Where do you sew?

I've got several projects that are works in progress, so to speak.  It's hard to find the motivation to work on them regularly when I know working on them involves making sure the dining table is free of any other projects (or, say, dishes), getting the machine out of the box, setting it up, sewing for a bit - only to know I have to pack it all back up whether I'm finished or not, because, hey, people around here like to eat every now and then.

So

I've decided that for a combined b-day/Christmas present I want a sewing table/area/something.

Will you please show/tell me where you sew and what you have your machine on?  Or if you've seen something wonderful lately, I'd love a link or a brand name to look up.

Thanks!

Last hair update

OK, hubby got to see my hair today when he ran home at lunch.  He said it's different, but he likes it.

*Smart man, huh?*

Mawmaw happened to be standing there when he said it and I could see her looking at me.  Now, she's been in the same room with me about a gazillion times since I colored it and I KNOW she never noticed.

So, she loooooookkkkkkkkssssss at me then waits until hubby starts to leave the room and says:

Now, Tina, I have to say something.  I see you changed your hair.  I liked it better the old way.

I told her that that was fine, it's not her hair.  She walked out.

Then I turned to hubby and said this:

I made her a hair appt. for next week with Sheila.
Remind me afterwards to tell her she looks like a surprised poodle.

(She gets a TIGHT perm and her eyebrows colored super dark brown and every hair on her head is gray,
so her eyebrows are QUITE noticable.)

The truth about water

OK, short diversion with info. just so you know the back story.

I teach the Truth and Training section of the Awana program at our church.  What you really need to know about this is that I have a room of kids that range from the third grade to the sixth grade.  So, kids that are roughly 8-12 years old.

We have a portion where we play games in the gym (read that as we burn off energy so they can then sit still and study for a while....lol) and as we are leaving gym I always remind them that THIS is your time to get a drink and go to the restroom, so take advantage of it because I know you just played hard and need it.

Last night another lady brought snacks for the kids and she brought in a big pitcher of ice water for them to  drink.

One boy asked me if he could go get a drink at the water fountain.

One, you had the chance to do that earlier and, two, you're about to get some water in 5 minutes with snack.

He told me he didn't like "THAT" water, he only likes water from water fountains because it's filtered and tastes better.

I told him that, no, it's not.  It's cooled, if needed, but otherwise it's the same water that comes out of the faucet in the kitchen.

He really didn't believe me.

I asked the rest of the kids and only a few stated it was 'regular' water.

FIELD TRIP!  (OK, really, we just went back to the gym, but work with me here.)
Stopped at the supply closet and grabbed a small tool box and then we went to the water fountains.

Ours are very similar to these, but older in styling.
http://www.drinkingfountaindoctor.com/elkay-ezstl8c-water-cooler-refrigerated-drinking-fountain

So, I showed them all where the water line for the fountain goes to the wall and attaches to the same water supply that the rest of the water goes through.  Then we popped off the side of the fountain and showed them the cooling parts.  I asked them to find the filter.

Right, can't find what's not there.

We put the side back on and went back to our room and talked about it some more, about how we often think things are true because we've heard it somewhere, but just a bit of investigating can help you find out for sure.  Great group of kids and I'm glad it came up.

That boy?  The one who doesn't like "THAT" water?  He drank two glasses with a big ole smile on his face!

Makes me wonder.....

Either this hair color change ISN'T as drastic as I think it is

or

I have the most unobservant children in the world!




So far no comment from any of the three kids.
Will see if it gets by hubby unnoticed later tonight.

Tina's Truth

The phone will not ring all day.

Unless you are putting dye in your hair, then it will ring twice in the few minutes that you need to complete that task!




I went from a medium brown with highlights to solid dark brown, in case you are wondering.  Will report back on what the older kids and hubby say later.  So far youngest doesn't seem to care (or notice??) one whit....lol.

Found him!

Three of our buddies got bucks in the last week in a half.  Two ten points and an eleven point.  The eleven had an interesting story.  Another hunter (not one of 'the guys') called range control to report he'd hit a big buck but couldn't find it and needed some help.  Hubby and several of the guys went to help him look.

When they showed up he was telling them how there was 'great blood' and he thought it would be an easy trail, but it was fast getting dark, so he thought it best to call in help.

Well, to make the story shorter, he was the ONLY ONE that thought it was a good trial.  Hubby said there were a lot of white hairs where the initial shot was.  There shouldn't be, in case you didn't know.  White hairs on are from the belly or underside of the legs, both of which indicate you did not get a good shot.  They were worried that there was a gut shot deer out there, which no one wants, to they did their best to track it but hubby said they were just finding specks of blood and they were very far apart.

After literally two hours, the guy finally mentions that it was odd because after he shot him, the deer LIMPED off.

Yes, he shot it in the leg, apparently.  They looked some more but eventually the blood droplets stopped.  Hubby and the guys reported to range control that the guy, despite what he said, made a bad shot, they all figured he hit it in the leg and, once again, they all felt there should be some sort of bow qualification shooting required before you just let people out there to hunt to avoid stuff like this because now there's a big wounded buck out there potentially suffering, which ticks all hunters off.

So.....a full week goes by.

We have one buddy who only shoots a buck if it's a big, mature buck.  He won't shoot 6s or 8s, he feels they  still have growing to do.

Well, he called.  He had a big buck on the ground.

If he says it's a big buck, I believe him, because he's very particular about this issue.

The brought it to the house because the taxidermist is a friend and was on his way to our house to cape it out for him for mounting.

Beautiful deer, big bodied and by his ground down teeth we knew he was quite old.

As the taxidermist (also a friend) is skinning him in the lighted garage, several of us see, at the same time, that he's got a mark on his front to inside of his left side front leg.  Everything stops so everyone can look.  It's not a mark, it's not dried blood from the drag.....it's a scab/forming scar/wound.

That idiot that made the bad shot?  Well, our buddy found his deer!


(Side note:  The last three deer that have been skinned/cut up here have had MASSIVE amounts of fat on them.  Think we're in for a hard winter, folks.)

11-11-11

I have no words to express my thanks, only tears.

Tina

Update on the homemade laundry detergent

I finally ran out of the last batch of homemade laundry detergent that I made.

Ready for the final tally?



I was able to wash 56 loads of laundry with one batch!


Amazing, huh?

If you want to know how I make my laundry detergent, you can see the laundry detergent post.

Military Children

Military Children

A civilian child has a best friend in his hometown. A military child has a best friend on almost every continent.

A civilian child sees only the plane flying over. A military child not only can identify the type of plane flying but knows someone who works on them.

A civilian child smells something nasty and yells "eeewwww, what's that smell?". A military child smells something nasty and yells "M.O.P.P. 4!    M.O.P.P. 4!!"

A civilian child sees a person in uniform. A military child can tell you what branch he's in and what his rank is.

A civilian child thinks home is where the heart is. A military child knows home is where the military sends you.

A civilian child lives for tomorrow and what it might bring. A military child lives for today for tomorrow Daddy/Mommy might get called away again.

A civilian child gets to kiss mommy and daddy goodnight each night. A military child sometimes has to kiss a picture of daddy or mommy goodnight.

A civilian child can read and write in English. A military child can read and write in acronym.

A civilian child says "good-bye". A military child says "see you later".

A civilian child gets to see things other kids would love to see. A military child gets to see things world leaders would love to see.

A civilian child will probably go to the same school his entire life. A military child will probably change schools every 2 years.

A civilian child might rarely leave his hometown for anything other than vacation. A military child will rarely see his "hometown" for anything other than vacation.

A civilian child supports our soldiers. A military child is a soldier.

Homemade tomato paste

I know I mentioned the other day that I'd taken more tomatoes out of the boxes.  I didn't have enough to can  because most of them were small.  I put them in the dehydrator because that was easy and I thought I'd use them for soups and stuff.  I had five trays of them once they were sliced thinly.

When they were done I was thinking:  I wonder what they would be like if you tried to re-hydrate them?  Probably mushy.  Well, what if you broke them in half and tried then, you'd have mushy pieces but they'd be smaller.  What if they were all broken up?

Hey!  Wait a minute!  I wonder if I can grind them all up and use them for tomato paste?

I got our my old but new to me food processor and tried the blade.

That didn't work so well.  Neither did the shredder blade that I tried next.  I don't have a grinder, but that would have been great.  So, next, let's try the blender.

That's better!

Throw some more in there and keep going!

All done!

I'm thinking I can just get a bit out (however much I need) and add tiny bits of water until it's really thick like the store bought stuff.  I didn't de-seed  the tomatoes, so you can see them in there but I don't care.  It's still much better than buying those small cans, using a tiny bit and then having to freeze the rest or find something to cook that uses it up, right?

I'll let you know how it works out after I use some.  

Pretty, isn't it?

Halloween Rant

We went on a community hay ride.  They have trailers and they stop at preset points where (usually) several neighbors/friends gather together to hand out candy.  It was cold but a lot of fun.

We were on a trailer with several other families.  Now, we don't know these people and maybe it was just a bad day, but I cannot tell you how hard I tried to bite my tongue on that ride.  Most of the kids were wonderful, don't get me wrong.  Great costumes, nice kids, nice parents, having a good time.  But good pickles, I wanted to throw one set off the trailer!  You should be proud of me that I didn't!  Really!  

The kid was ridiculous was probably 9 or 10 years old and pretty tall for his age.  He'd practically plow over the smaller kids trying to be the first one off and back on the trailer.  He complained LOUDLY about what candy people were handing out, he wanted more chocolate, he didn't like that, this candy sucked, on and on.  He insulted trucks, telling people how 'my' truck is cooler than yours.....like the man who volunteered his truck and trailer and WAS PULLING US.  He talked back to his Mom when she told him to be quiet.  He ignored her when she told him to stop eating candy or she'd take it away. She didn't.  You're not surprised, right?  I informed him if I had been the man pulling the trailer I'd have told him to feel free to get off and walk home because he was so rude.  I don't *do* rude kids.  I just don't.  Ask my Scouts.

Here's the thing, though.  His Mom was whining about why he was that way.  Did nothing to get a handle on him other than threats he obviously knew were empty.  That was when she could be bothered to take her eyes off her phone and stop texting.  

At one point I told him to either slow down so he'd stop stepping all over people and their costumes because he was going to hurt the little kids or he'd just have to wait and be the last one off at each stop.  She glared at me, but said nothing and he actually did slow down.  Hey, lady, if you aren't going to do anything, I will.

She spent all of the time she wasn't whining about him bragging about how horrible she was to her ex-husband.  The kid's father.  

Like:  she asked him over the summer to let her take the son out of state on vacaction to visit family for a month.  He agreed and they went.  He then asked her to switch a weekend when they got back so he could see the son earlier since they'd been gone during his visitations.  She refused.

How she takes him to court to request increasing his child support EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.

Just because.

How he was supposed to have the son on Halloween (court ordered) and she knows he gets off work at 5:00 in a town 30 minutes away so she told him he could have him if he was there before 5:00 so she had the son all dressed and in the car and at 5:00 exactly texted him that since he wasn't there, they were leaving and refused to tell him where they were so that maybe the guy could at least join up for part of the night.  Then she was laughing at him when he was sending texts about the situation, laughing about too bad for him.

ALL IN FRONT OF THIS KID.

How on EARTH is he going to learn any manners or civilization when his own mother is so disrespectful of her son's father?  Now, maybe he's a big jerk or a crook or a compulsive liar, I don't know, but I do know you don't say those things in front of your child when they are that young.  

You know what happens when you do?  He realizes that you don't respect his Dad at all........and in return, he doesn't respect you at all, either.

Guarantee you that thought has never crossed her mind.

Halloween

Here are my kiddos in their costumes. 

When I showed the pictures to a friend she commented that she bet no one tried to take their candy away from them.  

Canning in the garage

This old gas stove is in the garage.  I use my pressure canner out here because I hate the electric cook top in the house because it cycles off and on, making a steady pressure a pain, I don't like cooking on electric stoves in general and I'm afraid the weight of my canner might break it.  

So I use this marvelous old gal in the garage:

Isn't she wonderful in all her turquoise-ness?!?!  

What's in there you ask?

Well, it's venison!

The color is a bit off from reality, but I'm excited.  I've never canned venison before, so I wanted to try it.  I now have seven quarts of venison on my shelf.