Random Life

So the last couple days have been full of ups and downs, they always are : ) Thursday was a down day, children seem to always be the precursor to those : ) So I was really relieved when yesterday turned out to be so stellar. Friday is always my go into 'city' and shop day. Hubby was opening at work and so was Z. So just me and the youngest 3 loaded up. Every other week is a pay week, and we treat the kids to McD's. SO I stopped yesterday to get them some OJ (I bring my own coffee) and found out their machine was down : ( But they were giving away little Mcfrappy things ! : ) Kids call them coffee ice cream. So all four of us went on our way with a sugar high and a smile. Then on my return trip home I stopped at the local market for one item I forgot and they gave me a free sausage roll/chub! I was like, cool. They gave them to the first 100 customers of the day. Who says it doesn't pay to go shopping at 8 a.m.? You all already know my penchant for Kroger mark down : ) Bad thing about this is that for the rest of the day, every time I ran an errand I asked what free thing the place was handing out. The lady that cuts my hair looked at me like I had three heads! LOL The day progressed nicely, hubby thought he might have to work a 12 hour shift, but got home in time for dinner. Dear friend came over bearing food gifts, and brought her family to visit as well, awesome night : ) Oh, and found out that Z wants to bring home an elderly, homeless bunny from work! OK, not sure if that last thing is good yet . . . Z claims that it will be good company for his elderly, previously mangy, guinea pig. Hmmmm . . .

Blessings, Beth Ann

P.S. (does that apply here?) I am half way done knitting my first sock ever and it is turning out wonderfuly : ) BAD

Last of the lost pictures . . .

OK, I have finished picking through the old pic's I just got developed and found the last five worthy to share : ) I know these are random and out of order, but that's half the fun of it!

Here are the first two scarves I knitted, back last Oct. Heck, they're the first anything I ever knitted! LOL I just love eyelash yarn.



I picked this three tier tree holder up at the flea market, one dollar! It worked great for holding all my Christmas goodies, and rested on my nativity cross-stitched table runner beautifully.

Here my youngest three are making Christmas cookies (taken before my new cool red coffee maker).

This is a pic of a Christmas wreath I made out of leftover bulbs from a tree. Hard to see, but there is a silver snowflake w/bells in the center. I am so crafty :)

Last year we said 'good-bye' to beaded garlands. OK, more like I was threatened with a mutiny. So we tried something different, ribbon. I still have mixed feelings on this. You can't tell but the ribbon is plaid, of course. You can always tell where I have been, plaid is left in my wake . . .

Thanks for enduring this ride down memory lane.

Blessings, Beth Ann

More pic's of the found film and more : )

OK, I have been trying to down load these pictures all day (in between dentist appointments and arguing with insurance companies)! For some reason this computer does not like photo disc's, just my digi camera, grrrrrrr. Anyway, here are some more random photo's from that film I picked up last week.




I down loaded this twice and it still is sideways. I have no idea why since it is right side up in my photo que, weird. Just turn your head a little and squint, it's a wonderful pic of the twins on Easter Sunday : )

Here is a pic of last years wienie roast at Defeated Creek. B seems to be giving her hot dogs the 'stink eye', while Z is playing in the fire (as usual).

Here are our two coffee mug purchases from South Carolina last Oct. The blue one on the left is mine and is a replacement of one twin dd broke last year. The one on the right is for DH, a Piggly Wiggly mug. It is the only grocery store on the Island. You can get everything from flip-flops, crab bait and caviar there!

Siesta time for two of our dogs, Howard and Levi. All three dogs get along well, but only Zoey (not pictured) can walk unhindered. Guess that is why she is not here?

Ah, finely. A pic from my digi camera. This is a recent F/O (finished object), a plastic bag holder. I used some self stripping mohair for this and improvised a pattern I found on the net. I think I will make more of these for gifts, watch out! LOL

Blessings, Beth Ann

Camping photo's

My request for Mother's Day was to go camping, and so we went. We headed north east past Carthage to Defeated Creek, which is a core of engineers park on Cordell Dam. We LOVE this place. The only let down was that oldest son couldn't get away from work to go. When I dropped off his lunch today at work, I made sure there was a note inside with next months camping dates on it : ) Here is a brief look (more pic's to come in near future) at our trip:


We went with our good friend and also a home school mom, L A

This is H, daughter of another good friend, whom we took with us. She is not home school. Shhhhhhh, don't tell the public school cops : ) She is roasting a hot dogs with my DH

Here is twin son all ready to hit the swimming hole

Remember those 'If you give a mouse . . .' books? Well here is our version; "If you want to go swimming . . . " First you will need an inflatable . . . LOL

Here is twin dd with L A's dd - S, they are laying on one inflatable while waiting for another. Man I miss being a kid : )

It was so much fun I can hardly wait to go back! We have four more trips this summer (pray the fish are biting next time) here in TN. and our big trip to South Carolina next March. We usually do SC in Oct. but it didn't work out for us this year. But hey, March is only ten months away!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Well we are back . . . sitting here still feeling dazed, confused and fuzzy ; ) Maybe I need more coffee? Had a great time, but as soon as we got home I felt exhausted. I believe it was from being so stinking nice to everyone (I'm not use to it). The weather was great, warm enough to swim the first two days but a little cooler the second two days. Didn't matter as the kids got sunburned the second day and lost interest in being in the sun. All days were bright and sunny though. A nice change from all the flooding we had. The area we camped in had major flooding, but the campground it self was fine. The lake was a bit muddy and the fishing wasn't good though : (

Well I believe we didn't do to bad eating on our trip, but oldest son who stayed home because of work . . . well let's just say he made some poor eating choices. He got paid while we were gone, do I need to say more? I guess these are the life lessons he needs to learn for him self.

Here is a look at what we are eating this week, low-carb and leptin diet :

Monday: Spaghetti w/meat sauce and green beans (brown rice pasta)

Tuesday: Stuffed stop light peppers - beef (from last week, didn't make)

Wednesday: Creamy chicken stroganoff w/ broccoli

Thursday: Meatza w/veggie sticks (pizza w/no crust - ground beef w/toppings)

Friday: Crock pot BBQ chicken w/brussel sprouts

Saturday: Salmon patties w/green beans

Sunday: Stuffed chicken breast w/ broccoli

For more MPM visit www.orgjunkie.com Whats for dinner at your home this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Never to late

Wow, another day near 90 here! It's so pretty it almost makes me forget how bad the storms were and how many were killed or injured. I can't believe the Operyland hotel is gone and so is Operymills : (

Tomorrow we are leaving for a mini vacation to Defeated Creek, up in Carthage. Love that place! Funny though, I just picked up the pictures from last year up there! LOL

Here is big son and twin dd fishing

Here are the twins sitting on the bank fishing. They are so excited to be going back, that they have been packed for two days now : )

Here is hubby cooking dinner, you can see how close we camped to the lake : )

Here is B, don't know why she is staring at her hot dogs like that! LOL We had a wienie roast.

Here is hubby showing B how to cast off ( I only cast on - knitting humor) See how gorgeous the scenery is?

I received my yarn package in the mail today as well. When we get back I will post some yarn and project updates as well as some more vacation pic's : p

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Good soggy Monday morning ya all! Well we are starting to dry out here, after a week-end of torrential rain and thunderstorms. We received a little over 13 inches in two days I understand, not to shabby. So any way, we are spending today trying to dry out, see if any of our garden is salvageable and start packing our RV. We are taking off either Wed. night or Thur. afternoon for camping at Defeated Creek. Depends on DH work schedule. He has Thur. off, but if he can get out of work Wed. a bit early . . . : )

Here is a look at our menu this week as we head for a Mother's day camping trip:

Monday: Creamy chicken stroganoff (made with leftover whole crock pot chix)w/brown rice and broccoli

Tuesday: Stuffed stop light peppers

Wednesday: Beef and artichoke stir-fry

Thursday: Camping hamburgers : ) w/veggie tray

Friday: Camping hot dogs over an open fire w/kettle chips

Saturday: Camping chili (B's favorite), it has been known to set car alarms off!

Sunday: Mother's day, home from camping and going out for Mexican!

For more menu plan Monday visit www.orgjunkie.com

What's for dinner at your home this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

In the kitchen

A rainy, stormy Saturday here in middle TN. I am not thinking I will get to all the plans I had today, especially the out door lunch at the Feed Store : ) But in case I make it to the Home School movie preview this evening, I need something for kids to eat while I'm gone. So that means getting to all the cooking I put off while it was sunny : )

A friend blessed me with two whole chickens a few weeks back, when oldest son had a relapse. She didn't have time to make chicken soup, so she just brought the chickens! LOL It's the thought right? : ) Anyway, as she likes to say; I'm more creative in the kitchen then her. So I cleaned them this morning and plopped them in my crock pot. By wadding up foil and putting them under the birds, it steams the meat and gives them a 'rotisserie type flavor. I spritz the chicken with my cool new olive oil sprayer and sprinkle liberly with Kroger's version of Mrs. Dash - zesty, for flavor and browning.

We can either carve the birds for dinner or pull the meat off the bones to eat shredded. Either way, I will keep the carcases and make broth in my crock pot tomorrow : )

A different friend gifted me with a half case of limes. I am truly blessed down here! So after getting the chix's going, I decided to get my juicer going and make some lemon/lime aide for the kids to drink while I'm gone.

Aren't they a thing of beauty? LOL Twin dd even helped me ream them. That is after she finished pretending to change the oil in my Durango! She is truly a daddy's girl. She helped DH yesterday fix the hot water tank in the RV, so we will be ready to camp next week. She loves helping, kitchen or garage : )

So . . . still not sure what my plans are, but I'm ready!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Knit n' that

Been a busy week, I can hardly believe it's almost over. I swear, where does time go! LOL Now I sound like every other old person. Must be showing my age : ) A busy week-end ahead too, don't think I will be home much. We are leaving a week from today for our first camping trip of the season. I am so excited I could pee my pants! I might just get a chance to sit and stitch, for then 10 minute intervals! I also don't think DH gets a day off until then either, guess he's looking forward to it as well : ) Only downer is that Z can't join us the first two nights, he has to work. He always leaves things until the last minuet and didn't ask for the time and someone else will already be gone. So DH will have to drive back down and pick him up Sat afternoon (half day of work for him) and pick him up, so he can at least spend Mother's day with me. The only up here is that he will be home to take care of the pet's and won't have to kennel them (down side to having handicapped pets = no one wants to pet sit) and will save money. Oh and guess what I am getting for Mothers Day? A hot water tank for the RV. Yeah, ours cracked and it cost hubby $100 to get it repaired. I guess it's fair since I said I wanted to camp for mother's day and I am like the main person to use the RV bathroom : )

Well I found a will model for my wrist warmers, twin dd E ~

They fit her good, I think I will use bigger needles to make adult sizes

These are pretty easy to make, just tedious knitting in the round the whole time

I think I will try these in some of my novelty yarn, then they will be fashion statements and not just useful!

Here is another random pet pic to amuse you

Tina, B's cat, sleeping in an early morning patch of sun on the pool deck steps

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday ~ Leptin update

Good Monday morning all. We had a stormy week-end, but now a new day is upon us. I kicked off last week by going in and having lab work run for my 6 month med. review. I ended the week with a stellar lab report! I wish I had one of those photographic minds, so as to share all the numbers with you, but alas I don't. So here is the good news from doc. appt. in a nut shell. I have been following a leptin/lo-carb diet since the middle of Nov. 2009. I had a doc. appt. in Dec. of '09 that showed some good news, but this last one was the kicker. Since Dec. I have lost 43 lbs (woo- woo!) and cut my triglyceride level in half! I now have good cholesterol : ) I must confess that trying to come up with something my chronically ill son can eat and watching Michael Pollan's Food, INC. has helped keep me motivated! At my house we are at the point that I make everything from scratch, and I mean everything! I make my own coffee creamer, my own BBQ sauce, use only spelt flour in any baking (muffins, pancakes, etc.), well you get the point. The kid can't eat anything and I WON'T eat just anything now that I know what is in processed food and how the animals are treated and processed. So . . . with that said, here is a look at this weeks leptin/low-carb menu for our home:

Monday: Turkey meatloaf w/broccoli

Tuesday: Zucchini pancakes w/grilled chicken

Wednesday: Bacon and Salmon casserole w/green beans (didn't make last week)

Thursday: Beef stroganoff (no noodles, make cauli-rice)w/Brussels sprouts

Friday: Crock pot chicken w/mixed veggies

Saturday: Salmon seashell pasta salad (use brown rice pasta) on Boston lettuce

Sunday: Stuffed peppers (red, yellow or orange - son can't eat green)

For more MPM visit www.orgjunkie.com

Whats for dinner at your home this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

knitting

Here is a quick look at what I'm working on with my needles : )

I taught myself how to knit in the round using 4 double pointed needles, and I LOVE it!

The first thing I am making are wrist warmers. Think mittens with no fingers, only a thumb hole. Great for driving. Everyone seems to love them and I am committed to at least another 4 pair and a lady at my book club offered to buy the pair I showed her. Hope the thrill doesn't wear off soon : p

Another look at the finished wrist warmer (second one almost done - tonight I think). I will get a model to show them off and post a pic. The pink yarn is for a shrug I am working on also. Think mini sweater with just the sleeves : )

Here is my finished Christmas baby bib for new grand baby, boy or girl! LOL I already made a matching wash cloth and plan to make a burp cloth with remaining yarn.

I was going to say sorry about blurry pic's, but thought whatever, you get the gest.

Blessings, Beth Ann

Bed time for twins

A couple days ago I finely convinced hubby (his day off) that today was a good day to get the bunk beds ,we had bought the twins two months ago, out of the garage and upstairs in the nursery. However, before that could happen they had to be assembled (of course). I decided to not feel guilty about taking an afternoon of school off to do this. I chose to look at it as valuable learning tool for my youngest three children ( oldest son was at work). After all, am I the only one who remembers doing the electives class shuffle at school? We all got a turn at wood shop, home ec. and music to name a few. So here is a brief look at their afternoon as they learned to: listen, follow directions, take turns, work together, learn about tools and there uses, math, reading directions, patience, doing for others, work ethic,and more. So I let dad be the teacher and I took these pics . . .



B not having an easy time working the screw driver

Dad with his little helper, E loves power tools : )

Now B has the hang of it, and a helper too.

Dad putting the finishing touches on.

Twin son E, he is happy to be the first to try out the top!

The girls are exhausted, but happy ( so are twin sons toes on the ladder) : )

And here is what the dogs were doing while the rest of us toiled (other dog went to work with son and who knows where the cats got to).

So it's a done deal, my babies are now officially in reg. beds. That night as I lay in bed and mulled it over, the passing of time, it was a bit sad. I guess I could write an entire blog on feeling old, watching the kids grow, being worried that I can't remember all the stuff they did as babies . . . But I am choosing to move forward and just try to live each day for it's own joy and remember at night when I go to bed, to give all the glory to God.

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Good Monday morning all : ) It was a warm and sunny week-end here in middle TN. Hope everyone had a great time. Here is a look at my lo-carb/allergy free menu this week:

Monday: Good Shepard's Pie (made with ground lamb -marked down after Easter- and whipped cauliflower instead of potatoes)

Tuesday: Chicken and artichoke skillet casserole

Wednesday: Shrimp Pad Thai (made with spaghetti squash instead of noodles)

Thursday: Crock Pot Rotisserie chicken w/ mixed green beans

Friday: Beef and Pineapple kabobs w/brown rice and mixed veggies

Saturday: Curried Turkey meatloaf w/broccoli

Sunday: Jambalaya (made with turkey sausage)

Whats for dinner at your home this week? For more MPM visit www.orgjunkie.com

I also wanted to share a couple of great kitchen news items with you today. As most everyone knows by now, we are getting pretty picky about what food we buy due to oldest son Fibro and food allergies. Also, ever since we watched Food,INC there has been no looking back and no compromising on food quality. So to be able to afford any of this I always shop my Kroger (only store in a 50 mile radius that cares healthy items) at 8:30 a.m. every Friday morning, that is when they mark down all (and I do mean all) perishables. Kroger has had Laura's lean ground beef on special all this month, so I have been stocking up on it all month. This past Friday we hit the jackpot, they were marking down the already on sale Laura's! So we took all they had for only $1.49 a lb. : )

I want to share this cool gizmo with you too, some of you probably already have this; an oil mister. I ordered mine from AMAZON.com and it was on back order forever. Anyway, I had stopped buy pan spray (for many reasons) and was using my olive oil or butter for greasing everything. I found putting the oil in a dish and using a basting brush was best, but this is better! I buy the jumbo olive oil in a can at Kroger, so I now keep a smaller pour bottle filled and now my mister filled from it. It is great for a quick spray on a baking pan, casserole dish or even cheese under the broiler : ) You just pump it up and let the pressure do the work. This I learned the hard way as it wasn't printed on the box and I thought it had arrived broken at first. Once you figure it out though . . . This kitchen gadget rocks!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Knits & Bits

TGIF all : ) Another sunny day in the upper 80's here in middle TN. A little rain for the garden would be good, but not worried yet.
Just thought I would pop in with a couple updates. Yesterday I drove with big son, might not ever happen again! My shoulder is bruised from my seat belt and all his sudden 'stops' ~ ugh. The kid needs practice. I am so glad the number of required driving hours increased before teenagers get their licences.

I am also currently trying to talk big son into trying the chiropractor and or acupuncture for his Fibro. The meds. the neurologist gave him are not helping and he still has a couple weeks before his next appt. I have read that acupuncture has had good results in Fibro people. I just get so concerned for Z. He worked Mon. and Tue. and was sooooooo sick Wed. (this is typical). He was so weak that he had a hard time getting out of bed and walking. At one point his feet shot out from under him and he fell and hit his head. He said that didn't help his 15 month migraine one bit! : P

I finished yet another knitted scarf, part of my stock pile for selling at craft shows/fairs. I am hoping to have quiet a little stash by the time all the Christmas shows start. I thought this was like a rock start scarf, the older kids said it reminded them of Halloween because of the colors I chose.

It has a two tone rust color and black fringe

Can you see the metallic shimmer?

Next I am finishing up a Christmas bib for the new baby and starting some wrist warmers (the new rage) knitted in the round on 4 double pointed needles. It is dicey to say the least, hope I get use to it. I picked up a cool free pattern at Hobby Lobby today, for knitted camo cargo pants. They had Bre written all over them. They will make great jammy pants : )

Blessings, Beth Ann