I found a neat blog!

You gotta go visit this neat blog. They are having a giveaway on a wonderful blender. The recipes are awesome and there's tips, too. Check out the pie in a jar! Wonderful bread recipes, my personal favorite. Please go now.

Blessings,

Back to the diet -- after the leftovers are gone!

Well, I had been doing really good with keeping the pounds I had lost off. But after eating all the Thanksgiving goodies I am a little afraid to step on the scales. I had lost 5 pounds. Woo hoo! It was feeling real good to have extra room in my jeans. And just as soon as the pumpkin pie is gone -- I am cutting the pieces smaller now to make it last longer -- I am going to cut down on portions again and eat a smaller evening meal. I promise.

On Friday DH, DS#1, DGS Mason and I went to our DD's house and had lunch with her family. It was good with her homemade pies for dessert. The weather was so nice so we all went outside. The grandkids blew bubbles and drew on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. Then they all had a need for speed! The older two got out their scooters (push type) and DGS Mason (two years old) borrowed DGD Aimee's dolly stroller and went up and down the driveway and sidewalk. Then it was time to go home so DH could check on his animals. We ate supper (for what reason I don't know--I was still full). I had cooked the turkey bones while we were gone so I made a quick soup by adding rice and opening a couple of cans of mixed vegetables and chopped turkey. There is just something about soup. Then DS#1 decided to go home and we all called it a night.

Then today I made waffles for breakfast. Could not entice DGS Mason to eat but a bite or two. He only eats when he wants to and if he doesn't want to he doesn't--period. He's not skinny but I do declare (I love saying that--it sounds so Southern.) I don't know what he eats to keep the meat on his bones. We had leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner for lunch. Mason got a nap and then when he woke up we went out to play. I raked a big pile of leaves for him to jump in. He loved it. And of course the dogs got in on the action.
One ear up and one ear down. Sissy didn't quite know what to think about all the visitors. She is very good with DGS Mason.

The last quilty thing I have done? I put a binding on this quilt. And I had to straighten my sewing room because someone came over to pick up some notions. I had twenty minutes notice. You should've seen me flying around.

Blessings,

Sweet Potato Recipe

I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com and it is called Sweet Potato Cranberry Bake. I used pecans instead of the walnuts because that's what I had on hand and I had some canned crushed pineapple in the refrigerator left over from a cake I baked last week so I used that instead of the orange juice. I also cooked my sweet potatoes in the microwave instead of boiling them.

I could eat this all day long! I love it. Hope you enjoy.

Blessings,

Happy Thanksgiving

It is such a wonderful thing to take time out and give thanks. We are grateful for so many things. And the most important aren't things. The most important are our family, our health, our country, freedom of worship, a roof over our head, food on our table, and all the good things in our life.

I got up early this morning and started cooking and had already cooked some yesterday. Our DS#1 came. We had the traditional (for us) Thanksgiving meal. Turkey, cornbread dressing (half bread, half cornbread), giblet gravy, sweet potatoes (new recipe this year--I like it), green beans, rolls (I tried a new recipe--everyone liked it.), pecan pie, pumpkin pie (one of Margie's 300 she raised), and cake. We took DS#2 and DDIL some to enjoy in the hospital and then brought DGS Mason home with us. He is asleep now. DS#1 is spending the night and going to go with us to visit DD and family tomorrow.

I really liked the sweet potatoes I made. The dish has sweet potatoes, cranberries, pineapple, brown sugar, and nuts. It is so pretty and tasty. I will post the recipe if anyone is interested. DH helped cut up the pumpkin and I cooked it. Roasted the pumpkin seeds and they were yummy. I make my own pie crust-- I love messing with the dough. We came home and ate some more. It was good all over again. I missed having DSIL Donna's spinach dish. So good. I would've made it if DD and family had come. DGS Mac loves spinach.

I told someone the other day when we saw Christmas decorations out and heard Christmas carols being sung that it was like skipping the "thanks" giving and going straight to the "giving" or in some cases "receiving". And I do know that there are people who really love Christmas. I am afraid the retailers are just too anxious to get the Christmas shopping going at full speed.

I am thankful for those read this blog. I am thankful to be able to read other's blogs. May you be truly blessed.

Blessings,

Update

DDIL is doing better. She has stabilized. No contractions. But she is in the hospital for the duration of her pregnancy. Bless her heart. She is confined to the hospital room--no wheelchair rides or anything. The baby weighs a little over a pound at this point. She has a laptop and is surfing the internet from time to time. Thank God for the internet. Thank you for your prayers.


Blessings,

Hi

What's been going on with everyone? I know we have been busy. We finished painting the well house and have a couple of touch ups and we'll be done for good. We've had our first real cold front and a light frost.

Last Friday we went to Gainesville to the quilt show. Saw several ladies I knew. Always fun to run across fellow quilters from various areas. We went to the quilt shop, Past Times, and they were swamped. The poor ladies were cutting fabric as fast as they could and calling in help. DH had gone to the quilt show with me and also the quilt shop. He was the only man and he didn't seem to mind at all. He is learning a lot about quilting. :)

Please pray for our DDIL. She is in the hospital. She has just started into her sixth month in her pregnancy. She went for her regular visit with the OB and she had dialated between a 2 and 3. She had started having back pains.They are monitoring her. The baby is fine and she is fine. Please pray that our baby granddaughter will decide to stay in the womb for several more months.

DH went deer hunting and I decided to have a marathon working on my quilt club's scrapbooks. I had gotten behind. So I got all of 2008's book completed and will work on 2009 shortly. So nice to get that obligation done. Now on to other UFO's.

Blessings,

Working and having fun

We've finished painting the house. Yay! The well house is next. Prep work and then paint. But first came DGS Mason. We had him this past weekend. The weather was absolutely wonderful. So we spent all day Saturday outside working in the yard and running and playing. Digging in the dirt. Sliding down the slide. Trying to carry the almost ten pound cat around. Much to the dismay of the cat. Sorry my camera batteries were completely depleted. I was going to take a picture of him playing with the old Tonka toys that his daddy and uncle played with as little boys. He much preferred to dig in the dirt with one of my really large spoons and throw the dirt. And rub the dirt off his hands. Funny.


This picture is from one of his previous visits. He was trying to convince NaNaw that he could take a nap sitting on the sofa. NaNaw didn't fall for it.


Sissy went to sleep on DH's chair in this position!
She had two baths this weekend. The first was because she needed one and the second one was because she NEEDED one. She thinks she can do what the other dogs do. She rolled in fresh cow poo-poo. Yucky.

Blessings and happy quilting,

Painting

I am painting! DH and I painted today and got so much done. It is looking so good. Do you wear the paint for days? It is latex but you know how if it dries on it doesn't wash off very well at the end of the day, yeah, dried paint on my hands. It was warm today in the sun. Yes, we have sunshine, YES! We are forecast all week for 70's and sunshine. Thank you, Lord.

Blessings,