If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Thursday, August 26, 2010

head gear for little tikes

 Elizabeth came to my house in her Pat the Bunny outfit - see the ears?
Gavin took a tumble at his house and had to get 3 stitiches in his forehead.  He looks like a cool ninja toddler.
To keep the the bandage in place, his head is wrapped in the tape like I remember we used way back when I worked at a plasma center. 

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

a very pleasant forecast

after 14 straight days of 100+ degree HOT days in August, a "cold front"  came down from the north and is spending some time in our state.




It is so much cooler now, not even 80 degrees and very breezy. So, I turned off that very overworked central air conditioner and opened a few windows. The fresh air in the house is very welcome and it is even cooler with the windows open than with the AC on.

Little Gavin is with me today. He takes good naps so I have got a few things done today.

One chore was the ironing, another was ruthlessly cleaning out some craft supplies and also working on  a bulletin board for the grandchildrens play area. The play area is coming along - I'll post pictures later. However, no progress in the dining room. I am still thinking.....


Supper will be Swiss steak with lots of carrots, onions and tomatoes on top with baked potatoes and fresh fruit for dessert.  Finally, it is not too hot to turn on the oven  :)

Monday, August 23, 2010

This and that

The Hall Bathroom
Jeff helped me with the household cleaning Saturday morning.  I did the floors and cleaned out the fridge.
Jeff cleaned the bathrooms, emptied the trash and fixed the drain on my sink that was barely draining.   
 This bathroom looks pretty good after he cleaned it

 He put out 3 hand towels on the bar by the sink. 
 and then he put out 3 more hand towels on this bar - he said the grand children would like them.    
Not sure I would of put out quite so many - but if someone helps me with the house chores, they can do them just about any way they want to.


Sometimes you just gotta get rid of stuff


These  2 little round accent tables were purchased more than 10 years ago - on clearance at Walmart.  They have never been terribly sturdy but were OK if they did not have too much on them. 
I've been doing some furniture rearranging and ended up not needing them anymore. 
I've got a pile of things started to drop off at the thrift store but they were in such bad shape,  I put them in the trash.    Are you wondering why they had aluminum foil on top?  Well, the tops were rough pressed particle wood stuff and snagged the tablecloths. 
So, good bye flimsy end tables!


The Dress Jeff Bought

When Nina was born in 1984,  Jeff made a special trip to Dillards to buy a pretty pink dress for our daughter. 
This first picture is Nina wearing that dress. 

and this is her daughter Elizabeth wearing the same dress. 
They don't look exactly alike, but they are very similar. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A little baking

I baked 2 loaves of quick bread this evening.  The first one is banana bread - I used  a recipe from my friend Elizabeth.  It is a pretty basic recipe that calls for a teaspoon of cinnamon - the cinnamon with the banana and pecans is a very nice combination. 

The second is a very nice bread that calls for no oil or shortening.  So if you are watching your fat intake, or if you are short on butter and can't go shopping right now, this might be a recipe that works for you too. 


Nut Bread

1 egg

1/3 Cup sugar

1 Cup Milk

2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts ( pecans are good too)

Preheat the oven the 350 degrees.

Beat the egg and sugar together with a whisk. Whisk in the milk. With a spoon or spatula, mix in the dry ingredients. Add nuts.

Pour into a very well greased 8x4 bread pan.

Bake about 35-45 minutes or until it tests done.

Serve warm with a little butter. Jeff likes it toasted.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Rain! clean slate and more seeds

 We woke up rain this morning and have had showers off and on all morning. It has been a hot dry summer so the water and cooler temperature are very much welcome.


Clean Slate -
  I got tired of the way our dining room was set up.  I took everything off the walls, then patched all the nail holes and touched up the paint.   For now, just the table and chairs are in here but they won't be looking like this forever.  I am not sure what I will do,  I just know I want some color this time.
 any suggestions?


More seeds
 I hope to have more seeds.  These are some pink and red geraniums drying.  I bought them as small plants and they looked beautiful blooming all summer.  I am not sure if their seeds will "work" though.
these are zinnias that I grew from seed - I am pretty sure their seeds will grow next summer.  Each flower has so many seeds in each one, it is really amazing.