43:52 looking down

Project 52

It's much safer up here looking down.

There's probably a good reason they don't let me on the freeway!

Next up ... the view from Leann's vantage point.

She's probably hiking a mountain or something equally fabulous.

we are moving

it's about official.
We met the landlords at our new place today to give it the once, twice and maybe thrice over.
We worked out deals and all that good stuff.
The night of November 15th I will have a new place to call home.
Done with the thinking part of that stress.

Did I mention that I absolutely detest moving?!
Did I mention that I am a total nester?!

And I'm sure I forgot to tell you that

we have stuff coming out of our ears.

I know where I am going.
The rest will work itself out somehow. Someway.
























I will figure out what to do with scads of crafting stuff.
I will figure out what to do with totes filled with treasures that we can't part with.
I will figure out what to do with extra beds and dressers.
I will figure out what to do with a desk that won't fit but is needed.
I will figure it all out.

It is a charming place.
The patio (where we live 6 months of the year) is large enough to host our entire family, along with plenty of extras, for Thanksgiving dinner or evening coffee.
Lots of laughing coming up on that patio.
Hope the neighbor kids' windows don't face that patio ....

Oh, and should the landlord drop in for coffee ... that'll be sweet cuz we enjoy their company.
And should I run out of sugar for my hubby's coffee ....
the neighbors are very sweet folks too!
I've been meaning to run to that soon to be new neighbor lady's for a cup of coffee on Friday morning for several years now and never made it.

Hmm. Wonder if she'll serve me coffee if I show up with bed head and in my jammies ...

over the past week ...

We spent some girl time at David's Bridal.

Some more girl time at TJ Maxx.

Like who ever came up with this brand anyway?!

I found just the thing to aid my kids in their Thanksgiving cooking this year.

They'll have to adjust the times as I like to eat about 1:00.

I verified that my key still works in the post office box I've never opened.

It was a bright idea. About 2 months ago.

Now we will be using it. 

I might need a bigger box.

I am getting hoards of magazines that I don't have time to read.

Used up some of those air miles I'll never accumulate enough of.

Took a stroll  into what will probably become my new grocery store.

And I stole a photo from Facebook.

Because this is my favorite photo of the week.

Not only hands down.

Feet down too.

Voi, do I miss him!

Have a great week.

I'm buried inside textbooks and online postings and papers.

I might need a mental evaluation for thinking this was a smart thing to do.

42:52 story board

Project 52

42:52 story board

The planting of a winter lawn.

 Head on over Keilah's way for some more stories .....

double take moment

when I walk through the parking lot and see this one. 

Finally got brave enough to take a photo this week. 

Sort of makes me wonder when I got a mini van again!

I should have

called the landlord too.

About a month ago I sent out several text messages that asked if anyone was having a life-changing event in the next few months. I got negative answers from the folks in question and moved on to register for 2 classes instead of the usual one. 

Saturday evening as we were sitting around visiting with Keilah and kidlets, Jari's phone did it's lovely little binging thing and from his recliner chair we started hearing sounds of "oh no ...." Apparently, our landlord has decided to put the house on the market. And, of course, timing  could not be better. It looks like things might get just a little busier around here. Especially this week! 

Brock moved home after Anna moved out. These were his wheels that were multifunctional. It managed to get some good laughs anytime it transported a four wheeler in the back. Sunday on his way to church someone decided to cross three lanes of traffic in front of him. He is fine but the car has met its demise. 

So it looks like were down for little shuffling of people and places to lay our heads down at night. Let the good times roll!

Well, maybe not. Sunday afternoon I was contemplating running away.
Especially when we used all the fuel points at Fry's and filled up the diesel tank on our way to look at a house that had the smallest worthless pantry I've ever seen in my life. And double pane windows? Putting two sliding patio doors, one right next to the other, does not constitute dual pane in my opinion.

Oops. Off on a tangent again.

I looked at this and said .....

"where should we go?!"

Tonite I'm falling asleep reading about something called upstreaming so I headed to blogger instead. Much more fun to check out Carol's flowers than digest one more sentence about yet another buzz word .... especially when I haven't had a nap since Saturday and we're almost to the middle of the next week already!

the nylon knife

I am a pulla baker.

I can't make a decent loaf of bread to save my life,

but pulla making is a way of life over here.

Although I grew up rolling out long ropes of pulla to braid,

I don't do that anymore.

The rolling pin does the rolling and a knife does the cutting.

I have a knife that I've used for years.

It is worthless for anything else, but good for this purpose.

Last week as I was getting ready to slice,

I had a surge of thought.

What if I used this instead? Would it work?

Sure enough ... it did.

Saved the counters from slice marks because I cut straight on my countertops.

So, a little sales pitch in case you happen to be at a Pampered Chef party and need something to buy. I still haven't tried it on a nonstick pan. Probably because I don't even have one decent enough to bake anything in at the moment, but for pulla dough .... works great!

hootin' it up at the halfway

This weekend marks the halfway point of my bachelor's program.

The last paper for this class is pert near done.

Maybe a tweak or two.

A couple (or more) discussion posts to be done no later than Sunday nite.

Final paper to be submitted no later than bedtime Sunday.

And the halfway point is achieved.

The new textbooks showed up from Amazon several weeks ago.

I've decided to be a little on the crazy side and double up classes.

Only for the next 8 weeks.

I think my reasoning is sound.

If I double up these two, which incidentally are the recommended ones to double,

then I'll be done with this program before I do a little traveling next summer.

Sometimes I wonder at this business.
The societal push is to have all RNs have bachelor's degrees.
It will make moving around in the job market a stitch easier for me.
Not that I'm going anywhere ... I do enjoy my job right now and
my employer is graciously financing this venture.
I've contemplated continuing on for more education after this is complete,
but I think life will have other things in store for me to do.
Other things that I thoroughly enjoy doing.
Things I will not be willing to sacrifice.
For you simply cannot keep adding to the plate and expect to give all to everything.
Something has to give.
And there are pieces of my life that I enjoy too much to give away.
Even for a time.

I'm ready for the slide down the other side of the halfway mark.
Even if it does involve a serious case of senioritis every 8 weeks!

41:52 wrinkles

project 52

wrinkles

my plan it was a picnic

on a beach of savory sand

until an army of pesky critters

put wrinkles in my plan

bet you thought i was really going to get brave this week

and

share my wrinkles with you

not.

my favorite ever wrinkles are these precious borrowed ones

munchable. kissable. nibbleable.

pure precious

linking to keilah today

she happens to be the aunt of these precious wrinkles

have a great weekend.

armadillo eggs and baby showers

They sort of go together, right?

I work in a small department where we celebrate everything.

Every birthday is celebrated with cake.

Sometimes, just because it is going to be a busy day, we bring food to the trough.

We really don't need an excuse.

We just love to eat!

This celebration happened to be a baby shower.

Shucks, but I missed the decor hanging above the table in this photo!

This party was planned to be a Chip & Dip one.

Homemade salsa, jalapeno dip, buffalo (something or another) dip ...

and a request for me to make Armadillo Eggs.

Armadillo Eggs??

Cristian couldn't remember what it was called ... but I understood completely.

What he wanted was Texas Caviar.

Thanks to my SIL Missy, I first tasted this the other summer at a family get together.

I don't make it often .... but I don't buy it from Costco either.

Some easy peasy ingredients with a few other things thrown in ... and yet others substituted.

This is not a spicy thing at all. If you want some zip ... throw in some extra somethings!

While the liquids are boiling and cooling ....

the draining and chopping is a happening.

Once the liquid is cooled, everything into a Ziploc bag (don't you just love the look of my own brand of Ziploc?!) and into the fridge overnite.

Serve up the next day with your favorite brand of tortilla chips!
Just in case you have a party coming up that needs an easy and yummy contribution, I'm sharing the recipe.
Happy eating!

***************************************

Texas Caviar aka Armadillo Eggs

1 can black eyed peas
1 can pinto beans
1 jar pimentos
1 can shew peg corn
3 ribs celery
1 small onion

Drain the drainable, chop the choppable and place in Ziploc bag.

Combine ingredients below in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool.
3/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c oil
salt
pepper
1 Tbsp water
1 c sugar

When liquid is cool, dump into bag with other ingredients. Sit overnite.
Drain out fluids. Serve.

************

Stay tuned for another recipe from this table. That blue bowl covered with saran on the northern side of the table? An unbelievable mix of pumpkin and cream cheese. For. Dipping.

40:52 movement

Project 52

40:52 movement

I woke last Friday morning to a sky that looked like this.

Clouds in serious motion, winging their way across the sky.

By the time the bell tolled nearing noon and we left the house for the weekend,

the sky had changed to a blue that went on forever.

We headed north to Kamp Kipa for the weekend.

To say that Jari & I enjoy this camp is a serious understatement.

We love it.

I signed us up as a team to be kitchen heads at this camp ...

and we could never do it without an amazing crew of workers along with us.

I hate to admit it, but there is someone who works circles around me every time I share a kitchen with her. 

And movement?

Oh, yeah. 

Park about 75 young people in the same place for the weekend

and you can expect some serious movement going on.

I did miss my Colorado friends this weekend ... just sayin'.
There is probably plenty of movement going on with Keilah's family.
Check it out!!

love. a splendid thing.

In our haunts through thrift stores leading up to Anna's wedding, we came across these dresses one day. 

I have a serious flashback to reading the story of Cinderella and her stepsisters every time I look at this picture. 

They were fun ... I'm sort of regretting not picking them up.

I bet Alyx forgot all about these treasures!

We might just have a use for them ....

Because this evening we were at David's Bridal ....

we were making guest lists for a celebration that is going to be much smaller and private than the one our family celebrated several weeks ago ....

because our oldest daughter, Alyx, is sporting a new piece of jewelry on the ring finger of her left hand!

I don't know if Tarron has any clue what kind of a planning, crafting, crazy busy ride he is in for!
We look forward to welcoming him into our family in the early part of next year.

Congratulations Alyx & Tarron! Wishing you a lifetime of blessings and happiness!