A Scrap of Fabulous

Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day! Maybe you could try these in red, white, and blue? I have to try these flowers (as soon as I get a new glue gun because they are not made to last and mine recently died). I found this A Scrap of Fabulous blog, and I am a fan. I love that the blog is dedicated completely to tutorial videos!

Enjoy...

Thank you Firefighters!

This was the view at Deer Palace this morning from under the apple tree.I was there under the apple tree with Amilia

while the firemen
put out the fire in our chimney.One of them worked inside the house to make sure
the fire was out in the elbow inside while the other
was on the roof...We did get an exciting close-up look at their nifty truck...
And we were happy to see this side of it when they
had finished helping us
keep the chimney fire
from igniting any
other part of
our home.

I have never before had to call a firefighter to my house, and I hope to never have to do so again.

However, I am so thankful that they were there to call when I needed them, and that they were so friendly. That elbow in the wood stove chimney has always caused me a bit of nail biting, but this year, it had built up more creosote than we realized. In a normal year, we would have already retired the stove for the year and had the entire thing cleaned and waiting for next winter, but with this weird weather and the days in the mid-40's, we have resorted to using it some this month, since it is our primary source of heat. This was a GOOD REMINDER TO CLEAN THE CHIMNEY mid-season sometimes. Our wood this year was a bit less seasoned than it could have been, and the firemen said that was probably the cause of the extra build-up.

Counting my blessings...

Dear People Who Might Visit a Petting Zoo,

Here is what I learned from experience.
It sounds like so much fun to pay the extra $1.00 for a
Jolly Time ice cream cone filled with savory treats for
the animals at the petting zoo, but

those animals are onto us! They know that
cone in hand = YUMMY FOOD

It is, in fact, a really bad idea. Had we stuck around
outside for a bit and watched others, we could have
learned from THEIR experience. Alas, we were too
excited to pet the miniature donkeys and deer.

Here is how it goes: Animals are all tame and friendly
and happy to allow you to pet them. Animals see a person
(in this case, me) enter with a cone full of feed, and they

are SUPER FRIENDLY AND HAPPY TO EAT YOUR SHIRT.

And they get awfully aggressive with those unsuspecting
cone bearers. I kept expecting to be butted by the goats
and kicked by the deer. Instead, they just tried to eat
our clothes and got pushy with their noses.

We had a good time once we emptied the goods onto the ground
and handed over the cone.

Vanished treats and no cone in hand = docile petting zoo animals.

Next time, skip the treats and just watch those other unsuspecting
folks have to learn the hard way.

Regards,

He Loves Us

Sometimes,
proclamations of love
come from
unexpected sources.
Amilia said of this
drying puddle:
"we know
God
must love us
because
he sent us
this message
to tell us so."

Checking in...

I have been busier than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs lately, trying to keep my tail from being smushed! I have not had the energy at the end of each day to add anything here or to even gander at my favorite places to visit in the Blogosphere.

Today, however, was a fun day of pony rides and petting zoos and planting in the garden. I did not actually do the planting. I was too busy shivering in my TWO sweaters with my hands in my pocket and my hood pulled up to block the wind from my sensitive ears. Luckily for me, Mr. Nature rode to the rescue on his Mantis tiller and finished the tilling and, trowel in hand, put our pumpkins and tomatoes in the ground.

He has also been the one so far this spring to hunt down the eggs that our hens tend to lay all around the grounds. Lately, they like the junipers, and Mr. Nature has the scratches to prove that he has had to root around like a pig for truffles to get to our yolk-filled gems.

Here's hoping that spring will actually be sprung before it is overtaken by summer. I hear we experienced a 100 year record daytime low on Friday, with rain and ice falling from the sky in accompaniment. Cue the heat. Heater, that is.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

Imagination

Imagine the possibilities. Imagine what fun you can have with just a few friends (little stuffed ones, that is) and a smidge of imagination.

The imagine rock is one that Nature Boy gave to Amilia a couple of years ago, and is one of her favorite possessions.

The animals all have names, and are small enough to go everywhere with us. They even have little cars to drive and blankets and pillows for resting. That is Dr. Mouse there in the front...she makes sure all other tiny pets are healthy and happy.(I am not a big fan of WalMart, but I must admit that I have been seen passing through its doors on occasion. It is the only place where these particular teeny "Whimzy" pets can be found. And they are extremely affordable, which has been a big factor for us in all purchases over the past couple of years.)

I still maintain that handmade is best, and I support it whenever and wherever I am able, but I also must admit that I enjoy playing with these teeny tiny little pets with Amilia, and our imaginations fly...

English Paper Piecing

I know someone who has just jumped into this craft with both feet. (Pretty sure she is stitching by hand as well.) I think it is a valuable thing to know, and have put it on my list called "Learn more about Quilting!" Enjoy...

Happy Friday!

happy Friday to all! Hug your loved ones, breathe deep and give thanks for all things good in your life. Most of all, have a great weekend!

Browsing through Etsy for the word Friday, I found a shop (PaperMonster2009) that is closing and having $1.00 closeouts on gift tag sets...Or, perhaps a TGIF mug?

Life is good.

Tennessee Disaster Relief

I thought I would share with you another opportunity for giving handmade items to a charitable cause. From May 15 to June 15, Sharing Our Gifts is partnering with the Knit and Crochet Tennessee team on Ravelry to make afghans, lap blankets, baby blankets, washcloths and hand towels for people affected by the severe flooding in the Nashville area.

There are no size requirements, so if gauge swatching is not your thing, NO FEAR!

Not a knitter or crocheter? Sewn items will be happily accepted also! Small sewn toys are your specialty? I am certain that the children needing small blankets would be happy to receive cuddly toys as well. All items our group (Sharing Our Gifts) sends will go to the Nashville Salvation Army and be slated specifically for the flood relief effort.

We have two options this time around. For those of you who want to know exactly where your donated items are going and/or you want or need a donation receipt (if you want a donation receipt, please specify on your tag and include an SASE so it can be mailed to you by a Salvation Army employee), you can designate that they be delivered to the Salvation Army in Nashville by tagging the items as follows:

“For Salvation Army from Sharing Our Gifts”

For those of you who are comfortable with giving the flexibility of your items being disbursed by the Knit and Crochet group to whatever charity is most in need of flood relief items at a given time, please tag your items as follows:

“From Sharing Our Gifts”

This time, it is VITAL that you tag your items so that they will be properly tallied. Since our items will be going to the same place that probably thousands of other items will also be going, we want to be sure that they are logged in connection with our group’s donation efforts. We have printable tags on our Ravelry group’s main forum under the tab that says
“2 pages.” Print and then just write the proper tag (from above) on to the back of the tag.

DEADLINE:

Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator (for this Project #8) is June 15, so please allow appropriate mail time.

We do not have a “Sharing Our Gifts” volunteer coordinator on this one since we are partnering with the other group, and we are to send to their volunteer collector. The mailing address for this project is:

FiftyForward Knowles
ATTN: Deborah
174 Rains Ave.
Nasville TN 37203

Happy crafting!

Home and Garden Pest Control Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED: THE WINNER IS COMMENT #5:WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY PRIVATE MESSAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

This is part 2 of my review of EcoSmart products: THE GIVEAWAY! As before stated in Part 1, I received a Home and Garden Pest Control bundle for purposes of this review. The weather has been so wet and cold that I have just now been able to make use of all the products. I can now say that I recommend the Garden Fungicide, at least on roses, and the personal organic mosquito repellent does helps repel mosquitoes (and probably ticks, gnats, and other annoying pests, as the label states).

Now, one lucky reader will get to try out this bundle pack as well! The giveaway starts NOW, TODAY, and will end on Monday, May 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. What do you have to do to enter? Let me tell you!

The giveaway: One winner (US address only please) will receive their very own Home and Garden Pest Control bundle.

MANDATORY To win: Leave me a comment telling me why you'd like to win this home and garden value bundle (winner will be picked at random by Random Generator). Be sure to leave your email address with your comment (if you don't want your email address to be visible on the comments form, just leave it off your comment and make sure you email me your address or give me some other way to contact you). This giveaway is open from today,Monday, May 10, Monday, May 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Good Luck! (go here for Official Rules)

**GIVEAWAY ENDS 11:59 PM, PST, May 24,2010**

Optional Bonus entries: Get up to 6 extra entries for a total of 7 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry so that Random Generator will correctly determine the winner):

1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or Email (see right sidebar)
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Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there!
I hope your day has you soaring with the birds

In the past, I have heard my mother say that if she had mothering to do over, she would do it better the second time around. Though as a mother, I can certainly identify with that statement, I must say that I think my mom did a great job the first time around.

We all have our faults. And, I suppose, my mom had hers. Like, for instance, she used to suck up my teeny tiny toys in the vacuum cleaner and, to my most dire agony, they were never to be seen again. She listened to Erma Bombeck which colored her visions of how parents and children should interact.

That color was the color of sarcasm. (I can't blamer her, really; she came by it via genetic code.) She threatened to drop us at the orphanage. She sang the song, "This is the day we give babies away (play on words with "a weigh") with a half a pound of tea...if you know any ladies who want any babies, just send them around to me..." compliments again of Ms. Bombeck.

But, in the end, sarcastic parenting aside, she has really been the best mom anyone could have. And I love the dry wit and sarcasm. In our family, it is what makes us who we are, and what binds us all together in the straightjacket. My mom cared about our grades and she always made sure she knew what we were doing in school. She made sure that she knew our friends. She always knew where we were, and always made us check in when we were out playing all over the neighborhood.

She cooked for us EVERY SINGLE DAY, and we always sat down at the table all together for dinner. And, while she was not one to "play" with us a lot, she made sure that all our needs were met and that we were safe, clean, healthy and well-mannered. She made certain that we knew how to be respectful and how to do household chores. She made sure we knew how to properly eat at the table.

Even into my adulthood (when I lived close enough to her), she would make me cream of potato soup when I was ill. To this day, when I experience one of life's triumphs or defeats, she sends me a card and a note. She always finds the perfect card, and if she doesn't find it, she makes it herself.

She paints, draws, writes wonderful fiction, and has begun to garden. Her children are successful in many ways with wonderful families of our own now. Her grandchildren are well-mannered and successful in school. If she has a fault, it is that she has not yet finished the fiction story begun some 25 years ago and I have been hanging on that cliff for many years to know the outcome.

She still wonders what she could have done better. What she could have done more. I say, she did everything right. We wouldn't be who we are if she had done anything different, better or worse, more or less. I think she was perfect as a mother just the way she did it the first time. She taught us that it is important that you choose friends who mirror your loyalty and values. It does matter where you place your allegiances. It does matter what choices you make in life.

She taught us how to work through adversity. How to stand tall and stay strong. She had defeats and difficulties in life, but she used those to teach us how to act in the face of difficulty. If she hadn't had any problems in life, we would have missed out on valuable lessons. Because she met all problems with extreme fortitude and strength, we know how to be strong, loyal, and steadfast. We know how to treat other people with caring, dignity, and respect.

So, as we all honor our mothers this day, I want to assure my mother that she did a wonderful job, and I wouldn't change any part of the way she carried out the job of mothering. I might, however, change my daughtering skills a bit if I were to do it all over. I would show her all the way through that I appreciate her and love her endlessly. And, if I had it to do over, I would have sent her a card today. (I forgot to get it in the mail in time! Bad daughter!)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.
I love you.

Romaine Lettuce Recall

When I was a child, food recalls were virtually unheard of, and now they seem to happen all the time. Why did they happen less frequently then? I believe it is because our food came from closer to home. We didn't have this global food system that we now have in place.

This time, the recalled "product" is lettuce with a dangerous strain of E.coli attached. Food safety experts say not to worry...it's all under control, folks! I think that lettuce is not really supposed to be a "processed" food. Really! Do we need it cut up for us BEFORE we buy it? Ditto all those other "convenience" produce items in the market.

I say, this is a perfect example of why we need to grow our own foods and eat only those grown locally to us (I would go so far as to say that "local" could be up to 500 miles from you in some cases). But, really, let's face facts (as they appear to me in my humble opinion), the government CANNOT keep food safe on a global level, no matter how many laws are put in place. "Food Safety legislation" in my opinion, is a myth. Sure, it sounds good, and makes people feel safer (thought I don't see why, given the multiple and severe food and drug recalls that still occur with great frequency), but really it only takes control of the food supply away from local communities and enlarges bureaucracy. So, now we have more laws, and food safety that was the same as before, which is worse than 20 years ago. We don't need new laws. We need less huge conglomerates controlling the food supply.

We need to grab some more of that sand back from Father Time and we need to step backward a number of years to when we got our food from Sam the Butcher who got it from Les the cattle rancher next door. And from Betty who grew all the lettuce for the town and the cafe in her cottage industry garden. And from Hank who tended his orchards up the street all season with natural, non-chemical methods. We need to know the name of the man or woman who grows our lettuce.

On such a large scale as our food system works, it is inevitable that contamination(s) will occur, and some of them will be dangerous. A national/global food system just doesn't work. We should all push hard for our local economies to take back control of local food. It would bring back local jobs in all communities, and give a big boost to small farmers who care about quality and sense of community.

Of course, there will always be exceptions because some things just don't grow in some places, and those people also have to eat. But it certainly couldn't hurt to take as much back to local levels as possible.

Here is an the FDA News Release if you want to go to the full information on the recall from the FDA website.