Did You Know...

The original meaning of backlog stems from when a large log would be kept smoldering in the back of a fireplace or kitchen stove to be used each morning to start a new fire.

From Houghton Mifflin Word Origins:

(Origin 1684) Describing a farmhouse in a snowstorm in the 1770s, Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur mentions "an enormous back-log, without which a fire is supposed to be imperfectly made and to be devoid of heat." A thorough description of a fire properly laid is found in Knickerbocker Magazine for February 1852: "The 'log' has been placed; the 'back-log' has surmounted it; the 'top-stick' crowns the apex; the 'forestick' rests against the 'and-irons'; and the intermediate 'cob-house' of timber, fired by the faithful 'kindling-wood,' is all ablaze, and roaring up the chimney."

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/backlog#ixzz2OBOEQnoC

WooHoo!

I am excited! Just got back from the grocery store with the Midland Daily News in hand. Inside on page A6 is an article about Nestle Inn B&B and the Lavender Tea Room. Please have a look here if you're so inclined.

Thank you to Karen Gruber for writing the article. Sandra and I met Karen and her husband when they were here for Valentine's Tea in the Lavender Tea Room.

With the new addition of Sandra's caboose (as in train caboose; no pun was actually intended) along with the teas she will be hosting in the Lavender Tea Room there will be plenty to do this year at Nestle Inn Bed and Breakfast.

...And It's Smaller Than a Jet

Now, that I've had a few days to absorb the sight of this thing sitting in my yard I will reveal just what it is. But first, let me tell you I am very pleased and excited, and short of a more perfect word, perplexed. Yep, I believe that's the right word that suits how I'm feeling (according to dictionary.com).

And, my being perplexed is only due to how I will proceed with finishing the project of it all. When I think of how I plan on doing something I take as much or as little time as I need to figure things out in my head. My mind begins on a trip of ever-expanding avenues of thought to determine the best outcome for a project before the physical labor begins. Saves time. Doesn't necessarily save sanity though.

Okay, enough already. The one who made this thing happen, and who owns it, is my friend Sandra Vining. Much thanks to Delisle Excavating and crew along with the Bierlein crane, and Carl Albee for doing a wonderful job.

All I Can Tell You Is It's Bigger Than a Breadbox

It took a couple of days, but the major work has been done. Now, what's left is a summer of landscaping which I am looking forward to in the coming months. I love to work outside and the thought of getting dirty, planting and nurturing is something I relish. But, with the snow on the ground and soft mud oozing around my boots the conditions are less than desirable to get excited about working outside in the immediate future. And besides, the thing needs to be washed. Not a good time of year to be outside with a bucket of sudsy water and a sponge in my hand.

Right now part of my brain is in overdrive causing me to feel tired just looking at it due to all the ideas and possibilities from it sitting there. Sometimes I think I'm my own worst enemy. When the wheels start turning I never know what hair-brained ideas will be set in motion.

Now let me clarify, this thing wasn't my idea to start off with. I just went along with it. So when I reveal what it is in the next post you will know right off that there's another person who deserves credit for it. I only wish it had been my idea.

Oh, what fun we will have with it!