I Think I've Figured It out

Creeping Phlox

Moon Flower

Morning Glory

Evening Primrose

 The flowers have nothing to do with my original post, but I have been having a lot of trouble getting my pictures to post. I think I have figured out what I need to do. I may need to upload them all to Picasa first, then choose from the pictures in that location. I could probably use another image storage program, but for now, I'll work with Picasa since I am already using it a bit.This is another Learn As I Go lesson. I am trying to figure it out all by myself,well, maybe with the help of a few online lessons, and hopefully, I am getting there.I was just about to throw my hands up to Blogger,but I'll give them one more chance.Well,maybe two.

An Old Favorite...Revisited

 

Working with paint and wood is one of my favorite crafts,but as usual, there are so many more pressing things to be done, around the property,every minute of every day,it's hard to find time to squeeze in recreational painting and such.A few months ago, I decided to move all of my woodworking tools indoors to one of Pop's garages. That definitely makes working with my wood a bit unhandy,but his space has electric, lightening, and walls to keep out the elements. My carport did not.

 

On this favorite of mine, I've replaced the word Sew with the regular word So,hoping that the sign would apply to any one's life,not just sewing folks. I love working with paint,wood,lettering, and colors. There is something about making pretty signs that appeals greatly to me, but it is a sit down project that takes a few more minutes than I feel I can donate to the project. My nerves just won't allow me to gather up all of the needed supplies for each project,and sit, long enough to get it done. I get fidgety, after sitting too long, and must leave that project and tackle another for a spell, then maybe I'll get back to it one day.Then, too, I get discouraged if the finished sign does not appeal to me. I have collected many painting projects.More than I will ever finish in my lifetime, but I keep hoping,One Day I'll Get To Them.

I used ribbon on the outline of the new sign,whereas,I used a tiny strip of wall paper for the outline on the first sign.It was much quicker than trying to paint a super straight line. The flowers were cut from wallpaper,but in the past, I had painted them free hand. I love the painted flowers best, but it is a bit more time consuming,and having enough time is always a problem.At least, for the things I'd rather be doing.

Mom saved me a beautiful lavender paper bag, and I am dying to use it on a board or two for borders and lettering. I hope to find a pattern for a lavender flower to use as well. If I don't get the time to tackle it soon, I can always dream about it in the early mornings to get me motivated. I will jump out of bed quickly when I have a thought such as this beautiful board all finished,if only, in my mind.

Correct Spelling Isn't Necessary

Brendie, this is for you. Evidently, it's true. I had no problem reading your latest post.

 

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Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

 

copied from Language 101.com

 

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Mock Fried Apple Pies

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the pies. I made six or so, as an experiment, and the fellows devoured them before I could track down the camera.We had visited the funeral home this week with the passing of a friend, and someone had brought a plate of Fried Apple Pies. To my embarrassment, Pop learned that they were there and headed to the kitchen.Everybody knows and loves Pop, so they didn't think much about it,but that still didn't keep me from being embarrassed by his actions. He cannot resist Fried Apple Pies, regardless of the purpose for which they were intended.I noticed the appearance of the pies, and it didn't strike me until later this week, that they were small.Some folks make them and they are half the size of a dinner plate. I could never get them that big,especially when I started with a single canned biscuit for my dough.I use to work for a lady who could roll them out that thin, but I never could. Most folks love the pies regardless of what size they are.

As I was fixing supper tonight, I got the idea, to use tortillas for the pies.Sure enough, I opened a half pint of  peach preserves, that I had just put up this last few weeks, and began my experiment. I pan fried them in a bit of canola oil in a fairly hot skillet, just till they were golden brown on each side. I sampled one, and it was delicious, so I went ahead and offered them to Pop and a friend who was lucky enough to be present for the taste test. Not all of my experiments turn out this good,but I must say, I was impressed by how good they did turn out. I will definitely be making MORE fried pies in the NEAR future.I have always thought they were rather tedious and complicated,not to mention messy, and a definite labor of love,but never took the time to master them.Now that I have found this short cut, I'd be whipping up fried pies, more often.

Yard Party

 A year is a long time for a gardener to learn from her mistakes.

 (I have used this line so many times, I have considered posting the words somewhere on my blog, so as not to say it so often in my posts.)

These pictures may not look like much of a Yard Party, but you will never know how happy I was to finally catch a few cool mornings and evenings,so I could get my hands back in the dirt. 

The grass was creeping into my beds,which I dearly hate, but it seems even the harsh drought conditions we had this summer did not slow up the Bermuda grass. It keeps right on growing, right straight into my beds.

I guess the richer soil and the moisture that was held in by the mulch and ground coverings was to enticing for it to resist. 

I went out early in the mornings and late,and I do mean late,in the evenings, in order to avoid the sun and the heat that we are still having. I could work out there in the yard every minute and never tire, if only the temperatures and weather conditions would cooperate.I do love working in the dirt.

I have several bunches of Liriope that I love, so I have been dividing it and putting it as edging in all of my beds which I have widened about six inches. You can see where the gravel mulch ends.exposing the fresh new dirt in the new edging beds.

One never really knows how the beds will fill out until they have observed it the following year. Sometimes,the finished product does not appeal to you, like you had hoped it would.

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So all you can do is wait till next year to redo it, or try moving some plants around before it gets too hot. In that case, for me anyway, a lot of my plants die from the heat and the shock of being moved. 

 

Hopefully,my plants will fill out enough this Fall to where I can tell if that's where I want them or not. Gardening and yard work is an ever changing process. You, or should I say I, am forever moving my plants around. I am forever thinking this flower would look better over here.Sometimes,I wonder if other gardeners do the same thing.

Update on Problem Posting Pictures

I did some more research after loading only one picture using Picasa. I was not able to load any more. The latest tip I found was to enter your blog through Google Chrome which I use on occasion.So far,knock on wood, it is working just fine. Hopefully, it will continue to work properly. It seems I am getting a refresher course in computers, whether I want one or not.I suppose a little more knowledge can't hurt.

Another Venture Soon to Go Belly Up

I'm afraid our doll making venture is headed for the wayside. Leah comes so seldom any more, and when she is here, she finds so many other things she would rather be doing. I suppose that is a good thing though, so I shouldn't complain. I just hate for her to go on Facebook saying she is selling dolls(which I hated to see her do in the first place....That's kinda like getting the cart before the horse)) and she's not interested in making the dolls like she had thought she would be at first. I think she thinks Meemaw will make the dolls and Leah will sell them and rake in the money.Not!

We attempted to make dolls yesterday. We were both suppose to be making our own doll, when suddenly she liked the looks of mine better, and wanted to work on it. That happens a lot with her. In the past, my paint brushes always worked better, so she always wanted to trade brushes.That's the way with the dolls. Nevertheless,I let her take my doll over, and she worked with it maybe a minute or two, then she was done. I had to finish it up. With me not being into doll making, it was a feat finishing it myself. I did finish it, somewhat, and I named her "Phylis Diller goes to the Ball".I thought it was funny, but Leah being so young and know nothing of Phylis Diller didn't get it.

(And,Oh yes. what a coincidence! Phyllis Diller Died Monday,which was yesterday.)

Hopefully, unless we hit on something really simple and quick for our doll making, this too will pass.I kinda hope so,for my sake anyway. I'd rather be crocheting or in the yard, or doing other crafts of my own interest, while she's out on the four wheeler,exploring the new property, checking on the deer's watering hole and other such things.

P.S. Terry, we got your package. As usual. I love your soaps. Even Pop's gift bar smells wonderful. I've not tried Lily's bar on her yet. Possibly today.Leah loves the wrist band. That's a great idea for her to try to make. She needs to work with the sewing machine a little more to get the hang of it better anyway. We have loads of pretty fabric and just as many beads and such. It would be a great project for her(if she would stick to it)Thanks a bunch for thinking of my family. That was so thoughtful of you.

(Hint:John is into unusual rocks. Maybe, next time I send in an order,you can send him a tiny keep sake rock from Texas.He could start a collection from every state. He IS interested in rocks.Not schoolwork, but rocks and anything war related.)

Leah's new shorts are history.

The pair of shorts I had worked so hard on for the Grand daughter,are history. Leah came over this week end and tried them on but they were too small.I can't judge my own size by looking at a garment, I don't know why I thought I could judge for hers. Nevertheless, Leah took them home with her in hopes she could find a friend at school who could wear and appreciate them. I thought they were so cute. I had made a rose from the same pink fabric,for her hair.Maybe I'll try another pair, but have her to try them on first. Similar shorts from Walmart are $7.00. I only paid .50 for the shorts and .50 for 3 fat quarters of the pink fabric.I loved trying to cutsy them up.I may try a few more pairs. There may be a demand for them with little girls in our area.You never know just what will sell these days.Cute, but inexpensive anything is always good.

Problems when uploading pictures to my blog

I, like many others, have been having problems uploading pictures to my blog. I tried to find help for my problem, but found nothing that helped. I used trial and error all day long trying to post my last blog, and finally found a way to get my pictures posted.I had been getting a message each time I tried, that said,upload failed:server returned invalid response.

I did some experimenting with different methods of uploading my pictures, but not being computer savvy, it was not going too well.Then I clicked on the Picasa Web album,to the left of my post, and pulled up my pictures from that. I had no trouble uploading the pictures I wanted.At least it worked for the remainder of that particular post. Hopefully, it will work for me from here on out.I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

My Grand Daughter-The Style Bug

This is my Style Bug Grand Daughter. She is fast becoming a little lady who is crazy about the various clothing styles.She attended Catholic School until a year ago, and they were not allowed to wear whatever they wanted. The had uniforms. Now that she is in regular school, she is having a blast wearing different styles.She tends to be a trend setter, so in fashion she sees the styles of others and wants to incorporate some of them into her own style.

She found a pair of jean shorts that she dearly loves. She wore them this summer until they were getting kinda thin, so she attempted to sew them using a needle and thread as I had showed her in the past. I never knew her to attempt sewing anything by herself before. Neither had her parents. They were ecstatic over her trying to patch the shorts.They bragged and told everyone about her attempts at sewing.The women folk in her bloodline family do not sew.I,her step grandmother, had been trying to teach her as many things as possible, not wanting her to grow up with no such abilities. Her Grandfather admires women tremendously, who have the homemaker traits,like his Mamaw did.I am hoping that Leah will some day, find ways to utilize some of the different crafts that I am attempting to teach her.Evidentally, the Homemaker gene is one that not all females inherit.I do hope she retains some of the things we are using as she grows into a young lady.Preserving food is another thing I hope to teach her. Her only Aunt on her Mom's side does can,as does her Father, so hopefully she will try it on her own when the time comes.

This is the pair of shorts that she has worn to death. Between the two of us,we patched them up and she is still wearing them, every chance she gets.


I am fixing her another pair, in hopes they fit her, and that she likes them. She is into hair ornaments, so I'm hoping she likes the little flower I have made for her to wear,that matches the trim on the shorts.

Finding Pleasure in the Pain of Others

Normally, I don't find pleasure in the pain of others,but in this particular case, it is hard not to chuckle when I read my niece,Becky's latest post.She is going through some dreadful things in her life,and she is working on them every minute, trying to make things better for herself, her soon-to-be-ex-husband,as she calls him, and her two sons. When she writes about the happenings in her life, you can only think,"Move over Erma Bombeck! Becky is in town."The child is so funny, and many times, she isn't really trying to be funny. She just is. I get such joy from reading some of her writings, I only wish she would write more, and publish her thoughts into a book. Others need to see that even though you are having problems in your life, you can still have a sense of humor, and still help others, by sharing some of your thoughts about them, with the world.Maybe,what is working for you, could work for someone else.Sharing our problems with others,who are in the same boat, can sometimes bring solutions that had never crossed our minds.Then again,what works for one, may not work for others.But it is nice to see what other solutions there might be out there in the world.Blogging is kinda like group therapy. You may get some ideas from others who have been through a similar situation, and found a remedy that might work for you.There are so many great remedies for so many different scenarios out there, you could get lucky and find the one that works for you in your specific situation.Do stop by Becky's post and have a little chuckle of your own to get your day started on a lighter note.

The Need to Always be Prepared

This obsession I speak of today,I have so many, is the overwhelming obsession to be prepared for any given event, at any given moment of my life.My mother always did this when raising us nine children, but I have never completely raised a child, and I still feel the constant need to be prepared at all times, for any situation that might arise. I worked many years for the school system, and most of the teachers and aides there, knew they could usually depend on me to have at my disposal,most any item,  that any child could possibly need, in the course of a day.Like a spare belt or an eye glass fix-it kit,safety pins,ice packs,needle and thread,buttons,etc.They all knew that I was the most likely person in the building to have the most extensive supply of the most-likely-to-be-needed items, than anyone else.

This obsession goes with me even today, no matter where I go. Not such an extensive supply list, but the mainest things I feel I might possibly need throughout the course of my day or visit.

This particular day was Sunday, the Big Reunion Day. I had taken a large bowl of my fresh cut off corn,24 corn muffins, and about 2 gallon of brown bean soup with ham hocks.(The corn left very quickly).I had bowls and spoons, just in case some one wanted a serving of the beans as soup, plus a serrated ladle,just in case they wanted the beans only.Nevertheless the day was winding down and I was gathering up my Bean Soup to take home,most of it being still in the pot, and I made the comment,"Looks like Pop and I will be eating bean soup and cornbread for awhile."Bean Soup and Cornbread? Is that what that was?"Came a voice from the crowd.Then the line formed at my bean pot. Several had heard us, and wanted to take a cup full home with them for supper. It worked out nicely for all.  I had brought extra cups, plastic wrap, and baggies for the bread.It worked out well for me, too. Pop and I didn't have to eat bean soup for days, and I'm sure the takers enjoyed their evening meal of bean soup and cornbread,at their own homes that night.It seems brown beans and cornbread is a well loved dish,mostly for the older generation,and possibly,a few for the younger ones, but it doesn't get offered at mealtimes that much any more in most homes.It seems,with all of the fast foods families are eating nowadays, beans and cornbread is a treat for many.

Another Lesson Learned the Hard Way.

I prefer my trusted old butcher knife to cut my corn off the cob.

I had a lot to do yesterday, getting ready for the Big Family Reunion, canning tomato juice, freezing corn(cut off the cob), so I decided I would run up the road, 15 or so miles, and pick up a bag of chicken feed and stop by the hardware store and purchase a corn cutter. I just knew that would save me a little time working with the corn. Anything to save some time.  I dropped what I was doing, knowing down deep inside, this was not a good idea since Pop and I had just been out this morning,25 miles to town and 25 miles back. We forgot to go by and pick up the chicken feed at that time. Pop took off fishing, so I rushed off in the other direction to get the needed items. Low and behold, I got all the way over there, through those curvy, windy roads, and the feed store was closed.I guess with the economy being like it is, they just had to close  at noon on Saturdays now.I went on to the hardware store, purchased two corn cutters they had on display. Surely one type would work. I rushed back home with the two cutters approximately $18. only to find neither of the two suited me. I preferred by trusted old butcher knife.So there was a couple of gallons of gas and and hour of my precious time wasted. Nevertheless, I finished the corn.That makes 2 bushels I have cut off the cob for the freezer. We love it so, it is well worth the hassle one must go through to get it done. We love corn on the cob, but cut off corn is so nice to pull out for a quick filler for the table when company drops in. No shucking or husking or pressure cooking. Just pop it in a bowl in the microwave  and it's ready. That's my kind of dish.Especially when you're fixing  a dozen other dishes.

I just wonder how others cut their corn off the cob. Do most folks use a knife like I do, or have they mastered one of the cutters? Now,I guess I'm stuck with 2 cutters that I will never use again, and I doubt the resale at a yard sale will be much. Oh well, another lesson learned ,the hard way.

Children of the Corn

Well,this job wasn't quite as scary as the movie,but it was bad. Thank God, I only had a bushel to put up. No help this time. It took me a while,but I got'er done.Ten bags are neatly(well, maybe not so neatly)stacked in the freezer. Each bag holds about 2-3 cups. A good serving size for a family meal. We love corn, especially the super sweet kind, Serendipity this year,cut off the cob.Truthfully, we love corn any way you can fix it. Pop has diabetes, even though he is keeping his numbers down to the good range most days, he still is limited to how much corn and cornbread,he can eat,but the same goes for lots of other foods that he loves dearly.

Our Amish friends, John and Maddie,have lots of corn ready to sell now, and we got one of the first bushels from their field.Maddie had a huge pan,already gathered and cleaned, ready for their family's evening meal when we stopped by, and it looked so good, I just had to have some. I went with her to the field to gather a bushel, but when I began cleaning my bushel at home, I found it was a day or two shy of being as full as I liked, so,hopefully, we will be going back for another bushel today.

My sister,Rita,stayed with Mom last night. Mom has been having a few good days this week. Not so dependant on us girls, so I have had a bit of a break..Maybe, I'll get another bushel of corn put up today,just in case I need to be with her tomorrow.Sunday is our Big reunion, and sometimes she will come and spend the night with me, while we get our contribution dishes ready to take.We'll see how that goes this year.Now, the big decision.What to fix for the reunion.How about an extra big pot of fresh cut off corn. Sounds good to me. Later.

Uncharted Waters

(L)mom is the younger child in the picture (taken around 1930-32)
Mom would have been about 6 years old. (R) 86 years old in 2012

The journey we are now taking with Mom,is, indeed, uncharted waters for us. We have heard the many stories of others, for years, but until you're actually, going through the process yourself, it is all so hard to grasp.Now we are seeing and experiencing first hand the trials one goes through on a day to day basis with a parent suffering with Alzheimer's.No two days are the same. It is almost impossible to predict how each day will go. Some days, she is her normal self.As normal as an 86 year old can be. There are so many facets of life that change simply through aging, and most of us are aware of those changes, but the changes that come with Alzheimer's can be totally different and new to the caregivers.Right now the big things we are having to deal with is her mood swings and her short term memory.. She can be perfectly fine one minute, then crying her eyes out, the next, not really knowing why.It seems,at times, this might be triggered, to a point, when she misplaces something that she uses on a regular basis. The only thing we can do to comfort her is to go and be by her side and help her find what she has lost, then reassure her that we all loose things at times. It's no big deal.Don't worry so,about it. We will help you find it and life will go on,but she starts to dwell on the fact that she is loosing her mind and we will probably put her in a home where they keep the patients sedated,put a diaper on them, and don't attend to their needs when necessary.We visited a friend of hers a few times, and it seemed to Mom,that that was the way they were treating her. It seems the presence of some one being there with Mom, lessens her discomfort.The neurologist had said he thought a lot of her problem stemmed from loneliness.With nine children and thirty nine grand children, at last count,there should be no way she should be lonely,but life happens and both children and grandchildren get busy with their own lives, forgetting that they even have a Mother or Grandmother.Those of us who do work with Mom, do what we can to keep her life and our own, running as close to normal as humanly possible.We know it is rough and it will only get worse as time goes by, but we have vowed to care for our Mother to the best of our abilities.

I researched the saying Once a Man Twice a Child and this is what I found under http://wiki.ANSWERS.com/Q/Where_did_the_saying_once_a_man_twice_a_child_come_from#ixzz22wjogLiv.

[This also should include women. ONCE A MAN TWICE A CHILD means we are born as children, come into adulthood and man leads a hopefully good and strong life and works hard, but, old age sneaks up and before death the man becomes a child again (either in a nursing home where he is cared for like a baby) or loses his place in the ranks of society. Thus "twice a child."]

I try to visit her at least once or twice a week and more if she needs me to be there. On occasion, I will bring her home with me,then at times, I will spend the night with her.I know she'd rather be in her own home 24/7, but she still has sound enough mind to know that we have family,etc. back at our home that need our care, too. So far, she still has the ability to call one of us, any time of the day or night, when she needs our help. In most cases, it's the time she is confused about. She has no concept of time, and since she sleeps a lot throughout the day, she awakens and fears she has missed taking her medicines.Her eye sight is very poor,and she even has trouble reading the new atomic clock I bought for her,thinking that would help.For now, the phone is a great help, but I am sure the day will come, and not so far in the future, that she will not be able to do even that. We will have to be with her around the clock.We are gradually setting things in motion that will help us to be better prepared when that day comes.
With His help, we will get through this,too.

Leah's Experimenting with Doll Making

Leah with her new purse made by Terry Mann Scott

Terry, Leah loves the little purse you made for her. Her friends at school will be envious. Leah tends to be somewhat of a trend setter at her school. She filled it up and began using it immediately.I think she wants to try her hand at purse making after seeing your pattern and the way you matched the fabrics.She loved the idea of using the ribbon for the strap. I have some pretty ribbon which I ordered when I was making the pin cushions. Possibly she could use some of that in her projects. I have lots of fabric to choose from, but the bright and colorful pieces, usually catch her eye, quickly.

I am so glad she is finally taking interest in craft making for real.I have always tried to get her involved and she would, because I insisted, but now I think she really wants to make things on her own.We are working with dolls for now, and she is enjoying that.I would love to help her make a book like mine,someday. I know she will really enjoy that, once she sees her actual writings in print.

For now, she is interested in doll making. The idea came to her when she and her brother,John, both bought a coke in the glass bottles. She decided she wanted to save the bottles for something,not really sure just what,but then she decided on using them to make coke bottle dolls.I tried to persuade her not to limit herself to glass bottles, but to branch out by using various materials for the main part of the body,which would,for the most part, be covered with fabric,etc., anyway.I made a little doll of sorts to show her what I meant.We are both beginners, so hopefully, we will improve, if we continue on with this little project for awhile,but knowing how we both operate, this too, most likely, will pass.

my try at showing her other options

For this doll, I used the top half of a plastic cola bottle for the base of the skirt.Then I glued one of Pop's eye drop bottles on to the top of the base.Then a wooden ball for the head. I wrapped the entire doll frame with a pretty yarn, Fabric would have been nice,too. The arms are made from a pipe cleaner wrapped in the same yarn.I debated on whether to make her some hands, and I may yet.The hair is made of crochet thread. I painted the face with flesh colored paint.I'm doing a bit of research on painting pretty doll eyes.Nothing fancy, but I wanted her to see the possibilities.

Leah's first 2 tries at doll making.She is so proud of them.

These are her first two dolls. I'm sure if she had the materials at home she would be making many others, but for now, she only works on her doll making when she visits Meemaw and Poppy.