~Menu Plan Monday~

Wow, last week just flew by! I kept to my menu plan very well last week! I love it when a week goes like that. =)

Saturday: Baked fish and oven fries
Sunday: Roast Chicken, sweet potatoes, fresh cranberry relish, corn
Monday: Sweet and Sour meatballs with rice
Tuesday: Zucchini dish (a stir fry of my own concoction) *smiles*
Wednesday: Spaghetti with turkey sausage, Caesar salad
Thursday: Spicy Peanut Chicken over rice
Friday: Date night

Thanks for stopping by!

~Smart Habits Saturday~

Visit Lara's blog to see other SHS participants.

I'm going to keep working on:
***Bedmaking (doing great on this one!)
***Only water and herbal teas
***No Sugar
***Dishes and sweep floor after dinner (I did much, much better this week! Thanks for the encouragement last week!)

And a new one:
***Practice my flute. I hope to practice at least four times a week.

I have a story to tell about the "no sugar" habit. Part of the reason I'm doing it is because it is a challenge I listed on my 101 List (no sugar for one month). I'm a rule-follower, even if the rules are my own. But I've broken the rules too many times for me to think that I've been sugar-free for a whole month. So I'm starting over. Since I'm starting over, I figured I might as well get some serious sugar in before I started again, and I had a mocha at Starbucks today. Now, mind you, I've had no caffeine and very little sugar over the last four weeks. The mocha was awful. I didn't enjoy it at all. It was so sickeningly sweet, I asked for the gal to put some more coffee in it, to which she put more milk in it. Not only did I not enjoy it (I paid for it, I wasn't going to throw it away! LOL) my stomach was sick the entire time I did my grocery shopping! It totally wasn't worth it to me!!! It showed me that I'm far better off without syrupy drinks, and that my body is adversely affected by sugar!

~Crocuses~

~It's a Bloggy Baby Shower!~

I am just so thrilled for Mrs. U and her family! They have recently adopted a baby girl from China. In honor of their new baby, I’m throwing a shower for her and everyone is welcome! This isn’t your typical baby shower though! It’s a bloggy baby shower!

First, let’s meet little Miss Elizabeth!



Isn’t she just precious? I love this picture of her!

Mrs. U shared the following specific requests:

***that the Lord would save Elizabeth at a young age (what a BLESSING that would be!!!!)
***that I will truly be a godly mother. I want to model Christ to Elizabeth, to the rest of my family, friends and whoever I come in contact with.

My prayer for little Elizabeth is that she will be a great blessing to her family. I pray that she will accept the Lord as her Savior at an early age, and that she will joyfully serve the Lord all her life.

And finally, it’s your turn!!! Let’s shower Elizabeth and the “U” family with our prayers and congratulations! Just leave a comment in this post!

And now, what would a shower be without some cake? There's plenty for everyone!



I thank the Lord for my friendship with Mrs. U. She is a very sweet friend!

Image sources: banner, cake

~A new apron~

If you don't have a sister or two, you should definitely get some! ;-) Having sisters is fun. They are fun to give to; for example: dish towel aprons and scotty dogs. But sometimes I get a little surprise in my mailbox from one of my sisters, and that just makes my day!

Yesterday I opened a package to reveal:



an adorable apron! I will get so much use out of this! I love it!

I am blessed to be the oldest in a family of nine, with seven sisters and one brother. Brothers are fun too. But they don't really like girly stuff. LOL I get practical gifts from my brother (i.e. maple syrup for Christmas, raisins for my birthday. YUM)

~Merci Me~

This year after Christmas I gathered my thank you notes and sat down on the couch. I wrote three thank you notes. And then they started collecting dust. I still haven't mailed even those, and I have more to write!

When I was out shopping, I saw these cards, and they practically jumped in my cart. ;-) They are so "me" right now. I just love pink and I've always loved polka-dots!

This week...I shall pick up my pen and begin my note-writing in earnest!

~Daffy for Daffodils~

My first bit of color in the yard this spring!

As I was kneeling in the grass, scrunched down, taking this picture, I heard a lady walking by with her children. One of the children said:

What is she doing?

~Bagels~

I'm sure I won't have bakeries knocking my door down, but I am so pleased with the results of my bagel-making venture!

I didn't take pictures along the way, because sweet Julieann did a great job with that! Click here to see her step-by-step pictures she took from making bagels, along with the recipe.

I was so happy with the results! Bagels are expensive at the store, and the ingredients for them are so inexpensive! I will definitely make them again! Next time I want to try to mix in different ingredients into the dough before I shape them, and maybe add some whole wheat flour.

~Planet Earth~

Are any of you watching Discovery Channel's program Planet Earth? It is totally amazing!

Kevin and I started watching it last night. I'm glad we have DVR, and can record and watch it at convenient times to us.

It is just stunning. I have never seen such wonderful footage of God's creation! In the program we watched, the narrator didn't necessarily say anything about evolution, but as can be expected from Discovery, no credit is given to God either (how sad!).

I am not normally interested in animal documentaries, but this has definitely caught my interest! I believe there are 11 hours worth of programs, and I hope to watch them all!

~Menu Plan Monday~

I shop on Saturday, so my menu is from Saturday night through Friday night.

Saturday: Taco salad (with ground turkey)
Sunday: Dripped Roast, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans
Monday: Stir fry with chicken
Tuesday: Taco Bake and salad
Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday: Homemade Pizza
Friday: Date Night

~Yummy, Delicious, Tasty~

Oh my, dinner was so good this afternoon. *Smiles*

I usually try to have a nicer meal on Sunday then the rest of the week. Today I made Dripped Beef, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. I was not disappointed. Kevin was delighted!

Dripped Beef

3-4 lb. chuck roast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. white pepper (I use regular pepper)
1 Tbsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. dried oregeno
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 cup water

Place roast in crock pot. Combine seasonings, and sprinkle over roast. Add water. Cover crock pot and cook on Low 6-7 hours. Shred meat using two forks. Strain liquid and return liquid and meat to slow cooker. Serve meat and au jus over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Recipe from Fix it and Forget it.

Today I put the roast in my electric roaster, in a smaller casserole dish. I would have used the crock pot, but the roast didn't have enough time to cook. Also in the roaster, I placed a whole bulb of garlic, with the top cut off. The garlic was off to the side, not in the casserole dish with the meat.

When we got home from church, I washed about 8 potatoes, left the skins on, and cooked them in my pressure cooker. I squeezed out the garlic, and mashed it all into the potatoes, along with some butter. Oh.my.goodness. Delicious potatoes! They were very garlicky, but not overpoweringly so.

This was a great meal, and really, it didn't take that long to prepare. That's my kind of Sunday dinner!

~Smart Habits Saturday~

Pop on over to Lara's blog to view other smart habits people are forming!

Time for honesty:
***Bedmaking: going along great! Ok, last week, I thought I only had several more days. Um, no, I have a whole 'nother month! LOL But it is a habit now, for sure!

***No sugar: confession time...I had a pastry yesterday at work. We had a company lunch, and it was delayed in order for one of my coworkers to make it in from a meeting. I was starving. If I hadn't eaten that pastry, I probably would have fainted from starvation. Or something like that... There was a box of donuts in the back. I looked at them twice, and walked away each time, but then I came back. My pastry was good. It was also the first time I've eaten sugar since I started this challenge (one month without sugar). I will just continue on!

***Drink only water and herbal teas: This one has been so easy this week. But let me tell you, it's not smart to drink Sleepytime tea first thing in the morning!!!

***Do the dishes and sweep the floors right after dinner: I was doing better with the dishes before I made this a goal! *Groan* This week hasn't been a good dishes week. However, I'm dusting myself off and hopping back up! I will conquer this goal!!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~31. Try a new recipe each week for one month~

I accomplished another item on my 101 List! This one was way easier than I thought it would be, and actually helped me over a cooking slump that I had been in. I even threw in an extra week just for the fun of it!

Week 1: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats
#24 Salsa Stoup* and Double-Decker Quesadillas

Week 2: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats
#40 Mostly Green Curry Chicken over Coconut Jasmine Rice

Week 3: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats
#58 Chicken with Sweet Raisins and Apricots on Toasted Almond Couscous

Week 4: Betty Crocker
Spinach and Pine Nut Meatloaf

Week 5: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats
#85 Ginger Vegetable Chicken Noodle Bowl
and: Fix it and Forget it
Sloppy Joes

I checked out Rachel Ray's cookbook from the library, and really enjoyed using this book. Her recipes are quick. They aren't the cheapest dinners I've ever put together, but each dinner was considerably cheaper than a dinner out! Each dinner was very tasty. I will probably use these recipes again. Rachel Ray uses different foods and flavors, so the dishes are unique.

If you would like to try the recipes out, I suggest that you check out the book from the library if they have it, or can order it. If I can find it used (perhaps e-bay or Amazon) I'm considering purchasing it, the recipes are that good!

*Stoup is what Rachel calls a thick soup...it's not soup, it's not stew. LOL

Image from Rachel Ray's website.

~Sherbet Goodness~

"Child's First Sock" by Nancy Bush from Knitting Vintage Socks.

One of my sisters gave me this Lorna’s Laces Shepherd sock yarn for Christmas. The colorway is aptly named “Sherbet”.

After Christmas, I ordered Nancy Bush's book, Knitting Vintage Socks , which took its sweet time getting to me! I wanted to make a special pair of socks using this yarn, so I held out for this book!

I picked the Child's First Sock pattern. The pattern was originally a child's sock pattern, but using modern yarn and needles, it is large enough for an adult. The whole lace idea is a new one for me, but I am enjoying it tremendously. After a few pattern repeats, everything just fell into place. At first I wasn’t sure if the yarn would hide the pattern or not, but it seems to be just fine! I do not like long socks, so I didn't do the amount of repeats that the pattern called for. I'm currently working on the heel.

Mmmmm...I love this sherbet! *Smiles*

~Do you see yourself?~

Do you see yourself represented on my stat map? It is accumulative, so no one should be left out!

Have a wonderful day!

~8:07 p.m.~

Most calendars say that spring begins on Wednesday the 21st this year. This is the first year I've heard of spring starting in the evening on a certain day. I'm sure it's all scientific and everything, so I'm not doubting it. It's probably been this way for ages? Or did "they" (whoever that would be! LOL) just start this up?

Well, anyway, spring will start sometime this evening for you. For me, it's 8:07.

Now, if only we'll get spring weather! That would be glorious!

~Couldn't be happier...~

I just got back home from taking all this:

to a thrift store.

That's eight kitchen trash bags, a box and a few larger items that were donated. I had a small pile waiting for my attention in the basement, but then I starting digging through drawers, closets, cabinets, etc. and came up with much more. It feels so good to get rid of things I don't have a need for any longer!

~Dining room Decoration~

My dining room walls had been bare long enough, and last Saturday I decided to do something about it.

I bought a scarf and hung our family pictures. I specifically wanted a scarf, rather than curtains or a valance, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. I was rather taken aback at the cost of scarves though. They just seemed so expensive! I was even going to look at making my own. But, as I was looking at them in the store, I realized that the average scarf is six yards long. If I were to go to the fabric store and buy a nice home interiors fabric, it would have cost me the same or more. And then I would have had to hem 12 yards and the ends. All of a sudden, it didn't seem so expensive to me! I already had the decorative curtain rod, so that wasn't an added cost.



And then I wanted something decorative for the wall which I used to have our family pictures on. Eventually, I would like to get a side table for this wall. With that in mind, I wanted one decoration for the wall. I had a large clock in mind, and when I saw this clock at Hobby Lobby, and it was 1/2 off, I knew it would be perfect. When I brought it home, it suddenly became humongous! LOL But Kevin really liked it, and I like it too!



The table and chairs are new. When we got home from our Christmas vacation, we each had gotten Christmas bonuses from work! We used the extra money to get a much-needed dining room set. The chairs from our old set were falling apart, and the table was quite beat up from our many moves. It was a blessing to receive the extra money and be able to use it for our home!

~Smart Habits Saturday~

I'm joining Lara again with her Smart Habits Saturday!

First, an update:
***Bedmaking: going along great! I have just three more days, and I'll have reached my three month goal of getting my bed made each day!
***No sugar: again, going great! I didn't think I ate a lot of sugar to begin with, but this has been an adjustment for me. My body has stopped screaming "EAT SOMETHING SWEET" at me, so I know I'm going in the right direction!
***Drink only water and herbal teas: once again, all is good! This week I have wished for coffee though. With the time change and not going to bed at a decent time, I've been exhausted! But I made it through without coffee!
***Do the dishes and sweep the floors right after dinner. *Ahem* That's all I'll say. ;-)

So this week, I'm not adding any new habits to work on. I'm going to continue with the above.

Thanks for reading!

~What Goes Around, Comes Around~

...Or comes back "in".

My goodness, I think I'm getting sucked in! Not only have granny squares made a resurgence, but so have ripple afghans! And I'm actually thinking of making them both.

One can find them all over the craft blogs! But they aren't ugly, like their predecessors. Oh, no. These afghans are made of gorgeous colors and yarns...yarns like baby cashmerino. The word has "cash" in it; I'd better steer clear of that yarn! LOL

Jane at Yarnstorm made a beautiful ripple afghan, and Alicia at Posie Gets Cozy is working on a lovely granny square afghan.

And if that's not enough to convince you to make one for yourself, check out these stitch-alongs:
Granny-Along
The No-End-In-Sight Ripple-Along

~A thought for the day...~

For something to chew on today, stop by Sarah Joy's blog, and read her post "Give Me Back My Dirt!"

~Bulbs~

The snow has (mostly) melted, and my bulbs are pushing their way through the soil!
Crocus


Tulip


Tulips


My next door neighbor had a source for tulip bulbs, and gave me as many tulips as I wanted to plant. I planted them around my back yard, in two groupings up front, and in the side yard as well.

~Shoes?~

***Do you wear shoes in your house?

***If you don't wear shoes in your house, do you ask your guests to take their shoes off? If so, do you provide them with slippers/socks? Or is the rule for family only?

We wear shoes in our house, so this is a non-issue for our guests. Sometimes guests actually feel more comfortable if they have their shoes off, and we're fine with that, as long as their feet don't smell. ;-)

When I go to someones house, I try to remember to take along a pair of socks. That way, if they prefer me to take my shoes off, I feel more at ease doing so. For some reason, I am *not* comfortable at someones house with my shoes off (though I do go barefoot at home quite often). One time it was the express wish of someone, and I didn't have socks. I had a *HUGE* runner in my nylons, and didn't wish to while the evening away with my big toe sticking out! So I asked the lady of the house for a pair of socks.

And while I do not necessarily feel comfortable with bare feet, I always respect the host and hostesses wishes!

~Off to the post~

My aprons all wrapped and ready to go:




I can post these pictures because my family's computer is down right now!

I've run over to the post office this morning, and I didn't even wear a coat out! It was a bit chilly, but the weather was too gorgeous to be cumbered by a coat! We have a few nice days here before we get more "arctic air". Until then, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy the sunshine!

This afternoon I need to:
***do more laundry
***make out my weekly menu and shopping list
***run errands
***do some sewing/knitting

Do you have nice weather this Saturday? Anything special going on, or just a regular Saturday? Have a wonderful day!!!

~Smart Habits Saturday~

Lara over at The Lazy Organizer hosts Smart Habits Saturday each weekend. I decided to participate this week.

***First, I'm continuing to make my bed each morning. This has been a wonderful challenge to myself, and I believe I could safely say that it has become a habit. I started on January 20th, and from that date (not counting Saturdays when I wash my sheets), I have only left my bed unmade one morning. I love having my bed made each day.

***I started this challenge last Monday: no sugar. On my 101 List I have "no sugar for one month", but I'll probably just keep going with it. I feel so much better when I don't eat sugar. I did well this week, and I need to keep up with it this week! I've successfully avoided the Girl Scout cookies that a coworker keeps sticking on the counter!

***Also started on Monday (another 101 item): drink only water and herbal teas for three weeks. I did great with this until last night, when my husband took me to Starbucks. I had a decaf coffee. I'm not starting the challenge over unless I "goof" again. It was a date night and I didn't want to disappoint my hubby. =)

***Do the dishes and sweep the floors right after dinner. This is something I need to establish as a habit!

Thanks for reading! Do you have any good habits you need to work on? It seems like there is always something to work on! =)

~Books, books, books!~

I found this book meme over at Rocks in My Dryer. I love to read, so I thought I'd participate!

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Hardback, but nice paperbacks are good too.

Amazon or brick and mortar?
Lately, Amazon.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
No Borders around here till we cross the Michigan border. ;-)

Bookmark or dogear?
I *never* used bookmarks until the last few years. My mom always wondered how on earth I could find my place in my book without marking it. But now (is it age??? *gasp*) I'm finding that a bookmark is the easiest way to go.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
Alphabetize? OCD for sure. LOL I group my titles by general category.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
AGH! I hate reading a book with a dust jacket on it!!! I always remove it!

Short story or novel?
Both are good, but I prefer novels.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
Again, both are good.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
I haven't read either.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Chapter breaks, but preferably the end of the book. LOL When I start reading a good book, I'm in it for the long haul!

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Once upon a time.

Buy or Borrow?
Most always borrow from the library.

New or used?
New, but used is a good option if it is available.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
Recommendation and browsing.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending!

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
Nighttime all the way, and sometimes nighttime till morning!

Stand-alone or series?
Both are fine.

Favorite series?
Anne of Green Gables.

Favorite children's book?
All of a Kind Family series.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Books by Francena Arnold. I can't guarantee that no one has heard of them, but they are hard to find.

Favorite books read last year?
Beverly Lewis books

Favorite books of all time?
Anne of Green Gables series
Every Perfect Gift - Julie Nye
and pretty much anything by:
Louisa May Alcott
Grace Livingston Hill
Janette Oke
Beverly Lewis

Least favorite book you finished last year?
Marriage 911 by Becky Freeman. I picked it up from the library. Corny writing, written by a women who needed way more help for her own marriage before she started writing a book about it!

What are you reading right now?
Redbirds and Rubies and Rainbows - Marlene Evans
Papa's Wife - Thyra Ferre Bjorn

What are you reading next?
Probably something from my list.

~Dishtowel Aprons~

Once again, my two youngest sisters are going to profit from my blog hopping. *Smiles*

I found this tutorial, and couldn't resist making some darling little aprons!



I found a package of three cheerful dishtowels on clearance for $1.99. One of the aprons has trim across the top, which was 50% off. Each apron takes almost a whole package of wide double fold bias tape. It wasn't on sale, but bias tape isn't expensive.



If you have a little girl in your life, and you know how to sew a straight line, she needs you to make one for her. *Grin* It is a quick, fun, inexpensive project!

~Who is the Pampered Chef???~

I received my order from my Pampered Chef party, and I've been happy with the things I got. Or I should say, someone in our house has been happy with them. This particular someone is claiming the items as his own. Hmmm...what do you think? Should I just sit back and let him claim them? After all, I don't have to cook if they aren't mine! *Grin*

~A Trip Down Memory Lane~

I thought I would share with you pictures of the kitchens I have had. Since Kevin and have been married, we have lived in three apartments and two houses.

Our first apartment was tiny all the way around, unless you considered the walk in closet, which was about the size of the kitchen! Well, not really...but it was huge compared to the rest of the apartment!

This picture was taken shortly after we moved in:


And here I am after we had been married a little while. Notice the counter tops? That is all the counter space I had. But I loved my dear little kitchen very much!


Our next apartment was about 100 square feet larger, which felt like a mansion, compared to the previous 500 square foot apartment! *Smiles* It was a galley style kitchen. I've shown two pictures so you can get the overall feel for it:





Our next apartment was even bigger. This apartment also had a galley style kitchen, and was a nice sized kitchen.


My fourth kitchen, in the first house we lived in:

The kitchen was L-shaped, and an eat-in kitchen.


And my current kitchen, picture taken last summer:



I've never had a "glamorous" kitchen, but I've always usually enjoyed the time spent in my kitchen! The kitchen is the heart of the home!!!

~Have yourself a merry little Christmas...~

That song is running through my mind right now. I have no idea why, it just is! *Smiles* In an effort to get this song off my mind, I started thinking of other songs. Unfortunately, they were all Christmas songs as well. LOL

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! *Grin* Are you humming Christmas songs now???

~The Apron Book~

After reviewing (but not completely reading) The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort by EllyAnne Geisel, I thought I'd share how I like love it.

There are many pictures of vintage aprons throughout the book. Little snippets of household advice are scattered about the pages. Here and there different people share a favorite memory involving loved ones and aprons.

There is a paper pattern in the back for a bib apron, and there are also several patterns drawn out in the book (dimensions are given, you would have to make your own pattern, which would not be hard if you have a bit of sewing experience). Pocket possibilities are drawn out, and explained.

I love this book! It is so fun just to flip through and look at the pictures. It would make a lovely gift to a new bride, and it for sure makes a wonderful gift to yourself! *Smiles*

~The Ultimate Blog Party!~

It's a blog party! Welcome to my blog!

If you're visiting for the first time, welcome! My name is Tammy (why else would I name my blog "Tammy's Times"? LOL)

Thank you so much for stopping by! If you care to look around a bit, you will see that I am interested in quite a few things...mostly handcrafts! I enjoy sewing, crocheting, knitting, and tatting, to name a few things!

I try to blog on a regular basis, filling in friends and family members with little snippets of my daily life.

Have a wonderful day!

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom for more party participants!

~Books on my shelf~

If you look at my 101 List number 73 says: "Read all the unread books on my bookshelf".

The other night I decided I should make a list so that I can track my progress. My so-called progress is half of *one* book. LOL

These are the books on my shelf that I have not read cover to cover. Some of them have been browsed through, others have had large sections read, but none of the following have been read cover to cover.

• Redbirds and Rubies and Rainbows - Marlene Evans
• The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey
• With Love and a Pinch of Salt - Jesse Rice Sandberg
• Let Her Own Works Praise Her - Judi Vest
• Be My Guest - Vivian Anderson Hall
• Created to Be His Help Meet - Debi Pearl
• Heart of a Handmaiden - Cathy Corle
• Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman - Anne Ortland
• The Christian Woman's Place - Jane Schulz
• The Lady the Lord is Looking For - Cathy Corle
• You Can Have More Joy Through the Ups and Downs of Life - Jojo Moffitt
• With Heart and Hand - Beneth Jones and Bobbi Yearick
• Pattern for Living - Marlene Evans
• The Power of a Praying Wife - Stormie Omartian
• Me? Obey Him? - Elizabeth Rice Handford
• Have a Heavenly Marriage - David Sorenson
• Understanding Your Husband-Understanding Your Wife - Pete and Frieda Cowling
• The Ministry of Marriage - Jim Benney
• Do Right - Bob Jones Sr.
• Prayer Power - Andrew Murray
• The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer
• All of Grace - C.H. Spurgeon
• How to Experience Revival - Charles G. Finney
• The Necessity of Prayer - E.M. Bounds
• Power Through Prayer - E.M. Bounds
• Oswald Chambers, Abandoned to God - David McCasland
• Brother Sheffey, A Christian Who Knew the Power of Prayer - W.S. Berbery
• Love Stories of the Bible - Billy Sunday
• Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy - Barbara Johnson

I'll cross off the books as I read them, and link to it in my sidebar as well.

~Napkin Rings~

One of my recent library books had instructions to make beaded napkin rings. I've been wanting to try my hand at a beading project, and it looked like a good beginner project. Pictured are the first two I made.

I bought enough beads to make a set of four, and I'll have plenty of beads left over to make other projects with! I haven't made the other two yet.

I am pleased with how they turned out. I do need to get the wire ends turned a different way though, because they will snag the napkins otherwise.

I didn't buy any beading tools, and the only wire cutters I could find around our house were our needle-nose pliers that happen to have wire cutters in them.

~In like a lion~

Wow, March is living up to the first half of the old adage: "In like a lion, out like a lamb." And it looks like it isn't just my little corner of the world either!

We woke up to a thunderstorm this morning, and drove in to work along with freezing rain. It's quite slick and nasty out today!

What about your little corner of the world? Do you have the coveted spot of sunshine? ;-)

Image source: http://www.mountsafaris.com/ I think I'll stay away from lions, thankyouverymuch!

~Books~

Remember my post-Christmas book purchases? Well, I just got them on Saturday! I haven't had a lot of time to look through them, but the apron book is a very fun book, from the pages I have looked through! I know there were several of my readers who wanted a review of that book; watch for it in the next few days!

~Free Money~

Last night as I was putting something away, I found an envelope with forty-one dollars in it! I know that I was the one to put it there, but I cannot remember why I set it aside, or when. But it was pretty cool to find it last night!








Image source: http://members.cox.net/crandall11/money/shirt/

~Cookie Recipes~

These recipes are from Pillsbury Best Cookies Cookbook, copyright 1997.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Puffs

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 350º F. In large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolk; blend well. Add flour; stir until mixture forms a smooth dough. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350º F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown and set.

These were melt-in-your-mouth delicious!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cherry Poppy Seed Twinks

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons poppy seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cherry preserves*

Heat oven to 300º F. In large bowl, combine powdered sugar and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, poppy seed and salt; mix well. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. With thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make imprint in center of each cookie. Fill each with about 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Bake at 300º F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

*Any fruit preserves can be substituted for the cherry preserves.

These are delicious and quite simple to make, but "fancy" looking!

~Cookies~

Both my recipes turned out great!
Brown Sugar Shortbread Puffs on the left, Cherry Poppy Seed Twinks on the right.

~Cleaning House~

I've been doing a bit of "dusting" and arranging on my blog. Those of you that subscribe to my blog through a feed reader have noticed old posts showing up as new ones. Sorry for that! I've added some links to my sidebar, and rearranged the sidebar as well. I was so happy to figure out how to make the text on the "About Me" paragraph justified. I do not understand a lot about html, just enough to get me into trouble! LOL

And then, I'm cleaning my house. We're having company tomorrow evening. I've got everything but the kitchen all spic-n-span.

My menu for tomorrow night is:
green chicken enchiladas
Spanish rice
corn
chips & salsa
cookies for dessert

Tonight I'm going to bake some cookies and cook the chicken for the enchiladas. I better get back to my work!

Have a wonderful day!

Image source: http://www.berenstainbears.com/

~Weather~

In looking back over my blog archives, I realize I talk about the weather a lot. The weather interests me, so much so that I listen to the news each morning mainly to hear the weather.

I'm no weather expert by any means. I just want to know what's happening in my little corner of the world!

I suppose another reason that the weather is so interesting to me is that it is always changing. I grew up in California, and in summer the weather was hot. No rain, no changes in the weather, except perhaps it gets hotter the next day! And summer was definitely the longest season. When we moved here, we were told that if we didn't like the weather, to just wait 5 minutes, and it would probably change. Sometimes it seems like that is the case!

And then other times (like the last few weeks!) the weather pattern holds. I'm glad that the weather has finally changed! Now the temperatures are more tolerable. The snow is all melting away. But we're not to worry, we'll probably get quite a few more snow showers before this winter is over; and probably after the official first day of spring. *Smiles*

Do you like the weather where you live? I really like the distinct seasons here! I will not lie and say I like the cold weather though!

~Misc.~

Not the most original title for a blog post, I realize, but I'm not feeling too creative right now! *Smiles*

~~~

I've really been enjoying 3191, a photo blog. The photographers are friends separated by 3,191 miles. They take pictures each morning and post them. I look forward to new pictures each weekday.

~~~

Apparently I'm not the only one feeling warm with the 30-something heat wave we had today. I observed several people outside without their coats. Temperature is relative.

~~~

I got a Pillsbury cookie cookbook out of the library this Saturday. One of my 101 Things is to try 10 new cookie recipes. This cookbook is chock full of recipes, including full page pictures. I like to see a picture of the recipe I'm trying, don't you? I bought ingredients for two of the recipes, and I'll post pictures if they turn out well. *Grin* My last cookie-baking endeavor was a dismal failure. I baked a whole batch of cookies called "Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies", and every single one of my cookies should have been named "Hard and Crispy, Break-Your-Teeth Oatmeal Raisin Cookies". Have I mentioned that baking is not my favorite pastime?

~~~

I'm working on my 3-month bed-making challenge. First of all, it hasn't been too challenging. After I realized it took all of two minutes to make my bed, I've been flipping the covers up and sticking the pillows on every morning. I don't know why I ever got out of the habit of making my bed! In about 4 weeks, I've missed only one day (yesterday! and no, I'm not starting over!).

~~~

Oh, I named my Scotties:



But they actually aren't mine anymore! I sent them to my two youngest sisters for Valentines! *I'm so sneaky! LOL*

~~~

Have a blessed day!

~Mid-west Warm-up~

You know it's been really, really cold when you are finally glad that the high for the day is supposed to be in the 30's! I'm so glad it's warming up a bit! We've had our share of snow and ice and cold!

Oh yes, I realize we're in the midst of global warming. Why, the severely cold weather proves it! ;-)

~Pampered Chef Party~

Tonight I had my very first Pampered Chef party! It was a lot of fun! We had the most delicious chicken orange salad I've ever had, and trifle for dessert! Yummy!

I was a little nervous, thinking no one would show up, but I had five guests. And you know what? It was perfect for our house. Of course, more guests could have been accommodated. =)

I'm not trying to make sales off my blog readers or anything *grin* but if you'd like to place an online order through my show, please send me an e-mail and I can send you the link you'll need. This month's sale is one piece of stoneware for 20% off. I think that's a pretty good sale! The two shows that I've gone to have just had small gifts on orders over a certain dollar amount.

This was definitely something outside my comfort zone. I would not make a good sales person. I had a hard time going up to people and inviting them to my party. Why? Because I was asking them to come to my house and buy something. But Pampered Chef makes great kitchen tools, and the parties are always fun.

Oh, and I learned something new tonight. If you're going to cook garlic after mincing it, let it sit for 15 minutes so that the something or others have a chance to act. If you don't let it sit for the 15 minutes, the taste is there, but the nutritional value is not. Interesting. Sorry, I don't have the technical terms for it all. LOL

And: I have another thing to cross off my 101 List! =)

~Ipsy Wipsy Spider~

…came crawling across my desk…

Oh me, oh my! A spider fan I am not! I usually attribute my arachnophobia to the poisonous spider bite I got as a young adult. Yes, I do realize that most spiders are not out to eat me, but still...one just never knows, now do they?! ;-)

Teeny little spiders I can easily deal with. Big, hairy spiders are NOT to be dealt with at all. Hopefully, I can avoid even seeing such spiders!

Well, the other day I came back to my desk (at work), and set some papers down…and saw a huge, hairy spider crossing my desk. I did what comes naturally; I screamed. Like, really loud. Oops. Everyone, of course, had to come see what caused such an outburst!

Have I mentioned how great my husband is? He is my knight in shining armor, especially when armed with a Kleenex, ready and willing to kill all the ugly spiders I come across! And I do believe I’ve mentioned we work at the same office? He squished the spider for me.

Ok, everyone…one, two, three… “awwwwww”. =)

~Happy Valentines Day!~

Since Valentines falls on a Wednesday this year, Kevin took me out for dinner last night. We had a very nice dinner together and then we came home and watched The Shop Around the Corner.

And then we went out (yes, "out" as in "outside"...brrrrrr), and found a pond that has frozen over. And we walked out to the middle! It is something we've wanted to do since moving to Michigan, but last year we didn't get a prolonged deep freeze like we've gotten this year. So now we can say...we've walked on water! LOL

Image courtesy of Knitting Iris.

~Winter Doldrums~

Ahhhh, I finally realized that I have a case of the winter doldrums. Me, oh my, I haven't been motivated to do anything lately. Ok, well, besides crafting. But that doesn't get the housework done. In fact, it just creates more housework. LOL

Anyone else wanting some sun and warm weather???

~Scotty X 2~

My newest crafting venture:


Softies!


Pattern here.

These little doggies need some names. Any suggestions?

~Valentine's Table Runner~

I've been in a sewing/crafting mood lately, and last Thursday night found me cutting and sewing. I made this runner using scrap fabric I already had, and two heart-shaped doilies that I bought years ago.



For each end, I used scraps with pink and red in them. It's very Valentiney!

~Winter Weather~

We sure have had our share of snow and cold weather lately! The snow is just beautiful—while you’re inside, that is! Last Saturday, approximately 1/3 of the state even got blizzard status! This was the first official blizzard we’ve experienced since moving here from California. What a lot of snow! The temps are just downright miserable though! We’ve had bitterly cold “arctic air”. I sure will be glad when this cold snap is gone! After this 30° will feel like summertime!

~Your Questions Answered~

Yeah! Someone asked questions!!! *Smiles*

Julieann asked,

You had mentioned to me about living in California--can you post a little bit about it. Have you ever been to my town in San Clemente. What made you leave?

When I was nine years old, my parents moved us to California. We lived in the Central Valley, which is where a lot of the happy California Cows live too. ;-) Only, I don't know how happy they are...dairy farms are quite stinky affairs, if you ask me! LOL

When I got married, I moved up to the Bay Area, which is where my husband was already living. We lived there for three years, then moved further north.

We moved to Michigan when my husband took a position as youth pastor at a small country church. We are not in full-time ministry now, but we are active in our church.

I do not believe I've been in San Clemente. I just looked it up on Mapquest, and it's further south from our normal travels while we were living in California.

Also, I also noticed that both of our husbands name is Kevin (lol) How did you meet him?

I have a whole post on that, complete with pictures, here.

And last, but not least--when did you learn to knit? Did you teach yourself or did you have some one help you?

When I was a teenager, an older lady in my church took an interest in me, and had me come over to her house. She taught me how to knit, but not really how to follow a pattern.

I didn't do anything with knitting for quite a few years, since I couldn't follow a pattern. Crochet was my main crafting passion during that time. Then someone gave me some yarn, and I made a scarf out of it. It was just knit back and forth in garter stitch. It turned out so wide and long, that I never really wear it! LOL

Kevin got some money as a Christmas gift, and wanted me to make him a scarf. I wanted something nicer than just garter stitch, so I went to the library and checked out a children's knitting book. From that book, I learned how to follow a pattern. Three years later, Kevin got his scarf. LOL It wasn't exactly my fastest project ever! But now that I have gotten into knitting, I have sped up. Also, knitting is the "in" thing these days, so it is easier to find books and patterns at the library.

Thanks for asking questions, Julieann! If anyone else has questions, go ahead and ask! =)

~Hello, Blogland!~

No one asked me any questions. =( I guess you know all the answers? Hehehe

Our church had a missions conference, and while it was wonderful to be under the extra preaching, and to hear from missionaries and see what they have been doing in their field, it left me with very little time in the evenings.

One thought for tonight...
We had a president from a Bible society come and give a presentation. He didn't give a challenge, but my heart was challenged nonetheless! I do not remember the statistics, but there are many people over the world wide who do not have even a verse written in their language. There are others who have just portions of the Bible. What challenged me? The number of Bibles *I* have. I need to be: more grateful for the Word of God, and I need to read more. Oh, to think of all the people across the world who have never read and cannot read God's Word only because they do not have it translated into their language!

~Busy as a Bee~

I've been as busy as the proverbial bee. I'll probably update my blog sometime later this week.

Thank you for those who have given me hints and suggestions on how to add categories to my current template. I would just hate to lose my template! I'll be working on adding my categories later this month!

Also, I know that I have let questions go unanswered. *Blush* I'm so sorry about that. If you have a question that I haven't answered, or for that matter, have a question you'd like to ask, please do so in the comments of this post. I'll answer them all in one post. Of course, please keep the questions family friendly! =)

Have a blessed day!

~Pushed and shoved~

...kicking and screaming...

I was forced to switch over to the new Blogger...and I think I just might like it.

One question...how do I get the labels to show on my sidebar? Can anyone help me with that? Thanks in advance!

~Happy February!~

The month of February has been ushered in with a bang! We're having the biggest snowstorm of the season today! The lovely snow has been coming down all morning! I say "lovely" in two tones--seriously, because I love being inside and watching the snow come down, and sarcastically, because I really don't like cold weather and the accompanying snow! So it's a toss up! At least I wore my boots today!

Now that February is here, I won't mind the stores having all the red and pink heart merchandise out. At the beginning of January, I overheard this conversation between mother and small daughter:
"Look at all the Valentine stuff, Mommy."
"Mmmhmmm."
"Is Valentines almost here?"

I've even spotted Easter stuff. C'mon, do they really think people are going to buy it at the beginning of the year? Oh dear, I better buy this Easter towel...they might run out of them before Easter! LOL

We're being merchandised to death. Perhaps the store's marketing manager figures if you have something in front of people long enough, that they'll buy it whether they want it or not. I guess you could call it a pet peeve of mine. =) It just annoys me when the main aisles of stores are flooded with holiday items for a holiday that is months away...and most of the items are cheap junk.

Ok, done now! ;-)

Have a great day, and a marvelous February!