by george you've got it!

Problems with the blogs

2013-01-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Hello readers! Have you recovered from the holidays yet? I think I have, but now I'm having problems with my blogs. I can't upload any photos! And what good is an after-the holidays-photo show without the photos? I'm having a few other problems, too, so I need to address them and see if I can get them fixed. Thanks for your patience and see you soon,

Happy New Year!

2012-12-31T15:12:00.002-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and wish you all the best for the new year. I'll be back after the celebrations.

Day Twelve of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas Eve is tomorrow! I can't wait! Of course, I still have gifts I am trying to get finished. I do this every year! I say I'm going to start in January and do a certain number of gifts each month, and then I never seem to get around to it! But I tell you, this year I am. And I figure the best way to make sure I do is to document it on this blog! So keep me in line, OK? If I don't blog about at least two gifts every month, you leave me a comment reminding me to get busy! Now, for the last list of the year.

1. Save a length of your Christmas tree trunk to burn as a log next year. A slice of the trunk also makes a good ornament. Wood burn or use a marker to put the date and location, and each year add to the collection. This is especially great if you cut your own tree. We started this tradition last year, with our first cut-it-yourself tree!

2. After opening all the presents, give each family member a big hug and tell them they are the best Christmas gift of all.

3. Try to have all of your Christmas thank-you notes mailed (or emailed) by January 15th.

4. When sending thank-you notes, tuck in a photo of you enjoying the gift.

5. As you pack up the Christmas decorations, ask family members to write a prediction for the coming year. Put them in the ornament box and read them next year.

6. Acknowledge every gift you receive.

7. Take time to write the names and dates on the backs of your holiday photos.

8. If your child gets a new game for Christmas, play it with him and let him win.

9. Don't forget to set out the milk and cookies for Santa.

10. The last item on the lists for this year, and the very most important......Don't forget whose birthday we're celebrating!

I hope you have enjoyed these 12 Days of Christmas lists, and maybe have even done a few of the items. I wish for you all all the blessings you deserve now and in the coming year. May we keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts and treat one another the same way we want to be treated all year long. A Merry Christmas to you and yours,

Sorry....the rest of the drums are on backorder.

Day Eleven of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Two more days 'til Christmas Eve. Isn't it exciting! I'm hoping I can come up with twenty more things to put on the lists! Here goes.....

1. Take a family photo every year in the same spot. Put a tree in the background and you'll have a great record of the growth of the tree, as well as the growth of your family.

2. Have a welcoming committee for Santa! Take all the stuffed animals in the house and put them around the Christmas tree to welcome the big guy to your home.

3. Fill your house with holiday fragrance. Put some cloves, cinnamon sticks and orange peel in a pan of water and let it simmer on your stove top. Or better yet, make some wassail and have it simmering. That way, you'll have a nice warm drink anytime you want it. To make my favorite version of wassail, take 1 bottle of cranberry juice and 2 bottles of apple juice and pour them in a large stock pot. Add two oranges, sliced, 6 or 8 whole cloves and 10 cinnamon sticks. If you like, you can add some whole allspice, too. Let simmer for 15 or 20 minutes and enjoy!

4. Introduce your children to the wonders of snowflakes. Put a piece of black construction paper or card stock in the freezer for an hour, then take it out and catch some snowflakes. Examine them under a microscope.

5. Bake Christmas cookies as a family, with Christmas music playing in the background.

6. Take a basket of goodies to your local fire department and police station.

7. If your child gives you a handmade gift, convince them that it's your favorite gift of all. This was never hard for me, because those handmade gifts were always my favorites. Still are!

8. Tie a wreath with a big red bow to the grill of your car.

9. Do you get lots of cards every year? Do they come from all over? Have a special place to display the card that comes from the farthest distance away.

10. Don't forget your feathered friends during the holidays. Spread peanut butter on pine cones, roll them in birdseed and hand them in a tree near your kitchen window, so you can watch the birds feast on your gift to them.

All God's creature celebrate this fine season and we need to remember that even the smallest of creatures needs attention and love. Until tomorrow,

Uh oh! Better call those pipers back!

Day Ten of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Day ten means there's only three days left until Christmas Eve! One of my favorite nights of the whole year. I love to read a Christmas story to the family, and of course, the story of the birth of Christ from the 2nd chapter of Luke in the New Testament. That's after everyone has opened their Christmas Eve gift, which is, of course, pajamas! Here is the list for today, which has some ideas that you can do on Christmas Eve.

1. Have all the children dress up in robes and tie squares of fabric on their heads and let them act out the true Christmas story.

2. Have a little program, where the family sings carols and listens to stories about Christmases past.

3. Go caroling! My family always complains the whole time they're getting ready, but once we get going, they have loads of fun! And the people we carol to enjoy it as much as we do. Then we go have hot chocolate before going to bed to wait for you-know-who.

4. Have your big Christmas meal on Christmas Eve. That way, you don't have to spend your Christmas day in the kitchen, missing out on all the fun as family members play games or reminisce, or enjoy their new "toys". This made a big difference when I started doing this. Christmas always meant so much work for me that I was too tired to enjoy the day with family. Now, we pig out the night before, and just pick and munch on Christmas day. So much better!

5. Save a little of your Christmas money to take the family to a movie matinee Christmas afternoon. This was one of our family traditions for years when we all lived close, and we all looked forward to it each year, trying to decide which movie to go see.

6. Fill a basket with photos from Christmases past and set it somewhere where all the family will see it. This will fill hours with good memories and camaraderie.

7. Put on the music! Christmas music, that is. Fill your home with the strains of familiar carols, and new renditions as well. There are radio stations and TV stations that play all Christmas music from Thanksgiving Day until Christmas. Find one and enjoy!

8. Deliver plates of goodies to the neighbors. You can put them on the doorstep, ring the bell and run! It's so much fun, and your families will remember it for years to come.

9. Video tape your family as they talk about Christmases past. Then make copies for all of them to enjoy.

10. Begin a family Christmas journal. Write down events you attend, presents you received, memories you all shared. And don't forget to add the crises that always occur, too!

As we get closer to the day of the Savior's birth, remember, Christmas carols never sound better than when sung in church. Love to all,

They say you have to kiss a lot of toads to find a prince.

Day Nine of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's day nine already! Christmas is getting closer by the minute! So, without further ado, here is your list for today.

1. Instead of exchanging gifts with close friends, go to lunch. That way you get to catch up on all the goings-on and spend time with someone you really care about. Time spent together is better than a present any day.

2. Get a small photo album, or make one yourself, and use it to keep all your favorite holiday recipes in one place. Add new ones every year, and soon you will have a collection worthy of Martha Stewart!

3. Discover the quiet satisfaction of giving anonymously.

4. Have a special tablecloth or place mats that are used only on Christmas Day. I have a set of Christmas dishes for the day.

5. Get out some ol,d family-favorite games, such as Monopoly or Aggravation. Our family likes to play Clue. Have a family tournament during the month of December, or maybe just the two weeks that the kids are out of school. Make the time memorable by giving small prizes and keeping a photo record of the tournament winners to go in your family Christmas album.

6. Ask your children what they are giving this year, instead of what they are getting.

7. Make a special effort to call family members or friends who have lost someone they love in the last year. Let them know you are thinking of them and wish them peace.

8. Be sure to wave "Thank you" when someone lets you into the holiday traffic. I do this one all year long and you would be surprised how it affects people.

9. When you see a family or group taking pictures of one another, offer to take one of the whole group.

10. If you live in a college town, this is a good one for you. There are always students who can't afford to go home for the holidays. Call the dean and ask if there might be a couple of students who would like to share a holiday meal with your family.

I think the spirit of Christmas is a most wonderful thing! If we could practice the spirit of giving and love all year round, think what the world would be like! Like Tiny Tim would say, "God bless us, every one!"

And they all had fun at the lady bug picnic.

Day Eight of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

Today's list is a last-minute tip list. Hope you find something that helps.

1. Don't forget the batteries!

2. Don't forget to hang the mistletoe. :0

3. If you are having a Christmas or New Year's party, turn down the thermostat before all the guests arrive. Crowded rooms heat up really fast!

4. Save all the information on toys, electronics, appliances, etc. Things like manufacturer's addresses, customer service information, and help line numbers. And don't forget to mail in warranty cards promptly.

5. Amid all the hustle and bustle and stress and strain, don't forget to be good to yourself. You are working overtime, remember?

6. Save your gift lists from year to year so you don't duplicate gifts. This is especially helpful if you are crafty and make your own gifts. It's really easy to forget what you made for whom.

7. Wrap up a few small gifts, such as nice picture frames or blank books (journals) to have on hand in case you forgot someone on your list. Put blank tags on them so all you have to do is add a name.

8. If you have young children, be sure you get on your sitter's calendar in advance, so you will be all set to go to those adult Christmas functions.

9. Save the boxes for your fragile decorations, so you can pack them away safely after the holiday season.

10. Make sure your car battery is in good condition, especially if you live in cold country. A dead battery in the mall parking lot is no fun !

I hope your holiday season is going well. No, better than well. I hope it's great! I love this time of the year! With it's cold days and colder nights, it gives us a reason to drink hot chocolate and wear scarves and hats and mittens. And big, warm coats! And we get to go sledding and build snowmen and just celebrate being together! So, make your day a little better by doing something for yourself and something for someone else. Until tomorrow,

The maids were frightened away by those leaping Lords!

Day Seven of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Day 7....How time does fly! I hope you are all taking the time to do something off these lists at least once or twice a week, if not every day. I think we can all make someone's Christmas just a little better by doing these things, even if that someone is us! Here is today's list.

1. Feed someone's parking meter.

2. Research your family history and serve a special holiday food or drink that your ancestors might have enjoyed.

3. If you are taking a car trip with children, take turns making up silly verses for the "12 Days of Christmas."

4. Make arrangements to donate leftover food from a holiday party to a homeless shelter.

5. Let younger create their own wrapping paper. Buy a roll of plain white or brown paper and let them draw or paint or use rubber stamps to decorate it. They will have a great time!

6. Print small pictures of family members to use instead of gift tags.

7. Take time to remember that the greatest gift is a home filled with the people you love.

8. Follow the Irish tradition of putting a bird's nest in your tree for luck in the new year.

9. Give your seat on the bus or subway to someone holding lots of packages.

10. Give a pint of blood. It's the gift of life!

Now, get busy and do something! Life is getting shorter by the day for all of us, so don't let it pass you by before you've done something fun! And remember,in the words of Hamilton Wright Malvie, "Blessed is the season that engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." Until the morrow.....

The swans went south for the winter, but lift this (feather) for you.

Day Six of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is day 6 and we're halfway to Christmas Eve! I said yesterday that this list was going to be all about service, so here it is:

1. Volunteer as a family to work in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter during the holidays.

2. Adopt a needy family for the holidays and let members of your family buy a present for the person closest to their own age.

3. Call a nursing home and get the names of 5 or 6 people who don't get much mail. Send each one a beautiful Christmas card and sign it from "Santa".

4. Give new friends or neighbors that have just moved to town a subscription to the local newspaper or the paper from their old hometown.

5. Offer to run errands for an elderly friend or relative.

6. Give someone with failing eyesight a large-print edition of a classic book.

7. Help an elderly neighbor decorate their home for the holidays.

8. Give your place at the check-out or gift-wrapping line to someone who looks as if they've had a hard day.

9. Offer to help a disabled person with his or her Christmas shopping.

10. Be others-centered instead of self-centered. A person wrapped up in themselves makes a very small package.

These are just small things that can be done to make someone else's season bright. They don't take a lot of time or money, and can make a real difference to the person receiving the service. Try some out this week and see how good it makes you feel. And give your family the chance to feel good, too! It will make your children better people to help others. See you tomorrow,

Six geese a-laying out on their vacation in the sun.

Day Five of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-16T12:01:00.004-08:00

For today, we have a list of all kinds of things. Just little tips to make the season brighter.

1. Be creative with your gift wrapping. Use newspapers, funny papers, maps, posters, the yellow pages, old book pages, etc. I'm sure you can come up with lots of ideas for other material to use.

2. Never miss a chance to shake hands with Santa Claus.

3. If your family doesn't have many Christmas traditions, let this be the year you create some!

4.Give at least one Teddy bear this year. Everyone loves a Teddy bear.

5. Offer to hide your neighbors gifts for their children so that little snoopers won't be able to find them.

6. Don't try to do everything yourself. Remember, even Santa has helpers.

7. If you hide gifts, make a list of what you have hidden where so that you will be able to find them all.

8.Take your camera to holiday parties with you, then send photos to the host or hostess with your thank you note.

9. Write Joy to the World with your finger on a frosty window pane.

10. When you hear "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" grab the family member closest to you and swing them to the music!

Hope you enjoy some of the things on this list. It's a light and fun list. The next on will be all about service to others. And this year, give yourself the gift of peace with those things in your life that you know you cannot change. Until tomorrow,

Jingle bells ring, too!

Day Four of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today's list is very family oriented. Try to pick more than one of these to do.

1. Teach your kids look at the gift tag BEFORE they open the present, so they know who it came from. And Thank You notes are nice, too, even if they are a lost art.

2. Record your kids singing Christmas carols and send it to grandparents who live far away.

3. Wrap your child's bedroom door like a big present.

4. Throughout the holiday season, give your family the gift is a sweet disposition.

5. Relax with your family on Christmas afternoon by looking at photos of Christmases past.

6. Help you children bake cookies and bread to give to teachers, bus drivers and coaches.

7.When a family member looks stressed out, give them a big hug.

8. Take lots of photos! No matter how many you take, you'll always wish you had taken more.

9. Make your family feel just as important as holiday company.

10. Remember that the loving holiday spirit in your home depends more on the words you speak than on the gifts you give.

So that's today's list. The more you do these things, the better your family's memories will be. We all remember things differently, but if the whole family remembers this year as a great one, you've succeeded in drawing them closer. See you tomorrow,

Day 4 - It's really birds calling, but who's keeping track?

(You can't see it very well because of the glare, but

the birds are all on their phones!)

Day Three of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

As I said yesterday, today's list is about common sense, something we sometimes forget at this time of the year.

1. Don't schedule yourself too tightly during the holidays. Before making a commitment, ask yourself if it can wait until after Christmas.

2. Be sure to check you camera batteries. Do they need to be replaced before the big morning? Also, be sure to buy more wrapping paper, scotch tape and tags than you think you will need. Better safe than sorry.

3. Don't give your spouse or significant other a bathroom scale for a Christmas gift!

4. Unplug the Christmas lights before leaving the house or going to bed.

5. Don't shop during peak hours. Avoid lunchtime and Saturdays. Early mornings and evenings are best.

6. Never set a candle on a counter underneath a cabinet or shelf. Heat rises, and this can create a fire hazard.

7. Don't burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. It's both a health hazard and a fire hazard.

8. Don't leave packages in plain sight when you park your car. Store them in the trunk.

9. Be sure to check the water level of your tree everyday. If it gets too dry, it becomes a fire hazard.

10. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and close to the tree.

All common sense ideas, but sometimes we just don't think. And remember, any fire chief in any city or town will tell you that this time of year is the biggest time for house fires. You don't want to be one of them, so take great care and you'll be taking great care of those you love. Until tomorrow,

Day 3 - Just waiting to serve you. Mais oui!

Day Two of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-13T21:37:00.002-08:00

Your list for today is a fun one. Read the whole list and I'm sure you will find something that will suit you.

1. Sprinkle red and green confetti in all your Christmas card envelopes so that it goes all over the place when the recipient pulls the card out of the envelope!

2. Wear a smile and a Santa hat when you walk through the mall.

3. Start working on a Christmas-themed jigsaw puzzle and try to have it completed by Christmas Eve.

4. Rent a Santa Claus suit. Slip it on during lunch hour and hand out candy canes to everyone in the office.

5. Tie jingle bells on your kids' shoelaces.

6. When you think you have enough lights on your tree or house, add two more!

7. Create a homemade sled from a large appliance box, then go find the biggest hill you can.

8. Help you child make red and green paper chains from construcion paper and hang them all over his or her room.

9. Be the first to lob a snowball and start a battle. If you live where there is no snow, make white yarn pom-poms and pretend they are snowballs.

10. Load the family in the car, slip in your favorite Christmas CD and drive through the neighborhood looking at the decorations. Roll down the windows and shout "Merry Christmas!" to everyone you see.

Now, there should be something here for everone. If not, then maybe your name should be Ebeneezer Scrouge! =) Tomorrow's list will be a little more conservative, with common sense ideas that you may not even think about. See you then, and remember, "love came down at Christmastime...", so spread a little of it around!

Day 2 - Two Dove turtles

Day One of the 12 Days of Christmas

2012-12-13T21:20:00.001-08:00

How time does fly! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted. And now I'm a day late starting the 12 Days of Christmas posts! That just means you get two posts today. This year, I'm doing it a little bit differently. Instead of a project or recipe or craft every day, I'm focusing on family and service and the real spirit of Christmas. I will give you ten ideas or activities each day for the next 12 days. Some may be things you already do, and some will be things to do for yourself. Hopefully some will be new ideas for you. So here goes....

1. Be the first to wish everyone you meet and Merry Christmas!

2. Buy yourself or your spouse a pair of red flannel pajamas that you wear only on Christmas Eve.

3. Take the family to see a small town parade.

4. Don't count calories from December 15th through January 2nd.

5. Never select a Christmas tree after dark.

6. Take a basket of goodies to a notoriously grumpy neighbor.

7. Mend a broken relationship with a friend or relative during the holiday season.

8. Be nice to sales personnel. They're often more weary than you are!

9. Don't despair if you are short of cash. Be creative. Looking back, you will discover that the Christmases when you had the least were the Christmases when you gained the most and had the best memories.

10. Hang a favorite Christmas ornament from your car's rear view mirror. It will cheer you up when you are sitting in holiday traffic.

That's your list for today. If you implement even one of these ideas today, you will be a better person for it. It may make you feel better, or it may make a family member or friend feel better. It may even make someone you don't even know feel better! And if you can do that every day for 12 days, then why not all year long? Remember, Christmas is about the spirit, not how much you spend or how many gifts you give. See you tomorrow,

These are ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) I did for a swap.

Day 1 - Sorry, it's a bare tree and no partridge in sight.

Of Pickling and Pies

2012-11-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I've been such an absentee blogger these last few weeks. I have some major health issues that I haven't quite figured out how to deal with, and it's taking its toll. From bulging discs to narrowing nerve tunnels at the base of my spine, I spend a lot of time on a heating pad and I'm having to take pain meds, which I HATE!!! My doctor is have trouble finding something that works for me, because the pain meds that might help and would put most people to sleep, which is good, well, they keep me awake. I mean for 24 to 48 hours awake! And the body that doesn't sleep, doesn't heal. I just get more and more tired, which doesn't help anything, either.

Okay....on to another subject. In August, I took a class that was offered to the community garden volunteers to learn how to preserve the food from the garden. I have done quite a bit of bottling, but it was YEARS ago, and I know things have changed, so I signed up. And I had never really done any dehydration before, so I wanted to learn that, too. We bottled dilly beans, pickled beets, catsup, salsa, tomatoes, tomato juice, relish and tomato-apple chutney. We dried those same vegetables, too. We had a wonderful teacher. Her name is Marian and she is a Master Food Preserver and Educator. She is really funny, too. She kept us going, but kept us on track at the same time. Her other half, Gene, is a great guy, too. Here are a few photos from that experience.

This is some of the produce from the garden.

We grew some delicious tomatoes!

Here we are, listening to Marian as she talks about

food preservation safety.

This was our group.

And this was part of our bounty.

On Monday and Tuesday of this last week, part of us got together again to learn how to process squash and make pumpkin pies from scratch. In those two days, we made 80 pies! 40 of them went to the Men's Gospel Mission in Medford, 20 went to a group home here in Gold Hill, a few went to the custodians of the middle school, whose kitchen we used, a few to some other people, and the rest were split between the 6 of us doing the baking. I got home with three pies for our family. We gave one to Hally's Girl Scout leader. It was fun and I learned a lot. Since winter squash comes on during the school year, I never saw my mother process it, though I know she did, so this was all new to me. Here are some photos. I forgot to take a picture of all the pies before we boxed them up and shipped them out, darn it!

This is Gene with his saw. We

never could have done it without him!

Lots of squash.

Waiting to be scraped for processing.

This handy gadget separates the stuff you don't want

from the stuff you do. When we were bottling tomatoes,

it sent the peel and seeds one way and the meat of the

another way. With the squash, it sent the pulp

one way and the meat the other way. It was great!

Boxing up the pies!

The quiche we made for lunch on Tuesday. It was yummy!

Well, that's a little bit of what I've been doing with my time. I may not be up to par yet, but I'm mot totally out of it! Until next time, remember.......what you do today is important, because you are exchanging a day of your life for it! Take are all,

Still doing apples!

2012-10-29T12:47:00.002-07:00

Well, here I am, still doing apples! I thought they would be done by now, but I don't seem to be making much headway! This is going to be a short post because when I get off this computer, I'm doing applesauce. Really, I am going to do it this time! And some apple pie filling, too.

Lots of apples!

Have you got one of these handy gadgets? I borrowed this one from a friend.

It peels, cores and slices the apples all at the same time!

There you have it! The core is still on the gadget, the

peels are under it and the apple rings are to the right.

Pretty handy, huh? Hubby runs the gadget while I catch the rings and put them in a bowl, ready to cook down. Gotta go get busy! See you later.

Friday Friends!

2012-10-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's Friday already!Time for some new Friday Friends. First up is Alisa Burke. She has a very nice blog that's a combination of craft, fashion and photography, a little of this and a little of that. While you're there, browse her whole blog. You'll find some great ideas! She's also going to be giving an online class called Create Daily. It's 30 days, a post a day, of simple ideas, projects and lessons, and it only cost $30! $20 if you register by Oct. 31. Anyway, the project I picked for you today is a wreath made from canvas circles and it's one that I definitely want to make for myself! So go on over and check out http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2009/11/canvas-layers-holiday-wreath.html and see for yourself.

Next in our line-up is Lynn Stevens from Trash to Treasure. If you go to her site right now you will see some of the most amazing Halloween stuff. She participates in a lot of swaps and posts really nice photos of what she sends and what she gets in return. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom, you'll find her archives and you can dig around in there and find some outstanding ideas. I found one in November of last year that I thought was really beautiful and I would love to make it if I can find an old ice skate. http://trashtotreasureart.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html

Our next friend is Julia at Vintage with Laces. Her site is an eclectic mixture of home dec and craft, and it's truly lovely. As the blog title implies, she uses a lot of vintage laces in her projects and makes some gorgeous items. The one I picture here is one I especially like. Go visit her and be sure to leave a comment. Bloggers love comments.

And our final Friend for today is Julie Ann Shahin over at Julie Ann Shahin2. Her blog is full of paper crafts and art journaling and things that are interesting. I found a Smash book that I really like and that's what I'm sharing today, but go browse her blog and you'll find all kinds of goodies. http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-smash-book-its-okay-just-smash.html.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you will visit all our friends and leave comments telling them you saw them here. Comments are good for them AND for me! And remember......the greatest artist was once a beginner, so don't be afraid to try anything! Until next time,

Taking life as it comes.....

2012-10-25T13:03:00.001-07:00

I have been using this week to catch up on some projects! I had quite a few swaps to get ready for Swap-bot, tomatoes to bottle, apples to dry and tomorrow I will be making applesauce and apple pie filling! I have two food dryers running as we speak, full of apple rings.

This is what my kitchen table looks like right now!\

A huge square dryer and a smaller round dryer.

Nice looking apple rings.

Here are a few photos of some of the Swap-bot items.

Book page and postage stamp ATC.

(ATC= Artist Trading Card)

Christmas ATC #1

Christmas ATC #2

A spoon lady with extra items to hold in her arms.

I don't know if you can tell but she's made from a wooden spoon.

Christmas tag #1

Christmas tag #2

Christmas bookmark

I also started decorating the house and yard this week. I know, it almost Halloween already, but a lot of the decorations I do outside are more Fall than just Halloween. Hehehe.....except for the headstones I'm making. This is the first year we've done this, but we are going to have a little mini-cemetery in the front yard. And we'll probably add more headstones every year. This is what we're starting with:

The lighting in our kitchen makes everything look yellow!

The cornstalks are actually from our own garden!

This is the first year I didn't have to buy them.

This big spider web lights up.

I'll post more photos when we get the "cemetery" done. Well, that's it for today! You can see that I've been busy. And it's not all done yet, either, but I will keep on pluggin'.

Thanks to all who are still reading and didn't give up on me. Life sometimes gets in the way of living, but I'm still here and plan to be for a long time. After all........either you run the or the day runs you!
Until next time,

2012-10-22T23:50:00.002-07:00

Well, hello! It's been one heck of a last few months! Here's the short version: surgery on both hands, a trip to southern California, southern Nevada and northern Nevada, doctor's appointments by the skads, a mini-stroke, or TIA, arthritis and joint damage for my hubby, and diabetes, bulging disks, narrowing of nerve canals in lower spine and into the legs, and fibromyalgia for me. So you can see how I didn't have a lot of time to blog for a while. But I really am back now, and I will stay back!

The trip to California and Nevada was to visit family, mainly my mother-in-law, who is very ill. We spent two weeks with my husband's sister and family, making daily trips to visit his mother and do what we could to help his sisters get all her affairs in order and her "stuff" cleaned out and taken care of. I think she still has a good long while before she will be "checking out", but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. We had some nice visits with her and enjoyed taking her shopping. She's a hoot sometimes! She knows what she wants and that's that! It's the longest amount of time I've ever spent with her, and I really did enjoy it.

My husband, Chuck, and his mom, Thelma.

Then we visited the little valley where we lived for so long. Our youngest daughter and her two boys live there again, and we stayed with them for a few days. Two of our other grandsons live there, also, with their dad, and we got to go to soccer games with them. We also got to visit with my husband's brother and brother-in-law (his wife was in California with her mom) and had a nice family barbecue.

Rafferty and Cyric in front of their school.

Hal and Isaac at their soccer games.

Then we headed north to Elko, where our two oldest kids and their families live. We stayed there a few days, went to another soccer game, saw the beginnings of the balloon light-up, and then headed home.

Cody and Jason in front of a character they drew,

It was from a video game or movie, something like that?

Hannah (in the pink) with her sleepover friends,

and our youngest grandson, SJ.

Madison and Kacey, the daughters of my

oldest daughter's boyfriend.

It was a long trip and we were so glad to get back home to our own bed! We did have a good time, but 3 weeks is a long time to be away from home.

I am in the process of making plans for both my blogs and hope to be totally up to speed by Monday. I have a few projects in the works, plus a few that I did during the summer that you haven't seen yet, so I will see you again soon. And remember....."Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling." Margaret Lee Runbeck. Until next time,

Surgery is done!

2012-08-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, my surgery is finally done! I am having a hard time being good with this one, because I'm not as scared this time. I know what I can do and what I can't. My biggest problem is that I got used to using my left hand for everything after the surgery on the right hand, and so I go for the left without thinking and then I yelp when it hurts!

You can tell that I haven't been such a good girl. Boy is that bandage dirty!

But I get to take the ugly bandage off tomorrow and the stitches will come out next Tuesday. Yay!

Before the surgery, I started a post about Pinterest. I LOVE Pinterest! It is addicting and fun and you can learn a lot of stuff there. And you can get mega ideas! So many ideas it's hard to choose what you want to do.....I guess that's why there are boards you can pin the ideas to for later perusal. Anyway, I decided to start a Pinterest Challenge for myself. Every month, I will choose something from Pinterest to make for myself or as a gift. I will show you the pin and then show you how I made it. I hope you like this idea, because I think it will be fun. So, my first Pinterest Challenge is this:

A Girl's Survival Kit. I found it on my friend LoriAnn's board and the original is here, on the Tidy Mom blog.

The pinned item was mad from a lorge potholder with a pocket on one side. I couldn't find a hot pad with a pocket, so I just got a regular extra-long hot pad at Wal*Mart. It cost me 97 cents. A bag of snack bags was about $3, and some black grosgrain ribbon I laready had. The cost of the goodies to go in the pockets will depend on whatever you put in them. I already had a lot of the stuff, so I didn't spend too much.

Decide how many pockets you want. I put twelve snack bags, 6 on each side, so the friend I'm giving it to can add other things if she wants. I lined them all up and pinned them in place. I left about 1/4" space between the two sides, because it gives more room for the stuff in the pockets. Use a zigzag stitch to attach them to the potholder.

It looks pretty good as long as your stitching is straight, but I like to cover it up anyway. I used a length of 1" wide grosgrain ribbon, cut 1/2" longer than the width of the potholder. Turn under 1/4" on each end and stitch it to the back of the potholder. Be sure to move your bags to the side you are NOT stitching on, or you will make you bags too small to hold anything.

Now it looks more finished! Add a large button on the side with no loop and line it up with the loop so your clutch will button straight.

There you go! All finished and ready to use or give. The one from Pinterest used the outside pocket on the potholder to hold a little notebook, but I just put mine inside. At least I think I remembered the notebook????? Oh, well, she might just have to get her own.

That's enough typing for today. One-handed typing is a real bummer. I hope you liked this Pinterest Challenge, and I will be doing more in the future, so keep an eye out. And remember this.....the greatest artist was once a beginner, so don't be afraid to try everything! Until next time,

Christmas in July!

2012-07-31T13:49:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post! I have been enjoying the summer and doing some volunteer work. I volunteer in the community garden every Tuesday and Thursday, and I volunteer at the library on Wednesdays. Plus I have my church obligations and the family and the records transcription for family history, etc. etc. etc. I didn't realize I was so busy until I wrote it all down! And I just got a new church calling.....I am now the Relief Society mid-week activity committee chairman. I have a really good committee, although we need a couple more to replace the two we lost, but that's probably the easiest of all my responsibilities. We just had a Christmas in July meeting that was so much fun! We made Joy blocks.....

and thumbprint Christmas cards.....

and Cinnamon Stick Nativities....

and yo-yo Christmas Trees!

Click on the links and it will take you to instructions for the projects. They are all from my Twelve Days of Christmas 2012 except for the cards. I got ideas for those all over the Internet, but the link will take you to Squidoo, where I found the most ideas in one place. And I don't know what's going on with my pictures, but some of them won't let me make them bigger. Sorry!

We had Christmas cookies and milk for refreshments and everyone had a good time. That's what a good committee will do!

Anyway, that's what I've been up to since we last talked. And next Tuesday, I will be having surgery on my other hand, so it will probably be another few weeks before you hear much from me. You all take care and keep crafting!

A great recipe!

2012-07-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

When my children were really young, we lived for a couple of years in Grantsville, Utah. There are some really super people there, and we enjoyed our time there. One of the ladies in our ward (LDS church group) had a daughter coming home from her mission, and I volunteered to help her at the after-report reception. We don't do these any more, because they became a we-can-do-it-better-than-you kind of thing. but this was back in the day. Anyway, she served this wonderful dessert called Trifle, which I had never heard of. She got the recipe while she and her husband and family were in England, and she was more than willing to share it with me.

It's a beautiful, easy dessert. For my family, who eats this like it's going out of style, I use two small boxes of instant vanilla pudding, one yellow cake mix, two baskets of strawberries, 3-4 bananas, 1 pkg. frozen raspberries (or fresh, if you have them), 1 box Danish Dessert or 1 tub of strawberry glaze for making pies, and one large tub Cool Whip. Start by baking the cake in a 9x13 pan and letting it cool. While the cake is cooling, pick the tops from the strawberries and slice them. Add just about 1/4 cup sugar. Don't add too much because it will make the filling too juicy. Slice the bananas and add them, with the raspberries, to the strawberries. If you have Danish Desert, make it according to the instructions on the package. If you have strawberry glaze, us it as is. Add the glaze to the fruit and stir well.

Last of all, make the pudding according to the directions on the package. Now break the cake up into small crumbles and start layering the ingredients in a straight-sided glass bowl, or Trifle dish. (They really do make dishes meant for trifle!)

Start with a little bit of the fruit mixture, just enough to moisten the bottom. Now your layers go like this: cake, fruit mixture, pudding and Cool Whip. The fruit should always go on top of the cake so that the juice will soak into it and not juice up the pudding. (My bottom layer is backwards, but the top layer is right :0 ) My trifle dish has disappeared, so I had to use more than one dish.

When you get it all layered, it will look really beautiful! Serve it to your family and listen to the compliments roll in. It makes a splash at parties and potlucks, too! I hope you will try this recipe and let me know what you think. I like to have this for my birthday instead of a cake.

Until next time, think about this: Birthdays are good for you - the more you have, the longer you live! Happy summer and good eating!

Happy 4th of July!

2012-07-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

We had a good 4th, and I hope you all did, too. If you want to see pictures and a video of the fireworks, go to my other blog, Gramm and Crackers, to view them. We were basically lazy. We didn't do any gardening or housecleaning, or much of anything. The guys and kids went fishing and Kristen and I watched movies. Great day!

Here are a few pics from the parade. though. It was really long, but probably the best one we've seen in Ashland yet.

The REAL weinerschnitzel!

Andy and Cameron's scout group.

I caught Andy in the middle of a sentence, and how about the "cool" Cameron?

We had a good day and I hope all of you did, too. Love you all! See ya next week.

I'm Back!!

2012-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. My hand is healing nicely and I have almost full use of it again. I was all wrapped up like a boxing glove for a week, and it was pretty hard to do anything with that hand.

After a week, I got to take the big wad of gauze off. Boy did it feel good to be able to wash my hand! The betadine or iodine or whatever they used didn't want to come off. I had to scrub three times to get it off! The stitiches looked like a caterpillar. I had to put Neosporen on it and I still had to keep it covered, but I could begin to use it now. Only problem was, the bandage wouldn't stick to me, so I still had to wrap gauze around it to hold it all on!

My good friend, Bobbi, brought me a puzzle, and my husband and I put it together. Another friend brought me a huge bunch of flowers from her garden, and I forgot to take a picture! They were beautiful, all in pinks and reds. I LOVE flowers, especially the ones NOT from a florist. I like the homegrown and wild varieties the best. (Of course, I would never turn down a bouquet from the florist. :} )

Okay! Enough about the hand! Except to say that I will be having the other one done soon, and we start all over. Okay. Now some pictures from our trip to the coast. We went to Brookings, Oregon, and we had so much fun! We took our motorhome for the first time, and stayed in an RV park. It was really nice and just a five minute walk from the beach. We also took our dog, Molly, who had the best time of her life! And the RV park had a pet place just up a little hill, with a great view, where the dogs could run and do their business. It was great.

This was our camp site or RV spot or whatever you call it. I liked the fact that there was small gravel instead of just dirt. And you can tell there was greenery all around the park. We really liked it.

We are re-doing the motorhome in red, white and blue. It's not totally done yet, but it's a start. This is my son, Andy, looking at the activity guide for the weekend. It was Azalea Days and there was a parade and all kinds of activities going on, and we were trying to decide what we would do. We went to the parade and wandered the booths a little, but mostly we just enjoyed the beach and being able to sit back and do nothing. We did some crabbing, but we didn't get anything we could keep. Maybe next time. We went to Azalea Park, which was in full bloom, and let the kid's play at the kid's park while Kristen and I roamed the main park. It was so gorgeous! So here are some of the highlights of our trip.

We all had a lot of fun and I'm sure we'll be doing it again soon! I'll have a new project for you soon and I think you will really like it. See you soon.

Giveaway!

2012-06-29T19:58:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody! Just wanted to drop by and tell you about a wonderful giveaway from Finger Snapper! 25 great products are being given away and you still have time to enter! Go to fingersnapper.com and enter right away. Here's a peek at what's being given away.

So go now and enter! See you all next week, when I am coming back for good. Love to you all,