Almost Friday Funny

Post credited to Doing My Best for Him for sharing this hilarious news paper article. 

Trash to Treasure

Let me tell you about my dishes.....

While helping my father move two weeks ago, we were placing belongings to be stored out in his barn.  After numerous trips over, around, and running into a box out in the aisle, I stopped to see what was in it.  At first glance all I could see was shredded paper -handy work from a mouse.  Upon further inspection I could see dishes covered in dirt and mud.  I ,being on the hunt lately for extra bowls, asked Daddy about the dishes that obviously had been in the barn for sometime now.  He said take them on he didn't want them.  So I tossed them in the truck and took them home. 

When I found time to do something with them it was too cold to wash them off outside under the hydrant but they were way too dirty to wash in the sink.  I decided to clean them in the bathtub.  Armed with a tub scrub brush and rubber gloves and shampoo I took to cleaning and what emerged was this beautiful gold-rimmed plate with pink dogwood blossoms.  After admiring the pattern I flipped it over and went to scrubbing the backside and the words Homer Laughlin became visible.  I froze, I couldn't believe my eyes!  Homer Laughlin has been around since the early 1900's.  Homer and his brother actually started making dinnerware in the late 1800's but his brother sold his share and it became the Homer Laughlin company in the early 1900's.  This is the company that produced the famous Fiesta line from the thirties until the sixties.  Plus thousands more before and after the fact. 

I found two different stamps on the whole lot.  F 49 N 6 and B 49 N 6.  Once I Googled how to read the stamp, I learned the F and B at the beginning was the month they were manufactured.  So B was February and F was June.  And the year?  1949!  Thus the next number in sequence 49.  N 6 was the plant in which they were produced.  

I was so excited to behold this treasure and after questioning Daddy as to where he got them, he replied," In an old trailer I traded for and then later resold.  That was just part of the junk I had to clean out of it!" 

One person's junk is another person's treasure.

Lovely!

One Last Look Back

In reflection…..

　

2011 was a year of firsts. The first year of mom being in the nursing home, the first Thanksgiving without her at the table, the first Christmas without her here, and the first birthday without her calling. It was a tough year for me.  I don’t want to go back and start it over. But I did learn from it. Both about others and myself. Some good and some bad; some weak and some strong. I learned that the ‘Be Aware” wasn’t just about being aware of others as I’d thought. It was also being aware of yourself and what you do to impact others. I succeeded sometimes and I failed miserably most of it. I take some small consolation that I realize where I failed in hindsight. That, at least, means I have grown to some slight degree.

On to the next……


I’m ready for the new year. I’m ready to look ahead and move forward. Last year we were aware of where we are, now lets look ahead to where we are going.

One step at a time, bit by bit, and day by day.

Moving forward in 2012!

34 Today!

Where has the time gone?

Last Week

Some notes from last week:

Charlie saves his hinged lid Altoid mint cans and gives them to a friend at work. His son uses them to store his little collections of interesting things. This past week Charlie, Chuck to everyone else, received this thank you note.

So cute!  

And talented. Notice the Angry Birds character on the right?

Love it!

It is currently on display located on the frig.

*******************

Also had to cut more wood while we had nice weather. But it is deer season around here and tromping through the woods can be a health hazard if not careful. Too bad we forgot to drag out the flare orange. Luckily Charlie had a vest and a boggin in his truck and his chainsaw is orange. It was a very mild day and wearing the boggin got hot very quickly. So Zach took the vest and I ,with the help of a scrunchie and clips, attached the boggin to my bun and it worked out well.

 

I tried to take a pic but it’s difficult to see my trend setting hair switch! ;)

It was a beautiful day.  Hard work but beautiful.

Until next time.....Kristi.

Use It Up: Saltine Crackers

Polly want a cracker?

Sorry couldn’t help myself.

Ok back to basics.

I usually talk about versatile and inexpensive food options on here. But saltine crackers? Well, I’m just going to go ahead and say it. They aren’t inexpensive, they are just plain ol’ cheap! And cheap is good. We like cheap, not as much as free, but we’ll take what we can get.

Aside from the snack options of peanut butter and crackers, which I love, there a few other things you can make with crackers.

Ham Patties

1 small can chunk ham
1 egg
Saltine crackers
Chives
Pepper to taste
Drain ham and place in bowl. Crumble crackers over ham and add in chives and pepper to taste. Beat egg and add to mixture. Test to see if more crackers are needed to form good patties. Roll patties in corn meal and fry until golden.
Note: I also make these with tuna, salmon, can chicken, or even with treet that was run thru a food processor. ( hey the treet was cheap too, what can I say?)


Soda Cracker salad
(like potato salad without potatoes)
1/4lb pkg. soda crackers, crumbled but not fine
1 cup mayonnaise
½ c. green pepper, chopped
½ c. celery, chopped (to me this is optional since I don’t put celery in my regular potato salad)
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
½ c. onion, chopped fine
½ c sweet pickle relish
Add:
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and store overnight in refrigerator.

Poor Man’s Apple Pie, I fooled so many people with this pie, that I should have been ashamed. One person even swore they could see a bit of skin that I missed while peeling my apples! LOL! Don’t feel too guilty about deceiving people if you choose to make it because it’s actually an Amish recipe.

Poor Man’s Apple Pie

1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp lemon juice
12 saltine crackers
3 Tbsp butter
Bring to boil all ingredients except crackers and butter. Lay crackers in pie crust and top with butter. Pour liquid over and top with second crust. Bake at 350 * until brown.
Note: I always have more liquid than my crust can hold on this. Also, be careful how full you fill it with the liquid, it tends to bubble out. As a precaution place aluminum foil underneath pie tin.

Pine Bark also known as Fake Heath Bars is popular around the holidays but requires only a few ingredients and is so simple to prepare that they can be whipped up anytime instead of just special occasions.

There are a lot of these recipes out there with slight variances on how long to boil or what temp the oven should be or how long to stay in the oven. Not enough difference to count. So I’m just going to give you a pretty simple one.

Pine Bark AKA Fake Heath Bars

1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks real butter
12 oz chocolate chips
Saltine crackers
Line a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with sides with aluminum foil. Cover with a flat layer of crackers. Boil sugar and butter together 3 minutes. ( start timing when it starts boiling) Pour over crackers. Bake 6-7 minutes at 375* While hot top with chips. When melted spread to cover as well as possible. Let cool slightly and then place in refrigerator to cool completely. Break into pieces.
　

Oyster Cracker Snacks

Oyster crackers
Seasoning choose one of the following or a mixture if you’re feeling adventurous:
Dry ranch dressing seasoning packet (the spicy ranch is really good on these but original is fine)
Or Popcorn seasoning (the nacho cheese flavor was a hit with the kids)
Place crackers in gallon ziplock bag or large sealable bowl. Add in a cup of vegetable oil and as much or as little seasoning from packet as you like. Seal and walk away. Every time you walk by turn the bag or bowl over and leave it again. Repeat this several times until most of the oil is absorbed. I then place in a new clean container. Great for movie night or family game night.

Hopefully you’ll find one of the above recipes useful.

Don’t forget crackers make a great casserole topping, soup partner, and crust for meats.

And they’re cheap!

Happy eating!

Until next time……Kristi.

Just Cause

You often hear on the news about a person or group of people fighting for a Just Cause and I can understand that totally. 

For example, if Zach comes in the kitchen and asks why I'm making a cake, I reply "just 'cause". 

Or if I give someone a gift and it isn't their birthday, I did it just 'cause. 

If our dog got his bedtime cookie too early, it becomes a just 'cause cookie and he gets a new one deemed bedtime snack. 

All very good reasons for taking a stand in my book. 

Just saying.....just 'cause this is my blog!  (smile)

Have a great day!

Picture Thought

Watching dirt being hauled wouldn't be near as exciting if it was done in a new dump truck.  There's just something about these old trucks.  Their simplicity and their surprising quietness.

Being around this old truck brings back memories of my childhood.  So much of my time as a child was around old grain trucks and old boom trucks that I can't help but be fond of this old dump truck.  If Heather hadn't already spoke for it......for a minute, just for a minute, I'd be tempted...........!

Until next time...........Have a great weekend! 

Off Schedule and Feeling Fine

Guess you’ve noticed that I have been posting on off days, posting more than once in a day, posting late in the day, etc.

I’m just posting. How and when I can. I put a schedule on myself when I started because I knew that I would more than likely stick with blogging that way but lately I’ve felt boxed in with that schedule. Like I can’t add something on the spur of the moment or that I have to juggle posts into the next month because I wanted to add something unexpected today.

Who wants to live like that?

I prefer freedom.

So please excuse the mess around here while I haphazardly bring you my life.

Webcams and Texts Don't Mix!

"A webcam plus a text does not an easy video make." - Confusedwomanous.

Did you catch yesterday's update video?  No?   I'll wait while you do.

Now you may ask yourself, "Just what does it take to make an update video?"

  Apparently eight takes in this house. The first two takes went well but I wanted to fine tune it and not repeat myself so much. So after I felt I had it all down in my head the way I wanted it I tried for my third attempt. That’s when the phone starts going off. I close the message so it doesn’t go off again but now my train of thought has went out the window. The same window in which I wanted to hurl my phone before the day was through! Thus the fourth try was a fail. Now we come to the fifth and I’m ready but the phone goes off again in just about the same exact spot as it did in number three! Evidently they didn’t like being ignored! Imagine me having something other to do than text around here! The audacity! But that’s me for you; a real rebel! Finally after three more attempts I hit publish and didn’t look back.

Anyway said all that to introduce my blooper vid.

Hope you find it more amusing than I did.

House Project Picture Thought and Miscellaneous

This is a mixture between an update and just a FYI I guess.

I would like to make more journal entry posts than I do. I’m sure your eyes and ears would appreciate a break from the soapbox I seem to stay on.

We worked over the weekend on that stubborn bulldozer or should I say that bulldozer with the stubborn tube. Charlie has taken it off no less than twenty times I’d say and cut the old braising out and rebraised it and again it would crack. Finally his dad decided he’d take a crack at it and he made it look really nice but again it leaked. Once was enough for his dad so they brainstormed and came up with the idea of using a hydraulic hose instead of a tube and Charlie would machine new ends just like on the original tube and his dad would weld them on. Plus making new ends meant Charlie could make the o ring size to one that would be more readily available. Because we spent more time and gas on finding the special o ring to fit the original tube than I care to think about.
Charlie worked all last weekend on the pieces and his dad welded them on Monday and they installed it and so far no leak. Thank goodness!
Let me just take a minute to say that my husband has been machining for several, several years. Most of our married life and he never ceases to amaze me. He has a talent for it because he never went to school to learn the trade, he just picked it up on his own. He’s made several things at the house to replace worn out pieces and every time I’m reminded of his gift. It’s one of the reasons I married him. He reminded me so much of my father whose motto was” why hire it done when I can try to do it myself?” I inherited some of that from Daddy. I remember as a young girl about my son’s age I had a project I wanted Dad to do but he stayed so busy. So one day I decided I would try to figure it out myself. And I did it. Without any help from him. I remember the feeling of pride I felt that day to know I accomplished it on my own. So I have spent most of this week praising Charlie for the job well done on those parts he made. I have pics to post of it once I can get them off the camera I’ll post them on here. Gotta brag on him a little longer! Like this is the first time he’s done this…. I mean the man does it for a living! But I tend to take that for granted and I’m making up for it.

Now he has got to work on his dad’s backhoe and get it running. That is his current project out in the shop. So while he is working out there I plan on getting the shop office cleaned up and vacuumed; ready for colder weather. The tanning bed is out there and I only use it during winter so I want it ready. That nesting feeling again I guess.

After the backhoe is fixed I hope we can fire up the bulldozer and get some yard work done and the race track finished. It’s been so long since we have rode dirt bikes I’ll have to relearn and considering I was lucky to learn in the first place this could be interesting! Heehee!

I’ve also had the urge to break out the sewing machine lately. I have a Halloween banner that I could work on but I guess I’ll see how school goes first.

We’ve spent this week getting back in the habit of being a slave to the clock. With school back in session I didn’t want to throw us into shock, so we started out with two subjects on Monday and have added one or two everyday so by the end of the week we are in full swing again. That has worked out well so far. Today is Thursday and we finished up in two hours and we only have Spanish to add tomorrow. So it’s working out well. I won’t plan on getting it done every day in two hours but at least we know it’s a possibility in a pinch. That may work out well in our visitation each week to the Manor to see Mom. I hope so.

As far as the rest of this week I have grocery shopping to do, go see Mom and a few errands around town. Hopefully I can get that done tomorrow.

We still have to hang a clothesline inside some where. My hanging space in the laundry room is limited and a take down clothes line inside will be a big help on rainy days. Plus will keep me from using the dryer and heating up the house and raising the electric bill.
He installed my new clothesline outside to replace the old ones. Now I don’t have to check the window every ten minutes holding my breath to see if the old line broke and my nice clean clothes are on the ground shading the ants out there! I would still like to have a line across our deck for sheets. It’s all I can do to get a king sized sheet on the line and keep it from dragging the ground. Lol! So that would be handy. He’s planning on making it a put-up-when-you-want-to-use-it line and the post would pivot and lay down beside the deck; hidden when not in use. I’m telling you the man is a genius!

Well that’s enough rambling today. Hope everyone has a great weekend and we’ll see you here on Monday!
Until next time...Kristi.

The Circle Will Not Be Broken

That time again.  When most  are groaning and staggering out of bed.  Trying to dress while squinting in the bright light of day.  Breakfast being eaten and teeth being brushed simultaneously.  Fingers having to be pried off video controllers and pushed kicked and screaming out the door.

It's the same every year.
The words never change:
"I don't wanna go back to school!"
 "Summer can't be over yet!"

And then he consoles me and says, "It'll be alright Mom.  It's only for ten months."

Some how that doesn't help.

Twins!

Say hello to my twins.  They were busy this last week and so was I.  They cooked chicken while I browned ground beef and sausage and made pie crusts and cooked up carrots.  I was stocking my freezer back up.  I cooked the carrots to keep them from going bad.  Also had to hurry and use up blueberries, so cooked them and made cobbler.  Yum! 

Hope all the Dad's had a great Father's Day.  We stayed home, as requested by the hubby,  and let him reload on his special day. 

Wishing you a fab day!! Until next time....Kristi.

Crepe Paper Rose Balls

I talked about making these in Monday's post.  Well, here are the confounded things that caused me to burn my fingers.  Once the blisters have healed and the pain forgotten, I may make some in summery colors to display when the temps soar!  And they will.  Though it seems forever away.  I'm missing the sun can you tell?  Have a great weekend!  Until next time........Kristi.

Congratulations

Taking this time to say Happy Anniversary to The Traveling Preacher's Wife blogger a.k.a. my sis-in-law!
Not only did you love each other but you loved us enough to interupt your honeymoon to attend our wedding.  Congrats you guys on 15 years!!  Safe travels and see you soon......Kristi.

Tis That Time of Year!

That time again! That time of year when the light fluffy stuff becomes lethal. When the white bounty is brutal and takes no prisoners. And when we pull our chairs up close so we don't miss one grunt or groan. Winter X Games 15 starts this Thursday and runs through Sunday. This is our Super Bowl Weekend!

!!!One Year!!!

On January 23, 2010 at 9:49 a.m. I published my welcome post and today thanks to your support I am still here.  Many many thanks for allowing me to vent this last year and ramble in my quiet unassuming signature way!  :-)

You'll notice I've made a few changes here in the last day or two. So please excuse the mess while I convert everything over.  I also wanted to mention the comment option is back up. I'm excited about this because I love hearing from you!

I have a good feeling about this year, so let's share it together!

Love to you all.........Kristi.

Dabble

Our stairs creak only when someone goes up or down them. They creak from the weight of the person walking. The other night we were all upstairs together when the stairs start to creak. I automatically assume it is my mother over to visit. My husband leans over to look down the stairs to greet whom ever it is. And there's no one there. He looks at me then shrugs. I said it's the house elf. He must of got lonely.
You've heard me mention our house elf before. He is the one that gets blamed for things disappearing around here but being a bandit isn't all he does. He makes the stairs creak, the lights flicker. He unplugs things. He has recently hid my favorite hairbrush that I keep in a certain spot always. I asked him to help me find it and he did. He also decided to play video games the other night and I have to say that was very entertaining.
He's been with us so long he is like part of the family but I realized recently he didn't have a name. After much consideration and deliberation. We are going to call him Dabble because he likes to "dabble" in just about anything.
Hopefully now that he has a name all his own he won't be as mischievous as before. Until next time......Kristi.

100!!!

I made it! This is my 100th post! I would be lying if I said I didn't feel some satisfaction in that fact. It hasn't always been easy to come up with something to write. Then other times it was simply being up on my soapbox and the hard part was getting off of it. I hope to continue to blog until I run out of things to say, so with that being the case, looks like me and the blog will be around for awhile yet! Thanks for your support and your suggestions and most of all your patience. Until next time....Kristi.

School Daze

It's that time again. That time of year that I dread and my son anticipates. SCHOOL TIME. Every year I dread it until we have our routine down, our schedule established. Of course by that time I'm relaxed about the year, my son is in a qualm about this whole education thing. A sense of deja vue hits and all I can say is welcome back, settle in, we've got 38 weeks of this before freedom indeed comes back down this path again.