Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune November 14, 2009

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is already less than two weeks away. Before you know it, your home will be filled with family for our annual holiday season. Is your home prepared for the festivities?

Even I would have to doubt the ability to get much done now before Thanksgiving, you might have missed that boat! But never fear if you are...read more

This biggest movie premier of the year is happening this weekend. The second installment of the Twilight saga, New Moon, opens this Friday nationwide. No doubt, if you have read the Twilight series, you are looking forward to this with bated breath. If you haven't read the books, you don't get what all the hype is about

I first stumbled across these books because I had a teenage daughter...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune October 31, 2009

It is the last week of October, and I have officially called an end to my exterior painting for the season. First, I don't like playing the weather game, it is stressful to me and wreaks havoc with a schedule. But second, I feel I have been doing this a long time, and I have paid my dues and don't want to work in the cold! The extreme...read more

Our recent local elections held no big surprise in the overall outcome. The one huge surprise to me was the lack of civic education among our populace. It had never occurred to me that people today do not understand the difference between living within the city limits of a town, or residing in the county only

This election pointed that fact out blatantly to many people who could not vote in the mayoral...read more

Printed in the Idaho Press-Tribune October 10, 2009

To most people, the crisp days of fall means their outside home improvement projects must end. If you wanted to paint your exterior, and it still hasn't happened, it is not necessarily too late.

In today's world of advanced latex paints (latex meaning water based) a natural step for the demanding consumer is low temperature paint. Just...read more

I know we have been inundated with election information in our local area. We have both Nampa and Caldwell mayoral races, and several city council races to contend with. On top of all that, we have to make a decision, one more time, regarding building a new Canyon County jail

This election is always a hard one for me, we live between Nampa and Caldwell and feel involved in both cities. At the same...read more

I had a new and unusual experience lately, for me anyway, a little bout with insomnia. All my life I have been a great sleeper. I would always fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and sleeping in was always a treat. Restless nights of tossing and turning are something I have rarely experienced

Well the other night all that changed. I remember something waking me, peeking at the clock which read 1:57am...read more

I have been amiss at posting my published columns from the Idaho Press-Tribune for those of you who do not receive the printed paper. Please be patient as I try to catch up

Printed in the Idaho Press-Tribune September 12, 2009:

As Labor Day passes, the unofficial end to our summer activities, and all the little kiddies head back to school, we realize we are running out of time for our outdoor...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune August 29, 2009

Exterior paint color is always a touchy subject for a painting contractor. Some contractors have no eye for color whatsoever, they are there only to do the job. Others might have an opinion, but it really doesn't matter to them one way or the other. Then there are those like me (at least I think there are others out there like me!) who have...read more

Are you a wrinkler or a sagger? If someone had posed this question to me 40 some years ago, when I began a beauty regime that would take more hours out of my life than I would like to admit, what would my answer have been? Sad to say, I wouldn't have had a clue, and don't know if I would have done anything different

Wrinkler or sagger, have you ever even heard that before? I just heard the...read more

All the recent "flu" headlines, be it swine or the seasonal flu, have created quite a situation in our valley. They are telling us not to rush to the doctor or emergency room for treatment of flu like symptoms, yet how do you know what you have without an official diagnosis.

Take my daughter for example. She was home sick for three days last week. I didn't take her to the doctor, I...read more

This past week was one of those times you get hit with every now and then. I went from the fun of being on campus with my son, celebrating a "Dad's" weekend that my son insisted I attend also, to answering the phone and getting the news that my aunt had passed away. Well, just like they say, there is never a good time for a funeral

As we attended functions all weekend for the Dad's...read more

As a woman in today's world, we are constantly bombarded with things to help us stop aging. I have to admit I go from one day looking at all the options, to the next day thinking I am at a stage I don't need to worry about it anymore. But if the truth be told, I am still not ready to throw in the towel, and if there are things I can do to look younger, I'm all over it

The problem comes...read more

Well everyone, I saw a new low in human behavior today, something that is hard to get over. Sitting behind a Suburban in traffic on Karcher Road, we were waiting to get through the light in front of the Edwards Cineplex in Nampa, the two men in the car in front of us decided to empty their ashtray on the street

Those of us old enough remember when littering was not the big deal it is today. Of course...read more

I have not written lately about my bio-identical hormone treatment, I was sure you all were tired of it. But I have to follow up for all those unfortunate women who are facing life the way I was. I have written often, but earlier, regarding the Healthy Habits Wellness Clinic in Meridian and Caldwell, who I felt saved my life, but this is another testimonial

It has been several months now since...read more

There was the strangest story I have ever heard on The View this morning. A perfectly normal couple, with perfectly normal children, had been put through hell because of their photographs. While I can't say I am a huge "View" fan, I do like to watch their "Hot Topics" when I am home from the jobsite, and yes, you read that right, they were put through Hell

It seems a couple...read more

During our vacation to the Oregon coast recently, we decided to spend a few days in Portland on our return. Portland is such a beautiful city and even though it is close, we just never seem to have a reason to make it a destination. We discovered soon enough this had been a mistake on our part

Hopefully you have read all my blog posts regarding the beach house in Lincoln City (if not, please scroll...read more

Well you have all been reading about our wonderful vacation, you would think we were not like normal people and never got away. Oh wait...we aren't like normal people and we NEVER get away! But the ten days we spent exploring western Oregon left me with a lot of stories, most of which you will hear eventually

I have told you about the great beach house where we stayed in Lincoln City, compliments...read more

My last post about our vacation talked about me knocking over a display in a store in the Pearl District of Portland. (See below.) What I didn't say was why I was carrying a big bag around downtown Portland

Ok ladies, we all know the scenario. My husband always says I don't need to carry my bag if I don't want to, yet when it comes down to it, who would carry everything if I didn't...read more

This is truly one of those times when I feel grateful to have this forum for my thoughts and feelings. I just finished reading today's Idaho Press-Tribune, the Monday, September 14th edition, with it's loved/hated cheers and jeers section. This section allows people to give gratitude, vent, and most of all, make fools of themselves, because their name will never be put in print

The particular...read more

Our recent stay in Portland of course included a visit to the famous Pearl District. Every major city in America has it's defining qualities, and Portland has it's "Districts". Each a distinct reflection of the area, they are used to separate neighborhoods from one another, even on the street signs. You always know which "district" you are in, and can better decide your...read more

Our recent vacation was a total of nine days, broken up into separate little jaunts. The first leg was a night in Dayton, Oregon. I know, a strange place to start your vacation, but it just so happens that is where my family lives who own the beach house in Lincoln City. That is how the entire vacation got started, wanting to visit with my cousin Phyllis and her husband Tom. When I called and told...read more

We have returned from our much needed vacation, but I have to share "the rest of the story". We left on a Friday morning, and on Wednesday night, in the middle of the night, I got up to use the bathroom, something that seems to happen more and more frequently as I age. Because I don't like to disturb my husband, I never turn the lights on. As I was making that well known and frequent...read more

Coming up on almost a full week of our new status, empty nester's, and I can say that so far, so good. Of course it helps that my youngest daughter is a mere half hour drive from our home. This was something that concerned us at the beginning, but we believe she will settle in and begin to feel more independent every day

So what did we do our first week of independence ourselves? We worked a...read more

There is a new movement within the environmental group, a movement that had me saying...what? The Brazilian government has designed a new ad campaign encouraging all their citizens to pee in the shower. Yep, that's what I said, pee in the shower. Apparently, they have done some intense research and discovered that if everyone urinated during their shower time, it would save some unknown zillions...read more

I have decided that either I am a woman on the edge of the rest of my life, or I will be a basket case until the end of it. Sounds funny right? Well, as many of you know, and many have gone through yourself, I am about to begin the empty nest stage of my life

I have enjoyed one of the greatest weeks of my life, all three of my kids were home at once. Our oldest has already graduated from college...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune August 15, 2009

For professionals, do-it-yourselfer's, and amateur artists, HGTV (Home and Garden Television) is what ESPN is to armchair quarterbacks or jocks, The History Channel is to Professors or buffs, or The Food Network is to potential Chefs. It is the first channel you check when the TV comes on, and most of us know the programming by heart.

Well...read more

I guess it won't surprise anyone to know that I am a facebook participant. It is a great tool to keep track of what friends and relatives are doing, get the word out about my blog posts, and just sort of keep your finger on the pulse of your community

This morning when I logged on, a friend in Boise had posted a simple statement that made me laugh out loud. "Did you know people thought the...read more

Recently my husband and I decided that a new laptop for me would be a better investment than upgrading our desktop. I already spend enough time sitting in the office, at least with a laptop I would be a bit more portable, even if I was still on the computer. (Which he is finally getting used to!) So now I feel like I have really made it, as I can sit on my patio and still be on my computer. What will...read more

Today's blog post certainly seems to reflect my blog title..."Don't Get Me Started!" I am so tired of hearing that the new Nampa Charter School intends to teach the Bible. They have clearly stated over and over they will in no way be using the Bible to teach doctrine, and that it will simply be used as a reference text. Why don't television and radio personalities understand...read more

The 14 year old Caldwell boy accused of shooting his father with a high powered rifle is in the news again. Zachary Neagle has been in custody since his father's death May 16th, and his defense attorney is attempting to get the boy released on his own recognizance, or at least reduce his bond

At first look, this case is unbelievably unfair. A 14 year old boy, who they want to charge as an adult...read more

There have been times when what I wrote on my blog was not popular, and this will probably be one of those times, but I can't help myself. Maybe it is because I am a small business owner myself, I'm not sure, but the question that keeps coming up in my mind, regarding Ryan Stockdale and his health issues, is why has Omnipure been demonized by the local media? (To be fair, the Idaho Press-Tribune...read more

Hey everyone! I am sure my faithful readers have noticed that I have not posted anything in almost two weeks! I am so sorry to disappoint you, but I have been working like a dog and have had no time whatsoever to relax at my keyboard

Many of you may not remember that I am a painting contractor. I think my blog talks so little about this that it can slip to the back of your mind. Well, I have been...read more

Every time I write a column on deck maintenance I get a huge response, so I had to write more about my experience with the newest thing in deck care, latex stains. As I have mentioned in the past, I first used latex deck stain on my sister Jacque's deck several years ago. I had stumbled on the product by accident, and was very skeptical about how well it would hold up

As my guinea pig, my sister...read more

My husband and I went to Edwards Cinema yesterday and saw the movie Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, or something like that. I just call it Transformers 2, because I really don't even remember what the first Transformers movie was called. Agreed, this is a huge blockbuster movie, and is making a ton of money, but all I can say is that this is a true "guys" movie

I am easily entertained...read more

All the uproar over the Pentagon's denial to approve a flyover for the God and Country rally has me seeing just about every color; red because it angers me, blue because it makes me terribly sad, and white because I feel it is transparent

Ok, did you notice the colors I am seeing are red, white and blue? Of course you did! And isn't that what the God and Country rally is really all about...read more

My 18 year old daughter just left on a road trip that she has spent her entire summer planning. Joined by three other friends, they headed south to California, a natural destination for fresh graduates filled with a new found sense of freedom. A new sense of freedom for them, but not necessarily the feelings shared by their parents

When the subject of a California road trip first came up, of course...read more

The funeral for Michael Jackson is being held today at the famous Staples Center in Los Angeles. I turned the television on, waiting for the noon news, and realized that today there would be no other news. The announcers were saying that this funeral service would be watched by over a billion people worldwide

I'm sorry, but I find something disturbingly wrong with this situation. Michael Jackson...read more

I stayed home from the jobsite today to do laundry. I know, how many people take a day off their real jobs to do a household job? Well, you have to understand my personal obsession with laundry

You know how you have that one thing you want done a certain way, and that is the only way you want it? Well maybe most of you don't have a clue what I mean, but I know some do. I have a thing about laundry...read more

Once again Kip Ramos is in the headlines. In case you don't recall the name, he is the Nampa High School football player who is facing trial for punching his coach last season. The latest in this unusual case is the postponement of his trial until August, in order that he be allowed to complete summer school to graduate

First of all, I am grateful the courts saw it appropriate to allow this young...read more

Once again I received one of those emails that goes around and around...forward, forward. Like I have said before, I get a lot of these, but every now and then one makes me laugh out loud and I have to share. So, even though I can't take credit for this, I did rewrite it in many ways to personalize it, and it could very well have been me who started it

"Thank goodness there is finally a...read more

A recent headline, published in the June 18th edition of the Idaho Press-Tribune, glared at me as I read the paper. "Children sue over parents' deportation." Say what? The story goes that a group of kids in Miami are suing President Obama, asking a court to halt the deportation of their parents, until we fix our immigration system

This is a difficult subject for me. I do feel many parts...read more

Father's Day has come and gone, and I am late in wishing all the Dad's a wonderful day, but being late is better than nothing at all. For the many men I know who take their responsibilities as fathers to heart, I wish you joy in that most precious of jobs, being a dad, in the coming year

I am fortunate that my husband, Bill, is a wonderful father. When I met him, I could tell he would be...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune June 20, 2009.

Believe it or not, there are people all over the world whose job is to figure out what colors are going to be popular in the future. From clothes to electronics to paint, these groups study the trends and try to be ahead of the curve. They use a variety of factors to determine what will be the new rage in color and style.

In most cases, architectural...read more

I don't know about any of you, but I am so tired of our local moth infestation. It is not my area of expertise to understand why we are suffering with this problem, I just know I want it over. I realize the local news and print have touched on the subject, but frankly I didn't care enough at the time to pay attention. Now I wish I had

My daughter and her girlfriends are having a yard sale...read more

All of a sudden, with the current economic issues, it has become popular to be "frugal". Everywhere you look there are newspaper columns, books, talk show guests and radio spots giving tips on how to get more bang for your buck. Everyone has become an expert on scaling down, making do with less, and the now famous term "stay-cations"

When I hear all this advice, it makes me laugh...read more

I recently added a post to my Blog regarding the bio-identical hormones I have been doing, and their effect on sex drive. The focus of that post was the fact that I had never known a woman who had a stronger sex drive than her husband, and how increasing the testosterone levels in your body can help with this problem

After I wrote this, I started thinking that just because I personally didn't...read more

Recently the Caldwell school district has been debating the issue of school uniforms. This has caused quite a stir in the district, perhaps because they were so open about it, or maybe simply because of the make up of the district, I don't know. But the latest attempt at comprise, a more restricted dress code, doesn't seem to be much of an answer to me

The whole point of a school uniform...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune June 6, 2009

This time of year, many of you will make the decision to have your home exterior painted. Unfortunately, this is one of the more expensive maintenance items required for homeowners. So if you are industrious enough to be contemplating doing it yourself, I have some helpful information for you.

First and most importantly, plan to rent an airless...read more

You know how you get those emails all the time, forward, forward, forward, passed from people to people all over the country? Well, I receive a lot of those in the political vein (my friends know me well) and several months ago I got one that totally resonated with me. It wasn't necessarily political, but it made an impact on me that I have been unable to shake.

As always with most of these...read more

I have talked enough about my kids this week, so today I am moving on to a more "adult" topic, sex. Yes, I said sex. I don't intend to turn my Blog into an R rated version of its prior self, but I do want to talk about that most personal of all things

For months now I have written about my use of bio-identical hormones and how they have helped me immeasurably in many ways. From sleep...read more

Maybe because of the place we are at right now, on the brink of the empty nest, or maybe because of the economy, who knows, but I have been looking hard and long at my children. Do you still call them children at 18 and 20? In our society you do. They may have been full blown adults at that age a century ago, but not today. And that is part of what has been bothering me

Has our generation of parents...read more

Last night I attended my final graduation open house, for this year that is. Halfway through the chaos of our own daughter's open house my husband and I stopped and looked at each other. Who had come up with the concept of a graduation open house in the first place? When did people start doing this?

I don't remember such elaborate celebrations when I graduated. Of course that was 35 years...read more

Wow! I am not sure if anyone noticed my conspicuous absence from the blogging world, but I have a great excuse. I threw an all night party for a couple hundred teenagers, and yes, it did make me crazy and consume every moment of my life for the last few weeks

For our son's graduation last year, I worked on the committee for the Senior Safe & Sane party. For all of you who don't know what...read more

My son Parker just arrived home from his first year of college. Wow. I am sure I just took him for his first day of kindergarten. I know the saying has been around forever, but it really is true, one day they are babies, the next day they are gone

As mom's, we carry snapshots of time around in our hearts and our minds. Frozen moments of wonder with our children that for some reason stick there...read more

There are many of you out there right now who can share my pain with this issue. I can't see anything anymore! You all know the signs, holding the pages farther and farther away, squinting, cocking your head, and being able to see only with much brighter lights

I have heard I should be grateful, I am 53 and still not using anything but my dollar store cheater glasses. But when you have had perfect...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune May 9, 2009

Today I want to talk about the exterior color design of your home. In a nutshell, this means what part of your home is painted in what color, as body color or trim color. For most of you, your home was already painted a certain way when you bought it. There was no decision for you to make as far as what color paint goes where. You accept the way...read more

Since one of the main joys of my life has been being a mother, I can't let "Mother's Day" go by without comment. But to me, in order to really make it more meaningful, you have to understand where I am coming from. I never thought about having kids. It seemed everyone I knew couldn't wait to get married and have kids, what else did you do then. I always saw something else for...read more

When I first started my blog, I sent word out to all my family and friends of what I was doing. The only problem, I got a ton of messages back, what is a blog? It was hard for me, in this day and age, that people had not heard of Blogs or Blogging. But after researching the subject, I have come to realize that we have all heard the terms, but when it comes down to it, the exact meaning is a little...read more

I just completed a full interior on a home in Caldwell. When I say full interior, I mean I painted every room, every ceiling, all the woodwork, doors, windows, baseboards, etc. Basically every area of the home

When I do a complete interior like that, I end up spending a lot of time in someone's home. Sometimes they are there, sometimes they are not. In most cases, by the time I finish a job like...read more

I had a birthday last weekend, not a big one, nothing special to require a celebration, but my husband took me to Boise for the evening. We stayed in a hotel room downtown for the night, just like a little mini vacation.

My husband and I do this quite often. Over the many years we have been married, we have gone to too many places to count, for a little get away, and a return to the good old days...read more

I recently wrote about my annual turn in the stirrups, not the saddle either I might add. (For that post, just scroll down, I'm sure it won't be hard to find.) Since I made the choice to change my life and started bio-identical hormone replacement, I had yet to talk to my official OB/GYN about it. Even though I am thrilled with the results of the treatment, I was fearful she was going to take...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune April 25, 2009

A couple of weeks ago, I talked to you about cleaning your wood deck to strip all the old gray wood, dirt and debris off. I use Super Deck from the Kwal Paint store in Nampa for this. They have a great line of products for your decking and fencing.

Now that you have cleaned and allowed your deck to dry thoroughly, I am going to talk about a...read more

Published in the Idaho Press-Tribune April 11, 2009

As we are now moving into our warmer season, even if a little windy, one of the things on your list of spring projects might be your deck. Whenever I write about decks, I get an overwhelming response, so I know that this is a problem many of you have lurking in the backyard, nagging at you.

People are so excited when they first build that beautiful...read more

Remember when the Beach Boys used to sing "I wish they all could be California girls?" Well today, being the quintessential gorgeous blonde from California isn't enough, if you have conservative values that is.

I realize this issue has been beat to death, but I can't quit thinking about it! The recent storm brought on by the highly personal question presented by Perez Hilton at...read more

This morning was the big day in my life. Once a week, I run down to the Healthy Habits Wellness Clinic in Caldwell and weigh in. Believe it or not, if you are as driven as I am right now, this truly does become the highlight of your week

I actually start thinking about it the day before, wondering how I have done for the week. If any of you have ever watched The Biggest Loser on TV, you know they...read more

This past week my husband came in from the shop while I was working in our office. (Our office is built on the back of our residence.) "Where is that surge protector we had a long time ago on that old computer down in the family room?" Without a thought I answered him, "In the third drawer of the middle section of the cabinets in the laundry room."

Immediately I stopped. Why would...read more

I believe the empty nest syndrome is not really a syndrome at all, but just another stage in life. Maybe times have changed over the years, but when a child leaves for college now days, it seems they don't really leave at all. Even if they are attending a college far from home, somehow they still end up on the doorstep way more than you ever imagined

I remember seeing the commercials where the...read more

Today was another day circled in red on my calendar. (My last one was my mammogram. If you missed that report, click here to read it.) Today was my annual exam with my regular OB/GYN. Any woman who has had the stirrup treatment (and tell me what woman hasn't) understands. No matter how old you are, how many times you've been through it, you never really get used to it

You spend the morning...read more

A few nights ago, we were invited to attend the Idaho Stampede basketball game. My brother-in-law Brent had a suite for the game, and immediately called several couples to attend. My husband and I are not normally big Stampede fans, not because we don't like basketball, but because high school sports takes up enough of our time at this point in our lives. However, a suite at the Grove Hotel to...read more

It is all around us in the news. Cuts in pay, across the board, selective, this program, that division, it all adds up to one thing. People are being forced to make sacrifices to save their job

When I hear employees grumble and argue about how unfair they think it is, or unions refuse to cooperate with a company by allowing wages or benefits to be reduced, I think how sad it is that people can only...read more

I am four weeks into bio-identical hormone replacement, which I have been talking about quite a bit.

I am participating in this program through the Healthy Habits Wellness Clinic in Caldwell, and have been promising to tell you all how it is going

Debbie Hollingsworth, the Nurse Practitioner who runs this program for the clinic, had told me that it takes a few weeks of the treatment to see results...read more

I have been promising that as soon as I had you all up to speed on my weight loss program I would go into more detail on the bio-identical hormone replacement. By now you all know I am trying to lose the weight I gained since my hysterectomy, as well as get my hormones straightened out in order to not gain it back.

I have been going to the Healthy Habits Wellness Center, with a new clinic in Caldwell...read more

This past week I have held back nothing in my struggles with hormones and weight. If you have missed any of it, please follow along by going to my Happiness and Hotflashes category. As I have reiterated this week, my goal was to lose the weight I had gained since my hysterectomy and then, by using bio-identical hormone replacement, keep it off forever

Healthy Habits Wellness Center in Caldwell provides...read more

My entire life I had been arrogant in my attitude towards weight loss. "It's simply a matter of willpower, you have to burn more calories than you take in. Weight loss programs are a scam, when you are ready to lose weight, you will get down to business and do it." Boy was I eating my words, no pun intended

Suddenly, it didn't matter what I did, nothing worked. The amount of calories...read more

Lately I have been spilling my guts about my history with hormones, my hysterectomy, my subsequent weight gain and hysteria, and the decisions I have made because of it. Please read my posts on this subject, easy to find, the last three entries all named accordingly

As I said at the end of my last post, I was determined that first, I was going to lose weight, and second, I was going to start using...read more

This blog post is part of an ongoing story about weight and hormones. Please check out my other posts, all listed in the Happiness and Hot Flashes category

I just happened to be going to Park City, Utah to work at the Sundance Film Festival. Down there, among all the beautiful people, I started hearing this buzz about bio-identical hormones. The fountain of youth, your energy level, your skin, your...read more

If you have been reading this blog, you have already heard about the terrible toll perimenopause took on my life. If you missed that entry, check it out here. My goal is to acquaint you with the Healthy Habits Wellness Clinic and their bio-identical hormone replacement and weight loss program. But first you need to understand what led me to them

As I previously wrote, I struggled for years...read more

Several days ago I posed the question, "Have you tried bio-identical hormone replacement?" I also posted a link to a clinic in Caldwell and Meridian, Healthy Habits, which specializes in weight loss and bio-identical hormone replacement, among other things. I have so much to say on this subject, I am going to have to break it down into more reader friendly sections. Let's just call...read more

The Mammogram. I just had one this morning. I realize how important a mammogram is, and I encourage every woman reading this to make sure they stay current with this simple procedure. With that said, let's talk real

You know whoever came up with the actual procedure was a man. No offense to the male species, but when they check for testicular cancer they don't smash them between two pieces...read more

The first column I wrote five years ago for the Press-Tribune. Do you think much has changed? Let me know!

July 19, 2004

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION:

As a female contractor, I have spent most of my adult life 'bucking' the system. In the 80's, the men I dealt with didn't know what to think of me. Those I had to compete with thought it was a joke, suppliers never took me seriously, and...read more

This blog will allow me to touch on subjects that are important to me, and hopefully important to you. While setting up this blog, I came up with several categories that covered the areas I anticipate writing on. I am going to share these with you today, and hopefully your interest will be piqued enough to check it out

Self Analysis: My first category, which of course is things about me personally...read more

Except for a brief stint in warmer climate during my 20's, I have been a life long Idahoan. I was raised here, my husband Bill, a Montana guy, has put down his roots here, and now we have raised our children here.

For almost 20 years our construction business, Hamilton & Hamilton Building & Painting, has specialized in building new residential, remodeling existing residential and painting...read more

I started 10 days ago. I'll fill you in on the details as soon as I master this blog. But here's a place to learn a little bit about it.

March 15, 2009, Idaho Press-Tribune

It is the middle of March already, and even though we just had a snowstorm here in the valley, the warm weather is creeping up on us. Many of you are eagerly anticipating your outdoor activities, including yard and home improvement projects. If you are the ambitious type, planning to do it all yourself, I recommend starting early. It is still way too iffy, weather...read more