Oops!

In my last post...talking about learning a foreign language...one remark didn't seem so funny when I went back and read it today. So, I deleted it. If you read it and it offended you, I am terribly sorry. It was meant in jest.

If for any legal reason I had to leave the USA and live some place else, Canada (English speaking for the obvious reason that I am woefully non-bilingual) would be one of the top to consider. Possibly on the west coast though...for some reason I don't think it is as cold as it is to the east. Is this a terribly incorrect supposition?

I've always wanted to visit Australia, but would I want the really horrid summers? Are the summer really as horrid as I think? And, would I want to live there?

If I have to leave for any illegal reason...

Changing gears...

I made the worst chili tonight that I've made in a long time! I generally make my own from start to finish adding seasonings to taste as I go. I have a basic recipe and it always tastes good. I found Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili. He won the 1970 Annual World's Championship Chili Cook-off. I know that sometime in the past that I tried it but haven't used it any in recent memory. Years back I even sent a package of it to my penpal in England. Louise, if you remember, I am so sorry! To the rest of you, if you see this in your grocery store, my recommendation is to keep walking.

I didn't even like the way it smelled! "Oh, Sam. I don't like the way this smells." Then I dipped a spoon in it and tasted. "Ah-oh."

Sam made a remark that he'd have to be careful what he said if he liked it.

I dished him up a bowl full and me a half bowl. I couldn't put enough crackers in my bowl and seriously considered filling it up with ketchup/catsup just like I did when I was in school and you had to do something to make the food palatable. Sam didn't say a word, but ate it like it was good! Can you imagine that? The only thing that is saving the man from eating canned chili is that I don't like it!

GOOD Chili

1 - 2 pounds ground beef or chopped sirloin

1 chopped onion

2 cloves diced garlic

2 - 3 tablespoons flour

1 - 2 tablespoons chili powder to start

2 - 3 teaspoons cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 can chopped tomatoes and juice

1 - 2 cans water

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin to taste. Stir in flour, tomatoes and water. Simmer for an hour stirring (and tasting) occasionally.

I know I have mentioned my favorite spice supplier, but just in case I haven't:

http://www.penzeys.com/

Cold and Wet

All day long. We woke to a wet day which rapidly turned wetter. I don't know that it is any colder. Stayed about 40ish all day long.

I was inside the school subbing for the Spanish teacher. LOL Como esta? Bien. Y tu? That's about the extent of what I remember. I've always wanted to learn Spanish...just don't want to have to do it for a grade. From what I understand, to truly learn a language, you need to go to the country where it is spoken and become saturated in it. Sigh. ***Oh, my! I came back and read this. Sorry if I offended anyone.***

I wore my new socks to school today. They were noticed too. ;o) One of the boys commented on them. Later someone else asked if I couldn't wear anything 'louder'. They look blue, but actually they are more purple.



Last Saturday, I went with Carol, Katy, and Maddie to the Daingerfield State Park. They contemplated the beautifully clear water.




Near the swimming area, before we knew it, Maddie climbed up on a tree stump. She showed Katy how to do it.


I put a few homemade peanut butter cookies in a baggie and passed them out before leaving the park. Alas. I am dieting and didn't eat a single one. I had to raid the freezer to take some to the park. On Sunday, I kept passing through the kitchen staring at the one lone cookie Sam left on the countertop. I couldn't stand it.


They are so good! This is a recipe from my childhood. Way back when I was a teenager at home, I decided to bake. I pulled the peanut butter cookie recipe out and gathered the ingredients. I called Mama, who at the time worked at the Bee (local newspaper), and asked her what "oleo" was.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda


Cream butter with peanut butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda over creamed mixture and blend thoroughly. Form into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press flat with a fork, crisscrossing pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.


Have you found the cookie scoops? I want one in every available size! Currently I have only two. I used the smallest that I have when I made the truffles. They make perfectly uniform size cookies. And for cleanup, just pop in the dishwasher. So much better than scooping with a teaspoon and scraping off on the cookie sheet or rolling round in your hands. No gooey, sticky hands. I had one with a plastic handle...don't buy that kind. Get the all metal scoops.

My Quilting "Thimble"

I Play Outside The Box asked about the "thimble" I use while quilting. I found it at the International Quilt Show in Houston a few years ago...four, I think. It is the best thing I've found for quilting since the rotary cutter.

Since then, I've seen it in only one or two quilt related catalogs. I did find it online for $15 here:

http://www.houseofquilting.com/handheld-quilting-thimble.php

Friends

I can not resist this. The following is an e-mail from a very dear friend. Read it quickly because if she sees this, I may have to pull it. I don't think I've had this good of a laugh in a long time. I merely asked for book reviews for the library's site.

Disclaimer: Names have been changed to protect the innocent...her husband is the only innocent I found in this whole thing. ;o) Any censoring was done by my very dear friend.

Yeah..........and a very happy new year to you also, Mrs. Sherry !!!

I have been on crutches ever since last year and I have read so many books that I have continuous headaches.

I liked some of the books, some I did not; some made me cry, others did not. I always finish what I start even if it's ' waaaaay wrong'. Never did like book reports. Hey, I didn't even like school, but in order to live I HAD to attend AND remain on the honor roll.........or else.

I received a bag of books from one of my church members. She joined a Christian book club and has about lost what bit of 'religion' she has because the books are coming so frequently. She swears that they are coming out of the wazoo. (whatever that is) Does the library have any of the books I have read? Probably not. So, so much for my review, eh? But just for your own info, I read 'em because they were: (1) free (2) large enough print not to stress me out (3) I was unable to leave the house to get what I wanted (4) -husband- still has a nasty cold so I had mercy on him and did not send him to get the 'who done it' type I like (5) I was too 'sorry' to even get on the computer to read and answer mail (6) I ran out of wine (7) I had to stay off my feet and elevate (8) TV was not an option ( 9) needed to unwind after the kids/grands left (10) had already finished my scrapbook of family members
(11) fully clothed, I fell down, barely missed falling into the bath tub. (12) stayed pissed with -husband- for a good 24 hours because he did not hear nor feel me when I hit the floor. At - oops...better leave weight out of this - plus, I KNOW #### well that I had to have shaken
not only the pictures on the walls but the foundation of the house. Did he come to my ####### rescue? #### NO !!!

I said a prayer of thanks, finally got up and totally forgot about the 'religous books' that I was reading. (13) the orgami frogs that I taught myself to make never did hop like the instrucrions stated (14) could not play the keyboard, while my foot was elevated (15) tried the guitar again...it sounded lousy, as usual, my fault of course. (16) And.........I DID NOT CALL YOU TO SCHEDULE A CROCHET CLASS. So I read what I had. Got religion now though.

God is good. I made it to 2009 ANNNND I got more wine. I don't take many pain pills anymore. I can finally place my foot on the floor but still cannot put pressure on it. That's a start. I will take it "one day at a time'. I have had enough 'pity parties' to last for the rest of the year. When I did finally get out of the house, I had to crawl back in
(refer to # 12) because I was afraid of going up the steps on crutches. Won't even discuss pain in my back. Been spending quite a bit of time on it. :o) Get your mind out of the 'gutter'. I am referring to the elevation of my foot.

So now you are up to date. I hope that I will be able to attend the meeting. I miss all of you.

Much love to ya,
(much loved friend's name)

Back in Stitches

Once upon a time, I was a quilter. A hand quilter. I did very little quilting on the sewing machine. As a traditionalist - at least that is what I called myself - a quilt had to be hand quilted. Yes, I know. This is somewhat snobbish. I eventually found out that sometimes machine quilting is best...for placemats, children's quilts, wallhangings, etc.

However. I have not quilted much of anything in a while. I had some items to make for the cruise we took in August. Once those were completed...that was it. I hit a slump. Didn't want to do much of anything.

Yesterday morning, I cleaned my sewing room. All the threads accumulated on the carpet after sewing dolls clothes with two little girls were vacuumed up. I stored several items away. Dusted the desk my machines sit on. I even ironed Sam's last two shirts and put the iron and ironing board away. Then...

...then yesterday evening...I pulled the quilt frame away from the wall. Tilted the surface down and tightened the wingnuts to hold everything in place. I set the tray on the back edge. Then...I actually sat down and took up the needle and...

took a stitch.

I'm...

"Back in the saddle again!"

Tent

Jonathan called me yesterday evening. He said that @#^&#^$# had arrived. I heard "tit." (He has yet another cold. Vitamin C, Son. Go purchase a bottle of Vitamin C!)

"What?"

"The tent arrived. The scrub top is huge."

Back to the pattern which I've already trimmed out at extra-large and threw away all the smaller pieces - facings, etc. Hopefully I can modify it. If not, I'll wait for a 99 cent or $1.99 sale on patterns. That thing regular priced was around $15!!! Why don't they just drop the price and sell them at that price all the time? Well. "They" didn't ask me.

2009

My prayer for you this new year - May God continue to pour his blessings on all of you and your families.

American Girl Dolls

Since I don't have any grandchildren, I never dreamed that I'd be making doll clothes any time soon! We had a 'sew-in' today. Elton and Sam had a road trip planned so Carol came over with her two grand-daughters, Katy (9) and Maddie (7), who are spending the rest of Christmas break with them.

Saturday when they were over and ate supper with us, Maddie fell in love with my fabric stash and wanted to sew. So ;o) we set it up. I found authentic American Girl patterns online:

http://agplaythings.com//AG%20Patterns/DollDressPatterns.html

I printed a pajama pattern. The girls chose their favorite fabric (with my approval - fabric not set aside for quilts) along with matching lace. We started late morning...broke for lunch...got back to it. Finished about 3:30. That's a long time for two little girls, but they did real good...not fussing while they were sewing, just while they were waiting on us for directions. One part of the shirt pattern was a booger to figure out. The girls probably did 90% of the sewing. Even setting in the sleeves! I was impressed. They've been sewing with their mother and grandmother (Carol). But they are still only 9 and 7 years old!

A washable glue stick and quilt basting spray turned out to be the best notions. We tacked the pockets and lace down on the fabric for no pin sewing. When the pjs were completed, Maddie washed the glue out in the bathroom sink. Katy rinsed them. Into the dryer went the pjs. Outside went the girls to play. Carol and I sat down with a glass of wine. After the wine took affect, we decided we would do this again. However, the next time will be a one-piece garment!

When I get a photo of the dolls ready for bed, I'll post the photo.

Remember the plate with the truffles? This is it.

Oh! I finished a pair of socks last night! Ain't they snazzy?!

Happy 25th Birthday, Jonathan!

Twenty-five years ago our area of the world was locked in an ice storm. For nearly the whole month of December the temperatures barely rose above freezing. At night, everything that had tried to thaw, iced over again. The roads were covered with 'black' ice. This - in northeast Texas.

During the previous night, I got out of bed and walked the floors, laying down on the couch between the widely spaced contractions. At 6 a.m. we headed to Longview, 45 miles away. Three hours later, his daddy and I pulled up to the ER entrance.

December 27, 1983
2:45 p.m.
6 pounds, 11 ounces

A Surprise and a Skull Cap

I saw my mother today. In my mirror. Staring back at me. This surprised me. She was not in my house. It has happened. I have become my mother.

Wait a minute. FINALLY! I FINALLY look like my mother! I have always thought she was a beautful woman. I've never thought that I was beautiful though. Don't go psycho-analyzing me yet. I was overweight as a teenager. Of all the times to be overweight - those dreaded teenage years. I knew that I was not beautiful. BUT I also knew that I was NOT dog ugly. Okay. I'm from northeast Texas and that's a Texism...well, I think the real term is "butt ugly," but I wasn't that either. I also knew that I was not beat with an ugly stick. My mama did not have to tie a bone around my neck when I was a kid so that the dog would play with me.

I just wasn't beautiful. Then I went on a diet. Married. Lost more weight. Tanned to a beautiful bronze. Dark brown straight hair hanging down to my waist. At a horse auction, I was at the concession stand getting a coke - you know, a Dr. Pepper - when I overheard in men's voices... "I think she's pretty." "Yeah. I do too." I never looked around. But on my way back to the building, I didn't see a single woman. Just me. Two men thought I was pretty. Well, three counting my husband but he's supposed to think that. Oh, wait. Four. Daddy.

I'm still not Raquel Welch gorgeous. Or Sophia Loren drop-dead gorgeous. My eyelids are droopy and are getting more so each and every year. My teeth are discolored from fluorosis and are crooked. But I am pretty. My hair is still dark brown and now that it is shorter I find that it is a tiny bit wavy. As long as I stay away from the sunroof in a car, the few gray hairs that I have do not look like a fiber-optic lamp. I am an optimist - my glass is always at least half full - and I almost always smile. I think and hope and pray that I am a nice person.

What led up to this...I knitted my first skull cap and was trying to get a photo of it. If you haven't tried turning the camera on yourself or attempted to take your picture in the mirror. GO TRY IT. It ain't easy! I took a pic...laughed...took another...laughed...took another...oh, there's Mama! I bet I took eight or ten photos. The pattern came from a very talented young lady: http://kodymayknits.blogspot.com/2006/11/bead-my-skull-cap.html

Finally decided to hang the cap on a lamp.

Oh, and here's the lamp. Isn't it a pretty?! The first Christmas after Jonathan's daddy died, that 12-year old boy (he turned 13 two days after Christmas) spent ALL of his Christmas and birthday money on me. I cried.

I collect Fenton Burmese. My mother was a Fenton dealer - hence the reason I could afford it to start with. I fussed at Mama for letting Jonathan spend all of his money. She said that she tried to talk him out of it - but, "He wanted to."