Nanny's Little Helper . . . right into the grave, I think!

Gabriel said that he would like to help make breakfast so that we could help Papa "get on the road".  When I saw my toasted muffin, I had to wonder if the little guy thinks he has a big inheritance coming or something!  He used about half a cube on two english muffins and two slices of bread  . . .  but it was good mind you!

I Love This Soap!!!

I have been SO bad today.  I broke down and washed two loads of laundry . . . all in the interest of providing for "my readers" . . .  sorry, I know . .  pretty gaggy . . . .  I really am  so pleased with the results!  Check my other blog for the before and after pictures! 

"CHEEP" Laundry soap

I made the homemade laundry soap and tried it out.  Check it out on my other blog  ... click HERE  !

I Love My Grown Kids!

Today, Sarah took pity on me and came up to help me get over some hurdles.  We got the back of the house power washed and then bottled 21 quarts of apples.  When I whipped out the camera she asked me if I was going to blog this . .  there she goes, asking me that silly question!

Sarah getting the last bottle filled.  Pinching pennies . . .  steaming the peels and cores so that I can make apple butter . . . yum! 

The Verdict is In . . . You Really Can Read Through It!

Every time we have had a new baby come into the family, I have marveled at how thin the toilet paper is at the hospital.  There I was in Michael's the other day, and what do you know, they had the same kind of TP!  I just couldn't resist . . . and sure enough, you can read through it!

Hey, I know lame, but some of us just don't seem to have much of a life!?!?!? 

Grad Nite . . . . Looking Back

For the last few years, Mariah and I have gone and volunteered at the Mountain View High School's Grad Night.  It's usually lots of fun, once we get there.  Both of us would probably just stay at home all the time if we could, but that isn't what we are here on the earth for, is it?  Life is what you make of it, especially for others, so off we go!  

The theme was kind of a Aladdin/Moroccan type with lots of glitz.  As you walk in, it just seems to pull you in and get you in the mood for a fun night.   The kids have to show up by midnight or their parents are called and they can’t leave without parents involvement.  It would be nice if more schools would do this.  It does seem to help kids have a good time celebrating without the danger that takes graduates each year.

 In the past we have gone down at midnight and worked until 3 or 4 in the morning.  That is NOT my best time to be functional, so this year we help with the first, sit-down dinner that they served right after the graduation.  They did a great job setting the mood in the cafeteria, had lots of help, so when the kids starting to show up, all was ready to start serving.  The food came from Famous Dave’s BBQ.  I have been told repeatedly that I should drag Jon over there, but never could manage it for one reason or another.  It is good food!  Since I had a gimpy wrist, they had me fill plates to make sure that I didn’t drop a plate down someone’s neck or in their lap.  That gave me the chance to visit with Kim O.  It has been a long time since we had much time to visit so that was fun catching up on all the news.  She is the cutest lady and just never changes . . . but you still gotta love her.  Such a nice one to be around!

Clean up was fast, once again, with lots of help and then we were on our way home!

1.  Dorothy, Amy and Stephanie setting up for the dinner . . .  and we actually got it done in time!!   2.  Ready for serving.  3.  Mariah, Reiko, and Marsha all ready to serve up nachos, ice cream and who knows what else.  This is where Mariah, Staci, Wendy, and I spent our time last year, in the middle of the night.

1.  A little way to work off that big dinner since food is served ALL night long!  2.  The path to all the fun in the gym.  3.  A little treasure from Aladdin's Cave.

These have absolutely nothing to do with Grad Nite.  I just got a kick out of seeing that some of the thousands of flags I have sewn or repaired have not been tossed, but used to decorate the cafeteria.  They actually looked pretty net up there!

In the Gutter!

Jon & I are "empty nesters".  Fortunately, that doesn't mean what we thought it would and would have meant if we had taken the job up in Kalispell, MT.  We have little boys, some times little girls and even big boys and big girls traipsing through occasionally.  This weekend, Rob came over and help us, really mainly Jon, to put our rain gutters up.  Rob & I did most of the painting, then he and Jon had the real fun learning experience installing while I went and played wedding set up with Nancy Hays.  I definitely had the better end of that deal!

It's only been 16 or so years that we have been saying, "we should put up rain gutters, shouldn't 

we?"  Hopefully, it won't take as long to finish the job as it did to get the tree out of here!

1.  Cute Jon, he said that I don't have to blog everything.  Guess this is way more exciting to me that it is to him  . . .  and  it is good to remember the times that father and son worked together.  That is, perhaps, more important than when they play together.  2.  It took two years to decide on the color, what do you think?  I had to get  a bunch to do all the way around the house.  Then,I  decided to have the 20 gallons for the main part of the house tinted that night, Friday, so that I can't second guess any more.  It's a shade of off-white.  

I get so tired of "playing it safe"  I did that in the kitchen, couldn't take it.  Then, I went a little wild and held my breath to see if I could live with it after a few weeks.  First try, I just couldn't then tried ONE more time, and still like it!  Thanks to this method, I have between 10 and 12 coats of paint on one of my dining room walls.  Jon calls it our "color of the week phase".  He would come in the front door, look around the corner of the kitchen take a peek and bust out laughing. 

Back to the house, there will be another, lighter shade of the green on the replacement of that nasty old wood trim and some other trim that is going to be added.  I love craftsman houses and Stephen is trying to help me create that "feel" as much as we can, without making some thing too weird.  When he sounds like I worry about it too much, I remind him that some day they will have to unload this place and why make it too hard . . . other than with paint colors.  

If I can find composite material to replace that  wood mess, I will happily pay, we maybe not happily, but I will live on beans to use it . . . Oh,  I already am living on beans, kind of . . . maybe I will walk every where, to pay for it.  HA!  The point is, when I get this done, I don't want to have to worry about it, EVER, again!!  Just a guess, Jon concurs.  Poor guy has some pretty mixed feelings about weekends these days.  Work around the house just doesn't mean the same to him as it does most of us gals.   Men are from Mars, women are from Venus!