Yarn & Food, Two of My Favorite Things

This  (bread) bowl of yarn was once.....

....this sweater from Goodwill.

I know, you're thinking it can't be, as they aren't even the same color. Try as I might, I couldn't get the yarn balls to photograph right. It was a bit late in the day when I took pictures of the wound balls of yarn. The partially dismembered sweater above was actually a whole sweater when I bought it. I didn't think to photograph it bfeore I began the long and laborious job of deconstructing it.  I've recycled thrift store sweaters into yarn before, but never one as time-consuming as this. I was disappointed to find many knots in the yarn, too; hence so many varied sizes of balls.  Goodwill's sweaters are $3.49, but they were having a buy-one-get-one-free sale, so this sweater only cost me $1.75. I couldn't find another worthy of recycling, but I found a lovely chocolate brown zip-up cardi in great shape, which I think my daughter might  like.

The sweater's yarn color was much richer than it looks in the picture above. The color of it really jumped out at me in the store. I usually look for size large or extra-large sweaters, so I'll get more yarn. This was sized small, but such a pretty color. I'm thinking of knitting an infinity cowl with the yarn.   I realize winter is nearly over; but knowing me, it may not get  completed before next winter. It took me  a few days to get to this point with the yarn. I still have to wash it, then hang it to dry over the shower stall.  I'll weight the ends  to pull out the kinks in the yarn. I'll then wind it back into balls and be ready to get my knit on!

A little something to tempt your taste buds.

My son saw this dish being cooked on a morning news show earlier this week. He's not one to care about cooking or recipes, but he does know what looks good to him, and apparently this dish did.  I googled and found the recipe here. I'm not one to take someone else's recipe and pass off as my own, but I will type it out here, simply because I made some modifications, which I felt it needed. The original was the idea for it, though.

Crock Pot Soft Chicken Tacos
1)Put 3 or 4 chicken breasts (I used frozen) in your crock pot. Spellchecker reminded me crock pot is two words. I can never remember that. Yea for spellchecker!
2)Add  one can Rotel tomatoes (I use store brand equivalent).
3)You can add in a diced onion, or you can wait & use fresh chopped onion as you're making your tacos, which is what I did.
4)Add one can whole kernel corn, drained.
5)Add one can black beans, drained (I rinsed mine in a colander).

Sheesh, that was hard, huh?  Seriously, for starters, that's all there is to it. That makes the filler for your tacos.  All I did differently was to add seasonings. I did this after cooking it, when I realized it was somewhat bland.

I added about a teaspoon of cumin, and some onion  & garlic powders, all to taste.  You could probably even add a package of taco seasoning to the crock pot as you're cooking the chicken, but I'm trying to get away from using processed foods. I'm not there yet, but I leave them out when I can. Of course, you can also make your own taco seasoning, which I guess is sort of what I did.

To make the soft tacos, I buttered one side of corn tortillas, laid them buttered side down in a nonstick skillet on medium heat for a couple of minutes.
After removing from the skillet, I sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top.  You can use cheddar, but just sos' you know, it's nearly twice the saturated fat grams as the white stuff. Just sayin'.
I spooned the chicken mixture in a strip across the center of the tortilla, sprinkled a little more cheese on top of the meat, then carefully folded over the tortilla and returned it to the pan. You may have to hold it with a spatula to keep it from unfolding.
After a minute or so, gently turn it over to the other side.  This doesn't make the tortillas crispy like a store bought shell, but it gives them a slight crunch, and makes it easier to hold when eating.
Return the taco to a plate, then fill with whatever ingredients you like in a taco. Mine has diced tomatoes, diced onions, sour cream (nonfat), picante sauce, & shredded lettuce.   This meal was a big hit with Mr.Studley & my son. I used 3 chicken breasts in mine, and it made a LOT.

I celebrated a birthday last week. Well, celebrated might be stretching it a bit.  We live in a small town, with a handful or restaurants, and not a lot else. Eating out isn't a big deal since we do it through the year anyway, always at the same old places. We could've driven a couple of hours to big  D, but I just wan't feeling a road trip. Mr. Studley took me to a couple of thrift stores, waiting patiently while I looked to my heart's content, then we went out for some yummo  Chinese food.  Hardly an exciting way to commemorate my 56 years here on this earth, but a fun day for me, nonetheless.  I always have fun hanging out with Mr. Studley.

Our weather has been mild, and I'm starting to see a lot of these. They always make me smile.  Be blessed!

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

~1 Peter 4:8 Amplified Bible

Just Thinking....

I've mentioned before my lack of computer expertise. I'm not what you'd call a geek or a nerd,  titles I'd happily wear. I do thoroughly enjoy my computer, though. I love looking at knitting patterns on Ravelry.  I spend countless hours each week pinning recipes, crafts, & decorating ideas at Pinterest.  My first destination  online each morning  is  Facebook, to see what my friends & family have to say.  And of course I can't forget the fun of blogging. I've met so many neat people over the years that I'd never have otherwise had the privilege, if not for the internet.  I know there's much evil and demoralizing content online, but the places I go fulfill me. I can't imagine life without it.

Sometimes I think back to  what life was like before we went 'online'.  What did I do to fill my day?  Okay, maybe my house was a little cleaner, and probably I read more books, and I was busy homeschooling my young daughter back then.

I remember being at the homes of friends when they showed us the things they did "online". Studley & I ooh'd and ahh'd over their access to this exciting new world.  We  were like a couple of little kids watching another kid play with his new toy, and wishing desparately that we had a new toy, too.

We finally got our new toy about 14 years ago when Mr.Studley was sent a laptop by his company for job use. Studley needed it through the day, but after about 7 or 8 at night, when he'd finished using it for his job, the laptop became mine.

Oh, the thrill of hearing  the sound the  dial-up made as I logged on to the internet (which was really a screeching, rather repelling sound). The first thing I did was look for homeschooling related sites. I don't think Google was even around, or if it was, I didn't yet know about it. I used a search engine called dogpile. The first place I discovered and landed was a homeschooling message board forum~slash~used curriculum sales.  The Homeschooler's Curriculum Swap, more commonly known to regular users as "the Swap".  It became my second home.  Being mostly at home at that time, the friends I made  there, known as Swappies, gave me the social contact I craved. My family teased me mercilessly about my "imaginary friends". Yet, let one of them have a question none of us could answer, and they were the first to  suggest, "ask the Swappies!".

The Swap has seen changes over the years; passing into fresh new hands as the old hands determine they've fulfilled their duties and are ready to move onto other things (usually because they're no longer homeschooling). I and another Swappie, my friend, Marilyn, were a couple of the 'old hands' (figuratively speaking) who ran it for six years. It came with it's challenges, but overall, was quite rewarding.

Even though many Swappies have come and gone over the years, there are still many there who were resident when I first discovered the Swap.  The forums have a feel of family, a family who is always eager to accept new family members with open arms. The love of God, and instilling godly values in their children while training them in academics, is at the heart of the Swap. It's been over ten years since I finished homeschooling my daughter, though I did stay on there long after she was an adult. I don't spend much time time there now, simply because my life is running in a different direction these days, but I always feel right at home whenever I visit, just like going home to family.  Of course, I see much of my Swap family on a daily basis on facebook. ;-) I still recommend it to new (or old) homeschoolers, though. There's MANY years of homeschooling experience there, and they are more than willing to answer questions and steer newbies toward the things they need.

I didn't set out to write about the Swap today. I was  merely contemplating how different life is with the internet; a life most young people today have never experienced, just as most have never known life without a cell phone. Since the Swap came into my life at the same time as the internet, the two bring up the same memories for me.

I'm changing the subject, but I believe I was a bit confusing in my last post about the greens. I mentioned I hadn't taken a picture of the purple colored greens, then my last picture posted was a sack of kale. Some thought that was the mystery greens. No, I knew that was kale, but here's a picture of the mystery (to me) greens. They're purplish on the front side, and green on the back. They're soft, not sturdy like kale. Can anyone identify them for me?

I'm very excited. I used Christmas money I got from my mom to order an e-reader this week. I can hardly wait to get it. Meanwhile, I've downloaded the free Kindle app on my desktop computer, and have already started reading one of the freebie books available through the Kindle Store at Amazon. After asking a lot of questions of friends with e-readers, I  determined the Kindle Touch would be a good fit for me. I love that it's easy to read outdoors in the sunlight, it has a long lasting battery life, and it's slim and lightweight.  Of course I still love the feel of a real book in my hands, but I think I'm going to love the feel of my new Kindle in my hands, too!

Remember, do something nice for someone today.  God bless you all, and have a great week-end!

Is it summer yet?

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.

~Romans 12:16 Amplified Bible

Garden Goodies Galore!

These started out as a pair of mittens for a little girl who likes yellow. I ended up frogging them, as they were looking more like a pair of mittens for a big girl, who may or may not like yellow. No, I didn't do a guage swatch, but when I'm knitting something that small, I figure it doesn't take me any longer to knit part way up  the pattern than it would to do the swatch. For my non-knitting friends, frogging means to rip it out. Rip it. Get it?   Okay, well, in other news, look below at the yummy goodies we got today.

Mr.Studley & I have been very blessed by friends this week. On Sunday, a man at church brought us a big bag of turnips, as well as turnip greens.  Today, a woman from church dropped us off two huge bags of yummy goodness  from her & her husband's garden.  I love...no, I LOVE turnips. The greens I can take or leave, but I'd just  as soon eat a bowl of stewed turnips as I would a bowl of ice-cream, and I do like ice-cream.  In case you're from some far away place that's never heard of turnips, or maybe you have, but thought they were some odd thing southerners eat, like fried okra, or fried green tomatoes, I'll tell you how to cook them. I'm sure there's more than one way, but this works for me.

How to prepare turnips:

Slice off the ends, like you would with an onion
Peel
Cut into 1-2 inch cubes
place in a 1 1/2 to 2 quart microwaveable bowl
Add just a little water, maybe a half cup or so
nuke on high for about 5 minutes, then check them by seeing if a fork easily penetrates the cube; this will take longer or less time, depending on the amount of turnips you're cooking
When done, drain the water, or at least most of it
Add a 'sprinkling' of sugar, but not too much. You don't want to sweeten them, you merely want to take away the bitter edge turnips sometimes have
Add butter/margerine, or whatever you use for that, and salt & pepper

That's it. You'll love 'em, or you'll hate 'em, but I'm betting you'll love 'em. If you want a simple meal, whip up a pan of cornbread and bake it in a cast iron skillet.  When you cook your cornbread in a cast iron skillet, put a little oil in the skillet (I use olive oil for just about everything), then put the pan in the oven while the oven is preheating. If you'll let your pan heat  for at leat 10 minutes before adding the cornbread batter, you'll get a nice, crisp bottom crust, and the entire round of cornbread will easily slide out of the pan onto a serving plate; and  assuming you have a well seasoned skillet, all the cleaning  it will need is a quick swipe with a paper towel.  Do all this, and  you've got yourself a nice little southern meal right there, I tell you what (sorry, I have Hank Hill on the brain right now).

I didn't take pictures of everything, but there were turnips, green onions, carrots, turnip greens, kale, collard greens,  cilantro, thyme, and dill, all freshly picked this morning from our friends' garden.  Heaven...I'm in Heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.....and that's all I can remember from that song. ;-)

I'm still spending lots of time at Pinterest, mostly at night before I go to bed. A neighbor's birthday was yesterday, so I made her this coffee cake, then topped it with a glaze from this recipe.  The recipe for the cake is enough to make two 8 x 8 coffee cakes.  Whatever was I supposed to do with the second cake??  I could have frozen it, I suppose....but Studley and I had much more fun eating it. Sorry, I didn't think to take  a picture, but I baked one in my one-and-only 8 x 8 pan, and the other in my 9 1/2" cast iron skillet. Just as I do when cooking cornbread, I let the skillet get sizzling hot in the oven before I poured in the cake batter. After it was out of the oven and cooled a bit, I slid a spatula around it to loosen the edges of the cake from the edge of the pan, then placed a plate over the skillet and flipped it over. Of course, this put the top of the cake facing down. I then flipped it over again onto another plate, and voila',  it stayed intact. I poured the cooked glaze over it, and once the glaze had cooled a bit,  I had a very pretty  cake for sending over to my neighbors.  I let Studley take it over, since it was raining cats & dogs at the time. He's so handy at times like that. He even volunteered to do it. All I had to do was lament, "how ever will I get that cake next door in all this rain?", followed by a big sigh. Next thing I knew, he was heading out the front door, a cake in one hand, and an umbrella in the other.  I'm a blessed woman, I am.

Among the greens we received, there was a batch of one kind that I didn't recognize. They looked similar to the turnip greens, but one side of the leaves were green, and the other sides were a sort of burgundy color.  Plus, I think they were a bit more oblong shaped than the turnip greens which were slightly more rounded.   Come to think of it, the leaves were more pointed and narrower than the turnip greens.  While some types of  kale have a purplish color, I do know these aren't kale.  Anyone have a clue what they are?  I forgot to take a picture of them, and have already cleaned them and packed them away. I'll send out two of my handknit dishcloths to the first one to comment (with a continental US address, please) who can correctly identify them for me.  In the unlikely event that two of you comment at the same time on the clock, I'll send you each two dishcloths.  You'll have to give me a day or two to get more knit in the event of their being two winners; and yes, I realize that constitutes about 98% of my readers. ;-)  Meanwhile, I'll give my friend a call this week to see what the greens are, so I'll know who got it right.

You guys have a great week, and remember, try and do something to bless someone today!

I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
~Psalm 13:6 Amplified Bible

"We are born helpless....
We need others physically, emotionally, intellectually;

We need them if we are to know anything, even ourselves."

~C.S. Lewis

In The Words of Cookie Monster....

COOKIES!!! UMM-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM!!!

I had a hankering for homemade cookies today.  I don't need to be eating cookies.  Somehow I manage to convince myself that if the cookies are chock full of oats & raisins, they must be kind of, sort of healthy.  Sounds logical, right?

Can I just say, I love my KitchenAid mixer. I've wanted one for years.  Though I have no recollection of ever mentioning this to my mom, apparently I did, as she surprised me with this one for Christmas, a year ago.

See the red mat lying to the left of the mixer?  My niece sent it to me for Christmas this year, along with several other goodies. It's a dish drying mat, and I've been wanting one for a couple of months (and I did't tell her that, either!). It was a surprise and a delight to find it in my bag from her. I told her she's a "gifted gift giver". She always chooses gifts I really like. She said that when she goes shopping, she just buys things she knows she'd like. How clever. Wonder why I never thought of that.

Ahh, now to eat the fruit (so to speak) of my labor. I knew these cookies were going to be good by how tasty the dough was.  I got this recipe from Pinterest, my third home (Facebook being my second).   This recipe made a lot of cookies.  I couldn't, in good conscience, keep that many cookies on hand, for I know where my hand would constantly be....in the cookie jar!  I took about half out and wrapped them up nicely, and asked my son to take them to work with him tomorrow to share with his co-workers.

Isn't this a lovely picture? It's a place in the UK called Scafell Pike. It's the highest mountain in England. While my daughter, Nikki, was living in England, she went with a group that camped and hiked to the top. I have a few more pictures she sent me at that time which I'll share  later. Isn't the scenery  just gorgeous?  I'm pretty sure Nikki's somewhere on that rock bridge in the distance, but you can't quite make her out.

May you have a wonderful weekend. As Joyce Meyer (teacher of God's Word) is always saying, do something to bless someone every day!

I am not moved by what I see-

I am not moved by what I feel-

I am moved by what I believe!

~Smith Wigglesworth

There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.  Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

~2 Tmothy 3:16 the Message

~

A Cherished Gift

The above creation is a primitive cat named Putty Tat, after our very own cat named Putty Tat (as in, I tot I taw one)  How about that!  The primitive Putty Tat  was gifted to me by Kat, from Scaredy Kat & Her Own Crow.  Kat is one of the neatest people I've met via blogland. She is a walking, breathing, talking testimony of what God can do in, and for a person when they submit to him.  Her past life was a mess, bound by addictions.  Today, she is cleaned up and  living each day to the fullest. She's got a heart as big as Texas. If you go to her blog, you'll see some of  her divine creations,  most of which seem to be gifts of appreciation bestowed  on those to whom she's grateful.  She shares some of her testimony here, if you'd like to read it and be uplifted. Kat is a hoot, and I consider her one of God's blessings to me that I got to meet her (cyberly speaking).

My son bought me these cookbooks for Christmas. Actually, the one on the left was given to me last Christmas. I love all of them (I should, as they were all on my wish list which I shared with family), but the one I'm most excited about is the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I'm going to have fun with it!

John also overwhelmed me with a new dinette set for my kitchen. I casually mentioned how much I liked this particular style when we were in a store over a year ago. I never dreamed he was even listening to me, as he tends not to, or at least seems not to much of the time.  He was not only listening, he was filing that tidbit away for future use.  I am absolutely loving the gift, and shake my head everytime I think about how thoughtful he was. He & Nikki are both extremely thoughtful gift-givers, always giving both Mr.Studley & I gifts that we  love. I'll snap a pic of the table & chairs one day soon and show it here.

This is a little hat I knit for a gift last year.  I wish I could've gotten a picture of it on the baby, as it doesn't do it justice on this too-small doll's head. It's a darling pattern which was an easy knit. The pattern was not free, but was worth the purchase price. It's raveled here.

I've got to get cracking this weekend. I still have Christmas stuff to be packed away, and I've been dragging my feet about it.  The tree is down, but the rolled up lights are still sitting on a chair in the living room where they've been for nearly a week, and that's not the half of it.  I also have plastic tubs of Christmas decor stacked in the sun room.  What I really wish I'd gotten for Christmas is a maid!

"You do not have to live with secrets that allow negative emotions to control you.  Our feelings are real and they are powerful, but they are not more powerful than God and truth."
~Excerpt from Living Beyond Your Feelings, by Joyce Meyer
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."~John 8:32 Amplified Bible

Another Post-I'm On A Roll!

I knit this Harry Potter scarf for my niece for Christmas a year ago, along with a slouch hat & fingerless mitts to match. Those who know me on Ravelry have already seen these knitting pictures. The scarf is raveled here, the mitts are raveled here, and the slouch hat, which I have blogged about is raveled here.

This scarf was also knit for my niece, and it's raveled here.  I loved how it turned out.  It was soft & squishy, and super long so she could wrap it around her neck a couple of times, and still have it hang down long on her tall self.

Nikki & John, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, CO March 2011
If at all possible, on the years Nikki's living in the states, my son, John,  takes a week's vacation and visits her the week of her birthday. These are two kids (to me) who did more than their fair share of fighting in their years of living at home together. When Nikki was first born, John, who was 8 1/2 years older adored her. He called her his little babycakes.  Anytime we went anywhere, he and their daddy would race each other to the door by Nikki's carseat, each trying to be the one to get to carry her (little princess, she was!).
As I've mentioned here before, my late husband, Nikki's biological daddy, died in an accident when she was 13 months old.  Bubba, as we call John here at home (yes, we're from the south, and we have a bubba) helped me immensely in taking care of his baby sissy.  I remarried when Nikki was 5, and suddenly she had a big sister around John's age.  The newness and novelty of having a sister caused her to shift her affections from Bubba to her new sis; who, being a teenager at the time introduced Nikki to the use of sarcasm, something our family hadn't really dealt with prior to that point. I'm not blaming her. Lots of teens are sarcastic. John could deal out sarcasm with the best of them...it's just that, being a small close-knit family who'd lost one of it's members to death, we'd never gone down that road with each other. At least not before then.

As Nikki learned to be sarcastic with her brother, giddy with the knowledge that she now had a big sister, a rift developed in my children's relationship. It saddened me, but there it was. As Nikki entered her teen years, being of a strong choleric temperament, she and John had some doozies of fights, which even became physical a couple of times.  Our trusty Chow, Yogi, was always there to shut those down in a hurry, though. Good old Yogi Bear, how we miss him still.

After Nikki left home and moved to Germany at the age of 20, by the time she was able to return for a visit nearly 3 years later, though still always the little sis, she and John were now both adults, and able to interact as such....well, to a degree.  They can both resort to childish behavior in the blink of an eye now, but it's the fun part of childishness.  Bubba is always there for his sissy, a fact which brings me great comfort.

My little movie star. When I was a kid in the '60's, I remember that anytime we kids put on a pair of sunglasses, we'd always say something like "look at me, I'm a movie star"; or an adult would say "look at that little movie star". I can only surmise that movie stars must've been the only ones who wore sunglasses. Maybe sunglasses were very expensive, or maybe it was a bold fashion statement not made by the masses. I really don't know. I need to remember to ask my mom about that sometime.  Of course we all wear sunglasses now. You can even buy them on the cheap at dollar stores. Yet I still think to myself when I see pics like this of Nikki, "ooh, look at that little movie star".

John at Seven Falls, outside Colorado Springs, CO March 2011

John never smiles for pictures, and Nikki is never not smiling for them (or any other time). It does no good to encourage him to do so; he'll just get all the more serious looking. Must be a firstborn thing.  That's okay, I love him to bits despite his gruff exterior, and I know he loves me, too.


"If you feel unusually sad or as if you are carrying a heavy burden you don't understand, ask God what is wrong before you start assuming things.  It is amazing what we can learn by simply asking God for an answer and being willing to face any truth He might reveal about us or our behavior.  Sometimes we feel emotional because of something someone has done to us or an unpleasant circumstance in our lives. But at other times we feel that way because of something we did wrong and ignored."
~excerpted from Living Beyond Your Feelings by Joyce Meyer

"When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long."
~Psalm 32:3 Amplified Bible

Who Wears Short Shorts?

My mom wore short shorts. This was taken around 1956 or '57. I think she was adorable. She had really nice legs. Even now, at 77, she has nice looking legs.  No varicose veins, no wrinkling, no sagging of skin.  White enough to make you grab your sun shades, but nice.  I remember one time when she was in her early 50's, she commented that she rarely had to shave her legs anymore. I was shocked.  I was also excited, thinking "well, there should be some rewards to growing older". Trouble is, she didn't bother telling me  those hairs that quit growing on your legs have to find some place to come out. I'd rather have leg hair than chin hair any day of the week!

I was about a year old when the Royal Teens recorded "Who Wears Short Shorts?". Not that I remembered the year, or even the name of the group, but I do remember singing that song with friends when I was a little girl, as we danced around the yard in our short shorts, thinking we were hot stuff.

I love this video. Get a load of the lack of expression on the girl's face, on all their faces for that matter. Not sure if they were that emotionless, or just trying to look super cool.  I'm figuring the latter. Watch it and see if the song doesn't get stuck in your head.  But first, scroll over to the right and pause my music player. Not sure Kiss From a Rose playing simulatneously with Who Wears Short Shorts would make for pretty music.

I  also love this picture of Nikki. She looks so relaxed and happy. She was taking her vacation days, and though she loves her job working with small children, she was enjoying just hanging out with the fam.

She drove down in October and went camping with us. Nikki, my son, John, my mom & her husband, Mr.Studley & I, our Min Pin Leyna, and Nikki's chocolate lab all in our 5th wheel. It sleeps plenty, but that doesn't mean plenty actually sleep!  It was fun, though. One night Nikki, John, and I stayed awake long after the others watching some silly dvd and giggling like 5 year olds. I can't remember the last time we had that much fun together. Even my son's flatulence was giving us the giggles, and trust me, there's nothing really funny about John's flatulence..

The older I get, the more my memory fails me. By staying away from blogging so long, I managed to forget a lot that I'd learned about it. Add to that, there's been changes around here in bloggerville. She's done gone and gussied herself up a bit since I was here last.  I used to run hollering to my friend, Marilyn, at A Mixed Bouquet whenever  I needed help with my blog. She helped me set it up, and installed the design stuff for me, but Marilyn's got her hands full these days, having gone back to college to get her nursing degree.  Don't expect anything fancy schmancy around here, as I'm just not smart enough to pull it off. I am happy for Marilyn, though, and so proud of her!

Nothing earth shattering  going on around here. I've not even been knitting. What a slump I've been in; just can't seem to get started on anything. Last year, Mr.Studley had a hernia operation, which seemed to go fine until the incision area got infected about a month after the surgery. In & out of the ER, a stint in the hospital, and a couple visits per week to the doctor for a few weeks (won't gross you out telling you what took place there with a really big needle), and he's finally back to normal. Well, all except for his belly button, which doesn't look normal at all now.

In other news, my son, John graduated from his Paramedic course (yea!). He still has to take his state test, which I know he'll ace.  Mr.Studley is almost fully retired, and we enjoy our days together. We've fit into a comfortable routine,  only occasionally getting on each others nerves; and really, I can't even remember the last time that happened.  I'm blessed by God, and I know it. He love me, and He loves you, too!

I'm reading  Joyce Meyer's new book, "Living Beyond Your Feelings", which I got for Christmas. I'm not too far into it, but already I've learned things I know will help me in my life. That's my idea of a good book, one that helps me make changes for the good. Who doesn't have room for improvement?

If you're reading this post, you probably had me in your google reader, or whatever reader you use. I want you to know I'm happy you came by. My post is short, but I'm going to try and ease back into blogging. I don't have much to say, but I remember back when I blogged regularly, the excited feeling I got when someone left me a comment.  Isn't that funny, how excited we can get by the comments of  strangers?  Of course, some of you aren't strangers, at least not anymore, as I got to know you back then. I pray your life is going well, and that you find joy in each day.  Be blessed!

Mike, Leyna, Nikki, & Macy at Beavers Bend State Park, Broken Bow, OK



"Words are containers for power, and as such they have a direct effect on our emotions"
~Joyce Meyer, excerpted from "Living Beyond Your Feelings"

A Man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment-how good it is!
Proverbs 15:23 Amplified Bible

Autumn, Season of My Heart

Pumpkin Butter
Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.
~Emily Bronte

Two words describe how I feel about our summer of 2011. We survived.  That word 'survived' says a lot, doesn't it? An online dictionary definition says: to remain or continue in existence or use.  Well, we're here (remaining), we're continuing to exist, and we're still somewhat useful.  I could go on and on about how horrific it was, but truthfully, I think that subject's gone into overkill in most circles in recent weeks, so just suffice it to say, we survived.

Today feels like the first day of fall to me. I know it technically isn't, and we've even had cool days before now (off and on), but it's October 1st, the weather is oh-so-pleasant, the sky is bluer than I've seen it in months, and I am actually wearing capris around the house rather than the cooler shorts I've worn all summer.

 

No-Knead Bread

Now that I can use my oven without causing the house to feel like an inferno, I'm in a baking mood.  I've been meaning to try the above bread recipe for quite some time. Ever the procrastinator, I'm just now getting around to it.  I guess you would call this a ciabatta?  I don't know. I just know it's super simple, and that's my kind of recipe. Flour, yeast, salt, water, and no kneading. The biggest ingredient is time. You let it sit for 12 hours or more.  What could be simpler?  We had this for lunch alongside leftover tortilla soup from last night's dinner. 

We slathered the bread with pumpkin butter I made from a recipe I found at Bev Gibson's blog, Numbering the Days .  I love, love her blog. It's not a cooking blog, but she does share recipes along the way. I find myself to have so much in common with her, having newly retired husbands, grown children, and time to pursue answering the callings on our lives that we didn't have time for when raising children.  She gives great book recommendations for scripturally based 'bettering yourself' literature (my words, not hers). She's a truly lovely person. I really didn't plan on extolling her merits, but mentioning her pumpkin butter, the rest just had to be said.

The recipe is no longer available on her blog, but the following recipe (which I found on one of her boards at Pinterest) appears to be the same one I used.

• PUMPKIN BUTTER
• 1 can (15 ounces) 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Combine:

 pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves in medium, heavy-dutysaucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Serve with biscuits, breads and corn muffins. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Recipe makes 2 cups. 

I have lots of Christmas knitting to be done, but I seem to have lost my knitting mojo.  I haven't done anything industrious in quite some time. I did knit a bunch of dishcloths, which are always nice to give as gifts.  I can't remember if I've already shown these on here or not. If I have, then we'll blame it on the missing wrinkles from my brain.

Waffle Knit Dishcloth (free pattern)

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven
~Ecclesiastes 3:1 Amplified Bible

Christmas-check! New Years-check! Spring....

Proof that it does occasionally snow in northeast Texas!

I never grow weary of the reason for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I do, however, grow weary of the season. Before Thanksgiving has even arrived, Santa and all the other Christmas decorations pop up in the stores and neighbors' yards. All the planning of gifts and meals and kitchen goodies, the extra cleaning and shopping and wrapping....it all gets to be a bit much. By New Year's day, I'm glad to put it all behind me and concentrate on the new year.

I don't really sit down and make a list of resolutions, but I do have thoughts, ideas, and goals in my head of what I'd like to achieve in the coming year. It's funny how those goals change as we get older. When I was in my 20's, I don't recall thinking "my goal this year is to get healthier". I do remember thinking I'd like to lose weight so I'd 'look' better. You really take your health for granted when you're young. When you've passed the 50 mark like me, you can't afford to take that attitude any longer. In my 20's, looking good was my goal, and if I felt better too, that was a fringe benefit. Now, feeling good is my goal, and if I look better too, well glory hallelujah, but that's not my motive.

Christmas cactus, blooming right on time!

Every year, I declare I'm going to quit procratinating. Obviously that hasn't yet happened (made evident by my just now posting a draft I wrote weeks ago), hence my need to keep declaring it each year. Last year for Christmas, I knit my niece a scarf. It's very long to accommodate her height. It's warm and wooly to combat the cold of the DC area. How much good she'd be getting out of it if it weren't still in my house. All I lacked to finish it was putting on the fringe (which I did recently). I also knit her matching fingerless mitts, as well as a neck gator (gater? or gator?) and fingerless mitts for her boyfriend. He's blind and uses a cane. Mandi, who also uses a cane to teach cane travel to the sight impaired, has told me fingerless mitts work really well for cane travel. She's loved the ones I've knit her in the past, and requested I knit them in dark colors as her palms get quite dirty using the cane. I also knit her a pair of them to match her scarf. All of it, the scarf, the gaitor, the mitts, they are all here at my house. What am I going to do with me??

That brings me to my next goal, or resolution if you must call it that. I guess I should call it a resolution after all, as I have resolved to finish all partially knitted projects this year. They are many. Another more short term goal I've set is to go on a food-diet. No, I don't mean denying myself food (though goodness knows I should!), but I'm forcing myself to cook more at home, and therefore not buy more food until I've used up what we have. My pantry and freezers are full. There's plenty here to eat, but it doesn't usually get eaten because it's not cooked. I wish I was one of those who loves to cook. I'm not, but I'm forcing myself to do more of it. It's healthier than eating out, and it's cheaper. There's been no eating out since before the holidays. Yea me!

John & Nikki, Christmas 2010

My daughter, Nikki, flew in from Colorado Springs for three days at Christmas. Since she left home 6 years ago, this past Christmas, and a couple or so years ago (when she and her boyfriend drove from Minneapolis, all day and night through terrible snowstorms, to surprise us on Christmas even morning) are the only ones she's been able to spend at home with us. We loved having her here. For some reason, all the inside pictures I took were bad. I was using my son's camera, which takes great pictures, but I guess I had the settings wrong. Picture me sad faced.

I have done some knitting, and will post pictures of it in my next post, which hopefully will be before next Christmas.

PS-Don't hate me, but we've had 70'ish weather with lots of sunshine the past couple of days.

Be blessed!

Proof that I do occasionally knit! Boho Beret, ravelled here

UPdate-Mandi's package of assorted knitwear has been shipped!

But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
~Galations 5:15 Amplified Bible

'Tis the Season

Somewhere near Woodland Park and Divide, CO

I blog in my head all the time. Obviously, what's in my head rarely makes it here. When I began blogging, it was a fun challenge. I had other friends doing it, who encouraged me to join in the fun. You're jumping off the cliff into a lake? Sure, I'll do it (am suddenly hearing my mother's voice in my head). Seriously, it's not that I'm a follow-the-crowd sort of person. Quite the contrary, I'm generally a day late and a dollar short when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon of what's 'in'. I did want a place to chronicle my knitting, if for no one but myself, and to keep up with my knitting accomplishments (clearly little, it would seem). It's also a good means of sharing what's going on in the family with family, except no one in my family actually reads my blog. C'est la vie.

My early blog posts embarrass me. I've shared that before, but feel it bears repeating. As I began to write better (not saying 'good', but better, so don't think I'm bragging, please), it had an upside and a downside. The upside is obviously better blog posts. Comments and compliments I've received are another upside....and a downside. As I received comments or e-mails complimenting me, I suddenly felt pressure to perform. I consider myself a discouraged perfectionist. I am a perfectionist, but I'm also lazy. If I don't feel up to putting in the time and effort to do something 'just so', I don't bother to do anything at all (it shows, in the state of my house). I began feeling like I had to really "write". I couldn't risk those who complimented me regretting they'd done so. Arg, the pressures I put on myself!

I can hear you now (the maybe two readers left who've not unsubscribed to my blog feed), GET OVER YOURSELF! You're right, I should, and I am, by golly! I'm going to write when I feel like it, and say what I feel like saying, and if no one reads but me, so be it. I was reading a friend's blog, Grey-Haired Geek, recently, and I knew Kel was describing exactly as I felt, only she said it so much better than me.

"I’m resurrecting my blog, with a difference.
As a beginner, I used a “Masterpiece of the Month” approach to blogging. I spent a lot of time getting each entry “just right”, so I didn’t blog very often. Unfortunately, I’m one of those “If I can’t do it perfectly, I won’t do it at all” kind of people."

Kel, I hope you don't mind me quoting you. If you don't, then, thank you! If you do, then oops!

Roasted vine-ripened tomatoes topped with thick slices of fresh water-packed mozzarella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar glaze, and sprinkled with rock salt; Sweet potato soup; and a really good wine. Fresh baked ciabatta bread not in picture

Mr. Studley and I visited our daughter in Colorado Springs, for Thanksgiving. For you who remember she was living in England, she's back in the states as of this past fall. I love that she's had the experience of living in European countries, but as a mom, I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to know she's back on American soil (at least for now). Not that I have anything against foreign soil, but I like knowing she's within a day or so drive, or a short plane trip away, in the event that she should need her family. The food shown above was only one of the many fantastic meals prepared for us during our time spent there. We were treated like royalty on our visit.

One of the ladies restrooms in the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. No paper towels or hand blow-dryers here. Baskets laden with fresh, white cloths were provided for hand drying/face washing. A large basket sat below the sink for tossing cloths when finished using. Classy, eh?

Mr. Studley and I toured the Broadmoor Hotel one afternoon while in Colorado Springs. Fabulous doesn't describe that place. It would take a long string of adjectives, and then wouldn't do it justice. Seeing is believing. It's massive, it's opulent, it's old world, it's elegant. It's so many things. The rooms range from $275-$2,000 per night, a little rich for our blood. I hear they do have a special rate/package around Valentine's Day. Maybe some day. We thoroughly enjoyed walking about the place, snapping pictures, ooing and ahhing, with mouths gaping. When I go into a place such as that, I tend to feel like a country bumpkin. I get intimidated, feeling surrounded by people who are clearly in a different social class than me. What surprised me was the genuine niceness of the hotel staff. From those who park your car (free valet parking for those there just to look around), to those who hold open the door, to the hotel guest clerk, to anyone with an employee tag who makes eye-contact with you, they bent over backwards to be exceedingly nice. If you're ever visiting the Colorado Springs area, I strongly urge you to take a gander around the Broadmoor Hotel!

This was Leyna, our last night at Nikki's house. I suspect she knew we were leaving, and was already missing all that extra loving and play she gets from Nikki, who adores her almost as much as I do.

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

~Philippians 4:4-5 The Message