Another Chance Ranch

Posts of the Past - December

2009-12-21T06:31:56-06:00

Last year around this time we had some really cool things happen over night. Click here to see the photos. This was something I'd never seen before, or could remember seeing. So, with the bad light, and freezing conditions I got out there with my camera and took photos anyway. Check it out.

The year before that, 2007, I threw McD a surprise 50th birthday party and was a bit panicked. We had just moved into our new house, decorations were not up - and I am not talking about Christmas decorations, I am talking about art on the walls, etc. It looks a lot different now, but then everything was bare. It was kind of sad when one of our friends, Harold T. Holden, said that we had a very nice house, but it would look better with some art on the walls. The very next week I hung 4 of his prints. You see, he is an artist. A very good artist.

2006 is the year I started blogging. I am going to have to start going back and looking at the different things I blogged about, because I completely forgot I told everyone this story. I guess this is a story that other kids could learn from, but it just hits a sore spot with my sister and I. We got over it, but it left scars. Ha!

After looking back over some of my posts of the past, posts of the past, hee hee I crack myself up. Sorry, it isn't even really funny, it is just early. Anyway, I have enjoyed looking at some of the past posts and might even find some more to share or elaborate on.

Have a great week everyone! Christmas is just right around the corner!

Updated to correct the first links. Sorry about that.

Tag, I'm It! Christmas Edition

2009-12-19T21:23:12-06:00

I've been tagged! It has been a really long time since I have been tagged, so I thought I should participate. It looked kind of fun. This kind of thing always seems to suck me in. :)

Qtswede tagged me. Check her out.

This was originally started by Heather at the Top Ten Christmas Blog. I don't know if I know of enough blogs to complete the tag, but I will sure as sugar try.

http://toptenchristmasblog.com

RULES::

*Just simply copy & past the questions into your blog and then answer them.

*Then, tag 5 or more of your favorite blogs, and leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged.

*When you post your blog, please spread some Christmas Cheer and leave a link back to the Top Ten Christmas Blog, and the blog that you were tagged by.

1.Have you started your Christmas Shopping?

Yes, I think I am finished, but you know how that is. I will have at least one last minute gift I need to get.

2.Tell me about one of your special traditions.

Um... I can't think of anything super special. We go to my parent's house to exchange gifts, but this year we drew names. We don't really have any real traditions, except for eating a lot, and the same thing every year. :)

3.Are you a black friday shopper?

Um no. I avoid any and all shopping on Black Friday, unless it is online. I usually try to have all of my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving, but it didn't happen that way this year.

4.When do you put up your tree?

Usually I put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, Black Friday to be more specific. Oh wait, that is kind of a tradition. Well, until this year. I didn't really put up a tree. I drug one out of the closet, but it isn't your typical tree. I looked for the Charlie Brown Christmas tree that used to be at Walgreen's.

5.Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?

We do both. We get up on Christmas morning and exchange our gifts, then we hit the road and go to my parents.

6.What is your funniest Christmas memory?
Funny? I can't think of anything funny, but I bet my sister will read this and several funny memories come to mind. Oh wait, I thought of something. I got almost finished with this whole thing and remembered what happened two years ago. It was about a week before Christmas and we received the credit card bill in the mail. There was a rather large charge on it, and I was really questioning it. It was at a store that you rent movies (Hastings), buy cd's, etc. I could not figure out for the life of me what could have cost that much money. So, I called the credit card company to dispute the charges. The nice gentleman at the credit card company was very nice about it all, it was taken care of and the necessary paperwork would be mailed to me. Then I finally got a hold of McD and told him what had happened, and what I had done. There was an unusual silence on the other end of the phone. You see, he was out of town while all of this was happening. After the long silence, McD told me that he had purchased my Christmas gift at Hastings, and that was how much it was. I don't remember how much it was, but let me tell you...those Seinfeld DVDs are expensive!!! Oops!

7.What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time?

I don't have just one favorite Christmas movie, I have several. We always watch Christmas Vacation (another tradition), and The Santa Clause. We love watching the grandkids' faces as they watch Santa and the reindeer.

8.Do you do your own Christmas baking, and what's your favorite treat?

We don't really bake a lot for Christmas. I have baked in the past, but anymore we don't make just a ton of baked goods for the holidays. But my mom makes the best popcorn balls ever, and she makes them especially for me every year. (Well, I like to think they are especially for me.) :)

9.Fake or real tree?
Fake. We bought a fake tree 16 years ago because we had carpet, and the real needles were really hard to clean up. So I broke down and bought a pre-lit Christmas tree. I think it is about time for a new tree. My friend Stef got a new tree this year and I think I need one. :)

10.What day (as a mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
Well, I try to plan everything so far in advance that I don't have a panic set in. Thank goodness. Panic will set in when I forget a gift for someone.

11.Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
Oh yeah, remember me mentioning last minute gifts? There ya go.

12.What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
Seeing the happiness on all of my family's faces, especially the kids.

13.What Christmas Craft do you like best?
I guess I don't have a Christmas Craft. I need to work on that for next year. :) Hmmm.

14.Christmas Music: Yes or No? If yes, what is your favorite Christmas song?

Yes! Yes I love Christmas music! Harry Connick Jr is one of my favorites. ELVIS sings my all time favorite Christmas music. I don't have a favorite song though. I like them all, almost.

15.When do you plan to finish all of your shopping?

I hope I am finished. Fingers crossed.

Okay, here is where I am supposed to tag 5 people, but I would rather not. :) I am a rebel like that. If you would like to do this please leave me a comment and I will edit this and add your name/link to this post.

My Sister Rocks!

2009-12-19T10:07:54-06:00

Okay, I am not a "real" photographer. I've never claimed to be. But, with that said, I think these turned out okay. :)

The weekend after Thanksgiving my sister and her family came to stay with us so I could take their family photos for Christmas cards. I was honored to be asked because I know how my nephew, and brother-in-law just love having their photos taken.

Here are a few of the shots.

This is one of my favorites. I could pick it apart, but my sister looks beautiful (as always) here.

Let me formally introduce you to my sister and her family. From left to right: Garrett, Sweet Momma, Trooper, & Lawrence

Lawrence loves the horses. He even rode Hickory while they were here. McD just failed to tell anyone he was taking him out to ride the horse, so we only have one photo of him on a horse. As soon as he saw his Aunt Julie driving the gator he wanted to ride the "tractor" with Aunt Julie. :)

Men love machinery! Even little men. :)

This just happens to be one of the smiles that melt my heart. (And he knows it!)

And this is our little cowboy. He wants to be a cowboy, and we can make that happen. (I love the peanut butter & jelly all over his face here.)

So, now you have been introduced to my sister and her family. Now you have faces to go with the names. More sister stories to come. :)

We love you guys! See you soon!

Linda's Cranberry Cookies by Vicki

2009-12-17T19:08:11-06:00

Well hello there!

Julie has allowed me to park here for today and get my food blog fix taken care of. Once upon a time I had a food blog, however to have a food blog required me to 1. Cook every night (Which I do) and 2. Take pictures of what I cooked. Sometimes I just don’t have time for that picture taking part. So the food blog dreams went up in smoke.

Then about a month ago I sent Mrs. Julie a Banana Bread recipe and said, “Hey this looks good! Cook it for your blog!” She sent back, “Hey cook it for me and you can be a guest blogger”. Neither Julie nor I have much experience in Guest Blogging but we are going to knock it out and give it a try!

Then I lost the Banana Bread recipe.

Story of my life.

However, my friend Heather gave me a cookie that I could not get out of my head. All buttery, soft with white chocolate and cranberries. Little bite of heaven I tell ya! I told Heather I needed the recipe. She smiled and said “Okay I’ll get it for you.” Heather is one of the nicest people I know. I am positive she would get me the recipe but I am not known for patience so before the day was up I called Amy Jo and explained to her how I needed this recipe. She knows Heather better than I and must have heard the desperation in my voice because she then contacted Heather for me to then get the recipe. You have to network people! Network!

So I may have lost the Banana Bread, but I found something better.

This cookie recipe.

Turns out Heather got it from allrecipes.com So I’m crediting Heather and allrecipes.com cause stealin’ recipes as your own just ain’t right!

Gather up these Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 (6 ounce) package white chocolate chips

1/2 (6 ounce) package dried cranberries

Let's get it started!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need at least two baking pans. I used three because I was hoping to get them all done in one whack. I tend to forget I’m baking cookies and the second batch ALWAYS ends up burnt. I have two Pampered Chef baking stones and one good ol fashion cookie sheet. The cookies on the cookie sheet were done quicker than the ones baked on the baking stone so beware on your times.

Combine baking soda and flour in a bowl and set aside. (Once I didn’t do this “combine” action very well and let’s just say baking soda does not taste so well.)

Combine butter, both sugars and instant pudding until smooth. Add eggs one at a time making sure one is combined well before adding the second egg and with the second egg throw the vanilla in there too.

Now add the flour to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t be over mixin’! Gently add the white chocolate chips and cranberries and drop cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

You want these cookies out at just the right time, a little crisp on the edges but still soft in the center. Oh! And you MUST let them cool before removing from the pan or they fall apart. For the baking stone it was more like 15 minutes and for the cookie sheet it was right at 10 minutes.

The bright cranberries make these cookies perfect for Christmas time gifts or to have a plate of them on the table when company comes over. I have a box of butterscotch pudding in the cupboard and some left over Heath Bits in the freezer. I’m going to combine them next week and might throw in some pecans for the fun of it. Try this recipe out, mix it up with your favorites and report back here. I’d love to hear what you come up with!

Thanks Julie for loaning me your blog and letting me get my food blog fix fulfilled. I hope I did right by you and maybe you’ll let me come over and play again another day?

Over and out. Check you on the flip side!

-Vicki

Well, Mrs. Vicki these sound just delightful. :) Thank you for taking me up on my offer. We will have to do this again. And didn't you say you used a special action on those rounded corners on your photos? Do fill me in on those. Sorry for the technical difficulties yesterday, we have learned a very valuable lesson. :) Thanks to everyone that offered their advice, I do appreciate it.

Enjoy your evening everyone, I am off to watch Survivor.

Technology Makes Me Want to Scream!

2009-12-16T23:08:26-06:00

Well, well, well. I want to share this guest bloggers post with you, I really do. BUT, apparently her computer is newer than mine and my Word 2004, or whatever version it is, will not read a docx document, it will only read a doc document. I know, it sounds like a personal problem and it is. All except for the fact that I promised you the post.

I apologize, I have just broken my promise. BUT here's a photo of our Christmas tree. :) Will that work until I can download the much needed software/update to get the post on here? Please say yes, please say yes!

Here ya go, our Christmas tree for 2009!

Movie Date - The Blind Side

2009-12-16T18:15:28-06:00

Okay, so I will get the guest blogger info up a little later this evening. My wonderful husband informed me that he was taking me out to see a movie. :)

Christmas Cards, Tree, & A Guest Blogger

2009-12-16T06:34:50-06:00

Usually I have my Christmas cards out the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year I am still sending them. This is crazy. I got up and decided to print some return labels in a really cute S. Nicholas font, but it didn't work. ARGH! Oh well. I will just use a regular font. Drat.

Vicki asked in the comments if I had put up my tree yet. Well, yes and no. I will have to post a photo someday. It isn't my usual Christmas tree. I wish you were here to help me put it up. We could have the Christmas music blaring and just have a ball. Oh well. The kids aren't coming home for Christmas, and I decided that I didn't want to mess with the tree. Mainly because I am swamped at work. I don't want to be swamped at home right now. Well, not any more swamped than I am anyway. So, we don't have a large tree, but I will post some photos of the tree later. :)

Big News People!!! We have a Guest Blogger tonight!!! Her name is Vicki (yea, I kind of already mentioned her), and she is a photographer who loves to cook. She used to blog, what seems to be years ago and that is how we met. Since then she has graced our home with her presence, and her stomach virus. :) We love you Vicki! So please come back and join us tonight as we take our first shot at inviting a guest blogger to Another Chance Ranch.

Happy Birthday McD!!

2009-12-15T06:49:21-06:00

Today is McD's birthday. Today McD will be out of town, so I won't be able to take him to lunch. I am bummed. But enough about me, let me rewind and catch you up on all his gifts. He is so spoiled, but the good news is that he knows it, and he likes it. :)

Dec. 8th He receieved an Otterbox for his iphone. I had to pick up a new phone case for myself, and when I told the store clerk I wanted a black case that is what she gave me. Then she put it on my phone and I loved it, so I had to get him one too.

Dec. 9th McD had to leave for a meeting, and was going to be gone overnight. I typically give him his gifts in the morning before we start our day. So, I had to give him two gifts that day. Okay, I didn't have to, but I did because I thought he might use them. He received new sweats (as opposed to used I guess), and socks (Dec 10th gift). The sweats weren't anything special, but the socks were Gold Toe short socks. He loves his Gold Toe Tube socks, so I thought these would be a good addition to his sock drawer. :) And the only place I can find them is at J C Penney's.

Dec 11th & Dec 12th He received a couple of shirts. I had planned to give them to him on the same day, but I ended up splitting them up because I had spent a little more than planned on the Otterbox. The Otterbox rocks!!

Dec 13th Do you ever get a gift for someone that you just can't wait to give them? Well, that is how I was with the last few gifts. McD had been wanting to watch the Band of Brothers all the way through. He wanted to rent them, but never got around to it. He is also the type to watch a movie over and over and over. So, I bought it. Then, last night I saw where you can get it in blu-ray. That really stinks, I didn't get it in blu-ray. Oh well. I think it will be fine.

Dec 14th - This gift will probably just sit on the shelf, but I thought he might, just might read a book this coming year. We will see. He received a new book, but you see I have given him books as gifts before and they go unread. These are even books he asks for. :) I am not holding my breath.

Dec 15th - Today. Today McD received a brand new pair of Nikon Binoculars. I did all kinds of research on them. They are fog proof, waterproof, and supposed to be very tough. I thought for the money they were a pretty good deal. He found them and his birthday card laying in front of his coffee maker. I was lying in bed listening to his every move, trying to figure out if he liked them or not. I heard him unwrap them, and I guessed he was looking across the house with them. When he came in to thank me for them he said, get ready, he said..."They aren't as strong as a rifle scope, but they are better than any binoculars we have." Here I thought I did a pretty good job. I couldn't afford the really good ones. I found them on sale at Cabela's, and the reviews were great.

I planned on making him whatever he wanted for supper tonight, but he said he didn't care. Now I have to figure out what to make. Any ideas?

Happy Birthday McD!! I hope you have a great day!! I love you!

And Our Winner Is...

2009-12-14T06:50:02-06:00

Here ya go! Debbie from A day or two in the life of Me is our winner of the book What I Know: uncommon wisdom and universal truths from 10-year-olds and 100-year-olds by Roger Emerson Fishman!! Please head over to her site and check it out. Please leave her a comment, and ask that she get on the ball and start posting again. I have been reading her stuff this morning and I am ready for some new stuff. Come on Debbie, you can do it! She takes lovely photos too!! I love the ones of Jenn on Glory at her parents' house, especially the one with her in her wedding dress. Love it!

Debbie please email me at anotherchanceranch at gmail dot com with your mailing address.

Thank you everyone for playing along.

I was just informed that I will be receiving a new artists cd to review, with another giveaway. Finally, I am doing what I wanted on this little blog of mine. Let's just hope it lasts!

Now head on over to Amazon.com to order your book today. It would make a perfect gift for those that have everything, and you can't figure out what to get them. I know I am ordering at least 2 books.