We don't usually make too big of a deal about Thanksgiving. We have a very small family just me, Jay, Laurel, Miah, Billie (my mom), Mom's Hubby Ron, and brother Jason. Usually we are far flung, sometimes we are all together at the same time, but mostly it seems that one or more of us are too far away to get "home" for the big meal. However, for the past three years now we have had one person that has been with us no matter the distance. My friend Sheila. Two years ago we were all together for the first time in years because Jay got home from Iraq on Thanksgiving day. Everybody drove down to Fort Campbell to welcome him home, and I made a big meal. Last year my little branch of the family drove to Glasgow to have dinner with Mom, Ron and Sheila's family, and this year Sheila and Scotty are driving the eight hours to eat with us. Mom is doing her own thing, and who knows what Jason is doing.
This is usually the time of year where everyone makes lists. Lists of christmas presents to buy, grocery lists for those big meals we're going to make for Thanksgiving, lists of things we are thankful for... This year my list is all about my friends. I couldn't survive without them. Even so far away, and though we don't talk much, just those few minutes of chatting, or the odd comment on facebook, or the occasional phone call make me feel like I am loved. So here goes my list:
I am thankful for: (in no particular order)
Jeremiah La Forest
Sara Goff
Sheila Posey
Virgil Goff
Adam Leahy
Gina Griffiths
Angilita Rincon
Katie Hubbard
April Mathews
Jennifer Dennison
Julie Reed
Marcia Beyer
Kathy Smith
Jennifer Godsey
PJ Kerr
ALL of my weight watcher friends (who I don't know as well as I'd like, but every week you guys keep me going!)
In one way or another you guys have made me laugh, gave me advice, helped me out, had great debates, or just reached out to me in a way that made me feel happy. I am very grateful for that, because without you this duty station would be so much harder to deal with!
So, happy Thanksgiving. I wish you all safe travels, good food, and plenty of things to be grateful for!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Idle Wednesday
Expanding and Painting for a Coffee/Game Table
This table used to be perfectly square, and evergreen tree green. After many days, and ten completely ruined fingernails, it is now this mustard yellow, and a foot and a half longer. Jay and I took another piece of furniture to Lowes to have it color matched. It was a pretty darned close job! The "Leaf" that I cut to size, sanded, then painted to match is the same piece of wood that the girls found at Sulfur Well park and used to "surf" on in the creek, so there is a cute story for the kids to remember when we use the table (Boy, that was a great day!)
I decided that since I already have this twenty dollar gallon of paint that a few more projects are going to be this color. The good news is that when or if I get tired of the color I know what will go into changing it. Mind you, this means it will take a heck of a long time for me to get tired of it! The sanding alone took me and my electric hand sander three days to complete, and more than a week to paint and then stain/polyurethane it. The awesome thing about this project is that now I have a much longer table in front of the couch that I can use to fold laundry, there is plenty of room for a gameboard, and if we want to eat dinner Japanese style, we all fit perfectly. I should mention that when we bought this table from the antique store it was about a foot taller than it is now, but Jay and I cut the legs to size. Not bad for $70 all together!
I decided that since I already have this twenty dollar gallon of paint that a few more projects are going to be this color. The good news is that when or if I get tired of the color I know what will go into changing it. Mind you, this means it will take a heck of a long time for me to get tired of it! The sanding alone took me and my electric hand sander three days to complete, and more than a week to paint and then stain/polyurethane it. The awesome thing about this project is that now I have a much longer table in front of the couch that I can use to fold laundry, there is plenty of room for a gameboard, and if we want to eat dinner Japanese style, we all fit perfectly. I should mention that when we bought this table from the antique store it was about a foot taller than it is now, but Jay and I cut the legs to size. Not bad for $70 all together!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Idle Wednesday
Simple and colorful.
There isn't really a lot to say about this week's submission. It's sterling silver chain, wire wrapped crystal, quartz, moonstone, opal and gold. I'm thinking next week will be a little more involved. I think that it will involve my new dremel tool, paint, and some furniture. We'll see!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
What did she say?
Idle Wednesday
Showing you an old one.
I painted this just after Jay's last deployment. I wanted to post it here even though it wasn't a new item because I am very attached to it. I never said I was a talented painter, I just like to play with the colors, goof off a little, and in this case, express my emotions. I was feeling Jay's absence acutely, and I felt like I needed to let it out. The decoupage items came from ripped out title pages of some of my books, pictures from time magazine, the Army Times, a photocopy of Jay's hand that I had done so I could "hold his hand" while he was gone, and a note Jay had written to me and slipped behind my favorite cd right before he left. He's always so good about doing little things like that, and I wanted one of the notes he left me that trip to be a part of it. My brother and his girlfriend both exclaimed over it, but I don't know if they meant what they said...people are so often full of crap. All I know is that I felt better when it was done, and when I look at it every day above my desk I remember how I felt that year, and it makes me glad that I at least know that whatever time Jay gets home tonight, he'll still be here. For now, I don't have to count myself among the army wives whose husbands are deployed.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
My own recipe!
Stacy's Version of Potato Soup!
2 cup serving is 4 points
Ingredients:
12 medium potatoes
3 cups chopped carrots
4 cups chopped celery
2 packages sodium free chicken bullion
1 tablespoon garlic powder (more to taste)
1 tablespoon onion powder
salt substitute and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (not completely necessary if it's not in your cabinet already)
2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth
Enough water to cover potatoes
Place potatoes in bottom of large crock pot and cover with chicken broth, water and bullion. There should be enough room in the crock pot to add carrots and celery later. Cook on low for 7 hours, or high for 4, until potatoes are softened. Add celery, carrots and remaining ingredients and cook on high for two more hours, or until carrots are softened. Remove vegetables from the broth to a large bowl, retaining the broth. Use mixer to "mash" vegetables, adding broth back to the mixture until it is the desired consistency.
*Note : This will be slightly orange from the carrots, and may be odd to look at, but it tastes great! Miah usually tries to lick the beaters when I'm done! You may want to play with the time a little bit, but my husband comes home late so when I make something in the crock pot I cook it very slowly. This is my personal recipe, and it's always under construction, so if you have input I'd greatly appreciate it!
Also, the kids love to add bacon bits to the top for garnish, and as few points as it is a little cheese won't kill anyone!
2 cup serving is 4 points
Ingredients:
12 medium potatoes
3 cups chopped carrots
4 cups chopped celery
2 packages sodium free chicken bullion
1 tablespoon garlic powder (more to taste)
1 tablespoon onion powder
salt substitute and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (not completely necessary if it's not in your cabinet already)
2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth
Enough water to cover potatoes
Place potatoes in bottom of large crock pot and cover with chicken broth, water and bullion. There should be enough room in the crock pot to add carrots and celery later. Cook on low for 7 hours, or high for 4, until potatoes are softened. Add celery, carrots and remaining ingredients and cook on high for two more hours, or until carrots are softened. Remove vegetables from the broth to a large bowl, retaining the broth. Use mixer to "mash" vegetables, adding broth back to the mixture until it is the desired consistency.
*Note : This will be slightly orange from the carrots, and may be odd to look at, but it tastes great! Miah usually tries to lick the beaters when I'm done! You may want to play with the time a little bit, but my husband comes home late so when I make something in the crock pot I cook it very slowly. This is my personal recipe, and it's always under construction, so if you have input I'd greatly appreciate it!
Also, the kids love to add bacon bits to the top for garnish, and as few points as it is a little cheese won't kill anyone!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Happy Birthday Sara!!!
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Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Idle wednesday
Why not occupy your hands while you watch television?
Simply put, I crocheted this basket with two strands of yarn for strength. Miah has discovered it's many uses...hauling pine cones, carrying water pistols, storing coloring books...and the list goes on. I love that I can pick up some pretty yarn, start a chain, and never know what the end result will be. I just keep going until something comes to me. It's soothing to do while watching tv, or listening to a podcast while waiting for the kids to get out of school. I have tons of yarn, so be warned. There may be lots of crocheted goodies posted here.
Have a good week!
Have a good week!
The ACTUAL Atom Video
Okay, so, the LAST post was The Atom Song. I didn't really pay attention to which video was which *again*...
This is the REAL atom video, that I'm showing today in class!!!
-L
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Atom Video
Miah, my friend Ashlyn, and I (Laurel) made a video about atoms for extra credit in Science. It counts as a test grade, and we were REALLY excited when we finished it. This just proves that it was THOMAS that caused us to not finish out Flowers for Algernon video.
We also made a song about atoms. That was not included because *someone* didn't realize which video was the blooper, and which video was the song we needed. Hopefully, I'll have the graphics and stuff done on that soon, and I'll share it all with you!
ENJOY!!!
-L
P.S. The last couple minutes is the rest of the song "Nobodies Listening" by Linkin Park, so it isn't super-long or anything, and you can just skip that....unless you like that song, of course. LOLZ!!!
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