Black Friday

Don't let this "cute" little face fool you..... Bella had quite a Thanksgiving yesterday while we were gone; she re-designed my cell phone by chewing it. Thankfully, my contract is up so today I'm shopping for a new cell phone.

Hopefully, you're day was uneventful and full of food, family, and fun. May today bring you deals if you're shopping and time to start decorating for the Winter season...

The First Thanksgiving...

The First Thanksgiving: In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.
Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.
What Was Actually on the Menu: What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."
The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food. Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper, however, was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.
In the seventeenth century, a person's social standing determined what he or she ate. The best food was placed next to the most important people. People didn't tend to sample everything that was on the table (as we do today), they just ate what was closest to them.
Serving in the seventeenth century was very different from serving today. People weren't served their meals individually. Foods were served onto the table and then people took the food from the table and ate it. All the servers had to do was move the food from the place where it was cooked onto the table.
Pilgrims didn't eat in courses as we do today. All of the different types of foods were placed on the table at the same time and people ate in any order they chose. Sometimes there were two courses, but each of them would contain both meat dishes, puddings, and sweets.
More Meat, Less Vegetables: Our modern Thanksgiving repast is centered around the turkey, but that certainly wasn't the case at the pilgrims's feasts. Their meals included many different meats. Vegetable dishes, one of the main components of our modern celebration, didn't really play a large part in the feast mentality of the seventeenth century. Depending on the time of year, many vegetables weren't available to the colonists.
The pilgrims probably didn't have pies or anything sweet at the harvest feast. They had brought some sugar with them on the Mayflower but by the time of the feast, the supply had dwindled. Also, they didn't have an oven so pies and cakes and breads were not possible at all. The food that was eaten at the harvest feast would have seemed fatty by 1990's standards, but it was probably more healthy for the pilgrims than it would be for people today. The colonists were more active and needed more protein. Heart attack was the least of their worries. They were more concerned about the plague and pox.
Surprisingly Spicy Cooking: People tend to think of English food at bland, but, in fact, the pilgrims used many spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and dried fruit, in sauces for meats. In the seventeenth century, cooks did not use proportions or talk about teaspoons and tablespoons. Instead, they just improvised. The best way to cook things in the seventeenth century was to roast them. Among the pilgrims, someone was assigned to sit for hours at a time and turn the spit to make sure the meat was evenly done.
Since the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians had no refrigeration in the seventeenth century, they tended to dry a lot of their foods to preserve them. They dried Indian corn, hams, fish, and herbs.
Dinner for Breakfast: Pilgrim Meals:The biggest meal of the day for the colonists was eaten at noon and it was called noonmeat or dinner. The housewives would spend part of their morning cooking that meal. Supper was a smaller meal that they had at the end of the day. Breakfast tended to be leftovers from the previous day's noonmeat.
In a pilgrim household, the adults sat down to eat and the children and servants waited on them. The foods that the colonists and Wampanoag Indians ate were very similar, but their eating patterns were different. While the colonists had set eating patterns—breakfast, dinner, and supper—the Wampanoags tended to eat when they were hungry and to have pots cooking throughout the day.
Source: Kathleen Curtin, Food Historian at Plimoth Plantation

May your taters by mashy, your turkey moist and tasty, and your blessings many this Thanksgiving Day....

Honey, I'm Home....

Made a visit today to Teemie's Blooms (local folks; ya gotta go there), non-locals http://teemiesblooms.com/! Teemie shared with me the osage-orange, which Karly will be thrilled with. She "hates" spiders and hopefully, this will do the trick.

Osage orange trees are a common sight on the Great Plains today although they were not a widespread member of the prairie community originally. Before the invention of barbed wire in the 1880’s, they were planted as living fences – or hedges – along the boundaries of farms.

The name of the tree comes from the Osage Indian tribe and the pleasant ‘orange-peel’ smell of the skin. The wood of the osage orange tree is strong and so dense that it will neither rot nor succumb to the attacks of termites or other insects for decades. Its strong yet limber branches were prized for the construction of bows by the Native Americans. Many people believe that the fruit of the Osage orange will keep insects out of the house!

This time of year, when the ‘fruit’ ripens, I like to place a few of the bumpy- skinned osage oranges in a wood bowl on my kitchen table and enjoy the sweet scent. Sleepy Hollow Farms (local)http://sheepyhollow.wordpress.com/ shares this info; and I thank you.

Looking forward to going to Teemie's Blooms's the day after Thanksgiving to make Christmas wreaths (I refuse to say "Holiday"; shame on changing the name to be "politically correct"...blah, blah, blah... If you're going to change names, then ya better give every so called "holiday" that made the Hallmark calendar to me off from work with pay, because I just might take offense).

So, light the National "Holiday"...."Christmas" tree (Preident O) in Washington, DC...geez... Our founding fore fathers would roll over in their graves knowing what "change" has come and tremble what "change" is to come. I'm trembling myself above ground with 2 out of work in a household of 6, being the "bread winner". Educate yourselves peeps; check out Teemie's Sunpit and learn how to make one of your own, learn about herbs (you think your health care is going to cover all your ailments), and share... because there may be a day, that we will have to depend on each other, sooner than later... "While the Spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few; it is even more important now because neighbors are so many"...
-Lady Bird Johnson

So, I challenge you this week to get "real"; share and learn the art of being humble and unselfish; above all think of all the things you are thankful for this year; not the materials things you aren't. Although, I'm still assuming that this Thursday is still called "Thanksgiving". Do you know of someone who lost their income this year, had their hours cut at work, lost their home...this is where the sharing part comes in.... "Just Do It"....and you will be more thankful that you did, than the person that you happened to share whatever it is you feel from the heart to share...

So, may this be the first of many "Merry Christmas" this year and to all and all a good night.

Win A Workbox from the Original Scrapbox

Monday, September 28, 2009
Win a Workbox from The Original Scrapbox!!


The Original Scrapbox is giving away ONE Workbox on October 12, 2009! Win an entry in the grand prize drawing for a Workbox from The Original Scrapbox on our blog!

The Workbox is an amazing organizational product - neatly storing thousands of embellishments, tools, papers, etc. all in one place, that folds neatly away! It would be great for scrapbookers, card makers, knitters, quilters, people who sew, crafters of all types!

And, by entering on this blog, you have a chance to win either the ScrapMaBob OR the Ribbon Box (your choice)!

ScrapMaBob

Ribbon Box


Here's how to enter to win:

Enter on this blog between September 28 - October 8, 2009 by leaving ONE comment in this post! Include identifying information (email, etc.) so we can contact you!

By entering here, you are eligible to win EITHER a Ribbon Box or ScrapMaBob (your choice).
The winner from this blog will then be entered to win the amazing HUGE Workbox!

On October 12th, Rachellewrites will hold a drawing at her blog with a select number of entries for a Workbox from www.TheOriginalScrapbox.com. Each entry will come from a competition held on another blog.

But wait! What if I want even more chances to win??

EARN EXTRA ENTRIES

You may earn 1 extra entry each for doing the following (make a separate comment in this post for each thing you do): No purchase necessary to enter. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered.

· Visit The Original Scrapbox website by clicking HERE and choose your favorite product. Leave a comment in this post and tell me what your favorite is and why you would like this product.
· Become a Facebook fan of The Original Scrapbox by clicking HERE!
· Facebook the contest and share the code for $100 off shipping: 100writes
· Tweet about this contest with link back to Christmas with the Cricut and share the code for $100 off shipping: 100writes (copy and paste http://www.cricutchristmas.blogspot.com right into the text box)
· Subscribe to my feed and/or become a follower
· Add my Scrapbox button or banner to your sidebar/blog
· Comment on any non-contest post (must contribute to the conversation)
· Refer a friend to this contest, make sure they tell me who sent them
· Email 3 friends about this giveaway and CC me: cricutchristmas AT gmail.com

RECEIVE 5 ENTRIES FOR THE FOLLOWING (make a separate comment for each thing you do):
Blog about this contest with a picture of the Workbox. If you have a private blog (one that requires a password), it will not be eligible for this part of the contest. In your blog post, please use the tags: The Original Scrapbox, Scrapbook storage, Workbox.

Blog about any other item offered from www.theoriginalscrapbox.com and include this information word for word: Enter this code when you place your order to get $100 off your shipping: 100Writes

Remember to stop by the other 9 blogs participating in this huge giveaway for more chances!

RachelleWrites
Make It and Love It
Vanilla Joy
Auntie Thesis
The Mommy Files
My Organized Chaos
Life As Lou
PriscillaStyles
Capadia Designs

You might also like:

WEEK4 - Gift Tags & Packaging with DISNEY
WEEK3: Scrapbook Layout
Week2: Layout LinkWithin

Fall is Here...

The trees are turning and it's pretty nippy for Sept in Michigan. My back surgery went well, got the staples out yesterday and hopefully will not be so sleepy. I've actually slept the last 3 days and nights.

My laptop crashed and is being fixed. Fortunately, all could be saved and I can't wait to get my pictures back. Lesson...back up, back up, back up....

I do have a new toy called Gypsy and goes with my Cricut machine for scrapbooking. So, the blog will have some new turns, twists, and projects thru out the fall, winter and spring months. Summer seems to be my gardening time and I tend to slack off blogging and boarding.

Here's a picture of the Gyspy:
Nifty, kewL, fun, machine; just on the learning curve, so it can be mind boggling also... LOL

Take Care...~~hugS~~ gail

Computers...Luv Em', Hate Em', Can't Live Without Em'

PC or Mac...

Doesn't make a difference, at one time or another the little mean machines, crash. And that's what mine did with all my pictures, poems, and "stuff" on board. Of course, I never "backed up"; I always cliked "later".

The Geek squad said it was a dead duck; however, a very wise IT guy at my work, took it home and alas, handed me four discs of pics and is in the process of restoring it back to normal. Just in time for me to take it to the hospital on Thursday to use while I'm there. Having surgery on Thursday morning, which I'm very thrilled about. This summer has been nothing but a pain festival for me. Go to work, come home and go to bed to lay on my heated mattress pad. But, the problem will be gone and I'll be back on my feet ready to hit the road running.

Lesson for today....back up, back up, back up..... Until again...

Honey, I'm home......

Can't believe it's been a whole summer without blogging. Life has been full of joy, trials, and just life stuff. I got kidnapped by aliens (Face Book) and got hooked on "Mafia Wars"; ended up with almost 3,000 friends and a sense of nothing. It was fun at first, took away some stress, but then, the up keep of the game, friend requests, friend gifts, chatting, etc. For me, it turned into another job, a little fun, but way too much for me.

Although, I did pass through some really neat people's lives, learned a few things, forgot many things, and decided to deactivate the account. Blogging is my baby...

News over the summer...Bob is still pretty much deaf w/ vertigo, and a new disease in his inner ear that I can't spell...LOL I've got a cyst growing on my spine (inside not outside) and will find out on the 15th of Sept, what will be done. Stress is a five letter word that causes so much disease, grief, and over night aging. I've learned to let it all go and to rely on my higher source. ;-)

Taking a beginner Digital Photo class at the college on Monday and Wednesday nights. Basically to learn my camera that I've never learned all the bells and whistles. I'll let ya in on any secrets I learn tomorrow night.

Hope life is treating you kindly....until again...

Sad Saturday...

Until I get the splint/half cast off of my right wrist.. I'm afraid I've got to "shut down" my blog. Doctor is thinking that I've fractured the small bone in my wrist plus damaged the medial/median tendon...the carpal tunnel one. Since I have carpal tunnel...it's really flared up and well, it hurts, by golley.... LOL Thanks for all the kind comments and I'm sorry I can't add to all your blogs right now until I'm in less pain unless I find a great secretary besides dh... LOL I'll try to get one of the twins since they are fast typers and know the ways of adding photos, etc....

So, I'm reading but not typing until I'm splint free.... Hugs and kind/good thoughts to all.... Hopefully by mid-week I'm back in the meme's... Take care...

Black and Blue Friday

Ha..I say to the color of my wrist, hand and fingers.... I can endure the pain thru Motrin 800's and Vicodin...LOL (literally)

Great news... Jessica and Steve are engaged! He proposed at sunrise on the beach in Savannah. They are down there w/ his family and we have known the last two months. Wow...can't believe our family of six kept it a secret that long without spilling the beans(sometimes, we are like the tv show Brothers and Sisters...LOL) Between siblings, cousins, friends and aunts and uncles...our speed dials can be pretty active...

When Steve went to the car to get the ring, Jess found a whole sand dollar at her feet...how romantic is that?

Anyways, pics to follow of the ring (next Thursday when they get back). It's a carat diamond ring, from the 1920's...she is a "old soul" who loves antiques.... It's gorgeous...Steve showed Bob and I the ring and "asked" our permission to marry "our" daughter... yes, old fashioned is back!

Have a great weekend...and until again when my fingers and hands are a moving....~~hugS~~gail

Thousand Word Painful Thursday

Join us at Cheaper Than Therapy

Been off the puter... I severly sprained my right wrist. Took the dogs out at 2 in the morning and they found "something" in the wood pile. So, I went to drag them out, climbed on top of the wood, slipped and came down pretty hard on my right wrist. Glad it's not broken, but none the less, typing is painful.

So to make us all feel a little better today... I give you tulips...


Until again...~~gail~~

Kick Back Sunday

Kicking back and loving the sunshine..... Can't wait for the "official" days of summer... Make it a great one...

~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Wild Weekend

Over at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls...

877myjuicer.com Giveaway!
One lucky reader will win this juicer from 877MYJUICER.COM

Here is some information on this juicer: This manual wheatgrass juicer is easy to clean, easy to operate and extracts the most wheatgrass juice over any other manual juicer on the market!

Features:
Super easy to clean
Affordable!
Quality and Durable
One Year Warranty
Little Pressure Needed
16 Oz Juice Cup
100 Lbs of Suction Cup Force
Patented Auger System
Durable Stainless Steel Plates

How to win: You need to visit www.877myjuicer.com then come back and leave a comment at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls (click link above) and tell her what product you like from their site. If you want another entry? Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave a post on her blog that you did and where or tweet it. You can also subscribe to her blog / be a follower of her blog / grab her button for additional entries! Winners will be picked using random.org. Contest will end April 30, 2009 9:00 PM EST. Whew....

Nothing going on here except enjoying the 80 degree weather that is suppose to go away tomorrow....back down into the 60's. But all the spring time flowers and buds on the trees are opening. So what's ya doing this weekend?

Have a great weekend...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Aloha Friday

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. http://islandlife808.com/

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question is: Since it's going to be in the 80's this weekend here in Michigan, I'm sure I'll be having an ice cream cone.... My question: "What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Join in the fun at the link above and have a great Friday... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Thousand Word Thursday

"Mom Jen" at "Cheaper Than Therapy" hosts a Thousand Word Thursday, which is a great way to make new friends and surf thru some amazing blogs. Just click the link above and join...

Now that spring is finally sprunging here in Michigan, it's time to dig out those gardening seeds, magazines, ideas, clogs and start getting ready for summer. Move those plants that need to go to another part of the yard or just may need a little more TLC. This year is going to be majorly different since Bob no longer has a job and is my "little" house boy....errrr man... He is taking charge and is going to plant a garden and putz more in the yard than he's ever been able to. Prior to loosing his job and hearing, he worked road construction for 32 years, so his busiest time was during the summer. What's the hardest thing for me...not being in charge of the yard. I love to garden, plant, watch things grow, so this year, I've taken the back seat. I'll still do my herbs and flowers though...LOL

There is a woman at my work who has her "5 year plan", me I'm lucky to have a 24 hour plan. So, here's my May plan (so far); relax and realize that I'm truly blessed to have Bob pick up the "home" front stuff; so this will give me time to re-introduce myself to a hobby that fell by the wayside for a year or so....scrapbooking. Along w/ my flowers and herb plans; my hobby plans:

-Get to know my camera; I have a Canon 40D, which I've never read the owner's manual...it will be a great read in the hammock that I'm hoping to get for Mother's Day.
-May is "National Bike Month"; time to put the ole' keister on the seat and go for more rides since it's getting warmer and I'm attempting to loose some weight.
-Get my hummingbird feeders cleaned and put out.
-Plan my flower boxes and herb beds.
-Learn how to use Excel on my computer, way more than I know to be able to use it more at work and home.
-Practice making a wedding cake since we have been asked to make one in August.

I will check off the list as I complete it and maybe add more to it or take things off that just aren't working out. And pics to sum up all this madness:

"My dream flower box"

"Don't wait for my ship to come in, swim out and meet it".


Hope life is treating you kindly...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Wordless Wednesday...Happy Earth Day

Come play along w/ us at Wordless Wednesday It's loads of fun plus a great way to meet new bloggers and friends...



"Home Sweet Home"....and Happy Earth Day...

~~Until again~~Take Care~~
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Looking At The Sky Friday

If you would like to participate in Looking at the Sky on Friday, all you have to do is post a photo of the sky on Friday. That's it. So click on over and join in the fun....

My sky this morning; it's early, between 6:00 and 6:30 am.... ready to get ready for work. The sun isn't up and the moon, well, it's going to bed...or....is the moon "half full or half empty"... LOL


Make it a great day...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Thousand Word Thursday

If you'd like to join in click the link above and you'll get all the info and have loads of fun participating in it....

Last year at this time, we were in DC visiting my fav niece who lives there; boy what a difference a year makes, LOL. Hoping to go again sometime, it was an amazing trip.... A few shots that were my "fav"...








Have a great one... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blesssings~~hugS~~gail~~

Wordless Wednesday

Click on over to Wordless Wednesday and play along with us...

All I can say..... Wow, now, that's a big tree... LOL



Hope life is treating you kindly...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

The Easter Parable of the Hearing Aid

Last night as Karly and Brian were pulling out of the parking space across the street from our house, Karly called and asked Bob if he had lost one of his hearing aids? He checked both ears...nope they were in. Someone had lost it.... Across the street is the Catholic church and the Fish fry was going on, so we knew that someone lost it then. So, we decided to wait until today to go over and let the priest know that if anyone lost one, we had it.

I got up this morning and went for a mile bike ride; came home huffing and puffing, but decided I needed to put my Detroit Tiger's flag out on the front porch. As I was putzing out there, a SUV pulled up and a woman got out (not unusual since it is public parking); she was talking on her cell phone walking up and down the parking spaces (not unusual because some people pace as they talk); she then went over to the storm drain and looked down...now that's kind of weird. So I walked over to her and yelled a few times, finally she looked up and I asked her; "This may sound strange, but did you loose a hearing aid?" She hung up her phone and burst into tears. Indeed she had...she had been up all night worrying about it.

This morning Bob went to church and before he left he had prayed that the person who lost it, we could somehow find him/her because we know how costly those things are.... She left and I had my "warm and fuzzy" feeling going on when someone knocked on the door, it was her with a pot of yellow tulips, I keep telling her it wasn't necessary, but she insisted; we hugged again and wished each other a Happy Easter..

So this is my little Easter miracle...it's all in the timing.... If I hadn't been on the front porch at that exact moment, had went for a longer bike ride, hadn't decided to put the flag up, if she hadn't pulled in the parking spot to look right then....it may have taken us longer to find her....you may believe that this was all a coincidence, not in my book....I believe in God's timing.... Have a blessed Easter...

May life treat you kindly... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

And Easter Flowers for you....

Sky Friday

Not sure where Wednesday and Thursday went, but they did...

We're having Easter dinner here on Saturday night because it's just a little easier so the kids aren't having to eat two big meals; plus trying to coordinate times. We're having an Italian Easter dinner theme this year...

Lasagna, Four Cheese Ravioli's, Bruschetta, Spinach & Artichoke al Forno, Chicken Picatta, Caesar Salad. Desserts: Tiramisu and Chocolate Zuccottio Cake.

I think we'll have to pull out the Wii and play baseball or bowl after eating... LOL Or take naps on the couch ;-) Hopefully, it will be light enough, that a good ole' game of basketball can be played.

I've had so many comments on Huey, Duey, Louey, and Fluey, that I think I'll leave them up as my header for awhile.


If you'd like to play along with "Looking at the sky Friday" at Crazy Working Mom just click on one of the links. My sky for today:


Happy Friday to you all... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugs~~gail~~

Ruby Tuesday

I can't believe that we're into April already (no complaints though); and it's another Ruby Tuesday Ever since I've been doing "meme's", I met some of the mose talented, "kewlest", peeps....ever...

Have you ever joined a message board and then like disappear and no one really knows that you were gone? Not with meme's...you can pick up where you left off "and" for some caring reason...peeps still visit your blog (and sometimes, your email)... :-)

So without further babbling my Ruby Tuesday Pic....(this one's for you Tink..LOL)



Hope life is treating you kindly...take care...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Mellow Yellow Monday #13 + Monochrome Monday

Another combo Monday....





Monochrome Monday


Have a great day; Snowy, wet Monday here in Michigan; Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Wild Weekend

Taking a few day blogging break. Lots going on this weekend and "if" I get time will "try" to blog or join a meme.

But click on over to:

For a chance to win her cupcake contest "No Foolin I'm Droolin (a cupcake giveaway, Nugget style) from:


Have a great day.. Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

Thousand Word Thursday....

It's so interesting to me, that some things in life (pictures) included need a thousand word explanation, while others need none. These shots are just a few of the many faces of Karly (this was at Prom time)...



This all took place in the matter of a minute or so...so I guess it's a Thousand Word Thursday all within a minute... Click on over and join us; The Mom Jen has put together this meme and it's a great way to view new blogs and make new friends plus keep up on blogging buds you've already made....

May life treat you kindly today... Until again....
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Watery Wordless Wednesday

Watery Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday



Tall ships at Bay City, Michigan....



Have a great Wednesday... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Ruby Tuesday

It's Ruby Tuesday over at Work of the Poet aka: Mary/the teach. Click on over and join us to participate or just to view some amazing photos and blogs. My shot for this week:



Living not too far from the water that separates the US from Canada, I love to go and watch the boats. This shot makes me think of one of my favorite sayings; "Don't wait for ship to come in, swim out and meet it".

Have a great day; may life treat you kindly...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Mellow Yellow Monday #12 + Monochrome Monday

I love both these meme's so have combined them today since I'm running a "little" behind and gotta get to work. But, both were taken last April when we were visiting our niece, Meghan, in "our nations capital"....

If you get a moment join in the fun plus visit the participants blogs and be truly amazed at the talented wonderful photography and the sharing of each other world's and life...at...(both links are at the right on the side bar....)






May life treat you kindly today.... Until later...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugs~~gail

Do You Twitter?

I came across this one on "The Good Enough Witch" blog and had to share...it's well "crazy" funny....

~~Peace Out~~gail

Camera Critters Sunday

Click on over to "Misty's Musings Camera Critter" meme and participate in "Camera Critters"! This meme is all about photos of animals/critters. Make your post, link back to Misty's Musings, and then visit other Camera-Critters links and pics. You will be amazed, entertained, and amused at many of the pictures that are taken each week.; then on Sunday evening/night, a Camera-Critters pic from that week will be randomly selected to be featured in the sidebar of Misty's blog until the next Sunday.

My pic this week; I am in "love" with this shot that I took of wandering cows when I was in Colorado....they were sunning in the road.
Aren't they cute?



Rainy and wet here today, but at least it isn't snow. Went to the DIA yesterday and saw Norman Rockwell paintings...totally amazing. Then went to Polish Village and had some awesome food.

Hope life is treating you kindly...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

Watery and Wordless Wednesday

Yes.... I am a multi-tasker; being the working mom, 4 young adults (3 still living at home), house breaking a puppy, all while trying to keep sane... I do multi-task...

So, here ya have it... Wordless Wednesday and Watery Wednesday all in one spot dropping...



Shots nature on a horseback ride 10,000 feet up the mountain near Rifle, Colorado. I love it there....

May life treat you kindly today... Until later...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Ruby Tuesday

It's another Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet...please click on the link and join us. If you have time...leave some blog luv along the way....this week I'm thinking..... there's nothin' like a villain in red or a cute boy in red shorts....



Hope life is treating you kindly...until later...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Mellow Yellow Monday

Okay, since it's
Monday, ya gotta take my header picture into account....w/ the story of them below...LOL

Along w/ one of my fav "summer-time" flowers that I can't wait to plant... Yellow Dinner Plate size Dahlia's


May life treat you kindly today... Until later...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

The Ultimate Blog Party 2009 is HERE!

The Ultimate Blog Party 2009 has started and it is HUGE. It runs from March 20th - 27th with tons going on all week.

This year there has been added three UBP "In Real Life" parties in NY, LA and Nashville (huge protest...need a Michigan site...LOL). There will be live streaming of exclusive performances by Chris Mann, Leslie Mills and Diane Birch.

It is the mom blogging event of the year — Get the details here Then, grab the button code and invite your friends. Or click on the pic above and......Yes, there are PRIZES!

So, for those of us that were (and maybe still are) partying animals in the errrrr, ummmm, 70's or so... get out those go-go boots, fishnet stockings, mini skirts....errrr, make that a maxi skirt, your crocheted vest...and let's party (oh what a visual that is)...

Okay, forget the last part...but at least join in the great time and just join in the fun and make some "new" blogging buds...

I'll be bring these to the party....if anyone else already hasn't....


Hope life is treating you kindly today... Until Later...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Duck Friends + Camera Critters #50 Combo

I "think" that this is a combo post...about my ducks and my great fun w/ Camera Critters




Many have asked if I raised the ducks? Yes, I did...LOL My oldest son and his friends had to go to the Farm and Fleet store here in town to pick up something and they each came back to our house and had each picked out a duck (these were 19-20 year old men buying cute little ducks...). We built a "raised" pen with a screened lid with a light and the baby ducks lived in our dining room. Well, as with all baby ducks, they grew. So, the lid was lifted so they didn't walk around hunched over. But as we would eat our meals, four ducks were always watching us.... They loved to watch what we were doing. Their names; Huey, Duey, Louey, and Fluey. As they grew older, they went outdoors and had a small blue kid size swimming pool they would play in all day outdoors and come back indoors at night. The funniest memory that I have is, the day they escaped from our yard during a rain storm and decided to play in the puddles in the street. They were waddling down the street (we live in a small town); my son ran out of the house and grabbed the nearest thing to help him round them up... He had grabbed the spatula from the BBQ.... So, as Jamie was herding Huey, Duey, Louey, and Fluey back home (they were all waddling in single file home BTW), all I said... there goes "roasted", "broasted", "toasted", and "a'la'orange"...hahahaa Our duck friends became very, very big, were very people oriented and we found them a great home in the country with two ponds and chickens and a promise not to eat them...

Hope life is treating you kindly today...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

First Day of Spring

Hop on over to Ann's to join the Virtual GNO. Sign Mr. Linky and visit those that sign-in! Go blog-hopping! And most importantly, Have Fun!

What does Friday nights mean for you? Me, the end of the work week.... time to spend with family and my religious beliefs. Time to catch up on the home front, laugh, be me, read, and just be me. I "find myself" on the week-end...how about you?...

May life treat you kind... Until again.....
~~Peace Out~~Blesssings~~hugS~~gail....

First Family Garden

I'm "usually" not a real political type; don't get me wrong, I don have my views and opinions. But, these are typically shared at the kitchen table or around a fire with friends. However, I did sign the petition for the garden...Yea! Thought I'd share, it's a great idea...

On Friday, March 20th, 2009, 23 third graders will join First Lady Michelle Obama on the South Lawn of the White House to break ground on an 1100 square foot kitchen garden that will provide food for family dinners and formal dinners.

According to the New York Times:

The Obamas’ garden will have 55 varieties of vegetables grown from organic seedlings started at the executive mansion’s greenhouses.

And better still:

Almost the entire Obama family, including the president, will pull weeds, “whether they like it or not,” Mrs. Obama said laughing.

Ok, you can stop pinching yourself: you aren't dreaming this and an off batch of sauerkraut hasn't caused a rare case of lacto-fermentation-hallucination.

THEY ARE REALLY GOING TO DIG THIS GARDEN! AND WE HELPED MAKE THIS DAY POSSIBLE!

Those of you who have been part of the KGI community for a while know that this is a long-term project of ours, started in February 2008. It was back in the middle of the presidential primary season when 99.9999% of the population was focused on who the next president was going to be. We were the .0001% of the population that was thinking about what his or her family was going to eat and where it would be grown.

It's been quite a ride for KGI as an organization and for me personally since then. For those of you who are new and weren't with us for the trip, we had some fun along the way. We started following a hopeful little web project called OnDayOne.org in February 2008, read about ourselves in the New York Times in April, began putting our names on a White House Food Garden petition in June, hummed along to This Lawn is Your Lawn in July 2008, read about ourselves in the International Herald Tribune in July, placed bids on the White House Lawn which we had put up for sale on eBay in August, watched with wonder as two young guys inspired by our work set off in a funky bus to take the edible White House idea across the country and back, chuckled our way through September watching the Garden of Eatin', read Michael Pollan's "Farmer-in-Chief" article with great interest in October which also spoke of a new garden at the White House, voted "This Lawn is Your Lawn" onto national TV through the Climate Matters video contest in October, got swept up in the energy of the November elections, leafed our way through the Washington Post in January, pushed hard to get out the vote in the OnDayOne.org contest later that month (and won that too beating out 4000 other ideas), began inviting more people to sign our petition on our campaign site and on Facebook also in January, spoke with and e-mailed various members of Michelle Obama's staff in February (me, in this case, but maybe you did too? They said they were hearing from a lot of people.), and here we are in March 2009 reading the headline above and vicariously walking our way through the delicious garden paths of the future South Lawn:

What more can I say besides thank you for all your support and patience with this project. Many individuals made this great day possible: - Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, John Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Barack and Michelle Obama - but we can feel pride in being the community that pulled together and made a difference.

So let's celebrate that. The seeding or the weeding can wait. Tomorrow's about savoring a moment that was a long time in the making.

Roger

PPS: If you are a media person, blogger, or know one, you can find our press release below.

For Immediate Release

100,000 Applaud Announcement of a New White House Food Garden

Environment, Nation’s Food System and People's Health Stand to Benefit

(Scarborough, Maine) –100,000 people signed a petition asking the Obamas to replant a Victory Garden at the White House, and recent news reports indicate that they are about to reap what they sowed.

For advocates of sustainable and healthy foods, this harvest of good news was as welcome as the summer’s first red-ripe tomato. “I’m thrilled for the Obama family and for all who will be inspired by their example to grow gardens of their own this year,” said Roger Doiron, founder of the nonprofit Kitchen Gardeners International and leader of the successful petition campaign, “Eat the View.”

Launched in February 2008, Eat the View proposed that the Obamas replant a White House Victory Garden while planting a few extra rows for the hungry. The campaign used viral videos and social networking technologies like Facebook to grow a large support base, attract international media attention and help inspire a larger grassroots effort. In January, 2009, Eat the View won the “On Day One” contest sponsored by the United Nations Foundation, beating out 4,000 other entries and resulting in thousands of messages being sent to the White House in support of its proposal.

Over the course of the past month, the Eat the View campaign has touted the economic benefits of home gardens as part of its pitch to White House staff members. As proof, Doiron and his wife spent nine months weighing and recording each vegetable they pulled from their 1,600-square-foot garden outside Portland, Maine. After counting the final winter leaves of salad, they found that they had saved about $2,150 by growing produce for their family of five instead of buying it. “If you consider that there are millions of American families who could be making similar, home-grown savings, those are no small potatoes,” Doiron said.

Although the White House garden campaign is now winding down, Doiron says the Eat the View campaign is just getting warmed up. “Now that the Obamas are on board, we’re going to be reaching out to other people and identifying other high-profile pieces of land that could be transformed into edible landscapes. Sprawling lawns around governors’ residences, schoolyards, vacant urban lots: those are all views that should be eaten.”

History of Harvest at the White House

While the Obamas’ garden and the online technologies that campaigned for it might be new, the idea of an edible landscape at the White House is not. Throughout its history, the White House has been home to food gardens of different shapes and sizes and even to a lawn-mowing herd of sheep in 1918. The appeal of the White House garden project, Doiron asserts, is that it serves as a bridge between the country’s past and its future. “The last time food was grown on the White House lawn was in 1943, when the country was at war, the economy was struggling and people were looking to the First Family for leadership. It made sense before and it makes sense again as we try to live within our own means and those of the planet.”

Eat the View campaign website: http://www.eattheview.org/

History the White House as an edible landscape from 1800 to the present:
http://www.eattheview.org/page/history-1

May life treat you kindly today... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Thousand Word Thursday....

Now I ask you, what's the difference of girl's getting ready to go out or boy's getting ready to go out?

Until again...~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~
Been a way busy week, hoping to catch up w/you all this week-end.... :-)

My World Tuesday...

My World Tuesday.....



The hubby that has dinner on the table for me every night when I get home from work.... "one" nice thing about him being home, for now....

Until again...~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Monochrome Monday

Go visit other participants in Monochrome Monday. Aileni is the gracious host.

Better late than never LOL...Now onto catching up the rest of the week.


My fisher girl....the one that went back to grow bigger until next time....

Until again...Peace Out...Blessings...hugS...gail

Sunday Stealing

http://sundaystealing.blogspot.com/

1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes, but only when I was in school... LOL

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? No, from the high school in the next town over.

3. Did you car pool to school? With my twin brother...LOL


4. What kind of car did you have? My first car was a green Ford Pinto

5. What kind of car do you have now? GM Saturn Aura


6. Its Friday night...where are you now? Hanging out with dh and family thankful the work week is over Sometimes we hang out with Bob's sister and her dh

7. It is Friday night...where were you then? Either at the football or basketball games

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? I worked as a Nurses Aide in a nursing home; and made pizza's on weekends


9. What kind of job do you do now? Work at a community college in the financial aid department awarding scholarships, grants, state and federal funds.


10. Were you a party animal? Yes

11. Were you considered a flirt? Nope

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Nope Cheerleading, track, basketball, powederpuff football


13. Were you a nerd? Nope


14. Did you get suspended from school? Nope; but I did spend lots of time in detention for talking too much

15. Can you sing the fight song? I still can and remember the pom-pom routine that went w/ it

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher? 3rd grade teacher; Mrs. Hosner; high school, Miss Gage

17. Where did you sit during lunch? With my friends who had the same lunch hour; we had A,B,or C lunch hours

18. What was your school's full name? Armada High School


19. Where did you party the most? 34 Mile Rd; the Armada pits; or Duncan's garage.


20. What was your school mascot? A Tiger

21. Would you do it again? No

22. Did you have fun at Prom? To be honest, I don't remember.... so I guess it wasn't memorable fun... LOL

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? No

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? I didn't go to the 10 year reunion, went to the 20 year (had lots of fun); so if there are any more, I'll go. Being a twin, it's fun to go with my brother.

25. Do you still talk to people from school? Not really, my brother does occasionally, so I hear thru him.

26. What are/were your school's colors? Orange and black

Well, click on the picture/link above to join in the fun. I look forward to reading yours...

Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Weekly Winners; March 15

This is the first week for me following this meme...but it looks really fun, plus another reason for me to use my camera more. My fav from this week: Puppy Dreams...



Bear and our, errrr, I mean Jessica's new mini Aussie puppy, Bella, taking a break from playing.

May life treat you kindly today...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Camera Critters...

Join in on the fun at Misty's Blog (above) for some great critter shots and fun... for this week I'm soooo thinking hurry up spring/summer, and I can't wait for the hummingbirds to come back...they are such amazing little creatures...



A few years back, I actually got to hold one. It ran into a window and I picked it up and held it in my hands until it got it together enough to crawl up and perch on my finger the flew off. Pretty neat moment.

Hope life is treating you kindly today...Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Looking At The Sky On Friday

One of my favorite sky pictures from Colorado...love it there...


May life treat you kindly today... Until again..
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

Thousand Word Thursday....

Hah! You say... a thousand words...sounds like alot, but you've never met someone who can say nothing in a thousand words or someone who can say everything in less than a thousand words. Me...in between. Depends...on what the topic is and who I'm talking too.

But for today; it all about the Bear... he totally melts me from the inside out... I can have a really bad day, and he doesn't care if I'm grumpy or not, he still is glad to see me. Nothing like a tail wag, and a wet kiss to brighten up the darkest of days.

This last picture was published in a book....I guess that picture alone is worth the thousand words and still remains as one of my favorites. Bear had a brother Timber who stayed with us for awhile, but, he's now at Rainbow Bridge. What, you've never heard of Rainbow Bridge....



Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

Well, that a wrap for today. Hope life is treating you kindly... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

Green & Red Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday is hosted over at Work of the Poet because "Ruby Tuesday" is St. Patrick's Day (hahaha, like duh to me, it's next week, but you get to celebrate it twice), you get to post GREEN on that day, instead of red Shamrocks, clover, leprechauns, ANYTHING you like that's GREEN? Or, it's still okay to post RED, it's up to you. Don't forget to sign Mr. Linky at Work of the Poet and leave a comment. And visit your friends who participate in this meme. :)

I bet you think I'm going to post something garden related.... nope. I'm posting this really "kewl" cupcake I came across over on one of the "cupcake" sites I visit...alot, but for the life of me... I can't remember which one (when it comes to me or someone knows where, let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due). But isn't it pretty?? ***I remember.... Cupcakes Take the Cake...

**Edit** Since I'm on way too many cold meds, I got to work and realized that it's next Tuesday, Green Tuesday, not today... like So, here's my Red for today...

Today is National Women And Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The Red Pump Project
go read, educate, and help Rock the Red Pump in Support.

Hope life treats you kindly today... Until again...
Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

Gotta Have Em'

Since my trip to Omaha, where BTW, I did have "every" morning the "best ever" buttermilk pancakes, I am craving them. Yesterday morning, I went to "Ted's Coney Island" thinking I was going to get them... no buttermilk, and they were "just okay"...I'd give them a 4 out of 10.

My quest... a goal... to find the "best ever" buttermilk pancake recipe. Of course, I'll have to share it w/ Teemie to see if I can get some of that maple syrup she's tapping out of those trees at her house .

My first recipe to try this upcoming weekend (no time during the week to take this challenge on; this is a weekend challenge/goal) is from:

"The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum (to peek inside; go to Amazon)I'm sure at any bookstore you can find it. According to "Rose" "Buttermilk makes the most delicious pancakes, especially if no baking soda is used to dull the slightly tangy flavor. Baking powder and beaten egg whites contribute leavening; in fact, these are the lightest pancakes I have tasted". So there, ya go, we will rate these this weekend.

Home from work again today, still coughing and the fever "finally" broke this morning. So it will be back to work Tuesday for me since I missed Friday as well. It was a pj weekend for me... LOL

Hope life is treating you kindly today...take care...until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Top of the Sunday to Ya...

We have a new addition to the household....her name is Bella, a mini Australian Shepherd (she is actually Jess's)... And here are a few pics I took of her but Karly has some really great ones in her camera that she has with her someplace and isn't home...LOL..

Bear, is doing pretty good with her. She loves him! She tries to herd him already...LOL Gonna be interesting when she get a little bigger.

It's rained pretty much all weekend, but that's better than snow. But it makes for a dull weekend and it's already back to work Monday. We've been house/pet sitting for some friends and they will be home Tuesday night, which we are truly grateful for because someone had to be there all the time with their dogs. They have two little guys, so it will be nice to have Bob back home since he's been doing it the most since he doesn't have a job.

So, what's ya doing for St. Patrick's Day? Making anything special or waiting until the weekend to celebrate?

Until again...~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Clueless Friday

Where do butterflies go in the Winter?

Cough, Cough, Cough.... I am clueless to soooo many things....

Why does snow turn grey and yucky when it melts? Why can't it just disappear magically overnight and the tulips and daffodils be up? Why, Why, Why....

Why have I been sick for over a month? But, the other night I did remember a line from the movie "The Bucket List" as I was feelin' "really" bad... "Just think, some lucky guy is having a heart attack somewhere".... If you have never seen this movie, watch it one night w/o the kiddies around. Do you have a Bucket list? I made one when we went out to Omaha for my bil funeral, my conclusion, Omaha was not on my bucket list...nope...even with the Spaghetti Factory's great meal...nope not on it.

My Bucket List

* Spend a week Moose stalking in Alaska, Maine or anywhere there are moose to take pictures.
* See and hear glacial ice breaking off and crashing into the ocean at Prince William sound by canoe/kayak.
* Visit Ireland.
* Teach an adult that it's okay to laugh and not to be serious all the time.
* Learn a language other than English.
* De-clutter my house.
* Show a stranger joy.
* Somehow, someway, let my whole family know how much they are loved.
* Paint my living room yellow and white.
* Make it through these horrific economic times with peace, dignity, not loosing our house or my mind, and by helping neighbors not loose theirs.
* Learn how to go green; my generation is totally clueless on this.
* Learn to knit slippers and make quilts (that also means I have to learn how).
* Teach my children something that my Mom or Grandma taught me.
* Get magazines to quit stuffing their magazines with 10 inserts to subscribe to their magazine...like, duh, already getting it.

Okay that was my brief list that came to me in Omaha; how about you? I'm sure it will change additions, subtractions, cross offs...but, that's it as of today.

Well, that's it for now... Hope life is treating you kindly... Until again...
~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs....

We went to the Detroit Kennel Club Dog show yesterday at Cobo...it was sooo much fun. I wish I could have brought these guys home with me for Bear to play with... LOL The one above is a Great Dane named Arthur, as you can tell we became fast friends even without treats.

Here are a few more of the ones I could get a picture of...
I love this Old English Sheepdog...if you have one to spare, drop him by...LOL

It was a great day; lots of fun; and boy do those trainers and dogs work hard. Hope you had a great day... Until again...

~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail~~

Time

Where does it go... I can't believe I've been off of blog land for sooooo long. It stinks being under the weather, but, another day above ground is better than a day under...

It's been raining and I'm getting excited for spring and gardening; I "think" I've got Bob talked into helping (if he isn't working by then). Would love to start the plants indoors, but have never had much luck. What type of lighting do you use? We don't have alot of light indoors and I'm not fortunate enough to have a sun-pit like Teemie...LOL

So....what's up in your neck of the woods?

~~Until again~~Peace Out~~Blessings~~hugS~~gail