New Garden New Home

After 3 years of waiting, praying and waiting some more we moved in late fall. Thank you Lord!

  In the blur of moving the only thing I remember about the gardens before winter hit was lots of hostas and sticker burr plants towering over them.  Now that spring has arrived I'm discovering what other plants are growing.  There have been some lovely surprises! 

I had planned on bringing lots of plants from the old house.  We did manage to get a few things in the ground (rose bush, hydrangea and a Japanese maple tree) and the rest I put into garden pots in the shed.  The later did not survive the Arctic cold that we had this year.    The planted ones are doing fine.   And the garden's are showing me that everything I thought I needed to bring is all right here.

We  have lots of hosta's (over 50!)  and so far have found:
Bleeding Heart,  Daffodils, Allium, Forsythia, Sand Cherry,  Columbine, Oriental Lilies, Lily of the Valley,  Iris, Ferns, Rudbeckia, Lamium,  Sedum.....

And the colors!   As I was dreaming over plans for the garden in the dreary months of February and March  I picked purple, yellow and red as the theme colors for my flowers.    When I started buying them a couple of weeks ago the red was changed to dark pink.

So far all the things that have bloomed in the garden are those 3 colors!  How cool is that?
 
And after spending weeks weeding ( the war on thistles!) we were able to put down some mulch and not have to worry about it floating away. 

I so appreciate the previous owners who planted some perennials and love in these gardens!
 

Thanksgiving Journal Recipe Book

The journey of a turkey journal and how it all began.

For the first 20 or so years of my marriage my job on Thanksgiving was just to eat two meals and wash a lot of dishes. This was because our Moms lived closed by and liked to cook so we would visit both of their houses on the same day, one in the afternoon and one at night. Since they had done all the work of cooking I didn't mind washing the dishes. Truth be told I liked it much better too!

   So 10 years ago when it finally became my turn to make the meal I was a bit of a wreck!  Definitely would have been nicer to figure that all out when I was younger, had a better memory and could take these new experiences in stride. 

  I managed that first year with the help of my wonderful husband who promised me that if the turkey did not come out he would run to the store and buy some salmon, bless that man! 

And I had a red NOTEBOOK.  I had called both of our Mom's and asked for their recipes and advice and carefully wrote them all down in that notebook.  It had the menu so I wouldn't forget anything.
  It ended up turning into a journal too because  I wrote down what we did after dinner, who was there, and any thoughts I had for improvements for the next year.  Little did I know how helpful that book would become as the years rolled by. I can now calmly pull it out and read all my scribbled notes on how to cook all the dishes and smile over past memories. 

This year I started early and enjoyed the whole process at much more leisurely pace.

  I began shopping a couple weeks ahead of time since there have been times in the past when Aldi was out of some items during the week of the holiday.  So I added this page to the book.
Things to buy ahead of time:
 2 bags of frozen  french cut green beans,
 7 big Sweet potatoes,
Can of fried onions,
canned Cranberry sauce,
2 Sparkling fruit Juices - had cranberry and blueberry grape this year,
Yukon gold Potatoes,
2 Chicken Broth cartons,

One year I made a shopping list in the notebook which includes everything!
Have learned this the hard way as in different years I have run out of  tin foil, poultry seasoning and other things that are usually just there without thinking about it. They are now on the list.


Another year I made a list of  how many cups of  each of the veggies I need for all the recipes.
 2 cups of onions, 2  cups celery, 1 bag of potatoes, one bunch of parsley etc
Then I could  sit down at the table with a big scrap bowl and cut up all the veggies at one time and know that I had everything I needed.   My oldest son used to nicely help me peel and cut up raw sweet potatoes and almost needed a hatchet! I mentioned this jokingly to my Mom  and she told me to parboil them first and oh boy, so much easier.   That method is now in the notebook.

 This year  I am adding a new schedule for cooking the meal because I liked how it turned out.
I had bought my Turkey early since I wanted a 15-17 lb one and there wasn't many that size at the store, lots of 10 lbs (too small) and 20+ lbs (too big).  Having spent one year up half the night because I bought the bird two days before and wrestled to get the plastic handle out of it until 2 in the morning, I vowed to buy one by Sunday at the latest!  This year I bought it even earlier than that, which I thought was great until I realized that it had been thawing in my fridge and maybe I waited too long.  Oh that bird!!  Everything depends on how it comes out.  The cost, the worry, the blessed relief when it is done and looks and tastes good!
 So I woke up on Tuesday and thought I have to cook it today.  It was nice to know that the bird was all nice and browned in the roasting pan in the fridge on Thanksgiving morning.  It was already covered with foil, so I put it in the oven by itself for a hour and a half at 350 and it came out nice and hot. and tender.  Yay!  Yep adding to the book to cook the turkey on Tuesday, the rest of the dishes on Wednesday and if I ever learn how to make pies will add that to Monday.

So if you like this idea my advice to you would be to buy a nice notebook.  My poor book looks rather forlorn, with cooking stains and well thumbed pages but I am truly thankful to have it.

Preparing for the Flu Season

I try to keep these things on hand to be prepared for anyone getting sick-

In the linen closet "cold care" box-
Vicks Vapor Rub - to put on chest, nose and the bottom of your feet with socks.
(a bottle of Eucalyptus Oil works for your feet too or for use with the vaporizer)
Box of lotion Kleenex - so much softer!
Cough drops / lozengers
Vitamin C chewable tablets
Thermometer
Cold Medicine - Alka Seltzer cold care and Cough Syrup
Vaporizer on bottom shelf

In the Pantry keep stocked-
Homemade Soup Supplies:
Boxes of chicken Stock
Fine Egg Noodles
Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
Onions
Fresh Garlic
Honey
Tea Bags

In the fridge-
Fresh Lemons or Limes
Carrots
Celery
Parsley - Fresh (can sub Dried)

In Freezer-
Frozen Chicken Breasts - can cook quick in microwave
Homemade Chicken Broth - made with lots of onions & garlic from Rotisserie Chicken

The minute it is needed I start by making a big pot of soup, it always seems to help kick it .
I put in at least 3 big onions, 4-5 cloves of Garlic, Carrots, Celery with leaves & Parsley.
Season with lots of pepper and not too much salt as the chicken base has enough.
Add cubed cooked chicken and lots of noodles.

Make cups of hot water with fresh lemon wedges put in the cup and Honey - very soothing.

Our Life When it Rains Too Much

Well all the rain last weekend has been seeping into our basement...again.
This is not a new experience for us, so we at least know what needs to be done and I think we surprise people by our calm attitude.  I never know how to quickly explain the situation so they understand without boring them with all the details.  I'll try to tell it here instead.

For starters our basement was reduced down to the bare bones of cement after our 3rd flood, so we don't have the stress of trying to save the drywall that once was a family room & bathroom.
And after that,  my brother, who is an electrician nicely came and moved all the electrical outlets 4 feet up so we can still go down if it gets really bad.
So now the only things we need to worry about are our washer, dryer, hot water heater, freezer & furnace.   We have acquired the equipment we need along the way too- a generator in case the electricity goes out, floor pumps with long hoses, a squeegee on a broom handle, long extension cords and a back up sump pump.

If we think that we may be in for the next episode we start getting ready early.
First, is to get all my laundry caught up since we will need to limit our water use and not have to pay to use the laundromat.
Second thing, that I have learned from experience, is to thoroughly sweep the floors.  That way there isn't any debris floating around that could clog the floor pump.
My husband makes sure that we have a full gas can & everything is ready to go.

We make sure there isn't anything on the floor that can't get wet.
  All of our shelves purposely, have a bottom shelf that is up at least a foot from the ground.
All our eBay inventory that is waiting to be photographed are in plastic bins with lids are down there.
This is a part of our livelihood so we protect it as best we can.
 
 We carry up all our hanging clothes because even though they are not touching the water the moist air will make them damp.  We unplug lamps and heaters and put them up high.  The boys carry up the wooden ironing board,my art easel.  And the big bin of blankets, all food from the back up cupboard and anything else that we want to rescue.

All this does help but when we are all set then our living room looks like we are hoarders!
Boxes, Bins and baskets are everywhere!  You never realize how much you have until you have to try to squeeze it into one average sized room.  So while it really is very nice for friends to offer to help we are not sure we want them to see our home like this   Then we also have to explain that we are not hoarders but resellers, really!  Please believe us.

.It requires having some one being up at all times of the day and night and this needs to be explained too.   The floor pump works great but it can't just be left running or the motor will burn out.  I have been doing the graveyard shift, as my husband works during the day.  Being somewhat of a night owl anyway this works fine and explains why I look so tired at church and am up at 3 in the morning writing this blog post.     We use the timer on the stove to keep up with when the pump needs to be turned on and off.  At the beginning when it was at it's worst with the rain coming in fast it had to be turned on every 15 minutes, let it run for 10 and repeat.   Now a week later we are up to every 45 minutes off and 5 minutes on.  And so it goes.

I'm sure it gets to sound like a broken record after awhile as it's one of those problems that doesn't clear up quickly and I understand that it gets to be old so I try not to talk about it too much.
It's just rainy days routine for us.   We honestly do appreciate the concern and I've realized after typing all of this up that maybe there isn't a short explanation.

Last Minute School Project - The War of the Worlds Shadow Box

This is the project we did for an Art & Literature Fair last night.   It is a shadowbox from one of my son's favorite books  The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.
I discovered the day before when I thought we weren't going to participate that he REALLY wanted to and so of course I adopted a can do attitude and we spent the entire day working on it. One of the beauties of homeschooling is that we can make these type of decisions and we got it done!

It reminded me once again the importance of keeping certain supplies on hand so these can be done without trips to the store.  In the hopes of helping other parents who may be faced with this situation here is my list of items to keep in stock.

From the Dollar Store - 3 sided Display board and poster's boards in white and maybe a few colors
Also pick up some of those thin plastic cutting boards, great for painting on or cutting out things.

Good Markers and the key to having these is to hide them!  I can't tell you how many times we dug them out only to find half of them had dried out.  So keep a stash for emergency use only.
Add some black sharpie markers in with the colors too.

Acrylic paints are awesome in that you can literally paint anything.   Our alien and the houses and ground on our project were done with acrylic paint.  The other great virtue about the paint is that it dries fast, we put some newspaper down in front of a fan to speed up the drying time.  The quick drying time allowed us to add a second color or even change it as we worked.

Add box cutters or an exacto knife along with a good pair of scissors to your private stash.
Use the plastic cutting boards with these.   We cut up several thick cardboard boxes today.

Fimo clay is another versatile tool.  You can shape it and bake it hard and then paint it.
 It held up the trees saplings that I dug out of our garden today.Another year we used it make little stands for some playing pieces for a geography game that we made.

Stock up on all kinds of paper, construction drawing, tracing and typing.


Wooden dowels or skewers, plastic straws and cups, cotton balls, Wire are good to have on hand too.  The legs of our alien was made with plastic bendable straws which looked good but ended up not being strong enough to hold up tin cans, so we strengthened them with wooden skewers like the kind you use to make shish kabobs.

We made the alien out of food cans with an old CD and a plastic funnel with a marble on the top.
The arms were from thick pieces of wire.  Tin snips were used to cut the wire and we used a glue gun to put it all together.

I hunted for ideas on Pinterest and saved websites that had interesting facts and images as we researched the book.   We glued some quotes from the book on the top of the box after we put construction paper on it with a big glue stick so add that one to the list.    

The dining room table was a mess when we ran out the door but the project came out great and that was the important thing.  The key is to remain calm and think creatively and help your child to make something you both can be proud of.

Moving Means Lists!

We will be moving to a new house sometime this year.
With that thought comes different emotions...the fun of a new place to decorate, feeling sentimental about leaving our home of the last 12 years.
Of course I have started making lists!

List 1 - has two columns Wants & Needs
This was to help me figure out what we really need in our new home versus what would just be nice to have but we could do without if necessary.  
On the Need side:
1  Bedroom on the main level (not getting any younger and stairs do bother my  knees sometimes).  Connected with that one is a bathroom nearby  (at the moment it is down said flight of stairs).  A master bath would be great but probably falls closer to the want then need.
2.  Dishwasher and Gas Stove - just essential in every way.  
3.   Garden - even if it's smaller I still want to be able to put in tomatoes, some herbs & flowers
4.   Basement - Have to have somewhere to go during really bad weather and we need it for our ebay business.
5. Privacy - We have come to realize that we are just more like country folk and need some space around us to feel comfortable.
6. 3 Bedrooms - for the boys and down the road for our daughter and family when they come to visit
7. Wood floors - This was more necessary when the kids were young and we had dogs but it just fits us better. That and leather couches that can be cleaned is just who we are.
8.  A room big enough to entertain company - This has been on our list a long time and a open floor plan where the living and dining room flow together would work.
9. Parking.  This goes with the above entertaining idea so a long driveway or easy street parking
10. Central Air Conditioning - yep there's no going back once you've had it.
 On the Want side:
1. Fireplace - we have so enjoyed having one.    Connected with that is a little woods nearby to collect fallen branches to burn
2. Covered front porch - for sitting on and a protected place for packages
3. Pantry -  Would be so nice to have All my kitchen items in one area.
4. Built in Bookshelves - we are avid readers.
5.  Ebay room - somewhere with natural light for photographs and an area for packing and storing        inventory.  All in one place would be a dream.
6. Big closets - where I could actually have all of my clothes instead of storing out of season ones.
7.  Deep Bath tub -  This almost should be on the Need list as I like to take baths over showers
8. Whole house humidifier - for those long dry winters
9. Attached Garage - where we would actually park our car for a change.

List 2 - Garden
Our house will be knocked down as it floods so there is no reason to leave anything so I am saving all my pots for transferring my garden to the new house.
The Need List:
1.  Japanese Maple Tree - slow growing so still small.
2. Blueberry bushes - DH's favorite
3.  Peony bushes - one of my favorites
4. Rhubarb
5. Bleeding Heart
6. Virginia Bluebells
7. Hens & chicks and small Sedum
8. Lavender & Sage
9. Lily of the Valley
10. Spring Bulbs
11. Ellen's Lily plant
12. Hydrangea
13 Azaleas
14. Japanese Iris
15. Primrose

And depending on if there is room at the new house can add to the want list
  Balloon Flower, Forsythia bush, Raspberry Canes, Hosta, Vinca, Mint and so on.

List 3 - Purge
There is nothing like moving to really clear out the house!
Of course we won't really know everything that needs to go on this list until we find the new home but for now it is a growing list.
It just feels good to go through everything we own and pare it down to only those things we use or love.    Plan on having a huge garage sale in May.
First before the sale is giving things away to anyone who may need them  It's good to share!

Making the lists have helped me with all the emotions tied to moving. I know that the Lord will provide a new home for us so I'm trusting in Him as to where we will be going.   I am praying that he helps us along the way in really letting go of things that are just that..things.

.

Selling on eBay

This winter my husband and I decided that our big project would be going through all the boxes in the basement and clearing out stuff.    We hit upon the idea of  selling on ebay, which we have done off and on for a number of years.
The added incentive was to have my cousin and her husband come over and teach them how to sell online too.  It has worked out amazingly well.   We have kept each other motivated and have fun at the same time.   Karl takes such professional pictures that makes selling anything easy.   The photo's do all the "talking."    Once a week we  get together take a bunch of pictures, talk and laugh and then have dinner together.   And in the meantime the boxes are slowly disappearing and we are making some extra money as well. A definite win win!   Our "store"  http://www.ebay.com/usr/danterri.

We have learned so much together and I wanted to make a record of all of it so I don't forget.  So in no particular order here is my brain dump on selling on eBay.

1) Notebooks -  Having a notebook just for selling is great for staying organized especially for  researching the items I want to sell. My method is to write the name of the item at the top of page and use that page just for that, no more hunting through pages of notes. 
As I research online (ebay, google...) I make notes on description words, model numbers and anything else that stands out to use for when I am posting the item for sale.  I also note a dollar range and measurements.
On the side I write down the pictures numbers / date taken to make those easy to find.   After the item is listed I put a big check mark on the top. It is satisfying to check them off one by one.  Later after it sells, I note how much we sold it for.  I just started my 3rd notebook.

2)  Facebook Groups -I have found some wonderful groups on Facebook that have made the experience this time around so much better!   The best one with helpful folks and always a positive attitude is called The Thrifting Board.  With this group you can post pictures of items that you need help with and since they have so many members others will chime in with their advice.  We have learned LOTS about selling and good customer service. I highly recommend it!    I now know what BOLO's are (Be On the Look Out).  These are items that are regularly seen at Thrift stores, garage sales. etc. that I normally would have just passed right up.  I have learned that some of these are worth more than you would think.   I have tried a bunch of them and am so thankful for the knowledge that others have shared with me.   Some of the BOLO's I have learned about are coffee mugs,  Needlecraft kits and stuffed animals.    Of course the flip side of all this information is that it makes me want to rush out and buy more things to sell!   And as the initial goal was to clear out the basement it seems counter-intuitive but it has worked out quite well.

3)   Selling -In the past we just did auctions only. We still do them for the first time we are listing items, especially if we are not sure what price to ask for it.   But gradually we became more comfortable with trying BIN (buy it now) and BO (best offer) options on eBay. I have learned how to make counter offers.  We have also learned how to use online shipping labels that save a lot of time.   The only  thing we have not become comfortable with yet and that may change down the road, is selling internationally.   One step at a time.

4)  Pinterest -This has been a great way to organize Resources.  All those wonderful pages with information about identifying silverware patterns, hat styles, jewelry makers and so on that would have got lost by book marking them, are now on a board on Pinterest.   I have also learned that it can be a great marketing tool.   For instance I had a number of items that related to weddings.  So on the advice of TTB (the thrifting board)  I made a vintage Wedding board.   The idea is that you pin a number of items related to the topic and after every 4th one you add one of your own ebay listings and keep going.  Putting together the wedding board was fun and I really got into it.   It has also been a good place to keep track of BOLO's. 

5)  Packaging - My husband has become a master packer!  Most of the positive feedback we get mentions the great packaging.   We use as much recycled material as we can.  Saving boxes from anything has been a great way to save money.  Bubble wrap, tissue paper, newspaper, brown grocery bags, plastic grocery bags are all used.  A new one I just learned about but haven't tried yet is pool noodles. You can cut these up and use them to hold fragile items like plates or to line boxes with it.
We are always on the look out for packaging materials at stores.

6)  Storage - Once I list an item then it is moved upstairs and kept safe until it is sold.   I have plastic bins that I have found at the thrift stores and I put a paper on the top listing the items that are individually wrapped inside.  Another great discovery was berry crates that we found at Costco.  These are heavy duty cardboard boxes that stack very nicely.  I try to keep like items together so for instance have all my jewelry in one and toys in another.  The raspberry crates are a nice small size.   I am still working on keeping track of the stored items.  Ideally I should have the bins/ boxes numbered and somewhere either in my notebook or on a spreadsheet a note about where the item is stored.

7)  Record Keeping - As eBay only stores a list of items that have been sold for the last 60 days I am coming up with a system to keep track of the sales.  If we ever get to having a store I believe there are ways to keep track of these on the site.  In the meantime I am using google sheets for the purpose.  I am trying to keep records of the name of the item, how much we paid for it, what it sold for, shipping costs and dates for each one. 

8)  Pictures - The better the pictures the less you have to describe your item.   Most listings let you have up to 12 pictures for free so we try to take enough shots to use all those.  We do all angles, insides, bottoms and close ups of tags/ markings. Also any defects or special features.   We have had fun "staging' these shots to make them look their best.  For glass items it is better to try to use sunny days where natural lighting makes them just shine.  We are so thankful to Karl for his professional shots and knowledge!!  This year I learned that if I highlight the first picture I want for my listing then hold down the shift key and click the last picture (if they are in order) then it will select them all and load them one after another. Big time saver!

9)  Descriptions -  I have learned from Diane to copy and paste my title into the description post. I've discovered that the title doesn't have spell check so by copying it I have found spelling errors I might have missed.
I try to use up all the available spaces allotted for the title and get all the pertinent information. Each letter in the title should began with a capital and take out all punctuation (it messes up search engines).  By copying the title into the description box I can just add more info for each part of the description.  I try to have just bullet points so they are easy to read.   To make your listing mobile friendly use at least 14 font size and align it to the left.

10)  Finding items to Sell -  This is the part I think is the most fun!  We like going to thrift stores  year round and garage sales in the summer.  I have always loved treasure hunting.   Now I feel like I have graduated to being a more informed shopper.   The ultimate tool for this is a smart phone or notepad.  Then you can research items while you are shopping.  Some day soon we hope to have one.  In the meantime  I just go with my gut reaction.     My method for thrift stores is to go through the store and really concentrate on a few areas during the "hunt".  I put anything I might be interested in my cart.  When I am done with that then I go through the cart and start really looking at each item and deciding what I want to buy.  I try to keep the BOLO's in mind and I am learning to trust myself more.  If I really like it then I figure that someone else will like it too.   Garage sales are a little more work but you can find some great deals.   The other more obvious place to look for items to sell is at home.  Once you have made a few sales you start looking at your belongings in a different light!  It has changed how we think about our stuff.   We have made it into a part time business and are are loving working from home.

Grandma's Library

I love childrens' books!  I  have been collecting them for years.  
It all started 30 years ago when our daughter was born.  I soon discovered that she would sit contently in my lap and let me read to her when she was a baby.
We started out with simple board books that matched her attention span.  Then we went to short sentences and if they rhymed she liked them even more.   So began my search for good books.
Little did I know that it would become a fun life time hobby!

We did go to the library too but since little children can be hard on anything as fragile as paper, I wanted to start getting some books for her own.    I shopped at thrift stores,  used library sales and spent hours crouched down on driveways at garage sales looking for good books.  

Six years later our oldest son was born and the search continued.  He liked cars, trucks and trains so those were added to our collection.   Nine years after that came our youngest son and I continued the tradition of starting to read to him when he was a baby.   As they grew the books became longer and we would graduate to chapter books.  It became our bed time ritual to have them all tucked in bed and I would read out loud to them.   Even when they became adolescents they liked to be read to.
We have shared many laughs over a book.

When my youngest son out grew some of the books I thought about clearing them out to put in our yearly garage sale.  I did sell lots but there were some that I couldn't part with.   I decided that I would keep our favorites and box them up and save them for them to share with their own children.
I imagined reading it to my grand children and hearing them laugh at the same parts that their Mommy and Daddy liked when they were little.

When I started to have nieces and nephews I would buy them books too. If nothing else I wanted to be remembered as the Aunt who gave them books.  

About 5 years ago we hit a time in our lives when money was very short.  I sadly realized that I might have to stop buying children's books.  It had become such a habit that my cousins would tease me when we went thrift store shopping together and I would head straight for the bookshelves.  They nick named me the crazy book lady.    How could I give up something that I enjoyed so much?

Thinking it over one day I came upon the solution.   I could still buy them if I could sell them and help with our finances.    Oh joy!    A year before this our daughter was married and while she and her husband were visiting I showed them the book case that had all the books I was saving for their children.  My son in law looked at them and smiled and said Grandma's library.   So when I decided to start selling books on Amazon that is the name that popped into my head for my store. 

Grandma's Library was born!  I went on happily looking for books.  The wonderful thing is that since I had been looking for books for so many years, I could easily spot those  that I had never seen before.  These are usually the best ones to sell.  There are hundreds of copies of all the favorite ones like Dr. Seuss and they are not worth much online.   Without realizing it I had gained some knowledge of children's books. 

Two years ago our first grand child was born, a beautiful little girl.   And the tradition continues.  I have bought her lots of books and will continue to do so.  And just this last summer we are now the proud grand parents of the sweetest little boy.   More books coming. 

Grandma's library online has done well. I like thinking that I am helping to spread my love of good books to other little children.  And I love that I now am blessed to do so with my own grandchildren.
My "library" on Amazon   www.amazon.com/shops/A3U0PQAMIIJ3QL

Stone Soup

When the cold weather hits I haul out my crockpot and start making soup.

No Matter what the recipe is I usually start by adding 2 large onions, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 2 large carrots, 3 stalks of celery with the leaves and fresh parsley.     I use a small food processor for the onions, garlic, celery leaves and parsley and when I am done I rinse the bowl of the food processor with a little water to get every last bit of veggie goodness and add it to the pot. It always make me feel very frugal.   

What has saved many an otherwise ho-hum pot of soup is a jar of Better than Bouillon in my fridge.  Just add a heaping tablespoon or two and it tastes better every time.   I have given jars of it as gifts, that's how much I like it.  Somewhere I read about a woman who feels the same way about  Italian Seasoning, she said she puts it in everything and so I crush some in my hands to get the most flavor and add it too.

Next I add some type of protein - meat, barley or beans.  Beans!.  There is this awesome little Mennonite store by my Mom's house that sells all sorts of beans in bags for a very reasonable price.   I like to buy all different colors and then mix them together in tall storage jars ( it looks pretty on the shelf too).
  A friend told me that her kids will eat any soup with Red Lentils in it because they make the soup creamy.  So that is one of the beans I add to my mix.

I like that I can throw this all in the night before and let it cook on low while I sleep. 
In the morning I take a peek and if necessary add some more water and it is ready to eat by lunch.

While I was chopping up the veggies tonight I was thinking about the children's book Stone Soup.   In that story a stranger comes to a town and the people there will not share their food with him.     .  He offers to make them the best tasting soup they ever had and they are eager to try it.  He asks for the biggest pot that they have and fills it with water.  Then he adds an ordinary stone to it.   After the water has heated up he tastes it and says something like you know what this soup needs?   And proceeds to ask for first onions, then carrots and on through a list of ingredients that each of the neighbors, one by one,  runs and eagerly gets to add to the soup.  I love that they are all working together and are not aware of what this stranger is teaching them about sharing.   In the end the soup tastes just right and they are all amazed that a stone could make such good food.      It makes me realize that food is meant to be shared.

How to Enter Giveaways - "Alternative Shopping"

Comment, Follow, Tweet, Subscribe, Vote, Repeat.  Giveaway Lingo .
Giveaways are fun alternative shopping and a great way to try new things for free!

I have been entering them for a couple of years now ever since my daughter told me about them.
.
I well remember how  optimistically I threw myself into them at first, spending hours on the computer entering as many as I could find.  After one month I was on the verge of quitting!  I hadn't won a thing and thought I had just wasted a lot of my time.  And right then was when I won my first one, I was so excited!  The ironic thing is that I never did receive that first prize.   But it kept me going and I went on to win lots so I am thankful for it anyway. 

   I wanted to post some of the tips I have learned that may be helpful to others who are interested in this  "shopping" method.   I am by no means an expert and don't claim to be but I am willing to share my little bits of knowledge so take it as a kindly gesture.   Here is my humble advice:

1)  Set up an email address just for the giveaways.  As you will be typing this address a LOT make it something simple and not too long.   Gmail works well for leaving comments on some blogs.

2) Set up a Twitter account, again  just for  giveaways.  It's free and easy.
When I find blogs that do a lot of giveaways I always follow that blogger on twitter.  It is almost always at least one entry on the giveaway forms.

3)  Tweeting for giveaway forms.  It took me awhile to learn how to get the  URL from twitter to enter into the forms that don't do it automatically.  I love the new forms where you just click on the words of the tweet and then it tells you that it is confirmed and you just click the submit button.

 For all the older forms this is how you do it.  The box on the form will say something like "Post Tweet" or "Share this Giveaway" click on it to open the box.  Inside will be a blue Tweet button.  When you click the Tweet button, a separate box pops up with the pre-written message.   You click on the blue tweet button and then move your mouse towards the top of the box.  In blue will be a little  line that says "view it on Twitter" that pops up after you have sent the tweet and is only there for a few seconds before the box goes away.  So if you are ready for it you can click on it and it will bring you to the direct link to your tweet.  You can then highlight the link by holding down your mouse button across the URL that appears at the top of the screen.  You then hit the shortcut keys on your computer for copy (on a PC it is the control and letter C buttons).  Close that window and go back to the entry form and in the space for the tweet entry hit the paste buttons (control and the letter V) and then click the submit button.  Occasionally it happens that it disappears too fast for you to hit the View it on twitter line so this is what you do to find it.   Open a new window for Twitter.  Find your tweet which will be somewhere near the top since you just sent it.  You then click on your name above the tweet and when the tweet shows up, click on the word "details" under your tweet and that will get you the direct link.  Follow the previous directions of highlighting and copying and pasting to put it in the entry form.

Twitter has a limit on how many people you can follow depending on how many followers you have so I select these carefully.   Following the bloggers is a good choice.  Following the company that is offering the prize/ product is something I only do if there are a lot of giveaways I am entering from them.  If you have hit your limit they won't allow you to follow any new ones until you have gone into your account and unfollowed some others. 

4)  Tweeting for comment type entries.  You can use the above method for the sweepstake type giveaways where you enter by leaving comments instead of using a form.   For those there will be a list of instructions at the bottom of the blog post about how you can enter.  Usually it is something like leave a comment answering this question and it will give you the question which you answer in the comment section below the post.  Most of the time it will also tell you that you can get another entry by tweeting about the giveaway.   Look either at the very top or the very bottom of the post and you will find the blue bird logo for Twitter. I also recently found one where you had to click on the green "Share" button at the side of the post to find twitters logo so you may have to hunt for it.
  Click on the logo and the tweet box pops up for you to send the pre-written message.  You leave a second comment with the link for your tweet using the above method of copy and paste.   As a side note for these types of entries be sure to read the instructions carefully as sometime they will require you to add something to the tweet message  such as "# sweepstakes entry."

5)  Tweeting for Extra Entries - Most forms will tell you that you can come back  tomorrow and tweet again to get more entries.  I usually take advantage of this.  My method is open a window for Twitter, sign in and then click on "Tweets" under my name.  This will take me to my home page where I see just the tweets that I have sent.  I systematically go down my list and tweet again on each form.  The tweets you sent yesterday will have a link to click on that will bring you back to the blog.  I believe most of them switch to the "next day" after midnight.   

6)  Leaving Comments    Most giveaways have an entry to leave a comment.  For some you must do it first in order to unlock the other entries.  It is good to leave complete sentences with at least 8 words, otherwise some apps may delete it as spam.   A lot of times you must check a box underneath the comment to confirm that you are Not a spammer in order for it to show up on the post.
  Also unless you want to see them uncheck the boxes that say let me see follow up comments.    Don't leave your email address in the message part of your comment.   This just invites a lot of nasty spam.  I never enter  giveaways that ask you do that but thankfully they are few.
To leave a comment you usually have to enter your name and email in the boxes above your comment, your name will show up but your email will not be made public.  Only the blogger can see that information.

7)  Subscribe to the Blog -  The best way to make sure that you will see the email that the blogger will send you if you win is to subscribe to their blog.  This also is on most of the forms and will get you more entries for the giveaway.   Sometimes the giveaway forms will have a box at the top just for entering your email so they can contact you if you win.  Either way if they don't have that information how are they going to be able to let you know if you won?   Subscribing  is also a good way to find out about future giveaways that they are hosting as you look through your emails from them.  Sometime they will also include "Bonus codes" in those emails which are a word or phrase that you can enter in the giveaway form and it is only shown to subscribers.   There are a couple of different forms used for subscribing.  One is Feed Burner where a little box pops up and you enter a code (random letters and numbers) to verify that you are a real person.  There are other ones depending on what app the blogger is using.  Almost all of them require that you confirm the subscription for it to count as an entry.  This is an email that will be sent to the address you gave and you open it and click on the confirm line in the message. It will usually then open another window telling you that you have confirmed and are now officially subscribed.   Don't forget to do this part.

8)  Voting -   Some of the entries on the forms are for voting for the blog.   Picket Fence is an easy one to do.  It will either say click here and when you do a new window opens that says you have just voted for (the name of the blog).   If there is not a link for you to click on to vote for them on Picket fence in the form you can search down the side of the blog for the Picket Fence logo, which says "We're on the Fence" clicking on that will take you to the same page saying you have voted for them.  For the older forms you may have to copy and paste the link from the picket fence page to put in the form.    For the newer forms you just close that window and the form will tell that the entry is confirmed and you click the submit button.    The other voting type entry is  Top Mommy Blogger where again you just click on the link and it automatically places a vote for that blog. You can vote once a day so this an easy way to get more entries.   When I go back to the blog to send another tweet the next day I check to see if I can vote again too. 

9)  Pinterest  -  Following a blogger on Pinterest is another way to get entries.  They usually require that you follow all of their boards.    To do this you click the red "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of their Pinterest  home page.   You then either enter your name as seen on Pinterest in the giveaway form or they will ask you for the URL of your Pinterest page.  To get the URL click on your name in the upper right hand corner, it will bring you to your boards and you will see your name in the URL.  Copy and paste that link in the giveaway form.

Another entry will say "Pin This"  and give you a direct link to what they want pinned or just ask you to pin any picture from the giveaway onto your boards.    So either click the direct link or use your "Pin It" button to pin something on your page.  I have a board labeled Giveaways for these entries.  After you have pinned the picture a box will pop up and at the bottom in red it says "See It Now"  Click that button to get the direct link to your pin and again highlight, copy and paste it on the giveaway page for verification.   You can follow as many Pinterest boards as you like.

    As a side note following others on Pinterest is a good way to advertise yourself as you can put a link of your own under your name on your home page.  The more people I follow the more that will see my link and hopefully click on it.  Mine is for my Amazon page where I sell lots of children's books under the store name of Grandma's Library.

10)  Facebook -  Visiting someone's Facebook page will get you more entries.  You just click the link that will take you to their page, let it fully load before you close the window.  It used to be that you had to like their page but Facebook has changed the rules for this so now you just visit.  I do sometimes see entries where you also have to leave a comment or like it but usually it is not a requirement.  This is helpful as Facebook will allow you only to like so many pages.

11)   Low Entry Giveaways -    These are some of the best ones to enter because you have a bigger chance of winning!     You can Google that phrase and find websites that will list them out for you.  I often check them and enter all the ones I am interested in winning.    And I want to say Thank you for those that help me find these often hidden giveaways.

12) Finding Giveaways -  Other than the sites that tell you about the low entry giveaways you can do your  own searches for them.   Use the search button on sites like Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook to find giveaways.  Also once you have subscribed to a bunch of blogs you will find other giveaways in your emails.  I  like a site called Online Sweepstakes - the web's premier sweepstakes. This site lists the giveaways in numerous ways - by type of prize, new ones, expiring ones etc.  After you have selected a category you will see at the top left hand of the page a box that says "Display All"  if you click on this a pop down box will appear where you can select "blogs only".  I personally like to enter giveaways on blogs. 

13)  Giveaway Forms -    The old one that I keep referring to is called RaffleCopter and for that one you do a lot of copying and pasting.  Some of the newer ones are  Promo Simple ,Giveaway Tools and WooBox.  To use these a box will pop up that asks you to allow the app to run and you click the "Allow" button.  They don't download anything to your computer so I am fine with using these forms.  Besides the newer ones are So Much easier to use that I love the time that they save me. Sometimes the forms do not show up on the page.  At the bottom of the post look for  "Entry Form"  or  "Rafflecopter" and click on that to find it.

14)   Winning Giveaways -   Most giveaways run from 2-4 weeks.  After they have ended a winner is randomly selected  (by the app being used)  and if it is you, the blogger will send you an email letting you know.  You usually have a set time to respond to the email or another winner will be selected.  Obviously you don't want to miss these emails so check your account daily.   I also always look in my spam folder just in case and try to keep that folder empty so that it is easier to check.  If you follow a lot of blogs then you will get a lot of emails.   I find that an easy way  to check to see if I have won is to use the search button.   I search for these three words one at a  time.  "Congrat"  some use this abbreviated form and others spell it out but this will find it for you.  "Winner" and "Won".  Usually those words appear in the title of the email letting you know you have won and often have a person's name instead of the blog name as the sender.   Open this up and after you do a little dance at your computer respond.  They will ask for your address so the prize can be sent to you.   And sometimes for your phone number and also if you have a choose of color etc in the prize which one you would like.  I always make sure to thank them and to share my enthusiasm at winning the prize.    I keep a  notebook of all winnings and check them off as I receive them and write them to let them know that they have arrived.  Once in awhile a prize will not show up so I write them letting them know and they are very nice in helping me so remember to be courteous and patient.  The prizes usually are coming from the company and not from them and so it out of their hands how much time it will take.  It is always better to be kind in these correspondences.   

15)   Giveway  Hops and  Linky's -  Giveaway hops are when a bunch of bloggers get together and all have a different prize.  At the bottom of each of these posts you will find the links to the other giveaways in the hop. Usually these have a theme name and there is one that is the grand prize giveaway.  These are a fun way to find lots of giveaways in one spot.  Giveaway linky's are when a blog offers to let anyone list their giveaway on their page.  Some of them do this on a certain day every week.  You can do a search on google for "giveaway linky" to find these. 

I hope this has been helpful and if you have a question or something to add,  please leave me a comment.   Have fun!

Tropical Tornado

My latest creation.  I haven't painted in over a year!  I had fun with this one.
collage and acrylic.  the bottom right reminds me of our betta Blue in his bowl.

Iced Tea Recipe using Decaf with a hint of Orange spice.

Summer weather is here and that means making gallons of ice tea!   Every spring I have to do a trial and error method to remember how we like it... to save me from that next year here is my recipe.

Fill a 4 quart pan 2/3's  full of cold water and put on the stove to heat.
Remove the paper and tags from 7 tea bags and put them in the pot.
(6 decaf tea and 1 orange spice black tea like Stash or Constant Comment)
Place a lid on the pan and when it starts to come to a boil turn off the heat
Let it sit covered for about 15 minutes.
Fill a 1/2 measuring cup with sugar but not all the way, leave about an inch on the top. (We don't like it too sweet)
With a big spoon move the tea bags to one side and pour the sugar in so it doesn't hit the bags.
Scoop out the bags into the measuring cup.   Hold the spoon on the bags to pour off the tea but don't squeeze them,  it won't be bitter that way.
Throw out the tea bags or put them in the composting bucket.
Stir the tea to dissolve the sugar.
Pour most of it into a gallon size container, swish the remaining tea around the pan to get all the sugar.
  Then fill the same pan with cold water and add to the container until it is full.
Refrigerate.  I like making the tea at night so it's nice and cold in the morning.

Since we drink this all day I like using the decaf tea bags so we don't get too much caffeine. The orange spice tea gives it a great flavor.

I keep this and a big pitcher of lemonade (Aldi's frozen is good) in the fridge all summer.
It's perfect for a quick drink coming in from the garden.

Gardening Bug!

This last winter a good friend and I got together and decided to try growing everything for our gardens from seeds.  Neither of us have had much luck with this in the past, the poor things got leggy and never even made it out of the house.   The key I learned from past attempts is first that with all the work, water and effort that goes into gardening . BUY GOOD  SEEDS.

So we picked  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  which is a beautiful catalog with great selection and good prices.     There are dozens of pages of just tomatoes alone.... red, pink, yellow, purple, striped....!It was work just narrowing those done to just 7 varieties.

We shared all  the seeds which made it very economical and also fun.   We have become garden friends in that we know we can call each other and talk away about our thoughts on gardening.  Thus saving all the others in our lives who eyes just glaze over after awhile when we get into too many details. lol It is our new favorite subject.

We have learned a lot by going to "you-tube university" and watching video's on the right way to grow the seeds, what you need etc.  I especially like "The Rusted Gardener", his video's are informative, short and stick to the point of the title ( the fact that his name is the same as my son is great too!)   My dear husband built me a double light holder for the seedlings based on one of his video's.  

We are off to a good start.  Here are some of my seed babies happily growing under the lights.

 

In case you are interested (if not skip this list, it's okay)  this is what I'm growing this year:
Tomatoes - had to pick one of each of the colors!
Basil - to make caprese salads
Marigolds - for protecting the tomatoes from bugs
Turnips-  the thing I sneak into all my soups and stews when the boys aren't looking
Beets - the leaves and root fried in bacon is a new fav.
Strawberry Popcorn - cute little red ears of corn that would make great gifts
Broccoli - my boys actually like this veggie.  Don't ask me how I did it. =]
Carrots - little finger ones that I'm going to tuck in here and there
Cucumbers - to make cucumber and mint sandwiches.  Already have a mint patch.
Squash - Iran and Buttercup -sure I'll will be sharing lots of these.
Ground Cherries - a vine that gives you cherries this year and grow in husks
Beans - Hutterite - you can dry these and they make very creamy soups
Cilantro - love it in any Mexican dish
Snap Peas - for dipping in hummus
Swiss Chard - 5 colors! - planning on putting this out front - so pretty.
Lettuce - for all the BLT's I live on in the summer time
Cabbage -red - for pretty coleslaw to go with anything BBQ'd.
SunFlowers - giant ones for the cucumbers to grow on and for the seeds.

I usually buy flowers but realized I can grow those from seeds too so:
Zinnia's - love these flowers and last year they bloomed all summer
Browallia - pretty blue flowers for the window box and planters
Hollyhock - all different colors - biennials - so won't bloom until next year

That ought to keep me busy this summer and happily playing in the dirt.

Making 80 Freezer Burrito's with a Friend.

A friend and I got together today and made 80 freezer burrito's ( 40 for each of us).  We had a lot of fun and they came out great!   We want to do it again so here's what we did.

Refried Beans - much cheaper to make your own.   at least 3 nights before rinse, then soak pinto beans in a crock pot with enough water to cover them by 3" and add a little baking soda and let them sit overnight, (don't turn on the crock pot).    I used this recipe : (http://www.kitchentreaty.com/easy-vegetarian-crock-pot-refried-beans-without-lard/)  and TRIPLED  the amount. 
 **This required 2 crock pots to cook them up the next day.
 I substituted 1 diced onion for the onion powder.   So for a triple recipe you will need:

3 lbs (6 Cups) Dry Pinto Beans - divide soaked and rinsed beans between the crock pots and add
9 cups of Broth ( 2 - 32 0z cartons of chicken broth  ( 1 in each crock) plus 1 cup water each
6 TB  Olive oil ( 3 T each C )      C = crock pot
6 cloves of garlic minced ( 3 each C)
2 tsp cumin  ( 1 tsp each C)
1 onion diced ( 1/2 in each C)
2 tsp  Chili Powder (  1 tsp each C)
2 tsp Salt  ( 1 tsp each C)

cook on low at least 8 -10 hours.  Mash or blend with immersion blender when they are done.
 Store in fridge until needed.


1 - 2 Days  Before -  Cook Chicken or Beef -
 80 burrito's used about 10 lbs of Meat.
Cook chicken (crock pot, pressure cooker ..) until done and then shred.
 It worked to put small batches in my food processor and hit the button 3-4 times quickly to get a nice consistency.
  Add taco seasoning  -2 TB and 1/3 C of water per pound.  Or season with cumin and salt to taste.

 For Beef -  brown cubed steak pieces in fry pan and add seasonings.  My friend bought steak sandwich meat and cooked it up quick in a pressure cooker with a little water. Shredded nicely.

Next chop up in food processor and sauté in frying pan with some olive oil:
 6 small Onions
5 cloves Garlic
1 green Bell Pepper (seeded)

Mix the veggies into your meat mixture to taste. Store in fridge and heat up before assembling.
(You can make this the day of  depending on how you cook it.)


Day of:   Add 4 Cups of Rice to 8 cups of boiling  water and cook until done.
Meanwhile juice 6 Limes. And put 2 big bunches of rinsed Cilantro leaves in food processor.
Stir lime juice and cilantro into rice.  Add salt if you like.

Into a Bowl shred 2 - 9 oz packages of Queso  (Mexican crumbling cheese).
(We also had 30 oz of  Chihauhau cheese which we shredded.   This cheese melts nicely but costs more so next time we may just use all Queso .)

Heat up griddle, spray with olive oil  and lightly brown  8"  Flour Tortilla's.
 We did this in batches of 20.
 Or you could wrap a package of 10 in a damp paper towel and microwave them until warm.
 The heat makes them easier to roll.


Make an assembly line starting with plates of warm Tortilla's, then  bowl of refried beans (rubber spatula made it easy to spread), then cilantro Rice, then Meat and finally Cheese.
 Using a cookie sheet place 2 tortilla's side by side and add each of the ingredients.
 Put the mixture more towards you instead of directly in the middle.
Start rolling and push in the ends as you go.   After you have made about 10 of them wrap them tightly in saran wrap ( or tin foil) and place in labeled Freezer Ziploc bags. 

We ate the first ones we made to see how they tasted and because we were hungry by then =]
It took us about 5 hours to do this today, that included making everything but the  beans and cleaning up afterwards. If we make up the meat ahead of time it will go quicker.
 I definitely want to do this again!
We figured that the best way to save money is to find the chicken and chihauhau cheese on sale and to make our own refried beans.  I'm sure they will be gone quickly.

Shopping List:

3 lbs Dry Pinto beans
2 - 32 oz cartons of Chicken (or veggie) Broth
(We estimated that this was equal to about 9 cans of Refried Beans )
7 Onions
11 cloves Garlic
Cumin
Chili powder.
10 lbs Meat - chicken or steak (or 5 lbs of each)
Taco seasoning ( see recipe below)
2 big bunches of fresh Cilantro
1 green Bell Pepper
4 cups of Rice
6 Limes
32 oz Queso Cheese
80 - 8" Flour Tortilla's


Taco Seasoning:
Mix together:
4 TB Chili Powder
3  1/2  TB  Paprika
3  TB  Cumin
1   2/3 TB  Onion Powder
1  2/3 TB  Garlic Powder
1 Tb corn starch
Store in jar.  Use 2 TB of seasoning with 1/3 cup of water per pound of meat.

Easy Overnight Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Whenever I make these cookies, I invariably get asked for the recipe.
I found this years ago in Peg Bracken's "I Hate to Cook Book.."  Which is a very funny book by the way.
I don't often read through a cook book but her book has a great sense of humor.
 When we discovered that my husband was allergic to dairy I started looking for cookie recipes that didn't call for butter.  There aren't a lot of them and I'm a staunch believer in real butter makes for a better cookie.
These are a great example of ones that  taste good, are soft and chewy without the butter.
 Being a bit of night owl, I was also attracted to the idea that you start them the night before, when my brain just works better.
Make a batch, they are super easy and tell me what you think.

Over Night Macaroons

The night before in a covered casserole bowl mix together with a wooden spoon:
4 Cups of Oatmeal
2 Cups of Brown Sugar ( loosely packed unless you like them sweet)
1 Cup of Oil ( canola, corn etc)

Mix it well, using the spoon to chop it until it's well blended.
Cover and leave out on the counter overnight.

The next day in a bowl whip together with a fork:
2 Eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (the original recipe called for Almond extract, which would make it taste more like Macaroons, but I never seem to have it around, so Vanilla works just fine for me}

Add to the oatmeal mixture and stir well.

Scoop out  good-sized mounds, using a tablespoon on to a greased cookie sheet.  They only spread a little during baking.
Bake @325 for 15 minutes.
 Remove from oven and let them sit a few minutes and then remove them
promptly or you will have to chisel them off of the tray.

I like these because the beginning is easy to remember 1 cup oil, double that number, 2 cups of brown sugar, double number again 4 cups of oatmeal.. No need to dig out the recipe and it's half way done the next day.

Poppy's Trees

Recently we ordered a bunch of  trees online, they were a great deal so we went a little crazy and  got a bunch. We picked all the ones I've been dreaming about, including  Redbuds, Japanese maples and white birches. The reason they were  inexpensive was apparent when they arrived, they looked like long sticks with some roots on the bottom. We did this once years ago at our old house and eventually they did become full grown beauties, so I have high hopes.

  We had to hunt up every pot and bucket we owned to get them planted, so now we have a row of little containers with sticks in them.  They aren't ready for the world to see yet, so as they are waiting to bloom, we have them hidden along the back of the house.  For two weeks  I have watered them and finally one of them  has tiny leaves on it- yay! By fall I hope they are strong enough to be placed in the ground and make it on their own.

 I like the idea that they will be planted a few months before the arrival of our first grandchild.  She too is "hiding" for a little while until she grows strong enough to meet the world. Years from now we can show Poppy her trees .....and watch her grow as she plays in their shade.

The Importance of Mint in Cucumber Sandwiches.

My new favorite summer sandwich is Mint Cucumber. I have a big patch of mint in the yard and would definitely recommend growing your own as one: its fresh and two: it can be costly to buy.  I tried growing cucumbers this year for the first time and nothing came up. I have learned my lesson, don't buy cheap seeds! It's not worth the time and water when they don't grow for you. Next year I'm ordering seeds from a catalog.

 To make the cucumber sandwiches you wash and peel the cucumbers first, slice off the ends and cut it down the middle length-wise.  Then take a spoon and scrape out all the seeds ( I read that it is the seeds that cause you to burp).  Now lay the cut side down and slice as thinly as possible going across the cucumber so you end up with lots of crescent shaped pieces.  Place these in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and toss to mix.  In your food processor put fresh mint leaves (approximately a loose half cup) add 3-5 heaping tablespoons of real mayonnaise, some salt and pepper and a goodish splash of Worcestershire sauce.  Process until well blended.  Lightly toast some bread and then cut into squares.  Spread each square with the sauce and top with the cucumber slices.

They are delicious and its the mint that makes them taste so good. Very refreshing for a light summer meal and of course I feel very English eating them.  These bring to mind the scene from "The Importance of Being Ernest" which if you haven't seen I would highly recommend the older version, its a classic!

Old Artist trading Cards

 Theatre Drapes ATC

 Twilight Tropical ATC

 Earth ATC's

 Purple Marble ATC

Weekly Jobs ATC

Found these old photo's from a yahoo group I used to be involved in when I was taking my collage classes in 2007.  I had forgotten all about them and was excited that my album was still on there.  Posting them here in case it sadly ever goes away.  Must dig up the cigar box that contains them.  I never did trade any but they were fun to create.

Ballet

I love this picture, that my cousin Diane lovingly restored. It was taken at my ballet teacher's house to advertise her dance studio. That is 3 of my brothers, who were in tap dance at the time, wearing their costumes from a recital.

My dream at this age was to become a ballerina. I had my whole life planned in 4th grade: it included learning to speak French (we were taught how to write and say the ballet moves) and learning how to play the piano (they went together in my mind).

I started my lessons in an old building that had once been a theater. It had lovely tall windows that looked out on lilac bushes, we saw as we practiced at the barre. Wide wood plank floors and a wall of mirrors opposite the windows, that reflected the sunlight. Off in the corner, at an angle was an old piano, where our teacher's Mom sat and played. It was wonderful to have live accompaniment. She would play soft music as we imagined ourselves being leaves floating down or lively tunes as we practiced our twirling across the whole length of the room.

Some day I will paint that room as it still lives, wrapped in tissue paper, in my memories.

Sleeping Seed

My latest oil painting shows me how much I miss my garden right now. Like a seed dreaming in the ground during winter time. So many possibilities in one tiny pod. It carries within it the hope of spring and new life.