scouting with the boys!

i've just returned from a week long camping trip with tommie and his boy scout troop, in northern michigan. it was one of the best adventures we've ever experienced! the mix of 30 plus personalities, the non-stop pranks, the non-stop jokes, the non-stop horse play of boys ages 10 through 17...and even the adult leaders! the wonderful memories, forever imbedded in our minds... the food, new friends and bonding... just really nice... instead of telling you every single detail of our camping trip... i've decided to break it up into the "five senses"...

sound:

artillery from a nearby military camp

thunder

bullfrogs

coyotes

giggles

crackling fire

towels snapping ( a towel fight)

full cans of beans, unopened, tossed in the fire pit.. BOOM! AND BANGING!

spunky chipmunks

bellowing loons

an owl

one rule-following, neurotically anal camp dad (not even a leader), leading by intimidation and pissing everyone off

prayers

guitar playing and sing-alongs: like american pie and cat stevens, james taylor

swearing by teen-agers

sight:

wild pink roses

wintergreen

indian pipes (wildflower)

loons

sleeping bear sand dunes

lake michigan

fossils

wild turkey's

taste:

turkey over the campfire

cobbler cook-off

typical camp food

smell:

smelly boys

wild pink roses

winter green

chocolate cake coming from a dutch oven

blazing fire

pine

touch/feeling/activity:

dodge ball tournament with a 100 plus boys

all the boys learning how to play texas hold em

biking everywhere

hiking everywhere

rain

chess

a gazillion opportunities to earn and complete merit badges

hiking up 450 foot sand dune

a merritime museum

putt-putt golf in traverse city

would i do this again? in a new york minute! would tommie do it again? yes, if he could patrol with the teenagers.

pretty tricky!

by the time you read this i'll be wrapping up my week long tent-camping trip in northern michigan, with a group of men and carloads of smelly boy scouts! thanks to modern technology, i've been able to blog all week... i used the scheduled time option! pretty clever, ugh? i'll be back soon with pictures and stories of my adventures....

smile, wink, nod!

p.s. this isn't my dog in the picture... it's henry... a friends dog.

friday fun!

friday fill-in's

(MY ANSWERS ARE IN ORANGE!)

1. if i could be a fly on the wall i'd love to have lived in tasha tudor's home!

2. jealousy is a poor use of time, immobilizing and zaps your own creative energy.

3. when i see a shooting star, my wish would be that i could see my dad again!

4. i'd rather be me than anyone else anyday!

5. sometimes its best to smile, wink and nod. ignore. hedge your bets and just walk away.

6. our grand old left-winged media, snakes, migraines, and smoking is something i intensely dislike.

7. Kid Rock's, All Summer Long (in Northern Michigan) makes me want to get up and dance!

Happy Friday!

my cousin's garden!

i wanted to share a few pictures of my cousin's vegetable garden. she lives in a detroit suburb. a really nice detroit suburb! her small city lot, the pressure of delivering babies and performing hysterectomies hasn't stopped her from maintaining a well-organized and functional garden! in fact, i'm sure it brings her much joy after a stressful day!

this is the quaint little arbor that welcomes you into her garden! and below, was a playhouse my dad built her... the kids are grown and it's now a garden shed.

"leave room in your garden for the angels to dance!"

smile, wink, nod!

all around the mulberry tree...

my in-laws recently discovered a couple of huge mulberry trees in their woods... and told us to help ourselves! so we did. twice. we hauled and climbed up three ladders. and came home with 7 cups total. i froze most of them...but was excited to make this "mulberry cobbler, baked in a jar." it made my small, little kitchen smell cozy. after baking, i topped them with foil and a red ribbon...and gave them to friends and family, who had stopped by that afternoon. the smallest jars worked perfectly for single friends and dieters. must serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream! smile, wink, nod!

YOUR TURN!

YOUR TURN!

How about sharing some of your favorites in my comment box? Only takes a quick minute and it's a fun way to get new ideas! Ready, set, go!

YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER MEAL?
YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER READ?
YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER BODY LOTION?
YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER SONG?
YOUR FAVORITE COLOR TOE NAIL POLISH FOR SUMMERTIME?

Here are my answers: garden fresh salads with everything on them, the other boleyn girl, mandarin orange-mango lotion, Kid Rock's All Summer Long, fire engine red.

(THE PICTURE ABOVE WAS TAKEN AT MY COUSIN'S HOUSE.)

three feel good blogs!

i've just discovered three feel-good blogs!

here

here

and

here

by the way... what's with the knee-hi's and shoes this vintage babe has on? opinions welcome...leave a comment!

orange!

i've enjoyed making and giving away these bath sachets! they're really a no-brainer. and, fast and easy to make! pinking shears, linen cut up into squares, orange embroidery floss and orange buttons. quick little in and out stitches...and viola'... there you have it. i filled the crude little bags with mango-orange scented bath salts. stop by... i have one waiting for you! smile, wink, nod!

friday fun!

friday fill-in's

(my answers are in turquoise!)

1. my blueprint for success includes: investing in a goat farm. not that i have any immediate plans... but, if one would want to have financial freedom during this recession... then i recommend a goat farm. a suburb nearby, has the largest middle eastern population outside of the middle east itself. and, our local stockyard is selling tons of goats for meat. cha-ching!

2. a couple of tootsie rolls from my father-in-law was the last candy i ate!

3. the best facial moisturizer i've used is: advanced night repair and fruition both by estee' lauder. which by the way, i used to sell. and, i did make-overs and facials. my parents owned the only lauder counter in our county, for several years.

4. reading any book by dr. wayne dyer can be good therapy.

5. i'd like to tell you about my upcoming plans... but, i can't just yet. stay tuned.

6. being dependable and humor are my strongest characteristics.

7. and as for the weekend, tonight i'm looking forward to a hot shower and reading and tomorrow i'm not telling you just yet... you'll find out in due time and sunday i'm still not gonna tell you.. just be patient, you'll find out on the 27th.

(i snapped the picture above at my cousin's house!)

daily blessing ... day 5!

daily blessing

day 5

(blessing's i've received from family and friends last week!)

last week, i enjoyed using a gift certificate for a swedish massage... at a day spa! it was a very generous treat from my mom!


this is the historic victorian spa, which treats their clients like queens!

just one of the many rooms, like this above.. is where you sit and fill out health forms, while listening to beautiful victorian music. the smell of lavender fills the air. trays of bakery cookies and tea await you on an antique table. they looked so good, i wanted to take a handful home with me!

this is the massage table i used. i can't even begin to tell you how splendid it felt. being massaged from forehead to fingertip to toes, for one solid hour...with apricot-almond oil, left me feeling disillusioned. out of touch with reality.

afterwards, i stopped at a nearby salvation army and wandered around in a fog. which is how i drove home. in a fog and feeling completely relaxed. i yawned the rest of the day! thanks mom! i loved my afternoon at the spa!

(sallie, i'm so happy you've reconnected with me and my blog! miss you and mollie. and greatful for your comments! thank you!)

Daily Blessing...day 4!

"daily blessing day 4"

(things my family and friends blessed me with last week)

since creating my china plate border around the herb bed (see my side bar), i've decided to slowly replace the flowerd plates and replace them with tourist plates...the kind the 1950's vacationers used to collect and be thrilled with. I have several already tucked in my garden.. and, last week i was so surprised when my sister-in-law gave me this...the plate is from pennsylvania.



also during last week, rhonda blessed me with egyptian onion seeds! i had no idea egyptian seeds existed. which reminds me, i have to do a little background check on their history.

the mail lady blessed us with our free can of glidden paint. we received iris-purple. i was impressed with the fast delivery and packaging. i have really no idea what i am going to paint...but it was free. and free is good.

on tap for today:

i made a peach cobbler
tommie has two friends over
i hear hide and seek
and gun noises
3 boys eating ice cream
drumsticks and talking
brad's fertilizing our garden
organically
dentist visits
health department for
my t.b. test results


and who knows what else?

daily blessing ...day 3

"DAILY BLESSING...DAY 3"

(sharing the blessings i've received from friends and family last week!)

my doorbell rang unexpectedly last week... i opened it to find my friend robyn, standing there holding a huge bouquet of lavender! in the past, we've talked about different lavender crafts... i am so very happy she remembered and blessed me with this gift! i decided to make lavender soap balls... (the recipe is at the bottom of this post!)

i put a few springs in empty glass juice jars and put them up on our backporch window sills! it's very simple ... and very sweet. thanks robyn...for making my family and i smile!

Lavender Soap Ball Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

2 bars mild, unscented castile or vegetable-based soap (or the equivalent in odds-and-ends)

1/2 cup dried lavender blossoms (available online from many herb companies)

5 drops essential oil of lavender

1/4 cup warm water

1. Using a cheese grater, grate the soap into a large bowl.
2. Add the lavender blossoms to the grated soap.
3. Add the essential oil to the soap mixture, combining thoroughly.
4. Add the warm water and stir.
5. Roll heaping tablespoons of the mix into balls.
6. Place on a cookie sheet and allow to air-dry completely, which will take approximately 2 days.

Holly Hocks, Holly Rocks and herbs!

BLESSINGS!

DAY 2

(things i was blessed with recently, from friends and family!)

i'm loving my hollyhocks.. this is the first time ever, that i've been able to grow them. i could have a field full and never grow tired of looking at them!

i'm finding it hard to believe. i'm not sure why blessings have poured in for me this past week... but each and every day (up until yesterday), i've received very surprising, wonderful, useful and extremely thoughtful gifts...from family and friends! even my friend lisa, who i seldom see, has a prize waiting for me. a big fat thank-you, to ALL of you! you know, i love you all!

my friend holly took a chance and stopped by one evening last week, with this 2 cup pyrex measuring cup in hand. i know, i know... blogging about a simple, basic measuring cup...is sort of dull.. but ummm, if you only knew how much i needed one for soooo long...you'd understand. i put out the word last spring that i was in dire need for one.... i've been using an old tin measuring cup. she actually pulled it off her kitchen shelf and gave me hers! how nice is that? thanks, holl!

after an amazing church service, which is doing a series on dissecting the Lord's Prayer and what each line means... you know...instead of just saying the prayer as fast as you can, i came home and picked a couple fist fulls of mixed herbs. i washed them, patted them dry and stuffed 4 bags full for the freezer. they'll be so welcome in the late fall and winter... i'll use them for seasoning croutons, breads, soups or casseroles.

i was thinking... if you don't have a big variety of herbs yourself...maybe you could have a herb swap. call up a friend or two, have them clip a couple ziplock bag fulls of their herbs... swap and mix them together and freeze! long about january in michigan, fresh herbs are a luxury and very pricey!

Blessings, day one!

BLESSINGS!

"day one"

(what my friends and mom have blessed me with this week!)

looking over my shoulder at the goodness in the world... i've had several days in a row of unexpected blessings! i thought it would be fun to share the nice things in my world and the wonderful people in my little circle!


on tuesday, i was invited to pick currants at my friend rhonda's home. she is the next martha stewart, i swear! and yes, i do swear irl. our visit was too short...but fun and effective and a wonderful summer memory for me! i've never picked currants before.


last winter, she had given me a jar of currant jelly. which brad and i loved. tommie's not a jam or jelly eater. looking at my container full of currants... i knew i'd make a few batches, too. so i did. this has got to be the easiest jelly you could ever make! my sure-gel box didn't have a currant jelly recipe, so i googled. i'll share what i found:

boil the berries until all liquid is out of the skins, strain through a cheese cloth, return 4 cups of juice to pot and add 3 cups of sugar. no need for pectin. the berries have enough natural pectin in them! bring to boil, pour into sterilized jars, skim off foam and seal.

more nice blessings coming in the next few days! how about you, what nice, unexpected thing happened to you this past week?

shabby chic rug hooking!

Look what I've learned how to do! My mom taught me how to rug hook...the new england primitive style! She's been hooking 9 years and travels around to different rug hooking classes and schools. And, her work is really the best of the best... and I'm not just saying that because she's "mom!" her rugs are much richer in color... to go with her decor. but, my house is a little more shabby. hence, the whimsical colors.

over the fourth of july, she taught me how to draw patterns...the pattern i did is just a free hand doodle i did. she also shared her wool (below) with me. and taught me how to hook away! originally, i was going to make a pillow... but instead, i'm going to use this as a chair pad!

different textures really, really appealed to me... budget friendly! above: i used an old green tee shirt i had, the peach is a gingham cotton dress i bought and never wore and the yellow is raffia. thanks mom! i'm loving my new craft!

UNDER $7.00

garage sale finds:

table and chairs $5.

ikea silver bowl .50 cents

leather shoes .25 cents

details:

the tabletop is cement and needs new mosaic tiles or broken dishes stuck in it. this will be a welcome winter project for me. although...it's totally trashy and sweet just the way it is.

on top of the table: i bought a candleholder and vintage plate. total cost: .75 cents. i glued the plate on top of the candleholder and came up with a very inexpensive bird feeder. ..i think it would make an awesome cake plate, too.

also on top of the table: a milk glass vase. .25 cents. my mom used to collect this glass when i was a kid.

ikea bowl: i've never been to ikea. i'd like too...but the closest store is a good hour away. plus, i rarely shop retail. imagine my heart rate when i found this! thump, thump, thump! need i tell you... it's my new favorite bowl!

leather shoes: i found them at a church yard sale. they are backless. and, seriously the best, very best shoes i've ever owned. except for the dock-siders i wore in high school. am i dating myself here?

time to shut the lid on this laptop, make a second cup of instant microwaved coffee and start the day!

recycled garden craft and a few good freebies!

monday morning, found me swatting mosquitoes, picking snow peas (jamie...they're doing swell!), picking green beans and finger sized zucchini in our slow-growing garden!

i also pulled out the clean tin cans i've been saving. dug around for shabby chic colored paints and crudely painted them with one swipe of paint. they dried in no time at all. i stuck sprigs of mint in them and lined them up on the patio.

in the fall, i plan to arrange bouquets of my homegrown zinnias and wildflowers, in the tin cans and sell them in our mini-vegetable roadside stand.

now, how about some fun freebie's? sometimes i get freebies and think... i'll never use this.. if you find yourself doing that... donate it to your church! our church, like most, has those little grooming baskets on the bathroom counter... just toss your sample in there and bless someone! smile, wink, nod!

PURITY SHAMPOO

VIVA PAPER TOWEL

NIVEA FOR MEN

i'll be putting kid-friendly freebie's up on my twisted education blog, in a few minutes... so click over... look on my sidebar...you'll find my link. see you there!

Lily the Twig Person!

yesterday, saturday morning left tommie and i running in really slow motion... we had a late night of family fun, fireworks and way too much potato salad... i took advantage of our laziness, popped in a movie and gathered up supplies to make "lily the twig person!" the movie, "are we done, yet?" was a cute little comedy...and preteen friendly.

this craft is about as cheap as you can get! i sure wish my pictures weren't so cloudy! how about if i list what i used:

scraps of wool for the face
vintage baby buttons for the eyes
raffia
twigs
ivory colored thread
a dried allium
no glue (all tied and sewn)

the movie was 90 minutes long... and i was finished in less time then that.

the sky's the limit on what nature treasures you could use!

i plan to make a family of these and maybe a dog?

time for me to say good-bye for now and head over to our happy, up-lifting church! i can't wait!

the fourth and political wonderings?

the fourth, 2009:

we celebrated on the third
nice family bbq at my mom's cottage
my mom makes the best potato salad in the whole world(one of those recipes her mom passed down to her... with no recipe... it's an eyeball this and that thing!)
watched fireworks over the lake on her pontoon boat
first time ever, we were in long johns and winter coats, celebrating our Independence.. hence again, so much for global warming in michigan.
the boys went to a local bump and run show
i learned a new and exciting craft from my mom (i can't wait to share it with you... you'll flip over it!)

things I'm wondering about on this early 4th:

wondering what sarah palin's motive is?
wondering if hawaii will exist after today?
wondering why micheal jackson used diprovan? instead of just simply sleep, by tylenol?
wondering and concerned about the cap and trade program?

i'd love to hear what your fourth of july plans were and your political thoughts. leave a comment and i'll comment back! smile, wink, nod.

Z is for Zellweger Renee': Miss Potter!

another rainy, cold, damp day here in michigan. much like weather across the pond. with all of my gardens in beautiful shades of green, rabbits chasing each other through my yard, toads jumping about and birds happily singing...i thought a trip to blockbuster to rent the dvd miss potter, would be a perfect afternoon... my boys were elsewhere. the movie was beautiful. anything to do with the countryside in england holds my interest and pulls me away from reality. the movie does have a handful in inaccuracies. and, i giggled out loud-all by my lonesome, at the many scenes where Beatrix, a 32 year old woman, still under her parents tight supervision...had to trapes around with an old guardian woman. weird and a little sick, in my opinion. aside from that... it was a fascinating story. and, i would gladly see it again. smile, wink, nod.

Y is for a very yummy summer dessert!

tonight finds me married to a 49 year old man!

instead of birthday cake, i made brad's favorite pistachio pudding! i mixed a handful of blueberries in, topped it with cool-whip and sprinkled more berries on top! it was just enough sweetness.. and didn't leave us feeling heavy and bogged down with cake and ice cream.


things i did on this very chilly, dark and rainy day:

wore a sweatshirt
grey
had heat on in the car
treadmill 30 minutes
2 miles
watched sheppard smith
made homemade croutons
from old bread i had
picked a variety of herbs
basil
marjoram
parsley
rosemary
picked snow peas
shuffled through walmart
shopped for brad's birthday gifts
dropped off a bag at goodwill
shopped at goodwill
bought 3 vintage plates
shopped at joann fabrics
bought orange paint
bought supplies for a new craft
shot tommie's new air soft machine gun
pork chops and corn on the cob on the grill
cleaned my closet
was a disaster
now an organized disaster
discussed communism
and the cold war with tommie
and fidel castro
looked for freebies on the internet
found zero
made homemade fabric softener


time for me to surf the blogs i've listed on my sidebar! see you tomorrow!