uneven edges...

My Dark Oak Woman name just wasn't suiting me any longer. I love having an "Indian name" but it didn't describe me completely. I have a history with uneven edges so this new name is more fitting. One of my legs is longer than the other. When I was a kid this didn't bother me but as I get older it causes me pain now and then. So, I'm physically uneven and more aware of it. It would be impossible to find someone who isn't uneven.

Alas, I am also creatively uneven.

When I made my very first pieced quilt I didn't understand the quarter-inch seam concept AT ALL. It was a disaster. But, I managed to get all of it lined up on top. You shoulda seen the bottom. Several years later I made a bowtie quilt and didn't like the size of my blocks so I cut them down. This time I wasn't so lucky with the outcome. It does add to the "charm" of the quilt though, don't you think?



Then there was my first afghan...

I dove right in without understanding how to end a row, make a chain and begin the next row. Luckily I thought of a way to fix it by crocheting an edge around all 4 sides and today my mistakes are hardly visible(this is a "before" picture).



Now, thankfully, I have figured out the quarter-inch seam and how to end/begin a crocheted row.

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to trim your own bangs???....

Deliberate Living....

A new friend of mine said something that gave me pause. She said she needed to start living more deliberately. Hmmmm. As with all philosophies, some followers are rather militant, taking it to the very far extreme. Many, however, like my friends Cheryl, Kel, and Anet (and others of course) are just wading in and doing what their hearts tell them. Baby steps for me. I'm not sure I am ready to commit to any certain "thing" yet. It might be that I do as these women are doing and deliberately change the foods I serve to my family but it quite likely won't be exactly what they are doing. Maybe I'll work at reducing my plastics like Kel has done.

There are things we have that we cannot give up, like our swimming pool. Sure chlorine isn't the healthiest thing to be swimming in but does the exercise we're getting count against that at all? We can't afford to switch over to a salt water filter but I can research alternatives and possibly switch to a less toxic treatment or determine when the best times for swimming would be. There are other things out there that seem to be hype(or at the very least, overly dramatized) as well. I won't be giving up my microwave, sticking my feet in a detox machine, or exchanging our current bedding for organic, unbleached, undyed sheets. I have no room for a garden, nor do I have the inclination to dig in the dirt so that's out for me too. What I do know is that the phrase I heard at park day, "live more deliberately" struck a cord in me and I want to investigate further. How about you?

Here are more websites about living deliberately...

DeliberateLife.com

Deliberate Living: Slowing Down & Simplifying

Living Deliberately(a discussion group)

Living-Deliberately.com

A Meme Made by Meeee!!

You can follow along if you dare! Informally tagging all my regular readers who like to do these sorts of things.

Eight Things

Eight things... in my fridge

1. raw milk
2. ketchup
3. Albert's hot sauce
4. eggs
5. lunch meat
6. yeast
7. 4 things of mustard
8. raw cream

Eight things... in my closet

1. box of socks
2. bed sheets
3. lots of shoes
4. hanging clothes
5. hanging jewelry organizer, completely empty!
6. two red table cloths, destined to become living room curtains someday
7. three large boxes of JUNK
8. bumper pads from Ryan's nursery set, made by my mom

Eight things... in my purse

1. three pens
2. flashlight
3. toothbrush
4. one dollar bill
5. mint gum
6. earrings
7. scissors
8. religious tracts from the girls' church

Eight things... in my(bedroom, kitchen, or car, choose one)

1. five quilts
2. three afghans
3. dozens of books/magazines
4. cd player
5. yarn
6. suitcases
7. picture boxes
8. artwork

Family...

(Ryan, Amy and Sarah, Mark's parents, and Mark)



(the traditional Nativity is probably older than Mark)



(baby Jesus is quite untraditionally swaddled in a Walmart bag, yes he is)









(Mark's mom, bless her heart, decorates every surface in her home with clippings from magazines, decorative paper towels, empty fruitcups and plastic bags. She suffers from Alzheimer's, which is sad but we do get a chuckle out of her God-given talent)



(the kids with Liz and Sarah, our long-lost relatives from far away. I've not seen them since shortly before Ryan was born, almost 16 years ago).


In other news...

We are leaving for North Carolina in the morning! I think we'll made it as far as Gadsden, Alabama before we stop for the night. The car is packed to the gills. Amy left a detailed 2-page list of rules and instructions for Mark on how to care for the piggers. Too cute. I'll have to email him more later about the cats and dogs(all animals are the kids' responsibility so he really doesn't know what to do for them).

I'll have internet access in NC but not a way to upload my pictures so I'll probably use the girls' camera sometimes if I can. We have lots of fun stuff planned that will *need* documenting!! Can't wait to share!

Sharing Ornaments....

Every ornament featured here, except the glass ones of course, was made by my mother over the last 35 years or so. She did the wooden painted ones when I was a little girl and the crosstitch ones not so long ago. I've got several more painted things, a Rabbit and Piglet, Little Red Riding Hood, Eyore, a mouse, etc. but I don't think I'll have time to take pictures of all of them!

We have a Christmas party for our homeschool group next week and then my parents will be here so I've got to get things done around the house, plus do some shopping!!!

Enjoy!





















and another quiz that fits...

Which Positive Quality Are You? Your Result: Faith   You are Faith. Faith is the belief in better things, in spite of the cynicism and doubt that swirls around us. Faith gives us strength; it inpsires us to move forward and follow our hearts. "Faith tells us what the senses do not."
Peace
Courage
Charity
Friendship
Love
Which Positive Quality Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

We're getting there....

Who knew it would take hours and hours to get the lights on a 12 foot tall tree? I was worn out after that activity so we are taking our time putting the ornaments on. Besides, I've got the kids' cold now. Sigh.

Doesn't it look better already?(sorry for dark photos, in my editing program they look just fine but blogger makes them much darker-at least on my monitor they are**edited** they are fine once the post is published so maybe its just the blogger uploader/previewer making them look dark)



Mark and I went to a wonderful Christmas party last night. There was enough food(and I mean good, real food) to feed 4 times the crowd we had(about 50). There was karaoke, a chinese present exchange(the one I brought got stolen twice-that was the limit), and a fire(on a table, not in the fireplace)! A groovy time was had by all. We came home and watched two rented movies, the new Indian Jones(very fun and fast moving) and The Happening(ohso lame).



Ryan had church this morning but we decided against Joe Muggs today. Mark and I went to his office to get a ladder for the tree doings. Then he took Ryan and friends to the mall for the afternoon, making it back in time for the Cowboys game of course.



We have misplaced our ornament hangers so I'm stealing them from my glass things that won't go on the tree due to certain kitties named Gyspy, Jasper and Tallulah. They are fascinated and have all been to the top of it already. We're hoping once the ornaments are on they'll get bored with it.

Esmeralda and Matilda

Here they are getting ready for the holidays!!! I'll be making Matilda Mouse some holiday finery soon.

Gaaaaah!!

47 days til Christmas!!!!!

I have MUCH to do!!!!

Like wrist warmers, leg warmers, walking wallets, cell phone cases, hats...

Ackkkkk!!

I won't make any more scarves for a while, we've got plenty!




(Amy modeling scarves, um several years ago)

I LOVE this hat.


(Sarah's Gwen Stefani hat, she's outgrown)

The walking wallets I'm doing are quite a bit smaller than this tween purse, with a strap to wear across the body from one shoulder to the opposite hip. They hold identification and a cell phone, and are PERFECT for walkers.


(Sidney's purse)

I'm currently working on another Patricia shawl like this one but in red(Icelandic Jewels by Yarn Bee). This one is done in Yarn Bee's Highland Thistle and is a bit too stretchy and bouncy for everyday use. It is absolutely cuddly though and I love flopping on the couch in it when its a chilly morning. The red one will be more sturdy but not quite as long.


(bat wing shawl)

I haven't made a hat in a looooong time. Ryan has requested some beanies but he wants the "name brand" kind. I wonder if he'd wear one I made?


(Aaron's hat, unknown ultra bulky yarn)

And I want to make this into a Christmasy wall hanging or table topper. I'm trying to decide if I want to make a zillion more hexagons in red for the background, or just applique it down to a solid piece of fabric. Hexagons would probably look better, darn it.


(vintage fabric paper-pieced hexagons)

I shan't lack for busywork that's for sure.

I'm participating in...


over at Smiling Sally's.



(our tree should look like this again in a few weeks, I hope!)


(my mom gave these antique pretties to me last year for Christmas)


(Mark made this painted box for a Christmas present years ago. I'm not sure if this was for his mom or my mom)


(Amy drew this last year using paint)

In other news...

Around bedtime last night a blustery cold front blew in with a vengence! I've only heard the wind howling like that during a hurricane! Because of our recent room rearranging, our bed is now under the window and the tree is just feet away from us. Needless to say, it took a long time for me to get to sleep. We ended up losing several good-sized limbs and branches. One hit the house and rolled off, its about 15 feet long and as big around as my thigh! Surprisingly, none of the branches that were broken during Ike ended up on the ground. I think they are too tangled up to come loose, for now.

We've been so slammed around here that our staples are low. This almost never happens but our weekend was so hectic that we ran out of cat litter, potatoes, ice, and lunch meat! So, I have GOT to run to the grocery store. I'd much rather stay home and work on my crocheted bags though. They are coming along nicely and I hope to have several ready for Patricia to sell soon. Pictures are coming soon.

One thing we'll definitely do today is make Homesick Texan's Wacky Cake! I've heard of this cake before but I'm not sure I've ever tasted one. I hope its good! We'll doctor ours up with cayenne powder and maybe cinnamon so I'm sure it will be scarfed down.

My mom sent some Christmas ornament kits to the girls so if we have time and if they're in the mood, we may work on those a bit. One is needle-felted ornaments and one is styrafoam balls with sequins to stick on with pins.

Comfort food for everyone...

Several days ago I got hungry for my favorite festive comfort food, Broccoli Rice Casserole. Between trips running hither and yon(we have been sofreakingbusyyouhavenoidea), I managed to get the ingredients for it and had planned to make it Wednesday night. Ok, Thursday night. How 'bout Friday then? Finally! So, about that time, I discovered the absence of rice in my pantry. Grrrr. But, all was not lost...

Quinoa to the rescue! This stuff is wonderfood! Please, if you've never tried it, do so! It is awesome!!!

Broccoli Quinoa Casserole(makes a 9x13 pan)

cooking spray
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
4 ribs celery, sliced
1 onion, sliced
8 oz reduced fat velveeta or cheese whiz

1-1.5 cups dry quinoa, rinsed well
about 3 cups water

Bring water and quinoa to boil, reduce heat and simmer til water is absorbed.

Cook onion and celery in non-stick skillet with cooking spray until transluscent. Add broccoli, soups and cheese product. Stir til well blended. Add quinoa and mix well. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

If anyone has knowledge of some good-for-you substitutes for the soups and cheese product, please let me know! This tasted a bit chemical-ish and I'm pretty sure its because I used the "diet" stuff. It was still comforting and gone by late this afternoon.



(what it looks like in our living room at 6:15pm)


(the west side of the driveway around the same time of day)

Speaking of the view from the driveway(and comfort foods)...


(berries are just starting to get that blue blush to them)


(we have several large bushes around the driveway)

These lovely plants are Ligustrums, don't know what variety, and are loaded with berries! In a week or so they'll all be a dark blue-purple, just like the Cedar Waxwings like them. Unfortunately, I've found out that they also cause asthma! Guess who has horrible, horrible asthma? Mark!! He is totally fine when he leaves the house in the mornings but within an hour of coming home at night he has trouble breathing. I thought I might take him to the ER several nights ago he was that bad. He's always blamed the pets for his attacks but I'm betting its the ligustrums! Much as I love the Cedar Waxwings, these plants will have to go.

Mark and I had stuff to do this morning that lasted about 3 hours longer than we'd planned. Then we found out Ryan's ride to his church's Fall Picnic had forgotten him. So, we had to run him and a friend waaaay out to Ore City. On our way back we stopped by to pick up this wonderful door from a homeschooling friend. Isn't it just gorgeous? I can't wait to get it finished and installed! Hopefully by Christmas.


(we'll have to sand this off, fix the trim, and repaint it but that's no biggie)


(the gold "leading" probably wouldn't have been my first choice but I do love the glass and it was FREE!)

Tomorrow I plan to spend most of the afternoon making cell phone carriers to sell. My friend with Herbal Grace wants me to let her sell them at some flea markets. Who knows, with the holidays coming up they just might sell! Its worth a try at least. The girls will go home with a friend after church so I'll have a nice window before having to pick them up. I'd better get my lazy butt out of this chair and hunt down my yarn then. Bye!

TGIF...

I'm following along with Jeanne at Backyard Neighbor again and posting my favorite photo(Friday's Favorite Photo is what she called it, I think).


(Sarah with Tom several Autumns ago)

In other news...

A friend of mine offered up a front door for free so we drove waaaay across town to look at it and will pick it up tomorrow. Its a brick red with about a 2/3 total length leaded glass insert. Just gorgeous! There are a few cosmetic things to fix(some glue runs and a loose molding) and we'll have to frame our door with a 1x2 or something because its 1.25 inches narrower than our current door. I can't wait to work on it and get it installed though, I've been pricing these kinds of doors for a while now and just couldn't see getting one, ever.

This friend has 4 chickens and a rooster so she handed us half a dozen blue, green, and brown eggs to take home. I think I shall scramble them in the morning. Yum!

We swung by and took Ryan's friend home and are just now back to the house. I'm about to start on my broccoli, zucchini, rice, and cheese casserole. Guess I need to get the rice going, I keep forgetting that part!!!

It has been a beautiful day today, very sunshiney with no wind and not too much heat. I'm hoping tomorrow we can spend time outdoors.

301

Yes, this is my 301st blog post and I have absolutely nothing to say. Is that terrible or what? No exciting stuff has gone on since the Yamboree. The house needs cleaned and dinner is still undecided(at 5:15pm, I've no clue, didn't plan).

Kids are zombies watching television and the cats are all fine.

I'm listening to music, waiting for Mark to come home. He's enjoying his new job very much! I'm happy that he's happy and busy.

Laundry needs done but we're out of detergent. Still no dinner plans(5:43, yes it is taking forever to get this written, cat distractions and such). I'm guessing dinner might be pick-up since we must get out for the detergent anyway.

So yep, this is the 301st post and I still have nothing to say. But, I'll leave you with a blast from the past, Halloween-style...