Virtual Travels to Aspen

In case you hadn't heard yet, tomorrow is Mr. Toast's

First Annual Christmas Tea....a virtual tea party held

at his blog, Hot Toast and Jam! Every one is invited...

just go to his blog and sign up! It's sure to be a

fun filled cyber party! I'm taking this gorgeous

train to Aspen and touring the Rocky Mountains

before arriving tonight to have dinner with some of

other guests arriving early.

I thought this cute sweater dress would be

warm and comfy to wear while on the train! Isn't Aspen a gorgeous site at Christmastime?

In reality, I'm busy putting together gift baskets with my

little home business. I'm bringing a few on the train with me

for all the guests...filled with teas, gingerbread men and

other yummy delicacies. So....see you tomorrow in Aspen....

come on over to Mr. Toast's blog and join the fun!

Metamorphasis Monday = Hallway Redo

To see more blogger's and their renovations,

visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch! The stripey wallpaper and floral border was screaming 1980's to me....it had to GO! Fortunately, most of it pulled off very nicely! Taupe walls and fresh white woodwork called for a beach theme. I distressed the frames... ...and used shells from my enormous collection. The type tray had hung here empty for years. Now it has some interest to it! I like that it has a theme and looks complete, like any other room in the house. Much better!

Sepia Saturday = Auntie

Welcome to the first Sepia Saturday!

What began as a fictitious theme day by Alan

Burnett of News From Nowhere, has actually

started as of today! No rules...just post a

sepia picture on your blog!

This is Winifred Hanna, my great, great aunt Winnie.

We all called her Auntie. It's most appropriate

that I put up her picture so close to Thanksgiving

because it is her original recipes for Cranberry Salad

and homemade Chicken and Noodles that I still

make each holiday. I also have a few antique

dishes that belonged to her.

So, happy Sepia Saturday, blog friends!

Join in, if you would like!

Happy Day After!

And all the cooks would certainly agree that the best

part about cooking all that food yesterday is that

today, there is NO cooking (and maybe tomorrow!)

The Mister had his favorite turkey, dressing and cranberry

sandwich last night. The first of many this weekend, I'm sure.

We'll probably have something Italian by Sunday.

Lasagna or spaghetti always tastes especially nice

after all the traditional Thanksgiving fare.

So, are you out with the crowds today doing some shopping?

Not me...I prefer to sleep in (til 10:00!!!) and have pecan

pie for breakfast! LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than houses. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. H.U. Westermayer

~~~~~~~~

Back in 1621, their menu most likely consisted of wild turkey, duck, fish, and venison. Corn, beans and squash would have been typical vegetables. No potatoes, white or sweet, were available at this time. No cranberry sauce. No pumpkin pie, without flour or ovens. And yet, their prayer of thanksgiving is not at all different from ours....gratefulness for family, for good food, and for blessings!

~~~~~~~~

"O Thou who has given us so much,

mercifully grant us one thing more ~ a grateful heart." ...

George Herbert

~~~~~~~~

"Be grateful for what you have now. As you begin to think about all the things in your life you are grateful for, you will be amazed at the never ending thoughts that come back to you of more things to be grateful for. You have to make a start, and then the law of attraction will receive those grateful thoughts and give you more just like them."

Rhonda Byrne

~~~~~~~~

Happy Thanksgiving, Blog Friends! I'm thankful for you!

Pie

Betsy's Pecan Pie

I'll be busy baking pies on Wednesday.

Pecan and pumpkin

are the favorites for Thanksgiving around here.

What's your favorite?

Cozy Throws

I drooled on the 'fur' throws at Pottery Barn for $149.

I petted the ones at T. J. Maxx for $59.

And I snatched up the ones at Big Lots for $15!

They were so fine, I bought

a white one for the living room and an expresso brown

one for the family room! Yay!

Two beautiful reasons to be a couch potato this winter!

Faux mink feels just like Nugget. :)

Metamorphasis Monday = Boys' Computer Room Redo

To see other bloggers with renovations,

visit Metamorphasis Monday at Susan's blog,

Between Naps on the Porch!

18 years and four boys can do this to a spare bedroom!

We didn't notice how badly the wallpaper had faded

or how dirty it really was until I removed part of the

chair rail border. Ugh!

The wallpaper steamer came in handy! And Nugget was my constant companion! Everyone needs a giant lop-eared bunny for a supervisor! Here's that fun wipe-clean couch I told you about earlier that I found at Big Lots. It's called a Click-Clack sofa and can fold flat to make a twin sized bed. Taupe colored walls, black furniture and red accents make the room look great for boys who are now young men. Since it's a small room, I kept the furniture to the walls and left as much floor space as possible. It makes vacuuming much easier, too. I framed some prints from an old calendar. Here's that funny 1931 print from the Toy Train Society. The colors in this print were perfect...love the lady traveler in her 1920's outfit! I did the poor-man's style of framing here...cut out the print from an old book and attached it to a piece of printer paper with rubber cement for a 'mat'. All the frames were thrift store finds that I painted black. And I made a sign to put above the window. It was originally a shelf....the only part of a bookcase that wasn't damaged. The rest went in the trash and the shelf became a sign! I got my inspiration from the talented Susie Harris at Bienvenue! I'm so pleased with the room that I immediately started on the hallway....1980's striped walls and floral border...they have to go! LOL!

Bay State Muffins

I'm not sure why these are called Bay State...maybe they

originated in Massachusetts! Anyway, they are a

filling muffin with a hearty texture. Moist and chocked

full of fruit, veggies, and nuts....they are good for you, too!

Bay State Muffins

2 large apples, unpeeled

1 c fresh, raw cranberries

1 c carrots

1 c pecans

Buzz all of the above in food processor.

Spoon into a large bowl and add:

1 1/3 c sugar

1/2 c oil

2 eggs

2 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

2 t baking soda

1 T baking powder

Stir until combined, then gently fold in

2 1/2 c flour just until combined.

Bake in muffin tins 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Toothpick test. Makes 18 muffins ~ so eat,

freeze, and give some away!

Yum!

Theme Thursday = Late

Everyone has been late a few times in their lives. The most common reasons for being late to work include traffic, sick kids, falling back to sleep, going back to get a forgotten item, or misplacing your keys.

One in five employees admit to making up fake excuses to explain their tardiness. Hiring managers provided the following 10 examples of the most unusual excuses employees offered for arriving late to work:

1. I dreamed that I was fired, so I didn't bother to get out of bed.

2. I had to take my cat to the dentist.

3. I went all the way to the office and realized I was still in my pajamas and had to go home to change.

4. I saw that you weren't in the office, so I went out looking for you.

5. I couldn't find the right tie, so I had to wait for the stores to open so I could buy one.

6. My son tried to flush our ferret down the toilet and I needed to tend to the ferret.

7. I ran over a goat.

8. I stopped for a bagel sandwich, the store was robbed and the police required everyone to stay for questioning.

9. A bee flew in my car and attacked me and I had to pull over.

10. I wet my pants and went home to change.

So, there you have it! Next time you are running late, you can give usual "I couldn't find my car keys" or you could be a bit more imaginative and say you ran over a goat! LOL!

• Evasion
• eXcuse
• Cop-out
• Unravel
• Story
• Explain
• Song and dance

Info from careerbuilder.com poll taken in 2006

To read more blogs with Theme Thursday, click here!

Suckers on the Sill

Spencer thought he would add his own

touches to the room renovations!

Playing Trains

Toy Train Society, Germany. 1931.

Isn't this the funniest picture? Obviously twins with

a shared passion. If there was just one more man,

it could be my boys in 30-40 years.

The print is being framed and going up in their new

computer room. Fun, fun!

"I see TV ads about detergents that can get blood stains out of your clothes. I say if you have blood stains on your clothes you should be thinking about something other than laundry!" ~~Jerry Seinfeld

I was gone for a couple of days last week and did laundry

all weekend just to catch up! No blood stains...but lots

of other stains and dirt! How come every one is

messier when the mom is gone???

And speaking of Seinfeld, don't you miss that show?

The Mister and I used to laugh and laugh!

I need to find the reruns!

Glazed Apple Cake

Glazed Apple Cake

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

Mix the above ingredients together in mixer.

Add:

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Blend well. It will be a very stiff batter.

Next stir in:

3 cups chopped tart peeled apples

Mix well.

Bake @ 350F in a greased bundt pan

for 1 hour and 15 minutes ~ toothpick test.

Remove from pan when cooled.

Drizzle with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla

and a 1/2 t soft butter whisked together.

Originally from Lora's blog, My Blessed Life.

Wise Words

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.”

~Isak Dinesen, (Karen Blixen)

Happy Weekend, Blog Friends!

Theme Thursday = Telephone

The Telephone Call

Harrison Fisher, 1903

• Audio
• Loud and Clear
• Earpiece
• teXting
• Antennae
• Number
• Digital Technology
• Electrical
• Ringtone

• Give me a hollar
• Rotary dial
• AT&T
• Hook
• Adapter
• Minutes

• Bars
• Essential
• Landline
• Long distance

A Thank You Basket

Someone ordered an "autumnal thankyou" basket from me.

I'd say this shows appreciation and autumn very well!

Seeing on a countdown clock in blogland that Christmas

is only 44 days away, I bought my first Christmas present while

I was out today. I also made my gift list, to make sure I

don't forget anybody! 44 days? Really? Where did this year go?

Before I worry too much about that, I need to remember that

Thanksgiving is only 16 days away!

Oh, What A Beautiful Day!

Have you ever had one of those days where everything fell together perfectly? They don't come along very often (at least for me!) , so when it does happen, I take notice!

Yesterday was the first day in 8 school days that I didn't get a phone call regarding Spencer. He was taking drastic measures to make the teachers believe he was sick so he could go home. He threw up several times a day on his clothes, even resorting to wetting his pants, smiling, and pointing to the clinic. Autism or not, this isn't the type of phone call I relish getting from the school! So, I was very pleased to hear from the teacher that he had a completely normal day!

Our vacuum died this week. Fortunately, that anonymous gift someone gave us last month came in handy for ordering a new one! Before I left to run some errands, the UPS man left it on the front porch! Yea!

While I was out and about, I wanted to find a loveseat. Preferably black faux leather, for the boys' computer room that I've been redecorating. (No more fabric furniture for this family of crazy boys!) I thought I would check Big Lots first. I walked in and found exactly what I wanted within a minute or two, paid for it and had it loaded in my van in no time at all. Not only was it an excellent price, but they gave me a discount for taking the floor model. Yea!

As I went to the next three destinations, I was amused to find a perfect parking spot at every stop! I also walked straight up to each cashier without any waiting in line! By the time I was on my way home, driving in beautifully warm autumn weather, I found myself humming that wonderful song from "Oklahoma"...you know the one!

Do you think it may have something to do with that gravitational pull? I mean, afterall, I can get brooms to stand on end and defy gravity! Maybe my lucky stars were perfectly in line today! I'm sure tomorrow I'll be back to reality! LOL!

My Broom Is Standing On It's Own

The Mister came home today and said his assistant pulled a

broom from the custodian's closet and made it stand on it's own!

Apparantly there is a strong gravitational pull during this season

that allows this to happen! So, we tried it! We tried our corn

husk broom and then the one with the angled bristles! Both

of them are standing at attention, as you can see! Kinda creepy,

I must say! I guess the pull started back in October and has

another week left. So, is it really a gravitational thing? I guess

there is a big debate whether it is a gravity defying pull or some

thing paranormal. If a witch grabs my broom and flies away,

I'll let you know! hee!

Turkey, Your Days are Numbered

googleimages

I think this one's trying to hide in plain sight!

Butterhorn Rolls

These homemade crescent rolls are a family favorite!

Recipe

~~~~

1 1/2 c milk

1 c butter

1/2 c sugar

Place these in large glass measuring cup, microwave 1 minute.

Pour warm mixture into electric mixer bowl and add....

3 eggs

1 t salt

1 pkg yeast

5 1/2 c flour (gradually as mixer is running)

Cover with damp towel and let rise until doubled.

Punch down. Oil top and cover with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate overnight.

~~~~

Divide into 4 balls. Roll each into a circle.

Brush with softenend butter (2T each circle).

Cut each circle into 16 wedges. I use a pizza wheel.

Roll into crescents, starting at the wide end.

Rise on cookie sheets 2 hours, lightly covered.

Bake 350 until golden, 10-12 minutes.

Brush with melted butter (optional)

These tiny little beetles are so cute....outside!

For some reason, I've had some want to be inside

now that it is cold! It's not an invasion,

but still...2 or 3 found in the kitchen every day is a little weird!

So far, I've been kind and relocated them outdoors.

Did you know...

1. The U.S. has more than 450 types of ladybugs.

2. A ladybug may fly 100 miles in search of food.

3. In the winter, ladybugs hibernate under leaves.

4. A ladybug can have 0 to 24 dots on its body.

5. And, I hear it's good luck if they land on you!

Theme Thursday = Castle

Aren't these sand castles and sculptings amazing? (Images from Google.)

• Compacting the sand is essential.
• Art. Imagination is the only limitation.
• Sand and water are the only materials allowed.
• Tools used range from common garden tools to intricate dental instruments
• Live ~ most are done as part of organized competitions worldwide. Professionals are hired as entertainment for gatherings.
• Essential to all sculptors is the basic drinking straw for blowing away excess sand!

"Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." ~~Henry David Thoreau