Have a Lovely Holiday

Be sweet and always be good!!

A Look At Laughter

We all need a good laugh once in a while - well not once in a while actually, but most of the time. Laughter is so good for so many things. We feel better and those around us feel better. We certainly look better when we have a smile on our face. You know, when we think happy thoughts, we become happy.
Now that just so happens to be true!!
Just try thinking about something very sad that happened in your life and before long you feel sad, so sad that often tears begin to fall. When we make a conscious effort to change our thoughts to the positive, the good things in our lives, the things we are thankful for , ice cream on a hot day, a field of yellow sunflowers, the way our grandma never talked baby talk to us .... you just can't keep that good feeling, that joy we were meant to feel at bay and soon we are humming a song, going happily about our day, making others happy along the way. Life is good!
Anyway here are a couple of little husband and wife thingies that I hope brings a smile to your face, as it did to mine. Anyway, these are too funny not to pass on!


A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and
neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs,
the husband asked sarcastically, 'Relatives of yours?'
'Yep,' the wife replied, 'in-laws.'

A man and his wife were having some problems at home
and were giving each other the silent treatment.
Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him
at 5:0 0 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,
'Please wake me at 5:00 AM.' He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him,
when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, 'It is 5:00 AM. Wake up.'
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

Are you smiling? I sure hope so. Later. Be sweet!!!!

Golden Heart

This is the Golden Heart Award, given to my by my friend, Kim, who received the award and passed it on to other blogs she liked.  I am humbled at being a recipient of this award.

Kim has recently changed the look of her blog, stuff could always be worse, and it has a new very pretty background.  I love reading about what she fondly calls her "hillbilly family", for my family fits right in.  We are about as country as you can get.

My mom and all her family came from the hills and mountains and did everything the old way. My great grandmother was an Indian, with that jet black hair and high cheekbones passed down to my mom, who, in her seventies still raised a garden big enough to feed the state's National Guard!  She still dried apples, picked blackberries and made jam ..... she did it by choice, not out of necessity.  I have had many a dress made from flour sacks.  I still remember Mom's disappointment when she only needed one more sack to have enough material to sew a dress for me but by the time she needed flour again, not a single sack remained with the pretty blue flowers!  On the long ride home I can remember her saying it was a shame to use that pretty material for pillow slips, and what a perfect dress it would have made.

I still have a tiny dress that she made for Debye, my first daughter.  Both of my girls wore that dress.  I love to just hold it close to me and imagine my mama's sweet little hands sewing the buttons on.  

Kim, thanks again for the award.  I am honored.  I will pass it on to five others, but I wish I could  pass it to a hundred others.  If your blog is not one, please remember, your award sits in my heart!

Balsam Ponds by Design

The Retirement Chronicles

Make or Break

frugal southern mom

Learning to be Crafty

These are all wonderful blogs you should pay a visit to.  I am sure you will enjoy them as much as I do.

I have not sent Anjanette (Momma Young) any new pictures to put in my slide show in a long time, so I better get busy on that.   I have also got to check with Sara on The Breathing Post, see how new little baby Cole is doing!! 

Be sweet everyone.  Big hugs!!!!

 

 

Tummy Tickling Recipe

Deep-fried Snickers bar

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Snickers bar

Chill or freeze the candy bars. Combine egg, milk and vegetable oil in a cup. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. Cover and chill for a few minutes while the oil heats.

Remove batter from the refrigerator and adjust the consistency if necessary. Heat about 4 cups of oil or shortening to 375 degrees F. Dip the chilled candy bar in the batter and gently place into the oil. Cook only until the outside is golden. Remove and drain on brown paper. Allow to cool for a minute as the inside can easily burn your mouth.


You know, I was surprised!! These are very good. I had seen them made on some Food Network show or The Travel Channel (can't remember which), then I ran across this recipe and had to give it a try. Boy, is it ever gooey and good.
All you mommies should make the kiddos a deep fried Snickers and watch their little eyes light up. That alone is well worth the mess in the kitchen, being a mom and making memories.
Be sweet!

Life, and it's Wonders

Hi Sweeties!! I have been so lazy, not writing in my blog (or should I say Momma's blog and Kaye's blog?). Actually, I have been sick. You know, He never promised us a rose garden. Got to take the bad along with the good. Lord knows, there is so much more good than bad. Life is grand!!

I have done so much thinking in the past few weeks my brain hurts!! That's about all I felt like doing, but I knew better days were ahead. It is nice now that the rain has stopped, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, even the growling of an old lawn mower is a welcome sound for soon the smell of newly cut grass arrives ever so softly on the quiet breeze.

Today I had to be outside in the fresh air, taking in everything I have missed lately. My little squirrels were still scampering up the old oak tree, hiding in its leafy branches. Not too long ago, they could not hide in that tree. Winter weather had stripped the poor branches bare. It was fun to watch them gathering the acorns that had dropped on the ground and hurrying with them to wherever it was they hid them to feed on during the cold, icy months. They run on the rails of the deck and, sometimes, if I am very quiet and still, they saunter slowly along as if they owned the place! These are the times I love, these are the times I am so grateful for. These are the times when it is beyond my comprehension that there are those who do not believe God exists!!

Be sweet!

The Jewel Inside

Many, many words have been written and spoken about this ...... never judge a book by its cover ....... but we all need a little reminder once in a while to look beyond the outward appearance, make no judgement with our eyes; look further and see with our hearts till the gem inside shines through.

My daughter sent me a story about a man who found a canvas bag in a cave by a beach. The cave was filled with clay balls. Just plain, round clay balls. So the man began to toss them into the ocean. He continued till he dropped one and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
The man became very exited as he broke open one after the other to find they all contained a similar treasure.

He had thousands of dollars worth of precious jewels in the few clay balls he had left. He had thrown away lots and lots of them with their hidden jewels into the ocean!! Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands but had thrown it away, not realizing what was inside the plain little clay balls.

Take care, Friends and be sweet!!

A War Story

This was sent by my daughter, Debye, and my daughter in law, Carol.  Don't remember who sent it to who first, but one of them sent it to me and I feel the picture alone speaks to us , but once you read the story behind it, you realize how powerful the message really is.  This is a  story that should be shared with as many as possible.  I will share it with you and feel free to pass it on. 
 
 
This needs to make headline news ..... not some of the other junk that makes the news these days! Like the Rosie O'Donell war of words ... celeb weddings ... who's not wearing undies ... etc.

                                              An Iowa Boy

John Gebhardt works at the Cargill plant in Eddyville, Iowa.
  
It's a tough, but heartwarming story ... with a picture of John Gebhardt in Iraq.
John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head ... but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing. He is a real Star of the war, and represents what America is trying to do. 
 
This, my friends, is worth sharing. Go for it!! You'll never see things like this in the news. Please keep this going.  The American public needs to see pictures like this and needs to realize that what we're doing over there is making a difference. Even if it is just one little girl at a time.. 
 
James Gates
U. S. Navy

Momma's Been Busy (and I don't mean me)

Can you believe it!?  When I looked at my little blog this morning,  I could hardly believe my eyes.  Momma at Momma Young's @ Home has been helping me fix my blog  and I finally said to her  "you do it because I don't know how or even where to begin if I did know!"  Thank goodness I did!!  I struggled and struggled to get thingies on there and plodded along, wondering how in the heck those girls did this or how they did that.  For days I tried to put buttons or badges on, but I swear sometimes I could and most of the time I could not!  Poor little Kaye at Random WAHM Thoughts tried and tried to tell me how to add a button to my page, even going so far as to make a tutorial for me to follow.  I finally did it one time, paying close attention to her tutorial.  Notice, I said ONE time.  Next time ..... impossible!!  You may can teach an old dog new tricks, just not too many at one time.  I am so thankful for the kind hearted souls who take precious time from their own busy schedule to care.  It actually does take, not just thought, but time, to care.....especially enough to take action.  Momma Young is planning even more surprises for Angels.  I believe she is going to make a slide show with some pictures of mine.

  I feel sort of silly, calling her Momma, since she is about 1/3 my age, but, in this case, she is the teacher and I am her good little student!!  

I should have just let my kids think "Oh, my mom is so smart.  Just look what she has done."  I admit I kind of wanted to, but just can't take credit for it, when my sweet little friend did it for me.  

Be sweet, now.

How To Make Flavored Vinegars

Flavored vinegars are so good and make a wonderful gift when they are put into a pretty or odd shaped bottle.  Attach a home made gift tag with jute or  an earthy fiber, maybe a recipe and voila!  Another handmade gift, so very simple and so heartfelt.  I had to share this with you when I found this article on Wiki How.  If you come up with other combinations, let me know and we will share it with everyone.


Do you ever stroll down the specialty foods aisle and eye the pretty bottles of vinegar filled with sprigs of herbs but you never buy them because they are so expensive? Well your instincts are good. They are too expensive. However, you can create the same thing personalized for your particular tastes for a fraction of the cost. Here's how.

Steps

1. Open your food processor and fill the cup 3/4 the way full with your choice of fresh herbs.
   
2. Pour in about a cup of vinegar.
   
3. Close the food processor and turn it on high for about 30 seconds. Add more herbs and another 2 cups of vinegar. Pulse for another minute or two.
   
4. Line a sieve or tea strainer with a coffee filter and slowly pour the herb and vinegar mixture through the coffee filter and into a bowl. Carefully press the herbs against the filter to press all of the vinegar out of the herbs.
   
5. Re-line the sieve with another coffee filter and pour the vinegar in the bowl through once more to catch any loose herbs.
   
6. Store in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.
   
7. Add whole herbs and spices of your choice. The longer your vinegar sits the stronger it gets.
   
8. If you begin to run low on vinegar, add a little wine and let it sit for a week uncovered.
   

Tips

• Some Herb Combinations to Try
  
• basil, oregano, onion, garlic
  
• sage, dill, coriander
  
• sun dried tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic
  
• lemon rind, dill, fennel
  
• rosemary, thyme, garlic
  
• pine nut, basil, onion, garlic
  
• garlic, onion, hot peppers
  

Warnings

• Use good vinegar - The better the vinegar the better the finished product.
  
• Experiment - there are all sorts of vinegars - rice, cider, red and white wines, and even champagne vinegars.
  
• Use fresh herbs when possible because they will produce the strongest, best taste.
  
• If you have never use an herb before and have allergies, consult your physician to make sure that you can use it without a reaction.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Ginger Garlic Paste
  
• How to Make Mayonnaise
  
• How to Make Simple and Fresh Strawberry Jam
  
• How to Make Sweet Onion Marmalade
  

Article provided by wikiHow 
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Odds and Ends

I love the button Kaye of Random WAHM Thoughts and WAHMaholic made for me!  It is so pretty.  I have got it on my sidebar, but, for some reason, I can't get it straight!  She is such a sweetheart that she made a header for me to match the button.  I tried and tried tonight to grab her button but I can't get all the code underneath all copied.  When I paste it on, it isn't all there! Bless her heart, she is probably sick of me!!  I don't know enough about what I am doing and I make some pretty big mistakes.  I say if your going to make a mistake, you might as well make a big one, right?

Anyway, be sure to check out WAHMaholic, Kaye's new site.  It is a good one.  She really tickles me with that sense of humor.

Also, drop by Sara's blog, The Breathing Post, and see the pictures of the new baby!  He's cute as a button.

If anyone has an idea what I could be doing wrong to not get all the code copied on a button, will you let me know?  You can leave it in a comment or email me and I will dance at your next wedding!!  I know Kaye will help me.  How embarrassing if I have to get her to put her own button on my site because I couldn't!!  Oh, well.

I almost forgot, but I saw Michelle Duggar and her three oldest girls at the grocery store the other day.  She is the one who has the "Eighteen Kids and Counting" program on TLC.  She and her husband and all the kids have been on Good Morning America and others, as well.  They are absolutely amazing parents.  That is a lot of kids to take care of, feed and keep up with, but they use "the buddy system", where one of the older children looks out for one of the younger ones. They have a loving home and a very organized home, with everyone working together as a team. All eighteen children have a name that begins with the letter "J".

Last I have a money saving pre wash spray, simple to make and cheap, cheap, cheap!!

 Pre-Wash Spray 

1/2 C. Household ammonia
1/4 C. Baking soda
1/2 C. White vinegar
1/2 gal. Water 

After mixing this solution, put part of it in a smaller spray bottle to keep handy by the washing machine when doing laundry. Spray liberally onto clothes where needed

Later.  Be sweet.

 

Everyday Chocolate Recipes Free to Download

These are just a few of my favorite chocolate desserts recipes that are easy to prepare with mostly simple ingredients.

Don't you just love chocolate?   Peanut butter is another favorite of mine.  I know fruit desserts are much more healthy, but the ooey gooey buttery calorie filled treats taste so good and remind me of my southern upbringing.  When my mom, grandmas and aunts made their way to the kitchen, pots and pans began to rattle and you could soon hear wooden spoons scraping the sides of enamelware bowls.  You already knew when they finally emerged , wiping the flour from their hands on the frilly little aprons they wore, desserts that were almost sinful waited patiently to be devoured!!

When you were so full you knew without a doubt that one more bite would cause you to explode, one of them would be sure to say, "Are you sure you've had enough?  Here, have some more!"

Download the little ebook here.

Oh, Lord, I better go for a walk.  I think I have put on 10 pounds writing this post. 

Be sweet and be good!

You ...In a Blog

Well, I was tagged with the 8 Tag by Momma Young's at Home so that is one I've already completed.... Now, Anish of Actuate Life has awarded me the Worth Following Award. This is the second of those I have received, so I would like to pass this award on to every one of my bloggin' buddies and every follower.

Gosh, so many are "worth following" that It would be impossible to choose just a few to award this to. Anish is a very dear friend and I gave this award to him, bless his sweet little heart....he turned around and gave it back to me!! The same is true of Momma Young. I tagged her with the 8 Tag and before she was notified, she made a comment on a post that she had tagged me!

Every blog I read has a bit of the owner hidden within each post. You can catch little glimpses of personality traits and inward feelings begin to emerge until soon you feel a kinship of sorts. There is a common thread holding us together. It is somehow easier for most of us to write our true feelings than it is to express those feelings aloud.
We laugh with those who laugh, try to cheer those who cry, encourage the discouraged and give hope to the hopeless. Faces spread across the globe, people miles apart, united in a protective community, with each member supporting the other.

Be sweet, Bloggin' Buddies!!!