Cheri's Chatter

2012 Pinewood Derby...And the Winner is....

2012-02-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Introducing the Winner of the 2012 First Baptist Church Pinewood Derby…1^st Place in Design AND 1^st Place in the Race…and a very special grandson……………

Also Winner of the CAR OF THE YEAR after defeating ALL cars in ALL age groups. The car gets the coveted position of spending the next year on display in this special case.

Excitement or hearing your name called as the Winner….

Pride in knowing that you even beat the winner of the last two years straight…your all-time idol!!! (And my "faux" grandson)…..

A congratulatory hug from a favorite fan and sister….

And to top it all off…a great BIG smile from a great dad…and my son…

Valentines Day Surprise

2012-02-14T10:05:00.001-08:00

My sweet husband sent me these today…

He hasn't sent me flowers in awhile so they were a BIG surpriseJ

He also gave me a lovely card. He gives me the absolute

BEST cards…they always say just the RIGHT thing, as if
the card was made just for us.

Thank you, honey…the card and the roses are just perfect,

but not as perfect as YOU! (Well, maybe you aren't exactly perfect...but very close to it!) You are and always have been

my special VALENTINE.

Happy Valentines Day to all my blogger friends. Hope you
have a sweet, sweet day.

Quiche, Anyone?

2012-02-06T13:21:00.000-08:00

I've seen several posts recently about quiche recipes so thought I would jump in and share mine. I actually got this from my friend Kathleen several years ago when we were giving a bridal brunch together. It is one of our favorite dishes now and I have often prepared it for Christmas morning.

This is what you'll need….just simple ingredients, nothing fancy:

And here is the recipe…

Ham Quiche

8 oz. cream cheese

5 eggs

½ cup milk

½ tsp. dry mustard

1 cup chopped ham*

5 green onions, chopped*

pie shell*

*I use packaged ham from the lunch meat section; it comes in tiny cubes & does wonderfully in this recipe

*I don't use this much onion as we are not much of an onion family!

*I use a deep dish pie shell so there won't be runover in the oven

Perforate the pie crust a few times with a fork. Spread the ham & onion in the shell and bake @350 for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile combine cream cheese, eggs, milk, & mustard & blend with electric mixer.

Add this to the pie shell.

Here it's all ready to go back in the oven. Yes, that's a pitiful looking old pan it's sitting on but I use it when I have concerns about a dish getting over stimulated in the oven and running over the sides of the dish.

Continue to bake @350 for 40-50 more minutes or until the quiche is set.

And here is the finished product…

The recipe says it makes 8 servings but we like BIG pieces so if there were 8 people somebody would be going hungry!

We will eat it with these for a quick & simple yet yummy meal.

Have you heard that saying ...

Real men don't eat quiche ?

Well, I beg to differ….

This is about as real as it gets in the man department and he's definitely eating quiche. In fact, when I told him what we were having for supper he said, "And what are you going to eat?" Sorry, sweetie, but you do have to share!

OK…enough talking about it, now I'm off to enjoy the fruits of my quiche labor. Where's my fork?

HOUSEHOLD AGENDA

2012-01-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

As I've shared on my blog several times before, I do LOVE to be

O R G A N I Z E D …

in fact, I love anything to do with organization. I love all those cute boxes, bins, baskets, folders, notebooks, etc., etc., etc. that are sold by the likes of Ikea, containerstore.com, Target, seejanework.com and other wise businesses that understand us organization junkies! I saw the c-u-t-e-s-t green boxes at Wal-Mart today…I just stood there drooling. I may have to go back and get those for an upcoming project.

Here is my newest addition to my "organized everything" mentality…

I read about setting up a notebook for anyone who wanted to run their household more smoothly. Without children living at home anymore I don't have to worry so much about a dozen different schedules, but we do still have grandkids' soccer and baseball games and school programs to attend, church and work responsibilities to get done, and of course all those enjoyable dentist and doctor appointments. There's just something about seeing all that organized and down in print that I like!

I divided my HOUSEHOLD AGENDA into various sections including:

Calendar

Menu Planner

Online Banking

(for helping me to remember all those pesky passwords & login names!)

Projects

Miscellaneous

(for everything else)

Look at these too cute Calendars…

My birthday month:)

I have to give credit for these to this wonderful blog site…

anythingbutperfect.com is owned by the cutest gal named Angela who describes herself as creative (I definitely agree) and slightly OCD (oh, yeah…I can identify with that!) She has sooo many cute freebie printables on her blog and I have grabbed my share. Thank you, AngelaJ Everything she creates is rather perfect to me!

Here are my Weekly Menus…well, the blank pages anyway. I'm still a work in progress on setting up these. I do think though that if I can get used to doing them they will save me time and money…both of which sound great to me!

This is my grocery list...yes, it's in ABC order:) For the almost 42 years we've been married I do the bulk of my grocery shopping once a week. I use this list monthly to help me keep up with what I need to buy. I just check the pantry and cabinets against the list to see what we need.

Here are my TO DO LISTS...also a work in progress. I tend to write down notes all over the place and stack them up near the phone. This was my Jan. list and I did manage to accomplish some of it!

I always try to keep a running list of PROJECTS…there are always things to be done, both "now" and "in the future". I love it when I get to √ off an item or two…mission accomplished!

I do still have some empty sections and haven't yet decided what all I want to include, but I'm sure as the year progresses I'll think of something! I have been pleasantly surprised at how often I go to my AGENDA...just seeing it sitting there next to the phone gives me an organized feeling. We all gotta get our highs somehow!

Better go check the calendar and see what's up for the rest of the day! Hope all is well with you and yours.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2012-01-20T21:02:00.000-08:00

I've recently read several blog posts with titles such as MY FAVORITE THINGS. It's amazing…and interesting…to see what people like (and don't like). Since I'm having trouble thinking of anything sensational to write about, I'm going to steal this idea.

THINGS I

For the past two years I have ordered a large number of Christmas presents from Amazon. Why? I don't have to fight the crowds, shipping is often FREE (another thing I love), more often than not they have either better or comparable prices. And…NO, I am not being compensated by Amazon.

You probably already know about Pinterest…I'm usually the last person to know about anything! I have recently fallen head-over-hills in love with it. If you by some twist of fate haven't jumped on the bandwagon, then take my word for it and JUMP! I have found so many recipes, craft ideas, cute photos, etc., etc. One problem though….it's ADDICTIVE and I spend way too much time over there!

So You Think You Can DANCE!

I am a fanatic about this show! I took years of dancing as a child with the intention of becoming the next ROCKETTE when I grew up! These dancers are awesomely talented. (And, NO, I never became one of the high kickers!)

Love this one too!

READING…oh how I love a good book. My son asked for a KINDLE FIRE for Christmas (and got it) and has tried to convince me I need one too. But I just love the feel of a great book in my hand and the anticipation of turning each page. Right now I'm reading THE HELP.

Organizing…anything! I love to organize. Give me a messy closet and I'll have it cleaned out, sorted, and labeled in a skinny minute. This week while my sweet hubby was out of town I organized every drawer in his office…and prayed he wouldn't kill me when he got home. (He didn'tJ)

Teddy Bears...for years I collected these adorable little characters. Finally had to stop as my collection was getting a tad LARGE and I was running out of room. Students usually added to my stash every year at Christmas or the end of the year. I have been known to hear more than a few whisper to me "take me home."

T E A C H I N G…it's part of my DNA…what I truly believe God put me on this earth for. I spent 31 ½ years in my own classroom, have taught Sunday School to several different age groups, and now supervise and teach student teachers and sometimes mentor beginning teachers. Teachers are underappreciated but those of us who do it for the love of the children and the love of teaching find it a privilege to do our work each day.

And, of course,…….

B L O G G I N G…once again, it's an ADDICTION…but one I hope not to overcome any time soonJ

So….what are some of your favorite things?

Getting Creative: JUNK JOURNAL

2012-01-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not an overly-talented crafter but I do enjoy a go at it from time to time. With all the craft supplies I have, you'd think I was an expert!

Recently I read about a product by K and Company (I think that's the name) called a SMASH BOOK. Basically it's a plain, empty journal that you decorate and then "smash" things inside…things like recipes, or articles from magazines, or inspiration pictures, or concert tickets, or….whatever you want to stash and smash inside. About the same time I read about what some people call a JUNK JOURNAL. You can see great YOU TUBE videos about both if you're interested.

Anyway….since I'm ~~cheap~~ frugal I wasn't going to buy the $ mass produced SMASH BOOK, although it seems to be a nice product, so I decided to make my own. Thought I would share it with you.

(By the way, I heard on a You Tube segment that since the term SMASH BOOK is copyrighted, you shouldn't use that name for your custom made ventures!)

I began with one of those wireless composition notebooks with the sort of cardboard cover (sorry…forgot to take a before picture).

They are very cheap and readily available. You can often find them at Wal-Mart or Target at the beginning of the school year for like 25 cents each! These days they come in all sorts of patterned covers, so you really wouldn't have to cover it if you didn't want to…but I decided to cover mine. And here's what the finished project looks like….

I had all of the supplies on hand so this project basically cost me nothing! I like the sound of that! I also covered the back and inside covers. You could use most any type of adhesive you liked but I used some from my scrapbooking stash.

Since I like the "cute factor" I added some embellishments….

"SHOES" are one of my greatest ~~vices~~ pleasures!

I also like the addition of the ribbons for a little extra bling and, of course, had to add some cherries!

Inside I used some red & white polka-dot wrapping paper (love, love polka-dots!) and covered a few pages to divide my journal into sections. Also added some clear colored tabs. Not sure yet what I will label them.

So far I've added some quotes, inspiration pictures for projects, and various things I've found on PINTEREST...oh, how I love PINTEREST! It was a fun and relatively quick little project. Nice to know I now have a place to corral some of my JUNK! Think I'll make another one or two….I've got plenty of JUNK to go aroundJ

HAPPY 2012

2012-01-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you! I do hope 2012 is our best year yet. 2011 was not my best year. It began with me having surgery (in Jan.) and ended with me being in the emergency room (Dec. 30) with a very nice young doctor trying to remove a SPLINTER from my eye…and it isn't the Smiley face kind! Don't ask me how I got a splinter in my eye because I have absolutely no idea. The dr. removed a small portion so that it is no longer uncomfortable but I am now waiting to get in touch with my ophthalmologist who hopefully will be able to remove the rest of the offensive foreign particle. I do hope 2012 will spare me any further medical traumas.

Last year (this post) I set forth some goals for the new year. Looking back on those, I see that I did manage to accomplish some of them…but definitely not all. I've decided not to set goals or make resolutions for this year. Think I'll just go with the flowJ

I do have some "wishes" for the New Year:

*that our economy will improve so that more jobs will be created
*that we will have wisdom enough to elect a great president who will lead us back to the roots from which our country began
*that we will get enough rain to make up for the deficit that we are experiencing (at least here in the south)
*that our society might learn to be more understanding and accepting of each other so that crimes against people would decline
*that each of us would be more caring of our earth and each other; that we would look for ways to serve each other
*that cures for cancer and other diseases might be discovered

I guess that's asking for a lot, but a girl can wish, can't she???

If you make resolutions, I hope you have the strength and wisdom to carry them out. If you set goals, I hope you achieve them. If you (like me) make wishes, I hope they come true. Have a wonderful year!

HAVE YOU NOTICED...I'VE BEEN MISSING!

2011-12-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hi, Blogger Friends. I've been away for quite some time. I just seemed to lose steam with my blog and felt I had nothing to say. I also seem to stay busy with one thing or another and so have really neglected all of you. I'm so sorryJ I don't want to give up CHERI'S CHATTER quite yet, so please hang in there with me and come back to visit when you can.

Needless to say, I (like all of you) have had Christmas on my mind. I think I somewhat "overdid" it this year with spending, cooking, and rushing from place to place…but I always try to remember to be mindful of the REASON for the SEASON.

The grandkids are growing and, of course, they were very excited about that "special visitor" who brought them lots of new toys…along with two over-indulgent grandparents!

My SPECIAL SANTA was very generous this year, too. He gave me an

ipad and I definitely wasn't expecting that! It will definitely take me awhile to figure it all out. I tried reading the MANUAL….but have you ever looked at a manual for any electronic gadget these days? Those techi-people must not understand that there are technology-challenged people like me that need directions written in plain English versus tech-ese! I've just started experimenting and clicking on my own and have already learned a few things. I know I will enjoy it…once I get the hang of it.

Santa also gave me lots of other goodies, including these…..

As some of you may remember, my "grandmother name" is CHERI. I wonder if I'm the only CHERI with CHERRY rainboots?

Another favorite gift was....

They will be used with some upcoming SCRAPBOOKING projects. I absolutely
l-o-v-e gel pens!

Just like many of you, I had LOTS of PROJECTS going on during the holidays. There was our annual COOKIE BAKING DAY…..

and making GOODIE BAGS for classmates & friends…

There was decorating, party-going, visiting with our families, and more eating than I want to admit. All in all it was a wonderful Christmas! Now it's time to UNDECORATE (which I absolutely hate) and once again get back to "normal" living (whatever that is!) I am looking forward to 2012 and am hoping it will be a wonderful year for all of us. One of my GOALS (as you may remember from my last year's post…I don't do RESOLUTIONS) is to definitely get reacquainted with all of you and pay more attention to my blog. So…..PLEASE come back to visit me

and visit as often as you can. I hope to have some great posts which I think you might like. Until then HAVE A VERY BLESSED NEW YEAR!

I'M BACK...AGAIN!

2011-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Life continues to be busy...even in retirement! I have had some friends recently to comment that I haven't been blogging lately…so true. I have had several projects going on in recent weeks plus a new semester has begun…at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

This semester I will have 27 university juniors and seniors to work with…the huge number is the bad news, but the good news is I have already completed one week and at the end of October I will have two more weeks with them…in these two weeks I will be working fast and furious. I really enjoy the job so I'm certainly not complaining. I recently received last semester's evaluations (anonymous) by my student teachers and all but one made me feel really good about what I do. I guess you can't please everybody! Interesting though that those who work really hard and do their best are usually the ones who like me as their supervisor:)

I have tried to finish up several projects recently including cleaning out closets, drawers, and cabinets…mostly done but still working on a few. I also finally COMPLETED my genealogy work on my mother's family tree. It's been labor-intensive but was a true labor of love for me. I sent it to Mama just this week and I think she is having herself a high old time reading about her ancestors on both her father's and mother's sides. I even located a picture of her great-great-great grandfather along with some other old family photos. Ladies, explain this to me…back in the "old days" many of the men were quite handsome but some of those old gals….well, let's just say they wouldn't have won any beauty pageants! It was probably due to them having to cook, clean, and be consistently pregnant all without electricity or running water! I do love genealogy though!

The "grands" are into full-swing in school.
"M" is in K and "R" is in 2nd. They are both progressing very well...making their teacher grandmother very proud! "R" is about half way through soccer season and has matured so much since last year. He's already scored some goals making his Daddy Coach very proud! Here are some recent photos:

Miss M really likes to pose!

Self-Portrait….he loves to take pictures

To my blogger friends, please don't give up on me. I hope to get more regular with my posts so please come visit often and see if I'm still here! Hope all is well in your world:)

VALLEY GIRLS...ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

2011-08-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

After quite a long break from blogging, I’m finally BACK with something to write aboutJ I recently returned from my yearly trip with the VALLEY GIRLS…my 8 best friends from high school. (You can read about each of them HERE.)

This year we traveled quite a ways to the beautiful and quaint city of ASHEVILLE, NC. JERRI was our trip planner and found us a lovely old home named LAUREL COTTAGE to rent. It had 5 bedrooms (each with its own unique name) and 2 ½ baths, 2 of which had CLAW FOOTED TUBS! It also had two sitting rooms, a great kitchen, and a sweet little porch. We just loved it and it was perfect for our get-together. (By the way, our first night before we traveled to Asheville) was actually a slumber party at KAYE’s house…she and husband Chip are wonderful hosts and they have a beautiful home.)

LAUREL COTTAGE, Asheville, NC

While in Asheville we played tourist one day and rode the trolley all over the city. Our guides were great and we saw beautiful homes and buildings with interesting architecture. We also learned a lot of the history of Asheville and visited the GROVE PARK INN where we stood inside a huge fireplace for a photo op!

The next day we toured the magnificent and beautiful BILTMORE HOUSE . If you’ve never been there, you should put it on your bucket list. It was built by George W. Vanderbilt in the 1890’s and is definitely beyond the imagination! I knew it was going to be HUGE, but I still was not prepared for the size of it. I had a difficult time wrapping my brain around how anyone (especially in those days) could have the foresight to design such a home, much less build it. In fact, a railroad had to be built to carry the building supplies to the site. In addition to the opulent home, there are exquisite gardens and beautiful mountain scenery all around. You will never regret the decision to visit it for yourself. (You can go HERE to learn more about it.)

Because I’m just a south GA girl who loves her grits and fried chicken, I wasn’t too excited about Asheville’s food. Most of the other VALLEY GIRLS, however, loved it. I had my first experience with INDIAN FOOD…one I don’t want to repeat. However, the service at MELA was great and, as I said, all of the other girls (except for JACKIE & me) really enjoyed it. I ate the very best FRENCH ONION SOUP I’ve ever had at THE BISTRO in the BILTMORE VILLAGE. We also ate at TUPELO HONEY, one of the most popular restaurants in Asheville.

One of my favorite places (thanks to BEANIE, sister of VG NANCY who took us there) was the CHOCOLATE LOUNGE. If you love chocolate (as I do!) you have to go there on your next trip to Asheville. I had a delicious latte while others had Mexican hot chocolate.

Our trip did have a little bit of unwanted excitement…CHRISTY had car trouble. Long story short…we ended up at ASHEVILLE FORD LINCOLN where the folks were just as nice and helpful as they could possibly be…especially when it was the weekend! It ended up that CHRISTY & JACKIE had to stay an extra day to have the car repaired while 6 of us (along with luggage…as usual I packed w-a-y too much) piled into JERRI’s van for the return trip home. We dropped KAYE off at her house, took OLIVIA to the airport to catch her plane to Texas, and JOAN and I hopped on a shuttle bus and traveled an extra hour to where Joan lives and where my sweet hubby picked me up. What a long…but fun…day! Funny story….we got to the shuttle bus right when we thought it was going to leave and I HAD to go to the bathroom. I took off running through the Atlanta Airport…and I did make it. However, JERRI was worried I’d get lost due to my very poor sense of direction. Thankfully I found my way back only to have to wait about another 20 minutes for the shuttle!

As usual when the VALLEY GIRLS go off together, we had an absolutely fabulous time. Lots of laughing, talking, eating, laughing, talking, eating…and not much sleeping. (You haven’t laughed until you laugh with EVELYN…she has the most distinctive and delightful laughter.)

We continue to be in wonder at how close we all still are after so many years. I couldn’t ask for better friends…or more fun ones!

After a few days of fun and fellowship we all made our way back home once again with wonderful memories. I always look forward to getting back home to my family, but at the same time I always come home just a little sad that it will be awhile before I’m back together again with the 8 best friends I could ever imagine having.

We think our next trip might be to New York so…look out BROADWAY, here come the VGs!

THIS & THAT

2011-07-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

It’s been about a month since my last blog post…can’t believe it’s been that long! It’s been a busy summer with lots of grandmother duties plus I just haven’t had anything interesting to write about! I’m sure I’ve lost some of my followers by now but hopefully a few friends will drop by to visit.

It’s not been a great summer. Two of my best friends fell (in separate accidents) and each broke a leg. A third friend fell and scraped herself all up…all three fell in June. I’m beginning to think it’s bad luck to be my friend!

I am now in line for a root canal and I fear dentists like the plague.

Plus the weather here has been hotter than a cat in heat and drier than a thirsty camel.

Anyway….here are a few pictures to share. Hopefully soon I’ll have something more exciting to write about!

Yes, this is our grandson! It was WACKY WEDNESDAY at Soccer Camp!

Granddaughter M loves to color, paint, & draw. She really has become a budding artist. Give her a box of crayons and she's happy for the day!

Fun with AlkaSeltzer!

Put a little warm water in a film canister (Fuji works best); add 1/4 to 1/3 of an AlkaSeltzer. Quickly replace top, turn upside down, & place on ground. Wait a few seconds....and it shoots into the air. Tons of fun for very little money:) Grandson R loved this!

Dress Up Day!

Magician in training!

This was his wizard outfit.

Recent projects...I love bird cages.

Yes, I do have a life outside of grandkids...well, sort of!

I’ve really missed blogging, both writing them and reading them. I hope to be able to give it more time soon. Hope everyone is having a great summer and that all is well with everyone you love.

GRANDMOTHER TIME

2011-06-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

It’s been awhile since my last post…I hope my blogging friends haven’t forgotten me! BLOGGER has been giving me issues plus there just hasn’t been much going on. Now that school is out and summer is here, my GRANDMOTHER

duties have taken over. Trying to keep two young ones occupied all day is no small feat! I thought I would use this post to share some of my

FUN WITH GRANDMOTHER

ideas in case I might give some of you other grandmothers (and mothers) some ideas you can use…and hopefully some of you might share more ideas with me. I can use all the help I can get!

( I consider myself a hip grandmother!)

SCAVENGER HUNT

This is one of our favorite activities. I type up a list (with pictures) of various things that can easily be found outdoors in and around our neighborhood: a green leaf, big rock, old bird’s nest, piece of paper, something red, etc. Then we set out on the golf cart to explore and find all our treasures which are checked off on the list (grandson’s favorite part) and placed into our Treasure Box. You can also have a Magazine Scavenger Hunt or An ABC Scavenger Hunt….especially good for rainy days.

SCIENCE FUN

Last summer we made SLIME & FUNNY PUTTY (see my post HERE ) and other such icky stuff….definitely fun and worth the trouble. You can find many recipes for Slime as well as FLUBBER, FEELY GOOP, & FUNNY PUTTY. Here is one recipe for SLIME (from Martha Stewart):

Mix together: 1/3 cup warm water

                                            ½ cup Elmer's glue
                                4-8 drops food coloring
         Stir thoroughly & set aside.
         In separate bowl mix together:
                                ¾ cup warm water
                                2 teaspoons Borax
         Stir thoroughly.
            Pour 2^nd mixture into 1^st mixture, stirring continuously.
        Remove glob from bowl and work with your hands 2-3 min.
        Store in resealable plastic bag or air-tight container.

COOKING

Cooking with kids is great fun, plus you can throw in some reading and math skills and they never even suspect itJ Cookies are an easy (and delicious) treat…and you can eat the cookie dough too!

Another fun recipe for kids is PUDDING POPS. Here’s one recipe from www.kraftfoods.com.

1 small pkg. chocolate instant pudding mix

         2 cups cold milk
            6 Oreo cookies
         ½ cup thawed Cool Whip or other whipped topping
         Beat pudding mix & milk in large bowl with wire whisk 2 min.
         Place cookies in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Use rolling
         pin to crush cookies. Add cookies & Cool Whip to pudding; stir
         just until blended. Spoon into 9 small paper or plastic cups
        (bathroom size is great). Insert a wooden pop stick or plastic
        spoon into each for a handle. Freeze 5 hours or until firm.
        Tip: to remove from cup, place bottom of cup in bowl of
        warm water for 15 seconds. Press up on bottom of cup.

Some other easy, but fun, things to do include:
     visit the library for great books
      play board and card games
      go on a picnic and/or nature walk
         paint seashells & rocks
      blow bubbles
         play in the sprinkler
         wash the car (they think it’s fun & you get a clean car!)
          have an un-Easter Egg Hunt (just like a regular hunt, just not
                   at Easter)
      build a fort

I have a warm feeling after playing with my grandchildren. It's the liniment working. ~Author Unknown
That should be enough to keep you busy for awhile. Have fun and let me know how things go. Any ideas to share????

JUST BECAUSE

2011-05-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever (besides your family) given you a gift JUST BECAUSE?

Well, that’s what happened to me yesterday! I got a JUST BECAUSE gift…and it is FABULOUS! This is what came in the mail….

I tore into the box lickety-split and when I saw this I knew that something good would be inside…

And I was right! Look at this beautiful BOX !

And then inside….look at all of this…can you BELIEVE it?

Now to see what was inside all these special little WRAPPINGS…

French-made LACE, beautiful RIBBONS, a floral HANKIE (to add to my collection)…

I think there’re CHERRIES on this sweet lace, don’t you?

A sweet little BUTTERFLY & butterfly cards (from an old tea company)…

Look at these adorable MONOGRAMMED cards…wonder who these people were…

More sweet goodies…

And, saving the BEST for last….

I love, love, love everything but this DOORPLATE is my absolute favorite!

By now I’m sure you’re wondering who sent me this fabulous gift. Well…..

I can’t tell you! Sorry, but she asked me not to. She’s such a sweet & thoughtful fellow blogger who doesn’t want any “glory” for sending this to me. I will tell you that I have been following her blog for awhile and it is just soooo beautiful. I have also been leaving her comments for awhile and something I said must have caught her eye because she sent me a note telling me she wanted to send me a gift

JUST BECAUSE

she enjoys my visits to her site. Now, have you ever heard of anything nicer?

I enjoyed my special gift so much and it gave me some FOOD for THOUGHT! I’d like to make someone feel just as special and happy as my blogging friend made me….so one of my followers out there can expect to receive a little gift from me sometimes soon. A few years back Oprah had this “thing” going on…maybe you saw it…RANDOM ACTS of KINDNESS. She encouraged people to do nice little things for others for no reason other than to make the world a nicer place and to share the MILK of HUMAN KINDNESS . Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if more folks took part in that? And why should we???

JUST BECAUSE!!!

Thank you so, so much…to a sweet & special blogging friend. You made my weekJ

A NEW LOOK

2011-05-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

After much FEAR and hours of WORK I finally have a new LOOK for my blog! Don’t even think about asking me how I did it because I couldn’t tell you if I tried. I spent literally hours trying to figure out how to change the header and background with no luck. Then all of a sudden I did “something” and there it was! I do have a slight problem, however....I somehow lost my favorite BLOG LIST on my sidebar. I hope I can figure out how to find those of you I have been visiting regularly...maybe if you leave me a comment that will help.

I hope I like this look for awhile because I don’t have it in me to do this again…at least not for a l-o-n-g time!

My Neck of the Woods

2011-05-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing much is going on in my neck of the woods; therefore, there’s nothing interesting to blog about. So I’m sharing recent photos, just to let you know I’m still in the Blogging World!

Wildlife seen in our yard recently…..

These frogs live under our deck umbrella!

We can watch this baby bird right outside our kitchen window:)

Easter pictures of the grands….

Grandson's Ballgames....his team beat an undefeated team last night!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL

2011-04-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

I’ve been so busy I’ve not had any time for blogging…or Easter decorating, so I thought I’d share my BUNNY COLLECTION with you. These all live in our yard, hiding here and there. The grandkids like to count how many they can find. Hope everyone has a very BLESSED EASTER. Hopefully things will slow down and I’ll get back to my blog soon.

Hope the Easter Bunny is good to everyone, but mostly let us remember

PUMPKIN SNACK CAKE by Reid

2011-04-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hi, Everybody. My name is R E I D. I am Cheri’s 8-year old grandson and I will be your guest blogger today. (My sister got to do this last week and Cheri wanted to give me a turn, too…she’s nice that way!)

Girls aren’t the only ones who can cook. My daddy is a great cook and I like to do it sometimes too. My favorite part is cracking eggs. Today I am making Pumpkin Snack Bars. (I’m not sure if I’m going to like it....I’ve never eaten pumpkin before. I wonder if it’s as good as peanut butter and jelly?)

The mixer is fun too….v a r o o m!!!

Don’t you sit on the counter when you cook?

Hmmm....looks a little like MUD to me....

I think I’ll play a few computer games while it’s baking…….

Cheri said I could grow up to be a CHEF…but I don’t think so. I like cooking with Cheri….but I’d much rather be doing this….

or this…..

or this…

It’s ready!!! Yummy frosting on top. I wanted to put a jack-o-lantern face on it but Cheri said it wasn’t HALLOWEEN!

Come visit us and I’ll give you a piece.

Here’s the recipe:

PUMPKIN SNACK BARS

1 pkg. spice cake mix

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup Miracle Whip dressing
3 eggs

Frosting: 3 ½ cups powdered sugar

                    2 Tbsp. milk
                    1 stick butter or margarine, softened
                    1 tsp. vanilla

Blend cake mix, pumpkin, salad dressing, & eggs with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9” baking pan. Bake @ 350 for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely (in pan) on wire rack.

Frosting: blend butter, powdered sugar, milk, & vanilla with mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on high until light & fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.

Note: you can add 8 oz. cream cheese to frosting & keep refrigerated until serving time.

LEMON PUDDING POUND CAKE by Mia

2011-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, Everybody. I am Cheri’s granddaughter Mia and I am 4 years old. I will be your guest BLOGGER today.

Today Cheri and I had lots of fun baking a cake for my daddy’s bank. They are having a Bake Sale to raise money for RELAY FOR LIFE to help people that are sick with cancer like my friend Gage.

We baked my great-grandmother's

LEMON PUDDING POUND CAKE ...

it's my daddy's favorite.

The first thing you have to do is...read the recipe.

Then you beat the eggs and add the other things to make the cake taste yummy.

Next you use the mixer and mix, mix, mix, mix, mix....for 10 whole minutes.

Whew! My hand got tired so Cheri took over.

We’re wearing the matching aprons my Mama gave us for Christmas.

Of course, the best part of baking a cake is this.....

licking the bowl...and the beaters!

I even let my big brother share....boys can be so silly.

This is what our cake looks like now. Mmmmm....y-u-m-m-y!

I hope it sales for a lot of money to help all the sick people get well.

In case you want to try my great-grandmother's recipe, here it is:

LEMON PUDDING POUND CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix                        1 - 3 3/4 oz. pkg. instant lemon pudding mix
4 eggs                                                3/4 cup water
1/2 cup salad oil
Glaze:    1 cup confectioner's sugar & 1/3 cup lemon juice

Beat eggs until lemon-colored. Add cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, & salad oil. Beat at medium speed for 10 minutes. Pour into greased 10-inch tube pan lined with waxed paper. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove hot cake from pan. Using a fork or wooden skewer, prick holes in top of cake, then drizzle glaze on top and sides of cake.             GLAZE: combine conf. sugar & lemon juice and heat to boiling.

WILD CHICKENS

2011-03-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Our small southern town has two claims to fame:

1. it was created as a community for Civil War veterans where both Yanks and Rebs lived together peacefully

2. we have wild chickens running rampart in our streets

I’ll post another time about the founding of our little rural area , but this weekend the CHICKENS took precedent as we celebrated our annual

WILD CHICKEN FESTIVAL. We really do have chickens running down Main St. as well as most other areas of town. We never know when we’ll look out our window and see them scratching in the flower beds. Local citizens either LOVE them or HATE them. They are both BEAUTIFUL and a NUISANCE. But love or hate we all enjoy our little festival.

This year things started off on Friday night with a CONCERT and street dance by a band that my hubby and I used to love when we were in college. They are a “wee bit” older now but THE BUSHMEN still sound great! Then on Saturday downtown was filled with vendors selling their wares, lots of yummy food, a rock climbing wall, bungee jumping, and train and pony rides for the kids. The weather was beautiful and our local population multiplied many times over.

This guy was the Chicken Man

He told us more information about chickens than you'd ever want to know!

Lots of cute animals for the kids to pet

Bloomin' Onions....yum, yum

REAL Potato Chips...these don't come in a bag!

The highlight of the weekend is always the same...

PARACHUTE JUMPERS.

Our local airfield is the weekend home of these club members who come each year to enjoy our southern climate as they jump out of airplanes that fly overhead all weekend. For about $189 local citizens can also jump out of the plane attached to one of the club members....NO, I was not one of them. Not only because I have better things to do with $189 but also because you won’t ever catch this old gal jumping out of any type of aircraft...unless it’s firmly planted on the ground! It is fun though to watch! They tried for the World’s Record this weekend for the most skydivers linking up together. We haven’t heard yet if they made it.

Where are they?

She loves to pose!

We don’t get much excitement around here so the festival is always a welcomed event. Funny thing, however....during the festival that celebrates them... all the CHICKENS take cover and are nowhere to be seen. I promise you though that if you come for a visit, as my friend Jackie did, I’ll drive you around town and we’ll find more than a few. We might even have to stop in the middle of the street to let a Mama and her Chicks pass by. Ya’ll come on down now, ya hear!

The end of a beautiful spring day in the South

PEACHES to BEACHES

2011-03-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Mr. Chatter and I went on an adventure....

PEACHES to BEACHES is middle and south Georgia’s counterpart to THE WORLD’S LONGEST YARD SALE. It begins in Barnesville, GA and travels all the way down Highway 341 to the coast at Brunswick. We had never participated but decided this year we’d give it a try. We left home at 7:00 a.m. and took in about 7 or 8 towns and surrounding areas.

There was definitely a lot of “junque” along the way with people set up on both sides of the highway. Many places we passed on by, but we made quite a few stops and picked up a few things here and there.

I always think of my sister-in-law when I see Raggedys...but she likes the "real" thing!

Isn't this just the cutest thing?

We even found a food stand selling FRIED GREEN TOMATOES and they were awesome! If you’re not a Southerner you might not have ever eaten this yummy treat but trust me...they’re delicious. (We were so busy devouring them, I forgot to take a picture!)

Here are the things that came home with us....

These are both candle holders...the big one was $7 & the small one $3 (after I bargained for them!)

We also found an Estate Sale along the way and Mr. Chatter bought this antique oak table to refinish for his office.

Mr. C. loves birdhouses and he found this one for $5.00 We also found some beautiful plants and just had to buy some Gerber Daisies.

I have been wanting an antique watering can for ages but whenever I found one I wasn't willing to pay $50 or more for it. I got this one for $15 (again I bargained!)

I also found this cake stand ($2)....you can change the ribbons for whatever season or theme you want ...and 8 salad plates ($4) to match some I already have.

It was an absolutely beautiful spring-like day and we even ran into some homefolks we knew. With gas almost $3.50 a gallon (and all the tasty treats we gobbled up), I’m not sure we really came out ahead with our good deals, but we enjoyed our day together and will definitely go again next year to see what “junque-ing” treasures we can bring home!

And in case you want to try them, here is my favorite recipe for

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES:

(from Southern Lady Magazine)

5 medium green tomatoes

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt / 1 tsp. pepper

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)

Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Place on wire rack & sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. salt. Let stand 15 minutes. In medium dish combine cornmeal, flour, 1 tsp. salt, & pepper. In medium skillet add 1/2 inch oil and heat to 350 degrees. In shallow bowl combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Dip tomatoes into this mixture and then into cornmeal and flour mixture. Place into heated skillet and cook 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.

Yield: 12 to 15 slices

Now that's some good Southern eatin'!

My Aunt Katie

2011-03-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

My Aunt Katie, one of my mother’s older sisters, was born on Dec. 11, 1909. Although she died at the age of 22, long before I was born, I have always felt a “connection” with her. I remember that my grandmother had a photograph of her on the mantle and I would often just stare at it wondering what she had been like and wishing she had not died. Through the years I have heard the story of her death more than once. She developed blood poisoning due to a pimple on her face and died shortly after.

My favorite story about Katie actually involves something that happened many years ago when I was a young mother.

My grandmother had an old trunk in her house that had always been such a mystery to everyone...even her own children. Growing up I asked her many times if I could look in that trunk but she always would say, “There’s nothing in there.” But I never gave up hoping! Then it happened....one day my mother, my daughter (about 6 or 7 then), and I were on our way to visit Granny. On the way I told my daughter to ask my grandmother if she could look in the trunk, never believing for a minute that Granny would allow it. How surprised we all were when Granny gave the permission I had begged for for years!

As we slowly opened the trunk, I remember holding my breath and being scared to pieces that there really wouldn’t be anything in it! However, what treasures we found! There was an old flapper-style hat, some scrapbooks, and some writings that belonged to Katie. (There were a few other things, too, I believe but after all these years I don’t remember.) I do remember holding the scrapbook and turning the brittle, yellowed pages carefully and feeling a closeness to Aunt Katie that was “familiar” even though I had never met her.

The scrapbook was filled with priceless mementoes including newspaper clippings, cards, notes about parties & dates, and even an old cigar band and some chewing gum wrappers from boys she had dated.

There were school assignments, notes to friends, and many song lyrics and poems that Katie had either copied or penned herself. Some things she had written were true...others came from her vivid and romantic imagination.

I especially like this...it's about my Uncle Harold.

Just thinking of this moment still brings a rush of warm feelings through my soul. We closed the trunk and I think all of us...Granny, Mama, my daughter, and me...knew that a special memory had been made that day.

Years later my grandmother died and Katie’s treasures went home with my mother. Then years after that Mama gave them to me...and they are some of my most prized possessions. I remember finally having the time to sit down and really read through everything in the scrapbook and the writings and then I realized why I had always felt such a connection to my Aunt Katie...we were “soul sisters”. We seem to have three things in common...scrapbooking (I too have gum wrappers from high school days!), writing, and romance.

I’m so sorry that I never knew my Aunt Katie, but I feel sure that when I get to Heaven...I will know her right away.

My Long-Lost Blog

2011-03-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have noticed I haven't written my blog lately. Life has been extremely busy plus I have had absolutely nothing (but work...boring) to write about! I do hope to have a post later this week so PLEASE come back and visit again. I've missed everyone.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like.......

2011-02-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

S*P*R*I*N*G.....

How do I know? I see this....

and this....

I know S*P*R*I*N*G is coming when I see my daffodils blooming! I do so love daffodils...but sadly they last such a short time.

Last year at the end of the season I bought this from a sale table (looking rather scrawny) and stuck it in the ground...

thinking it probably would never come up. It just needed a little time and love.

My little violas have held up fairly well during this cold winter, but soon the south GA heat will get them and then I’ll replace them with something else that can hopefully swelter in the heat and survive.

I do love spring...but it’s so short in our neck of the woods. Soon the temperature will rise and the gnats will find their way back to us from wherever they go during the winter and we will wish for the coolness of winter...and life will go on and the cycle will repeat itself. Isn't nature wonderful?

SPRING is nature's way of saying, " Let's party!"

---Robin Williams

LOVE LETTERS

2011-02-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

I adore LOVE LETTERS! I met my husband in high school when we both transferred to a new school in 9^th grade. These are NOTES that he passed to me during many classes...when we should have been paying attention to our teachers:) Love the way he folded them! I’ve kept them all these years in this little wooden box.

In 1971, a year after we were married, my DH was sent to National Guard training camp many states away. I only saw him once in four months. However, we kept the mailman busy with LOVE LETTERS back and forth several times a week. I still have all the ones we each wrote to the other. Just can’t bare to part with them. Every few years I take them out and read them and fall in love with him all over again.

(Did you notice the 11 cents stamp?)

I tend to be a pack rat with anything that is sentimental. In this other little wooden box that my father brought back to me from one of his trips when I was a little girl, I still keep the box that held my engagement ring and the orchid that was part of my bouquet in our wedding.

My DH is also wonderful with cards. He has this uncanny talent of choosing the most perfect card for my birthday, our anniversary, or Valentines Day. It’s as if the card was written just for us.

This one he gave me before we were ever even married...it’s huge. I think I’ve kept every card he’s ever given me.

People don’t write letters of any kind much anymore due to email and cell phones, but to me there is something so special about a handwritten letter. And a LOVE LETTER written in the hand of one you love is absolutely the best.

DH asked me this week what I wanted for VALENTINES DAY. Although I always love his beautiful cards, a LOVE LETTER would be even better.

Instead of giving your Sweetie a card or gift this year, why not write a LOVE LETTER instead? We can never hear I LOVE YOU too much.

Hope all of you have a lovely and sweet VALENTINES DAY...share some love with someone special. And to the wonderful man I married...HAPPY VALENTINES DAY...you are the best husband in the world and I am so blessed to be married to you.

Pain & Suffering...Not My Cup of Tea

2011-02-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

My regular readers may have noticed that I haven’t been blogging much lately. I wish the reason for my absence was because I’d been away on a luxury vacation, but unfortunately I have been in the hospital. On Monday I had surgery after two weeks of pain, misery, and mental anguish over what it might be. Actually I have been having difficulties since the week before Christmas.

Without going into all the gory details, I will just say that I have had a very badly infected lymph node. My ENT called it an abscess. There were many symptoms of the “Big C” which scared me more than I can find words to express. Thankfully, that did not turn out to be the case and we are so very grateful to God for His blessings.

I am now on the mend, taking MANY meds and still in some pain. I’m trying hard not to “whine” (at least not much) because I know how much more serious it could be. We should be thankful every single day for good health, if we are fortunate enough to have it. I know from now on I will praise God for each day I can live a healthy, normal life.

I’ve missed writing and reading my favorite blogs. I hope to have something fun to write about soon. In the meantime, please visit my daughter-in-law’s new blog: www.theicingonpapercrafts.blogspot.com

May all of you have days filled with good health and happiness....and be appreciative of all your blessings.

FAUX SNOW DAY

2011-01-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

In south GA we seldom get snow. It did snow last year but it was the first time in many years. Since snow comes so rarely, you can imagine how excited the children get when they do get to play in the soft, fluffy white stuff. Fortunately, our wonderful local PreK has SNOW DAY every year...with faux snow.

Parents and grandparents are invited to watch their child’s class romp and play, throw snowballs, and make snow angels. The smiles are brighter than sunshine and the squeals just warm your heart. This year the day was exceptionally cold for our parts but the children didn’t seem to mind at all.

Granddaughter M had been planning her “wardrobe” since she heard there was going to be a SNOW DAY!

I’ve never heard a snow angel giggle so much!

Daddy & Daughter having some snowy fun!

Red cheeks, cold nose, warm smile!

Our snow may be faux, but it’s fun all the same!

Pajama Day!!!! Yeah!!!

2011-01-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

Today is a beautiful day in south GA. It’s just a little chilly with a slight wind and some gorgeous sunshine. A good day to be alive! It’s 12:47 and I’m still in my pajamas....

That’s all you get to see ‘cause taking a self-portrait is out of my level of know-how. I will tell you that these are the absolute softest and warmest pjs that I got last year from Macy’s. Nothing like a PAJAMA DAY especially since all the guys in the family are out on a day of hunting so I’m HOME ALONE!

I went back to work this week...met all 16 of my new student teachers and some of their mentors. It will be a busy semester and I pray that I will be able to guide and teach these future teachers to the best of my ability.

Have a great day! Come back to visit anytime...you can even wear your pajamas:)
*Now why didn't I notice that little speck of lint BEFORE I posted this????

SUPPER in a JIFFY

2011-01-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

Most of us in the SOUTH call our evening meal SUPPER…and there’s nothing so delicious & filling as a bowl of homemade VEGETABLE SOUP and some good ole’ southern CORNBREAD or CORN MUFFINS. And one of the easiest & quickest ways of stirring up some muffins is….

JIFFY MIX

All you need are three ingredients:

the mix, one egg, and 1/3 cup milk. In about 20 minutes you have some southern-baked yumminess...

Every few weeks I make a big ole’ pot of what I call my DUMP SOUP ‘cause I just “dump” everything in and freeze it in individual containers. Then it can be easily thawed when wanted.

There’s nothing like a hot meal cooked up in a “jiffy” on a cold winter night…and like that old coffee commercial used to say:

“It’s good to the last drop”….and crumb!

New Year's Resolutions...No Thank You!

2010-12-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. Why should I when I am fairly certain I wouldn’t make it even one month with most of them. The pressure is just too muchJ I do hope for a better year though…..2010 has not been one of my best, especially health wise! I want to make 2011 better though so instead of Resolutions I’m going to make PLANS.

I plan to….

*drink my tea and coffee from my china cups and juice in crystal glasses…

why just look at them sitting on the shelf?

*read some good books…I used to be an avid reader but haven’t taken the time lately

*wear my good pajamas and expensive perfumes whenever I take the notion…my grandmother died with a drawer full of brand new underwear she was saving for the hospital!

*go exploring…I like a little adventure now and then!

*”try” to get my mojo going and finish some scrapbooking projects I’ve been putting off for too long

*learn more about my camera and try some creative photography

*get back to work on our families’ genealogies…it’s been a favorite hobby for several years but I’ve been stuck at a brick wall for awhile

*spend more time with the Lord and less time doing things that don’t amount to much

*work on some home improvement projects that we’ve been putting on the back burner…they need to be done, so why keep waiting?

Well, that looks like enough to at least get me started! I think I have my work cut out for meJ Even if I get only some of these accomplished it should help 2011 be a good, if not great, year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all….hope it’s your best yet!

W H E W !!!

2010-12-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

*2nd attempt...this time with photos:)

You mean it's over??? No way! You mean all that planning, decorating, shopping, cooking, shopping, wrapping, shopping, visiting, cleaning, and unwrapping that took me weeks to accomplish ended in one day???? Doesn't seem possible.

For the 40 years that my husband and I have been married we've spent our Christmas on the road. We always pack up on Christmas Eve and drive about an hour and a half to my mother's to celebrate with my large family. We return home that night, get up early Christmas morning to prepare for my son's family coming over for breakfast. Then we open gifts (in a flurry of paper & ribbons & squeals of delight). We quickly clean up the trash, get dressed, and head back to our previous day's destination, driving another hour and a half to have Christmas with hubby's family. Then we drive back home to collapse on the sofa until we have to force ourselves up and off to bed! Whew!!! I'm exhausted!

But all the planning, all the spending, all the everything is worth it to see this....

and this....

My cute DIL with a new addition for her nutcracker collection

Papa & Grandson R checking out the new Spy Watch

Son T with the grands and their stockings

and this...

His first "real" gun...yes, we are a hunting family!

Miss Pink-alicious

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. I plan to spend the next 24 hours doing absolutely NOTHING.

CHRISTMAS WISHES

2010-12-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my friends and their families a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

may your NEW YEAR be filled with God's richest blessings.

For a chance to win this cute Christmas book for your kids or grandkids

go here
While your there, please VOTE for her. I love her blog and get some good ideas for the the grands and also for sharing with teachers that I mentor.

Bakin' Up Some Christmas Goodies

2010-12-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Mr. Chatter made his annual Christmas request today...........

PECAN KISSES

These are his favorites and I’ve been making them for quite a few Christmases now. The recipe is an old one which I got from a cookbook put together by the many wonderful cooks in the small community where he grew up….you know, the kind of community which you miss if you sneeze while you’re driving through, and where everyone knows each other, and church dinners-on-the-ground bring out the best food you could possibly want to taste.

These little bites of deliciousness are so easy to make it’s shameful…and they go faster than it takes to bake themJ To make them, you’re going to need this:

Here’s the recipe which was shared by a long-time friend of my husband’s parents:

Once they're in the oven, be sure to set your timer, then turn off the oven for the last 30 minutes.

These are usually inexpensive to make but this year these little jewels…

are about $7 per pound (shelled) here in our parts. We have three trees in our yard and you would know that this year we had about 10 pecans total!

The "kisses" get a little messy, as you have to dip each pecan piece into the batter with your fingers…

but they really are so simple to make…and to think they’re ready in only one hour.

Another of my favorite Christmas goodies to make are…..

GOODNIGHT KISSES.

(Seems like I like KISSES a lot!)

For these you will need…..

These also are extremely easy to make…and the recipe makes many!

Be sure to follow the directions carefully and ….

turn off the oven once the cookies are placed inside. They will be ready in two hours but I usually leave mine in longer than that, often leaving them overnight if I make them in the evening.

These are now all wrapped up and ready to give to some of the wonderful teachers that I mentor…sure hope they enjoy them ‘cause I think they are DELICIOUS!

And what was Mr. Chatter doing while I was slaving away over all this yumminess?

….why, “visions of sugarplums danced in his head.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HONEY!

THE CHRISTMAS PICKLE

2010-12-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas my grandchildren and I enjoy a special holiday tradition that is based on the following legend:

According to his great-great granddaughter, John Lower was born in Bavaria in 1842. He left Germany with his family and emigrated to the U.S. While fighting in the American Civil War, John Lower was captured and was sent to a prison in Andersonville, GA. He soon fell to poor health given the poor conditions of the prison. Starving he begged a guard for just one pickle before resigning to his death. The guard, taking pity on him, found and gave John Lower a pickle. Lower family tradition says that by the grace of God the pickle gave John the mental and physical strength to live on. After being united with his family he began the tradition of hiding a pickle on the Christmas tree. Hence, the first person who found the pickle on Christmas morning would be blessed with a year of good fortune…and a special gift, just as John Lower had experienced. (www.pomnitz.net)

This is our pickle

The grands spent the night with us yesterday and so the GREAT PICKLE HUNT took place. They looked high...

They looked low...

until...

Look who found the PICKLE!

This, of course, did not go over well with little sister...but not to worry. The pickle was hidden once again and the hunt went on...

with a little help...

and the pickle was found once again...

and special gifts for everyone:)...

P.S. Brother & Sister spent quite awhile hiding the pickle for each other and finding it over and over. So much fun from one little pickle!

Hope you and your family enjoy your own Christmas traditions and make sweet memories like this year after year.

Final Christmas Decorating Post

2010-11-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is my 3rd and final post about my Christmas decorating. I first showed you my kitchen (favorite room for the holidays) with my gingerbreadman theme. Then I shared pics of my snowman tree and various decorations. Today I'll share our family tree which resides in the den so we can sit by the fireplace and enjoy the lights...

Like our other trees it's artificial due to my allergies. This picture doesn't show the many gifts that will go under it which, of course, makes it look all the more festive. I love all the ornaments and most everyone has a special meaning...many were given to me by friends or former students, some were made by my children when they were little, some were bought on special trips or vacations. But the first ones to go on are these ~~tacky~~ vintage green balls and red & white bells...

These were the ornaments we bought for our very first tree as a married couple. We were still in college and had very little money. I bought them at a fire sale so they were cheap, cheap...but I love them because of their special meaning.

I love Christmas ornaments...

These were made from a light bulb and a seashell...

And this one is a starfish painted by my mother-in-law...

My son made this one out of flour dough when he was in 1st or 2nd grade (my grandson looks just like him:)....

Some others I love are...

Now for the outside...

The side porch is where everyone comes when they visit. The rocking chair spent many years at my husband's grandmother's farmhouse...now I spend many peaceful moments there talking on the phone or just rocking & thinking:)...

As anyone can see, I don't decorate fancy...just old-fashioned and down-home style that fits our lifestyle. We finished the shopping today (hopefully) and I've only got a few gifts left to wrap, so now I plan to spend some time with a good book and a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate and just enjoy the fruits of my labor! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...

More Christmas Decor

2010-11-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for the sweet comments on my GINGERBREAD Christmas kitchen (in my last post). Now I'll share more of my 6-day decorating blitz!

Our second tree is at the opposite end of the den from our big family tree. It's just a little 4' tree and is decorated with SNOWMEN ornaments. I had received many snowmen through the years from students and so decided to let them have their own tree! Various snowmen decorations adorn the rest of this part of the room.

This one was made by my son many years ago:)

The third tree goes in my husband's office and I decorate it with hunting ornaments to reflect his favorite hobby. It's the only tree that gets multi-colored lights. I think the ornaments made from shotgun shells are really cute...these were bought at a nearby craft festival.

Even his deer trophies get dressed up for the holidays:)

I'll save the big family tree for another post but here are just some random pics of other decorations around the house.

This antique clock was a gift from my stepfather many years ago.

I love it and I miss him very much.

This antique hall tree belonged to my husband's maternal grandmother.
Every year when he was growing up he would sit on the bench and open up his Christmas gifts.

The grandkids love the life-size Santa.

He gets tossed around and played with a lot!

Sometimes I ask myself why I do so much decorating for just a few short weeks of time. But then my husband tells me how much he enjoys it and I see the excitement from the grandkids and I know all my hard work was more than worth it!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-11-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

After 6 grueling days of decorating, my house is now ready for the Christmas holidays:) Yes, I began before Thanksgiving and I make no apologies. My husband and son always go to Kansas for some pheasant hunting and male bonding right before Turkey Day so while they are gone I spend my time getting the house ready and the time flies...I hardly have time to miss them. Plus everything looks really festive to welcome my guys home!

J (my husband) says if it stays still long enough I'll decorate it, which is probably true. Since I have so many pictures to show you I think I'll do this in several posts. Let's start with the kitchen...

I always begin with the kitchen because that's where my favorite tree will be. I use a gingerbread man (and girl) theme and decorate my tree with gingerbread characters, apples, and cookie cutters. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and the cheery faces of all these little guys and gals just make me happy. These photos don't really do it justice, but I love my kitchen during the holidays!

Many of my ornaments are handmade. I like to buy at least one new one each year.

This little lady was bought a few years ago at the CALICO ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL...they have so many cute things there. When I saw her I knew she had to come home with me.

These sweet ragdolls were from Hallmark awhile back. Each year they sit in this little red rocker that belonged to my husband when he was a toddler. It still has the original paint and I love it!

The table stays set since it's just the two of us and we eat our meals at the center island. I think my Christmas china pattern 'TIS THE SEASON has been discontinued:( The green glasses belonged to my husband's grandmother. They have an etched "L" on each one. For years I thought it stood for our last name...then I found they were actually giveaways in Lipton tea many years ago:) Today I have seen them sell in antique malls for as much as $35-$40 per stem. I am blessed with 8 of them.

Here are other areas of the kitchen, all decked out in gingerbread cuteness...

Remember my Santa Cans in my last post?

Grandson R likes to keep up with the days till Christmas....he's a few days behind...

The days will go by all too fast and then it will be time to put away all the lights, glitter, and decorations for another year. Until then I hope to spend a little time here...

Maybe I'll finally get around to reading that book my husband gave me last Christmas! Come back in a day or two and I'll show you trees #2 and #3...and that's not even all of them! Happy Decorating, everybody!

Missing in Action!

2010-11-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I've been M.I.A. This is the first chance I've had to even open my blog (or anyone else's) in days! I've been missing everyone. For a retired person I sure do seem to stay busy! With work, grandchildren duties, and the approaching holidays there just seems to be so much to do.

Thanks to everyone for their nice comments on my SANTA CANS . I sent one off recently to my Christmas Box Swap partner, along with other goodies...sure hope she likes it.

The next project I hope to get to soon also involves cans...paint cans. You can purchase them at your local paint store or some place like LOWES' or HOME DEPOT.

I made these last year for my grandson's teacher and parapro. The teacher's can was filled with various school supplies and treats, and the para's can held hand cream, notes, candy, etc. I think they make really cute gifts and can easily be covered and decorated with scrapbooking and craft supplies. There are several tutorials on the web.

Can you believe it's only 39 days till the BIG DAY? I've been doing quite a bit of online shopping this past week. I can't enjoy the season until all shopping is done and presents wrapped under the tree. I really do lots of research before I order and definitely look for either great deals or free shipping. I've been pleased so far. AMAZON.com is one of my favorite sites. I not only can get free shipping on many items but can also check out the reviews. I've decided against ordering several things after reading what customers have to say.

Hopefully my next post will be to show you some of my Christmas decorating. Until then, hope all of you have a wonderful and blessed THANKSGIVING.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

2010-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS...and we haven't even had THANKSGIVING yet! I'm getting in the mood (sort of) and so thought I would begin making my SANTA CANS. I will share how I do them with you, but only if you promise to understand that I am definitely not an artist. I saw one of these and then just made up my own way of doing it since I didn't have any directions.

The first thing you do is wash, dry, and spray paint (red) any size can you want. Other materials you will need are:

acrylic paints (flesh, black, white, pink)
small paint brushes
white cotton fabric
artificial holly leaves & berries (cheap ones will do)
small red pompom
small gauge wire (I used stem wire from the floral dept. at Wal-Mart)

After the cans are dry I begin painting the face (remember: I'm no artist!) After the flesh color is dry, I actually use a pencil eraser dipped in paint for eyes and nose.

After the paint is dry, it's time to begin the "fur" for his "hat" and his beard. I cut the cotton fabric in strips of various sizes, depending on size of the can. Here I am beginning on the fabric that will go above the face. I folded and glued a strip and then used hot glue to attach it to the can.

Next I begin the beard. Strips of various sizes are cut, then folded over. I don't worry about the strips being cut straight. I fold the top of each folded strip into a point...don't know why, just the way I started and it's worked!

I begin on the right side (I'm right-handed) and hot glue the strips all around the face, making it as full as I like.

Next comes the moustache. A longer strip is folded in half, then tied to make a knot in the middle. I snip the folded end and hot glue it under the nose. He's beginning to look right cute, I think!

I finish him up by gluing three holly leaves and berries to one side and a red pompom to the other.

The final step is to make and attach the handle. The floral wire is very easy to work with.

I use an ice pick to make a hole on each side. (My husband just watched me do this and told me what I was doing was very dangerous! He's probably right. He suggested I use my drill to make the holes....but I'm too lazy to get it out...maybe next time.)

As you can see I then push the wire from the inside to the outside. I use a pencil and wrap the wire around it and this keeps the wire from slipping back out.

They are a little time consuming to make but not difficult at all. I usually spray paint several cans at once and then after drying complete two at a time in about an hour.

Filled with candy, cookies, or small treats, I think this little guy can make some cute Christmas gifts. If you try one, be sure to send me pictures!