A New Girlfriend for Max....a new project for Jan....

Max is quite the man about town these days....he has followers from everywhere!!! Here is one of the girls...just look at the love and devotion in those beautiful brown eyes...

It is true love....for Max, and for the cookies that he carries in his pockets when he walks! This is Bebe, and she is always willing to visit!

A closer look...now, the sad thing is...she never got her cookie! She was a bad girl and ate a large portion of her Mama's rug. And it stayed in her stomach long enough to cause some ulcers...so she is on canned food until this weekend. Poor girl! She could not understand why she didn't get her goodies! So, Max promised her doubles next time.....now, if she just won't eat the rug...............

Now, my new project! We spent last Monday in the Valley at friend's. And we went out to Grandpa's Farm...

We bought corn, potatoes, fresh green beans, cucumbers...you'll notice I don't have a photo of those, but what I do have a photo of is a quilt that they had. It was gorgeous! And just what I had been looking for. I bought some beautiful fabric for a quilt for our Anna, and decided that I didn't like the quilt pattern I had bought to do it in. So, it has been sitting here for ages, waiting for a spark of inspiration...which hit on Monday, when Kathy and I went into the little shop that they have. So many fun things to see! And then, I saw this, my little heart pitter-pattered....out I rushed to the car to get my camera, and snap......this is what I will do for Anna - but instead of the white background, it will be black....like this: So, now the fabric has left the "what will I do with this" pile, and relocated to the "gotta get this done soon" pile. (I am ever the organizer....)!

Other than that, life has pretty much just cruised by, like it does, in a blur!! I have two penny rugs cut out...they are in my "what the heck have you been doing?" pile. They have to be done by the end of Sept. so they can travel to their new homes...along with several table mats, and a runner, and a reading pillow.....a rug, a dolly quilt.....(didn't like the first one I did), three dresses, some wall art, some snowballs.......candles and soaps......well, I just had a horrendous hot flash...I must be tired...couldn't possibly be stress? LOL! It will all get done, and I will be a solid, red, heating unit....those hot flashes could power New York City. And of course, had I managed to have started on some of this earlier, I wouldn't be stressing! But it seems that is how I live my life, and it must work......and in the winter? We never have to turn the heater on!

Well, I am sitting here, looking at Brandi's table mat, and thinking, if I got started on it tonight, it could be quilted by Monday, so think I had better do dinner, and get busy on that! 'Til later!!

Crab Lasagna

A couple of days ago, I mentioned that we had been to a friends' house for dinner....which was Fresh Crab!! I took a photo....it isn't the best...but the poor crab was naked.....and well, the other side just looked wrong!

We are so fortunate to live where we can actually get fresh crab, and most of the time, I don't think about it! Before Max went back to trucking, he was a Commercial Fisherman. Sadly, now, the fishing industry is about gone. It was slowing down in the early '80's, which is why we moved to Florence.

But there are times we can't get fresh crab.....and canned crab is all the crab we can get. We hate that! So, I have this wonderful recipe which I use whenever we have company coming from inland....and, I can't get anything but canned! It is easy, and it actually goes together fast....AND, it is a great make-ahead dinner!

CRAB LASAGNA

1/2 lb Lasagna Noodles, cooked

2 cans frozen Shrimp Soup...(I use Cream of Mushroom)

2 cans Crab Meat

1- 8oz package of Cream Cheese

2 cups Small Curd Cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp Basil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

dash of pepper

Tomato Slices

1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated.

Cook noodles in boiling, salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Thaw the soup and heat (if using canned Cream of Mushroom soup...just open it and pop it into a bowl)

Add crab to soup, and mix it in.

Mix Cream Cheese until soft, in a separate bowl. Add Cottage Cheese, egg, basil, onion, salt and pepper.

In a buttered baking dish, place one layer of noodles, than a layer of half of the cheese mixture. Add the soup and crab. Cover with a layer of noodles, then the remaining cheese mixture, and top with tomato slices.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 350*. Than add the grated cheese, and cook for 1/2 hour longer, until bubbly. Let set for 5 - 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

I serve this with a green salad, and garlic bread.....hmmmmmmmmmmm, it is looking good....might just make it one night this week!

Life here is just buzzing along! We are busy trying to get things settled around our trip to see our kids the end of September. Max is spending his time telling me that we "don't have that much room in the trunk"...but really, we will be gone for a month, and I have to have some something to do, and a good variety of it!

I am still sorting stuff that I took out of the fifth wheel....I am pretty sure that the "stuff fairy" has been paying regular visits, as I refuse to believe that I could actually have put that much stuff into the fifth wheel! The good thing is that I have found several things that I had been looking for! I swear, I need a Twelve-step program....one made especially for those that have to know how to do everything.....suppose they have one for that? I was talking to a friend last night, and telling her my sad tale, and then I said "maybe I'm a Hoarder"....but I don't think that fits, as I actually use everything I have. It has been mentioned that Max might possibly need a counseling session to maintain his sanity as he lives with my "stuff" all the time. I think he is doing fine....his eyes haven't rolled back in his head for several days.....and that foaming around his mouth isn't so noticable now....so I think he just might be coming to terms with it................

Show-n-Tell Tuesday!

Well....here I am again, a day late!! I thought that I would be able to post this last night, but.....we went to a friends house to eat....(fresh crab....yummmm), and then, I stayed and visited....and visited.....and dragged home at 10:00 last night. Max and Mom were home by 6:30.....so I guess you know.....(if you didn't already), that I can talk and talk and talk....LOL!

I had been junking the other day, and found some great goodies! I have a hard time finding goodies here, as we really have only 2 places to go, other than garage sales. But this is what I found at St. Vincent De Paul:
I was thrilled! I found the two Louet Carding Combs...I have been looking for them, and they are expensive new.....and there they were...just waiting for me to grab them up. Now, however, I am wondering...should I keep them or sell them...I don't have my wheel now....and well....no fleece now either...this will require some thought! And I LOVED the coffee cup and saucer....it is an old restaurant one. Basket? It was the perfect prim color, and I couldn't pass it up! AND, it won't need redoing..it is perfect as it is. The two boxes, will be makeovers this week, and see all those spools? Punch Needle threads...in PRIMITIVE colors! Where on earth did they come from? Florence is not a prim place! The baggie? It's full of little artificial apples, that have been dusted with clear glitter. They will be going in a glass jar for the new kitchen when it comes!

NOW, for the real prize!! See the wood paper towel holder in the back? Well, I found one just like it in Country Sampler...for the price of $39.95, plus $11.00 postage. My price, (and it is identical, I just need to paint it), ta daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........I paid $6.99 for it! I danced all the way out to the car!!

I also found some tin molds..... this one being the coolest:
It is nice and heavy, and the design is incredible! Here's a close-up of the top:

I couldn't believe it! How could someone just not snatch it up? I can hardly wait to do some pantry cakes out of it....Now, if I could just figure out how to make the old-fashioned food screens.......there is always something, isn't there?!!!

Today is my Mom's birthday...Happy Birthday, Mom!!! (why aren't you answering the phone???? And where is the answering machine??????) Max was right, we should have called EARLY!!! Hope you and Dad are out having a good time!!

Well, that is about it for today! It is lunch time, and for once, I am hungry! Hope you all have a great day!! Check back tomorrow, as I have a wonderful recipe to post....Crab Lasagna!

So Long...Farewell....Auf Wiedersehen......

Well, it was time.....but it was sooooo hard......today was the day......


The truck was backed up......
Craig raises the jacks on this side, Max is on the other...then.....



Craig, the truck and the 5th wheel head out. We will miss them!! We had a LOT of fun with these rigs! Several trips to FL.....A LONGGGGG trip around the country in 2002, and 5 seasons in AZ. We certainly used them alot!! Now they have a new home! There is a BARE spot in the lot now! Sadly enough, that can't be said for the house.........turns out I had a lot of stuff in that 5th wheel. The couch is now hidden, not to mention the kitchen table and the kitchen floor....and well....let's just say that if we want to sleep in our bed? We will need to spend a bit of time clearing it off?

Craig is headed out today for a vacation......well, his idea of a vacation...he is headed to Eastern Oregon for a week or so of 10+ hour days of painting. We're not talking a vacation of painting canvas', or creating art...no, he will be painting dorm rooms before the kids come back to school. Now, I'm not sure, but maybe we all in the family should be, dare I say it? Offended?....is that the word I want? He was just HAPPY to be leaving us for a week or so.....In fact, last night, after working on Mom F's bathroom, and the neighbor's house....and then several hours of him and Max going over the ins and outs of the fifth wheel........he was positively giddy....and that was before the mojitos we had........and yes, he was still smiling this morning when he came over to hook up the 5th wheel.......my baby brother is just silly!! I will probably be calling him once a day to make sure that he remembers us.......

Other than that, things have been going on as usual. I have been going through fabric, and well, going through fabric.......I have decided to do more down-sizing! The Humane Society Thrift Shop will be receiving a LOT more bags and boxes of goodies. I have enough stuff, that even I am thinking that I need to downsize.....the thought of it just gives me the shivers~~I want to learn to do it ALL!! Of course, even if I lived until I was 500 years old? I would still be discovering different arts and crafts! Wouldn't that just be great?!!!!

This week, I will be matching the last of the fabric to patterns, and then fabric to the quilts I have planned...then the rest goes. I have already gone through my wools, and decided on the penny rugs, and I have gathered all the rughooking goodies..and they are all together......I will be stitching all the way to FL and GA next month!

Candles are on the list for Wednesday, then on Friday, soaps..........That will clear out a HUGE area of stuff!!!

Well, it is dinnertime......Blueberry Pancakes and Bacon..............I LOVE when we do breakfast for dinner!

Tomorrow? I will do a Show and Tell from my last trip to the TS...St. Vinnies...I do love them!!!

Have a great evening!!

Life in the Fast Lane.....

A visit to the hospital, and a haircut....What? A Haircut you say? Indeed!!

So, we'll go back a couple of days.....about a week ago, Mom F. had to go in and have an Endoscopy.....she had been losing blood. Got that done, and then last Friday, we went in and talked to the surgeon. Life gets interesting here! We got her in, and got all settled...Theresa took her BP. I was glancing around, and my eyes landed on the BP stuff. (Like those technical terms?). Anyway, I am watching and waiting for the little tick.....which was not appearing. So, I watched and watched and when it hit 100, with no tick? I lost the view of it, Mom's head was in the way. So I watched Theresa, whose eyes were getting larger and larger....bottom line? 77/42!

So out she went, in came the surgeon who informed us: Didyourscope, didn'tfindanything, makingyouanappointmentwiththeTriagedoctorattheclinic,outyougo.Talklater.

And out he went. In came Karen, who informed us we would need to go to the clinic. Mom was feeling fine. But we went to the clinic, did some blood work, and waited. Turns out that they needed to get rid of some meds, which we did.

Now, they also discovered that she needed another couple of units of blood, (still losing blood), so yesterday morning, we got the call and out to the hospital we went. This was at 1:00, so once we got her settled, I ran out to get some lunch. As I passed Radiology, I decided to pop in and say "hi" to Laurie and Lisa. Hugs all around then some catching up...then, I said, "Cut my hair"? (middle of the day here, and I like to live life on the edge). Not one to pass up a challenge, out came the rubberbands, and scissors...(we're talking office scissors here...). Into the film room we went, where with several snips, off came my hair....19" of it. Into a baggie it went, and today, it went to "Locks of Love".

It needed to be done ages ago.....but I just couldn't. Every time I decided, someone would say "Your hair is so beautiful" or "Love your hair".....so I would back down. AND, I hate going to the salon. (okay, mostly, I am vain....I admit that!). Luckily, Laurie is always up to a challenge, and Lisa donates regularly to "Locks of Love", so she has a hairdresser that will mail it off. Then, I discovered that you can do it yourself, online.

This is something that I feel strongly about! My hair grows so fast, and it is so needed! There are so many people who lose their hair during treatments for cancer and other diseases. My hair is now scheduled for a yearly cut....yes, probably in Radiology, at the hospital...in the film room......with Laurie, scissors in hand, and Lisa, standing around, making comments...("it's okay Laurie...she won't be able to see that bald spot in the mirror....). So, if you have some extra hair that you don't need? "Locks of Love" will take it right off your head!!

Mom was finished at about 6:00...it was a long day for her. We capped it off with Chinese, and all of us hit the bed early!

Other than that...life is just cruising on. Mom F. will be getting some meds for ulcers..they have decided that she must have a bleeding ulcer in her small intestine, so hopefully, that will solve the problem. She went through this about five years ago. She has been afraid that she had cancer, and has not been sleeping. We are trying to convince her that she doesn't, but for some reason, she has that in her head, and it is taking some work to convince her!

Well, just got a phone call...we have friends coming from the Valley. It is nice here - 61*, and going to be over 100* out there...so they are coming to cool down. Now I need to get the couch cleaned off. Why is it that when you start going through stuff, and putting it in piles, that invariably you have company? Hmmmm....wonder if they have a Grant for that....?

Whine, Whine, Whine...........

I am horrified to discover that it has been TWO months since I last posted!! I cannot believe that! And I do believe that I pledged the LAST time I missed so much time, that I would do better! I need a keeper!!

I really have several good reasons why I didn't post, so will list them below for you:

1. I was busy whining about the rain.
2. I was busy whining about the wind.
3. I was busy whining about the fog.
4. I was busy whining about missing the kids.
5. I was busy whining about the fact there was NO chocolate in the house.
6. I was busy whining about the fact there was NO Pepsi in the house.
7. I was busy whining about the fact that I was whining.......

and on and on and on. Now, I can see that there is a definite pattern to the last two months. I knew I had been busy...but couldn't remember exactly what it was that I was busy doing. I asked Max? He said he couldn't remember......and he looked me straight in the eyes when he said that. Didn't blink, turn red, or choke on that lie.....Lord I love that man!

It truly has been a busy couple of months. Even with the whining, I managed to get quite a lot done. We have the new bathroom finished.......it is wonderful! As soon as I get the camera back, I will show the before and after photos......Still have to take that After shot!

I have been busy emptying out the fifth wheel....Craig is about ready for it, and he seems to feel that he doesn't need all the fabric, sewing machines or scrapbooking goodies that are in there now.......I'm not sure that he really thought that through too well........I find that those items are totally indispensable, and am sure that they should be within reach at all times (along with the afore-mentioned Chocolate and Pepsi....). I am a firm believer that one should have priorities......and I am thinking that he might need to work on that.....

Brenda came home a week ago, and was up here for lunch the other day. She took us out to the Firehouse on Bay Street, where she and I gorged on Garlic Fries. They were so good, and so very effective......I am able to report that when it got dark that night, Max and I were not bothered by Vampires. While I haven't talked to Brenda since then, I feel that it is safe to say that she was able to protect her folks as well.....

She is actually home to help her folks' with the haying. Then she and Jeff will be in California for the next couple of years.....Jeff was transferred to Beale AFB....it is amazing how things wrap around....I was born in Grass Valley, lived in Penn Valley, which is right down the road from the Base. In fact, my Dad worked at Beale! And to make it a smaller world yet, Don, one of the guys I worked with when I was working for the Airparts co. was born when his Dad was stationed at Beale! I just love how things come to be!

Well, I don't want to put your systems in too much shock, so I think I will close for now....(okay, Max is hungry and is making growling sounds......he says that it is his tummy.................)

What is it about 13 year old boys.............?

Today is the second day of sun, and my aches and pains are almost gone, and I feel ALIVE again!! I will be spending the weekend catching up on all my favorite people and blogs! Yess!!!!!

I thought I would share some photos with you..(I threat..no......warned, yeah, that's the word.....my nephew that this could happen......silly boy, he doubted me!)

We spent the afternoon with Mom and Dad several weeks ago, and I, of course, had the camera with me. I just wanted a photo of Jamey and his Grandma. Surely not too much to ask? Right? Apparently it was.....silly me, I had forgotten that he was 13 now. Life changes at that age. Obviously. Check these photos out......

Grandma gives me a beautiful smile......
So, we try again:
Grandma still has a pretty smile.....hmm....Jamey? Okay, we try again:
Notice, Grandma's smile....but Jamey, he gives me one....well, more or less. So, one more photo:

Grandma is tired.....but finally, he's not being toooo silly!

Thirteen is a cool age...as Jamey reminded me the other day. The family was together and he was being him....Jamey informed his Dad: "I'm Aunt Janet's favorite nephew". To which his Dad replied, "You're her only nephew". Jamey's comeback? "Yes, but I am her favorite only nephew". He is right! I love the logic!!