Pumpkins, Recipes and a Blog Tag

We had a great pumpkin farm day this year. Unfortunately we don't have a lot of great pics though. Princess was feeling sick and had a bad headache. By the time the trip was nearly over she was in the car with a fever. She ended up having what Superkid did last week. These long incubation periods bug me because you think it's over but it's not. She did good just to be trying to smile in the photos. Lilo was fighting off tears moments before these were taken (the first two anyway) because we were not able to fit in the hay ride this year. So, they sat on the tractor for a pic and had to try to look their happiest. They did have a great time the rest of the day though. We were so glad Rick was able to go and we went with the G. family from church (not sure if you use last names Christina...so being careful:)

The yearly tradition of a honey stick is always appreciated too.:)
We came home and made Chocolate Pudding Cake to top off the day! Superkid was thinking it was heavy, thus the strain to smile for the picture. :)*

We came home and incorporated the tiny pumpkins into the dining room decor. Wow, lovin' the orange. The do get carried around and played with most of the time too. When I talked about baking the larger ones, Superkid acted like I was going to murder something. I told him, we would wait until the last minute possible before the pumpkin would be going bye bye anyway. I think he things they last forever.
After the pumpkin farm, we went to get apples with our friends and now have some great crispy sweet ones in the fridge. I'm hoping to post some apple recipes in the Cupboard soon. In the meantime there are a bunch of new ones:
Florentine Chicken Ring

Chili Skillet
Trial Mix Cookies (originally from Christina)Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

And...finally today...I'm getting FINALLY to a blog tag from my friend Nicole. Sorry it's taken me so long Nicole!

Rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write six random things about yourself.
3. Tag six people at the end of your post.
4. If you are tagged, JUST DO IT, and pass the tag along.

Six Random thing about me:
1. I have to put lotion on my hands every time I fold laundry. Otherwise, I hate the way the static in the clothes feels on my hands.
2. I can't seem to get through a movie anymore. I can strain my eyes to watch one episode after another online for Lost, or CSI, or Heroes , but movies has lost my attention. If I do watch it, is is nearly always in two segments.
3. I am trying to grow my hair down past my back. I'm half way there.
4. I sometimes hate that my brain thinks too much. Sometimes it wears even me out, but there is no off button.
5. I'm achin' to make some apple cider in my crockpot soon. I found some cinnamon sticks in my spice cabinet and will be putting it on my next grocery list to get apple juice and lemons.
6. I have never completely fit in to one group anywhere in my life. I always manage to find a faithful handful of friends. Wow, that's pensive. I'm all deep now.

If your a blogging buddy...tag, you it.:)


Well, gotta run and make another batch of those trail mix cookies before the kids get home from school. They ate them all yesterday! Good thing they are healthy.

"Raindrops on Roses, and Wiskers on Kittens..."

Julie beat me to a great blog idea I had a long time ago. A favorite things blog. Sometimes I'll be using something or just walking by it and think how much I just love that little thing. It may be practical, it may be decorative, it may be both, but it's always a joy in a simple day. It's so easy to want to get new things or add new things. I think sometimes it's good to sit back and be thankful for some of your favorites.

So, I've decided to share some of mine and then I'll be tagging some of you guys in the end.:)

1) My recent find of a yellow Pyrex vintage bowl from the thrift store. I love this thing. It is a bowl, but it's square also so it's perfect for salad. I usually use a bowl but the heavy veggies are quick to roll to the bottom, they still do with this but not as easily. It will forever be dubbed the salad bowl. I will only trade it in if I find the one that's red. These were made during the issuing of all the primary Pyrex bowls. (i could have cropped out the hot wheel guy in background but I thought I'd keep it real:)

Lilo wanted to "Vana" it for me...:) 2) Superkid's Room:

I just love his room. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps it will be topped by the girls when I get it done. I love the simplicity and the toys. The girls are more into messy little trinkety things. His is simple and easy to pick up. I love the bib curtains I found when we moved in. I love the old quilt I've blogged about before that just is perfect for the decor left by my friend Karen's son Trevor.

I love the old purple toy box that use to be my brothers and then mine when I was little and was constructed by my grandpa who is now gone.
I'm not crazy about Sponge Bob and Patrick but someone gave those to him and he loves em'. :*
I love the little construction worker baskets from a Easter Clearance that we have toys in thought the room (one on his dresser), they go so cute with the theme of the border.

I love the fact that he wanted a loft so we created this little play cubbie area underneath. I just recently moved in the red CD/DVD cases when they were no longer needed in the living room. They now have various things: board books, superhero's, plastic cowboy's and Indians, finger puppets...any little collection that can fit in the little cubbies that come out to play with and slide back in for clean up.

I don't have time for to many toy sessions, but if I were still a kid, I'd love his room. 3) My old and very old cookbooks. The older the better. I have even an older one from the late 1800's but it's falling apart so I don't put it out. My favorites are the ones women in the 40's, 50's, and 60's have put their own notes in, or folded up clippings of recipes. From the days when women really used their cookbooks, and really worked in the kitchen.

4) My "Midnight Rose" Royal Albert teacup and saucer. My SIL Joan was with me when I spotted this at Buchart Gardens in Victoria, BC. I just gasped over it because I loved that it was blue roses (I love blue roses, and lavender ones too). She majorly surprised me when I opened it for Christmas 10 years ago this Christmas. Thanks Joan, again:).

5) My poetry book given to me by my parents when I was 14. This book was the cornerstone of my love for reading and writing poetry. I have memorized many of the ones inside and just love some old haunting favorites. The inscription on the inside is written in my dad's writing and says:

"To our daughter Alicia, April 1st 1990- from Mom & Dad"

6) This picture of my dad. I recently found a frame for it. It was his second grade picture. My dad was never very photogenic unless he thought something was genuinely funny. I love this picture because he must have really thought the photographer was worth smiling for. It was the smile he made when the kids did funny cute things as toddlers too. It's a treasure.

7) My yellow tea kettle. A goodwill find many years ago, I will never get another unless it goes south completely. On rainy days it literally calls to me to have a cup of tea and a nice run through some Josh Groban or Enya music.

8 & 9) My old lamp and framed adelvise.

The lamp was being taken out to the trash (I know shreek real loud!) by my neighbor. I happen to see him and ran outside. Trying to calm down I said "are you going to throw that away?" I rescued it and have loved it every since. Recently I saw a similar one in a antique store. It has the original plug so though it works, I don't leave the room with it on.

(sorry the pic is blurry)

The framed adelvise is a real treasure of mine. Rick brought it back from Europe for me from the alps. I have always loved the song and he thought it would be a fun gift. I have had it on a my dresser for nearly 12 years now.

10) My babies wall.

I will never change this. It reminds me that they are all my babies no matter how old they get. They are in birth order, and under them the verse that reminds me of my mission in parenting:"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates." Duet 6:6-8

11) The vintage aprons I found on my trip to Washington.

I wear these all the time now. One is a little tiny on me, but hey, I can always work into it right? :) I even walk down the street forgetting to take them off when I'm taking something to my neighbor. I usually get looks. No one knows what to do with a woman who looks like a housewife anymore. I love it.

SO! I think this would be a great meme!

I tag Tricia, Christina, Katy, Lynn, Christy, Judy, Pebbles (welcome!), Kristen, Amy, Karen, and Daja

On A Lighter Note....

I'm a little worn out with my intense self.
Moving to something lighter.
Kristen did a meme free-for-all, and Life Adapted tagged me... (ironically similar themes) so I'm here to meme ya'll...
My Five Things:

Five things I was doing ten years ago...

1. Enjoying my precious almost six month old baby girl!
2. Hanging out a lot at my parents house so they could enjoy her too.
3. Getting a thrill out of going through girl baby hand-me-downs.
4. Giving her those yummy, messy, teething Gerber biscuits all the time... she love them!
5. Nursing, and singing.
(can you tell this was my life back then?)

Five things on my to-do list today:
(Rick was off today so it was family project day)
1. Move desk to a different wall with hubbie help.
2. Sort through left over stuff brought in from car and van.... you would not believe how much!
3. Wash our bedding.
4. Make Pesto Tortellini from TJ's for dinner.
5. Do our bible Study wrap up (Rick, Princess and I are going through John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life" study).. cuddle on our bed and talk about these wonderful deep concepts about God. I'm loving it!

Five Snacks I enjoy (what I enjoy, and what I eat are two different things):

(please people.... this is torture)
1. Potato Chips (Number one bane of mine.... I don't buy them... there is no such thing as "just have one")
2. Hot and Spicy Cheez-it's
3. Holiday Homemade chex mix
4. Artichoke Spinach hot dip w/ corn chips
5. Humus and Pita or veggies

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire:
(I'm with Kristen.. I don't want to be one... I'm not good with money)
1. Tithe a whoppin' tithe baby!
2. Without Second thought, be debt free.
3. Have our home repairs all taken care of and repairs on the cars (or better quality trade in's)
4. Set up Funds for Kids.
5. Travel (all five of us, cause we could afford it!)

Five Places I have lived:
(I'm going to take the liberty to change this since I don't like to post living places especially since most of them are local)

So.... presto chango.....

Five Places I have loved to visit:
1. Moscow...particularly Red Square
2. Victoria BC
3. Lake Baikal, Russia
4. Tegucigalpa, Honduras
5. Anywhere there is snow

Now on to the Meme from Life Adapted
Five Kind things I've done for strangers:

1. I made dinners for a guy who had back surgery and no woman to help him out.
2. I ALWAYS look for doors to help open for mom's with strollers cause I SO remember being there!
3. A lady on my street had a baby and I made her a basket of baby stuff.
.... that's all that comes to mind... I' m home a lot people!

Five kind things I've done for a close friend, partner or child:
(I'm starting to feel a little braggy.... )
1. I always like to grab stuff at the thrift store that I know my friends like. I.E. one friend likes real pottery and I pick it up when I see it.. or I know a few pyrex patterns they are looking for and pick them up too.
2. Same thing with my kids.... mommy almost always comes home from a "me" time with a special cheap something or other.


3. Get up early to have coffee with my husband. He loves that, any you have no idea how kind it is of me. I'm not a morning person and he leaves early.
4. I find great joy helping out when my friends need kids watched or meals.
....drawing a blank now...
Five kind things I do for myself:
1. I use to take a hot bath before my tub broke.
2. I either have an iced coffee, hot coffee, or tea time for myself in the afternoon. I'm not sure if this is kind or surviving.
3. sometimes I exercise...not doing good lately, but....you know..
... what do you know..another blank.

Five things I do for fun:
1. Dates with Rick
2. Reading or watching something real good
3. Trips to thrifting
4. Family outside time
5. Blogging


But you probably knew that by now....:*

OH! I FORGOT>>> I tag.. YOU!

Two Meme's With One Stone

First of all let me say, that today was a better day. Not perfect....but when is it? I'll take what I can get. I did have a good time with the Lord in prayer mostly this morning. Perhaps because that was I needed the most, just to pray. Then, I did 40 min of walking, yeah. We did chores and then discovered that we could not get linked to our virtual academy (K12) because the system was down. Since we were really going on the house stuff the girls spent the morning cleaning their room (nearly covered entirely and no floor space) and I was able to do things around the house. Our afternoon had a few twists and turns but it brought about some blessings of time with friends.

So, I am here to do two memes and then I'll be posting some pics long past.
Kristen at Crafty Mama put this one up for gabs (which is what I'm going to do, if you are into Memes as I am then Meme away!)
Four jobs I have had in my life:
-Floor Supervisor at a facility that created piece and assembly work for the physically and mentally handicapped ( I was a supervisor at 16...amazing when I think back but I had experience growing up with my brother and lots of these guys were his friends or workmates)
-Cashier at Kmart- that was fun, kinda my first job out with people my own age which I was really not ready for entirely and fell hard for a bushy long haired boy named Justin. My parents started to sweat. I was 17 (remember I was homeschooled so this was all possible)
-Retail at Ross- one of the worst jobs I've ever had. Have you ever seen the shoe section at Ross? Well, that was my job. I never disliked people more in my life because when I finally worked my way from size 5 to size 12, the mess was started all over again back at size 5. People would just try on and drop, try on and drop. It should have prepared me for motherhood but perhaps thats why I'm extra sensitive to messes compiling behind my very trail of cleaning.
-Worked with an organization that took care of handicapped adults specifically brain damaged adults. This was what I was doing when I got married and then pregnant with Princess. It was a hard job. Many of the these kids were normal at birth and something tragic happened to them. I've never come out of that shadow of worry for my own kids. It was not a bad job in and of itself though because what we mostly did was keep them busy all day. Some days were work days, but most were trips to Barnes and Noble, thrift stores, old book shops, libraries, parks, etc. Not bad for a day of work. I did however have one explode on me in a bagel shop and take the ice tea machine and throw it across the restaurant because he was mad he did not have money for a soda. I got to ride in the back of a cop car with this one and one more in my charge to the loonie bin hospital. A bad day.

Four movies I've watched more than once:
Man From Snowy River
Anne Of Green Gables
Jane Eyre (w/ Timothy Dalton)
Lord Of The Rings
(more than once is not hard on my favs)

Four places I've lived:
Southern Indiana (right across the river from Louisville Ky)
Many places in North County
One place in South County
(I try to stay away from place naming on the blog so I'll move on)

Four TV shows I watch:
It's funny because I don't watch these actually on tv (much like Kristen)
-Lost online(big crazy, nutty, fan...Rick and I both)
-Office online (sporadic fan...watch when we can)
-Monk (on dvd from the Library)
-Everybody Loves Raymond (dvd from Netflix....I'm just about done with the last season. I never got to see them on tv but once in a a blue moon at some house or something...I love the marriage/family drama)
Four places I have been:
Russia (Siberia)
Honduras
Mexico
Canada
Four places I want to go someday:
Italy
England
Greece
Hawaii

Four favorite foods:
Anything involving garlic, carbs and butter
Better than...... Pudding layer dessert (i need to post that recipe...yummy)
Greek Gyros (sp?) w/ a cucumber yogurt sauce
Russian Borscht in Russia itself (I have not had it taste as good as when I was there on a mission trip...maybe I was just really hungry)

Four places I'd rather be right now:
In a hotel on the beach on a week away with my Husband
In Venice eating real Italian food
(right now is kinda hard to fathom)
In Heaven (is that too spiritual for a meme?)
In Tomorrow with all my work done! (Yeah, that's really the best one, it's really a great one!)

Four places I love to shop:
Thrift Stores
Target Clearance
Lately, CVS
Book sales at Libraries

And Now. ....for Fishmama's Meme (ironically similar)

Four Places I always go: ( a little different from the "love to shop at")
Food For Less
Albertson's
My Friend Tricia's house (had to put you in there:)
Trader Joes

Four people who always email me:
My SIL, Tricia, our school, Karen
(I do most of my chatting here now that I think about it:)

Four people who will respond (to this meme): Tricia, Amy, Christy, Christina (gonna break the four rule and hope that Kendal will too:)

Four TV shows I'd watch over and over: I wouldn't, I consider myself lucky to get one run through...
Well, maybe old ones like Mayberry or Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin .....but it never happens.

Wow, that took up the night blog time! I'll get to those pics someday!
BTW- welcome to Life Adapted blogger....I don't know you but glad you came by and felt comfortable to post comment! I love your comments on your "about me".