Tapestry's Imaginings

Sweet Smell of Home

2012-01-22T16:24:00.001-06:00

If you don't have a nice old tea kettle get one. You don't have to like tea or brew it but having a nice old cast iron tea kettle simmering scented water on your stove makes your home smell so wonderful. It brings comfort and moisture into the dry air of winter. Spray scents from the store are okay. I use them myself now and then but to really make your house smell yummy all day long get a tea pot. Then toss in a handful or orange or lemon peels and some whole cloves. If that isn't to your liking try vanilla. You can scrape a fresh vanilla bean and toss into the water or even use a bit of vanilla extract. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg into the kettle. Like the smell of sage? Toss a couple leaves or some dried sage into the pot. Use your imagination and your family will always think Home Sweet Home.

Packer Backer In Mourning

2012-01-15T19:23:00.001-06:00

I'm too sad right now to even post a picture...sigh. My Green Bay Packers just self destructed all over Lambeau field. They played like school kids with many dropped passes, turnovers and missed blocks. It was like watching a team that simply decided not to show up to play. They've had two weeks off as they got a bye and rested many of their first string players and some of them even had nearly three weeks off. The team did have a personal blow this past week with the drowning death of Coach Philbin's son, Michael. I can't however feel that this was the cause of their horrible play. I"m just so disappointed in how they failed to perform. To lose at Lambeau in such an important game is like a slap in the face to the history of this team and the fans who love them. Shame on you Packers! It will take me a couple weeks to love you guys again.

Happy New Year to you all!

2012-01-01T06:48:00.002-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and safe New Years celebration. This is a picture of my grandson at our family Christmas gathering. As you can see he was obviously enjoying himself. The packages are my attempts at some home made gifts and trying to do a decent job of gift wrapping.

Even Kerr canning jars got special treatment so they shined with a bit of glitz to celebrate the day. I'd talked to a convenience store manager near my home and she sold me a bag of spiced chai so I split it between my two sons.
The next pic is of an old vintage printers drawer remake.
The message center board has a corkboard with bottlecap push pins and a chalkboard. A pic of the happy couple graces the middle section. Cup hangers on the right mid section are so they can hang car keys there so they don't get lost. Hopefully, they'll get lots of use out of it :)

I tried to make each package special in some way. This package bore 1907 music reprinted from Pinterest and Christmas tags printed off from the site also. I had great fun this year in making many of my Christmas cards and several of the gifts.

This is a vintage bead and hand made tatted lace necklace I made my sister. Actually I made her 3 necklaces, with earrings to match and at least one set had a bracelet also.

Just a bit of what went on around here over the holidays. How was yours?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T19:53:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful and loving day filled with surprises, wishes fulfilled and the joy of loved ones surrounding you. We had our family Christmas on the 23rd to fit into everyone's work schedule and other planned activities and it was so nice. My youngest son hosted this year and cooked his very first turkey dinner. He did a fabulous job! His girlfriend assisted once she was done with work but he'd taken the day off and had things well under control. He brined his turkey using a recipe from Alton Brown and I have to say it was one tasty bird. My grandson is 2 1/2 and is of an age to now understand what is going on and oh goodness he had us all laughing and smiling from ear to ear watching his absolute glee at all the new toys and playing with friends. He was so excited he was shaking and about to burst with joy. Such fun! Christmas they say is for children but watching children brings out the child in all of us.
I'd also like to wish Jesus a Happy Birthday and thank Him for being my Savior. A precious gift God gave us with His birth.

Quick Inexpensive DIY Christmas gifts and tutorials.

2011-12-21T03:13:00.001-06:00

Christmas is coming at me fast and I'm down to the wire on my gift making. Just finishing up on some tile coasters I made for my sons. This one is for my youngest and his girlfriend. We're expecting them to make it an official engagement maybe next year so rumor has it but I already think of Kay as my daughter in law. She's a sweetheart. These coasters are very easy to make and fast. Here's what you do:
Buy some tiles at a tile or hardware store or a recycling center. I got mine at Restore which is Habitat for Humanity's recycling store in my area. Dirt cheap and better still they're MADE IN THE GOOD OLD USA. I'm using cork as my cover for the bottom. I picked up a nice roll of it for just a bit over $9 at Lowe's. By the way did you know Lowe's give a discount to military folks? So if you're hubby or yourself has military service take your service card in with you and they'll credit you at checkout. I designed the image on my paint program but a pretty paper napkin or scrapbook paper would work just as well.
Step 1: Wash off the face of your tile to make sure you have a clean surface to work on.
Step2: Brush on an even coat of ModPodge across the face of the tile.
Step 3: Lay your image down on the tile and gently smooth from the center outward to help smooth out any bubbles. This will have bubbles raise up as the Modpodge permeates the paper and you can pat them down gently as you see them pop up. Let dry.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 till you've given the tile a good 3 or 4 coats of Modpodge.
Step 5: Cover with a clear spray finish sealer for protection from water. Let dry. Do this for at least 3 coats.
Step 6: Cut cork or felt and adhere to the bottom of the coasters using spray adhesive or your choice of construction adhesive or super glue. This will protect your tables from scratches.
That's it! These are a great inexpensive gift and really quick and fun to make. They look very nice once dry so don't let my slightly icky picture put u off because as you may be able to tell this was not a dry or finished tile. With gentle coaxing the places that lift up once wet do go back into place and once dry stay there.

Next quick gift you night want to try: Bottle cap push pins for a bulletin board or message center. I purchased some unused bottle caps on ebay quite some time ago knowing I'd find a use for them one day...LOL. The possibilities are endless after all..magnets, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or push pins. Here's what you do:
Step 1: Get unused bottle caps so they're not dented from being removed from a bottle. Great source is ebay.
Step 2: Buy pushpins. I chose clear. Just happened to have them on hand and they don't detract from the graphics on the cap.
Step 3: Super glue the pushpin to the bottle cap. Be careful and don't poke yourself! Let dry.
That's it. All done. Super fast too! These will be part of the message board gift I'm still working on. I'll post pics of that once finished.
So much to do and so little time left to do it in. Procrastination is so much fun when you work well under pressure LOL. Happy crafting!

Edit: If you try the push pins I'd recommend roughing up the underside of the bottle cap with sandpaper and also on the top of the push pin so your glue can get a better grip. I used super glue but still have had a couple caps pop off so thinking this might help.

Making Christmas Cards

2011-12-10T01:59:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd post a picture of some of the Christmas cards I've made so far this season. In past years I've designed my cards on the computer using a paint program and printed them off but this year I'm making them from card stock, scrap book paper and various decorative embellishments. It's my first foray into making cards by hand and I must admit I'm hooked. I love the beautiful scrap papers available and the ability to have another creative outlet is wonderful. I'm actually surprising myself that no two cards have been identical so far. I also like going outside the box with my designs. Some of the papers I've used here have summer time floral or paisley designs. Not exactly what you'd think of for the holidays and yet with the other elements combined they work. The poisettias gracing some of the fronts of the cards actually were 3d die cuts on a box of cards I got at one of my local dollar stores and I simply removed them from the flimsy cards they were on and have reused them on cards I'm making. I was also able to use the envelopes so this was a savings on the cost of making my cards. I also hit the local thrift stores for lace trim, rickrack and other things I might be able to use for decorative details. I have five cards left to make and then I can concentrate on a couple of hand crafted gifts I need to get finished.
Happy Crafting everyone!

Lots Going On :)

2011-12-04T17:07:00.001-06:00

Here's my handsome honey wearing his $29 Suede brand new Packer jacket he got while we were out thrifting. I swear this coat has never been worn. No scuffs or signs of wear on this coat. He couldn't be happier. It would have cost over $200 new. What a steal! Isn't he a cutie? Big smile.

Next up here are the flowers this handsome guy got me for Thanksgiving. I know I posted them before but not all of them had opened up and now they have and oh my the lilies are just gorgeous so I had to post them again.

Then I got a nice face shot of our little Shorkie, Dickens, while he was standing on my lap. I love this sweet face too. He makes my DH and me so happy with his unconditional love :)

And finally, I've been doing some decorating outside and finally did a project I'd seen on Pinterest I sort of combined a couple designs I'd seen to make a lighted globe with Christmas lights and some trimmings from bushes and a Christmas tree in my birdbath. Cost of this project: Zero :) I had everything lying around since I gathered trimmings a neighbor had tossed out with leaves for brush cleanup. Plus my youngest son's girlfriend and he stopped over and gave me their tree trimmings as they know I like to decorate with them. We've had the birdbath for a few yrs and the lights too. Oh wait, I did spend 25 cents on the new unopened spool of silver ribbon thrifting the other day. So maybe a couple pennies spent there LOL. I frosted the globe with epsom salts to give a bit of snowy looking shimmer to it. I really like how it turned out.

What have you been doing to get ready for the holidays?

Gifts, cards and happiness

2011-11-26T16:31:00.001-06:00

Recently I signed up for a handmade Christmas card swap and also a Christmas in a bag swap at MaryJanesFarm.org. I've had the most beautiful cards arriving in my mail and today both cards and my Christmas in a bag gift from my swap partner. Oh my goodness I feel blessed. My swap partner sent me a Christmas tree in a boot fully decorated. A cute little hand made mat to sit the tree on. Dessert plates with golden Christmas trees and the edges rimmed in red. Some wonderful smelling Coconut olive oil soap, a darling note pad, an angel pin, a large Christmas tote bag everything was packed in and a very pretty Christmas ball ornament. I think I must have been a very good girl to get all of these wonderful things! I probably wasn't supposed to open my presents but I'm a little kid when it comes to Christmas and unless it's padlocked it's fair game. The floral arrangement taking center stage amid all my goodies is from my DH for Thanksgiving. I cut them and placed them in a Frankoma Prairie green bean pot and they look so lovely. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of goodies to eat :) If you went shopping for Black Friday I hope you still have your sanity and made it home safely.

Thanksgiving is almost here!

2011-11-21T02:34:00.001-06:00

It's just 4 days until Thanksgiving and as I plan my family dinner I think of all of the things I have to be grateful for this year. There have been sad moments this past year but yet out of the sadness came some positive things. I lost my mother to ovarian cancer this year but while I miss her every day I am so grateful her suffering is over. It's also made me more determined to see to it I have screenings on time. I nearly lost my father to a heart attack while mom was so ill but I'm very grateful I recognized the symptoms and got the EMT's there for him in time so he'll be with me this Thanksgiving. I'm grateful my husband went in for a prostate exam instead of putting it off awhile longer and found out he had prostate cancer. I'm grateful the drs. were able to work out a treatment plan he was comfortable with and that we hope has cured him. We won't know for awhile yet but we're grateful he made it through the fatiguing treatment and is able to work again. I'm grateful that both of my sons are working during a time when so many aren't. I'm grateful they're healthy as is my darling grandson. I'm grateful we all live in warm homes and have food for our tables when so many don't. For all of this Lord I am truly grateful. What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?

A new Christmas Tradition 2011

2011-11-09T01:46:00.000-06:00

All ready a week of November has passed and I'm working on fulfilling two swaps I've signed up for on MaryJanesFarm.org. One is for Christmas in a bag and the other is for Christmas cards. I've ideas aplenty and having fun putting my ideas into crafting reality but I worry. Will my swap partner like my crafts? Will my skills match up to hers or will she think my things are shoddy at best? All I can do is MY best and hope she likes them. But maybe an email I received will give some ideas for family and friends to you and help our fellow Americans continue to have jobs or even create some and so I'm going to do something I've never done before. Share an email. We all know how much we get is spam or just tons of lies about various politicians or chain mail that drives us all nuts but I hope this is of much more use. So here goes:

FYI. Great ideas and ones we need to pursue.
Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods --
merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This
year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine
concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift
giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes
there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down
the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is
struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at
your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about
fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to
burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about
US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow
their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our
communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.
Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion
groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in
your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations,
and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other,
and isn't that what Christmas is about?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011

2011-10-31T23:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you all had a safe and fun night. My neighborhood was dressed in it's finest and lots of happy kids, teens and grownups out sharing in the fun of the evening. It was a chilly one but hey, it's Wisconsin, and we're not going to let a little chill slow down our fun :)

I wanted something slightly different for my pumpkins this year and so here are my choices. I painted the largest a burgundy to match our railings and used cookie cutters to help me make the star designs in 2 different sizes. The other two unusual squash just happened to match my house colors. How cool is that?

I used white adhesive letters to spell out Boo, Trick, Or, and Treat on the three pumpkins.

Of course I had the usual cobwebs, shrunken heads, scary books, shrunken mummies, apothecary jars and candles. I tried something new this year by putting glow sticks inside blown up balloons. I have to say I think this would have shown much better had it been warmer outside. I think perhaps the cold kept the glow sticks from showing their brightest light. The white rat cutouts have the names of pet rats I had a few years ago. Sadly they've all crossed over the rainbow bridge but not forgotten.

I can't figure it out, I didn't scare a soul with my basket of shrunken heads and mummies LOL.

My next door neighbor boy (in the Packer jacket) and his friends get ready for another round of trick or treating :) So cute!

My neighbor lady across the street from me and trust me, she's not really a witch :) Their house was decorated with huge spiders with huge webs and a flying bat. Scary!

Glowing ghostly faces peered out from my front porch into the night. Glow sticks really do last a long time and had it been warmer I think they'd have shown much brighter. I'll remember this idea. I think every year I have as much fun as the kids do figuring out my decorations for the night. Being a kid at heart is a very good thing :) Happy Halloween!

Wanna cuddle up and nest for the winter.

2011-10-30T01:38:00.002-05:00

I think when the feeling of fall cleaning strikes and you want to snuggle your home up for the cold months of winter you get this urge to shop for the warm and beautiful quilts or make them yourself. Add some pops of color to your home to take away the dreariness of cloudy gloomy winter days. Put up some art on the walls and knick knacks and collections you adore. All the many things that say home to you. I stumbled across a site via a craigslist post this evening that has me falling in love with some of their charming primitive cupboards and hutches, signs and lamps. All are so charmingly done and would look so great in my little Victorian cottage. The best part is that I found it on craigslist so think she's from my area. Crossing my fingers that some of her pretties will come home to live with me one day soon :) I just had to share a pic of my favorite thing from her site. You'll see why I'm drooling :) Have a great weekend everyone! OOOOppps I almost forgot the best part. Her web addy so you can go look around yourself. http://www.ashleysprimitives.com/home1.html Enjoy!

Green Tomato Budget Jam Recipe

2011-10-23T15:48:00.003-05:00

This is how I spent last weekend.. Was a bit busy this past week to get it posted but quieter today so here goes. This is a jam made from green tomato puree and jello. It is DELICIOUS! And so very easy. I love to do this at the end of the growing season so that nothing goes to waste from the garden. Here's the recipe:
4 Cups of green tomato puree
4 Cups of granulated sugar
6 ounces of flavored jello
Bring tomato puree and sugar to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add 6 oz. of flavored jello. Strawberry and raspberry are great choices. Stir till jello is completely dissolved. Ladle into sterilized jars. Seal and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath or you can seal and place in freezer to use as freezer jam. That's it. It looks so pretty in the pantry and so yummy in your tummy :) Enjoy!

Great printable site-- My Owl Barn

2011-10-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

While doing my Pinterest surf this evening I found a great pin via Tip Junkie from a cool site called My Owl Barn. The wonderful graphic artist there, Kelly Medina, is offering some free owl Christmas printables. Check out her site. Don't forget to thank her for her talent and gift to us all :) Enjoy!

Free Printable Birds With Quote

2011-10-18T19:06:00.002-05:00

I love to create using my paint program. I make my own brushes from various public domain images I find around the internet. I thought I would share a free printable I made with everyone for use in your scrapbooking, gift wrapping or other crafting projects. I made 2 identical images. One is a png image is transparent. This image you can copy and paste onto a background of your choice. The other #2 is a jpg image so the white background will show on your print. Enjoy!

Happy Belated Birthday Dickens!

2011-10-14T23:17:00.002-05:00

This is our sweet little Shorkie named Dickens. He was one yr. old on the 10th of this month. He's looking a little shaggy here as he's growing out his coat after his summer cut. He'll be getting a trim this coming week so he'll look handsome again but he's such a cutie even shaggy LOL. I got him last year when my mom was in a nursing home with cancer. He was a wee little thing and a cuddle bug. Mom said he was the best therapy she had had during her illness. He and I stayed our first month together in mom's hospice room. That was the start of his being spoiled rotten. He's changed so much in the year we've had him. He's "daddy's boy" and knows how to work daddy into giving him treats. Notice the coat color change over a year...wow! Neither my DH nor myself can imagine our lives without this little bundle of happiness and love.

Halloween Tags 4 you :)

2011-10-10T19:19:00.001-05:00

I wanted to create some Halloween tags to hang on my pumpkins so I got busy in my paint program and made some. I thought I'd share with you all so if you'd like to use just right click and choose save as and save to your computer. These tags are all PNG transparency files so they can be put on another background if you wish and the tag will show cleanly on it. You can print off for your personal use however please do not sell or claim as your creation as these are copyrighted to me. Enjoy!

Maple leaf rose corsage

2011-10-09T18:31:00.002-05:00

About 3 yrs ago my DH sent me a link to a site where a lady was making maple leaf roses. I thought they were beautiful and wanted to make some myself but it was a bit late in the season and most of the leaves had lost their vibrant colors and were totally crunchy. So I thought...next year I'll do it. Well, next year came and went but this year I spotted a pin @ Pininterest once again showing maple leaf roses, only this time I was determined. You can find detailed instructions to make your own maple leaf roses @ http://haha.nu/creative/how-to-make-roses-from-maple-leaves/ My roses don't look just like hers and I'm guessing it takes some time to develop your style in handling and working with these leaves. Mine are a looser version and I took it a couple steps further. I used double sided tape to wrap the stems together. The nice part of using DST is that I could then wrap the stems with twine and it held nicely. I fininshed the ends off with a dab of hot glue to prevent unraveling when being handled. I also gave them a gold glitter blush using glitter glue. I'm planning on wearing this as a corsage on Halloween :) Happy crafting!

My art VS theirs :)

2011-10-02T19:36:00.003-05:00

So I was surfing some sites my DH had sent me and came across these two beautiful butterfly pictures. Only one problem. They were priced at $219.95. A bit too high for my modest pocketbook and as I've yet to be declared insane I decided to pass. But then I had an idea. What if I made my own using Paint Shop Pro and public domain images I make into paint brushes for my program? So here is my versions of the above imagery.

Not exactly the same by any means but okay enough to satisfy me :) Since I created the brushes using public domain images or share ware found on the net I'm going to share. If you like these images feel free to right click and save. Then you can mat and frame as you please. Because I am offering these for free I ask only that you DO NOT copy or reproduce in any fashion for sale or profit. While I used the above images as my muse these are my creative design. Enjoy!

Giveaway @ Kathy's Cottage Blog

2011-10-01T01:06:00.000-05:00

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! It's chilly here in the Northeastern part of Wisconsin and fall is definitely in the air. Helped my DH install new fence railing on our sun porch on our little Victorian cottage between bouts of rain. Glad to have that project accomplished. Have found myself addicted to Pinterest and during my visit there last night I surfed myself over to Kathy's Cottage via other pininterest posts. And good thing I did. Kathy is hosting a giveaway to celebrate her 600th post. So hop on over to her site, leave her a comment and if you post her giveaway on your blog you get two entries. Awesome! She promises the winner a gorgeous book about decorating. Something we all love :) So hurry on over and leave her a comment and cross your fingers like I am :)

Home made beef stew

2011-09-26T20:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was cold, rainy and gloomy. The perfect weather for a big pot of homemade beef stew. I dug out my cast iron dutch oven and some yumminess was born. Here's my recipe for making a large batch of stew. Plan on this taking several hours as the longer it cooks the better it tastes.

1 large chuck roast
3 cans of beef broth
4 cups of water
1 large yellow onion
1 small rutabaga
4 medium russet potatoes
1 medium head of cabbage
4 large carrots
5 large stalks of celery

Cut the roast into bite size chunks. Brown in the dutch oven. Season well with salt, pepper, garlic powder or your choice of favorite seasonings. While meat is browning add in the peeled yellow onion cut in fair size chunks. Then add in the rutabaga after peeling and cutting into smaller chunks. Stir frequently to prevent burning but allow the onions and rutabagas to begin to caramelize just a wee bit. Once you feel the meat, rutabaga and onion have cooked sufficiently add in the 3 cans of beef broth and let cook for approximately an hour and a half. At this point scrub your carrots and slice them into coins. Add to your cook pot. Wash and chop celery into bite size pieces and add to cook pot. Wash and cut cabbage into large chunks and add to cook pot. I added 4 cups of water @ this point as it just seemed too little liquid and was out of beef broth. Let this cook on low heat for 2 hours. Wash and peel potatoes cutting them into bite sized chunks and add to cook pot. Continue cooking on low heat until meat and veggies begin to break apart as they're become so tender. All in all it should take about 6 hours of cooking time at med. to low heat. Serve with toasted garlic bread or french bread buttered, topped with your favorite cheese and baked till cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

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Broken Heirlooms

2011-09-18T23:57:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm mad at myself.....sigh. Mad that I've let so much time pass since we bought our little Victorian cottage and not found a home for some of my most precious family heirlooms. Now I'm finding some are broken and I am just so mad at myself for allowing that to happen. I know they are just "things" but to me each has a special person attached and memories of that person come to mind whenever I see the item. This afternoon is was my grandmother's butter churn I found broken in a box of items still unpacked after all of these years. I just sat down and cried and have cried most of the afternoon since finding it. I'll perhaps be able to find a replacement jar but it will never be quite the same. Our house is so small and I guess I just thought leaving things packed away would protect them. Well I was wrong. Now I am going to have to find display solutions in this little tiny house. Ideas anyone?

My grandson, Jaxzen :)

2011-09-14T19:06:00.003-05:00

Look at this face! I get to kiss this little face at least twice a week. My adorable grandson, Jaxzen. He's two years old and forget what you've ever heard about the "terrible two's". This little darling is so good for his "gwamma". He seems to know that "gwamma" doesn't move too well some days and hurts but I am so grateful I get to spend time with him. He makes me laugh and you know they say 'Laughter is the best medicine'. This pic was after a spaghetti lunch.

Making faces at "gwamma's" house while eating a PB&J sandwich.

Of course my shorts look better on my head "gwamma".

I look at him and wonder is he really a much better little boy than his daddy was? Or am I just mellowing in my old age and realize how precious my time is with this small person before he grows up and becomes a man? When his daddy was little I was so busy working and trying to be supermom/wife I'm not sure I slowed down enough to realize how precious this time was. Maybe that's why God lets us live long enough to be grandparents so we can get a replay of the things we missed when our own were little. But this time we get to slow down and enjoy them :) I loveeeeee being a "gwamma".

Huge Zucchini

2011-09-14T18:49:00.000-05:00

Look what I just found hiding in my 5x5 ft. raised bed garden! A sneaky zucchini hiding under a leaf where I'd not seen it and missed it totally. The thing is HUGE! It's bigger than a newborn LOL. I'm sure the seeds are so bad that this one will need to be ran through the processor for future breads and cakes. I think that sounds just fine by me. Yummy!

Yummy Goodness

2011-09-13T15:45:00.001-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be gifted homegrown pears from a friend and so I canned my first ever pear honey last evening. I modified the recipe I found to my taste and oh my it sure tastes good. Hubby and grandson both gave it rave reviews. If you've never cooked pears before be prepared to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But oh the time spent is so worth it. Here's my recipe. Feel free to modify to your own tastes by changing up the spices.

The day before canning peel your pears and soak in an orange juice/water mixture. No worries about being real exact in measurements here. This helps prevent some of the browning of the pears and also helps to tenderize them. The next day process the pears in your food processor or food mill to a nice puree. For each one cup of pureed pear add one cup of sugar. Although u may want to cut down a bit on the sugar. I shorted mine by one cup and it was still plenty sweet. So if you have 12 cups of pear puree add 12 cups of white sugar or less to taste. Then add cinnamon to taste and nutmeg to taste. I used roughly 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to 12 cups of puree. Cook over medium heat till you reach a nice boil stirring constantly to prevent burning. At this point I lowered the temp but maintained vigilance as I didn't want burning or sticking. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 hrs. At this point you should have a nice syrupy consistency batch the color of honey. Ladle into hot sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. I also added one maraschino cherry into each jar for a special treat. Enjoy!

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Remembering 9.11.2001

2011-09-11T02:26:00.001-05:00

There will be much said today on television, by co-workers over water coolers, phone conversations with family and friends, social network sites and various other places about the events of September 11th, 2001. But no matter what is said there is one thing everyone will agree upon. It was horrific. Our nation and other nations around the world watched in horror as scene after scene replayed in living rooms and work places on television sets and computer screens all over our planet. For days afterwards we donated blood, money, time, whatever it took to help us regain our emotional balance from the savagery we witnessed.

It was one of those moments in time that you'll always remember where you were and what you were doing when the news flashed on the television screen. Tears streamed down our faces then and continue today every time we see those images. The man responsible is dead but it took us so long to bring him to justice. Many brave men and women gave their lives that day and in the days since to find him and send him to Hell where he belongs. God Bless the innocents who died that day in the WTC and their families. God Bless the firefighters and police who gave their lives that day attempting to save innocent victims of a brutal murderer. God Bless our Soldiers who fought and will keep fighting to defend this country and all her people. NEVER FORGET 9.11.

I'm baaaaaack!

2011-09-11T02:01:00.004-05:00

So much time has passed since I last blogged. So many things have changed in my life. My mother lost her fearless battle with ovarian cancer on Valentine's day 2011. My father has fully recovered from a heart attack he had Sept. 19th, 2010. Until my mother became too ill to talk on the phone she was always my confidante and now my dad has taken that place. I have become his too in the wake of her passing. The oddity of this is that we had rarely spoken on the phone over the years of my adult life until mom passed. Now sometimes it is five or six times a day. My husband has begun his battle with prostate cancer choosing radiation as his treatment of choice. It took him awhile to want to address his own medical needs when both my parents and myself were having problems. He's such a strong man in so many ways and that such a thing as cancer should dare to interfere with him was difficult for him to fathom. He's so busy making sure everyone else is cared for that taking time out for himself was a hard thing for him to do. I had to get my "nurse Ratchet" voice on to even get him to seek care for bronchitis earlier this summer. Thankfully the PA he saw that day got her forceful self on and got him to finally agree to set up treatment for his own condition. I have begun to feel less strange about my own battle of being considered medically "disabled" after 3 years of medically forced retirement from nursing. On the positive side of my life my oldest son now has the type of job he most loves. His little boy, my grandson, continues to amaze and delight me. He's sooooooooo smart! I may be a bit prejudice but how many two yr. olds do you know who know their right foot from their left? Jaxzen does...huge smile. Also my youngest son and his girlfriend have purchased a home and there are whisperings of a wedding in the future. Nothing "official" yet but I've always known she was "the one" for him. Happier still, I've learned to value friendships and am getting reconnected to the wonderful women I used to work with for fun filled outings. I'm also learning that we can handle almost anything life throws at us so long as we have love, prayer and faith in our lives. Crafting helps too ;) I hope your day is a good one! Thanks for stopping by and please come again and bring friends next time. We can never have too many friends you know?

One Simple Wish A GOOD WORK :)

2011-01-30T17:07:00.007-06:00

Today while watching the Nate Berkus Show I saw something I felt I must pass on. It was about a program called One Simple Wish. The purpose of this program is to help foster children with needs they have that aren't always covered by the system. To be a part of this Good Work you need only to register and then grant the wish of a foster child. Wishes vary from items to help them with school, clothing,holiday wishes, etc. You can choose your price range, age of child, gender of child, type of gift,etc. You can spend as little or as much as you like. If you're not able to grant a wish @ this time you can donate as little as a dollar to their Million Ones campaign which collects one dollar per person. This one dollar then becomes part of a greater amount and will help significantly. If you're having a lousy day doing something nice for another will change your day completely. You may remain anonymous as a gifter if you'd prefer not to have your personal info given to the recipient. To go to A Simple Wish just click here or on the title of this post.Be a part of something that will give you warm fuzzies :)

A Really Bad Country Song

2010-10-14T14:11:00.002-05:00

Last month as I was lying on a gurney waiting to have a nice gash in my left arm stitched my sister-in-law, Lisa, looked at me and said, "You know, we've got the makings for a really good country song here with everything that has happened with your mom, your dad and now you".
Today I have another verse to add. My husband saw a urologist today and was told there is a strong probability he has prostate cancer. He's scheduled for an ultrasound and biopsy early November. Would anyone believe a country song that goes: Mom's end stage ovarian cancer and hangin' on by a thread.
Dad has a major heart attack, thank God it didn't go to his head Did I mention I fell and cut open my arm? I'm blessed cuz I didn't buy the farm.
Couple weeks later my husband is told he has prostate cancer. Does this mean he can't become a dancer?
But all in all its been a good couple months cuz no one got drunk or shot the dog.

I didn't say it was a good country song, did I?
Prayers are welcome here and most surely needed. Thanks in advance :)

Goodbye September, Hello October

2010-10-01T12:54:00.005-05:00

I've always loved Autumn. There is something about the crisp freshness of the breeze, the smell of firewood or burning leaves that sends me on a mini vacation of happiness. I get the urge to nest, wanting to make my home cozier. Bake goodies from scratch so the warm goodness fills my home and get back to crafting. This October I am especially happy to see as September was NOT a good month for my parents. My mom suffers from ovarian cancer and has been fighting the good fight for over 2 yrs now. In August she was told the IV chemo was no longer working and it was discontinued. Her physician put her on oral chemo and has told her due to her heart condition she has only this pill and one other pill left as options for the treatment of her cancer. I went home to give moral support and was especially thankful I was there for an extended visit as my father suffered a major heart attack on the 19th of Sept. He told me he was having a very heavy pressure on his chest. One look at him told me the situation was dire and I phoned for an ambulance. Thank God they got there in time as he arrested before they could get him transported to the hospital but they performed CPR and used the defibrillator on him and were able to get him back. Prayers were answered that day!! A couple days later I managed to fall on the steps on their deck and required an ER visit myself and now sport 11 stitches in my left upper arm due to come out tomorrow. Needless to say, I am quite happy to see September behind us and hope that October will be a much better month all around. Dad now has 2 stents in his heart and is feeling much improved. Mom battles on with her life challenge and I'll have a scar to remind me my middle name is not Grace. On the plus side both of their birthdays are in September and both of them lived to see 75 (Mom) and 76 (Dad). YAY!!!! Give your loved ones a hug and kiss and tell them how special they are to you :) Happy Autumn everyone!

Been Awhile

2010-05-12T04:42:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile again since I've blogged. I'm experimenting with a new program that will allow me endless possibilities in making blogs and webpages. That is, if I can figure it out and so far I've had some success but also some failure. The image here is part of the failure. It should be gracing the top of my blog with clouds floating across it and the page should have wonderful matching bluish green checks and be so stylish. That's if I can figure it out. As of now I can't...LOL Once again I'm relying on the beautiful blog backgrounds supplied by The Cutest Blog on the Block
I hope all who visit my page had a wonderful Mother's Day on the 9th and that you all have your gardens planted or will be doing so soon. Happy Spring to everyone :)

APRON GIVEAWAY

2010-01-27T12:56:00.004-06:00

I don't know anyone who doesn't love aprons. That's why I'm pleased to pass on that Mary Jane's Farmgirl Cathy is hosting an apron giveaway on her blog, http://fromcathywithlove.blogspot.com/ Her blog is just lovely as will be anything she creates and sends to the lucky winner of her giveaway. The drawing will be held on Feb. 5th, 2010 and sign ups end on Thurs. Feb. 4th, 2010 so hurry! Now is your chance to have a lovely apron made just for you by Cathy.

2010 Bring it on!

2010-01-13T01:13:00.002-06:00

2010 is upon us. I missed posting on New Years and the days just seem to slip away. I've not been good lately about posting as I seem to be totally caught up in the world of facebook and chatting with friends. Who would have thought I'd have found it fun to plant virtual crops or raise virtual farm animals as I do in Farmville? Blasting away mobster types in Mafia Wars I forget that I am a nice person. I click the mouse as fast as my fingers will let me till I "ice" the bad guy. Such silliness but I do find it entertaining.
It amazes me how fast the first decade of the new millenium has passed. So much has happened. Days we will never forget in our life times because of the tragedy of an event (911) and how it permeated our lives in ever changing ways we still continue to deal with on a daily basis. Destruction the likes of which we hope to never see again as mother nature unleashed her fury on our southern coasts(Katrina). Fear that others wish to harm us now everytime we get ready to board a plane for what we hope will be a pleasant journey. The decade past cost us our innocence. We can no longer look at our fellow man who wears garb of a different design and not worry just a bit. Fear has crept into our culture in such a way as never before and yet we continue to rise above it and carry on as though nothing has happened. We choose a new president. A man of color. The first such in the history of our country. We seem to be crying out lead us in a new direction. The past is too painful and we don't wish to return. Financial crisis and we struggle against that and slowly pull ourselves up by our boot straps. It's going to be rough for a long time but we'll make it. We are such a strong nation and people. No matter what has befallen us we go forward into 2010 and a new decade full of hope. Cheers! Let the party begin!

My darling grandson Jaxzen & my handsome sons

2009-12-04T00:30:00.012-06:00

This darling little sweetheart is my 6 month old grandson, Jaxzen. I took this Thanksgiving day at his house. He's not crawling yet or at least wasn't that day but he's getting the basics down pat. Soon he'll be terrorizing the dog...LOL Can you see the red hair? His daddy is a blond but his beard is the exact same color as Jaxzen's hair.
Daddy Eric, had told his 4 legged baby, Duke, not to get on the baby's blanket. Duke was trying so hard to mind but well what's a couple inches if he can be closer to Jaxzen? LOL Duke looks so innocent doesn't he? He is one of the smartest, sweetest and most loving dogs I've ever seen.
Look at this face! Read loyal and loving and you've got Duke. Oh yeah and he's a pitbull. Funny how wonderful a pet they can be when raised with love and not brutality.

Daddy and Jaxzen sleeping after Thanksgiving dinner. They're both so cute!

Uncle Chris holding Jaxzen for awhile before everyone crashed after a yummy Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Birthday my darling Den! Quick chef's apron.

2009-12-04T00:15:00.005-06:00

What do you give a guy as a quick birthday gift? How about a chef's apron? This took me about 5 hrs. from start to finish and hey no pattern! Kinda looked at a couple pictures and free handed it from there. It's got 3 nice sized pockets in front for spoons or other utensils. I hunted around the net until I found the tube for paint shop pro to make the little chef on the front. Here's the site link in case you'd like to make your own chef's apron. http://www.creddy.at/index.php A t-shirt transfer helped me put the image on the front and a little tape for trimming and bobs be your uncle. All done. Hubby surprised me and was tickled to death. I was told it was the best birthday gift he'd ever received. Now that is saying something ladies. A gift made with love is received the same way. I think the chocolate chip chocolate cake made from scratch didn't hurt my brownie points either...LOL.

How about a yummy no egg chocolate cake recipe? Okay, here goes:

Mix together:
3 Cups flour
2 Cups sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. cocoa
1/4 Cup chocolate chips

Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients and add:

2/3 Cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 Cups water poured over all

Mix well and bake in 350 degree Farenheit oven for 30 to 40 min. depending on pan size used. This will make a 2 layer cake very nicely.

I love a cream cheese frosting with this cake but use whatever you like. Enjoy!

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Christmas is coming!

2009-12-01T23:52:00.004-06:00

Christmas is coming! I seemed to have let the month of November slip on by with barely a notice. Now Christmas is upon us and I can't let it go by without taking time to honor the holiday. I got lured into gaming on facebook so now I'm cramming to get my holiday gifts made in time. A chenille teddy bear lies in pieces before me and I'm unsure if my poor sewing machine is up to the task at hand. Which means this teddy bear may need to be sewn by hand. Crossing my fingers my machine will work. I rack my brain for gift ideas for the men in my life. Women are easily pleased when it comes to gifts but what to give a man always gives me pause. I struggle, pondering what can I craft from my two hands that would make a man happy? I'm not proficient enough with either crochet hook or knitting needles to make a sweater. My humble efforts with those tools are still in slipper mode. Ladies love knitted or crocheted slippers but a man? Hmmmm.......more thought is needed. Perhaps a quilt for my their beds? No....did that a few years back. Not enough time at this late stage to make them. Especially with a sewing machine that is having stitching problems. More thought is needed....................................to be continued..........LOL

Goodbye Halloween. See You Next Year!

2009-11-01T05:57:00.005-06:00

And so the little ghosts, goblins and fairies have come and gone for another year. Cold windy weather did not stop them in my area as they gobbled up the better part of seven bags of candy. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I think because, like Christmas, there is much preparation and anticipation of it's arrival. My front porch boasted a scare crow with a shrunken head which attracted a few shrieks of, "COOL!" out of the boys. Little girls stopped to peek at the silhouettes of rats roaming the baseboard of the porch. Black construction paper bats flew overhead and candles burned inside amber glass jars. No matter that it was cold, I wanted to be perched on the porch railing waiting for all my little goblin friends to come and yell, "TRICK OR TREAT!" Bundled in my winter coat and sipping pumpkin pie flavored coffee whilst strains of Monster Mash poured out from my windows I could forget that my fingers were becoming icicles. Instead, I could revel in giggles amidst the crushing of leaves on the sidewalk and glory in every cold swirl across my face that made my paper bats fly. Once again I got to say hello to the dad accompanying his sons dressed as a hot dog and the mom I hadn't seen since last summer who admires our home's paint scheme. The kids had all grown a bit over the summer and some faces were new ones out for the first time. Other faces missing have decided that its time to let go of childish things. I hope they don't let go completely though. How much fun it is to plan for this night of ghoulish glee. I'm already planning next years event. So goodbye Halloween. See you next year!

African thunderstorm

2009-10-26T16:34:00.000-05:00

African thunderstorm

Coffee Cake on a Cool Morning RECIPE

2009-09-28T07:47:00.004-05:00

It's not quite October yet but this morning it sure feels like it. We got into the low 40's overnight with gusty winds and pouring rain that brought down lots of golden leaves. I'm disappointed in our fall leaf colors this year. Usually we have such beautiful colors but I'm noticing that many of our maples are simply turning quickly and dropping their leaves instead of allowing us to enjoy them over time. Some trees are nearly bare. Perhaps its because we had an unusually dry summer and they've decided to give up the ghost for this year to conserve energy for making new leaves next spring. At any rate, it is very nasty this morning. The right kind of morning to have warm coffee cake baking in the oven. So I couldn't resist whipping one up to waft warm cinnamon and vanilla scents throughout my home. Baking this morning serves two purposes. One to give my DH something warm and sweet to have with his morning coffee and secondly to take away the chill in our home. It's way too soon to turn on the furnace just yet. Coffee cake will do the trick. Have the urge to warm up your home and family this morning? I'll share my favorite recipe with you and hope that your family will enjoy it also.
Norma's Coffee Cake
3 C. Flour
1 C. Milk
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. oleo
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 T. baking powder
Cream oleo and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla. Sift flour and baking powder together and add alternately with milk to egg mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle with topping.
Topping
4 T. Flour
1 C. brown sugar
4 T. oleo
2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy and I hope you'll have a toasty warm Monday morning at your house. I know I will.

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A New Addiction!

2009-09-20T02:47:00.002-05:00

Well, I've gone and done it. I've let myself become addicted to a game in Facebook. Well a couple games actually. My real life sister begged and begged me to get an account in Facebook and come play Mafia Wars with her. I knew some farm girls at Mary Jane's forum play in Farmville so I thought, "okay, I can go take a look". Well I did more than look..LOL. I'm now officially a Mafia Wars and Farmville addict. Here I am with so many Christmas gifts I should be crafting and instead I'm killing people off in Mafia Wars and raising crops in Farmville. So Susan if you read this and don't get anything for Christmas its your own darned fault! LOL

Remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T01:54:00.002-05:00

I'd like to ask everyone who passes by my blog today to stop for just a moment and remember all of the innocents who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Please don't let us ever forget what happened that day or our resolve to find Osama Bin Laden and bring him to justice. Thank a military person or veteran today for giving of themselves to keep our country safe. God Bless America and those who help keep our country safe and free!

Hurry up Autumn!

2009-09-09T22:21:00.002-05:00

As summer wanes I find myself getting anxious for Autumn's arrival. Autumn is my favorite season. I love all the wonderful hues of crimson, orange, gold and rust. The sky becomes the most beautiful cerulean blue against the colors of the deciduous trees that it takes your breath away. The nip in the air makes you shiver and pull a sweater closer about you. It prepares us for the long winter ahead. Not that I'm anxious for winter's arrival but Autumn just triggers in me that ancient feeling of nesting. I've been canning and starting to make my Christmas gifts. The cooler temperatures just make this more fun for me to do. Plus you get to make favorite dishes that you just don't make in the summer like chili and stews. I replace my iced tea with cappuccino, coffee or hot chocolate. I put out my oil burners filled with spicy scents reminiscent of apple pie and cinnamon buns. This season above all reminds me of the importance of family and home.
So hurry up Autumn, I'm waiting!

My sweetie pie grandson, Jaxzen

2009-09-08T01:23:00.003-05:00

I almost caught a smile there :) My sweet grandson Jaxzen was being a little sweetheart while grammy worked in the kitchen of his house while babysitting him last Thurs. He is such a happy little fella and so good natured. Grammy finds daddy's housekeeping to be somewhat lacking so I was busy cleaning the microwave and just had to take time out to snap a picture. Some of you may notice a change in the way I'm spelling his name. Yep, I finally decided maybe I better ask his daddy for the exact spelling cause his momma has given her other children by a previous relationship interesting spellings for their names. Glad I did...LOL

Wonky Tomato

2009-09-08T01:15:00.002-05:00

Over at Mary Jane's Farmgirl Forum one of the gals posted about wonky tomatoes. Well here is mine. I swear this looks almost ummmm anatomically weird...LOL Yes, my mind is probably in the gutter but sheesh is this strange or what?

Autumn Pin Keep Swap on Mary Jane's Farmgirl Forum

2009-08-26T13:26:00.003-05:00

I just have to show and brag on my new pin keep I got from Aunt Pammy over at Mary Jane's Farmgirls Forum. We had a fall pin keep swap and Aunt Pammy and I were partnered up. This very cute pumpkin on a stand is my gift from her and I just adore it! Her hubby hand turned the spindle base the pumpkin sits on and Aunt Pammy painted the base and made the cutest pumpkin ever to rest on it. It has a little metal charm on it that reads "made with love" and you can tell it was. Thank you ever so much Aunt Pammy! You're the best!

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Birthday Slippers

2009-08-25T03:40:00.003-05:00

My mom's birthday is in the first wk. of Sept. Mom has been fighting ovarian cancer for the past year and a half and so when I asked her what she'd like for her birthday this year I was told, "nothing. There's not a thing I need. A card is plenty." So I thought awhile and remembered how Mom complains about feeling cold so often. I know when she's not feeling well she'll pile on the quilts and comforters and snuggle beneath them. Even this summer when they had very hot temps Mom was sometimes cold. So I whipped out my crochet hook and a nice skein of Lion's brand Homespun in Meadow coloring and went to work. No pattern used. I just crocheted and when I felt it was about long enough both ways I folded it over so it had a rectangular shape and crocheted it together. I turned up the front of the rectangle and sewed it in place to give the Elfen toe look. Turned up a tiny bit on the heel portion and sewed it in place to help form a heel. Hooked a long chain to run around the edges on the opening and tied a little bow. She'll be able to wear these to bed to keep her toes toasty warm. Now to make that card she wants :)

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Grandson's first "Daddy given" bath

2009-08-22T01:18:00.002-05:00

Here's my darling baby grandson, Jackson, age 2 months, getting his first bath given by his daddy. He lives 99% of the time with mommy but gets to come stay with daddy on daddy's days off work. When I asked my son if he'd given Jackson a bath yet he said, "I don't have a tub for him." "No problem," says I, "you've got a sink." And so, with grandma supervising, Jackson took his bath for daddy. He was an angel during the process, even with those little red hairs you see...LOL. Some day I will tell him, "you know grandma posted your cute little naked self on my internet blog after you were born." That should make for some interesting grumbling when he's about 16....LOL. I used to make his daddy real happy when I threatened to show his girlfriends his naked baby pictures...hahahaha.

Felt slippers 101

2009-08-19T04:57:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I thought I'd be a good wife and make some new insoles for DH's deer skin slippers as the lamb's wool lining was a bit worse for wear. Then I realized they were nowhere to be found. Turns out he threw them away because as he put it, "they were falling apart". So, what is a girl to do?
Do what I did, only I'll give you a few tips. Make them out of some heavy duty felt or felt old wool sweaters to use that fabric. Then don't use your own feet for a pattern. Trust me on this one....LOL. DH and I wear the same size shoes so I thought hey, I'll just use my foot. Well blondie forgot to adjust for seam allowance and didn't think about the fact that the top piece of felt might be too large and need adjusting. Have you ever tried to put a band of elastic on a pair of already constructed slippers on your sewing machine? Not fun! Had I thought this through a bit more I'd have placed the elastic inside a nice casing on the upper part of the slipper before attaching the top to the sole. Also it's too bad I didn't find this free pattern for slippers from Martha Stewart that tells you how much larger to resize their pattern for different sizes. Go get the pattern FIRST.....LOL.
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf2/feltslippers.pdf I will say though that now that I have some experience making slippers I think there will be several pair made for Christmas :) It never hurts to practice....LOL

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Starting Handmade Christmas gifts now....phew!

2009-08-18T05:37:00.003-05:00

It's that time already! Time to start making my homemade Christmas gifts for loved ones. This is the first of at least 3 cube pillows I'm making for my new grandson. He'll be 6 months old by then and should be grasping onto things pretty well by then so hoping these soft alphabet pillows in bright colors will be a fun toy for him. They're made from felt and I've blanket stitched on the letters as I want to make sure they're secure and safe for him. I have many more gifts on the agenda and because I'm slower than molasses in January I have to start now. I made all my gifts last year and what a blessing and relief it was to give gifts made with love and no credit card damage done! I don't think anyone was seriously disappointed they didn't get gift cards or the latest thingamajig from the whatchamacallit store. Instead they got gifts like pumpkin pancakes in a jar with the makings for apple cider syrup or a handknit fashion scarf and handcrafted earrings to match. This year save yourself from going into debt. Give love, it's cheaper and a lot more satisfying to put together. And recycle! Think thrift shops for fabric for that teddy bear you want to make. Have fun! I know I will :)

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Summer in my garden

2009-08-16T02:27:00.007-05:00

As you can see my acorn squash has fled my raised bed garden and is threatening to run for the driveway...LOL. My sunflowers are in bloom and the bees are lovin' the nectar from the squash. My peppers are still in the flowering/tiny baby pepper stage and my green beans are just coming on. My tomato plants off to the right on the property line are beginning to ripen but I'm disappointed in them this year as they've just not produced like last year. Maybe time to amend the soil. All in all it's a very good year. How does your garden grow?

Shameless Plug 4 my Etsy Shop

2009-08-12T17:19:00.003-05:00

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Okay....this is a shameless plug for the new Etsy shop I just created. I hope to add many more handmade items there as quickly as I can produce them. If you'd like to take a look just click on the banner. Thanks!

Sewing bug bit me

2009-08-12T02:36:00.003-05:00

After I was done making Halo Prim I had the urge to use the fabric for another project. A pillow or it could also be used as a pinkeep. I think it will be finding it's way onto Etsy. I've been wanting to set up an Etsy shop. Now seems a good time to do this before my house is overflowing with crafts...LOL.

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Ssshhhhhh don't tell....LOL

2009-08-12T02:30:00.003-05:00

Over at Mary Jane's Farmgirls we're having a pinkeep swap. I'm done with mine and ready to ship her to her new home with Aunt Pammy. I had such fun making this little gal. While she was getting "born" she named herself Halo Prim and thinks she's quite the fashionista. She's not a true primative doll as I didn't age her body with tea but she is 100% hand sewn as is her dress. I put 30 hours into making her as I wanted her to be extra special from her boots to her beret for Aunt Pammy. Shhhhhh don't anyone tell her I posted a pic. She is a surprise!

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I confess

2009-08-10T04:12:00.002-05:00

Okay I confess. I had some more fun with a photo imaging program that let me put myself in the frame for Lord Byron's poem. Have some fun yourself at http://www.funphotobox.com/ You can put yourself on a billboard, jumbotron's and a few other very clever items.
Enjoy!

Lord Byron's She Walks in Beauty

2009-08-10T04:07:00.001-05:00

She walks in Beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

2009-08-04T16:30:00.002-05:00

Over at Mary Jane's Farm gals are chosen each month as farmgirl of the month. Well, I've been a slacker and not been participating as I should in getting a gift to the lady of the month. When I realized the error of my ways I was waaayyyyyy behind so now I'm trying to gift several ladies all at once. The quickest thing I could think of was to send them a set of 3 bookmarks I made. No laminator so I used textured clear contact paper to cover the bookmarks. Think clumsy, sticky and probably funny as heck watching me put these together. Some got tassles, some decorative beading. I had loads of fun making them. I just hope all of the ladies will enjoy them.

August 1st already!

2009-08-01T04:15:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's August 1st already! The summer seems to be flying by and autumn will be here before we know it. My garden is full and lush and produce is slowly coming on. It was a very late planting season for me this year due to the weather being unseasonably cool. I hope that my veggies can produce for me before the first frost. I do have plans for a cold frame if it looks like it will be needed. Some schools are going to be starting soon. Fortunately here it doesn't start until after Labor day but it's so hard to think that summer is coming to an end already. Are you ready for Fall?

Fun with Photos

2009-07-27T15:27:00.001-05:00

My DH sent me a link to Kim Komando's online site with lists of fun things to do with photos. To say I've had a blast with these is an understatement. Here's the result of one of the sites he sent me. Enjoy!

GIVE AWAY AT PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM

2009-07-26T02:02:00.004-05:00

Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm is having a giveaway for this adorable clothes pin bag she designed. For a chance at winning hop on over to her shop and leave her a comment.

My very own seed company

2009-07-18T03:20:00.003-05:00

In the wee hours of this morning as I was working on a craft project I thought the perfect thing for the old silverware chest I am going to work on would be vintage seed packets decoupaged onto the box. As I tried looking across the net for images I thought hmmmmm...maybe I can make my own? And so, here is my first attempt at my very own seed packet company. This took me longer than it would have to just hunt one down but since I love working in my paint program this was lots of fun and I think it turned out pretty well for my first attempt. What do you think?

Secret Garden

2009-07-17T03:52:00.003-05:00

Here's a pic of the day lilies, hostas and a little plant container I decided to use as a little garden decoration along with a toad statue. It looks like a very small secret garden.

Glorious Sweet Peas

2009-07-14T04:33:00.002-05:00

My beautiful sweet peas are sort of a gift from an elderly woman who lived in our house for more than 50 years before passing on several years ago. When we first bought our little Victorian cottage there was wild grapevine growing along an old chicken wire fence on the property line. We tore down the fence and removed all the grape vine. The following Spring we received 2 gifts. The sweet pea vine on one end of where the fence used to be and on the other a peony bush came up and bloomed just one bloom. To begin with they were both quite small but this is our 3rd summer so they've finally grown enough to require a larger trellis. I just love them!

The Proper Use for a Shovel...LOL

2009-07-14T04:16:00.002-05:00

DH picked this old shovel up at Restore our local Habitat for Humanity store and turned me loose with my paints. He's mounted it on the front of our garage. I think it's the perfect way to use a shovel....LOL

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My Raised Garden

2009-07-13T02:26:00.002-05:00

What do you do when you have a yard the size of a postage stamp? You sneak a garden in wherever you can find the room. This is only 5x5 sq. feet and holds an acorn squash, 3 different kind of peppers, 3 different kinds of beans, baby spinach and cucumbers. Some seeds I planted didn't come up. My 6 tomato plants are planted along our property line to the west of this garden. I love the ease of weeding as I can reach into the middle of the garden with no problem. I can't wait to taste these goodies!

My painted cheesebox

2009-07-11T03:52:00.003-05:00

I've had this old cheesebox for a couple years or more and kept thinking one of these days I'd get around to painting it. I finally got around to it. I'm slow but I'm good...ummm okay a beginner....laughing. I have so much to learn about painting with acrylics. I can look and see my mistakes and in some cases know what I did wrong and other times see the error but not have the knowledge to correct it. As time goes on I hope some day to be a fair to middlin' painter. I do enjoy it though.

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APRON GIVEAWAY!

2009-07-07T02:21:00.002-05:00

I just found this great blog and a chance to win what promises to be a great give away. Rush on over to The Life & Times of NotQuiteJuneCleaver for your chance at winning!

Win a Madsen Bike

2009-07-06T02:49:00.002-05:00

I would love love love to win one of these bikes!! What a great bike for around the farm or city! If you'd like a chance at winning one of these bikes just take a hike on over to their site and see what you need to do for your chance at winning.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

2009-07-04T03:34:00.002-05:00

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July! God Bless America and God Bless our troops and keep them safe from harm's way.

2009-07-02T04:37:00.001-05:00

I got my Jackson fix this past wkend. He was so sweet and such a quiet little fellow only cried once when he'd wet himself and needed his clothing changed too. Here he is plum tuckered out on Daddy's chest sleeping. I have to say....2 pretty darned cute guys there. I love them to pieces!

He's soooo cute!

2009-06-28T02:44:00.002-05:00

Isn't my grandson adorable? I haven't seen him for a few days now and I'm having withdrawals. I think I need to remedy that. Already I am crocheting baby things for him and thinking about Christmas and what can Grandma make for him. Plenty of time you say? There's never enough time....LOL

I'm a Grandma!!

2009-06-26T13:01:00.004-05:00

I'm late getting this posted due to computer malfunction and being slow getting things reloaded but I'm a Grandma!! YAY!!! This sweet little fellow is my grandson, Jackson, born June 16th, 2009 at 8:03 PM. He weighed in at 6 lbs 10.8 oz and was 20.5 inches long. He is adorable and I told his daddy that I'm afraid Jackson might even be cuter than he was when he was born. He has the longest little feet so I know he's going to be a tall man like his daddy. Did I mention I love him to pieces? I DOOOO!

'Food, Inc.' Exposes the Hidden World of Food Production - ABC News

2009-06-11T15:27:00.001-05:00

'Food, Inc.' Exposes the Hidden World of Food Production - ABC News

Shared via AddThis

Wanna See Dad and SAVE some CASH?

2009-06-03T11:56:00.001-05:00

Some of my favorite places for backgrounds

2009-05-30T03:33:00.004-05:00

I'm finding that there are some wonderful sites online to help me dress up my blog and other web pages. I'm going to post them in my links as I come across nice ones. Please visit them and make your pages beautiful :)
http://scrappinblogs.blogspot.com
http://www.backgroundfairy.com
http://www.retrodiva.net Make sure you put .net instead of .com unless you want to check out a fetish shop instead...LOL Don't ask how I found out...LOL.
http://www.pyzam.com

All are listed in my favorite links. I always mess up trying to make links here :(

Really Cute Idea

2009-05-28T17:21:00.002-05:00

I have seen this done for MySpace pages and its really cute. Just thought I'd post a link as this sure would be a cute gift for Dad on Father's day, Graduation or that special couple's wedding day. How cute is this?

Mother's Day Angel

2009-05-09T04:40:00.002-05:00

I have to post a picture of the thumb print angel brooch my mom will be receiving for Mother's Day this year. I had the most fun making this. Her copper head was based on my thumb print. Her golden face also bears my thumb print intentionally laid down in the oil paint. I poured her face and heart from resin and while they both look golden, only her heart is gold leafed. I used oil paint on her face so I could park my thumb...LOL Her "wings" are old earrings I cut the posts off of and her "legs" are old jewelry findings. The four small hearts on her legs represent my 3 siblings and myself. The dangling chain is just for fun. No, my mother doesn't have a tail although I swear she has horns sometimes....LOL Mom's not much into jewelry so I hope she finds this something special enough to wear. She carries lots of love with her. I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day this year.

Healthy planet equals healthy people

2009-05-05T04:08:00.003-05:00

As I go about my day to day life I think of ways to be creative and save money. I belong to a great site called MaryJanesFarm.org which promotes reuse, recycle, repurpose. To that end, I am looking more closely at ways I can help the environment by carefully choosing things I use in my life. Whether opting for organically grown produce or choosing clothing made from cotton, we can make a difference. I am going to try to feature sites on my blog that are environmentally thoughtful manufacturers. Please give them a try and feel good about your contribution to our planet.

Think organic!

2009-05-05T04:01:00.001-05:00

When you're trying to find organic products for your family please give this site a look. Our planet will love you for it.

Great site!

2009-05-05T03:54:00.001-05:00

Long Time No Post

2009-05-02T19:03:00.002-05:00

Oooopps I missed posting in April. Shame on me because it was a great month! My birthday came early in the month and I received the most wonderful gifts from my sons. My oldest took me to lunch for some quality time and spent the afternoon bumming with me. My youngest son probably surprised me the most when he gave me $1700 worth of gift certificates and a 2 hour consultation with an interior decorator after he won a convenience store home makeover giveaway. I was stunned by his generosity and I don't think it's sunk in yet as I've not yet spent the gift certificates as I'm waiting until after my decorator consult which is coming up this Wed. afternoon. He did keep some of his prizes for his own enjoyment but what a blessing he's given me. My kitchen is my targeted room for a makeover. Our home is an older Victorian cottage with many needs but the kitchen is definitely stuck in a time warp. When things start happening I will take pics to share.

Happy Birthday Eric!

2009-03-31T16:20:00.003-05:00

Today is my son, Eric's, 29th birthday. At 6'5" tall he's a wee bit bigger than he was 29 years ago today. I made the memory board for him with digitally manipulated images of him playing his guitar, him playing with his pitbull, Duke, and in the center is the ultrasound image of his unborn son who is due June 27th. I used an old printers drawer and removed the crumbling paper from the compartments. I then painted it a weathered green to match what little paint was on the trim. I used spray adhesive to mount the images and "framed" each one with old leather and fabric belts. There's a buckle on the top of each photo. I then added 6 cup hooks for keys, etc. at the top and strung wire for hanging at the back. I took him out for lunch and we bummed around awhile and had a nice time. He's my big teddy bear :)

Time to get crafting again!

2009-02-04T02:56:00.003-06:00

After a very busy Christmas crafting season I took a bit of time off but having been visiting so many wonderful artists participating in One World One Heart giveaway I think it's time I get off my duff and start creating again. If you haven't yet checked out the many gifted artists participating in this event do so quickly. The drawings will be held on Feb. 12, 2009. There are hundreds of participating artists so hurry and don't miss out on a chance to win some very lovely gifts. I just wish I had known of this event sooner as I'd love to participate in this, however; this is an annual event and there is always next year...big smile. Check in soon to see what I come up with for Valentine's day.

Country In The Burbs Giveaway

2009-02-04T00:15:00.003-06:00

Tammy over at http://countryintheburbs.blogspot.com/ is having a giveaway for a wonderful denim tote. Leave her a comment on her blog and enter to win a really cute bag. I've got my entries in....would love to win :)

One World One Heart Giveaway

2009-02-03T02:18:00.006-06:00

I found the most marvelous giveaway site called One World One Heart and its hosted by Lisa Swifka. It's purpose is to allow artists and bloggers to meet via the wonderful world of internet blogging and in the process allow anyone who finds the site to enter to win wonderfully fabulous pieces of art by 850 different artists just by visiting their blogs and leaving a post. Amazing! This is the third year for this event. I'm pleased to have found it and share it with you. I'm hoping next year to have a spot on the gypsy caravan myself. Enjoy

Dollar Savvy

2009-02-01T04:51:00.007-06:00

I found this site while perusing my Birds & Blooms ezine Saturday afternoon. I figure we all can use any tips on stretching our ever shrinking dollar so check it out and learn how to make a buck squeal. Just click on the title Dollar Savvy to go there. Enjoy!

Fountain of youth in a pill

2009-01-26T01:50:00.004-06:00

I was watching "60 Minutes" last night and listened to a story about a chemical found in red wine that researchers believe may well prevent or even cure some medical conditions found most prevalent in the 50 to 70 yr. old range among humans. They talked of 90 yr. olds feeling well enough to play tennis and be active and healthy. The chemical known as Resveratrol has been found to have remarkable health benefits among mice and monkeys. Clinical trials among humans are to be started soon and the developers have high hopes that the drug may be approved within 5 yrs by the FDA for use in humans. Just think....soon we may be able to cure diseases or at the very least feel better and actually want to live to be 100 because we feel well enough to enjoy what has always been called the "golden years" but few people have felt very golden while living them. All of this, just by popping a pill. I wonder what they'll charge for this fountain of youth pill? The developers just became rich when their small pharmaceutical company called Sirtris was purchased by GlaxoSmithKline for the tidy sum of $720 million USD. Hmmmmmm....wish I had some spare cash laying around. I could buy some stock in Resveratrol and actually live long enough to see our economy turn around and make me a millionaire......by that time an OLD rich healthy millionaire :) Have a good one!

President and Mrs. Obama's first dance

2009-01-20T22:22:00.004-06:00

Oh, what a great day in American history! Today America inaugurated our 44th president of the United States of America. It also marked the dawning of a new era when America feels brand new and washed clean of segregation, both racial and socioeconomic. When a man who calls himself a "black" man can hold the highest office in the land and obtain that office not based on his color but on his ideals, principles and conviction of purpose.
I found this picture of President and Mrs. Obama poignant in their tenderness to one another as they took their first dance tonight. "What a day," their eyes seemed to say to each other and how proud they both were not just of themselves but of their country. I found it remarkable that although nearly 1.9 million people gathered on the mall lawn to the Lincoln memorial,and even side streets beyond,not one arrest was made amongst that throng of humanity. Everyone was simply too happy to sew seeds of unrest on a day such as this.
May God bless and keep our new President and his precious family as he begins to lead us in rebuilding our nation.

Things Which Matter Most

2009-01-03T13:44:00.002-06:00

I found this wonderful quote and thought how often we do allow those people or thoughts which matter so little to rule what we think of ourselves or others close to us. We need to remind ourselves daily of what is important in our lives and reach hard for that goal, no matter what others say. Let your heart guide you in what you believe in and what you wish to achieve. Let no one stop you, not even yourself.

Have a wonderful day!
Hugggzzz

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-12-31T11:39:00.003-06:00

I'd like to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year! Here's hoping it's a better year than 2008 for all of those who've lost jobs, homes and the feeling of security every American is entitled to experience in their life. God Bless the incoming administration who will try to lead us out of the current mess our country has fallen into. Let us hope that wall street mongers and housing lenders who have robbed Americans are brought to justice for their greed that has been the undoing of our great country. As the old 1960's saying went..."Power to the people".

My Christmas Greeting To You All

2008-12-24T08:01:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Dec. giveaway at Tribal Witch

2008-12-11T03:21:00.003-06:00

Be sure to check out Tribal Witch's site and leave a comment to get in on her giveaway. First prize is this lovely set of bracelets handcrafted by her. Count me in...smile. Also check out the free ebooks posting she has. I like the feel of a book in my hand but every now and then its fun just to sit at the puter with a warm cuppa and have a quick read. Actually even some long reads. It's how I read Pride and Prejudice. Many great books are out there free for the reading online. Enjoy!

Giveaway at b b in a box

2008-12-10T03:52:00.003-06:00

Be sure to stop and check out Mrs. Morris' site b b in a box and leave a comment to be enrolled in her drawing for a gift certificate. Neat site!

Home made Christmas

2008-12-10T03:04:00.003-06:00

Here's my latest project. Hand made paper mache star Christmas tree ornaments. Don't they look like a happy pile of twinklers? LOL They're all piled up after receiving a second coat of sealer which thankfully dries very quickly so they don't stick to one another. I'm having such fun making these and now have a girlfriend who also is going to try making some. I'm thinking these ornaments could become a tradional gift that I choose to give those closest friends and family. Though not done yet my stars are well on their way to twinkling on someone's Christmas tree. I hope that all who might come my way and read this blog give some thought to making something to give someone from your heart. It just feels soooo nice.

First big snowstorm of the season

2008-12-09T02:03:00.003-06:00

I'm sitting here working on a craft project for making paper mache star ornaments for Christmas and its snowing like crazy outside. It's our first BIG winter storm of the season. We've already had small snows so we have a nice layering on the ground already but this one is promising my area 10 to 14 inches of snow. It will definitely be a white Christmas in Northeastern Wisconsin. I'm really trying to pare down Christmas purchases this year and have this be a home made Christmas. My children are grown so no more need to hit the stores looking for that perfect toy. That may start again next Christmas because by then I will be a first time grandma and something snuggly will have to be under the tree for my little grand baby. But then again, maybe Grandma will just have to sew up a nice cuddly blankie or teddy bear. I've found much joy in crafting, canning and baking things this year to give as gifts. It feels so much more like I'm giving love to my family than just something I went out and bought. I hope they'll feel the same. As we all tighten our belts in this unsettled economy it seems like this is one small thing we can do that will give us big returns.

The Holidays are upon us....

2008-11-21T03:05:00.002-06:00

As I type this we are now less than one week away from Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it. I haven't tackled the business of who goes where for Thanksgiving yet but imagine I should contact my sons soon to see what is up. Are they going to their father's, coming to DH and my home, or inviting us there? Who's doing the cooking? Me or them? DH has to work for 4 hours the morning of Thanksgiving but will be home by noon. He is a fantastic cook but obviously can't be cooking when he has to work so that leaves me at our end. I actually look forward to the holidays. It is the time of year when I try to make a fabulous meal and then look forward to lazy days of leftovers. I thought maybe I'd share my stuffing recipe with you. It has been a big hit for years with my sons. I hope if you try it your family will enjoy it too. I like to make it the night before so it can cool thoroughly. Then Thanksgiving morning all I have to do is assemble the prepared ingredients and stuff the bird. This will stuff a 14 to 20 lb. bird.

1 bag of stuffing croutons ( I like seasoned)
1 lg. yellow onion diced
1 cup of chopped celery
1 can of french onion soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 can of chicken broth
2 whole eggs
1 to 2 lbs of ground pork sausage, fried and drained. May substitute hamburger if you prefer.

Fry the sausage the night before and place in paper towel lined bowl to absorb oils. Cover and refrigerate. Chop veggies night before and place in zip lock bags or covered bowls and refrigerate till morning. You can open all cans of soup and place in large covered mixing bowl till morning.
Thanksgiving: Mix eggs, croutons, meat, soups, chopped veggies together. Add your choice of seasonings if you've bought unseasoned croutons. Stuff the turkey cavity after salting the inside of the turkey. Roast turkey per instructions on turkey packaging at required temp/time per pound. Once turkey is done, remove stuffing from cavity and place in serving bowl. Enjoy!

I'm an Arteeesst.....LOL

2008-11-16T01:48:00.008-06:00

I've always dreamed of an online outlet to sell my enhanced digital photographic images. Recently I found a fantastic site that I'm happy to say is giving me that outlet. I'd be honored if you'd take a look http://www.imagekind.com/MemberProfile.aspx?MID=7d7bfefc-c2fc-4903-94fe-545a8615e486 and even more so if you find an image you like and use it to create a framed piece of art for your home or office. You can even make greeting cards, posters or canvased art from my images. What an easy way to give a loved one a gift that will last a lifetime and then some. Thank you!

Democratic Revolution

2008-11-05T03:37:00.004-06:00

I've not been to bed yet as I'm still on an Obama high. What a night in history! I am so proud of my country tonight. I was proud as I cast my vote yesterday afternoon and prouder still as I watched TV during the evening as state after stated turned blue for Obama. I shed a tear as many did last night listening to Pres. Elect Obama speak to our nation and ask for help from all of us to become united and return this wonderful country to greatness. Not once did I note him looking at a teleprompter and felt his words came straight from his heart. He knows the struggle this country will have to regain her balance. I think he also knows how strong we are as a people and I feel sure he will do his absolute best to lead us forward in a positive direction. My hubby is Canadian and frequently asked me during the evening, "have you ever seen anything like this before?" I had to respond, "not in my life time," again and again. America, I think we just watched a very quiet revolution happen Nov. 4th, 2008. We changed our world last night and God Bless us all as we march forward together!

Jewels of the garden

2008-11-02T17:01:00.003-06:00

This is what gardening to me is all about! Having something wonderful to taste in the dead of winter when it's cold and nasty and you long for summer. You can reach into the pantry, open a jar of home made jam, close your eyes as you bite into a slice of bread and jam and be transported back to summer for just a little while. This is my mock raspberry jam and I just had to have a picture when I saw the sunlight glistening through the jam and making it look like red jewels. This is one of the easiest jam recipes ever and is a way to use up your end of season green tomatoes. Here's the recipe:

4 cups green tomato puree (puree in blender or food processor)
4 cups sugar
blend and stir on med. high till boiling then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
At the end of 20 min. remove from heat and stir in 2 three oz. pkgs. of raspberry jello. Mix well until the jello is dissolved and pour into clean jelly jars kept warm in a hot water bath. You have a choice of storing them in the refrigerator as frig jam or processing for 15 min. in a hot water bath. I like to process mine to save space in my fridge for other things. This makes a great gift at holiday time and is very tasty. People are amazed when told its made from green tomatoes. Enjoy!

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Prayers for my mom

2008-10-28T02:54:00.004-05:00

This is my cute little mother who since beginning chemo now calls herself, Yoda, as her hair has fallen out and her ears are noticeably large. She's back in the hospital since this past Friday as her blood counts have taken a nose dive. She's very weak and required an ambulance trip this last admission after falling at home. Our family would like her to stay short term at a nursing home after chemo as dad is not fully able to meet all of her needs. Having spent just over 2 wks in one already (with me there everyday to see her) she vows it was the "worst experience of my life and I will die before I go into a nursing home again!" I'm sure I'm not the first daughter who has struggled with my aging and ill parent and what to do from 400miles away. I spent 2 months this past summer at their home helping out during initial chemo, numerous dr. appts. and lab tests. I think what is making this so difficult for me is that I am a licensed practical nurse who spent 32 yrs working in the geriatric field. Even with that knowledge and expertise I can't get my mother to stomach spending even 2 more wks in a nursing home setting. She refuses in home care from a visiting nurse because she is a packrat supreme and ashamed of her house. I guess I don't want this posting to be viewed as whining or complaining as much as I want to help others who may feel lost. When it comes to helping your parents you need to know that no matter how old you are, or how much knowledge or skill you have, you're still a kid. Decisions are HARD and you wish you could ask mom or dad for advise.

Happy Halloween to Everyone!

2008-10-22T05:46:00.000-05:00

Comments & Myspace layouts

Tapestry's Imaginings

Sweet Smell of Home

Packer Backer In Mourning

Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Quick Inexpensive DIY Christmas gifts and tutorials.

Making Christmas Cards

Lots Going On :)

Gifts, cards and happiness

Thanksgiving is almost here!

A new Christmas Tradition 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011

Wanna cuddle up and nest for the winter.

Green Tomato Budget Jam Recipe

Great printable site-- My Owl Barn

Free Printable Birds With Quote

Happy Belated Birthday Dickens!

Halloween Tags 4 you :)

Maple leaf rose corsage

My art VS theirs :)

Giveaway @ Kathy's Cottage Blog

Home made beef stew

Broken Heirlooms

My grandson, Jaxzen :)

Huge Zucchini

Yummy Goodness

Remembering 9.11.2001

I'm baaaaaack!

One Simple Wish A GOOD WORK :)

A Really Bad Country Song

Goodbye September, Hello October

Been Awhile

APRON GIVEAWAY

2010 Bring it on!

My darling grandson Jaxzen & my handsome sons

Happy Birthday my darling Den! Quick chef's apron.

Christmas is coming!

Goodbye Halloween. See You Next Year!

African thunderstorm

Coffee Cake on a Cool Morning *RECIPE*

A New Addiction!

Remembering 9/11

Hurry up Autumn!

My sweetie pie grandson, Jaxzen

Wonky Tomato

Autumn Pin Keep Swap on Mary Jane's Farmgirl Forum

Birthday Slippers

Grandson's first "Daddy given" bath

Felt slippers 101

Starting Handmade Christmas gifts now....phew!

Summer in my garden

Shameless Plug 4 my Etsy Shop

Sewing bug bit me

Ssshhhhhh don't tell....LOL

I confess

Lord Byron's She Walks in Beauty

August 1st already!

Fun with Photos

GIVE AWAY AT PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM

My very own seed company

Secret Garden

Glorious Sweet Peas

The Proper Use for a Shovel...LOL

My Raised Garden

My painted cheesebox

APRON GIVEAWAY!

Win a Madsen Bike

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

He's soooo cute!

I'm a Grandma!!

'Food, Inc.' Exposes the Hidden World of Food Production - ABC News

Wanna See Dad and SAVE some CASH?

Some of my favorite places for backgrounds

Really Cute Idea

Mother's Day Angel

Healthy planet equals healthy people

Think organic!

Great site!

Long Time No Post

Happy Birthday Eric!

Coffee Cake on a Cool Morning RECIPE