Book Marks

We decided to start a library at the church. I am going to be the new librarian. We don't have very many books so I came up with an idea to earn some money for books. I am making
special bookmarks. Here are some below.
Here are a couple a better views close up.

Staying Put?

I think I explained a while back that the company I work for is like a sub-contractor inside another company. We run and stock their supply room for them. On July 2 we received notice that the company would no longer need our services. So after a 90 day exit agreement I would be out of a job. They really wanted me to be able to stay but things did not work out the way they had planned. Their corporate will not allow them to add any more employees to their headcount at this time. So they have played a sneaky and hired me through another service. I will be making 3.73 more an hour than I am making now. And they are hoping that one of the people they have hired will not work out, and they can hire me permanently.

I'm kinda excited about it. First because I've never made this amount of money in my life and at this time in our lives this will be a godsend. We have lost a lot of money on Danny's 401K because of the state of the economy and my extra income will help to replace some of that. Second, I will be in a supervisory position and it's about time. I've run that place basically on my own for 7 years and I think I deserve it.

So keep your fingers crossed that all will go as planned and I will be able to be hired permanently with IAC.

Dear Ol' Deer

Hi! Everyone. Danny loves to hunt as most of you know. And he has a camera that takes pictures of anything that moves within its range. Well pictured below are a few of the pics that his camera has taken thus far.

This picture was taken in the back yard. This deer was definitely on the move.
This was taken the next day. Probably the same doe but she's not in as big a hurry today.
Now do you see the black at the bottom of this photo. THAT IS A BEAR!!!!! No, not really.
That's Jamie's dog Titan. But really, you should have seen the reaction when this pic flashed up on the TV screen and everyone said " it's a bear " until someone remembered Titan. Then we all had a laugh. But it is a way to keep the grands from wandering around without an adult.

This was made during the night from under the apple tree in the front yard. Can you see both of them. So far we have not been able the catch the elusive buck but we have not given up. He is out there somewhere and we will get a picture. And I will post it so you can see him too. He's got the be a pretty good size buck, because his tracks are enormous.

Canning Pears

We have a couple of pear trees outside in the yard. They are very tall. They were loaded with pears this year and Danny remarked he'd like to have some canned pears, so I told him to get me some and I would try. Well, he finally got up there yesterday evening and I peeled, cored and cut them up. Made up a batch of syrup and cooked the pears for about 15 minutes in the syrup. Then I packed the jars( with Christopher's help) after placing a 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick in the bottom of the jar. Filled the jar with syrup and cooked them in the canner in a hot water bath for about 30 minutes. They turned out beautiful.

We opened a jar up tonight and tasted them. They were delicious. I had to threaten Ambre. Jamie tried to sneak out with a jar. So he said he would climb up the high ladder tomorrow and get the rest out of the top of the tree if I would make some more so they could have some. I'll make them some but someone is going to help peel and core.

Rose of Sharon

I love Rose of Sharon trees. Years ago, Bo, Ambre, Bo's girlfriend at that time and myself were walking for exercise and we came across a whole forest filled with Rose of Sharon bushes. I pulled two or three of them up and planted them in my yard. I planted one down at Mama's. They are in full bloom right now.

Cool Marriage Proposal

I found this on our High School website. Thought it was really neat the way this guy proposes!

SALSA (not the dance)

My sister-in-law, Diane, gave me some tomatoes from her garden. She also gave me her recipe for homemade salsa. So this evening Ambre and I made salsa. You start with a lot of tomatoes.
Then you add all kinds of good things like green peppers, onions, tomato paste, salt, sugar and then you cook for a while.
After that we filled the sterilized jars and cooked them in a hot water bath for 20 minutes and there you go. Salsa!!!!
Note: Pay no attention to the Texas Pete in the background. None of this was added to the recipe. It just happened to be sitting on the table when I took this picture. However, a small pod of hot pepper was chopped up in the mix to add a little zest.

Cicadas !!!

Every few years, we see a few of these unusual bugs around. We've never had
a major infestation. And according to the scientists, they are not expecting
one in 2009. I found this hatched shell on the end of one of my sidewalk bricks
this morning.
This is the cicada cocoon, so to speak, it looks like a large bug. The back
breaks open and the cicada comes out. When it emerges it is a bright green.
But after opening and drying off, it changes color.

And so ends the short science lesson.

Resemblances

Ambre made me a new purse and wallet set. I love them. They are great. When we got home from church, we changed clothes and I was fixing to start Danny some lunch, when one of the boys came busting in hollering Poppy, Poppy, come see the terweddle. We found a terweddle. It was hilarious. They were so excited because they had found a turtle in the driveway. Anyway, I sat down to change my purse around and ran across this picture. It's been in every wallet of mine since 1971.

Do any of you know who this is? It's my Dad, taken when he was just 12 years old. I don't remember who gave me the photo but I have always kept it with me. Anyway, Ambre held it up to one of the boys and the resemblance was uncanny. So I pulled a picture of Chris also. Here are the photos. The resemblance to Dad is really fascinating.

Well, this is Chris when he was about nine years old. Sorry for the blurriness. Next up is this picture of the boys. What do you think?

GRANDS

Danny and I have been putting in a garden. We put in some potatoes and beans and tomatoes, okra and squash. The other day he brought some iron fence poles to put up for the beans to run on. The boys were outside playing and they wanted to help. They brought Danny the poles, each one yelling, "Help me Poppy, help me!" It was hilarious.
Here are a few pictures of Danny's little helpers in the garden.

That's James in the front. Sometimes he's a little camera shy. But not often. That's Cameron coming up behind.

That's Cameron up front, puttin' on the glitz. He's such a camera hog. He loves getting his picture made so he can make that glitzy smile. Don't know whether James is coming or going.

My Children!!

You know the Bible says you are not supposed to brag and I really don't want to. But I really need to say something about my children. I just need to say that I thank God for them everyday. They have been a blessing to me through out the years. Bo is the oldest and he is married to Millie. They were meant for each other, like two peas in a pod. He is the maintenance supervisor at Blue Ridge Homes in Campabella, SC. He makes rustic furniture in his spare time and makes keeping Millie happy his number one priority.

Then we have Jamie. Being a middle child is not easy. I think Jamie has always felt kind of left out, but he really hasn't been. He's had a hard time in his personal life but has never let that keep him down for long. He has such a resilence that's its uncanny. He quit school in the tenth grade. But now he is going to ICC and getting his GED. He has the determination of a Brahma bull. And the temper to go with it, I might add. He has such a love for his children. And he's also talented. He went down to Bo's and used his shop tools and made the most beautiful jewelry box. He has the voice of an angel, if you could get him to use it. I've heard him sing and its beautiful.

Then we have Ambre, otherwise known as Dingleberry, Doodywhopper, Banaboo! She is my youngest. To me, Ambre is the most beautiful thing on two feet. But I can't convince her of that. She has always had a problem with confidence. Everything she has ever attempted to do, she has accomplished. When line dancing was in, I don't think I 've ever seen anyone who could outdo her on the dance floor. She learned to crochet at an early age. She quit school in the tenth grade like Jamie but succeeded in getting her diploma at ICC and surprising me one Christmas. She can make pottery and knows how the figure the ratios for making glazes. (there are some Chemists who can't do that). Her Daddy bought her a sewing machine and she taught herself to sew. She will take an instruction book and read it from front to back and find it interesting. ( I think it's a pile of slop and only skip through what I need ). She has gone back to school to get her nursing degree and has made almost all A's. She makes quilts and totes and purses and does all this while trying to raise three children ( two in potty training). I see myself in Ambre. The me that should have been. I'm so glad she will not wait like I did to try and make something for herself in this world. To wait is to be forgotten and pushed aside. But Ambre will not be, she will succeed and I know that she has the determination to keep going until everything she wants to do in life, she does it.

I'm very proud of all three of my children. They are three very talented and very loving individuals who make me a very lucky mother. I thank God for them everyday.

ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR NIGHTMARE

Picture this. It's Jan 30. A woman, trusting, sincere, just a plain ordinary woman. Sitting at a computer paying bills. She decides to pay 100 to Verizon. She owes 357.17 but since this is the short week, she only pays 100. She'll pay the rest next week. It's Friday night. She enters the amount and gets a confirmation back for her $100 payment. Fast forward to Tuesday morning. She checks her bank account.. Oh no, overdrawn!! How can that be. She checks, there it is, Verizon took the whole $357.17 out and caused and overdraft in her account. She immediately call the bank. They cancel her card and institutes a fraud case against Verizon the retrieve her money. In the meantime, they put $257.17 back into her account plus the overdraft fees they took out. She waits to see what Verizon will do. She waits and waits and waits. March 24, Verizon returns the entire $357.17 ( because they don't do partials ). They immediately turn all the phones off for non-payment. She calls and makes arrangements to pay partials until they return the $100. She waits for the bank to put the money back into her account but it doesn't happen. They say they don't have the money. They don't know where it is. They are trying to find it. Call after call after call and no one can tell her where it's at. The bank says they have not received the money from Verizon but Verizon says they have. Finally, she's able to contact the Fraud Dept. at the bank. They say the found the money. The extra 100 dollars will be returned to the Verizon bank under her account number. She waits, the bank says the money transferred on May 7. Verizon says that its not there. She talks to a supervisor, she says they can't find out because they don't have contact with the dept that handles the bank division. Who do you think your dealing with? an idiot? she asks. Your telling me that one of the largest companies in the world doesn't know how to contact another division in the company? Give me a break. Call back in five days, the money should show up in your account by then. Fast forward to Friday, May 15. She calls, no money. Now they say they need the bank to provide them with a transfer number for the transaction. Do you see where I'm going here? A nightmare! But one thing I can promise you, they WILL find my $100 and put it where it belongs or I will haunt them til they do..........................

News News News

Well, I think many of you may remember this picture, but some may not. The event took place on July 19, 1969. It's almost 40 years now and that day falls on Sunday this year. Danny and I have decided to renew our vows on that Sunday. So be expecting invitations soon. Anyway, we've changed a little bit ( ha, ha). But we are looking forward to it. Hope you all can come. Ta Ta.

Busy, Busy , Busy!!!

Hey ya'll. Long time no see. Ha! Ha! Well, I've been working on a few things around here. Been busy at work and church and I've had that old crud that's been going around. Lost my voice, but I'm getting that back now. Getting better every day. Anywho, I've been working on a new crib quilt set.

What do you think? The material in front is the trim and back pieces. I'll add post more pics as I get it done. The pattern is called " Fence Rail ". Ambre and I took a class last weekend on Free Motion quilting and I'm hoping I can get good enough by the time this is done to try to quilt it with what I've learned. Next on the agenda is this.......

I got this two pieces of material a long time ago ( well, maybe about a year ago) anyway, I was going to make a large tote out of it, but the more I think about it, I think I will get Ambre to make me a purse. Kool, Huh? What do you think? Anyway, tonight I am attempting to make soft pretzels. You know, the kind you get at the mall. Here's what they looked like before the oven.

And here's what they looked like after the oven. Now keep in mind, I think I used the wrong kind of baking pan. I should have used a cookie sheet. You'll see why in the second photo. The tops are very soft but the bottoms....welll........

Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I will be stopping at the market for more yeast and I will be at it again, and I will be using my cookie sheets. I'll post. Ta! Ta!

Rain Rain Go Away

Rain, Rain, Go Away! Come again another day! Oh I wish it
would stop raining. It's been raining for days. I love the rain
and we really do need it to bring the water levels back up but
not everyday. (Thank you God for the rain!) But could we
please have a couple of sunny days. We like the sun too. My
bushes have taken to protecting themselves. I left my umbrella
on the porch and this is what I found.

This is my camillia bush that has been losing its flowers since it started raining. If this keeps up, she will be naked. Danny and I want to go fishing tomorrow after church and the forecast says its supposed to clear off some. I hope so. Well , gotta go study my Sunday school lesson. Bye for now!

Little Boys!!!

Ambre brought James to church this morning. He was wearing
a yellow shirt. When we got home, she came up and asked if
we would come down for a little while. She surprised me with
a birthday cake. It was very pretty. ( and good, I might
add.) Anyway, she had been telling me about some things that
Cameron had been doing, so I took my camera with me to hope-
fully record him making these faces. Well, I kept calling
him James because he had on a yellow shirt. But it was
Cameron. They had switched shirts when James got home.
Anyway, here is Cameron and his description of animal sounds.

Breathing Easy--er

As many of you already know. I have adult onset asthma. It's been
a long road for me. My doctor prescribed a medicine for me that
my insurance company refused to let me have. He put in a request
for reconsideration but Monday, I got a letter that stated they
were going to stand by their original position. No medicine. Well,
not any medicine but no Symbicort. I happened to have an
appointment with my regular doctor on Monday afternoon. I
mentioned this to him. He asked me how my treatment with the
Symbicort was going.(Oh, yeah! My asthma doctor had been giving
me samples of the Symbicort for a year now) I told him that I
couldn't get a good breath, I was tired all the time, coughing
really badly all the time and it didn't seem the medicine was
helping at all. He gave me some samples of Advair. WOW! I
started it on Monday night. I have not had to use my inhaler
at all since then. I sang a complete song yesterday without
giving out of breath. I have lots of energy, and I feel a
100% better. My mind even seems to be clearer. I am thanking
God that I feel so much better. There is just one problem.
There is a stern warning on the Advair that there is a risk
of asthma related death. This is kinda scary and I have been
trying to find info on the internet but so far I haven't
really learned anything. So pray that I will continue to
improve and also find out about this warning, so I can do
what I need to avoid the problems that cause these deaths.
Love to all and thanks for your prayers.

AWARDS AND PRISES

If you remember recently (actually back in November), I told you
that I had been working at my present job for 10 years. Well, the
company finally got around to sending my 10 year award certificate
and gift pack. I got a certificate of appreciation and a crystal
paperweight that has my name and 10 year anniversary on it. Nice.
But I also got a packet that I could pick a nice gift from. It took
me a couple of weeks to make up my mind. Lots of nice stuff in
there. I finally chose a digital photo album/MP3 player. It is
really cool. I have downloaded some photos and about 30 songs on
the internal memory, but this thing also has an SD card slot. I
had Chris download all the music I had on my other player (gave
it to Jamie) onto my computer. I then downloaded all almost 100
of those onto an extra SD card and inserted it into the player.
Now I can listen to any kind of music.

Most of the music I have on the internal drive is Christian Music.
Haley comes up almost every evening after I get home from work.
She loves my new player and most of the time she wants to listen
to Jesus music ( as she calls it). But every once in a while she wants
to listen to the other music. She gets really quiet when she's using
the player. So the other night I looked in the livingroom and here
she is walking around and around, bumping her butt from one side
to the other. It was real comical to watch. Hopefully I can get her
on film with my camera and post it.

I'm back!!!! And we had snow last night and possible more tonight. Pictures to follow. My computer has been fixed and I am back online. Things are still happening around here. I am still under threat of losing my job. We only had 5 lines running yesterday. I didn't go today, even though I tried. Couldn't make it up the hill. Pray that the economy will pick up and everyone will be called back to work. I have been watching the inauguration today. Very historic. Good speech.