so much to be thankful for

This is a picture that Cub made last year at preschool..........he brought it home and I had to frame it....I love framing stuff the kids make me ...it makes it so much more special and important......the blessing on it says:

We fold our hands,

We bow our heads,

We thank you God for daily bread.

Amen

I have so many wonderful blessings to be thankful for every year and I always like to stop and think about them at this time of the year....our lives always seem so crazy, and getting crazier by the day....and sometimes I feel like I just can't keep up....but the other day as I was rushing around making lists for my lists....it dawned on me what a blessing that all is......I have such a wonderful family and such treasured friends....we are healthy and happy.......and so much of what I do every day is for all of them.......if it weren't the doing and helping of others what would my day be like?????.......very solitairy and boring are a few adjectives that come to mind......so at this time I'm very thankful for the most important things.....family, friends and health.....thank you all for keeping me crazy busy every day!!!! :)

.....also,I want to share a new favorite recipe ....a friend shared it with us a few years ago.....and now I can't imagine Thanksgivning without it!!!...Cranberry Relish.

4 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup chopped oranges

1 cup chopped apples...I leave the peels on

1/4 cup raisins

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

2 cups sugar

Bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring a lot....simmer 30 mins. Let cool. Chill in container.

Baldingers

Baldingers is a landmark near our home....it has been featured on the Food Network and the CBS morning show...when friends and family come to visit from out of town we always try to fit in a visit here....it has been in business since 1933 when Allan Baldinger sold his stamp collection to open a fruit stand...he added a restaurant and was famous for his pies....His wife Dorothy helped him out and they lived behind the store....a friend told me how she remembered her sitting at the card table when you came in the door and how she had sewed her mother's prom dress for her!!!.....in time a lot more restaurants opened in the area and Allan turned it into a general store that sold bulk candy...


There are tables full of penny candy....bulk candy.....novelty items you can't find anywhere else.....you put things in your basket and when you go to check out they dump everything into a pan and either weigh it or count each piece out by hand....these totals then get written on a little white notepad and are added up by hand with a pencil....no electronics involved here!!!....the cash register is more than a hundred years old , the kind you crank by hand.....

...well over the summer the building and its 10 acres were sold to a real estate development company who plans to develop the site....and Monday all that remains is this pile of rubble and two dumpsters full of junk.....fortunately a local businessman is giving Baldingers a new chapter in it's 75 year legacy....after petitions were circulated by email last year begging them not to close Pat Boylan stepped in and bought the store and has erected a replica of it!!...there are some improvements, but the store has wooden floors and they have tried to make it as much the same inside as they could...all of the old cash registers, Coke case and tables have been moved....everyone is truly happy they are moving and the traditions will continue.....and for the record...even though much of the candy is just a penny.....you can rarely get out of there for under $20!!!!!

had to get out there!

The yammering started first thing this morning about going out sledding!!!....the grass is barely covered, but we got all suited up and headed out to enjoy the snow!!......Cubby picked out his new hat over the weekend when we were in Target....it's his new favorite!

This is the snow covered branch that I would love a bright red Caridinal to land on so I can get his picture...I've been trying for a few winters now to get that perfect shot....but it hasn't happened.....blurry, too dark, looked the other way at the last second.....I may have to break down and get one on etsy!!

wonder fall

It is nearing the end of autumn here......and I feel like I enjoyed it to it's fullest!!!....next week we travel to Florida.....so this is the last weekend of my favorite season...we started out the weekend with seeing this 8 point buck crossing through our back yard....my husband travelled 3 hours away to camp and missed out on my son's football banquet so he could finish out the archery season....when he could have just sat on our patio!!! ...I like the whole banquet thing....it's such a nice finish to the season and a fun night for the kids....until next season Warriors!!


....but thinking ahead to Florida and Thanksgiving has been keeping me busy as well....I saw this felt leaf runner at the YMCA and thought, "I have to have that!!!"....I inspected it closely and was all ready to bring tissue paper and scissors to make my own template, and then go to Joanne's to get felt and create my own...well the girl at the desk said she got it at Joanne's and can you believe I was heading there that day anyway??!.....well, everything "fall" is 70% off and I got it for $5!!....you can't even get the felt for that price!...but it would be easy to make! :)

...and then at 1am last night I had to make jennifer junipers shrinky dink wine charms....see http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/ for the tutorial and template for the leaves.....super duper easy and they are adorable......a wonderful treat to pack in my suitcase and take to my Mom's for the Thanksgiving feast!

two hours......

...two hours with the girls today and I'm totally refreshed!....today was the day we picked names to find out who our seret santa is!!.......jennifer juniper warned of us our obligation.......the present is to be hand made, with items that already exist in our craft room and if any supplies are needed they are not to be more than $10....of course we couldn't just write our names on a slip of paper......we needed to fill out a survey and read them aloud....some of the questions included were.........favorite color, music, food, store, sound, drink....if you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you? and what is your secret indulgence??....then we folded them up and our lovely helper princess picked them out for us......I have sooo many ideas......we may need to get all of our birthdays on the calendar and do something similar!!!....The Soul Sisters Christmas party is also a cookie exchange......but since I don't really bake I either hire my niece or order them from Dudt's bakery ......no need to miss out just because I have not baking talent!!! marzipanmom treated us to her Mary Kay beauty regime and a scrumptious piece of cake...that I initially declined (trying to be good!) but I'm so glad I came to my senses!!!!



joybeadworks and I walked in together......she was loaded down with the supplies for a suprise project!!......as always......we pack it all in!!!.....she brought white paper bulbs from her uncle and we picked a lovely vessel and got busy.....



In six weeks we should be blessed with a beautiful treat.....Smith and Hawkin watch out!!!....girls...I think we should consider nominating a secretary as well........someone with a notebook and a sharpie to take down all of our ideas for future endevours.......we seem to have several swirling around!!.....it was a lovely two hours! thank you!

fall, leaves, fall

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;

Lengthen night and shorten day;

Every leaf speaks bliss to me

Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow

Blossom where the rose should grow;

I shall sing when night's decay

Ushers in a drearier day.

Emily Jane Bronte

(1818-1848)

my new best friend

I'd like you to meet my new best friend Pat Catan!!!....I'm still friends with Joanne and Michael :)....(I didn't realize all craft stores have real peoples names!!!) ...but Pat has become my BEST friend!!!.......I had never been to Pat Catan's and if you haven't either you haven't lived yet!!....I heard about her at a crop last Sunday...a girl had the cutest Christmas paper from here....so I recruited my scrapbooking mentor and we took off on a field trip....I think the term OMG is very abused........but it was all that was going through my mind!....I couldn't breathe right and I was shakey.....I felt like I had entered a universe created all for me!!!



I walked in the front door and looked to the left and this is what I saw....my friend and I took off and started exploring....the smiles beaming on our faces as we crossed paths in the different aisles said it all!!!



I just couldn't get over the variety and quantitiy.....if there is anything left on this earth related to crafts it is in here!!!!.......jennifer juniper there were 4 aisles of wood crafting items....boxes, frames, letters ...EVERYTHING!!!!....3 or 4 aisles of that brown paper mache type stuff too.....see the picture above.....



....baskets anyone????.......these look JUST like the Longaberger ones!...only a fraction of the price.....every aisle and section I explored had my head swimming with ideas....I was writing notes and throwing things in my cart like crazy!!!.... I didn't want the day to end!....but after almost 3 hours of exploring.....I even checked out the wedding and baby shower sections!!??....it was time to check out....I had a feeling of fear....like I had missed some very important things and that I didn't know when the next time was that I would be back.....so I just need to say, "fellow crafters, UNITE"!!!!.....this is a definate field trip destination....a treat to ourselves......so, until next time Pat...I won't forget you!