A Tisket A Tasket

A New Favorite

2012-02-13T07:05:00.001-08:00

I found these lurking at the neighborhood Walgreens. There are multiple uses for Twizzlers super long nibs candy.....besides snacking....and a woman with braces isn't supposed to be snacking on these anyway. But hey ...I manage. They also make great bookmarks ; )

Color Chart Maker for Knitting

2012-01-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

I used a website today called Tricksy Knitter to create a knitting/tunisian crochet color chart....it was a little wearing on my patience because it will draw so freely that I kept making mistakes and having to correct them, which I'm sure was something I was doing wrong..once you click the cell once it keeps painting so to speak...all in all though, it was a clever free tool to use and I am so glad I ran across it! Thanks Tricksy Knitter! Give it a try!

Missouri State at Tricksy Knitter

Happy Friday!

2011-12-09T06:26:00.001-08:00

I am making these tags for my advent mittens that are not up yet....yes I am slow that way. My projects tend to spread out for years it seems....the mittens were made last year and this year the number tags for them. Pictures to follow later of the completed calendar. I covered the wooden tags I found at Jo Ann fabrics with some stash I had ...a modge podged linen look on the front, a glued red felt on the back. I rubber stamped them with silver snowflakes and green numbers and am in the process of gluing silver pipe cleaners around the edge....oh and I did add the rivets...And as to the date on my photos...the camera will not let me change the year for some reason. some day I will think I took the picture in 2005!

A poor shot of all my little tags! But now for the gem of Friday...a creepy Santa once again from St. Charles Missouri...they definitely outdid themselves!

While this Santa has hands this time, he has his helpers complete with tools....check out the guy in the left corner with the hammer...I don't like that look in his eye! Santa looks like a jolly guy, I'm just not sure about those helpers...Happy Friday to all and to all a great day!

Back just in the "Nick" of time...

2011-12-06T06:02:00.001-08:00

St. Charles, Mo., a photo by meanmomk on Flickr.

I haven't been blogging for nearly a year...time flies when your having fun. It's what they say anyway. I'm going to try to get back in the swing of it and just in time for creepy Santa fun.
This older gentleman was hanging out in St. Charles Missouri with his crusty carolers...hey wait...where are Santas hands?!..call the police!...or just give him some hooks. He might want to use them.....mwaa haa haaaa!

Getting Spooled Up

2011-01-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I was making yards and yards of i-cord...long knitted cord made on 2 needles that can get so boring after awhile one puts it aside and starts wondering if there is an easier way. Isn't that the bane of our society?...constantly looking for a faster easier way? I started looking at Knitting Nancies or spool knitting dolls on the internet. Can't believe I don't own one...hence an excuse to go shopping. Of course I didn't just want any ol' Knitting Nancy....I wanted "the cutest" spool doll....and I found it!

I ordered this little Djeco french knitting doll from Moolka , a European toy store here in the states. Besides having all kinds of cute things making me wish I still had little ones, I think they are just about the only store in the US that carries this little french knitter. It was reasonably priced and shipped quickly.

Here is what you get when you open up the box. The OH SO CUTE knitting doll, 3 colors of yarn and the instruction book...very neatly packaged.

We've had some snow days this week so what else can one do but play with knitting toys. You wrap the yarn around each prong and use her scepter (not pictured but stores in the hole between her hands) to take the loops off her four pronged crown.

Here is the cord she created....a nice sturdy cord. I was thoroughly delighted with this toy...big boys have their toys and so do big girls! It is well made and creates a nice end product. While I do think I can pump out the i-cord quicker with my two needles watching TV, this Djeco french knitting doll is a too fun to resist!

Vintage Ornament Wreath

2010-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Today I was going to start my annual Christmas cookie bake-arama...instead I made a wreath. I've had these glass ornaments...all vintage..some Shiny Brite, some not.... for a few weeks. I got them at an estate sale on one Friday jaunt. This was a fun and fast (relatively speaking) craft. There are several tutorials on the web but it's basically cover a foam wreath with tinsel garland and go to town with a glue gun. There is really no wrong on a project like this. So now having finished my wreath I'm going to get going on those cookies!

Advent Mittens

2010-12-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

Right now I am busy knitting little mittens....again...last year I was making them for an ornament swap...this year as an advent calendar...what? it's already December you (and I) say?...I am well aware but I believe it's better to get it finished late than not to finish...so I have 12 of the little mittens completed and have 12 more to go...I have been knitting one a day although it's probably time to double up. By the time 2 of my girls get home from school, they should be up..I hope. I always have good intentions. Pattern comes from this source, an easy knit if you like to use multiple sticks!..or should I say DPN's. I will post my progress...

Ornament Exchange

2010-11-29T08:09:00.001-08:00

For the past three years now I have participated in a Christmas ornament exchange. It's fun for me, it forces me to use some creativity. This is the first year that I did not use a pattern already written. Yes I could start working on the idea in January but it's oh so fun to procrastinate and panic and wait until the last month or so....and finish them the afternoon of the party!..Here is how I came up with my idea.

In my daily Bible reading about a month before the exchange, I was reading about angels...ding..."I'll make an angel"... so I did a little digging for angel inspiration on cyberspace...came across this link...love this idea
I decided to apply it to my angel idea....but wait..I needed a typewriter.

This little gem was waiting for me at an estate sale with my name on it...I was almost in a panic though because we had all thrown out our typewriters long ago...what would we ever need those old things for right? This lovely little Royal 50's typewriter looked as if it was never used. Still had the book and a working ribbon..we even found a spare ribbon at the same sale. Those angels were destined to be!

Using vintage cotton/linen from another sale I cut my fabric to 8 1/2 x 11 and ironed it to a piece of freezer paper...the waxy side stick to the fabric. It was then easy to insert the fabric into the typewriter and type inside my angel bodies traced on the fabric. I chose different verses in the book of Luke where the angels were announcing Christ's birth to the shepherds...

Then also using Donna's idea, I stamped on their bodies around the type. I tried to use silver metallic but it came out kind of grey...still looked good though.

For my angels body backing I decided to die some cream colored wool with Kool-aid...another new experience for me ...fun and funky...I just sprinkled it on the fabric being careful not to really mix it so it would be random and let it simmer until soaked in.

Here are my pieces of fabric...I forgot one the pieced was a blue...the one on the right..I used the cream pieces however with the red and turquoise.

I used heat n bond light to bond the bodies together and then sewed around the bodies with a decorative stitch like Donna did on her advent ornaments. They got wool roving hair and wings tied on with wool yarn. I did not want to give them faces....I wanted the focus to be on hair and wings....I liked the red hair and when I make more I will give them the red...

This is the blondie...she has a treble clef stamped on her body.

And this is the sassy red angel....she has the word "behold" stamped on her body.

Ralphie the Poodle learns to fetch the paper

2010-10-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

This has been summer project at our house...teaching Ralphie the poodle to fetch the daily newspaper. Youngest princess took on the slow task patiently...middle princess also helped when she was at home. He has progressed nicely, although it will still take constant practice. We do this before the teen trainer takes off for school..it's hard to get him over the fact that he is not going to school also. Meaty bones have been given out for each paper brought into the house...also one for the moral support poodle Roxie. Today was the first day that he picked up the paper without too much prodding!

A milestone for Ralphie the poodle! These moments in life should be celebrated with a video.....enjoy.

Come into the garden.....

2010-07-09T12:08:00.001-07:00

It's a hot and muggy day......

Ahhhh...Summer

2010-06-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

It really feels like summer...it's hot, humid, and there have been some great thunderstorms!...all that makes for some good produce!...at my house, the raspberries are coming in....ahhhh summer!

2010-04-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Prom was this past Saturday...middle princess was lovely in her kicky prom dress reminiscent to me of Betsy Johnson styling. The shoes were blue leopard to match the blue leopard underskirt of the dress. I edited the photo on Picnik ...using only the basic software. Very easy and satisfying results!

Spring

2010-04-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

Is it really you?Till Lilacs fill rooms with heady scent.....

And lambs shed coats of woolly warmth....

When seedlings burst out seeking sun....

Till Fat Bob basks in a daffodil jungle....

Then, will I know it's you.

Give It Up!

2010-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's nice to just stretch out on the floor....stretch those discs...have a good snooze....

Here is what happens if you EVER try to do it at our house.....give it up right?

How to Embarrass Your Teen Part Two

2010-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Once again Speed returns to the call of duty....after a long sabbatical...the helmet was lost for awhile...I can't imagine that it would have been accidentally ~~thrown it in the trash~~ misplaced but never fear there is always a wife in the shadows to make sure Speed has his equipment.....

Yes, he is back again for the Speed Racer teen driving school....helmet in hand, teen in tow, eyes will roll....

It's all in good fun....remember it is a parental right to embarrass your teen!

Old Man Cat Gets a Sweater

2010-01-22T15:54:00.001-08:00

Here is the old man cat Brother modeling his hand knit sweater that was commissioned for him...youngest princess was insistent that he needed one, it being so cold here in Misery, I mean Missouri....he quite likes it and was freely posing for pictures the day I finished knitting it.
He took a stroll to the water bowl and then promptly laid down for a cat nap....I think he was feeling quite dapper! The pattern was very straightforward and the ribbing design helped to hide those pot belly issues...what do you expect when all you do is nap?!

What else is there to do when it's cold?

2010-01-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

I'm already tired of being cold...this is not a good sign. I have been knitting my little slow fingers off since Christmas because of the frigid temps here...although it has warmed up a little this week, I have not...Here is a partial knitting report....

Old man cat is cold and irritated by the hat he's modeling...youngest daughter thought he needed a cat sweater....so that is what I am working on right now...a baby blue was requested...I am not sure how he will receive this! I am making it in Lion Brand cotton ease...this is a yarn that I think washes and wears very well. The pattern can be found at:

http://www.christinelandry.com/?cat=7

It is ribbed and the version I will make has sleeves....yes chuckle here...I think it's a riot...I'm not sure Brother will.

Santa will be CREEPING at a store near you....

2009-12-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some more Santa sightings...these were taken from a local gift shop window...all this creepiness in one window...imagine!

If you want to get'm out of bed in the morning just set this guy up on the nightstand...."he sees you when your sleeping"....

" Oh little Timmy, let me give you a nice piece of candy...step over to my sleigh...."

This one is life size....."Step over here little Kathy, sit on Santa's lap...now watch the clock...you are getting sleepy...sleepy....just sit back against my nice fluffy beard and you'll be lost forever...mwaaa haaa haa!"

Creepy Santa in my Home

2009-12-19T09:00:00.001-08:00

This is my favorite toy Santa.....I featured him last year but it is only right to bring him out every year. I have had him for years and have always had fun leaving his voice on answering machines and now I like to send it to the girl's cell phones. You have to wonder though.....why would this have been a child's toy when the voice sounds so demonic?!...gotta love it!

Santa Sightings

2009-12-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

Santa has been popping up in quite a few places lately...in fact in some places, he never moves and it's beginning to get a little creepy!

Here is a fine example....Santa appears to be mesmerized by all those gifts he is trying to get under control....either that or Mrs. Claus spiked his cocoa with something hypnotic....what happened to the buttons on his suit?...how is Santa supposed to get his coat off?...oh I know...in his state, he put it on backwards! And why is Santa's hand stuck in this position?...I wonder....I bet if you get close enough you might hear him whispering, "oil can....ooiiilll can".

Concerto for Viola by Telemann-Presto (ca. 1740)

2009-11-24T07:58:00.001-08:00

Yes, finally getting out the last of the viola diva series...I have been so busy this last weekend that I have had a hard time getting in my computer time...we had a cookie baking for college kids at church on Saturday, meanwhile finishing the ornaments for the ornament exchange that took place on Sunday...pictures to come soon.
Today I am thinking about getting ready for Thanksgiving day, all the preparations that I would like to get done and paring it down to what can actually be done.
Que sera sera..whatever will be, will be...I will be humming.

Concerto for Viola by Telemann-Andante (ca.1740)

2009-11-19T07:41:00.001-08:00

Here is todays installment of Marie the viola diva...this movement to me is very sad. It fits the weather outside my window.....As for todays thankfulness, I am thankful that the weather is not like this all the time.

Concerto for Viola by Telemann-Allegro (ca. 1740)

2009-11-18T07:40:00.001-08:00

Here is part two of Marie the viola diva.....and today, I am thankful that we still have the classical music around, although there are many that would just burn it on a pyre...I had heard that the classical music radio station here in St. Louis might be being sold off...I really hope it's just a rumor.

Concerto for Viola by Telemann- Largo (ca. 1740)

2009-11-17T10:50:00.001-08:00

Marie the viola diva plays a concert...
This is todays Thankful post also......because I am thankful she is using her talents!

TBT Continued

2009-11-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

Monday November 16: I am a few days behind...I am not going to try to recall things because the weekend is over now and in some ways I am glad. Monday brings that peace and calm that keeps me from crashing. Maybe I am just thankful the weekend is over.......call it simple pleasures.

Taking Back Thanksgiving Continued

2009-11-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

November 10: It's nice to get to spend a day out with my Mom and sister...we don't do anything important but eat lunch and shop around...I am thankful for them.

November 11: Yesterday the under counter ice maker decided to spring a leak..Hubby's pride and joy....all over the floor seeping underneath and messing up a nice Armstrong laminate floor. It will have to be replaced, probably with a tile this time. It's just money right?...(frowning)....my Mom was so good to remind me that it is just stuff, it wasn't a death or a disease...she's right...thanks for gentle reminders (smiling)! Life lesson number 746,368...don't put laminate flooring in your kitchen.

TBT Continued

2009-11-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

November 7: So thankful to get off the Illinois Highway to Springfield...it seriously needs some work....bump bump bump! Glad I didn't get caught in the big fat speed trap I saw either!

November 8: Thankful to hear the SBU Chorale sing today....it sounded so good and was such a blessing to us...more than they know....thanks for sharing!!

November 9: I really like Mondays....it brings to me a peace and quiet that I really need after a long weekend of hyperactivity...thanks for Mondays!

TBT Continued

2009-11-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

TBT, now better known as Taking Back Thanksgiving......

November 5: I am so thankful for the Miley Cyrus song Party in the USA that I heard over and over in the car played by a certain teen daughter....uh oh, I'm being sarcastic and that's not what this is supposed to be about. OK...I am thankful for music...I love it, I would be nuts without it.....although I think if I hear Party in the USA one more time I might actually check myself in somewhere. While it was fun in the beginning, I think the daughter is using it as a means of torture now....

November 6: I am thankful for "Moms-only" road trips...I am going to a Beth Moore event held today and tomorrow in Springfield Illinois....I am also thankful for Beth's bible studies that have led me to delve a little deeper into my bible. I admire her devotion to spreading God's word. She is someone who I think really has a heart for God.

Taking Back Thanksgiving Continued

2009-11-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

November 4: Today I am thankful for something that many Moms can appreciate....adult conversation. I am surrounded by teen conversation normally...and while I love them and have fun listening to their silliness, it is good to have conversation with others that are going through the same parental woes you are having. I went to bible study this morning(always lots of chit chat) and did a little shopping afterward...while checking out, I ran into a friend that I haven't seen in a while and caught up on the past few years. Today's tongue flapping was good and for that I am thankful!......

Taking Back Thanksgiving

2009-11-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

I refuse to give in to the retail hype this year...I was in Wal Mart yesterday and actually caught myself humming a Christmas tune that was oh so softly playing on the store's brainwashing sound system. I felt like slapping myself..

I am going to try to list things here that I am thankful for up until the Thanksgiving Day...that is what they day was set aside for right?... although the retailers figured out they can't really make that much money off of being thankful so they try to skip right over that one. The push of all the cheap Christmas China stuff is getting gaggy though....at least to this woman it is....don't need it. I'm taking back Thanksgiving....

I have a few days to catch up on...

November 1: God gave me sun today..again!...It's just what I needed!

November 2: I am thankful for the peace that a Monday brings to my house...some quiet moments after the weekend.

November 3: I went on a walk today with the poodles and picked up fall leaves to press in a book...the sun is shining, the air is crisp...I am thankful for the simplicity of the moment yet the staggering beauty of Gods artwork...I am awed.....

Crazy Dad!!

2009-09-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

Awww....Isn't this a sweet 21st birthday picture with your boyfriend?....kind of an urban shot...in the street with the basketball hoop showing....wait a minute...who is that behind your left shoulder?...

Take two....there he is again...but coming from the right...

Take three....this guy won't give up!....I think this is a way of saying that a Dad is never quite out of the picture.........

First Day of School

2009-08-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

It is officially cupcake day today...or in my household, the first day of school!.....

"OK, I'm ready to go"......

The lunch bag is waiting......

(Please don't leave me, I will be so sad....)

Parting words.....

The senior and the sophomore....such good times....milestones approaching with welcoming determination....

(What is that? Where are they going?)

Ahhhh...just me and the cat.... ; )

To cupcakes.....

Jelly making continues...

2009-08-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

The blackberries have been prolific this year...hence the jelly making. The bushes line 2 sides of my raised vegetable garden...as to the the exact measurements I do not know...it adds up to a bunch. The family doesn't like to eat the berries because of the seeds...I am the only one who will gobble as I pick. I have been picking every other day...I have frozen some, given some away but mostly making juice. With the juice I have made jelly using the Sure Jel recipe as mentioned before in my blog. It has worked out great.... I have also been buying a green tea at Trader Joe's that has a blueberry flavor and I also put some of the blackberry juice in it..I make a gallon at a time. It is really good!

I love these new Ball jars with the silver lids...very simple. I think I will have enough jelly to give as Christmas gifts and also keep us in PB J's for the whole school year : )

Spontaneous photos....

2009-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Youngest princess gets caught in the scenery....Alley Springs....

I love catching the GAP's (Gentile American Princesses) off guard.....this is from our camping weekend.

Here they are fully poseable....just like Barbie!

The Real Juicy!

2009-07-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my kind of juicy.....not the kind that goes across my rear end....the blackberries are coming in right now.....I decided I wanted to make jelly.....here is the first part of my blackberry jelly making adventure. The juicy!

My glass measuring bowl holds 2 quarts but I have filled it very full so I am assuming it will be about 2 1/2 quarts which is what the recipe I am using , from Sure-Jel calls for...

The fun part is the crushing....with a potato masher....the color is beautiful....juicy!

To be continued.......

LOOK OUT!!!

2009-07-06T15:32:00.001-07:00

Pray for me.......

Takin care of my babies....

2009-04-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

I started these babies a few weeks ago...I'm always late starting them but I end up with tomatoes all the same......they are bigger than the pictures now and I will post more later....I have thinned them and they are growing well.

I start my own now because I can get the varieties that I want....over the last few years I have been trying more heirloom varieties.....my absolute favorite has been the Cherokee purple which we have nicknamed affectionately around here, the "chocolate" tomato...

This year I am also growing Bi-color Cherry, Anannas Noir, Snowball, Pink Accordion, Green Zebra, and new for me this year, Aunt Ruby's German Green......updates will follow....

My second favorite has to be the Bi-color Cherry.......it made masses of the sweetest little tomatoes that had the best flavor. I had them growing last year right off my porch and would go out there and pick and eat them like grapes.....

I bought my seeds from this source

although the Cherokee Purple and the Green Zebra came from this seed source

I love the seed package from Botanical Interests....the art on the package and all, I am such a sucker for a cute package....they also give great growing tips etc inside the package.

Ta-ta for now....making the world green, one tomato at a time!

Getting Ready for State

2009-04-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Youngest princess is getting ready for State Solo and Ensemble Festival this Saturday....we will be traveling to Columbia, Mo....it is held on the Mizzou campus. This is her first time to participate in this kind of thing...It starts with playing a solo or duet (she did both) at the regional level. She spent much time practising and complaining...ha...she received a 1 rating on each one which meant she gets to go on to the state level. Then more time practicing the same solo and duet and also meeting with the accompanist for her solo....more time complaining...blah blah....

What's the point of these things?...I'm not sure, but one thing I do know is that it helps them to get used to performance anxieties and when it is time for college auditions, maybe it won't be such a shock....so in other words, when she asks me, "Mom , why am I doing this?".....I can simply say, "It builds character."........ : )

Her goal for the day?.....getting the Mizzou t-shirt!

The Carpenters - Rainy Days And Mondays

2009-04-27T07:18:00.001-07:00

It's a Monday, it's rainy....this is what crept into my mind this morning....I've always been a fan of The Carpenters....Karen is missed.

Prom, Princess, Pappy, Prince,Poodle and Priceless Pictures....

2009-04-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Prom for me as a Mom is taking the pictures....fun fun....yes, I can embarass you my teen princess!!....it's all payback for the Mom abuse I take every day! These are a few favorites...the full fun in on my facebook profile.

Oh to be a cat!

2009-04-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

I wish sometimes that I had the life of a cat....don't we all?...to laze in the sun and just bask...in the delight of the moment and the things so taken for granted. Take a lesson from a cat.

And please, no dogs allowed!

So I'm a little slow!

2009-04-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Better late than never I like to say...here are the pictures I took at the SBU Chorale tour while they were in Steelville, Mo at the Baptist church there. We were wowed by the choir, warmed by the pastor and his congregation....a good time was had by all! This was back at the beginning of March.

Thank you girls, thank you SBU Chorale for using your wonderful talents for God! We were blessed in ways that I'm sure you don't realize....

Love,
The Mom

PS...whenever my daughter shows me how to transfer the video to a dvd, I'll get that done!

Something I am trying out

2009-02-24T15:21:00.001-08:00

I wanted to make a picture collage to go on the bulletin board in our bible study classroom...something I thought would be so much easier on the computer....why do I never learn?...I did a little google search...'online scrapbooking'....up pops something called Scrapblog Builder....yes fun and fairly easy but then when it came to saving and printing, that's when the strings start attaching......why can't I ever remember that nothing is easy and certainly NOTHING IS REALLY EVER FREE......not wanting to knock them and I was going to then order a print....well I couldn't just order a print....I don't want it in greeting card or calendar format....whatever. I will figure it out, it's just irritating. Here it is.........it was fun playing though.

Lessons learned on a wee baby bib

2009-02-20T09:53:00.001-08:00

Nothing irritates me more than when I can't do something...so I end up spending (wasting) a lot of time trying to figure something out that I can't do. Like knitting......enter one wee baby bib...the pattern by Leigh Radford, called the Petal Bib in her book One Skein.

Now the problem occurred when it came time to start the short rows....not the wrapping of them but when it came time to purl the wraps that were made. So I went on my merry way thinking I knew what i was doing.....are you kidding? Do I ever really know what I'm doing? Of course not...so after I had finished the section on the short rows, I knew by looking that I had made some serious mistake. Too serious for a pseudo perfectionist. Short row failure!!!!......I love the fact that I can usually find someone out there in cyberland who has gone where other knitters have gone before but is terribly kind enough to straighten it out for the rest of us. So searching through Ravelry I came upon a member who had done exactly what I had done with those darn purl wraps...she so nicely pointed to a website that cleared the matter of my short row failure all up....

http://www.knitpicks.com/images/pdf/ShortRowTutorial.pdf

Thank you missfaith of The Bunkers and thank you KnitPicks : )

The bib went to a teacher at middle princesses school who is expecting.........

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

February calls for red, does it not?....time to snap out of my winter doldrums and start posting....

All you single ladies, all you single ladies....have I got some good men for you!!

Bachelor Number 1:

Ladies...it says this guy "does what ought to be done"......Snatch this one! He does housework!

Bachelor Number 2:

I don't know....I'm thinking this guy is going to be at work all the time....he does have that old movie star look though, I think it's that mustache!...or was that drawn on with a Sharpie marker?

Last but certainly not least...

Bachelor Number 3:

Oh my gosh girls it Rhett Butler!!!.....this guy is sure to bring on a sudden need for a large cold drink....a regular hip cat in a zoot suit but not a wolff, girls....he wants to be with you for always!

Who would you choose?

Happy Valentines Day!

These were a few of my favorite things!

2009-01-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a look back at 2008 for my first post in 2009....what were the things that really stood out to me?...made an impression?

I took a look back through all the pictures to pull some out...there were so many I wanted to include. Since I am a visual learner, God used this time to point out to me how good I have it, how blessed I am and how many times I take even the smallest moment in time for granted...

Hopefully in the new year I will be more sensitive to what lies in store...here's to memories!

We actually got a good snowfall last winter...enough for the girls to have a snow day....snow days are great..you can make hot chocolate and go out in the snow in your pajamas!

We went to oldest princesses school to hear her play in the pit for the performance of Fiddler on the Roof.....some of you may groan but I like that one!

During the school year of 07-08 I had the opportunity to watch a super cute baby to help out my neighbor....while I realized that I am too old to keep up with any little ones of my own, it was nice to love on one and then give him back!

It was the first time for me to see the highway intersection of 141 and 44 in Fenton, Mo. flood to the point of it drawing crowds...

2008 was the year of the big kitchen remodel....it is not finished yet but it is fully functional and it is so much nicer than what it was...I love it! And as you can see in the picture, everyone helps at some point!

The July 4th parade in downtown St. Louis is always something I look forward to....it's kind of a tradition in the family now to get your picture made with the candy clown!

The vegetables and fruit in my garden were great this year....I tried some new things, some different heirloom tomatoes and some Japanese cukes that grew real long.....they tasted great! The blackberries did pretty good and I even had a handful of raspberries too....can't wait for what they produce this coming summer.

Here is my backyard after we had a flash flood in the late spring.....I guess this is why we have to carry flood insurance but it never got near or into the house...it did look a little scary though.....

We went on a vacation this summer to St. George Island Florida with my side of the family...I especially had fun getting to know my great niece...here she is with her dad...we had fun winding her up...she was the life of the party!

On the same trip, we learned about catching and eating these guys here....blue crabs....fun was had by all trying to figure out how to trap them...it was definitely learn as you go experience...

This was the first year for youngest princess to play field hockey......she loved it!.....I love this picture of the team when they finally won a game! Princess and her friend...in the middle...were simply overjoyed!.......

I took part in a Christmas ornament exchange....in was pretty much the same as a cookie exchange....it was a blast!...I used a pattern out of one of the Holiday crafts magazines....felted cupcakes by Betz White....such a talented lady...cute ideas....

The moms from our bible study class at church got together and we baked cookies to send in a care package for college students from our church.....many more participated but these are the ones who stayed to the bitter end....there were about 1000 Christmas cookies!

This was a picture taken at one of the Christmas performances of our church...I am so thankful to have my daughters participate in this with me...this was youngest princesses first year...

Stuff on my poodle...need I say more?

We are a crazy family....I love that we have each other to hang out with and laugh at life....not sure which princess made this picture...I think oldest. This is usually what we get called.....I think, oh yeah?...just wait, your day will come...

And it does, in the blink of an eye!

Beloved Santa

2008-12-15T07:41:00.001-08:00

I got Santa out of his safe haven in the basement the other day...this is always one of the highlights of the Christmas season for me...the girls say, "Oh no, not the creepy Santa... get rid of that thing!" ...I don't know what it is about me but I seem to glean a sense of holiday pleasure from torturing poor souls with the little rubber faced guy! He's got an old laughing box inside of him which runs like a little record player..so this year when I got it out his record was skipping and at first not moving...A few drops of household oil in all the right places and Presto!...up to speed in no time flat!...the dogs run, the teens scatter! Now do you see why I love him so much?

RSHS Manhattan Skyline.wmv

2008-12-06T16:11:00.001-08:00

The girls had a concert the other night and of course this selection brought back the memories for me....from Saturday Night Fever! Yeah, it really dates me doesn't it? I was in junior high when the movie came out I think. My how time flies..........

2008-11-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

I will be making these for Turkey Day breakfast...this is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST cinnamon roll recipe ever!

It is called Clone of a Cinnabon and I found it here.....

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clone-of-a-Cinnabon/Detail.aspx

You make the dough in your breadmaker.......it was very easy. I might have tweaked the recipe a little. I used butter instead of margarine and whole milk. I believe I might have even cut back on the cinnamon some....I added pecans of course.

As far as the icing goes, the cream cheese icing in the recipe sounds delish, but I had some leftover from the whoopie pies and used that....it was almost the same. It's just "ta die for"....and if I eat too many of those I would probably come close to doing just that! .....But hey, it's a holiday ; ) Try it....you'll like it!

Goin to a party...but first....

2008-11-24T06:39:00.000-08:00

You have to make my blanket mom.....teen queen 3 has been wanting yet another fleece blanket...someday they will take over the house. Anytime I take them into a Hancock's fabric store and they see the mounds of fleece it is time to add one more to the pile growing on their beds. We usually do the tied sort...fringe and tie, fringe and tie. This time we decided to do something different. So I searched and came up with this site that had some ideas....

http://www.linusidaho.org/finishafleeceblanket.htm

We decided to try the braided edge finish.....since teen queen 3 was thoroughly adept at making woven potholders on a loom (I have stacks) she felt she would have no problem......all mom had to do was get it to the braiding part......

We used two layers of fleece....no wimpy blankies here...evened out all sides and cut a 4 inch square out of the corners...the instructions on the website said 3 inch but I went with 4 since the fleece was doubled. I then folded each side up 2 inches and zig zagged the seam....a trusty fringe ruler and a rotary cutter is a must...otherwise I would have been doing this for a couple days!......

This shows you what the corners look like and what the fringed edge looks like...I cut 1/2 inch wide fringe....and there had to be a monogram of course......

So right before her sleepover party (she had to go dressed as a cowgirl)....she finished looping one loop into the next creating a braided finish....and it was finished with no time to spare...just like her mother! ; )

This shows the looped edge and then the finished braided edge....it makes a very sturdy edge...

OK!......off to the sleepover!....blanket packed in the bag! She loves it......

MAD tv - Bon Qui Qui at King Burger

2008-11-20T16:30:00.001-08:00

So this is what the girls keep making me watch over and over....one younger princess imparticular....I think we must be crazy....don't intarup...rude!

2008-11-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

On the family front:

Oldest princess is coming home Friday! Yeah!...

Here she is playing in the leaves at school...

I love this picture...

She played with the color obviously but it's just a great picture because it captured the sheer joy of autumn....

and being 20 years old!

What a great time....

On the knitting front:

I found this wonderful beanie pattern on this website...the pattern is called Zeebee....

http://www.schmeebot.com/nid/283.htm

I used a random acrylic yarn that I had picked up at an estate sale....I wanted to see what it would look like first without using a more expensive yarn...kind of like making a muslin in dressmaking terms.

So who should get to wear it?

I tried it on the mister....since it was made to my head measurements, maybe it is a little short for him? But pretty funkadelic eh?.....

Up next we have the lovely Miss Roxie Red modeling our lovely Zeebee.....for some reason The Shriner's come to mind...sorry Rox!

And last but never least is Mr. Ralphie,
quite handsome and debonair but definitely looks like a Shriner....

So I believe the hat will get sent to this charity.....
The Seamen's Church Institute
for the Christmas at Sea Program....

http://www.seamenschurch.org/484.asp ch.org/484.asp

~~It won't make it for this years distribution~~
(I was since informed you can send them in until Dec. 15..thanks!)~~but for 2009~~...if you like to knit or crochet,
go check it out...
there are patterns on the site along with guidelines....
keep those mariners warm!

Whoopie!

2008-10-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have several things to post about today......First up Whoopie pies! I have made these a couple of times over the last week. Once for the Boss's (or the mister at home) snack day which is Friday and then for the work picnic on Saturday. They are easy to make...like putting two cookies together with frosting in the middle. And they are lovely delectable gems of pumpkin goodness and fat and sugar...ha! I searched the Internet and then tweaked to my own liking...

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

3 Cups Flour

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1. Whisk these ingredients together and set aside.

1 cup canola oil

2 eggs ( bigger the better)

1 can of pumpkin

2 cups of brown sugar

2. Beat the egg and oil together, mix in pumkin, mix in brown sugar last.

3. Fold dry ingredients into wet

4. Drop onto a cookie sheet using a cookie scoop

5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes

6. Allow to cool on a rack before adding filling

Filling:

1 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 jar marshmallow fluff

2tsp vanilla

1. Cream butter and sugar

2. Mix in marshmallow fluff and vanilla

3. Load into a gallon size freezer Ziploc and snip off corner. Pipe onto one cookie and top

with another.....delish!

Next up...these are the dishcloths I have been knitting over the last few weeks in odd spare moments. They turned out real cute....here is where I got the pattern.

http://www.knittingknonsense.com/candycorn_illusion.html

It's fun to see the pattern "pop out" as you knit.......

Here is the other thing I wanted to show...this is what I get greeted with every morning...crab cat...As soon as my feet hit the floor each morning..."Where is my food?"...."Where is my water?"....."Where is the dog's water?"

The abuses never cease........

Finally

2008-10-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

I want to show the slippers that I finally threw in the washer and felted...I used the same Fiber Trends knitted clog pattern that a million out there have used....I enjoyed knitting them...about 2 years ago...for some reason I was so afraid to throw them in that washing machine. It was of course a piece of cake! What sort of issues must I have going on in my brain?.......I used Lambs Pride bulky I believe (it's been so long ago!)....and this is the link where I like to order it from.

http://www.bemidjiwoolenmills.com/yarndetails.php

Here is a pic post felting but before haircut....

Here is one after it got the haircut...I used scissors...I tried the dog clippers but it didn't work so hot so I went back to the scissors.

And here are both.......I like them fairly well...I am super picky though about things being the same and I like one over the other...get over it right? The bumper sticks out a little more on one. I'm crazy I know......
Oh by the way....Happy Fall!

Bob says Ta-ta......

Do ya need help?

2008-10-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Dad, do ya need help? Huh? 'Cause I'm all about helpin...I'm here for ya......

Your really doin a fine job....I really like the feel of this floor...but if you need me to help I'm right here...just holler!

Love,

Ralphie

First up...hyper poodles!

2008-10-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Ok..I have a few things to write about if I can get the wireless keyboard to cooperate here....I have some things to catch up on but I can't seem to get the time in and I can't stay awake at night like some do burning that midnight oil...

Last week the poodles had the biggest hyperactivity going on...there was a raccoon in the yard...I know I need not say more and you can imagine the wild gleam of sheer delight in a dog's eyes. Roxie was all about being the hunter dog...Ralphie was all about being goofy! In the early morning I let Roxie out and the coon met her out in the yard....when I realized why she was barking I quickly tried to get her in before the neighbors would want to shoot me....so I had to parade out in my robe to get her because she wasn't about to come in. The coon went on....Ralphie goes out and is clueless....Later that day I let them out and then I heard their commotion....if dogs could whoop, then they were whooping. The coon was in the neighbor's yard in a low tree right next to the fence. Here are the pictures...can you sense the drama? I know I did...

"Look Mom, look..it's Ricky raccoon...can I have him?...huh?...huh?" -run in circles barking with a high pitched hysteria.

Roxie- "Oh yeah? Well I'm gonna make a pie out of ya"- snarl and growl here.

Ralphie- "Yeah, what she said..." pant here.

Ricky taunts from his low branch calling them things like "sissy poodle", and "where'd you get that perm?".....squeaky coon noise here.

Ralphie is worn to a frazzle from whooping too much!

Roxie is speechless...

They stay like this for awhile, trying to jump the woodpile, sending 'all dog alerts' and answering to their 'call of the wild'....Ricky go home!

New CD out!

2008-09-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Like Oh MY GOSH....a new CD I can't wait to go get! Cmon old people of the 80's ...think valley girl here!

James Taylor (here's where my girls go OH NO!) has released a new CD entitled "Covers". He recorded it in a converted barn in Massachusetts. It consists of cover songs from various artists, songs he said he has done live in his concerts....I went over to Amazon to get a feel for it. I like it....yes I do...I may be a geeky ol' Mom but I think I can't wait to pick this up and get my soulful groove on.....and I will drive them crazy around here. This is when a Mom gets payback time..for all the stuff they make me listen to in the morning that I don't like!! Woo Hoo....and I boy do I love to sing!

Lenie launched!

2008-09-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

Lenie launched her blog...I am so proud! It made me smile....go visit her page. She promises to write more....I know she will because I will leave comments if not...ha ha...
http://lenieschertztx.blogspot.com/

Our kids are such computer troopers...they will boldly go where all teens have gone before...and probably places we don't want them to also! They have grown up with the computer. We parents on the other hand are more timid. There is a computer phobia linked with doing things like setting up a Facebook profile (you know who you are) or setting up a blog. Let today be the day you break free from your bonds of fear! Be a pioneer...forge ahead! If you know me, than you know I am laughing with this.....although there is a lot of truth. I know that I waited a long time. It's not hard..you can do it. Besides if all else fails, grab a teen!

Queen Princess turns 20!

2008-09-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Queen princess! This is just a little look at how far you've come. Keep on going, keep on growing.......I look back and feel like I've blinked and your 20. I look forward to seeing all that God has in store for you still.

Love,

Mom

Midnight Tomato-pie-apalooza

2008-09-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

I always have such good intentions with not much coming to fruition.....like all my good intentions to post every day. I wanted to get more pictures of the garden posted but now it is a mess...due to my lack of persistent care. My excuse?...the killer mosquitoes of course....they are stealthy...they lurk, they chew...on me. So instead today I will post about the yummy tomato pie that I made the other night. I've got the tomatoes busting out finally (my own fault for planting them late) and so I have been trying to come up with new ways to use them.....in my search on the Internet I came across the beloved fresh tomato pie. I had never heard of it while apparently everyone else had. I guess I am too sheltered! A tomato pie is exactly what it says...a pie shell filled with your most delectable back yard tomatoes, onions and fresh basil, then topped with a mixture of mayonnaise (I used the new olive oil version Hellmann's has out..good stuff!) Bake it in the oven and voila...a late night, late summer, late in the game, late tomato-pie-apalooza! It was quite wonderful...of course you have to wash it down with iced tea (Red Diamond of course) with a sprig of spearmint. Try it...you'll like it! I sure did. The only thing I would do next time is to take more time draining the tomatoes.....Just Google fresh tomato pie and a bazillion recipes will come up!

Here is a sampling of what I have grown this summer....a variety of heirloom tomatoes...so I put a variety in my pie.

Here is the pre-cooked pie. I have the Cherokee purple, Woodle orange and I believe a Brandywine in there....the Cherokee purple has been one of the favorites...

And here is a picture of the midnight pie itself!...No it really wasn't at midnight but it was about 9 oclock! Felt like midnight...........

Ta-ta.......

Queen Princess Returns to School

2008-08-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Off we were on Saturday...3 1/2 hours down....returning Queen princess back to college....2 vehicles packed to the gills. She took a love seat back, one that we have had since she was about 2. When she was little we called it the Ree Ree couch. If she looks under the seat cushions, she can probably see the stains that wouldn't come out where she hid ice cream bars or other sneakables...."hurry, hide it under the sofa, Mom won't know!" Lots of good memories on that love seat! It brings a few kitty hairs I'm sure also, to remind her of her beloved boys waiting for her back home...
She is living in the dorms again this year. It is school rules that they live in the dorms until the age of 21. For a change, she moved to a different dorm than last year. I was wondering if the rooms were a little smaller but this one has a sink in the room which is nice and the partition you see in the middle of the room.

She was ready to get back.....but why is this girl wearing an OU shirt when she doesn't go there? Good question....one she got asked all day, even by a guy at the Wal Mart. It'll be one of the grand mysteries of life I guess! Send her an email and ask her!

We got the bed made up...favorite blankie and other bedding safely made it in space bags....try one sometimes for your bedding...worked like a charm.

Here is the closet....this really took me back....seems like only yesterday that I was trying to fit my entire life in an itsy bitsy closet. What fun!

Here she is in front of the dorm as we were leaving....I think I was sadder this year than last. She is growing up and maturing in a good way. We are proud parents. On the way home we had to stop at the Dairy Queen for a little comfort ice cream....besides the 6 half gallons of Blue Bell ice cream that we packed in the cooler from the Wal Mart!

On a knitting note, I started these socks on vacation and I was making them for myself but Queen princess kept asking for them so I decided to pack them for her in a box full of other randomness and on the box I wrote "open when you miss me realll baaaadd"!! The yarn I used is Cascade Fixation...the pattern I used is from this site:

http://knotanotherhat.typepad.com/knot_another_hat/

Check out her blog and also her yarn store. I plan on visiting more when I get some surf time. Seems like a nice site....

I did a different heel than the pattern, eye of partridge, and made a few minor mistakes...I learned that if you make a mistake on one, you make sure you make it on the other so they match!

I knit them up and didn't even have time to block them and then stuck a silly label on them...

What can be better than a crazy pair of pink socks to remind her of her crazy Mama!!

Yesterday was Cupcake Day!

2008-08-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Cupcake Day for me, otherwise known in this household as 'the first day of school'. I always tell the girls that while they are back at school, I am going to wear a party hat and eat cupcakes....I spent the morning making up songs about the animals and I baking and eating cupcakes and made their lunches. Note on the lunch bags I even had a little picture to indicate cupcake day! That part gets flipped down and stapled so they don't read it until they are opening their lunches....

They got highly annoyed with all my fun and I snapped my 'first day of school' picts and off they went...Middle princess and I were both excited for similar reasons. This is her first year to drive to school and my first year NOT to drive them to school!!! As long as she doesn't wreck the car that is...

Usually I do spend the day making something sweet for them after their first day but since my kitchen is still in disorder and I didn't want to bother with it, I decided to do something a little different this year....I decided that oldest princess and I (since she has not gone back to school yet) would celebrate this day at the bar....Jilly's Cupcake Bar that is! We even made a rule that you have to be 18 and graduated from high school in order to go to the bar!

http://www.jillyscupcakebar.com/Home.html

It is in St. Louis at Delmar and 170....if you live near and have something like I did to celebrate, give it a try....what fun! It's a small place and there was a line to order. It must be popular because the whole time we were there, people came and went constantly, there was always a line.....We went at noon and also had lunch there...they offer salads and sandwiches. All in all, it was very good but a little on the cramped side. The cupcakes were great.....large dream cupcakes!

Each table had the pretty little flowers like these in the cup and saucer...

Oldest princess had the German Chocolate cupcake while I had the Chocolate Thunder, a chocolate cake filled with dark chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate and white chocolate butter cream and chocolate flakes...it was a D-lite! How many times did I say chocolate?! You get the picture right?......

Next time I go I will probably not eat lunch and just do the cupcake ...I think I will savor it more that way....the lunch was good, but I could have had just the cupcake...Oldest princess brought half of hers home. I was not about to do that so I rolled out of the place instead!

Take time out of your life for a Cupcake Day....life is short...find something to celebrate....eat cupcakes!

Ta ta.....

How To Embarrass Your Teen (part 1 of many)

2008-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

We took some time off finally and went on vacation(?) down to Florida...we have been back for a week but it has taken me that long to get my thoughts together, get unpacked, do some laundry, continue organizing the kitchen, put the pictures on the computer, etc...you get the idea. I will try to post some highlights from now on....First up on the list is how to embarrass your teen part 1...they spend so much time telling us how embarrassing we are as parents... so why not purposely fulfill that role once in awhile for fun! One of the Mister's favorite cartoon (and now a major motion picture!) characters has been speed racer....I think he somehow feels a kindred spirit bond to him. So whilst perusing the isles at Wal-Mark (yes with a k!) I came across a child's toy speed racer helmet that makes fun car noises when you move your head. I knew this was right up his alley. I presented this gift in the driver's seat as we were getting ready to leave for our trip. So he played Speed and I played Trixie of course...yeah we are dorky and weird! The shirt he has on says "Adorkable"...his daughters picked that out...

We took 2 cars down to Florida, me driving my parents car most of the time. Off to Fredericktown Mo. where middle princess was stationed at camp. Of course Speed had to wear the helmet because we knew she would be mortified...mwaaa haaa haaa.... Speed is also a friendly guy and waves and talks to anyone he sees.

So here the princess sees Speed and Papaw and sister getting out of the truck and proceeds to put up her hoodie to hide...."Oh my gosh, he is so retarded", the princess spews.......

Here we see Speed mingling with the crowd, offering to sign autographs etc....

In this last photo, we see one of the princesses friends trying on Speeds helmet....See princess, it wasn't that bad after all! Or was it? Because he pretty much wore the helmet all the way down to Montgomery Alabama that day, waving to those going by and flashing that friendly grin....As for me, I was in the car following and had many laughs just watching. I could tell when he had it on because I could see it in the side mirror. We had fun trying to decide what others would think when they passed....best 20 bucks I have spent in quite awhile!

Teens: You can't live with'm, you can't live without'm!

2008-07-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Middle princess went off to camp yesterday at the crack of dawn.....she was ready to go; I was ready for her to go. Teenage girls get so mouthy and sassy that Moms of them need a break from them once in awhile. It had been especially tense over the weekend with one of the other sisters...probably the one that was getting more attention since she got her wisdom teeth pulled out and was getting star queen treatment. So the princess whisked out of the house Monday morning with me (picture me with an imaginary broom) sweeping her out. (This is also a glance at the new refrigerator in place by the way...sort of looks like there must be a disco strobe in the room. It is so groovy over here!)

This is said princess and one of her closest friends.

She doesn't like me taking the pictures and of course while I was taking them she was saying, "She's going to run in and put them on her blog"......

Now that it's day 2 after she has gone, I am starting to miss her....My mother in law always says that the reason that God makes babies so cute and wonderful is because that way you get attached to them and don't throw them out when they are teens....she is so right!.....they are forever your baby and you always love them....we as Moms of teens just need that space once in awhile to remind us of that. So darling middle princess, if you are reading this because you are on your ipod when you are not supposed to be....You are a gift. I miss you and love you and we will see you Friday when we pick you up to go on vacation!

Ta Ta......

Look What I've Been Having For Breakfast!

2008-07-19T16:56:00.001-07:00

At this time of the summer, when it is getting unbearable hot and humid here in St. Louis, I get up early to go check on the garden and do maintenance on the tomatoes.....The blackberries are just starting to come in around here....at least mine are. I got my net on them late so some of them have been pecked, but I soon took care of that! No birds are usually harmed in the netting! I think one usually gets caught and I send the Mister out there to rescue it...yeah, I'm a big baby....It always makes me think of the story of Peter Rabbit and how he sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden and gets caught in a gooseberry net.

Don't remember the story?....Go here to http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Peter_Rabbit

It's an online storybook of sorts with pictures and all......poor Peter, if he hadn't of been wearing that snazzy jacket he wouldn't have gotten caught in the net!

Here are my blackberries....they went right in my mouth....a little tart but good...I like to take them inside too and dip them in the sugar bowl first....warm berries and sugar, you can't beat it! Here is a pic of the whole garden...it's not huge but it can grow enough for us....The blackberries are across the back and right side. The rest is mainly different varieties of heirloom tomatoes I am trying out. Cucumbers are grown on the left side, along with some okra, and the raspberries are along the front right. I will take better pictures later.....

Right now, I just have blackberries in my basket!

Kitchen Progress

2008-07-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

For all that are curious here are some pictures of the kitchen progress that has been going on......the kitchen is coming along nice, just slow....when it's a one man show with minor grunt help then it crawls along at a snails pace. This is also where God tests our(my) patience......when girls forget that we don't have a working disposal and throw plates in the sink, guess who gets to dig it out and throw it in the trash? Mister loves getting his picture made too...the girls always try to get plumber pant shots of him when he is working. I will not include these!

Here is the Mister being helped by the oldest grunt worker....most of the cabinets are now...he was finishing the upper cabinets. He put a lovely plywood counter top on the base cabinets for me until the granite gets installed....

This is what my kitchen usually looks like right now.....power tools are a daily decoration! Now that the island cabinets are in there is more room for the power tools...tee hee...

Ralphie and Roxie the wonder poodles are handling things fairly well...I just have to keep their food and water bowls in the same place as always or Ralphie won't eat. I think he is afraid it is not his bowl or something....

Here oldest grunt worker is helping again....this is the space where the fridge will be relocated, next to the back door. Since the cabinets are all in now, they can come and measure for the counter top. After the counter top is put in place the cook top can be installed, sink and faucet, and life will really be getting easier! I think I have missed having a stove the most. I use it more than I realized. The other thing that has been bothering me is having the fridge in the garage....back and forth...aren't I a griper?!! We are spoiled these days....It will not be long though before the fridge comes in the house...yeah!

The Mister has just announced that he is off to Lowe's...I need to go get garden poles....I will show the garden progress next.

Ta-ta.........

A Couple of Things

2008-07-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

In the last post we see our heroine suffering from strange highs induced by what she thought was pesticides....oh no... it was just from a new doctor prescribed drug! It happened again the very next day precisely 40 minutes prior to taking it....my doctor put me on progesterone for female stuff (what we girls go through!!!) Since our body makes this drug the doc didn't know why this would do this to me but doing a little searching on the Internet led me to a site where others had listed the same side effects. Like wow, I didn't have to buy drugs off the street, I can just take this one.....just kidding!! I started taking it at night with a full stomach and have not been bothered since. Enough!

Now for what I think is some cuteness....this is Roxie the red standard poodle diva. Youngest daughter decided that after Roxie got groomed she needed her paw-nails prettied up....it matches her pink plaid collar....she is stylin now! I love how she sits on her tail...protecting things!

Here is a closeup!

Ta Ta for now!

One of those days!

2008-07-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

The day started out as usual....get up, have some coffee, etc....I went out to check on the garden and thought I would spray the tomatoes with some 'garden safe' spray...made from pyrethrins.....there was evidence of some kind of pest......I was talking to my mom on the phone while I was spraying. So I came inside about 10 minutes later and got hit with a lightheaded spell that phased into what felt like a drug high or a drunken stupor?....I still knew my name and what day it was so I didn't panic....I kept thinking it was just a spell and would go away but it kept on so I called my doc and he said to go into the emergency room....oh no!...really?! ...can't I just go to the urgent care?...no, go to the emergency room....Luckily daughter 1 came home right when all this was going on and she took me....I took my garden spray with me. I only had to wait in the waiting area for about 2 1/2 hours....at times like those I picture myself loosing it and running through the halls screaming...that would get things moving. Really, I felt like it was a waste of time...what was I doing there? Because in 2 1/2 hours any weird feelings are going to wear off!!! We watched stupid celebrity gossip shows that were on the TV.....wish I had brought my knitting....we watched Tyra....wish I had brought my knitting....When I was thinking of sneaking out the nurse called my name....The doc came in later...they had called poison control to chit chat with them about it. Poison control could not see why this would bother me...it contained all household type ingredients.....then why did it say on the label...'in case of inhalation'...'call poison control if"......I ended up being there 5 hours...they checked my blood. I was just dandy....I felt stupid.

Anyone ever have any problems like this with household chemicals or pesticides?

I guess I should just rejoice that there was nothing wrong and just chalk it up to 'just one of those days'....

I would like to close with this picture....what does it remind you of? Makes me think of chocolate and I'm going to go have some!

I saw God today!

2008-06-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

I love that song by George Strait....I Saw God Today.....the chorus really hits home with me. Here are the lyrics..........

I've been to church
I've read the book
I know He's here, but I don't look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I'd just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

If we look around there is so much to see that has his fingerprints. He is the first and last creative genius. In my mind there is just no way that things just pop into existence by themselves. Art always has a creator........

Putting around in the yard and garden today here is what I came across.........

The first raspberries!

Four of them....they are amazing! Planted them a couple years ago and I just assumed they made berries at the same time the blackberries did. I was in the garden planting tomatoes ( yeah, really late) and looked over as I was bending over a plant and spied something red....pure delight! Obviously the birds don't know they are there yet! Who but God can make something so amazing..........

Also in the yard I came upon this is bloom......these are the blossoms on the oak leaf hydrangea shrub......

I saw God today!

Killer Leeches from Polycarbonate Space

2008-06-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

My older daughter told me the other day that she thought it was unsafe to put our CamelBak bottles in the dishwasher. I never thought anything about it.....I love those bottles...they are tough, easy to take apart and throw on the top rack of the dishwasher. The straw sits on one of the spikes of the rack as does the bite valve, very tidy...easy. No big deal......until she came up with the thought that by putting them through the dishwasher that dangerous toxins would be leeching out (into what?) as they are heated up. I had always thought that the problem was mainly with the throw away water bottles....don't leave them in your hot car......Ok, so how bout if they were left in a hot warehouse or on a hot truck somewhere...that doesn't count? So we stopped using those and went back to the trusty CamelBak bottle....then she drops THAT bomb on me....I'm not too worried but I did go to the Camelbak website where they had an FAQ page on their new BPA free bottles.........

http://www.camelbak.com/bottles/pdfs/bpa_bottles_faq.pdf

It seems that tests from several organizations in America think that daily levels of exposure to BPA (big bad leech) do not pose a safety risk....

Also on this page it was stated that none of the CamelBak bottles have ever contained phthalates, another big bad leech. Read here......

http://www.phthalates.org/yourhealth/index.asp

A sigh of relief......while I may go ahead and order some of the "new and improved" bottles, I am secure in knowing that my family will be safe from the leeches of polycarbonate space.

Testing Testing

2008-06-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

My first entry......a test somewhat.....seems like I am late in the game but something I've always wanted to do.....better late than never I suppose. A Tisket, A Tasket....just what IS in my basket? We shall see.......