Seriously?

Ugh, you have got to be kidding me!!! Last night while toolin around on Facebook talking among friends I learned that yet another friend passed away. =( Seriously? He was 31, with a loving wife & small children. With all the modern technology and whatnot you'd think we'd have a cure for cancer by now!!!

First it was Amy and now Josh...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't mad. Actually I'm downright pissed off. This really tests my faith and beliefs...or what little of it I still have. Some things I will never understand.

One thing I know...two wonderful, amazing people leave behind families, friends, children and a world that sooo loved them and wasn't ready to see them go. May their family find peace in their passing. RIP Josh...

I'll never go back

Oh, about a year ago I found myself wanting to do my part and "go green" as much as possible. It also had to do with longing to have a simpler way of life and being frugal. Plus, I get my kicks on those little house on the prairie, do what our forefathers did type things. But, whatever I tried had to work and do it's job, or surpass the commercial products job. Well by golly I found one such homemade product that I swear...I'll never go back to buying the name brand crappolla filled with nasty chemicals and formaldehyde!! Yup, formaldehyde!! Instead I make this:



with this:

2 cups Borax
2 cups washing soda
2 cups baking soda
1 bar napatha bar soap grated

Use 2 TBSP per load...and you'll have some fresh, clean laundry in no time at all

All of this costs about $8.00...Each batch lasts me about a month & I get about 4 batches with the 3 boxes of powder. All I have to do is purchase the Napatha bar soap, grate it up & whalaaa I've got another month's supply. Sooo, for 4 months worth of fabulous, natural, fresh smelling, CLEAN, whites are white, colors are colored laundry all I have to spend is about $12!!! That's pretty darn tootan fantastical if you ask me!! Want to know sumthin else? Ken's allergies are sooo much better since I started using this and we are able to clean our eyeglasses on our tshirts without them getting all smudgy from that other crappolla =) There are several other earth friendly cleaners I use in our home. I will totally do a post all about that!!!

Christmas

Christmas trees start going up in our house on November 1st. Yup, I said Trees, meaning plural. Three big trees to be exact and 5-10 table top and various sized trees find their way into every nook and cranny.

The front of the house can be seen from Main street...which is 4 blocks away...

The den tree is adorned with a couple hundred multi colored lights and all the homemade ornaments.

The main living room tree had a few new additions this year. My friend Brandy made two of these ornaments for me back in August in memory of our babies. Ken purchased our angel ornament this year & he also found a fantastic humming bird ornament in memory of his Nana.

We all know we need to have a tree in the bathroom to provide that ambiance as we sit on the throne!!

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a self picture. Not very often you see us razzle dazzled up.

We rent a hall for Christmas seeing there are 32 of us and face it, who's house can accommodate all of us? Here I am with my big sis Laurie. I just realized her shirt matches my scarf...p.s. the scarf was put on AFTER we consumed our fab meal...to hide the bulging belly!!!

This is only one side of our big circle where we play a gift game. Clearly one heckuva fun event!!!

My brother Kelly

Jay & Osten...Jay's my brother Bruce's boy & Osten his his son.

Me with my lil brother JJ

And back to our living room tree

Of course our bedroom needs a tree!!! We took a big honkan bag of pine cones back from Nana's yard Massachusetts back in June when we went for her funeral. I can't think of a better way than to have them on our tree. =)

If you dare to venture up our windy staircase with tiny steps you'll see this at the bottom landing. I guess I don't have pics of the kitchen trees or the one on the upstairs landing. Believe me, those rooms didn't go without yuletide joy!!! My electric meter knows so!!!!

Sleigh Ride

I organized a sleigh ride for my family on New Years Day. Once Jim realized the Casino was not county road 551 & made it to the farm we were on our way. There were only 20 of us...12 were either sick, thought it was too cold or poor Dave & Lindsey were dealing with furnace issues. We originally had 2 sleighs reserved but they were able to fit us all on one. Can we say tight squeeze?

We meandered through the woods & on our way back the owners stop & we have a lil bonfire, roast marshmallows, hotdogs, have cocoa...fun times. This is my brother Bruce's youngest sone Jason & his lovely wife Jen.

trying to get ourselves all sandwiched in & covered up...

My brother Pat & his wife Kim chillin by the fire.

My lil bro JJ took his girlfriend Meghan. My brothers Mike & Kelly are all bundled up & pretty unrecognizable too. It was one heckuva chilly night!!!

We left as the sun was going down. My cousin Julie, sister Laurie & her boyfriend Ernie took part in the fun too.

My oh my...we were packed like sardines in the sleigh!!!

My niece Ellie & lil brother Jesse peeking at me.

And then you have Ken and myself...all bundled up, noses numb, toes tingling in pain but having a BLAST!!!! We'll definately be planning this again!! Maybe in the autumn when the leaves are in full color and it's not so jeepan cold!!

Amy

My friend Amy lost her battle with cancer. Please keep her an her family in your thoughts and prayers. Another person gone too soon...

Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow.~Author Unknown

2010

I had to have my pic taken with Tom!! =)

And my main squeeze =)

Then with Sammi & Pat

No better way than ringing in the New Year than with snowflakes, fireworks, good friends & my handsome hubby =) May 2010 be one of happiness, health & wunnaful times.

My bright idea at 3am

Last week I found myself tossing & turning in bed while Ken snored away. It was around 3am when I had what I thought was THE BEST christmas cookie idea. I woke Ken up excited to tell him all about my idea. Ken, being the amazing guy he is smiled, shook his head, chuckled & went back to bed. The idea??? Snowglobe sugar cookies of course!!! =)

Is Mother Nature Confused?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here...but something is missing!! Now please, pretty pretty please, with sugar on top...Mother Nature...WE NEED SNOW!!!!!! I think she might be confused as to where we are located but in the Upper Peninsula of MI we are supposed to have snow...and lots of it. We've been walking around in t-shirts for crying out loud. We should be bundled up in hats, mittens & scarves, tromping through the snow, drinking hot chocolate on a cold winters night...not drinking lemonade!!! So, if it's not too much to ask.... Jack Frost, Mother Nature, Kris Kringle, Frosty The Snowman, Rudolf & all you other snow loving people, let's get together & demand some white fluff!! Don't make me staple fake snow on my rooftop & shred Styrofoam for my front lawn this year!!

The new 'do'

I finally did it!! Made a big change...cost me about 6-8 inches but I LUV it!! I feel quirky, sassy & a smidgen sophisticated. I'm just sad it wasn't long enough & that they do not accept dyed hair for donations to Locks Of Love...=(

Christmas tree lights shimmering, fresh out of the oven cookie & a glass of milk....that was my night last night. I totally tried a new recipe that I found at a fellow bloggers page & knew I had to try it out. With only 4 ingredients needed how could I not try it out? You can find the recipe here: http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2009/11/ridged-ribbon-dishcloth-and-biscuit.html and below :

1 pound butter
1 can condensed milk (390-400 gram)
1 cup sugar
5 cups wholemeal self raising flour (or plain flour and baking powder)
toppings like choc chips, smarties, jam, cinnamon and sugar

cream butter and sugar, add condensed milk. stir in flour. roll into balls and flatten. top with choc chips etc, or thumbprint and add jam for jam drops.bake at 350 degrees for approx 10 min until golden brown. cool on racks

It makes 6-7 dozen delicious cookies...or about 5 dozen if you like em big =) The possibilities with this very simple recipe excites me. I foresee chocolate chips, walnuts, toffee chips & who knows what else I will put into this recipe.