In the big scheme of things, no sewing machine isn't really a big deal, but I sure did miss it! But, all is well in my little sewing world because it has now returned to it's rightful place:
Monday, January 17, 2011
It's Back!
31 days. I was without my sewing machine for 31 days and on the verge of going mad. It was a LONG 31 days!
Alas, I have only had a partial day to enjoy it's lint-free, sweet hum and admire it's pretty stitch. I'll be out of pocket for a bit so it'll still be a while before I can really dig in. I managed to get the binding sewn on a few projects so I'll be able to hand stitch those on in the evenings.
Hoping all of y'all are managing to get more accompished than I am, but I'm not complaining...life is good!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
And We're Off!
No, we're not moving, nor going off on some luxurious vacation, but 2011 has taken off like a shot. I was always under the impression that January was a slow month. Don't know where the time goes. Here we are on the cusp of a new year and I feel like it's clipping along at a faster pace than I would like.
DH celebrated his birthday on New Year's Eve and I must have blinked because here it is already the 11th of the month and I haven't been able to catch my breath.
We've been in the midst of remodeling our bathroom and having the 5' x 5' window in the living room replaced so we've been dodging carpenters since before Thanksgiving. Then, after the weeks and weeks of off and on again work (and our one and only bathroom is about the size of a peanut), we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then the other morning I was gazing out of my nice, clean, bright, new picture window and I spotted a crack. Yep. Now they have to come back and replace it. Generally that wouldn't be a problem, but when you're dealing with an ancient ranch house, nothing is as simple as it seems. They now have to hammer out the stucco they just replaced, in order to remove the window. Sigh.
I finally got all the Christmas decorations packed away. The house always looks so empty and forlorn, yet clean and tidy, once everything is stacked back in the shed. Then I commenced to making my Thank You notes and getting them written and in the mail.
Last weekend, the kids and I hit the road and attended a wedding in Alpine, Tx. It was a fabulous weekend and the darling girl who was getting married was a stunning bride. She has always been a beautiful girl with a heart for Christ and she was marrying a boy she had known all her life. They both have incredible voices and they sang a duet to each other during the ceremony. Willie sang in Italian and yes, I cried. It was an incredible wedding with praise and worship. Willie said he wanted the focus to be on Christ. These two kids are off to a great start!
The bride's family are precious friends of ours and it was such a blessing to get to spend some time with them again. Addie had always dreamed of riding off in a horse drawn carriage, but her Dad said they just couldn't swing it so imagine her utter delight and surprise when she stepped outside of the church and saw the white carriage with two horses. I'm sure it was a truly magical day for them and I can't think of a more deserving couple.
We lounged around the little, charming town in the mountains for a while where a handsome roadrunner caught my eye and we laughed ourselves silly over the yodeling pickle.
We also took the time to surprise a couple of good friends and walk in on them unexpectedly. We hadn't seen them in 5 years and it was so much fun to see their reactions and take the time to catch up. Funny how time just disappears when you visit with old friends. Its like you just start up where you left off and fall back into the friendship. I am so blessed and this weekend just made those blessings overflow more than they already had.
I also realized that we may no longer live in Texas, but Texas is still home. I posted on Facebook about 'drinking in the moutains' and received some funny comments - one wondering if I had been hitting the moonshine. LOL! Stacy, you crack me up and your comment made my day!
This next weekend we have another wedding to attend and at some point and time I have got to get to Texas to tend to business paperwork and spend some time with my mom.
Nothing to report on the sewing front. I've been sewing machine-less since the 10th of December. So sad. My machine was in dire need of a tune up and I just couldn't put it off any longer so I drove 70 miles to have it fixed. Thing is, it still had to be carted to Texas from there and with the holidays and all, it's still not home. Sigh. I'm on the verge of going mad.
Thus, the next time I blink, I imagine I'll be turning the calendar to February and wondering what in the heck happened to January?
DH celebrated his birthday on New Year's Eve and I must have blinked because here it is already the 11th of the month and I haven't been able to catch my breath.
We've been in the midst of remodeling our bathroom and having the 5' x 5' window in the living room replaced so we've been dodging carpenters since before Thanksgiving. Then, after the weeks and weeks of off and on again work (and our one and only bathroom is about the size of a peanut), we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then the other morning I was gazing out of my nice, clean, bright, new picture window and I spotted a crack. Yep. Now they have to come back and replace it. Generally that wouldn't be a problem, but when you're dealing with an ancient ranch house, nothing is as simple as it seems. They now have to hammer out the stucco they just replaced, in order to remove the window. Sigh.
I finally got all the Christmas decorations packed away. The house always looks so empty and forlorn, yet clean and tidy, once everything is stacked back in the shed. Then I commenced to making my Thank You notes and getting them written and in the mail.
Last weekend, the kids and I hit the road and attended a wedding in Alpine, Tx. It was a fabulous weekend and the darling girl who was getting married was a stunning bride. She has always been a beautiful girl with a heart for Christ and she was marrying a boy she had known all her life. They both have incredible voices and they sang a duet to each other during the ceremony. Willie sang in Italian and yes, I cried. It was an incredible wedding with praise and worship. Willie said he wanted the focus to be on Christ. These two kids are off to a great start!
The bride's family are precious friends of ours and it was such a blessing to get to spend some time with them again. Addie had always dreamed of riding off in a horse drawn carriage, but her Dad said they just couldn't swing it so imagine her utter delight and surprise when she stepped outside of the church and saw the white carriage with two horses. I'm sure it was a truly magical day for them and I can't think of a more deserving couple.
We lounged around the little, charming town in the mountains for a while where a handsome roadrunner caught my eye and we laughed ourselves silly over the yodeling pickle.
We also took the time to surprise a couple of good friends and walk in on them unexpectedly. We hadn't seen them in 5 years and it was so much fun to see their reactions and take the time to catch up. Funny how time just disappears when you visit with old friends. Its like you just start up where you left off and fall back into the friendship. I am so blessed and this weekend just made those blessings overflow more than they already had.
I also realized that we may no longer live in Texas, but Texas is still home. I posted on Facebook about 'drinking in the moutains' and received some funny comments - one wondering if I had been hitting the moonshine. LOL! Stacy, you crack me up and your comment made my day!
This next weekend we have another wedding to attend and at some point and time I have got to get to Texas to tend to business paperwork and spend some time with my mom.
Nothing to report on the sewing front. I've been sewing machine-less since the 10th of December. So sad. My machine was in dire need of a tune up and I just couldn't put it off any longer so I drove 70 miles to have it fixed. Thing is, it still had to be carted to Texas from there and with the holidays and all, it's still not home. Sigh. I'm on the verge of going mad.
Thus, the next time I blink, I imagine I'll be turning the calendar to February and wondering what in the heck happened to January?
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas From the End of the Dirt Road!
Christmas Greetings from the end of the dirt road where the year has been good to us all
We’ve had so much rain that the desert is covered in grass that is thick and tall.
So the cattle are fat and that makes us grin, we’re thankful for the blessings that overflow
And that includes hearing from all of you whom we are so thankful to know.
We’re hoping that this finds you all blessed, and that life is treating you well
And that during this crazy, busy time of the year, you’re able to slow down for a spell.
You’ll be glad to know that this is the last year that I plan to hound you with a poem
The kids are all grown and my rhyming is retiring as I prepare for an empty nest at home.
They grew up so quickly that it made my head spin, but I’ve loved every step, every day
Now we’re sending them out with a hug and a prayer that God will guide them safely along the way.
Tyler is 20, forging his path, he signed up for the Marines recently
We’re proud and yes, I am scared, but he’s in God’s hands and that’s the best place to be.
So please keep him, and all who serve and protect, in your prayers when you pray
He’s working on the ranch till he leaves, and we’re enjoying having him here for the holiday.
He’s eating me out of house and home, and I love it, but boy, can he make cookies disappear
He still plays the guitar, loves to shoot skeet, and this fall he brought home a nice deer.
Caitlin is crazy-busy with concurrent college classes this year
Physics, Chemistry, and Algebra were once perplexing, but through hard work she did persevere.
And it all paid off when she saw all those A’s and finals were a thing of the past
One more semester and she’s headed off to college…the years went by way too fast.
Her time in the saddle has been cut severely; guess you can blame it on the Periodic table
But she still plays the piano, shoots shotgun, and rides whenever she is able.
Gary still puts in long days; he doesn’t know how to slow down
He’s up before dawn, and home after dark, days are good when he doesn’t have to make a trip to town.
I avoid town too and we joke that we’ll be hermits one day
I’m still quilting and gardening and keeping folks fed and thankful God’s hand guides my way.
May your Christmas be blessed with everything good, family and friends gathered round
Here’s wishing you health, peace and joy; may New Year adventures abound.
Here's a video I ran across that I wanted to share with y'all:
* http://www.youtube.com/user/beckykelleySTL
We’ve had so much rain that the desert is covered in grass that is thick and tall.
So the cattle are fat and that makes us grin, we’re thankful for the blessings that overflow
And that includes hearing from all of you whom we are so thankful to know.
We’re hoping that this finds you all blessed, and that life is treating you well
And that during this crazy, busy time of the year, you’re able to slow down for a spell.
You’ll be glad to know that this is the last year that I plan to hound you with a poem
The kids are all grown and my rhyming is retiring as I prepare for an empty nest at home.
They grew up so quickly that it made my head spin, but I’ve loved every step, every day
Now we’re sending them out with a hug and a prayer that God will guide them safely along the way.
Tyler is 20, forging his path, he signed up for the Marines recently
We’re proud and yes, I am scared, but he’s in God’s hands and that’s the best place to be.
So please keep him, and all who serve and protect, in your prayers when you pray
He’s working on the ranch till he leaves, and we’re enjoying having him here for the holiday.
He’s eating me out of house and home, and I love it, but boy, can he make cookies disappear
He still plays the guitar, loves to shoot skeet, and this fall he brought home a nice deer.
Caitlin is crazy-busy with concurrent college classes this year
Physics, Chemistry, and Algebra were once perplexing, but through hard work she did persevere.
And it all paid off when she saw all those A’s and finals were a thing of the past
One more semester and she’s headed off to college…the years went by way too fast.
Her time in the saddle has been cut severely; guess you can blame it on the Periodic table
But she still plays the piano, shoots shotgun, and rides whenever she is able.
Gary still puts in long days; he doesn’t know how to slow down
He’s up before dawn, and home after dark, days are good when he doesn’t have to make a trip to town.
I avoid town too and we joke that we’ll be hermits one day
I’m still quilting and gardening and keeping folks fed and thankful God’s hand guides my way.
May your Christmas be blessed with everything good, family and friends gathered round
Here’s wishing you health, peace and joy; may New Year adventures abound.
Here's a video I ran across that I wanted to share with y'all:
* http://www.youtube.com/user/beckykelleySTL
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Crazy-Good Cinnamon Rolls
I found these in a cookbook given to me by dear friends about 19 years ago and I have just recently discovered this recipe. And to think I could have been eating these for 19 years! Probably a good thing I didn't!
Crazy-Good Cinnamon Rolls
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 c warm water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 Tbsp salt
2 eggs
6 c flour
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 c brown sugar
1/8 c sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
I tried to get a photo of the full pan, but it was next to impossible. I pulled them out of the oven as our son was walking out the door to saddle up and when I turned around, he had his hand out with a paper towel in it. I told him they were hot, but that did not deter him and he walked out, juggling it in his hands. I'll bet he devoured it before he even made it to the pens.
I made these the other day and shared them with the dear family who lives at North Camp. They are moving away and we are sad. I was hoping these cinnamon rolls would make them stay. Sigh. I guess they're not quite THAT good.
However, don't let that dissuade you from making these delectable rolls on some cold, frosty morning.
Crazy-Good Cinnamon Rolls
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 c warm water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 Tbsp salt
2 eggs
6 c flour
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 c brown sugar
1/8 c sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
glaze:
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 Tbsp milk
*Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and salt. Alternately add yeast / water mixture and flour. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead very lightly. Place in greased bowl and let rise 1 hour. Punch down and roll out into large rectangle. Spread with softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Roll up and pinch seams to seal. Cut into 1 1/2" pieces. Place in a 9x13" pan and 5 rolls in a 8x8" pan.
The original recipe calls for all rolls to be placed in a 9x13" pan, but when I made them all in one pan, they rose over the top and the middle rolls didn't bake through. In two pans, they were big and fluffy and tender and perfect!
Next time I make these I might try them in my big lasagna pan.
Cover and let rise overnight. This step makes these the perfect breakfast recipe because you just pop them out of the fridge and into the oven. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with glazed frosting (I doubled the frosting glaze because we like more gooey-ness) and be prepared to be adored by everyone who eats them.
Cover and let rise overnight. This step makes these the perfect breakfast recipe because you just pop them out of the fridge and into the oven. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with glazed frosting (I doubled the frosting glaze because we like more gooey-ness) and be prepared to be adored by everyone who eats them.
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