* jUNKIN *

Last Friday I had to take Curious J to pre-school and decided I would go by the thrift store . Some call it junkin , but it's really smart shopping. You're giving new life to these items , aka recycling and saving money. The thrift store I visited Friday is a non-profit store and proceeds go to the schools in our county , another great reason to thrift shop.

I did buy a couple of things I didn't exactly need , but they are things I will use. I went to find some cloth napkins and this is what I came home with , but it's less than I normally buy when I go junkin . I did get 6 navy blue cloth napkins for 1.50 . I found Curious J a really nice winter coat , he will be able to wear it for a couple of years most likely. I also found him some dinosaur bones sandmolds , we 'll enjoy these this summer.

I found the cutiest Easter tree and ornaments , I originally thought I would put it on e-bay. But I've decided I want to keep it and use it for decoration and I couldn't resist the bunny basket , so it's a keeper too.

I bought a couple of books and some magazines , some yarn and a couple of toys for the wee ones. I spent a total of 22.25 , not bad for this junk (LOL).

I did ask myself , if I really needed these items and most were needed or would be used. I didn't accept the plastic bags either , just put my items back in the cart and took them to car , I forgot to take my cloth bags in the store.I had to stop at the grocery store and pick-up some cat food , bread and a couple of other items , I did remember to take a cloth bag for these items.

I'm still doing the create everyday 2008 ~ just haven't posted them , hopefully I'll get to that this week.

I had a busy weekend with the grandchildren , so haven't had time to blog. Hope your weekend was great and green !

~ JoyceAnn ~

~ Curious J's Puppy ~

Curious J got a puppy this week , she's so cute. I suggested he name her Betsy , after a little girl we saw on a Curious George movie he was watching. He called her Betsy a couple of times , then he started calling her Patsy , so I guess her official name is Patsy. Patsy watched the Curious George movie with him , looks like she going to be the perfect companion for him.

~ Hope your day was Blessed ~

* ~ * National Pie Day * ~ *

Today is National Pie Day , thought I would share a pie recipe. This is one of our family favorites , makes two pies and is very easy to make.

~ Buttermilk Pies ~

3 cups of sugar

3 tbsp. self-rising flour

6 eggs

1 stick of margarine

1 cup of buttermilk

1 or 2 tsps real vanilla

2 unbaked pie frozen pie crusts

Add 3 cups of sugar to your favorite mixing bowl , dump 3 tbsps of self-rising flour on top and stir together with an old wooden spoon.

Add eggs and stir into sugar mixture until smooth .

Melt 1 stick margarine and add to mixture , stir.

Add 1 cup buttermilk and vanilla , stir well.

Pour into 2 unbaked pie shells and bake at 375 % for about 40 minutes.

If you like custard or chess pie , you'll like this pie.

Don't forget to brew a fresh pot of coffee and enjoy !

~ Calories don't count on National Pie Day ~

(LOL)

Hope your day has been a great one !

* One inch ~ Maybe ? *

We didn't get much snow , just a ground covering. It was beautiful while it was falling and I did try to get some pics but it's melting fast.

I wandered out to the garden and took a pic of my garlic that's starting to sprout up. The garden made me long ...... for spring , I feel that need to get my hands back in the dirt. I think I'll start planning my veggie garden this week and start looking for seeds.

Hope your weekend is Blessed !!

* Let It Snow *

We're suppose to have snow today , the weatherman is predicting we will see 1 to 3 inches. We don't see much snow here , maybe once a year and it's usually small amounts. I feel like a child just waiting and anticipating. I'm hoping we'll get enough for Curious J to build a snowman and go sledding.

Lastnight I drew this snowwoman for my create everyday challenge. I hope to add some color to her today and place her in my journal.

I need to go fill up the birdfeeders , find the snow gear and put on a pot of soup. I love snowy days , just thankful we don't have many.

Have a Great weekend !

~ Protecting Our Loved Ones ~

I wasn't going to post a pic of my grandson , painting his hearts on my last post. One of our Dear Glitter Sisters had a really upsetting experience a few weeks ago. An overseas porn site linked to her blog , they linked to a post that had a pic of her granddaughter. I had just posted pics of my new grandbabies , when I read about this happening , I deleted the post . I also went through my blog and deleted all photos of Curious J.

Although I enjoy the www , it can be a very unsafe place. I enjoy sharing my grandchildren with my friends from blogland. Most of you are mothers , grandparents or friends who enjoy seeing them grow , change and enjoy life. We should be careful about what we expose on our blogs. I won't be using the grands names anymore. Most of you know Curious J's name but please refer to him as Curious J from now on. I will be calling his brother Sweet Baby J and my granddaughter will be refered to as Little Missy.

I wanted everyone to know why I don't use their names anymore. I will alter all pics that I post. Below are some tips you should consider if you're posting about loved ones on your blog.

Do not use real names ~ Choose nicknames or use the first letter of their name.

Do not mention locations ~ State/ City / School /

Do not post pictures ~ I have chosen to use altered photos

You may want to consider a private blog ~ only those with password can access the blog

I don't want to seem impersonal , but I have to protect my loved ones. I hope you understand and will take precautions also.

Hope everyone had a Blessed day !

~ ~ Valentine's Tree ~ ~

Curious J was sorely disappointed when I took the christmas ornaments off the trees. He has a small tree in his room and I told him last Thur. , he could spend the night Saturday and we would make hearts to hang on his tree.

So I cutout foam hearts and let him paint and glitter them. Usually he's ready to run off after the first 5 to 10 minutes , but he painted and glittered for about an hour that night. He was proud of those hearts and the tree looks beautiful , guess we've got a Holiday Tree for sure.

Sunday , we made Kitty Cat Heart magnets. I enjoyed having him this weekend , he's matured so much since he started pre-school. He's talking more and a bit bossy (LOL).

Hope everyone else had a great weekend.

7 Weird things about Me .......................................

I've been tagged by MissKoolaid at http://misskoolaid.blogspot.com/.

~ List 7 weird things about myself ~

• 
  
  I have a feather over my front door to keep evil away.


• 
  
  My house looks like a museum , I've been told.


• 
  
  I collect feathers and believe there is a message from each one I receive.


• 
  
  I collect plastic bags , just can't make myself throw them away. ( Started using cloth bags at the start of this year )


• 
  
  I like to sit on the floor ..........


• 
  
  I eat weeds (herbs) from my backyard


• 
  
  I love making compost and enjoy the smell of that dark dirt.

I really don't consider these weird , but others do.

I'm suppose to tag 7 other people , but I know most of you have done this before. If you haven't or would like to do it again , just add your link to the comments.

~ Wishing everyone a Happy Day ~

Feeling Yucky ~ ~ ~ ~ creating True Beauty

Yesterday I had a virus , my youngest daughter's family had it over the holidays. Guess , it was my turn , yuck.

I decided to create some " True Beauty " between my runs to the commode (LOL). YD gave me oil pastels for Christmas , so I decided to give them a try. Need to learn more about oil pastels , this was the first time I've used them since I was in elementary school. Many moons ago and I don't remember much about them. I thought the flowers turned out o.k.

I've felt better today , no diarrhea , my stomach still feels queasy at times. Last night I made a blackberry drink , boiled some water and added a tbsp of blackberry jam to a cup and drank about 3 cups. I learned about this herb a few years ago when my dad was sick with diarrhea , he told me he needed some blackberry jam. My Dad told me Grandma used blackberry for diarrhea problems when he was a boy. I believe this is the reason I became interested in learning about herbs. I have made blackberry tea from the leaves too. Yesterday I was to sick to venture outside , so I used the jam I made last spring to make a concoction.

Hope everyone is well and had a blessed day.

Baby , It's Cold Outside

The last few days have been bitterly cold , but no snow , although we did get a few flurries Wed. Yesterday I decided to put on a pot of chili beans and let them simmer in the crock pot all day. I love having jars of tomatoes and frozen bell peppers from the garden to add to the chili. It gives you a great feeling to know exactly what you're eating. We topped the chili beans with some cheddar cheese and added pickled jalapenos from the garden. Jalapenos will certainly warm you up on a cold day . The chili was my creation for yesterday.

I did work on an ATC , but can't share that because it's a gift . After she receives it , I will post a pic . Speaking of pics , I've started a new blog http://joyceann-createeveryday2008.blogspot.com to keep a journal of my creations for the Creative Every Day 2008 challenge.

Curious J spent the night . We've been finger painting today. He didn't like it to much , doesn't like getting his hands dirty . Hope that changes in the future.

~ * ~ Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend ~ * ~

~ * ~ Happy New Year ~ * ~

To all my blogging friends .......

I Pray that your New Year is Blessed with

Love , Peace , Good Health and Happiness !

Happy New Year !

* Santa's Green Gift of Heat *

Santa brought DH & I a Heatmor furnace for Christmas. We decided awhile back it was time for a cheaper heating source ( DH reasoning ) and I wanted to become less dependent on foreign oil/fuels.

This source of heat seem to be the solution to our problem. Dh didn't want an indoor wood heater. We live in a older home that is constructed of pine wood , our home would burn quickly if fire broke out.

Wood is a environmentally friendly , renewable resource that reduces greenhouse gases and doesn't produce extra carbon dioxide.
There are concerns about smoke pollution , but most of these units have emission controls that should help with that.

We will also heat our hot water with this , less electrial ( nuclear energy ) use is another plus for me.

* ~ * Something for the Birds * ~ *

The weekend before Christmas , Curious J and I made bird feeders. I was going to take pics but Curious J was wild with the birdseed , so I didn't get a chance. We made them for his Momma & Daddy , Nana (me) & Papa , Big Nana ( My Mom ) and his Aunt J and Uncle S.

We or should I say I , Curious J didn't like smearing the peanut butter on the giant pine cones ,so I had that job. He loved pouring the birdseed over the pine cones and playing with the seeds like sand. We attached a piece of yarn for hanging in a tree.

We put them in paper bags and I punched holes in the top and tied with twine and added a feather for decoration. Curious J didn't tell a single soul what we made , we just said they were surprises. I thought he would tell everyone what was in the bags , but he didn't.

We enjoyed making them and I'm sure the birds will like their treats. I hung mine outside Wednesday , but the birds haven't found it yet. Will try to take some pics , when they find it.

Everyone loved their bird feeders and Curious J looked so proud of his creation. His green and very messy gift ( birdseed everywhere , LOL ) was definitely worth that proud look.

* * * Green Gifts * * *

This year I gave Green Gifts to my family and friends. I stamped the plain bags with a Christmas tree stamp I made. I added some canned goods , all homemade and from the garden this past summer , Kosher Dill Pickles , Salsa , Jalapeno Peppers , Strawberry Jam. A couple of jars wrapped in tissue paper were tucked in the gift bags.

I recycled some of my past holiday cards for gift tags.
Each tag said ....

Help me
Help Mother Earth

Please reuse your jars or return to me.

Recycle your bag next Christmas ( add your own decorations )
and pass it along.

Merry Christmas !

I'm looking forward to next year , wonder how many will actually decorate their bags and pass it along. I know one of my friends was really thrilled about it and said her bag would be heavily embellished next Christmas.

I'm not sure if I should have asked them to return the jars to me if they didn't reuse them , but I will use them and don't want them sent to the landfill. My ancestors were called Indian Givers because of this practice , but they believed if you were given a gift and didn't use it , the gift should be given to someone who would. It wasn't considered rude to ask for it back , if they weren't using it or for the person receiving the gift to give it back if they didn't need it. This wasn't considered ungrateful or rude , it was handled in a respectful way.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I will be posting more about my Green Christmas in the days to come.

~ ~ ~ Merry Christmas ~ ~ ~

The Holidays are here and I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I'm sending , loving , peaceful and happy thoughts out to all my friends and family this Christmas season. Love you all and hope your Holidays are wonderful.

Time to head to the kitchen and get some cooking and baking done.

Merry Christmas !!

Stellaria Media aka Chickweed ~ Lemony Chickweed Feta Salad

The herbal class I took ended Dec. 6th , I enjoyed taking that class and learned to identify several herbs. One of the herbs I learned about is Stellaria Media aka Chickweed or starweed , my backyard is full of this wonderful herb. It has a wonderful mild almost sweet taste and can be used like lettuce.

Sunday I harvested a basket full and made a lemony chickweed feta salad , it was delicious. My dh was hesitant about trying it but he did and actually liked it. My daughters loved it and I'm really impressed with the herb and salad. I will be trying more recipes with this herb.

I found the wonderful recipe at this website , Prodigal Gardens ~ Medicinal Herbs Aand Wild Foods , she has some great information and recipes on her site. Check it out if you're interested in herbs.

~ ~ Getting Ready for the Holidays ~ ~

I finally started decorating for the holidays this week. Decorated the tree Monday , I enjoy seeing the ornaments from the past and all the memories they evoke.
Strung the vintage lights around the front porch on Tues , those big bulbs have the most beautiful colors. I found some vintage replacement bulbs at the thrift store awhile back , I was thrilled. You can buy replacement bulbs new , but the colors just can't compare.

I'm planning to make goodie baskets for my family this year. Money is tight for everyone this season , so we decided not to buy gifts. I like the idea of giving something homemade anyway. I plan to start giving green gifts , so a goodie basket will be a perfect start. I will use items that can be recycled , the jars and shredded paper. The basket can always be reused.

The new babies are doing well , I will be keeping baby J today. Curious J is doing really well with his little brother , although there have been some moments of jealousy.

Hope everyone is doing well !

~*~ Christmas Stocking Swap ~*~

I joined a Christmas stocking swap that Peggy at Hidden Haven Homestead is hosting. I received my stocking last week from Kathleen at The Open Window. I've been so busy with grandbabies , sick dog and daily life that I haven't had time to post.
The stocking is beautiful and was filled with a cute pair of knit slippers , fall themed memo pad and recipe cards , Land of Lakes hot chocolate and a wonderful christmas card. Thanks Kathleen , I plan to curl up with some hot chocolate and watch a christmas movie one night this week.
I will be sending my stocking out by the end of the week.

~~~ It's almost time ! ~~~

It's almost time for the girls to have those grandbabies. My oldest daughter is due Nov. 23 , but they may induce her the first of the week. The youngest daughter will have some testing done on Monday to see if the baby's lungs are developed. They are planning to induce her next week too. It's looking as though I might be spending turkey day at the hospital.
Can't wait til these little bundles of joy are here. It's been kinda stressful this past month. Dr. appts every week , stress test for the youngest daughter and last Sunday I had to take the oldest daughter to the hospital. She woke up dizzy and feeling bad , when we arrived at the hospital , they checked her and said she was dehydrated. She has been feeling alot better since.
The youngest daughter had a ameo test last Monday , the results were negative , meaning the lungs are not mature. She has been miserable , itching intensely , mostly at night so she isn't resting well. It hurts me to see her this way , I'll be so glad when the birth is over and she is blessed with a healthy baby boy.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.



Hope everyone is having a wonderful , creative weekend !

Love & Hugs

Fall Planting & Preparing

This week I've been digging up my irises and daffodils and replanting them. I finished planting and mulching them yesterday. Can't wait to see the blooms this spring.

Garlic ..... I planted garlic Saturday and finished mulching it yesterday too. This is the first time I have ever planted garlic and I'm curious as to how it will turn-out. I love cooking with garlic , it adds such a wonderful natural flavor and is good for you too. The great thing about growing garlic is there isn't to much work in it. You plant , mulch and let it grow. It will grow until next June or July. I will need to add a natural fertilizer in the spring as the garlic starts to sprout up.

Moved all the tropical plants down to the basement lastnight. We're suppose to have a hard freeze tonight. I need to get busy and clean out the basement. There's a lot of clutter down there too. Maybe that will be my weekend project.

Hope you're having a great week !

Treasures

I haven't posted in awhile , been busy cleaning and decluttering. I've finished the livingroom , diningroom and the kitchen is almost done but I plan to reorganize my cabinets next week.
I still have two bedrooms , and the art studio to clean.
It feels wonderful to have a clean , decluttered home , if only I would clean every month and keep it this way.

The grandbabies will be arriving soon. My oldest daughter went to the doctor yesterday , her cervix has thinned 50% and her Dr. told her to feel free to have the baby anytime now.
My youngest daughter is having the liver problem again , they plan to induce her around the middle of Nov.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

I did want to share one of my most treasured pieces of art. My brother-in-law painted this indian chief for me Christmas of "98. He painted and etched the chief on a piece of plywood , I love his painting. He died two years later at the young age of 39. He was a wonderful person and a great artist and I still miss him.


Hope your week has been great and your weekend is even better.

~*~ Mermaid Swap ~*~

The Glitter Sisters did a mermaid swap over at Violette's Creations. The photos above are the mermaid and atc I received.
Kelly at http://kelskreation.blogspot.com/ created this mermaid type card , it has the backside of a mermaid looking inside , the caption reads " Beauty ..... Look Within ". This was her first glitter sister swap and I think her art is wonderful.

Now , I need to figure out how to download these photos to the Glitter Sisters flicker group.


Hope everyone has a wonderful blessed weekend !!

Clean Windows ~~~ Horray !!!

Yesterday I cleaned these 72 window panes , inside and out. I used white vinegar to clean them and was very pleased with the results. Vinegar is definitely better for the environment and cheaper on the wallet. I'm trying to go green as they say and I want to live a simple , self sufficient life.

Small things can make a difference to our wonderful Mother Earth , so give vinegar a try.

*** Fall Decorating ***

I spent the day decorating for Fall. I love falltime , time to show off the oranges , yellows and reds of the season.

I had to clean the front porch first , lots of spiderwebs and dust to get rid of.

Tommorrow , I will be cleaning windows , we have a large picture window with 72 small panes.
I love that window , but I sure do hate cleaning it.

* Making Pine Needle Tea *

I made my tea from the white pine tree , Judie I don't think it is as strong as other pines , although you can use them too.
Kelly I just picked the fresh pine needles and used my kitchen shears to snip them. I used a coffee filter to hold the snipped needles and then twisted the top of filter and tied it with string.
I boiled some water while I was preparing the needles , poured hot water over the tea bag and let it seep for 5 to 10 minutes. It didn't taste strong to me. I have been drinking a few cups everyday over the last week or so. I feel better , but I still have some congestion and it is helping to expel it.



Hope this answered your questions.

Pine Needle Tea ~~~ Congestion ~~~ Crazy

My hubby said , people would think I was crazzeee. I made some white pine needle tea last week when I was sick. Cherokee people believed it was sacred medicine , good for congestion and breathing problems. I had never tried it before , but decided I should , if it was good for my ancestors , it should be good for me. I was impressed with the tea , it definitely brought up the congestion and helped with shortness of breath.

My family has been looking at me strange lately , as I try these natural herbs.
I do believe the creator created these plants to help us and we need to get back to the natural way.

So , people might think I'm crazy , but I feel so much better.

I've been working on my mermaid swap this morning. I've got my mermaid completed , now I've got to make a ATC.

I'm headed to the kitchen to pickle some more peppers and make some white pine needle vinegar.

Just call me Crazzeee !!

O.k. , so Curious J started pre-school last week and I've been sick every since. I'm just starting to feel better. I missed my first Wild , Edible and Medicinal Plants class , the 1st class was last Thur and I awoke with a fever that day. The class is every other week , so maybe I can start next week.

The only thing left in the garden are jalapenos peppers , the deer ate the okra last week. They also ate the bell peppers , banana peppers and cheyenne peppers. I couldn't believe they ate the cheyenne , but they did. I saw a mother and two young ones grazing in the garden last week , I guess the young ones ate those peppers. I bet they were running for water. Hot ~ Hot ~ Hot !
I received my seed garlic last week. I ordered it from Hood River Garlic , you can check them out at www.hoodrivergarlic.com . This will be my first time planting garlic , I will start preparing the beds in the next two weeks. The garlic will be planted around the end of Oct. Hope it does well.

Wishing Ms. Judiemacawhead and Janet a very Happy Birthday !!!

This weekend we will be closing the pool up for the winter , good-bye summer - hello to Fall.

Hope your week-end is blessed with happiness !!

Busy Week ~~~ Need another Vacation !!

I started this post last week and never finished it. My oldest daughter and her husband have been staying at my house while they do some remodeling. It has been hard to find a quiet moment to blog. So I'm posting what I started last week , I saved it and was going to take some pics but my batteries were dead in the digital camera and I had to charge them. Then I didn't get a chance to take the pics or get to the computer.
It was a very busy Labor Day weekend. On Saturday , my daughters , sister-in-law and I went to some yard sales. We only found 2 , one was being held at The Performing Arts School , wish we would have got there earlier. They had arts and crafts items , very good prices. The second yard sale had plus size maternity , my youngest daughter got a few items there. We also found a great children's consignment shop called " Kid to Kid ". I bought Jake a pair of swimming trunks for next year , two outfits for the grandbabies that will be here before long and a little mermaid swimsuit for Ayla. I also found Ayla a halloween sleeper , it is orange with spiders and said " Silly Spiders " , it's very cute.

On Sunday we had a cookout for my Mom's birthday. Her birthday was August 28th , but we decided to wait and cookout the weekend.
Monday we went to a birthday party for my 2 nephews , they had birthdays on the 2nd and 5th of Sept.

Tuesday , I was up at 5:00 a.m. , I had to take my sister to the hospital , she was scheduled for surgery at 6:15 a.m. She had a complete hysterectomy. They found some cancerous cells on her uterus a month ago.
The surgery went well and they believe they got all the cells. Hopefully , she will heal and be cancer free. She came home yesterday and is starting the healing phase.
Mom and I cooked dinner for her last night. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayer.