A Great Week!!

This has been wonderful week. The grandson has been with us all week and we have had so much fun. We have done as much as we could squeeze into each day. And as the days came to an end we only wished there was more time.

The first three days we had snow on the ground and were able to do some sledding and snowboarding. No, I did not do any snowboarding!!! But he did and he is very good at it too. I thought I would share a few pictures with you.

And of coarse I have to say that the whole day was not smooth sailing!! But he took those times with a smile as well!

Now all the fun we have had was not outside. We have spent many hours playing on the Wii. We have been bowling and playing tennis and golf. As well as quite a bit of big game hunting. But I think our fav to play together is probably Super Mario. We have played and laughed so hard that my stomach is sore. Yes sir, it has been a GREAT week.

A wonderful treat for the holidays

       I  ran  across  this  on   another  site  and   just  had  to  share  it   with  you.


                              I  hope  you   enjoy  it  as  much  as  I  did. 


     There  just  is  nothing  else  to  add.  After  you  listen  you  will  understand.


                                                     Merry Christmas!!

A Christmas Story

I wanted to share a story with you that I hope does not turn into a book!!

When my boys were about 8 and 10 we were sitting around the tree one evening talking after reading the Christmas story. And one of them commented that after we get up on Christmas morning things seemed to be over so fast. Now I ask what he meant and he explained how we get up and open gifts and then all that's left is the mess!!!

So this got me to thinking. After asking them a few more questions and discovering that what they wished was that the gift opening could last longer and that "Christmas" would last all day long. So we worked together and decided to make a plan and make just that very thing take place at our house that year. In fact we stretched it and enjoyed it so well that they wanted to make it a tradition. Here is what we came up with.

A few days before the big day we sat around the tree and handed out the gifts as if we were going to open them. They had a blast doing this because playing under the tree was a no-no so this way they got to see all their packages. Now I had made sure that the number was even for each. So then they counted them and made tiny tags for each one with a number on them. It was fun to watch them pick which to place the number 1 on and so forth.  Then after the stack was completely  numbered, we placed all the gifts back under the tree.

Now before we went to bed on Christmas eve I made a breakfast casserole (strata) and placed it in the fridge. So when we got up on Christmas morning I could put on the coffee pot and turn on the oven. The boys came down shortly and we started handing out the gifts and everyone sat in the middle of their pile. Now I had to throw a bit more fun in the mix here so, I had written the numbers down on tiny slips of paper 1-? and each boy had a small jar full of numbers. They decided who would go first and then they drew a number and found the gift.  They would open it and then the next guy would pick a number and open his.

After about 8-9 gifts I went and put the casserole in the oven. But when I returned they had talked it over and decided to add their own twist. They ask us if they could stop opening for now and play with what they had opened and have breakfast and then play some more and then after we ate dinner (around 2pm) we could sit and finish Christmas. We were not sure this was a good idea but they wanted to so we agreed and it was a wonderful Christmas and I have to say it is where a new tradition was born.

So don't be afraid to start something new!! I believe it helped our boys to appreciate things all the more. And since it was their idea it was easy to make happen as well.

Do you have any little quirky traditions at your house? Maybe something that everyone thought was corny till they tried it out? If so please leave a comment and share it with me.

And remember Christmas is not about the gifts anyway. It is about love. A love that was so strong that the baby Jesus was born just for you.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

This is Fabulous...

              

                  From   time  to  time.

                     We  run  across  things  in  our  lives  that  are  jaw  dropping.

     And  this  is  one  of  those  things.

                  I  wish  I  could  have  been  there.

                        To  have  had  the  chance  to  experience  this  in  person.

     It  was  so  awesome  to  see  and  hear.

                   I  can  imagine  the  spirit  that  filled  the  air  as  this  was  going  on.

Click here to experience a true gift of the season.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought. Or how you felt.

Merry Christmas to all of you!!!

Its Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

It is  early in December but old man winter is coming in full force.

I thought I would share a bit of what was going on in my neck of the woods today.

It seemed to not ever quit snowing. I think it is pretty and I love to watch it.

I love the way the snow is on the trees and I always have to remind myself that that is not man made. Only the father can make something this beautiful.

The snow is still falling as I am sharing this with you and I don't mind telling you I am planning a slow and quit day tomorrow.

Just a little bit of my world.....

Let The Shopping Begin

I heard the bell sound this morning.

No not the Wallstreet bell, the bell signaling for the shopping frenzy to begin. Did you hear the bell too?  Did you take off before the crack of dawn to get inline and shop till you dropped?

Well not me. I slept in this morning in a nice warm bed and then I got up to a pot of coffee and turned on the computer. You see this year I have made a deal with myself. I am not going to shop the big Corporations this year. Instead I am going to help all the little business I can by shopping with the little guys.

Now there is probably lots of ways to do this but the best way I found is to shop on ETSY. You can find anything you want on etsy. Lots of handmade items from quality craftsman. Artist with the greatest skills I have ever seen all in one place. Also Vintage items can be found on etsy. A huge assortment of collectibles which make great gifts for that "picker" on your gift list.

You can even shop on etsy to fill up your goodies table for that holiday party you are putting on. All kinds of chocolate.  Suckers and chocolate. Chocolate covered pretzels. Caramel apples and did I mention chocolate.

This is a collection of items that will show an assortment all in one place, take a look at this treasuryBNR If you are a seller on etsy this will be of total interest to you. It is a BNR (buy n replace). So come have some fun with us and let us see what you got. This is a great way to promote your shop.

It Needs Some Love

 I just made a treasury for Etsy and it needs some love.



                         All the clicks you got to give will help in a big way. 



 Just click on the link below and look at the pretties.



                       And then click on the lovelies to read all about them.


Go on you can do it!!

Simple Pretties In Shades Of White

Thank You

Today is Veteran's day. And we all need to stop and thank all the Veterans who have ever served this country. They have all played a part in seeing that we can live in the greatest country in the world. That we can be safe and that we can be free. That our children and grandchildren can walk the street and not be afraid.

My husband is a Vietnam Veteran who proudly signed and served right after graduating High School. Thank you honey.

My dad served in Germany during the occupation. Thank you Dad.

My father-in-law was in the Navy. Thank you Pap.

My son is presently serving in the USAF. Thank you Son.

Thank you seems so little to say. But I guess I am not good enough with words to figure out more. My heart is so proud of all of you.

And thanks to all the veteran's in the families of those who follow my blog.

And may God Bless all of you and keep you safe.

Its a Blue Blue Christmas

I just wanted to leave you a note here and let you know that I am in a treasury on ETSY and if you want to take a look just click here: Blue Blue Christmas.

Thanks for looking and clicking and loving!!

Spicy Banana Cookies

I made some cookies the other night and I thought I would share the process. They are not fancy but they were very tasty. The perfect cookie to throw in the oven as company arrives and then all that is left to do is make a pot of coffee.

I started with a box of spice cake mix and I stirred in 3 large overripe bananas that had been smashed. Added 1 tsp. real vanilla and about a tablespoon of water. (adjust this according to how moist you bananas are). After mixed I folded in 1/2 dried cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Bake at 350*, till edges start to brown.

Give them a try for the next time you just need something fresh baked or maybe for an extra cookie on the cookie tray.

Do you have a quick cookie you would love to show off? Share it with us, I would love to see what you have.

I made a treasury....

It is the first one I have ever done and I believe it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. A treasury is a collection of  "like" items on Etsy. And these are all alike because they are monsters.
Take a look and give it some love. There are alot of talented people who sell on ETSY and alot of it would make great holiday gifts.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cd339fa5b608eef4e7fa1ef/kawaii-monsters

Beer Butt Chicken

Last night for dinner I took a roasting hen and washed and dried. Rubbed it down with olive oil and added a rub I had made with garlic powder, onion powder, sage, black pepper, chili powder and Mrs. Dash. I lifted the skin where ever I could and placed this under the skin and then rubbed the outside of the bird. Now I sat him down on an opened can of beer. Sat bird and all in a sturdy dish and placed in a preheated 350* oven for about 20 minutes per pound of bird or till the thick part of thigh reached 165*. It took about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I sit it to the side and allowed the juices to settle before cutting.

It was wonderful. We had roasted veggies with it.

By the way, incase you are wondering what that is sticking out of the chickens neck. Well I did not want all the stem to escape so the bird would be moist so I peeled a potato and placed over the hole! Hey, you got to do what you got to do!!

It had just came from the oven and was still sitting n the can.

This is the most moist chicken I have ever fixed in my life.

What is your favorite way of fixing chicken?

Your comments are always welcome.

Meet Mr. Zeke

Well I would like to introduce you to Zeke. He is almost 5 years old and was the only fellow around here for a while (of the 4 legged variety). He is mom's self appointed body guard.  Where ever I am he is always between me and the nearest door. I guess that is so no bad guys will get to me.

He is always laying with his back to me and is always between me and the nearest exit. Which in this case is down the steps and off the deck.

Someone said in a comment earlier to have Zeke stop staring at her. No matter where you are or Zeke is it always looks as if he is looking directly at you. Kinda eeery I know but you kinda get used to it after awhile.

Zeke likes to run and play ball and he is faster than a speeding bullet. But he is not as precise as Maggie is, if the ball bounces or hits a tree or something. Maggie never misses a beat and sometimes Zeke gets moving so fast that he runs past it and has to circle around and come back to get it.

Zeke is a good boy. In fact he is laying at my feet right now. Between me and the door.

Leave me a comment and tell me about your faithful protector.

Know What My House Smells Like Tonight?

It smells just like this................

It was a little chilly in the house so I thought I would warm it up and create something wonderful for dessert at the same time. So I threw a blackberry cobbler in the oven and it made the house smell sooooooo good! So I guess they call that a triple. No wait, hubby thought it tasted so yummy that I got a hug and kiss as well. So one cobbler caused all of that? I call that a home run!!!

Simple pleasures

I am a list maker. Now like today I have a morning list and an afternoon list. Things on the list include laundry, dishes, baking, bathrooms and several phone calls. Afternoon is blow leaves and mow.

Well I just sat down to have a bit of lunch and mark off the "done" things on the list. Now, I did not get the phone calls done so I will do those after I eat and then I will move on to the afternoon list.

I know I am not as extreme as some with the list and I do not have a meltdown if I lose the list or don't get all of it done. I just add it to the next day!!!

This is something that I just realized brings me the most comforting sense of accomplishment. Marking off those things that I completed. Wow!! Makes me feel good and gives me something at the end of the day to look at and see what all I got finished.

At my age, I might forget before bedtime!!!

What gives you those simple little pleasures in life?

New Listing on Etsy

I just posted a new listing on etsy. 

                                     Click here to check it out

had a sale yesterday on Etsy and I am doing the happy dance. Thank you to all you wonderful folks who purchase on etsy where you help out real folks and not the sweatshops in China.

Vintage Purse

This is the latest listing on Etsy.

                                          click here to see on Etsy

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog and I love it when you leave me a comment.

New handmade

I have listed some new items in my ETSY shop this morning.

One is a cute vintage must see and the other is a handmade burlap pillow. These can be custom made to suit your needs. Any size and any purpose. I can make anything from a throw pillow to a floor pillow or even a pillow for a ringbearer.

Take a look around the shop while you are there. Shopping on ETSY is a great thing it lets you help out the little guys instead of the sweatshops in China.

Have a great day everyone!

What's a Swap?

Some of you may know already. But after reading this and viewing all the photos, the rest of you will be looking to find one to attend. This swapmeet was in Lucasville, Ohio. And I cannot think of a thing that they did not have. As long as you were willing to dig alittle.

A swap, is a vintage lovers paradise. A place where all things are for sale and no price is set in stone.  Wow!! What more could you ask for?

How about food? If you will notice the guy in the gray sweatshirt walking toward the camera. He is eating a giant corndog .......and it is all of maybe 8:10 am.

There was pizza and something called a Big "T", which was a pork tenderloin that had been pounded till it was about an 11 inch round and then breaded and deep fried. They made a sandwich out of this and you add your own toppings. Also have smoked turkey legs. Oh, and before I forget they also had grilled bbq bologna on a bun.

*******I have to add here that I ate none of this. I take my own food.********

Now this brings us to the animals. All kinds could be found. I saw more goats on leashes than I did dogs. And some of them didn't like....... it if you know what I mean! Here is just a few pics of some animals and there were many more.

The fellow on the right just purchased the geese and now he has to figure out how to carry them

This guy was trying to walk his burro. But the burro had other ideas so the guy decided to rest a while and see if progress might go faster after a bit. Hehehe!

This gentleman proudly posed for a picture with his prize rooster. he even asked if I wanted him to smile.

It was pretty warm that day ....in the upper 80's. And this guy got hot and tired and just decided that was as far as he was going.  If you'll notice he actually picked a spot that was shadded by a big maple tree.

The swaps are always fun and you never know what you will find, or better yet what you will see!!

Well now I hope you enjoyed your trip to the swapmeet. I wish you could have been with me. I had a blast.

Busy Weekend Ahead

I am packing and getting ready for a huge swapmeet this weekend. Now for those of you who do not know what that is, I am sorry for you!! But lots of photos will follow next week so you can have alittle taste of the swap.

If you happen to live near by or are traveling near Lucasville, Ohio this weekend please stop by the fairgrounds and see us. We will be selling, but also shopping when we get a chance.

I hope ya'll have a great weekend and I will see you on monday.

Meet Miz Maggie

If you will look to the right you will see a photo of her. I would like to introduce her to you. Maggie is almost 7 now and she is a Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler). Until she was about 6 months old she was a slick haired dog like heelers are suppose to be and at 6 months she started getting fluffy and soft. After I did some research I found that only one in every 200 are "softies". She is very unique and I am not just talking about the fur. Although she does feel like a cat she is so soft.

She is the smartest dog I have ever seen. She can sense when something is wrong and will come to cuddle with me. She talks to us as if she were human and the strange part is we know what she is saying.

Animals are a big part of my life and as you can see in the pic's she does not live here alone. We will meet the others later on. I would love to here about your closest furry pals so leave me a comment.

Busy Day of Listing

Today was a day spent listing on etsy. I listed 3 different things and if i might say so, something for everyone. From the seamstress to the scrapper to those who do altered art and even for those who are just collectors.

I wanted to show you one of the items and see if you know what it was used for. Now be careful you just might tell your age if you admit to knowing. If you can't figure it out just click on the link and read the discription. 

click here to find the answer

But play fair and leave a  comment and let me know if you had to look or not!!!

2 ingredient muffin

I found this recipe on a delpi forum board the other day and it did not have a name on it so I cannot give credit where it is due. But someone did say it was a Weight Watcher recipe. So maybe you have already tried it. If not you might want to!

I made them the other night and they are delish!! The  only thing you use is a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Thats it. No egg, No water, No nothing!!! Just the cake mix and the pumpkin. I used the small can of pumpkin that is the size of a can of veggies.  Not the big one like a can of peaches.

Now as you can see I added some oatmeal and brown sugar with a little butter for a topping but you could leave this off. You could also add nuts or raisins or dried cranberries to the mix.

I just thought I would share this recipe. It is one of those that is so easy you could make it anytime you wanted to have something sweet around.

FleaMarket Finds!!!

  It was cool and brisk this morning. The perfect time to make a trip to the fleamarket. As I arrived I saw some of the usual vendors and a few new faces. I knew from experience to start off with the new folks first.

This gentleman pulled in with a 14 foot flatbed trailer in tow behind his pickup truck. All the contents of the trailer were covered well with a huge tarp. As he and his wife were removing the tarp I was standing back watching, with a few other folks that had gathered around. As the tarp came off he looked up at us all and said, "1-2-3 GO!!! And that was all it took. You might say we were off to the races. Hehehe!!!

I thought I might share what I found today. Some of it I will keep and some will go to an antique booth I have. I hope you enjoy!!




This is an over view of the whole days gatherings!!



Now here is a closer shot of some of the items.








You can see starting on the left a minnow bucket with a veggie slicer on top of it. A rubber mallet, a box of 4 casters for a bed frame and 2 pulley wheels are in front of the wash tub.


 I have another photo from a different view!!

Here you see an old framed print of the "old mill" and a bait box sitting in front of an old metal kitchen stool

One more pic and that will be the whole bunch.

This shows the top part of the stool, a pack of plain white envelopes a tin travel soap box and a measuring cup for the hubby to use in the garage.

Now I had a great time today and found some neat stuff. But the bad part is that one of the regular vendors came over as I was leaving and told me he was going this evening to buy out an estate and would have it all there in the morning at 7am.  So you know where I will be. If I can go get some sleep. There may be more pics tomorrow!!!



I am in Treasury!!

Just a quick little post here to let you know I am in a treasury. I sell on ETSY and a couple of my items made a treasury today so I thought you might like to take a peek. Lots of talent there besides me as well.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c88406965946d91a474dc0e/talented-over-50-group?index=0

Autumn Weather is coming...

Waking up the past few morings with a nip in the air reminds me that autumn is coming. We have had such a hot and humid summer that being able to use words like warm, cool or breezy is a wonderful feeling.

Fall makes me think of pumpkins and leaves changing colors and then falling to the ground. I am blessed to live in a beautiful state that allows me to see all the changing of the colors for fall. I thought I would share a few of the photos that I had found from fall of last year.

                                                                                                This is a pic of a beautiful place at Blackwater Falls Stae Park at Davis WV.

The leaves are just starting to change in this photo and it lifts my spirit to think of all the different color changes the trees will go through before the fall.

 Fishing in this stream was a wonderful and relaxing afternoon.

The colors of the leaves, the smell of fall, the sights that we see. These all bring a warm feeling to my heart after a long and hot summer. How about you?

Woke up a year older!!

Thats right today is my birthday. And you know what, I may be getting older but I would not go back for the world. I mean maybe if I could take the knowledge with me, but not just go back to be younger.

I enjoy all that life has to give and when I was younger and my children were small I was so busy raising a family and keeping a home intact that I missed so many of the simple things in life. And in doing that probably missed giving my children some memories along the way.

So if you are a (youngin') and reading this, stop and enjoy those simple little things that life has to offer and share them with your family as well. Life can get so busy sometimes and that is when we miss out on the "best stuff".

Starting out each day....

I try and start out each day with a few minutes of quiet time. Time for just me and Lord to be quiet and listen to each other. I know he always listens to me but I have to admit that sometimes I have to remind myself to listen to him.

Spending time reading and letting him reveal things to me is the best way for me to get my day off to a good start. Some mornings I have more time than others. But I always have some time and I give it to him.

How do you start your day? What gives you that little boost in the mornings? You know that (act) that sets the pace for the rest of the day?

Autumn Is Coming.......DO you believe!!

I know that Autumn is just around the corner and after all the heat we have had this summer (meaning days in the 90's) and all the humidity. I am ready for it to be here now!!

But we still have some time to wait so I thought you might want to look at a treasury that I was in today and feel that little touch of Autumn.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c7d2c2ad98e6d91e3ea5735/autumn-is-coming-i-do-believe

This is the item in the treasury and there is lots of other great stuff as well. Please take a look and send it on to someone somewhere that will enjoy it as well.

See what was lurking in my yard!!!

With the grandson visiting we spend a lot of time outside. And you never know what you might come across. Yesterday was a very hot and humid day and the air was so thick you had to carry a stick to stir the air so you could breathe!! So we were outside in short spurts. A few minutes was all you could take a time.

So on one of the trips out we found this and I thought you might like to see.

Ugly Green Catapillar

What have you found lately in your yard? Go look. Spend a few minutes. That is all it takes to make some memories with your kids or the grands. 

New River Fishing Trip

We took a trip for a few days and it was so relaxing. I needed it to recharge and refuel. The grandson went with us and he is a fishing fool. That boy would rather fish than sleep. He is good at it too. He would fish from the crack of dawn till time to lay down at night if it was possible. I have a picture I want to share of  his catch for this trip.

14 inch large mouth bass

This was actually caught in a small lake where we stayed. I love spending time with him and making some of those wonderful summer memories.

Breaking the bottle!!!

As in christening the ship!!

I am just getting things going here and I hope I can think of things to share with you that you might find interesting. In time as I learn my way around the blog world, I hope to share photos and recipes as well as day to day happenings in my world.

So please stop back and see me soon!!!