It's a Giveaway!

It's been a long time since I've posted a giveaway, but this pumpkin table runner is a wonderful place to start! Thanks to my friend, Deb, from Mountain Musings, I learned about this giveaway. Added later: Congratulations on winning the table runner, Deb!

Judi, over at Green Fairy Quilts, sewed this beautiful table runner and posted a tutorial of how to make one for your own fall table. Someone will win one of her pumpkin table runners by leaving a comment on her blog. Winner's name will be drawn on Friday. Stop by and see what else Judi has in her shop!

My daughter, Anna (16) enjoys sewing pumpkin blocks, so I am going to try to win this for her. If not, Judi's tutorial is one of the best step-by-step presentations I have seen. It's a win-win!

So hurry on over to Judi's blog and leave a comment.

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Mike left this morning with his brother to drive his parents to Florida, then stay for a week. His sister will fly in from Phoenix, and his second brother will drive down from Ocala. All four children will meet in FL to do yardwork and handyman services for Grandma and Grandpa. The best part is that Grandma will be feeding them...yummy!

Anna, Sarah, and Grandad are packing up to leave TX bright and early tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see them!!

Many blessings ~ Kathie

Last week when it was warm, we went to a thrift shop that is located in a log cabin. Since I love almost everything about log cabins, we went in. I have passed this thrift shop probably a hundred times over the past 20 years, but this was the first time I ever thought to stop in.

The thrift shop is on the same property as the Episcopal church. Everything seems steeped in history here.

Isn't this a nice graveyard. We were rushed for time but I would have enjoyed looking at the tombstones.

There is a daycare in back of the log cabin. Can you tell by now that I uploaded my pictures in reverse?!

And finally, a terrible picture of the thrift shop! I didn't realize until now that I never got a pic of the front. Inside were lots of good deals. Everything was reasonably priced. The only thing we bought was a western outfit for Ruthie's doll. It was fun, but I doubt I'd ever have reason to return.

Somewhere on the church property is a social hall that you can rent. I like the woodsy feel.

Last Wednesday, Pastor asked Mike to teach his Sunday School class on Sunday. Mike readily agreed. Mike's spiritual gift is teaching, and he loves it. However, the week was very busy, and before we knew it, it was Saturday afternoon. So he decided to show this DVD from Vision Forum called The Culture Wars. The speaker for this DVD is Voddie Bauchum (pronounced Vodie Bockum). Our family has now watched this DVD 3 times, and it only gets better!

We were unprepared for the interest this DVD would generate. We offered to lend ours out, but folks said they wanted their own...and more. PTL! Voddie has many books, cds, and dvds that are outstanding...and convicting.

Grandma and Grandpa, as well as Uncle Glen, came over for dinner last night. We served one of Allen's homegrown, free range, chickens. He was so proud!

Tonight they will be coming over again, as well as Glen's whole family (they were out of town last night), so we are busy making apple dump cake, ham, roast potatoes, sourdough dinner rolls, festive cranberry salad...and homemade coleslaw from Chick Fil A. *smile*

Many blessings ~ Kathie

Well, for the second time this month, we had to cancel our bonfire because of gusty winds. Had we burned this pile, I'm sure it would've quickly spread to become the fire of the century!

So we had everyone inside for a spaghetti dinner. I had a lot of fun even though it was Plan B. Bernard used Lizzie's violin, Nathan used Mike's trumpet, and Al played piano. It was great fun! I love music!! It was also a lot of fun having two babies in the crowd. It's been a while since we dug out the playrug and the baby toys. Hopefully the weather will hold so we can burn that pile. You know what they say about the third time!

Today the public schools were off because of Columbus Day, so Allen's friend Jeff came over for the day.
Since Allen had to feed the bees some sugar blocks, Jeff joined right in.

They also went squirrel hunting and played airsoft guns. Two peas in a pod!

Allen said Jeff is a good smoker. I'm sure Jeff's mom will be pleased about that!

Lizzie's violin teacher moved from Leonardtown to Mechanicsville, so she is 10 minutes closer. That's wonderful.

But Lizzie likes their new home because of the ride through the countryside. Aren't these beauties?!
On our way to church we have a little funny intersection with two circles. Trying to give directions to our church is difficult with these circles. One Sunday we were coming home from church, and we saw a family in a van, and as they were driving off the circle, you could see the Dad pointing to the next exit and saying, "I think we want to go there!" Unfortunately, when the circle was first built, we did the same thing. Each circle has 3 exits, so it's hard to explain which exit to take. The signs don't help much either. And when you take the wrong exit...it's quite a drive to turn around!

I just added the above picture because I like funny signs.

We are finished with day one of another busy week. My inlaws are coming this week, so I hope to do a little cleaning each day. Hope is the operative word here!

Ruthie's winter pajamas are tight, so I hope to sew two pairs today and tomorrow. Then I need to start on her winter dresses. Hopefully that will motivate me to start sewing some quilt blocks or something fun.

Many blessings ~ Kathie

Sowing Seed Video ~ This is incredible!

Please take the time (8 minutes) to watch this powerful video. We sure serve a great God!

Many blessings ~ Kathie

On October 1st, Allen's Tang Soo Do class had a special celebration for his teacher, Master Miller. The adult class and the student class had a combined class to celebrate Master Miller's 50th birthday. After a good workout, the students surprised Mr. Miller with a certificate in honor of becoming an adoptive parent to Brave Spirit, the eagle pictured above. Mr. Miller loves eagles, so this was a very special gift. What a wonderful evening it was.

The eagle gift is from the American Eagle Foundation. Take a minute and click on the name to see some beautiful pictures.

Today I bought some freshly picked watercress from our mennonite friend, Ronald. I lightly sauteed it, but for some reason it had a bitter taste. Next time I will snip off the stems. I have made delicious watercress soup, but the watercress I got today looked like arugula. I googled some pictures of both, and some of the pictures look the same!

I also made a very weird but tasty dish called Georgia Cracker Salad. I found this recipe on Paula Deen's website. It sounded intriguing, so I had to try it. Here's the recipe:

Georgia Cracker Salad

Ingredients:
1 sleeve saltine crackers (we used 1 bag oyster crackers)
1 large tomato, finely chopped (I used 2)
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used 2/3 cup)
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped

Because we are allergic to egg whites, I used 3 egg yolks. Delicious!

Tomorrow, Sarah and Anna are going with my Dad to Padre Island, Texas for 10 days. Lizzie was planning on going, but finally decided she didn't want to leave her mama...and her pets. She gets too homesick. That's okay by me. The weather this week in Texas is in the 90s, but the normal is in the low to mid 80s. How I wish I were going!
This past summer I bought this beautiful, brown, ceramic cornucopia at the thrift shop. Now that autumn is here, we had fun filling it with indian corn and gourds for our centerpiece. This summer was the 24th coolest summer on record (in 125 years), but this autumn is the most beautiful that I ever remember. Perfect weather...but we could use a bit of rain.

I am exhausted from all the running around today. Mike went with Maggie to her chiropractor appt so he could learn how to massage her arm/neck, but the Dr was running late, so they have to go back on Thursday.

Maggie was hurting after her occupational therapy today, so she's been enjoying watching a young Steve McQueen in Wanted: Dead or Alive. If you enjoy westerns that have no bad language, you may enjoy these. This series has 94 episodes that are only 20+ minutes each. I like any westerns where the hero is a cowboy who lives by the cowboy code: honesty, integrity, and charity.

Ruthie gets an x-ray of her arm tomorrow, so we'll see how she's doing. Lizzie and Allen mowed the field and the yard...hopefully for the winter. Sarah and Anna are packing. And I'm calling it quits for the day. Many blessings ~ Kathie

This past Saturday we went to the Jefferson Patterson Park in Calvert County for a two-hour presentation called Native Shelters. We learned how to build an igloo (using styrofoam bricks), build a bark longhouse (in the background of the above picture) and build a teepee (tipi). It was fun. Only two families showed up, so it was very hands-on.

I tried to get a picture of the bark pieces that had been soaked and flattened. I wanted you to see how large the bark was. We will be going back to the park on October 17th for the American Indian Festival that we enjoyed so much last year. If you can, put this event on your calendar. The cost is $3/person or $10/car...very reasonable. There are many hands-on activities for your children. The best part is that the weather should be a lot cooler than last year's August event.

Another event to mark on your calendar is Patuxent River Appreciation Days, known locally as PRAD days. The dates are October 9-11. The Calvert Marine Museum will be open to the public for free. This is always a wonderful time to enjoy the many exhibits and activities.

This past week I bought this heavy (17#) king-size duvet at the thrift shop for $2. It had a rip in it...probably why it was so cheap. So I had fun cutting all the seams off and now I have 6 piles of denim for my quilt squares.
I figured this much denim would cost me $30 to buy at Joanns Fabrics! My stash of denim is growing nicely. All I need is time to cut and sew. Someday!

Ruthie is having a good time on my treadle machine. I'm not sure why she bothers with a sling. She abandoned the ace bandage "wrap" earlier in the week. Oh well. It isn't until I see her pictures that I realize the effect Ruthie's steroids had on her. Her face still looks puffy.
This should probably be "What do country children with no TV do for fun ~ Part 3"! Lizzie is skinning a copperhead. After months of searching, we finally found one on our road. I was able to neatly run over its head...keeping the body intact. I was very nervous watching Lizzie skin it since it is impossible to tell if the snake is pregnant until the babies pop out. Yikes! I guess that's what James Dobson means when he says parenting isn't for cowards!

Mike got lots of car maintenance done this weekend, plus he redid the brakes on my van. Runs like a dream now.

I still haven't bought a sewing machine. I was sick of shopping after my one trip. I HATE to shop. I would make a great military gal...just issue me whatever I need!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend also. Many blessings ~ Kathie

Now that the hummingbirds have left to go south, my impatiens are looking beautiful. For some reason, the little hummers like to pull the leaves off my flowers. Mike made this log planter for me years ago. It's definitely my favorite planter.

Last week I bought this greenhouse at the thrift shop for $3. Ruthie immediately filled up some trays and planted lots of lettuce and watercress.

Everything is doing well. If the nighttime temps fall below 50, I will probably bring it in at night. Hopefully we still have a few weeks yet.

Every day Ruthie sprays the plants with water. It's one of the few things she can do with her arm in a sling.

Poor Ranger has grown up quickly. She's outgrown the brown rock dish on my porch table.

And my planter that she used to enjoy sleeping in?

Well, Sarah gave me a beautiful pot of Chrysanthemums that fit perfectly in that planter. We got a good laugh watching Ranger trying to scoot in next to the flowers.

This is a better view of the planter.
A few weeks ago I bought a large container of this beef base from BJs. I was curious as to how it would taste. The website for the manufacturer says this about it:

"Seasoned paste concentrates, free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Made from freshly roasted lean primal cuts of USDA inspected beef."

So how does it taste? Very good! Doesn't have the fake taste of your typical bouillion. This past Sunday I tried it in our roast beef gravy...yummy! Then later on I diced the leftover roast beef and made a large pot of soup, using 2 tablespoons of the base. Another yummy! My family definitely noticed the difference and agreed it was a good difference. So give it a try.

But before you think this is some kind of health food, let me assure you, this is another food to use in moderation. This base contains partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, sugar, and caramel color. The beef base is dairyfree, but the chicken base has dairy. Minor also makes an All Natural Beef Base...but BJs doesn't sell it.

One last note about this beef base: The website states that this product contains MSG; however, there is no MSG listed in the ingredients' list.

For those of you who live locally, the Trinity Parish Thrift Shop on Route 231 in Hughesville has jeans for $1/pair. That's a great deal for around here. Click on the name for directions. The hours are Wed, Fri, and Sat, 9-1 pm.

Tomorrow is our last day of babysitting. This week has given me lots of opportunities to teach my youngest children about mothering little ones...things like why we don't use disposable diapers, why we snuggle babies instead of leaving them in carseats, etc. Ruthie said she can't wait to have lots of babies. Hurray!

Tonight we are eating like kings thanks to Grandaddy! He brought over two large pots of soup...one is Veggie Steak, the other is Chicken Veggie. Delicious! The bread has just come out of the oven and smells heavenly. Time to eat!

The weather is crisp today. The goats love the dried leaves. Sure makes for easy feeding!

Many blessings ~ Kathie