Tired Again!

Of course, what can I expect since I stayed up until probably around 4 o'clock this morning?! Richard, Chazz, and the band finished at 3 a.m. Melanie, Kathy, and I visited with them for a few minutes.

A little 80-year old lady danced along with Chazz for the last dance. By golly! If she can stay awake until 3 a.m. or later...so can I...zzzzzzz. LOL

We girlfriends shopped on the way home. Oh...and ate. ;o) Dropped Kathy off in Longview. Dropped Melanie off in Daingerfield, then headed out in the country for home. Think I got home about 5 p.m.

No photos...except for another cookbook installment. Two Gooseberry Farms that baby brother's wife, Marilyn, has given me. She's a sweetheart...think I've mentioned that before.

HEY! Did you notice that I didn't call Joey the Brat?! I'm getting better. hahahaha

Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm getting ready for a girlfriend weekend. Melanie, Kathy, and I are going to Shreveport tomorrow. Our high school classmate, Richard, his wife and their band are performing at Sam's Town. http://www.myspace.com/ladychazzandthetramps (One of these days I'll learn the correct way to insert a link!) Melanie and I are leaving before noon tomorrow to go get Kathy, then we are headed east. Sam decided to take the opportunity to go visit his son and finally take my Harley there for him to sell for us. But I have a Monday obligation. Cookies. The library's Friends group is taking sweets to City Hall Monday for the employees and the city council. Figuring that I'd need a nap when I get home Sunday, I decided to do my baking tonight.

I just love the cookie dough scoopers. They make short work of scooping out peanut butter cookie dough. I don't have to roll spoonfuls between my hands any more.


While the cookies were in the oven,

I cleaned the kitchen. Put everything away. Could NOT find the lid to my sugar crock. Looked high and low. Finally put the crock back in the pantry and looked all around the kitchen again. I even looked in the trash can! I had a saucer in my hand to put on the crock for a lid...

See the first post for today below...I had a hard day at school...

Finished product...minus a few.

Since these weren't chocolate...how about some eye candy?!

No, drat it! I did not take this photo.

I cruised blogs a bit earlier this evening and noticed someone was showing off their cookbooks. Why not?! My pitifully small collection is located on a bookshelf in Sam's office - right off the kitchen. When we bought the house and moved in, he questioned me about MY bookshelf in HIS office. shoulder shrug Either in his office or in our dining room. ;o)

I truly drool while perusing this cookbook!

Last Day Subbing of the Year...

Most likely anyway. Next week is end of semester testing before Christmas break. WHAT A DAY! If I'd had to call a principal one more time, I'm afraid that they would be investigating me instead of the kids.

I subbed in one class and during a break in the teacher's schedule was sent to another class. They wouldn't sit down and get quiet. I couldn't call roll...so hit the buzzer and summoned help. The principal gave them a pretty good lecture. Even after he left though, one table...teenage girls! Sheesh!!! Oh. I forgot to tell you. Freshmen!

Back in my scheduled class...fight. I ran between them. A girl and a boy. The girl was the aggressor! He kept his hand on her shoulder pushing her out of reach. When I got between them though, he would not retreat. NO ONE would push the buzzer. I had to run back to it...push it...shout "I have a fight" as I was running back to get between them. Some of the other guys were trying to keep them apart. One tried to get me to back off telling me that she would hit me. I guess I just don't have good sense. I was worried about her turning on him and involving another student. (Doesn't matter who is at fault, if you fight back even in defense, you still get detention or some sort of punishment.) I just said, "She's not going to hit me because she doesn't want to be in any more trouble than she's already in." We got them separated and dang if she didn't follow him and they got into it again. She hit him. He slapped her. Help arrived. I found out later...they are COUSINS! Why couldn't they wait until they got home?!

Change of subject...
It is in full bloom! So gorgeous. While I wish it would be blooming on Christmas day, this is better than not blooming at all!

I was with Sam the other day while he was looking for second-hand woodworking tools. We stopped at a second-hand store, and I found another cruet to add to the collection Mama gave me.

The shelf is just about full. Hmmmm...maybe I can squeeze in one or two more. ;o)Isn't this sad? All I can think is "What was SHE thinking?" Grandma made it so she HAD to wear it?

Children

Bingo Bonnie talked about being a Mean Old Mom over on her blog. http://bingobonnie.blogspot.com/2009/12/1-smell-of-christmas.html

Made me think about Jonathan when he was little and sweet. Little? Yes. Sweet? Sometimes. ;o)

When he didn't get his way he would call me "Meanie." I told him that was every Mama's middle name and that my name was "Mama Mean J****n."

I thought about something else. You know the time in your child's life when his eye is at the exact level of your elbow? You turn not realizing the he is RIGHT THERE.

"Waaaahhhh! Mama you hit me."

"Are you bleeding?"

"No."

"Then I didn't do it on purpose. When I mean to hit you, I'll make you bleed."

Oops. Then I prayed that the elbow wouldn't connect and bust his lip or something and make him bleed. Can you say Child Protective Services? Ssssh! Not out loud for the sake of every Mama out there!

It Ain't Easy Being....

Purple! I finished my second sock. And wore them to school Tuesday! One of the boys was upset...he was under some delusional belief that I was knitting the socks for him. I keep trying to tell him that his Spanish teacher will teach him how to knit...

I also wore my purple wave scarf! I looked snazzy...even if I do say so myself. The two items don't look as though they match, but the lighter purple in the scarf is the same color as the socks.

I made some quilt blocks and mailed them off to another quilter. On HGTV quilting message board, when someone is having a hard time with life, or a death in their immediate family, someone will generally volunteer to make a quilt for them. We make blocks and pass them on.

I pulled up at the library yesterday and look what was looking at me!

Hop on over to the Friends of the Daingerfield Public Libary's blog. (Check my sidebar for the link to click.) We had our first Breakfast With Rudolph. Emotions ranged from "What if no one shows up?" to "What if too many people show up?" LOL I don't know when someone thought to start a sign-in sheet, but we had 80+ people during the two hours the event was scheduled. One coffee urn was filled with 24 cups of hot chocolate...another pot had to be made! We had three boxes of donut holes...only 1/2 box was left. Our pigs ina blanket bakers, separated the fluffy canned biscuits and wrapped around Little Smokies. Just a few of those left. In a fit of, "What if we don't have enough food?" Two of us decided to make Rice Krispies Treats...mine were plain...hers had peanut butter in them. Just a handful left. We did good!

Now the photo taking and printing was another matter. We printed about 50 photos of kids sitting on Rudolph's lap. Problems? Yes. We had two very similar cameras. After the photographer, aka the librarian, took a few photos, we swapped out cameras. I removed the card, downloaded the photos to the computer, picked out what I considered was the cutest photo of the child(ren), printed it. Put card back in camera, swap with photographer.

This was a different program from what I am used to. On mine...if I leave photos on the card, my program does not download them again. The library's DID! As copy 1...and copy 2...and copy 3! Get the picture? So I started deleting the pictures from the card. Ooops...I deleted some pictures that had not been downloaded to the computer! Photographer did some retakes.

AND...we either have photographer error or camera problems. One round of picture taking had only ONE photo on the card. This has happened to her once before.

We made apologies around...more photos were retaken. Some people had to leave because of their time issues. Someone came into the library yesterday for a picture of her child, we looked. He wasn't there. Once again I apologized. She was very gracious. I told her that we should have the bugs worked out by next year. Fingers crossed!

So...we have swapped cameras, I have the library's camera and she has mine. We'll be taking photos and see if the problem pops up and which camera it pops up on. One more possibility could be with the card. Since the cameras are near identical...same brand, etc., they take the same card. We'll swap those out and see what happens.

MY Goodies!

My previous post mentioned the What I Want For Christmas swap on the quilters message board at HGTV. This is what Jackie, aka Wenonah, from Lewiston Minnesota sent to me.

Unopened packages...

The first thing I opened.
I zeroed in on this like a bloodhound after an escaped prisoner.
Oops...a piece is missing already!


I am definitely signing up for next year!

What I Want For Christmas

One box full of great quilt related items...and some not...has already been opened. I joined an unusual swap over on the HGTV board. I'm not much for swaps. I haven't joined in the SS - secret sister - swap. Mainly because it's a pick-out-a-gift-and-mail-it-once-a-month-swap. The swap I just participated in was for 20 things. We had categories to fill. We each answered a list of questions and included additional information about ourselves. All 20 items were wrapped and put in one box (if it all fit - I mailed two boxes) ...and mailed all at one time.

These are just some of the items in the boxes I sent.


This is sticky... This one shiny...I put a photo of me in the frame. LOL


Something for the kitchen... A Texas bluebonnet mug with Penzey's cocoa...

Santa Snowman

I forgot this category... Snowflakes

All 20 items wrapped with FQs and labeled... Packed and ready to go...

My gifts went to Grace in Akron Ohio. I picked several Texas items. The Apricot preserves were accompanied by a jar of plum jelly...both made at Blackburn Syrup in Jefferson Texas. The Texas mug was made at Marshall Pottery in Marshall Texas. I picked out cowboy Snowman and Santa as reminders of Texas.

No More Thermostat Wars!!

Hallelujah! But since this is Texas...this too shall pass. However...it finally got cold enough to have the heater on. This hard and loud tile floor finally got too cold to stand on barefooted...even with houseshoes on. So I've unfolded the winter pajamas and stepped into them, slipped on a pair of Daddy's old socks before slipping into the houseshoes, and I am set. I like winter. We don't really have much, and as I mentioned above, it will probably be short-sleeve weather again in a few days. But for now. It's freezing outside baby! AND it has snowed in Houston again!! Only the fourth time in the last 15 years! Further evidence of global warming. LOL


I moved my plants in yesterday. In the past, I moved them into the dining room and just jumbled them in the floor behind the table. When the weather warmed, moved them back outside. Freezing weather again, the plants came in. This year I cleaned off the metal baker's rack that they live on out in the screenroom. Then moved it in where it blocks one-half of our French door...the door we never open. Plants will get indirect light and should be okay throughout the winter.

Speaking of plants...Isn't this a beautiful thing?! I am so proud of my Christmas cactus. I've owned several over the years and never got one to this point...this large...and blooming! The oldest part of the plant came from Sam's best friend's mother's plant. Okay...that's Ben's mother, Bernice. Sam and I were visiting her in Wadsworth Texas around the turn of the century - one side of it or the other, I forget. As we walked in, I handed her a part of her Christmas cactus that had broken off the mother plant outside. She told me that I could have it. Poor lonely thing...I purchased a small pot at Wal-Mart and planted them together. I can still pick out the older part and am glad of that. These blossoms are on that part... Bernice was a special lady.

Sam is still working on his shop building. He is going to do some work for me in my sewing room...but in the meantime, he's still practicing with the woodworking tools he is acquiring. Some are used...some are new. I helped him set this shelf up on the bench and prop it up so that he could attach it to the wall.

He's doing a really good job IMHO.

But he does make a dusty mess. ;o) I like his portable workbench. And under it is a collapsible router table.

I subbed today. One of the ninth grade kids reported that their teachers really raked them over the coals from my note last week. They were much better today. Besides...there were two of us. Both Ag teachers are gone with some of the kids to a competition of some sort. They left a movie for the classes to watch...both classes in one classroom. The other sub said one of the classes that I was scheduled to have just about made her quit...yep...freshmen. As soon as they walked in, I told them to either sit down or get back outside until the bell rang. Outside temperature was in the upper 30s. They WENT OUTSIDE!!! Guess they showed me LOL!! Bell rang, they filed in and sat at their desks. The other class had to bring in desks from their classroom. I immediately demanded quiet so that we could call roll. Someone talked. I stopped and got their attention again with an "I WILL call a principal!!" We got the rolls called, sent to the office, movie on, and had a fairly quiet class. ;o)

Tomorrow to the library for our first Breakfast With Rudolph. We invited kids from four elementary schools, a private school, two childcare, and one Head Start. Our football team will be playing a playoff game in Nacogdoches so we don't know how this will go. Let us pray...

Quilters and Butter

What do those two things have in common? Read on...

First of all, I drove Mama to the doctor yesterday (Tuesday). She got a great checkup and the doctor gave her permission to drive! Hallelujah!!! Today, she went to the dollar store AND to the senior diner to eat. ;o)

Last week, I contacted some quilters in the Tyler area. We met as a result of Cyber Friends Quilt Guild...an internet guild. For several years we met in Tyler at Thanksgiving and quilters came from all over the United States and even Canada! Those of us in East Texas met at different times throughout the year and became widely known as the East Texas Wildbunch...a title we are extremely proud of. We meet at the Tyler Quilt Show every spring, at LQSs (local quilt shops), and just to eat. Once, there was the red-headed waiter at a restaurant on McCann Road in Longview...sorry...that is a different story. ;o) Ahem...some things truly must remain a secret.

I really enjoyed seeing Linda and Kathy at a Mexican restaurant (we generally meet and eat) but was disappointed that Judy was not feeling well. Warning...I will be back in Tyler in six weeks!

Time for the butter story. Below is an actual record of e-mails that were flying back and forth in preparation for our Thanksgiving feast in Tyler in 2005.

This started while deciding what time we should all start getting into Tyler for our Quilt Guild Thanksgiving lunch. I said I needed a reason to be there at 10 a.m. so that Sam, my husband, would agree to arriving there that early. Judy said that I could unwrap the butter and open the door. I replied back with a "Great, then I would be qualified to be a greeter at Wal-Mart"…it went downhill from there…

JANET/SPOTTED COW
Sherry, I wouldn't count on getting a job at Wal Mart, they only hire people with NO experience, that's why they can never answer your questions.

Also, there is a correct way and an incorrect way to open butter stix. You may want to practice some before you get there Saturday.

　Correct way to open butter stix:
1. open little flaps on left side of wrapped stick
2. open little flaps on right side of wrapped stix
3. carefully lift long edge of paper, pulling gently till it lifts off of stick
4. place saucer under the partly unwrapped stick, then holding paper only, let butter slide off of wrapper onto the saucer.
5. never touch bare butter with fingers.

　Incorrect way to unwrap butter:
1. grab stix of butter and squeeze till end flaps pop open
2. then grab long edge of wrapper and jerk till butter is unwrapped and falls on counter top or floor.
3. snatch up butter stix and slap down on saucer and place on table.
4. don't worry about hand and finger prints, they will slice off when used.
　Janet

Kathy/QUILT OBSESSION
Yes, Sherry, I think it would! Any experience you can gain during the process of opening the butter, could surely help, and I can't see that it would hurt at all! LOL　 You just never know when those skills would be needed. LOL
　
Kathy/QUILT OBSESSION:
6.　 No cussing if the flaps are difficult to open, or if the butter doesn't want to slide off the paper, or if the butter falls on the floor during the "sliding" process!
　
JANET/SPOTTEDCOW
7. put tape over mouth if #6 happens
　
SHERRY/KEEPYOUINSTITCHES
Okay, so I'm over qualified for Wal-Mart.　 I was truly looking forward to working there when I grow up.　 In the meantime, I've been practicing with the butter.　 I bought a pound of butter, and really messed up, so had to go back to the store for more.

　First of all, I bought margarine to practice with - it's cheaper you know.　 However, it just doesn't sliiiidddde off the paper correctly.　 And, once...or twice...or - well, you get the idea...I licked my fingers.　 YUCK!　 People use that stuff??!!　 Well, I digress.

I couldn't get the butter to sliiiidddde off the wrapper either, so I thought maybe it was too cold.　 I put it in the microwave for JUST 10 seconds.　 Took a whole roll of paper towels to clean the microwave.　
Stick #2, after tearing the flaps off, and peeling the edge of the paper, I'm standing there with the butter just dangling.　 So, I gave it a flip - just a little flip...went straight in the garbage disposal.
With stick #3, I thought...well, I can't write what I actually thought first.　 Secondly, I thought "Spatula."　 By this time, I've got the hang of opening the little bitty tiny flaps and carefully - oops, itty bitty fingerprint - lifting the edge of the paper (butter under my fingernail).　 I take the edge of the spatula and start to gently push the stick of butter off the paper when Sam came up behind me and asks "Hey, what are you doing?"　 We both looked up.　 And there it was, stuck on the ceiling.　 We haven't gotten all of the spackle picked out of it yet.　 We may just use that stick for popcorn - that'll explain the crunchies...
So, Sam took stick #4 and tore the flaps, ripped open the wrapper, picked the butter up with HIS HAND, plopped it on the plate and said, "What's so hard about that?!"
I have a headache.　 I'm going to bed.　 Might as well, I'm out of butter.　 I've got it on my grocery list though and as soon as I get over this migraine, I'll go to the store and buy more to practice with.
Hey!　 Great idea.　 My pineapple pound cake recipe calls for butter...would y'all notice if there was a bit of crunchy in there with the pineeeeeeeeeeapppppppppppppllllllllllleeeeeeeeee???????????　 Oops, still had a bit of butter on my hand.
　Oh, yeah, I've got to put tape on my grocery list too.
　PS - Janet, cute puppies!　 Do they like butter?
　
Janet/Spotted Cow
Now look Sherry, you have to learn how to do this, it's not that hard. First of all, you have to buy very expensive butter, try a shop that carries imported butter. The best kind to buy is the kind that had the 22 carat gold writing on it. I'm sure you've seen it, it's right　between the Philadelphia Cream Cheese with the inlaid diamond wrapper and and the cottage cheese that has each curd dipped in Mother of Pearl.
You cannot tear the ends off, treat them like small delicate half square triangles, gently lift and fold them back out of the way. If you are having problems with "butter under the fingernails," then you have purchased cheap butter. Real butter does not get under your fingernails; it has more class than that!　 Also, expensive butter slides right off the paper with out any problems.
I do understand that you have be allotted a very prestigious job and after re-reading your last reply, I have come to the conclusion that maybe we have given you a job beyond your capabilities. So, perhaps you should take the job of replacing the empty toilet paper rolls. Of course you do understand these rolls are not to be confused with the dinner rolls, don't you?
One is made of paper, the other made of dough. But the most important difference between them is that one is quilted and one is not!　 You will be handling the one that has been quilted. When not actively busy replacing rolls, you can count how many stitches to the inch the TP has been quilted.
Also, warning to all diners, do not eat anything that Sherry says she added butter and nuts to, remember the spackled ceiling at her home!
Hugs
Janet
　
Kathy/Quilt Obsession
You know Sherry, I hate to say this, but there seems to be an opening at the Thanksgiving dinner for a butter opener, just doesn't seem like you're qualified for this position! LOL If you didn't get the hang of it after wasting all that butter.....er margarine, I don't think there's a chance of you catching on! LOL
　
Sherry/KeepYouInStitches
I've been practicing - again...what's this springy thing inside the toilet paper holder do-hicky? What am I supposed to do with it.
　BE NICE!!!

Janet/Spotted Cow
WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!　 Get the picture?
Kim, can you unwrap butter?
lol
Hugs
Janet
　
Kim/kfb
Yes Janet, I believe I can open the butter, LOL　 Don't worry Sherry, I'm sure we can find something you can do to stay busy. Maybe you can just mingle with the guests, I think you've worked hard enough already. Yep, mingling should be just perfect!
　Janet, you forgot to tell her that the toilet paper must unroll from the top.... I better keep my mouth shut or that will be my job! LOL

Janet
Well, after greater consideration, do you think maybe you could just handle opening and closing the door for people?
Of course, I am sure you do realize they have to either be entering or exiting　 when you open the door?

Sherry/KYIS
Does the door open in or out?　 I need to start practicing!

Janet
IN !!!!!　 But remember, you have to stay out of the door way, yourself!
　
Sherry/KYIS
The Cranberry Sparkle is in the refrigerator jelling...the Pineapple Pound Cake is on the counter cooling.　 (I strained the butter to get the spackle out of it.)
You have no idea how hard it was to work in the kitchen today.　 You see, I have this big open gashing wound on my hand.　 I decided that I was going to perfect opening butter.　 Nothing I have tried up to this point had worked in a manner that I thought would please you-know-who.　 I'm so afraid to even mention her name.　 I might start sobbing hysterically again.　 Sam had to shove a couple of valium down my throat earlier today.　　She will remain nameless so I don't get upset again!

　
　
JANET!!
　
　
　
　
　
I'm sorry.　 I had to go take another nap.　
This morning　I decided to make the prettiest stick of butter anyone has ever seen.　 I took this really sharp knife.　 I got it out of the locked knife drawer which Sam accidentally left unlocked.　 I got the best wooden cutting board I have in my kitchen - one of those maple boards that has the drip tray around it.　 Really pretty.　 Sam gave it to me for Christmas one year.　 That was the year he took the knives away.　Oops.　 Digressing again.　 (I like that word.)　
So, I took out the butter that I put in the freezer earlier　to get it really, really cold.　 Laid it on the cutting board.　 Held it perfectly still.　 Took the knife and heated it.　 And started to slice the paper off the stick of butter.　 The first side of the paper came off so nicely.　 You should see it.　 So smooth it almost has a reflection.　 I turned the stick of butter over to the next side.　 Held it securely.　 Heated the knife again.　 Started the next slice.　 Forgot to move my finger.　 Fortunately I didn't cut it too deep.　
Oh, don't worry, remember I said I used the cutting board with the drip tray around it.　 So, the kitchen wasn't in a mess.　
But I don't know what happened to Sam.　 He asked me what did I think I was trying to prove.　 I just started screaming "JANET!　 JANET!　 JANET!"　 over and over again.　 I have a wonderfully understanding husband.　 Without even hitting me, I realized I was on the floor with him sitting on top of me　shoving those two valium down my throat.　 He's such a sweetheart.　 But he made me throw the butter away too. He said, "NO!　 We can't just wash it off!!"
Sigh.
For those of you who haven't met me yet,　I'll be at the door to greet you.　 Please don't get your feelings hurt if I can't shake your hand.
Hugs and smiles!!
Sherry
　
Cow woman
Oh My gosh, Sherry!!!　 I am so sorry someone has upset you so much that you can't even say her name. You want me to slap her for you??　 Huh!　 I will, you know. And listen, you should never let anyone upset you so much that you slash your wrist, ut oh, I mean hand!　 They're just not worth it. I am sure who ever that person is, will be nicer to you tomorrow when she sees you and what a nice job you have done with the butter!
Hugs
Janet

Sherry/KYIS
Did you scroll all the way down?

Cow
ME !!!!　 You Were Talking about ME!!!!!!!! You must be hallucinating, to many xanax's, oh, I'm sorry that was Valium, wasn't it? ()
　Ladies and DH, we all know that Sherry has been heavily medicated, (see previous emails for dosage), so if you walk up to the door and she shuts it in your face, just remember, she's not responsible for her actions. Someone will get her DH, Dr. Sam, to take care of her. lol
See ya tomorrow
Hugs
Janet

And that, my readers is the end of the e-mails. But not the end of the story. While Janet/SpottedCow/Cow Woman/and just plain old Cow was instructing me in the fine art of opening butter, another quilter took photos for evidence...I mean posterity. She even labeled the photos:

Here are those wonderful women...some who love me and some who manage to tolerate me. ;o)