Ain't No Place To Put A Sticker

Moving Day is Here!

2008-03-28T23:02:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is thataway to my new blog site! I have decided to move before I had it all done since it is easier to just write from there and hope everyone has patience as I figure all this out. My own .com, my own blog host and hopefully a better blog.

Please come join me at my new place.

Ain't No Place To Put A Sticker

I look forward to seeing you and serving you from there.

Preserve those frugal finds

2008-03-28T09:35:00.005-05:00

What is the point in being frugal, finding all kinds of great buys and buying in bulk if you are going to waste it or lose it all?

It is that time of year again when bugs like to venture into the house. Some hitch a ride on food, especially food from "natural" and bulk stores. I have had them enter my pantry in cereal boxes, granola from the bulk containers and other whole grain products.

Two years in a row I lost everything in my pantry while I was away on vacation and one year I lost it while home. All this since moving to Texas!

I have learned some things to protect those frugal savings as well as the other pantry items. To prevent or get rid of the bugs:

First, Remove everything from your pantry. Everything!

Now, wash it all down with some vinegar water or cleaner and then the vinegar. Let dry and air out and fully dry.

Get some food grade diatomous earth and sprinkle it on the back of the shelves and the floor. It is not anything that will harm you but will keep out the bugs. Since doing this I have not had them back.

Before putting anything in the pantry, check it good. New boxes of cereal have come in with the tell tale "web" inside the "airtight" package.

Then, freeze your whole grains, rice, corn meal etc. This will keep them from getting infested.

I then took all my other things and put them in well sealed air tight containers. Now, this is not a guarantee as these bugs are persistent!

I ended up with the bugs from my granola from Central Market. This is a big place that sells a lot of that type of bulk food, yet it had bugs. They were not there when I brought it home, but I put it in the pantry and a few days later there they were. Since they were in a good container they had not spread at that point, but I have never gone to that store again!

I love frugal finds and bulk stores are a favorite for my husband and I. But I hate losing my frugal finds and then making them an expensive .

For more frugal ideas, go to Biblical Womanhood!

Patience

2008-03-27T18:39:00.004-05:00

Patience. What a word. I really dislike it.

I announced I was going to move my blog to my own .com, and I am. Just not as fast as I planned. It seems that this week has been busier than normal, plus a sick baby, who so nicely shared with her grammie.

I am using blogger here, of course you know that, but need to switch to Wordpress for putting it on my own .com. Everything is different. I can't seem to find a template that I want, when I do it does not have the right widgets, or does not go with the title of my blog or some other thing.

I know, you are probably one who has done this, and wonder how someone who was taking web design classes can be stuck and slow. Who knows!

I do know I am learning, and hope this will all be a positive move for the blog.

Here is the reason for some of my slowness. Isn't she adorable?

Sick or not, she is a sweety!

This Weekend

2008-03-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

It is coming. I am officially the owner of three new domains. I will only be using two of them. Had to buy the third one to get the one I wanted as he would only sell me the two together.

My blog will be moving as soon as I get my templates set up as I want them and I am excited. I plan on a little bit of a new direction, a whole different look and hopefully get to be a better blog.

I have been with blogger now and this will be all different, but I want more control over my blog and the look of it. I want to add pages, be able to eventually have a newsletter and have more interaction with my readers. I am nervous about the move, but think it will be better.

Since I am working around a toddler it may take me a bit of time to get it set up, but I am hoping that it will be up in a week. I may be slow at posting, so please be patient with me.

When the big move comes I will let you know, post my url and look for you there!

Free Software!

2008-03-20T17:49:00.007-05:00

This is not only Frugal Friday, but it is Good Friday also. I wonder what this holiday is to you. If you will go to Meet Me In The Garden I have shared what it means to me

Today I want to share with you a place that offers free software. Every day they have a giveaway of the day and that item is free. You must download it and get it unzipped before the day is over or they will charge you the full price. I am one to download and then when I get to it I get to it. Do not be tempted to do that if you download from Giveaway of the Day. Open it right away!

If you look on the side of my blog you will see what today's giveaway is. My link is not an affiliate, so click away. I get nothing, but I wanted to have it there to make my readers aware that there is some good software being given away.

How could anything be more frugal than for FREE?

For more frugal ideas go on over to Biblical Womanhood!

Easter Bread

2008-03-18T20:59:00.002-05:00

I am also using this recipe for favorite ingredient Friday at Overwhelmed with Joy. For more favorite ingredients check Favorite Ingredient Friday!

Today is works for me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer and I want to share an Easter Recipe that I like to make.

I have made this bread for church breakfasts, the kids when they were little and for the big kids here and it is good and eaten up fast. Have extra eggs (hard boiled!) on hand. The eggs used in the recipe are raw, they cook with the bread.

Braided Easter Egg Bread

3 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. dry yeast
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. milk
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
6 colored eggs (do not hardcook)

Five hours before serving, mix sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup flour. Heat butter and milk until 125 degrees. With mixer, mix liquid into dry ingredients. Beat in 3 eggs and 3/4 cup flour. Stir in lemon peel and 1 1/4 cups flour. On floured surface, knead dough 5 minutes. (Add about 1/2 cup flour.)

Place in greased bowl; let rise 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, dye 6 eggs, but do not hard cook! When dough has risen, punch down; divide into 3 parts. Braid dough and make a circle and place on large greased cookie sheet. Let rise 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When dough has risen, decorate with raw colored eggs. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

For more Works for Me ideas go to Rocks in My Dryer. Or Favorite Ingredient Friday at Overwhelmed With Joy!

Weekend Meltdown

2008-03-17T09:46:00.001-05:00

I had a melt down. No, the temperature in Texas did not get so hot I sweat to death, but an emotional melt down this past week.

As the week went on I became more and more upset with me. It started out by feeling "I was ugly, my curly hair was not doing what I wanted, most of my clothes are all getting old and stained because I am a dropper and splatterer." What I do not get on them my granddaughter does. "I am fat. Why buy new clothes when they only look bad on me anyway? Besides, I don't have the money. I am getting old. My next birthday will put me among the dead, I am sure. Before my 1st husband died I was doing all kinds of creative things, was active in the church, had been game director for church camps, kids programs, led VBS, organized the town craft fair. I made crafts of all kinds. Then my husband got sick, I was caregiver and many things were put on slow. He died and I died with him inside. My life went upside down. I was 5 years in limbo (with more going on then I want to mention as it would take a book). Now I am in Texas, married to a wonderful man and feel like all that I have gifts for, creativity for has been put on a shelf, or in the casket with my 1 st husband. Besides all that I am brain dead on my blog and I am fat and ugly and getting old." On and on my mind went.

Ever get like that?

I cried a number of times, and I do not cry so much any more. I whined to my husband. I looked in the mirror and looked fatter, uglier and older every time. My clothes are getting bad, but why get more when I am looking so bad? I was a mess.

Sunday morning I woke up and grumbled at my wonderful husband. He was thinking maybe he did something or did not do something that made me feel that way about myself. He did not. It was all me.

It was then that my mind got to thinking about something else. I thought back to the week after my first husband died and my sister took me out on a whale boat. I lived in ME, always wanted to go out on one, but never did. Now I was going. I was still numb from the death and funeral, but I was excited too.

I have always felt peace when I would get near the ocean and this was a stress relief for me. We were out in the ocean, whales surfacing and saw some other fish as well. I found myself praying. I was thanking God for the trip and telling Him that it does not get any better than this. Since I was a pastor's wife and we lived in the parsonage as part of my husband's salary I knew I would have to move somewhere else. I asked the Lord to please move me near the ocean. I told him how I needed the ocean for relief and how for me it could not get any better than what I was seeing. I reminded Him I could not afford living there as prices were high, but I had faith enough that HE could make it possible anyway. My prayer ran deep and from my heart. Then HE answered with something that about knocked me overboard:

"Are you willing to give all this up for My best?"

My answer was just as quick and to the point:

"NO"

I did not mean it rebelliously, I was just so hurting from losing my husband and in shock yet, but I meant "no" . How could God ask me such a thing? I just had 4 years of taking care of a husband who was a wonderful man for 29+ years of marriage. All through being sick and knowing he was dying he did not complain much. Now God is telling me that I am going to have to move from my kids also? How could He?

Time went by, I moved from Maine, back to Maine, away from Maine again. I knew God was preparing me for something, I did not know what.

Now, here I was this weekend feeling down and feeling like all my abilities, gifts etc are on a shelf in ME and I am here. God blessed me with a second really wonderful, loving husband and he is worth being here for, but still, I wondered why I had no outlet for anything yet.

When God reminded me of the whaleboat He said that this is His best. He has a plan, and I am being changed to fit that plan. All is not lost, set on a shelf. I am not brain dead, I am trying to do things myself and getting impatient instead of waiting on Him.

OK, so I still need to lose weight, I still need to get new clothes and do something with my hair and I am STILL GETTING OLDER, but the real me, the me God plans on using is being changed into what He wants me to be. I need to rest in Him, relax and know He is going to do it in His time.

An Amazing Woman

2008-03-15T14:01:00.002-05:00

There are so many people out there that feel they can't make it. Life has brought them things that they feel they can't overcome. Maybe choices they have made have put them in the situation and now they feel like "woe is me". We all have times like that, but I am talking about the many people who are out there in the world that are able to work or do things and claim they can't.

I have seen some people with a leg missing and they are crying the blues over being disabled and wanting to sit around because they "can't do anything".

Some time ago I lived in a small community where there were many able bodied people collecting welfare and sitting around all day crying because the government is not caring for them right. (Not to mention they were selling drugs by night, right across the street from me and under the street light at that!)

Today a video came my way about someone who was more disabled than many people, yet does not give up. I wanted to share this with you and maybe it will encourage you like it did me. We face things, but not many of us face what she faces every day.

Getting Cheap Prints- HELP!

2008-03-14T08:02:00.003-05:00

I wish Crystal would run a backwards Frugal Friday like Shannon has backward Works for Me Wednesday once a month. So, for today I am making my own backwards day and asking your help.

I am trying to make some memory books and use some pictures I have. However, I need to make a lot of photos. I also need to make copies of photo's for my wall that I am making into a family wall.

When getting the prints I need in the amount I need I need to do it as frugally (CHEAP) as possible, yet with quality that is not going to fade like some do it yourself inks do.

I won the 5 minutes for mom bloggy giveaway of a camera and $50 to spend in Kodak gallery which will help a lot, but I still need more. Can anyone recommend places that do a good job, are reasonable and do not make up the difference in the photo cost by charging a lot for shipping?

Thanks so much!

Now, for some ideas for being frugal, go to Biblical Womanhood!

Penny saved is a penny earned

2008-03-11T20:35:00.006-05:00

I am really grateful to Rocks in My Dryer for having Works for Me Wednesday. I really love backwards week when we can ask things that are not working for us, thanks for all who helped me last week.

In our house money is tight. My husband and I are struggling the same as others and sometimes we just want to get away or do something or treat ourselves to something we normally would not buy.

I have been a bit frustrated lately about some of this. We do take money each week from an extra job we have and each get an "allowance". We can spend it no questions asked. It is not much, but adds up if you are like me and do not spend it. For my husband it does not hold up so well!

As I was thinking about this and how we want to get away this year sometime I remembered back to what I used to do but have been not doing very well the last few years. Every time I would go out and shop, get gas etc, I would put the change in a spot in my purse not to be used. When I came home I would put it in a container. Not just any container, but old milk cans.

I have two old milk cans. The kind that hold about a quart or so and when families needed milk they would fetch it in these cans. One of my cans came from my grandfather. When he was 10 he would take that can and go to the store for his mom. He would come home with the milk for the family. The other one is not as old as my grandfathers (his is 100 yrs old!) but it works as well. I put the pennies in the "newer" one and the rest of the change in the older one.

When I was faithful about doing this, I would save up vacation money. It adds up fast when you keep putting it in there and not taking it out. When the can gets full I roll them and put the rolls in a safe place and keep adding to the can.

I have started it again. It worked for me before and I am sure it will work again.

For more ideas for Works for me Wednesday go to Rocks in my Dryer.

It is Finally Here

2008-03-10T23:02:00.003-05:00

Remember the Bloggy Giveaway? Well it seems like ages ago to me. You see I won the 5 minutes for mom giveaway. It was a Kodak camera plus $50 gift card from Kodak gallery.

I have been so excited!! When I found I won I watched my mail. And watched it. And watched it.

No package.

None.

Believe it or not, when I tried for that prize I was not being greedy. I wanted the gift card as I have a lot of photos I want prints of. I would have liked the camera, but I was not going for the grand prize, just the smaller prize. So why was I having to wait so long?

I guess I needed to learn some patience. God must have thought so anyway, I think I had all the patience I needed. Now, where was MY camera?

Kodak sent me an email that I should have it by the end of the week. Yipee!!! I watched my mail like a hawk. Was the end of the week ever going to get here?

Well, the end of the week came, but not the camera.

My camera and precious gift card were lost in the mail. Several weeks later I finally got my camera. Kodak sent out another one and it came last Friday. I grabbed the box, kissed the Fed Ex guy and opened my box. WOW, there was my gift card, and camera.

My weekend was so busy I did not have time to play with it at all, but last night pulled it out and took a picture.
My husband will not be too happy about me sticking this in here, but here it is. He was sitting at his computer and I pulled the camera out and had to try it. I need to learn to get the lighting right and get my programs into my new computer so I can edit the photo's, but that will come.

I guess this means I have enough patience now, so do not need any more lessons, right Lord?

Anyway, Thank you Kodak and 5 Minutes for mom for this gift.

I am a Flip Flop

2008-03-06T20:27:00.002-06:00

Ok, I took this fun quiz and thought I would share it with everyone. I found the link on Ima on (and off) the Bima . I love reading her blog and this time there was this fun quiz.

I found out that I am a Flip Flop! Here is what it said about me:

You Are Flip Flops

You are laid back and very friendly.

Cheery and sunny in disposition, you usually have something to smile about.

Style is important to you, as long as you can stay casual.

It takes a lot to get you to dress up!

You are a loyal and true person, though you can be a bit of a flake.

You tend to "play hooky" and blow off responsibilities a lot more than most people.

You should live: By the beach

You should work: At a casual up and coming company

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Keeping Family Close

2008-03-04T20:39:00.004-06:00

Today is Works for Me backwards day at Rocks in My Dryer. This means instead of me sharing something with you, you share with me.

I find it strange that I can forever think of things I need help with until it is time to write a backwards works for me and then my mind draws a blank. This is where I find myself right now.

My mom has been here for 11 days, we drove to MO for a wedding over the weekend, came home Sunday and had the kids over today to say good bye to my mom. I am tired and tomorrow we bring her to the airport so she can head back east.

This is all said to bring me to my question. Four of my kids and 11 grandkids are in Maine, one daughter, a grand daughter and another grandchild due in September are in NC. My mom and most of my siblings are in the NJ/PA area and a brother is in MO, where we went to the wedding. I live in Texas and have 3 step children here as well as 4 grandkids. For those of you whose family is as scattered as mine, how do you keep go about keeping close ties?

When I went to the wedding this past weekend I realized I hardly know my brother and his family any more, we have lived apart since college. I miss my own kids and they all have busy lives as we do. I would like to do something to help us all keep up and close, but wondered what others do in this situation.

Thanks for your ideas!

For more backwards works for me go to Rocks in my Dryer.

Missouri, Oklahoma and home again

2008-03-03T10:02:00.003-06:00

Ahhhhhhh home. Nice to be away, but nice to return.

My computer went down.

My mom came.

We left for Missouri, my first time to that state.

Went to a wedding. A beautiful wedding!

Drove home.

Today I am tired! Mom is spending her last few days with us as she leaves on Wednesday. Hopefully then I will have a computer going, things getting back to normal and my posting be regular again.

Bread making problems

2008-02-27T10:08:00.003-06:00

I should probably save this for next week when it is backwards WFMW, but I need help now, so I will not wait.

I make my bread using my kitchenaid mixer. It does great and even though I have carpel tunnel I can still make homemade bread.

My problem is my husband. He had a bread maker and thinks it is so much easier, but for me it is a pain. I put the thing away and never used it after I read the directions the first time. It has set away for 3 years now with him telling me "how much easier it is with the bread maker". Two weeks ago I dug it out and used a mix to surprise him with the bread. It did not rise much, was heavy and gooey even though I followed the directions. Several days later I tried again only using the recipe in the book with the bread maker. (It was harder than making it with my kitcheraid!) It rose over the top, down into the element and made quite the mess. Of course I did not know since you can't open the thing till it is done! When it started smoking black smoke I knew something was wrong and shut the thing off, but it was too late. I had burnt bread all over the inside.

It is now a week later and I can't get the smell or some of the burnt out of the thing. I set it out side, I have set the bread pan out, but still the smell. The element. or rather behind it, is burnt yet and I can't get it off.

Does anyone have any ideas to help me, or is it ruined?

For some real things that work for others, go to Rocks in My Dryer.

My Mom!

2008-02-26T10:14:00.004-06:00

This is my mom. She has flown out here to Texas from NJ. I do not get to see her much and am happy she has taken this trip.

She will be here until the 5th of March, with us going to a wedding in MO over this weekend. As a result, I will not be blogging too much until after that. I will read my comments and have time to write a little, but not like I want to.

Not everyone gets to have an 81 year old mom that makes plane trips just to see you!

Frugal Newsletters

2008-02-22T09:06:00.002-06:00

Today is Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood. When you are done reading her go back to their site for may more frugal ideas.

I like to see what other people are doing and how they are saving money. It gives me ideas for things that may fit into my lifestyle. My husband and I are on a limited budget like most people and we all can learn from others.

I subscribe to a few newsletters that give me ideas. No, I do not use them all the time, but there are often things that I can pick out that I can do to help the budget.

One of them is The Dollar Stretcher Newsletter. There are ideas as well as links that will help.

Another is Saving Advice. They have a blog I subscribe to as well as a newsletter. Check out the site.

I also try to read faithfully as many of the frugal friday posts and other blogs that help with saving and amending my ways to help be more Frugal.

What is on your refrigerator?

2008-02-21T08:54:00.006-06:00

Heart at home is hosting a what is on your refrigerator meme and has tagged me to be a part. I decided to play along , again, to a meme.

First, let me tell you my refrigerator gets rearranged by a 14 month old on a daily, actually more like a minute by minute basis. So here goes:

I have magnetic numbers, letters, fish and birds as well as just plain magnets.There is my memo pad for my shopping list, several pictures of grand kids, my CASA boy and Moose (I love moose and lived in Maine, so it is a part of me I have on the frig.

The dish towel is a hand towel to save on paper towels and I also have two friends that I pray for and want to be reminded.
Now, what is on YOUR refrigerator?? Hop over to Heart At Home and join the fun!

Blog Meme

2008-02-19T22:19:00.003-06:00

I have never done a blog meme or any meme that I know of, however, I was tagged and I will play along. I am still learning who is who, and do not know all my readership yet, but I guess that is part of the fun too.

*Start Copying Here*

I have randomly selected 3 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!) If you don’t know five people just put any you do know! I only managed 3.

It’s real easy!

Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!

The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
- Increase your Google PageRank fast
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
- Build your community
- Make new friends!

The Strategist Notebook ~ Link Addiction ~ Ardour of the Heart ~ When Life Becomes a Book ~ The Malaysian Life ~ Yogatta.com ~ What goes under the sun ~ Roshidan’s Cyber Station ~ Sasha says ~ Arts of Physics ~ And the legend lives ~ My View, My Life ~ A Simple Life ~ Juliana RW ~ Mom Knows Everything ~ Beth & Cory’s Mom ~ A Mind Forever Voyaging~ enjoying the ride ~ Jennifer’s thoughts ~ Mom of 3 Girls ~ Amanda ~ Don’t Make Me Get The Flying Monkeys ~ ExPat Mom ~ Just Jessie ~ Wilson Six ~Krisitn ~ Nuttier Than You ~ Shonnte ~ Summer’s Nook ~ Laura Williams Musings ~ Melissa’s Idea Garden ~~ Eve at Confessions of an Everyday Housewife ~~ Blah Blah Blog ~~ Stop the Ride! ~~ Soap, Blings & Girly Things It’s All for the Best ~ Keeping Feet ~ Junky Love in Freehand ~ Getting Out of Debt ~ Free From Broke Knits and Knots ~ Two Kitties and a Puppy ~ Wissman.org ~ Retro Brett ~ Changing Seasons~Regan’s Weblog ~ Beauty from Chaos ~ The Natural Mommy ~ Charlie is Here ~ twentysixcats Drumbfaith ~ Aint no Place ~ Michiah.com

Sting My Heart ~ Families Against Feminism ~

I can only think of two that are not on here, but I will give it a try!

Clear Plastic boxes to the rescue!

2008-02-18T09:04:00.005-06:00

How was your weekend? Mine was so busy I am still hurting. If you are into all kinds of crafts like I have been you will know what I am talking about; Crafts take up space! Unorganized craft supplies take up even more space! Add to that your husband's craft supplies and you have a real mess.

My mom is coming out this Saturday and I need to make room for her. My back bedroom has been home to many things. Books, scrapbook supplies, photos in boxes and being sorted, ceramics in boxes as well as baby stuff like my granddaughters pack n play, as well as the swing and johnny jump up that she no longer uses all fill that room. Now I need to get my mom in there too!

Saturday I spent cleaning off the shelves in the computer room, throwing stuff away and organizing. You see, all that craft stuff belongs on these shelves, but... The BIG BUT... they were filled with all kinds of other things. Husband's old computers that he wants parts off of, papers that had to be kept, stuff I had to move quickly and did not know where to put etc were all piled on the shelves.

After I cleaned them all off, I went and got some clear plastic storage boxes. I already had my sewing stuff in some, so just got more and organized. Now, I have clear boxes on the shelves, can see what is in them. I may label them later for hubby, but I know where to find things now anyway.

My mom has a bed to sleep in too! I have to move out the baby things, but I found a bed under all the scrapbook stuff! I knew I had one somewhere in that room!

I would like to give all of you some advice. If you live in small quarters like we do, with no storage area, take care of things immediatly. Organize in the boxes right away, it is a lot easier and does not hurt the back as much as what I did on Saturday. When I get craft stuff, I am going to get a new clear container and put it together right away. These containers can fit on a shelf, under a bed or where ever you can put them. Put your bed on blocks of wood or bed risers and there is lots of storage there too.

Just a hint from experience.

I would have pictures, but I still do not have a computer and am on a borrowed one. Hopefully tomorrow night I will be writing from my own.. yipee!

This works for me! For more works for me ideas, go to Rocks in my dryer!

A fitting toy

2008-02-15T06:57:00.004-06:00

Today is Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood. Since I am not on my computer I do not have the official logo. Oh for the day I get my computer going... well, that is another story.

My granddaughter made a discovery for some cheap toys. I do not know if your kids and grandkids are like mine were and are, but it seems that the toys you buy were not the ones they played with, it was the ones where they invented the toys and discovered things to play. The plastic storage containers, the pots and pans, the veggies from the drawer while you were trying to get out the milk etc.

The other day she got into something that has brought her hours of pleasure. My husband was doing some plumbing work and had a box of the white plastic elbows, fittings and such setting in the house. (Mind you the plumbing work was ages ago and these things have been in my way since).

She discovered that treasured box! She has been playing with the fittings, putting some together and having a great time. When you compare the cost of toys to the cost of some fittings it sure makes a frugal toy and a happy time for the little one!

For more frugal ideas hop over to Biblical Womanhood.

Softer Feet

2008-02-12T22:39:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago on Works for Me Wednesday Beauty From Chaos wrote about a simple way to have soft feet. Unfortunately for me my feet needed more help.

Like Jessica, I get cracked heels, and I mean cracks! My whole heel and the side of my foot gets dry and hard. I have tried so many things, but it seems like nothing gets through that hard, dry dead skin. I have filed it over and over and worked on them forever, but they are still ugly and when they crack and bleed it is painful to walk.

This week as I was using the foot file I was thinking I need something more to get through this. What I am going to say next will probably make you think I am crazy, but I got out sand paper! I sanded my heels and the the side of my foot. The side I did not press so hard on as it is not as bad, but the heels I sanded like I was doing a piece of rough wood. I could not believe the difference! Now the vasoline gets through and is doing it's job.

If your feet are like mine, give it a try. It works for me!

Give me back my cookies and firefox!

2008-02-12T07:53:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful for a borrowed computer, but I sure am missing mine. This one uses Internet Explorer, mine has Firefox. I find the difference in the browsers to be a big pain, I love my firefox.

My spellchecker on blogger is not working and firefox has one built in, so I know I have two, now I have none.

Don't you hate it when something comes along and rocks your boat? I do. I have learned though, that when we trust the Lord, He has a purpose and will use it for our good. How He is going to use me losing all of this I do not know, but He will. I am trying to learn what I can from the struggles and move on.

My posting may be patchy, my email is a mess, I have no idea how to pay my bills since my sites were all bookmarked, and I have lost some "cookies" that let me into sites. But, as my husband's favorite saying goes "It'll be alright".

I have really lost it now

2008-02-10T13:44:00.000-06:00

Sometimes we all feel like we have "lost it". Things just make our brain swim and we can't seem to figure out what we are doing or what we did with something.

Well, I know where I had it, know what I was doing with it, but I have lost it. Lost it all apparently. Gone. Kaput. Outta here.

Yesterday my APC backup started ringing. Not beeping, but one constant long beep. It was driving me crazy. Then I was using the bread maker and that was beeping now and then. Then, something else started beeping and I still can't figure out what that was.

By now my ears were ringing on their own!

I went out of the house and figured I would buy a surge protector for the computer. After all, the battery for my backup was about $50 and the thing is 6 years old and will not work right with my XP anyway.

Came home, turned off the computer and plugged everything into the surge protector.

Turned on computer. At that point I knew I lost it. Everything! My computer would not boot.

Tried again.

Tried with the boot disk.

Cried.

Tried again.

Nothing, just a blue screen of death staring at me.

All my pictures. Gone.

All my blog info and research. Gone.

My family cookbook. My working on another project. Gone.

My Biblical Womanhood ebooks. Gone.

My emails, my email addresses. My affiliate passwords. My brain.

Yup, all gone!

I have lost it.

Heating tips

2008-02-07T20:23:00.000-06:00

I subscribe to Thriftyfun for ideas for saving money and doing things in a frugal way. Some things are not what I would call frugal, but some are very helpful.

Recently there was some great tips on there from a woman who called herself "mom in Missouri" I have copied her suggestions since I think they are worth considering.

Make sure fireplace dampers are closed when not in use, and cover the opening.
Insulate light switches and receptacles that are on outside walls
Insulate attic and pipes
Use ceiling fans, remember to use the winter setting to force warm air back down.
Use plastic on north windows. Other windows also if necessary.
Skirt trailers. Make sure crawl spaces openings are covered.
Keep garage doors closed
Use insulated or thermal backed curtains and drapes.
Do your baking either in the morning to help warm up the house, or during the coldest part of the day that you are home.
Try to run your clothes dryer during the coldest time of the day.
Boil water. Moist air feels warmer.
Keep closet doors, cabinets, pantries closed. Why pay to heat an un lived in space.
Make sure that if you have a room above the garage, the garage ceiling is insulated well
Use rugs on the floor
Drink warm drinks during the day; tea, coffee, cocoa, jello water, etc.
Keep thermostat down during the day, and set it lower at night.
Layer your clothes. Right now I have on long johns-makes a huge difference
Wear slippers and socks.
Use flannel bedsheets and an extra blanket.
Sweats are warmer to wear than jeans
I have a hook hanging in my bathroom above a heat register. Before I shower, I hang my towel on it. My towel is toasty warm when I get out of the shower. I also hang my nightgown on it and then change into my nightgown a few minutes after I hear the heat blower turn on. Again, its toasty warm to put on.
Do your vacuuming, dusting and other exercises that require movement when you get to feeling cold. This may mean you spend 15-20 minutes every 60-90 minutes cleaning--kind of in spurts.
While sitting at the TV or computer, cover up with a comforter. Or, several family members on the sofa can benefit from sharing an electric blanket.
Leave home! Turn down the thermostat and go to the library where its free and warm. You can get online there, read the paper there and study there. Or check out your local community center, go walking if they have an indoor track.
Make sure all windows are closed tight. Lock them to be sure, a window that is open if even a tiny bit usually will not lock.
I love to crochet in the winter. My blanket or afghan I am working on keeps my lap warm!
If your heating system is the type where you can close off a room, close off what you don't need. Right now one of my daughters is sleeping in with her sister because her room has its own heater and hers is turned off.
Open the curtains and drapes when the sun is hitting them. Close them back when temps start to drop and the sun moves on.
Get a lap cat!
Wear warm PJ's to bed, or sweats or long johns, instead of some thin materialed short nightgown. Wear socks to bed, or at least until the bed feels like it has warmed up.
If you heat with oil or propane, watch your prices. If prices drop during the summer months fill up then. Add up your total bill for a year, and try to budget that out over 12 months. When you fill your tank, take the money budgeted to that point and use it. For our family, our propane comes out to around $72 a month. Yet we only fill the tank twice a year. But, I try to tuck that $72 a month away for the next tank filling.
Use door gaskets around doors and windows that have air coming in through the cracks. To find where you have air coming from, CAREFULLY hold a lit candle and go around your door and window frames. When the flame flickers, you have found an air leak.
Do what you have to do. Right now it is so cold and windy, I have a blanket tacked up over a door that currently feels like ice. The blanket is stopping some of that cold air. May be ugly, but its working.
Try to combine your trips in and out of the house to one trip. This saves you from opening and closing the door.
Insulate pet doors or block them off
Eat warm meals instead of cold ones. Hot cereal in the morning instead of cold cereal. Hot ham and cheese sandwich instead of a cold one.

For more Frugal ideas check out Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood.

Online Shopping

2008-02-05T20:52:00.000-06:00

This week for Works for Me Wednesday we are supposed to list the places we like to shop on the web. I told my husband and the first thing he told me was that I had to tell you all about a place he loves. He said there is no shipping charges and he just placed his last order last night, late and it is already on UPS and scheduled to arrive in the next day or so.

So what is this place he recommends? Royal Discount. It has computer software and supplies.

For me, I love ebay! I look there and check out auctions and then from there I go to the ebay shops. Most anything can be found reasonably.

Also high on my list is Amazon, buy.com and then free shopping places like for coloring pictures, e-cards etc.

What online shops work for you? For more ideas, go to Rocks in My Dryer!

Clear the lines

2008-02-04T06:48:00.000-06:00

OK, I admit it, I am a computer addict. I love my computer! I love it online most, and especially when I can get my email.

I had a bad day yesterday. Why? I could not get my email. Oh, I was online ok, but my email would not download. I tried everything I could. Reboot, close and open the email program, boot (no, not reboot, but use my boot!) — nothing worked.

Why?

I wrote the mail server and found out it was someone spamming and they were trying to locate the person. The lines were too cluttered and it slowed everything down to a stand still. My mail was there, I was sitting here trying to get it, but it was all cluttered between and it would not come.

This morning the line was open and all my mail came through. Ahhhhhhhh, but now I have two days worth to go through.

I do not know about you, but God speaks to me through these times. This morning as I was thinking I realized the same is true of us.

God has the answers, He wants to talk to us, and maybe we want to listen. However, our minds are cluttered and we can't get the message.

How can we be cluttered when we want to hear?

Sin keeps us from hearing. Regular patterns of sin that we do not want to give up, or sin that is such a part of us we do not even think of it as sin. Any of it will keep us from hearing Him.
Our thoughts. Maybe we are not giving time with Him a clear mind. We have our to do list setting nearby. Or some problem. Something just cluttering.
Not spending time in His Word. If we do not know the principles He has set for you and I then we can't hear clearly. We will be "hearing" with our own agenda, thoughts, desires etc. and think we are getting communication. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

There are other things that can keep the lines cluttered, but these are the most prominent ones. De-clutter and keep things open between you and God. Do not have so much going out and in the way that you can't hear Him clearly and openly.

Listen to Him and for Him.

Watch out for Left Behind

2008-02-02T09:29:00.000-06:00

I love Jeff Larson and his Back Pew comics. I found this today and thought I would share it.

Used with permission.

Frugal by default

2008-01-31T21:01:00.000-06:00

WOW! what a week this has been for all of us trying to win prizes on the bloggygiveaway. If you have not been there yet you better hurry! It took me days to get through all the almost 900 entries, and that was skipping some that did not sound like something I was interested in.

For me this was a frugal week. Not just because I was sitting here going through the giveaways and trying for free things. Like most people I can't be in two places at once, so sitting her kept me from thinking about what I "needed" from the store, or getting a drink or a snack. Saved me food, gas, money and drink. How much more frugal can you get? Anyone else want to sponsor a giveaway this week?

This did get me thinking though. If we find things to keep us busy we will not be spending the time to spend money we do not need to or eating when we do not need it. When I run to the store for a need I will often pass a want on the way to the need, this week I did not take the time, I got the need, no time for the want. Usually I take a list and get what is on it, but as I am doing this I am passing things I "forgot" to put on the list. You know, things like ice cream or maybe bacon etc.

My frugal idea for this week is to make a list and stick to it. Keep busy so what is in the pantry or frig do not haunt you. It sure helped me this week.

For more frugal ideas look here.

Giveaway suggestions

2008-01-29T18:46:00.000-06:00

Everyone is caught up in the bloggy giveaway this week and I almost forgot about Works for Me Wednesday!

With all the hoopla over the giveaway, and I have been into it as much as anyone, I would like to make a few suggestions for those participating, both in the offering and in the trying to win.

If you are commenting to try to win:

follow the directions! If it says go to such and such a site and pick out something, do it! I look over comments, not only on mine but on others and so often people do not do what they are supposed to. One said send an email to her, but people commented asking to be counted in.
Make sure there is a way to contact you. Last giveaway I had someone picked and there was no way to get to them. I tried and finally gave up and picked someone else.

If you are offering a giveaway:

Make your directions clear. I have hunted through some blogs where I was not sure when the drawing was or even if a comment was all that was needed. It was not clear.
relax your spam filter. I hate wanting to try for a prize, go through all the one site to another, pick something or comment on something and then have the filter tell me something I wrote seemed like spam. Most I have no problem with, but one in particular was very difficult and I was disappointed.
Make sure you have the right link on Mr. Linky. Several of them were errors and I could not get to the post. One had the name in twice on the same line and after trying all kinds of things I made it to the blog, others I could not get there.

These giveaways are fun, as are the carnivals and other blog interactions, but they could be less frustrating for all with just a little more carefulness.

You may be wondering where my giveaway is on this blog, well, I hope to have it up in a day or so, Check back. In the meantime, you can go to Meet Me In The Garden to try for my giveaway there.

Check out Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW posts.

Happy Birthday Honey!

2008-01-27T18:32:00.000-06:00

Today is my husband's birthday. Normally I would have all things planned out with a cake and kids over for dinner. Instead we have been working all day. He works at our church, so that meant all the normal work there, plus Sunday's we clean some offices. It is now 6:30 and I am getting ready to cook dinner, but have to wait since one of the kids is on their way to see him.

Today is special, but I can't seem to make is special with all that is going on. So, I am making this post a tribute to a wonderful husband. I wish everyone could have a husband like mine, I am so blessed.

Rick is 57 today. Grampa to 18, dad to 3 and step dad to 5 more. And Husband to one very, very fortunate woman! ME!

Happy Birthday Honey!! I love you!!!

This is more like it!

2008-01-26T22:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I wrote about how cold it is here for being in this part of Texas. I have good news! Today started out at about 30 degrees, but we went up to 69 by noon. Ahhhhhhh it felt so good. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and Monday even warmer.

Yes, this is what I like about Texas!

Baby, It's Cold Outside... and inside!

2008-01-24T20:32:00.000-06:00

I do not know what they are talking about with "global warming" because it sure is cold outside!

On January 7th I left Texas for Maine with a stop in NC. It was warm the day I left, was warm in NC and was freezing rain in ME. On the day I left ME it was snowing, many flights were canceled and I was concerned about getting home. I wanted to get back to my warm home.

Well, I got back, but it has not been warm since. For our area of Texas this is way too cold.

Our home is heated with propane and is a double wide mobile home that has the space underneath. Even though we have it (mostly) skirted the floor gets cold in places. Heat does not make it to our bedroom very well, and that is cold in the winter and hot in the summer, since the air conditioner runs through the furnace and it is at the far end of the home.

Propane is not cheap, never has been but it is even worse to use now. Up north, we could use K-1 or oil. Not here. So, I am finding myself trying to find ways to stay warm and not use much propane. I am going to share what I am finding, some I have tried and some I have not implemented yet. I want you to please give me any other ideas you may have.

The floor is cold, so I wear several pairs of socks and put a few pairs in my granddaughter as well.
I keep the heat at about 65, but with the dampness these last few days it feels colder, so I have blankets laying around on the couch, chairs etc.
I block the windows with drapes and keep them closed. I still do not have any for some of the windows.
The sun comes in the back, if it ever comes back out, and I let the sun in, then close the drapes when it moves to the other side of the house.
Bake stuff, this helps warm and uses the propane for something besides the heat.
a small electric heater is in the bathroom and is used for showers etc.
Lots of blankets on the bed!

Now, can anyone who uses propane to heat give me any more ideas?

For more frugal ideas go to Biblical Womanhood and check out the posts!

Breakfast Pizza

2008-01-22T19:33:00.000-06:00

Some time ago I had a shower to go to and was asked if I could bring something in the way of a brunch finger food.

I love to cook and bake, but had no idea for a brunch finger food! My husband had some ideas and we bounced it around for a bit until I thought about how pizza places have breakfast pizzas. I had never had one, but thought maybe it would be worth a try.

Now, some of you that have been reading my blog or that know me personally know I do not follow recipes that are on paper. I may look at them (yes, I have a full bookshelf of recipe books! I just like to collect them and read titles for ideas) but I usually end up making my own as I go by changing what is written down.

For this shower I went to Cooks.com and searched for a breakfast pizza. I found a recipe and looked at it and then went and made it my way. It was a big hit, everyone asked me for my recipe and I had to tell them exactly what I am going to tell you. My way, play with it and make it yours.

You need:

1 roll of crescent rolls (Pillsbury or store brand or whatever, the ones in the refrigerator section.
grated cheese ( I think I used about 2 cups per pan)
about 6 eggs
1/3 C. milk
salt and pepper and nutmeg if you like
bulk sausage or bacon

set oven to about 400 and let preheat while mixing the rest.

brown sausage or bacon. If using bacon crumble it up after browning.

unroll the crescent rolls and press into a 9 X 13 pan. press the seams together so they make a flat crust on the bottom of the pan. Place the sausage or bacon on top, spreading evenly. put the cheese on top of the meat, spread evenly.

Mix the eggs, milk, salt and pepper (nutmeg if desired) in a separate bowl or measuring cup.

Pour on top of meat and cheese.

Bake till egg is set and solid (about 15 - 20 minutes)

I made two of them, one bacon and one sausage. They were eaten up in no time flat, so if you are taking them somewhere, make plenty! Works for Me!!

Abortion: The Current Holocaust

2008-01-22T10:15:00.000-06:00

In my last post I had a picture of our new grandson Caden. I look with awe at him, so little yet so human. All features perfectly formed, hands, toes, ears and eyes. Beautiful! He cries. He eats. He wets. He yells when they take his temp, change his diaper or he is uncomfortable. Look at his little picture. A bundle of joy, a little bundle yes, but one of the greatest miracles.

From conception he was being formed. Before his mother knew he was there, he was a human with God's eye on him.

What breaks my heart in looking at him is that people abort babies like this. They say they are not human, not a real person, don't feel the pain of the abortion. Look at him and tell me that he is not human, does not feel pain or is not a real person yet. Just because he is out of the womb does not make him human, but inside he was not.

How confused our world has become in their self-centeredness and sin. They have debates, laws etc over when human life starts, when is a "fetus" a human? What else could it be? While looking up info on abortion for this post I found this article as well as others. I will share some things I have found.

Abortion is legal in this country until the day of birth. Look at Caden? We kill babies like him every day in this country and around the world. For the horrible techniques used see this site. Again, look at Caden and imagine them pulling him apart piece by piece till they get him all out. Makes you sick doesn't it. I want to go vomit right now.
Some people use abortion as a birth control. (Day after pill especially)
There have been over 46 million abortions since it became legal in 1973.

There are about 1.3 million a year in the US. This is the stages of pregnancy they are done yearly, (approximately)

Gestational Age	Percentage	Yearly Total
Less than 9 weeks	57.9%	752,700
9-10 weeks	20.3%	263,900
11-12 weeks	10.2%	132,600
13-15 weeks	6.2%	80,600
16-20 weeks	4.3%	55,900
21+ weeks	1.5%	19,500

If you Google abortion, or similar words you will find many statistics, pros, cons and even some weird stuff where people try to blame Christ for killings at clinics. What you need to look hard for is the effect that abortion has on the mother. Not only does it kill babies, it kills something inside a mother who has murdered her child.

We have several groups in this area that help abortion parents with the emotional and spiritual trauma that they live with after they have had an abortion. Many do not even realize that it stems from the abortion itself.

I look at Caden, so small yet so human. A mom can abort this baby and it would be fine with the USA, yet if the child is born and a parent decides they do not want it and they or the doctor begins tearing off it's arms, legs etc till it is dead we would call it murder, abuse etc. Same baby. Same age.

I do not believe in going around killing the doctors, bombing the clinics etc, but I do believe we need to reach out. Give the truth. Stand up for the lives of these little ones.

Caden has reminded me anew about the awful holocaust going on around the world. The murder of our own little ones.

He Now Has a Name!

2008-01-21T07:15:00.001-06:00

As I said in my previous post, we have a new grandson! Our 18th grandchild and after much debate they have given him a name.

This precious little one is

Caden Beau Loden

He joins sister Carlie

We still ask for continued prayers for him as he is so small. he is doing great though!

A New Little Bundle! (And I mean little!!)

2008-01-19T19:50:00.000-06:00

Today we had the pleasure of meeting a new grandson. Here he is. Born 12:15 and weighing a whopping 3lbs 9 ozs and 16 inches long. He arrived 2 months early and I am hoping by tomorrow he will have a name!

Some odd ways to save

2008-01-17T20:08:00.000-06:00

It is Friday again and time for us to share our frugal ways through Biblical Womanhood.

This week I want to pass on a few simple things I do to save money.

First there is gas. The price of it is enough to make you want to forget about a car, yet we all need one. Besides the guides to tell you to keep tires inflated, drive slower etc, I have another way I save at the pump.
Check your area and see if you have any stations that use the National Payment Card way to pay. Here, there are some stations (they are few) where you can pay with your driver's license. You go online and sign up and then you are able to use your driver's license like a debit card. It saves .10 a gallon at our station.

Another trick I found I do has to do with the slow hot water at this time of year. It does not get that cold in Texas, but we do get cold. My water heater is far from the kitchen so hot water gets left in the pipes to get cold. Then, when you want a little hot water, you need to run it forever and then it gets cold again. Now, for small jobs, I use the microwave. We pay for our water and pay for the electricity to heat it, so if I only need a little it is only a few seconds in the microwave. One place I found I was really wasting the water was getting a warm wash cloth to wash the baby's face. Now I wet the wash cloth and throw it in the microwave for a few seconds and I have a warm wash cloth in seconds instead of minutes and there is no water and electricity waste.

The last one for today has to do with my cats. I realize I am not the most frugal person when it comes to feeding them, but maybe there are others like me. I give both dry and canned food to them. One cat is old and can't eat the dry well, so she needs the canned. I was buying the smaller cans (not the tiny cans, but the smaller ones) and then splitting it for two cats. Now I buy the Friskies large cans and pay less than the two a day of the others and get 3 meals or more for three cats out of a can. (Remember I mix with dry). It saves money and they are still fed and happy.

For more frugal ideas, go to Biblical Womanhood.

Greeting Card Organization

2008-01-15T22:09:00.001-06:00

Today's Works for me is something I used to do and have gotten away from. However, with family as it is and the birthdays sneak up, I am trying to get back to doing it this year.

If you have a large family and are like me, it seems that it is always somebodies birthday and you are always sending that last minute card. Drives me crazy, as I know when the dates are most of the time, yet seem to get the card and forget to mail it or just forget the day all together until it is right there on me.

Some years ago, I had the problem licked and was doing quite well. My system was that I would buy cards ahead, sometimes picking out several months worth at a time. I would write in them, sign them, address them and then put the date they need to be mailed under where the stamp would go. If they were cards that would get a money gift in I would not seal them up until I put that in there.

I have known of some people who do this with their bills at the beginning of the month and then send them on the day. I messed up the checkbook when I tried that, but the cards worked every time.

Hopefully that means my cards will all be on time this year, since that always worked for me in the past!

For more Works for me Wednesday ideas hop on over to Rocks in my Dryer!

Home!

2008-01-15T09:07:00.000-06:00

I am home! I wondered if I was going to make it.

First, I want to let those that commented to me over this last week I will be getting to some of you. I am late since I was not home.

After spending a wonderful week with my family in NC and ME the day came for me to depart Maine. I was worn as I love the kids, but love my husband the kids here in Texas. Since I was feeling homesick for my husband I was looking forward to getting back to him and out of the cold and snowy northeast.

Monday morning we woke up to this!

I had lived in the snow all my life, until a little over three years ago. I remember when it started to get to the end of summer in 2004 I found myself really dreading another winter. All my life I had snow, yet here I was thinking I can't handle another snowy winter. Why? I did not know then, but I knew that this feeling was strong. I met Rick shortly after and we married and I moved to central Texas. No snow! I love being able to say "I am going to the airport and fly to Maine" and know that there will be no snow to keep me from getting to the airport or to keep the plane from taking off.

Now, here I was, in Maine and a flight scheduled to get me back to Texas, and I was looking at all this white stuff coming down.

All morning we were seeing snow and seeing flights canceled. All but mine. It kept saying that it would be on time, but we were an hour from the airport and the snow was piling up!

I arrived safe and sound, thanks to my oldest son and his good driving and a heavy car. We were still sure it would be canceled, but they told us it was coming in and the flight was in the air on the way to Portland Jetport. I sent my son on his way back home in the daylight and had good faith that I would not be sleeping in an airport on the trip.

Plane arrived, we loaded and after two deicing and one ice prevention spray we were off. Since we left late I had to rush at the transfer in Cincinnati, but I made it to the waiting arms of my husband about 11 PM last night.

Ahhhhhhhhhh the warm weather, no snow and no winter coat!

My Not So Frugal Mistake

2008-01-11T09:41:00.001-06:00

It is Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood and I am writing today about a mistake I made that was not so frugal!

Right now I am traveling. As you can tell from previous posts, I was given a trip to NC and Maine to see my kids that are there. I planned the trip and thought I had cared for everything.

All was fine for the first leg of the journey, to NC. From NC to Maine I was traveling with Continental airlines. I have not had good experience with them and tried to plan accordingly. Last year I had to make this trip with them and sat for 4 hours in one airport because the pilot fell out of the plane when he was boarding. Yes, you read that right! They had to fly in a pilot from somewhere else and all of us sat for the 4 hours. On the way home they left me stranded in Newark NJ airport for 18 hours. I had to sleep in the airport, between floor and seats and it was pretty miserable.

So, this year I made sure I had a blanket and pillow in my carry on and at the airport realized I did not have a book along. I went to the bookstore in the airport and bought two books. Now I usually get my books from such luxurious places as paperbackswap or half price books or ebay. Now I was faced with retail, and at an airport as well. I decided to bite the bullet and get them so I had something with me anyway, but it hurt big time.

So, my frugal Friday advice is to put a book or two on the top of your traveling list. It sure hurts when you are used to being frugal and have your set places that you go and then get stuck with retail. OHHH The pain!!!

For more frugal ideas head over to Biblical Womanhood!

How Do You Make A 3D Picture?

2008-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Since it is backwards works for me Wednesday over at Rocks In My Dryer I am going to play along and ask for some help.

I saw a picture some time ago that I have been trying to figure out how to make and am asking help to see if anyone knows what it is and how to make it.

Here is the description as best as I can write it.

It was a large photo behind glass, framed as you normally would frame a picture. However there was several more layers on the glass. The flooring was cut out of other pictures and a layer put down flat on the glass, then another layer was added where there were pieces of the flooring on top of the flat layer. There were the same with the shoes etc, making everything with a 3 D look. The flared skirt had several layers and was actually flared off the glass.

The whole picture was 3D and looked so nice. I can't figure out what they used as it did not feel like regular decoupage.

Does anyone know what it is called and how to do it or where I can find out how to make it?

Thank you!

For more questions and answers hope on over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Happy Anniversary Rick!

2008-01-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

It is my 3rd anniversary. I am married to the most wonderful man in the world and I love him dearly. He is a gem and I am so happy God brought him to me.

How are we celebrating our anniversary?

Let me tell you...

He is in Texas and I am in NC. Yes, my husband has sent me to see the kids. I will be here for a few days and then off to Maine for a few days. A wonderful gift from the kids and my hubby.

I made it here just fine and am enjoying my family. Lexi is entertaining. When asked if she wants to learn to walk she says no. Her mind is made up, no walking. I guess she is closer to the floor when she crawls.. just in case she falls. She is no dummy!

I will try to get some pictures and keep you informed as I travel, so, until next time, have a great day!!

So Much to Do So Little Time

2008-01-05T09:15:00.000-06:00

It is Saturday, I leave Monday to go see the kids in NC and ME. I am so excited, I have so much to do to be ready and here I am doing my blog!

If you do not hear much from me over this next week it is because I will be away until the 14th. I will have some computer access, but will probably be too busy enjoying my family to write. Believe me, when I get back I will have stories and pictures.. oh yeah, as long as I remember to pack the camera!

This trip will be different than the others. I only have one week to see everybody, well the kids and grand kids, that are not in Texas. I will be spending from Monday till Thursday morning in NC with Jessica, Beauty from Chaos writer, and mama to Lexi. Then I will go to ME to see the family there.
My husband is on the left in this picture, but the rest are grand kids from ME. (The date is wrong, it was taken in August 2007) And, to answer you before you ask, no this is not all of the grand kids, there are two grown ones that are in ME but not in the picture and then 3 more here in Texas with a 4th due in March.

Blessed is the man with his quiver full! We are so blessed.

Reuse, Recycle, Remake

2008-01-03T20:27:00.000-06:00

Part of being frugal is to try to recycle, reuse or remake what you already have. I am amazed at the creativeness some people have to do this. I can take simple things, like using coffee containers for cookies, leftovers etc. But when I see people using and reusing things I never would have thought to try I am awed.

There was a woman in one of our churches that loved our kids. She was an elderly woman and loved to sew. She would go to the goodwill or such places and buy huge ladies dresses. She would get them for about nothing or nothing and then cut them up and make my daughter the most beautiful clothes.

I have seen people make skirts out of jeans and purses out of jeans.

One of the ways we can all save money is to start looking for what we can do with things before we just chuck them out. I have a few sources that I would like to recommend.

How Can I Recycle This has many ideas for what you can do with things before throwing them. If you do not find what you are looking for write in and people will answer you. There is everything from extra cucumbers to old T-shirts.

Waste Nothing is a yahoo group where people share with one another on how to use everything. I have been amazed at the items that they find uses for and saves money.

The Tightwad Times is also a yahoo group that is connected with the tightwad gazette.

The Instructables is a website that has instructions for anything from the weird to fun to frugal.

I know there are many things we could be using and not tossing. I see what I throw away and know that much of it is money going in the garbage if I would just stop and find a way to reuse or remake what I have.

How about you? Do you reuse, remake, recycle? Hope over to Biblical Womanhood for more frugal ideas.

Good Diet

2008-01-02T09:02:00.000-06:00

TWAS THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house

Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste

At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!

When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;

The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese

And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt

And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---

I said to myself, as I only can

"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"

So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,

Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished

Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.

I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,

I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---

But isn't that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.

Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

from www.mikeysFunnies.com

ThriftyFun for Everyone.

2008-01-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Isn't it great to be back on schedule? I love having a break to spend with family, but it is nice to be on a schedule too.

I want to share a website that has a variety of newsletters also. Actually I am sharing three, one here and two on my other blog.

Thrifty Fun is a website that shares many ideas, as well as a tip of the day. I find recipes, crafts, money saving ideas and "how to's" . Here are the newsletters available. You can go to their site and find many ideas as well as post your own to share with others.

Tip of The Day (daily)

Daily Thrifty Tips (weekdays)

ThriftyFun Recipes (weekdays)

ThriftyFun Crafts (weekly)

Saving Money On... Newsletter (weekly)

Here is a sample of their Daily Tips.

Many of the ideas work for me and I wanted to share them with you.

New Year, New Life

2008-01-01T08:23:00.000-06:00

As we approach this new year and think of "resolutions" I have long ago decided not to make any. Like miserable failure they are gone and broken before the first week.

As I look back over the year I am pondering what and where I have changed. How is my walk with the Lord? Better than a year ago? Worse? What about my serving Him?

As I look to this new year, I am not setting resolutions, but rather some goals. I have not formulated them all in my head yet, but have the main idea. I need to sit down and put them on paper. I want to write, I want to do something to earn money at home, I want to lose weight. All want to do, but will I?

How about you? Lots of "want to's" but will they get done?

I am breaking mine into steps, maybe my steps will help you too.

Put down my major goals on paper. One piece of paper for each goal.
Now, break them down into the smaller goals. For instance, I want to lose 30 lbs. So I need to set a small goal of maybe 3 lbs in two weeks. So under my goal of weight, it will look something like this: 3 lbs in 2 weeks 6 lbs in a month 10 lbs by 6 weeks etc.
Do this for each goal.

I do not plan on setting very many, I will get discouraged. I am thinking of maybe 3 for the year, if I accomplish them early I can add new.

How about you? What are you going to do for this year? How will your life be different next New Year's Day? I know we can't plan all that will come our way for the new year. I think of how much unplanned has happened in the last year. We do not always have control. I am glad I know the ONE who does have control and that HE will get me through this year as He has in the past. How about you?

Why not have as one of your goals to draw closer to Him. He made you, has a purpose for you and wants to give you that abundant life in Him. Contact me if you have any questions on this Abundant Life.

Those Blessed Strangers

2007-12-29T11:21:00.000-06:00

There is a verse in the Bible that says God is able to give us more than we ask or think. Over at The Bargain Shopper Lady there is a story about her Christmas and how a stranger gave her and her husband a real blessing. She has challenged us bloggers to share a story of when strangers helped us and blessed us so that our stories may encourage and bless others.

I decided to share two stories of the many with you. One is on this blog and then another on my blog Meet Me In The Garden.

Many years ago when my first husband was in Seminary we were a family struggling financially. If it were not for strangers we would have not made it. Our plans were for us to marry and me work while he finished college and seminary. This would make a total of 5 years before we started a family. Three months after we married we found out I was pregnant and when the baby was born we decided that my priority was our child. When Erik was 22 months old we found out another one was on the way. We had so little money, but knew if God was sending us this blessing then He would provide. Paul was due December 5th and we had no idea how we were going to get all we needed for a new baby (we had moved from PA to IN for seminary, so we got rid of anything we were not using when we moved). To our surprise the UPS man came and brought in boxes after boxes. When we opened them we were shocked! Everything we needed for a baby plus was in there, we could have had twins there was so much. Not only was there all this for a new baby, but there was toys and items for Erik as well "so he would not feel left out". Someone who knew us organized a baby shower in NY and strangers came and brought gifts for us. We were lacking for nothing, and even saved some new things for the next child as well as gave some away.

When God says He will supply and you trust Him for your needs HE does it ways that seem impossible to us as humans. If it were not for others, and their listening to the Lord, we would never have made it through the college, seminary and small churches. I praise God for each one of these people.

For more blessing stories, go here.

Laced With Grace Giveaway

2007-12-28T22:15:00.001-06:00

Laced with Grace is starting out the New Year with a giveaway.

The package will include a Women of Faith study Bible (NIV/Hardcover); Lisa Whelchel’s Bible study tool for busy moms; a coffee mug from “Mugs of Truth“; the DVD “The Nativity Story“; the book “Love and Respect“; and a music CD by Becky Knight, who just released her first CD.

You do not need to have a blog to compete for the giveaway, just go to the site and sign up for a chance to win.

Giveaways are not only fun, but they give us all a chance to find other blogs to read as well as a chance to win some nice and useful gifts. I try to participate when I find them and then offer the chance to my readers as well.

Hope on over to Laced with Grace for full details and to sign up!

My special gift.

2007-12-27T20:15:00.001-06:00

I know it is more blessed to give than to receive, but this year I feel so blessed by what was given to me. Yes, I had a lot of fun with my giving, I made gift baskets up of mixes in jars and had a lot of fun doing it. It was not cheap, but it sure was fun! The hunting for the grand kids was fun too.

The little ones were such a delight to see as they tried to open their presents and everyone else's as well. I sure love family gatherings!

Now, what did I receive? A trip to NC and Maine to see the kids and grand kids in those places. I am so excited!! As near as I can tell my husband was the instigator, but all the kids put in the money and made it possible. I will spend a few days in NC with one daughter and her family and then fly to Maine to see the rest of them and 13 grand kids there.

Thanks gang! I am so looking forward to the trip.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T08:18:00.000-06:00

Friday I finally put up a Christmas tree. Here in the part of Texas we are in Christmas trees (real ones) are a bit hard to come by. I went one place and the cheapest was a small tree starting at $60. Another place had Charlie Brown trees from 69 to who knows what. Places that sell trees are few and far between so I was running all over. I finally gave up. I was upset, but did not have the money to spend such a fortune to get a tree (nice ones were over 100.)

I came home rather discouraged and yet decided it was not going to ruin my Christmas. A tree was not what it was all about. It was a symbol. Up in the north and Midwest you can find trees everywhere. The boy scouts sell them, all kinds of people sell them and the choices are great, and then there is the tree farms where you can get a really fresh tree and cut it yourself.

That night, when my step daughter came to get her baby, she told me they were not putting up a tree this year and I could borrow theirs if I would like. I was thrilled! I was so desperate this year I even will use an artificial tree!

Friday I put the tree up and did a bit of decorating. My granddaughter watched in awe. I put unbreakable ornaments and then candy canes. Why does every baby and dog know what is candy and what is fake?

She went to the tree and began removing the candy canes. She pulled on the long end but it would not come off the tree, she then pulled on the short end, same thing. Then she grabbed the branch and pulled it down and took the candy cane off by the hook part. Pretty smart for a 1 year old!

She and Makita then shared the candy cane(s) Scout ate them to the hook and Makita got the hook part while Scout went to hunt out another candy cane.

What fun to watch!

I hope you enjoy your kids discoveries with the tree and with all of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!!

Holiday or Christmas?

2007-12-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

What does Christmas mean to you? Is it just another day for family? Do you get lost in the stress of the day? or the commercialism?

As we go shopping there is little mention of Christmas, let alone the Christ of Christmas. It is "holiday" this and "holiday" that. A holiday tree? Holiday ornaments?

This is Christmas. Celebration of Christ's birth. We are the reason He came to earth. The reason He limited himself by coming as a human, and yet we are now denying Him in our country and around the world.

As I watch even Christian families prepare for Christmas, they are caught up in the materialism, the business and the commercialism of it all.

Why don't we all rest and have the Peace HE brought to us and celebrate what He has done. He came to die for us, let's proclaim Him this Christmas. When faced with a "Happy Holiday" reply with a "Merry Christmas"!

Christmas Order

2007-12-18T22:41:00.000-06:00

Today at Rocks in my Dryer it is a Christmas works for me Wednesday.

Christmas comes faster every year I think. I keep wondering what is happening to the days of the year and who is stealing them. There has to be fewer days each year with as fast as they are coming and going!

For my Christmas planning I care for my presents in order. First, I get all the ones that have to be sent in the mail. I wrap them and then categorize them by families. When I have one for everyone in the family I then seal the box and mail it out. I expect them to wait until Christmas to open them, but I know that is just too hard for some and they open them early. (Jessica!)

After I have all them done and mailed I then get the ones that are local ready. If I have purchased them along the way, they are set in a different place so as not to get mixed up with the ones that get mailed.

Right now, I have all my mailing out, but I have not even wrapped or put together the ones that are local. I think I will make it though!

My Christmas dinner is going to be simple, I hope. I have the meat and much of the food, and the kids will bring the rest. Should be a nice relaxing day!

Foolish Me

2007-12-17T10:54:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wonder about me, I think back on my life and just wonder. I was not popular in school, I always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I wanted friends, had a number of them, yet was jealous of those that had more. I was not pretty, could not do my hair the way others could. My hair was curly, theirs nice and straight.

I did not get A's, in all my grades, some years I did not get A's in any. My self image was always bad, and I doubted I could do much. My fear of failure was awful and controlling.

I was made fun of by the more popular people. My last name was Weingartner, so I was called Hineygartner and other "nice" names. All this by the smart, pretty, popular people. What was wrong with me?

When I was young I felt "something" in my heart though. I wanted to be liked by them and wanted to be like them so I would be accepted. There was something that seemed to protect me from doing what the others were doing. A voice. A Power. Even when I wanted to go off and do, it would not let me go too far. Stopped in my tracks, by a voice.

Some years later, as I could see God's working in my life and His preserving me, keeping me and protecting me some verses hit me as to why. I am a fool. One of the verses that told me this was 1 Corinthians 1:26-28:

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen...

Consider my calling? God chose the foolish ones, not the most popular? The base things of the world? The despised? God chose me for His service?

Verse 30 says

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

As a fool, I can't claim anything on my own, my wisdom, all that I am comes from Him.

If I had my way back in my younger years I would have been popular, had all A's, been homecoming queen with the best looking guy in the school at my side. I would have partied and run around, been rich and did whatever I wanted.

I am glad God's ways are higher than mine and that He has chosen the foolish things for Himself.

This fool has been chosen for a purpose and as such I have the best calling, the best future and life for His glory and honor. May I trust Him to live my calling.

My Frugal Granddaughter

2007-12-13T19:31:00.000-06:00

Today's Frugal Friday post is a bit different. I like to find the best deals for the least amount of money. I do not get junk because it is cheap, but rather look for the good at a bargain. I try to save money in any way I can, yet not be a scrooge or anything.

I babysit my granddaughter and today I took her to Walmart. She is a year old and one of the things I was going to get was her birthday present. I had been looking for a rocking horse but have not been able to find one.

In Walmart we looked at the rocking horse there and it was almost $30 for this small, plastic rockered thing that had a furry fabric covering for the horse. She grabbed it and was hugging and kissing the horse. I told her we were not getting it and that was fine with her. She is so good to shop with!

We walked up and down a few isles looking. I kept showing her things and then telling her we need to put it back and look at something else. I do this in the stores with her hoping that she will not get to be a beggar, but rather enjoy it for the moment and then let it go back. She was fine with this routine through the isles until we came to a xylophone type toy. She smiled so big and played it, she held it tight. I told her it was time to put it back and look at something else and she let me have it, looked at another toy, handed the other toy back and then pointed to the xylophone! She did this all the way down that isle.

Two isles over she was still asking to go back, so I did and she wanted to see it again.

I eventually stuck it in my cart and that is what she is getting for her birthday. A kid connection xylophone! All the expensive toys and she picks one that was cheap and fun. I guess I am doing my part in influencing her!

For more frugal ideas go to Biblical Womanhood!

Allergy Relief

2007-12-11T18:39:00.001-06:00

This is the time of year I have the most problems. Giant headaches, eyes that will not focus and it all comes with a big pain in the neck.

Living in Texas has made it worse, I can't seem to get rid of it. I wake up and it greats me , a cup of coffee helps some, but then it is all right back.

No, I am not talking about my husband, the dog or kids. It is my allergies. My face hurts, I get low grade fevers and my functioning level is close to "non".

Last year I went to several Drs., had loads of meds and even shots. I still had it until the end of July.

This year I got a humidifier and have it in my bedroom at night. It is set on high and runs about all night with no break, but I wake up with only a tiny headache if any, very little face pain, if any and my neck is only sore from my pillow.

So many people are having trouble with allergy that I would like to suggest a humidifier. I found mine at Goodwill for $10. I saw it in Walmart for over 50. It is like new, but I looked around till I found a good one, so take some time and hunt.

It works for me and I hope will help you or your child. For more works for me ideas check out Rocks in my Dryer.

Keep Praying

2007-12-11T17:47:00.000-06:00

I wanted to pass on a quick update about Carlie. They did an EEG yesterday and she is not having seizures so they stopped that med. They said what damage has been done is done, but she will need physical therapy to help her get her balance back. We are still unsure of a prognosis at this point, but she was playing today, knows who everyone is knows she used to be able to sit up and stand, she just can't do it and will need to learn all over. She shakes really bad when she tries to do much. It is like a weakness shaking, not seizure or anything. Her head still falls off to the side sometimes as well as her eyes a little, but she is way better than on Friday or the weekend.

Keep praying!

Prayers Needed

2007-12-09T18:14:00.001-06:00

Many of you may remember Carlie and then all the excitement after her finalization. If not, see the posts here, here and here.

Jason is still recuperating from his accident and is not working yet and then Friday Carlie began acting strange. Her head was cocked to one side and she could not hold it up, her eyes would not focus and her eyes also would go back up into her head or else off to the left. She was not playing or anything so her parents took her to the hospital emergency room.

After sitting in the emergency room all day while they ruled out sinus infection, brain tumor and a number of other things, they finally admitted her at about 8:30 Friday night. Around 10:30 they took her for an MRI and found she has Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Her brain has 3 0r 4 large lesions on it as well as 4 smaller ones. They told the from the looks of her brain you would think she would act worse than she is. Praise God.

I would like to ask for all those praying people out there to pray for her. They were told there is brain damage, but at this point they do not know how much. According to the Drs. 50% of children with this recover with little or no visible signs of a problem, the rest have anything from a slight learning disability to major problems or MS.

Carlie is 13 months old and is so precious. Her mom is pregnant with a boy due in March. The family has had so much between the adoption in September and now, yet this miracle pregnancy is still intact. Please pray for Carlie's healing, that the damage would be minor or none and for the pregnancy with all this stress on Misty.

My posts this week may not be regular, but I will try. We will be running to the hospital to see our granddaughter as much as we can and trying to help them where needed.

Bargain Books

2007-12-06T20:12:00.001-06:00

Books, Books, Books. My husband and I both seem to collect books. I am embarrassed to tell you how many book shelves we have full; computer books, cookbooks, Bibles, study books, concordances, humor, how to, biography, craft, sewing and so forth.

We trade books on paperbackswap.com and get more at thrift stores and used book stores. Our favorite stores are the Half Price Books stores.

At Half Price Books you can find great deals on books, some even new. They have all different categories like the full price stores, but the books are used, overstock, discontinued or just bargain books. They have a clearance corner that is even cheaper. Last time we went my husband spent $6.00. He came out with 6 books, one new that was marked $150. plus others that were used or just older. We figured he had almost $400. in his hands. $6.00 spent!

Another thing they do is buy your books and give you cash for them. Sometimes they do not pay well, if they know they can't resell it for much, but sometimes there are surprises. I have heard people talking by the table where you make the exchange and was encouraged enough to give it a try our selves. We have just gone through our shelves to see what we can take down there and sell.

I also found another section in the store that had great bargains; the Children's Section! There are books, games, puzzles, crafts and toys. All are priced much cheaper than you would find anywhere else and I found myself getting some good bargains for some grand kids.

Check out Half Price Books if you can find one. Check out Biblical Womanhood for more frugal ideas.

The Pink Elephant and other ideas

2007-12-04T22:01:00.000-06:00

I just realized I messed up on todays topic. Please forgive me, this is not a quick fix for supper.

Christmas is almost here and some that are really on the ball have presents wrapped already. For those that don't I would like to make a few suggestions for wrapping and having some fun with the presents.

When my five kids were growing up we never had much money for Christmas. It was always a difficult time for us yet God always worked things out.

The kids, like most kids, would be all excited and want to know what they were getting, since we had little money we did not want to give hints.

Another thing I hate is spending money on wrapping paper and such, that just goes in the garbage immediately upon opening the present.

Here was some of the things we did to save and have fun with presents.

Wrap things in an unusual way, using parts of the present. My one daughter wanted a sewing machine. We could not afford new, but did find a nice, overhauled one, in a table, at a used store. We brought it home and had no idea how to wrap it. For weeks before Christmas, when she would ask or beg, we told her she was getting a pink elephant. So, I decided to give her pink fabric and I made the sewing machine look like a big pink elephant.
We saved our Sunday funny section and used those to wrap gifts in, saved a lot of money.
There is the usual towel, blanket etc for a set, used as the wrap, grab a pretty ribbon and it works looks great.
Trash bags will work with some gifts. White ones the kids can decorate with markers for grandparents, siblings etc.
One year my husband worked out a treasure hunt for one of their gifts, usually the one they wanted most.

This worked for me, but I am also interested in other ways you wrap gifts.

Meet and Greet

2007-12-03T11:11:00.000-06:00

Today is Meet and Greet Monday at The Natural Mommy and I wanted to participate with my husband. No, he is not participating knowingly, but I want people to meet him.

This was Rick the first time I met him. I went down to Jessica's in TN and he came in from TX. (OK, yes we met online!) Rick and I had talked for some time, and things seemed to be going well, but I was so nervous. Isn't he a hunk!

This was our wedding, January 8, 2005. He planned it with my kids and surprised me. I know this might not go over with most people, but with him from Texas, me from, hmm not sure where to say I am from, I guess like the commercial I am from NewPaInJerPaMeInMePaTN or something like that, but I claim ME since most of my kids are there.

His kids could not get to ME, my mom and siblings in the NJ,NY,PA and MO areas and his whole family in TX and we could not find another time for my kids to all be together. So our Christmas together as a family ended up with a surprise wedding at my daughter's home.

I know I am not smiling, but I was happy, outside of wishing he had his kids here too. He assured me he had talked to them all and it was ok with them since we would be living in Texas.

Rick, the proud grampa. When he married me he automatically became grampa to 11 grandchildren. He was so proud of that fact. However in the almost three years since we married we have added six more! Here is is with Carlie when her mom and dad showed up at Rick's work. I think I might me in trouble when he sees this picture! He was working hard and so he looks a bit like , ahhhh, like he was physically working hard.

Here is Rick as a proud step father of the bride.

I hope you enjoyed my husband. I love him to bits and am very proud of him.

For pictures of special people, go to The Natural Mommy.

Free interior decorator

2007-11-29T19:18:00.000-06:00

Last week I became aware of something I used to do to save money. There are many college programs that have a portfolio needed, hours of practice or student "training". I used to go to a Vocation-Tech school and get my hair cut. Sometimes it was free, other times only a few dollars. I offered to be one of the girls training "dummy". My hair grows fast and if she messed up while learning it would be hidden. When she needed to cut a hair for a new technique, she called me. Those were free times. If she needed a certain age child I had one of the younger ones. A man? my husband was there. We had 4 kids at the time and this really saved.

Dental schools, beauty schools, landscaping schools all need their Portfolios and practicum.

A week ago someone on a local yahoo group asked for people who would be willing to have someone come in their home as an interior decorator. I jumped on it! I have been upset with my home and trying to make it look nice.

Today we got together to talk about what we need to do. I know it will be a problem trying to decide what to get rid of, my husband and I both collect things and have sentimental things, but I know in the end this will be better.

Melissa is going through my home and we are decluttering and redecorating. I am very excited and the only cost to me is a bit of paint. She is offering her services for free as long as she can take before and after pictures.

Check into any tech schools or colleges and see what is available. You may get a professional for free.

For more frugal ideas go to Biblical Womanhood.

Baby's real toys

2007-11-28T07:13:00.001-06:00

Today I will tell you what does not work for me before I tell you what does work! As you can see my wfmw logo is too small. I uploaded it and it came out like that, even though I had my settings for it to be bigger. No actually first was I am running late with my post and tried to upload the old one, could not find it on my computer so then had to go to the Rocks in My Dryer site and get the new one. While trying to upload it my computer decided to not work and made me gain even more patience all the while it was telling me that computers are the boss of me, not the other way around!

That is what is not working for me, so far, I have only been up for 10 minutes! Coffee is brewing, so maybe I will think better soon.

As I have said in previous posts, I babysit my granddaughter. I have had her since six weeks old and she is always investigating, checking out what she should not have, pulling things out of cabinets etc and all the while her toys are in a basket just setting there. She will grab the doggie toys and play with the dog, but only on occasion will she play with hers.

I am amazed, especially at this time of year, what new parents (and some older ones) feel they need to get their child. What works for me are some simple toys, car, dolly etc and then the box that the humidifier came in, the plastic box that used to have my fabric in, (the fabric that was in there makes a great toy too), the empty water jug (Please note I said empty, the full one works well for a toy, but yesterday I found it no longer works, she figured out the cap!). If I am cooking, the pots, plastic containers etc make great toys. Two chairs with a sheet make a tent. I give her things that not only cost me nothing, but also she likes better than the toys and she gets something new almost every day! It works for me!

A Grumbling Heart

2007-11-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

Holidays, they are so wonderful but so tiring. I find that I need rest after them and do not feel like doing anything. I love having the kids over and Rick's sister and her two son's were here too. It was fun. I wish all the kids could have made it, but this year we only had two of them, their spouses and babies. Even though they all brought food, I was still tired after. I must be getting old... nah can't be that!

I find when I get tired I also get a bit impatient and can ~~be more of~~ a complainer.

Sunday's are a hard day for me. My husband works for a church and is in charge of the building. This is clean up, repairs, updates and such, as well as in charge of the grounds and vans. On Fridays and Sundays I work with him.

Sunday I went in to start the coffee as I usually do. (I set up the communion and make four different kinds of coffee for before and during the service). What I found was my coffee table cleared and stuff not put back, I had to hunt for it all. The refrigerator a mess and I had just cleaned it out. The communion stuff all over and the cups thrown loose in the cabinet. Dishes in the rack and not put away and my coffee scoop gone. I was starting to brew at the coffee table not back, so you can only imagine how I was by the time I finished. The matzos were even gone and I had to hunt!

I walked around with more and more steam coming out of me. Our filtered water does not refill fast enough for the coffee pot, and someone had obviously used the water the day before (sign on faucet saying not to use... but who listens?) grumble grumble. Can't anyone clean up behind themselves? grumble grumble. What is the matter with people? grumble grumble. And on it went.

There were other things that happened that morning at church that got me even more upset.

I thought about it later. I was right, but I also was all wrong. Attitude!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Now, take the letters in attitude and the number under each one and add them.

Convert it to %.

What did you get?

100% ! Yup! Attitude is 100%

Philippians 2:14: Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
James 5:9 Do not complain brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door

OOPS! Caught in sin again. Was my attitude humble like Christ or was I a grumbler and complainer? I think we both know.

To help your attitude:

Get enough sleep
Pray and read the Bible to gain God's perspective and how we should live.
Think before you say anything

Remember, man looks on the out side, but God on the heart. You may grit your teeth and smile, but God sees what you are really like, your attitude.

Recipe updates

2007-11-23T17:50:00.000-06:00

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My husband and I had the Texas part of the family here and we had a wonderful time.

My day today has not been so wonderful! I have been going crazy (short trip) trying to figure out how to get a newsletter sign up on my blogs. After spending all day it is still not working and I never got a post up for today till now. I was so excited because I thought the newsletter sign up would not be that hard and I could announce it today. Now I am tired, frustrated and have very little to write about.

A few PS's I would like to put in here. First I made the Black Forest Crisp. I used sugar free cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple in it's own juice. It was soooo good! I am diabetic, so I was worried about it, but it did not send my sugar up at all. My sugar is watched carefully by me and I like to see what I eat will do to it. Since I am mildly diabetic I can probably eat more than others, but I was still surprised at the results.

Another "PS" is from my pizza Post. My brother sent me an email telling me the changes he makes to the crust. I told him I would pass it on to my readers

Happy Turkey Day

I saw your pizza recipe on your web site. I use 3 parts white flour to 1 part whole wheat. I sift all flour used in the dough as well as what I use to roll it out. Recently I started adding a teaspoon or 2 of oil as it is mixing, it keeps it from sticking.

I do hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, Be sure to tell God how thankful you are for all HE has given you.

Black Forest Crisp

2007-11-20T19:09:00.000-06:00

I am one to try my new recipes when people are coming over. I have no idea why I do it then, but I do. Not only do I try a new recipe, I adapt the recipe to my liking with never having tasted the original! I have yet to have a failure after 37 years of cooking like this.

Sorry if I sound like I am bragging. I do not mean to, it is just the way I do things and what works for me.

So, now I am going to give you a recipe and let you try the same thing for Thanksgiving!

Black Forest Crisp

Ingredients

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 can (8-1/4 oz.) crushed pineapple undrained
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 package (18-1/4 oz.) Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut up
Ice Cream or whipped topping

Directions

Layer cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, slivered almonds, chocolate morsels and flaked coconut in a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over layers and dot evenly with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

Serves/makes 10

Yummy!

Adapt as you see fit!! Works for me!

Duck, Duck, Goose

2007-11-20T18:58:00.000-06:00

OK, all the places I have lived the kids have played duck, duck, goose. Not in Texas. When we were at my mom's 80Th birthday party last year the kids were all playing Duck, Duck, Goose. My husband was so fascinated at watching them play.

Our one granddaughter was so good at it, however she very cleverly was cheating. It was hard for people to tell, but you could see the was not sitting down all the way, but her long skirt was hiding her legs. My husband laughed hysterically and had to tell everyone about it when we got back to Texas.

Today I found out Duck, Duck, Goose IS played in Texas, but not by people. I took our 11 month old granddaughter to the park today. I also took a loaf of bread for her to feed the ducks. We were hardly out of the car when the geese started running up. We fed some of them and then walked down to the water to feed the ducks.

Ducks and geese were all over, the ducks pretty much stayed in the water and many of the geese were up on the land and being hand fed by us. I realized the ducks were not getting much so took Scout down by the water and we began to throw the bread in for the ducks. The ducks were quacking with delight but the geese on land were starting to yell.

OUCH! It hit me, right in my butt. One large goose was not happy with not getting the bread and decided to goose me!

So, there you have it. Duck, Duck GOOSE really gets played in Texas, by the ducks, ducks, goose!

Stray Cats and People

2007-11-18T15:35:00.000-06:00

As you can tell by my blog I am an animal lover. My husband is not. I feed every stray that comes to the door. He boots them away.

After almost 3 years of marriage he is finally getting used to the idea that animals are a big part of my life and that God teaches me things through them.

I would like to share about a stray that comes here. Let me back up. Since coming here we have had stray cats come to our door. Most run off, but once in the while one will stay. Some time ago a large Tom cat showed up, with a tiny kitten. This kitten could not even eat on it's own and was quite scared. It took a week to get her to come close to me, but the Tom came right away. He was super friendly, and was by the steps one day when my husband walked out. I told my husband that "he was a friendly Tom". (the cat, not my husband). The cat meowed, so I said Tom again, and he responded the same. I said "come here Tom" and he did. My guess was someone dumped them off and this was Tom. I fed Tom and he would climb on me for his loving all the time. The kitten was not so. She had to be coaxed and bribed to come, jumped away at every move and was a real scardey cat. She was so tiny I worried about her. She finally would come and let me pet her and after a bit would climb up on my lap, and then into the house (husband was not happy, but she was hurt and he realized how much I was feeling at the time).

Somehow the Tom would come back injured all the time, and then one day did not show up and has not been back. However, some time later another stray took his place. This stray started stealing the food from the original cat (Rick's from before all the strays). I finally started feeding him so that our cat could eat. No matter what I have tried he is there for food, but will not let me close. He is jumpy, runs off and does not want to get close. He has been here since June, and finally comes just out of my arms reach. He will cry at the door if I am not there on time, will eat the food, but not let me get close.

I look at the difference in these three strays. Kind of like people huh? They show up and some are friendly right away. Easy to make friends with and want to be friends. Others you have to coax out of their shell and finally they realize you are not out to hurt them. Then their are others that have been hurt so much in the past they will not come close to anyone, but are there for what you have to give them.

Here is my "mooch". He will not let me close, but here he is begging for his food.
He will not eat until he watches me go in the door and then hears it close. This pic was taken through the screen so it is not as good as the other.
He is all black with a white tip on his tail. A pretty cat. All three strays are black, but that was their only similarity.

I can't help but think of people and how some that are so standoffish may be that way for a reason. I am not going to give up on this black cat. I will continue to feed him and try. He has taught me a lesson about people maybe I can learn more as I keep on trying to befriend him.

Home made Pizza

2007-11-15T20:28:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but my kids always loved pizza. They are grown now, but my husband likes my pizza just as much as they did! I have "fancied it up" to serve guests as well. It can be cheap if made simple, or adjusted if you have more money to spend.

I have tried to get the recipe on paper, as I do not usually use recipes for amounts, I learned by using my hands and fingers to measure dry and eye ball the wet. So, here goes for writing it down

Cheap Pizza
Dough - I use my dough hooks on the mixer, but you can mix by hand

1 pkg or two TBSP of yeast
1 1/4 C of warm water
3 1/2 - 4 C flour (may use white, unbleached or whole wheat or a mixture
1/2 tsp salt

dissolve the yeast in the warm water (for quicker working use a little bit of sugar to feed the yeast)
add 2 1/2 C flour and beat
add salt and then slowly put int the rest of the flour till it pulls away from the bowl. Knead till elastic (with the mixer this is not long, by hand I think it would be about 10 minutes of kneading.

let rise in a greased bowl for about 35-45 minutes. (If your kitchen is warm it will take less time)

Roll out and put on pizza or cookie sheets.

Sauce

can of tomato paste mixed with a little water. Add seasoning of your choice ( I use garlic powder, oregano, other Italian seasoning spread on top

Topping

For cheap pizza sprinkle cheese on the top

Bake at about 400 till done

More expensive but still not bad:

Add other toppings, pepperoni, onion, olives, ham etc. Leftover meats work well too

Vegetarian and more expensive:

For a really yummy pizza, but not so cheap cut up broccoli, tomatoes, onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms and any other raw veggies you like . Top with several kinds of cheeses and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

OK, now I am hungry! For more great frugal ideas go to Biblical Womanhood.

Helpful Links

2007-11-13T18:33:00.001-06:00

It is Wednesday again. Hard to believe as this week is going by so fast.

So many times I wish I could fix something, find something that would work for a certain job etc. We have an Internet full of great ideas yet so often it is hard to find what we are looking for.

When sites come my way I like to check them out and then bookmark them for future use. This week it seems that I have had a number of them that have been worth the bookmarking and I decided to share some with you.

The Fix It Club. Ever know you should be able to fix something but you just do not know how? Well this site tells you how. Ones I looked at came complete with videos. I guess I can do that!
The Babycentre has all kinds of tips for babies. It is a UK site, but anyone can use the tips. Christmas on a budget is one of the pages and another on doing things with babies.
Dollar Stretcher.com has all kinds of hints for saving money.
Thrifty Fun. This site has newsletters with all great ideas, recipes, crafts etc. Worth poking around in!

There are a few sites that work for me. For more Work for me Ideas go to Rocks in My Dryer.

Dog Logic

2007-11-13T10:41:00.000-06:00

My brother sent the following in an email. I thought it was cute and wanted to share it.

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead
of his tongue. -Anonymous

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he
loves himself. -Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
-Andy Rooney

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people,
who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise .
-Unknown

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a
can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money. -Joe Weinstein

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not
bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
-Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your
pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret

God bless America

2007-11-11T18:55:00.000-06:00

I had written a post on Thank A Soldier. Today is veterans day and I would like us all to remember those who have served and those that have died for us. The following video came to me tonight and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Ink Remover

2007-11-08T20:06:00.001-06:00

It is Friday already? This week my husband took off work to try to get some things done around here. We have had a stack of wood that we salvaged from a building we helped tear down and he has been working on getting the place ready for winter. So far we have only spent money on some caulking. In Texas where we are many of the houses are built up off the ground and you need to put a skirting on around them to keep the wind and cold from going underneath. This is what he has been working on with all the free wood. Hopefully it will save on heating this winter.

Doing the work on the house has seemed to make the week fly by. So here I sit on Thursday night trying to think of my Frugal Friday post. We certainly were frugal in what he is doing with the house, but I want to share more.

There is a site I like and I think I want to share what I have learned about ink stains. We all get them and sometimes end up throwing out the blouse, pants or whatever. Being someone who hates to throw out and loves to save money I try to find ways to save the outfit. I would like to pass on some frugal ways to handle ink stains.

10 Ink Stain Removers

Recipe #1

1 TBS Vinegar
1 TBS Milk
1 tsp Borax
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Mix together all the ingredients then apply to ink stain, leave for about 10 minutes. Dampen a sponge with cool water then dab at the stain until it is gone.

Method #2

Hairspray

Spray hairspray on the stain so that the spot is well saturated. Wait 30 minutes. Dab at the ink spot with a sponge first soaked in cool water. You may have to soak the spot in hairspray a couple times.

Method #3

Fingernail Polish Remover (plain, unscented)

Test a small unnoticeable area of the garment first before using. This could discolor some fabrics. The method for stain removal is the same as above, saturate the area with the fingernail polish remover, then dab at the spot with a cool, wet sponge.

Method #4

Toothpaste (Plain paste, not gel, no bleach)

Toothpaste can help lift ink stains from fabric too. Apply to the stain, let set for a few minutes, then run under cool water while gently rubbing the toothpaste into the stain. Repeat as necessary.

Method #5

Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol)

Saturate the ink spot with isopropyl alcohol, leave for 30 minutes, then try lifting the stain with a sponge first wet with cool water.

Method #6

Vinegar (Regular White Household)

Pour a teaspoon of vinegar directly on the stain and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Then dab a drop or two of liquid dish detergent to the stain. Rub it in gently with your fingers. Leave to rest for about 5 minutes. Rinse under cool water, gently rubbing the soap into the spot while the water rinses the area.

Method #7

WD-40

Spray it on the ink stain and after a minute or two, rinse off.

Method #8

Shaving Cream

This needs to be the foaming shaving cream, not the gel. Spray a bit of the foam on the stain, wait 30 minutes, then run under cool water while gently rubbing the stain away with your fingers

Method #9

Ivory Soap (bar)

Run the stained fabric under cool water so it’s good and wet. Rub the Ivory Soap bar into the stain (not too roughly or it will damage the fibers), make sure to rub a good amount of soap into the stain. Leave for 30 minutes. Add a couple drops of liquid dish detergent to the stain, rub in with your fingers (gently), then run under cool water and wash away the stain.

Method #10 (Not so frugal!)

Buttermilk

Let the stain soak in Buttermilk for 24 hours, then rinse under cool water with a bit of Ivory soap or liquid hand soap. If that hasn’t removed all the stain, soak in Buttermilk again and repeat the process.

I find Tipnut.com to be a helpful site and often has frugal ideas and hints. I get their newsletter and love some of the information they send.

Marriage: Please comment

2007-11-06T20:31:00.001-06:00

This is backwards Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer, I guess we could call it works for you?

I am needing some suggestions for my other blog Meet Me In The Garden. Some of you have read the post From My Heart and as a result of what is on my heart I started another blog.

In order to give me ideas to work with, I would like to know :

How did you and your husband meet and how long did you date?
What do you do to keep the spark in your marriage?
What works for you when you disagree on things?

I know this is not a usual Works for me, but I am needing the thoughts of others and hope the wonderful people who read this will give me an idea of what works for them. Thanks!

For some normal works for me questions see Rocks in My Dryer!

Thank A Soldier

2007-11-06T06:16:00.000-06:00

I was planning my blog for today when an email came. It changed my post for this morning.

We have soldiers away from home and some deploring soon. With the holidays on us this is a hard time of year to be away from your family. I know. I live in Texas, my kids are in Maine and North Carolina; my mom in NJ and siblings mostly in the NJ area. It hurts. However, I am not also getting shot at, nor facing a sniper, bomb etc in every move I make.

In moving to Texas I moved near the largest base in the US. Soldiers are everywhere and our church has a number of them. The heartache and loneliness is evident as they plan to deploy.

This is where what came in my email this morning became so relevant and important. YOU can send a soldier a message or prayer and encouragement.

Here is the email:

"Something cool that Xerox is doing
If you go to this web site, Let's Say Thanks you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

How A MAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them..."

I sent mine, will you?

My Grandfather

2007-11-05T15:01:00.001-06:00

I would like you to meet my grandfather. Here he is with my grandmother at one of our gatherings. We always went to their house for the holidays.

Let me tell you a story that will give you an idea about how much he loved life and fun!

When I was a teenager we would go to their house after church. It was a fun time and many times included a "picnic" in their yard. My grandmother made the best pies, cakes and cookies. This one Sunday I never changed after church. We had to get to his house sooner than normal and did not go home first, so I went in my dress and heels. Mistake #1.

Mistake #2 was asking my grandmother if I could borrow a pair of her sneakers for the afternoon. She was wearing them and did not have another pair. So I grabbed my grandfathers garden ones to wear outside. He wears a 14, me a 5 1/2.

Mistake #3 was telling my dad I would go to the store for him. It was just down the corner from my grandparents, so I was walking.

Mistake #4? Taking a bet with my grandfather! He bet me a dollar (big money back then) that I would not go down there in his sneakers. I could not refuse. I went down, slipped in the door (did I tell you this place had a soda fountain and all the teens hung out there?). Well, I got in and tucked my feet in the little spot by the cash register and got what I needed. I went to pay, when the door to the store flew open and in walked my grandfather making a big ruckus. He told everyone I stole his shoes and took off out of his yard and he wanted them back! He pulled me out of my little spot where no one could see my feet and kept saying how I stole them! I paid and took off, but never forgot that day!

The rest of these are just pictures I wanted to share.

His favorite past time, besides the garden, was ocean fishing.

Christmas fun

He and my grandmother in younger years

His favorite dog Cuddles.

My grandfather died a few years ago at 103 yrs old. I miss him.
To meet more people go to The Natural Mommy.

Lessons from an Armadillo

2007-11-02T15:45:00.001-05:00

I live in Texas. I have not always been a Texan, in fact I only moved here about 3 years ago when my husband and I married. I have always been an animal lover though. Weird thing is, animals love me also. Tame ones, wild ones, they both seem to not be too afraid of me.

Since moving to Texas I have come across many different critters that I had not seen before. Among my favorite are roadrunners and armadillos.

Texans look at armadillos like we from the north think of groundhogs. However, to me they are cute.

The little fellow pictured here is what my husband called a juvenile. I got up one morning and he/she was wandering around just off my patio. Being the type of person I am I wanted to get close... real close. I walked to the end of the patio and bent down to try to touch it. Actually I picked it up a little bit just to feel it.

I then got my camera, walked in front of it and called it, well talked to it. Sure enough, it started walking right at me, that is when I took this shot. I then went over and felt it again. Look at that nose! And those cute ears. He is adorable!

I have learned some things about the armadillo since moving here. Touching it taught me things, and then from watching it I learned more.

Armadillos have a hard shell, this is on the outside, but unlike a turtle they can't crawl into it. They have nine separate pieces that make up that shell.

They are not real fast, but can go pretty good when they need to.

When I went to pick up the armadillo I put my hand over the top of it's body to lift it up like you would a turtle. As I touched it it hopped up, so it actually landed in my hand. I found out this defense mechanism is actually what gets them hit on the road. They are short enough that a car or truck can go right over them, but fear makes them jump into the bottom of the car and gets them killed. If they did not hop, they would just have the car go over them.

Armadillos dig holes. They nose around, will turn over rocks, dig up plants and make lots of holes in the yard. You can see by this little guy here that as he digs down he is really into his work. This is because they eat bugs. Lots of bugs. We have fire ants and armadillos will eat them. I would rather have them than the fire ants!

As I watch the armadillo and think about that day, I think about how God made each animal with it's own characteristics. They are all unique in the way they are made and live, the way they are made to protect themselves.

The Bible says God created everything, and that his attributes can be seen in His creation. (For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20).

When I look at animals and creation I look at what God made. I look for what me, as a man, can learn from watching the animals.

What have I learned from this armadillo? A number of things. For one, so many of us put on a hard outer shell to protect ourselves because we have so many fears. Yet when danger comes, instead of being still and knowing that God is God, we jump and run right into the very thing that can hurt us.

Like the armadillo, we need to dig for our food. Spiritual food that is. We need to dig into God's word and pour through it to get all we can.

There are many other things we can learn, I just shared a few. Look at life differently, watch creation and learn about it. God has so much to teach us if we will just listen.

Grammie's E-mail

2007-11-01T16:25:00.001-05:00

I was going through some email and saving some of it when I came across this picture. Having grand kids big enough to do computer drawings and write emails is great when you live so far away. This was done by Anna. She is 5 years old and the middle daughter of my son Erik.

I just wanted to share it with everyone!

What Every Step Mom Wants To Hear

2007-11-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

As I have written before, I am now part of a blended family. I am realizing more and more how much it means and how fortunate I am. It is not easy being so far from my side of the family, in fact it is very hard, but I can't imagine life without my husband Rick. He is one of the most loving men I have ever known and I am so blessed. As I said before, I am twice blessed in husbands. (NO, I do not currently have two husbands! Willie and I were married for almost 30 years when he went home to be with the Lord.)

I am also doubly bless with family. While I cry over missing my children and grand kids in ME, I know this is where God wants me now. God has answered my prayers with step children that love me and I them. One of them trusts me with her most precious possession, her daughter.

I have written about Scout in a previous blog, and the joy she brings, the easing of my missing family by watching her learn and the keeping me busy which wards off self pity. However today I want to tell you that I am so fortunate as a step mom also. This week I received a note from Scout's mom. It is a note that every step mom would love to get and I want to share some excerpts with you. I hope Katie does not mind, but I cry every time I look at this note.

"... I Love Scout more than I ever believed possible. She is such a beautiful child in every way and I know that is with your help. We are absolutely the blessed ones to have you looking after her every day. I can't imagine having to take her to anyone else. She is growing so fast and learning so much and I know if she were anywhere else we wouldn't know what all she was starting to do because to anyone else Scout would just be a job, and I know that isn't what she is with you. The older she gets, the more I want to stay home with her, but knowing she is with you makes all the difference. We truly are blessed to have you in our lives. Not only as Scouts' Grammie but as our mom also. .... from that first time I met you when I had gone to help Dad clean the house before you got there, any uneasiness I had went away. It was amazing how well you just fit from then on. So now I feel just as lucky to have you as I do Jay[her step dad], what society labels as a broken home is now two whole, happy homes. ... This family needed your loving, giving spirit. I know we can't fill the void you have from not seeing all your kids and grand kids all the time but I hope you do know that we love you and are thankful that you are in our lives. "

She started by saying she does not have a way with words, well, she sure does to me, It is what every step mom would love to hear. Thank You Katie (and please do not be mad at me for putting it in here!)

You Can Do WHAT with Kool Aid??

2007-10-31T07:38:00.000-05:00

First let me say I have not tried these so I can't say they work for me. It came across my email this week and I thought it was interesting. If anyone has tired them and they work, let me know.

1. Make Easy, Flavorful Kool-Aid Frosting
I discovered this unusual use for Kool-Aid powder when I had a can of
vanilla frosting one day and a cherry chip cake to frost. I stirred in
a package of cherry flavored Kool-Aid and the result was a delicious,
creamy topping that everyone loved!

If you need to make a tasty frosting for a gelatin cake, all you need
to do is fold in a pack of Kool-Aid into a container of thawed Cool
Whip®. If the frosting tastes a little tart, add in sugar, a little at
a time until it tastes good to you.

2. Make Kool-Aid Brand Lip Gloss
This is an unusual use the girls will love! All they need to do, to
make a fruity lip gloss, is to place a small amount of petroleum jelly
into a microwave-safe bowl. Stir some Kool-Aid soft drink powder into
the jelly- enough to make it the color they desire. Stir in a little
sugar, then, place the bowl in a microwave oven for about five or six
seconds- just enough to soften the mixture up a bit.

3. Make sand Art With Kool-Aid Brand Soft Drink Mix
Kool-Aid is perfect for the kids to make safe Sand Art with! All you
need to do is provide them with plenty of paper and pencils. After
they draw pictures on the paper, give them several different colors of
dry Kool-Aid and Elmer's® Glue. Then, instruct them to spread a thin
layer of glue over one item in their picture. It's better to start at
the top of the pictures so they don't get their arms in the wet
mixture. They can then sprinkle Kool-Aid on that area and press it
down gently. After the kids shake the excess soft drink powder off,
they can continue onto the next section.

Once their pictures are done, let them set until the Elmer's Glue
dries completely.

4. Temporarily Dye Your Hair With Kool-Aid
If you're going to a party, or, you just want a new look for a short
period of time, use Kool-Aid!
Choose the color you want to use and pour it into a glass container.
Add a teaspoon of corn starch and just enough water to turn the
ingredients into a paste. Apply the paste to your clean, dry hair and
let it set for five minutes. Then, rinse the paste out. Your "new do"
will last until you shampoo your hair once or twice.

5. Make Eerie Party Decorations
Another unusual use for Kool-Aid Brand Soft Drink Powder is to make an
eerie Halloween decoration with it. Just place some dry ice- don't
touch it with your hands!- into a glass, and pour a packet of any
flavor Kool-Aid into it. Kids will watch with fascination as the dry
ice and Kool-Aid bubbles and mists. Make up several of these glasses
and set them around for an eerie effect at your next party!

6. Make Kool-Aid Clay for the Kids
You may already know how to make homemade clay for your kids to play
with. But, did you know you can make clay using Kool-Aid brand soft
drink powder as well? Mix together a cup of white flour, a fourth cup
of salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar and a package of Kool-Aid in a
pan. Stir in a cup of water and a tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat
the pan over medium heat on your stove top. After several minutes, the
mixture should clump together in the pan. When it does, remove the pan
from the stove and let it cool slightly until you can touch it. Knead
the Kool-Aid clay with your hands until it's not lumpy anymore. Place
it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator until use.

7. Remove Chlorine From Your Hair
If you swim alot in a chlorinated pool, you may notice that, after
awhile, your hair color will change. It's especially noticeable on
people who have blond or light brown hair. To remedy this problem,
there are two things you can do. First, anytime you swim in a
chlorinated pool, wet your hair with non-chlorinated water first
before you get into the pool. This will help keep your hair from
absorbing the chlorinated water. Second, to help change your hair back
to its original color, use a pack of lemonade-flavored Kool-Aid. Pour
a little Kool-Aid in your hand if you have short hair; use more if
your hair is long, or if it's really changed color. Then, add a dab of
shampoo and lather your hair up. Let the Kool-Aid set on your hair for
fifteen minutes before you rinse it and the shampoo out well.

Note: Try not to get the Kool-Aid brand soft drink powder in your eyes
or it will sting.

8. Kool-Aid Brand Water Colors
Are the kids bored? Why not mix them up some Kool-Aid brand water
colors? It's fun for them and safe to use as well. Even if the little
ones stick their paint brushes in their mouths, this homemade paint
won't hurt them!

Pour several packets of different colored soft drink powders into
individual glass bowls. (Don't use plastic or the Kool-Aid can stain
them.) Stir a tablespoon of water into each bowl; stir until the
powders are completely dissolved.

Then, provide the kids with plenty of paper and some thick artist's
paintbrushes, and they're ready to have some fun!

Seal up any leftover Kool-Aid tightly and keep the containers in the
refrigerator to use again.

9. Tie Dye an Old Tee Shirt
Because Kool-Aid brand soft drink powder contains artificial colors,
it makes a great tie dye for an old tee shirt, or even a pair of
cotton socks. Actually, your kids can dye most anything by using
Kool-Aid. Curtains, bed sheets, towels, doll clothes and more can
quickly change colors if you have some Kool-Aid and these instructions:

First, make sure the tee shirt you want to tie dye is clean and dry.
Next, open up several packages of Kool-Aid. Pour each package into an
individual glass bowl. Stir an ounce of white vinegar into each bowl;
make sure the powders dissolve completely.

Take the tee shirt and twist the fabric up however you want. Hold it
into place with several rubber bands. Before you begin to tie dye your
item, you'd better put a pair of rubber gloves on so your hands don't
get tie dyed too!

Now, grab the shirt at one side and dip into a bowl of Kool-Aid. Then,
grab it at another place and choose another color to dip it into. Keep
doing this until your creation is finished. Leave the rubber bands in
place and set the tee shirt outside in the sun.

Once your tie dye tee shirt seems to be dry, remove the rubber bands.
Then, spread it outside in the sun so it can completely dry. Then, pop
it in the clothes dryer by itself and dry it on "high heat" for
fifteen to twenty minutes. This will help set the colors in. Now, your
new tie dye tee shirt is ready to wear!

Note: The colors can still run, so it's best if you hand wash your
creation and hang it up to dry.

10. Use Kool-Aid to Check for Toilet Tank Leaks
Do you hear water running inside your toilet tank in between flushes?
There's probably a leak in there that needs to be repaired. An easy
way to detect a leak is to use Kool-Aid. The darker colored soft drink
powder works the best because you can see it better.

Carefully lift the lid off the toilet tank and set it aside. Open up a
pack of Kool-Aid and pour it into the tank. The test can take as
little as ten minutes or as long as thirty minutes, depending on the
size of the leak. Don't flush the toilet! Just watch the toilet bowl.
If you see the colored powder float through from the tank, then
there's a leak present. It's quite possibly the flapper piece. But,
you'll have to investigate further to determine the exact cause.

Note: For all of these ideas, use unsweetened Kool-Aid only.
F0r more works for me hope on over to Rocks in my Dryer!

The Best Things In Life ARE Free

2007-10-30T22:32:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are CASA for a 13 year old boy and today was his court date. We go together, but because I need to bring our granddaughter along my husband does the talking with the judge.

As we were waiting to go into the court room I was telling Scout that she needed to be quiet in there. She is not quite 11 months old so I was not sure how much she would comprehend, but she gets a lot more than many kids her age so I thought I would give it a try. We sat outside the court room door and I told her in a whisper "shhhhhhh we need to be quiet in here. We can't talk". She looked at me and started to talk. I again said "shhhhhhh we have to whisper, we can't talk in here". With that she she put her bottom lip under her top lip and somehow made a shhhhh sound (it was more like a sssssssssssssss with a little bit of h in there). So I repeated it again and she did her version of shhhhh once more.

We went inside and she started to look around, so I reminded her of the shhhh rule. She was really good, but I knew she got it when the couple behind us began to talk in a normal voice. She stood up, turned around and very nicely told them "shhhhhhhhh", then smiled at them.

We ended up having a good day after court by going to Austin and running around the thrift shops. I love thrift shops and need a computer desk. Some of these shops have things so cheap. I had no luck on the computer desk, but a lot of laughs with Scout. She wanted to go into the "tore" with us. She would ask for a "tore" Then we heard her saying something in the back seat, and finally realized that "tocks awv" meant she was taking her socks off.

Watching a baby eat a donut hole for the first time was a delight. She was not sure what to do with this ball, and I told her to put it in her mouth and eat it. She did and we got a great big "mmmmmmmmmm"

I was getting a bit housebound lately. Just felt like there was 4 walls and the only time I got out was for things that had to get done. I don't know about you, but being in the house with a baby can get to you after a bit. I wanted so much to get out and have nowhere to go, but just go. We did a bit of that today and, even though I bought nothing, I had the best of times. God knew what He was doing when he gave us kids and we can see the joy of discovery on their faces and it brightens ours. Ahhhh simple pleasures. The best things in life are free.

Bloggy giveaway

2007-10-29T13:55:00.001-05:00

This morning I found the bloggy giveaway on Rocks in My Dryer and got so excited entering that I thought I would join in the giving. Why not? It sure is fun. You can join in too. It is easy and you do not need to have a blog to try to win.

First let me tell you what I am giving away. I have a book that is Treasures for the Christmas Tree by Carol Taylor.

It is loaded with ideas for decorating your tree, complete with patterns and pictures. It has many ideas and will help you have a different and unique tree this year.

How do you attempt to win this book?

Read my post from earlier and tell me what critter I am referring to that does not want it's picture taken.
Write a comment telling me what your guess is
I will use a random number of all correct comments and mail the book to the winner next week.
NO duplicate entries
You must have an email address or blog address for me to contact you.
That is it!

I will pick a winner on Saturday Nov. 3rd.

Now, go to to Rocks In My Dryer and try for more goodies!

Meet My Neighbors

2007-10-28T19:31:00.000-05:00

Since moving to Texas I have some different neighbors.

First, I would like you to meet my mail sorter, She moved in to our mailbox and sorts our junk mail for us. Anything pooped on just goes in the trash bag.

Next is mama. She is sweet and comes over when I come home from the store. She is a begging neighbor, always borrowing carrots or other veggies and not returning them.

Here we have our bird dog trainer. This cute guy sits about 2 feet from my bird dog and torments her. I am sure Makita is thinking "What is it? I thought ALL birds flew".

This is the baby that hangs out with mama. She will not let you come close, even when mama wants her to.

We also have some neighbors that do not like their picture taken. In fact one is downright nasty. It just rattles at you when you look at it.

Ahhhhh Texas!

Check out The Natural Mommy for more meet and greet photos.

A Pink Dyson

2007-10-28T18:11:00.000-05:00

Have you ever won anything? For some reason I have trouble winning. Unless there is a bunch of something being given out. you know how it is where you go and about everyone goes home with something, I am usually not a winner. I open bottle caps where it states almost everyone is a winner and am sure the inside will say "You are a loser, don't bother trying again".

Well, I am trying again to win something. Why not give it a shot? You can try too at the Domestic Diva.

Dyson is giving away this great pink vacuum in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. I know it is fun to win things, and fun to try, but the fact that breast cancer is something that needs a cure and is taking lives is not fun. The fear and suffering that goes into women and even some men when they find they are a victim is something that makes us all know a cure needs to be found.

I want to thank Dyson for making this available to make it fun to spread the word and also to The Domestic Diva for giving us the challenge.

Why not give it a shot and try to win yourself by spreading the word!

I would like to also ask that if you know someone who is a survivor or suffering from the cancer at this time that you embrace them, support them and, most of all, pray for them.

Blessings in Volunteering

2007-10-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

Today was Angel Food Ministries distribution. Any of you that get Angel Food know that it is a savings for the food you get for your $25. There is no income level that must be given out, and everyone can order. While I may not like all the food, for the price you can donate the food that you do not like or want to someone else.

Our church has been doing this for a few months now and I have helped with both order taking and distributing. Today we had 160 boxes plus the specials to give out. People can come over an hour and half time frame and running like an assembly line it makes the giving out go quickly.

I sit and take the orders for the next time so people can pick up and place the next month's order in one trip. I enjoy this part of it because you can get to talk to the people that come and get to know the people in the community. I am a people person so I find it fun to have the different people come and many are not in a hurry so they talk a little. Today I had some elderly people that live alone and just want to talk, I had a younger woman with a child and the child was the talker and then I had another man who sat and talked.

This man was interesting. He lost his wife a year ago and I was able to share with him in his pain having lost my first husband and knowing what it was like. He then informed he has buried 3 wives and two of his children, one at 22 and one at 38. I listened to him talk about the circumstances around his kids death and then somehow he got to talking about his not being able to drive much anymore and having to part with some of his cars. Soon he was talking about these old cars he has in a museum in Maine. MAINE!!! With that he talked about the cars at the trolley museum and they have been there since 1973. I told him I have seen his cars, that I moved here from Maine and that I took my grandson, Sean, to that museum.

I was thrilled for the surprises that comes when you are doing things for others. Seems I get blessed more than they. This conversation made me think back to when Sean was little and loved trains so much. We took him and his cousin Ivy to go for a ride on a train in Wiscasset, ME. Sean was a tough kid, loved trains, yet when that train pulled up for us to get on he ran off! We had to grab him and fight him to get him on the train. Once he was there he was fine, but it took some doing to get him there.

Angel Food Ministries blessed many, but volunteering to work with it blesses me. I had not thought of that incident in a long time. Today I was able to think about the trolley museum trip with Sean and the train ride with he and Ivy and enjoy them again in my mind.

If you get the opportunity to help, take it. You never know who you will meet and how you will be blessed.

Mopping Made Easy

2007-10-25T19:10:00.000-05:00

Today I am having a guest writer. Karra is my daughter and a pet groomer in Dixfield, ME. Here is what she wrote the other day:
"Okay, a grooming client of mine was chatting with me the other day and shared this..NOW I know some of you are of the older thrifty crowd, so you may already know this.

I was complaining of my mop "pushing the dirt" instead of actually getting it up, I also mentioned that if I had known I had to dry my Pergo style floor I would have opted for something else.

She told me to make a cleaner with cider vinegar, ammonia and Borax, and water of course, and to make my own mop. She gets old mop handles from the dump, and cuts strips of her husband's old shirts, a t-shirt will work but the best are those oxford style polyester/cotton ones-like Rich has to wear for work. SO I had about 10 old stained ones I was about to chuck. I just wrapped it around my swiffer end. WOW!!!

I cannot believe how great my floor looks. I did not have to get down and wipe up the globs the mop and swiffer let behind and I did not have to go on my hands and knees to dry it! It shines! The shirt gets all the dog hair off the floor! Considering I groom in the laundry room it gets everywhere! So it just took me 3 minutes to clean my kitchen floor instead of the 15 it usually takes...considering I have to wash the thing nightly...I am just to thrilled to do anything but pass this on!"

I know I used to use shirts, and even told my husband I think they work better than any of the mops out there, so I wanted to pass this on from the younger generation.! For more frugal ideas check out Biblical Womanhood.

10 Month old go getter

2007-10-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a long day. I babysit my 10 month old granddaughter and she is very active. She is also full of a sense of humor. I normally have a lot of fun with her, but yesterday I was not feeling well and wished she was having a quiet day. NO WAY!

She does not want to sit still long enough for a diaper change. She yells at you, fights you and wiggles away over and over. I finally said "I am going to change this diaper whether you like it or not" Her reply? "Not". I then grabbed her, pulled her towards me and said "give me that hiney" She laughed like anything and said "hiney". She then bent over, putting her head down by her feet and looking at me from between her legs, but her hiney was right in my face. She laughed, I laughed but tried wrestling her down to get the diaper on. All this while I was feeling sick and not wanting to move.

From there she went on the couch and tried to get the dog to get up on the couch. The dog is not allowed, but she was trying to get her up. I informed her that she was trouble. She told me "bubble [laugh laugh]" and tried harder to get the dog up! Mind you I am also laying on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

Down she went, off to find more trouble, dog food, dog water, potty, you name it and it is a game to her. How do these guys get so much more energy on a day when you are not feeling well?

Right now I am waiting for her arrival to start today. I still do not feel well, and I know she will be all energy and all go getter. I put on my bright orange shirt with a pig on it (from some place called Piggy's Ice Cream Parlor in Hendersonville, NC but found brand new at a Texas thrift shop). Maybe she will sit still for some time to play with the shirt.

She is here! No such luck on the being quieter today. Yesterday she dumped my thread drawer, today she went back for more. She has dumped her toys, riped a book, pulled stuff out of everywhere and it has been less than an hour since she arrived. All I want to do is curl up on the couch.

Here she is in one of her favorite past times, the dog water bowl! She now thinks she should put her head in anything with water and drink like a dog. I do mean anything! I have to watch the potty even closer now, after all there is a lot of water in there. (It does make it easier when we are out, she knows how to drink from a water fountain now though!)

However, like the old saying goes, the good thing about being a grandma is you can send them home at night... is it 5PM yet??

CASA

2007-10-23T18:09:00.001-05:00

Children beaten, left hungry, born on drugs because their mom was a user while she was pregnant or just unwanted. This is our world. The foster system is filled with kids that are left to the system. Some dumped by their parents, others taken away because the parents are not fit to care for the child.

You think it is not happening in this day and age, but it is a growing problem, yes, even in your town.

To complicate the matters more, our social services do not care for the children as they should. They do not find out what is really going on at the foster home, school etc of the child and they certainly spend little time with the child to find out what is going on inside them.

The system. Children caught in it for years, some sent home too soon and they end up back in it again. Others would be adoptable, but the system is letting them down.

I want to make a difference in these children's lives. As a result, my husband and I became Court Appointed Special Advocates. The judge appoints volunteers to work with the child, spend time with them, see that the courts and the social services are doing what is best for the child.

My husband and I have a 13 year old boy that we oversee. He has been in the system off and on for some time, and has been given up for adoption last year. He has social issues, trust issues etc because of all that has gone in this boys life.

I urge you to check out the CASA website and see if there is one where you can get involved. You can make a difference in a child's life.

This works for me!

Winter Sneaked Up

2007-10-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

I went to bed Sunday night and it was still summer. Warm, but not too hot, sunny and nice. As usual I put the fan in the window before bed and went to sleep.

During the night the fan started acting up, the motor was running funny, making weird noises. I got up and shut the fan off since I was getting cold anyway. Stupid fan would not shut off! It kept running. I was so tired and getting colder and could not get this fan off soI went back to bed, pulled the covers up tighter and finally woke up enough to realize the wind was blowing so strong it was making my fan run harder than when it was on!

I got up, pulled the fan out of the window, closed the window and went back to bed. I could hear that wind just howling out there.

Morning came and I got up and realized it was also raining. It had been for some time and the dog bed (which is under the window) was soaked, as was the floor. Not only was it raining, the temperature dropped from 89 to 49! OH NO! Winter is coming!

Yesterday was busy and cold, I had to dig out my sweatshirt and long pants as the temp outside stayed low and it continued to rain. I do not like this winter stuff.

I moved to Texas from Maine when I married Rick. There is much about Texas that I do not like, but one thing I do is no real winter. Yes, it gets cool, and a few nights down right cold, but no snow for the most part. Now I have been here a few years and here I am complaining about it getting down to 49 for the first time this year. It was even colder this morning at 41. I actually had to turn the heat on to warm the house for when my granddaughter arrived.

Winter has sneaked up on me. Yes, I knew it was coming, but the nice 70's, 80's and occasional 90's have been here so long I was lulled into feeling it was never going to hit this year.

Having the mind I do, I began to wonder how many of us are doing the same about the Lord's return? Are we lulled into thinking it will never happen in our lifetime? He is coming in the clouds and those of us that are His will be leaving this earth? Am I looking for Him and ready? Are you?

My New Venture

2007-10-21T23:26:00.000-05:00

As I wrote in my previous post, yesterday was my six week anniversary with blogging. I have been thinking about another blog, and yet a bit nervous about starting a second one. my mind has been racing:

Could I do it?
Could I think of enough to say on two of them?
Would I be able to keep up?
Would this second one be relevant and meet the needs of younger women?
Would anyone read it?
Would they????

Many other thoughts have run through my mind. I actually had this second blog in my mind when I started this one, but decided to get my feet wet with this and see how well I could do, then add the other.

Today I worked on the other one, and am waiting for the designer to see if she can make it 3 column before I put too much in the sidebars, but "Meet Me In The Garden" is launched.

I am hoping to make a difference in some lives and fill the command in Titus 3:5 by being the older who has something to offer the younger women.

I would appreciate your prayers in this effort, as it is part of the tugging on my hear t in my desire to serve my God.

Anyone experience this? I need advice

2007-10-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

Today is my six week anniversary at blogging. I am amazed that I am actually doing it and loving it. I used to wonder how people that blogged found so much to write about, day after day. I still wonder! Yet things are there.

I do not know about you, but for me I find there is so much going on in my life and around me that there seems to be a shortage of time, and yet this is an outlet for me and a "must" in my day. I am hoping that something I say and experience can help another and what they say and experience can help me.

Today that thought is on my mind. I wonder how many of you have experienced what I am now experiencing and can maybe help me. Your comments are so welcome on this "problem".

My neighbor is a man that has both legs amputated from diabetes. He lives alone and seems to be quite bullheaded. We have had to revive him many times because he does not watch his sugar and eat right, but does not want to go live with family or in an assisted living home. He calls them old peoples homes and "he is not going there".

This past week we had to bring him around twice. The first time he came out of the shock ok, the second time he was having convulsions and we could not get him out and had to call an ambulance. We also called his sister.

His house is a filthy mess, dishes and pots piled high on the counter, the floors are cluttered, the table and couch the same way. His bedroom has no sheets on the bed and stuff all over. I did not get into the bathroom, so I can only imagine.

His sister and he have trouble getting along, they love each other, but both seem a bit hard headed. I really like both of them, and am trying to keep peace. I want to do what we can to help him, and probably understand more than anybody what he is going through since my first husband was diabetic and more than once had to be revived. Willie took care of his sugar and monitored it closely, yet still had problems later in his life, this man does not monitor or eat right.

His sister and I have talked, as well as I talked to him, and want to do what I can. I think I can get farther than his sister, but hate to stick my nose in, just show up and tell him I am cleaning his house, and he better take care of himself.

I have sat and talked with him about his sugar, how it is so important to check it and to make sure he eats right. I understand his problems, and gave him ideas about how to deal with some of it. My past has given me a lot of insight into these things.

We sent food to him last night, and probably will now and then to help him, but that house! I thought of having some "clean up" evenings and asking his sister to help, but am afraid the two of them will just fight. So, how would you handle the problem? Any ideas?

Waste not, want not

2007-10-18T15:48:00.000-05:00

I remember hearing that saying since I was a young child. I thought about it, but never really thought to apply it to much of my life.

As we are thinking of more and more frugal living, I realize that frugality is not just in how we save money at the store, or how we do things in a cheaper way, but also in what we do with what we have.

I am sure I am not alone with finding green stuff in the back of the refrigerator. No, I am not talking about lettuce, but rather the leftover food that I put in the container because it was too much to throw out. Then I never got something to go with it or forgot it was back there.

Or what about the good sale that saved all that money on the thingamajig in the back of the closet... never opened? Or the shampoo at the bottom of the bottle and it just seems like too little to bother with keeping.

We are in a throw away world and even those of us that want to be frugal do things to throw money away.

I have a few starters to think about, and after you see mine I am sure you can all add to the list.

Small amounts of leftover veggies, meats, potatoes etc can be frozen and then used to make a stew or soup, just keep adding to the container as you collect them.
Broth from cooking meat can be saved and frozen for other meals. Use an ice cube to skim off the fat (it will stick to the ice cube) and then put the broth in a container. If you are not going to use it right away, freeze it and add to it as you get more.
A chicken or turkey carcass can be cooked in water with some vinegar added. The vinegar will pull out the calcium and give you a calcium rich broth. Any meat will fall off or be easily picked off and you can then toss only the bones and waste nothing.
Add water to your shampoo or conditioner when it gets to the bottom. There will be enough to use for a shampoo or two.
Organize what you buy so you know what you have and where it is. When things get cluttered you waste money because you often buy things you already have, but just can't find. This goes for pantry, craft supplies, clothing etc.
Freecycle, sell or give away to a thrift shop things that you do not use and are cluttering up your space so you easily know what you have and where.

These are just a few ideas for being even more frugal and stopping the waste. Look over all you have and do and see what you are losing, throwing in the trash or planning on putting in the trash. Don't toss it unless it is no good, really really empty.

For more frugal ideas return to Biblical Womanhood!

What you sow, you reap

2007-10-17T22:38:00.001-05:00

We hear that saying from the Bible but I know it is true. It has proven itself like never before. Let me tell you how.

When I was a child I liked crickets. I protected them, moving them out of harm when I found one outside. If one was in the house making that cricket noise I thought it was great. If they came out of the corner and were in danger of being stepped on or eaten by the dog I was sure to catch it and free it to the outside.

Crickets eat mosquitoes, they sound good when you are camping and what harm could they do?

I had long forgotten those cricket rescuing days of old, until I moved to Texas. This year I was fully reminded of my cricket loving days and I know that what you sow is what you reap. We have crickets! Never in my life have I seen so many. I am sure that every cricket I rescued told all their children through the generations, millions of them!

My husband drops me off by the Walmart door, crunch, crunch, jump on my legs, my arm... EEK!!!!!! I scream and run into the store. More crickets in the entry! I shop, come out and the jumping, crunching and screaming start all over.

We clean the offices in a plant near here. Mind you people have been working all day, but there they are, crickets everywhere; in the sinks, in the offices, under the desks, down the hall. I open the closet to get my bucket and there are crickets in the mop, in the bucket, under the broom. Do you know how bad crickets stink when you vacuum them? Yuck!

Yes, I am reaping crickets for all of them I sowed when I was young.

While I am sure this is not what the verse means, and I am not being cursed with crickets because I saved them when I was young, it does make me think about the sowing and reaping. I wonder what things I am sowing in my life and what will I be reaping because of it? Love? Kindness? Anger? Self-centeredness? What we sow when we are young usually magnifies itself when we are old. A bitter old person was sowing that bitterness when they were younger. What will I be like when I get older?

What am I sowing? Is my money being used right? Am I helping others? Am I serving the Lord or myself?

I find myself pondering these questions tonight because of crickets. God uses some strange things to bring home His lessons.

A Quillow Pillow

2007-10-16T20:14:00.001-05:00

Christmas is coming and I was thinking about last year. My husband and I did not know what to do for the grandkids, we have 15, and I got the idea of making all of them except(the babies) quillows. You may ask "What is a quillow?"

A Quillow is a pillow that opens up into a lap quilt. They are great for sleepovers, cold nights watching TV or to keep in the car for emergencies.

I want to share the directions with you so maybe you can give quillows this year.

To start your quillow you need to decide on the size. I made the pillow squares about 16" plus 1/2" seam allowance all around.. You will need either a "cheater pillow square" or a fabric square the right size plus 1/2" seam allowance. (A cheater square is the pre-printed pillow squares that have a picture on them)

You can use the same fabrics that you use for the rest of the quilt for the square. If you use the cheater pillow square you will need to cut a piece of fabric the same size as the square, if not, you will need two pieces of fabric cut into the square.

For your quillowyou will need:

your square of fabric and pillow square
Batting the same size as the square
about 2 yards EACH of two different, coordinating fabrics
2 yards of batting
embroidery thread to match

To Make:

Place batting on flat surface.
Place facing square RIGHT SIDE UP on batting.
Place cheater square or front piece of fabric RIGHT SIDE DOWN on top of 1st fabric
Pin the fabric to the batting.
Keeping the batting side down begin sewing and sew a 1/2" seam all around the square, leaving an opening on one end (sew 3 sides, leaving bottom opened)
Trim any uneven edges.
Reach into the opening between the two fabric layers and pull the layers right side out, so that the batting is in between.
Gently push out the corner points.
Make some decorative stitches or tie the square to keep batting from slipping.

Sewing the quilt:

Attach pillow square to one piece of the fabric. see diagram below for placement. Be sure to put the open end of pillow on the seam allowance of the quilt.
Sew pillow on three sides, leaving the top part of pillow open. (This is the part that is opposite the quilt seam)
Now pin the batting to the wrong side of the piece of fabric WITHOUT the pillow sewn to it.
Pin the top with the pillow right side down on the other fabric (not the batting). (The fabrics have right sides facing each other, with the batting on the wrong side of the piece without the pillow.)
Sew around all four sides, leaving an opening of about 12 or so inches to turn it.
Turn the quilt right side out and push out the corners.
Press the seams
Hand sew the opening closed.

It should now look like this:

---------------------------------------------------Body of Quilt
|                                                   |
|                                                   |
|                                       ------------Pillow Pocket
|                                                   |
|                           Top of Quilt Opening of |
|                                     Pillow Pocket |
|                                        -----------|
|                                                   |
|                                                   |
|---------------------------------------------------|

You now need to tie the quilt part, or else machine stitch a design on the quilt so that the batting will stay in place and you are done!

To make a different size:

For larger or smaller follow this simple formula:
Width is equal to finished pillow width x 2-1/2.
Example: finished pillow width will be 14" x 2-1/2 equals a 35" width. (this is the size I made the smaller kids)
Length is equal to the finished pillow width x 4.
Example: finished pillow width will be 14" x 4 equals a 56" length.

Now, cuddle up with your quillow and tuck your feet into the pillow opening and stay warm during the cold winter!

To fold your quillow, go here. Then back to Rocks in My Dryer for more works for me ideas!

Pray Without Ceasing

2007-10-16T18:39:00.000-05:00

Prayer is something that should be a big part of our lives, yet how often do we really pray? When something happens and it is beyond us? When we really, really,REALLY want something? When the bills are due and the money is not there? Someone is sick? Hurt? Dying?

The Bible tells us to pray. Prayer is not a crutch, but brings us in tune with the Almighty God. He promises strength, promises answers and commands us to call on Him.

I would like to share some things with you. Some things I learned, sometimes forget and wander away from, but seem to come back to when I realize I am out of whack.

Scripture says to "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) . I used to have this picture something like this:
Not getting a thing done all day, stuff piling up and doing this every day till we die. It was a freeing, remarkable thing when I learned about that verse.

Our English language has a much different meaning of without ceasing than the Greek did. I have heard it explained that it means an attitude of prayer (how can that be? When sin enters in God does not hear. So we would need to almost be perfect to have a complete attitude of prayer). None of the other explanations made much sense to me either.

It was when I had the Greek fully explained to me that things made sense.

This is the only place in the Bible that this word is used. Usually, to interpret the Bible you would find out how the word is used in other places. Being the only place it is used leaves a bit of a problem. However, it was used in literature of Bible times. It is a fishing term.

A fishing net has to have a a pattern with no holes in it. See how the net has all the holes of the same size and no rips or tears? If there were tears in it the net would allow the fish to escape and it would have been said to be ceasing. Without tears, rips etc it is without ceasing.

How is your prayer life? Do you have a regular pattern of praying? Regular times? If not, then you have a ceasing prayer life and the things of the day can rip the holes even bigger. We need to have all of our lives covered by the net of prayer.

I try to pray about everything. To some that may be silly, but for me I find God guides me in times when I don't even think I need it. I try to have a regular time of prayer and then pray throughout the day. I must admit, there are times I get away from it and may stay away for awhile. Maybe get busy and out of the habit, or tiredness, something that I let keep me away. I end up forgetting and then find myself with the holes in my spiritual life.

Today I am exhausted. The last few weeks have been stressful and my habits and normalcy has been messed up. I am finding that I need to get back to my regular pattern for prayer and invite you all to join me.

Jason is Coming Home!!

2007-10-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

After two and a half weeks my step son Jason is returning home. He has had a long ordeal since the accident, but thanks to God and the way HE made our bodies, Jason is coming home intact.

Last Tuesday he went through a long surgery. The surgery was a long 12 hours while they removed muscle and skin from his left thigh to make a forearm, took skin from his right thigh to cover the left thigh and part of his arm and took a tendon from his upper arm to move down to the lower arm. Also, they needed a tendon to make his thumb work and found Jason was born with an extra tendon on the under part of his arm, where no damage occurred from the accident. They moved it around to the front part of the arm and he can move his thumb!

His pain has been and still is, bad. He will need round the clock care at home and Misty is going to leave her good job to care for him. Please pray for them as they are needing it; for healing as well as their finances. As of yet, there has been no proof the drunk that hit him has insurance.

But, Jason is coming home!!

My Blended Familly

2007-10-13T08:14:00.000-05:00

I am in a place I never thought I would be in. A long time ago I learned to never say never, but I found out that "I will not" is the same as saying "never".

My first husband went to heaven in 1999, we knew he was going to die at any time for about 3 years so we often had talks about it. One such talk happened a year before his death. Willie told me he wanted me to remarry and that he was praying for the man I was to marry and that God would bring him into my life as soon as possible. He told me he felt I would be moving to another state, away from my kids. I became upset and told him a few things!

I was NOT moving away from the kids and grand kids. I was staying in Maine and wanted to live near the ocean. He said: Don't limit God, He has plans for you.
I was NOT going to remarry unless it was someone who had never been married before. I did not want to be compared. He said don't limit God. he has plans for you.
I was NOT going to marry someone who was divorced. Again, don't limit God, He has plans.
I am NOT going to marry anyone with kids, you know how step mothers get treated and what people think. Guess what? He had the same answer, but told me I was a good mother and it would be fine if that was what God wanted. He then told me to begin praying for the person God has for my next husband. Pray for what he is going through that will make him ready for me and available when the time comes.
I said OK, but inside I knew I was NOT going to do any of these things!

I did pray though, and prayed that if I did marry someone with kids that we would blend and be a family, that there would be no animosity towards me and that I would be able to love them right away.

First thing that happened after Willie died was God moved me away from my family for 2 years and had me in a ministry that I never thought I would do. He also showed me a number of guys who had never married and I could see why they never married.

I met Rick 5 years after Willie's death. And guess what? He was divorced, had kids and lived in another state! So now I find myself where I thought I would never be:

I am now in Texas...long way from Maine!!!
I am a step mom to three married children
I love all my kids... all 8 of them, their spouses and their kids!

I find that it is hard at times, very hard, when I can't be with part of the family. The 5 children I gave birth to are in Maine and one in NC, I have 11 grand kids that I do not get to see much. Holidays and birthdays are tough. Our wonderful daughter-in-law just lost her grandfather and we could not be there, it hurts. Yet I know this is where God wants me and He has given me blessings beyond belief.

I have three step children and their spouses that love me and are like my own kids. We are amazed at how all eight of them look similar and would pass for blood relatives.

Their babies know me as grammie, just like the ones we have in other states. In fact I babysit one of them every day while her parents work and she IS my grandchild. We have a son in the hospital right now from a bad accident, I feel what a mom feels at this time, no different.

I am so thankful that God has given me more family. No, I do not like being so far apart and wish we all could be closer. I know that my family in Texas and my family in Maine and NC would get along and easily be one family.

Are you part of a blended family? Let go of the hurts, fears and past. Do your best for peace. This year I was thinking of Christmas and the family getting together. I can't get to be with the kids in Maine and NC, but have the family here. I saw how last year they were torn, spouses family, their mom and then us. A lot for one day. Since their mom lives 3 hrs away and drives here to have Christmas with the kids I decided to invite them to our house. It is a big step for my husband, but we want the past to be past and to move on. We are a family, with children and grandchildren. This is what I can do for my new family. Find what you can do to blend yours in peace.

While it is hard to be so far from my birth family, mom, sisters, brothers, kids and grand kids, I feel blessed with what God has given me. I laugh at the "I am NOTs" I gave my first husband and see how he was right all along. I am so blessed and have been blessed twice, both with my first husband and family of 29+ years and my second husband and now larger family of 2.75 years. Two wonderful men and now one blended family.

A Penny Saved

2007-10-11T22:58:00.000-05:00

My husband calls me tight. He means it lovingly but I prefer frugal. He is a spender, money in money out, money out even if it is not in has been his motto until I came along. He is fascinated by how I can save my money, get things cheap or free and have the patience to wait for what I want.

He told me that he has seen few people like me and wondered how my mind works that I can wait and manage to get things like I do. I thought maybe I would try to put it out in writing so that others can see how I do things.

I have never tried to do this before, so this will be something of a challenge to try to write my thinking!

We each get a small allowance that is ours to spend as we will. I save mine and plan for what I want to do with it. I almost never just spend it unless we are out of money and a necessity at the same time, then I will use it for household items to get us through. Otherwise I set myself a goal for what I want or need and set the money aside till I can get it.
I never pay full price for anything unless it is medicine, milk, bread etc. Everything gets marked down somewhere and eventually you will stumble on it. I was saving for a webcam and figured I would need about $50 for a decent one. When I had saved about $40 I started looking when I was in a place that sold them. On the way home from the hospital my husband stopped at Best Buy and said for me to go in and just see what they had. Well, there was one, regular price $59.95 on clearance for $32.95. I got it! He laughed and said the tight one did it again.
For things I do not need to have new I try yard sales, thrift shops and freecycle, all others wait for sales.
I have two jars and I put pennies in one and other change in the other. You would be surprised at how fast it can add up.
I take peoples stuff. No, not steal, but if someone offers and I can use it I take it. I talk to people that I know come across things and let them know what I am looking for. We needed a bigger table, we found one at a yard sale, but it was still a bit small for all the family when they came. We were in a Good Will store and I saw a small table there. However, I also saw a stack of leaves the same color. I went over to it and found this small table opens up to about 13 feet long and has 5 leaves to make it any size in between! I looked for a price, I found 99.99;59.99 and 29.99 on it and each of the leaves. I asked the person and was told it was 29.99! We took it home! However, we had no chairs for it. I found one at a thrift shop, 3 more like it at a yard sale and one of these people that I let know I needed some found 4 more in a storage shed that she rents out and the people just left there! Again, my husband had some words to say about my being tight!
If you set goals you will not waste as much of your money. I say as much because we all find ways to waste some. A good sale but it was not what we needed, that meal out just because we were lazy etc. I know we can still do better on the budget.
Set a goal of patience and not buying full price. Play a game with yourself to see how cheap you can get a quality item for without going out of what you can afford. I do this with food as well as other things.
Be flexible. Give some in what you want and you will find great ways to save money and get what you need.

I know I am cheap, tight, frugal at many things, I like it that way and can live without having the most expensive whatever. I am flexible and can live with something that is not exactly what I would buy if money were no option. Then again, the way I am I would probably still never pay full price!

For more frugal ideas see Biblical Womanhood.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-10-10T09:02:00.002-05:00

For more wordless posts go to 5minutesformom.