FAT Fest!

I'm half-way embarassed to share this but what the heck! My daughter and I developed Fat Fest last night. We were both pretty bummed about some stuff that's going on...stuff that no matter how hard we try, we can't seem to make better. So, in our depressed state, we decided to over-indulge....on fast food and ice cream and Gilmore Girls dvd's! She's underage and I'm not usually a drinker. But last night I came real close to buying a big bottle of wine to drink all by myself! Instead, we hit a couple of drive-throughs, came home, put on our jammies, put in the Gilmore Girls dvd and consumed an enormous amount of fattening, artery-clogging, yet delicious food. In lieu of a hang-over this morning, I awoke with swollen fingers and a heaviness in my gut that matches the heaviness in my heart. And although Fat Fest didn't solve my problems, my daughter and I made a memory. Three cheers to the Fat Fest!

Christmas and 4-Leaf Clovers

My hubby gave me this beautiful glass clover paperweight for Christmas. It's not because we believe in luck. But because I have a history of finding 4-leaf clovers. I don't hunt for them, I'll just find them. I'll look down at the grass and there it'll be! And it doesn't matter where we are...just out in the yard, in a friend's yard, at a state park, at a gas station....doesn't matter.

When we arrived last summer (2006), with our two moving trucks, pick-up truck, mini-van and boat, we stopped at the local gas station. We all got out to stretch our legs and walk the dog...in a grassy area. And guess what? I found a 4-leaf clover! And even though we don't believe in luck, I think the clovers are a sign of good things to come. And since we were in the middle of the biggest transition in our lives, it was comforting to find that little reassurance in the clover.

I remember when I was a little kid, my step-grandma took me to a section of their yard that was full of 4-leaf clovers. Or so she said! I wonder if something happened that day that gave me an eye for them. I don't remember finding one that day, but I've been finding them ever since!

Go Tell it on the Mountain!

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour's birth:

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

The Nutcracker Ballet

I love the Nutcracker Ballet! Amber and I went to the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago to see it. I've taken the kids to see the Nutcracker various times over the years. We've seen professional ballet companies and we've seen local high school performances. We've watched different versions of it on dvd when we couldn't get out to see an actual performance. They're all beautiful! Although, the McCauley Caulkin version was a little hard to watch. lol I have two cd's of the music. One is in the car. And I listen to it whenever I get the chance.

I made the mistake of taking Andrew when he was very small. And he's still afraid of the Mouse King. Any time he hears any of the music, even in commercials, he sticks his fingers in his ears and says "na, na, na, na, na, na!" to drown out the sound. So, I guess it's a tradition I'll keep with my daughter.

One year, the year I took Andrew, there were 4 families in our neighborhood that went to see an afternoon showing together. All home-school moms and all our little kids. That was an experience in itself! Another time, I took Amber and two of her friends. They got all dressed up and thought they were sooo big! I think they were 12 years old at the time.

So, I guess my fondness for the Nutcracker is as much about the memories as the actual show itself.

This year, we went with my friend, Becky and her 4 year old daughter, Riley. It was so much fun listening to her little gasps of delight at the beautiful ballerinas. You see, she's a ballerina herself. And who knows, one day I may be watching her perform the Nutcracker Ballet!

Death by Divorce

Anyone that has been through a divorce or has walked with someone through a divorce knows what I'm talking about when I relate divorce to death. Because it IS a death. A death of a covenant between two people. Death by divorce often has a ripple effect that spreads out through the circle of people who are closest to them. But instead of the ripples getting smaller and smaller, they sometimes take on a tsunami effect and become even more damaging and destructive. So, what are we do? Those of us in that circle, feeling the ripples of their pain and grief? Stand firm! Don't be swayed by the winds of accusation and condemnation. The couple is hurting bad enough. Stand firm! And be that person they can cling to when the storms are about to wash them away. Stand firm! And be that shelter they can run to when they think they can't stand the raging winds any longer. And, hopefully, when the storm has passed and things are calm, they will have survived.

Holiday Baking

These are a few of my favorite cookies for this time of year. At the top left is the traditional Gingerbread Man Cookie. To the right of it is Kourabiedes, a Greek Butter Cookie. It's an authentic recipe from a friend. Below that is the Crinkle Top Cookie. Better known in our family as the "Wagon Wheel". And beside that is a Sugar Cookie from my Grandma's recipe. Not pictured (because we ate them all already) is the Pumpkin Chip Cookie. Another delicious recipe from a friend.

So, what are you baking this year?

Baby Jesus

It was the day AFTER Christmas at a church in San Francisco . The pastor of the church was looking at the manger scene, when he noticed that the baby Jesus figure was missing from the cradle. He immediatelyturned and went outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon walking down the street. And in the wagon, was the figure of the infant Jesus. So he walked up to the boy and said, 'Son, where did you get that little baby Jesus that's in your wagon?' The little boy replied, 'I got him from the church.' 'And why did you take him?' asked the pastor. The little boy replied, 'Well, about a week before Christmas, I prayed to the little Lord Jesus. I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in it.'

Microwave Madness!!

I'm just about ready to scream! But I decided to take my frustration out on my poor blog instead.

Last summer (2006) when we remodeled the kitchen, we installed an over-the-range microwave. The microwave was purchased at Home Depot and was made by Magic Chef. We were told that Magic Chef is a division of Maytag. No worries! Maytag is a highly reputable company.

Fast forward to last week. The bulb under the microwave that shines down on the stove-top blew. After that happened, the microwave would no longer work. I dug out my receipt and paperwork and sure enough it was just past the warranty period by a couple of months. I called Home Depot and they said unless I bought the extended warranty, I would have to call the 800 number in the owner's manual to schedule a repairman to come out. GGGGGrrrrrr!!

Anyway, called to schedule the repairman. He was supposed to be here Tuesday between 8-noon. The company called Monday and said the repairman's vehicle was broken down and he wouldn't be able to come until Thursday between 8-noon. Ok. No problem. The company called Wednesday and said it would be between noon and 3 o'clock before he could come. Deep breath, ok, still no problem. Thursday morning the repairman called twice. Once to verify directions and confirm the time...he pinned down a specific hour he would be here. Five minutes later, he called back and said it would be another hour or so. GGGGGGGrrrrr!! Again, deep breath. No problem!

The funny thing is, when he called, Amber answered the phone and said it was someone named "Amy" from the repair company. "Amy" had a very deep voice. But as Amber said, this is WV!
When the repairman called the second time, it did indeed sound like he/she said this is "Amy". So, by this time, we're envisioning someone like a chick truck-driver with big muscles and possibly a mustache.

The repairman did show up at the appointed time.... a guy repairman with a mustache and beard. We're thinking his mama played a really cruel joke naming him "Amy".

He was there just a few minutes and had diagnosed the problem. We needed a new circuit board. He called the company to order the part and was told that they don't work on that brand of microwave! He couldn't believe that! So, he called his boss. His boss confirmed that they indeed, DO NOT work on my brand of microwave. You'd think the call center would have known that before they sent him to my house. They had the model number and the seriel number and the brand name when I made the appointment! So, "Amy" calls a few more people trying to figure out what to do. They tell him to give me an 800 number that I have to call MYSELF and order the part MYSELF and then find a repairman MYSELF to come install the new part that I have to pay for MYSELF! I'm not a happy camper by this point. But I'm holding the scream in and thinking that if "Amy" thinks he's getting the $60.00 service fee he's supposed to charge me, he's out of his mind. I guess he realized that wouldn't be a good ideato do that and tells me there won't be a charge. He apologizes. He's worked for the company for 17 years and has not seen anything like this. He's not even seen a microwave die of such a young age. So, he leaves. And I call Home Depot, thinking there must be something they can do. I talk with the manager directly and tell him what's been going on. I'm kind, I'm polite. I love Home Depot. They've always had great service. But he pretty much told me I'm just out of luck. He did offer two suggestions. 1) I could buy a new microwave from him with a 10% discount or 2) I could call Maytag and beg for a credit towards a new microwave. Neither option appealed to me. So, I turned to the 800 number "amy" had left for me. It was the number directly to Magic Chef. I talked to a guy and he connected me to someone else and I got their voice mail! GGGGGRRRRRrrrr! I left a message and tried the Maytag number. After speaking with Carolyn at Maytag, I found out that all Magic Chef products are NOT made by Maytag. Magic Chef lends their name to several companies. The company that made my microwave is called MCD. Anyone ever hear of MCD???? Not me! Now I understand why it broke in the first place! Carolyn was kind and referred me to the Magic Chef 800 number. So, I called again! I wanted to talk to a person not a voice mail. I almost felt sorry for the guy that answered the phone. I told him what was going on...the run around game I was playing and in a very soft voice let him know that I am not a Happy Camper and would appreciate any help he could give me. I think it was the soft voice instead of ranting and raving that got his attention. In any case, he immediately and generously offered to send me the part for free and explained how easy it is to install...I can do it MYSELF!

As for "Amy", turns out he wasn't saying "Amy" at all. He was saying "A&E" really, really fast.

Relationship Ramblings

What is the value of a relationship? Are relationships even necessary in this life? I say Absolutely! God created us to be relational beings. We need each other and we need Him. There are various types of relationships. Some are given to us at birth...parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins. Some are made of our own choosing...spouses, friends, acquaintances, mentors. Each person that crosses our path has value. The depth of that relationship is determined by us. The value of that relationship is determined by us. I have met many people over the years being a military wife. Most were casual acquaintances. But a treasured few have become priceless gifts. These are the people in my life who have been faithful to me and my family. Through good times and bad times. I know I can count on them. And even though they're scattered all over the country (and Korea), if I needed them, they would do all in their power to be here for me. I have no doubt about that. Just as I would be there for them.

I remember the first time one of these people showed me what it's like to have/be a true friend. I was a fairly young adult and hadn't yet made many friends. But this person was different. She was bold. And she taught me the value of friendship. She taught me that I didn't have to be perfect for her to stay my friend. That even when I did something that hurt her, she valued our budding friendship enough, to talk to me about it, so we could work things out. Turns out it was a simple misunderstanding but if left alone, could have ended our friendship. That was 12 years ago and we're still great friends! Confrontation is not fun! Not fun to initiate or to be on the receiving end of. But it's often necessary for a relationship to survive. Confrontation was something new to me. I grew up with the idea that if someone made you mad, you were done with them. The same thing was true if you made someone mad....they were done with you. I'm glad my friend taught me that relationships aren't disposable.

I've said this before, maybe not on this blog, but God has blessed me with the most amazing women in my life. They are all so different and are in different places in their lives. But they're all so special. And I've learned many things from all of them.

When my kids were little, some new people moved in next door to our base housing. It didn't take long for me to realize, there was a new friendship in the works. Within a few days of moving in, I received a note from her thanking me for the friendship bread I had given her. But she had also written Proverbs 27:10 in the card. It says "Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off." And being in the military, this verse was very relevant. I knew she was going to be someone I could count on. She was the one I ran to when I got the news my father-in-law suddenly passed away. And I was the one she ran to when her baby swallowed a penny. And that note card? I still have it on my desk. That was 1997 when our friendship began. And she's still the one I often run to for advice.

God has brought a new friend to my life since moving to WV. She's been through some tough stuff in the last year or so. And she has quite the story to tell. At one point, the doctors told her they'd have to remove her tongue and vocal chords for her to survive the cancer. But through prayer, medical advances and an old-fashioned miracle, she's healed and still has her tongue and vocal chords! I don't know what God has for this new friendship. I don't know if we'll be best buds one day or we're just meant to join forces on this new Prayer Shawl Ministry she's started. Either way, I'm looking forward to getting to know her better.

So, are relationships worth it? Are they worth the time and effort? Are they worth the risk of rejection and hurt? Again, I say, Absolutely! The benefits far out-weigh the risks.

MY Twelve Days of Christmas!

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Two knitting needles, and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Three crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Four apron patterns, three crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a
Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT! Four apron patterns, three
crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Six stitch markers, FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT! Four apron patterns, three
crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Seven knitting books, six stitch markers, FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT!
Four apron patterns, three crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a
Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eight fat-quarters, seven knitting books, six stitch markers,
FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT! Four apron patterns, three crochet
hooks, two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Nine skeins of yarn, eight fat-quarters, seven knitting books,
six stitch markers, FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT! Four apron patterns,
three crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric
Gift Card!

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Ten spools of thread, nine skeins of yarn, eight fat-quarters,
seven knitting books, six stitch markers, FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT!
Four apron patterns, three crochet hooks, two knitting needles and
a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eleven bright buttons, ten spools of thread, nine skeins of yarn,
eight fat-quarters, seven knitting books, six stitch markers,
FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT! Four apron patterns, three crochet hooks,
two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Twelve yards of fabric, eleven bright buttons, ten spools of thread,
nine skeins of yarn, eight fat-quarters, seven knitting books, six
stitch markers, FIVE DAYS TO CRAFT! Four apron patterns, three
crochet hooks, two knitting needles and a Joann's Fabric Gift Card!

First Snow

This is the view out of my kitchen window this morning. My son got up, came into the kitchen, saw the snow, went back to his room and returned a few minutes later dressed in snow pants and coat, ready to go sledding. He played outside for about an hour, running inside every few minutes to tell me of the current sledding expedition, and to show me the snowball he made.

While he was doing that, I was preparing a batch of home-made biscuits. I thought he would enjoy something hot from the oven after being out in the cold. I must say, these are the best biscuits I've made yet. Don't they look yummy?!

My Many Aprons

This time of the year I start baking more and baking makes me think about aprons. There's just something about putting on an apron that makes me feel empowered not suppressed like some women's lib groups would lead us to believe. I wore a heavy, sturdy apron this summer as I canned tomatoes and made apple sauce. Wearing an apron makes me feel connected to the women who have gone before me. Cooking, baking, tending children and doing laundry in their ever-present apron.

I love vintage aprons and you can see a few from my collection above. They vary from thin wispy material with hand-embroidered designs to sturdy full-body aprons meant for a good day's work. But my favorite aprons are the ones my grandmother wore.

There are now several books out on the topic of aprons and there's also a travelling apron exhibit. If the exhibit ever gets to the east coast again, I wanna go see it. Aprons tell a story and the aprons in the exhibit tell their stories too... whether they're laundry day aprons with big pockets to hold clothes pins or frilly aprons a hostess would wear over her good dress.

While visiting my friend, Shannon, in New Jersey, I got to see her apron collection. She has the same feelings toward aprons as I do.

So, when you get a chance, tie one on and see how much you get done. Feel the magic of wearing an apron!

Running, running, running....

I started a running program yesterday. And I'm announcing it here so I'll be accountable to someone. I used to run when I lived in Florida. I did a couple of 5K's. The last one was in the pouring rain and wind. That's when I quit running. So, now I'm starting from the beginning with a 10-week program. At the end of 10 weeks, I'm supposed to be able to run 30 minutes continuosly. It was my little friend, Christopher who got me motivated to try again. He's training for a half-marathon in Texas in January and he's not even a teenager yet. Sure, he's got youth on his side. But with some training, I think I can give him a run for his money!

How You Live by Point of Grace

Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don’t hold in your anger
or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and
make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don’t spend your life
looking back
Chorus:
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Looking back from where you have been
Coz it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don’t run from the truth
Cause you can’t get away
Just face it and you’ll be ok
Chorus:
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
‘Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
Oh wherever you are
and wherever you’ve been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E’en when you don’t think that you can‘
Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
‘Cause in the end there’s nobody else
Chorus:
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
‘Cause you won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
‘Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
‘Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live

Going Green!

I don't mean all natural, eco-friendly either! I mean green nail polish! Isn't it cool?? I don't know what happened. I was looking at the nail polish choices and I just felt like choosing an unconventional color. This isn't the first time. I once painted my nails blue! Someone told me I'm spending too much time with my teenage daughter. I don't think that's possible. Because I think she's the coolest teen girl in the world! In any case, my nails are green! For how long, I don't know. I may be repulsed by it tomorrow. But for now, it makes me smile!

Poem

This poem was found in our house. It is hand-written by the lady that lived here for 55 years!

BEAUTY

Beauty is the hills and mountains seen from far away.

It is also a country farm place; a place where I would stay

and flowers all around this farm by the hills so green

looks like a place of paradise when happened to be seen.

To go to this enchanting place, I certainly would not stall.

It's beautiful every season of year summer, winter and fall.

I did not mention spring for that season is a gem.

With flowers growing everywhere and birds on every stem.

Now if you ever see a farm like this, to you I hope will seem

that what I just have said certainly was not a dream.

Bumper Sticker

If Dolly Pardon was a farmer, she'd be flat busted too!

Suzy Homemaker

My MIL refers to me frequently as "Suzy Homemaker". I wasn't sure if I should be offended or not. But it did get me thinking about Suzy and made me wonder who she is/was.

I found out that Suzy Homemaker was a doll in the 1960's! She had about as much stuff as Barbie! She didn't have a pink car, but she did have a top-of-the-line oven, blender, dish washer/sink, grill, ice delight maker, iron, hair dryer, juicer, mixer, popcorn popper, refrigerator, soda fountain, taffy puller, washing machine and many other things. Sounds pretty good to me.

But I also found this definition of who Suzy Homemaker is:

a housewife who manages a household, esp. with enthusiasm; also, the sterotype of any woman who chooses a traditional female role

I'm alright with that! Just call me Suzy!

Bees

Honeybees depend not only on physical contact with the colony, but also require its social companionship and support. Isolate a honeybee from her sisters and she will soon die.

---The Queen Must Die: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men

Fun is...

...spending the day with a friend

...finding really cool jackets at an awesome price

...strawberry frappacinnos

...Mr. Potato Head

...book stores!

I Made Butter

It was soooo easy to make butter! Who knew??? All you have to do is dump a quart of heavy cream into your stand mixer and let it mix. Start out slow, so it won't splash. As it thickens, turn up the speed. Just let it keep doing it's thing. Eventually, the butter will clump together and the buttermilk will separate. At this point, you want to turn the speed down. Pour the buttermilk off to use in pancakes later. Rinse the butter in cool water to get the rest of the buttermilk off. Season your butter with a little salt to taste. You can also stir in some honey and make honey butter. Or you could add some other seasonings and herbs. Very delicious! Try it!

Vacation Sights!

This is the steps that lead up to the street in NYC after we got off the train.

me in the big city

Grand Central Station

American Girl Doll Store

Amber in Central Park with a

real live Statue of Liberty

Knitting outside a yarn shop in Soho

Construction at Ground Zero

Times Square

The family in Philly

Visiting the Liberty Bell

Betsy Ross House

A little detour on the way home!

100 WORDS

abide
excellence
improvement
respect
able
expect
inspiration
rest
abundance
faith
joy
restore
accept
family
kindness
safety
affirmation
fearless
knowledge
security
amazing
finish
love
seek
assurance
free
lovely
sleep
awesome
friends
mercy
start
beautiful
fun
more
steadfast
believe
future
needs
strength
blessed
gentleness
new
success
brave
gifts
nurture
support
brilliance
gladness
optimism
thankfulness
calm
good
order
treasure
care
grace
patience
triumph
celebrate
gratefulness
peace
trust
cheer
happiness
persevere
truth
comfort
harmony
positive
united
compassion
healing
power
vibrancy
complete
health
praise
victory
confidence
help
presence
wellness
creativity
holiness
provider
wholeness
delight
honesty
refresh
wisdom
encouragement
hope
relief
wonderful
endure
hugs
renew
worship

Amazing!

This is the view from my living room window at 7:15 a.m. today.

Can't help but laugh!

At the moment, my son is sitting in the floor with a fuzzy ball cat toy, a piece of string, our dog and one of our cats. His first idea was to tie the cat toy to the cat's tail, so the cat would chase it. His next idea was to tie the toy to the dog's tail so the cat would chase the dog. How far do I let this go? When should I intervene? It's just too funny the way his mind works. And kind of scarey too!

I MISS...

...MY FRIENDS! :-(

Creativity at it's Best

Here's a pic of what my son created out of an old deer feeder and an old car stereo. He has asked me to start buying old kitchen appliances at thrift stores so he can take them apart and make new creations! Will let you know when his first "showing" will be.

Friends and Words

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away." ---George Elliot

Carrying the Mail!

Well, I've had a short stint with the USPS and let me tell you, it's not what I expected. I now have a great appreciation of our rural mail carriers and the postal industry in general. Here's a few things I wanted to pass on to you:

1) Cancel your junk mail, catalogs, etc. Anything you can do to lessen your mail carriers load will be greatly appreciated.

2) Tip your mail carrier periodically, not just at Christmas. Let him/her know that you appreciate them.

3) When addressing letters, write neatly and clearly.

4) If you get pkgs. on a regular basis, get a mailbox big enough to hold them. It's alot of extra work for the mail carrier to have to bring it to your door.

5) If you leave outgoing mail in your mailbox, make sure it has proper postage. And don't leave 41 pennies with your letter expecting the mail carrier to put the stamp on for you. (This happens on a regular basis on the route I had)

6) Do I need to say anything about dogs???

Enough said!

Blogs and such

I hate it when a blog that I read on a regular basis hasn't posted in awhile. Shame on me! I haven't posted anything on my blog for quite awhile. It's been a very busy summer...friends visiting, unexpected (but fun) trips out of town, gardening, lawn mowing, making pickles, canning tomatoes and tomato juice, freezing peaches, making grape juice, etc. etc. etc.

So, until I find something worthy to blog about and actually take the time to blog it, here's some of my favorite blogs for you to check out:

BECAUSE I SAID SO

Want Not

Money Rules, Debt Stinks!

Look What I Found!

Ghiradelli made white chocolate! Yeah!! Now if only Godiva would make white chocolate! Yum!

For those of you who are allergic to chocolate too, you can find this at Target.

I'm going to use these little squares on my s'mores this year at the family reunion. It won't be the same as Hershey's but it'll be delicious in it's own way.

What's for Dinner?

I made this beautiful salad for dinner the other night. It has Romaine lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, pears, avacados, toasted pecans and red wine vinegarette dressing. My family hated it and wouldn't even try it! Below is a pic of what they ate for dinner. Which would you prefer???

A Work in Progress

After much deliberation and surveying of everyone I know, I went with my original intent and painted my house yellow. The picture doesn't really do it justice. And keep in mind that all the trim is going to be a beautiful crisp white. Although Frank thinks I should paint it green like the bottom part of the house. What do you think??? White or green trim???

How does YOUR garden grow?????

Pigs and the Market

I was watching the show "Dirty Jobs" the other night and this particular episode was about pig farming. The host of the show said that when he would say the rhyme ..."this little piggy went to the market..." he always thought of the little pig going shopping but in fact, the pig was going to be sold at the market. I always thought of the little pig going shopping, too!!! And now the rhyme has taken on a whole new meaning and lost it's charm. Whatever will I tell my grandchildren!!??? (when I have them)

Low Rise WHAT?

Did you know there was such a thing as low-rise panty hose?? My Dear Daughter was getting ready for her formal and asked me to buy some low-rise panty hose for her. That cracked me up! It sounded absolutely hilarious! She asked me what's so funny. The whole idea of low-rise panty hose was absurd to me. Panty hose are always falling down around our ankles, or sagging at the knees. Who wants them slung low over their hips? Not to say that the elastic that nearly cuts you in two around the waist is alot of fun. But isn't it a necessary evil? I couldn't imagine that there actually was low-rise panty hose. Dear Daughter thought that there certainly had to be. So, out of curiosity this morning, I did a google search and low and behold (no pun intended) there ARE low-rise panty hose. Too bad her formal was last night. There will be other occasions to give these modern nylons a go. So, if you see me squirming in my pew at church tomorrow, just turn your head and say a prayer for me.

My Heroes!

The kids and I were home by ourselves on Sunday....doing things around the house. I walked outside to get something and when I turned to come back in the house, there was a snake in the breezeway. I yelled for the kids to stay inside and I kept my eye on the snake. It slithered it's way into the cellar and I made a run for the kitchen door. Since hubby was with his buddy and they were supposed to be fishing, I figured I'd call the person I thought would get here the quickest, my brother-in-law! There was no answer at their house. So, I called my dad...he doesn't drive as fast as BIL but I figured he'd get here quicker than I could hunt down hubby. Their telephone line was busy. So, I tried hubby's friend's house. And they were there! They were just getting ready to go fishing but hadn't left yet! Thank you, God!! I told him about the snake...the kids and I had tried to identify it with our handy dandy Guide to West Virginia Snakes....and he promised to be right home. In the meantime, we kept an eye on the snake. It was all over the cellar...climbing up and over boxes, working its way up and across shelves and back down again. We wanted to know exactly where it was, so hubby could administer its demise. A time or two, the snake was brave enough to stick its little head out the door like it was going to make a run for it, but we shooed it back into the cellar until hubby could get there. Daughter was pacing back and forth and I thought she was going to hyperventilate. We knew Hubby was at least 25 minutes away. So, we tried to call Uncle again. We finally reached him and he promised to come right over. Yeah!!! So, now we're watching the driveway and watching the snake creepy crawl all over the cellar. Oh, and my Dear Son is wanting to be the Big Guy and go kill it himself while he's perched on top of the kitchen sink. :-) Hubby finally pulls in and we're so glad that Daddy's home! He just marches right into the cellar without a hoe or anything. We're trying to direct him to where we last saw the snake and telling him to get some kind of weapon. He grabs the mop! I'm thinking...what's he gonna do with a mop??? It's never inflicted the kind of pain I wanted that snake to endure. So, I told him where he could find the hoe. Before he can get the hoe, his fishing buddy pulls in the driveway. He comes marching up the hill with some kind of gun that has "birdshot" in it. Hubby is moving things around the cellar trying to find the snake. He sees it just as it's going down the basement drain and shoots! He's not sure if he got it or not. I WANT TO SEE A BODY! In the midst of all of this, Brother-in-law arrives weilding a sword! Yep, a sword!!! They fill him in on what's happened to this point and the three of them decide to flush the snake through the drain with the garden hose cause I WANT TO SEE A BODY! They put tons and tons of water down the drain and no snake. BIL advises them to pour a gallon of bleach down the drain to encourage him to come out (if he's still alive). So, they do that and we expectantly watch the end of the drain pipe. Still no snake. I know Hubby and his friend were wanting to go fishing and it's getting closer to dark. BIL had steaks on the grill when he got my call, so I'm sure he'd rather be home. But the guys...my heroes...perservere. They flush the pipe again with water and we wait. Daughter is watching the end of the pipe through the dining room window while the guys are checking out the cellar to make sure there are no more snakes. Suddenly, she yells that it's come out. Everyone (the menfolk) run outside, including Dear Son. He wants the honors of administering justice and grabs the hoe. After two whacks (he missed the first time), the bleach-soaked, bird-shot, traumatized snake is dead!! Yeah, my heroes! But that's not enough. Guys being guys...they have to investigate further. Hubby turns it around to see what it's belly looks like, his friend uses his Leatherman tool to open it's mouth to see inside and BIL stabs it with his sword to go throw it into the road. And when he leaves, he drives over it and then backs over it, and then spins his tires over it...just to make sure it's dead! He goes back home to his grilled dinner, Hubby, friend and sons head over to the fishing hole and Daughter and I breath a sigh of relief that we got to see the body!

I LOVE....

These pens! They're a classic! Reliable, durable and just plain cute! Go buy yourself some Bic Cristal Pens today!

Those Moments

You ever have one of those moments when you're just so proud of your kid you could bust??? I had one of those yesterday. I took my daughter to test for her learner's permit. It wasn't the fact that she passed her test the first try, but when she was asked if she wanted to be an organ donor, she didn't hestitate or have to think about it...she just said Oh, yes! I want to do that! How often have I hemmed and hawed over the issue when it was simply just the right thing for her to do. I'm so proud of her! She's an amazing person!

No Bull!

And now for another cow story....actually it wasn't a cow but a 2000 (TWO THOUSAND) pound BULL! Have you ever seen one of these up close and personal??? Let me tell you, they're quite intimidating! Frank took me fishing one night last week to this little pond on an old farm. The rickety old house is still there with the porch sagging and the windows broken out. But I love it! I could just see the little robust farm wife with her full-length apron over her housedress and her hair pulled back in a bun out on the porch fussing at her little raggedy kids who are chasing each other and the chickens around the yard. And the farmer dad out at the barn working on his tractor with one or two of their older boys....a crop of corn growing across the house in the big field....and cows (and bulls) grazing idly in the field to the left....which is just above the little pond we were fishing at. I saw all of these cows and bulls idly grazing when we walked back to the pond. I mistakenly assumed they were all fenced in. (our neighbor now owns this land and has cattle on it) In my citified mind, I didn't realize, the little pond was where they quenched their thirst! So, we're standing there casting our lines into the pond and catching fish! Yeah! You really gotta be a bad fisherman NOT to catch fish out of this pond. And Frank casually says, "looks like we got company". I figured he meant the land owner but when I looked up, there was the TWO THOUSAND pound bull coming towards us. Scared me to death! I haven't had experience with cows coming towards me, only with cows running away from me. And this was a big cow! Did I say he was about 2000 pounds????? By now I'm trying to plan my escape...Bull is blocking the way we came in and there's woods and fence on the other side. And I'm wondering how deep the pond is and if the bull would follow me if I jumped in and which would be worse....drowning or getting killed by the bull. Then my Dear Hubby says "wonder if this is the ornery bull Mike was telling me about?" I didn't want to find out if this was the ornery bull or the well-behaved bull. I just wanted one of us to leave. And since Frank wasn't putting down his pole, it looked like it was gonna have to be the bull. We scooted on around to the other side of the pond, so Bull could drink freely. And boy did he make some weird noises. It sounded like he was snorting and getting ready to attack something (me????) but what he was really doing was blowing the stuff off the top of the water with his nose so he could drink clear water. After he satisifed his thirst, he just stood there and watched us for the longest time. And I kept fishing with one eye on him and one on the tree that was behind me. It's been awhile since I climbed a tree but I was thinking I could do it if I was "encouraged", ya know what I mean??? Finally, he lumbered back up the hill and out of sight. We kept fishing and I kept watching for him. After all, he snuck up on me the first time. But we didn't see him again. Right about dark, we reeled in our poles and headed home. Just another adventure in the life of a country wife!

40 and Fabulous

Yep, another birthday came and went...the BIG 40!

Folks were asking me what age I'd like to be and I couldn't think of an age I'd like to go back to. Each phase of my life had good things and bad things. I really like the age I am now. My young friends are helping me to realize how much I've learned over the last 40 years and tell me "you know alot!" While my older friends are showing me I've still got alot to learn! And since I love learning, can't wait to see what the next 40 years have in store!

Fruits of my labor

48 large Roma apples will make 6 pints of apple sauce (plus 1 kept out to eat), 8 half-pints of apple butter (plus one kept out to eat) and 3 apple pies (already eaten)!

Ta-Da! Another finished project

This is the completed Quiltagami wallhanging.

Birthdays and Birds

Yesterday was Dear Son's birthday. For the last 4 years (at least), he's been asking for a bird. We finally let him get one! He was sooo excited! He named the beautiful bird "Dill Pickle" because he loves pickles and he loves his bird.

The World I Live In

This is an actual article taken directly from the local news stations website:

Buckhannon Creates "Pick a Pothole" Contest
Carrie Jones
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The Buckhannon Street Department is creating a fun way to help solve a big problem in the city.They've come up with a "Pick your favorite pothole" contest. For $10 residents can call in and vent and vote about the worst pothole in town.The potholes with the most votes will be the first to get fixed. Street Commissioner Pat Long says the number of road hazards fixed will depend on how many calls they get.Long says the main reason for the contest is to help bring in some extra funding for the department. Long says the contest is silly, but that bad roads are a big concern for the city.Long urges anyone with concerns to call the department. You can reach the streets department at 472-5755

HE IS ALIVE! CELEBRATE HIS RESURRECTION TODAY AND EVERYDAY!

Sewing Machine Woes

I have this great electronic sewing machine that looks just like the one in the picture. The only problem is some of the electronic connectors inside have come un-connected and unless you're a professional you can't get it open enough to re-connect them. This has happened before and the repairman in Florida gladly reconnected them and didn't charge me for it. It was simple. Well, apparently, it's not that simple for sewing machine repair shops here. I took it to shop #1 (30 miles away), left it with them for a week. They called and said they don't work on that type of machine. Took it to shop #2 (20 miles in another direction). This repairman told me he sold that brand of machine for 40 years. Yet, he couldn't get the machine open enough to reconnect the connectors. His suggestion was that I mail it back to the repairman in Florida that fixed it the first time. Duh! The machine weighs about 40 pounds! His second suggestion was to set up a repair with the manufacturer...again that would require mailing it. I called repair shop #3 (an hour away). He understood what I was talking about as far as the connectors and he assured me he could fix it. He had said the simple "repair" would cost about $20.00. Yeah!! But because we had already had the machine apart (and put it back together) the charge would be $75.00 to $90.00! Explain that one to me!!!! I'm so frustrated with it...not the machine...the repair people! So, do I drag it to shop #3 and give them the hundred bucks to fix it or scrap the whole thing and wish for a new machine for my birthday???

Heavy Heart

Illness, injury, death, divorce...that's stuff that some of the few people I know are dealing with....it grieves my heart and makes me sad. I can only imagine how God feels when he looks down on the earth and see's the pain of all His children. How heavy His heart must be.

Modern Advances

Have you seen this new machine??? It's an ice cream vending machine at a rest stop! It's sooo funny! Inside the machine is a small chest freezer. After you make your selection on the key pad. The freezer lid pops up and a mechanical arm goes over the freezer...at the end of the arm is a vacuum that grabs your choice and lifts it out of the freezer and drops it into the slot where you can pick it up. The arm goes back into place and the freezer lid slams shut!! I love it!! I had so much fun with it that everyone let me get their ice cream for them. It's better than a slot machine cause you're sure to win every time!

Flowers!

This is an amarylis that I brought from Florida. We found it growing out from under our air conditioner unit and transplanted it to a bed by our front porch. When we got ready to move, I dug it up and 5 other bulbs it had created and brought them to WV. They've been in my gardening bag since then. When I opened the bag a few weeks ago, they had already started to bloom. They're now happily (I hope) living in a big pot of dirt.

Quiltagami

Here's my quilt top (in progress). When it's finished, the small colored squares will open up into 3D flowers.

farm living

Imagine my surprise when I looked out my kitchen window this morning and there were at least a dozen cows in my yard! Not our cows (we don't have cows and after today probably never will) but our neighbor's cows. They were supposed to be in the other 18 or so acres of land that we own, not the 1 acre that I live in. Panic struck as I realized the cows were heading for the road...the one that leads to Buckhannon, Weston, I-79, Pittsburgh...condos in the city....never mind...that's where I want to go...I'm sure the cows had other ideas. In any case, I called hubby to find out what to do. His bright idea was to 1) chase them back into the field with a broom, 2) start the 4-wheeler up and they'll come running or 3) pound on a 5-gallon bucket (they'll think it's feeding time). Guess which one of those options worked??? NONE OF THEM!!!! By then, the cows were down in the road almost to Route 20. I took matters into my own hands and I guess my Appalachain-American instincts kicked in. I jumped in my van and headed in their direction. Another vehicle had stopped, so I swung my van around the cows and got them heading in the other direction. They started down the road and headed to their original home. In the meantime, son was chasing a couple of strays through the woods using the broom method. At that point, Butchie, got involved and decided to be a cattle dog...he's not...he's a pekingnese/chihuahua mut! He took off through the field as fast as his little 6 inch legs would carry him. And daughter went chasing after him. By now, I'm driving down the road checking on the cows that ran ahead of me. They were in their owner's front yard. When they saw the rodeo van heading their way, they took off again. And again, I swung around them and corralled them into the field (I think I missed my calling). A coal truck had stopped and another vehicle. The girl in the other vehicle jumped out and shut the gate behind them. Now back to check on the kids, the dog and the other stray cows. Did I mention I had slipped on a cute little summer dress this morning???

I could hear the dog barking off in the distance and saw son chasing after him. I jumped on the 4-wheeler (in my cute little summer dress) to go help them. Before I took off, I noticed my brother-in-law had pulled in the drive-way. So, he jumped on the 4-wheeler to check on the kids and I went into the house to collapse. While all of this is going on, hubby is calling on the phone "checking on us". The fact that he was laughing his head off didn't help matters much.
Eventually, the kids and the dog showed up and brother-in-law shortly, thereafter. Daughter said she needed a tylenol and I said I needed a drink. She said she wasn't thirsty and I said I wasn't talking about water! It's been that kind of day!