It Isn't White!!!

It seems as though almost every car we've had in the past 20 years has been white, especially the last 3 or 4. Finally, we have branched out and added a nice neutral! Introducing my new ride!!

A weekend day around the casa...

First we enjoyed the comings and goings at the bird feeder.





Then we enjoyed the company of our youngest three kitties.


(Tallulah, 7 months)


(Gypsy, 16 months)


(Jasper, 16 months)

Later, the girls helped out with the garage clean-up. Ryan helped too but I didn't get a picture of him.





Finally, I looked through our glass door at the afternoon sun. Can't wait to get it sanded, painted and installed!

I'm HOME!!!

We drove straight through yesterday, leaving a very cold Micaville around 7am and arriving in Longview around 10:30ish(honestly I didn't look at a clock). There was fresh snow on the far end of Yancey county but not too slick on the roads. It was beautiful on the mountains but I don't have a picture, the cameras were packed.

The trip went by really fast, dad and I took turns driving. We saw dozens and dozens of deer all through Mississippi, probably over 100. The girls and I had fun watching for them, until we hit one. Dang things leapt in front of us, the first one made it across to the median, the second one crashed into the rear wheel well. I have no idea if it could have survived its wounds, we found a dent and where it wiped off the road dirt along the back of the SUV. After that it was a nervous trip, there were deer EVERYWHERE!! Thankfully the Louisiana deer weren't as plentiful.

Mark took me to lunch today for my birthday. Then mom and I went and enlarged patterns from several books and magazines for our thrifted wool projects.

We're having homemade chili for dinner with cornbread. Mark's coming home early because we didn't sleep well last night. He's VERY busy with his new company, getting everything in compliance takes a long time!

Anyway, I've got pictures on 3 different cameras so it's gonna be a few days. I'm sure it will take a week to get back to normal!!!


(the girl in the hat is my mom's mom's mom, Ollie Skaggs)

thrifted afghan pictures...

I just LOVE this afghan!! My mom's mom had one and I have always wondered where it went. I'm sure some cousin has it but mom thinks it may have been donated. No telling, that was well over 20 years ago. Anyway, I've never seen one in a thrift store til now and this is a beauty! There are several squares in need of shoring up with some matching yarn but that can wait til we get back home, it won't unravel before then. Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, it was late at night and I've got no editing software on this computer.










(Nan kicking Bert's butt on bags of our salvaged wool)

Is this cute or what?

My parents adopted two babies several months ago. This is Bert and he weighs about 5 pounds. They look like china cat figurines, very beautiful and delicate. Nan is a bit shy but I've got some pics on my camera. I'm trying to figure out how to get them onto the girls' computer, which is where I'm posting from now. Hopefully I can get it all worked out soon.

Mom and I have been going nuts at the thrift stores with the wool blazers and sweaters. So far we've deconstructed at least 15 or 20 and there are maybe 15 more to work on. We'll end up halving the goods when we're done. I have LOTS of ideas in the works, LOTS! I'm also working on my third batwing shawl. Its about halfway finished.

It was 14 degrees here this morning!! We're expecting snow on Friday but it will be followed by rain and won't stick. When we were here 2 years ago there was the pretty kind of snow that stayed for 3 days. The kids were in heaven. I wish it would do the same this time.

Anyway, that's the goings on here. I don't know what we'll do today for our New Year's celebration. I'd like to cook something, maybe a chocolate pie or something.

We're Here!!

We arrived yesterday afternoon(Sunday) at my parents home in North Carolina. Whew, what a drive! Today we went to a thrift shop for wool blazers and sweaters and I scored a gorgeous granny square afghan(pics tomorrow). I'm hoping for more treasure hunting in the coming days. We plan on meeting up with my sister-in-law at some point and a friend of my mom's with two daughters near Sarah's age. So we'll have plenty of things going on. My brother got us online with the girls' computer which helps. I can take pictures with their camera and share from here.

I'm working on another batwing shawl and I'm hoping to have a machine quilting lesson as well(I brought my fall turning twenty again quilt).

Esmeralda and Matilda

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

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!

And now for some WAY cuter rodents(and some fabric)!

(Echo and Basil)


(Echo's other side)


(Moonshine and his daddy Basil)


(Meadow, Echo's sister)


(Meadow showing off how gorgeous she is)

And, here is the fabric I bought to cover the computer chair I got from Goodwill a few weeks ago. It will end up being a bit more complicated than I'd hoped. There are tabs with grommets and a plastic piece that goes across part of it. I've got to examine it closer and see what I need to do.


(this shows the pattern best)


(this shows the color best, sort of, the lights aren't quite as light as here and the dark is a rich dark chocolate. between Muffin's hind end and the date stamp are the most true colors-at least on my monitor)

Desk Hunting!

We're going to eat our Wheaties, take our showers and head out to find a desk! I am hopeful. Wish us luck!


(former way too big desk)

It really doesn't look all that big in this picture, but this thing is almost the size of a twin bed! Mark dragged it home from a used office supply place and we used it for a long time in the living room. We decided to rearrange and move the computer to the dining area on a smaller desk and took this one down. The drawer space is unbelievable. If anyone local would like to have it, please let me know and you can come collect it out of our garage.

Quirks....

Maizee at Fabric and Yarn Stasher tagged me and Susan at Blackberry Creek so I'm playing for both of them!

I won't tag anybody outright, play along if you dare! Here's the rules(which I rarely follow)
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them.
5. Leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

My quirks would be thus:

1. I hate to hear balloons popping. I hate loud noises in general but this one can cause me to have a panic attack in seconds! Don't know why. Consequently my kids are always BEGGING for balloons. I finally give in and when one pops I freak out, yell at them(because they KNOW how it is for me and balloons), and go sulk in my room.

2. My feet get washed every night right before I get into bed. One of my biggest pet peeves is crumbs in the bed and this seems to help. Yall now know that I am a true princess.(and yall got a freebie quirk)

3. I don't eat syrup on my pancakes. I eat them with either bacon or ham layered with each bite. Oh, and plenty of butter!

4. I am a notorious maker of lists, but rarely do what is on them.

5. A platter of sausage, gravy and biscuits is way more appealing than a bowl of ice cream. I'm not big on sweets.

6. It has to be near pitch dark for me to sleep at night. Even the light from the vcr or alarm clock has to be covered up. Mark thinks I am NUTS but it really does bother me through my eyelids! Yes it does.

And in other news...

My little brother finished hiking the Appalachian Trail!!!! He started last year but came home shy of the finish for family reasons. He went back not long ago and picked up where he left off. The weather was horrid the whole way but he stuck with it and came to the end!! YEAH! Now he's looking at another hike, 900-something miles from western North Carolina to the coast. I can't remember what he said the name of it is but I bet he's on it soon! Keep him in your thoughts and prayers, he's got the same nasty vurus that we've had.


(note the fog and banged up shins-it was not an easy hike)


(my next big project, still no desk but this was $12.50 at Goodwill)

What I worked on this afternoon:

I warn you, it is GROSS...


(do I really need all this? it came from the drawer)


(at least those crumbs are just salt, it could be worse)


(some of those things didn't make it back into the drawer, that pampered chef sandwich cut and seal really shouldn't be there though)

A Working Weekend....

Actually, I started on this project earlier in the week with the sanding and painting but Mark and I hung it up this morning. We spent all day yesterday deciding on the perfect glass shades for it, we are both very pleased with our selection. This was the easiest hanging job we've ever done, it went fast with no hitches!


(light fixture from Goodwill: $10)


(spray paint from Lowes:$5, this is a satin finish and isn't nearly as reflective in person)







(glass shades from Lowes: $30~ lol, we are not using those kinds of bulbs, that was our tester bulb to make sure of the wiring)

Last night(saturday), Mark took Ryan and his friend Kyle to Lone Star Lake to fish. They'd just backed down the boat ramp when they noticed about a dozen boats suddenly headed for them from across the lake. Mark pulled up to let some get out and they figured out a storm was on the way. He called me to look on weather.com and I confirmed that a very big, very nasty storm was literally upon them!! They drove all the way home in it at about 35-40mph! Our lights flickered several times and the wind was just crazy. I am SO glad they didn't get out there earlier and risk getting caught on the water. It rained steady til after 1am and then again much of the late morning. They were disappointed so I agreed to "let" them try again tonight in exchange for some major honey-dos.

First, I cleaned off and sorted(repackaged) my fabric boxes on the 4x6ft metal shelf. Mark carried the boxes to the kitchen and the boys brought the shelf to the utility room. I'm not sure this will be its permanent location or what, but it frees up a whole lot of space in our bedroom! We had to move the smaller plastic shelf from behind the door(next to the washer) in order to have a place for the litterboxes. If the shelves stay in this room, we'll put a kitty door on so we can keep it closed. We may also move the freezer to the garage or a corner of the dining room. Or the plastic shelf might go to the garage, we haven't decided what yet.



Next, I started some pinto beans simmering, that will be a late supper for the guys. I'm debating making cornbread for them.

Then Mark and Ryan cleaned the coils on the back of the fridge and the floor underneath(no picture, it was GROSS!).

While they were doing that, I was able to do a little, long overdue, mantle decorating.



My mom did the dutch dolls. The candleholders were on 80% clearance at Hobby Lobby, aren't they cute? I'm not sure how well the pattern shows but they are kind of a paisley bandana pattern frosted kinda on the inside of the glass.



I'm on my way to the garage to spray paint my desk. It is a trial thing, a "free" fake wood desk from Mark's office, left by an ex-employee. If the paint works fine, if it doesn't that's fine too. I'm kinda hoping it does, at least mostly, because I'm typing this from the floor of my dining room and it is uncomfortable to say the least(a mosquito has bitten my forehead at least 4 times now)..***updated, that was a flop. Now I'm without a desk***

After painting I'm going to sort through the cabinets above the washer and dryer, there is a TON of junk up there destined for Goodwill(or the trash). The more I can get done this weekend, the more we can "not do" next weekend. Mark will be off Friday so it gives us an extra day to fart around. Hmmmm, maybe we'll finally paint the bedroom!! Wouldn't that be amazing! I'm betting we will!!