Not going to look like this for long...
Shall we go with the 'retro' look?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
At Last!
I know you've all been wondering about the family mascot; it's been quite a while since he surfaced. Well, here is The Snake crawling out of Ben's computer bag. He decided to go south to Indiana because Michigan is just too cold this spring.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Newest Smile-Causers
Mulch!!!
A step-stool for my Memory Dollhouse. My Grandma Robbins had a yellow one like this that I used to sit on. I couldn't find a yellow one, so settled for red. Cute, eh?
Filled my new flower pot with pretties!
A step-stool for my Memory Dollhouse. My Grandma Robbins had a yellow one like this that I used to sit on. I couldn't find a yellow one, so settled for red. Cute, eh?
How's this picture for throwing all perspective out the window? Is it a teeny-tiny stool near a regular-sized cup? Is it a regular-sized stool next to one gigantic cup? Is it a little stool next to a large cup? If you hadn't already seen them separately, you might have trouble figuring them out!
Here's the kitchen the step-stool is for.
The is the air-stream oven I found at a thrift shop. The new belt just arrived and needs to be installed so we can use it. This was one fantastic find that I had only dreamed of locating.
And of course, this little sweetheart makes me smile every day!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
This Week
Betsy and Kate cooked a delicious dinner for Mother's Day. We had Swiss Steak (which Kate always called 'mistake' when she was little--it was her favorite), cheesy potato casserole, broccoli and homemade rolls.
I heard rumors about a fruit salad that met with an untidy end :-)
For dessert, Betsy made her Scutterbotch (butterscotch) cake. I'm ashamed to admit how much of this I ate. So good.
I heard rumors about a fruit salad that met with an untidy end :-)
For dessert, Betsy made her Scutterbotch (butterscotch) cake. I'm ashamed to admit how much of this I ate. So good.
Dale finally got out to go fishing--first time in years.
All that fishing made him thirsty...
Actually, this is a flower pot I received for Mother's Day. When I get the plants into it, it'll go on the patio table. I love it!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Search And Rescue
Just returned from Traverse City a while ago. I was there for a 2 day training for CERT. I think there were about 120 CERT members there from our region. I had a great time and learned a lot.
I laughed when I saw this sign. If we are there learning to do serious search and rescue, do we really need signs to help us find our classroom???
Our instructors (pictured here) were from Michigan's Dept. of Corrections and are well-trained in searching for escapees. Besides classroom study, we had practicals and exercises in search & rescue in buildings and woods, also training in using compasses and GPS units/coordinates. This was a full-scale operation with fire department, Salvation Army (food to site), ambulances, sheriff department and canines, ham radio operators, the instructors, and of course the CERT teams. I had never realized before how important ham radio operators are. In times of power outages and disasters, when nothing else works, including cell phone systems overloaded, the ham radios are the only available form of communication.
I laughed when I saw this sign. If we are there learning to do serious search and rescue, do we really need signs to help us find our classroom???
Our instructors (pictured here) were from Michigan's Dept. of Corrections and are well-trained in searching for escapees. Besides classroom study, we had practicals and exercises in search & rescue in buildings and woods, also training in using compasses and GPS units/coordinates. This was a full-scale operation with fire department, Salvation Army (food to site), ambulances, sheriff department and canines, ham radio operators, the instructors, and of course the CERT teams. I had never realized before how important ham radio operators are. In times of power outages and disasters, when nothing else works, including cell phone systems overloaded, the ham radios are the only available form of communication.
This chef was responsible for keeping us well-fed. (I feel like a wart toad.)
Each CERT member attending received one of these T-shirts. (This is the back)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Volunteer Gift
Every year, one of the nursing homes where our ladies group goes to sing each month has a party for the volunteers and they give us such nice gifts. This year the gift was a 'meal in a bowl.'
Wanna know what's inside? Everything for the spaghetti except the hamburger! There is the pasta, sauce, parmesan cheese, bread, garlic salt, another herb/spice, colander, spaghetti scoop and a dish cloth.
Wanna know what's inside? Everything for the spaghetti except the hamburger! There is the pasta, sauce, parmesan cheese, bread, garlic salt, another herb/spice, colander, spaghetti scoop and a dish cloth.
Wasn't that a nice gift?
(Maybe now I should retire my avocado green plastic colander that I bought the first week we were married, way back in '69!)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Desperate for Something to Post
Why is there a little container sitting on my CERT backpack? We were told to carry Vicks to put in our noses if we have to search some place that smells putrid. Happy thought, indeed.
(Told you I was desperate for something to post. Ya didn't want to hear about my broken tooth, did ya?)
Remember a while back I posted a picture of the lettuce that I was starting from the base of the leaf lettuce I'd bought? Well, I did something wrong so it's having a time catching up (shouldn't have scraped the bottom; I prevented the roots growing at first) Fortunately, I didn't mess up the celery stump that I tried later. It developed a good root system quickly so I stuck it in some dirt. Looks quite healthy and has grown lots of leaves already. Maybe I'll get another bunch of celery out of the old stump. Hmmm, I wonder how long I can keep one clump going? It's already got roots. Do you think I can just cut off the stalks I want and it will grow new ones??? I wonder if green onions work like this, too. They come with the roots still on, don't they?
(Told you I was desperate for something to post. Ya didn't want to hear about my broken tooth, did ya?)
Remember a while back I posted a picture of the lettuce that I was starting from the base of the leaf lettuce I'd bought? Well, I did something wrong so it's having a time catching up (shouldn't have scraped the bottom; I prevented the roots growing at first) Fortunately, I didn't mess up the celery stump that I tried later. It developed a good root system quickly so I stuck it in some dirt. Looks quite healthy and has grown lots of leaves already. Maybe I'll get another bunch of celery out of the old stump. Hmmm, I wonder how long I can keep one clump going? It's already got roots. Do you think I can just cut off the stalks I want and it will grow new ones??? I wonder if green onions work like this, too. They come with the roots still on, don't they?
Most of the snow is gone; just a few piles left. Dale tilled the garden for me, and I planted the onions, leaf lettuce, snow peas, parsnips and carrots. The rest will have to wait a few more weeks until it warms up more.
The new Meijer store in Gaylord is due to open in just 6 days. I'm so excited!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Major Meltdown!
We lost a ton of snow today.
Even the rhubarb is popping through.
The mountain is turning into a hill:
Tulips and daffodils are popping up next to the house (only on the south side, of course.)
Bare spots!
Even the rhubarb is popping through.
The mountain is turning into a hill:
Tulips and daffodils are popping up next to the house (only on the south side, of course.)
Bare spots!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Birthday Weekend
Both Dale and Kate had their birthdays this weekend, so we had Josh and Kate over for dinner Sunday. Here are the birthday buddies.
Monday we headed downstate to Betsy and Anthony's home to celebrate with more family. It was also my parents' 58th wedding anniversary. Jeff & Karen and the kids we able to make a spur-of-the-moment trip over for it, too,. We had a great time together. Sorry, no pictures of my adorable grandchildren. One little granddaughter was wondering why I didn't bring any applesauce (they love my applesauce). I told her that next time she'll have to call and remind me. Sooo, not long after, I was upstairs with the kids and Caroline was making me food in her toy kitchen. She had our plates all ready. She got the plate with the chicken on it. She gave me the bowl and a spoon. She told me I got soup. When I exclaimed over the delicious soup and asked what kind it was, she said, "Applesauce soup." A little guilt trip there for Grandma. A few more bites then, "We forgot to pray!" So she bowed her head and sweetly gave thanks. How could Grandma forget that, too?
Betsy fixed a wonderful meal--and when I say wonderful--I mean wonderful! She smoked chicken and ribs. MMMMMMM, smoked barbeque ribs, mmmmmmmm. And of course there was ice cream and birthday cake for dessert. Betsy made this adorable birthday cake herself. I don't know if you can see, but there is a treasure map in the beach 'sand' (white and brown sugars mixed), with blue waves around the treasure chest cake. Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, and foil-covered chocolate coins--yum! This cake was huge--four layers. Three on the bottom and one for the lid. Dale said it was the best birthday cake he's ever had!
Betsy was really excited. While we were there, she got one or two people wanting her to do the photography for their weddings. She's been getting lots more hits on her business website. She also received a notice that a picture she entered in a photography contest is in the finals.
We couldn't believe the difference in the weather downstate. Here's what we have:
Monday we headed downstate to Betsy and Anthony's home to celebrate with more family. It was also my parents' 58th wedding anniversary. Jeff & Karen and the kids we able to make a spur-of-the-moment trip over for it, too,. We had a great time together. Sorry, no pictures of my adorable grandchildren. One little granddaughter was wondering why I didn't bring any applesauce (they love my applesauce). I told her that next time she'll have to call and remind me. Sooo, not long after, I was upstairs with the kids and Caroline was making me food in her toy kitchen. She had our plates all ready. She got the plate with the chicken on it. She gave me the bowl and a spoon. She told me I got soup. When I exclaimed over the delicious soup and asked what kind it was, she said, "Applesauce soup." A little guilt trip there for Grandma. A few more bites then, "We forgot to pray!" So she bowed her head and sweetly gave thanks. How could Grandma forget that, too?
Betsy fixed a wonderful meal--and when I say wonderful--I mean wonderful! She smoked chicken and ribs. MMMMMMM, smoked barbeque ribs, mmmmmmmm. And of course there was ice cream and birthday cake for dessert. Betsy made this adorable birthday cake herself. I don't know if you can see, but there is a treasure map in the beach 'sand' (white and brown sugars mixed), with blue waves around the treasure chest cake. Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, and foil-covered chocolate coins--yum! This cake was huge--four layers. Three on the bottom and one for the lid. Dale said it was the best birthday cake he's ever had!
Betsy was really excited. While we were there, she got one or two people wanting her to do the photography for their weddings. She's been getting lots more hits on her business website. She also received a notice that a picture she entered in a photography contest is in the finals.
We couldn't believe the difference in the weather downstate. Here's what we have:
But down there, they have all bare ground. I felt like we had arrived in the deep south!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tightwaddery
I read an interesting tip the other day. It said you can grow more lettuce by cutting off the bottom part and suspending it in water.
This took too much room so I have since changed the dowels to toothpicks and put it over a glass of water. It's actually growing new lettuce leaves...so I started a celery, too. We shall see what we shall see!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dollhouse Progress
Today was the day to start the wallpapering. I didn't like the slanted walls in the second floor, so built some knee walls to straighten things up a bit.
This will be the kitchen. You can't see the wallpaper pattern very well, but it is supposed to resemble delft tiles.
The next step will be the floors, then I'll be able to do the woodwork trims that neaten the whole thing up.
This is the bedroom.
This will be the bathroom unless whoever wins it wants to change it into a nursery.
This will be the kitchen. You can't see the wallpaper pattern very well, but it is supposed to resemble delft tiles.
Here you can see the interior so far. The living room has a tiny brown and orange plaid pattern. I'm quite pleased with today's progress, but to be perfectly honest, I had a "little" help.
The next step will be the floors, then I'll be able to do the woodwork trims that neaten the whole thing up.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Exterior is Finished!!!
At last! Finally finished the exterior of the VBS dollhouse tonight. Still needs some kind of decoration--wreath, flower boxes or something--but the work is basically done on the outside. Next step will be making some little changes on the interior, then papering, flooring, and trims. We went to Arnie's in Houghton Lake today so I could get some scrapbook paper for wallpaper. Didn't really have what I was looking for, but got some that will do, if I don't print some from the web.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Every few years, I pull out our all-time-favorite valentine and give it to Dale again. I had originally given it to him in the mid-70's. Cutest one I've ever seen.
A Valentine for Mein Sveetie Pie
Ist dis not der
Smoochin' Season?
Yah, dis ist der
Smoochin' Season!
Ist it not true dot
huggin's pleasin'?
Yah, ist true dot
huggin's pleasin'!
Ist you not mein
Sveetie Pie?
Und mitout you
vould I die?
Sveetie Pie,
Smoochin' Season
I vould die,
huggin's pleasin'!
Valentine, let's stop
der teasin'
Und get busy
mit der squeezin'!!!
How Many Kitties Do You Know That Pick Up Their Toys???
We were recently surprised when we realized Shylo was picking up her toys and returning them to this egg carton when she was done playing with them. Sometimes we put kitty treats in the egg cups and she likes fishing them out. Her other game seems to be getting toys stuck under furniture so I have to find them and retrieve them for her. I'm not so wild about that game.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Excellent Site
Don't know if you've ever noticed, but in my links, the first is the American Colonist's Library. It is one huge library--all readable. Several centuries of books. Ya just gotta check it out sometime.
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