Monday, May 31, 2010

More pet peeves............

*** music on blogs..........it may be perfectly nice music, but sometimes I just want silence or to listen to the TV or radio that I have on
***people who make you address your own Thank You envelope..............jeepers you have the addresses for people who were invited!
***people who don't even try, just say "I can't" or in reality "I won't"

Friday, May 21, 2010

Here's what I got today


Hooray! It's my day off. SIL came over at 8am for rhubarb cake and tea and to visit. It was a nice way to start the day. Later I met another friend for coffee/tea, but first I had to stop at the thrift store. I found a scooter for one of my grandsons (so many times I find just what I am looking for...I think God knows how much S would enjoy a scooter this summer when he comes over), a narrow planter that will work perfectly on my old ladder that I use as a planter, 2 books for me and 2 for my granddaughter, and 2 cheapo steak knives. The steak knives will be bent and used for weeding. I learned this from my mom and they work really good. I broke the one I was using yesterday. (see the knife on the bottom). All this for $4.50. A little later my bff (our Red Hat Queen mum) and I are visiting one of our RH friends who had knee surgery. After that we'll go out for the traditional Friday night fish fry. Our 'better halves' (?) are away on a golfing trip. Have a great weekend!!!!

Problem solved

Yesterday morning I wanted to take a shower but the diverter button was STUCK and wouldn't budge so I had to use the downstairs shower and streak back upstairs to get dressed. K was at work so I sprayed WD-40 on the diverter. When hubby got home I asked him to pull it and he said he tried and couldn't get it. He said he didn't know what he was going to do............so after he left for golfing I found a small piece of rubber cupboard liner (to protect the diverter button) and my pliers and pulled the darn thing up! :-) Another "I can do it" attitude I got from mom. :-)

The downstairs toilet has been running off and on for over a year. It didn't seem to bother hubby but I finally got sick of it and had one of our plumbers (I work for a plumbing co) come over and fix it. He didn't have one of the parts he needed so he gave it to me at work and I fixed that too.

I know you won't believe this but I color the "blond" in my hair to get it back to my natural strawberry blond. The shade I loved was discontinued. :-( !!!! Yesterday I tried a new brand and VIOLA my hair did not look orange (like some brands make it look), it is a nice color. YEAHHH

Some days are just good days!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Monday Musings

OK, we know I have an addiction to the thrift store...........today I got: a shirt for me (I always need shirts to wear over a tank top in the summer), 2 secret pal cards (we do secret sister exchanges in our Red Hat club) , small craft sticks (for crafting with the boys), quilted purse ( I have been admiring them, this one isn't green, but it has green in it), and 2 decks of cards (the face cards are so unique)........for $3.15.


Banking, babysitting, doing laundry, baking banana bread today. The day has gone well :-).

Sunday, May 16, 2010

The book that made me cry.........

Is a large (12" X 18") coffee table book titled WE LOVE U GRANDMA. It is a late Mother's Day gift made my SS (E) and his 2 sons. P.1. We love you grandma cuz you plant flowers with us. P.2 We love you grandma cuz we fear the Red Hat Club! (dad's humor). P.3. We love you grandma cuz you do crafts with us. P.4. We love you grandma cuz you bake cookies with us! P.5. We love you grandma cuz you like chocolate like we do! P.6. We love you grandma cuz you read good books with us! P.7. We love you grandma cuz you always love us back! Dad sketched the corresponding pictures and wrote the boys thoughts and they painted it for me. It is a special book that I will always keep. I LOVE the handmade gifts from the heart.........I several from my other grandkids that I will always treasure too. I try to teach the kids that you don't have to spend money and buy something....a gift that you put your thoughts and time into is much more personal. Thank you so much E, S, & J!!!!

It was a nice, warm (finally) day today so after Sunday School SIL and I took the 3 boys to the park. It was a pretty good experience......they played most of the time by themselves and Michele and I got to relax. After I got home I decided to make meatballs and freeze them for use at a later time. (Something I NEVER do.) I had a brilliant idea and decided to BAKE them. Boy, that works!!!! No messy frying pan and they remain meat BALLS and not meat blobs. Try it, you'll like it!

Hmmmm, you're probably wondering what I got at yesterdays big rummage-o-rama???? A Pokemon chapter book for J, he loves Pokemon, an unusual geranium, some pink ribbon for crafting (out of the free box), a spiderman Halloween costume, and an overstuffed bag of baby clothes for $4. I probably shouldn't have bought the baby clothes, but I love to shop, find bargains, and give to others. My other grandkids are older and farther away so I don't always find things for them.

Tomorrow morning I will run a few errands then pick up J from school. I am positive we will stop at the library, he HAS to follow a routine. In the evening I will have both of the boys while mom and dad work.





Saturday, May 15, 2010

Off to a good start

If my first 10 minutes of the day is any indication of how the day will go I am HAPPY! First - I do not have a headache, ever since I fell last Sunday I have had a headache in the morning. Secondly - the sun, YES I said sun, is shining in my eyes..........sun is good, we needed the rain but I do LOVE my sunshine! This morning I am off to a city wide rummage sale with my SIL. Hopefully I will have some good buys to report later.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Rhubarb Upside-Down cake

I haven't had this but have been told that it is GOOOOOOD!

about 4 cups cut up rhubarb
1 C sugar
1 large box red Jello (any flavor)
white or yellow cake mix (prepared)
1 10oz bag miniature marshmallows
cinnamon

Line a 9' X 13" cake pan with parchment paper. Cover bottom of pan with a layer of cut up rhubarb. Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar, lightly with cinnamon, jello, miniature marshmallows, and prepared cake mix & bake according to directions on cake mix box. When completely cool, turn cake upside down on plate. It's very good served with Cool Whip or ice cream.

Rhubarb Ribbon Brunch Cake

My sister in law made this cake yesterday............YUM!!!!

adapted from Taste of Home April/May 2006, p31 12 Servings
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 1 hour + cooling
Ingredients
RHUBARB LAYER:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup cold water
2½ cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
3 to 4 drops red food coloring, optional
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and water until smooth. Add rhubarb. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add food coloring if desired. Set aside to cool.
BOTTOM CAKE LAYER BATTER:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (6 ounces) vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda and salt over the bowl of remaining crumb mixture to distribute evenly. Mix well. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the egg, yogurt and vanilla; stir into batter until smooth. Spread evenly into a greased 9 or 9 ½ -in. springform pan.
CHEESE CAKE LAYER:
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
(optional - 1/4 cup sugar)
Combine the egg, Mascarpone cheese (and sugar if desired); spoon in an even layer over batter. Top with an even layer of rhubarb mixture that extend to ½ inch from the edge of the pan (so that sugar in rhubarb sauce does not carmelize and burn to the pan).
TOPPING:
reserved crumb mixture
½ cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flaked coconut
Add pecans and coconut to reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over top.
Place springform pan on a cookie sheet in case it leaks. Bake at 350/ for 60-65 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes; remove sides of pan. Cool completely.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 467 calories, 26 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 92 mg cholesterol,
321 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Happy Mothers Day!

My mom will never read this post, but it is still for her!!! She isn't aware of everything she has done for me, in fact she will say it was "nothing", I appreciate it all.

Thank you mom for always loving me
just the way I am.
Thank you mom for helping me
and knowing what I need.
Thank you mom for always being there,
for showing me how to be strong,
how to think outside of the box,
how to not judge others, and
how to have a positive attitude.

Thank You for Being YOU!
I hope everyone had a great day and was appreciated by family and friends. I started the day off with a bang (literally). I slipped on my kitchen floor on an empty, greasy bacon wrapper that I didn't know had fallen to the floor (obviously). I was getting ice for my (too hot) tea and BANG, down I went. I hit my head on the pantry or oven door and landed on my hip/behind. Five year old J asked "Grandma, are you alright?" I finally answered "yes" and we discussed how to call 911, something I am surprised they haven't covered in 4K. My temple and hip are tender (I found out when I laid on my side in bed) but I don't have a single bruise.
And that was the start of a new week, I hope it isn't an indication of how the rest of the week will go. I am still extremely stressed by everything I have going on, my house being a mess, and being so tired. My 'batteries' regenerate when I have quiet ME ONLY time and I just can't find it.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

cards from the Sayner Stampede

I did buy some Nestabilities....haven't had a chance to use them yet.
5 layers........beautiful card for my mom for Mothers Day. Very tedious and expensive to mail but I love this technique.

After we stamped on the blue paper we colored parts in with a white gel pen and then colored over the white with Copic markers so the color would be true on the colored paper. I like this.........could you use any kind of markers?






the black flowers are stamped onto acetate, very pretty, but you could skip the acetate and just stamp onto the white cardstock....not the same effect though.










I dropped alcohol inks and an extender onto cardstock while it was going around in a 'spinner' (not sure what they called it, she said you could purchase the same thing at a Toys R Us for about $10)

Day of the dance

My daughters oldest girl at the dress rehearsal for the dance recital. A is the tall one on the left. It is REALLY hard to get a photo of the dancers when you are sitting several rows back, they are moving, and you have a 5 yr old to contend with. A (7) is a beautiful girl......not only on the outside. She is is the older sister to C whose photo I posted a couple of days ago.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Lotsa miles this weekend

I had a fun weekend with lots of driving, from Thursday morning until Sunday night I put 750 miles on my car. Thursday I picked up my grandson from school and we drove to my daughters to watch my granddaughter's dress rehearsal for the dance recital. I almost enjoyed the dress rehearsal more than the actual recital..........not such a long performance to sit through. A did very well :-) My son in law had (nearly) 2 year old C and I had J (5). The little kids behaved quite well too.

Friday afternoon 2 friends and I went to a stamping convention in northern WI. We go every year and have earned a free night next year :-)!!! I didn't see anything that I really had to have, I did buy a few odds n' ends and made some cards. We did one make & take in the dark (the lights went out part way through). I met my friend from Jr High and we sat outside and talked for quite a while. The weather was super warm for northern WI. When the convention was over we picked up our $ and our used stamps from that sale, then we went to a stamp store and made more make n' takes. Sunday, on the way home, we stopped at another stamp store, our favorite liquidators, Goodwill, and supper. It was 8PM when I got home. I had a REALLY good time! I'll have to post some photos later.

This morning I helped in my grandson's class, I do it once a month. Then he came home with me until mom picked him up.

We are going to have another grandson in Sept..........everyone was hoping for a girl (they have 2 boys now).

I am still not unpacked from the weekend and I have 2 baskets of laundry to fold. I'll keep ya posted on what's new here.

Well, I've done it now! I joined AARP this afternoon. You might remember that I am getting new glasses............well, If I am a member of AARP I get a 30% discount. I think that's pretty decent and worth the $16 membership fee. With my 15% senior discount and the AARP discount I am saving a lot of $$$$.