Wassup?

Outside my window: We've had a cold snap this week and our first snow.

This picture was taken while it was snowing. I have no idea why you can't really see it. Of course, the ground is too warm, so it melted as soon as it landed. The weekend is supposed to be nice. It's sunny right now, but I'm sure it's still chilly.

I am thinking: About my Thanksgiving centerpiece. I think I'm just going to use fall colored flowers. I'll set the base of greens from the yard and add the flowers. Once Thanksgiving weekend is over, all I have to do it pull out the fall flowers and put in the white ones I like to use for the Christmas holidays. 

I am thankful for: An old friend and her daughters---Connie, Amanda and Malinda. We had a great time together at dinner last night. Just like old times.

From the kitchen: I've already planned my Thanksgiving dinner. Last night, at Christmas Village I bought some Captain Rodney's sauce to use in a new appetizer recipe. It makes a 9x13 dish, so that will be plenty for happy hour with the whole gang. Although chances are slim, leftovers would be nice.

I am wearing: Still in my jammies. When I finish this post, I'll get myself ready for the day.

I am hoping: To take 3 needlepoint pieces for finishing and another for framing. 

I am reading: Killing Jesus. I'll finish it over the weekend. It is soooo good, easy to understand the times and people.

I am busy creating: This week, I got my December kits put together. I just need to write the handout.  I finished my handmade "goodies" for Miriam's swap. I'll be getting that in the mail today. I also planned our family craft for Thanksgiving afternoon. I found the idea on Pinterest. Turned out pretty cute.

Now if I could only learn to put my glasses on when I take a picture, I might notice if it came out blurry.

I'm bummed: That my arms are too short to take a decent "selfie." 

I am hearing: "This Magic Moment" on Pandora. And it is a magic moment here in front of the fireplace. Oh, and now it's "Someone Like You" by Adele. My favorite song. I've made it the ringer on my phone.

Around the house and garden: Getting ready for holiday decorating. I do not need one more thing, yet I bought a few more at Christmas Village. I cannot resist glittered things. I'll share pics later.

In other news: Butch took Morgan to the Titan's game last night. When they got home, I had a chance to catch up with her a bit. She works ALL the time. She says she's going to have time off during the holidays. We just want her to enjoy her senior year. She likes the money. What can you say to that? There's a fine line between wanting them to be responsible and getting the balance just right. Life is so darn short. Of course, when you're 17, you don't think like that.

One of my favorite things right now: One of my blog friends, Abi, introduced me to another game app for my phone. It's called "dots." I must warn you, it's addicting. Still, it's fun to play when you're waiting for something. 

I appreciate: My buddy, Jeff. He's been coming to our rescue for almost 20 years now. We had a leak under the sink.

When I am writing the check before he leaves, I always say the exact same thing, "Jeff, I always enjoy seeing you, but I hope I don't have to see you again!" Quite the paradox. 

I regret: that the debacle known as "Obama Care" has caused this:

Three pieces of health care "junk mail" in one day. Whose watching out for those poor trees?

How the weekend is shaping up: I'm looking forward to a leisure weekend. Tomorrow night, we're going to the club to celebrate Stephanie's birthday. Other than that, I plan to scrapbook (can't wait) and finish my book. I think I'll throw in some stitching while I watch a couple of movies I have recorded. 

Speaking of the club---I sent the family an email letting them know that I was able to reserve the private dining room for the Christmas brunch. Sandy sent me this reply:

"I'm glad we are in the private dining room because there is less chance that Santa will make an appearance in there than in the main dining room (if he still comes to the club).  I wasn't even going to mention the possibility of Santa to Elizabeth, but she overheard me talking to Greg, so now she knows he might be there.  And as you can guess she is NOT happy about it!  She told us last night that she isn't even going to take her own children to see Santa.  She said she would just wait in the car or shop in the store until they were done.  I told her that children have to have an adult with them and she said "Mom, Santa is an adult!"  I don't think she will ever like Santa!"

You may recall that Elizabeth says that "Santa ruins Christmas!" We have no idea why he freaks her out. Plus at 8 years old, she obviously isn't over it yet. There was one year that she was scared of everything---about age 5 or 6. She didn't like the "elf on the shelf" or the surprise snowman door hanger Sandy put on her knob while she slept. She said he was staring at her.

Apparently, she has no fear of gypsies. She dressed up as one for Halloween.

Lastly, so proud of Mitchell. His debate team came in FIRST!!! That'll look good on a college resume.

Someone else takes blurry pictures too. Mitchell on the right.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!! Only 39 days to Christmas. Where are you in your planning?

This and That

The Titans performed miserably against the worst team in the league---Jacksonville Jaguars. I'm glad I am not wasting my time going to the games anymore. Sitting in front of my own tv with my computer and stitching is the perfect way to watch for me. Either way, it doesn't make them play any better. If I was at the game, I'd just think I was wasting my time when they played so badly. Oh wait, that's how I feel regardless of how they play!!

On Saturday, I received this in the mail.

This is exactly as I pulled it out of the envelope. What? Where to look first? Everything was all separate. It's actually some sort of update to our insurance. So, I didn't even bother to try to read it. It will just go in the file---never to be retrieved again! I hope it's not anything important.

I've been working on December class kits. All I have left to do it to write the handout. I'm amidst putting the class materials together for "A Year of Memories" (AYM) for 2014. This year, we're going  "back to school." The album will not actually have anything to do with school. You'll have to wait and see what I have in mind!!

Yesterday, was "Movie Monday." I've been getting my friends together for lunch and a movie in Mondays as much as possible. Otherwise, I would never see movies. Butch doesn't like going to the movies. The last movie he saw was Warhorse nearly 2 years ago now.

We saw Twelve Years a Slave. OMGosh, it was sooooo good. But I have to say, it was very hard to watch in many, many places. My stomach ached trying to hold in the sobs. It is so unbelievable that people could treat fellow human beings like that. It's a true story about a free black man from Saratoga, New York in 1841. He was duped to go with a couple of men for a business venture to Washington, DC where he was drugged and put on a boat and sent south. He was sold in to slavery. The movie is based on the book that he wrote. I'm not going to give anything else away.

I'm nearly midway through Killing Jesus. Bill O'Reilly has a real knack for telling history in a concise and understandable way. I could never keep all of those Caesars or Herods straight.

I taped the movie Killing Kennedy. Since I read and enjoyed that book, I'm really looking forward to watching that.

One last thing. I stumbled upon a really quirky show that I am enjoying. It's on NPT and is called Miranda. It's a comedy---30 minutes long and no commercials. It takes place in England. I really like all of the characters, although I can't always understand what they are saying. Miranda is this rather large, awkward woman. She's just so regular---that she's hilarious.

I "get" to stay home all day today. I love days like this. I get so much done when I don't have to go out for anything. What I have on my list is not all that much fun, but needs to be done:
Clean fireplace screens
Clean and put away patio and porch cushions

The rest is fun stuff. I hope your day is fun too!

Figures...

I've been stitching for 40+ years now. It never fails, that with all the supplies I've managed to accrue, I never have what I need. Case in point: Last night, I was just about finished with the "witch" project I've been working on. I ran out of the white I needed to finish the ghost. Since the rest was finished, I decided to move on to my next project. It's most fun to stitch a holiday project during the season of the holiday. I'm glad the witch is nearly done because I'm over Halloween. It's time to move on to Christmas. I went in to the library to find the frame I would need for the canvas. I ended up pulling out everything, only to discover that with ALL of this, I did not have what I need! The frame I need happens to still have the witch canvas on it. Aarrgh! 

 There are at least 20 frames here. You would think one of them would work. I ended up "making do" until I can get the witch finished. While I was at it, I decided to see if I had any fibers I could use for the current project. Of course, I did not have the particular white I needed to finish the ghost. 

 About a month or two ago, I gave a friend a bag full of fibers just to weed out my collection. No matter what project I'm working on, I never have what I need. I did have a little luck---I actually had one of the many fibers I need for my next project. At least I'm able to get started.

Believe it or not, these might look like a jumbled mess, but they are perfectly organized. Each fiber has it's own plastic bag. They are arranged by color and mounted on rings. I have all of them sorted by type. Even though it's easy to find what I'm looking for, I never actually have what I'm looking for! Figures.

On to something a little more positive. I made a new cake on Friday for the guys poker game. It's easy and good. A perfect combination.

Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake
1-pkg. lemon cake mix
1 small vanilla instant pudding
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1 T. poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray bundt pan. 
In a large bowl, mix together cake, pudding, sour cream, oil, eggs and water. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour batter in to prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool for 90 minutes before inverting on to plate.
Top with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze*
1 cup powdered sugar
2 t. milk
1 t. lemon juice

Whisk to combine. Drizzle over cake.

*I changed this recipe as the one I used called for 2 T. milk and 2 T. lemon juice. That was way too much liquid. The glaze tasted good, but just went to the bottom of the cake plate. Still good, but didn't look as nice as it could have.

Enjoy. I hope you have a good week!

Hangin' with Steph...

literally!! By that I mean, I helped her decorate her office this morning which required some
"hangin' ". She started her new job in September and absolutely loves it. She's thrilled to have her own office rather than just a "cubbie."

We took off around 8:30 and went by her office so I could see what we were working with.
here are the before pictures.

After a trip to Hobby Lobby and a loaded car, here are the results:

 On this side of the room, we added a picture and a clock. We raised the lamp with some books.

 This is the wall she'll see while she's working. Steph loved this inspirational quote---"do one thing every day that makes you happy."

When she saw these letters, she knew she had to use them. The buzz word for her company this year is "grow."

After the work---which was more like fun, Stephanie treated me to lunch at Steak n' Shake. It was a nice few hours together. We rarely get to spend time alone. We talked a little about wedding plans too. 2014 is going to be a good year for her!! I'm just happy to be a part of it.

Wassup?

Outside my window: Fall is definitely upon us. There's a crispness to the air.

I am thinking: That the weekend is going to fly by.

I am thankful for: My freezer club. It's nice to have several meals already to be thawed.

From the kitchen: I haven't cooked since last Sunday when the family came over for dinner. Still working on the leftovers. Also, I organized my recipes. I set up a new binder for all the recipes I've printed out from the internet. I had a mess, so that really feels good. Now maybe I can find some things a little easier!

I am wearing: Butch is out-of-town, so as soon as I got home from bridge, I put on my jammies. I'm in for the night.

I am reading: Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly. I've read his other two books, Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. They were excellent. Killing Jesus is really good already.

I am busy creating: I'm happy to report that I was able to get my Project Life album caught up. 

 August

 September

 October

Plus, I'm just about finished with my witch needlepoint. Probably another week and it will be done.

I am hearing: the roar of the fire in the fireplace.

Around the house and garden: I can't believe that it's almost time to start thinking about Christmas decorating. I know, Thanksgiving isn't even here yet, but the Christmas decorating is just overwhelming. I pretty much think about it all year!

In other news: My bridge partner came in first two weeks in a row. Then this week----third from the bottom! Not so good! Hopefully, we'll bounce back next week.

One of my favorite things right now: That would have to be my pot of hot tea in the morning while I read my blogs. I really need to get back in the habit of getting on the treadmill first thing. But I really love my leisure mornings.

I appreciate: a full day at home--like yesterday. I can get so much done when I don't have to leave the house. 

I regret: that I don't get to see Morgan more often. I told her recently that I see Jordan---who is off at college, more than I see her---who is in town. She works all the time. 

How the weekend is shaping up: Poker is at our house tomorrow night. I'm making clam chowder and hero sandwiches for the guys. I'm also making them a lemon poppyseed cake for dessert. We girls are going to Mere Bulles for dinner. 

Saturday, I'm going to Stephanie's new office to check it out. Then we're going shopping to decorate it. I'll be sure to post before and afters.

Hope your weekend is good.

A Recipe Share for a Vegetarian

Jordan and Eli came to happy hour on Friday night. I had invited them to stay for dinner as I made spaghetti and meatballs, gnocchis, salad and cheesy garlic bread. I made a mandarin orange cake for dessert (recipe following).

When they got here, Jordan informed me that she is now a vegetarian. I said, "You're kidding me! For how long?" She said "Two days!" We all chuckled. She said she had to start sometime. She loves animals so much that she said she just had to make the decision. If she really pulls this off, it will be a miracle. This is going to be so hard for her. She's a meat lover and always has been. She orders cheeseburgers or pizza anywhere we go. I know that as a college kid, she's spreading her wings and trying to figure out who she is and where she fits in to the world. If she really wants this, then more power to her. Thank goodness she didn't choose vegan. I don't know how anyone can do that unless you are Ellen with a personal chef. Just about everything has some sort of animal by-product in it (think, eggs, milk, cheese).

Jordan says that she's going to drink protein shakes and take supplements so she gets all the proper nutrients now that she's given up meat. We'll see how it goes---Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Turkey will be hard to pass up!

On Sunday, I made a Mexican dinner with Rotel Chicken, refried beans, corn casserole and cornbread. Jordan wasn't here for that, but if she was, she would have liked the corn casserole.

And now, to share the recipes:
Corn Casserole
1 bag (large) of frozen shoe peg corn (I couldn't find shoe peg, so used regular)
1 can cream of celery soup
8 oz. of sour cream
1T. finely chopped onion
Dash of salt and pepper
1 1/2 sleeves of Ritz crackers, crushed.
1 stick melted margarine

Mix soup, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper. Fold in corn. Pour in to sprayed casserole. Top with crushed crackers and pour melted cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes until lightly browned and heated through.

Mandarin Orange Cake
1 yellow cake mix
2 cans (11 oz.) mandarin oranges (drain only one can---lightly drain the second)
1 stick melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
Cool Whip for topping

Grease a 9x13 pan. Mix all of the ingredients with a mixer for 4 minutes. Bake at 350 for 24 to 27 minutes until lightly browned and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool (cake will fall). Top with Cool Whip and chill until serving.

Enjoy!!

Currently

Walter and Chris arrived on Thursday. We've been busy. On Friday, Chris and I went downtown to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Frist Center. For all of you locals---it is awesome and here until February 5th. Go. Be sure to get the audio tour.

We met Mindy for lunch at M's. We stopped by the mall so Chris could check out the Brighton store. We had dinner at Jimmy Kelly's. We went to Mass at St. Mary's downtown---the oldest Catholic church in Nashville. We had brunch at the Germantown Cafe. Chris and I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I cooked a lot. Chris and I watched several old movies and stitched. It was a fun weekend. We did as much as we could.

Now it's Monday and I have a crazy week ahead. I'm busy. All. The. Time. I'm not complaining. There's really nothing I would like to give up. But, I'm behind on some things that I really need to do. I have old photos that need scanning. I need to reduce some of the supplies I have in my scrapbook room. I need to design a Christmas project for the girls. I have bills to pay. I have laundry to do. I'm 3 months behind in Project Life (gasp) and I'm only doing by the month!

Where does the time go? An eternal mystery for me. Or maybe not. If I'm honest, I probably follow too many blogs. I should probably pare back, but I can't decide which ones to give up. I have too many social engagements---but really, how many are too many? I eat out too much---but that goes along with those social engagements.

Speaking of social engagements, today is Movie Monday---another "thing" I started up with my friends. We're seeing Gravity in 3D.

I should be up in my office or scrapbook room working. Instead, here I am messing around on my blog and reading others.

Still, I have a few things I want to share:

I was sad that the Cardinals lost the World Series this year. I've put attending a game on my bucket list. In the mean time, I'm living vicariously through my sister, Janice!! Jeanne, thanks for the t-shirt---she sent this one to Janice and the same to me. I could do without the beer. I really hate that stuff!

 We had a terrible storm---really high winds recently. I came out the next morning to this.

The leaves were so beautiful. I was entranced. By the next day, they were just all dead and brown. Still I have the pictures to remind me of how pretty they were.

All of the trees are particularly colorful this fall in Nashville. I'll bet the Smokies are stunning.

Travis is so darn cute these days. He doesn't walk anywhere---he runs! He plays soccer---no lie. He really knows how to kick the ball. It's going to be so interesting to see how he progresses. Angie has him signed up already. She said the kids are a little hard to organize. Seriously, I've seen him in action---he can really kick. He knows what he's doing. It's not just a fluke.

 When Chris and I went to the mall on Friday, I couldn't believe it was already decked out for Christmas.

November 1st and all ready for Christmas. Since I'm going to Christmas Village in two weeks, I'll be ready to finish my shopping. Notice I said "finish?" Yep, I've already got a good handle on the gift buying! Our recent trips helped with that.

Okay, I really do have to quit stalling and get to work.

Until the next time....