Random Dozen

1. Do you find it gross to share drinks with family? Friends?auto
I don't seem to mind drinking after my husband, but I cringe at sharing a drink with my kids. They aren't as germ conscious as they should be.
2. What have you learned this year? (You didn't see a question of that weight coming, did you? At least not for #2.) blogging has its ups and downs, just keep going.

and I was looking over my past blogs and found that when I whine I get more comments, Please don't encourage me, I get the whining from being the youngest child of four and the only girl.
3. When do you dismantle the Christmas decorations?
Our traditions are to put up the tree and decorations on thanksgiving, but I usually just take them down whenever, then I like to decorate the house in snowflakes and snowmen.
4. Something you wish to accomplish before the end of 2009 is:
Figuring out how to survive air travel, this will be my third time to fly and the second time to leave the country.
5. How do you feel about winter (after Christmas)?
I think if the sun were out longer in the winter I could handle the cold better, otherwise it depresses me and makes me want to hibernate like the bear I can be.
6. Have you participated in after-Christmas sales?
no
7. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?
Just Family
8. Is there anything special awaiting you in January?
My sons birthday, and a cruise to the Caribbean, cant wait
9. If your life this year was a movie, what category or genre would it be? (Romance, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Suspense, Farcical, etc.) A craft show.
10. How much time per day do you spend blogging? Please do not lie. I will know.
Less than an hour
11. Who runs your household?
My wonderful husband, I cant seem to keep a checkbook balanced.
12. Share one hope/dream for 2010.
That the war would end in Iraq, and that gods will for my life will be done.

Merry Christmas

We are having a fun Christmas, the kids are out of school and are bored already. We are ready for Christmas, and we are hoping to get to go skiing in Michigan over their vacation.

These are a few Christmas ornament I painted in 2007. I had so much fun. My father-in-law cut them out of scrap wood, and I sanded an painted them. I did four sets of each ornament, but was disappointed to find there was no market for them at our local craft fair, I ended up giving most away to friends and relatives.

This year I made this jacket, I invited a friend over and we had

so much fun doing it together. We used a pattern that I use a lot, it has three layers of fabric and the seams turn out to look like chenille, I had loads of scraps of fabrics and love finding good use for them.

stuck, STUCK, STUCK#%**

I am so dreadfully stuck in my blogging, and am so stuck that I don't know how to move on, I am so computer illiterate that it make my spelling look good.

I wanted to put a picture of the boy from the Christmas story with his tongue stuck to the flagpole but I couldn't get it to upload. I think it was a copyrighted, can you go and pay for a picture that you want? and how do you get the permission?

I was so aggravated with not being able to change my wallpaper that I slammed the lid on my laptop down, the computer got me back because I was sitting in my recliner at the time and when it shut one of my breast was in the way ouch! Mammogram any one?

fall into flavor

My son loves this stew so much he gets all excited like the cartoon character dog snuggles, if he could jump to the ceiling and float to the earth to show his great pleasure he would.

He is such a character, don't worry about his gun I cant get him to kill one of our roosters, they started to fight to the bloody end and we had to separate them, the only way to get peace back to the coop is to keep only one rooster, and no one wants to be the one to kill the extra rooster. For now they are in separate cadges.

I call this salsa stew because I have other recipes that have the name southwestern in them. It takes time but its well worth it, I use mild salsa and fresh herbs when I can.

Southwestern stew

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup salsa
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
Hot pepper sauce, optional
Hot cooked rice, optional
Directions
In a 4-qt. Dutch oven, brown meat in oil over medium heat; drain. Add the next eight ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add carrots; return to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, corn and chilies; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender. Season with hot pepper sauce if desired. Serve over rice if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: One serving (prepared with lean meat and low-sodium tomatoes and without salt and hot pepper sauce) equals 293 calories, 11 g fat (0 saturated fat), 82 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 31 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.
Southwestern Stew published in Taste of Home August/September 1996, p29

COCK FIGHT, EWE

I Have kept chickens for 13 years and have never had a cock fight before,

at least not a bloody gruesome bunch like these two, I have herd that

once chickens get the taste of blood they will kill again, is that true?



I wish my kids were here to help me catch them I will put them in a cadge

until I can decide who gets to live. I love them both, WHaaaaa!

Any advice?

Random Dozen

Here's a picture of Tori our cat helping me with my last sewing project, She got to take a nap before I could get back to it, I will get a pic of it late this week for my blog, it is beautiful made with festive Holiday fabrics I had in my scrap pile.






1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?I wait, My dad was arrested in that very same scenario. OUCH!
2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything? I Had the best day, My kids are well and going to school, I got to go to bible study, I went shopping, and now I am blogging, Life is good.
3. When you reply to some one's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)I go to their blog, because who would think to go back to your blog for an answer.
4. Your favorite Disney movie is:
5. Do you recycle?yes
6. Games of strategy or games of chance?strategy
7. Do you have any recurring dreams?no
8. What did you learn from your first real job?I worked the night shift at Dunkin Donuts, I think I learned what true fear was.
9. Do you buy or borrow most books?My kids and I are Library Junkies, we have memberships to three libraries.
10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?
11. When do you start Christmas shopping?Today I bought my first Christmas present. Hope I don't have to take it back.
12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion? Marriage proposal, finding out I was having a baby.

I used to make biscuit's that were so good, but used a whole stick of butter but gave me heartburn this recipe is just as good, I always put in a 1/2 C flax seed for more fiber. I could not get the picture to come in, this recipe comes from All RECIPES.COM, it is so good.


Honey Wheat Sandwich Rolls

"Hearty and tasty country style sandwich rolls. Honey, whole wheat and just a little bit of butter. They freeze well

Honey Wheat Sandwich Rolls
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups warm milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press start.
When dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out 3/4 inch thick. Cut out rolls with a 3 to 4 inch diameter biscuit cutter. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets; cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, brush with melted butter.
Nutritional Information 
Amount Per Serving Calories: 191 Total Fat: 4.7g Cholesterol: 26mg

Random Dozen ,Chickens

Good country fun, I always tell them no to chase my egg layers.

I was proud of Katie she caught the red rooster he doesn't have spurs yet, look out once he gets them and figures out how to use them. Riley has the colored egg layer.

1. Tell me something about your favorite teacher.

Mrs Cline at Eaton Elementary, she worked so hard to try to get me to spell, Bless her heart.
2. Tell me about one pivotal moment in your life.
3. About favorite colors--a lot of people will ask you what it is, but I want to know why it is. What feeling or memory does it evoke?

Burnt umber, it makes great shadows on paintings. I will show you a picture of the Christmas jacket I made this week with a good friend Peggy.
4. What's a sure sign that you're getting older?

grey hair
5. Please don't sermonize, but Halloween--is it a yes or no for you?

no
6. What's your favorite musical?

Sound of Music

7. Are you more of a city mouse or country mouse?

country mouse
8. Did you know that it is possible, for a small fee, to name a real star after someone? (It's true! Google it!) If someone were to name a star for you, would you appreciate it for its whimsy and romance, or would you say, "Are you kidding me? For $19.95 we could have gone to the movie and actually bought popcorn."
Take me to the movies, My son would rather have the money to squirrel it away.
This question comes from Paula at His Ways Are Not Our Ways.
9. What's the craziest thing you've ever been doing and texted during it? I only thought of this b/c I was about to try to text during my walking video but I didn't.
Paula, you do know that this blog is rated G, right?
I have never texed before, I hate spelling and would rather say what need communicated.
10. "It's not a party unless _______."
11. When you're stuck in traffic or a waiting room, what do you do to pass the time? PS: There are no magazines available. I was just at the doctors office Monday, My Katie was diagnosed with h1n1, but she is getting over it very slowly but surly.
12. If you weren't yourself, would you be friends with you?

No way, there wouldn't be anyone to make decisions, plus all we would get done is crafting, or blogging
Thanks for visiting. Jenny

Fall into flavor

I found this recipe over at Zizzie Happenings this week, it tasted so good I almost ate the whole thing myself.
I would post a link but I haven't practiced enough, and I'm afraid of where I might end up sending you. Cyber space is a very scary place to get lost, so don't take directions from a novice like me.


Caramel Apple Breakfast Casserole
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 apples, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 slices of bread, torn

Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and diced apples. Grease an 8X8 inch glass baking dish, tear 3 slices of bread and add to the bottom. Layer apple mixture and tear remaining 3 slices of bread on top. Pour egg mixture over all the bread. Cover with foil and put in fridge overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until eggs have cooked through.

If you'd like you can serve with syrup but it's sweet enough to enjoy alone. However I would totally recommend serving it with bacon or sausage. It will make a perfect sweet and salty combination!

Tromp in the woods,Sick kids

squirrels and birds beware, Riley is in the woods!! We are so blessed to have a woods behind our house. I think Riley looks like Calvin, from the cartoon Calvin&Hobbs, sometimes it feels like it.


















Both the kids were home from school this week, we are going stir crazy, I think Riley is well enough to go back on Monday, but Katie gets to see the Doctor because she sounds like she is trying to cough up a lung. OUCH :(

Please pray for us, it's hard living with a comic character like Calvin, just kidding. We need to get healthy, and our grain dryer is down, so we can't get any corn picked until it is fixed.

Random Dozen

1. Candy corn: Your thoughts?

I love candy corn in chex mix.

2. Briefly, what was the first conversation you ever had with your spouse? (or best friend, if you're not married.) (Or someone significant, like your librarian.)

I was a greeter at our Churches singles group and we just got to talking. we were both shy, if I had not been talked into greeting that day it would have taken us a lot longer to get to know each other.

3. Could you ever become a vegetarian?

NO

4. Have you ever dressed up your pet in a costume?

I made Eric's dog a coat out of flannel that was easier to put on her, though it made her want to walk sideways.

5. Name something about childhood that you miss (like Clark Bars, Teaberry Gum, Malibu Barbie, cracking fake eggs on people's heads with your fist and "It's the Great Pumpkin" airing only once a year).

No responsibilities, and my mothers soft lap.

6. Have you ever won a trophy? If not, what do you deserve a trophy for?

I was on a baseball team that won, I was not very good at baseball, we had some great team members who could knock the ball out of the park.

7. When do you think is the appropriate time to begin playing Christmas music each year?

October is when I always want to get out my Christmas music, or when there is a fall chill in the air.

8. What's your favorite board game?

Rummikub

9. How do you feel about surprises (receiving, not giving)?

Give or take its all good fun.

10. Is it easy for you to say, "I'm sorry?"

Saying I'm sorry is my first reaction, even if it is not my place to do so.

11. What is your favorite candle scent?

It depends on the season. I like spiced for fall; vanilla or sugar cookie for winter; and summer I am always outside.

12. October is traditionally "open house" time in public schools. If you had a literal open house in your home (like a reception) what light snacks would you serve visitors and what would you show them (as in art projects, graded papers) that would uniquely represent you?

I have enough handmade woven baskets, paintings, and clay sculptures to start my own museum, and I would serve chex mix ,and spiced cookies with sweet tea.

My new chickens have yet to lay any eggs, I can't wait to see what color the Easter egg laying chicken's egg will be, but the roosters have figured out their job, and the old hens don't appreciate their enthusiasm.

A recipe for comfort food

Linda at 2nd cup of coffee has a new (to me) meme favorite fall dishes. I thought this looked like fun, and I am always open to new recipes.

I don't have very much time because harvest is finely here and we are very busy, so I will have to give you my best,short, and easiest recipe I have on file. here it goes.

Ingredients: Money, keys ,car,drivers licence.

First make sure you have your purse, and money, and keys, go to your car start it drive to your favorite fast food restaurant order your food, follow the instructions (first window to pay) and so on, take your order, and either eat it on the way home or wait till it gets cold on the way home and eat it in front of the T.V. ENJOY!

tootles, Jenny

Random Dozen

1. I've always wondered why we were taught both printing and cursive. Do you prefer to print or write cursive? (Keyboard is not a choice.)
I like cursive, it seems to flow a lot easier, plus having dyslexia it helps make the letters behave.
2. Are you a dreamer or a realist?

Dreamer I believe it helps me be a better artist.

3. Billy Joel or Elton John?
Elton John, When I was a kid Mom made my brothers give me an album because I only had baby music, and good old Elton John was all they were willing to give up, I had more fun with my one album than they did with all theirs, you could tell by all the scratches.
4. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Not limited to horror flicks but also includes ones where the tension or suspense is killer, for example, Flightplan (2005): A bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet the child vanishes and nobody admits she was ever on that plan.
Jurassic park, hands down, because I was 8 months pregnant and expected to see a documentary and not any Violante's. now that I watch it it isn't as frighting because I'm not sicked up on mommy hormones and I expected what is going to happen.
5. Now what is the scariest real-life moment you've had?
a accident when my oldest was 9 months old we were coming home from camping, and a small car hit a blown out tire[alligator] the truckers called it, and wiped out in front of us, it messed up our camper. the baby sleped through the whole thing.
6. What word do you misspell without fail?
It would be easier for me to tell you what I can spell, I think I can smell the spell check smoking from over use. I can't spell to save my soul.
7. Name something you like to do but are not really talented or good at.
Gardening, I am never quite satisfied with my results.
8. Do you get your emotional/mental batteries recharged by being around people or by having alone time?
Time alone, that's when I can go into my zone where I can paint {acrylic paintings of wildlife}
9. Have you ever been on TV?
Only on home videos
10. Apple or pumpkin pie? (Don't be greedy.)
Pumpkin Pie Yum
11. How many magazine subscriptions do you have?
Reiman publications has most of my magazine subscriptions,Country, Birds and blooms, Quick cooking , because of all the beautiful pictures, they inspire me to paint.
12. What lesson do you have to keep re-learning?
When to keep my mouth shut, and not to blog about my family without their permission.

Thanks for stopping in, Random dozen is quite a challenge, jump in and try it sometime. I would link you to the post but I can't figure it out how exactly to do that, maybe next time.

Whats up on the farm

It's raining today, and all hopes of harvesting are put on hold till further notice, but spirits are still high, there is always next week, or next month, or next year, Just kidding, as fare as I have heard the latest the end of harvest is thanksgiving, and they had to pick in the snow, I wonder how snow acts when it's sent through a combine?, anyway that's what is happening on the farm.

Yesterday I heard one of my roosters crow, he is very shy about it because he wont do it in front of anyone, it seems like we just bought them such a short time ago, This picture cracks me up, it shows what a character Riley is.

When the kids get home from school our house is like a different world, there is chaos and bickering, and song and story's of all that happened during the day, I will miss them when they move out of my nest, just like I miss them when they were toddlers.

Random Dozen

1. On an average, how often do you splurge and buy something for yourself?
Usually I am very money conscious, but when I get money for something like birthday or a Christmas gift I always want more than the money I receive so I always pay the extra to get what I want.
2. Are you more like Hall or Oates? Just kidding. Real question: What is the last creative project you began/finished? Feel free to post a pic of it.
I don't do very many crafts or paint until the snow flies or the frost kills all the fun outdoors for the season. But did have a basket class last month I can try to get a picture in but I have no luck getting pictures to cooperate.
3. OK, Goldie Locks, do you consider your house too big, too little or juuuust right?
to big and drafty, and too expensive to fix, Goldie Locks, says to go for a new smaller house.
4. What is your favorite outdoor chore?
I LOVE to plant flowers and veggies in the spring, till the garden,hoe weeds.
5. If you knew that cigarette smoking was not bad for your health but would be a weight loss tool, would you use it? Why or why not?
I would smoke a pipe with the best smelling tobacco like my grandfather used to, it smelled so good and I liked the way you had to fill it, cigarettes stink.
6. On a road trip, would you rather drive or ride?
I hate, hate, hate, driving.
7. What do you consider a trivial pursuit?
Arguing with my daughter.! Duuuuuu!!!

8. This weekend, we downloaded the movie "Duplicity" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Within 5 minutes, I was bored and annoyed, but I kept watching 5-10 minutes at a time hoping it would get better between small chores. I finally gave up and Jorge watched it alone, and then regretted wasting that time because he disliked it intensely, too. So ... how long do you watch a movie or read a book before giving up on it?
My family can't remember the last time I watched a movie to the end, they get so annoyed at me and I don't understand what difference it makes to them. I did watch the movie Julie&Julia at the theater to the end. It was the best movie I have seen in a long time.
9. Is there a song that you really love but are embarrassed to admit because it's not cool or it's racy or because it's by Hall and Oates?
10. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = extremely) how spontaneous are you?
I would give myself 9 3/4 because that is my life, when you live on a farm you are a victim of weather and broken down equipment. It is so much a part of our lives we don't even plan to do anything until we are sure we have everything covered.
11. Are you a food and/or beverage snob?
Sweet tea, got to have it, and know where not to go for it.
12. Who/What are you trying to control in your life?
I would like to say my teenage kids but we all know the truth.

sky watch friday

I hope the moon in the picture shows on the blog like it does on my computer.

I used my cuss word today

This is my favorite book worm, she live and breaths to read.

She has begged me to take her to the Bluffton library for weeks, so I finally relented today, when we got there, there was a blind guy trying to get in, so we offered to assist him in, then the worst thing that could happen, happened. their was a paper sign in the door saying the library was closed today because of a power outage. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, and it wasn't the blind guy.

I made a rule at our house that we all were only aloud to use one cuss word every six weeks, So we flew of the handle and let it fly, only after we got in the car and out of earshot of the blind dude.

My day started innocent enough I have been wanting to make a pot of chili for days but have been so busy blogging,drying herbs, and running errands to even get it accomplished, I finely had it almost done when I poured the ratatouille noodles in and low and behold their where bugs in my noodles," RATS". The chickens loved my first batch of chili, I Had to go to the grocery store because I used all my ingredients, the thing that got me the most is I used my home grown tomatoes.

On the other hand she is a real camera jerk it took me three pictures to get her to cooperate, the cat jumped in the picture after I got her to behave.

this is the best picture of her we have taken all year.

PS This is Katie and in this picture I am trying to snarl, but my mom was making me laugh.

Camera Jerk and proud of it!

Random Dozen

2nd cup of coffee: Link Up for the Random Dozen: ".
1.Tell me the absolute best way to watch a movie.
In my favorite recliner under a warm blanket, preferably with homemade cookies and tea.
2. Do you ever think about your own funeral? If so, do you have specific ideas about how you would like it to be?
I certainly hope everyone else in my life has their's planed because it seems like a daunting task,especially if I was in grief
3. Are you more of a giver or a taker?
this is hard to admit, but I am a taker
4. Vacations: planned activities and schedules, or play it by ear?
One year we had the camper packed and where sitting at the end of our driveway, asking if we should go to Michigan where they were supposed to have a rainy week or go the smokey mountains to get away from the rain.
5. What is one often overlooked item in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly?
The back of the piano it is just far enough away from the wall to see the dust , but not enough room to get in there to clean.
6. Name a cause that means a lot to you.
Jesus, and home cooking.
7. Do you eat a regular old peanut butter jelly sandwich, or do you customize it? And by the way, jelly or no jelly?
We have pie makers that you use over the campfire, and I like to make peanut butter and jelly with marshmallow, it is so gooey and sweet, I call it sinful.
8. If we were having a conversation in person, how would I know if you were nervous?
skip
9. Do you have an elaborate bedtime routine, or just the basics of tooth brushing and jammies?
skip
10. Have you ever regretted something you wrote on your blog?
My family made me feel so bad I almost stopped blogging, They had a change of heart and I get their O.K. before I post, sometimes!
11. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a famous person or celebrity? Did you agree?

I wish I had a copier, when I was a teen my cousin thought I looked like princess leah.

12. If you were going to dedicate a song to a loved one or friend, what would the song be and to whom would it be dedicated?"

I love the days I can let my chickens roam,











I have learned not to give them too much freedom because they will head for the road when they're done with my compost.

I am going to miss these

golden fall days.

When it snows nether the chickens or I want to get out.

Rileys band

I'm so proud of Riley, and he is so happy. The band kids seem to be a good group,

Random Dozen

1. Please share one middle school memory. It can be good, bad, ugly, funny. Pictures or words, I don't care, just share.

one of my favorite memorys is having a dance competition in gym my friends and I had so much fun making up a dance, we came in 2ND place though, thanks to me, they made a last minute change and I forgot about it, It was still fun. I'm Number 2.

2. What's your favorite Beatles song?


Hard days night, My kids and I watched the Beatles cartoon on YouTube the other night, I would put in a link but am not sure I know how.

3. If I asked you to describe your most comfortable outfit, what would it be?

St johns bay jeans and a T shirt.

4. Would you rather host a party or be a guest?

defiantly a guest, I wouldn't mind hosting, but I haven't had that much experience.

5. Do you think we will move completely from traditional books to digital ones, and if we do, are you OK with that?

I love audio books, I can listen to a book and pick green beans, or weed the garden, or paint, to my hearts content.

6. Do you learn best by reading, listening or experiencing?

Listening and experiencing.

7. If you are (or when you were) single, what is the kiss of death for you concerning the opposite sex? (That is, what is one trait or behavior or habit or anything at all that immediately turns you off from considering that person a potential match for you?)

8. Snacks. Salty or sweet?
Chex mix with candy corn in it,It covers both, Its my family's favorite.
but if I really had to choose one it would be sweet.

9. Look around you in a four foot radius. What object is around you that you didn't realize was there or forgot was there? How long has it been there?
a pile of dead crickets with no arms or legs. [I have a cat]
10. What is your favorite Tom Cruise movie?

Mission Imposable

11. You buy a bottle of shampoo and discover that you don't like what it does to your hair at all. What do you do with that full bottle?

Give it to good will.

Three cheers for Linda, for helping me figure out how to do memes.

fall pictures

Fall is such a beautiful time of year, everything is in bloom and the Cinderella pumpkins are ready to be picked.

Riley took this picture with one of his feeder mice, it makes a great Autumn decoration.

but we wont be eating my pumpkins this year the little black bug have been eating holes in them we better enjoy them while they last.

Eric and I had our 18th anniversary over the labor day week end and we jokingly say he got me a cat for our anniversary present, Maybe someday I will get to drive it.

Birthday Potty for Jerry

My big brother, Jerry, is 50 years old. I can't believe he made it to this age because I thought mom was going to have him killed for being so ornery.

Being his only sister I thought it was my sisterly duty to give him a toilet seat for his birthday.

This lovely seat comes complete with a silver finish, and trimmed in blue and gold edging that I learned how to do by watching the P.B.S painter

Donna Dewberry I knew I would find a way to use those lessons. and to top it off fifty candles.

and let me tell you folks that was not easy getting them all to stick. Oh yeah on the inside I glued turds that says getting old stinks.

I have three older brothers, Jerry is second child in my family, and the only one who is skinny, and not because he eats healthy. My brother loves to tell of his donuts for breakfast and hot dogs for lunch, yuck!!!

I had the trogan horse breathing down my neck

Hello I'm back, I thought I caught a virus on Sunday, and was afraid to turn on my computer until I could get it checked out by a specialist.

I decided to google my blog name just to see what would come up, and out of the blue a warning popped up and said I had the Trojan horse virus, I froze like a deer in the headlights and slowly put the laptop down so I could consult my husband on what to do.

but he was busy and I forgot until hours later, hubby said to write down just exactly what the warning said, but when I tried the warning went away.

I found out that the hackers get people to freak out and click on there warning and they get infected, so its a good thing that I didnt do anything right away. Whew!!!!
Jenny

Can't seem to give it away

I have been cleaning out my house lately and have a lot of kid games and toys that my kids and I thought we had to have but rarely used.

I had to find a place to unload all these treasures because having a rummage sale is not quite worth it when you live in the boonies among the impoverished country people.

I hardly have anyone to stop let alone buy anything.

When I lived in Muncie Indiana I would get so many customers I would usually sell out. of course I had baby stuff back then.


Well I had the idea to give all the games and toys to our local elementary school so the teachers would have something for the kids to do on rainy days, you think they would jump at the chance for free toys.

I guess my mistake was to offer to deliver the toys because I ended up with the toy banging around in the back of my van for a week, because they wouldn't tell me where and when to bring them.

every time I would make a quick stop or turn a corner this little guitar would bang around It sounded like I was driving Quick Draw McGraw around for a week. I had to ask my brother what his name was, It sure brought back happy memory's of the good old days when cartoons were of mindless entertainment, and no one gets hurt, except that is if you were the youngest of four impressible kids, and the only girl.

this week I made 19 pints of grape jam on Tuesday and last Saturday the kids and I made 8 pounds of noodles. I feel like I earned my keep this week.

Snakes

These are the newest editions to the family.

We went to Indianapolis to the reptile show at the state fair grounds.

It was another world, along with seeing a lot of slithering and scampering things we got our fill of tattooed bodies, and Pierced tongs, yuck! It felt like we went into one of those side shows you pay to get into, and we did five bucks a Piece, it was an experience we will never forget.

Oh yeah remember me asking what could go wrong with buying a snake?, well we found out on the first night. One got out. But no worries we found him.

Riley says;

I love my new snakes. They are so beautiful. I could sit and look at them all day. I have already named the male Julius Squeezer because they are constrictors, but I haven't come up with a good snake name for the female.

I would like the name to have a historic link and it to be funny. I would love suggestions please.

At the snake show I was in haven. Their was so many snakes and frogs and insects there. Some frogs a big as a small plate, some tiny poison dart frogs, tarantulas, and bearded dragons galore . I had a blast.

Gnat trap

I am so relieved to find a way to kill gnats that doesn't result in breeding them.

all you do is make a funnel out of a paper plate that only has a hole big enough for the little tyrants to squeeze through and tape it.

I use a clothes pin to secure it so there are no gaps around the top edges and so it doesn't get knocked off.

Now if only I can find a way to keep bananas from getting brown before my family gets a chance to eat them.

The pet dilemma

My son loves animals, he would live at the pet store if we left him there, I'm sure the owners wouldn't mind, He would gladly handle each one of the animals to tame them and even clean their cages.

but I think they wouldn't want to feed him. Riley likes to eat large quantities of healthy food, No pop tarts for him!

Last spring our neighbor told us about a man who kept pigeons and would give him some of his pigeons who didn't do this trick, (they do flips) very well. They are very amusing to watch.

Well, this Sunday Riley left the cage open and the pigeons wouldn't cooperate and go back in so we had to leave them out, and of course they got ate, and now we have the babies to take care of.

I hate feeding baby birds, they don't do well in my care, and Riley isn't any better at it,

So here is my dilemma do I take them to the local bird lady Diana Freedman, who always ends up with any baby bird I find, Last year it was cardinals, I just couldn't let them die. or take my chances, Riley has decided he doesn't care for birds very much.

the funny part is he wants a corn snake now so bad he can't see straight. What could go wrong with a corn snake?

MY blog about nothing

The three main things you need to be a good blogger is: a good picture, a reporters mind, and some willing victims who don't mind being written about.

I have a camera, and always wish I had it with me, or I run out of batteries, or my subject runs away like ; kids, wildlife, pets,.

I do have some really funny ideas on how to post, but nobody really wants the world to know them as the butt of my jokes, plus my English teacher may not be very happy at grammar and punctuation if she saw this blog.

so there you have it why I haven't been doing much blogging.
I still enjoy reading and commenting on what others blog about.

Jenny

an Owl ate my baby

This morning a Owl eat my favorit chicken, she was one of the chics from this year and was suppost to lay colored eggs, What a bummer.

the chicks are already teens, the older chickens often put them in there place.

Shuch is life on the farm.

Quabache State Park

It's pronounced Wabash, and we had a great time camping there, Its not very far from our home and has a lot of fun things we enjoy doing.

They have a great bike trail that is off the road, goes through the woods, and works it's way to the downtown of Bluffton Indiana where we found the best treasure of all: the Bluffton Library. Its not very convenient for us at all but they have computer classes. I cant seem to find any classes available around my home.

there is a pond with canoe and paddle boats, at the park, Riley had fun sneaking up on the turtles and trying to capture them, no luck thank goodness, I was afraid I might have had to frisk him for aquatic life before we left the pond, because I am sure he would try to keep something it's just the animal lover he is.

we all read John Grisham's THE TESTAMENT it was a great book, and I listened to it on audio with the kids, I like how the lady missionary affected the lawyers outlook on life and that the inheritance had no affect on her.

The kids and I are glad school will start soon, its always great to have something to do.

I will go back to the Bible study at our church, its a long drive and I don't like to drive, There is a section of the highway I drive where accidents occur often, I just missed one last year where a truck slammed into a line of traffic that was stopped for road construction, it killed one woman and injured the maintenance man from my church. I always pray when I go through there.

Fairie houses

Here are some fairies houses I have made in pottery class this year, I have been so blessed to have the opportunity be invited to be a part of this class.

I made this house at Caroleens Herb Farm .

Camping in New Harmoney Indiana

It was so good to get away, we went for seven days, and it rained almost every day, so we had lots of fire wood to burn at the end of our trip.

We had a lot of time to read and play games in the camper, it was very relaxing.

by the way, on my last post I said that I took pictures while I picked raspberries

OOPS, The picture I posted was of Very healthy Milkweed it grows in our meadow by the woods.