Movie: One for the Money - Warning Spoiler Alert

AGAIN - SPOILER ALERT!!!

Best casting: Sherri Shepherd as Lula. She was LOL funny.

Katherine Heigl did an okay job as Stephanie.
Jason O'Mara was a decent Morelli.
Daniel Sunjata - WHERE WAS RANGER'S PONY TAIL?!
Ana Reeder aka Connie - Where were the boobs? Not as much cleavage as Connie should've had - or big hair either.
Have no idea who either actor/actress were that portrayed Stephanie's parents.
Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur. I like Debbie Reynolds. And she was funny as Grandma Mazur. But she's not the least bit bony. Not the body I had in mind for Grandma.
Patrick Fischler - don't have an idea who he is - but he did a good Vinnie.

Things that were wrong:
The Plums' house is supposed to be a duplex with non-matching paint jobs on each half.
After Lula was beaten, she was not rolled out of Benito Ramirez's pickup. Nor did she spend just a few hours in the hospital. He carried her up the fire escape and left her outside Stephanie's bedroom window. He nearly beat her to death.

I've got to reread One. There was no...and I do mean NO...sexual tension between Stephanie and Ranger. Hmmm...wonder if it started in Two.

I do intend to see it again. :D

Good Morning!

Dense fog on the way to work Friday morning. But this morning we had a beautiful sunrise. It covered the whole sky! North. South. East. West.

I finally finished a quilt for my grand nephew Ty. He was born preemie in July. I told his mother it was too hot to think about a quilt. After Christmas I decided I better get it started and DONE before this winter was completely over! John Deere fabric for a country boy! With his big sister, Bri.
Sam cooked a slow cooker full of beef stew this week. I combined the dry ingredients for cornbread and left a how-to finish it. I brought a Tahoe full of co-workers to the house for lunch. Everything was DELICIOUS! They liked the stew...but loved the homemade cornbread!

Another First

Sam finished the Christmas toy boxes for Colt and Isabel. Isabel celebrated her first birthday! With a little help from her cousin.A pretty little lady.

The Spaghetti Kids Ride Again!

It doesn't matter whether it's today's little girls...Isabel...

or today's little boys...Colt...

or little boys from 1984.Jonathan.

SPAGHETTI IS GOOD! LOL

Da Judge was given a Kindle Fire for Christmas. She mentioned needing a case and looked at me and said, "Like yours." And she smiled real big. I told her about the different type cases: pouches you put the Kindle in, then remove and had to lay the pouch down or whatever - or a case like a book cover. She said, "Like yours!" I asked her about colors and she said that she's an "autumn" person and the fabrics in the mug rug I made her for Christmas would be just perfect if I had more of them. I did.I told her she would have to stick some velcro on the back of her Kindle with my style case because I don't like the elastic bands holding down the corners because of my keyboard. She looked at her KF and noticed that bands would run across the corner of her screen. The stick-on velcro would be just fine. This is my Kindle and I'm giving it a good shake to show how well the velcro holds.
Sunrise... Day time...Sunset... (Not all on the same day.)

Open Mouth...

...Insert foot. Or in this case...tie fingers in a knot and stay off Facebook!

One of my "friends" who I've known since she was a little girl, posted a photo of Miss Texas (I think). Skinny. Terribly skinny. Looks like she works out...but skinny.

I commented something about her not living in the real world and the message our daughters are being sent is that they will never measure up without starvation, a hell of a lot of plastic surgery, and lots of $$$$. Someone else commented how pretty the woman was...she wishes she was that size. I posted the link about the story I heard tonight on ABC about size 6 models now being "full size"! (What does that make me?!) And said that by teaching our daughters and grand daughters to compare their bodies to these in an unreal world was not doing justice to our daughters.

"Friend" commented back that I needed to get my facts together.

I private messaged her. She was on FB at the same time. Well, she doesn't watch ABC since they are mainstream media and tell lies. What I did not realize - she produces (y'all are gonna gasp here) - she produces little girl pageants. Yep. She told me not to post on her page any more. My last comment was that she was on a public forum...not a private forum.

I exited the private message. Went back to the thread and deleted my posts. Then unfriended her.

Ay-yi-yi! This young lady is larger than I am. Her precious little daughter is a cute little dumpling. And she's pushing the skinny-minny body image. We need to teach our daughters that they are precious. To treat their body respectfully. To eat healthy. To exercise. That either side - too skinny or too fat - is not healthy. I am amending that sentence to read, "That either side - anorexic skinny or morbidly obese - is not healthy."

But...I shouldn't've commented to start with. It would've been better if I'd just shook my head, let it slide by, and ignored it.

Beginning a New Year

See the deer? This herd had seven deer grazing! SEVEN!! I think that's about the most in one group I've ever seen. On the way to work, I've been seeing one or two in this area...but SEVEN?!One of first husband Ron's cousins invited family members to her house New Years Eve day for noon. I saw family I have not seen in over 15 years. A very good day.
I took this: Pecan Pie Cheesecake. (Baked according to directions...turn oven off, leave cheesecake in oven for one hour...next time only 45 minutes.)

I MEd (machine embroidered) these for Colt and Isabel.
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
1 good frozen pecan pie, thawed

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 (8 ounce) packaged cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half or milk or cream (I used cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Thaw pecan pie according to package directions. Cut in half. Cut one half into 10 thin slices, keeping wedges intact, and set aside.

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Press onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of 10" spring-form pan.

Arrange 10 pie wedges in a spoke design in prepared pan, pointed ends to center. (I used part of the other saved half of pecan pie too.) Reserve remaining pecan pie for another use...heated with a scoop of ice cream works for me!

Beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sour cream, half and half, and vanilla; beat until blended. Fold in sugar and flour. Carefully pour cream cheese mixture evenly over pecan pie wedges in pan, making sure wedges remain in place. Arrange pecan halves evenly around edge and center.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Turn off oven and let cheesecake stand in oven 1 hour. (This was a bit long for my oven...I should've removed the cheesecake after 45 minutes to keep it from cracking.) Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Chill at least 8 hours or overnight before serving.

NOTES:
I had to break the crimped part of the crust off for the wedges to fit in my spring-form pan...think my pan is 9".

I bet if you wanted to make this all homemade that you could cook the pecan filling on the stove and just drop dollops on top of the graham cracker crust.

Christmas Continues...

Let's see how these photos loaded...Sam called to me one evening to grab the camera...I almost missed the sunset. I've made candy several times......not to keep at home though! I need to superglue my lips together. Peanut brittle I can leave alone!
Florida Farm Girl commented on my pot. That was my grandmother's, Ruby Durham Sanford. I called her Little Mama. I have a couple of her pots, but only one this thick. This is my candy pot. I have NEVER burned candy in it. It is a thick aluminum. Of course, because of the wooden handle it is strictly hand wash. But that's okay. Even though I don't use it daily, I see it every time I open the cabinet for a pot, pan, or skillet and think of my favorite grandmother. She was such a sweetheart!

**Peanut brittle recipe is already on the blog...check the right hand side bar.

I made a mug rug for Da Judge to go along with a coffee mug I had made for her with a photo of the courthouse on it. The pattern of the square on the right is a Log Cabin variation called Courthouse Steps. I did not get a photo of the mug...but that's okay.

Sam is still working on toy boxes for the two grands. By the time he got the plans drawn, he did not have time to complete them. I took a photo of one nearing assembly completion. The above photo was printed twice and placed in cards so that the grands (and their parents) would know why they got chinchy gifts. ;-) Like the babies would even care! LOL Both sets of parents requested primer only on the bare wood. They will paint to match their decor.

Sam was going to build a regular toy box with a hinged lid. He'd commented on getting the spring loaded lid so that it wouldn't close on the kid(s). I pulled up a photo similar to the toy box my son, Jonathan, had. With the sliding doors. Sam liked it and drafted his own pattern. OH! The white sliding doors? Dry erase board!

Speaking of woodworking... ...this is the completed bed. If you remember from an earlier post, Sam built the bed at John's request...from just photos. Someone else slightly distressed it and applied the finish.

Yep. More candy. Peanut patties this time...without the red food coloring. I was going to make a double batch, but didn't have any extra sugar. THAT is unusual around here!

Christmas Eve at John and Erin's. Looks as if cousins Isabel and Colt are plotting against the parents - already! Who? US? Granny with Colt. His Papaw and Daddy finally took the bows away from me...especially after I put a pretty ribbon bow around his head and called it a "fascinator"... :-)


Isabel enjoys playing with the simple things. I untied the cord from my cell phone and handed her my "camera case"...a little something I made a few years back and initially called it a makeup bag.

Colt - Born to be WILD!!That's okay...Isabel has the new remote to the car!
Peanut Patties

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raw peanuts
red food coloring, if desired...I don't

In a heavy pan, combine all ingredients except vanilla, peanuts, and food coloring. Bring slowly to a rolling boil. Cook about two minutes to softball stage - 238 degrees. Remove from heat immediately. Add vanilla and peanuts; and a few drops of red food coloring if desired. Cool until lukewarm. Beat until thick and creamy. Drop by spoonful on was paper.

I don't use the food coloring. It adds nothing to the candy, so why use it?

You can run some cold water in the sink and set your pan in the sink while cooling..stir please. It won't take long. IF the candy sets up before you can get it all spooned out, just reheat long enough to soften, stirring constantly.

You're NOT Going to Believe This!

Last Thursday morning when Jonathan got off work with plans to head this way as soon as everyone could get their stuff together, he walked out to the parking lot to get on his motorcycle. He found it on its side. Someone had gotten into the saddlebags hoping to find something to steal. When they/he/she found the bags to be empty, the bike was pushed over. Scratched, cracks, and it had laid on its side long enough to - I think he called it "vapor lock." Anyway...it was non-crankable. Son reports that "hydro-locked" is the correct term.

A co-worker was going to take him to Wal-Mart to see if he could get a spark plug socket...only to find that his pickup had been stolen! Poor co-worker's truck was not stolen...it was repossessed.

Jonathan and Sarah pushed it the block and a half to the motorcycle shop. He received reports on his drive up here. Back at home...nearly $200 later...

WHAT IS WITH PEOPLE?! Sorry. No account. Users and abusers! Hands out for what someone else has worked had for. Too lazy to expend energy to find a job and instead, expend more energy stealing and destroying.

Sigh.

May they/he/she someday soon face what they've done and ask for God's forgiveness. And while, most likely, will not be able to repay my son for what was done...they will help someone else.

Christmas Early

Jonathan, Sarah and her daughters came for a visit. We made fudge. I had no shortage of volunteers to lick the bowl and the spatula.

The two older girls helped make pies and cornbread. Oh. And dumplings for Friday night's turkey and dumplings!

Jonathan (aka Ducky) and Kaylee in a quiet time...she looks like, "Are you reading in English, Ducky?"We had a big dinner yesterday with Carol, Elton, and Mama. Some running around for peanuts at Traylor Farms and out to Carol and Elton's to ride the Ranger and the go-cart. Everyone but Sam went to the theatre to see "Arthur Christmas." CUTE movie...and Sam got a good dose of much needed quiet...and 100% control of the television. ;-)

Today after church we went for pizza...then to the state park.
Aren't they just so cute? Each so different in looks and personality.

Look out! Here comes trouble.

Closely followed by the rest of the gang.

My son looks so much like his dad.

They're gone now. On their way home. It is too quiet here.