great turkey

We enjoyed a really good dinner on Saturday.
I tried dry brining our turkey and I have to say it was the best turkey I ever made.It was so moist even when we had it later in the day in a sandwich. It was not an expensive turkey.In fact it was .39 a #. That was the cheapest I have seen Meat in years.
I always wanted a nice brown turkey and this year I got one.

I used my pumpkin dishes and the table was very nice.All the food would not fit on the table so the breakfast bar came in handy. Cheesy potatoes,dressing,gravy,home grown corn,4 salads, relishes,deviled eggs,hot rolls were on the menu.Pie for dessert.Way to much food for us but we do love left overs.Have a great week.Time to get out the christmas decorations.j

arrangment for thanksgiving/unwanted guest caught

This time of year I miss working in the flower shops.I stopped and picked up some stems of flowers and refilled the pumpkin container my friends gave me around Nov. 1st.I wanted to use it one more time before it is put away until next year.I love seeded eucalyptus.The arrangement sits on the shelf above the sink between the kitchen and dining areas,and the back side is the side I see when I am working in the kitchen.

Thanksgiving is back on!!! The kids will be here tonight and we will have our turkey dinner tomorrow.On the menu tonight is scalloped potatoes and ham.Easy and will be ready whenever they get here.


Our uninvited guest has a new home far away from our house.He went to live at a farm.He was happy to be out and I am very happy to have him GONE.
I wonder why my friends laughed so hard when I told them about our guest?
It was not funny in the least and they all apologized for laughing but still kept it up. It was very stressful for me but I do think their laughing helped me get through this bump in the road .To tell the truth after we figured it could not get out of where it was , I could laugh too. Knowing it would not be running a muck(hahaha I got to say it again) in the house.

One good friend Carol sent her husband John over with delicious turkey dinners for us on thanksgiving,Bless her.It was so good.Even sent pie 2 kinds!!Friends are the best!!!
j

unwanted guest

We have an unwanted guest for our Thankgiving.After returning from the grocery store yesterday afternoon I noticed several things on the floor.I know the cat would NOT and could Not knock the wooden cracker box off the top of the spice cupboard. I know there was nothing in the house before I left but then I hear something walking on the top of our newly installed wooden ceiling.Have you guessed?? We have a squirrel in the house.
How you ask could one get in? Last summer I noticed the fake roof on the house had a hole in it.It is on Mr. T.'s honey do list to fix but the weather and work always seemed to get in his way. Well last week I heard noise in that corner but thought it may have been a bird on the roof.
guess I was wrong.We have no idea where it is now the live trap was empty this morning.
We have had to cancel Thanksgiving until we catch the critter.I am totally freaked out!!!!about it being in my house and can not have the grands here.
So wish us luck in getting it out.Thanks for letting me vent.
I do wish you all a very happy day.j

To good not to share

I saw this over on http://aprimitivejourney.blogspot.com/
It was too good not to share.j

comments to posts.

I went back to read comments to my posts.I have tried to figure out how to reply but have had no luck.Lisa I have no information on Wilma's quilt but I will see what I can find out. To all the rest of you thanks so much for posting the comments.
j

Tree tutorial

I am making table top trees to sell in my booth at the antique mall.
I shared the pictures of the tea set tree. This one is a sewing tree.I thought I'd share how I did the curly q ornaments.It was really easy but fun to do.I used paverpal but I think watered down elmers white glue will work the same way. The pictures really tell the story. I wrapped the dowel and large cinnamon sticks I had on hand with a plastic wrap. Dipped the ric rac in the dish of paverpal/glue and wound it on the dowel/stick.Let dry and cut to length.I tied them on with candle wick thread I had on hand.I treated the zippers the same way.I trimmed some of the fabric off the zippers to give them a better size for the tree.

The buttons I put on a piece of wire then taped with floral tape.Wrapped the wire around the tree stem.

The tatting, ribbons ,hoops and spools are what I had on hand to decorate the tree. All vintage stuff as is the basket.I tucked in the front of the basket a vintage snap card, a vintage spool of crochet thread some lace and a pin cushion.Fun Fun Fun.I love doing trees.j

too good not to pass on

I received this today and it is just too good not to pass on.
A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little
girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he
tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the
country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, 'Go into
the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our
whole country today..'
After a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted
and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished
so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of
Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just
came together.'

Sooo........ when we get Jesus back where He Belongs-- our country will come
together.

The season is almost here.Let us all remember the reason for this Christmas season.

more pictures of the tables

Here are more table pictures.I used napkin rings to hold up the sheet.Each table was very different and each unique.Some had family pieces handed down on displayed.

Table scape/teacup christmas tree.

It has been a busy couple of days.I finally went to the Doctor for something to kick what ever I have out the door.
2 oz. of prescription cough meds was $50.00 and I have insurance.I have no idea how much it would be if I didn't.
Instead of new health care someone needs to put the brakes on rising costs on insurance and prescription drugs.That is ridiculous.Ok that was off topic.

Yesterday was set up day for the festival of tables at the local library.It is wonderful all the different ideas show up.I love dishes. It must be a Clark thing.Mom,sisters, cousins all love dishes.
This year I used all 2nd hand dishes.The table cloth is 2nd hand but new in the bag. the place mattes and runner were new.
Pretty Poinsettias is my title.I used my salt cellars with tiny glass dippers a gift years ago from my aunt Marian.The crystal knife holders were a gift from my friend Carol.I had admired them for over a year and had planned to buy them last week.They were gone but she fessed up to buying then for my Christmas gift.Bless her she gave them to me early so I could use them on the table.

The china is also from her store.The short glasses were a GW find the water goblet is called Wexford glass.I love to collect it and have a lot of serving pieces.
Watch for more pictures of the tables.I will take them tonight.

Today I took a few more things to my booth.While there a lady came to look and decided to buy the teacup tree I made up last week.What a nice gift to give her friend.She explained the friend gives a tea and programs at her church once a month and the gift would be just the thing to show the friend how much she is appreciated for what she does for the church. It always seems that when this sort of thing happens it was a meant to be thing and I am so glad to have been there at the time she came in and to know where the tree went.The base of the tree is a copper tea kettle.bits of vintage lace and the tiny tea sets were so much fun to put together. I am working on a sewing tree and a kitchen utensil tree.More pictures later.Time to get ready to go to the festival.
j

Roses/45th anniversary

Bless his heart!! He is so sentimental. Mr. T. has not missed, a year in the 45, giving me roses.
On the 40th ann. I got 40 roses. That was really a surprise and they lasted for a very long time.
Even when I was in the flower business I got roses on our day. One or 40 it does not matter the number. It is very special.
Thanks Mr. T. I do love you so. Through good times and bad you are my rock. j

45 years

In 1964 the weather was warmer than normal.The sky's were a beautiful blue.I was 18 and he was 19. We had dated for 3 years.
Today is our 45th wedding anniversary.Wow!!!. How did the time go so fast? We were just babies.We grew up together. We raised 4 children.
I have been blessed.Mr.T. has always provided for our family. He is the kind of man with the best work ethic of any I know. He is loving and caring. We have been through rough times and great times. We have not always seen eye to eye but at the end of our days I know I can always count on him to take care of me. The plan is he will retire in 2010. I am looking forward to that time. The days left are few,compared to what has already past, we need to live and appreciate every single day we have left. j

Quilt till you wilt/quilt retreat 2009

What a wonderful 2 days I had at the Quilt till you wilt retreat.It is held in the lodge and cabins at Pine lake ,Eldora Ia.What a beautiful setting.The area was hit with a horrible hail and wind storm this year and the area is still recovering.The sadist to me was the beautiful old pine trees that were so damaged.It is my understanding that pines do not grow back needles.These statly trees will never be as they once were.I remember listing to the wind in those trees and it will never sound that way,again, in my life time.The buildings were all getting new shingles.That is another story.Why they picked the week of the retreat to do construction is beyond me.
The Canada Geese were coming in to spend the night on the lake.They always announce their arrival.
The weather has turned much colder than it was last week. It is in the 4o's and 50's durning the day.There was a nice wood fire in the main lodge where we were working on the quilts.
The ladies come from all over for this retreat. I don't have names of everyone but some I remember.Wilma and her daughter Lucy.Wilma is over 90.What a sweet lady.With a mind as sharp as a tack.

Her quilts are wonderful with movement I have never seen in a quilt.
Wilma and I were both sewing on our singer feather weight machines.










I worked on aprons the first day.I will share them at a later time.they are christmas gifts and I don't want them to be seen just yet.

The second day I worked on my red work.It is a panel I bought in about 2000.It took 7 years to finish the stitching.It was my just wait stitchery.I took it to the doc. appt. or when I had to wait for Mr.T. Or when getting the oil changed. I finished it in 2008 but did not know what I wanted to do for the border.I have picked up red or red and white fabric over the years and took it all with me hoping to get inspiration and courage to do the borders.With Charlene's help I decided on a simple 4 patch using the white we trimmed from the panel piece. I am so pleased with the way it turned out.We were shy about 1 1/2 inches at the corners.I added plain white so I can add my signature on one corner and the date on the opposite.

I also came home with a case of what I believe is bronchitis.I really need to be doing more on my booth at the antique mall but am not up to going out today.The open house will just have to go on with out me.
j

BY THE NUMBERS: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Health Care Bill

Today I received this picture in an e-mail of our government at work.Makes me wonder if they really are working for my best interests.House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP)
The guy sitting in the row in front of these two... he's on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores. These are the folks that can't get the budget out by Oct. 1, Seriously! So, we’ve got a 30 day budget extension. Well, guess what, 30 days from now we will be in the same boat. I guess this makes it easy for the news ‘reporters’ as all they have to do is recycle the same headlines from this week and from 2 years ago.


I also received a newsletter from our Congressman Tom Latham telling me that 220 people have decided that the 307,889,856 people living in our United States are to have much more government involvement in our private lives.

This is a quote from the e-mail
"Everyone agrees that health care costs too much in this country, and too many have to go without insurance. But we can fix these problems without a $1.2 trillion government power-grab that will force every single American to become more reliant on the federal government for the delivery of their health care, whether they like it or not."


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Health Care Bill
The numbers read like this

Quote
" 5.5 million -- The number of jobs that could be lost as a result of taxes on businesses contained in the legislation

$729.5 billion -- Total new taxes on employers and individuals


114 million -- The number of individuals who could lose their current coverage under the bill's government-run health plan, according to the non-partisan Lewin Group


43 -- The number of entitlement programs created, expanded or extended by the legislation


3,425 -- The number of uses of the word "shall," representing new duties for government bureaucrats and mandates for Americans "

I agree that we need health care for everyone.

It is something we already have now through the welfare program.A government program.It is something we are all paying for now if you pay taxes.Any one who does not have health care ins. can get care.It is the law no one can be refused.The illegals have found this to be true.
Why would we want to allow the government to take more tax dollars? This is just nuts.
From this e-mail it appears more will loose insurance than don't have it now.114 million will loose

From the National Coalition on health care
"Several studies estimate the number of uninsured Americans. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 47 million Americans, or 20 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2008."

How much sense does that make??
I pray each day that the elected officials listen to the people who elected them and fix this health care problem without forcing the middle class to pay for another mistake.
The other question I have is why are they in such a hurry???????Wake up and speak up before it is to late.!!!!