Things I'll Forget By Tomorrow

News Flash Part 2

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

So, in part 1, I shared our happy news of being homeowner's again, and how we found our dream house.

Part 2 is how I believe God was working through the whole process.

Way #1 - was, of course, our friend's prodding to look at this house, which had been empty for about a year.

Way #2 - the broker that our real estate agent (let's just call him MM) worked with knew the homeowner. And if memory serves me correctly, and that is a rarity, I believe he came into the office while MM was trying to find information on the house. MM was able to represent both us and him, and kept things moving.

Way #3 - In some "bizarre way" two different banks held the title to the house, and the wrong bank had started the foreclosure. Because it was the wrong bank, this stopped the proceedings and gave us a small window for a short sale. And because it was a short sale, we made an offer on a house we had not even walked through!

Way #4 - If MM had not been our realtor, we may not have gotten to square one. His persistence and know-how kept the process from stalling. He had stacks and stacks of papers to fill out, and most of the time he had to send the same papers over and over again. (your government at work.) Our case went from one person to another person to another person, each with a ridiculous title, and each required 7 - 14 days to make a decision, and they were in no hurry. (Again, your government at work. Think "health care".) Add to that the fact that we had to work around Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

Way #5 - Everytime we started to feel discouraged, we would pray for a tidbit of encouragement. Without fail, sometimes before the "amen" was said, we'd get a call from MM with an update. He would tell us that everything was still "a go", we just had to wait on the process. Hubby had no doubts that this was the house the Lord would bless us with. I remained cautiously hopeful, but still kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never dropped.

Way #6 - Finally, the time came for the appraisal. Our offer had to be 88% of the appraisal. While we were hoping for a really low appraisal due to all the work that needed to be done, it did work out to be in our price range.

Way #7 - In order to do the appraisal, MM had to leagally break-in because for some reason, no one had a key to the house. This gave us the opportunity to buy a lock and have a key.

Way #8 - A few days after the appraisal, an inspector came to inspect the property and when he left, he turned off all the electricity. This would not have been a problem except that the sump pump needed electricity. Shortly after that, we had a torrential downpour. This resulted in having three feet, literally, of water in "our" basement. Now, you may question me as to why this is showing how God was working. I was asking the same questions.

Hubby and I had gone to a wedding that weekend, but, as God would have it, MM had stopped to check on the house. He called to tell us we had a wet basement. He had a friend who had a pump, and we had a hose, so we mad arrangements to meet at the house the next day, which happened to be on a Sunday, to get the water pumped out.

Way #9 - Do we have an awesome realtor or what?

Way #10 - After the water was pumped out, Hubby took our dehumidifier over and plugged it in to dry up as much moisture as possible. We didn't need mold growing.

Way #11 - So now we're getting near to the end and I am confident that God will not bring us this far only to snatch it away.

Way #12 - We're finally on the last leg of the journey which started in September. But now, suddenly, the case is turned over to H.U.D. More paperwork. More delay. And, let me just say, that during all this time, the weather has been absolutely beautiful and unseasonably warm. There was so much we wanted to be doing outside, but couldn't. Now, according the H.U.D. regulations, we had to have the electric put in out name, and we had to prove that we had taken occupancy! Ever hear of anything so crazy?? This had to done and proven BEFORE we could have confirmation on the house! Thank God for the flooded basement. We were in possession of the key and had the dehumidifier running.

Here's another crazy government regulation - There is some fee (I don't know what) that every bank always pays at the sale of a house. H.U.D. was not going to pay. They said they can only pay it if it's a tax. So, MM, our fantastic realtor, says, "So, if I re-word this to be a "tax" you can pay it?" Yep, you got it. The fee became a tax and they gladly paid it. Every "i" has to be dotted just so, and every "t" has to be crossed precisely, or you'll find yourself back to square one.

Last week we signed the papers, and it officially became our house! It's been a wild ride with lots of ups and downs, and we can't wait to finally get settled!

So, do you want to see a picture or two, or three?

It looks better at a distance

Our Dream House

From the back, the dining room and living room

Ghosts? Or maybe just our reflections in the window,
while doing our Peeping Tom impersonations.
The office which Hubby has graciously offered to share.

The back view

The poor, pitiful front "porch"

It ours all the way back to the trees

Well, there you have it. We have our work cut out for us. If you don't hear from me for a little while, you know where I'll be, slappin' paint on the walls. I can't wait for the "after" pictures!

News Flash!

2012-01-21T06:46:00.000-05:00

I do have a bit of news to share with you, my friends. It seems that 2012 (do you say 20-12 or two thousand 12? Just curious.) is getting off to a good start. Our very mild winter (so far!) is one example. I have not missed the snow, ice, or blustery wind one iota! (I woke up to five inches of snow on the ground this morning. BLAH!) But, the best reason that 2012 is going to be a good year is that Hubby and I are going to be homeowner's again. We are very excited about it. In fact, you might say that we are downright giddy about it. Tee hee.

I'll share how our dream became a nightmare at a later date, but now it seems like the nightmare is dissipating, and dreams are back in our lives again.

For the past three years, we have been renting from Hubby's sis. She has been anxious to sell her house, but has graciously held off until we found a place. We have been searching for three years hoping to find a place where we could finally settle. We've been to umpteen thousand (it seems) sheriff's sales, auctions, and foreclosures. Each place seemed like a good place, and usually nearly perfect for what we needed and wanted to accomplish. But, every place, for one reason or another (usually because we were outbid) went to someone else.

We trusted in the Lord, sometimes got a little discouraged with the Lord, trusted some more, asked, begged, and pleaded; questioned, and trusted some more.

Last Fall, our prayers began to be answered. A friend had mentioned that she passed an empty house every day on her way to work. But, we were busy with other things (mostly canning and Hubby working out of state) and forgot about it. A couple weeks later, she asked if we had checked it out. This time we hopped in the car and went looking for it.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, we started to get that warm, fuzzy feeling of first love. A little hopeful, but afraid to think about the possibilities in case nothing came of it. Mind you, this place has a face only a mother could love, but we saw great potential. We started peering into each window like peeping Toms, and excitement grew with each glimpse. (Don't worry the house was empty.) Usually, when you look inside a foreclosure, you'll find that it either has been trashed, or is full of mold, or crumbling walls that it would need to be gutted in order to be made liveable again. But not this little gem. We walked around the house, peering into each window for another glimpse. With each glimpse, we fell more and more in love. The walls were all in tact, there was no animal feces lying around, the rooms were spacious. The outside needed more work than the inside.

It's in the country but close to town, which we wanted; it has acreage, which we wanted; it has an office area, which we wanted; a basement, a decent-sized kitchen. We checked everything off our mental list. We would have preferred a 3-bedroom, but we could manage with a 2-bedroom. The road is a little busy, and the view across the road is not too appealing, but before we left, we had already started making plans on how to solve that problem, and Hubby had already envisioned how and where he was going to lay out our garden, blue blueberry and raspberry bushes, and where the beef cow, pig and chickens would go.

We called our realtor and asked him to find out what he could on the house. We had no idea how much patience we would be needing. We had no idea how much we would see God working in this process. He was with us all the way.

To be continued....

Project 52

2012-01-15T23:30:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting at the computer for nearly three hours, and I'm just now getting around to blogging. That is so wrong! Of course, blogging should have been the first priority!

Here it is Monday already, and time to give a report on Project 52. I'm sad to say that I have not found my original list. Hard to tell what happened to it. I'm positive I put it in a place I was sure to remember, but, of course, I have forgotten where that place might be. I even did some cleaning, and it never showed up. I suspect it might be hiding out with Papa Smurf.

Papa Smurf showed up as a Christmas present for Sweetie Pie. At first, she wasn't too sure about him, but she later befriended him. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had to play "Go fish" or "goldfish" as Sweetie Pie calls it, with Sweetie Pie and Papa Smurf, and I came in last place. Yes, Papa Smurf beat me at "Go fish"! I don't want to talk about that humiliating experience. It was the following night at bedtime that he went missing. Sweetie Pie was looking for him and he was nowhere to be found. We looked everywhere. The night is not happy when a tired little girl can't find her special new friend. I'm pretty sure that Papa Smurf came to life and ran away, taking my Project 52 notes with him, because neither one has made their presence known.

I have done #5 and #16. I know it may seem like cheating to put those two things on my list, but I like to be able to see that I'm making headway early on. Hubby and I also had our first date night in quite awhile. We went to see the Sherlock Holmes movie, something about "shadows" was in the title. As you can see, I don't get too bogged down with trivial things like titles. Any way, we enjoyed the movie, but the winter weather was rolling in, and so we didn't dilly-dally too much in getting home after the movie.

I'm going to keep looking for that darn list, and in the meantime, try to remember what some of my brilliant goals for 2012 are.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:22:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, I'm kinda outta words right now. So here are some photos for your enjoyment, hopefully! Yes, I realize that I am being wordy in explaining my wordlessness. Now, off to find something Wordless worthy...

Ahh, here are some pretty tulilps, nice and springy!

I hope this brightened your day. I love tulips. There I go being "wordy" again!

Happy New Year and Project 52!

2012-01-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

What? I'm a week late? How did that happen? Oh yeah, now I remember, my granddaughter, Sweetie Pie, was here for a visit. She's home now. Our house is quiet, and a total wreck, the Christmas tree is still up, but that should change today! (Or, at least, that's the plan!) The sun is shining, the grass is green, and the sky is blue, which is very unusual for a northeast Ohio January day. I love it!!

We had a great time with the family at Christmas. Sweetie Pie got all kinds of presents, but what did she play with the most? Princess Go Fish cards that cost a dollar! We must have played 500 games of Go Fish! (I might be exaggerating, but it SEEMED like 500 games.) I didn't mind spending the past two weeks playing Go Fish with a 5-year old. I didn't even mind losing to a 5- year old. (Not on purpose, mind you. However, I threw in the towel when I lost to "Papa Smurf"!) We played as soon as we woke up in the morning, and before we went to sleep at night. Game after game after game. "Just one more game, Grammy? Please?" At one point she even said, "I'll let you win." She lied.

On New Years Eve, we spent the evening with some friends. She took her Go Fish and Princess Old Maid cards. (The evil sea witch Ursula was the Old Maid.)
Sweetie Pie does not like the Old Maid, and unbeknownst to us, she had taken out the old maid card and left it at home. We discovered it when the game was over and no one had old maid. She said, "I don't like that card. I took it out."

So, now it's time to be thinking of what I want to accomplish this year. Truthfully, I haven't had much time to think about it. I did start my list for Project 52, but, I'm not exactly sure where it is at the moment!

But here is what I have so far, completely from memory: (I hope you are impressed - that it's from memory, not my actual list)

1. Find my list
2. Finish my list
3. Take down the Christmas tree
4. Reach my goal weight. (Too many cookies over Christmas!)
5. Still be at my goal weight at the end of the year!
6. Read 12 books (I upped it from 10!)
7. Move into a new house

See how easy it can be to come up with 52 things? Come along with me, and Jennee, and Karen on our journey. It'll be fun!

Here's a few photos from Christmas

She's learned how to read and was looking for her name

Making snowballs to throw at Grammy

There was enough snow for one tiny snowman

It's good to be back in Blog Land!

O Tannenbaum

2011-12-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

The stockings are hung by the chimney. Well, actually, that's not quite true. The stockings are waiting to be hung by the chimney, and I'm not sure how much care will be taken. It depends on how cooperative those stockings will be. After spending the first week standing naked in the living room, the tree is finally decorated. (And, all the boxes have been put away!) The shopping is almost finished. I still have four more shopping days! I am sad to say that not one Christmas card was sent out this year. I just couldn't seem to get into the mood. (Probably because this was not on my Project 52 list!)

Son and Sweetie Pie will be arriving on the 23rd, and our little family of six will all be together for Christmas.

This past weekend Hubby and I attended a wedding at the Franklin Conservatory in Columbus. I never knew there were so many varieties of poinsettias. I don't get out much. Everything was quite beautiful. So, as the year is winding down, here are some pictures from the Conservatory.

But first, here is a picture of our tree. I just discovered this little edit option, which can change your photo to look like a cartoon. Cool, huh? Please overlook all the pine needles on the carpet.

Cartoon version

The real thing

Now,back to the Conservatory...

A 25 foot poinsettia tree

There were some cool glass sculptures in the mix.

And, there was a gingerbread house competition...except the first place award went to a train.

A closer view

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Thank you so much for being my bloggy friends. I'm looking forward to spending the new year with you, and making new friends. I'll be working on my new Project 52 list. So far, I have one thing for next year...send out Christmas cards. Only 51 to go! See how easy it is?

To Keep You Entertained

2011-12-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

I'm still helping hubby on the attic remodeling job. The past two days have been filled with insulation - icky, itching stuff - and drywall. Why is it that the super heavy stuff has to go on the ceiling??? Talk about back breaking work. Good thing I have a strong back. Hubby did promise me an appointment to get a massage when this job is over, and trust me, I will be making that appointment.

So, the other morning, we were making our rounds to Home Depot and Lowe's, the official homes-away-from-home during remodeling projects. We had left very early in the morning, and as I got into truck after we made our purchases, I saw my reflection in the truck window.

I said to hubby, "Can you tell I didn't do my hair this morning? It's a good thing I have short hair. And, while we're discussing my hair, can you tell that I didn't put on any make up?"

"You look beautiful," he said without looking at me.

"Thank you, Sweetie, but you didn't even look at me."

"I don't have to yada yada yada.... Oh my goodness", he said, while looking down at his pants, "how long has my zipper been down?"

"I don't know, I haven't looked at you either!"

"Yeah, just like the time you let me go to church and you didn't notice that I hadn't combed my hair till half way through the service!"

Note to self: We must start looking at each other more often, especially, the older we get! If only to prevent embarrassing situations!!

Lots of Singing and Rambling

2011-12-12T17:34:00.000-05:00

That's a lame title, but titles are not my strong suit. Really, I may be doing more rambling than anything else. It seems, that's what I do best.

What to ramble about first. Decisions, decisions. OK. It's Project 52 Report Day. I'm quite confidant that I will not be crossing anything more off my list for this year. This will make it easier to come up with a list for next year. I'm thinking of a few new things, but you'll just have to wait until January to find out what they are! I hope you will join me (and Jennee and Karen) next year. You know what they say about having a buddy system, don'tcha? Remind me, because I've forgotten.

The second ramble is about my fun weekend. Hubby and I drove for six hours, all the way up to freezing cold Michigan, to go to a Gaither Christmas concert with Hubby's sister and her husband. We have never been, what's the word? - fans - of the Gaither's, but we were told that we would not be disappointed if we went to their concert. Guess what? They were right. We had great seats - only six rows back. We certainly got our money's worth, because the concert lasted 3 1/2 hours. Unfortunately, I did not take my camera.

Let me see if I can find videos of my two favorite songs. Not only favorite songs from the concert, but my all-time favorite Christmas songs. This will only take a moment. haha - who am I kidding? I hope to finish this before the night is over!

"Mary did you know?" This song give me chills, every time I hear it. Written and sung by Mark Lowry.

And, if you're still in the mood for goose bumps, listen to David Phelps sing "O, Holy Night"! I had never heard him sing before, but, let me just say this, every time he finished a song, you couldn't help but jump to your feet when he finished! A-May-Zing!!
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You wanted to stand up and cheer when he finished, didn't you?? You just can't help it! And, while I'm rambling, just ignore the fact that may signature thingie is in the wrong place. I can't get it to go where I want it to go.

One more little ramble. My blogging/visiting schedule may be a little sporadic, in case you hadn't already noticed. Hubby has me working again, hither and yon, guttering, dry walling, and sanding,(YUCK!!!) among other things. He just does not think that blogging has a higher (dang, I just lost the word....oh, found it) priority than making money for things like food, shelter, and heat.

Till next time!
(Insert signature here)

Project 52 - Part 2

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Last week I gave you some perfectly logical ~~excuses~~ explanations on why I have not crossed out the top 11 items on my list. Today, I'll continue with the last 12. Of course, the only reason that I know I have not reached these goals is because I made a list in the first place. Note to self - rethink this goal making list thing for next year! I'm only kidding Karen and Jennee! I have actually started to mull a few things over and over in this little brain of mine.

Okay! Now, on the the ~~excuses~~ explanations!

19. Invite friends over for dinner once a month. This one is a little embarrassing...it turns out I don't have any friends to invite. I know I could invite you, and you would come, I just didn't think you would want to travel that far for one measly meal. Let's make plans for next year! I do have a somewhat good reason for this one. Hubby did a lot of traveling back and forth, so by the time he got home for the weekends, things were just too hectic and he was too tired, and, it just didn't work out. I did invite one couple, but what worked for us didn't work for them, and vice versa, and we never did get together. But I at least made an effort.

20. Take a cooking class. Once again, I made an effort, if you consider cutting the advertisement out of the paper and looking at it for, say, six months, an effort. There were several classes that looked enticing, but it all came down to scheduling and that peskiest of pests - money.

22. Exercise 3 times a week. What possessed me to make that a goal? Oh yeah, I made this list out in January, and I wanted to lose 30 pounds. Turns out, I lost the weight without exercise. How sweet is that?? I've been exercising for 40 years. I'm kinda tired of it.

23. Find 365 "Do Not Fear" verses in the Bible. This is a work in progress, and I hope to have it finished by the year's end. I heard someone say that there were that many verses, and I instantly visualized a little calendar with a verse for every day. I'm clever like that. So, I decided I would see how many I could find. I did the Evelyn Woods speed reading technique of running my finger down each page of the Bible. If I saw the words "do not fear" or something close, I wrote it down. I did not find 365 verses, but I am working on copying the verses down that I did find. And, I will share those in a week or two.

24. Get through an entire P90X workout. Again, I don't know what possessed me to even want to get through an entire workout. (Other than those 30 pounds.) I have a faint memory of doing a few of those workouts, and it seems I came close to getting through at least half of a workout. If you are curious about my effort, reading this may put your mind at ease, or give you a good laugh. (You'll notice I made it all the way to January 17!)

29. Make get-well cards and send them out. I made one get-well for my little Sweetie Pie when she was sick, does that count?

35. Drink more water. We all know what the result of this one is. Run, run as fast as you can, unless running also causes a problem, then just walk as quickly as you can with your legs squeezing together. This is not easy, but it can be done.

36. Organize atonement notes. I think I'll just save this one for next year.

49. Save money for new clothes in a smaller size. Actually, I have saved a little money for this one. I'm just waiting until I reach my goal before I spend it.

51. Make a decision and buy something I like. This one may never be crossed off. Mainly because I can never make a decision. It is because I am so multi-faceted and like so many different things that I can never decide which particular thing I might like best. Or, that I might like something so much that I would actually buy it. But this is what usually happens - I see something that I really really like, but, it happens to be too expensive. So, I settle for something I kinda like but can afford. Do I want something to be bright or subdued, traditional or eclectic, new and shiny or shabby chic? (Actually, I would go shabby chic, but Hubby thinks all that stuff is junk. He likes new and shiny.)

52. Print off old blogs. This is another one that is a work in progress. I have quite a ways to go to completion. For some reason, my printer won't print off the pictures in my blogs.

So, there's the run-down of how my goal list is ~~failing~~ coming along. I did get a lot of cleaning and organizing done this past year, and Hubby is very thankful for that!

I'm already starting my new list. I can think of about 20 things already! Even if you're not a goal oriented type of person,(I'm not!) consider joining me and Jennee and Karen in 2012. It's been fun. And, it has helped me see that, even though I didn't accomplish everything on my list, I have, in fact, accomplished several things which would have been forgotten, if they had not been on my list.

Friday Report

2011-12-02T09:32:00.000-05:00

This will have to be a super-quickie. First off, if you wouldn't mind, one more time to vote for Jennee here.
She's made it to the finalists.

I will be singing in my concert tonight. Thank you all for the prayers.

I'm off to help hubby on a job today. We are remodeling an attic. Doesn't that sound like fun! We're putting in the floor today, and part of the knee-wall. He's ready to go, so I must go to.

Happy weekend!

Project 52

2011-11-28T10:34:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is, another Monday, and a rainy Monday at that. It is time, once again to report on my goal failure or success. While scanning my list, it seemed I was doing pretty good because I have a lot of things crossed off. So, while patting myself on the back, I wrote down the few things that I haven't accomplished, to get a better look at them. You probably didn't know that I was talented enough to pull something like that off. Oh ye of little faith!

Well, surprise, surprise, I've barely accomplished a little over half of my goals! This is not good. Not good at all!

So, if it doesn't bore you out of your gourd (that word has been on my mind lately, thank you Mrsurpole and Theme Thursday!), I will give you a list of my ~~excuses~~ logical explanations on why there are still so many uncrossed items.

1. Lose 30 pounds (we will ignore the "by March" part!) Technically, I'm very close, but I haven't been on the scales since before Thanksgiving...that's all I have to say about that! Comprende?

3. Manage my time better - So, I have been sitting at the computer for almost two hours this morning, and I'm just now getting around to blogging. Sigh. Stupid Spider Solitaire. 'Nuff said about that.

4. Improve my blog - This is a hard one. I'm hoping my content has improved :) but there are also some things I wanted to do to my blog, but for some unexplained reason (spider solitaire) I never seem to get around to getting it done.

6. Start card ministry - I guess it's not too late to get that started, but I haven't even made Christmas cards yet!

8. Finish NC photo scrapbook - It would be very helpful if I actually printed off the photos I want to use.

9. Finish my Vacation Out West scrapbook - (Same reason for #8 - and I should have said START my Vacation Out West scrapbook - not saying that I did start it.)

12. Be better at leaving comments - Actually, I think I have done better on this one, so I'm going to cross this one off. Hold on while I do the crossy-off line.

14. Be more compassionate toward others - This is a hard one to measure. Can you ever reach a point when you say "I am compassionate enough" ?

15. Read the Bible daily - Why is this one such a hard one to do? If I don't start out first thing in the morning, it ~~never~~ usually doesn't get done. I always go in spurts. Sometimes every day for a while, then, I get busy, and.... sigh.

16. Become more informed on politics - I think I've improved on being informed.(Luckily, I didn't say "Remember".) However, I felt a little stupid when someone asked the question,"Name a country that starts with the letter "u"? Hmmm, what country starts with "u"? Thinking, thinking. Uganda! Oh, let's try, United States of America! USA! USA! (DUH! On second thought, I felt A LOT stupid! Fist to the forehead.) So, that alone, disqualifies #16 from being crossed out.

17. Learn more about the history of our country - The country called "United States of America"! I have ordered a book called "Being George Washington" which I can't wait to read.

18. Get Passport - I did get the application for my passport, but I haven't filled it out, ~~because I'm not even sure where it is at the moment~~.

Well, this concludes the ~~excuses~~ logical reasons I have failed to cross these off my list. Stay tuned for next week's edition as I conclude my list!

It's My Birthday and I'll Eat if I Want To

2011-11-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

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I had to make a crucial decision. As usual, crucial decisions revolve around the food I intend to eat. And, to make it even more crucial, it was revolving around my birthday. I'm a little behind in telling about my birthday, but since I have the whole month to celebrate, I guess I still have some time!

Hubby, Amazing Daughter, and I decided (against our better judgement) to start Round 2 of the HCG Diet. We knew November would be a tough month, but we decided to go for it. I decided to wait and celebrate my birthday with Amazing Daughter, (I got her permission first. I didn't want WW3 to start!) in December.

We've had a much harder time staying focused this time around. I don't know if it's because of the gloomy weather, the chilly weather, or what, but it has been challenging. Typically, we start getting ready for hibernation by eating everything in sight, as soon as the weather starts getting cooler. After the daily discussions on whether we should continue the diet or just wait and start again in the spring, Hubby announced, on my birthday, that he was going to just try to maintain, and start again in the spring. (Since my birthday is in early November, you see how long he lasted!) Jennee and I were still straddling the fence on what to do.

Now, a few days before this announcement was made, Jennee asked me if we were doing anything on my birthday, because she was being asked to work that evening. I said, "Go ahead and work. I'll just wait and we can celebrate our birthdays together, if it's alright with you!!" Add a big smiley face here.

I had already cheated the day before when I celebrated my birthday with my mom, sister, and sister-in-law. We made plans to go to this very lovely "tea room" for lunch. They make a wonderful strawberry pretzel dessert, which is our main reason for going there.

We are usually pretty frugal when we go out, but on this day, we all went a little crazy. We started off by ordering these multi-berry scones, with ...arrrgggg...brain fart.... some kind of -shire cream. I KNEW I waited too long to blog about this! All I can think of is herefordshire - herefords are cows, so I'm quite sure that isn't it! Or, Wilshire, no that's not it! Now, I've gone and ruined the whole, very elegant, English mood. I'm counting on my English friends to set the record straight. Anyway, it was quite delicious,and I felt it was my duty to eat every last scoop of _______-sire cream!

This was my meal: Spinach and red pepper quiche, lemon tea bread, and strawberry pretzel salad.

Usually, we all end up ordering the same thing, but this time, we branched out and we all ordered something different.

Chicken Salad

Potato Soup and Cornbread

Creamed Chicken and Noodle

This was the setting:

After we were stuffed to the brim, we asked the waitress to take our picture.

My Sis, Sis-in-law, Me, My Mom

So,the following day, Hubby makes his announcement, and I decide "Why fight it?" and go off the diet, too. Then, the flickering light bulb turns on, and I declare, "OH, well, we can go out for my birthday after all!" Yipee! I said that part silently. The only problem was that Amazing Daughter was now working until 7:30; I had to call Son to alert him to the change in plans, and hope he could hold out for a late supper. And, Hubby was running late in getting back from a job. After all was said and done, we managed to meet at our favorite Mexican restaurant at 8:00.

I didn't have cake, but I did have this:

That's My Girl!

2011-11-23T07:33:00.001-05:00

Do you like award shows? I admit that I am not that big of fan of them, unless, of course, I know someone who is up for an award.

Take Josh Krajcik, for example.

The guy on X-Factor. I know he says he's from Columbus, Ohio, but the dirty little secret is that he is in fact, from Wooster, Ohio. Amazing Daughter has been singing his praises for the past 10 years, wishing that he would get the recognition he deserves. Well, it seems, his time has come. And, if you haven't heard him sing, consider this a special Thanksgiving treat - calorie free!

And, speaking of Amazing Daughter, she is also up for an award. Check out Karen's blog. You can vote for her under "Favorite Singles Blog" - Jennee Thompson. Voting is open until November 25, so hope on over and give her a vote!

Here Comes Santa Claus

2011-11-21T18:25:00.000-05:00

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, but, Santa did arrive in our town this weekend.

I don't know why he has to come so early, but he does. I guess it is because Thanksgiving is a little earlier in the month than usual - even though it is still the fourth week of November.

Well, if you remember, I came down with laryngitis on Tuesday, and was hoping for a miracle cure before Friday, in order to be able to sing in the community chorus. I did not receive a miracle, but thank you for the prayers. Hubby and I went downtown anyway, to support my fellow choristers. The weather was pleasant, so it made for a nice evening.

I have a few pictures, but I warn you, they aren't very good. I know the problem was my camera, and not the photographer. It was dark, and I couldn't see the settings, and, well, they are just bad. But, I'm hoping it will give you a little flavor of what the evening was like. And, I guess I won't have to worry about anyone stealing my pictures. lol

The horse drawn wagon. I would have tried for
a better picture, but the horses turned the corner
and were heading straight for me. I decided it would
be better if I got out of the way.

Hubby and I missed the actual arrival of the Jolly Guy,
but he's usually on top of the building to the left, and
he rides down the big ladders on the fire truck.
I guess it's too early for the reindeer.

Oh, but speaking of reindeer, we do have a "petting area" for an authentic reindeer. I correct my previous statement: I guess it's too early for flying reindeer. I would've tried to get a picture, but I'm pretty sure it would have just looked like a big dark blob.

Our Choral Union.
I would have been standing in
that empty space right under the clock.

My voice is slowly getting back to normal. It should be good to go for our December 2 concert.

What do you treasure?

2011-11-17T11:24:00.000-05:00

Source

Today I am linking up with Theme Thursday, and the topic is "treasure". There are a lot of things I treasure, but most of them are not things! (I'm also trying to see how many "t" words I can use! teehee)

My first treasure comes from Colossians 2:2 & 3 - My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know they mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

My second treasure is freedom. I'm not talking about the freedom from responsibility to do whatever I want, whenever I want, at the expense of other's freedoms, such as is being proclaimed by the Occupy Wall Street bunch. I am talking about the God-given freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The freedom to pursue my dreams, and risk failure, or success. And the freedom of not having to pay for the failure of others, or others having to pay for my failures.

My third treasure is my family, and may I say, especially my granddaughter! I love all of my family (most of the time), but there is something so sweet and special about grandchildren that is hard to explain. I love that twinkle in her eye when she is about to tease her Pappy or her Daddy, usually by withholding kisses. I love to hear the joy in her voice when she says "Grammy!" as she runs to me when we see each other after a long absense. I hope she never outgrows that, because I never will. I could go on and on, but I'll wrap it up by saying that our kids call her "The Holy Grandchild". That pretty much sums it up!

My fourth treasure (at least right now) would be my voice. Now, don't jump to the conclusion that I have a great voice, because I don't. But, right now, I have no voice at all. It has flown the coop. Bye bye. Gone. It left Tuesday, and I have not heard a peep from it since then. I wouldn't be freaking out about it, except for the fact that my community choral union has a concert on Friday, yep, tomorrow night. The way things look, or rather, sound, I will not be participating in that concert. Our next concert is December 2, so, hopefully, things will be back to normal by then. In the meantime, I've been drinking lots of herbal teas with honey, and sometimes a little whiskey, hoping for results. If you happen to know of any miracle cures, please feel free to share!

Source

What do you treasure? Link up and join the fun!

The Hostess with the Mostest

2011-11-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

Warning! Warning!

bobgreiner.tripod.com

This blog is about food.

Last month I was at a loss for inspiration. This month, I have a few blogs in my head, but have been too busy to get them out! I can't decide if I should back track and get further behind, or start with what's most current then go backwards.

November is my birthday month! heehee. I only say that because it drives Hubby crazy. He barely recognizes one day, so I love to declare November as MY month, just to watch him roll his eyes.

However, I will wait and tell you about my birthday, and instead show you my Hostessness. Yeah, I just made up that word. I like typing ssss!

I am part of a bunko group, and last night was my turn to host. The hostess has to buy prizes, and prepare a lovely meal. In truth, my hostess abilities pale in comparison to most of the other bunko "babes" (as we like to call ourselves), but this is how it went last night.

Jennee helped me out by making her specialty, sweet potato burritoes. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, they are yummy. I don't have actual amounts, because it's all "to taste", but here is the gist of it: Mashed sweet potatoes, with cumin, salt, garlic powder; grilled onions, black beans, (drained and rinsed), cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese. Layer it in the burrito, then brown in the skillet. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

We also have a very easy, yet delicious salad. I use spinach and Romaine lettuce, add craisins (dried cranberries), and sunflower seeds, serve with poppy seed dressing. It doesn't get any easier than that. Sometimes we add grilled chicken to it, and presto-chango, it becomes a meal!

And dessert was peach cobbler. I saw this idea from another blog (sorry, I don't remember which one, but it's a great idea!) Single servings baked into little half-pint jars. So cute. I left plenty of room at the top to allow for a scoop of ice cream.

The recipe I used comes from The Barefoot Contessa,(Peach and Raspberry Crisp) but I make it without the raspberries. This recipe makes the perfect topping. Crunchy and delicious. I like a little peach with my crisp.

Here is my version:

2 to 2 1/2 quart jars of canned peaches
1 orange, zested
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups plus 2-3 TBSP. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup oatmeal (I like to use old-fashioned oatmeal)
1 stick cold butter
1/2 cup hardened coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain peaches and place in large bowl. Add orange zest, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 TBSP flour. Toss well. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, and 1 more TBSP flour (I usually do). Divide peaches into jars, or pour into a buttered baking dish.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and cold, diced butter and coconut oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches. (This makes a lot, pile it on thick! If using individual jars, leave about 1 1/2 inch head space, to allow for the ice cream.) For 9x13, bake for 1 hour, until top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. For the jars, I think I baked them about 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge.

I forgot to get pictures of my prizes, but I found some really cute decorative bird houses at JoAnn Fabrics (on sale! whoo hoo!). Too bad I didn't have any of those cute birdhouses made out of gourds!

Everything turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Have you lost your groud?

2011-11-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

I am going to attempt to participate in Theme Thursday.

Today's theme is "gourd". That threw me for a loopy loop. The first thing that came to my mind was the well known expression, "Have you lost your gourd?" or "Are you out of your gourd?". You've heard of that, right?

I like gourds. They are pretty and decorative. Can you eat them? I don't know. That's one thing I haven't tried to eat. (Shocking, I know.) And, for that reason, I have not tried to grow them in my garden. Maybe I'll consider them for next year. Actually, if you want to know the answer to that question, go visit Mrsurpole's Place.

Here is a very cute gourd. I'm sorry. I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet. I've been singing Christmas songs since September (I'm in a community choral union, and we're getting ready for our Christmas concert.) So, in some ways it seems like Christmas should be here already. Anyway, I also have a Santa collection, so this little fella appealed to me.

Source

So cool. Some people are so talented!

Source

But, my favorite use of a gourd would be this:

Source and recipe

Well, now I guess you know the answer to my question. I have eaten certain gourds after all!

Project 52 Week - Whatever

2011-11-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

I don't know what week we're on, but I do know that the year is quickly coming to a close.

It is time to give the list a good lookie-see and hope and pray that I have something to cross off.

Oh yay! I can do the strike through three things.

#2 - Read 10 books. (Technically, I'm two chapters away from finishing book #10, but I promise to finish it today!
Book #8 - Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines was written by my good friend Carol Wyer. I highly recommend this book. It's a hoot and a half, and I promise that you will love it.

The next one I get to cross of is #28 - Travel somewhere new. Now, don't assume that this means I went anywhere exotic. This has been my "only if I don't go anywhere exotic" option. A month or so ago, Hubby and I traveled up north to a little town with the quaint name of Geneva-On-The-Lake. The purpose was to do a quick painting job for Hubby's brother, before they moved into their new house. It seems everytime we paint for someone, we have about 2 days to do something that should take a week if done correctly. Anyway, after a hard day of painting, we decided to drive to the lake and eat our supper. As we drove, we enjoyed the fall colors on the trees that lined the road. We arrived at the lake just as the sun was starting to set. We congratulated ourselves on our great idea to have a picnic by the lake. We spotted a couple, sitting on the beach, enjoying the sunset. We grabbed our food, set it on the picnic table, and were immediately attacked by about a million mosquitoes. Those stupid things were everywhere! We flailed our arms all around, trying to eat just one bite in peace. It was not possible. It was a complete and total disaster. We ate a bite. Swatted mosquitoes. Ate another bite. Cursed and swatted. No romantic supper. No romantic sunset.

I did manage to get a couple of photos in spite of the mosquito attack.

If you look really hard, you can see the lighthouse

Too much zoom makes for a fuzzy photo

The moon was awesome that night

I'm going to go ahead and cross off #33 - Start cooking through the hundreds of recipes I have saved and never made. Technically, I did start cooking. I didn't get very far, but I did indeed, start.

Well, there you have it. That's my quick run-down on my goals. How are you doing on your goals?

Check out Jennee and Karen and see how they are doing.

Signs! Signs! Everywhere there's signs!

2011-11-04T11:17:00.000-04:00

I have been having a spirited debate in my head. (The only place I ever debate!) My one self says "Go ahead and tell the story. It's good for a laugh." My other self says, "You'll look like a fool."

Against the better judgement of my smarter self, I've decided to swallow pride (glup) and let you wander inside my brain--don't worry, there's plenty of room for all of you!

I have written a few blogs about politics; enough that you have probably gathered that I am a conservative. (And, if not, it's plainly stated in my bio.) Hopefully, I've sounded fairly intelligent, and have been able to make my point. Assuming that is true, (big assumption, I know) the reason for my brilliance, is due to the fact that I have had time to think out my thoughts and write them down, in a nice orderly fashion.

However, if we were to have an actual discussion, I am quite confident that I would sound like a blubbering idiot, because whenever I open my mouth to speak, every thought flies right out of my head. I'm no good at arguring. I'm no good at debating. Facts, figures, complete sentences, illude me. I will now give you an example of what I'm talking about. Don't judge me too harshly.

Tis the season for political signs. I had been seeing a lot of a particular sign of a guy who was running for judge, and I was wondering if he was a Republican or Democrat. So, I went down to the Republican headquarters to find out. Yes, there was his sign. They asked me if I wanted a sign, I said, "Sure", and I also took the brochure about him, went home, and put the sign on the right side of our driveway. (To help you picture this, our house sits pretty far back from the street, and we have a long, slightly curvy driveway. A house sits on each side of our driveway. Our house is directly behind the house on the left side of the driveway.)

One morning as I drove out of the drivway, I stopped at the end to put a letter in the mailbox. While walking back to the car, I noticed it. I thought, "Really? Are you going to play this stupid game?" The neighbor had placed her sign for the opposing candidate directly in front of my sign. So, I took the bait, pulled my sign up and moved it closer to the road, and hurriedly made my way to the car.

Before I could get into the car, she came out of her garage, still in her robe, yelling, "Hey! Hey!" We've been neighbors for almost three years, but they don't even acknowledge when we wave to them.)

"What!?" I replied sweetly. OK. I admit it. I didn't use my nicest voice.

And now, it gets kind of ugly and embarrassing, as I record my pitiful debating "skills".

HER: Did you get permission to put up that sign?

ME: (HUH?) No. Do I need to get permission now?

HER: Well, yes. Who put up that sign? (Yes, I was a bit confused.)

ME: I did. (duh.)

HER: But, did you get permission? (Again, huh? I have no idea what she's talking about.)

ME: No. Do I need permission? (Yes, it was a redundant conversation.)

HER: Everyone knows I support her, and I thought they put his sign here because they know I live here and support her. (Wow, really? Thinking a little too highly...) Well, do you know him? (Pointing to my sign.)

ME: No. Do I have to know him? Do you know her? (Pointing to her sign.)

HER: Well, yes, of course I know her. (Good for you.) Well, why do you have his sign if you don't know him?

ME: (Prepare to be amazed.) Because I want to. (duh.)

HER: Well, I don't know why you would put up his sign if you don't know him. (again, with the redundant statement.) Did you know it took him three times to pass the bar?

ME: Well, I guess he should know it all by now, then.

HER: (Rolls eyes) It took him three times! (Yes, we've established that. So? He passed.) So, why do you have his sign if you don't know him?

ME: (I had to say it, even though I didn't want to.I consider myself a conservative more than a republican.) He's a Republican. (I was hoping to find out that he's a Constitutionalist, but hadn't had time to check it out.)

HER: Ohhhh, He's a Republican. (Said like it's a dirty word.) I know Republicans. I'm married to a Republican. (Thoughts censored here.) So, why don't you want to vote for her? (Duh. She's his opponent.)

ME: Well, I've heard she's very liberal. Is she a Constitutionalist?

HER: She's a judge. She follows the law. I love the Constitution.

ME: There are a lot of people (I may have said Democrats) who claim to know the Constitution, but are doing everything that's unConstitutional.

HER: So, did you get permission to put up that sign?

ME: (Are you dumb or somethin'? Again, with the permission??) Yes, I put up the sign myself.

HER: Well, (reaching down and pulling up her sign) I'm going to put my sign right here. (And she puts it directly in front of my sign.)

Really? Really? So childish. I roll my eyes.

ME: Ok. Fine. I will take my sign and put it on the other side of the driveway. Will that make you happy?

Apparently, it did. She turned around and walked back into her house.

When I related this story to Hubby and Amazing Daughter they were full of "You should have said" suggestions. Yes, I know. I should have said a lot of things, but nothing worthwhile came out of my mouth. I'm still thinking of things I should have said.

This is my prime example of why I stick to writing.

2011-11-01T05:00:00.001-04:00

Now that Halloween is over, and Thanksgiving is on it's way, here's a lovely video. It's about two minutes long. Hope you enjoy it.

Life of flowers from VOROBYOFF PRODUCTION on Vimeo.

My Very Own Ghost Story

2011-10-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

(Side note: I'm very excited that I figured out how to repost a blog. All. By. Myself. You may not be a techo-idiot like I am, so instead of being impressed, you may be rolling your eyes while saying "Duh".)

Anyway. In the "spirit" of Halloween, I've decided to make this an annual post. I mean, I only have one ghost story. I originally made it a two-parter, but I've decided to just post it all at once, for your reading enjoyment.

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

I am not a huge fan of Halloween, especially since I'm too old to go begging for candy! I don't have much use for the night. Gory, scarry movies? Gory, scarry costumes? Haunted houses? No, thank you, don't need 'em.

However, I do have a good Halloween story! I'll say right up front, that I don't believe in ghosts, however, that doesn't mean that I have not had a weird experience, or two.

My son, JT, won't let me discuss anything that even remotely hints of g-h-o-s-t-s. He's had his own freaky experiences. And, Awesome Daughter has had some weirdo things happen to her. As far as I know, son, BD, has not had any experiences.

So, here's what happened...We had not been in our house very long, probably less than a year. Now, as far as houses go, this one was not that old. The house was built the year I was born, and this happened when I was in my early 30's. So, it was not a creepy old house. On this particular night, (actually, early in the morning) I was having a terrible time sleeping. I could not get comfortable for anything. Finally, I decided tht the only thing that sounded appealing was laying down on the floor. (For someone who likes a nice, soft, comfy bed, this was highly unusual!) There was not much floor space in our bedroom, so I grabbed my pillow, and extra blanket, and went out to lay down on the living room floor. I laid on my stomach, covered up, snuggled into my pillow, and instantly felt comfortable. I no sooner got situated and ready to doze off, when it happened.

One of the kiddos was up. Are you kidding me? It was waaaay to early. I could hear whoever it was coming down the stairs, one stair at a time. No, no, no! Go back to sleep! I am not getting up. So, I decided that I would fake that I was alseep, and ignore them. Maybe then, they would go back to bed.

One by one, I heard the footsteps come down the stairs. I heard, and felt them walking around me as I laid on the floor. I kept faking my sleep, and it worked. They must have got up on the couch and went to sleep. Good.

When I woke up, a few hours later, I was surprised to see that I was alone in the living room. Whoever it was, must have gone back to bed. Good, hopefully, they will all sleep in on this Saturday morning.

Later, as each one came downstairs, I questioned them. "Did you wake up early and come downstairs?" JT said, "No." BD said, "No." That left Jennee. Her answer was "no" as well. "Well, one of you must have because I heard you come down." They all looked at me like I was cuckoo (again!)

Although, it was a little freaky, I probably would have forgotten about the incident, except for what happened next . . . . .
(Sorry, I can't get the "you might also like" suggestions off. They only show up when I preview. And, if they are not showing up now, just assume the "ghost" is messing with me!)

What Happened Next Was...

Well, since you asked, here's what happened next!
But, first, a sidenote (I love my sidenotes!): Many years ago, I saw a TV movie with Lindsay Wagner, "The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan". She found an old dress in the attic of the Victorian house she and her husband had just bought. Whenever she put it on, she found herself in a different era, but in the same house. When the glass on the hutch was broken in the older era, and she came back to her era, the glass was broken on her hutch for no apparent reason. I was intriqued at the feasiblity of multiple dimensions existing at the same time, and traveling back and forth from one to the other. (How cool would THAT be?)

Anyway, that brings me to my experiences. After the initial freaky experience, I can tell you that I never left my bed to sleep on the floor again. EV-ER! But, then I started having weird experiences in bed. No, not THAT kind of weird!

Hubby had to get up at 3:00 in the morning for work. (No one should ever have to get up at that ungodly hour!) After he had left--this never happened while he was at home--I would sense that there was someone standing by my bed. I can't say for sure if I was awake, asleep, dreaming, awake dreaming, or what, but I saw a transparent form of a man standing right beside me. Sometimes there would be a little boy standing with him. Sometimes they would have a cat. Weird, I know. I decided that they were living in a parallel dimension, and they couldn't figure out who was sleeping in their bed.

Of course, the thing that made it even more freaky was that it seemed so real. I felt like I was awake, even though I kept my eyes closed, because I didn't want to see "them" standing there if my eyes were open. One time, their cat jumped up in my face, and I jerked my head back to avoid it. It seemed so real.

Another time, I actually felt the bed give way. I was half asleep, and I thought one of the kiddos had come down and gotten in bed with me. I threw back the covers, felt whoever it was get in bed, then threw the covers back over them. In the morning, I woke up. No. One. Was. In. Bed. With. Me.

CRRREEEEEEPPPYYYYYY! Yes, I was very feaked out! This stuff happened on a regular basis for several years. The getting in bed thing happened "only" a few times. Usually, I just saw or felt "them" standing around me.

But, then we started our own business, and Hubby was home every night until morning. And, then we started a major remodeling over-haul of our house, which was a cute "cape-cod", not a Victorian haunting-type house at all. Then, the "visits" stopped.

I don't believe in ghosts, but I can't explain the hows or whys of my night visitors. I don't know why they started, but I'm glad they ended. Maybe I was asleep and dreamt the whole thing up. It seemed real--and I hope it never, EV-ER, happens again.

And, now you know the rest of the story!

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickeled Peppers

2011-10-26T12:29:00.000-04:00

I grew up saying the tongue twister:"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickeled peppers. How many pecks of pickeled peppers did Peter Piper pick?" Until recently, I had never thought about how one goes about picking pickeled peppers.

My recent experience has been that peppers must first be picked and then they are pickeled. If you can stand yet another blog about produce, here goes.

It all started when I pickeled some banana peppers. I shared the recipe here. It's a secret family recipe, so "shhhhhhh". Anyway, Hubby and Amazing Daughter LOVE banana peppers. I like them, too, but not like they like them.

In case you haven't guessed by now, we like to do things in a big way. I'm from a big family, and Hubby is from a bigger family, so it might just be in our blood. I found myself up to my elbows in banana peppers.

You'd be out of focus, too, if you
had chopped all these peppers!

So, after being buried in veggies from the auction, Hubby had to leave for the week to do some work for his brother. But, while he was gone, he called me every evening, as he always does, when he has to be away.

Monday
Hubby: It's about time you answered your phone. Don't ya wanna talk to me?

Me: Yes, I do. You know I can never find that dumb phone anywhere. Just be glad I heard it ring this time.

Hubby: Yeah, whatever. I don't know why you can't hear it ring. Anyway, I was thinking about those peppers, and then I thought "I'll bet those carrots would taste good, pickeled", what do you think?

Me: That's a good idea, Sweetie. I'll work on those tomorrow. And, we have so many green beans, that I thought about trying to make "Dilly Beans".

Hubby: That's a brilliant idea. Good night, my love. You need to get a good night's sleep.

Tuesday
Hubby: Hello, my Love. You know, I got to thinking, remember when you made those pickled onions last year? Yum. Those were so good. And, I saw a recipe for pickeled asparagus. Oh, I'll bet those would be really good.

Me: So, my Precious, you want me to pickel some onions, huh. I can do that, we have plenty. Yeah, pickeled asparagus sounds good, too. I think I can manage it.

Hubby: That would be fantastic!

Wednesday
Hubby: Hello Sweetheart. How's the pickeling coming along? What about pickeling Brussels Sprouts and beets? I can't stop thinking about all the good things that we should try to pickel.

Me: Yes. Dear. Now, when you say "we", do you mean "me", because, I don't know how WE are going to get all this done when you aren't HERE!

Hubby: Of course I mean "you". Remember, 'your back, my brains'?

Me: Yeah, yeah, we're going places! Stop calling me.

So, I have discovered that nearly anything can be pickeled. However, I would not recommend pickeling Brussels sprouts, unless you enjoy chewing tennis balls.

And, just for the record, Hubby did help me with chopping some of the veggies, in this case, Brussels sprouts, before he had to leave.

I'm a Little Ant...

2011-10-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

Have you ever watched a little ant scurry around?

Source

They don't go in a straight line to save their lives! I feel a lot like those ants. Scurrying around hither and yon. I can't seem to get focused long enough to write anything.

It seems that it's either "feast" or "famine" when it comes to blog material. Maybe it is the same with you. Right now I have a lot of ideas, but can't seem to get focused enough to put it to "paper". There is a lot going on, and hopefully I'll have some good news to report in the near future.

My other problem, which I hate to admit, is that I have renewed my addiction to "Addiction Spider Solitaire". What a great name for that stupid game! I really need to take that little icon off my computer. It's way too easy to click that little button and waste several "minutes"! What I should be addicted to is Pinterest. I have exactly three pictures on that sight. If I ever get my Pinterest looking respectable, I'll put a button on my blog. But, right now, it's pretty pitiful.

I won't waste anymore of your precious time with my jibber jabber. I just wanted to let you know that I have plenty of stories to tell, but right now, I'm just wandering around in circles. I will get focused. Promise.

I hope that you are not having trouble staying focused!

My Artichoke Imposter

2011-10-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

Technically, my imposter has been identified as a Jerusalem Artichoke aka sunchokes. Now that I know what it is, I'll be sure not to plant it in my garden again. This is a plant that should be planted in its own space. If you need a privacy wall, this plant will do the trick!

Here's a few photos:

They shot up very quickly -
this is when they were "short"!

They grew taller than the house

A Parting of the Ways

Jack's beanstalk?
Nope. Jerusalem Artichokes.

They have pretty yellow flowers perched
on the top of the stalks

So, you may be wondering, how these are eaten. The roots of these plants are edible. They don't look too appetizing. Hubby has accused me of being closed-minded! The only reason I would want to eat these is if food was not plentiful. For me, this is more of a "survival" food than anything else.

One small root for mankind...
sorry, couldn't help myself

Bowl full of roots

So, I went here and found a recipe for Jerusalem Artichoke Cheese Soup. I picked this recipe because the ingredients include butter, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. It's hard to go wrong with butter, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. I do realize that if food should become scarce, these ingredients would probably not be available. But, since I had all these ingredients in my fridge, that's what I tried.

Jerusalem artichokes are kind of like potatoes, but without the carbs. They also have lots of health benefits. The soup wasn't terrible, but it also didn't make me want to lick the bowl clean. It was better than I thought, and I'm sure I'll be searching out more recipes for Jerusalem artichoke.

Victoria is Not the Only One with a Secret!

2011-10-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

I have a little secret.

I also have issues. Or, maybe I just have a computer that hates me. I've been fighting with my computer since my last blog. Actually, it started with the blog you were not able to read, because I accidently deleted it! ARRRRGGGGGG. I was minutes away from finishing it. Just had to make one little adjustment. It was all because that dumb mouse was not cooperating. It didn't go where I wanted it to, it highlighted too much stuff. I suspected the little ball needed cleaning out, but I couldn't figure out how to get it out of the mouse. (I know I've just given you too much information about how my brain functions. Don't judge me too harshly!) Anyway, losing my blog made me lose my blogging mojo, and it has taken me all this time to get it back. At least, I hope it's back. Then, yesterday, as I sat down to ~~check my email~~ blog, the computer froze up. I pushed all the buttons I thought needing pushing. I pulled out wires I thought needed pulling, but to no avail. When Hubby called that night, I told him the problem. "Just unplug it. That should do the trick." Yep, that took care of the problem. Now why didn't I think of that??

Now, back to my secret. This past weekend, daughter Jennee, told me we would be going to a Victoria Secrets VIP after hours shopping trip. OK. That sounds like fun. I need a few things.

We walked in, showed them our invitations (that were printed off the computer), and our ID, so we could be entered into the raffle drawings.
My number was 40; Jennee's number was 41.

We entered the store, and the sales girls were all decked out. (Hubby asked if they were modeling underwear. No. They were not.) The new color of lipstick must be fire engine/neon red, because they were all wearing the same color. Their lips came into the room five minutes before the rest of them. (I'm sorry to report that most of them looked ridiculous.) Some of the girls had a big trayful of cookies, which they begged us to eat. Others had trays of little water bottles, complete with a lovely photo of a model wearing a bra. The male MC was making announcements that free bra sizings were available (aren't they always free?), and reminding us that we should be measured every six months to be sure we are wearing the correct bra size. That was a little weird.

The drawings were to be every 15 minutes. The number for the first drawing was 42! Darn! So close! The number for the second drawing was 39! Darn, again! The numbers were dancing all around us.

We finished our shopping and decided to hang around for a few more drawings. As I was looking at the makeup, a lady came up to me and asked if I would be hanging around for a while. I answered, "Yes, probably." "Well, then, here, you can have my ticket. I'm leaving." (Yay! Thanks!)

I decided to put ticket #40 in my left pocket, and ticket #77 in my right pocket. I couldn't be seen fumbling around with two tickets in case I won. The trick was to remember which number was in which pocket. And, with my memory, that's asking a lot!

Two more drawings came and went, with the numbers not being close at all to our numbers. Finally, we were getting bored. I mean, how long can you keep wandering around looking at the same underwear over and over? We decided to stay for one more drawing.

The time came. The number was called. "Seventy-seven". "Whoo hoo", I heard myself yell. Then immediately had to stop and think which pocket contained the correct ticket. Luckily, I guessed correctly and went over to claim my prize.

"You've won this lovely tote bag, which is a $50 value, and a makeup bag, a $10 value."

"Great, thanks", I said as I started looking over the tote bag, and wondering where I would use it. The bag is nice, but it is covered with black and white photos of the models. Maybe it's just me, but the last thing I want to carry around is a bag covered with photos of scantily-clad perfect-bodied women. (I suspect my male readers may have a different perspective.)

But, a plan was forming in my mind. Since the bag is black and white, I decided to dress the models myself, with my handy-dandy black marker. I felt like I was getting to know these girls pretty well. I finished with one photo, turned the bag around, and said, "Not you again!" , and colored some more. Luckily, I had a big supply of black markers. Jennee says I've ruined the bag. I don't think so, because now I can actually take it out in public.

I'm a Geek and a Glutton Part 2

2011-09-30T05:46:00.000-04:00

First off, sorry Desiree, I'm calling myself a geek and a glutton, again. I will consider my ears soundly boxed! Ouch! Not so hard!!

After showing you all the beautiful and bountiful veggies Hubby and I brought home from the produce auction, I thought I'd show you how lovely they all look in their new homes/jars.

But, first, in addition to all the veggies I showed you in the previous post, here are some additional fruits and veggies Hubby brought home. Most of the fruit went into our homemade brandies. (Wait until I tell you about that!)

Can't you just smell those sweet peaches?

Peppers

More peppers

Beautiful Bing Cherries!
Oh my gosh, they were soooooo delicious!

So, here is the little story about the cherries. I was not with Hubby on this particular auction venture. But, he had been wanting to get peaches to try peach brandy. And, I wanted a few peaches to can. I will admit, I was a little weary when I saw that we now had a garage full of produce. He also came home with 48 pounds of Bing cherries! He quickly told me he was planning to use those for brandy as well. I love Bing cherries, and quickly checked our list of approved foods for our diet. Yes! They were on the list. (I might have eaten 3 bagfuls myself. ) That still left a considerable amount of cherries that needed attending to. But, I quickly turned them into pie filling.

These cherries were one of the last things to be auctioned off. There is a "seconds" section, where produce that is past its prime (to put it nicely) is auctioned off just to get rid of it. Usually, the high bidder gets first choice, then everyone gets a chance to take whatever they want, at the same price. He took four "flats" because he wasn't sure of the quality of the cherries. When he got them home, and we inspected our "deal", we both wished he had brought home much more. Those cherries were gorgeous! Only seven were bad enough to throw away! How much did we pay for them? About 75 cents a pound!

Peach and Cherry Pie Filling

Bread and Butter Pickles

Peppers

Project 52 and the HGC diet

2011-09-26T07:00:00.026-04:00

I have been slacking quite a bit with my Project 52 updates. August was crazy busy with canning and pickeling everything under the sun! September has been busy with traveling and cleaning up the outside to get ready for w-i-n-t-e-r!

I LOVE Fall, but I sure hate what follows it! Now, I must admit that the past two or three winters haven't been all that bad (for me), due to the constant stream of hot flashes that I had been having. Since I was always so hot, I thought Hubby would appreciate it if I did my part to save some of his hard-earned money by keeping the thermostat set at about 62 degrees. Unfortunately, while I was quite comfortable, everyone else in the house was freezing! However, today, I'm sitting here with goose bumps all over me, and the temperature is 60 degrees, outside! I'm starting to get nervous that "hotflash season" may be over, and I'll be back to being the ice cube I used to be!

That had nothing at all to do with Project 52, but, I was on a roll!

The Number 1 goal on my list was to lose 30 pounds. Ten (or twelve) years ago, my goal was to lose 10 pounds. Five years ago my goal was to lose 20 pounds. Do you see a pattern? I have been going the wrong way for quite some time. The "Face the Moment" came when my normally short and stubby fingers started looking more and more like sausages. I had to pull off my wedding rings before they started cutting off the circulation. Not good.

Although I had been able to lose weight before, since entering the "Big M" stage of life, it just was not happening. My size 12 jeans were getting tighter and tighter to where I could barely breathe. Hubby and Amazing Daughter have always fought the weight issue due to super slow metabolism.

But, this summer, at a family reunion, we discovered a miracle! One of Hubby's seven brothers had recently lost 34 pounds in a ridiculously short time. Now, you may balk at some of the things I'm going to tell you, but you can check it out for yourself. They had read a book, "Fat2Fab" which is available only in Kindle form. We don't have a Kindle, so I just got my info online.

The secret is a hormone called: hCG. And, it is a miracle. It's inexpensive,it's safe, and it works. I repeat, it works! I just now came across this link, and it has excellent information if you want to check into this further. When Brother D said, "They don't recommend exercise while on this because of the low calorie intake." , I was sold. Ok, I just focused on the "don't exercise" part and not the "low calorie" part.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. This diet was first discovered by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons back in the 1950's. (If you want to give it a try, do your own research. I checked it out, but when it comes to recording facts, I might possibly forget something...) If you want all the scientific reasoning, you might want to buy the book. Or, you can go right here to read quite a bit of info.

We bought our drops at the health food store for $19.95, much cheaper than anything you'll find online, and we got great results.

So, in a nutshell, this is the diet: Days 1 and 2, take 10 drops three times a day. Eat like crazy. Yes, you read that right. Glut yourself. It's called the "Loading Phase". We quite enjoyed those two days. Because on Day 3, you start the Very Low Calorie Diet of 500 calories a day. Yes, you read that right. But, before you start spazzing out, I will tell you that with the drops you don't get hungry. Well, you might get a little "hungry", but you won't be STARVING! The hCG also helps you lose fat from your fat storage areas and not lean muscle areas. There is a very strict list of foods you can eat, and you MUST NOT STRAY from this list. No cheating what-so-ever! With that being said, I must say that this has been the easiest diet I have ever been on!

This may sound a bit unbelievable coming from a sugar/chocolate addict, but the things I craved the most were more vegetables!

Breakfast consists of black coffee or tea. One tablespoon of milk is allowed, if you don't like your coffee black.

Lunch and supper: 3.5 ounces of protein (weight before cooking), 1 veggie, 1 fruit, 1 melba toast. Everything is to be cooked in water or grilled. Grilled burgers, grilled steak, grilled chicken! Who's complaining? One day each week, I measured/cut the meat to size, then grilled everything all at once. Makes fixing the meal a snap! There is no restriction on salt, pepper, or other spices, so we never ate bland food.

All day: lots and lots of water, coffee, or tea.

That's it.

Here are some examples of what we ate:

Fresh Tomatoes with Basil, Grilled Chicken, Orange

Lettuce Steak and Orange Salad

Chicken, Green beans, and Apple

Fresh Tomato with Basil, Steak, Strawberries

Spinach Steak Strawberry Salad with
Balsamic Vinegar and Melba Toast

Asparagus, Chicken, and Apple

Asparagus, Grilled Burger and Apple

Drink lots and lots of water, tea, or coffee - a gallon!
My system for keeping track of liquids was to put a
button in the dish for every 16 oz. glass I drank

Something else that may surprise you is that there were many times when we were completely stuffed after eating. Ocassionally, we would have to save our fruit to eat later. We were just too full to eat it! I am not kidding!

Stay on this regiment for six weeks or until you've lost 34 pounds, whichever comes first. Since the three of us are doing this together, we're following Hubby's lead. He lost his 34 pounds in five weeks. (Brother D did it in three weeks!!) Amazing Daughter and I are at 23 and 21. At that point, stay on 500 calories for two days, but discontinue the drops. I was a little worried that I would be starving, but, I (and Hubby and Daughter) have made it through without any problems.

The next phase is two weeks at 1500 calories, which now sounds like a feast! I think you work up to 1500 calories, and it is recommended to stay away from sugar and carbs. Following that, go three weeks of just eating. This is to re-set your weight and metabolism. When we finish the program, we should be able to eat whatever we want and not gain any weight. If we do find ourselves gaining more than a pound or two, we're to eat a steak and tomatoes. I can handle that. Brother D stayed within a pound. When that phase is finished, and if you're not at your goal weight, start all over again.

Do you want to know how good those drops work? Someone offered me these brownies. These were more than offered, they were left in my kitchen! I was not even tempted! I am a true chocoholic! I have stashes of chocolate everywhere! I even put my nose down close and inhaled deeply. Nope. Nothin'. I wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in my freezer, where they are still sitting! Now, that is sayin' somethin'!

A temptation that I overcame with NO PROBLEM!
(Peanut butter and chocolate brownie)

I had to make a quick stop at the local Goodwill Store, and bought a couple pair of jeans in a size 10. They are loose on me. My wedding rings are back on and are not cutting off the circulation! Whoo hoo! One more phase should do it for me, and I plan to reach my goal. I have never, in my life, actually reached a goal! But this time, I know I will!

I'm a Geek and a Glutton

2011-09-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

Now, when I say that I'm a geek, you may picture me as looking like this:

Source

Or possibly, this image came to mind...sans the moustache:

Source

(However, if you have read more than one blog, I'm sure neither of those images came to mind.) But, it was a clever "hook" was it not?

And, when I say I'm a glutton, you may think I look like this:

Well, when it comes to chocolate, there may be a lot of truth to that one.

However, I am really a geek for vegetables and a glutton for punishment. This is how I came to that recent conclusion.

Even though I have a garden, it only produces enough for one meal at a time, so Hubby and I usually find ourselves at the local farmers auction in order to get enough food to can.

When I arrived at the auction, and saw all the beautiful vegetables, my mouth started salivating. The colors were so vibrant, the aromas so sweet. Well, not all of the aromas are sweet. Most of the suppliers are Amish, so mixed in with the sweet aromas of fruit and freshly baked bread, is horse manure and sweat. (Most Amish do not use deodorant.) I just wandered around saying, "Oh! Look at those beautiful beans!We need those!" "Try to get those gorgeous peaches. We need those, too!" What I didn't come up with, Hubby did.

Lovely veggies and fruit

Vibrant colors

Freshly baked bread and goodies! YUM!

Amish don't like having their pictures taken. I try
to honor that, but sometimes, I can't help myself.
So, I have to take a shot on the sly.
I try not to get their faces.

One of the good aromas - onion rings!
One moment while I wipe up my slobber.

A quiet moment

Hubby in action! Total concentration!

Here's a little snippet of the sounds...

So, that is a short explanation of my geekiness. And, now about my gluttony.

I could be called a glutton for vegetables. but you may decide that I am a glutton for punishment.

Are you sitting down? Well, believe it or not, this is what we brought home from the auction. I warn you, the sight may be quite shocking!

The last of the tomatoes, waiting patiently to be loaded.

This is how the pick-up looked.
There's another layer underneath.

Contrary to what you might think, this is not a produce shop.
This is our basement when everything was unloaded.

Aren't the colors beautiful??

Purple beans.
I was very disappointed to see the purple disappear
as the beans were processed.

Lovely peaches for Peach Cobbler this winter.

Beautiful carrots!

So pretty! So lovely!

Are you a vegetable geek??

I was just a little busy last month!

Trip to Nashville

2011-09-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hubby and I had a nice trip down to Nashville, TN to spend some time with our granddaughter, Sweetie Pie, and our son. She is a natural born teaser (or maybe we trained her to be), and she finds great delight in teasing her "Pappy". She especially likes to tease him by not giving him kisses. She will kiss everyone in the room but him. But, you can be sure that as she's kissing me or her dad, she's also looking around to make sure Pappy is watching!

Aunt Jennee was able to take a few days off work and spend a long weekend with us. She was going to arrive late on Wednesday night. Sweetie Pie was very excited for her arrival, and planned to have a party for her. We told her it would be very late, but she was not deterred in the least. She set the table completely by herself. The menu included strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, and mandarian oranges. After all this, she said, "Now, we need a centerpiece". I was floored! She's five! So, we went outside, I snipped off some spikey leaves, and she put them in a short glass, with water. It looked fine. "Now, we need some rocks". So, she went outside, scooped up a handful of rocks from the driveway, and plopped them in the jar. And, it made a very nice centerpiece. I didn't get a picture of it, but trust me, I was impressed!

We took her shopping for school shoes. She found this lovely pair of shoes with her favorite princesses on them. The day after we bought this pair of shoes, (with velcro) she learned how to tie her shoes. Then, she wanted a pair of shoes that tied! (Bad timing on our part!)

Nashville, Tennesse is the home of the world's only actual size recreation of the Parthenon. It is an amazing sight to see.

Just to give you an idea of the size of those pillars

Aunt Jennee and Sweetie Pie were hiding from us,
but someone peeked around the pillar just as I
was snapping the picture!

This shows the ceiling

Sweetie Pie snapped this picture

We had visited the Parthenon back in 2000 (I think!) At that time, everything was white. The gold was added in 2002. Very impressive.

This is not a small statue!

Lots of gold all around

The back of the statue. She is holding Nike,
the "god" of victory, in her hand.

The shield

Pappy and his Sweetheart

We had lunch with Dad at his high-rise building. She liked being up that high!

The "Batman Building" of Nashville

We went bowling one night, just for fun. None of us are bowlers. My score was 60, or something equally ridiculous. But, for the record, I did manage to get one strike! When we got to the bowling alley, I told Sweetie Pie she would get to tie her own shoes! I no sooner got those words out of my mouth, and the guy handed her a pair with velcro ties. (My timing is impecable!) Oh my. She was very disappointed, and began to cry immediately! We were able to exchange them for a pair with shoestrings, and she went to work, happy again!

We have started a new tradition. On our last day in Nashville, we go out for pancakes at the Pancake Pantry. If you don't want to wait in a long line, get there early. Seriously.

All I can say is, "YUM-O". Yes, I did go off my diet for this one meal. (Wouldn't you?) Technically, this is not a pancake. It's a crepe filled with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Sin

Everyone else got this delectable pancake.

Sweet Potato Pancakes with
Cinnamon and Cream Syrup

Bears and Berries
(chocolate chips)
for Sweetie Pie

After our tummies were full of pancakes, we went to a Greek Festival. The aromas of the food made our mouths water, but, since we were full, we didn't partake, tempting as it was. There was a petting zoo, pony rides,and lots of booths. But what she really wanted to do was climb the wall! We told her maybe next year!

And, that concludes our week in Nashville.

A Great Time Was Had by All!

2011-09-19T08:23:00.002-04:00

I don't mind telling you, that I'm quite exhausted! But, it's a good exhaustion.

It is very exhausting jetting back and forth across the ocean for a party, with all the time changes. I don't know if I'm coming or going. OK, it was only a virtual jetting across the ocean, and a virtual party, but it was quite fun!

Carol's book, "Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines", zoomed up to #50 on Amazon's Top 50 Women's Fiction Chart.

The Mini Skirt Competition is now over, and Yours Truly came in 2nd! Thank you to those who voted for me! Kiss! Kiss! If you care to see the Winner's Circle, click right here. I will be receiving a Clinique eyegel wrinkle remover pen, as well as a bag of make-up goodies! Happy Dance!

I will now retire my "mini skirt", and pull it back down from under my armpits. The things I'll do for free make-up!

Constitution Day 2011

2011-09-17T09:00:00.004-04:00

Source

Today is Constitution Day. On September 17, 1787, the thirty-ninth and final signature was placed on this document, making it the Law of our land. If you are interested, here is a site which gives all the names and short biographies of the signers.

I've always liked the form of the Constitution, with the words "We the People" taking such a prominent place. It should serve as a reminder, and I believe that was the intention, to all Americans that we have a responsibility in our government. If we all knew our Constitution as we should, perhaps our country would not be in such a mess today.

Many people don't want to be "bothered" with politics. Some think that what happens in Washington "doesn't affect them". I recently watched the HBO "John Adams" series, which was fabulous by the way, and acquired a great appreciation and love for Abigail Adams.

She had this to say about politics: "And do women not live politics, John Adams? When I go to the cupboard, and I find no coffee, no sugar, no pins, and no meat, am I not living politics?..."

Politics affects every aspect of our lives, whether we want to admit it, or not.
Incandescent light bulbs will soon be a thing of the past. Politics. The price of gas. Politics. The price we pay for food. Politics. Unemployment. Politics. Have you seen the list of how many new taxes have been instituted in the last 100 years? Check this out, and then tell me that politics do not affect our lives. The attempt to remove God out of every single public place. Politics. (Contrary to what some believe, the words "separation of church and state" are not found in the Constitution. Amendment I: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

How well do you know the Constitution? I've read it through a couple of times, but there's still a lot I don't know. If you want to take a quiz on your knowledge of the Constitution, you can go here. There's only five questions to answer. (I got three right.)

So, on this 224th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution, I hope you will find and copy and read this document, and remember that many people have shed blood to preserve the freedoms that we have.

Be an informed citizen. Don't allow yourself to be a useful idiot.

"I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States...and the Constitution of this State...and defend them against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help me God."

Come to the Party...and VOTE!!!

2011-09-15T19:00:00.003-04:00

I've been gone for a little while, but I made sure to make it back in time for the "Party of the Century", and I'm giving you a special invite to come along.

My good friend, Carol E. Wyer, has written and released her first book, "Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines". It's a great read, however, I must warn you that by the time you finish her book, you may have more laughter lines than when you started.

But, you may be wondering where the voting comes in. Carol is also having a Mini Skirt Contest, but, you have to promise that you will vote for me before you see all the other contestants! (I'm #19.) Now, raise your right hand and swear that you will vote for me. The competition is fierce, and there are even a couple of men, which may sway your vote. Beware of the "Pink Hat" contestant! At risk is some great wrinkle erasing cream, which is much needed, since I now have more laughter lines after reading her book!

So, now that I have your word and your vote, here is the link. Be strong, don't be swayed by a pink hat or any other contestant! #19 #19 #19 #19 Have fun at the party! #19 #19 #19 #19 #19 #19 After you VOTE FOR ME,(#19) go to the kitchen, where I'll be with other (ah-hem) celebrities. We can chat it up, and maybe drink a little bubbly.

Please come and meet Carol. You'll be glad you did. I promise! #19 #19 #19!!!
She knows how to throw a great party! Did I mention that I'm #19 in the miniskirt competition?? See you there!

As usual...

2011-09-03T22:39:00.000-04:00

It is quite typical for me to say that things have not gone quite as expected. Today is no exception. I fully intended to write a thrilling and fascinating blog today, but "things have not gone quite as expected."

I'm leaving bright and early in the morning to spend some time with my little Sweetie Pie. So, if you don't hear much from me this week, that is the reason.

If I didn't need my beauty rest, I would be up until the wee hours of the morning entertaining you with my adventures of the past week (at least the ones I remember!).

But, I do need my beauty rest, so you'll just have to wait!

A Girl Just Wants to Have Fun...and Maybe Win Some Makeup

2011-08-31T04:00:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, I introduced you to a wonderful lady, and dare I say, friend? blogger/author-of-a-new-book, Carol Wyer. And, I told you she's having a big party on September 16 to celebrate. (Did you check out her blog, Facing 50 with Humour, and register for the raffle? You could win a kindle!! If not, go there right now!! I mean it.) Do I sound threatening? Yeah, my kids never thought so either.

Anyway....I did not tell you that she is having a contest which involves mini-skirts. Supposedly, women over a certain age...can still wear mini-skirts. I'm not sure I agree completely with that, but, I have seen some contestants who look pretty good. The prize for this contest is some fabulous wrinkle erasing cream. Quite pricey, I believe, out of my price range.

Well, let's get right down to it. Yes, I decided, against my better judgement, to try to win some make-up. Oh, the "lengths" I'll go for a prize!

After seeing my competition, I decided I would have to "take it up a notch". (haha get it??) Not my skirt, but the originality. I don't even own a mini-skirt, for Pete's sake. In fact, my "mini-skirt" is really a regular skirt hiked up to my armpits.

So, I enlisted the help of my amazing daughter, and we had a photo shoot.

Since Carol's book is entitled "Miniskirts and Laughter Lines", I decided to focus on the "Laughter Lines".

You'll have to go here to see the photos I submitted.

I believe I'm #18. Remember that number because I believe that you will have the awesome opportunity to vote for me on September 16! I feel like I'm on American Idol jumping up and down saying "pick me! pick me!", while holding up my fingers to make an 18. (No, I don't have 18 fingers, in case you're wondering.)

What you are about to see are some of the rejected photos.

So, here are here goes nothin' on an empty stomach...drum roll...turn away now, if you have eaten recently....(and, fyi, that bottle of wine I'm using is full and corked, and not empty. Pretty frightening, huh?)

Taking a moment to check out my flowers

.
OK. Enough of that ridiculousness. On to an attempt at classy, inspired by Judy Garland. I thought briefly, like a nanosecond, about showing a picture of Judy Garland, but, any comparison would just be, well, there would not be a comparison.

Swanee, Swanee, how I love you...

Am I impersonating a flamingo??
I toppled over after this shot...

and after this shot. I can't wear shoes with
that kind of heel. Are you kidding me?

Moving on to the "library"...

I can't read a thing with these glasses -
maybe because there's no lens

Hey, look what blog I'm reading!

Well, there you have it. A morning full of fun and goofiness, just for a chance to win some make up. I hope it gave you lots and lots of laughter lines.

After Thoughts Apron Giveaway!!

2011-08-29T08:59:00.000-04:00

Normally, I only post once a day, and only something fantastic will cause me to double-post. And, that fantastic something is what I'm going to tell you about.

Look at this cute apron. (I couldn't make the photo any bigger) I mean, isn't it just adorable? Can't you just see yourself waltzing around the kitchen wearing this cute little number? But, aprons as cute as this aren't limited to the kitchen...

This little apron will be going home to some lucky person. All you have to do is go to After Thoughts Facebook page, "like" After thoughts, tag the photo with your name, and answer one easy question...Where are you from? Easy peasy. The drawing will be September 1, so what are you waiting for? Get over there and sign up!!

If you want to know more about the fantastic maker of these aprons, you can check out her blog here. She really is amazing!!

Project 52 - No clue what week

2011-08-29T07:13:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's been a loooong time since I did a Project 52 update. The truth is, I haven't had too much to update about. Let me take a moment to gander over my list and refresh my memory.....

Oh yeah, how could I forget? Well, I am making some exciting progress on the dreaded #1. I'm not quite halfway there, but almost.

And, I can add two more books to my list. It seems like I read three books, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. (And, it's possible that I could be dreaming, and only imagining that I read three books...)

So, these are the books I've read, and can remember the titles of:

Both are excellent books and very educational. I don't even want to tell you how long it took me to read "Founding Brothers", but it was ridiculous. The reason it took me so long to read is because I read it at the worst possible time. Bedtime. I intend to re-read it. (So, can I still count it?)

The current book I'm reading is the newly released:

This is a very entertaining and hilarious book. I'm loving every minute of it. If you need some laughter in your life, I highly recommend this book!

And, here is the list of books I intend to read, at some point, hopefully (haha) before the year is up:

I've got some work to do!

Here's a little clue on what I've been doing this month:

It's been a busy, busy month!

Garden Time

2011-08-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

Pitiful

I'm sure you must be wondering about the success I am having in my garden. I'm beginning to think I may not be a great farmer. (hmmm, what was my first clue?)

Here are a few photos from my garden. Have you ever seen such sorry looking tomatoes? Even so, they are still producing tomatoes, which is the main reason to grow tomatoes.

Pathetic

Sorry-looking plants

One morning I came out to take a look, and this is what I found:

Yep. Every. Single. Solitary. Leaf, had been eaten off of one, and only one, plant. Whatever did this, only preferred the leaves. It nibbled on the tomatoes, but left them half eaten. Must've gotten full on the leaves. Isn't that weird??

My brussel sprouts are still sproutless. Sigh. But, I'm not giving up, dagnabbit!

There is one lovely red pepper!

My mystery plant/artichoke imposter is thriving. It is now taller than the house. Turns out, it is, in fact, an artichoke, technically. It's a Jerusalem Artichoke aka sunflower artichoke. Supposedly, the tubers can be eaten, but they don't sound too appetizing. "Their flavor is somewhat sooty when cooked and not agreeable to everyone but they are very nutritious, and boiled in milk form an excellent accompaniment to roast beef." ehhh, no thanks. (Botanical.com)

Even though we still go to the produce auction to get veggies to can (wait until I tell you about that experience!), I still like having my little garden to walk about, harvesting the veggies I grew:

In other news, I am happy to report that my avocado plant did indeed survive the decapitation. However, the leaves are growing back much smaller than originally.

I don't want to leave you with ugly pictures of my garden, so here are a few pictures of my flowers.

Special Announcement!

2011-08-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

Do you know this lady? Her name is Carol E. Wyer, she has written her first book "MiniSkirts and Laughter Lines", and she's having a big party to celebrate!

Check out this video:

Her book is as fun as this video, and full of laughter! (Hence, the last half of the title "...Laughter Lines")

She also writes a blog that is always leaves me laughing. One of her followers has given her the title:BOTUK - Bombeck of the United Kingdom.

She's having an online lauch party on the 16th of September, and you are invited. Just pop on over to her blog and sign up. www.facing50withhumour.blogspot.com Do so straight away. She’ll be hosting giveaways and prizes all day. There will even be the chance to win a Kindle. It should be a lot of fun with competitions, laughs, extracts from her hilarious novel, guests to check out, new people to meet and I even heard on the grape vine that she will actually be appearing on a video link!

See you there!

Need a Laugh??

2011-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm still laughing after watching this. This was posted on Facebook, and I guess it's from a TV show, but I'm out of the loop when it comes to TV. Anyway, this is hilarious. Hope you enjoy it!

My Mind's Been in the Gutter

2011-08-18T11:41:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true. My mind has been in the gutter. For a very long time, if you must know the truth. You might be surprised to know that I have a gutter mind. (The fact that I have any mind at all comes to a complete surprise to me.)

What does having my mind in the gutter have to do with my previous absence, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. It's quite fascinating, really. If you are not on the edge of your seat in anticipation yet, you soon will be, I'm sure.

But first, a little background information:
Hubby and I used to have a gutter business. You know, rain gutters? On houses? We sold our business in 2008 and moved to North Carolina, hoping to semi-retire, because we are getting old, and it's not that fun climbing ladders all day. You remember 2008, I'm sure. Banking crisis, housing crisis, unemployment crisis, to name a few. It was a bad, bad year. Not the best time to be making a transition. At the end of the year, we found ourselves selling our house (sniff, sniff, wipe a tear) and moving back to Ohio - in the middle of winter - %$#$%!!!!

Hubby and I started doing work for family members, which consisted of remodeling projects and painting. Lots and lots of painting. Hubby has a BIL with a garage door business, and a brother with a gutter business, who both needed an extra hand, so he found himself working with them on a weekly basis, traveling back and forth.

So, fast forward to the past two weeks. Brother was going on vacation, and Hubby said he would work while he was gone. He also said he would take Wifey with him to "keep me company". "Keep me company" are code words for "help me hang gutters." Yes. That is what I have been doing. Hanging gutters.

Now, if you will remember back three weeks ago, we (and maybe you) were having that horrible hot, humid, muggy, hot, %$#@ hot weather! We were working in an area that had been hit hard with a terrible hail storm. Every street, it seemed, had several work crews, working like crazy. New roofs, new siding, new gutters. It was actually quite comforting seeing all the work going on. I started to think that things in America were turning around. But, then I remembered that this was all insurance work. But, still, it's giving some people the opportunity to make some money.

Anyway, how hot was it? It was so hot that I grabbed a dirty rag out of the truck, dunked it in ice water, and put it on my head. And, I left it there. It looked ridiculous, but I didn't care. At the end of each day, we checked into our economical hotel room, cranked the a/c as low as it would go, hit the showers, then wondered if we had enough energy to go get some supper. (We did) When we returned from supper, we wondered if it was too early to go to bed. It wasn't. We were pooped-out. That was our schedule for two weeks.

So, I do have a few pictures for your enjoyment. And, to prove my story. Honestly, Hubby did most of the work. My main jobs were: Go-fer, and cutting up the old gutter, I also climbed the ladders when we had long pieces to hang. You would be amazed at how heavy a long, thin piece of gutter is, especially if you have to hold it over your head. Yeah, fun times.

The Gutter Machine

Running out a 50' piece of gutter

Drilling out the drain hole - Hubby is already starting to sweat

Caulking the endcaps and drain hole.
(This was before the rag on my head! Sorry, no photos of that lovely sight.)

Getting the ladders set

Hubby working and sweating

The joys of working around wires

I made a special trip up the ladder for this photo, hope you appreciate it!
The second time up, I was holding the gutter.

Hubby setting the gutter

A word to the wise: If you are getting a new roof, do not assume
that your gutters will be clean when the roofers leave!!!

A torturous sight!!!

Yes, we did drag ourselves out for supper.

So, that is why I wasn't blogging. Too tired!

Snap! Snap! Chop! Chop!

2011-08-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

Well, hello, there! I'm back from my unscheduled and unexpected break from the blogging world. I'll fill you in on what that was all about in a later post. It's very exciting. You won't want to miss it!

But, today, I will be busy in the kitchen. Hubby went to a produce auction last night, and brought home a bunch of goodies for me to can. I would much rather be freezing the beans, because I like them so much better than canned beans, but, I also want to have some food that can be stored on the shelves instead of the freezer. You know, just in case we lose electricity in the middle of winter, or something.

Here is the recipe I'm using for the banana peppers. (It's a secret family recipe, so don't tell anyone I gave this to you!)

Dad's Vinegar Solution for Banana Peppers

1 gallon white vinegar
1 gallon distilled water
1 cup salt
8 cups sugar
4 teaspoons dry mustard

Bring to a boil then remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, slice and seed peppers and put in hot jars. Pour cold solution over peppers. Then add 1 teaspoon olive oil to each quart jar. Seal with a hot lid.

Allow to marinade in cool, dark place for at least three weeks.

This recipe will do about 1/2 bushel of peppers.

Try it! You'll like it!

Here's a couple pictures of my unfriendly kitties. Spooky-Dude No Tail runs fast and far away, but he's still keeping an eye on me.

Sahshe lets me get a little closer, but not too close! Spooky-Dude Half Tail wasn't around for the photo op!

Ka-ka-ka-BOOM!

2011-07-28T09:39:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, in and amonst the days of unbearable heat and humidity, we had a thunder storm. And, during that thunder storm, I heard the loudest, and most earth-shattering clap of thunder I have ever heard. (But, apparently, I am the only one who heard it because no one else who lives even remotely close seems to recall the loudness.) The entire house shook! Really. (Why is there never anyone around when I need confirmation?)

Even though no one else was around to experience this, I do have proof that it was earth-shattering, or, at the very least, glass-shattering.

I'll have to do a little re-creating here, but bear with me. I had a glass with an asparagus plant sitting on a ledge in the enclosed porch area. It looked something like this:

The glass is fairly sturdy, and the ledge is not very high.

The next day, (the storm was at night, and it was dark outside), this is what I found:

This was the biggest piece. It's not a great photo, but you can kinda see how the glass shattered inside itself.

In my re-creation, I really wanted to knock the glass onto the floor, just to see what would happen, but I didn't want to risk losing another glass. They have broken before, but never shattered quite like this!

One little, two little, three little kitties...

2011-07-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

For some reason, this house has become a magnet for stray cats. We don't live in the country, or near a farm. We live in town.

Last year, our first stray appeared.

I love cats, and would much rather have a cat than a dog. Hubby believes that all animals belong outside, so I try not to get attached to animals because I know they will not become inside pets.

But, guess who is the first one to start feeding the strays. Yep. Hubby.

I just called it, "Kitty" (see how creative I am?), but Amazing Daughter decided it needed a much better name. So, she came up with "Sal". We agreed that Sal was a good name, because it would work for a male or female.

Sal came around every morning, for several months. But, then winter came, and she stopped coming around. I decided that Sal was a "she" with no confirmation.

This summer, a new stray appeared. A black and white, which was promptly named, Sachajahwea. I don't know if that's the proper spelling, but I'm too lazy to look it up, so we'll just say that it is. We later shortened her name to Sahshe. I have also determined her to be a girl, without confirmation. Shashe has a little limp, but she never lets me get closer than 10 feet

Soon, Shashe started bringing a friend. Her friend is all black, except for a tiny white patch on his neck. Yes, I have determined that he is a he without any confirmation. He is very spooky looking, so we call him "Spooky-Dude" with a hat tip to Glenn Beck's nickname for George Soros.

Spooky-Dude is even more skittish than Shashe. One step toward him, and he has high-tailed it down into the woods.

Now, it's really saying something to say that he "high-tails" anywhere, because, he has no tail.

Spooky-Dude lived up to his name. Either that, or I was going crazy. Spooky-Dude would appear, tail-less. Only a little stub. But, then, another time, he had half of a tail. This little stunt of his was not good for my self-esteem. I already feel like I'm on the fast track to "Forgetful-ville", not to mention, "Crazyland." I would ask Hubby and Amazing Daughter, "Didn't Spooky-Dude have half of a tail the last time? Now, all he has is a stub." Being the wonderful people that they are, they did nothing - NOTHING - to calm my fears of becoming Crazy Woman.

"What are you talking about?" they said, mockingly.

"I'm SURE he had more of a tail the last time."

This scenerio continued for several weeks. Was I going crazy? I feared I was.

But, then, one morning, the answer to my fears appeared.

(The photo isn't that good because I had to take it through the screened window - I didn't want to risk them running away before I had proof!!)

What are the odds???? Two black cats with the same white spot, and no tails?? Boy, did I breathe a sigh of relief when I saw them both together!
For the record, Spooky-Dude is in the front, with a two-inch "tail", and Spooky-Stub is in the back.

We also had another black and white animal appear, but it wasn't a cat. I had opened the garage door, intending to feed the misfit strays, but got distracted.
A few minutes later when I returned to feed the critters, Hubby accidently hit the panic button for the car, and the horn started blaring. Out of the garage ran a skunk!!!! Whew! Was that ever a close call!!!

Source

I'm hot!

2011-07-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Is it hot enough for ya? It's been plenty hot for me. I've been getting up early to do some yard work, hoping to beat the heat. It hasn't been much cooler in the morning. Now, I'm gonna make some suntea - it should only take about 30 seconds - then hunker down in an air conditioned room.

Here is a much shorter video than the one I posted the other day. Hope you enjoy it.

Or, maybe you would prefer this one!

Stay cool!

We're off to see the Wizard

2011-07-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

How much do you know about our money system? Do you even care how it works? Who is in charge of printing our money? Is it possible to print off enough money to pay off our national debt? Who was the only President in U.S. history to pay off the national debt, and how did he do it?
Should we go back to the gold standard? Why in the world did President Obama give so much of our tax-payer money to bail out the banks have been deemed "too big to fail"? Should we let them fail, and why? Where did we get the term "greenbacks"? Who was William Jennings Bryan and would we have been better off if he had been elected instead of William McKinley? Can the problem of poverty ever be solved? What does North Dakota and Iceland have in common? Which king of England allowed the people to pay off debts using sticks? Yes, I said sticks. And, what in the world does "The Wizard of Oz" have to do with any of this?

I just watched this full length film which I received as an email. It is fascinating and interesting. I strongly believe that every American should see this. Not only every American, but every person. (If I say "world-wide" will you think I'm crazy?)

It will take up almost two hours of your time. But, I am pretty sure you will be amazed if you take the time to watch it. I hope you do.

I'm thinking, I'm thinking...

2011-07-19T09:21:00.000-04:00

I've been told that it's so important to have a good first sentence. I'm trying really hard to think up something great. But, nothing is coming to my poor, tired brain.

I've been having some "Sweetie Pie time" aka "granddaughter time" the past two weeks, so I've been somewhat distracted and have not done much blogging. I'm still recovering from the whirlwind we call "Sweetie Pie". As you may be able to imagine, my house was in total disarray after two weeks. Monday I worked my tail to the bone, cleaning the inside of the house. The car received its semi-annual washing in the morning, which would explain the rain in the evening.

Tomorrow I have to start working on the outside. The vegetable garden is going crazy with weeds, and the other garden areas need some attention as well. Hopefully, the big rain storm that just blew through will be taking some of the heat and humidity with it, and I won't melt while working in the garden.

I thought I would share some photos of my garden. This is how my garden looked a month ago. My garden does not look like this now.

This is how my garden looks today. Some things are growing and some are dying off, like the onions and garlic. (It's ok. They are supposed to.) However, do you see that big, tall patch of stuff? I've been told that it's artichokes. (But, I'm not totally convinced.) It just gets taller and taller with no artichokes in sight. (My Brussels Sprouts seem to be pulling the same stunt. The stuff grows beautifully, but no sprouts.) I suppose I could take the time to "google" it, but then I would get distracted, and never make it back to finish my blog.

Here's another view (before) of potatoes, beans, beets, and tomatoes interspersed through out. My SIL gave me a flat of 56 tomato plants. I've got tomatoes EVERYWHERE!

Today - Looks like a lotta work!

Tomaotes on the steps

My sproutless Brussels

Dying tomatoes on the left, lettuce patch on the right

Artichoke Imposter

And now, here's a little walk through the flowers. I don't have any tulips, but you might still have to tip-toe. (heehee - I crack myself up sometimes.)

Mr. Frog just makes me smile.

A month ago

Today - see what I mean about tip-toeing?

Blazing Star

There are about seven more trees that look similar to this one -
all needing attention (sigh)

Day Lilies

Daisies

Purple Cone Flower

Queen Anne's Lace

Ground Sedum - (If you know the actual name for this, please let me know!)

Yarrow

Hosta

Giant Hosta

As you can see, I have a lot of work to do. If you don't hear from me for a while, send out the search team. I might be lost in the weeds!

My avocado

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

I love avocados. I love guacamole. But, it's very disappointing that avocados can be a bit expensive. I don't get to eat them as much as I'd like, which would be everyday, if I could.

So, I came up with a perfectly logical solution. I decided to grow my own avocado tree. From a seed that came out of a previously eaten avocado.

I didn't let the fact that I live in Ohio (long, cold winters, snow, ice) deter me.

Last year, I took my little seed, stuck some toothpicks in it, and stuck it in some water. These are all very techinical terms, so try to follow, okay? I also stuck a piece of charcoal in the water, to sweeten it up. Apparently, they like sweet water. Can't blame them.

Then, I waited. And watched. And waited. At first, nothing happened. But, then I noticed that the seed was spliting. And, if you look very closely, in the center, something is growing. Oh happy day!

The roots were growing, too.

As it grew stem and leaves,Hubby kept telling me, "You'd better get it in some dirt." I kept saying, "I think it's ok in the water." (But, I did a little research on the internet, just in case. Turns out, he was right. Again.)

I found a big pot, filled it with potting soil, and plopped (new term) it in its new home. I think it liked being in soil, because it continued growing very nicely.

But, now the next step makes me very nervous. When the plant gets to about 12 inches tall, I'm supposed to pinch off the top, down to about six or eight inches.

As you can see, my plant is now at 12 inches.

Now, if you look closely at the next photo, you will see that at six to eight inches, there are no leaves! I would only have a stem! This is the very worst part of gardening! I hate HATE to thin out and pinch off! I don't know if I can do it! What if the leaves don't grow back! But, the purpose of pinching off is so that the base will grow rounder. I know it needs to be done, but, but, arrrrggggggg - I can't do it!

I'll get Hubby to do the dirty work. Then, if it dies, I can blame him. It goes without saying that if it flourishes, it will be due to my fantastic gardening skills!

So, I mentioned to Hubby that the avocado needed trimmed. Maybe "decapitated" is a better term. He simply said, "Get me the scissors, and show me where to cut." I was hyperventalating as the deed was done!

Only one snip was needed! Oh boy. Look at my new avocado plant.

I decided to try to sprout roots off the top, (just in case), but they just got droopier and droopier.

Now, I have to wait and see if ~~I've~~ Hubby has killed my plant, or if it will live.
If it lives,I only have to wait about six more years to see if I get an avocado out of it! I will keep you posted on the progress.

I pledge...

2011-07-08T07:00:00.005-04:00

A little history on the Pledge of Allegiance:

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Baptist minister and Christian socialist, Francis Bellamy (1855-1931)

The original Pledge was published September 8, 1892, in a children's magazine, "The Youth's Companion."

The Pledge was first used in schools, on October 12, 1892, during Columbus Day observances, organized to coincide with the opening of the World's Columbian Exposition, in Chicago, IL.

The Pledge has gone through several transitions:

1892 - I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1892-1923 - I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1923-1924 - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1924 - 1954 - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1954 - Present - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
My information came from Wikipedia. More can be found here

If you are as old as I am, you may remember Red Skelton.