Wordless Wednesday: Wide Open Spaces

Feeling the need for some space...

Somewhere between here and there...

My parents' home in Louisiana

To view more Wordless Wednesday participants, click here...

How Sweet!

I just found this little site that lets you create your own home...energy efficient or not. We don't do all of the things I listed on my adobo...but most of them are implemented!

Coupon Chief!

Coupon Chief

Stephanie, over at Stop the Ride! turned me on to eBates and I had a really great time saving money there. So, just in case anyone who is reading has never heard of some of these sites, I just wanted to let you all know about them.

One site is Coupon Chief. One coupon I certainly could have used when I made an online purchase the other day is the always free shipping offered by coupon chief. You simply choose your coupon you want to use and are redirected to the merchant's website. How simple can it get?

Another site that I use often for online shopping is Vision Direct. Once again, just choose which Vision Direct coupon you would like to use and Coupon Chief whisks you away to the website.

Now, in case you're wondering if there's anything at coupon chief for you gardeners out there, check out this deal at Gardens Alive. You can save $20 off a $40 purchase! That's a 50% off coupon. Even beter, Gardens Alive is all about environmentally-friendly products...and they have a super-cute ladybug as their logo.

Go, look at these cool opportunities. But, don't forget to come back here. I get lonely.

Now, if only there was a housecleaning coupon code!

The Skies are Silent

Having lived near NAS for the last 6 1/2 years, I am well acquainted with the early Tuesday and Thursday morning thunderous maneuvers of the Blue Angels in training. The dogs hide, no one calls (we can't hear anyway) and we are treated to poetry in motion.

The skies have been heartbreakingly silent this last week. I always feel such a thrill of compassion for those pilots and have prayed for their safety on many occasions. When we heard of Lt. Commander Davis' passing, it was a sad blow. All of Pensacola feels it.

Here's an article from our News Journal to say it all...

'Bringing him home'
Fallen Blue Angel to receive full honors


Troy Moon
tmoon@pnj.com
An Angel has come home.

The Blue Angels' C-130 transport plane, "Fat Albert," streaked in low from the west Wednesday afternoon, landing at Sherman Field at Pensacola Naval Air Station.

Inside the plane was the flag-draped casket of Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis, the Blue Angels pilot who died Saturday when his No. 6 F/A-18 crashed during an air show in Beaufort, S.C.

Lt. Cmdr. Davis was 32.

"They're bringing him home," Lt. Cmdr. Garrett Kasper, Blue Angels spokesman, said while friends and family members of Blue Angels team members watched the plane cut through slightly overcast skies. Some dabbed at tear-stained eyes. One woman lowered her head and made the sign of the cross, offering prayers.

The transport plane flew into Pensacola from Dover, Del., with Lt. Cmdr. Davis' casket, accompanied by Blue Angels flight surgeon Lt. Cmdr. Mark Lambert.

Fat Albert appeared from the west, gray snaking smoke in its wake. Once it landed, it taxied to a spot near the Training Air Wing 6 hangar, where 110 Blue Angels enlisted squadron members, and 14 Blue Angels officers, waited for their fallen comrade.

Near the nose of Fat Albert was the number "6," recently added to the plane to honor Lt. Cmdr. Davis.

Once the transport plane arrived, the Blue Angels crew members, one on crutches, marched out near it -- half on one side, half on the other.

A six-member honor guard, all in white, headed toward the plane. The rear of the plane opened, and inside was Lt. Cmdr. Davis' casket. A hearse backed up to the plane between the two lines of crew members. The honor guard marched smartly inside, and soon, slowly marched the casket out of the plane to the hearse.

No one in the crowd of about 50 mourners said a word. Instead, they hugged, held hands and dabbed at eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.

Within minutes, the casket was in the hearse and heading to a local funeral home. At every hangar, people stood outside saluting as the hearse passed.

Lt. Cmdr. Davis was home.

A private memorial will be conducted this weekend for Lt. Cmdr. Davis, a native of Pittsfield, Mass. He will be buried with full military honors at a private funeral at Barrancas National Cemetery.

"He will be able to watch the Blue Angels fly over Pensacola," Kasper said.

The Shire...

Everyone, check out this website: The Shire I have not looked at the whole thing, but it's some kind of planned community in Oregon that uses green construction and "obsolete" building materials. Enjoy!

The morning routine

Adding to our morning routine of drinking coffee, James and I have pledged to incorporate stretching and (drumroll, please) breakfast!! So, this morning, we had awesome stretching time on the back deck under a perfectly blue sky. It was such a lovely experience that I definitely want to continue this routine. I even made applesauce muffins for breakfast. Friends dropped by and joined us for the rest of the morning.

So enjoyable.

By the way, don't forget to check out the newest co-operative blog! The Kids in the Library is a site to post book reviews, recommendations and lists. Think you're interested in being an author? Send me an email and a link to your website.

And now...for something completely different...

Since I promised Fawn I would post photos of the sleet that we had yesterday

And...we were graced with two fledgling cardinals flitting across our back yard!

Have you ever noticed...

the more you talk about something that bothers you, the worse you feel? Just me? Maybe this is it: instead of letting the venting bring closure and healing, I let my tongue start dwelling on the negative in the situation. I really hate it when I do that.

It's probably gossip in its nastiest form. We become addicted to the adrenaline rush of indignation and must feed the rush to keep that "good" feeling.

I think you're exactly right. We have to exercise self-discipline and turn the tide of negativity. Say what has upset you and be done with it. Don't cleverly insert referrals to the original problem. Don't choose this one moment to let the tsunami of criticism come crashing down.

I promise, I'll feel better for it...

My Scary Story!!

I'm not afraid of rats. Really. I have had them as pets and will be the first to say: they are smart, sweet and highly amusing. However, I was not prepared to meet such a well-fed rat as the one I saw this morning.

I must first say, it is cold in Florida! I was sweating in a summer dress yesterday and freezing in a cardigan today. I am guessing all the little animals are cold as well. When I uncovered some of my decomposing plant matter this morning, I saw a nice, healthy and shiny brown rat contentedly resting in the box. I'm sure I terrified her. I'm very sorry about that, Mrs. Rat, I just wasn't quite prepared to meet you.

Ya'll, I screamed and jumped like a little girl.

Then, I ran to tell my DH that I saw a rat. Of course, she was long gone by the time I looked for her. Poor thing. I hope she recovers soon. I also hope she leaves my compost pile alone.

By the way, wikipedia has a really interesting article on rats and laughter. Go. Read it.

Posting 100...

I have noticed other folks celebrating their 100th post. Well, this isn't my centennial post, but I am getting ready for it. This post marks my 86th post and with it I would like to announce I will send out a care package in acknowledgment of my 100th post! Wait until the millennial post...that should be super special, eh??

So, sometime in the next two weeks, I will be offering up the care package. Any suggestions as to what should grace the box?

Before I forget, I want to share another recipe with you all out there. It was one of my favorites as a kid and I am now indoctrinating my husband...

German Pancakes

and no, it is neither frugal nor healthy...but you just can't eat a lot of it, anyway...

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted


Buttermilk Syrup

1 and 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons corn syrup (I never use it)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour the butter into an un-greased 13x9x2 baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 20 minutes. meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the first five syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla. Serve immediately with the syrup. Yield: 8 servings




edit: some of you may know this recipe as "hills and valleys" as that appears to be the more folksy name for it!

Dollikins, I mean Dollequins, I mean...I don't know what to call them

Something you may not know about me is that I have an unquenchable appetite for vintage girl clothes. Yes, I admit, I have a problem. When I see smocking and lace I swoon. More to the point, I politely ask the little girl's mother if I can buy her child's clothing. Not Really! I only buy from reputable(?) thrift shops...and I have been richly rewarded. One of my favorite little girl dresses has a rabbit print which features mommy rabbit hanging her baby rabbits out to dry by their ears!

I have so many of these adorable dresses, nightgowns and jackets with nowhere to display them! None of my dolls seem right to wear them and I can't just hang them on the wall. Therefore, any and all female guests of our home are dragged to the library to browse my collection to the tune of oohs and ahhs. It's very satisfying for me, I might add.

Now, I have the solution: Babykins! They are miniature dress forms (made by me), fashioned of vintage fabrics, quilts, comforters, whatever happens to be so unlucky as to be unoccupied at the time I wield the scissors. They are the perfect size to display my lovely girl clothes and they look cute, to boot! I am fairly pleased.




Edited to add new photos and to say that these are not Babykins any longer. They are now Littlekins!

It's March...do you know where your seeds are?

I hope everyone is getting their gardens in gear for this new season that is Springing upon us! If you haven't yet ordered, I would like to take this opportunity to suggest those seed sites listed on my sidebar. Bountiful gardens is probably the best seed site from which I have ever ordered. Fast and friendly service with generous amounts of seed that ALWAYS come up! Seed packets start at 50 cents/package for a fun mix for the kids with low shipping rates. Mulberry Creek Herb Farm has just restarted their shipping service. I need to check them out again soon. They do lots of miniature plants for fairy gardens. Super friendly! I called them up last fall looking for a special plant. The owner graciously gave me leads for searching for the plant. You can bet I'll give them business. Nothing I like better than a business that's not afraid to refer me to someone else.

In the meantime, we gardeners need some breakfast...feeling a wee bit lightheaded!

What a glorious day!

Wow! It was another amazingly beautiful day here on the Gulf Coast! We worked in the yard all day long, had friends over and got lots of things accomplished. Here are a few things we did today:
James building the raised beds...

The Shadow of the Plow...

Becca spreading ummm well, you know, in the raised bed...

homemade paper seedling pots (this was an all day project!!

Work progressing on the Secret Garden


Would someone be interested in a sheet or two of pregnant paper? I'm trying out a new item to sell on Etsy. Want to see what thoughts are...

Random notes on random things

The bees are awake! They are buzzing around our heads like so many fighter planes. We just bob and weave. As well, one of the monarchs came out yesterday. I was able to see most of the transformation (very private critters, those monarchs).




As well, here are a few photos of some recent finds:


Antique quilt rack (side of the road)--isn't it lovely?--and box of 40-50s vintage linens

Bag of vintage patterns and sewing notions: gift--thank you Polly!

A gift in my flowerbed!

The Power of thin-slicing

Nope. I'm not talking about one cheescake at a party. I'm talking about a key element in this book...




I have this book listed on my sidebar but thought I would give it a little promo here as well. Maybe Sundays could be Book Review Days, eh?

Blink is about how we make decisions so quickly that we don't even realize we are doing it. Gladwell breaks decision making, likes/dislikes, and preconceptions down to their physiological components. He draws on scientific research to find out how people actually respond in stressful situations. My favorite part is the chapter on shootings by police and what actually happens in such high stress situations. Heart rate/blood pressure soars, sight line is severely diminished. Adrenaline takes over to the extreme. Only the most necessary body functions continue. Some institutions actually train bodyguards to overcome these physical reactions.

All makes for a very interesting read.

yard-art and apron modeling and a greens-eating doggie!

James left for church before I could get him to do a photo-shoot with me modeling my new made-from-scratch apron. So, here are my efforts with the timer. I am also posting photos of our yard art on this beautiful Florida day. And finally, Shelby Rae's eyes light up when I bring her turnip greens or broccoli leaves. She just loves anything green!

HTML tutorial, craft swap and apron-making

I was on the Etsy forums and found This link to an HTML tutorial. The first thing I learned how to do was make a "Write Me!" button. You can find it at the upper right-hand corner of the screen. I'll have to work on getting a cute avatar to go up there with it.

Today was a fun day. I hosted my first-ever "craft swap." We had about seven swappers. You should have seen the piles of fabrics, trims, patterns, knitting needles, books and scrapbook paper. It was great! Everybody went away with less than they brought...oh, except for Sarah. But, she will make some neat things with her goodies. And then, the hostess seems to be responsible for getting rid of anything extra. Hmmm...what to do with all these neato things?

And...I made my first apron pattern and apron! I traced my favorite apron, made three separate body pieces, cut up some old curtains and voila! I have a new garden apron! Yay! Check back for pictures of me modeling it.

a beautiful day

Just wanted to say that I have not abandoned the blog. I love posting with pictures and just don't seem to have any new photos to share. I had one of those headaches yesterday. It kind of started out with a twinge. I ignored it. It became a slight pain. I ignored it. It became a dull throb with nausea. I cooked dinner. And then, I laid down on the bed and wished myself into oblivion.

Poor James. He came home from a long day at work, looking for me. I called to him, faintly, from the bedroom: I'm in here. At least he had dinner. A dear friend had given us some soup. I just reheated it with extra tomatoes and potatoes and spices and made some cornbread to go with it.

Only when I awoke this morning did I see the lovely pink rose in the center of the table. Am I a blessed lady or what?

On another note, I have been having so much fun posting things in my Etsy shop! If you haven't checked out Etsy, you are seriously missing some beautiful things.

On yet another note, today is the most beautiful day!

Soggy Thursday

Since I discovered Etsy shopping, I have been checking on the possibility of listing items there. Well, I finally did it. Directly to the left of this blog, you will see my "banner." Okay, so I don't have a real banner yet, still working on it. When I found out I could list my vintage fabrics, sewing notions and fabrics for really crafty people to use, I couldn't resist. More to come! Yes, this is a shameless plug. But, it's fun!

Oh yes, it's soggy here. Sooo, I don't feel quite so guilty for using my time to list these items.

bring it in to the shop...

We got this great machine at an estate sale last weekend. Beautiful cabinet and the machine works! I decided to oil the machine, which should be easy, given that it is an older machine with no high-tech gadgetry. Well, I took it apart and couldn't figure out how to put it back together. I think, mostly I just panicked. All the parts fit back in place but not with the same results for example: a working machine. I called friends, I called people online...I called the sewing machine shop. Now, I am sure that someone, somewhere has a good relationship with their local repair store. I don't. When I told the woman what I had done, she remarked: Well, that was stupid. Talk about your conversation killers. Then, her only bit of advice was to bring it in to her shop. Not gonna happen. The machine weighs 100 pounds, her shop is across town, she'll charge me 80 dollars to "fix" it and...she just commented on my stupidity.

So, to ease the dull ache of frustration, I went outside to garden. While in the garden, I thought of my 83-year-old gardening neighbor who also sews. I walked down to her house in hopes of pointers. She graciously welcomed me into her home and said, Well, let's look at my machine. She uncovered her machine and it was the same machine I just bought! I could have danced for joy. We prodded the machine and discovered that I merely hadn't tightened the balance wheel enough. Praise the Lord!!

End of story: machine's fine. For free. Oh, it's clean and oiled too. I'm gonna learn to fix my own machines from here on out.