Fun News!

Guess what? I'm so stoked! I casually sent some pictures in to Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage for her "Cottage of the Month" posting. And she loved my pictures! I'm so pumped I can't stand it. At first I had my moment of "This is ridiculous, my house looks nothing like her archive pictures. How embarrassing!" and Ashley told me "Shut yo mouth!" so I took a deep breath and she loved them! The Archer house is going to be featured as the Cottage of the Month in either March or April! Whoo-hoo!

Sorry! It's just, you know, your home is your home with all its Kleenex boxes and cords and remote controls and plasticware. And to have someone say they like it and like it enough to post pictures of it on their ca-yute website is exciting!

She's so super-duper nice, too! She was all excited with me and kept giving me encouragement about lighting and hanging in there for a good shot. I'm a terrible photographer and some that I sent her had the remote control and my ever-present pink plastic mug full of ice water and dollies and such. But I eventually cleared all that out. You don't want to see my hubbie's "Old Skool Rodz" magazine? Oh.

So, stay tuned! I'll keep you posted.

Get it?

Posted?

Iiiiit's Groundhog Day!

Well, not yet. Friday. Friday is groundhog day. And not a whole lot to get excited about, I know, but a holiday just the same and you know me! Gotta be festive. the girls and I make these Groundhog cupcakes every year. We started when Molly was about two years old and it was the messiest, stickiest task. It's much better now. In fact, they do most of it themselves and I just vacuum up the cookie crumbs afterwards. It's a chocolate cupcake iced with white (snow) icing with an Almond Joy mini candy bar sticking out. Then we crumble cooky crumbs on top to make it appear that dirt is pushing out of his hole. M&M's for ears.


The only problem is that it makes sooooo many so I'm giving them away to everyone. Inflicting them on teachers, coaches, piano teachers, co-workers. I cannot have mini-almond joys lurking around my house. They won't stay for long.

"Here's a little groundhog furry and brown
He's coming up to look around.
If he sees his shadow, down he'll go.
Six more weeks of winter! OH NO!"
-Author Unknown

Project

Hello out there!

I know, I know I've been lax about posting.

But I have an excuse.

Remember the box of pictures that I told you about that I snagged from my Shuggie's house? Well, I've been scanning them all into my computer and creating a slide show which I am in the process of saving onto DVD to give to my family for Valentine's Day.

Shhhhh...don't tell!

It is taking FOREVER! But I'm loving it. I'm finding all these memories that I didn't know I had when I come across these photos of my family and days gone by. I get nostalgic and have to stop and wipe away tears and then I blow my nose and get up and go bore my husband with remembered stories. He's so patient, but I know he would love it if I would pick up some of these pictures that are laying all over the place and not screech at him "Don't disturb my piles! I have them in oooooorder!" Or if he could, possibly, have the use of the laptop for five minutes without me saying "Are you about finished? Are you almost done?". I got a lot done while he was out of town this week and, hopefully, will finish up this weekend. With his help, bless him.

Anyhoo, that is why I haven't been blogging much. I get cross-eyed from looking at the computer screen and I can't even think about making myself type another word or look at another picture. But, bear with me. I'm almost finished, I'm almost done!

So, these people are my great-grandparents. Aren't they adorable? Look at their clothes. I'm estimating that this was taking around 1923. Look at my MaMa and her little flapper hat and DaDa with his little vest and jaunty lapels. They had nothing. Nothing, when my grandma was growing up. He was a teacher/farmer and my grandma was born in 1928 on an Indian Nations reservation (we are not of Indian descent, he was a teacher there) where Dada taught for several years. Then they moved to his farm when the depression didn't allow his salary to be drawn from the government anymore. It makes me wonder what happened to those little American-Indian children who lost their only teacher. Then they were considered better off than most because they had things like milk and eggs and fresh food.

My grandmother tells me about how her father taught her to value her education and her faith and that, even though they had nothing she didn't realize it at the time.


Here's a picture of my Shuggie with her one doll. She remembers everything about that doll because it was her only one. Do you think that our children will remember every detail of their dollies when they are grown? Do they appreciate them like Shuggie loved her dollie? She kept it for years.

It makes me think (you know how I am) about us and our American excess. Why we have so many things and feel the need to give our kids so many things. When Jacy goes anywhere she has to take her things with us. "Get your shoes on and let's go!" I will shout. "Okay! Let me get my things." she replies. It's something different every time. A little purse filled with crap. Animals. Dolls. Books. Backpacks full of crayons and little notepads and stickers. Once I let her wear a frog costume to Wal-Mart and she brought along a bucket of plastic insects "in case the frog needs his lunch".

Things.

Sigh. I'm just as guilty. I need my things too. I need my tempur-pedic pillow. I need my purse and my cell phone. I need my Aveda products to keep my hair from being frizzy. I need my special lotion. I need my woolly socks and my (new from Ashley) flannel PJ bottoms. I need my downloaded music. I need my reality tv. I need my Wusthoff Classic knife. I need my huge wooden cutting board and my EmerilWare. I need my car. I need my laptop to have Internet access at all times without the wireless getting low. I need my coffee, black. I need my morning toast and honey. I need Monterey's cheese enchiladas with a side of rice and beans. Onions please.

We all need our things. Don't we?

Just wondering. Here's me in the second grade.

I needed my things then, too. Like my pillow, coincidentally named Fluffy Pillow. I couldn't sleep without it. Anywhere. Or without a glass of water and a baby aspirin on my bedside table. Don't ask. I was as neurotic then as I am now. I also had to have my rain boots and my plastic rain coat with the purple hearts on it when it rained. Would not leave the house without them. Had to have my dollhouses arranged in a certain way and I am told they were arranged in a little town out in the den of my grandparents house for close to eight months until Shuggie politely asked me to move them so we could put the Christmas tree up. And I needed my special bear erasers that went on my pencil tops to do my homework with. I'm told we purchased those in bulk because I claimed I could not do cursive writing without them. I needed my Trapper Keeper binder and my bird clip for my piano books and my red-haired, blue eyed "My Child" doll. And my Mickey Mouse Talking phone.

Ahhhh. The lure and memory of things.

What things do you need?

Romance

Ah, Valentine's Day! The day for love. All these bloggedgy blogs I've been reading and these stores I've been visiting are getting me in the mood for that sweet month.

Several years ago when the increasing pressure of trying to gently "outdo" one another in romantic gestures got to us, Jason and I agreed not to purchase any gifts that do not perish for one another for Valentine's Day. This means, flowers, candy, romantic dinners, picnics, backrubs, etc. are okay. Jewelry, gifties, grand gestures are out. The only thing that the list doesn't include are love notes. I'm in for a love note any day of the week!

We went on a picnic last year, in our early-spring-like weather we had. Don't think that'll work this year. We've gone on road trips, had date nights and sometimes just spent the night in with pizza and a movie (sometimes this is the most valued romance of all for me).

Normally we save our little romantic gestures for the weekend following Valentine's Day because we spend the actual day with the kids. They love the fun ideas and little celebrations we have. And as in love with my girls as I am, I reserve Valentine's Day for my sweetheart. It was, after all, originally a lovers' holiday.


So here are some romantic ideas to have some fun with your sweetheart this Lover's Day and every day:

1. When you and your sweetheart go on vacation, call ahead for flowers and champagne to be waiting in your room.

2. Plan a romantic picnic, pack a huge panini sandwich, chocolate dipped strawberries, lemonade and a beautiful quilt. Take a long drive and lay your head in his lap after you eat your picnic looking up at the trees.

3. Play music during dinner. Romantic classics. Even it it's spaghetti and meatballs or take-out, turn down the lights and turn up the music.


4.Write him a love note. Yes, yes, we're not 20 anymore, but you love him don't you? Tell him!

5. Tape cartoons from the funny papers to the bathroom mirror so when he goes in to shave he gets a giggle.

6. Watch his t.v. shows with him. Then, surprise him by asking questions about it. Watch the way he looks at you afterwards.

7. Wash his car for him.

8. Bring him home one of his favorite magazines without being asked.

9. Make that special dessert that he loves and tell the kids that Daddy gets the biggest piece because it's his favorite and you made it just for him, but you're sure he'll share. There's nothing better to teach your kids than how to make their loved ones feel special.

10. Rush up and kiss him when he gets home from work. Say "I'm so glad to see you, I've thought about you all day." Don't we all get out of the habit of doing this? Anything more than a perfunctory hello is stretching it.


Some random romantic things:

• Wallpaper
• Cuddling your children
• Coming home to a crackling fire
• Picnics with quilts, baskets, pillows and yummy food
• Lace (curtains, napkins, tablecloths)
• Holding hands
• Cooking with your sweetheart
• Fall leaves
• Breakfast in bed
• Love of family
• Old faded roses in tarnished silver pots
• Crystal and candlelight

Now, I'll make you a deal. I'll do five of these if you'll do five. As Alice in Wonderland says "I'm always giving myself good advice, but I very seldom follow it."

'Tis the season to be loverly!

"I wasn't kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth!"-Chico Marx

Label-mania!!!!!

Watch out world, here I come!

Look, look, look what I bought yesterday!!!! Oh, I love it! It's a little tiny label maker and I'm currently labeling everything in my house, including myself-see the label?

No, seriously, here is what spurred me to this new purchase. I was carrying my cute little wicker laundry basket into my girls' darling little pink room the other day to hang freshly ironed clothes in their shared closet that is, literally, about the size of a bread box. Every season I have to purge their closet and box away the previous season's clothes just to allow room for the current season's apparel. It is tiny. Well, I had spent approximately two hours ironing all their little tiny clothes (this long time period due to the fact that I let my ironing basket pile up to enormous heights which I justify to myself by saying "It's just not worth it to drag the ironing board out for just one piece of clothing.") and hung them on their cute little wooden hangers. I open their closet door and things literally fell on me. You see, I have an 8-year old and a 6-year old who firmly believe that when Mommy tells them to pick up their room, this entails shoving everything in their closet and shutting the door behind them. Backpack, a baby bed, little miniature horses, groovy girls, and the entire Lightbright with all it's little pieces fell out of this closet when I opened up the door. You'll be proud of me when I tell you that I didn't yell. Oh, no. I traumatized my children even further by gathering up all the things that fell on me into a large garbage sack and carrying it out to the garage under the premise that I was giving them to some less fortunate children who might appreciate their toys more and take better care of them. (Note: I didn't actually do this. Give their toys away, I mean. I did carry them to the garage where they sat for two day. You see, I just threaten. Someday they'll catch on, but it works for now.) Then I calmly hung my ironing and shut the closet door.

That was Thursday.

Friday, ice or no ice, we were off to Target where I proceeded to purchase every size of plastic box that they carry and my nifty little label maker. (Aside: This morning, Jason made fun of me for labeling the cereal. "We know it's cereal, Amber," says he. "What other round, colored shapes do we store in pourable containers? It's certainly not pasta!" Wise-ass.) So, look look look what I did yesterday!

Before Dynamo Label Maker and determined mommy:




After two and a half hours of purging, labeling and container-izing:


Ahhh. It was truly a cleansing experience. Especially since I secretly threw away puzzles with missing pieces. old art supplies, a Shrinky-dink machine that hasn't been used in three years, etc. I should have realized it was getting bad when those containers you buy for the Barbies would no longer hold all our Barbie paraphernalia and we had four containers that still overflowed and wouldn't close. Now they are neatly stored and labeled. See above. Although Jacy is very upset that I put the Barbies and the Bratz in the same container. Well, she'll have something to tell her therapist when she grows up.

So, look what I found in my un-earthing:

This was my Barbie case back when the Barbies had really huge boobies and pointed feet to shove in their high-heels. Doesn't it look so 1982?

Tag, I'm IT!

Well, well. It seems I've been tagged by Ellen to do the "Five things" thingy. Don't you just love the name Ellen (my youngest child's middle name, christened after the person who loves me most and knows me better than anyone on earth, except of course Jason, who probably knows more about me that he'd like to....)? Well, this Ellen, is not that same Ellen, but I do love her name and she has a lovely blog, so go visit her and say hello from The Shabbee Chick.

Okay, so on to my "Five Things" that you may not know about me...Since I do this pretty often, and constantly wear my heart on my sleeve I always feel that there's not much that people don't know, but here goes...

1. I hate criticism. Hate hearing it about myself, about my friends, especially about my husband and babies. Hate hearing myself give it, hate that it exists. Don't handle it well when we criticize other peoples' ways or lives' or personalities. Don't handle it well when large groups of people are generalized and criticized. Hate the term "constructive criticism", because there is no such things. There is training, there is helping, there is teaching, there is correction, there should be no criticism. But, alas, I am guilty guilty guilty.


2. I love bacon! The smell of it in the morning (it just smells like morning and I can totally count on that smell bringing everyone out of bed and into the kitchen on Saturday mornings.). The sound of it cooking, that sizzle. And, naturally, the taste. Especially dipped in warm maple syrup.

3. I have a dish fetish. I know. It's pathetic. I have dishes hanging on my walls, dishes stacked for display on shelves, dishes on little plate racks on the piano, cabinets, in the bedrooms, on the bookcases. I have, literally, dishes boxed up in the attic that I never use, but refuse to part with. When we were first married I once spent our weekly grocery money on a 12-place setting box full of antique Fiesta Ware. Almost got divorced over that one. I always use my dishes for everyday. Even my wedding china which has gold plate on the edges, and yes I do put them in the dishwasher. Don't wanna hear it. We are currently eating off my green jadeite dishes that my darling daddy has been building up as a collection for me for the past five years. I now have ten place settings and all the extras: platters, butter dishes, sugar bowls, mixing bowls, most everything. I recently got the salt and pepper shakers for Christmas. Hey, I liked it before it was trendy! And we alternate with my antique rose dishes. Don't know where they came from, but they have roses on them and they're old. Good enough.

4. I hate cold weather. Seriously. Don't like anything about the snow except for the way it looks when it's falling and the sense of coziness it brings the house. And the excuses it gives to eat comfort food, drink hot chocolate and snuggle. After about two days, I'm all done with snow and cold. And everywhere around our little town for miles and miles and miles is covered in a thick layer of ice with more snow expected, so I'm incredibly irritated. (Aside: picture me at Target today with two kids in snow boots carrying their cabbage patch kids in their little cabbage patch kid carseats, a cart full of packages and a parking lot that looks like a skating rink. Picture me pushing said cart over ruts in semi-thawed ice, holding onto little girls who slip and slide and pull at my arms and clothing to steady themselves. Picture me digging in huge purse for car keys trying not to utter profanities in front of my children. Picture the Jeep's hatch not rising because of the cold and me unloading packages into back of Jeep with hatch occasionally bonking me in the head. Picture me carefully making my way to the driver's seat only to discover I had left the keys in the huge purse in the back. Open hatch, bonk head. Sigh. I hate the ice.)

5. I am a hermit. I can go days without leaving my house or talking to people. I love to hole up and cook and read and craft and play with the kids, work outside in the yard (when it's not covered in white), swim with the girls, knit and I can seriously go days and days without talking to anyone but a few select people. It takes a good four or five days before I start to get crabby and suddenly get dressed and get out into the real world and search out companionship. I will probably be one of those old ladies who dies and no one knows about it until I start to smell because everyone is so used to me being a loner. However I do fear rejection and want to choose my hermit-ness not be forced into it. I want people to want me when I want them to want me. Make sense?

So, there you go. Sometimes I think these "Five Things" aren't very flattering. But I'm all about brutal truth, so take it or leave it. Have a loverly weekend! Find someone to cuddle with, go outside (even if it's white, you won't melt), eat something yummy and then tell me about it!


Love from The Hermit, Amber!

Luscious Links for Thursday!

The Paris Apartment
Oh, divine bliss...

Shabby Fabrics
Be sure to click on Barkcloth, Paris Flea Market and French Bistro! Yum!

Pom Pom Interiors
After you've drooled over interiors, be sure to go back to the entrance and visit Pom Pom Maison!

Easy 123 Art
You can turn your pictures into paint by number kits!


Bayberry Cove
OOoooooo, I want this Love Banner....

Vintage Woodworks
Sigh. I want a gingerbread house....

Drooz
Oh, sakes alive! It is so scrumptious. If I were totally crazed (which is debatable) I would order one of each of the following wall hangings!

Turtle Cake

Okay, so here's a great recipe for a delicious Warm Turtle Cake. It's totally fat free, zero calories and will help those hips slim down.

Right.

Because everyone who knows me, knows what a priority weight-loss is in my life.

Warm Turtle Cake
(minced turtle optional)

Mix together a German Chocolate cake mix but use only half the amount of oil suggested. Add 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix well. Spread half the batter in a well-greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake 13 minutes or until cake begins to be puffy, but is not set.

Meanwhile, melt 14 oz of caramel pieces in a heavy saucepan with 5 oz evaporated milk. (See, what did I say? No calories!)

Pour melted caramel on top of half-baked cake, sprinkle on 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup pecans. Spread remaining batter on top of all. (It's okay if it doesn't totally cover it! This makes the caramel leak out and crust up and taste yum-o!)

Bake until done, about another ten to twelve minutes. Melt chocolate chips, 1 T shortening and a smidge of evaporated milk on stovetop and pour over the top of baked cake. Sprinkle with pecan. Serve with, what else, fresh whipped cream. (NOT that plastic concoction purchase pre-whipped. You know what I'm talking about! Groovy Whip or Cool Cream. Something similar.)

Yum!

Stuck my foot in it!

Open mouth, remove foot.

Have you ever been talking away to someone and looked up at them only to notice that they have a funny look on their face? And it doesn't occur to you that it could have been something you said until you're in the car and down the block and you're thinking "Wonder why they looked at me like that?" and then BLAM! it hits you that something you said maybe came out a little off? And you just want to turn the car around and knock on their door and say "You know what? When I said this a little while ago I really meant that and I wouldn't offend you for the world and I'm sorry if you took that wrong and if I said it wrong and if I was just wrong?" But the roads are icy and you remember your grandmother that raised you and her wise words "Least said, soonest mended." So you drive home. But two hours later you are still bothered by it and you realize that you love your Shuggie, but you really go by the old adage that more is more, so you call and the line is busy and you wait thirty minutes and you get the machine and so then you decide that it is a sign so you hang up and don't leave a message?

Just wondering.

It's icy today. We ventured forth from our iced in coziness, that is fast becoming cabin fever, to ease our way carefully out into a slippery world of ice. We skidded across town and slipped and slided (Is slided a word? Slid doesn't sound as cute.) across a glassy parking lot to fill our mouths with warm, spicy Mexican food and then popped in the Movie Rental place that charges exorbitant prices if you are twenty minutes late returning said video to rent a movie and a PlayStation game because the ones purchased at Christmastime have lost their shine. (Already? Good grief, those things were like fifty bucks a pop.) They we skidded back down our street, narrowly avoiding the truck that was resting in the ditch and coasted back into our driveway and shut the garage door behind us. Deep breath. This weather makes me want to move to a warmer climate. Except I would miss the sledding. And the hot chocolate. And the afghan cuddling. And the doggie sweaters.

This is my husband driving the Barbie Jeep on the ice to make the girls laugh. He did donuts in my iced over flower garden.

Speaking of gardens and warm weather climates, I'm driving myself crazy planning my gardens already. It's early, even for me. Normally as soon as I get my seed catalogs in the mail, I'm sketching and drawing and outlining my veggies and making a list of what herbs I want to put in this year and what annuals I need and when I should start. Since we usually plant our potatoes according the Farmer's Alamanac which says to plant on February 17th, I usually get the fever around Valentine's Day. It's getting earlier and earlier. I have a brand, spanking new picket fence waiting for my hubbie to install and paint a shiny white wherever my heart so desires, if the ground ever thaws. And it's given me the fever.

Look at my Kiwi Arbor.
r

Isn't that depressing? Look at the chickens finding the only bare bit of ground they could find within pecking distance.



They are hi-larious sliding around on the ice with their bony little feet.

Okay...

Here's what I'm thinking:


White picket fence, big floppy gardening hat hanging on the gate, brick paths, herbs, roses, zinnas, cosmos, glads, snapdragons, sweetpeas climbing a trellis with some morning glories, dahlias and cleome and more and more herbs. When will this ice go away and let us go outside and play? I want to smell the dirt.

"I meant to do my work today-
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me."
-Richard Le Gallienne

Luscious Links for Sunday!

Tongue in Cheek



City Farmer



Vintage Pleasure



The Farm Chicks




Mary Jane's Farm



A Martha Stewart Valentine's Day Because I'm already in the mood-today I made heart shaped pink pancakes!


Salvage Style Yum!



Big Happy Funhouse






Brocante Home I know I always link to her, but Alison is so wonderful and she's the reason that I turn on the computer every day (that and to read Ashley's blog because she's like family)! And if I ever ever ever go to the UK I'm knocking on her little cottage door. If she doesn't think I'm a stalker. Which, she might. Oh goodness! I'll back off a little!

Winter Weekend!

Oh, we're snowed in here in Oklahoma! Well, more like iced in. Over three inches of solid ice has fallen in the past two days with another inch to two inches expected today. So, needless to say we haven't left the house since Friday morning.

I went to the grocery store early Thursday morning, hoping to beat the mad rush that predicted winter weather always brings and I'm so glad I did. By noon on Friday the roads were terrible. We checked Molly out of school early and hunkered down. It's actually been wonderful and cozy.

Molly is my little miniature scrapbooker and we spent four hours on Friday afternoon working on our scrapbooks. She gets so into it! We had gone, previously, to the scrapbook store knowing that we would be looking for inside activities this weekend and she is so funny with her little basket on her arm planning out her pages and choosing with care coordinating paper and stickers. I won't tell you the ridiculous amount of money we spent that day on paper, of all things, notions and stickers. But the joy of having a Mother-Daughter project is so worth it. I will tell you that Molly refuses to allow me to share a basket with her and has her own scrapbooking box so that our papers and stuff don't get mixed up. She will not tolerate me using her papers!

Here's my mini-me:

Yesterday we all slept in and I got up and made these lovely strawberry scones and applewood smoked bacon and hot chocolate for breakfast.

Then Jacy and I made paper snowflakes and these chocolate eclairs. Yum!
We had Family Game Night that evening and I made lots of yummy snack-a-roos. Peel and eat shrimp for Molly because she can put away her weight in shrimp. Cheese and crackers and summer sausage, guacamole, a veggie tray with ranch dip. Mini cheesecakes and of course those chocolate eclairs, which to my disappointment, Molly didn't like, but Jacy and Jason loved! I also made this yummy baked garlic that I hadn't made in years for me and Jason. You put it in a baking dish and pour about 1/2 inch of olive oil over it and bake it for an hour. It comes out sweet like candy and we spread it on baguettes and ate it with softened brie. Oh, it was good. I want some right now and it's only 10:30 in the morning.

Here's some pictures of us having family game night. Molly has worn that striped hat all weekend, she won't take it off, she even slept in it. Don't ask. We played the new DVD version of Clue and it was so fun. You had to use the little red magnifying glass to figure out some of the clues and Jason and I thought it was hi-larious to try to take pictures of one another using it because we looked so dorky.




I'm posting this before I take that picture of me out....we're going to go sled down the hill by our house before the next round of ice hits. I'm roasting a chicken later and curling up with my new book. I'm sure I'll be stir crazy with cabin fever by tomorrow!

"One honest John Tompkins, a hedger and ditcher,
Although he was poor, did not want to be richer;
For all such vain wishes in him were presented
By a fortunate habit of being contented."
-Jane Taylor

Lephrachaun in a tree!

This is a true story. This really happened in Mobile, Alabama. This is the actual news story. Did you see the "Amateur Sketch"?

Things I Want My Girls to Know

Not to be confused with a book by Alexandra Stoddard with a similar name, these are just some thoughts by Amber...

1. All people have faults, deep down inside. Some can be overlooked and tolerated as personality traits, others are serious and you may need to use your cautious discernment to avoid that person. It's okay to protect yourself by closing people out of your life that are bad for you. This can save you much heartache in the long run. But most faults/flaws are normal and, while annoying, can be part of that person and their make-up. So go ahead and love them anyway.

2. Your family will tolerate your flaws/faults and love you through it all, so don't get too annoyed with them, because they may be the only people in your life who are capable of loving you unconditionally.

3. Go outside! It'll cure what ails ya! Really, next time you feel sick, go wrap up and sit in a porch swing if you're able. Let the sun shine on you and let the wind blow those germs away. You'll immediately feel a little bit better. If you're depressed, stressed or just a little blue, go find something productive to do outside. Dig around in the dirt, plant something. Clean something up. The blood'll start to flow and you'll feel a tiny lift in spirits. If you're angry, take a walk outside and look around, don't stomp down the street getting more angry, look up at the trees, look at peoples' houses, it will help. Trust me.

4. Trust yourself. If it feels wrong, it probably is. If it feels right and looks to be best in the long-term, go with it. You have instincts, use them. Women especially. We know, for the most part, how to judge character, what the best path is, what the most healthy choice is. It's just up to us to use that judgement for our own good.

5. When you commit to something, follow through. This makes you reliable. This makes you a trustworthy person. People will say to others "Oh, she always does what she says she's going to do, I'm not worried." Also, it's easier to commit to something than it is to get out of it. This is true in all circumstances from a get-together, dinner party, project or even a marriage. So be sure when you commit to it, you can actually follow through.

6. Vacuum cleaners are expensive and it's probably easier to just reach down and pick up that large object that you think will suck up just fine, but you're just not sure. Just pick it up, dearies. If it gets stuck your husband will say to you "Why didn't you just reach down and pick it up? Now we have to buy a new vacuum." And you will lie and say "I didn't see it there." And lying just isn't healthy for a marriage. Well, maybe that one is okay.

7. Noodles don't freeze well.

8. Sewing is fun, but you have to be very meticulous, so don't get started if you aren't prepared to rip out stitches. Knitting is better.

9. Take lots of pictures of your life. Even though you think you will remember it, there will be little details that you don't. Like "Whatever happened to that blue dress?" and "Oh, look at our couch, how could we have thought that was ever attractive?" and "Oh, look how skinny I was!"

10. Find something you like to do and do it for a living. It's better to make your life worth living than to make money.

11. Get an animal and let it sleep in the bed with you. Bathe it first.

12. Elderly people are the wisest. Go find one and talk to them about their life. Ask to see pictures. Remember that they have the experience to teach us to avoid mistakes and enrich our lives. Go tell an elderly person that you love them right now.

13. Don't read your horoscope.

14. Don't over schedule.

15. Surround yourselves with things and people you love.

And that's all I have to say about that right now.

More Luscious Links for Sunday

Moonlight and Roses

Be sure and click on the postcard section!

Vintage Home

The Cat's Meow

Wee Wonderfuls

my little cottage

Flapper Girl Fabrics

Spoiled!

There is no animal that lives in my house for long that remains unspoiled. My poor little doggie is supposed to be nice and slender and have a tapered little hind-end, but she, in all actuality looks like a little sausage, all nice and plump in her casing. She sleeps in the bed with me and goes to places, like the store, in my purse. My bulldog, godresthissoul, was afraid of the dark and I would take him outside to use his facilities with a flashlight so he wouldn't be scared. (Also, fat animal.) And these chickens. Sigh. The only animal that I own that contributes to its keep (other than giving love and affection) has gone on strike.

They always do in the wintertime. Their eggs are few and far between because the daylight is shorter and more of a watery yellow than the nice warm long days of sun they enjoy that sees their egg production at its fullest. But now it's been a full week and nary and egg I've seen. The old biddies. Not only that, but (being free range chickens who only use their hen house to sleep in) they have taken to grouping up on the back porch of a morning and clucking until I come out and give them some tasty morsel to shut them up. Some old bread, the girls' leftover toast from breakfast, yesterday I gave them the last apple dumplin' and the rest of the black-eyed peas from New Year's Day. It's really getting ridiculous.

I think I've created a monster.

"If I didn't start painting I would have raised chickens."-Grandma Moses

Jacy's First Sleepover

So, Jacy had her first sleepover this weekend. After years of watching Molly giggle under the covers with her girlfriends, it's her turn. Sigh, another milestone.

Her best friend, Anna, spent the night (precious child-one of those that you don't even notice there's an extra kid around) and Jacy turned her nose up at her sister several times and if she said "No, Molly! She's MY friend, not yours." once, she said it fifteen times.

I asked them what they wanted for dinner. Here were my exact words: "Girls, you can have anything at all that you want for dinner. What would you like?" Now, the second those words came out I wanted to snatch them back, because when I say that to Molly I can, sometimes, get extravagant requests. For example, on birthdays they can have whatever they want to eat for dinner. Anything. Last year Molly wanted crab legs, cheetos, donuts, mashed potatoes and chocolate cake. And she got it. So wanting to, literally, clamp my hand over my mouth I looked at these precious cherubs and do you know what they asked for? Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, chips, oranges and vanilla milkshakes. DONE! (Man, these kids are easy!)

Here they are filling up on the shakes! (I won't list the multitude of other junkfood that they consumed in case Anna's mommy happens to read this!)


Don't you wish you could tape record each and every precious moment that your kids have? Like a video camera should be stapled permanently to your hand so you won't miss anything and then when they go through those terrible, ugly times when they're older (which I'm hoping don't come) you can pull out the precious tapes and fill up.

Here's an example of a precious moment tonight. After tiring of the game "Pretty Pretty Princess" they decided to use the jewelry pieces for dress up and drug out our enormous dress up box. Jacy wearing tiara, earrings, many bracelets, purple feather dress and high heeled shoes. Anna wearing leopard pants, white slip, feather boa, the same jewelry and crown. Anna is princess, Jacy is servant/narrator.

Jacy: She lays down on the bed and falls into a deep sleep. Lay down, Anna. (Anna lays down) The only thing that can wake her up is a kiss from the prince. (giggle giggle giggle, hee hee hee) A quick, romantic kiss.

Anna: What's romantic?

Jacy: When they hold their lips together for a really long time.

Anna: Oh. (giggle giggle giggle hee hee hee)

Jacy: (giggle) Shhh. The princess does not laugh, she is in a deep sleep. The prince is coming to kiss her.

Anna: You're not going to kiss me are you? (giggle giggle hee)

Jacy: (giggle giggle) Yes, I have to, I'm the prince. You don't want to stay asleep forever do you?

Anna: Let's pretend they hug.

Jacy: Okay. Then the evil guy comes up to try to steal the princess' jewelry.

Anna: And you know he's evil because he has a black curly mustache.

Don't you wish all evil people were so recognizable?


They are so adorable.

Carbohydrate Fix!

I'm Bad! I'm Bad! I know it! Oh, oh, oh, my tummy hurts. But in a good way. Taking a cue from Alison me and mine overindulged tonight. I don't know what got into me. I came home this afternoon absolutely famished having skipped lunch today. So I looked on my weekly menu and nothing appealed to me. Then I got an epiphany and remembered this new Amish cookbook I got for Christmas from my mother-in-law from the Amish kitchen we went to at Thanksgivingtime!So I went on a baking spree and made homemade cloverleaf rolls from scratch, poor man's steak, mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon and an apple dumplin'.

It was the apple dumplin' that sent us over the edge. But, my, it was yummy! And since the Amish apparently don't want to give away too many secrets so their recipes in this book are vague to the point of confusion, I adapted it a little and have no hesitation at all in giving you the following recipe.

"Amish Amber's Apple Dumplins"

On the stove in a heavy saucepan boil 1 cup dark brown sugar,1/2 cup white sugar and 2 cups water for five minutes. Remove from heat to cool.

Mix together 2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 tablespoons shortening and 2/3 cup milk to form a dough.

Knead the dough until elastic.
Roll out to 1 inch thickness, cover with cooked apples.



You could use canned apple pie filling, but I doubt very seriously the Amish would do that. I cooked diced apples with a little cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon and a tiny amount of water until they were tender and spread them on top.

Roll up cinnamon roll style and cut.

Place in pan.



Cover with cooled syrup.



Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until golden. Serve with fresh whipped cream, not that plastic concoction called Kool Whip.


I hurt.

"Glutton: one who digs his grave with his teeth."-French proverb

Copycat

"Copycat from Ballarat,
Went to school and got the strap.
Teacher said it wasn't fair,
Because he lost his underwear."

Okay, so I may spend my entire life copying off of Ashley but it's because I'm so in awe of her. Go here to read her version. Here's mine:

A--Available?:

No way, Jose! Married for almost 11 years to Jason (pictured below-watch out ladies-he's taken)


B--Best Friend:

Mr. "I love to swim" himself, also Ellie, Ashley, Christy, Debbie, Kami

C--Cake or Pie:

Hmmm...pie. Maybe. Depends on the day. And if there's milk involved. Or whipping cream.

D--Drink of Choice:

Tall, skim caramel macchiato. Slurp. Dr. Pepper, sadly. But I must have a huge glass of cold water first thing in the morning every morning. No matter how cold it is outside. Before the coffee. I know, it's weird.

E--Essential item you use everyday:

My car.

F--Favorite color:

Pink, duh.

G--Gummy bears or Worms:

Dear lord, neither! They lay in your stomach like a malleable substance. Ick!

H--Hometown:

Bixby.

I--Indulgence:

Bubble baths, sleeping in, silkie pyjamas. (Goodness, can you tell its the end of the day?)

J--January or February:

February! Jason's birthday, Valentine's day? What could be better?

K--Kids:

Two-one for each lap!

L--Life is incomplete without:


The three people under my roof right now. Oh, and Missy of course. Pwecious!

M--Marriage Date:

April 5, 1996. April 5 was my grandparents wedding day-we got married on the same date in honor of them.

N--Number of siblings:

One perfect in every way except he needs a woman brother. Evan. I am so proud of him. I was eleven when he was born and thought he was my personal plaything. When he was a toddler I put him in a pillow case and dragged him around the house. He loved it.

O--oranges or apples

Oranges, definitely. They smell like morning.

P--Phobias or Fear:

Heights. Locking my keys in the car. Losing my purse. Being alone. And others too terrible to mention.

Q--Favorite Quote:

"So long as we live among men, let us cherish humanity"-Andre Gide

R--Reason to Smile:

Jason hired me a housekeeper. I have new houseshoes. No one's sick right now. My husband wrestled on the floor with my babies tonight until Jacy got the hiccups and Molly almost wet herself. I'm going to Shuggie's on Friday. I have a new book to read tonight.

S--Season:

All of them.

I love winter for hot chocolate and snow and the way my girls look when they are bundled up and because it means Jason and I snuggle under the afghan on the couch at night.

Spring because of new life and the smell of dirt after a long winter, new plants, gardening and playing outside.

Summer for picnics, swimming, fireflies and sweaty kids.

And fall because we're all so ready for cool refreshment after a hot hot summer. Apples and red and gold leaves, that wood smoke smell and bonfires.

All of them.

T-- Tag:

What does that mean?

U--Unknown fact about myself:

Goodness, if you know me you probably know most all there is to know. I'm an open book. But here goes:

I sucked my thumb until I was ten years old. I get migraine headaches. My cabinets and closets are atrocities. I love to iron. I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and it is very important to my well-being that things smell good. I'm serious. I can walk into your house and tell if you haven't taken out your trash. I can knit an entire scarf in one sitting. I speed read. I have a horrible gag reflex especially in the morning.

There, how's that?

V--Vegetable you don't like:

Cabbage, jeez! It just looks bad. Beets, yams, brussel sprouts, cooked spinach-love fresh.

W--Worst habit:

Biting my nails. Yes, still.

X--x-ray:

When I was 14 I was showing off on a ski trip and skiied into a wooded path where I promptly lodged my ski sideways in a snowbank, twisted it to get it out and tore cartilage in my knee like it was tissue paper. I had to ride the ski sled back down the hill and it was the worst thing ever. It looks like fun, right? Wrong! It hurts like hell as you bounce along uncontrollably behind this guy who is pulling you down. I had knee surgery-wasted the whole summer, turned 15 in the hospital and read "Gone with the Wind" while my friends learned to drive. It still hurts when it rains.

Y--Your favorite food:

Mexican food. Haven't you heard?

Z--Zodiac:

Cancer. Which is crap because it means nothing and every time I read my horoscope it's all a buncha hooey!