A FEW GIFTS I MADE....

These two pieces I made for Christmas gifts....







There are so many things going on right now, lots of company.... love the company!!!
So I won't be starting anything new until next year..... oh wait, that is in 4 days!

Wow! a new year in 4 days....

Are you ready for a new year?????

P.S. Thanks Mary for the wonderful Christmas Card picture.... What a good pic of all 6 of you!!
Twilla, Hope you had a wonderful first Christmas with your new family!!!

BEFORE, DURING, AFTER

BEFORE..... decorations, family gatherings, presents, the 25th...

DURING...... the preparation for all the hoopla... at least the tree is done...

AFTER..... the family has been here and gone, presents unwrapped, food eaten (please, no more sugar!!)

We had a wonderful "drawn out" Christmas. We still weren't able to get everyone together because of the weather...... We will be delivering presents to the daughter stuck in Cedar Rapids because of work and snow sometime this week.

ALL IN ALL,,,, a beautiful Christmas was had.

And most of all, I got to celebrate a birthday. The most important birthday to me!

Love you baby Jesus.....

A TRIP TO SAN DIEGO, CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

So, I just got our tickets lined up for our trip in January to San Diego. We have no plans to see anything in particular yet...
IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS,,,, Places to stay, places to eat, things to do, etc......
IF YOU WOULD PREFER, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT: lrick4444@yahoo.com
If you know the area or have any ideas or places to visit, let me know.
I do know that we are heading up to Carlsbad/Encinita area to visit relatives...

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY INPUT!!

BACK DOOR DECOR...

I found this chair at our local Good Will and started painting it. The honey stain just wasn't fitting in the color scheme and the seat was really scratched up. So out came the Antique White paint. Now, I have never painted a piece of furniture because I am more of a natural wood kinda gal, but I decided to try this....


So I asked Piper and got to it! 3 coats of paint, one coat of polyurethane, and done!


Then, I got my husband's old Olympian sled, from the garage and coated it with some wood oil.
Hung a little grapevine wreathe on it...


My mom gave me back a little wall hanging I did for her 18 years ago, so I attached it to the chair...


DONE!!!!


AND you know who.... had to get in on the act....


Merry Christmas to you all and Happy New Year!!!!

WREATHES...

Since I have been sidetracked with having new flooring put in my kitchen, entry and laundry room, I haven't been doing much of anything other than shifting the junk around from room to room. When it is done, I will post pics.

So I went to my photo closet and found some wreathes that I made last year for all my friends. Here are a few....

These do have lights on them and are real pretty at night...

I haven't made stuff yet for gifts and I need to get a move on!!!

WHY OH WHY... am I such a procrastinator???

(what is running through my head is,,, Ahhhh,,,, I still have 6.5 days, right??)

FAMILY.... all my kids...

First I had this one.... born January 16, 1984




Then I had this one.... born January 26, 1986

Their birthdays are just 2 years and 10 days apart.



Next we were blessed with an addition to our family, June 14, 2008.
My other daughter, I love her so much!



and now we will be blessed with another one June 5, 2010.

So the original two, their birthdays are 10 days apart and now their anniversaries will be 9 days apart!

They have set a date and I will be in overdrive for awhile.

My children have picked out angels to be their partners. I couldn't have picked better, if I hand picked them myself...

The excitement of life never ends! I am so blessed!!!!!!!

WHERE'S MY CAMERA????

Okay, so I feel like I have lost my best friend!!!!
I went to a cookie exchange yesterday, camera in tow, and set it down. Never took a picture, quickly ran out the door in order to be somewhere else, and left it sitting on the host's counter....

I feel like I'm blind, cut off an appendage, or slightly dead.

So no pictures today :(

I KNOW.... MY BLOG SEEMS BORING... NOT QUITE WITH IT.... NOT FULLY DRESSED

So, I guess I have trouble talking without pictures to add.....

It just isn't as much fun....

So I'll go now...

Nothing exciting today....

I'll be back,,,,, sorry.......

PROGRESS....

Remember the naked tree......

Got the tree done.....

1,0000 lights and 75 glass ornaments...... This tree is huge!!!! See how tall it is to the front door. 9'2'' are the ceilings and it is touching. Every year we say we are going to get a smaller tree and it just never happens!!

Because we don't have little ones or little grand ones, I am able to put all my glass ornaments on the tree without fear of breakage. I only fear someone getting cut, not losing an ornament.

But the cat is too old to care and it's only DH (dear hubby) and I so I think we are safe. Kids (all 2 + sig. others) will be home for Christmas eve only and then Christmas Day I always cook for anywhere between 12-20, just never know who will be here. This year we may have the distinct pleasure of sharing our Christmas meal with my niece and her husband from St. Louis. I am hoping they can join us! They want to come up here and I have invited them to join us, we shall see...

My girlfriend, Piper at Friends Candle Shed, painted this the other day and I just had to have it! I'm not sure the paint was even dry when I exclaimed, "That one's mine!!!!" She calls them SNOWTINIS". She actually did about 6 of them. They are painted on old single pane windows and are just adorable. This picture does not do this justice.... Wait 'til you see what I do with this at my back door!!!

ON THIS DAY...

ON THIS DAY,,,,, December 9, 1977, I married my best friend.

We only knew each other a year.

But when you know it's are the right person for you, you know...

Our engagement was short, 13 days, but we knew what we were doing because we were 21 and 24!

We had the world by the tail and very much in love, but most of all, best friends.

Oh we had the usual spats... the good, the bad, and the oh so ugly...
but through it all, we always remained best friends and we always respected each other.
That is what I think keeps a marriage together, through all the trials, is respect for each other and forgiveness.

So as I go back 32 years ago, 1977....

It was a blizzard, just like today's weather.
We were stuck in a country road ditch just a few hours before the wedding and our best man could not make the 90 minute trip.
No cell phones then to let our family know we were running just a little late!



Only family at the wedding and my best girlfriend and her husband (who stepped in at the last minute as best man, also photographer).


Both my dads are gone now. And as I look at this picture, I think, both my moms were so pretty that day!

My wedding planner mom actually had 2 weeks to plan 2 weddings because my sister also surprised my mom with the words, "I'm getting married!!!" just hours before I had called her on November 26th.

And she did it all!!!

Love ya mom and thanks for the wonderful memories!!!!

FIRST SNOW........

First snow of the season and today they are calling for blizzard conditions. This is a repeat of 32 years ago, more on that tomorrow.

I LOVE the first snow. I used to say it was God's way of covering up the ugliness, ya know, all the ugly...

Cut the tree down on Sunday. Our ceilings are 9'2" and the tree is rubbing. Notice the front door!

So this is the before.....

When I am locked in this house because of the storm, I will get decorating and then you will see the after....

Waiting for breakfast.... here is 4 of the 12 barn kitties. They look so cuddly, but they are wild and won't let you get too close to them...

I have tons going on today, before the big storm hits, so out the door I am in the next 1/2 hour....

I miss visiting with all of you and I will be back.... later gators.....

HOW TO PRESERVE OLD SLIDES.....

The new header, I just put on, is a picture of my husband running along side of the bus that just dropped him off from school. It is approximately 1959 in this picture. I just love it and chose it as my winter header for my blog.

The pictures were all slides that my husband transferred to dvd's for long term storage.

We purchased this scanner last year which came with a program to scan slides and download them onto your computer. The process takes a little time, but well worth it!!!

This little tray thingy holds 3-4 (can't remember)slides per download.

HERE'S A FEW MORE PICS..... THESE ARE APPROX. 1961.

In Muscatine, Iowa, there was a place where the trampolines were set in the ground. You could also ride go carts on a course and play putt putt golf!!!!

I bet Sharon at Sweet Repose remembers this!!!

She has been in this area since she was a wee kiddo.

This is my husband and his cousins having fun on a Sunday afternoon. His huge extended family always got together on Sundays for dinner and fun...

If you have old family slides and would love to preserve them, this is the way to go. So many of the slides had lost their color (turned yellow or actually brown)from being shown in the ole' time projectors that would literally burn the photo from the bulb getting too hot!

With the program that comes with this scanner, we were able to edit out some of the yellow color

which enhanced the original colors.

I ordered this scanner online and if you are interested in any other info. please just leave a comment or your email address and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

GLASS AND BULBS......

So I just ran Norton and now I am able to type. Hmmm..... I just don't know what to make of this. So while I am working, here are some pictures of what I have been up to in glass world.

These 2 sets of hands are little pre-schooler hands.

Lots of letters.....

All Christmas presents, so I scrambled the letters just in case these people read my blog. I will post a picture of everything later after they are assembled. (after Christmas). More projects later....

MY I SURE WISH THESE LIGHTS WOULD JUST PUT THEMSELVES OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH!!! THIS AFTERNOON'S PROJECT.....

It is supposed to be a beautiful day, low 50's and sunny.... So I guess I better enjoy it while it is still nice out! Have a great December 1st everyone!!!!!

SEE LAST 2 POSTS

I thouought this was fixed and now today it is doing it again so bbbbback to the drawining board!!! aaarrrggghhh!!!!

DISCOVERY... PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

So what about using MY LAPTOP. This one is working just fine....drats!!! ! So that means my other PC has a virus!!! Oh how I can not understand malicious people that send out viruses.

BIG PROBLEMS....

I am having a huge probbblem witihth my comoputer. It is adding letterers and skipping spaces all on it's's own when I type.... WHAT A MESS!!!
ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS PROBBLELEM EVERER??????????????????
I need help please!!! I have runnnn my anitvirus several times.....
SO UNTIL I FIGURE THTHIS OUOUT,,,, I CAN'T POST A THINGNG!
I WILL BBBBE BACK!!!

THANKSGIVING....

Yesterday, I was reading Cohagen Chronicles, Mary, she is one of my fav blogs. Go visit her, you will love her outlook on the everyday life of a farm wife, mom, and cattle handler extraordinaire.
ANYWAY....
She wrote a DETAILED list of what she was thankful for..... I took this as a creative writing assignment....
WHAT AM I THANKFUL FOR.... *** in detail****

1. I am thankful that my children still love me after they have survived me going through THEIR high school years.
2. I am thankful that my family still loves me after each of them have witnessed my meltdowns, years 1984-2008 (this year isn't over yet!)
3. I am thankful for my mom! I honestly want to be just like her when I grow up! She is an absolute joy and she is all mine (Well, I have to share her with ALOT OF PEOPLE).
4. I am thankful that my God still loves me even after I have screwed up sooooo many times.
5. I am thankful for popcorn, it is my most favorite snack food!
6. I am thankful for each and everyone of my bloggy friends. I never knew I could have such a close friendship with people I have never met in person.

SO WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR.... HMMM... TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT IT,,,,,TELL US ABOUT IT,,,,
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY AND TELL THE ONES YOU LOVE HOW YOU FEEL. IT IS IMPORTANT!!!

BACK HOME, TIME TO CATCH UP...

Well, I am back home, back on Illinois soil (I have been told it's soil, not dirt....). I am going to try and catch up on blogs, cleaning, people, church stuff, holiday cooking, yard stuff, and the list goes on and on.....

I had a great time in FLA with my mama and her p-i-c (partner in crime) Dale. They are just a blast and didn't mind me tagging along in all activities. Dale and her husband, Joe, live a few houses away. They are just real fun loving people that would do anything for ya.

This picture was taken right before I left to come home. I am dressed for the cold country!!! But I am glad to be home and ready to start getting ready for the holidays.

Lots to do and oh my, I have let my house go. Gotta do major cleaning and picking up before I can decorate.

Can't wait to see what some of you share regarding holiday decorating!!!

I know a few of you collect Hallmark ornaments..... love to see those.

and a few of you decorate o' naturale.... love love....

and another few.... prim decor..... how fun!!!

SO SHARE WHAT YOU DO FOR THE HOLIDAYS.... WE WOULD ALL LOVE TO SEE.....

"PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE" LADY

So this is the Pineapple Upside Down Cake Lady in these parts of Port Charlotte, FLA. The absolute joy of my life. When I come down here to visit, we do have the best of time. Time is way too short, but I have found out that I just have to jump on a flight and I am here in a short day and now that I am retired, I hope to be able to do this more often.

So today, while she was fixing her signature dessert, I asked if I could watch and learn.
(I honestly have never made this before). She has shared this with many groups and I think some of the men around here have been known to fight each other for a piece of this dessert.
(Recipe to follow)

Here's the ingredients.

Drain your pineapple and reserve the juice to use in the cake as the liquid of the cake.

She uses this butter in alot of things. Seems to work well.

Cut one stick in half and put in 2-8x8 pans. She mixes it this way so she can share her p-u-d cake. My mom loves to share with others, so she will be taking one of these cakes to someone.

She puts these pans in the oven to melt the butter. When melted, she sprinkles 1/2 cup brown sugar in each and breaks it up with a fork and pushes it into the melted butter.

Then she spreads a can of drained crushed pineapple over each one and cuts marachino cherries in half and spreads them around.

She divides the batter into the two pans

and puts them into a 350 degree oven for 45-55 min., until the center is done. When it is cool, she inverts it onto a plate.

Oh my, grab a fork and let's eat!!!! Whipped cream on mine please!!!

RECIPE

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1 Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix

eggs

oil

2 cans of crushed pineapple

1 stick of butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/3 cup of pineapple juice

marachino cherries

Mix cake according to directions. then follow the above instructions. Enjoy!!!!!