Today Is The Day

Today is the day that I get up before 10, because I have things to do.
Today is the day that I find the smell in the kitchen, and clean it.
Today is the day that I do all the laundry in the house, and get it folded and put away.
Today is the day that I clean the living room, and set up the couch pieces that currently reside in the garage.
Today is the day that I call a service to clear trees in my back yard, trim/remove bushes in the front yard, and get some sod to resurface the yard.
Today is the day that I find a tile guy to redecorate the bath. Maybe he can frame the garage door on the side of the house, too.
Today is the day I stop wasting money on the gym I never bother to go to anymore.
Today is the day that I blog again.
Today is the day that I finally start up my novel.... again.
Today is the day that I stop eating for two, even though I am not pregnant.
Today is the day that I allow myself to say NO when someone asks me to do something I am not really wanting to do.
Today is the day that I stop making lists, and start working.

I think about many of these things every morning. And I get up out of bed. And I sit down in my spot on the couch, and open the computer. And it is then that I realize my addiction. I haven't blogged for MONTHS, I haven't cleaned beyond what is necessary to live, I haven't done much of anything! I have stared at Facebook. Whew! Need to stop that now.

This blog post will probably be posted to Facebook, as well. Why? Because I am that addicted.

In my professional life, I have almost always had a clean desk. It may be stacked with work, but I can always find the random piece for someone else. In my personal life, I can't say anything about organized. I have never had a good routine at home. I noticed that when I worked outside the home, the home was cleaner. I had to keep a routine!

When I was a child, our home was always cluttered. Mom and Dad both were pack rats in their own ways. Mom was a Collector, and I have that strong gene in me. I want this thing because it will match/coordinate with X, Y and Z at home. Dad was the Insulator, the one who said, "This is useful, and if I throw it out, I will need it tomorrow. I can fix that." Mom had Coca-Cola memorabilia all over the house, and a collection of lighthouses, and the collection of videos. The list grows larger every time I see what I brought home from her house. I have cookbooks, and books of every other sort. I have Precious Moments figurines, and things I have collected over the years since I left home. I also have broken computers, and parts to things I don't even remember a use for.

I can remember a time when my room was the cleanest in the house. It was a very short time. And probably right before I left for college.

All this rambling is to say that I have let the house run away without me. I have no control over the contents. The S.T.U.F.F. (from Flylady: Stuff That Undermines Family Fun) has taken over, multiplied like so many bunnies, and I am feeling crushed.

Today is the day. Today is another day in which I spend a minimum of 15 uninterrupted minutes cleaning ONE area. Dishes, probably. Sadly, Laundry and Dishes are my go-to chores. The first things I do, until I get tired and give up. I also have a goal of emptying one box. Open it, decide where things go and put them there, fold box flat and take it to my friend who is packing her home to move. Trash things... Donate things... Clean things... Find purpose or love in every THING I keep.

Psalm 118:24 (English Standard Version)

This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

So, Today is The Day.

Today is the day that I stop worrying about what others think.
Today is the day that I give up hounding myself over chores undone.
Today is the day that I allow myself to make mistakes, and be fine with that.
Today is the day that I write again.
Today is the day that I think again.
Today is the day that I water the plants. Hey, I have plants... that have survived me for over a year!
Today is the day that I stop allowing the rabbit trails to distract me.

Today is the day that I thank God for every thing I have, all I can do.
Today is the day that I expect great things from God.

There Ain't No Doubt, I LOVE this Land! God BLESS The U.S.A. !!!

I enjoy Facebook. There are so many people to connect to. Friends from such a distant past, I have almost forgotten. Most people don't realize that I have a pretty good memory for names and faces. More specially for those who made an impact on my life. Apparently, I have made those kinds of impacts on the lives of others, when I was unaware.

I am finding people that I knew in High School (and before), but I thought they didn't like me. It was not like we were ever best buds. I kept up with the best buds. It occurred to me at my 10 year reunion, and I shared with my husband, that it hadn't yet been long enough. Some of the people I didn't like during High School were still the same, and that was immature. I said maybe they would really grow up by the 20th. Here we are just past 17, and the people I am connecting with (not all of these were unlikeable in the past, mind you) are more mature, more friendly and more sure of themselves.

Maybe that was the problem. We didn't like ourselves, so we projected that hate onto others, to give ourselves someone to blame. I know I did some of that. I know also that I can't be friends with everyone... but I can be a better friend to the ones who allow me into their circles.

People are surprising. This is why I watch them so much. Age, experience and having children gives one a new sense of self. When you stretch to let another person into your sphere, you can't help but grow. I have grown (physically, too...ugh) since I was young. I thought I knew it all.... now I know simply that I can never know it all.

I can't fathom why I thought people didn't like me. I never gave them a chance to speak for or against me. I still don't understand all of why I didn't like some others. I am amazed at the good memories that my friends-again have kept of me. I hope that I never take the olive branch of friendship for granted again. I beg myself to offer that same olive branch to another... and another... and another... without fear.

If you are my Blogger friend, or my Facebook friend, please know that I appreciate every one of you. You keep my world interesting and refreshing. I may do what my friend Jon did... Thanks-giving notes... to each and every friend. I can't do the video posts like he did, but I can try to see things from another perspective. I see that I need to focus on others for a change, not on me Me ME all the time.

Again I see that I complain so much. Why? God has provided a roof over my head, two and half years of allowing me to not work for "the MAN", and given me the biggest blessings, many of which I didn't know I needed! I need to focus on the happy, uplifting and joyful things in life.

This weekend, I get to spend our Nation's Independence Day with family, friends, food and fireworks. What could be better?

Happy Birthday, AMERICA!!!

The Universe Has A Warped Sense Of Humor!

The car I got from Enterprise (paid for by the other guy's insurance) is a newer version of the car that hit me! Yes, I was assigned a 2009 Nissan Altima. The car that hit me was a 1995 model. This is a black car. I would never own a black car, not on purpose. Not in Oklahoma. The temperatures this week are supposed to be over 90 all week. With the 60% humidity and more, the temperatures are way too hot to have such a big dark car.

It is a smooth ride, turns soft like butter! Lots of fun cubbies to explore, way too many cup holders, and useless gauges to distract my attention while driving. I like knowing that there is a cruise control. But the first time I pushed the button to turn it on, I accidentally honked the horn. In fact, I honked three times before I realized that I was the one honking. I spent probably 10 minutes just adjusting the car to me, and making sure I could reach what I needed to reach. Can't damage the car right in front of the rental office, you know?

Zipper got stretched only, and is back home as of late last night. Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. The next appointment in about 6 months will be the rod replacement surgery, provided she does not break them before that. She was showing Daddy the ropes this time, since he has not been there for a stretch before. Apparently, she was angelic for Daddy. He got to see the rare happy side of a girl on the edge. I have not heard how much she grew with being straightened out. Now we just need to get some more fat on her bones to cushion her.

I have been trying to trim our budget recently. Our house related expenses went up a little when we bought this house. So I am trying to cut back on brand name things. I went to Aldi. This grocery store has good prices on food that is not name brand. I decided to try their milk, since it was so much cheaper than others. Big mistake. This stuff tasted like colored water. I used to get 2% milk that tasted better. Mystic, who usually loves drinking milk after my cereal is gone, turned her nose up at it. That sealed the decision. I have decided to not skimp on milk. I am going back to Braum's. I found a store that has the 1/2 gallon for $0.20 less than the store near DH's work. For as little milk as I use, I can pay a little more for the good stuff.

I am off to clean again. Since I know your prayers work... please pray that I don't get bogged down by the work it will take to get my new home looking the way I want it. I can't imagine how to decorate anything, because I can't see past the junk I have in the way. If I can move my pride and junk out of the way, my home can be a more open place to share the hospitality I have in my heart. I know this goal is not so lofty that it can't be met. I know I can finally have a clean home, with God's help and yours. Thanks!

Be blessed today!

Ask, Seek, And Knock. Simple Instructions.

God is so big. Massive. My realization of this fills me with awe. Saying "awesome" doesn't really share the immensity of the relationship, or the epiphany. God could be concerned with governments, planets, galaxies... or birds, fleas and grass.... but He chooses to be concerned over me. Chooses to give me more than I could ever really know I needed.

I keep coming back to the Scripture. One idea in particular stands out recently. A theme, of sorts. The words of Jesus. The way he conversed with the apostles and the people. The words he said. I can imagine him shaking his head at us... like a frustrated parent. What were you thinking? Don't you know? I have told you over and over.

It shows in the way he started different explanations. "Have you not read the Scripture?" And it is in the way he instructed by reminding. "You do not have because you do not ask!"

For Christmas in 2007, I asked for a new car. I was frustrated with the Buick and didn't want it to die on me again in some remote place. I put the request in my Elfster account that we had for our family gift exchange. I added that if I didn't ask, I would never receive. Not that I was asking the family to provide, but that I wanted the request known.

Before Christmas 2008, I had the new car.

For Christmas in 2008, I decided to ask for the grandest thing I could think of. I know that I do not have a NEED for any THING, but I have many desires. God says he longs to give us the desires of our hearts. So I went bold. I asked for a new house.

Yesterday, we received the pre-approval letter to take to our contract meeting. We have been approved to make a loan to get a home. We have chosen the home, and are working to purchase it from the owners. This "For Sale By Owner" is a friend of ours, and they never even had to put a sign up at the house.

Before Christmas 2009, if all goes well, we will have the new house I asked for.

What have I missed out on by not asking for it?

Go talk to God. He wants to give us good things.

A Full Plate

I often have to tell the tale of the origin of the nickname. Explaining CHELF gets my readers a little bit closer to the CHELF SPACE headline here. I think I have explained some before... but for those of you who may have forgotten, and those who have not read from the beginning, let me tell the story once more. (Oh, yeah, like I don't like talking about this!)

When I was in High School (and early in my Junior College days) I did babysitting to supplement my income from my first job. My favorite charge was a little girl named Amber. Now, Amber was VERY smart. Quick. Not just a kid who talked early, but one who comprehended more deeply at a younger age than other children around. Logic was obvious in her little two year old brain.

Our story begins with Amber being my rag doll. I carried that child all over our church building. Her mom would play "Who's Got You?" with her when she was with someone else. One day, I was holding Amber, and Mommy asked "Who's got you?"

Amber had made a point to try to say my name. Michelle is actually almost as hard as saying J names... it is long, and has a difficult transition in the middle. I had decided that maybe using the nickname I used in High School might work easier, Chelle. Just say Michelle and take out the MI. Chelle, like a sea Shell. Amber had decided somehow that my name needed an F on the end. It sounded better to her. It seemed to flow off her tongue. Chelf. With this in mind, I will tell you now that this time she answered with a huge sigh and a big hug around my neck, and she told her mom, "MY Chelf!"

I don't know when the idea really came to me, but I know that I chose to spell the nickname the way I do in order to put it on a license plate some day. When DH bought his little red hatchback, before we were married, I informed him of my dream. The very first all MY NEW CAR needed to have a special license plate that would say... you guessed it! MYCHELF!

This week, my dream was realized.



Now I think about Hammy the Squirrel in Over The Hedge: "Kinda anti-climactic."

I have been wanting not only the tag but the new car to put it on for more than 16 years. Amber is now in her Freshman year in college someplace. (I hear she graduated with honors near the tippy top of her class.) I have been working and saving and thinking toward this goal for a very long time. I haven't had my husband as long as I have sheltered this dream.

So, I had to share my joy today! This is a cliche', a dream come true. With pictures! Thank you for sharing in this silly joy of mine.

Belated Welcome To 2009

I have not gotten very good at updating.

I went back and read the first entry of 2008. It has been a year of changes, a year of ups and downs. A year of abundance. So, I decided to put down some new goals. I need accountability buddies this year! Volunteers need to state their intentions in the comments. Please?

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Last year: Each year, I resolve to be more organized. It lasts anywhere from two days to three months, depending on the specific exercise I am thinking about.

This year: I am thinking actually about exercise. I have joined a gym with my DH, and we are going to work out and swim together this year. His membership was paid by his boss, and mine was a discount addition to it. I am looking forward to slimming down, but getting healthy is way more important than the numbers on the clothes or off the scale. I want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs and not be breathless at the top. This is costing money, so it is more important to me. It hurts if I don't use it, for the value. I hope to keep using this.
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Last year: I also get my book list started each New Year's weekend....I would like to read through the complete Bible this year.

This year: I want to sell the books and movies that I want to weed out of our collection. I want to remove any media with cursing in it, or immoral situations that are overt and grotesque. (Easier said than done, because of some of our favorites have lots of language.) I have 17 versions of the Bible, and I am planning on studying more than reading.
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Last year: This year, I have also resolved to get the house clean. Cleaner. To work on cleaning the house more often. Yeah.

This year: I wish to clear the clutter. Keeping the dishes done, and staying on top of the mountains of laundry seems overrated. But if I clear out the stuff I don't use, maybe I can keep the space more clean.
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Last year: ...I resolve to blog more. I have been leaving this poor pet alone for a week at a time, and that is just not friendly.

This year: Same song, next verse. I already promised to work on this again. Much like organizing and exercising, I can do this. But keeping up with it after about May is tough. It shouldn't be... this is a way to share with YOU, my friends.
~~~
Last year: I don't usually like to "resolve" anything; other than fights, anyway.

This year: I have always made a point to NOT make resolutions. I think that serves governments better than individuals. I prefer this year to simply BE resolute.
~~~

Have a great 2009!
God Bless You.

The Winds And The Waves

I have to admit that Facebook has taken way too much of my time lately. I love talking, and the chat function allows me to chat with people in other states and even other countries, with no extra programs on my computer. Unfortunately for you, I have rather ignored my blog. I never run out of things to talk about, but to write it all down takes a long time for me. I do a lot of self-editing. There are drafts that you have never seen, because I used Blogger to clear my mind, not to write for publication.

I am catching up with so many people that I had lost touch with. Honestly, I was thinking about not trying to find friends from High School, because I kept up with the two or three people who really meant something to me. The rest were... stuck in the yearbooks. But then a few of my old friends found me. It just goes to show that I cannot, should not, make assumptions about my former life.

I have a host of excuses, and none of them says why I am in a funk. I don't really know myself. I just know that I am hoping to make the next year a little more interesting and a lot less sporadic. Some Word of the Posts, some pictures, not so many monologues of craziness.

Do you make resolutions? I have always made a point to NOT make resolutions. I think that serves governments better than individuals. I prefer this year to simply BE resolute. I want to do things with intention. I want to make my time on the internet productive and useful... even profitable, if I can. I want to spend more time in God's Word. I want to read more and watch TV less. I want to move more. I want to spend time in true, meaningful meditation. I want to do more with less.

I want others to know that I serve God, and Jesus is my savior. I want them to know the joy that has brought to my life, not the misery that I have put upon my own shoulders. I want to learn about faith and other things in life from my cats. I want to share what I learn with you. I want to learn from each of you.

As 2008 slows to a halt, and 2009 winds up in preparation to fly, I wish for you the Peace that passes all understanding. We may not live in a peaceful world, but His Peace will calm us in the eye of the storm. Please enjoy this song by Scott Krippayne. (I found a fan video on You Tube.)



P.S. Marvel is snoring. Have you ever heard a cat snore?

The Sound Of Silence Has A Loud Echo

I wanted to blog. I needed to blog. I got to thinking of how much I have not blogged lately. I sat at the laptop, thinking of all the things I should be doing (oh, the list is long and there is a lot of work on it), and of the election results. The poem in the previous post just rather jumped out of me. It has been a long time since I wrote much poetry. I have always enjoyed writing, and I have some poetry that I would like to share here. (Buried in a box in my spare room, and pretty close to lost right now.) I can say that writing has saved my life on at least two occasions. Unfortunately, that is literal, and not figurative.

I think every girl probably thinks about suicide, especially in Jr. High, when it is fashionable to make a feeble attempt. I came to the conclusion that everyone hated me, and I was worth nothing. I believe God nudged me to call a friend, and talk it out, and she nudged me to write it all down. Those were some powerful poems, and I may never share them with anyone. I don't quite "get" them anymore. I read one a few weeks ago, and was struck by how morbid it sounded, and how I left it there. I never really resolved the poem, even though it had helped me to resolve my feelings. No wonder the people who read it (all 2 of them) thought I was still in the gloom.

I will have you all know (please, no desperate calls) that I am fine. I am not in a funk, even though the election didn't make me happy. I have some family issues that are causing minor stress, but God is here, and I am going to make it.

Speaking of family... my Grams is in the hospital right now with a bad case of pneumonia. I have been hearing from the Aunts for two years or more that the next big bad cold she got might be the end of her. If it becomes necessary to gather the family, Mom would have to come from NM to KS, and travel would be slow and quite inconvenient. I don't know what to ask for, other than your good thoughts and prayers. I don't know the path for Grams' health. All I know is that God is in control of it all, and I want HIM to be the one to make the tough choices, and I need HIM to hold my hand through it all.

I need more sunshine. Winter is hard for me, I get stuck in the Seasonal Affect blues, and it is hard to snap out of them. Even when I am not out IN the sunshine, having it through the window is good.

OK, for those of you who have been in my house at any time in the past four years.... I mopped the kitchen. Yes, you read me right, I mopped! I am cleaning for the jewelry party I am having on Friday night... and I decided that the house needed to be clean. People would notice if I didn't clean a little deeper, so I got a new mop and got out the Pine Sol Lemon, and I mopped. Once I find the floor underneath all the boxes in the dining room, I plan to mop that too. Have I said recently how much I hate housework? And that I have never really had a clean house to maintain? Yeah, I am trying to change that this week.

I am such a procrastinator. This week has been all about moving stuff from view, and cleaning the dust bunnies that have hidden underneath it for far too long. I should have done this almost 2 years ago, when I first quit my job to stay home. Ah, well. At least I will have something nice to show for it. A party! With friends! And they may not be scared to come back to my home!

Enough procrastinating now, too. I am going to take some of this junk to Goodwill, and move the rest of it around, and clean more of the floor.

Have a sparkly day!

We Will Find Out........ Right After THIS!

I know I have been absent for a couple of days... I haven't even read one single email until so late on this wonderful Saturday evening.

Bear with me. Please. I have some awesome news, and a few things to share.

For now, I will simply say... I have not forgotten any of you, and you will get to share in the fun in a day or two. I promise.

I hope everyone is having an adventurous weekend!

The Number Of Crock-Pots Shall Be Three! (Five, Sir.)

For those who are wondering where I keep FOUR crock pots, I went and looked again. I actually have five, if you count the littlest one, that I can't cook in. To answer Flea's question, they are each in their own spot... scattered all over the 5 cabinets I have. Small ones up high, big ones down low. The 6 qt. pretty much lives on the cabinet, in the far left corner. All of them are Rival Crock-Pot brand. What have we here?

1. One 6 qt. oval removable crock. Temp adjustable with Hi, Lo and Warm. Deep green. The outside has herb leaves on it. I was hoping to win one of the new offerings from Stephanie's blog... those have a locking lid that would be helpful for travel. Oh, well. This is the one I use for the Pot Luck dinners. I couldn't find a red one, so I settled for green; but I love it.

2. One 4 qt. round removable crock. Temp adjustable with Hi and Lo. Maroon (got this as a wedding present). The outside has flowering pictures of herb plants on it. MIL wanted a removable crock, and couldn't kill her one piece. She jokingly threatened to steal mine. I offered to give it to her, but she refused. She didn't want to give up her working piece just for a flashier model. For a gift, I got her one. It was removable, an oval in blue, that matched her then new dishes. She donated her original wedding present to their church. It still works, and she had it since 1974.

3. One 2 qt. round, one piece. Knob with Off or On, but not really temp adjustable. Matches the chili pepper kitchen! I had to have this one. Don't argue with me. Seriously.

4. One 1 qt. Crock-ette, also called a Little Dipper, one piece. Plug in to turn on, no knobs at all. Deep green. Came with the 6 qt. and matches the herb pattern. This is the one I used for the Compote.

5. One Mini Potpourri Crock, one piece, plug in only. Deep green. This one could hold one cup of water, and is not designed for food. I think this one came with a set as well, but I don't really remember.

Now, I don't know exactly why I have the need to own FIVE crock pots. I have different uses for each one. There is the one that gets the cheese dip, the one that makes dinner for two, the one that makes leftovers for a week. I actually gave away a 2 qt. that matched the 4 qt. in exchange for getting to buy the one that had chili peppers on it. I have decided that I am totally wacko. I have so much kitchen stuff, and not nearly enough kitchen for half of it. Wishful thinking (there is another house in my future, I am sure) or just pack rat out of control? I can only say... "Whatever." I justified my pattern trade by letting one go out, to get one in. Seemed good to me at the time.

I love to cook, I love to make people happy with food. I have a need to have comfort food, and if I can make it fresh, it will certainly be better than the salt/fat/sugar laden canned stuff. I remember reading somewhere that there were studies done that said long, slow cooked food was better for you than seared and fast cooked food. (Don't tell Rachael Ray, her 30 minute meals are awesome, too.) I know that slow cooked meat is so much more tender than pan fried. I love a warmed and softened veggie, that still has some crunch to it. I LOVE that the term "stew" really does describe the mixing of the flavors; that the leftovers are just as good, if not better, on the next day.

I'm not so creative to make a New Year's Resolution to use the crock pot every day. (I really think Stephanie rocks!) I'm not so fanatical that I will tell you that you MUST be like me in my obsession. I like that the food can be slow cooked, and my house (and electric bill for counteracting the stove operating) doesn't have to get so hot. I adore baking, but it is a tedious and painful process in the summer. Oklahoma is not bakery friendly in the 100 degree, 80% humidity of July. I have been known to cook to keep the house warm in the winter, though.

I have learned a lot about Microwave cooking from my MIL. She is always happy to make things that don't take too long, and don't heat up the house. I had never thought of making casseroles in the microwave, and now I have a great time fixing DH's favorite. I have a few gadgets for that purpose, too. My kitchen has no shortage of interesting ways to cook dishes that I don't regularly make.

On to another subject. OH. MY. Goodness! How did it take me a whole month to read one little book? I will admit that I was reading only about one chapter a night, but... wow. I usually devour books. I don't know what is wrong with me. My friend David said that he has a sickness. We are in the same boat, seriously. See a book, buy the book. I have a whole shelf full to brimming, and that holds about 2/3 of the books I still own. I tried. I TRIED. I put enough books in the garage sale to fill a small shelf. I sold a few. But I brought back so many.

I don't know when/if I will try another garage sale. Roadrunner and I were going to do one together, but her plans have hit some unexpected bumps. I am seriously considering just dumping whole boxes of junk at Goodwill, and letting them deal with it. I figure the freedom of the clutter will help me declutter the rest of the house. I was hoping to make a little bit of money back on some of it, but that really has nothing to do with the decision. I can get a receipt for the donation of stuff. I don't really care. I just want it all out of my house.

I have always had piles of stuff, stacks of boxes in my way. I don't know why I keep some of it. There is a box of "hope chest" things, but I don't have a chest. I haven't even looked in that box in four years. I can't even tell you where it is right now. I have boxes of stuff my mom gave me from her house, that I haven't opened in almost 10 years. I haven't even been married that long! I think this year is the year to clean, DEEP CLEAN, my house. I complain that I don't know how to clean, which isn't technically true. I have never had a clean house to maintain, but that is no real excuse. "Mess equals Stress." Thank you, Mrs. Rice. Yes, I need to clean up, and maybe that will get rid of some of the depression, stress, and moodiness. I don't know. I should certainly try.

Time to jet. I have a women's class to attend, studying keeping cool and eating for less $$ and, most importantly, following God's plan for my household. Beginning, of course, with me. I need that lesson.

Have a happy day!

Where Did You Find That?

This week I have been cleaning out boxes full of stuff I haven't looked at for years. I am cleaning, and pricing to get ready for the garage sale this coming weekend. Roadrunner and I are doing a sale at her house, with three families worth of junk.... er, treasures. This has cleaned up space for me to actually organize the junk... er, stuff I still have. In all of my sorting, I have found a few special things that were lost.

The one thing that I am sharing with you here, is the recipe that I have been tearing the house apart to find. A note: I make this in my 6 quart oval crock pot, and I only make half, so I don't have to worry about the lid not fitting. And it makes the whole house smell so wonderful!!!!

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Crock Pot Apple Butter

24 cups (approx. 30 medium) apples, peeled, cored, and sliced. (Cameo variety works great!)
4 cups granulated sugar (or less to taste, depending on the sweetness of the apples)
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Place 1/2 the prepared apples in a 6 quart crock pot. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add half of the sugar mixture and half of the vinegar to the apples. Add remaining apples, top with remaining sugar mixture, and remaining vinegar. Cover with a lid. Lid may not fit at first, but apple will shrink down as they cook. Cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 hours, until thick and dark in color. Stir occasionally and mash apples with a potato masher to get a smooth consistency. Makes approximately 4 1/2 quarts of apple butter.
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You can substitute 4 or 5 teaspoons of pumpkin spice mix INSTEAD of the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. (But I prefer the strength of flavor of each spice separately.) Half recipe measurement of note: I also add a 1/4 cup of dark rum; it adds color and flavor, and the alcohol cooks out. I put the apples in late one night, and do the canning the next day. I can the apple butter in 1 cup glass jars. I also take out some of the juiciest juice, to make the butter thicker. It makes a tasty snack or an interesting addition to sweet desserts, or an awesome ice cream topping.

Reserve the apple peels and cores to make a potpourri in a mini crock pot. Mix with orange peels, lemon juice or peels, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, tea bags, peppermint oil (only a drop or two, or your eyes will burn!) and whatever spices you love, and cover with water. Simmer all day long for an irresistible aroma in your home. Make sure to keep the water level up, as it evaporates in the heat.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please tell me if you try it, I want to know what everybody thinks of it. Have an enjoyable Tuesday!

May I Have Your Attention?

Word of the Post
Today's word is: caprine
/cap"rine/ adjective
Being, pertaining to, or speaking of a goat. Related information: the Zodiac sign of Capricorn is named so for the stellar constellation that is said to resemble a horned goat. DH was born a Capricorn.
The little field stickers coated my socks, their caprine horns reaching through the cotton to pierce my skin.
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I have to put this edit in a new post. How crazy is that?

Ever since I put in that last thing... the Google Map made the last post go hokey, so I can't edit in there. I am so happy I was finished. Glad I didn't call anyone an ugly name!

MammaMia (if you didn't see the comments) clarified that her hubby, in fact, did NOT attend school at Oklahoma Christian. His friend did. I am sorry. Guess I just lumped it all together in my memory. It was a month ago, so I am losing the detail I so crave. But all the boys knew mutual people from O.C. So at least I had some of the detail right.

Graduation Season is upon us. (Does this mean we can shoot them?!?!) I know at least five High School Seniors, and I had hoped to give them all some denomination of money. Life is terribly expensive, no? Wedding Season also quickly approacheth. I am attending a Shower for one bride-to-be from church this Saturday. If I give a small gift or a card without money in it, I feel cheap. If I give more, well.... you multiply any given amount by 6 for this weekend alone, and you get the small fortune I wish I had. Truth be told, the bride and my graduating cousin will get the most bucks, because Brides need stuff and Cousins who send announcements deserve more than the kid I barely know at church. Sounds harsh here, and I am not trying to be. Two of the local grads are going to Europe in the next few weeks. Oh, the jealousy is threatening to show it's ugly green head.

This weekend, I shall be playing the Final Round of the Scrabble Tournament. My final game will determine 3rd place. I am in the Losers Bracket. There were four siblings in this Tournament, and the oldest and the youngest are also playing this weekend, to determine who is 1st from the Winners Bracket. I play early on Saturday morning. Good thing it is happening at a coffee shop!

There are sugar ants in my kitchen. I have a rather large cleaning plan ahead of me. I think there are still critters in my ceiling, too. Things that make funny noises in the dead of night at our house. I have trouble sleeping when the little scratching noises commence. It was better to have a child running across my ceiling in the apartment above me. At least that stopped sometimes. The mom of that kid used to threaten to get me to come up and yell. That always made me laugh. I figured that they were quiet enough, especially late at night. The kid was a child, and needed to run off some of her energy sometimes. I didn't mind so much. I am a night owl, and she was in bed when I was sitting up doing my thing. I was at work when she was running. Or I was downstairs, listening, and laughing at the fear the mom was trying to use to teach her baby girl manners. I never did tell the mom that she was doing a good job.

I am so far behind on reading for the 888 Challenge, I may never catch up. But, I am valiantly making an effort anyway. I have finished reading two more books this week, and have two small study books that are almost finished as well. Then, on to the Blog Friend Writers. I have a stack of books from writers that I have met on the Blogs. The hard part will be deciding which to start with. I also plan to re-read the Christoper Paolini books (Eragon and Eldest), since his third (Brisinger, according to rumor) is coming out this September. I think I shall probably re-read the Harry Potter books, too. They are entertaining, and I can read them pretty quickly. I am trying very hard to not use all children's books that can be read in five minutes. I could have a section for that, but it can't be the entire list.

For the 888 Challenge, I have my categories started:
1. Here There Be Dragons
2. Blog Girls Writing
3. Autographed Collection
4. Political Opinion and Satire
5. Books of THE BOOK (Bible books as well as study guides)
6. I Missed That (High School Reading I never got to)
7. Ooo, Hoo, Witchy Woman (Occult fantasy/sci-fi)
8. Miskolc, Mish-mash, Miscellaneous (Catch-all Category for Leftovers.)

So, does it sound as if I will be reading interesting things this year? I probably should put the Bible category first, but that isn't the order it popped into my head just now. I have a written guide list, and this may change as the year's reading progresses. Since I need to be held accountable for actually reading some, I thought I would put this out there, for you all to help me with. Hopefully, I can have a completed list in November or December. I actually hoped for a full list, not the shortened list with the 8 overlaps I am allowed. If I am going to do this, I should do it right. Keep me honest!

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday. I will work on the Vacation Chronicles this weekend, and hopefully add a new segment before Tuesday.

Free Friday

Thursday afternoon update on Pop:
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Change of plans! We got a call from Pop about 8:15am today that they were flying him to Albuquerque to have the pacemaker/defibrillator put in. Mom hurried up the hospital and then found out that she will be flying with him to Albuquerque. So Ellyn (my sister) and I to are flying around trying to get everything packed, animals and watering looked after by neighbors and etc for--we're not sure how many days. Those of you who know me know that spontaneous isn't exactly my middle name but there's not much else to do in this case! :)

As far as this pacemaker/defibrillator, I read the pamphlet on it last night about 1:30am and IF I remember right, I think they call it an ICD, which I just looked up and it is short for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. Basically the pacemaker regulates his heart rate. If the device senses that his heart gets out of rhythm, the defibrillator immediately shocks his heart back into rhythm. According to the pamphlet, some patients never need the defibrillator. Patients who do however report that some never feel the shock, some notice some sensation and others say it feels like being kicked in the chest by a mule. Hopefully Pop doesn't have the mule experience if he ever needs it, but it does sound like the best choice for him and should keep his heart from doing the dangerous ventricular fibrillation it was doing yesterday.

As of yet, we don't know when exactly they will be doing the procedure. Pop's doctor last night was saying that usually the first day they evaluate him and then do the procedure the next day. We're hoping then that they do the procedure tomorrow (Friday) because otherwise it will be Monday before they do it. I'd hate for Pop to have to sit in the hospital waiting for 3 or more days before they do the procedure, but I if that's the case there's nothing we can do about it.

I just spoke with Mom a few minutes ago and she said they would be flying them both to the Heart Hospital of NM (NM Heart Institute) around noon (MST) which is just about any minute now. For those of you that are out of state, Albuquerque is about 200 miles south of Farmington/Aztec. The Heart Hospital is off of I-25 near the downtown area, so it's basically in the (pardon the pun) heart of Albuquerque.

So I will try to keep you updated if I have internet access to do so. Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers!

Love,
Laura
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I think this means the prayers worked, and Pop won't have to have bypass surgery, since they are afraid for his chances of survival. But, he is still having surgery, so please keep him at the top of your list this weekend.

For another bit of danger averted, we had a small tornado fly-by on Wednesday. There were at least two confirmed touch-downs within five miles of our house. I had the cats in their travel boxes, all useless electricity turned off and unplugged, and the laptop with me in the bedroom near a huge heavy blanket, a battery-operated radio and a flashlight. We just had wind, which can sometimes be more damaging, and rain. Lots of rain. The circulation was visible from my front porch, moving due north. The whole storm was only an EF Zero. There were gusts recorded at one of the Television Stations around 120 mph, but most of the storm was moving near 55 mph. The Meteorologist was amazed, and said on the air that he didn't believe the measurement. But, the storm broke a tree in their yard near their building. Their own staff were hiding in the central bathroom.

For all that worry and preparation, nothing happened. I am thankful, don't mistake my meaning, but... I am a little disappointed. Not that I wanted our house to get hit. I just wanted to SEE it! I have missed so many storms that had awesome clouds, visible circulations, and moving funnels. I just wanted to see one! Up close, but not dangerously close. I suppose it is a craving for something dangerous. My sense of adventure was piqued, and I can't help but feel that cowering was the right thing to do, but I also feel I missed a great chase. How twisted does that sound? (I hadn't thought of it as a pun, until I read it again. Ha!)

DH was at work preparing to leave for the day when the sirens went off. He and others decided to stay at work, and save the computers, while not driving home in the storm. The line of the storm was bearing down on us at 5:00 pm, and was well past us, and weakening, by 5:30 pm.

I still have a few thoughts to type for the final installment (maybe two) of the Vacation story. I am doing laundry today, and building a paper budget, so it will still be a day or two before those get out there. I am truly sorry, because I don't want the people who were visited at the end of our trip to think that they are any less important than the people we saw first. Too bad, because the longer I wait, the less detail I get saved.

Happy Weekend!

Resolutions For The Faint Of Heart

Each year, I resolve to be more organized. It lasts anywhere from two days to three months, depending on the specific exercise I am thinking about. I can start by sending out birthday and anniversary cards, but by the time I reach my own birthday in May, you may as well count yourself out if you expect a card from me. It is absolutely NOT that I don't think about people, it is that I get so busy and forgetful that I don't think to send a card. Which is a disappointment to me, because I like to send out real snail mail. I think it is much more personal to get a letter as opposed to an email. And a phone call is the best.

I also get my book list started each New Year's weekend. I have a stack of books to read all the time. It is a rotating stack. I have added a new element to the sidebar. The books that are currently in my stack are on the new list. This list will change as I finish reading books, or add more to the stack. I hope to keep up with that this year. Hope being the operative word. I would like to read through the complete Bible this year. I have tried this for several years. I always get stuck in the boring books.... Lamentations (too sorrowful) or Leviticus (tedious laws of the Jews) or Numbers (I hate math and genealogies). Even Matthew and all the "this one begat that one" language gets to me.

This year, I have also resolved to get the house clean. Cleaner. To work on cleaning the house more often. Yeah. Anyway, I am off to a good start. I cleaned the shower/tub today, and replaced the broken shower head. When we were without power for five days, everything froze. We didn't have any broken pipes, because I left the water dripping, but I think there was water in the shower head, and that froze, and cracked the handle. It was leaking. So, now we have a fancy new one that we can actually change the pressure on.

Last, but not least, I resolve to blog more. I have been leaving this poor pet alone for a week at a time, and that is just not friendly. I hope to have less to say, but to say it more often. I don't know how it will work, but I want to try. I would love to include more pictures. I also plan to keep going with the words of the post.

I don't usually like to "resolve" anything; other than fights, anyway. I always get to thinking about the church song..."I am resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the World's delight...." I don't like that song too much, and I guess it carries over to the word and then to the action of resolve. To make a huge statement of resolution makes it more.... I guess, pressured. I put pressure on myself to keep the promise, and I am not very good at long termed actions. I am too lazy. I procrastinate. I am a perfectionist. It has to be just so, or it doesn't get done at all. I suppose I operate best on lists. I make a list and then check things off as they get done. I suppose I should do as the Bible says, to say, "if the Lord wills it".

Have a great 2008!