The Way We Were



Pensive



First Communion 1963?











Mem'ries,

Light the corners of my mind

Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? Could we?
Mem'ries, may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember...
The way we were...
The way we were...
The Way We Were,
Lyrics by Barbra Streisand

So...

My sister Carol was going through Mom's things and ran

across these antiquated photos of me.

Like most old pictures, they had no names or dates on the back.

I run across old photos like these all the time when I'm out thrifting and wonder,

who is this person, where were they from, what kind of life did they have?

It's sad really, no one will ever know who or when they were.

Well, I got busy putting info on the back of all the photos she sent me.
Can't have my photos floating about without any info,
people need to know who I am, who I was!!!

School and special event pictures are always fun to look at because

someone took the time to fix your hair and make sure you had decent clothes on
and generally looked presentable.

And isn't it funny how one year you think you're looking pretty good

and the next year your thinking OMG what happened???

7th grade 1965
(check out the bad eye)

8th grade 1966



Sophmore year 1968

Kind of like this one!!!

And I really thought I was stylin with that hair!
I like the First Communion one,
I wish my hair was still red like that, not this gray stuff.


1972- ish. Chicago beach



2010 Ren Fest with Nathan

I still feel young, my body doesn't hurt, no arthritis happening,

 not too many wrinkles yet, generally feeling ok.

I was supposed to be wearing my glasses in all of these photos,

notice they only show up in one?

Looking over these photos I realize, I was a dreamy child,

not really connected to the real world.

Not much has changed in my 57 years! 

Sometimes when I'm sad, I wonder,

what have you done, what have you accomplished,

will anyone remember you?

What about you?

How has your life been?

Till Next Time,

 Bonjour



99 Bottles of Beer On The Wall




Z CHOCOLATE MINT



SO.....

The song 99 bottles of beer on the wall

 has been floating in and out of my mind for the last few weeks.

Perhaps because the song seems to never end.

And, as I prepare for our upcoming shows, the work seems to never end.

We have five shows scheduled for the spring so I've been a busy bee.

Over the last few months I've made,

113 lip balms

26 body butters

31 bath oils

96 bath teas

300 bars of soap (I think, sometimes I get lost)

I'm probably good on most of the soap till June,

everything else I'll make as needed.

With spring soon to be here for real,

the ladies will be thinking about wearing their sandals,

 and then realize they have sandpaper feet.

Body butter to the rescue, I guarantee!!

I think I have things covered, at least for the moment!

And, as I've been busy as a bee and

thinking of endless bottles of beer, guess what?

WAIT FOR IT....

I landed another store account!!!

Yeppers, I sure did!

Shabby Sheek Boutique in Texarkana, Texas. (Google them)

This makes three total.

I'm so proud of me....

Slowly but slowly I shall make this venture work and

before I know it,

I'll change my name to Tyler Durden and

 have a whole army of people making soap for me!!!

You  know, the movie Fight Club.

(I choose to believe they were only making soap.)

And who pays $10.00 wholesale for a bar of soap anyway?

Lead me to them!!!

And what I wouldn't give to have that army

working in my herb beds. ( I really don't like pulling weeds!)

So here's to a successful spring!!!

Anyway. I've been offline so to speak, for far too long,

I'm off to see what you' all have been up to.

Till next time,

Bonjour

OH YEAH,

If you have a ruptured eardrum,

don't go to the emergency room,

find an urgent care facility!

$250.00 versus $100.00

Just thought you would want to know!!!

A Sledding We Will Go....Iditarod.. Anchorage, Alaska

IS THAT A VOLCANO?

Well....

While I'm toiling away in Zee Soap Factory my girl

 Heather is lolling about in Alaska taking in the sights.

She has 3 more weeks on this contract, 1 week home,

 then back to Anchorage for another 6 months.

She is really loving the snow, skating, skiing and

whatever else she's up to???

They must really be short on nurses up there!

Oh my!!

They're having the Iditarod so she was all over it with her camera,

Snapping pics of weirdly appropriately dressed people, beautiful dogs

and odd normal sights.

BIGFOOT?

ANASTASIA?

WHO ARE YOU?




MUSH!!!



IS THAT A WOLF?















NORMAL COFFEE

Heather reports that fuel is $3.59 a gal.,

produce, at this time is through the roof,

meat is moose, salmon and bear, to name just a few

and

IT'S DARK!!!

Go figure!

She's so brave,

I don't know if I could be there, I don't like the cold,

but I could definitely enjoy the food and sights.

How about you, would you go into the unknown to

 a totally different world from what you're used to?

Till Next time,

Bonjour

 

DIY Sweetened Condensed Milk

So....

I love myself a good cup of coffee.

 Not black, a good caramel color suits me.

I've probably been drinking coffee since I was about 5.

Mom and Dad were big coffee drinkers, they liked theirs with cream and sugar.

So, naturally that's how I like mine...... sort of.

I prefer the flavored coffee creamers as I've mentioned before.

Way too expensive... with ingredients I can't pronounce!!!!

A while back I posted a homemade coffee creamer recipe that is quite tasty.

But, me being me, I pondered, can I make this any cheaper less expensive?

Google was employed once again.

"How to make sweetened condensed milk?"

Success, I found a few recipes.

One was based on dry milk, another on whole milk.

I went with the whole milk recipe.

So I did the math,

is it really cheaper less expensive 

to make your own sweetened condensed milk?

Oh yes!!!

The Math...

Milk-$1.88 per gal. = .0146875 per ounce x 6 cups (48 oz.) = .705

Sugar-$1.94 per 4 lb (9 cups per bag). = .2155555 per cup x 4 1/2 cups = .9699997

Total per batch = $1.6749997

YIELD 4 1/2 cups total  (36 oz.) = .0465277 per oz.

Market price for 14 oz. can $1.36 = .0971428 per oz.

This doesn't factor in the electricity $$$ (Way too much math!!!)

So, if your interested here's the recipe.

Yield 4 1/2 cups

6 cups whole milk

4 1/2 cups sugar

Heat milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat stirring to incorporate.

When the sugar is dissolved raise the heat to medium high and hold at a simmer, stirring frequently.

(Don't let it stick to the bottom of the pan)

Cook for about 1 hour. The milk will thicken and turn to a beige/light tan color. Strain and cool.

(I didn't have any lumps so I don't know why they included the strain step??)
This will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

I wonder, if you used a double boiler, would it be less needy?

Also found a recipe for making homemade lemon pepper seasoning.

Nathan loves lemon pepper!!!

Till next time,

Bonjour

Sharing And Blogging

OK, OK, I confess,

 I read blogs.

I'm on a quest, and that quest is for knowledge!

I want to know everything there is to know and I don't care how I get there.

Google, blogs, books, whatever.

If you have something relevant to share, I'm listening.

I have so many interests, and you, my blog buddies,

are helping me gain the knowledge. 

Gardening, homesteading, crafting, canning,

emergency preparedness,

cheese making,

thrifting, fashion, books, 

so many things, so little time.....

I love the internet!

Maybe too much.... I really need to make soap!

(Shows start the end of March.)

Anyway, where all this leads to  is.....

Lynda at,

http://cortinacreek.blogspot.com/

awarded me a Stylish Blogger Award.

Thank you Lynda.

This woman is all over everything, sewing,

canning, cheese making, gardening....

So, after sharing 7 things about myself,

 I can pass this award on to 15 of my favorite blogs.

I think I've said enough about me so lets get on to other people.

These are in no particular order, just people whose lives I find interesting.

(There are a couple of notable blogs that I left out

because I felt they were too personal.)

So here goes!

http://lifeisshortsawn61.blogspot.com/

This blog is written by Sue, a very sweet and caring woman

who is a wiz at needlecraft, gardening and animal care.

Also manages to keep Pops in line.

http://www.clickclackgorilla.com/

What can I say, a girl who's doing  a lot of the same things I did 40 years ago!
And I thought I was the only one who dumpster dived!!

Nicolette, you rock!!!

http://bregleestate.blogspot.com/

I think brendie is on the same path as the rest of us,

only she lives in a more dangerous situation.

Also a talented crafter, chef, and frugalist.

Brendie also has some great ideas on emergency preparedness.

http://librarianismchronicles.blogspot.com/

If you need links to environmental, crafty,

or school stuff, Amber has it.

A Journalist recruited by Teach For America, 

doing her part to educate our youth.

Books are her specialty.

http://lillybeffersmaddielumpkin.blogspot.com/

Tami......

Doing things totally off the wall and making it work!

A table leg as the premise for a bookshelf?...

Way  inspiring stuff.

Her daughter is equally talented and I would

have noted her only, she's already been awarded.

http://lavenderchick.blogspot.com/

Been following Deb for quite some time.

She lives in a haunted house.

A woman who has an eye for vintage style and a way with words.

Have had many a chuckle from her blog.

Hope you check out the ladies who author these blogs.

They're willing to share their knowledge!

And being a person who rarely follows the rules, I didn't!!!

Till next time.

Bonjour