Spending the Day with My Hubby

The hubby decided he wanted to go to the mall today in search of a new pair of khakis.  In order to visit any decent mall we have to drive at least 70 miles.  It was a nice trip though.  He likes to travel the back roads so we were able to see the countryside as we traveled through some neighboring little towns.  I always enjoy looking at other people's yards...some give me inspiration; others make me feel proud of my own!

We found his khakis and, of course, I got to do a little shopping too.  Wanna see?
I found a few things on sale such as this cute top...

I love black & white...it looks better "on" than "off".  Wanna see what I paid for it?

I love bargains!  I almost never buy any apparell if it's not on sale.  Of course, I had to buy SHOES (my addiction).  I also got a bargain on these...BOGO (Buy One, Get One 1/2 off)! 

Which do you like best?

(I have UGLY feet!)

We also went by SAM'S and got this:

I love the green color!

And we got these....

Have you tried them?  If not, DON'T! 

They're addictive!

On the way home we stopped by a U-PICK Strawberry Patch.  It was closed but we noticed a sign that said "When closed, just fill up your bucket and leave the money in the drop box.  One gallon=$7.00"

So, even though hubby hadn't planned on picking his own, we did and don't they look yummy?

They are soooo sweet.  If we can keep our fingers out of them, maybe we'll make some homemade ice cream!

After sweating under the hot sun in the strawberry patch, we headed home.  And my sweet, darling guy fell sound asleep.  Isn't he cute?  He really is the greatest! 

Life is slow in our little part of the universe, but there's nothing like spending a day with the man I love.  I am blessed!

See my right side bar for a fun give-away!

I'm a BON on WOW

No, I'm not speaking in tongues or in a foreign language, but I am excited!  For today I am a BON (Blogger of Note) on the blog WOW (Words of Wisdom). 

http://www.ourwisdomofwords.blogspot.com/

In case you are not familiar with this wonderful blog, it's like no other I have ever read...be sure to visit.  Two great gals, Sandy & Pam, showcase other bloggers whose blogs, they say, have "great content".  And what is "great content"?     "Great content," they say, "is blog posts that are thought-provoking and/or insightful."  Now if you've been following my blog you are probably asking yourself, "Thought-provoking?  Insightful?  Cheri's Chatter?"  I agree....most of my posts aren't too thought-provoking; rather they are just some of my thoughts and sharings about family, myself, and small town life.  But I am grateful to Sandy & Pam for choosing me because I'm hoping it might bring some new blogger friends my way.        

My blog is relatively new and the more blogs I read, the more I realize I have a lot to learn about this new world I've entered...the world of blogging.  I don't really think I've found my "blogger legs" yet but I hope those of you reading this will be patient with me until I find my way.  As my profile states, I live in a small rural area where life is very slow and not much happens (see my entry on Mole Crickets below).  I am a retired primary school teacher who is still trying to come to terms with retirement and the void it has brought into my life.  I'm also a grandmother who spends lots of time with the grandkids and hopefully help to teach them life lessons that will lead them to grow into kind, loving, and compassionate people.  I feel blessed with all I've been given, yet I like to believe that there are still great blessings to come. 

I began this blog because I love learning and trying new things.  I may be an "old dog" (at 60 yrs. of age) but I can still learn "new tricks."  I hope that you will feel free to browse my little part of the internet.  You can look on the right sidebar and see my posts.  Some you might like are the ones on ATTITUDE and  PRACTICAL WAYS TO CELEBRATE LIFE.  Of course, the posts about the grandson and granddaughter are delightful, but we grandmas can tend to overdo it at times when it comes to talking about our grandkids.  If you choose to do so, I will be thrilled to have you come back and visit, but if not I really appreciate your checking me out.  And thanks to WORDS OF WISDOM (Sandy & Pam) for welcoming me to the blogging world!

Cooking, Mole Crickets, & Grandkids

                                        Cooking:

Both of my grandkids enjoy cooking with me.  Grandson R. loves to crack the eggs....so does Granddaughter M. but she also likes to stir.  Here she is tonight helping me make POPPYSEED  CHICKEN (recipe below).  She loved crumbling up the Ritz crackers but didn't like the feel of them when they were mixed with butter (a little greasy). 

Poppyseed  Chicken

Mix together & spread in casserole dish:

whole chicken, cooked & deboned

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. sour cream

&

salt to taste

Crush one sleeve of Ritz Crackers.

Melt 1 stick butter or margarine & mix with cracker crumbs.

Spread on top of chicken mixture & sprinkle on poppyseeds.

Bake @350 for 30 minutes.

Y U M M Y

Mole  Crickets:

This is a mole cricket.....pretty disgusting, huh?

                                         

These ugly critters are thick bodied, live underground, and eat, among other things, the grass in my yard!  They can actually destroy a nice lawn if too many find their way there. 

Because they are nocturnal and spend nearly all their lives underground in extensive tunnel systems, they are rarely seen.  Common predators of mole crickets include birds, rats, skunks, armadillos, raccoons, foxes.....and my DH and Grandson R.  Together they are a force for mole crickets to reckon with!  This is how it works.  First, "Papa" mixes up a bucket of water and LEMON scented dish detergent (yes, it must be lemon).  This mixture is poured on the lawn where there is evidence of mole crickets.  Then Papa sits on the bucket and he and Grandson R. wait for the ugly little grass-eaters to crawl to the surface (if you're lucky one or two of them find their way to the top of the ground).

                                     

                                     

Next is the fun part!  R. grabs the yucky little pest and pinches his head until he's dead! 

                                      

The mole cricket is then tossed to the side and after awhile you can see the local mockingbirds having a feast.

                                       

What can I say?  We live in a small town in a rural area in the middle of nowhere and there just isn't much to do!  We find our entertainment where we can!  Aren't grandkids great?

More About ME

Just in case anyone out there wants to know more about me....

Some of my FAVORITE things:

(other than the special people in my life)

reading good books

my little garden

genealogy

going "junquing" (better known as "junking")

rabbits (they remind me of a special someone)

crossword puzzles, black jelly beans, & blogging

ice cream (especially Rocky Road & homemade peach)

sitting in my porch swing (especially during a spring rain)

chocolate

"If there isn't any chocolate in Heaven, I'm NOT going!"

shoes, shoes, & more shoes (I'm an addict)

"If the shoe fits, buy it in every color!"

listening to soft music & dancing to fast

teddy bears (I collect them)

traveling to new places

teaching & mentoring

scrapbooking & making memories

a good cup of coffee on a winter morning

and...

all things cherry

Some things I do NOT like:

snooty, unfriendly people

spinach, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, & mustard greens

stress

wrinkles (in my face or my clothes)

ironing those wrinkles (in my clothes only)

"bad hair" days

spam (the kind on my e-mail & the kind in the can)

long meetings (especially with boring speakers)

going to the dentist

being too hot or too cold 

bad weather

trying to lose weight

allergies

Life is full of both good and bad, things we like and things we don't.  It sure is better though to think about those things I love and enjoy so I'm off to have a bowl of homemade peach ice cream....yummy!

GAME BOY

I have a GAME BOY!  No, not a Nintendo...a "real" Game Boy, namely Grandson R. 

He loves to play all kinds of games. 

His two favorite ones at the moment are:

and

Almost every time he comes to our house, he wants to play one or the other....or both.  Right now he's learning to shuffle the cards and he thinks that is really cool.

SEQUENCE is a really fun game but it is also a great teaching tool.  If you want to win you really need to use some careful, strategical thinking.  As a teacher I know how important it is these days for kids to use higher order thinking skills and this game, I believe, really fosters that type of thought.

JUMPING  MONKEYS  is just plain fun.  Each player has a little catapult from which you "launch" your monkeys.  Hopefully they land in the tree.  When all your monkeys have landed successfully, you're the winner.  We both get tickled almost every time we play this game and so it's full of laughs.

R. loves to win as he is quite competitive (like his daddy).  I don't just "let" him win as I want him to learn to be a good loser as well as a gracious winner.  Not to worry though as he beats me fair and square more than I beat him!

Some more favorites are:

The  SORRY  game is an old favorite...in fact, this one belonged to his great aunt.  Another game that's getting some of his attention is this one:

It's called  FIND IT.  This plastic tube is filled with colored beads and many tiny objects such as a feather, blocks with letters, a marble, etc.  You shake it up and see how many of the objects you can find.  You can play alone or with a friend.  It was a little pricey (I got it from http://www.cabelas.com/)

but you can find instructions for making your own here:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1890956/how_to_make_a_find_it_game.html?cat=25

My  GAME  BOY is a lot of fun.  If you don't have one, you don't know what you're missing!

Happy Birthday, Granddaughter

Today is our granddaughter's 4th birthday.  My, how time has flown.  Seems like only yesterday she was a baby in my arms.  She is a sweet, but fiesty,  young lady who brings a smile to our faces quite often.  She is definitely a daddy's girl, likes to boss her big brother and keep him straight, quickly gives out hugs and kisses, loves her baby dolls and painting, can talk a blue streak, and has a delightful personality that makes us smile and laugh quite often.  Both she and her brother never seem to meet a stranger and when they do have been known to immediately begin a conversation.  They have brought us a lot of love and happiness in their few short years.  I pray for them each day and hope they will both grow up to be loving, kind, and compassionate and follow the path that God has planned for them with grace and courage.  Happy Birthday, sweet girl.  I hope you have many more years of happiness to come.

Tuesday Trivia

There's nothing much going on in my little neck of the woods.  It was a very rainy day earlier but now the sun is shining and the skies are basically clear.  You would know... I had to get out and about during the wettest part of the day! 

Cute grandkid story:  I often pick up my grandson after school and take him to his sitter's house.  On our way he loves to play games and lately his favorite has been a guessing game.  So it was my turn and I gave him these clues:
     *it flies but it doesn't have wings
     *it's NOT alive but it does have a tail
He guesses: an airplane.  No, I say, because an airplane has wings.
He guesses again:  a flying squirrel.  No, I say, because a squirrel would be alive.
He guesses yet again: is it a "dead squirrel"? 
I got soooo tickled and he did too.  We laughed most of the way to the sitter's!     (Technically his answer was correct, but in case you haven't figured out the real answer....it's a KITE!)

                                        

DH & I went to another auction this weekend.  There wasn't too much there but we did manage to get an old oak spindle table for our son who loves to refinish antique furniture...he was thrilled.  Also, this:

I know....it looks terrible!  But I do have a plan and hopefully will share the finished project in a later post.  One thing I've learned from my son's antique projects is that there are definitely lots of diamonds in the rough if you are just willing to look for them.

I'm taking part in Cindy's Kitchie Swap at

Rick-Rack and Gingham.  This is my first blog swap so I'm looking forward to it.  Our small, rural town doesn't have much in the way of shopping but I hope to find some items my swap-partner will like...and I'm really excited to see what Cindy sends me (she drew my name)!  I'm really getting into the blogging world...probably way too much as it's keeping me from getting started on projects (like laundry and dusting) that need to get done.  But those things can wait at least one more day!

     

How was your Tuesday?