Big Day

Just a quick note, my youngest will be having surgery at 7:30 AM December 1st. It is to repair a problem with her kidneys, she will be in the hospital for several days. Please pray for her and for all of us. Thank you.

Porridge, not just for the 3 bears...

It's cold and rainy here this morning and porridge was the perfect thing for breakfast. I never even knew what porridge was for a long time, I just remember that it was in the story of the 3 bears. Then, when my parents moved to North Georgia, they found a wonderful granary in Helen, GA. It's called Nora Mills and they sell all kinds of delicious stone ground grains, flours and mixes. They always have their Pioneer's Porridge in a crock pot for you to sample when you go in. It has rice, cracked wheat, and white and yellow corn in it. I do mine in the rice cooker and eat it with a little honey or brown sugar. If I am feeling naughty I add a little real butter too. This is their website, I think that they ship their products. http://noramill.com/

Someone please save me from the candy corn

Okay, I am trying to post a recipe in my other blog but I just had to stop and post this. I have GOT to stop eating the candy corn! It's not even the good kind, it's a cheap store brand. (actually I like it better than the big name brand) When fall came around I was on a mission to find who was selling my favorite kind of candy corn. Target used to sell it a few years ago under their brand, Archer Farms. I broke out in a sweat when I couldn't find it this year. Then...at the mall the candy store had it. I only allowed myself to buy like 20 pieces, I was pretty proud of myself. I was in control. Then, I went to my brothers house for a family dinner and don't you know, his wife had some sitting in a bowl and it was THE CORN. I squeaked, "Where did you get this?" (along with other cries like "Noooo" and "I'm doomed", or so I am told) And she informed me that a local grocery chain was selling it under their store brand this year. What joy! I started planning a trip there immediately.

I did actually wait until after Halloween to go get it. The day after. It was 60 cents a bag, what a deal! I bought three. Now, here I sit with the last bag by my side and am thinking that if I put it back in the pantry then at least I would have to get up and walk each time I wanted a piece. But no, maybe it is just best to finish it off, there is only a little left. Yes, I think that I will just get it over with. Until next year anyway.

Back to the drawing board...

Well, both my auctions closed on eBay and neither one sold. There seems to be a ton of pillowcase dresses for sale on eBay, I didn't notice that many when I first listed them. There is another website called etsy.com and it is for handmade items, vintage items and supplies for handmade items. I think that I will try it next, I am not ready to give up because I love making the dresses!

We did get some good news yesterday, my hubby has a second interview for a potential job, we are very hopeful. It does mean moving but that was kind of expected. I pray that we have good solid news before Christmas.

Well, most of my family is coming to my house for Thanksgiving. Last year they did too, along with my hubby's mom. It was great, the first time that I lived close enough to my family to have them for a holiday like that. I don't think that my oldest brother had ever been to any of the homes that I lived in, it made me so happy to be able to cook for all of them and serve them in my home as I have been to theirs many times. This year is traditional dinner, turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, mashed and sweet, green beans, homemade rolls, pies...the list goes on. Yum, I can't wait. I think that I will start some of my shopping this coming Monday and last year I made the potatoes a day or two before and just spread them in a 9x13 and froze them. It really cut down on kitchen time the day of Thanksgiving. Mom and dad will be coming to spend the night so I will have mom's help, which is great.

Good luck to everyone planning a holiday feast!

I must be crazy...

Well, I am sitting here questioning my sanity this morning. Yesterday we got a DOG. For people who don't know me, this is a BIG deal. Being such a clean fanatic, me and the word dog rarely go in the same sentence together, let alone the same house. But...she is an exception. First, most important to me, she DOES NOT shed. That was my biggest issue with our last dog. He was a shepherd and I just about lost my mind trying to keep the hair under control. Next, she is the breed that I grew up with so I am very used to having a dog like her around. She's a wire haired miniature dachshund, roughly four months old. My parents got her when she was four weeks but since they have another dachshund they decided to give her to one of the kids and we lucked out. Everyone here loves her...including me. I think that she is a keeper. She's great with the baby so far too. All in all, I don't think that we could have done better. The hubby really likes her too and he is a real dog person. Now if I can just get my three year old son to quit bossing her around...

Getting creative...

I have never been one to just sit there and just let things happen to me so when my hubby lost his job I immediately began thinking of what I could do to bring in a little extra cash. Whatever it was; I had to be able to do it at home with noisy kids in the background...and that didn't leave many options. Thank God that my mother taught me how to sew when I was just eleven years old. It is something that I really enjoy and have done a lot of over the years. When my twins were younger I made many dresses for them and now I am sewing again for my youngest. I also have made all the drapes in my house and have helped other people with theirs as well. So it only made sense to find a way to put my talent to use. After doing some research I have decided to make pillowcase dresses for little girls and sell them on eBay. I've posted a picture, I think that they are really cute. Wish me luck!

Joining the unemployed...

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted! So much has been going on and truthfully I didn't feel like talking about it. My husband was laid off about a month ago. He is in the construction/automotive manufacturing industry and we have been through a lot in the last year and a half. After being unemployed for 10 months he took a position as U.S. President for a company based in Europe, it lasted for about 5 months and then they had to shut down due to the economy. I can't believe that we are going through this again. It is so stressful, you never know if today will be the day that he gets a call for his next opportunity. Every time the phone rings I jump out of my skin. And when something comes along and does not work out it is devastating. He has had a VP and Presidents title for the last 4 years so if he applies for something that would just 'pay the bills' he hears that he is "over qualified". How frustrating!

Also, our youngest is scheduled for surgery on the first of December. She is 4 months and will have an operation to fix a problem with her left kidney. She should be in the hospital for about 2 or 3 days and hopefully this procedure with fix her as good as new. Needless to say, I am thinking about it constantly and praying for her all the time. I will be glad when this year is behind us. Hopefully 2009 will be full of healthy children and a great job for my husband!