Now how could you NOT smile at that??

Theme Thursday = Light

light:

Function: adjective

Definition 4 : having little weight :

not heavy, as in "light as a cloud"

Grim Reaper? spaceship? dog? red snapper? dragonfly? six legged pig?

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• Lilting
• Imaginary forms
• Gliding
• High above
• Tree tops

O, it is pleasant, with a heart at ease,

Just after sunset, or by moonlight skies,

To make the shifting clouds be what you please,

Or let the easily persuaded eyes

Own each quaint likeness issuing from the mould

Of a friend's fancy.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Visit all my friends at Theme Thursday HERE!

Where I Blog

A couple of my blog friends posted recently where

their computers are and where they blog! I thought

I'd join in, especially this week as I've just painted

my desk and chair. This is actually a breakfast

nook in our kitchen and it's the perfect spot for

this stay-at-home mom that runs a little business

out of the home, too. I can stir the spaghetti

sauce and email almost simultaneously! ha.

This is where I have my second cup of coffee each

morning. The first one is while I'm still in bed, you know!

I check my email and I check in on you! :)

My desk chair was needing some TLC, so I got out my

girlie power tools, wood glue, wood filler and spray

paint. The back was broken and the fabric needed to be

replaced. There were 6 layers of fabric on the seat!

I filled my candy dish with cherries. That has to be

healthier, right? ha. I can't seem to get enough of

them this summer. They are extra sweet and juicy.

So, where do you blog? Do you have a desk, an office,

or a laptop that you carry where ever you want?

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You know how the saying goes...

"I love my computer, because all

of my friends live in it!"

Blackberry Crisp

Fresh berries....

crumbled topping..... baked until brown and bubbly..... enjoy..... I keep a bag of crisp topping in the freezer, ready to make crisp at a moment's notice. Just layer over fruit and bake. Light and buttery...no oats or anything too heavy.

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Fruit Crisp

3 c sugar

2 1/4 c flour

2 1/2 sticks cold butter

***

Pulse in food processor until crumbly.

Layer over fruit and bake 350

for 40-60 minutes until golden.

If using apples, add cinnamon.

If fruit is very juicy, sprinkle with some

Minute Tapioca before adding topping.

Recipe makes enough for a generous

layer over one 9x13 or two 8x8 pans.

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Malapropsisms, Bushisms and Colemanballs

Mrs. Malaprop (Mary Louise Wilson) & Sir Anthony Absolute (Will LeBow), The Rivals

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. In his 1775 Restoration comedy, The Rivals, Richard Sheridan introduced a humorous character by the name of Mrs. Malaprop. The name is derived from the French mal à propos, (inappropriate), and describes the way she used many words in her speech. The self-educated Mrs. Malaprop was always substituting a similar-sounding word for the word actually intended, making a hilariously nonsensical sentence. The name Malaprop has been immortalised in the form of the malapropism, which means any sentence in which one word has been used incorrectly in place of another.

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Here are a few malapropisms that have been gathered from the Internet:

~~Flying saucers are just an optical conclusion.

~~A rolling stone gathers no moths.

~~Let's get down to brass roots.

~~Their father was some kind of civil serpent.

~~The flood damage was so bad they had to evaporate the city.

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And here are some malaprops from famous people:

~~"It is beyond my apprehension." Danny Ozark, baseball team manager

~~"Listen to the blabbing brook." Norm Crosby

~~"And then he [Mike Tyson] will have only channel vision." Frank Bruno, boxer

~~"The police are not here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder." Richard Daley, former Chicago mayor

~~"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child." Dan Quayle, Vice President

~~"Well, that was a cliff-dweller." Wes Westrum, about a close baseball game

~~"If Gower had stopped that [cricket ball] he would have decapitated his hand." Farokh Engineer

~~"We seem to have unleased a hornet's nest." Valerie Singleton

~~"It will take time to restore chaos and order." George W. Bush, President

~~"Be sure and put some of those neutrons on it." Mike Smith, ordering a salad at a restaurant

~~"It's got lots of installation." Mike Smith, describing his new coat

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In Britain, malapropisms are called Colemanballs. The name was coined by Private Eye magazine and is derived from David Coleman, a BBC sports commentator particularly prone to such slips. Others famous for their malapropisms are Yogi Berra, George W. Bush, and Murray Walker.

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To have more fun with words, click on my label "word games". Information gathered from fun-with-words.com

Thoughts on Laughing

“Nobody says you must laugh, but a sense of humor can

help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant,

cope with the unexpected, and smile through the day”

Ann Landers

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Did you know studies show that people who laugh

regularly add seven years to their lives?

I figure stress probably takes away seven years,

so if I laugh a lot, maybe I'll break even and

die when I was supposed to originally!

LOL!

Thai Pasta Salad

Perfect for summer...a chilled pasta salad

with lots of spicy heat.

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Thai Pasta Salad

1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked and cooled

2-3 c cooked, shredded chicken

2 c shredded cabbage mix

1/2 c peanut sauce

2 T honey

3 T lime juice

******

Whisk peanut sauce, honey and juice

together and pour over the rest.

Mix well and chill.

Theme Thursday = Park

googleimages.com

• Pleasant time
• Away from
• Routines
• Kept

visit all my theme thursday friends HERE!

Dog Tags For Nonverbal Children

I don't think I've ever shared

with my autism parent bloggers the dog tags

that I had made for my boys. It can be a bit unnerving

to take a nonverbal child some where. If you loose them,

they probably won't be able to communicate who they

are or where they live. They wear these tags when

we go out and about. One side has the autism awareness

ribbon and the other side has their name, address and

phone number. And yes, those colors have always

been assigned to them... red for Harry, green for

Spencer and blue for Alex.

I ordered my tags through an eBay seller ~ sorry

it's been a few years and I don't remember who.

I've seen several sites online that do this...mostly for

for the elderly or those with medical conditions.

I chose one that offered to etch anything I wanted so

I could do the awareness ribbon on the back side.

I made sure to get stainless steel so they wouldn't rust.

It's not as secure as a computer chip under their skin,

but it is less expensive. LOL!

Limits

Some how the converations on my blog this past week

continually turned to making the best out of a bad

situation, looking at the glass as half full instead of

half empty, and keeping a sense of humor.

So naturally, when Mr. Toast announced the Creative

Tuesday theme as being limits or boundaries, I thought of

a few of my favorite quotes that go along that line of thinking.

And then I wrote my own to go around my glass of

lemonade...which is completely full, I might add! ;)

Our thoughts and imagination are the

only real limits to our possibilities.

Orison Swett Marden

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Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers!

(love this one!)

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I seldom think about my limitations,

and they never make me sad.

Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times;

but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.

Helen Keller

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Most people are not really free.

They are confined by the niche in the world

that they carve out for themselves.They limit themselves

to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.

V. S. Naipaul

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And the peace of God, which passes all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philipians 4:7

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The only thing that could spoil a day was people.

People were always the limiters of happiness

except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.

Ernest Hemingway

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I want to be one of the 'very few' that Hemingway talks about!

To see more creative ideas on 'limits' click HERE!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This could really be called cake.

Rich and moist.

Best aged one day.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

2 c sugar

1 1/4 c vegetable oil

4 c grated zucchini

2 t vanilla extract

6 T unsweetened cocoa powder

2.5 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 t cinnamon

1 c chocolate chips

******

In mixer blend eggs, sugar and oil well.

Add zucchini, mix well.

Sift dry ingredients and mix on low.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 in greased bundt pan.

(I used an angel food cake pan)

for 50-55 minutes.

toothpick test

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Part 9

Because some days you need more than others, and in the spirit of keeping it real, here's a glimpse of recent events with my five men! I leisurely walked to the back doors to look out onto the back porch this morning to find this! I had left a new bag of birdseed on the chair. A raccoon obviously had a really fun time during the night! And you know what? He picked out all of the peanuts! :)

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My DSL router box died. Two days, $100, 5 phone calls, including 3 to technical support men in India, (none of them were very nice!) later and we have Internet again. I don't know who had more withdrawal symptoms...the boys or me! Well, I do...but I won't admit it. :)

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Spencer has developed an aversion to the curtains hanging on the living room windows! Maybe it's because it's the only room in the house that has curtains? The other rooms have blinds only. Maybe he think they are silly! What ever it is, no punishment seems to work. He just keeps sneaking in there when I'm not looking and tugs them down! :)

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One of the few things Spencer eats is turkey. He likes oven roasted deli turkey and I usually buy a whole one at Sam's Club, cube it, and freeze it in weekly portions. This morning I went to the refrigerator to get it out to cut up and couldn't find it. I bought it Tuesday. Yes, it was on my receipt. Not in the refrigerator. Not in the freezer. Yep..you guessed it! Still in the Jeep. 48 hours in 90 degree temperatures. $25 right in the garbage can. The good thing? It was completely sealed and didn't stink up my new wheels! Sigh. With all those boys helping unload groceries, you'd think we could get them all in the house! Ugh.

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But it hasn't all been bad! :)

--I'm still loving my new wheels!

--The sweet corn has been marvelous...

(Heat and rain are good for some things!)

--The boys slept in until 7:00 this morning!

What a treat from their usual 5:30 to 6:00 AM!

(Somehow they missed the memo that

teenagers sleep until noon! )

--And I'm still loving my fresh new bedroom

(Who wouldn't after all that mess! ha!)

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Yes, I'm laughing...so laugh with me! Oh my, oh my....this is a crazy, crazy life! OK...I need more coffee....

Theme Thursday = Help

• Hand
• Extended,
• Lovingly
• Provided

"In helping others, we shall help ourselves,

for whatever good we give out

completes the circle and comes back to us.”

Flora Edwards

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visit all of my theme thursday friends HERE!

Keeping Cool

We've been eating lots of ice cream this summer!

It's the tastiest way to stay cool!

Even better when topped with hot fudge!

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup quality chocolate chips (60% cacao)

1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 T butter

2 T water

1 t pure vanilla extract

Melt first four ingredients over low heat in sauce pan.

Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Let cool to room temperature before spooning

over ice cream.

Enjoy!

Metamorphasis Monday = Bedroom Redo

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch

for her weekly Metamorphosis Monday, where

bloggers can show their home improvements.

Here's the 'before' picture of our master bedroom.

The flowered pink wallpaper was beginning to

show it's age and I was tiring of it. And having

redone the connecting bath last year, I wanted

to make the whole master suite blend together.

So, I stripped wallpaper for an entire week.

Some wallpaper comes off nice and easy.

Some kinds don't! Even with a wallpaper

perforator and steamer machine, it was awful!

To make a long story short, we were left with rough,

uneven walls that sandpaper and thick primer couldn't fix.

Time to call in some professional help in our friend Kris, who

suggested ultra thin 1/4" drywall for brand new walls.

He also painted for us....a welcome change for me!

Just a few days later and he was finished!

Gray walls, dark stained wood and gold accents

completed the new look.

The new gray sheets had an extra set of pillowcases, which

I cut into strips, pulled out the sewing machine

and made grey trim for the liners of the under-bed

storage baskets. Would you believe they are empty?

I've uncluttered SO much in the last few years that

I have empty baskets and some empty closet shelves!

(yes, I confess, I'm a recovering clutter bug! ha ha)

A view from the window... Behind one of the door ~ a back-of-the-door hanging ironing board. Very nice ~ also doubles as a place to dry hand-wash sweaters. Still need to put something on the walls. I love antique prints, so I'll take my time until I fine just the right thing. Also considering picking some family photos to have blown up and toned in sepia. And if I ever had time to read a book, this caned chaise and ottoman would be perfect! ;) I found this metal candle stick holder at the thrift store for $2.50. I painted it with leftover white primer. :) You know I love birds, right? I have such a massive seashell collection, you'd never believe I've lived in the Midwest my entire life! :) I moved some in here, including the mirror. Several years ago, I got my glue gun out and copied one that I saw in a mail order catalog that was selling for $350! I still need a lampshade! If anyone knows what type of shade is appropriate for this antique lamp, I'd love some advise. I'm thinking a white barrel or drum shaped shade but don't know how low on the base it should go. Any ideas? Yes, I still have my coffee maker on my bedside table! It's programmable, and doubles as my alarm clock. Nothing like sitting up in bed and having your coffee right there! I just bring a mug back with the water and beans each evening. So nice to start the day like this! Here's my view while sitting in bed each morning with my coffee...looking into the closet and bath area. So nice to have this project done! But have you ever noticed that when you paint a room, it makes other rooms look like they need it? Yep...there are several rooms here looking like that! ha-ha. If you want to see more re-dos, be sure and visit Susan's blog starting Monday, by clicking HERE.

Spencer Speaking

Spencer is really coming along in saying a few words!

I thought you might like a glimpse into what it's like

to try and work with him like I do. Here's a couple

of minutes of us playing "Name That Body Part"

Yes, there's a lot of background noise...4 other

men, 2 parakeets, chiming clocks, etc. LOL!

It's only quiet when I'm home alone!

Theme Thursday = Ball

• Basketball to Banana,
• A
• Lovely
• Lunar Eclipse

This acrostic is especially for my dear friends

Jeffscape and Mmm, whose lives seem to come

to a sudden halt if I don't include an acrostic

in my Theme Thursday posts! LOL!

Enjoy, gentlemen. :)

Make sure the rest of you visit all my

Theme Thursday friends by clicking HERE!

The last lunar eclipse was 6-26-10. If you missed

it, the next one is 12-21-10!

Raspberries

My back yard is full of them, so naturally when

the theme for Creative Tuesdays was 'snack', I

thought of my raspberries! I haven't baked a thing

with them...just been eating them just like this!

Monday the 5th is the deadline for 'snack' entries. Go visit Mr. Toast and see all the entries, which he will showcase on Tuesday the 6th. The next theme will be assigned then, too! Why don't you join in?

Click HERE to visit or sign up!

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“The jelly - the jam and the marmalade, And the cherry-and quince-"preserves" she made! And the sweet-sour pickles of peach and pear, With cinnamon in 'em, and all things rare! And the more we ate was the more to spare, Out to old Aunt Mary's! Ah!”

James Whitcomb Riley

Independence Day

Happy Birthday, America!

Birthday Boy

taylor and daniel, 7-2-10

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He's 19 years old! College sophomore,

and nearly perfect son. :)

Friend Daniel (think Florida trip and dead mouse!)

came over for Taylor's favorite birthday meal of slow

cooked bbq ribs and turtle cheesecake. Then they

were off to Daniel's for a fireworks party out

in the country. Seems like just yesterday

we called him "Taylor Bug"! Awwww. :)