Cucumbers are better than????

Looking at this 25lb box of cucumbers that My Handyman picked up Friday night from a local farmer reminds me... .. Many years ago, when I was a young twenty something, one of my co-workers was getting a divorce. Her husband worked for my husband building houses at the time. They're both now our ex's. Being the silly girls that we were.. the rest of us in the office pitched in and got her a few divorce gifts.... one of them being a book for her to read titled. "Cucumbers are better than men because..." If you would like to know some of the reasons... click HERE.



The cucumbers are all chopped with the onions and are soaking in a brine. This morning we will make some mustard pickles and some bread and butter pickles. Stay tuned .......




I painted this sign yesterday for a co-worker. Its about 22 inches long. His little girls are now sharing a room and he wanted a sign for their door. I had a hard time capturing the true colors. Its a pretty soft plum and sage green; the colors of their room. Now I've got the itch to paint some more projects.. I'll have to start planning for the holidays!!





Karma... stare out the window daydreaming.....

Ribbons and Bling

Tis the season for Weddings. Last night Scissorbella was wrapping a gift for a wedding she will be attending today and the only paper she could find was gold Christmas paper. She asked me if I could perform a miracle on it. She knows all about my stash of supplies. It took me about 5 minutes to create this. A couple of ribbons and a stamp punched with my circle punch. Its amazing how something so simple can really dress up a package.. ( Be sure and read the Karma below. This one is a hard one for me.)

OH! and guess what I got out this morning??? Its been a long time since I've used them!!!

Scissorbella cut and colored my hair yesterday. I decided to have her put Copper highlights in it for something a little different... I hate trying to take pictures of myself!!! I either get too close or out of focus! I took about 20 to get a couple of good ones!

karma. ... have a no bed making day each week.....

Bounty Hunter

I can't believe I was persuated to believe I need to read another series of books! This stack of books that has been passed around the office several times has made its way to my desk!!! WHAT!! I have so much spare time!!! Have you heard of Janet Evanovich? She writes books about Stephanie Plum a bounty hunter! EVERYONE tells me they're so good! I got the stack last week! I'm on book 4 of 14! DANG IT!!!! I love a good book! I stay up way too late reading a few chapters each night after I finish the list of things I need to accomplish!

"It was January in Trenton. The sky was gunmetal grey, and the air sat dead cold on cars and sidewalks. Inside the offices of Vincent Plum, bail bond agent, the atmosphere was no less grim, and I was sweating not from heat but from panic."

I think Stephanie has the hots for Morelli a local cop that tried to play garage and choo choo with her when they were kids... but now I'm kind of wondering about Ranger - The ex military bounty hunter that comes to her aid many times! Will the mystery be solved in book 4- Four to Score???

I better get to reading and find out!! They're hilariously funny and a blast of fresh air!!

Party Animal

I've been so busy lately I've hardly had time to stamp any cards or scrapbook any pictures! Hopefully this weekend after I get the canning done I'll have time to do something.

I made two quick cards last night. 4x4 is a fun size.

The bear is wearing his new party clothes for his birthday!

Todays sample is from the CTMH set B1277 - Hello Friend. I used My Minds eye cs. CTMH Crystal blue and Sweet Leaf cs. Chocolate ribbon. Water - Robin's nest baubles. Lemon lime and crystal stickles. The guy is kind of nutty so I stamped the background with some tiny acorns.

Karma... follow your bliss...

Enjoy!

Just Peachy!

It wasn't in my plan.. but the peaches ripened a little earlier than expected. After a long day at work, I checked on the peaches in the garage. What?? Already??? A couple were even molding! Not tonight! Its hot! I'm tired! I'm grouchy! I don't wanna!!!!! But I hafta!!!
"BIG SIGH"!!!
I slowly dragged out all the equipment needed to get the job done! This time I decided to hot water bath them. It takes longer but I believe its a better method.

Can you tell how excited I am?????



Peeling and slicing! Busy at work.. They're soaking in the fruit fresh so they don't turn brown.


Busy! Busy! Busy!


They do look yummy though don't they??


Filling up the jars...


The boiling zone!


Thank you God for providing me with your beautiful and tasty fruit for me to enjoy even when not in season! Thank you for parents that taught me how to preserve the bounty. Thank you for teaching me patience! Thank you for a My Handyman that helped even though I grouched at him! How come I didn't catch that on the camera??? A couple more days and I'll be doing this all over again. Pickles and Tomatoes.

Peaches

We bought two large boxes of peaches over the weekend for canning. Sunday was an adventure. I gathered and prepared for the chore. I couldn't find the blancher. I couldn't find the rack for the pressure cooker. I decided I would hand dip and blanch them. They weren't quite ripe enough so I only canned 4 quarts. The adventure awaits! Hopefully they'll be ripe enough the next couple of days because I have cucumbers to pick up Friday for Mustard Pickles and two large boxes of tomatoes Saturday! I will probably just can the tomatoes and in a few more weeks get some Romas for sauce. Tis the season!!

This weeks challenge at Scrapping the Music is a song by Eagle Eye Cherry.

Titled ' Don't Give Up' Click here for the the video and here for the lyrics

Karma... believe that perseverance is the essential ingredient for personal achievement...

Bubbles

When I was a kid, my dad had many aquariums and loved fish! Angel fish were one of my favorites. They seem so delicate and lacy as they glide through the water. Do you still write letters and send via snail mail?? Or do you just Email?

I email alot but I still send personal cards in the mail.

I used, Impression Obsession stamp - Angelfish. My Minds eye Confetti designer paper. CTMH Heavenly Blue and Sweet Leaf cs. Indian Corn blue, Black and Outdoor Denim CS. Cuttlebug. Lemon lime, turquoise, crystal and lavender stickles. Outdoor Denim buttons, Silver thread.

Karma... resist the temptation to judge and talk about others.....

Nothing

Nothing is keeping me away next year!

OCEAN

Click to listen! (turn off music at the bottom of this page)

This is the song I posted the lyrics to on my Ocean Scrap page! Turn off the music below to listen.

Karma... make time to relax!

Got Milk?

Just over a mile down the road from us is a little farm with cows out in the field. I have always been amazed by them. They all look exactly the same. I think this old farmer has perfected cloning long before scientists. What are the odds that they all look like Oreo Cookies? They are black with the white around the middle. Each spring all the new calves look the same. I finally had my camera with me and made my Handyman pull the truck to the side of the road so that I could snap a few pictures!





Karma... make yourself interesting....

When You Say Nothing

One of my all time favorite songs is 'When you Say Nothing' by Alison Krauss
This week Scrapping To The Music is featuring this song for their weekly challenge.

I created the digital page below using a picture from our 2004 road trip to Minnesota. We visited Mount Rushmore on our way. I used Summers End digital kit from The Sweet Shoppe.

Fonts are: Pea walker and soulmission.

When you Say Nothing at All
It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart

Without saying a word you can light up the dark

Try as I may I could never explain

What I hear when you don’t say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud

But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd

Old mr. webster could never define

What’s being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

Here is another vesion by Ronan Keating

Karma... feel your heart when you smile......

Got Margarita's??

Who doesn't like hanging out with their girlfriends drinking a couple of Marg's on a hot summer day? It would be better if I were hanging out on the beach in St Maartin. But I would be drinking rum punch if that were the case! Are Margarita's a girly drink? I don't know! The men in my life either drink Whiskey or Beer!! Let me know! I'm curious!

I used Impression Obsession stamp - Margarita's. CTMH Hollyhock and Citrus Leaf CS. American Crafts designer paper. CTMH markers. Crystal and Lemon Lime stickles. and Green gingham ribbon. Distress tool.

Look what I found on the side of my house; next to my front door. For some reason these little beauties love that area. Possibly because its shaded? Sometimes the Praying Mantis is green sometimes they're brown. Did you know that she bites off her mates head during or just after mating?? It hasn't deterred the male yet!!

Karma... share...

Fresh Tomatoes

I love fresh garden tomatoes! I love them sliced with salt and pepper. I love them in salad. I love them stuffed. I love them in salsa. I love tomato sandwiches. I bought them from Spyglass Gardens; a local family that plants all kind of vegetables. They have a little barn setup all summer. I go there a couple of times a week and stock up on goodies. I made this sandwich on a fresh parmesan bagel. Have you tried the new olive oil mayo? Its not too bad. Thats it. Just mayo, salt, pepper and lots of tomatoes! I'm in Heaven!!

Karma...give your compliments to the chef...

Take Flight

I bought another masculine stamp set. Its CTMH D1234 - Take Flight. It has a Cardinal, a Pheasant, a Quail, an Owl, a nest, some twigs, and a couple of sentiments. I should be able to make quite a few stamps from it. I created my card using X7091B It's a Guy Thing paper. Barn Red and New England Ivy cardstock. A button, some twine, some eyelets and my distress tool.

Karma... encourage the work of others...

Enjoy!

Dog Days of Summer

Here it is the middle of August and we're still near 100 degree's. Saturday my Handyman was watering a couple of dry spots in the yard. Tanner loves water! He was running through the sprinkler so we decided to get his swimming pool out. He loves it! He runs, jumps, splashes and lays down in it. It's great for a few laughs!!

Karma... play with your pet....