Crazy4Canning

Oh yes...funnel vision...somehow the mess from cleanup of a few spilled granules is never as much as the mess from a hot temper.

Well, Cat Boy is what I call all 'generic' neighborhood cats until I know if they are 'bonafide' homeless or just 'passing through'.

With her or him being so 'perfect' Miracle is a neutral name. So is "Blessing" for you *know* in your house this cat will be nothing but joy and doted on by your children.

Joy is also neutral - a friend of mine from Samoa has a first name of Joy and he is male.

Have fun! The rescued kitties make some of the best companions.

Brilliant, just brilliant! I remember doing similar things as a kid. We also did lots of living room camping when I was a kid - smores & dogs around the fire place, forts under the dining table. Wherever we were, the dog had to be, so we always had to make space for her. These memories are things the children will talk about for YEARS!

Well, the alcohol evaporates but a lovely flavor remains. You can always make one cake and take it to a party and try it there. OR, have a friend make it for you, invite you to tea, and try some. You may not like it and that's okay. It's not for everyone.

My mother can not stand anything with alcohol in it. It's recipies like this that make her wrinkle her nose and say, "I just can't understand where you get the taste for this...it's so disgusting. BUT your father enjoys it, so you two go have coffee and eat it."

Isn't it funny how the smallest things turn the biggest dogs into whiney puppies?

Put it in a tote marked 'cleaning supplies' LOL

I'm so glad you had an enjoyable time! It makes time fly when everyone enjoys each other.

How are you doing with this? I've done the 2 weeks, then a month, then 2. That's about all I can do comfortably without really upsetting the apple cart.

That's what I thought, about 3 boxes. I thought I'd leave the tub in there for novelty. The 'littles' like hopping in and out, taking dust baths. Ironic, huh?

Well, yesterday evening there was an egg, and this morning there was another one. Until I get some brooder boxes built, I snatched an old cast-iron baby bath tub my grandma gave me, cleaned it out and tossed some wood shavings in it. The girls knew *exactly* what to do with it.

Wow, these are so cool! This would be perfect for SO many things around here...I'm thinking everything from chicken feed to long term storage like you're using them for. Right now, all I can say is WOW....

Good for you! Sometimes a different habit is what we need to look at our daily actions and get needed change.

Just something to look at, but I much prefer Calorie King (www.calorieking.com) for nutritional analysis. I use it with my Palm Pilot. It's around $20 (per YEAR) to register and no renewal fees or additional fees. They have single items, fast food, restuarant, etc. and all the carb, sodium, fat, etc. counts so you don't have to think about it.

I personally find this easier than 'points' because it can be so easy to ignore the actual nutritional value of the food and forget that there is TONS of non-WW approved food available. Also, we stick to the Diabetic meal plans pretty close - Low carb, high protein, low fat, high veggies & fruits.

Good luck!

Excellent! These are ties and relationships that can last a lifetime!

Be sure to invite your mama to come with you (if she's in town). I was attending a quilting group for a while, but the lady had no idea how to run it or how to get everyone's skills up to an acceptable level. We had really advanced to people who didn't know how to hold a needle. It was very challenging but also very fun.

Just be sure to watch the materials lists. Sometimes there are 'homemade tools' that do the job just as well as the $35 ones.

Nice. Really nice metaphor. It is only through grace that we are made 'like new'. Thankfully, it occurs as often as we need it.

Wow what a busy neighborhood day. I'm glad you and yours are safe and that the young family is too. It makes me VERY glad all our wiring is now up to code and safe.

Prayers for the family and your neighborhood system.

Congrats on winning the ice cream party again! Can you post what you wrote to win?

It can be startling how much we look like someone, moreover how we change as we age. For some reason, I have the genetics of my grandmother...the red hair, the fair skin, propensity toward freckles. I didn't realize this but I also have her mannerisms as well. There is a photo of her resting her head on her hand...ever since I was little I do this.

I used to resent not looking like my dad or mom - my sister was the one who looked like my mom. It bugged me because I never got to know this grandmother until I was an adult. . . . now I consider it the highest compliment to look like someone who loves you.

I had to run to work with DH last night and on the way home it began to rain lightly. I dashed into the back yard to throw up the sides of the coop and stopped...rather startled that all 6 medium and larger chicks were up higher than the roost on the ledge where the screen is. They were all huddled up there, sleeping away. DH said they do this all the time, for he usually shuts up one side of the coop. The littles were snuggled down as well safe in their space. I opened the coop and only Minerva, the head Mama opened one eye for an instant. They were all tuckered out.

So...when do I let the littles out of the 'cage'? This little cage is made of hardware cloth so the medium and larger birds can't stick their heads in and vice versa.It's 2-sides of a square, up against the wall of the coop with an end...maybe I could move it away from the wall? These girls though, tend to get startled and are kept away from the food and water by the bigger ones. Maybe this is best for a while?

Nothing can replace those smiling moments. Love, joy, happiness, healthy adjustments...you are a walking poster child for good foster/adoptive parents.

Your little guy and his boots made me remember my godson when he was that age. He had yellow rubber boots that he got for christmas. He wore them ALL SUMMER. In the sun, in the sand box, in the sprinkler. His favorite thing was that he'd stand with the hose, fill up each boot and wiggle back and forth, water sloshing from the boots, then try to walk. He'd empty each boot and start again. His laughter, I swear, was carried by the angels to heaven and back.

Thanks for sharing the giggles and grins. I think I can hear the laughter from here.

YES - home canned meats CAN be very tasty lunches. I was in a hurry and pulled some of my canned beef off the shelf for sandwiches for my dad and I. He thought it was leftover roast. No kidding. He loved it! There was a bit of mayo, mustard, some homemade relish, garden lettuce and a tomato. YUM.

I've also had unexpected company stop by. I've pulled my home canned hamburger patties off the shelf, heated them up in mushroom soup, added a bit of seasoning, opened a jar of home canned green beans and potatoes, a really nice meal in under 20 minutes.

When my mom was growing up, lunch was always some sort of soup (leftovers were for snacks after school), some sort of protein/sandwich or the like.

Nice way to remind us to think outside the box.

I'm so happy that you have something precious of your father's to not only use, but remember him by.

Congrats on the wonderful day!

What a sweet story. They may forget, but I know you'll remember.

SO was this a fainting sheep?

So glad everything worked out safely.

This reminds me of the bumper cherry crop we had when I was a kid. For some reason, our Bing tree produced bushels and bushels and bushels one year. It was all we did for a month, to clean and pit cherries, drying them, canning them, etc.

Mom kept finding pits all over the house and accused my sister and I of leaving pits. We claimed innocence. It wasn't until I happened to see the dog....that I understood.

We had left 5 6-gallon buckets full (that was the 2nd picking!) in the kitchen waiting to be cleaned. The dog loved cherries and would come by and snag a few, eat the fruit, then spit the pits out of her mouth wherever she happened to be in the house....living room, stairs, etc. and mom would find them generally by stepping on them...

Needless to say, we dealt with those cherries right away!

Such a good memory. I hope you and your monkeys create happy memories!