Catching Up ~ and Waiting for the Bandwidth Limit to Reset

Hey there it's me...

it's been awhile eh?

   We woke up Sunday morning

to a wonderful day.  Our son

and granddaughter Gwendolyn

had arrived during the night while

we were asleep.  They slipped

quietly into the guest house (fifth wheel)

and came upstairs first thing in the morning.

They live in southern CA and we don't get

to see them nearly enough.

We had a late breakfast and then

headed north to crash a birthday

party in Weed.  Um, yeah that is

the name of a town...

  We met up with our daughters

family to celebrate a birthday boys

special day.  We watched our grand kids

have fun bowling and high fiving each other.

 It was Gwen's first time to bowl

and she had a blast.

 It was so much fun to see how

excited the little ones were,

and that was before cake and ice cream.

 Christmas progress:

  I dragged the totes

out of the closet, and that was Friday.

Oh, and I did bleach a package

of Christmas trees, and purchased

glitter and three sizes of pearl beads

at Michael's sales on Saturday.

I'm going to be glittering trees later

today, I hope.

  

Rick started setting up the Christmas

village on top of the entertainment

center, and that's it ~ so far.

I am nearly out of my bandwidth limit

for this months billing cycle, which

doesn't reset until the 4th.  I may

be able to post once more before then.

But that's the reason this blog will

be on a bit of an enforced break.

5000 MB isn't enough for a month

of blogging, photo uploads, and visiting

all of my favorite blogs.

(Especially after posting all of those tea tablescapes.)

We're doing something about the

bandwidth limit problem though.

We have moved from dumb phones

to smart phones with unlimited internet

access.  OMGoodness!  I'll be able

to visit and leave comments while

using the phone, and that will free up some of

the usage on my limited computer account.

There is a small problem though  ~

getting aquainted with my smart phone

is making me feel dumb... 

and so it goes.

Thanksgiving ~

ACS Think Pink Tea 2011 ~ Burgundy and Pink Tables.

This is it. ~ Here are the last two tables

that I have photos of from

the ACS Think Pink Tea for this year.

This hostess always decorates

two tables. Both of the tables

in today's posts are hers.

The jars at each place setting

 contained a selection of tea bags.

I like how she tied the crystallized sugar

 stir sticks to the jars.

There's also delicate silver spoons

tied to each tea pot.

The chrysanthemum plant stand

holds an extra surprise.

There's a $50. gift card to spend

at Home Depot.

  Fuzzy pink boa's draped on each chair.

How fun.

There's a silver spoon for each guest

on this table as well.

The napkin rings are bracelets.

Some were made with pearls,

some with beads, and my 

favorites were made with crystals.

  

The pink wire dress form

was adorned with vintage finds ~

a hat, purses, and jewelry.

~~~

So that was it,

with the exception of two other tables. 

One was a  dark burgundy and black

table that didn't photograph clearly.

The other table ~~ um, I didn't even

take a photo of  it.

It was one from the ACS Thrift Store.

The centerpiece was a rather ordinary looking

stuffed bear sitting there all by itself. 

 The table was set

very plainly... 

 and I never got a photo of it.

I wasn't thrilled with the table... sigh.

Very few people slipped their

raffle tickets into the jar on the table.

SO..  not too many  people (perhaps 10)

 were in the running to win this bear.

Turns out, that bear

which had been donated to the thrift store,

was a rare one... worth approx $300 ~ $400.

I wish I had taken it's photo now

just to remember what it looked like.

You just never know what you'll find

at the thrift shops, and yeah ~

I did judge a book bear by it's cover.

Take care,

and have a wonderful

Happy Thanksgiving.

ACS Think Pink Tea 2011 ~ Christmas, Garden Bird House, and Celtic Knot

Just one more tea post (after this one) and

I'll be finished with the Think Pink Tea Tables.

  

Here's Santa in his frosty world

of Silver, White and Blue.

~~~

This bird house was huge and had

several potted chrysanthemums on top.

   

I love the guest towels

and the cute mint tins

that she had at each place

setting for her tea party guests.

~~~

I didn't make it back to the ACS thrift

shop to use my 25% off discount coupon.

We did go there on a Friday ...

but they were closed to get ready for

a Holiday Open House the following day.

The coupons are were good for an

entire month after the tea, and

were reuseable as well. 

This weekend we split and stacked

another cord of wood for our woodstove.

Just seeing the completely filled 

wood room, plus three rows 

of stacked wood down on the driveway

gives a great scense of satisfaction and comfort.  

I get the same feelings

when looking at a pantry shelf

filled with home canned jams,

pickles and such.

This weekend was also our

Thanksgiving Potluck at Seniors.

I roasted a whole boneless ham,

while a friend baked a half a ham

to go with it.  We planned on 50 people

so we needed a lot of ham.

Let me tell you something.

There's no reason you should

cook a whole ham, still intact.

Unless you're going to present it

at a carving station... or something like that.

Just cut the durn thing in two and

save yourself a whole mess of anxiety

on whether or not it's going to be done

in time... OK.

It was delicious.

ASC Think Pink Tea 2011~ Christmas Bouquet

Isn't this bouquet pretty?

I love the idea of adding Christmas

picks to a bouquet of roses.

The rose petals scattered around

the table add a touch of romance.

There's just a few more tables from

the ACS Think Pink Tea to share.

thank goodness!

Have a wonderful weekend.

ACS Think Pink Tea 2011 ~ Southwestern Style

What we didn't know

until after every one had been seated,

 was that this table was very special.

The lady who owned this Southwestern pottery

did not win her battle with cancer.

She was our sobering reminder

that the battle against cancer 

 was why we were there.

I received a letter of Thanks yesterday

from the local chapter of the

American Cancer Society.

Together we raised nearly 11,000 dollars

to help with the fight.

I am humbled.

Candle Mat

My latest stitching project.

I found the pattern at a local

quilt/craft/sewing shop.

I'm working on four of these.

That was 136 pieces of wool felt to cut

out. Yikes!  I've finished this one.

The other three still need the

embroidery, beads and the backing

sewn on yet.  I pushed hard

to finish this one by today.

It's for someone very special

to me.

Kristine. 

 Happy Birthday Sweetheart.

I hope you are having a wonderful week

at Disneyland.  See you soon.

Love Mom. 

Going, Going, Gone

I felt compelled to take this photo

during our travels to the Bay Area

last month.   It's been awhile

since I've seen an intact pay phone.

It won't be long before they're long gone.

I thought I'd better get a photo of

one to show my grandkids (in the future).  

 I'll tell them how awful it was

 once upon a time when I

was out of luck trying to find a

 working pay phone in a safe location.

We've had cell phones ever since.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake

Here's a nicely

spiced cake that you might like to make

while it's still Autumn/pumpkin season.

This was one of the recipes

 used for the cupcakes

 I made for a Halloween party

at the Senior Center.

Those cupcakes were frosted

with a really nice whipped cream and

cream cheese frosting;

 but this lone cupcake

  was purposely left un~frosted. 

shhh... blogging secret:  That cupcake is straight out of the refrigerator ~ 

 a day old, and the coffee is hours old and cold.  I poured creamer in it anyway

just for the photo.  A cup of coffee without creamer would

look very strange to me...ha

This spicy pumpkin gingerbread is

 so good on it's own,

 that it certainly doesn't need frosting

 or even the dusting of powdered sugar

 that the recipe suggests. 

These are even better the day after baking. 

They stay moist and fresh for days

 in the refrigerator.

What was leftover from the Seniors Party

I took straight downtown to share with

Rick's co~workers. 

Sorry, I'm unable to give credit

 for where I found this recipe. I've used this recipe

for several years though.

 ~

 Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon each: salt,

cinnamon, ground nutmeg,

cloves and allspice

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Icing sugar

~

In a large bowl, beat together granulated sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil and buttermilk until smooth.  Stir together flour, soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and baking powder; sprinkle over pumpkin mixture and stir

 until blended.

Pour into a greased 9-inch square cake pan. 

 Bake in 350*F. oven for about 35 minutes

or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Let cool in pan on rack. 

 Using a small sieve,

dust top lightly with icing sugar.

A Bit More From the Veteran's Day Parade

 I love this small home town parade,

with it's community spirit

 and patriotism on display. 

 

Our morning started here

at the fire hall,  along with everyone

else getting ready to

 participate in the parade,

or to bundle up on the sidelines

to watch the parade go by.

I remember coming to the fire hall

when I was a kid to see Santa.

We each received an orange,

a bag of un-shelled nuts, and

probably a candy cane.

I remember the orange though,

as oranges were a rare treat for us.

I can't believe  this was fifty years ago...

~

The cooks working the grill.

On the menu:

Pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs,

coffee and orange juice.

  

~~~

~~~

Doesn't this car look like

it belongs in a movie

from the past?, 

And doesn't she look

absolutely right for the part?

~~~

~~~

The end.

~~~

Well not quite.

These fellas bring up the rear.

They're Redding's Asphalt Cowboys

shooting holes in their straw hats,

making lots of noise, and having

a grand old time.

November 11, 2011 Veteran's Day ~ Parade

The last remaining U.S. Marine Corps

mounted color guard,

riding wild mustang palomino horses

 rescued from the

Bureau of Land Management's

Adopt a Horse program.

Vietnam War Veteran ~ Roger Yellowknife

Sargent 1st Class ~ Squad Leader

Korean Combat Veteran

Hurled himself atop a Chinese grenade

to protect his comrads. 

Photos of the Veteran's Day Parade

Shasta Lake City

November 5, 2011

ACS Think Pink 2011 ~ My Table ~ My 400th Post!

Choosing a theme for this years

table actually started before last Christmas.

 I already had the gold and white snowflake

sheer fabric. It was meant for a gold and white

snowflake themed table...

which may or may not happen in the future.

  How was I to know that

Christmas snowflakes are usually silver?

Everything I found

 that was decorated with snowflakes

(except my inspiration fabric)

was all silver and white, or blue and white.

I found all kinds of silver snowflakes on

ribbon, plates, ornaments, tablecloths,

 and on an on. 

  Yeah, what's up with that?

Where's the gold?

Then before Christmas last year,

 I found a red cardinal holiday

storage box at JoAnn's Fabric store.

The matching napkins were found

in a different department.

 Oh ~ hmmm, maybe I can work with that.

~

 I went to Kohl's that same day

and found these cardinal holiday

dessert plates, mugs, and coasters.

(I've seen them at Kohl's lately ~ so they're still available!)

It was meant to be.

In the Christmas tree department,

they had some red cardinal ornaments.

~

Oh, Thank Goodness!

I knew I'd found this years

Think Pink Tea benefit theme

for my table.

I waited until October of this

year before purchasing the

dessert items for the basket.

Inside there's Chocolate Brownie mix,

Vanilla Cake mix, and Fudge Sauce from

Trader Joe's, and a breakfast blend coffee

from World Market.

The first three photos were taken at home

before the basket was wrapped in cellophane.

Now this is a rather sorry photo

but I wanted to show the fabric layers

on my table.  The bottom fabric

is a rich red and black.

Layered over it is the glittered sheer

fabric that had my entire house

and every surface covered with glitter.

For the actual top to keep

the glitter fabric from slipping I used

a purchased BH&G

70-inch cloth from Walmart.  I won't 

be doing that again though.

These gift bags were purchased

at JoAnn's Fabric last year after

Christmas for about forty cents apiece.

The Christmas berry picks

were also at JoAnn's Fabrics for six cents!

I tucked some sandwich sized

Ziploc baggies into the gift bag

for my guest to save an extra cookie.

Their ACS Think Pink Tea and Boutique

 program, and a 25% off

coupon for the ACS Thrift Store

are also inside.    The bags

are large enough for my

guests to take home their

gift favors as well.

Ta~da!

Do you know how many

hours I fiddled with

the dessert basket,

getting the plates to stand up,

the mugs to fit,

the cardinals to show,

the lid to stay upright... ?

Um yeah it was an ordeal.

I was pleased with how it eventually

turned out and honored that 

others enjoyed it as well.

My raffle jar had $160 worth of

tickets inside. I was so excited

when I counted the tickets. 

It was forty dollars more

 than last year. 

I'm loving the tea I found to share.

The hotel does supply tea

but you can also bring your favorites.

Have you tried  'Holiday Chai' tea ~ Stash brand?

I can't remember where I found it.

I'm out right now, but I'll be shopping for more.

When I find it, I'm buying several boxes

to last me through the winter hot tea season.

I'm fairly sure it's only available

for the holiday season.

The water goblets are

from World Market.

They were on sale,

 plus I had a $10 coupon

from the Sunday newspaper advertisement.

Sweet!

Shopping for the tea is exciting

when I can find  what I need at

a bargain and take

advantage of sales and coupons.

I also have a sweet friend

Bonnie who keeps an eye out

for me at thrift stores and yard sales.

She found the gold plated silverware

for me.  ( Hi there Bonnie!)

These Christmas cardinal towels

were an extra gift for my guests,

found just the week before the tea.

They also received the red cardinal

ornaments and a calendar.

The  candle holders were originally purchased

at Michael's with the gold/snowflake

theme in mind.  Those cute red ornament

place card holders were from

Michael's dollar bins this year. 

These red cardinal Christmas tree ornaments

were from Kohl's last Christmas.

Oh, and there's a truffle nestled against

each tea cup.  I found those at the grocery

store and purchased them because of the

perfectly color coordinated wrapping.

~

The gold and white china set

belongs to my cousin Phylis.

I love it.  It also looked very nice

with the fall/autumn colors

I used last year.  I'm thrilled

that she lets me borrow it

for the tea.  I know

she's going to send this

post's link address to her

Mom so that her Mom can

see our tea table for this year.

So, with that in mind...

 Hi Violet!

 

One last 'hi there' goes to Phylis.

She helps me set the table and

stays for the packing up afterwards.

 I love ya cousin Phylis!

Thanks so much.