Garden Jam

I dreamt last night  I was walking through a garden of jam. Corn stalks with jars of jam inside the ears, melons vines with jam for melons. Even the fence posts had jars of jam hanging off! Fence Post Jam? Icky! FINALLY something I WON”T eat! * HOoT * The most amazing zydaco music was playing too.

This wacky dream might have something to do with this entire week being a crazy canning week. Dillon asked about Cherry Jam and it just grew from there. Then I decided to make some pickles, salsa, and MORE Jam! LOL!

Then I decided to make some sweet pickles along with the Dills. Then I did pickled beets in little individual size serving jars, because I am the only one around here who will touch the stuff! And boy-howdy do I like to do more than touch the stuff…another reason for the tiny servings…I could eat a big jar all alone. Then since I made something special just for me, my family jumped on that idea…green beans, plum jam, strawberry jam, and then later on I got the idea to make another favorite of mine…sweet relish with bits of apple and cherry.  Things were rolling into jars so often that on a whim and a day after I said I would NEVER make watermelon pickles…I now have 3 jars.

pickled beets, watermelon rind pickles, and sweet relish with cherries

Its been stinkin’ crazy!! * guffaw* Today I will finish up the plum and strawberry jams. Oh! I forgot about the extra 4 lbs of cherries! Sweet Heaven!  Nathan reminded me of the 5 jars of Banana Cherry Jam I made and how HE ( since he didn’t like it) needed some more plain old Cherry Jam to balance it out! LOL! So we bought more cherries. The boys helped me cut and pit these yesterday and they are in the refer with with other fruits…waiting to become jam.  Today we jam and then I will hang up my canner for a while.

Because the other part of the dream is its time to put in a fall garden and this weekend we dig, and haul.

I honestly have never had a fall garden before. Heard of it and rejected the idea many times. I am beginning to come around.  Here in Texas its possible for a fall garden to still produce into the spring ( weather permitting) YET, I have always had enough of gardening by this time of year. All the hose hauling and doing CPR on sun cooked plants has been too much yanking deaths rug out for me and I am ready to hang up my hose by now. I hide and wait for cool weather so I can prepare another section of yard to become spring garden. More garden means greater hose hauling next year, but no one ever accused me of being my mama’s bright child! *grin*

But this year the rains came. It has rained all week and with the time off watering and the extra I have stolen from computing I am refreshed by all this putting by. I am reaching out for more to stick in jars! The urge reminds me of nesting close to the time a baby is  to be born.

I am reading articles about Texans who stick stuff in jars all winter and I am now hooked on the idea of a fall garden.   I am also searching around in my cabinets for Mustard Seed, Dried Dill, Coriander, Cilantro, etc and finding the dried supply okay, but thinking what if the fall garden thing would mean I would still have this fresh in my garden closer to Christmas? What about baby Gherkins? Hmm…Cranberry Pickle Relish might be in the cards?   I could try cucumbers again. Maybe I can grab them when they are small and NOT let them grow into buses?  Maybe.

Visions of winter sauerkraut, and trying to duplicate my beloved Branston Pickle are swimming in my head. What’s that you say? What’s Branston Pickle? Oh! NO, you have not tried the best stuff on the planet???  Bless your heart, you poor thing!! If you like relish in any way, you must try this stuff.  The best is only made in England but available anywhere via mail order. Get some! It will change your life. Also don’t be afraid to try some Marmite ( I don’t cook meat without it) , and Lemon Curd while you are importing. I would stay away from any English candy that is NOT chocolate, ( boys gave a definitive thumbs down to all I bought, except for these) but if you are looking to round out your mail order anything Cadbury cannot be beat.  Since cool weather is someday on the horizon for the Americas, my fall order of Branston Pickle ( I get 5 jars at a time and send my Dad one…I know stingy aren’t I?) will include a few meat pies. I have heard enough about English meat pies to be absolutely sure Jack will LOVE them, even though he isn’t! LOL!

*dragging myself back on subject*

So yesterday while canning I planned a new little garden spot. I was thinking about the planting order and all I would stick in jars  when I fell asleep. So the dream makes a little more sense. I don’t think I will grow corn or melons like in my dream, but I am counting on some fingerling potatoes, fresh spinach, herbs and maybe a few short carrot varieties as well as a rutabaga or two.

Happy Weekend!

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Edited: July 31st, 2009

Congratulations… its POO!

Everyone knows I love animals and so does Jack, Dillon and Nathan, but just in case you want to know how messed up about pets we are, read on.

Just 2 days ago, Dillon and I were upstairs queuing up a homeschool video and waiting for Nate to grab his snack. We were fast-forwarding through the screen ads before the show and there was a dog in one. We not only stopped, hit rewind and played, but we both went, “ Ah-hhh!” in stereo when the dog came on. Nathan coming up the stairs wanted to know what was up, so we hit rewind again, and he went “Ah-hhh!” with us the second time.

I looked around and there were no less than 5 dogs within petting distance and 3 cats watching us. We joked they were jealous but their intentions were clear as soon as we sat down. They just wanted to squeeze in next to us or on us.

Its official, we don’t keep pets. We are pets!

HOOT!

What’s with the headline? Congratulations its POO!

Well I slept in this morning. Its storming out and Dove and Cherry have storm fears so they woke me often in the night needing calming meds etc. There was also the inevitable giant pee in the dinning room since Dove will not go outside for her “chores” when she is rattled by a storm.

So I was up a lot. I hauled myself out of bed 2 hours late to find Harvey Poo. I was cleaning it up when I heard rubbing noises upstairs. Jack was getting ready for work up there but this sounded different. I went about cleaning up the nasty poo. When Jack yelled down “ Harvey? Are you happy now, we are both cleaning your nasty poo!”

LOL! Love is cleaning poo together!!

Anyway, We started joking ( yelling from upstairs to down) about this being similar to when our boys were babies. Him changing one while I changed another. 

“Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Cates. Its… POO!”

I have never laughed so hard in all my life while cleaning the poo, except when Jack made those man faces when he got the kid with poo! LOL! Men are amazing things, they can walk through fire to keep their families safe, work the long hours at a boring job and come home and say their day was fine, eat burnt dinner and call it a feast, but Sweet Heaven, the poo gets them to squench up their face nearly every time!

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Send out some positive computer energy to Kim B today she is having computer issues and all the withdrawal and fixing headache that go with it! Luckily her store is not having a single snag over at DSO.

So you’ll have no trouble at all to go pick up the Collaborative Grab Bag she is doing with Bunny Cates. Its is one of the best I have seen. Its big, full of diverse goodies and its on sale for $8 for a little while longer. There are 9 products inside totaling 52 items. When these 9 products go into Bunny’s and Kim’s respective stores they will be at regular price and you will be wishing you had listened to your Jodiann. Remember these are commercial USE designer goods. So take note my friends you can drop these items into your own kits ( TOU are included) as well as enjoy them for personal use!

WHOO HOO!

Here is the reveal of one product in the bag…

I used two of these Textures in my canning label freebie they ROCK!…the textures, that is…

Kim also has a freebie offering on her blog…

Kim’s Blog 

_________________

Okay and one last thing to share. I have been a kookie nut job over these Painted Buntings coming to feed in our yard. Yesterday I was minding my own business keeping to the kitchen, mostly making a big mess to clean up and stuffing the freezer and bang I got distracted by the birds and ended up behind the camera tripod. Jack was playing guitar upstairs and came down for some sympathy for his guitar wrist pain and I was so engrossed I didn’t realize how rude I was until an hour later. Sorry Jack, raincheck on the wrist sympathy darlin’! Catch you next time, Sweet!

Anyway, we are getting TONS of these little tiny birds in our yard now, they are everywhere and I am getting better at stealing their souls! *grin*

painted bunting male chowing down

painted bunting females, in stereo

… think she’s onto me.

curious cardinal shows for a HOWDY!

Oh! SO Much to be grateful for!!

Happy Wednesday!

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Edited: July 29th, 2009

Crock of Pickles

My Jodiann is mixing, baking, freezing and pickling today. She knows its Challenge Tuesday and believe it…she is challenged!~ Yesterday’s Jury Duty was abruptly cancelled shortly after the roll call was taken at the courthouse, so no great stories to tell, except her favorite Bailiff, Cliff was looking mighty spry. So, she came home and got the kitchen bug again, it just slopped over to today! LOL! 

Here is a great recipe to hold you over till tomorrow…

Lime Meltaways

Original Recipe by M. Stewart. Below recipe with some changes by Jodiann Cates

Makes about 6 dozen, double the recipe if you are freezing the dough.

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2/3 granulated sugar
• Grated zest of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined.
3. Between two 8-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour.

STOP! Remove from freezer, wrap in plastic wrap, yes, right over the parchment paper, place in freezer bag, zip closed, squeezing out all the air. Mark them for Christmas 2009 and put them in the back of the freezer. Phew! Yummy taste of sunshine stored away! When you are ready to bake these cookies around December 17th remove them from the freezer, thaw for about an hour. When you can press your fingerprint into the dough but still feel the frozen roll hard under your finger then its ready to roll in sugar. Roll the logs in 2/3 cup granulated sugar, really press hard now get a good coating on there. Re-wrap in clean plastic wrap. Return to freezer for 1 hour.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Remove wrapping from logs; slice dough into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.
2. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

These are some of the easiest and the most welcome Christmas Cookies.  Refreshing change next to all the chocolate and strong spice flavors at Christmas-time.

Happy Tuesday!

Harvey  Dane

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Edited: July 28th, 2009

Canning Label/Gift Tag Freebie

Howdy all!

Special Howdy to Mom! Hey Mom!

My Mom saw Dillon’s picture on his birthday and left a comment! How exciting it was for Dillon to see his Granny computing. You’re a rock star Granny! Computing, traveling the world, its there anything you cannot do??

Granny also sent along an email picture of Dillon’s Great-Great Uncle John Stair Jr.

Its true granny they look a lot alike! Dillon was pretty amazed. I was too I didn’t know I had a Great Uncle John or his twin!! LOL!

Hope you are having a wonderful time in Mt. Vernon! Hope Kath, made it there alright? Behave yourselves…Don’t tear up the town now! * grin*

We did some canning this weekend. The fruit trees didn’t produce this year on account of a late freeze. We got about 5 weary peaches and a few Red Chief Plums. So we bought fruit this year. We put up a few dozen Cherry Jam and on a whim Jack was digging through the fresh cuts of cherries ( no stones so he was having a field day!) and decided he wanted a banana to go along with all those cherries. He said something about Cherry Banana Jam. So I said if you find a recipe for it, I will make it!! LOL!

He found one for Rhubarb Banana Jam and I decided to give it a whirl and replace the Rhubarb with Cherries. I thought bananas could not be canned…but Lo’ and behold it worked!! Put up a half dozen of those, since its a new flavor and because Nathan absolutely hated it. “ Why mess with perfectly good cherry jam by putting other stuff in it? “ Why indeed! LOL!

Our cucumbers did okay this year so we made pickles, the drought make them bitter so we did bread and butters, a dozen jars. Not sure they will get eaten here, we are going through an off cycle with pickles. haven’t bought any this year.

We have so many green tomatoes and we are fixin’ to get a humdinger of a storm here this week. So I picked half the tomatoes and made a Green Tomato, Green Chile Salsa from them. Its crazy not to call it that, but since I had those peaches, so puny no one would eat them. I added them in and instead of tasting like tomato and chiles it tastes like peaches. Hot Peaches! LOL! Weird!

Jack dubbed it “Spicy Peach Salsa”

Anyhow, Jack LOVES it, he is talking to it he loves it so much. That man is such a food hound! Anyway, I made Mexican food for dinner just so he can use his new salsa. I think  we should re-name it Spicy Jack’s Peachy Green Hypnotic Talk-to-the-jar Salsa! *HooT!*

I wrote down the dreamed up recipe with a dry erase marker on the microwave.  It is very John Madden! Circles and arrows all over the place! Cross outs to. I love John Madden! If I ever met John Madden or Norm Abram I would make a complete fool of myself.

Once I started adding the peaches, well it was full tilt after that, there is dark chocolate, chocolate mint and apple mint from the garden. Even thought of pineapple in there, but didn’t have a can. ( to ALL my boys’ relief.)

Phew! A weekend of canning means a weekend of doing dishes!! If I never see another dish…

I needed some canning labels. I was going to print off some standard ones from the internet, but most of those are so standard they are boring and if they are specific they’re too specific KWIM?? Plus,  I need practice with printables. So I built some.  I used Kim B Designs and Bunny Cates Collaboration Grab Bag to build these. Snatch it up while you can its a monster good deal! 8 Dollars for 9 full size products for a total of 52 individual items. Do the math, it doesn’t get any better quality than these two designers and they don’t sell their goodies this low for long!! Enough said.

Buy it!

_______________

Monday Freebie!

http://www.4shared.com/file/120773846/bf37c1e1/jodiann_canning_labels.html

Credits:

Kim B Designs and Bunny Cates Collab Grab Bag above.

For the Christmas Greenery I used a font call Trees and Leaves.

The Gingham Overlay is my own, I should have thrown that one in. That would have been a fun add on, but I just thought of it. Look for it later on in a paper freebie or something like that.

Included in this freebie are…

4 digital pages to print done 300 ppi.

2 pages with the summer pattern labels and tags in 2 sizes.

     1 for pint jars and one larger scale for quart jars.

2 pages with Christmas pattern labels and tags.

     Same deal 2 sizes for pint and quart jars.

Quart size scaling includes circle for top that fit wide mouth jar lids.

I also added some basic instructions in the Credits File included with the download. These pages are scaled to 8.5 x 11 inch paper for easy printing. You are welcome to add your own text to the files. Patterns with some horizontal lines were chosen to favor handwriting the labels. I always need help staying on the straight and narrow! *grin* Especially when I am writing!

Make Great Gift Tags, BTW. I printed some on heavy card stock and they work nicely with a hole and string.

Yakkity Yak!

This was to be a short post! * guffaw *

Happy Monday!

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Edited: July 26th, 2009

Gotcha!

Whoo HOO!

If you read the post below, you know I hopped off to get this bad boy’s picture. My window is dirty so this isn’t as clear a photo as I would like but it would like.

I have put him in the layout I made for him. Trapped! Whoo HOO!

Okay, now I am happy happy! Got my picture of the painted bunting and his girlfriends too and trapped him in the layout like I wanted it last night to send to Miss Kim for her Grab Bag promotion.

…more captures

Curious Cardinal

Painted Bunting Female

Painted Bunting Female On Seed Grass

they are tiny birds, finch size

On Leaf

Painted Bunting Male

…that’s him again!

Okay, must stop! So many pictures I could go on all day, but these were the best ones if not a bit on the dark side. I love that nearly every one of them caught him with food sticking out of his mouth! *smile*

Planting this bird food ( completely by accident) was the best thing we ever did for bird watching. The plants make the birds bold and they stay longer because of the cover. Its a bit harder to get a good picture through the leaves, but when it works, its a better picture because of the added depth.

Tootles!

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Edited: July 24th, 2009

Coffee & Deep Thoughts

 Cruising my favorite internet comics can be quite insightful. Like this on at http://joegp.blogspot.com/2009/07/navigating-coffee-shops.html  Joe writes the Comic  featuring Talking Guinea Pigs. Internet comics are great inspiration for me but the deep thoughts are even better.  Joe wrote and experimented with working on his comic in public. Working in public, such a simple subject, but for artist this is a leap. We go out into the work, most of us…LOL! and gather our inspirations, photos, and sketches and boogie back to our little art spaces and build. Its very “Mad Scientist sometimes…

I wonder myself about working on computer in public. Joe’s article got me thinking about it more and more.

Before I married I painted in public, it was always a social spark. Lots of talking to people while painting. It was wonderful. I learned so much about people and about myself.  It shaped the art.  Sure I fed off the crowd, but that added to the experience, but it was the planning that helped the most. I had to think about what I needed ahead of time so I had about 10 themes to paint in my head by the time the supplies were packed.

Painting at home I would diddle around more because I had everything at my disposal to use and the ideas of what to create came slower without the push to pack.  I produced different art too. There is a truth and a burden to being exposed as an artist in public. I naturally simplified, didn’t try to get fancy, just painted clean and quick. 

Where at home I would get inside my own head more. In public, I couldn’t hide my techniques and I often saw them from the public’s point of view, it helped refine them. Also I found people ask great questions, ( Okay and not so great ones too, but it wasn’t illegal to be a stalker in the 80’s…unless you were stalking someone famous) I couldn’t hide away and let the art speak for me, I was forced to hear and take into account the publics opinion of  a piece before it was done. ( or work faster! LOL!) and all mistakes are public too.  Sometimes I would get into a groove where everything was falling into place and have to stop to sell something or answer a question and I would lose my mojo. My negativity of it would tie me knots and sometimes end painting for the day.

All that said, I found it to be the best for my art and my soul. I think I sold less art for art sake than for the experiences that were shared. I mean, more people bought what I painted for a memento than because they LOVED the art. For some artists that could be a sticky point. It was for me sometimes, but for the most part I didn’t take it too seriously. Working through interruptions helped me conquer my artist temperament.  Eventually, interruptions or a creepy person hanging around didn’t bother me at all so much! LOL!

Now I create in the middle of our noisy, fur filled house. Practically in the front doorway. I like being able to just crane my head around the monitor and see the kids in the kitchen, the dogs sleeping in the living room or running upstairs right in front of me. I can hear Jack picking out a tune on his guitar upstairs at night. I am perfectly positioned so when Harvey Dane launches himself into a run for the door I can grab it open as he goes by. I feel like I am a part of this crazy household even though I am carving out some time of my own. I have learned that 5 minutes without an interruption only happens between 3-5 am and even then the pets acclimate to my awakeness so it the kerfluffle just starts earlier. I get pretty used to the interruptions, its becoming a vital part of the process. I now save more and walk away. It gives me perspective.  All this makes me wonder if I would again enjoy working in public?

Its a lot tougher to paint in public, now than in the 80’s. Permits, forms, requirements, its daunting, so I probably will not go that route.

Logistically I could see blogging in a public coffee house or cafe.  Easy. My laptop is powerful enough to handle a few more programs to make that happen. It would need an upgrade to hold Photoshop and I have no clue how it would hold all the goodies I need to store to be flexible enough to design in public. So that is out. The thought of setting off with the laptop loaded with a few scrapkits, camera, and basic Photoshop and just start taking pictures of people and scrapping them sounds pretty inviting.  It could be part public experiment part, quick draw scrapping. I only started learning Photoshop in January of this year so refining my skills could be good. As with painting all those years ago, I dawdled at home quite a bit! * smile *

I like this idea, I am going to give it a go!

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Some Changes.

Originally with this blog I just started writing and posting, then discovered what I wanted to do with it and named certain days to cover what I wanted to share in a week. I started working with Kim B Designs as a Creative Team Member in June. Finding my feet with her group and schedules means changing a few things.

My Thursday Freebies will now be on Friday, since that is the day most of her goodies come out. Most of these Friday Freebies will tie into goodies of Kim’s and who she is working with at the time.

Check out  Posting Days Page to see all the other changes.

Thanks for hanging in here with me while I find the right combination of days.

____________

Grab Bag Collab

Kim B. Designs and Bunny Cates are at it again! They have come together for another HUGE grab bag. Of course I can’t SHOW you what is in it, that is the whole point of the thing, but of course I got a peek at it. You can too if you travel to their blogs ( linked above) Here is a small peek made by Kim as a preview. Its linked to the store for easy buying. 

This bag is $8 and has 52 items separated into 9 distinct product groups. You  can see there are flowers, more flowers, strings, doodles, splatters, more strings,  and some overlays, but there is so much more. What you can’t see is every little detail that makes these items KILLER MUST HAVES! You will have to trust me on that!  All items are Commercial Use and will be sold individually in Bunny’s and Kim’s Stores for much more when time runs out on this bag and you get to see all. I am learning why these are called GRAB BAGS! LOL! Snatch it up while you can or be sorry!!

This is what I built with it,

I know its a little blah, but trust me I was waiting for a HUGE punch that never came.  Remember me talking about the Painted Bunting?  Well I am bound and determined to get a picture of this little fella! I even built this layout to house his picture. He keeps showing up but my pictures do not have him in it. He is SO onto me!

I have my set up fixed with the tripod, camera with settings focused on the seed plants he likes to eat but he sees me going for the camera and flies off. Little Monster!!

I could build a blind in the yard and get this picture but I am too lazy to do that. In my pre-flylady days I would have taken an entire day to do just that, but then there wouldn’t be dinner, the dogs would not get food, my children wouldn’t…hey, my boys would learn how to build a blind to watch wildlife from…hmmm. Tempting…very tempting…

*putting this on the procrastination list* I am moving on.

SO the layout is a missing something and its a bird photo. I bet I can will get a good picture of that little guy the moment this GRAB BAG is revealed! LOL! Either way, when I get the pictures I am re-making this layout with the captured soul of that bird! LOL!

Its ON birdie!

I turned around to check the camera and Man! There he is! Speak of the Devil!

Be back…

Jodiann

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Edited: July 24th, 2009

Thanks Willy G!

A delightful Willy G. just emailed me about her technique for staying on the treadmill longer! She watches How To videos on You Tube! I just tried this ( Had to move my treadmill closer to my computer…*lug-lug!* ) and it was WONDerful! 30 minutes just flew by while I learned new things! There is a little tidbit I would like to add that really helped me see better and not feel seasick…did I mention I am a lightweight? Can’t even read in a moving vehicle.

I know, LAME-ish! *giggle*

In You Tube, above and right of the video screen is a arrow button.

It opens a new window where you can enlarge to screen size. You will be able to see better! I also use my headphones so I can hear over the treadmill easily.

Got a favorite How To on YOU TUBE? Send me ALL the links you want! I will be SO happy to stay motivated! WHOO HOO!

Thanks Willy G! I don’t know how to thank you! MWAH!!

 You saved me from the grind today and for many days to come!

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Edited: July 23rd, 2009

Good Morning!

…now let’s go back to bed!

We had a great day yesterday, but I am pooped. Its not that I am a lightweight ( Yes,   yes it is. ) I just can’t handle a birthday party. A simple cake and singing birthday. OR maybe I could if it didn’t happen at 11pm. I have a pretty strict bedtime. 9pm. I either lie down or fall down.

It may be I am drunk on laziness!

Dillon wanted to see a movie yesterday, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” (We have read all the books aloud and seen all the films together, so its pretty much a tradition) So off we went to a afternoon movie and dinner. At dinner we ate too much…of course. And on the way home we nearly fell asleep and died. ( okay that is overly dramatic of me, but we were feeling sleepy) When we got home no one felt like cake so we stayed awake until we did. This included watching another movie. “A Man Called Horse” One of those great 1970’s movies Jack and I are exposing our boys too via Netflix.

So it was sitting on my butt, watching 2 movies, eating a big carbolicious dinner, and then, late-night cake before bed…no wonder I am strung out!

Whoop-whoop! 

I should go right back to bed and lay there until I feel better, but I know that will never work. I will wake all puffy with a weird feeling that its evening, when its really 10 AM with that strange sleep sweat on me. I will go to sleep at 11pm again tonight…probably with more cake involved. Its a vicious cycle. It WILL spiral down until I am compelled to start a new self-help group. 

LATE CAKE A HOLICS  L*C*A*H*. Loo-Cah!

Tempting…but no.

So I am going to have my vitamins, get my Irish Oatmeal going and jump on my treadmill for a half hour instead.

Some days I hate GOOD me. Once in a while, I  long for the days when my 4 basic food groups were Tequila, Jolt Cola, clove cigarettes and cold pizza. Now I am done in by CAKE! Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Back later to talk scrappy!

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Edited: July 23rd, 2009

Time-out

Howdy ALL!

I am taking today and tomorrow off to celebrate my son, Dillon’s birthday. He will be 19 tomorrow!! Whoo HOO! This is where I say it seems like yesterday, but actually it doesn’t.  All good years that flew by, but happily not that fast! LOL! Here he is at 7 days. We have those just born photos, but here he has clothes on.

Looks like he is thinking things through.  He still gets this look.

 I expect to be dragging out of Dillon what he wants to do to celebrate and then getting busy. I love that he is coy, but if he plays too hard to get he will end up at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens ( something I like) watching the plants grow. I bet  he will come up with something more exciting.

Happy Dillon Days Everyone! 

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Edited: July 21st, 2009

BajaMan Paper Freebie

Howdy!

First off, a short post today, I am making up for lost time. I am a tad behind on writing homeschool goals for Fall. I need to work in a full size nutrition class and Japanese this time around. It may take a miracle with orthodontic appointments times 2.  Every time I sat down this weekend to get to the homeschool schedule I remembered something else that I needed to do! LOL! Can you say JO-crastinate?

We finally got some rain on Friday and some cloudy days this weekend! What a relief! Its a joy being in the Garden again!! I was watering the garden like a mad woman and the tomatoes, although plentiful, were getting tough skins from the heat.

Made a huge batch of spaghetti sauce with that bunch over the weekend and hope the next few weeks see some clouds and shade for the ones on the vines.

The bumble-bees are hard at work all day, keeping our melon patch pollinated. Whoo HOO! Its getting hard to water around them. Fun to watch though. Getting some big watermelons…well, they will be big soon! LOL! About the size of Jack’s foot right now. I love gardening! Its like getting presents!

Okay, *giggle-ee* back to the point…

Getting down to the wire on the BajaMan Series just a few more to go and we’re done. This time around its a paper freebie…

6 papers 12 x 12   300 ppi

http://www.4shared.com/file/119312123/21ac3b84/BajaManPapers.html

Credits for Preview:

Ribbon:  Think Pink Mini-Kit, Anna Benjamin, AKA Papermoons. http://www.paper-moons.com/
Font:    Coffee Shop, lighthouse both by 2 Peas

Paper Credits:

Papers made from using overlays from these great designers.

Misty Morning Overlay by Meryl Bartho  www.digitalscrapbookplace.com

Textile Overlay by Andrea Gold agold76@gmail.com www.godigitalscrapbooking.com 

Star Overlay by Denise Liemert  denise@liemert.com

Happy Monday ALL!~

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Edited: July 20th, 2009