 3 point deer antler found in our woods.

2. A baton found in the basement of a rental house we purchased.

3. Three spurs and three horse shoes found in the Arizona desert by nephews while javalina hunting.

4. A small clear box with 66 porcupine needles taken from Mika's snout - along with a porcupine paw given to us by a friend of the Captain after hearing about Mika's adventure with the porcupine.

5. An old canister of pick-up sticks, 7 sets of Jacks - most old, a couple new, a book about how to play jacks and 3 jars of old marbles.

6. An old soap stone with flannel cover - used to warm the bed on cold nights.

7. A snake skin found in our yard

8. A rubber coated bottle, a round bottomed green bottle, 2 brown glass bottles, and a heavy metal cone-shaped item - perhaps from a torpedo - all caught in the Captain's net at one time or another.

9. A cow??? knuckle that Cling-On picked up while visiting in Arizona

10. A Pitch Pipe for guitar - No one here plays a guitar - or any other instrument as far as that goes.

11. An old wooden buoy - the kind that were attached to fishing nets years ago

12. Weird shaped branch, a wooden dowel, and 10 rocks - why? I don't know

13. Bear Bread - Native American term for tree mushroom - also known as Artist's Konk

As you probably noticed, I bunched stuff together - I actually had 56 lines I had to condense into 13. I probably could have had 13 per shelf. lol

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen pictures

Here are the pictures for the TT. Makes me not want to be a landlord! Sorry I couldn't get the pics up with the TT, that pesky power outage! I tell you, the first thing I thought of was "How am I going to do my T13?" not "Whats going to happen to my food?" or "Ugh, no air conditioning!"

(posted by qtpies7)

Thursday Thirteen~ crying

13 Times I Remember Why I Cried, Wept, Sobbed or Bawled This past Saturday I woke up in a very depressed, lonely mood. I just cried and sobbed for over an hour. (I kept to my bedroom so the children wouldn’t worry) I called a friend and sobbed hysterically but had no valid reason for it. All I could think of was that I just didn’t have the energy to go out and mow the yards. The next day I got a migraine and was physically ill. I have had a cough for 6 weeks and am just getting run down. I went to the doctor Tues. and was sent for a chest x-ray and blood work. So the crying was probably just form being worn out. Pondering my senseless crying episode, I decided to try to think of some times that I cried, but actually had a reason attached to it. So here goes. 1. When my eldest daughter (qtpies7) started Kindergarten – we lived in the country and she had to ride a bus. We went to orientation, so she would know which bus to take. On the first day of school, I got ready to walk her out to the bus stop, but she wouldn’t let me. She insisted that she was a big girl now. I cried and cried looking at my little girl standing at the end of our driveway with the BIG yellow school bus coming to pick her up. 2. It seems like that darling little daughter caused more than a few of my tears. When she was about 4 or 5 years old, she had her first dance recital at a retirement home. I sat in the audience and cried and cried – I was so proud of her – my little girl up on that BIG stage (platform??).3. When my mother died – I was 15 – Long story , I felt that I should have done more – she had an aneurism, and there was nothing I could have done, but I still felt guilty – and I didn’t really get to say good-bye. 4. Looking at my father when he was in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s – He looked so scared and totally lost – it broke my heart.5. When I thought Baloo died in the Jungle Book. 6. When Dumbo’s mom was locked up and she tried to comfort Dumbo through the bars. 7. When Pete said good-bye to his Dragon. 8. When the same darling daughter mentioned above reprimanded her own little girl for refusing to tell me she was sorry. 9. I sobbed so loudly during “Stepmom” on a girl’s night out that my granddaughter has decided to never to a movie theater with me EVER again. 10. I sobbed through an audio tape of “Stepmom” while drive from Essex CT to New Bedford MA – that I totally missed Providence RI – I was supposed to turn there and completely missed the city and didn’t realize it until I was 40 miles from Boston. 11. Whenever I watch "Romeo and Juliet" - I watched three times when I was a junior in high school (yes we had movie theatres way back then - 1969) I cried sooner and longer each time I saw it.12. Listening to my niece rehearse “On Eagles Wings” for her father’s funeral (my brother-in-law) and again at the funeral. 13. When two baby mice I tried to rescue from the parking lot died while I was putting together a habitrail I bought for them. By the way – I was an adult watching #5, 6, and 7

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Thirteen Reasons why I don't want to ride with mom 1…. Who's gonna watch the house while we're gone?2. Who will keep Midnight (Nightmare) company while we're gone?3. When we go to work, it is too noisy so I can't sleep all day.4. When we go to work, the boss's dog keeps taking my treats and you let her.5. When we go to work, you won't let me bite the back of any one's (the mailman) shoes.6. You have forgotten me at work too many times, now I don't trust you.7. You never go right home, and I end up sitting in the car alone.8. I worry some one else will take my seat (shotgun)9. Some times (a lot of times) there is too much junk on my seat (shotgun)10. I'm a boxer mix - I don't like the cold, or the rain, or the snow11. I really get nervous on bumpy roads - like going down our driveway - maybe once you get the road fixed I'll come a long more12. Maybe if you get an automatic the ride won't be so jerky~ A dog could get whiplash riding with you!13. Do you really have to swerve to the side of the road and stop to yell at the kids, can't you yell and drive at the same time? I really do like the length of my nose - it hurts when it hits the windshield.Mom, I love you anyways - Mika Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thursday Thirteen #3 People who influenced me

Thirteen Things about Pauline 13 People who have influenced me in the last 55 years. 1. Lisa – my daughter – faith in God, good mother, good friend, confidante, funny a. She is a wonder, a blessing – not only to me, but to her husband, her children, her friends, her church b. I am so proud of her – I am amazed and sometimes (forgive me) envious of her mothering skills and her wonderful sense of humor. c. She has been a joy to me all of her life – Sometimes she is my confidante – sometimes the rolls get reversed and she mothers me when I need it. 2. Shane – my son – military – capable a. I am so proud of him – He is a Lieutenant in the Navy b. He is very capable – he did well in school – did well in "boot camp" and has gotten to this level of excellence without my help (good thing, because I wasn’t in a position to help him financially get through college) c. When I really need him, he’s there. 3. PJ – my son - struggles – calls a. I am also proud of Paul – he is the late bloomer of my three children b. He doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up – he’s 22, but I’m confident he’ll figure it out c. I’m proud that he has shown great respect for women – he has been approached a couple of times by underage, or intoxicated women and chose not to take advantage of the situation. – Also he always calls his mommy – at least once a week. 4. Betty – my sister - taught me how to cook, launder, iron, set limits a. My mother passed away when I was 15 – my older sisters helped raise me. Betty was 26, she had 4 children at the time my mother passed, and lost a daughter to leukemia 11 months later. b. Betty taught me how to cook, do laundry, change diapers, love children. c. Betty also set limits with me that my father didn’t know how to do – like curfews and chores. She is always there for me. 5. Gwen – my sister – business partner – friend – a. Gwen also took me in – when (the spoiled brat that I was) was unhappy with my father or other sister. – But she didn’t put up anything either. b. Gwen and I share a love of art – we both paint and had a wind-bell company for awhile – we had clients such as the Lawrence Welk village in CA and the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma – but we found we were too meticulous for production line art work. c. Gwen has always been there for me – and supports me in everything I do – although not without a few disagreements. 6. Mom – say good things – Samaritan I only have fond memories of my mother. Anyone I talked to about her only had praises for her temperament and goodness. She always found the good in people and was always willing to share whatever she had with those less fortunate. I remember one time when I was about 12 – I woke up and a strange man was sleeping on the couch – I went out to the barn and asked who he was – Mom had no idea he was there – she came in, woke him up, gave him hell, then fed him breakfast. She loved the Lord, she loved her husband, she loved her family, and she loved her neighbors. 7. Dad – trap – laugh at self a. He taught me how to trap gophers! I can’t image how I was able to smack their little heads and chop off their little feetsies – but I did – and I got 50 cents a pair for those feetsies. b. He could always get me with his stories. He convinced me that the remains of an old log cabin we found on our property were from Abe Lincoln – I told my class that – DUHHHHH!!!! – Abe Lincoln never lived in Minnesota. c. He could bounce across the hardwood floor on his behind – with his arms and legs raised up. Too funny! 8. John – my husband -laugh – stretch yourself – art a. The first thing I noticed when I first met John was he was always laughing on the phone with his grandchildren. b. He has so much confidence in my artistic abilities – he talked me into entering my work in the fair – and I won ribbons on them all! I never would have thought it possible c. He is very demanding – a perfectionist – although he never expects anyone to do anything he would also do. He has taught me that I can accomplish a lot more than I think I can. (Even though I’m usually mad when I do it – lol) 9. Grandpa – bum, story teller a. My Grandpa was also a teller of tall tales. He was always laughing b. I loved walking in his garden – He taught me how wonderful it is eating fresh peas from the vine. c. I also learned not to be afraid of wood ticks. My cousins and I would have contests to see who would have the most ticks after swinging on the old tire swing in his back yard. 10. Arianna –my granddaughter - giggle, move a. She is a treasure – she giggles and is in constant motion from the time she gets up until she falls asleep at night. She absolutely loves everything and everybody. b. I’ve relearned to see the wonder in everything – the clouds, crayons, buttons, numbers, words, rhymes, holey socks. c. I’ve had to learn how to do very tiny braids – and bead them! 11. David – my grandson who is laid back, understanding a. I have so enjoyed watching him change from a sullen little boy 2.5 years ago when we got custody of them to the happy-go –lucky boy we now have. b. He is always cracking jokes and making faces in the mirror – but never forgets to tell me I’m beautiful when we’re on our way down the driveway and I figure out I forgot to put my make-up on. c. I’ve learned patience – he doesn’t move fast – he loses himself in video games, TV, or books – (just like his grandma). 12. Beverly – my friend, - shoulder, ear, friend a. Bev has been my best friend for 20 years. I can tell her anything. b. She lives in AZ – we don’t talk often, but when we do – it is like we just saw each other yesterday. c. She is always there for me. 13. God – Number one a. My Lord – I am so thankful for every thing he does for me. b. He gives me gifts – talents, passion, compassion, love, kindness, energy when I don’t think I can anymore, family, friends, health. c. He reminds me that His timing is everything – mine is insignificant. I am so blessed. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thursday Thirteen #2 Knock-knock jokes

Thirteen Things about PaulineMy Favorite Knock-Knock Jokes 1. This is first knock-knock joke I remember hearing – my mother told it to me about 45 years ago: Knock-Knock Who’s There? Madam Madam Who? Madam shoelace is stuck in the door. 2. This is also one from my childhood. Knock-knock Who’s there? Little Old Lady Little Old Lady Who? I didn’t know you could yodel. 3. Knock-knock Who’s there? Guss Guss who? No, you guss who! 4. Knock-knock Who’s there? Alex Alex who? Alex the questions around here! 5. Knock-knock Who’s there? Repeat Repeat who? Who, who! 6. This is one my granddaughter can never get right She always says Canoe, can you Knock-knock Who’s there? Canoe Canoe who? Canoe come out and play? 7. Knock-knock Who’s there? I am I am who? Don’t you know who you are? 8. Knock-knock Who’s there? Howard Howard who? Howard you like to stand out here while someone keeps saying who’s there? 9. Knock-knock Who’s there? Doris Doris who? Doris locked, I’m climbing through the window 10. Here’s another favorite I like to tell my grandchildren Knock-knock Who’s there? Leaf Leaf who? Leaf me alone! 11. Knock-knock Who’s there? Norma Lee Norma Lee who? Norma Lee I use the door bell, but it’s broken 12. Knock-knock Who’s there? Dishwasha Dishwasha who? Dishwasha da way I talked before I got my new teeth. 13. And finally Knock-knock Who’s there? Police Police who? Police stop telling stupid knock-knock jokes.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thursday Thirteen #1

Thirteen Things about Pauline

Thirteen Reasons Why I’m Late to Work

1. The alarm goes off at 5:30, and I decide to read for just 15 minutes – look at the clock and its 6:40 and I haven’t gotten the kids up and I need to leave the house by 7
2. The alarm goes off at 5:30, and on my way to the bathroom, the computer calls me to come play just one game of solitaire. – look at the clock and its 6:30, I haven’t gotten the kids up and I need to leave the house by 7
3. The alarm goes off at 5:30, I get right up, go down and switch the laundry, fold clothes, bring up the kids clothes, get them up, get their breakfast (at home this time, not at the sitter) get ready to go out the door – and realize I’m still in my pajamas.
4. The alarm goes off at 5:30, I really read for only 30 minutes – get the kids up – we all get dressed, breakfast will be at the sitters again. Ready to get out the door, and dear grand daughter has to go to the bathroom.
5. The alarm goes off at 5:30, I read for 15 minutes, look out the window – and have to shovel a foot of snow off two decks, and the walk-way, and a path to the garage.
6. The alarm goes off at 5:30. We get out the door on time. Get to the garage, one of the grandchildren left the car door open, the car won’t start. Call a neighbor to get a jump.
7. The alarm doesn’t go off at 5:30 – I look at my watch and it’s 6:15 – we lost power due to heavy snow on the lines – gotta shovel again,
8. The alarm goes off at 5:30 – we get out on time. Look at how the sun is shining through the clouds! – Gotta stop and take a picture of that. Maybe I should take a couple more shots.
9. The alarm goes off at 5:30 – I don’t want to go to work. I have to fire one of the office girls. I call my husband and tell him I hope the car breaks down so I won’t have to do the dirty work. I call my boss and say I’m on my way but I don’t want to be there for the firing. Then I hit an icy spot, go in the ditch and hit a tree. Be careful what you wish for.
10. The alarm goes off at 5:30 – We barely get out the door on time. Mika decides she doesn’t want to get in the car with me (more whine about that at a later time). She comes willingly out the door – half way to the garage and just stands there. If I go near her, she turns in a circle, lays down in the gravel and rolls over on her back. This happens a few times. I end up bringing her back to the house.
11. The alarm goes off at 5:30 – We barely get out the door on time. Drop off the kids at their respective baby sitters. Get on the freeway – Listen to an audio tape on the way (probably a sad story and I’m crying) and realize I’ve missed my exit.
12. The alarm goes off at 5:30 – We barely get out the door on time. I get to the first sitter and see the "idiot" light on – I need to fill up the car, Oh, no, my debit card is in my pants pocket. My pants are in the washing machine. Drive back up the hill, go through the wet laundry – no card, go upstairs to the bathroom to see if I put it on the counter before dropping pants down the chute, go back and take out the soggy, cold wet clothes again, get soaked, no card. Back to the car – it’s in my purse where it belongs.
13. The alarm goes off at 5:30 – I have to blog!!!!!!


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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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