There's Something About Fall

There's something about Fall that brings out the desire to do some Fall related crafting, more so than any other time. I think it has something to do with the bright Fall colors. When I begin to see all of the bright oranges,yellows, and golds, of Fall, I want to make something Fallish. I love working with Fall colors and trying my hand at creating new things, mostly from recycled materials.Plus,I work a lot with wood scraps.

One of the projects I started lately, is a cabinet to hold some of my gardening supplies on the back porch. I had a shelf already, but it was so unsightly, I wanted to make it more appealing to the eye. Sorry! I failed to take a picture of it before I began my up grade.It was just a home made open set of shelves.

I'm reusing the wood from an old picnic table that was always in the way.

It's amazing what a coat of paint will do.

This is it so far. I am so pleased with the way it is turning out,I have another small set of shelves I got from my sin-in-law this past weekend, that I will be painting and adding to the base cabinet.

before

I've been thinking, instead of using the cabinet for storing my gardening tools and supplies in, it would make a nice piece for Pop to use when cooking outdoors on the grill or maybe in the basement for a snack serving table.Some of my pretty cups I have collected would look nice on the little top section of shelves.Who knows where it will end up,but,rest assured, where ever it is,(I think) it will look good. I am so pleased with it.I need to add knobs and a magnet or button or some type of fastener to keep it closed.Not sure if I will simply set the small set of shelves directly on top of the base set, or put a back on it, and raise the little set up higher.That would look nice, too.I am planning it as I go, so we'll just have to revisit the finished project later.

and after
(And to think my SIL was headed to the dump with this little jewel.Go figure!) 

Why Do Women Strive to Do More?

As I was going through my list of posts today, I have found many posts still in draft. No matter what the reason for not finishing them, I may go ahead and try to post them soon. I figure, in most cases, my thoughts about certain things probably changed mid stream, before I got around to hitting the publish button.Some times, that might be a good thing. Put my thoughts down in black and white, then discard them.I understand that's a good form of therapy.
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(from an old post left in draft)

I have been reading more and more about coconut oil and memory lately. I even ordered myself 2 bottles of Coconut Oil Capsules. The recommended dosage on the bottle is 2 capsules a day. You should see the capsules. I'm guessing each one holds a tablespoon. I have never taken coconut oil, but I have taken Castor Oil in my lifetime. It was the yuckiest thing I have ever tasted. I wonder if coconut oil tastes as bad,and maybe that's the reason it's in those huge gel capsules. It's recommended that you take it with a meal, and I guess the reason being, it would most likely hurt your stomach if taken on an empty stomach,so I have been trying to take it as it says. I still notice some discomfort in my stomach. I guess since I have been dieting, I am not putting enough in my stomach to mix with it thoroughly,and any kind of oil on an empty stomach can't be all that good.

Nevertheless, it may be in my head, but I do seem to feel more energetic. It may be the weather, since we did get a little rain, and it has cooled down considerably.Then,there's the rat race of dealing with extra company all week and the responsibility of entertaining them, has passed.Things have slowed down to a more normal pace. Whatever the reason, things are a little calmer around the Nugent household today. (Yesterday was a different story. I had to babysit both Grandchildren.Those two at once is no picnic.I have never understood how Connie,next door, manages with her six,many times, all at once.)

The reason I chose this topic today, is mainly because I have done a full day's work, before Pop got out of bed and/or the house.I am ready for a nap. I was thinking while I worked this morning,Why do most women strive to do more and more, when they already run circles around their man. There may be an exception to this rule, as there usually is, but it has been my experience in talking to more and more women, that this is the case in their household,too. Women can see 10,000 things that need doing,at any given minute of the day, and men see very few, if any at all.

I guess it's the nurturing/mothering gene in us women that drives us. We are constantly feeling that we need to take care of whatever needs taking care of. Do you think it's possible that men did not get that type of gene?I know there are a few cases where the man is obsessive about getting things done,whether it be around the house or in his own space.There's that 'exception to every rule' again. Pop can usually see things that need doing, but the desire to "do it" doesn't enter his mind.I guess it could partly be his age, but then I've noticed that for years in him.I have noticed him,many times, mentioning that something needs doing. Evidently, he thinks just mentioning it, will cause me to feel just guilty enough that I hadn't already got to it, to get to it now.When I get idle enough to start thinking along this line, I get very frustrated. That's why I try not to let myself get that idle.Some thoughts can bring you down for days,weeks,months, and even longer.In most cases, I try not to think negative thoughts. I don't have time for that.There's too many other projects waiting to fill my mind and lift my spirits.


(I try to check my Biorhythm on days like this. I'll bet I forgot to check it on this day.)

Grandchildren Outing

This is what we had in mind, when we bought the new property. Spending time with the Grandchildren,doing lots of fun things in and around the woods.We have cleared paths for the four wheelers and walks in the woods. There is lots of downed wood for building campfires(when the conditions are right), and lots of hunting to be done, whether it be for rocks, mushroom, wild flowers,and last, but not least,animals such as rabbit, squirrel,bear,etc.The hunting part, we hope to keep at a minimum. Pop doesn't care as much about killing the little critters any more, as he once did. Maybe an occasional rabbit or squirrel for a meal, but for the most part, he enjoys watching them.As we grow older, it seems there is something peaceful and calming,about simply watching them play.The grandchildren are both taking interest in guns now, and Pop has always loved his guns, so I suppose it's natural that they should enjoy them,too, but I,personally, hope it is a passing stage. I have never cared for guns, and two of our three dogs don't seem to like them either. Lily is so frightened, she shakes all over and comes to me for protection when the guns start going off.Speckles doesn't react quite as badly, but I can tell, he doesn't care for them either. Bear is the yard dog, so she can venture out further when the guns sound off. The loud noise doesn't bother her as much.

We worked with the children, as their father asked us to, on gun safety and the proper handling of a gun when hunting. John has his Dad's antique BB gun(mistake) and Leah uses it and an old pellet gun of Pop's. Now and then Pop will let her shoot a 22 rifle. Leah is very careful and cautious when using a gun, but with John,it's going to be and uphill battle teaching him anything. He loves having and using  a gun,but hates the noise it makes.Personally, I think he is too immature to be using a gun of any kind, but convincing his Dad of that,is out of the question.

We did build a campfire for toasting marshmallows, and they set up the turkey blind,just for the novelty of it, but hopefully, with a little more planning, our next outing will be better.Pop and I took our lawn chairs, so we got to relax a bit and enjoy their outing,too. For our next outing, we plan to incorporate, the job of picking up a few more sticks off the newly sowed property,for using in our campfire.Maybe it won't seem so much like work(as long as they don't catch on to what we're doing).

A young friend dropped by, while we were out in the woods. She interviewed Pop and I for a Psychology class project.Very interesting. We hope to get a copy of her final paper.She bombarded us with a lot of big words, so hopefully, we didn't mess the interview up too badly, for her sake.

Sweet Coincidence .

One day,this past week, Mom called, needing some help with her medicines. I was on my way to assist her,almost to her door, when I remembered it was Thursday.Thursday is the only day that, Paula,a friend from Mom's church,offers her delicious home made Eclairs. Paula owns My Father's House, a darling little coffee house/gift shop,there in Mom's town.The picture looked so good, I felt I just had to try one. Perfect! It's Thursday, I'm there in time. She tries to have them ready when she opens her shop, and she says they go like hot cakes.She even had to double the number she was making, in order to fill the requests she was getting.Maybe this would be my lucky day. I never plan to go that way on Thursday, but it just so happened,(Mom's former pastor says, "Nothing,just so happens") I needed to go on this particular day to help Mom.Sure enough,Paula still had eclairs. I purchased three, not being sure if one of the other sisters would be there or not. It didn't take Mom and I long to devour our eclair.As a matter of fact, they were so big and so rich, we could only eat half. Mom said for me to be sure and put her name on hers, so no one else would eat it. I labeled mine,too. Whenever, us sisters stay with Mom, we prepare the food for our meals while we're there .We try to utilize whatever is in the fridge from the previous sister's visit.Well, this little "goodie" was definitely going to be off limits, if we didn't get back to it right away.We can get them one to sample, another day.Sorry, girls.


It seems I got "the cart before the horse".I planned to get this post off before the one where I made my first eclairs, but oh, well. Here it is anyway.I wanted to post about the eclairs, just to tell this little story.

We went to the post office to deliver Mom's "Christmas Tree Package"(another story) to a friend, and I was telling the post office lady,Donna, about Paula's eclairs. I said she just had to try them, but they were only available on Thursdays.   As Mom and I were leaving the post office parking lot, I got the idea that we should go and get the ladies each an eclair for a special surprise.We headed that way to the coffee shop to get the eclairs, and another young lady came in,eyeballing our eclairs. I paid for mine and went on out to my truck and told Mom, I hope that was not one of the post office ladies, getting eclairs. Low and behold,it was. She returned to the post office about the same time as I did. I told them I sure hoped they had not just gotten eclairs for themselves. Yes, she had gone to get them each one, but Paula, told her that I had just bought them each one, so she returned empty handed. I gave them the eclairs and we all had a good laugh.

My First Try at Eclairs

I love to cook, but I take it by spells. If there is anything else that I enjoy more, going on in my life, cooking will have to take a back seat, and it does that quite often, but this little eclair thingy struck a chord with me. I felt I must do some research on how they are made. I thought I remembered the recipe involving hot water, and I know bagels are cooked that way, but my memory ended there. I had a vague memory of pop overs. Not sure if that was anything similar, or not, so I proceeded to do my "Research".I found a wonderful recipe for Chocolate Eclairs,on Cooks.com. that appears to be quite simple,but as most cooks know,simple is not always as it seems.I will have to experiment a little to know if it is as simple as it sounds. Most likely,not.We'll have to see.Maybe, I'll post about my results later.I hope you noticed, I said,Maybe!

 Well, later has arrived. It was yesterday, as a matter of fact,and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Most of the eight eclairs I made,are history. I will need to make another batch to take Mom her sample.The process was nothing near as bad as I had thought it would be. It was really simple, to say the least. I used an instant french vanilla pudding for my center(sorry). No whipped cream on hand to make the real filling recipe, and the sauce was a variation of the one in the recipe, but the results were close enough to suit me.You might say,I'm easy to please (on some things).Paula has a bit more experience than I, so maybe if I make the eclairs a few more times, I will get better(and fatter).

Terry,you really need to try this one.It was simple and lots of fun.You can take some short cuts on the filling and the sauce, or use your own choices for both, but the shell is what fascinated me by the way it was made.Who knew you could get such an end product from that beginning mixture?

Jackpot!

Remember the two boxes of jars someone set out on the side of my road? Did I mention there was a huge glass lid  in the box with the jars? Guess what? It is the lid to a 4-quart Corning Ware Dutch Oven. I bought the bowl part of this same oven, years ago at a yard sale for a mere $4. I've never used the bowl that much, since it had no lid, but those days are over. I am bringing it out of storage and I'll be using it more this winter, which is when I use my oven the most.I can already think of lots of things I'll be cooking in it.

I went on e-bay just out of curiosity, to see if I could find the Dutch Oven and low and behold, there it was with a price tag of $59.99.What a find! How lucky can one gal get? Now, if I don't mess around and break it. I do tend to do a lot more of that nowadays.

New Puppy

Pop came home from the Flea Market(I think he brought them all home on the puppy),and he was so excited. He had brought in a new puppy.He said he was afraid I would be upset. I don't know why he would think that. I am as much as an animal lover as he is. he has always been the one to hesitate on getting new dogs.Well, a Mennonite family had these puppies,said they were 1/2 Blue Healer and 1/2 Red Healer.That caught Pops attention,although it don't see red or blue anywhere on the dog. Only white with a few brown Speckles.(My suggestion for it's new name). Speckles(we'll call him for now) was covered with fleas. Pop and I undertook giving him a bath in flea shampoo in a tub of warm water. He took it tolerably well. Pop thinks he might have some Lab in him.They love water. Speckles seems to have taken up with me really quickly. I love to pet and cuddle with him and goo and gah and such.He likes me to rub his belly. His belly is really big. Not a good sign. Pop says we will take him to the vet and get him checked out soon. His gums are still fairly pink, but worms will probably be an issue. Then there are the shots required anymore for all dogs. You can have a lot invested in a new puppy before you know it. Our yard dog is getting older, so Pop wants Speckles to learn the ropes while Bear can still teach him.We have always had a good yard guard dog.They teach each other the boundaries of our property and if anyone steps on our property,they let us know immediately.I'll have an update now and then on progress with Speckles.    

I am my mother's daughter.

Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I have many of my Mom's genes. Some,I try hard to suppress, more than others, but there are some that stick out a mile. There's no way,I could suppress them all.

Mom has done many of the crafts in her life time, that I am now doing today. She still has enough mind left to tell me about all of the things she use to make and do, but has no memory of things that happened five minutes ago.Her short term memory is taking a hit at present. Her long term memory is fine, to a point. She can tell me stories of things that have happened in her life,from the time she was a very small child.Strange how Alzheimer's works on the mind.

Nevertheless, Mom has been purging her home of every single thing she feels she no longer needs. I think she feels. in this way, she is making the job easier to us kids,after she is gone.Having to sort through all of her junk,which in most cases, means nothing to anyone but her.Pictured above are a few of the trinkets she has saved for me. She knows how I love to collect and use everything under the sun when making my crafts.In most cases, things others would toss in the trash, in a heartbeat. Every time I visit, she has a new collection waiting for me.I think I understand,somewhat,as to why Mom is drawn to all of these pretty trinkets.

Mom grew up very poor.She was born in 1946 during the Great Depression years, in the state of Louisiana.For most folks in that area,any material possessions were things your dreams were made of.  I don't know a lot about the state of Louisiana, but just from the stories I have heard from Mom, the area and the time in which she spent the early years of her life, were nowhere near the best.Folks all over the United States were poor and had problems, but I feel folks in that area, during that time, had some of the worst, although you can always look around and find folks who don't have it as good as you do.The conditions in which Mom grew up, were one of the factors that contributed to making her the strong lady she grew to be.You know the saying,"If it don't kill you, it will only make your stronger." That could apply to Mom's early life.Well, really,her entire life, if the truth be told. There are some who may not agree with what I say here, but then,Thank God, they have the freedom to feel the way they do.I feel that strength is built, largely,through the survival of hard times.The education you gain, through the hardships of your past, go with you, throughout your entire life. It can make you stronger, or it can eat away at you indefinitely. We have the ability to pick and choose which of the two, we want to fill our daily lives with.You can relive the past and bring yourself and everyone around you, down, or you can learn from the past and try to make the lives of everyone around you, better.Why put our friends and family through all of the heartache and pain that we had to endure? Personally,I choose to take the upper path, and try to make this a better life,in some little way,for all that I meet, every day of my life.

Free Canning Jars Anyone?

Here we are at 40th and Plum,40 miles from town and plum back in the sticks, and someone sets a couple of boxes of good (but dirty) canning jars out on the side of this little Road to Nowhere. Go figure. With the price of canning jars being through the roof nowadays,at 10 to 15 dollars a dozen,why would someone go to that much trouble? Why not set them out by their own mailbox with a sign FREE CANNING JARS? They would have saved a lot of gas and someone would have picked them up in a matter of minutes. If folks who do can foods see them and don't need them, most likely they know someone who does. I personally know several folks who are in need of canning jars. I have given away several dozens of my own jars this year to help others out, so I know the craft of canning is reviving.With the cost of foods, I feel more and more folks will be canning soon.

The little red nuts and bolts containers was an added bonus. It doesn't pay to be too proud these days. Friends dropped by and told me about the jars sitting on the side of our road because they know how I cherish my canning jars. Most folks in my community know that as well. Several local folks have donated me jars when my house burned and I was in need of a few more. Now it's my turn to help someone else out. I'll wash them and box them up and wait. Sooner or later, I will be asked if I know where to get some good cheap canning jars, and I'll be able to say,"Sure do! I've got extras! Help yourself!"

This Will Make Some Little Girl Happy

Can you guess what I used to make this pretty pencil holder? I just know Leah will have a little friend who would love a pretty pencil holder for her room. I used an old discarded purple sock, a discarded pink ribbon from one of the family's birthday parties, and a soup can. Who could ask for a less expensive,more useful, or a prettier gift. I can hardly wait to see what kind of response Leah gets from her friends when she offers it to some one at school.I love making others happy by giving them one of my pretty,recycled, but useful gifts.

Grandparent Day At Leah's School

Not the greatest shot of us, but Beggars Can't Be Choosers. Well,maybe we didn't need to beg, but I did have to ask one of the other parents to take a picture of us across the table.I would loved to have had to her take a few shots so I could have chosen the best one, but I am thankful she was willing to take the one for my blog,of course.We came a few minutes early to visit with some of the folks we knew. Like every other place we visit,we both know so many folks.Then I brought gifts for all of the cafeteria staff, and a couple of other helpers.They seemed pleased to get the crocheted dish washing cloths. I only wish I had had enough insight to have crocheted more in purple.That is one of their school colors.I had a few, but they would have most likely taken more, had I had them.

The meal was nice,although Pop would not agree. No extra salt allowed. He thinks if the food not swimming in salt and bacon rinds, it isn't good.And the green beans were not cooked down low enough to suit him.I,personally, think he might be a bit spoiled.I felt that everything that I took was good.I had Barbecue on a bun/green beans/watermelon/chocolate chip cookie/sweet tea(which the kids are not allowed,of course).They had mashed potatoes and salad, but I passed on them.Pop chose fried chicken for his meat.They had many choices on fruits. Leah took Kiwi.The purpose of the day was to spend time with the grandchild,not to eat an extravagant meal. So, I feel the day turned out just fine.Leah seemed pleased that we came.Maybe John's school will have a Grandparent's Day,so we can visit with him.

Now it's back home to mow the grass before I must leave again to spend another day and night with Mom.This Alzheimer's that Mom has is wreaking havoc with my schedule at home.It's a struggle,trying to  juggle my responsibilities at both homes.I am not alone with these struggles. Two of my sisters and I are rotating about,doing the best we can to keep Mom and our own families content. It is a real struggle at times,but by taking it one day at a time,with lots of prayers from everyone,we will get through it.

Don't Worry!

Am I the only one who feels this way, or is it not ridiculous, to tell someone not to worry. I feel worrying is involuntary. I worry a lot about different things. I tell myself,I am not going to let something get to me, and at times, it works, but most of the time,NOT.I feel I am not as bad about worrying now that I am retired, and don't have the job related stress, but there will always be other things to stress about. Mom is a huge source of stress in my life right now,with her being older and having so many age related problems. Mainly, dementia and the early stages of Alzheimer's,and to make bad matters worse, she has a dreadful cold of sorts.It's hard enough to care for an Alzheimer's patient, much less one who is sick in other ways.I worry more about that than anything else at the moment, but there is always the fact that I cannot be in my home tending to my own life's problems.Pop says he can take care of himself, and I need not worry about leaving him home alone, to care for Mom, but he hasn't convinced me of that, yet. He can't even keep the sugar bowl filled up. He doesn't know where I keep the sugar, or the cornmeal, or the flour.I could go on and on about things he does not know about running our household. He depends strictly on me, regardless of what he tells everyone.He can cook, or use to ,before we married, but cooking is a skill that requires a bit of practice. Not a lot, but some practice.He can fry his own cornbread. He can make a meal of that alone,with milk and tomatoes,if I lay out all of the ingredients ahead of time.No, he's not an invalid, just spoiled.

mug rugs

hot pads

sachet bags and roses for hair,lapel,belt,etc.

smaller neck scarves

dish washing cloths

larger neck scarves

Nevertheless,I am trying not to worry about Mom tonight. Stacey took her to the doctor today with her cold, and he prescribed some antibiotics.Stacey will be with her for the remainder of the day,and Rita will fill in tomorrow until I can get through helping with Leah's big yard sale.Tomorrow is Sunflower Days for her brother,John's, school, and she has rented a spot to set up a table and raise some of the money she needs for a new I Pad.I am donating lots of my hand made items to her sale,plus we agreed to match whatever money she raises at the sale.I am so glad she is trying to raise part of the money on her own. Our two Grandchildren have been lavished with so much their entire lives, I feel it is good for her to see just how much work goes into making the money. Even though, this little yard sale is not that much work,she will think it is sheer drudgery.


Pictured, are a few of my many hand made items that have been accumulating around the house. I am hoping we can sell several items to raise the money she needs for her I Pad. The next item on her Wish list is a Bow. She has already taken Archery classes, and wants her own bow. I'd better get busy crocheting more things to contribute to that sale.

We HAD a Pond

I was just planning to post on our newly dug pond...........when the problems arose,with my method of posting picture , and by the time I had figured out my problem, the pond was history.

That's me....checking to see how deep it is...or was...Good thing I didn't step in just the right spot ...or shall I say wrong spot........ I might have gone down with the water.

We had a couple of days of really heavy rain, and we were elated to see the pond filling.

Even Lily was loving our new pond.

Just what we had always wanted. A nice pond for the wildlife to drink from, while we watched from the porch, as we drank our morning coffee.

Our elation was short lived. On the third day, a sinkhole broke through and the water went out.  Pop is hoping to save a portion of the pond by filling the hole, and perhaps building a dam of sorts across it,thus making the pond smaller, but oh, well, we would still have a nice pond.

Pop is looking the situation over, and if I know him and Buddy, the bull dozer operator, they won't be whipped by a little sinkhole,or should I say "a big sinkhole".Only time will tell.

I think our neighbor, with whom we dealt with on the property,was right. We merely swapped sinkholes. 

By Golly! I Think I've Got It!

Wallah! I entered my blog directly through Google and was able to post this picture. I'm  not real sure if I will be able to post  another. I did go in and attempt to minimize some of the pics I wanted to use and this may be one of them. I will continue to play around a bit with it, in hopes of figuring it all out. 

Wheee! Another one posted. Let's try  a few more.

My sister,Rita, bought the ruffled can to go in her newly remodeled bathroom. She paid Leah $2 and Leah was hooked. She is now wanting to sell the rest at her yard sale set up on Saturday for John's school's Sunflower Festival.She can set up a table for a $10 fee, then sell her collectibles to raise money for an I Pad she is wanting. Pop and I offered to match whatever money she raised herself.  The John Deere can was not complete when this picture was taken. I added a piece from one of Pop's old belts, and a piece of rope. A young lad at the restaurant bought it on Sunday.

John picked this one, really quick, because of the camo fabric, but ,Sorry, John ,it sold to the same little boy, on Sunday.

Awesome!!! But I'll not get excited just yet. These may still be from my "worked with" picture files.I will try now posting from a group that has not been "worked with".

Who knew I could go straight to my blog via Google and post my pictures with no problem. I have always used IE and will,hopefully,continue with IE (except when I do my blogging).

It went just fine,too. Hopefully, I am back on track, because I had another story I am just dying to tell.This is Leah. She's the one holding the yard sale at her brother's school festival on Saturday.

I think this picture was a normal setting, and it went through just fine, so maybe, I've found the remedy to my problem,but I'm not holding my breath just yet. We'll see how things go with my next post.Wish me luck!

Oh,Happy Day

one of My paintings(one day I hope to learn to use a watermark)

If only I could get back to blogging in a usual manner. I miss it so.I uploaded this picture from a previous post.Those picture upload to my present posts with no problem.

TEST 2

I used the same procedures on the second picture and it would not go.

TEST

Well, I got that to work. Let's try another.

 

I Think I Can

I've been collecting cans for a spell now, and I was getting a bit overwhelmed with them,so I called one of the local Art teachers to see if he could take some of them off my hands. I like to make things from cans, but they can mount up fast,if not utilized on a regular basis. It would be no problem to take them to recycling, but oh, how I hate to do that.Such a waste.Well,not really, but you know what I mean. The country can always find uses for recycled metal,but it seems like such a waste of good cheap art supplies.

This is only a sample of the cans I have made. I have pictures of lots more that I think are really cute, but have not figured out how to get them posted. Leah is setting up a yard sale of sorts, at her school, and I will be making more pencil holder cans, plus gathering up items that she can sell. She is trying to raise money for a new gadget. I am not into those things, so I forget the name of it, but it costs plenty. I will be glad to help her raise some of  the money on her own.She needs to learn that money does not grow on trees.


I have been working with Picasa 3, and it is very frustrating. I don't know if I will be able to figure it out enough to post any more pictures or not. It is very hard to understand,for me, anyway.Until I figure it out, I will not be doing any posting.This may be the end of my blogging career.We'll keep trying, for a while longer.