Yo-Yo Pumpkins

I made these by making yo yo's. I cut cardstock into 7 1/2", 7", 6", and 5" circles. You will need 1 of the 7 1/2", 2 of the 7", 2 of the 6", and 1 of the 5". I made the yo yo's and then stacked them in this order: 6". 7". 7 1/2", 7", 6", and 5" on top. My husband cut a piece of plywood into squares and countersunk a 3" screw into it. I then threaded the yo yo's onto the screw by pushing scissors into the center of the yo yo to make it go over the screw. He cut a twig into to make the stems and made a hole in it so that it would screw down onto the top of the pumpkin. I got the leaves from fall foliage I had.

I placed mine with some Fall leaves on the ledge of an antique bookcase.

Sweet Potato Cobbler

This smelled so good when it came out of the oven and as you can see we could not keep from trying it before I could take a picture. This is very rich! You may want to use less sugar.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Preparation:

Melt butter in 12 X 2 -inch baking dish. Mix together the flour, sugar, and milk; pour into the center of the melted butter. Do not stir.

Mix:

2 cups cooked but firm, peeled and sliced sweet potatoes (I added these last)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or other preferred spice)

Pour this into center of melted butter and batter. DO NOT stir. Bake at 350 degrees
for 45 minutes or until light brown.

Color-Coded Therapy

I wanted to share my husband's joy of working with his flowers. At the time of this newspaper article, we were married 33 years and this August made 48 years for us. I was in bed with my back for a year before I had my surgery. I was in so much pain and really did not want to live. One Saturday morning my husband went shopping and came back with flower boxes, dirt, and flowers and began to fix boxes around the deck. I thought to myself, why are you doing this because I probably will not be alive. As the flowers grew and he got me up into a chair in the den, the beauty that I was seeing through the kitchen bay window was unbelievable. His joy of growing the flowers for me made me want to make it. He has continued this ritual every year. Of course when he became unable to walk last year, he has not been able to do as many boxes and have as many flowers in the yard. He still gets on his scooter and goes out and waters and takes care of all he planted.

Fig Cookies

The squirrels got most of our tomatoes and usually the birds peck our figs, but this year the birds are leaving the figs to us. There will not be enough to do a lot with but when my husband brought in enough the other day that I thought I could do something with, I went to Google. I found this recipe for fig cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped figs
1/2 cup walnuts - I used toasted pecans

Cream sugar and shortening and add beaten egg.
Sift dry ingredients and blend with creamed mixture
Fold in figs and nuts.

Drop by spoonfuls on greased sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes
Mine were done in 15 minutes.

Book Review

I have never recommended a book before but I had seen this book on another blog and it caught my interest. I immediately went on line to our local library and put a hold on the book. I am fortunate that they have a girl that brings books to me. I got the book Monday afternoon and finished it yesterday. I have now started reading it again. Below, I am going to give you a summary that I found on line.

A new story of common wisdom from the best selling author of "The Traveler's Gift".

Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems--marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest--a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls "a little perspective," Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. "Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely," he says. "Don't squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure X 2026; and they matter forever."

Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it.

Like "The Traveler's Gift," "The Noticer" is a unique narrative is a blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration. Gifted storyteller Andy Andres helps us see how becoming a "noticer" just might change a person's life forever.


If you decide to try this one, I hope it will be as meaningful for you and it was for me.

Computer Nook

This is where I do my blogging, making cards, emailing, etc. We took a closet and removed the doors and took the clothes rod down and wooden shelves. We then added the wire shelves for me to place my baskets on. I have paper, stickers, label, etc. in them. I have two computer towers. When I bought my newest computer, a lot of my programs were not compatible. I keep the old tower mainly to make greeting cards. I am not able to get out very often to buy cards so I create them and my friends seem to like them better because I can make them personal. I have also done some digital scrap booking on the old one too. The picture on the right shows my wallpaper on my modem at this time. I like to give equal time to the grandchildren. I had the granddaughter so now it is mostly the boys.

Fresh Peach Delight

This is such a good recipe. I wish I knew who to give credit to.

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup nuts, finely chopped (I like pecans)

Layer 1:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz Cool Whip

Layer 2:
4 cups fresh peaches

Layer 3:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 Tbls. corn starch
1 small box peach jello

Mix flour, butter, and nuts. Pat in bottom of 9 X 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown and let cool.
Cream the cream cheese, powdered sugar and cool whip, and spread over the first layer in pan.
Layer sliced peaches over cream cheese mixture. (I just used one layer of peaches)
Cook sugar, water, cornstarch and Jello until thick and clear. Remove from heat and cool completely. When cool, pour over peaches and refrigerate. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

ENJOY!

Lace & Amethyst Wrap

My daughter-in-law saw this in the July/August 2009 issue of Crochet today! and liked it. It is crocheted with RED HEART Eco Ways Bamboo Wool. I had never used this yarn before. It felt really good but I had to be careful because the yarn wanted to split. It is an easy pattern and I hope Linh will enjoy using it.

Happy Anniversary!

Congratulations Jon and Linh

Quotes to Live By

The following quotes are some that mean something to me and I want to share them with you.

Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart,
"It will not benefit me." Even by the falling of water drops,
a water pot is filled; the wise man becomes full of good,
even if he gathers it little by little.
German Proverb



Hardening of the heart ages people more quickly
than hardening of the arteries.
___
We really begin to amount to something to men and to
God when we are careful to do a kindness and care
less about who gets the credit for it.
___
There are many moments in friendship, as in love,
when silence is beyond words.
___
No man is rich enough to buy back his past.
___
We will not make the daisies of our own lives
any prettier by being jealous of the roses in
our neighbors' lives.
___
If you want a better life, the place to change is
inside yourself.
___
Whatever you dislike in another person, take care
to correct it in yourself.
___
What life means to us is determined not so much by
what life brings to us as by the attitude we bring to
life; not as much by what happens to us, as by our
reaction to what happens.
___
The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater
is their power to harm us.
___
It takes both rain and sunshine to make a rainbow.
___
Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and
the blind can see.
___
The world is a looking glass, and gives back to
every man the reflection of his own face.
Thackeray

The Internet CAN by a good thing!

Our grandchildren live 1100 miles away. Due to our physical conditions, we are no longer able to go visit them. They try to come visit us once a year if their schedules allow. Thank goodness for our computers and the Internet. On their end, they have a cam--not me! Ha. We are able to see them but they can not see us. One afternoon, I went on AIM with our granddaughter. We both have microphones and can talk to each other as I watch them. These pictures were snapped by our granddaughter as she was talking to me. She was doing all kinds of expressions and added the parrot and rabbit into the picture. We had a fun visit. As she dragged and dropped the pictures for me to see, I saved them. I went to hp.com to their creative section and picked out this frame. I uploaded the pictures and dropped them into the frame. I printed it and then put it in the scanner and saved it. I then went to my computer and chose it as my wallpaper. I get to relive that fun visit with my granddaughter each time I cut my computer on. I did this screen capture so that you could see what I see on my 24-inch monitor. I don't understand how computers and Internet work, but what a blessing it is to the "old lady". To me, it is a "Good Thing" as Martha Stewart would say.
Love, Marie

Laying in Store for the Winter

I have been busy trying to save everything I can and not let anything go to waste. We bought 1/2 bushel of peaches last week at the Farmer's Market. I froze most of them except I made an easy peach cobbler with part.As you can see, my husband got into it.
Easy Peach Cobbler
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
2 to 3 cups sliced peaches
I melt the butter in the microwave in the glass dish. In separate bowl, I mix Bisquick, sugar, and milk until smooth. I pour that over the butter in the dish. I top that with the peaches. Sprinkle a little sugar, cinnamon, and a tiny bit of allspice on top. I bake it at 350 degrees for one hour. We like to stir ours every 15 minutes, twice, and then don't stir the remainder of the time. Boy, is this good topped with vanilla ice cream. We only get ice cream when it is buy one, get one free.

Besides freezing peaches, I put up some corn, squash, and okra that a friend brought.

I made spaghetti sauce for Saturday night. I browned a pound of hamburger and a chopped onion and cubed some squash and zucchini into that and poured a jar of spaghetti sauce over it. I added some garlic powder and oregano and let this simmer. We had a meal Saturday and Sunday night out of this spaghetti sauce with sugar snap peas one night and a salad the next. Monday, I took what sauce was left over and made lasagna. What we had left from that meal, I divided into meals and put into the freezer.
We had one zucchini left yesterday from our garden and I grated it and made the chocolate chip zucchini muffins that I have posted the recipe for before. I would love to get some more corn and some field peas. We are hoping that we are going to have some late tomatoes.
Love,
Marie

Five Months from today..........

Will be Christmas Eve!
We have this tree up all year round in our living room. The truth of the matter is that my DH was still able to walk when this tree was put up. He spent so many hours putting the lights on it that he said if it ever came down it would never be put back up. This tree is decorated with angels, so he calls it our Angel Tree. I light it up a dreary days or to celebrate birthdays. Where has this year gone???

Muffins

I made muffins yesterday using a recipe from Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me. Go over and give her a visit--she is full of very helpful and inspirational information. Take a look around and then go to her recipe blog for the muffin recipe. I used chocolate chips and pecans in mine.

Christmas in July

I am in between projects and had not tatted in a while so I picked up some number 10 crochet cotton and my shuttles and started making some snowflakes. I will tell you about my grandmother below. I watched her tat as I was growing up but never tried to do it. In later years, my mother gave me my grandmother's shuttles and I ordered a book to teach myself. I bought Tatting by Cathy Bryant. This is a great book with good illustrations. The snowflakes above are from the book, Tatted Snowflakes by Vida Sunderman.

Grandmother Thompson
1887-1962

The above picture was taken when my grandmother was a student at "Normal College". She met my grandfather when he went to the college to visit his sister. Grandmother was always doing some needlework. This is the grandmother who gave me the desire to learn to tat. She helped me make a quilt when I was 12 years old. It was simple--just small squares sewn together, but I have the memories of the time we spent together.
Below I want you to see the book and shuttles that belonged to my grandmother. I watched her make the most beautiful lace to be placed on handkerchiefs. She used very small thread and sometimes sewing thread. Wow! I do good to get it done with size 10.

This book is STAR BOOK No. 41 - cost-10 CENTS
AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY - Copyright-1946
This book has crochet and tatting edgings. The tatting edgings
were suggested to be used on slips.

This is the caption above the tatting patterns. It amazes me that
my grandmother went to all this trouble for something that would
not be seen. My Grandmother Thompson did handkerchief edgings
and a lot of crochet.

One of the first attempts I made at tatting was
the snowflakes I used on the tree in our bedroom.
The tree has dolls, snowflakes, antique balls, and
white lights. These are the same snowflakes
that I am doing now.

Living with Scoliosis

I had shared with you my DH living with MS so I thought I would tell you about my life. I was born in 1941 with congenital scoliosis. My parents did not know there was a problem until I started to walk and one shoulder was higher than the other. They took me to Duke Hospital and they recommended I be taken to the Shriner Children's Hospital near Charlotte, NC. When I was around age six, I was put in a body cast from under my arms to my bottom. I wore a cast like this for seven years. Of course, every so often, it had to be sawed off and another put on. That was always a scary experience even though they promised me that the saw would not cut me. I wore this during the years before air conditioning--you can imagine how that felt! Being in the cast did not slow me down except that I could not go swimming like the other kids. All my life, I have been determined to try to do what everyone else could do. After those seven years of wearing the body cast, I was entered into the hospital and put in a cast from my chin to my knees and was there for almost a year. They decided after that there was no surgery they would be able to do. I finished high school and went on to Elon College for a one-year commercial course and was hired immediately when I finished.
A year later a man came into my life. We had know each other as kids growing up in the same neighborhood for a few years and then his family had moved away. Three months later, we were married! They said it would not last but if we make it to August 18, it will be 48 years. I never dreamed I would be married and then God blessed us with a daughter 18 months later. The doctors were concerned about me but I had no problems and a normal delivery. The doctor called me his "star patient". Then in 1971, we were blessed again with a son. Now, our family was complete.
I was doing fairly well until 1991 and I developed a terrible pain in my back and was in bed for a year. We found a doctor in Chapel Hill, NC that dealt with adult scoliosis. He felt sure he could help me. I was taking a risk with this surgery because it was to be three-stage operations. There was a chance that I would die but I had been in such pain and in bed and crying out to the Lord to take me home. I decided that I would do the surgery. On Feb. 23, 1992, I went into the hospital and had my first 10-hour surgery. Two weeks later, they turned me over and did a 10-hour surgery through the front to my spine. I was in intensive care for several days after that. Then two weeks later, they went back into my back and put in rods and screws--this was another 10 hours. When I woke up from this surgery, I was in intensive care on a ventilator. I was on that four days and then moved out to my room. They had to give me shots of morphine to be able to get me out of bed. I developed a kink in my intestines from the second surgery so they had to go into my stomach and fix it but could not put me to sleep. Any way, I finally came home on May 6, 1992. I was barely able to walk and had home PT for at least a month. I continue to have discomfort most of the time. I have had pain so much of my life that I have a high tolerance. I am able to be on my feet to do what I call "piddle". I do a little and then rest and do a little more. I am doing more right now since my DH can not walk.
We are trying our best, with the help of a lot of wonderful people, to stay in our home. Before my DH became unable to walk, he would push me in the wheelchair and we could get out and go to the Mall. Now, we have to have someone to come help us go where ever we need to go. Thank goodness, we both can find satisfaction where we are. I have a pity party once in a while but no one comes. Ha!
I have told you all this not for sympathy but to let you know the person behind the blog. Each day, I get up and try to make the most of the day and some days are not very easy. I am so thankful that our son set me up with a computer and taught me how to use it. It is wonderful all the people that I have met. I have two internet friends that I met in 1998 and have never met them in person but feel like they are almost family. Now, I am making new friends through having a blog.
Thanks for reading this.
Love,
Marie



The picture on the left is me in 1944 and
the one on the right is today.

More Knitting

I had some yarn left from the crochet baby blanket that I showed in an earlier post. I used the free patterns for the hat and booties from the 5-hour knit sweater. Just Google for the 5-hour knit baby sweater and you will find the patterns. It is a really fast and simple pattern but I think it takes me more than 5 hours!

Zucchini, Let me count the ways!

We have had a bounty of zucchini this summer and I will cook the last of it tonight unless we have more rain. Below are a couple of recipes I have used.




Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla, mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Oven Fried Zucchini Sticks
Two 8 ounce zucchinis
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of water
1 cup of coarse cracker crumbs (saltine) I used stuffing and ground it up fine
2 tablespoons of margarine, melted
Salt and Pepper

Trim unpeeled zucchini and cut into sticks about the size of French fries. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Beat egg with water; roll each zucchini stick in egg mixture and then in crumbs. Place on wire rack while oven heats to 400 degrees F. Place coated zucchini on a baking sheet and spoon butter over. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
I served these with ranch dressing.

Me and the Squirrels

Well, the pinwheels I bought did not do the trick of keeping the squirrels from eating our tomatoes. My DH had said they were probably laughing at what that "crazy old lady" was doing. We had been watching our tomatoes grow and they were beautiful but evidently the squirrels were also keeping their eyes on them too. I went onto the screen porch and there sat a squirrel on top of the fence enjoying a meal of one of our prize tomatoes. Day before yesterday, a neighbor brought his trap over. He had caught 33 squirrels in his yard and took them on a trip out into the countryside. The squirrels continued to eat the tomatoes and not go into the trap. I took one of the tomatoes they had half eaten and placed it in the trap along with the bait of pecans. Would you believe, they went inside and got the tomato and took it back to the fence. The neighbor came and got the trap and worked on it and put more bait. I ate lunch today on the screen porch and watched a squirrel come running across the top of the fence and sit there and look down at the trap. It came down and smelled all around then climbed on top of the trap and tried to get the pecans. It was not able to get to them, so it came down and went around and around the outside for a good thirty minutes but would not go inside. It finally gave up and left. Well, I went into the kitchen to cook supper and thought I would check the trap and............there it was!!!!!!!!!!!! We finally had our tomato theif. The neighbor took that one on a trip and brought the trap back. Maybe now we will be able to get a few more tomatoes. What is the purpose of a squirrel anyway?????????????????

Prayers for this beautiful litte girl

Kate

Please go to her Caringbridge page and read about this adorable little girl and keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. Click on her name.
Thanks,

Supper for Two

My DH and I spent the 4th just the two of us. He doesn't like to cut his flowers for me to make a flower pot--he likes for them to be in the yard. He broke down yesterday and got on his scooter and rode around a gathered me a "few" flowers. I didn't really have any 4th of July decorations so I went to Martha Stewart and printed off a few things. My plates are our outdoor plates and have birdhouses around the rim. As you have probably noticed from other pictures, I love birdhouses. We barbecued chicken on the grill. I cut the chicken in half and double wrapped them in tinfoil. DH cooked them 25 minutes on one side and turned them over for 25 more minutes. He then removed them from the tinfoil and brushed the sauce on. I usually make my NC barbecue sauce but didn't feel up to it yesterday, so I used bottled sauce. I marinated the zucchini slices in Zesty Italian dressing and then he cooked them on the grill. We had mashed potatoes and marinated steamed broccoli. The recipe for the broccoli is below.
STEAMED BROCCOLI FLORETS
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
Dash each of salt, pepper, and ground mustard
1 pound fresh broccoli florets.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the sugar, vinegar, oil, water, prepared mustard, salt, pepper, and ground mustard; shake well. Set aside. Place broccoli in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in of water; bring to a boil.
Cover and steam for 5-8 minutes or until crisp tender. Place in a serving bowl. Shake dressing and drizzle over broccoli and toss to coat.

Fourth of July at Melville Hill

Through the Garden Gate

Beginning with Spring

SUMMER

Happy Birthday, Son!

We love you!

Grandmother's Box

Years ago, I started a box known as "Grandmother's Box". I have knitted blankets, sweaters, hats, and booties. I made the quilt on the left and bought the one on the right at a church auction. I have included receiving blankets that I have crocheted an edge around. It is all ready for the next baby.

When our son and daughter-in-law were home the first week in June, they took me to AC Moore and I bought this thread for a blanket. Thread is Bernat, Softee Baby Yarn, and the color is Baby, Baby. Below is the pattern I used.
I used size G Needle. The pattern called to Ch 106 loosely, but I chained to get the width I wanted.
ROW 1 (right side): Dc in fourth ch from hook (counts as first dc) *skip next 2 chs, dc in next ch, 3 dc in next ch, dc in next ch, skip next 2 chs, dc in next 2 chs: repeat from * across to last 3 chs, skip next 2 chs, 3 dc in last ch.

ROW 2: Ch3 (counts as first dc, now and throughout), turn; dc in sp before next dc, *skip next 3 dc, 5 dc in sp before next dc; skip next 3 dc, dc in sp before next dc,
skip next dc, dc in sp before next dc; repeat from * across to last 4 dc, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in sp before last dc, leave last dc unworked.

Repeat Row 2 until length you want.