Charlie Brown's Advice . . .

Charlie Brown's Rules for living in the new year:

"Keep the ball low, don't leave your crayons in the sun, use dental floss every day, don't spill the shoe polish, always knock before entering, don't let the ants get in the sugar, never volunteer to be a program chairman, always get your first serve in, and feed your dog whenever he's hungry."

Follow this advice and Charlie advises you'll have "a better life and a fat dog."

Whatever "rules" you choose to follow in the New Year, make it a safe and happy adventure.

Here's hoping you are ringing in the New Year tonight with folks you love and having a terrific and safe night.

Happy New Year!!!!

And then, the bills came.

***This is adapted from a piece that ran on the Humor Matters - Therapeutic Humor with Dr. Steve website published by Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D. I do not know when it originally ran and I have seen it copied a number of times. It always makes me smile. I hope you enjoy it, too.

A FEW DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS

Twas a few days after Christmas, and all through the house,
Every creature was hurtin' even the mouse.

The toys were all broken, their batteries dead;
Santa passed out, with some ice on his head.

Wrapping and ribbons just covered the floor,
While upstairs the family continued to snore.

And I in my T shirt, new Reeboks and jeans,
Went into the kitchen and started to clean.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the curtains and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a little white truck, with an oversized mirror.

The driver was smiling, so lively and grand;
The patch on his jacket said "U.S. POSTMAN."

With a handful of bills, he grinned like a fox.
Then quickly he stuffed them in our mailbox.

Bill after bill, after bill, they still came.
Whistling and shouting, he called them by name;

"Now Dillard's, now Macy's, now Penny's and Sears -
Here's Robinson's, Levitz's, Target's and Bonwit's.

To the tip of your limit, every store, every mall,
Now charge away - charge away - charge away all."

He whooped and he whistled as he finished his work.
He filled up the box, and then turned with a jerk.

He sprang to his truck and he drove down the road,
Driving much faster with just half a load.

Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,
"ENJOY WHAT YOU BOUGHT .....
YOU'LL BE PAYING ALL YEAR !!"

Thank you for the gift of patience.

To my readers who are still here, "Thank you for your patience." I think I am finally ready to make a comeback here. (I know, I've said that several times in the last few weeks.)

It seems the busy holiday season, some quirky twists in my normal daily routine and an inability to go 'round the clock without sleep and still be productive (a recent development in my old age!), caused some things to simply drop by the wayside. Blogging was a good ways down on the priority list. Here's to hoping I'm now back on track and back in control of my time. I've really missed our daily chats!

We're lucky to have a full and loving circle of family and friends with whom we gather throughout the holiday season. At this point we're still in the midst of those get-togethers and I'm loving every minute of them. I'm sad to have missed a few due to scheduling conflicts but I haven't quite accomplished being in two places at once yet.

There's still a small pile of presents yet to be dispensed but we hope to see those folks within the next week or two. We used to have a big family party on Christmas Eve but it became harder and harder for those with young children to squeeze that one into their busy schedules so we moved it to the weekend after Christmas for several years. Gradually, it slid into January and has now settled into the mid-January time slot and the size of the event has also gotten smaller. It now seems to serve the purpose of a wrap-up party to the season and those last few gifts finally slide into the hands of their recipients. So, we'll still be Christmas-oriented for a little while longer.

Don't get me wrong. We do see most of the family multiple times throughout the season including our "Round Robin Trek" on Christmas Day! We generally make 5 stops, beginning at about 9:30 a.m. and we don't get home until at least 10 p.m., covering about 140 miles round-trip! We've talked about cutting back on this but who could we eliminate?

Ultimately, we, personally, would miss it. The rushed journey has become tradition and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it! After all, isn't it the traditions we all look forward to?

I hope your holiday was filled with fun, laughter, love and lots of hugs. I hope you spent time with those who matter most in your life and I hope you celebrated those time-worn traditions that make your family's celebration unique!!

A week closer to the big day!

Wow! Another week has slipped past between posts. I've been so busy it seems almost impossible a whole week has rolled on by. Then, in going over all I've done, it seems it must've taken more time than a week!Oh yeah, winter snuck in this week, too, although it's not official until tomorrow.

Since I last posted, I finished several orders, sadly turned down a few as there just wasn't time to produce and ship those items in time for the big day, cleaned my whole house, began decorating (Yes, "began"), made a ton of candy (O.K., maybe just about 7 pounds or so - but it seemed like a ton!), entertained house guests (who, incidentally, got snowed in here with us for an extra night), traveled 200 miles (one way) for a 90th birthday party for a special man in our lives,, made three large stuffed toys for three special kids in our lives, made more candy, worked on another gift - ripped that one out (several times), worked on it some more, still working on it, bought our tree, and so much more.
Our trip to the birthday party took us into the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. The roads were clear but it definitely looked like a winter wonderland. I'd love to say it looked very different than it did at home, but we actually went a day later than planned because of the weather on the home front.
These are three pillow-pal type critters I made this week. These won't appear in the shop as they are licensed characters but they were what these little ones wanted. In case you don't recognize them, we're looking at Thomas the Tank, Babar and Queen Celeste. Since I had to create my own patterns, work out all the kinks and paint on the details, they did take some time. They open out flat to use as large pillows to watch T.V. or such.
Now, I need to get back to that other project or there's going to be one unhappy little 5-year-old come Christmas morning. Hopefully, I'll have a pic or two to share of that one by tomorrow. (Or, maybe of the bonfire when I really get totally fed up with all the mistakes I keep making and ripping out!)

In between stitches, I hope to make more candy (we give lots of gifts of homemade candy) and decorate the tree.

Hope your holiday preps are going smoother than mine!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Everywhere you look, Christmas has taken over the scenery. Yep, drive down the road and you'll see Christmas decorations in most every yard. Billboards feature Santa and reindeer and such. Everyone is busy hanging tinsel and colored lights. Yes, it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas - everywhere except in my house!Oh, there are a few touches (VERY FEW!!!). I have these great sparkly wreaths for the door and front windows that just require reaching in behind the curtains and hanging them. I have managed that.

As usual, I'm running behind. I KNOW there is still plenty of time before the big day - BUT... I have houseguests arriving in two days and I wanted to look festive. (Okay, in all fairness, we didn't get a lot of lead time on this one.) Oh, and then there's the fact that we'll be away for the weekend so there's no time then to decorate. We still use a real tree so I can't put it up too early. That will happen toward the end of the week.I've been trying to throw a bit of greenery and such around as I go about all the other daily activities. The other day, I worked with my houseplants to freshen them up with trims and new potting soil. This poor old guy in the living room needed quite a trim (He is old, I've had him for about 12 years now.) When all was said and done, he looked really bare. I doctored him up with some fake poinsettias and holly. I think he turned out well. (The fish? Well, he's a permanent resident on that table. I have mentioned before that our decor is "Early Aquarium", haven't I?)

Yes, that IS a reindeer nosing his way into the pic. I collect reindeer and now have about 500 or so of the antlered crew. (Yeah, I said 500!) A few more have worked their way into that corner, too. Well, when you have that many, you do look for any little space to put one!

Death of a Modem

Forgive me, Dear Readers, for I have not blogged in several weeks. I've tried. I really have, but the powers that be have thrown obstacle after obstacle in my way.

R.I.P.

First, it was deluge of orders that kept me very busy (not a bad thing!), then The Big Guy was home, underfoot again, for a week, etc. etc. The final straw last week was the death of our beloved modem. We lived without internet access for several days. It was hard - so very, very hard. I began paging through the Yellow Pages looking for a 12-step program but was forced to make do with just finding other "offline" activities. It's amazing what you can get done when the computer is not beckoning with its glitzy connection to the outside world.

The Big Guy was in even more crisis. He returned to work last week for the "on" cycle of his rotating schedule only to find he'd lost all network capabilities there, too. He felt like a marked man. It had been a gradual process. A few cycles back, he'd returned to the office to find his e-mail not functioning. Then, the last time some of his apps had not worked. Now, nothing. (That'll teach him to spend so much time at home with me!) Did I mention he's an Instrument Tech and that a large portion of those duties are computer related?

He spent the week getting everything back online in the office and, finally, on Friday, got our new modem installed and up and running here at home. My hero!! We were, once again, reconnected. (He was truly motivated at that point as he was out of Sodoku puzzles! )

Isn't it attractive?


I've been making little memo notes for myself about things I wanted to blog about. Some are now simply outdated and will be tossed. Some, I'll get to in the next few days. If time permits, I may be posting several small posts per day here and there. In any case, I plan to be present - daily- once again.

Hello again, Blogworld!!

One can't have too many pies!

Pie Party was lots of fun last night. Got together with quite a few cousins and family that we only get to see once or twice a year. Thank goodness for email and FB, as that's how we stay connected the rest of the time.

My Peach Streusel Pie turned out great. It looked good and was well received by the crowd. I think this one's a keeper. Best part is it is really super simple to make. Basically, it's a ready made refrigerator crust (unless you insist on making your own crusts). Drain two 29 oz. cans of sliced peaches, mix them with 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp pf cinnamon and blend well. Evenly spoon this mixture into the crust. Make a streusel topping using 3/4 cup flour,1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 2/3 cup butter. Spread evenly over pie. Bake at 375 for about 45 mins. or until nicely browned.

In general, everybody brings a pie (although some have translated that to simply equal "dessert" so we have had a big variety) and a finger food. We had three very different pumpkin pies, a sweet potato pie, my peach streusel pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll, mint chocolate chip cookies, hand-dipped chocolate candy and so much more. There were dips, salsas, pinwheels, a spiral ham (Hey, it can be "finger food" too!), and much more. Our contribution here was crab dip in a bread bowl with bread pieces to dip. Must've been good to the last drop as there was noen left. We washed it all down with coffee, spiced cider and a variety of wines and other alcohol. I believe a good time was had by all.

Then, this morning The Big Guy comes down with a bug, virus, plague, whatever. He's running a fever, has chills and pretty much slept all day. He was sleepy most of yesterday, too, but we never considered a symptom of anything other than too much turkey! I'm keeping my distance and hoping it's just a 48 hour thing. This is not the season to pass this around. We're just too busy.

So, here's hoping you're still enjoying your holiday weekend.

So, you burned the turkey...

So, did ole' Tom stay in the oven just a little (or a lot) too long? Were your local firefighters unexpected guests at your meal yesterday? (Hey, there IS a reason why they work on holidays, isn't there?There is a silver lining to burning the bird, honest. Check out these twelve reasons to be thankful your bird was, well, let's just say, incinerated!

* Salmonella won't be a concern.

*No one will overeat.

*Everyone will think it's Cajun Blackened.

*Uninvited guests will think twice next year.

*Your cheese broccoli lime a bean casserole will gain
new found appreciation.

*Pets won't pester for scraps.

*The smoke alarm was due for a test.

*Carving the bird will provide a good cardiovascular workout.

*After dinner, the guys can take the bird out to the yard
and play football.

*The less turkey Uncle George eats, the less likely he will be to walk
around with his pants unbuttoned.

*You'll get to dessert quicker.

* You won't be eating turkey sandwiches for the next three weeks.

So, simply grit your teeth, smile, and go shopping!! Shopping cures most ills!! (or so it seems!)

Gobble! Gobble! - Waddle! Waddle!

Ahhh! Home from our second Thanksgiving meal of the week and feeling full!

No, he didn't eat off the table with us but he sure tried!

For the last 18 years or so, we've had Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister-in-law's. This year was no exception she has it down to an art and it seems to be flawless in all ways that count. ( Kudos to H!!!!)

We do, however, miss having leftovers at home this way. So, every year, somewhere close to Thanksgiving Day, we prepare a full turkey dinner, complete with all the appropriate sides, at home, too. Sometimes we have guests and sometimes it's just us. This year, I cooked on Wednesday and it was just us. Yep, just us and an 18 1/2 lb turkey and enough food to feed a family of at least 10!!! We definitely have leftovers, now!!

Those dark spots are simply the seasoned rub we used.
It was done perfectly!!

I'd have normally waited a week or so but I earned a free frozen turkey at my regular market and it didn't fit in the freezer. So, what's a gal to do? Thaw and bake, obviously. We also usually do our turkeys on the outdoor smoker but this dude was way too plump to fit under the hood.

I'd love to say that means I don't need to do any cooking for a few days but we've committed to a number of get-togethers all of which involve "bringing something". None of the "somethings" should be leftovers! So, I'll be back in the kitchen in the morning.

Tomorrow we'll be attending a Pie Party at my cousin's. She used to do a full sit-down Thanksgiving meal for the crowd, with everyone bringing an assigned dish but at some point, folks do get "turkeyed out," no matter how much they enjoy the menu. So, a few years ago, she revamped and renamed it. Now, everyone brings a pie and a finger food of some sort. It's really fun trying a bit of this and a bit of that. Amazingly, there is very little duplication in the pie arena. I think we each consider it a challenge to come up with something different and unique.

It took me till just a few minutes ago to decide what I'm making. (This is an annual event so I've had lots of time to plan.) I found a peach pie with a struesel type topping and you can use canned peaches in it. Sounds very simple and looks beautiful in the picture. Maybe I'll share a pic tomorrow with you.

Hope y'all had a great day, too!

Countdown to turkey...

"...No one will remember the perfect Thanksgiving anyway. Five and ten years from now, family and friends will be laughing over the time the turkey burned and you had to order in Chinese food. Or the impossibly hard biscuits Aunt Beth insisted on making every year. All the perfect food will be long forgotten. ...relax and enjoy [yourself]. It's the mishaps and the funny incidents that create the best memories --Sophie"

So says Krista Davis in The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

As you rush about today, doing all those last minute preps for the big meal, keep these words in mind. They are, oh, so true. Go ahead and ask your family about their most memorable Thanksgivings (if you dare). I'm sure the ones that stand out will be the "imperfect" events. A bonus of doing this is the laughs you'll all share as a family reliving those unique memories.

Want to read some tales of Thanksgiving meals gone wrong? Check out this thread on the Etsy Forum. There's everything from a turkey flying off the tray across the kitchen and right into the dining room, to flour covering the cat just as the doorbell rings, to a miraculous diving catch of mashed potatoes. Some of these will make your worst story sound pretty good.


Now, go ahead and get that pie in the oven, today!

Then, sit down and have a glass of wine while you contemplate all the rest of that work.

ENJOY !!!

Martha's not coming!?!?!

Oh No!!!
I just received this email from my cousin, our hostess for our family get-together:

Dear Family and Friends:

I know that you were eager to accept our family's invitation to Thanksgiving dinner when you found out that the famous Martha Stewart would be joining us. However, due to scheduling conflicts beyond her control, Ms Stewart finds that she is unable to grace our table this year. With that in mind, there will be a few minor changes regarding the meal and decor, as outlined below. Please be aware of them, and adjust your appetite and dress appropriately.

Thank you

1) Our driveway will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After several trial runs and two visits from the fire department, it was decided that, no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

2) Once inside, please note that the entry space will not be decorated with swags of Indian corn and fall foliage. Instead, we included our dog in decorating by having him track in colorful autumn leaves from the back yard. The mud was his idea.

3) The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this is Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the paper SpongeBob dinner plates, the leftover Halloween napkins, and our plastic cup collection.

4) Our centerpiece will not be a tower of fresh fruit and flowers. Instead we will be proudly displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper and pine cones. The artist assures me it is a turkey, albeit one without wings, legs, or a beak.

5) We will be dining somewhat later than planned. However, our daughter will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure she will be happy to share every choice comment her mother made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims, stuffing choices, the turkey hotline, and, especially, her husband. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 7:00AM upon discovering that said husband had only remembered to pull the turkey from the freezer at 6:00 AM, and that the thing was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

6) As an accompaniment to our daughter's recital of these events, I will play a recording of Native American tribal drumming. Curiously, the tribal drumming sounds a great deal like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, but that only enhances the holiday appropriateness. If our daughter should mention that we don't own a recording of Native American tribal drumming, ignore her. She's only nine; what does she know?

7) A dainty silver bell will not be rung to announce the start of our feast. We have chosen to keep our traditional method of assembling when the smoke alarm goes off.

8) There will be no formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask all the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. And I would like to take this opportunity to remind our younger diners that "passing the rolls" is neither a football play nor an excuse to bean your cousin in the head with bread.

9) The turkey will not be carved at the table. I know you have seen the Norman Rockwell image of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. Such a scene may occur somewhere in America, but it won't be happening at our dinner table. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in the kitchen at a private ceremony. I stress "private", meaning Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children, or older, helpful grandparents into the kitchen to check on my progress. I have a very large, very sharp knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win the battle. When I do, we will eat.

10) For the duration of the meal, we will refer to the gravy by its lesser-known name: Kraft Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or makeup of the Kraft Cheese Sauce, smile kindly and say that you know the answer, but it's a secret that can't be revealed to them until they are 18.

11) Instead of offering a choice among 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and dog tongue marks. You still have a choice: take it or leave it.

That concludes our list of alterations. Again, I apologize that Martha will not be joining us this year. Come to think of it, she probably won't come next year, either.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Adrift on the sea of my daily life ...

I feel like a bad mother! My blogs are like children and I've neglected them terribly recently. Oh, I feel so very guilty. Yet, I can't seem to get things back on track.

I love blogging but when push comes to shove, it drops down on the priority list. Lately, life in this household has been like a small boat in heavy seas. Throw a life jacket on and hang on for dear life!

Every few days, the sun comes out and the waves settle and things start to level off. Then, we jump to and take care of necessities first and then work toward the niceties and fun stuff. We begin to relax, sit back and take a deep breath ... and then, along comes another swell and we're thrown into the next squall. Once again, we don the foul weather gear and grab hold of a lifeline to ride out the waves.

At the moment, we're on calm seas with no clouds in sight. Maybe I can get back to my routine. Just maybe catch up with all the "To Do" things on my list. Starting with this post.

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Today was the last day for guaranteed delivery for merchandise geared toward Thanksgiving. My goal was to get it all shipped by this Thursday. I have just finished packing up the last of those orders so I am actually ahead of target on this one. It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!!!

I had one order to finish painting today and a whole pile of Christmas work to get to. Today's project was organizing, laying out, sketching and base coating for gingerbread and candy canes on various garments and hard items (wood and glass). Both images are time consuming in that they require a base coat which must dry completely before adding intricate details. While I can often do detail work on only semi-dry base coats, I find the white details necessary for both gingerbread and peppermints must be done on dry bases.
I do love painting both of these themes, though, as they allow a fair amount of creativity from piece to piece. The peppermint candies are also always so bright and cheerful. It will be a few days before these will be ready to photograph for listing in the shop.

Tomorrow, I hope to get some of my Christmas themed baby hats photographed and listed in the shop. They're all done, just waiting for their close-ups.

Among tomorrow's projects is also the daunting task of getting my other blog updated. Yes, I really do have a second blog though few have actually found it. Splish'n'Splash Kitchen deals with food from a variety of angles. I try to list interesting events around the country that are specific to various foods, food news, food ideas, and more. To date, I have not done recipes there but I think I'll be adding a few party dishes and food gifts to make and give for the holidays. I have a goal to get that blog back in line by the beginning of December. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Here's hoping y'all are right on track in your holiday preps.

Don't let the turkeys get you down!

The turkeys are ready! Finally.
I have finally listed the last of the Thanksgiving merchandise in my shop. Just in time, too! The last day to order for guaranteed delivery in time for the big feast is Tuesday, November 16th!!

I'm going to sit back, take a deep breath, relax for 5 minutes, and then, get busy listing Christmas items!

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I received a disturbing e-mail yesterday. It simply read: "Only 47 shopping days til Christmas!"

It disturbed me on, oh so many, levels.

I could feel the annual panic beginning to well up in my chest. "I'm not prepared. I won't be ready." My mind began to chant the seasonal battle cry of most of the women I know. I could actually see those days peeling off the calendar in my mind. Various deadlines lunged at me as if I was caught in a 3-D movie.

How do the holidays always seem to sneak up on us? I mean, they come every year. Not only that, but Christmas is ALWAYS on the 25th of December. It's not like Easter that jumps around a bit.

Then, it dawned on me. This friend sent this message very late last evening. Yesterday was pretty much over with. So that meant, he's counting Thanksgiving Day and Christmas as shopping days! Okay, I can accept he might do some shopping online after Thanksgiving dinner, after football overload and when he is too stuffed to do much else than wiggle a little mouse around to browse the web. (Actually, a few years ago, my brother found you could actually access a few of the Black Friday sale prices on Thursday evening.) But just what does he plan to buy us at CVS or Walgreens (worse yet, 7-11) on Christmas morning?!?

Okay, NOT planning to shop after dinner on Turkey Day and NOT counting Christmas Day and actually getting a move on right now, this very minute, I have 46 Days!! Only 46 Days!! Not just shopping days, but planning, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, decorating, packing and shipping days. That's 46 EVERYTHING days!!!

I'm a list maker. So, right now, I'm going to sit down and make some lists. You know the kind - the gift list, the deadline list, the merchandise to be finished list, etc.

Then, in true Scarlett O'Hara style, I'll get busy "doing" tomorrow!!! (You know, when we're a day closer.)

We REALLY never do know what goes through their minds. Do we?

Deep Thoughts From Children

From an actual newspaper contest where entrants age 4 to 15 were asked to express their deepest thoughts.

I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life? -- Age 15

Give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot, and a great big bag of money. -- Age 13

Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about letting just any old yokel vote. -- Age 10

For centuries, people thought the moon was made of green cheese. Then the astronauts found that the moon is really a big hard rock. That's what happens to cheese when you leave it out. -- Age 6

Think of the biggest number you can. Now add five. Then, imagine if you had that many Twinkies. Wow, that's five more than the biggest number you could come up with! -- Age 6

As you make your way through this hectic world of ours, set aside a few minutes each day. At the end of the year, you'll have a couple of days saved up. -- Age 7

Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number. -- Age 15

It would be terrible if the Red Cross Bloodmobile got into an accident. No, wait. That would be good because if anyone needed it, the blood would be right there. -- Age 5

If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. -- Age 15

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Next time you look at your son or daughter and wonder what they're thinking, go ahead and ask. You never know. It could really be a deep, deep thought!!

Memories...

Sorry, folks. I'm just not feeling very bloggy at the moment. Please bear with me.


I've allowed myself some downtime to wallow in memories of a close family member that left us way too soon. It's been less than 18 months and today would have been his 45th birthday.




He was a beloved brother, son, grandson, nephew, uncle and friend to many. He made folks laugh, could tell it like it was and gave really great hugs.


He'd been a very proud U.S, Marine and served our country well for several tours of duty. He fully believed, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine!!"


He could grate on my last nerve at times, was terrible at returning calls, often canceled out on things at the last minute, and did all the other things family does "just to irritate" each other, BUT, he was a hugger and could speak softly, saying just the right word or two to make my heart melt and grant him instant forgiveness.


He had the magic touch when it came to kids. They worshipped him. (Maybe he was just able to think like they do!) Yes, they still miss him and ask for stories about him from "the old days."

And you know what? We love to tell those stories.

Tommy, we really do miss you.

Haunted Houses

I loved visiting the special haunted houses at Halloween when I was young. You know, the ones set up by the rec councils and other such groups that were open for only a weekend or two.

When we were too young to drive, my neighbors would load their car up with neighborhood kids and take all of us around to the 3 or 4 best ones in our area. Then, after we were under our own power, my best friend and I would map out how to visit all of them (about 6) in one weekend. It was a tight schedule but we managed. My niece always begged to go with us and each year and we tried to take her. She was a jumpy kid and was always terrified BEFORE we even went in! She usually backed out of it just as we'd get to the entrance after standing in line for a long time. One of us would have to stay outside with her while the others trekked through.

I remember taking her to one that we considered "the best of the locals". She swore she was good with it and was right up to the doorway. She simply froze up and wouldn't move. (She was about 10 at the time.) We had been in line for almost an hour and were really unhappy with her doing this, again. Just then she recognized one of my friends who was working there as "Death". He was "warming up the crowd" while they waited in the long line. It was a great costume but she knew it was Michael and was satisfied to stay with him. We laughed that she was too scared to go through with us but was willing to stroll around outside holding "Death's" hand!

I don't think she has ever gone through one even to this day (decades later). Ironically, she loves to read horror novels and watch terrifying movies. One of her favorite authors is Stephen King! Go figure!!

In the spirit of haunted houses, I offer up this memory of haunted houses and ghost hunting:

National Chocolate Day

National Chocolate Day!!!!

All right!!! I can get down with this! Thanks Paula Deen for letting me in on this fact. I wouldn’t want to wake up tomorrow and find I’d missed it!! (I’d probably have to console myself with some chocolate.)

I think maybe it should be National Chocolate WEEK , don’t you?
Of course, I wanted to commemorate this day in an appropriate manner.

I thought about gathering the troops to make candy but they said it was just too short notice. (I swear, we cannot share the same genes. I mean, chocolate should trump all, shouldn't it? My Mom would be so ashamed of this younger generation!)

The Big Guy fully understood and helped me eat part of a bag of Hershey Miniatures today. (We can always get something else for those pesky Trick or Treaters! )

Only problem is, now I'm still in a chocolate kind of mood. The guys went to bed and I sat here digging through my recipe collection while watching the TV, trying to find just the right, chocolatey, quickie item that I could whip right up. I settled for throwing a box of brownies together during commercials.

The boys should be happy in the morning when they meander into the kitchen and find this surprise. I don't get up until after they leave in the morning as they are up and out long before 6! (For those who are now really concerned about our household, let me clarify. They are grown men, not children. They do much better without my interferene in the morning.)

Now that I've put chocolate into your mind, too, let me share a few great chocolate quotes.

• In the beginning, the Lord created chocolate, and he saw that it was good. Then, he separated the light from the dark, and it was better.
• I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process. It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?
• Exercise is a dirty word...Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate!
• I don't eat candy bars with nuts in them. Nuts just take up space where chocloate ought to be.
• "All I really need is love, but a little choclate now and then doesn't hurt!" - Lucy Van Pelt

I'll leave you with this one piece of advice:

Put "EAT CHOCOLATE" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.

Two months !!!!

OH NO !!!! Do you realize CHRISTMAS is only TWO months away ????

I'M NOT READY !!!!!!!

I mean, I'm REALLY not ready - not for the holiday itself or for the prep necessary to have my shop ready. I'm waaaay behind. I swore this wouldn't happen this year but here I am, two months to go with all these holiday plans swimming around my head and not in the shop. Doesn't matter what excuses I can come up with, I have simply dropped the ball once again. It's time to scramble.

O.K., I need to take a few minutes (only a few minutes) to formulate a crisis plan with regard to preparation.

**Tops on the list must be finishing the orders I need to get out of here tomorrow. Whew, those are ready to go in the box and head for the Post Office!

**Second, I need to clean up the shop. You know, get my existing listings in order. Tweak the descriptions, photos, etc. and rearrange the order they appear in. (Halloween merchandise can drop to the bottom if I choose to even leave them in the shop.)

**I need to check the "inactive" section of my shop to be sure all holiday merchandise that is ready to move has been relisted. Something I recently learned was that by redoing the whole listing on these items and making it a "new" listing, Google bots like it more than simply "relisting." Apparently, getting a new URL pops it right up there for their attention. (When you simply relist, the item keeps it's old URL.)

Next, I need to paint, paint, paint and produce, produce, produce so that there will be plenty for that mob of customers to pick through.

I'm off to get those paint brushes moving!!!

Talk at you tomorrow!

A lazy Saturday...

We had a late night last night and so, a slow start today.

Basically, we've pretty much vegged out for the whole day. Did some competitive sodukos (It's a "couple thing" we do.) and I did some painting while The Big Guy napped a bit.
Late in the day, we managed to catch the Sandra Bullock movie, The Blind Side on HBO. This is something we wanted to catch when it was in the theaters but just didn't make it. I should really have referred to it as the Quinton Aaron movie because he did an absolutely fantastic job !! The movie is based on the true story of the Ravens' Defensive Tackle, Michael Oher's transformation from homeless (read "family-less") child to star football player for Ole' Miss and valued member of a leading NFL team. We were even more interested in this as we are big Ravens fans and Michael has proven to be an integral part of this years action. The story itself is extremely touching as a wealthy couple, Leigh Anne and Sean Touhy, played by Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw, take an interest in a quiet gentle giant of a child from the streets. Leigh Ann takes the time to discover a very intelligent and sensitive young man hiding behind a serious reading deficiency that, along with life's cruel circumstances, has caused this young man to attempt to quietly fade into the woodwork. Turns out, he is a force to be reckoned with once you place a ball in his hands and turn him loose on a playing field, although he needed a bit of encouragement to overcome his gentle nature to fully embrace the action of a tackle!

Have tissues handy, this one will touch your heart.

And the winners are...

I've been giving stuff away, lately!!

In the midst of a busy weekend, I'm just taking a few moments to announce some lucky winners!!

I've recently participated in two fairly sizable give-sway promotions - Blogmania in September and the Autumn Harvest Extravaganza just last week.

Jennifer of the Me and I Corner blog won my Hungry Kitty apron as part of the Blogmania give-away. (If you like the apron, it is still available in my shop, Splashin.) Your apron is on it's way, Jennifer. I hope you enjoy it.

* By the way, Jennifer is an avid reader of romance novels and her blog is a treasure trove of book reviews. Beware, some are quite adult-oriented!

Most recently (last week), Charlene of North Carolina was the lucky winner of my crocheted Halloween Trio simply by taking part in the Autumn Harvest Extravaganza over at The Nuthouse. Charlene is looking forward to giving these soft, safe and cuddly toys to her little boy. they should arrive in North Carolina by the beginning of the week, Charlene.

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming give-aways featuring some of my products. everyone has a chance in these promotions.

In the meantime, you're always welcome to stop by at Splashin to see what's new in my shop.

Why is it always the woman's fault when men are stupid?

A frustrated female family member sent this e-mail out to the rest of the females in the family yesterday. I know she was looking for sympathy and I did sympathize as soon as I stopped shaking my head and chuckling. The Big Guy began to laugh as soon as I got to the sentence mentioning the "detergent bottle". He could see where this was leading.

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So, in her own words, here is a guest blog (She's asked to remain anonymous.):

I just don't get it...I swear, men were born with a vital part of their brain's short circuiting the vast majority of the time. They say their thinking is based in logic, however, they are clearly LACKING the ability to reason.

My wonderful, always thinking LOGICAL, male version of the species thought it would be a wonderful idea to recycle. Recycling is good for the planet - reduce, reuse, recycle. For him, recycling is reusing an object when its original use is no longer useful.

So, in his ultimate LOGICAL thought pattern, he filled an empty laundry detergent jug with used motor oil (which was, of course, to be disposed of properly at a later date). Apparently, logical thought patterns also follow along the lines of the perpetual procrastinator. My ingenious husband loves projects. He rarely loves to finish them though, and disposing of oil from oil changes apparently falls across the line of finishing a project. So my ingenious and LOGICAL male variety of the species fills the laundry jug with oil and places it outside in the SAME location where my real and actual laundry detergent is often put when we put it down to get in the house on our way home from a shopping trip and is often forgotten. (By the way, he usually does the shopping as well.)

Anyway, I go into the basement to do a load of laundry and, lo and behold, there is NO laundry detergent. My RATIONAL side reasons that he just went to Walmart this week and I bet he forgot to bring in the detergent. Sure enough, there is a whole bottle sitting outside!

I take the bottle down into the basement and start laundry, however, the measuring cap is missing. So I used an opaque cap left from our previous bottle and fill it up. With the opaque cap in use, color is hard to determine. My nose is stuffy due to a cold so I can't smell it, either. Our basement lighting is rather dingy with no light fixture over the laundry area (another one of those yet to be completed projects), so color is really hard to determine UNTIL I pour the capful of masquerading laundry detergent INTO my washer. Turns out it isn't really laundry detergent!

In a phone call to my LOGICAL male version of the species, he wants to know how I didn't notice it wasn't laundry detergent ! He wanted to know how come I didn't notice the smell, color, consistency etc. My list went something like this: It was labeled laundry detergent (There were no markings on the outside of the bottle to signify it wasn't.) It was a thick liquid much like laundry detergent. In dim lighting with an opaque lid, the color wasn't horribly off. I don't sniff every bottle to ensure contents are what is said on the outside of the bottle. It was in the same place laundry detergent is often stored. WHY would I think it is anything but laundry detergent?

I did notice it didn't behave in water the way laundry detergent is supposed to! But in that 10 second time frame of opening and pouring, nothing jumped out at me until it hit the water.

My LOGICAL side said, he poured used motor oil into a laundry detergent bottle with an opening the size of a two liter bottle without dripping!!! My husband can't even manage to pour a glass of milk into a wide mouth glass without spilling. My LOGICAL male version of the species believes if its stuck, jammed, sticking or blocked, FORCING is the way to go. If it slips, slides, or wiggles when it shouldn't, jamming is the way to go, actually poured a liquid into a container without spilling, dripping or making any evidence of a mess!?!

Anyway, anyone have any ideas on how to remove motor oil from a washing machine. By the way, we are OUT of laundry detergent!

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Sure, it was funny! It wasn't MY washing machine or MY husband !

Incidentally, after doing a number of run-throughs with Lestoil, Dawn and regular laundry detergent, she has gotten the machine cleaned out and has successfully run a few loads of laundry without further incidence.

MORAL OF THIS STORY: Always sniff your detergent before pouring. You just never know.

Another TV Icon Lost

Not Mr. C, too!!! It's been a traumatic week.

First, we lost June Cleaver and now, Howard Cunningham (Richie's dad)! Tom Bosley passed today at the age of 83 - another great loss to TV's fine history of parenthood! If you're old enough to remember some of his prior incarnations, Tom also rode herd on Charlie's Angels, was the trusted Father Frank Dowling and kept (or at least tried to) order in Cabot Cove as Sheriff Tucker, among many other roles in his long career. Though he never played the leading man, he was always a trusted and beloved strong supporting character.

Tom, when asked how he'd, like to be remembered, said : "He was a good husband, a great father and a damned good grandfather!" I'm sure he will be greatly missed by many. I know I will think of him often.

Who was your absolute favorite Dad on TV?

I know I'm showing my age but I always adored Steve Douglas (Fred McMurray) on My Three Sons. Never missed it. Funny, on the air from 1960 to 1972, that series has never resurfaced on TV Land, Nick at Nite or other similar stations. If you're too young to remember that series, he was the lead in the original Disney movies The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor and Son of Flubber. (All have since been remade.)

Hug your Dad today if you still enjoy his company. If he's no longer with us, think a pleasant thought about your time spent together.

More wandering around the blogosphere...

My Blogmobile!

Okay, so I've been a good little painter for the last few days and have been producing quite a bit so I decided to take a little time and head out on my blogmobile and check out some more of my Followers' blogs. So settle in friends, I'm going to point out a few you may find interesting. I did. (My list of blogs I read regularly keeps getting longer and longer. I may have to give up books!)

My first stop of the night was to check in on Gleeza's blog to see what she's been up to lately. She's been a busy gal! In a post called The Nanie Pillow, she tells how, to commemorate her late grandmother, she took bits and pieces of some of Nanie's dresses and made patchwork pillows as keepsakes for her mom and aunts!! What a terrific idea!! I wish I'd thought of this sort of thing when my mom passed quite a few years ago. I'm sure they'll be treasured for years to come. Check out that post to see pictures of these beautiful creations. That post includes some instructions should you be interested in trying this for your own memories of someone dear.

After staying there a spell and visiting a number of Gleeza's recent posts, I moved on to drop in on Queen Ginya. Queen cuts right to the chase and gives us some food for thought in a recent post entitled "The tie that binds" and explores the concept of what binds us to who we are, where we come from and how we live our lives. In telling us how she herself is hard wired, she says we'll never see her running a marathon but "you may see me running amok, running scared, running off at the mouth or running off half cocked (??) but a 10K...nope." Brought a grin of self-recognition to my face! Check it out. It will make you think.

Back in September, the Queen did a post called "Acting my age...", she pointed out: "Life is too short to deal with regret." At that point, she related a tale of hesitating to snorkel in public for fear of embarrassment. She overcame that and went on to have an incredible experience. "I was in heaven! If I hadn't got over myself, I never would have had that experience. I decided at that point to not let any chance get away from me again." In an effort to further encourage her readers to live life to the fullest, she says: "Don't let yourself get talked out of enjoying all God's wonderful gifts... sing loud and strong as often as possible, try new and exotic food, dance even if you can't ... cuz (as I've said before) nothing hurts worse than regret."

So true, Queen Ginya!!

Even if it's the wildest thing you do this week, get out there and read a few new blogs. You'll be glad you did!