Good Morning Saturday!

 A nice bright winter / spring day.  Snow better start melting today, as we're all so tired of looking at this - -

From our driveway looking south.  Everyone's car dragged in the middle; the plows finally plowed the road on Wednesday afternoon.  Now there is dirt peeking through.  Notice - there aren't even any snowmobile tracks in this snow!  The snowmobilers are tired of winter too!!!!

This is what I've been working on this past week.  A lap quilt for a special girl that is graduating from high school this spring.  Pretty colors, huh?  Hope she'll like it.  Think I'll have someone machine quilt it.  It's too big to do on my little machine, and I don't want to have a messy job.  Sometimes I don't get even stitches.

Odda had an eye infection earlier this week, but now doing fine.  Maybe allergies?  She is now TWO years old.  Our big baby! 

Her coat is nice and shiney (except for the white area), and I can't wait to take her to the groomers for a bath.  We'll wait until all the snow is gone, and things are greening up.  We laugh at her because she walks around puddles, mud and the brown grassey areas.  She finds her way walking on the snow - well soon that should all be gone.  Hooch doesn't care where he walks.  We have towels at each doorway to wipe them dry.   

Amanda with Odda when we brought her home!   

Hope you all have a great weekend.

I love Popcorn!

Did you see the news release today about how BAD theater popcorn is for you?  A large bucket of buttered popcorn is comparable to 3 McDonald's Dble cheeseburgers!  About 1600 calories.  Well, if you're trying to watch your calories and keep them around 1600 calories per day, - don't eat all day  and then have popcorn and drink at the movie that evening!!!! dah!  lol!  For us, we haven't been to a theater to see a movie for at least a year.  So for me, the next time I go, I'll still have some popcorn!  All those calories won't be eaten by me, as we share a bucket.  It just made me hungry for good ol buttered popcorn when I saw the news release.  Spose the FDA will get into this too, and ruin a good thing!    Probably by the time we get to a theater again, there won't be any popcorn. 

Popcorn has been a good money maker for theaters.  Now we'll see more theaters going belly up!  Do you think the theaters might still offer the buttered popcorn, and then for those people that don't want the good stuff, they could buy the plain popcorn?  What if  kids wouldn't  be able to buy the good stuff ~ and all they could buy was the plain stuff?!?

What happened to being responsible for yourself and what you eat?  How can we all blame someone else for being chubby!?!     Last time I checked, I was the one that put the food in my mouth!

Aiden was here!

Our weekend company just left.  Steve's brother Germ, wife and one of their grandson's Aiden were here.  We had a great time visiting with them and playing games.  Aiden loved the dogs.  They have dogs in their home, so he wasn't afraid of big dogs pushing him over!  Got pictures of him with Odda and Leah's new pup Kodi, but missed Hooch. 

Odda trying to sit on Aidens LAP! 

Don't look at the boxes and mess - lol!   Saving up for rummage sales!!!!  Can't wait until I can get rid of stuff! 

Leah came over for lunch with Kodi.  She is now 18 weeks old, and 36 pounds. 

Aiden is 10 years old, and had not been up here to "the farm" for over a year - now said he'll be back again!  I could have kept him.  A great kid.  He and I played checkers yesterday.  Our 3 out of 5 games took awhile.  He studied the board pretty good.  We both made some silly mistakes, but I did win 2 out of 3 times.  So we'll be playing that again, as he wants to beat me!  Then he played 5Straight with us adults, and the card game Golf.  When we were all talking adult stuff, he was then playing with his own computer game.   Since I'm not working anymore, I have become so dumb about all the new computer games, and technology that is being used.  Guess maybe I was dumb all along, as our kids were young before it all really started.  They had to use their imaginations, and played hard outside.  The first Mario games were just coming out when they turned into teenagers.   Being out here on the farm, we were all so busy outside and the girls with their horses and 4-H animals, that we didn't have to worry about them becoming "bored".  In fact, if ever that word was uttered here, they were given a job to do!  So I just don't remember that being a problem.  I know that all their friends loved to come out here, because there was always something to do.

Need to head into town to restock up on groceries.  Have a great day.  It is nice and sunny here.  Trying to warm up, and I think this week we will be loosing some of our snow! 

A Bad Day for Many!

My heart goes out to the many, many people that were involved in the earthquakes in Japan and the Tsunami resulting from the earthquake.  The news releases we are watching on tv are so terrible, that I can't even imagine how family members can find all their relatives.  No power there, and it will be a long, long time before some of the utilites will be functioning again there.
I will gladly take snow storms, rain, and tornados any day!  We can all plan for those types of storms.  I think that if I knew I lived on an earthquake fault, I'd sure as h___ move! 
We had three exhange girls from Japan stay with us; two in the 1980's and one in 1993.  Hope they are all okey.  I wish I could find out if they're all okey.  Praying is all I can do right now.

Happy Mardis Gras!

Go check out  "Embellished Bayou" for the best explanation post of the meaning and history behind Mardis Gras!   Even though I knew the meaning, she has written a very good post of the history and about the floats, etc.
Leave her a comment too! 

Our daughter Jessica and hubby Floyd were at a great Mardis Gras gathering last night.  I'd asked her to take pictures of the costume contest, but she wasn't sure she wanted to take her camera!  Darn.  Those costumes are so beautiful.  Here is a sample of the contest, the year I was there.

There were a lot of other costumes too.  They paraded around the dance floor and danced.  Judges picked out winners for many different classes, and then they were in the parade the next day.    I can't get over all the glitz and glammer of these big costumes.  There was a Mr & Mrs  and there was a long train that they pulled behind them.  I wonder how much this all weighed?   The weather has been so cold that the kids have not been to any parades this past weekend.  Bet they'll go today if their weather is better.
Happy Mardis Gras everyone!

Auction season starting again!

 Due to cold, snowy winters, outdoor auctions take a break.  This past weekend hubby Steve and I and Leah and Steven went to a local auction.  The first for this season.  The first Sunday of the month they have a consignment auction, and this was a very good one.  There was one party that is moving out of this area to Arizona for health reasons, and they sold everything from their home.  Lots of collectibles, guy stuff - from tractors, yard equipment, many tools and sporting things.  Household furniture, glassware collections, etc. etc.  Saturday morning Connie, Gene and Steve and I went out for the "senior" breakfast and then stopped at the auction site to see what some of the things were, and decided that we should go Sunday.  Gene was sick on Sunday, so they didn't go, but we got there just as the auction was starting, and didn't go home until 6:30 pm!!!!!  Here's what I got:

A Royal Copley bird planter.  Really cute isn't he?

This McCoy planter with a Scottie and kitty.

The white 3 leg planter is also a McCoy. 

Two tea cups and saucers that I will be making unto pin cushions.

Two wool blankets, one that I gave to Leah.  They are really nice and soft.

Also got a track light fixture (just like the one I have in my sewing room now) that will work if I move my sewing to a basement room.  I'll need more lighting there if I do move downstairs. 

Hubby got a drill press and some tools.  Funny how things happen.  We'd gone to a larger town last week to Menards because he'd planned to buy a new drill press for about $200.00, but they were sold out.  So maybe this $25.00 auction drill press (an older Delta bench drill press) was meant to happen.  Steve says it works wonderful, so guess he can use this until it poops out, saving himself some money!   SIL, Steven got some equipment for his yard tractor and tools too.  I can't seem to remember what else Leah got.  My brain is slow at this time of night!

There were some more things I would have liked, but I just don't buy what I can't use.  No room to keep extra "stuff", and I keep having rummage sales, or donate to get rid of overload.  The glassware and collectibles really went cheap.  There was a couple there that has a second hand store, and they were buying a lot.  I'm sure they'll mark it up good for their store!

We're suppose to get some MORE snow tomorrow!  Do you think we'll ever have spring?!?!?!

Have a great Tuesday.    Keep smiling!

Bow Tie!

A bow tie (or four)!  The middle looks like it's folded.  Had seen it done, and had to try it to see if I could do it.  Kind of cute.  I'm trying to decide what I want to make.  Like make four more of these, and connect to make a table topper, or should I go bigger and make a quilt.  If I do decide to make a quilt, I'll have to get more of the light material.  Have about 3 yards (more than plenty) of the dark material.  But then again, if I want more color, maybe I should use more scraps and make the bows all different colors.  That would be cute too.  I'll post again when I've got something more going.  

Have a great evening!