Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year filled with Happiness, Heath, and Love!

Lost in New York City ( Part Two)

After two days on a cramped bus we arrived in the bowels of Port Authority in NYC at about 5 am! We were tired, needed a shower , and very excited. Port Authority is located on 42nd street right in the heart of NYC, I could not wait to get out of the underground and see the outside. I had listened to a paranoid woman talking to no one on the phone about the phone being bugged, i had heard Sis in Law scream, looked over and saw a big man leaning over her chair with his hands on the arms of her chair, i don`t remember what he wanted, i don`t think he was, you know, all there, it just was`nt a nice place to be.





So here we are, dragging Sis In Laws 200 pound suitcase, and my little LIGHT one, trying to get above ground, it is a huge place but finally, we made it. Along the way, we had stopped at a phone booth to `alert` Sis In Laws daughter that we had arrived. She was the reason we went to NYC, she lives in Yonkers, which is where we`d be (intruding) staying. Her words were, STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. Well, i just thought it would be easier to spot us above ground outside, so, there we were, sitting on the steps of port authority , in the dark, during the quiet time of the city. Unfortunately i was wrong about being easier to spot.







An old black man was hosing down the steps, but he was kind enough to spray around us, He kept asking us " Are you sure someones going to pick you up?" He was a nice man, and we must have had HICK written on our foreheads. I ran and got us a coffee and a bagle to share, and oh my god, NYC bagles are the BEST! Well, finally, the man hosing off the steps appoligized but we had to move, he had to wash our step. It had been over an hour or so that we had been sitting watching the city wake up. We decided to go down into the bowels and call daughter again, we were becoming a little concerened.





I spotted a copper, I approached him and innocently asked, " Sir, is this the only entrance into the building?" He literally looked at me like i was from mars and said, "Lady, this is one of seven entrances." Deflated, i said, "Oh, well thank you." Minnesotans are always polite.

I`ve heard about the rude people in NYC but honestly, this cop was the only rude person i came across.





Sis In Law was tired, she was`nt excited about going back underground. We reached an elevator and she says, " I think i`m going to pass out." I looked at her, and replied, "if you pass out before you get into this elevator i am leaving you lay here." I`m sweet like that. It worked, she made it all the way down. I called her daughter. First thing i hear is, WHERE ARE YOU?? It seems they had been there and could not find us and had gone back home. Damn. I had to confess and mention how we had gone topside to wait. Again she said, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!! Poor Julie, she and her cop hubby had packed up her two little ones and came into the city and...well, no nana, no auntie.





But hey , wait, her hubby is a cop!!!! He could`nt spot us sitting on the steps? Sis in Law was wearing a blaze red sweater and well, i was sitting on suit cases. Sheesh, we were the only two hicks around. We stayed where we were and watched alot of strange goings on. Finally, we were found. We sat quietly and listened to the lecture about how dangerous NYC was, we deserved it. We were good all the way back to Yonkers. And i have to say, I LOVE YONKERS, it is a city of over 1 million, but it felt and looked like a small town in the neighborhood we were staying at.

That`s all for now........see you tomarrow!

Two Hicks And Their Big Adventure

Several years ago, My Sis-In-Law and I decided to go on a great adventure, we took a Greyhound to the Big Apple, you got it, NYC. It was a blast, and a trip that will never be forgotten, and always , ALWAYS makes me laugh still. Only two hicks could have so much fun on a Greyhound.



Looking back, it kinda-sorta reminds me of the Beverly Hillbillys minus the cash flow. Seriously, it does.



This is the list of things i learned on that big adventure.



1. Never bring fried chicken on your bus trip, honestly, people will stare at you, and spell out the word FREAK with their eyes. And, it smells up the entire bus.

2. Never allow Sis-In-Law to pack her own HUGE bag, it will weigh at least 200 pounds.

3. Friendships made on a Greyhound only last as long as your cigarettes hold out. So so shallow.

4. When Sis in Law is spotted falling OUT of the bus, pretend you never saw it, let the bus driver deal with, that`s why we pay him the big bucks. it works like a charm.

5. When Sis in Law falls inside of McDonalds, pretend it did`nt happen, just grab her bagged burger and fries while passing by and say, " See you on the bus." Totally ignore the kind helpful man being swatted away by said Sis In Law. THIS WORKS.

6. When nightfalls and it`s time to sleep on the bus and passenger in front of you is snoring, just gently but VERY firmly, press your knee into her seat and knee her. Sis In Law will stop her snoring, repeat as needed.

7. When confronted on a bus by a drug crazed man acting STRANGE, stay calm, trust Your bus driver to call police and have him removed from the bus. Never a dull moment when you travel Greyhound.

8. Just smile and pretend you don`t know the woman throwing a fit on the bus because there is nowhere to sit, follower her off the bus, shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes, insinuating to the people on the bus that yeah, ain`t she crazy? Wait to reprimand Sis In Law when you get off the bus.

That is pretty much most of the valuable lessons i learned on my two day Greyhound trip, but the fun did`nt end there, pulling into Port Authority Bus Depot in the wee hours of the morning were so so exciting and hysterical. I`ll tell you tomarrow!

Sweet dreams

Almond Tea Bread

Those little loaves just came out of the oven, and i can`t wait untill they are cooled, i`m eating one. Their looks are deceiving, they look like just another loaf of desert bread, untill you bite into a slice.

The above pic is a little blurry, but this is the one i am saving for ME. These are Almond Tea Bread, and I promise, if you serve this to guests, they will love it and they will love you for them.

Almond Tea Bread

Cream together: 2- 1/4 C. Sugar

3 eggs

1- 1/8 C. oil

Sift together, and add to above mixture alternately with 1-1/2 c. milk

3 C. all purpose flour

1- 1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Add: 1-1/2 Tbls. poppy seeds

1-1/1 tsp. pure almond flavoring

1-1/2 tsp. pure butter flavoring

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla

Beat 1-2 minutes

Pour into greased and floured bread pans

Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes (do not overbake)

Remove from oven, and while still warm glaze with:

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C orange juice

1/2 tsp. each of almond, butter, and vanilla flavoring

This makes 5 small loaves

This bread goes so fast i usually make a double batch...........you`ll love it!

Popping In

I hope Everyone had a fantastic Christmas, and that Santa was good to everyone, he sure was good to me, my kids spoiled me.....................again.

I just wanted to pop in and tell you to go over and check out http://huntersfishermenliars-skip.blogspot.com/ He posted the things that have been keeping him so busy for the last month. His project was a complete success, the kids loved them. Making them was alot of fun for him.

Take care all.........till we meet again!

From A Christmas Past

My Camera does not do this picture justice.

This Santa is all done in cross stitch, it is 11"x14" and is matted and was put into a nice frame. I just hung it today and was thinking about all the work that had gone into this picture, all the hours sitting and cross stitching, and then to just give it away. Amazing.

My Sister Kathy made and gave me this picture years ago, and I cherish it. My sister is the most talented and crafty person i know, she does such beautiful work, i have always been so envious of her talent and patience, and i have always been one of the beneficiaries of that talent. I don`t know which is bigger, her amazing talent or her great generosity, they go hand in hand i think.

Almost everywhere i go in my house, there is a little something that will remind me of her. She passed down her crafty talent to her daughter Jettie, she also makes the most amazing things.

I just wanted to show you all a gorgeous christmas picture..........It makes me smile, i hope it will make you smile too.

Wow, Time Flys!

Has it really been this long?????

Christmas is here already, and next friday all my kids and grandkids will be here! I am cleaning and cooking like crazy cuz, i ALWAYS wait till the last minute. I guess i work best under stress.

Skip and I have been so busy making fun stuff, i think skip plans on posting soon after this weekend, he wants to show off his creations, and lets face it, after Christmas, things slow way down in northern minnesota, so i have a feeling he`ll be getting back to his blog, and me too!

Anyway, i just wanted to say hi to everyone and let you know i`m not dead or anything!

Be Back Soon!

Fun In Wisconsin

Well, all i can say about this guy, is that we were very limited on materials, we were rushed because Olivia did`nt like him from the get go.

Do you see how she is looking at him? It was instant delight, i later heard that she was very happy to see him removed and torn apart.

But, Playing in the leaves was a differant matter. At my house we are leaf deprived, so this was fun. Even Grandpa had to take a dip.

See the shoes at the bottom of the slide, guess who?

Yes, Olivia, the dare devil!

Here is the little ballarina, we had to take the picture fast before the teacher closed the door on us, apparently, mothers and grandmothers are a distraction. phfff

then Sadly, our time was over, and we had to leave. We had breakfast, and then goodbyes. It was a great time, and we already miss little miss Sassy Pants.

On The Road

We are going away for a few days tomarrow, i am so excited! We will be staying with grandgirl, Princess O. I can`t wait to see her.

So, i`ll catch up on you when i return............have a fantastic week!

Sleepy Hollow

Several years ago, my sister in law and i went to NYC, one of my favorite places was The Sleepy Hollow Cemetary. It is a beautiful place, but creepy at the same time. Perhaps that had to do with the story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. That is Washington Irvings grave, the author of the story. I don`t know what was creepier, the cemetary, or me, scooping a little grave yard dirt from His grave. Hmmmmm, i guess it would be me. But in my defense, it`s a great Halloween decoration.

We went in October, the leaves were changing, which helped with the atmosphere, not to mention it was close to Halloween, perfect time to visit this cemetary. This is The Old Dutch Church and old burial grounds. You`d never get me in this place after dark.

We spent a good deal of time reading the old tomb stones in the old part of the cemetary, so interesting. I just wish i had taken more pictures. Many of the stones were so worn they could not be read . The Mausoleums were extremely interesting, and again, really really spooky, each one a differant design. I know they still bury people in this cemetary but i don`t think i`d ever want to rest here, it would scare the bejeebies out of me, even dead.

The month of October always makes me remember this cemetary, and all the spooky feelings that went along with a walk through this old, cemetary. If you ever get to NYC, visit, you won`t be dissapointed. Just leave some dirt for the next guy.

A Secret Discovered

I remember a story my Mother used to tell, of a time long ago, well, maybe it has`nt been all that long ago.



When my Mother was a little girl, around the age of seven which would have been in the year 1932 her Father was involved in unsavory activities. Of course, no one was suppose to know about those activities as they were kept very secret, untill my Mother came along that is.



My Grandfather had this old box, it`s contents were a secret, and was never intended for young eyes or any eyes for that matter. But, my Mother was a hmmmm........a brat, to put it mildly. And the word NO, never did sit right with her.



One night, my Mother, her Sisters, and Cousins were playing. My Mom, knowing she was not to get into her Fathers things, got into them anyway. She was alone when she found this big white outfit, that looked like a sheet, with a funny pointed hat.



She decided to put it on and scare her Sisters and Cousins. She came running at them, the white sheet trailing behind her. They ran screaming into the house. Well, My Grandfathers unsavory past was no longer a secret, it was out now.


My Family lived in a small farming community, My Grandfather was a farmer. Back then, you`d be hard pressed to find a black person living anywhere in that area, so who do you suppose they were KKKing about? The Catholics, who else could they bother?


When i was growing up there, i was always aware of the tension between Lutherans and Catholics, always. I don`t remember having any Catholic friends back then, I don`t remember ever being in the Catholic Church there.


Holy Hannah, then my Sister married a......a Catholic! That was just not done in my family. There was alot of arguments with the future Son In Law, but my Sister had made up Her mind, and she was married, in the Catholic Church! I can only imagine my parents uncomfortableness of the situation back then, oiy vey! I just remember Me crying, i`m not sure it was because My sister was leaving us, or because she had married a Catholic. lol My sister is 9 years older than i am, so i was young and impressionalble back then, although, i too married.............yes, you guessed, a Catholic! Me and My Sister, total rebels.


Anyway, back to the KKK. I don`t know if my Grandfather burned any crosses in any Catholics yards , or hung them in a tree, or gunned them down on the streets, that is something My Mother never found out, but i would guess to say, no they did`nt. Well, maybe a cross or two,


The reason i thought of this story tonight , is because, even though i know i should`nt, i was doing some reading on the internet. The McCain/Palin town Hall Lynchings, oops, i mean meetings reminded me of that white KKK outfit my Mother found all those years ago. I imagine at my Grandfathers meetings, speakers fired up their followers much in the same way McCain and Palin are doing today, Screams of " terrorist", "traitor", and "kill him" coming from their followers. Sad and Frightening how low the Republicans have stooped, I am embarrased for them.



1932 does`nt seem so long ago anymore.

Change

That`s all I`m sayin

The Beast

We thought it was so cute when we saw Flynn sitting on top his dog house, keeping watch over the neighborhood. But then the sway on his roof became very apparrent, skip would go out each day and fix it, put it back to normal. Flynn would sit on his doghouse, looking at the back door, just hoping he could catch a glimpse of His master. Some days, when the sun was bright, he`d drape himself across it, basking in the sunshine. Kinda like snoopy.

Then, he started re-arranging the possition of his house, This is`nt a light house, Skip attached 2x4`s on the bottom of the house last winter to keep it off the ground and out of the melting snow, we could`nt let his feet get wet could we? He likes angling it either towards our ally, for security reasons we assume, never know when a burgler, or female might come waltzing down the alley. Above it is positioned so that he can see our street infront of our house, Who knows what may lurk there. You can also see that he has almost ripped the entire front panel off his house, innocently of course. To move his house he must grab hold of the doorway and pull his house. Well, night after night of pulling, has resulted in this. Skip will again have to use his carpentry skills to fix this, vecause there is no way i am buying that pooch another house!

See the guilt on his face? His ears layed back? This is when we went out the other morning to view his destruction. Cute huh?

This Old House

We have lived in this big old house for 24 years. It is drafty, creaky, spooky, and filled with memories, and i love it. It is`nt filled with memories from just my family, oh no, it is filled with memories that span more than 100 years.

I will never know all the memories this old house has held between it`s walls, but, over all the years i have lived here, i have found hints of memories of those people i have never known, people long dead.

Once cleaning out the basement, i opened an old box, stashed inside were two certificates, one was a baptizmal certificate, and one a confirmation. His Name was John, and He owned this house before us. He was already deceased by this time. They used to make these certificates very big and ornate, perfect for framing. Once, before i found these, his daughter was in town, and she always drove by her old home whenever she had the opportunity. One day, i was outside, and she stopped. We had a nice long chat, and she told me alot of stories about this house. I keep wishing she would stop in again so i could give her those certificates.

Today skip was fixing our old iron heater in the front porch , it weighs a ton, he had to take it out and get to the leak that had sprung. He lifted up one of the floor boards, and replaced a broken pipe, there between the floor board and the subfloor was a folded up paper, obviously used for insulation. It was yellowed, black from dirt on the top, and very brittle and wrinkled. I carefully unfolded it, ironed it, put on my magnifying glasses, and began reading. The date on the paper is sept 20, 1919. Above is a couple pictures of it. What a treasure! You could buy a sheet of music back then for 6 1/2 cents, and a pound of walnuts were 50 cents a pound.

I am still reading the paper, if is filled with stories. It makes me wonder, what other treasures this old house will give us in the years to come.

We had seriously thought of getting rid of this house a couple months ago, it is too big for us, too expensive to heat, so much work needs to be done on it, but, i just could`nt. So we started painting ............again.

This house is still known as the teachers house, when John and His wife had retired, there children moved out, they rented the bedroom upstairs to single female teachers. It was a law back then that female teachers could not be married. So, here is where many of them lived, for years. It is also still known but it`s original owners last name, maybe if we live her long enough, it will be known by our last name.

I raised my kids in this house, through good times and bad. I cried and laughed in this house. My heart was broken , and my heart burst with joy in this house. This is the place my kids and grandkids come home to. I love this old house, and i cannot imagine having my family come home to any place but this place. I keep remembering what Danibelle said to me a few years ago, " Grandma, i just love this house, it is filled with so many treasures." It sure is Danibelle.

Besides, i would`nt want to put my ghost through having to adjust to a new family, at his age.

Still Waiting

See that knife up there? It`s my favorite knife, it`s been my favorite knife for 30 years.

You might ask, why is she writing a post about a stupid knife? Well, i`ll tell you why.

It has earned a place of honor in my home, besides, what survives 30 years without change? Save for the little melted spot on the handle, this knife is as sharp as it was the day i bought it.

Skip and I were at the mall, doing what young couples do at the mall, shopping till we dropped when we stumbled upon a display in the mall hall. A man was showing the amazing sharpness of these knives. It`s the knife that can cut a cow in half, was their advertizing motto. Well, who would`nt want a knife that can cut a cow in half? You never know when you might have to. I bought two. I gave one to my Mother, incase she, you know, found a cow.

When the kids were growing up, and i had lost my knife, or rather misplaced it, i`d ask, who took my knife that can cut a cow in half? Well, it always turned up, and i`d be all happy again. So this knife has always been known by that long name.

No cow has crossed my path in all these years, not one, nor did one ever cross paths with my Mother. So, i can`t swear that this knife will cut a cow in half, all i can say is, it has never failed me while cutting anything in half, and it is my favorite bread cutting knife, ahhh such clean edges it makes!

So i dedicate this blog to my favorite knife, and, of course, i am still waiting for that damn cow.

This Ones For Sulli

Sulli asked a question in my comment section, i will try to answer. Is it true that Obama removed the flag from the outside of his campaign plane? Below is Obamas plane before the renovations. See the big flag? Perhaps when flying to dangerous countries this flag would stand out like a sore thumb and become one heck of a target? That was my first thought. This Is Obamas plane after renovations. See that little round red, white and blue thing on the tail? Kind of looks like a flag, kinda, but it is smaller, and not quite as noticible. I kind of like it.

Below is McCains campaign plane. Now, i know my eyes are`nt so good but, can anyone see anything resembling a flag on this plane?

As for Obama refusing to place his hand over his heart, well, it sounds rediculous, and no one can tell me why he refuses to, so, i don`t think i can believe that one.

A First For Me

Well, i just did something i have never done in my life.


I went here tonight, http://simplynutmeg.com/ After reading Nutmegs post, i decided to volunteer for the Obama Campaign.


This really creeps me out when i say this, and trust me i don`t say this very often , but here goes. (gulps) I have been alive for over half a century, ( yuck, i just got goosebumps) in that half century, i have never felt so dissapointed, so fearful, and so utterly devastated by what our country has become in these last 8 years. The sorriest part of all of this is, i voted for bush, eight years ago, so i feel my share of responsibility and guilt for the state of our country.


My only excuse for voting for this man is..........i was menopausal at the time. I have been a life long Democrat, so, by doing such an insane thing, well, there is only that one excuse. But, now i`m over that, i`m sane again, well, somewhat, and ready for battle.


So, i followed Nutmegs links to volunteering and now i am just waiting for a call to duty. I strongly feel the need to do something no matter how small, for my childrens, and my grandchildrens futures.


Gosh, now i`m silently singing to myself, Onward Democratic Soldiers, Marching off to War..............I am so ready to serve! Are you?

German Apple Cake

This is a delicious cake i stumbled upon when i was looking for apple recipes, and it is so good, i have made two of these cakes, they go very fast. It makes a large cake, and depending on your love of apples, you can use more apples than what is called for, or less.

You can see some of the apples in this picture, The only thing i changed in the original recipe, is that i added Cinnamon and Nutmeg, I can`t imagine apple anything without cinnamon and nutmeg, but the choice is yours. This recipe came from an old cookbook from the 60`s , called Homemakers Cookbook.

German Apple Cake

3 Cups Sugar

1/2 pound butter

2 eggs

1 Cup milk

dash of vanilla ( i used a tsp.)

4 Cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

5 big apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla, beat. Stir in milk. flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well.

Put half the dough in a greased 9x 13x2 5/8 greased cake pan, add apples, cover apples with remaining dough, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar, generously.

Bake at 350 for an hour and thirty minutes. This may vary, start checking cake afer an hour by sticking a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, it`s done. This is wonderful warm from the oven and smothered with whipped cream, or served cold.

Does it get any easier than that?

Enjoy!

Apple Time

Those apples above? They are`nt my apples, but mine looked alot like the red ones. I can`t show you my apples because, That man i am married too, deleted them off the camera. The neighbor called and asked if we wanted any apples, ummmmmmm YES was the reply. His tree was doing amazingly and they had taken all they could. So, Skip went over and brought 2 bags home. We began peeling, freezing, and baking immediately.

See that pie above? That is`nt my pie, cuz, well, you know the story, but this is exactly what my pie looked like. I don`t want to brag or anything, but, i make a mighty fine crust. You all know the secret to a great pie crust don`t you? Don`t mix with your hands, use a pastry cutter or fork and spoon. Warming the shortening makes for a tough crust. Anyway, the pie was delicious.

This pie above is *like* the pie top skip made for one of the pies. it turned out beautifully, i am too impatient to make this pie top. We gave this pie to his sister. We also made apple crisp, which is now in the freezer to consume at a later date. I will tell you about my German Apple Cake tomarrow..........scrumptious!

I hope those pies make your mouths water!

My Favorite Season

Even though we wait, and we wait, and then we wait some more for spring to arrive up her in Northern Mn, And we truely enjoy our summers, there is really no better season than Fall for me. So yesterday, we went looking for it.

Everyday, we see more reds and golds and soon it will be absolutely gorgeous out side. These woods smelled of fall, soon the leaves will be crunching under our feet.

That Is Flynn, and his buddy Skip, Flynn loves these walks through the woods. He is in the process of being whistle trained, and this is where skip takes him for his training. Everytime the whistle blows, he comes running, knowing there is a little treat for when he comes. He has done great, but now he keeps us in his sight, just incase we blow the whistle, he won`t have far to run. Smart pooch that one.

Sprnkles of color. And that redheaded flash at the right bottom of the picture, i think Flynn was looking for a tree. He recently learned how to lift his leg, so, he`s gone a little bonkers with the trees.

This was a little path up a big hill. It is actually a 4-wheeler trail.

We sat here and rested a bit, once there used to be a house around this chimney, long long ago. But, is`nt the chimney pretty? It has turned it`self into a plant holder, it`s holding wild rose bushes.


So, this is where we went yesterday, we finally felt good enough to get out and about.

Ahead Of My Time

I watched the Pamela Anderson Biography today. That`s what illness does to a person i guess.

Anyway, i was a Pamela Anderson wannabe way before there was a Pamela Anderson, about 46 years ago or so.

I wanted boobs, and i wanted them to be big, i was 8 ish.

Ok, so i did`nt go the the drastic measures Pamela did, we did`nt have silicone implants back then, so i went with the less drastic measure.................toilet paper.

My girlfriend Linda who lived across the street decided we wanted to look good for our bike ride. We confiscated our mothers bra, loaded it down with toilet paper, doned a nice tight fitting shirt, and went for our ride, up and down our street. We were`nt allowed to go any further.

But i remember the pride we felt that day. We rode our bikes with a straight back, our chests pushed out, heads held high. Up the street, down the street, over and over . Sunshine warm on our backs, boobies sticking out, almost like Pamela Andersons.

The one thing we did`nt count on, was my mother glancing out the window, to see her little girl flaunting................her new rack.

The party was over so fast, it made our heads spin. Forced to hand over our toilet paper, give back our bras, and grasp for an answer as to why we would do such a thing? After our scolding, we took to our bikes again but, our rides were never quite as hmmmm.......exhilerating as those few moments in the sun.

I should have known what was going to happen, it is`nt like it had been my first experience at being ..........well, whatever it was i was being. The same thing happened a couple years earlier when she glanced out the window and saw me twirling and twirling in my dress...........with no panties on.

yeah, i was a little minx.

The Culprit

Bailey had a little head cold. The usual stuff, stuffy nose, watery eyes, scratchy throat, aggravating cough.......we all felt so bad for her, we hugged and kissed on her...........


Then.


Her Mom got sick.


Then.


Her Sister got sick.


Then.


The Father got sick.


Then.


her Auntie got sick.


Then.



Her Grandma got sick. (Me)



Now, her Grandfather is sick.



So, i have been recuperating............and crocheting a rug. Gotta do something while i`m doing nothing.


Take care all, tis the season for colds.

Lets Celebrate

Thank goodness the conventions are over, now onto the good stuff, the debates! It has been so long since i have been this excited over an election. I mean, lets face it, the past has had some pretty aweful choices for candidates.


I watched both Democratic and Republican Conventions, and i have to say, the Dems came out on top. Many of their speakers brought excitement. As for the Republicans, it seemed boring, and repetitive. Sarah Palin was the only excitement of the whole convention. She gave a great speech, but not great enough to sway me from Obama.


If i hear one more time how McCain was a POW, i will pull out my hair, and i don`t have that much hair, so that would be a really bad thing.


Anyway, see you at the debates!

Ho Hum

So.



Why is the Republican National Convention, so boring?



And.



The bigger question is, why are there no black people at the convention? Ok, i take that back, after watching for 1 hour, i saw one black woman, and possibly a black man. I find this very odd.



Each night i was engrossed in the Democratic Convention, spellbound by the speakers, they blew me away. The speakers are boring me to tears. Skip suggested this was because, we are democrats, i thought about it, but no, that is`nt it. They jare ust simply bore me to tears. perhaps Sarah Palin will liven things up a bit.



More importantly, why are there no black people at this convention? The Democratic Convention there were many. I am just very curious about this, to me it is glaringly telling.


Ok, gotta run, Sarah will be on soon.

Out With The Old, In With The New

I had a yard sale today, it went very well, and I will do it all over again tomarrow, several others went in on it with me. Let Me just say, I love going to sales much more than I love having one. So, after i closed up my sale, i went garage sailing.

This is what i could not resist. This home made wood, umm thing was $3, you can use it this way, or turn it upside down, i have not decided how i am going to use it, or where, all i know is, i had to have it.

My upstairs bathroom has lighthouses in it, One might think the bathroom might be an odd place for light houses but, it works . So when i saw this picture, well, first i talked her down from $5 to $2, i had to have it. I know which spot this will go.

Below is my " I am So excited!" find. Skip does`nt like it but, i love it, and it has a matching tv tray. I am trying this table out in my front porch, just trying it out mind you, it could end up anywhere. I paid $8 for this wicker table, and $5 for the tv type tray. It`s heavy, and very sturdy, and i just love it!

I also bought a sewing machine for $5, i don`t need another one but, i thought i should have a spare. No picture because, how boring it would be looking at an old sewing machine. Anyway, i just had to show you what i bought! And now being i sold a bunch of stuff, i have room for it!

Bothersome Matter

Buying locally. I have done a pretty good job of this for about 20 years. But in the last 6 months, the savings i have seen by not buying locally is staggering.



I was a firm believer in buying locally, staying within our tiny town as much as possible. Of course there are things we cannot buy locally, such as clothing and perscriptions. but we do have a grocery store, hardware store, gift shops, lumber company, diners, conveinience stores, gas stations, flower shop ocationally, and thank goodness, a funeral home. I`m not a clothes horse so the lack of clothing in tiny town does not bother me. Our basic needs are being met.


BUT the price differances are astronomical. For example, we started painting our house with locally bought paint. Then one day we were in walmart, 45 miles away, we needed primer, so we bought a gallon of Kilz 2. In tiny town, we pay $19.99 a gallon, at walmart, we paid $13.00. That is a $7.00 a gallon savings. Now, if we needed just one gallon of primer, it would be no big deal to pay that price in town. But, if we need 20 gallons, we will save $140.00 on just the primer! For a gallon of exterior white paint, we pay 26.00 a gallon in town, we bought paint out of town for $14.99, 20 gallons is a savings of $220.00.



Another example, for smaller items are , lets say i want a package of name brand cookies, and i usually do. In tiny town, i pay about $3.89, at walmart, i pay $2.50. Pretty much anything i buy out of town, i will save a dollor or more on most every item. All of these savings pay for the gas plus a meal out, if we so choose. I pay $9.99 for a cube of Diet Dew here, i pay $6.50 or less somewhere else. I am finding it very difficult to justify shopping in tiny town, yet, i feel guilty about it.



I understand that the prices will be higher in a smaller town, especially when things need to be shipped farther but, such dramatic differances? Also, i know walmart can get their products cheaper, because they buy more, but, these things still do not in my mind justify such a huge price differance.


So, today i am going shopping, out of town, not to walmart, but to another grocery store that is very closely priced to walmart. And i will go with guilt.



Should one feel guilty for not shopping locally just to save money? I am torn.

My Almost Finished Kitchen

I have been working on my kitchen for the last couple of months, It seems like it is taking forever, because all i am doing is repainting. But, i am painting the cupboards, with oil base paint, it seems like a dumb decision now but, oil base paint holds up so much better. It does`nt help that every inch of this kitchen had to be repainted. The ceiling, the walls, the wainscotting, the trim, the doors.

So, here are a couple of my favorite areas in my kitchen. Below is my cooking area, do you see that little brown counter between the stove and fridge? That needs to be painted white yet, inside and out. That is the old color, yuck. What was i thinking? Maybe i was in the throws of menopause and i did`nt realize it would look like crap alone with dark marroon wainscotting, that is my excuse.


See that shelf? That funky little shelf. We have lived here for 23 years, i have been talking to Skip all these years about putting a shelf over the stove. Well, it never became a reality untill, about a month ago or so. I was just rambling one day, and happened to mention, now all i need is a shelf above that stove. Skip looked at me, said ok, went to his garage, and about an hour later, came in with that shelf. I was a little stunned to say the least.


The funky part about this shelf is, we once had an old upright piano, after the kids left, it spent it`s time being moved from room to room, i tried, but i could`nt give it away. It was`nt one of those pretty old ones, this was stained very dark, almost black and very plain. So, one day, i had Skip and the boy tear it apart. Skip saved all the wood, for whatever reason. Part of that old piano is the shelves , the sides were made by something else that once was, and are stained a nice green. I was going to paint the whole thing but the more i looked at it, the more i loved it just as it was. So, i finally have a shelf ! You rock Skip!



We love coffee, he loves Folgers, and i LOVE Folgers Vanilla Biscottie. That little brown jar on the top shelf holds mine. The rule is, whoever gets up first and makes coffe, gets to make their favorite. We gave our bunn coffee maker a place of it`s own. Meet my coffee corner. i just finished that little rug yesterday. Is`nt it cute? I love my coffee corner!

Soon i will be completly done with my kitchen and that will be a huge releif! Then i`ll show you the rest of my kitchen.

Untill then, happy sipping!

From Rags To Riches

This is what i started with for this project, strips of fabric cut and rolled up into a bunch of balls. They don`t look very promising do they? I never know which balls i will use untill the project has been started. Oh, see that trunk those balls are on? I picked that up at a garage sale years ago. The old man who was selling it was in his late 70`s, came from finland with his mother when he was a boy, and this is the trunk they brought with them. He had painted it white and was using it for a tool box in his garage. He wanted $2 for it, can you believe that?


I have obviously chosen beige as my starting point. I love beige, that helps. Hmmmm, my quilt seems to be hanging a bit lopsided, i will remedy that soon.

I also love forest green, and many other shades of green, i`m a green freak. As you can clearly see, my *model* is not so much into fashion, and, he really can`t crochet a lick, but i needed his big strong hands, and he was game. Notice the remote , always by his side. I have used two rows of forest green, and now am chasing it with beige again. Do you know what this is yet?

I thought this gold would be a nice addition, what do you think?

Wow, that went fast! I`m done already! it`s a heart shaped rug, i have been making these for years, I`ve sold quite a few also, infact, i am considering selling them at a local craft fair brfore Christmas, we`ll see. I also make oval and round ones too, those are alot of fun too, and you`d be surprised how fast they work up. If Addy sees this post, she is going to remind me that i did promise to send her the instructions......one day. So there you have it, my rug!

Maybe now my son in law Scott will believe i actually make these rugs and not buy them as he thought last Christmas. Scott, do you? huh do you?