She did it!

Dear Amber,

Over the river and through our beautiful West Virginia woods, we send you best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Congratulations on your acceptance to Davis & Elkins College.Have a Great Holiday!

Your friends in the Davis & Elkins College Admissions Office

"Due to the Economy"

Yesterday while running errands, I kept hearing the phrase "due to the economy". And I wondered if these people even know what they're talking about or is it just a buzz word (phrase) they've picked up from the evening news.

While dropping off some papers at the admissions office of a local college, the admissions director told me about the fee that will be due once daughter is accepted. He then elaborated on the fact that "due to the economy" if we didn't have the $150.00 we could pay any amount over $5.00 and then make payments as we could. He continued to stress how a lot of families don't have the extra money right now "due to the economy" and once again told me I could pay any amount over $5.00. He knows nothing of our financial situation...good, bad or ugly...yet felt the need to repeatedly tell me anything over $5.00 would be fine. Okay, I get it!

Son and I were looking for guitars at thrift shops. One woman suggested we check the local pawn shops because "due to the economy" people were hocking their wares instead of donating them to charitable organizations like her particular thrift store.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, WV's unemployment rate is lower now than it was this time last year. Gasoline prices have dropped dramatically since earlier this summer, which makes filling up my CUV a lot less painful. I may be ignorant but I don't see how WV is suffering any "due to the economy". If I'm missing something, enlighten me. If your state is truly feeling the effects "due to the economy" let me know. I'm sure folks in Michigan would have something to say.

This is by far one of my all-time favorite desserts! It's only available for a short time each year and I usually only have one. Today, son and I got the last two this particular store was going to have for the entire year. I would have cried if I'd missed out. They're so yummy! So, hurry over to DQ before you miss out.

Apron Love

How cute is this apron!??? There's also a border of sheep along the bottom. Too Cute! Thanks Aunt D!

Support Your LYS (local yarn shop); I Do!

This scarf is made from chunky baby alpaca that I bought at my favorite yarn shop in Florida
This is my stash from visiting my favorite yarn shop in WV today. Yarn and Co. celebrated their 4th anniversary with an Open House. Congratulations, Sandra!This is a bag pre-felted made from Burly Spun yarn.
This is the felted version, finished with a hand-made button.

Words to Live By

"Everyone has at least one rule that they like to live by. My rule is to stay positive no matter what happens. Things in life may be hard, but never give up! Giving up is certain unhappiness. Whereas, staying positive and standing strong means making it through the hard times with more ease.

Just keeping the things and the people that you love close to you will make you feel more optimistic. Visiting with my best friend calms me down during rough times and taking my dog on a walk clears my mind. Those are both important things to me, so I can continue to stay positive.

For me, I think it's just feeling the smile on my face that boosts my spirits. Maybe your spirit booster is seeing the smile on someone else's face. Volunteer work, babysitting or even just giving your neighbor a helping hand are all excellent ways to achieve that.

Staying positive is more than an attitude. It's a way of life. Where pessimism and anger are proven to make you ill, optimism is known to heal the sick or even prevent sickness from starting. A happy heart is a healthy heart and I will choose to continue living my life with optimism and serenity."

Taken from the GED pre-test essay question: What's one rule that you live by? by Amber H.

Apple Butter Day

Frank started the fire at 7:30 a.m. We used a 20 gallon copper kettle that belongs to my great-aunt. Frank stirred....

Andrew stirred.....
Missy stirred....
Mom stirred....

Dad stirred.... ALOT....he stayed all day and took turns with Frank and Andrew stirring for 15 minute increments.
Neighbors stopped by....

I washed jars.....
ALOT of jars!!!
Amber stirred...
I stirred...
Greg stirred...Aunt Alice stirred...Mom McCarty stopped by...

I made some honey-wheat bread and home-made butter in anticipation of the finished apple butter.
This is what it looked like about 5:30 p.m.

And this is what it looked like a short time later.

18 gallons of apple sauce (that we made the previous week), made 9 gallons of apple butter. Yum!