corner where J was standing down below

this corner used to have the fridge in it- but turned to face the room. this opens up the kitchen in this direction quite a bit, you can see the floor and the trim - we painted all the walls white and the trim gray.  

more tail

one more tail shot. Gabby here and that is General and Samson in the photo below.  

puppy dog tails -

to tide you over. I will take more kitchen photos soon. the trim is almost all up and the floor looks great.  

Nov. Roundup

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

I read my Creating Keepsakes and Finished off The Great Divorce By C.S. Lewis. Have my Memory Makers Magazine in my Bag I took to work but didn’t get to read too much of it, I bought a Real Simple and Everyday with Rachel Ray. I made it through most of them too. I love my magazines.

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?

We rented a bunch of movies this month. But CARS was the cutest one we watched. I didn’t like the Da Vinci Code too fractured, the book was much better than the movie. I liked Superman returns. I liked Nacho Libre with Jack Black, He makes me laugh.

I really don't watch too much T.V. Just Bronco Football.

What special days did I celebrate and how?

We celebrated S’s birthday and He has gotten lots of things for a month and more , we enjoyed time together and we even made him a cake. It had cherries and chocolate and was great.

We had an outstanding thanksgiving with friends. I am so thankful for my family, my friends and good food! We had 12 for dinner and dessert, and we all ate laughed and had a great time.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?

I coughed for a while into November, the cold I had in October just hung on and on. S had a little scare and went to the ER- he had such a bad neck pain, that he drove himself to the ER and they did a blood draw and decided at least he was not having any heart issues, gave him muscle relaxant and pain killer, and sent him on home.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?

We tore up our kitchen and moved out all the stuff and replaced the flooring and, painted and bought new trim and lots of other stuff, ( we won’t talk about the bathroom) , it is starting to come back together, we moved the stove and swapped it with the fridge, so it is strange new working triangle. But I think I am going to like it just fine. All the kids helped with this whole thing, cause S got another neck pain on the second day of working, He and J replaced all the sub flooring, D painted his heart out and Hh too, really painted.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?

We didn’t do any new restaurants this month. Kale and assorted mushrooms came into our kitchen and we enjoyed to them fullest. I made a mushroom and beef stroganoff that was sooooo good we all oohed and awed.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

I bought an 8x8 all about me album

What were this month’s disappointments?

Losing my job! The boys are driving me crazy with their stinking thinking, and teen-age antics. I wish there was more to be able to do except keep on loving on them.

What were my accomplishments this month?

I made 2 thanksgiving centerpieces from my used sonic drink carriers and lots of nice floral and thanksgiving scrapbook paper. I made cards and sent them to friends and family with my best wishes. I got a new kitchen floor installed. We did it DIY!

Anything else noteworthy to record?

SSD1- pinting trim the gray color that the

fridge and dishwasher are. it is a nice contrast to the white walls and the compliment the gray tiles 

J working on trim paint? see the new sub flooring

he screwed it all in place - my litle carpenter boy.  

wow look at these plants!

green, but you never really know for how long... :) see 6 weird things below for the explaination  

my little photobug with camara in hand

Hh taking self portrait on the work day  

I am not the only crafty person in my house

this is DSS2- craft project for halloween- a very cute witch.  

tiles that are on my floor now!

more photos coming of the floor naked and done! moss slate- gray and stone looking 

6 weird things

I've been tagged. Seems I have to admit to being weird. Even have to list a few ways in which I am weird. Not a problem cause that is a long list! If I tag you, be sure to play the game.

According to the rules… each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”. People who get tagged need to write to their blog their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly:

“In the end you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment in their blogs that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments section and tell them to read your blog for more information.”

1. I am a control freak, and a sorting fool, though it may not appear to be that way to the casual observer, my house is a messy piles kind of place on first glance , but I know where everything is, I sort and re-sort and have no doubt where things are.

2. I like to sit on the potty and read! sometimes I am in there so long I get a red mark on my thighs. this is the only time I have for me sometimes and I take advantage of it. I get up pretty early and I spend about 15 minutes of that reading. this is funny to me!

3. I am a magazine junkie- this goes along with #2 as this is my favorite kind of reading. I have several subscriptions but i buy lots of magazines too. I like books and read them too, but if i had to pick I would choose magazines over books.

4. I love plants but hate to water them. so this love hate relationship can cause them the failure to thrive and then I act like I don't know what happened. I think this stems from having to dust and water the plants as a kid , those where part of my chore list and I never liked doing either.

5. Ever since I had a rear-end accident ( I was rear-ended) I have anxiety being a passenger in the car. I really hate when anyone drives to close to another person's bumper and I really don't like being right up on any car's tail especially at a stop light . this happened a long time ago. almost 9 years now. I still have fear about it.

6. I like to sort m & m's by color and number and eat them in combinations bordering on OCD this goes back to #1 on my list. I eat all the odd ones first and then make pairs and combinations of others. I will do this with other little candies like skittles and jelly beans, but not to the extent I an compelled to do it with m & m's

so I am tagging, grunt, swampangel, Kate, Scott, AngieP and Katie the scrapbook lady.

one of the best thanksgivings I have had in a long time

Well I am post meal and post early A.m. black friday and I can tell you it was ALL good!!

We had Friends with Kids over! a couple and thier three children who are close in age to our four children. and we had a single guy from S's office- who doesn't have family here and we invited another but too bad he was a no show.

I made two turkeys- one traditional roasted and stuffed with French Mama's stuffing- this includes chestnuts , sausage, lots of shallots and bread and a bit of grand mariner liquor and one Fried Turkey.

we actually cooked 4 turkeys three in the fryer and one in the oven. so everyone got leftover turkey, all of them weighing around the 13 pound mark. I have to say the oil was the most expensive part of this fun ( we have done this in the past). to get it right you must not give in and use cheap oil, only peanut oil will do and it did do just fine., in fact we are thinking of frying a couple more to put up in the freezer too.

also on the menu was mashed potatoes and turkey gravy- excellent and a must for a traditional meal.

Drunken sweet potatoes ( yams) - these were very wonderful. made with brown sugar, jim beam, maple syrup and a bit of small pineapple tid bits and juice. I made a syrup, cooked the yams in the microwave first and then, cut them into a casserole dish and covered with the drunken syrup, yum !

my friends brought- the best green bean casserole- the kind everybody loves with the fried onions

a carrot dish- with lots of buttery goodness,

great rolls - dinner wouldn't be the same with out rolls.

Jello Salad- yeah.

there was Harry and David Cranberry sauce- with whole cranberries and a jellied cran-raspberry sauce.

a bottle of Shiraz wine from Australia and a bottle of chardonnay from France. I picked these wines and they were excellent.


and then after we rested a bit from dinner- with x-box and game play and t.v. thrown in we had pie!! oh my did we have pie....... we had a chocolate cream pie, a mince meat pie, an apple pie, a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake with cherries and an carvel ice cream cake! all served up and enjoyed - everyone got something they liked- and coffee to finish off the night!!

what a blast - everyone had a great time and no pressure to show off or feel like they weren't there to have a good time. wonderful lovely meal with friends. 12 of us all together.

lots of folks coming to my jouse

house , my house, for a meal. will post more later.

See I have got my mo jo back

will you be a lucky recipient of one of these cards? I have a list going and you may be on it,


If you would like to be on it leave me a comment as to where I can email you at and I will get you address and send you a card.
 

driver?

You Passed Your Driver's Test

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct. You're a good driver - at least, when you want to be.

Are You a Good Driver?

it this so cute?

I will be doing a brunch at church next sunday and these are going to be the give away prize! i got the best deal at micheals on the dry flowers and stuff all at 90 % off on saturday I love a good deal, the carriers, I had one from ages ago and I kept one from about a month ago - I think poor steven thought I was a crazy lady for this weird trash save. but now you and he can " see" my vision for this altered trash !

wow -here it is completed vision

 

blank side veiw

 

here is the blank see sonic?

 

another veiw

 

my altered project- sonic drink carry transformed

sorry to have been so quiet

I lost my Job on Friday afternoon. My Boss came in and Gave me some bull**** about not having the money to pay me anyl0nger and basically said I have to let you go. - So I left.

Well on my way home I called my hubby S, and told him briefly and he couldn't talk a lot about it , so I called a couple of friends- one who called back about an hour later and told me get my but up to Longmont- I did and promptly got another Job ( temp ) with Kelly Services and so I have been working this week, and exhausted by the time I get home.

sorry for my little lapse but I will be back with more details and tales to come. Stay tuned.

LIfe is short (eat dessert first)

Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. O, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.

~~Henri Frederic Amiel

ssD as I don't know what

lots of marker and stuff on faces and eyes weird stuff  

elmer fudd

J at the halloween party, looked like an elmer canidate.  

Hh Montana

too bad everyone asked if she was brittany spears instead 

hope you all had a happy haunting

 

yikes

 

blazing along

can you believe it is the end of october already? we went and bought some fun stuff for a halloween get together with the scout troup tomorrow night, will post up photos of all the fun costumes and stuff after tomorrow night.

I am already done with one read through of Living Artfully - great book inspiring, and pleasing and hopefully I can now move forward with my love of scrappping. I hooked into real women scrapbook too, Tasra Dawson has a great web site and I added her to my blog roll. So I am working on allowing art back into my life everyday even in the little things I already do ! I am glad to have permission to call myself artful and live that way most of the time without even really realizing that I already do lots of great things and do them well and creatively.

For all of us, whether we walk old paths or blaze new trails, friends remain important. ~~ lois wyse

A Great Day - with friends

We worked hard at the church today- painting, prepping for winter, trimming trees and basic other assorted hard work. our Friends Karen and Art and their kids D and A. Hh and SSD and SSd2- no J he was " gone fishing" , we had lots of church help and W. and his mom Carol from the troop came too. what a great turn out. Jane and M. were industrious too.

we had the secret ingredient Chili! ( venison) and hot dogs and cookies. all the kids were great.

"In fact, I think she even managed to slip some elk or porcupine or something into a dish she served when Mom, daughter, and I last visited in 2005. (Who has these things in her freezer?!) It was one of those normal foods that you take a serving of on the side but I wound up eating something like four helpings and vaguely remember holding the empty serving bowl and licking the spoon because it was that damn good. When I finally asked what the secret ingredient is, I wished that I had not asked what the secret ingredient is. (Duh! That’s why it’s a secret!) Really, what use was it to me anyway?"

I still am not up to 100% coughing gets me down, so I took it pretty easy. With my boss gone all week last week, the snowy weather and all the work and commitments I have not had time to rest and get well.... looking forward to a bit of a break soon, but I may have to wait until thanksgiving.

the guideposts

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars;.... to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can , with body and with spirit in God's out-of-doors--- theses are little guideposts on the footpath to peace.

Henry Van Dyke

leaves

You Are Changing Leaves

Pretty, but soon dead.

What Part of Fall Are You?

I have had a cold

since Friday after my buddies left me, this is me happy on thursday morning. That is the last time I felt well too. I am even home from the regular tuesday night activity- ( scout night) very rare for me to be home and not on the go.  

living artfully - here is the buzz

Michelle at scrap rants has a great review of this book and Katie the scrapbook lady also has a small review and very cute photos , and those two reviews lead me to buy this book today, I will be posting more about it as I get into the meat of it.

this is listed as an art & self help book! right up my alley for sure. I can't wait to learn more about me and my art. A review on the book jacket says "Magsamen's book is full of warmth , beauty creativity and a deep love for the world and all that is in it..... a practical vision for a meaningful , joyful life." -- Roger Housden