Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thankful for Nearing the End of Work on the Georgetown Highway (Highway 193) Above Chili Bar


Good morning. Tina here, with a late Thanksgiving thank you.  

We who live on the Georgetown Divide in El Dorado County take Highway 193 to Placerville.  It is a curvy road, and during storms rocks and boulders rain down upon it often.

Late September this year Cal-Trans decided to fix a stretch which was about to slip away into the Chili Bar canyon.


Traffic lights were set up for one-way traffic.


A cement barrier keeps us from the workers who have built a large retaining wall, high above the river,


Work goes on as the cars inch by.


In late September just as they finished the poles for the electricity to run the stop lights, we had a wildfire caused by a driver in a truck going too fast through the one lane area.


The fire burned uphill from the highway, destroyed some of the poles, and stopped work, causing the highway to be closed for almost a week.


This is approaching the stop light on the way towards Georgetown.


Stopping just past a blind corner, in spite of all the signs warning us, there have been rear-enders from drivers coming around the corner too fast.  Luckily no injuries.


Above behind the yellow barrels the workers sit on their break, eating their lunch-time sandwiches.


Somewhere beyond the highway returns to normal.


Large equipment operates on a very narrow portion of the road.


As the opposing traffic comes through, you count the cars, and then wait for the green light.


Above is approaching the light as you drive to Placerville.


Sun in our faces, we can view the hillside which burned in September.


When it is time to go, you wonder if there was someone who ran the red light.


There is not much room if you meet someone coming the wrong way.


Once this is over I will never think of this stretch as narrow again!


You can always look up instead of down.


Can you tell there is not much to do while waiting to continue on?


Luckily it is a beautiful area.


An interesting design formed in the pavement below the traffic lights.


Waiting behind another car to continue on to Placerville.  Some people light up a cigarette.


You see your neighbors go by on their way home.


Wow, this was a long wait this time.


This hillside has burned twice in the almost fourteen years we've been driving this highway.


Our turn.


Not long now before the work will be done.


It will feel almost strange not to have this little community on the side of the hill.


Five to ten minutes less of a commute.


And a highway that just might stay where it is supposed to be, instead of slipping down into the river canyon.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sunset Magazine's "Kitchen Cabinet"

I happily picked up this vintage cookbook, above, from Sunset Magazine when I found it at a thrift shop (or was it a garage sale? I don't even know...). I knew exactly what the "Kitchen Cabinet" was, from seeing it in the pages of vintage Sunset magazines.
The cookbook is a compilation of the Kitchen Cabinet series from the issues over the years, featuring recipes and the most delightful black and white illustrations. You can see on the three covers below how Sunset's logo changed over the years:
And here are two pages for the holidays, from inside the book:
"How to Make A Sugar Plum Tree". I love old cookbooks.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Thanks, Lowe's!

I needed something like this:
So, I looked on Lowes.com, and found it.
And then I went and got it at the store.
 I really thought I would have trouble putting it together by myself. I'm not very good with things like that; I simply hardly ever do it!
So when I read the directions and it said "Warnings And Cautions: Two adults required for a safe assembly. Use care when handling.", I thought, "Hmmmm.....I really don't know about this."
So, what did I do? I forged ahead despite the words of caution. Just stubborn, I guess.
And it was no problem at all to do it - all by myself.
And after I put it together, the corner in our guest room went from this:
To this:
It has wheels on the bottom so I can roll it out of the way when needed. It also has the convenience (and extra storage) of a shelf on the bottom:
And one on the top, too:
You may have noticed there is a closet door back in that corner, too. Why aren't the clothes in the closet, you may wonder?
 Um.... that would be because all of our (small) closets are FULL. 'Nough Said.
Thanks, Lowe's!
 You made it easy for me.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Even More Great Gifts

I just wanted to show you a few more of the wonderful gifts my generous family and friends gave me for my birthday last month. Robbi (the one who gave me all those vintage cards) gave me this Disney 45 - perfect! And, by the way, today IS my Unbirthday - how about you?
Lori gave me some FABULOUS vintage Christmas magazines:
You KNOW how much I love vintage magazines!
My friend Marcia gave me a beautiful pendant:
And my friend Heidi gave me this precious baby doll:
Isn't she sweet? (Yes - Heidi too!)

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Lori's Vintage Finds From Vacation

Sis Lori here: I recently took a trip for a week, more on that later. I was able to get to a few Thrifts and here's what I found....

Cute small Christmas tray for?????


                                                          Vintage Christmas Card Box

                                       
                                         Vogue Christmas Pattern and Xmas Card Clothesline

                                             
                                                 Cute Angels, yes Heidi, these are for you!!!


                             Mary Engelbreit Box, buttons to cover, red buttons and plastic reflectors?


                                                                 Lots of vintage patterns





                                            Wouldn't this be a cute Flower Girl at a Wedding!!!


                                                           That's it, more on the trip later!!!