Saturday, October 31, 2009

Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!

Okay, so I don't have a bear here, but I hope you all had a fun Halloween. Here are my little Lion and Tiger.

We took the little guys to a few family members' houses to beg for candy tonight, then we went to a nice part of Marshfield and walked a few blocks.  These people were fun!  Almost everyone was out on their porch or in their yard and was dressed up - they even dressed up their pets.  I think I had as much fun as Levi did.  Noah was just not feeling in a festive mood today - he was sick most of the night, and although he felt better today, he was tired from his routine being messed up.  It is tough being almost 2.

Anyway, tomorrow is our monthly church potluck.  We do our potluck a little differently from most, and I have to say, I really like it.  We ladies make up a menu each month and list the stuff people can bring.  That way, the other ladies just sign up for something listed and we are guaranteed to not have 4 potato salads, 3 baked beans and no meat!   Tomorrow's menu is Sloppy Joes (or "Barbecue"-that's what they call it here).  I am bringing cheesy potatoes and a dessert I call "Cookie Dough Brownies".  Here is the link to the recipe.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Two-Tone-Fudge-Brownies If you are like most people I know and love cookie dough, you will LOVE this recipe.  My mom and I made this for a potluck one time she was here visiting.  We had to make the cookie dough part twice because we could not stop "sampling" it :-).   As it goes now, I just always double the cookie dough part anyway, because I find from experience, it is what most of the people like the best.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:   Make each day a memory - you never know, it might be the last memory you get to make.

Friday, October 30, 2009

LITTLE PUMPKINS

I sometimes feel guilty for celebrating Halloween.  If you look at the history, it really is not a nice holiday for a Christian.  Yet, I try to keep things fun and not really look at the history.  After all, in my childhood, I never once thought of worshiping the devil because I dressed up on Oct. 31 and begged for candy from my neighbors and family (who usually did not give out apples, thankfully).

Here is a walk down memory lane. . . .   This is Ty and Tanner - don't have a year, but they were dressed like King David and King Josiah (I believe Ty was 8, because he was King Josiah, that makes Tanner 5).   These were the days that I actually got creative and sewed a costume.  Wow-hard to believe I was ever that ambitious.


here is Tyler before a Cub Scout party - he is Zorro.  I have more of Ty in my computer right now because I had scanned a lot of his pictures for the music DVD I made him for graduation. (Sorry Tanner).


This little peanut is my great niece, Naomi. I took this picture of her a couple of weeks ago.  I just think it is adorable.  Love the costume.

Levi and Noah from last Halloween - Levi is a pirate and in case you can't tell, Noah is a lion.  I don't have a picture yet from this year's costumes, so stay tuned. . . .



Here is one of Ty from 1st grade.  They had a pumpkin decorating contest and he made a pumpkin snowman.  He won 1st prize, I might add.   The snowman is holding a sign that says "snowballs for sale" and he has a bag of marshmallows.  The idea was our neighbor's and it turned out pretty cute.


It is hard to believe that all these years have passed - so many trick or treats in New Bethlehem and around the Limestone neighborhood.  Wow-they sure do grow up fast!


Well, for all of you moms out there still making costumes and having to buckle everyone up to go trick or treating - stay calm and when you get home, help yourself to some of the kid's candy - after all, you deserve it!   For all you moms whose babies have grown and you don't do the trick or treat thing, buy yourself some candy and enjoy it because you deserve it!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Remember yesterday, dream about tomorrow, but LIVE TODAY!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

I'M GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWAL


I feel weak, shaky and slightly nauseous. I can't think of anything else. . . Okay, I'm not a druggy/alcoholic, I am a photography fanatic and my camera is 1000 miles away. I think I'm having a panic attack. . .

Seriously, though, my new Canon EOS 40d is in Virginia. I just tracked it on the USPS website and it has not yet been delivered to the Canon repair center. Now I'm wishing I would have paid the extra $30 and gotten it there overnight. (Now my husband is reading this and having a panic attack).


My love affair with photography began a long time ago. Kevin was really into photography and he bought me a 35 mm camera for a graduation present. I never used it a lot, except for when we would go on vacation- until I had children. Then I used it ALL the time - I have boxes and boxes of photos of my boys. You moms know what I mean. You bring a newborn home and without a doubt they ARE the most beautiful baby that has ever been delivered by a woman - EVER. Just laying there on the floor on their blankets they are gorgeous - they stare blankly off into space and you just KNOW they are the brightest child and they will be the top of their class. You just HAVE to take their picture and remember this moment. Well, I usually took like 10 of that blank stare. Add that up with the times that they actually did something - like crawling, walking, feeding themselves, etc., and it is very little reason why most of us never have enough storage space in our homes.

I loved that camera and all the memories it kept for me. Then, we got a digital camera. Oh my - the world has changed forever! You can actually see IMMEDIATELY if you took a good picture and caught that moment! Plus, you can store all those pictures in your computer and that saves closet space for things like clothes and shoes (shopping, anyone?).

I did not actually consider photography as a career until a year and a half ago. I had no idea what I was going to do - the whole becoming a teacher thing kind of went down the tubes when I moved to WI. Here I was 39 years old and still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was having a mid-life crisis moment and felt like I had just come out of high school. Anyone else ever feel like this?

However, Adam Orange turned my life around! Okay, I'm just being dramatic, but he did help me (without knowing it) see that photography might hold a place in my future. The more he talked about how he started OOPS, the more interested I became. Then I started seriously talking with him about my dream and he was ever so helpful, and he continues to put up with my emails on "how do I . . . .". Add Jodie into all this and I have two people I can pester and bug about the intricacies of taking a good picture, or taking a bad picture and fixing it in Photoshop Elements (which thanks to Kim I have on my computer). So you see how family and friends can really change your life?

Back to why my camera is in Virginia. . . . After taking several hundred pictures with this new camera, I noticed that people's eyes just had a slight blur to them. It was not really noticeable until you enlarged the picture, but it really bothered me. I searched on line, and low and behold the Canon 40d does sometimes have focus problems (I believe they call it "focus forward"). Long story short(er), I called Canon and they ran me through some tests and asked a lot of questions and they did feel it needed recalibrated. However, because I am a cheapskate and bought my camera second-hand (which is something I will NEVER EVER EVER do again), the warranty was void. Yet, my wonderful, fantastic, best-in-the-world husband told me to get it sent in and fixed.

So, here it is 2 days until Halloween and I have to use my old digital camera that currently has zoom issues. Do you know what it is like to use a Canon 40d then have to go back to a point and shoot Sony??? Well, just imagine using an outhouse all your life and you finally get indoor plumbing, then you have to send your toilet back to the manufacturer and have to use the outhouse until it gets returned. There you have the scenario that I'm currently facing. Wow-I just read what I just typed and I have to say that I think I may be a drama queen. . . . . naah, not a chance.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We don't realize how much we rely on each other. Take just one person out of your life and you would not be the person you are today!


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

What's for Dinner?

Do you say "dinner" or "supper" when you are talking about your evening meal? My parents and I have this little "discussion" a lot. I guess I tend to call my noon meal "lunch" and my evening meal "dinner". Don't know why I do that, but I do. Lately, though, because Dan calls our evening meal supper, I call it supper sometimes too. My parents (and my in laws) call the evening meal supper and the noon meal dinner. That totally confuses me - I guess I always went out on a date for "dinner" and we made "dinner reservations", and when I was working, we had "lunch" at noon. Yet, here in Wisconsin, they have "Supper Clubs", which are just restaurants that serve the evening meal. (I have no idea where Wisconsin people go for lunch other than the Marshfield McDonald's (which is always sooooo busy)).

Well, whatever you call it, I have a recipe to share with you. The recipe is called "Marlboro Man's favorite sandwich". We enjoyed this mouthwatering sandwich for our dinner/supper last night. It was easy, quick and ohhhh sooooo yummy. Here is the link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/marlboro_mans_f/

I love recipe websites. One of my favorite sites is from the Pioneer Woman (see my blog list below), go to her website and you can just click on "Tasty Kitchen" on a top tab and it will take you there. The Pioneer Woman fascinates me. She is just cool! . Anyway, this recipe is from her. It is her husband's favorite sandwich (hence the title of the recipe). I did sort of "lighten" this up - I did not use butter, I used olive oil and not as much as she calls for, oh, and I did add mushrooms too. Let me know if you try this and what you think of it. I can't wait to try her Chicken Spaghetti and Twice Baked Potatoes.


Another recipe website that I really like is Recipezaar, which my good friend, Kim told me about. Here is the link: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/


I really do enjoy cooking most of the time - it is the clean up I hate. Finding new recipes is fun too! Do you have any favorite places you get new recipes from? Please share!

Thought for the day: Kind words conquer


THE ADVENTURES OF STICKY MAN


For those of you who don't know who Sticky Man is, don't feel badly. It is actually a made up name. Here is a picture of a Sticky Man. Sticky Man came into existence this past Sunday. I bought these sticky things through Oriental Trading Express - you know the place I mean - they have all these cool things for teachers and for moms who want to buy things for their kid's birthday party, etc. Anyway, I got like a gazillion stick men for $5. I bought them for my Bible school class. I'm always looking for things to give them as prizes for learning their memory verses (they do very well, I might add). Anyhow, Noah is not in my class, but because he is my baby and because he told me who was thrown into the lion's den (Daniel), I gave him one. He and his brother have spent hours, literally, throwing these little things on the wall and watching them "walk" back down. Who knew this could be so entertaining? Anyway, Noah started calling him "Sticky Man". Now, Noah is only 22 months old and he can talk pretty well, but still it is so stinkin' cute when he says "Sticky Man". He is so attached to this little thing that he holds it all day long, sleeps with it and cries if Sticky Man gets lost or stuck up high on the wall and won't come back down! See how sad :-( However, when I retrieve Sticky Man, Noah is one happy camper (even though he won't look at the camera).
















So, the reason for today's post? Well, all this happiness over Sticky Man made me think about what makes me happy. It is just a given that God and my family are at the top of the list, but what else makes me feel warm and fuzzy? Here are a few things that I enjoy on a semi-regular basis: an instant cappuccino from Quick Trip (Sheetz if I'm in the east), a really good book (like Harry Potter or Twilight), getting on the scale and seeing a weight loss, taking a fantastic photo of someone - capturing that great moment, having all the laundry totally caught up, having clean floors, buying new undergarments, making a list and crossing off every single item, and currently my new fix is a diet Mt. Dew/strawberry slushy (thanks to Holly). These are just a few things I could think of quickly. So, what turns your frown upside down? What is that one thing (or few things) that really puts a skip in your step and gets you through the day?

Thought for the day: Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. . .

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

WELCOME ONE AND ALL


Okay, I had to do it. I just had to make a blog. I love reading blogs - I follow at least 3 each day, so I just thought I'd make one of my own.

I will of course be posting my pictures, maybe some good recipes I come across, and any other trivial information I might find.

This is Levi playing in the leaves. Don't you wish you could capture that moment? It would be great to feel like this every day - like nothing in the world can ever get you down - not standing in line at the store; not when your almost-2 year old runs all over the library; not when your 18 year old tells you he did not do well on his college exams; not when you burn the grilled cheese and have no more bread. . . . well, you get the idea.

It is almost Halloween. This is the time of year that pulls me between love and hate. I love fall - the beautiful colors! Yet, I know that winter is right around the corner and that means cold and snow! I really dislike winter. Levi is very excited about Halloween this year. He is going to be a lion - he looks adorable in his costume. We went to the library today and they got to wear their costumes for story time. Levi actually "walked" into the library on his hands and knees because "that's what lions do". Noah will be a tiger this year - it is actually a Tigger costume that was Levi's. He has no clue yet what it is all about and he's not too keen on the paint I used to put on his "whiskers". I'll have pictures of them up later this week in their costumes.

Do you have a special memory of Halloween from your childhood? I remember my mom dressing me like a hobo. I also remember going to the Jaycee's haunted house in Clarion when I was in Girl Scouts and being scared out of my wits! Yet, every year, I would go back. Mostly, I just remember the candy! I love candy - especially chocolate. What's up with the people who give apples and popcorn balls out to kids???? It is a HUGE disappointment when you get home and expect to see a Reeses peanut butter cup and out rolls an apple! If any of you give out apples, I'm sorry, but it is just the truth!

Thought for the day: You have a lot to be thankful for!