I kind of switched.

I think one of the reasons that I kind of don't blog much anymore is that I have switched over to Instagram. No - there really aren't words or stories, but I do like pictures. Lots of pictures.

You can join me over there if you like!

My name is
bobbigaukel


duh :)

may...be

may! it's may! it's almost halfway THROUGH may!

yikes. i am not very good at blogging anymore. so, quick updates through iphone pics:

2 trips to Mpls. in as many weeks. this is bing, he was a nice companion on my last trip. i think it was because i let him have some of my donut.

little missy is spending a lotta time here lately. tail wagging on the keyboard is something i am getting better at deflecting. better, but not excellent.

 the new couch is kind of slippery. i think in summer it might leave damask prints on the back of bare legs. vintage and practical do not exactly go together.

succulents (and ferns) (and ivy) at 'hunt and gather.' of course.

mother's day stash. the lady did flinch a little when i was taking her picture. little did she know i would crop out her head, because i just wanted to show the apron :)

on the way home from mom and dad's house. burning ditches. there were about 8 firetrucks just over this hill, but i was too nervous to stop and take a pic. i took this one while driving 55 :)

the cannas have been growing in the basement/sun porch for about a month....ready to go outside soon!

trying a new color oxalis for the front porch. burgundy with yellow flowers. i can hardly wait to get all the pots prettied up!

schwew. that is what the iphone had to say :) happy spring (finally) y'all!

where oh where

let's see. i have been gone a long time, so i will just give some random updates:

on tuesday, i shoveled about 5 inches of heavy snow.

yesterday, i raked leaves and picked up sticks and cleaned the gutters.

i am learning to be flexible like that :)

i still am not sure how to wear skinny jeans without boots, though. life is hard.

i bought a couch about a month ago. the guy has still not delivered it, and i actually really don't care anymore. says something about impulse spending.

i did NOT buy this absolutely darling 'loveseat' for my office last weekend, when lou and i decided to drive 4 hours to minneapolis for a 2-hour thrift sale. i have thought about it every day since.

yeah. go figure that one out.

 siesta is scurrying out the door every chance she gets these days. cats just KNOW. good things are out there.

other than that, i'm trying desperately to get into a mode of less = more. which makes it hard when i want to go to every thrift store in the tri-state region. Lord, help me.

otherwise, things are well. busy, but good busy. and i have both a dentist AND a doctor appointment set up in the next two weeks. 2 years of procrastination is about to be tackled.

pray for me that THIS time, procrastination was not a big mistake.
happy friday y'all!

things i learned in the storm

it's april 14th today. i have to remember to send in my taxes tomorrow. it seems like forever ago that i had taxes done, even though it was 3 weeks ago.

life changes quickly. our little town of sioux falls experienced that change together last week, in a way most of us never thought about. i got a couple of insights during the week, so here we go:

i take for granted that i have a LOT. a lot. a lot of things.

i don't need 'things' as much as i thought i did.

in adversity, people do usually come through for you. examples are sherry and ron, and lou, and anne, and ralph and scott. thank you.

facebook is not necessary. it is not really even real. nor is pinterest. or most blogs.

there is something to be said for working at a coffee shop.

i don't really have a good winter coat.

it is possible for 85,000 people to want to hug their utilities worker.

cool whip looks the same after 4 days out of the refridge as it did BEFORE. yikes.

birds can handle a lot of snow.

branches spring back.

someday, all things will be fully restored. what a day that will be!






:) hope you are enjoying spring in your heart.

learning to edit

so, over the weekend I rearranged my office for summer. mostly, i wanted myself (and siesta) to be able to look out the window and daydream more - like we need that.

but as i sit here on day 3 of working in the space, i'm reminded of how calming it is to see order instead of clutter. i have mostly friends who know how to edit things down, and keep spaces clean and orderly. i have NEVER been one of those people, because i love all manners of stuff too much.

but, i am trying. some of you may not think of these pictures as 'spare' - but I'm telling ya, they have come a looooooooong way.


i think perhaps I am becoming an editor.

yes, Siesta is batting 1,000 for 'getting in the shot' - what can I say? she is gifted.

let's randomize today.

 Hello all and a good friday to you. I have spent this past week in another anxiety-filled frenzy, and I am hoping the reality of today and the redemption that comes from it will pull me back into the reality of Christ. for today, I will attend a 'darkness' service tonite and remember the cup that he drank from, for me and for you.

i have not really thought much about gardening yet, probably because of the cold temps that have lingered. I have thought about yellow though, and that is almost as good :)

 last weekend, the downstairs fishies got some new digs. they are my backyard pond fish, the only remainers of at least 15 or 20 fishies. they deserve a nice new tank and no threat of being cooked alive, or eaten by birds.

 taxes are done for another year. praise God!

the work in the basement continues. i want to buy/do so many things, but so far, it is still looking cute with even my old things. siesta concurs.

looks like they made it! a small band of houseplants have endured the harshness of winter and my bad caretaking, and will go outside soon. for that, i am ecstatic!

happy Easter everyone! i hope you have a joyful weekend and a serious time with God, too. it's not really about the bunny :)

 i will not get depressed. i will not get depressed. i will not get depressed.

even if a year ago this week, my front yard looked like this:

i hope it is spring wherever you are....sigh.

blustery monday

i keep thinking i need to change my header picture to spring, then a day like today hits, and i'm reminded 'not quite yet.'

the wind is absolutely whipping around outside my window as i type - it's relentless. wind can be good or bad, i think. today, it feels like an assault.

good thing i am bundled up in jammies for most of the day. i remember when i used to have to go out in this stuff all the time, i have lost my edge completely. staying home does that to you.

i have a few pics to show you of the basement progress. i made my first craft project down on my 'new' $15 table top (thrifted from the habitat restore) this weekend. it was a no-sew curtain for the super ugly basement window. it 'turned out', as they say.

i am impatient, but this is the fun part. i have to remember that, as i look around at all that is not finished. the process is also the plan :)

happy monday, everyone!

$15! I need to get some ikea craft table legs next month, but wow. this is SPACE. very excited about that.

newly found attraction to foxes...esp. orange ones.

oh pinterest, you inspire me ;)

out from storage and onto display.

too bad i cannot figure out how to set the time ;)

....always in the wings.

ides of March

That's all I can think about today. I had to google 'ides' because even though I say the phrase all the time, I have no idea what it means!

Apparently the ides (which is middle-of-the-month, or the 15th) became notorious as the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Sorry Jules!

Otherwise, it's a perfectly lovely day. I was very excited yesterday to have my first spring walk around the neighborhood.

It was very pleasant to go outside. I may do it again sometime!

Otherwise, I spent some time in the basement again. I'm not really moving at light speed down there, probably because I am not really into basements.

Things are coming along, though. I still need to set up the craft room. I got the shelves up last night, so maybe this weekend? Dunno. Taxes also must be done. sigh.

I got another rug for the space. that makes a bad paint job and 2 layers of rugs, if you are keeping track.

 As Lou remarked when I sent her a pic, 'that's SO Bobbi Gaukel!'

Alas, she is correct. I could lick this rug, I love it so much.

  That's magenta fringe, in case you can't tell.

It really does help the very 'blah' room to pop a little.

Things will of course be better when I get all of the shelves stocked, and yes, get some artwork hung!

My cutest decorating accessory really matches the room :)

Happy Friday, folks!