Spring Break!

Well, kids, I have the next whole week off from school.

Yup, it's Spring break!

My main project this week will be to make a crib-sized quilt for Daughter #2 and SIL'S first baby, aka,

MY FIRST GRANDBABY!

I mean, how hard can it be?

I always think that when I start a quilt.  

And then it ends up taking at least 5 times as long as I think it will.

Does that ever happen to you?

Anyway, I think I'll use a pile of fat quarters for the top 

and some of that darling monkey fabric for the bottom.

If all goes well, I will even have pictures of at least part of the process.

That's a big if.

The last quilt I made was for Daughter #1's wedding, nearly 8 years ago.

It's like riding a bicycle, right?

How hard can it be?

*quaking in my boots*

Oh, and speaking of projects!

My DH has been refinishing a changing table for them, too.

It's the same one we got nearly 32 years ago.

Wow, that thing has seen a lot of ...

well, you know.

Will post pics of that, too.

I'm linking with a new-to me, at least-blog hop today.
Jen @ What's on my mind is our hostess for

Thanks, Jen, for hosting us.

And now for Meet Me On Monday.

I just love this blog hop cuz I get to visit so many of you.

After reading your MMOM post, I peruse some of your older posts
and will often comment on those rather than the MMOM post.

I'm so impressed by the way you face life, meet challenges, 

and walk with God.

Thank you for sharing lives with me!

And thank you to Java, @ Never Growing Old, for being our faithful hostess!

Click on her link to add your post and join the fun.

1.  What jewelry do you wear 24/7?

I wear my wedding ring.  Here's the 411 on it:    The first Saturday in May, 1978, was Kentucky Derby Day, about 7 weeks before our wedding.  I remember because DH-fiance at the time-had promised we'd go out shopping for wedding rings that day.  What I didn't know was that we had to watch the Derby first.   Once I finally pried him away from the tv, We went window shopping at several jewelers in our small town. What we saw was too traditional, so we went to the local hippie hangout artisan market.  We met Bob, [this is the truth!] President of the **** County "Make Marijuana Legal" committee, who worked with us to refine our ideas for the rings.  You can see mine here.   We've never seen other rings that even closely resemble ours.  

2.  Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?

You're kidding, right?

Holy smokes, how does one shovel get it into one's mouth, if one cuts it??

3.  How many siblings do you have?

I have one little brother.  You can find out how I feel about him here.

4.  Were you named after anyone?

No.  My Mom said that because she never liked her nicknames, she named me so that I wouldn't have any.

'Course my baby, the DH, calls me Kitten.  Love that!

5.  Coke or Pepsi?

If I drink pop at all, which is about once every 6 months, it is full-on Coke.

Can't stand the diet stuff.  blechhhhhh!

On another, totally unrelated note:

www.bakerella.com

Many of you are familiar with Bakerella, inventor/queen of Cake Pops.  

She has been in the hospital and is waiting to find out if her Mom will be a good kidney donor for her.  Please keep her in your prayers.

www.bakerella.com

God bless your week!

Love,

Yippee!

It's time for one of my favorite blog hops:

Our friend, Java, is hosting as usual. 

Thank you, Java!

 Here are this week's questions:

1.  Did you watch the Superbowl?
2.  What is the last book that you read?
3.  What is your favorite kind of cake?
4.  Do you snore?
5.  Do you play an instrument?

1.  Short answer:  Heavens yes!    

Longer answer:  Our plans for Sunday the yearly spectacle that is Super Bowl began at "O" Dark:Thirty [read very early] last Tuesday morning.   After I'd snagged my hazelnut cream-charged coffee, and even before I could plop down on the couch to read the Food Section, my precious hubby handed it to me and said he'd like to make a chili recipe found there.  In spite of the fact that I'd only had a couple of sips of coffee at that point, I managed to get this out:

WHAT??  YOU READ THE FOOD SECTION??

After reading the chili recipe, I gave it the KarenHousekeepingSealofApproval

 and we commenced planning to invite another couple to enjoy it with us.

The idea of cooking a new recipe and having friends over got my juices flowin'!

Two of my favorite things!

Here is a link to the cookbook that contains the original recipe:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=471

 The recipe we used was adapted by our local newspaper.

I'll try to get it up later today.

"Do or Do not.  There is no try."  Yoda
2. I'm actually taking my sweet time getting through 2 books right now:

My Dad told me a long time ago, "You never stop being a parent."  I think what he meant was that you never stop caring about, praying for, and, yes, worrying about your children.
And this little gem:

Each little nugget contained in this book takes me all day to digest.
Both of these books are on my Shelfari thingy on the sidebar.
3.  Birthday cake!  What else?
Celebrating another year of life, someone else's or my own, makes any cake taste yummy.
When our kids were at home,
there were many years when ALL of our birthdays [by each celebrant's choice]
were celebrated with this cake:

Anyone else have that family history?
4.  Yikes, do I ever!
Hoping that when I'm done losing weight
-15# down, 15# to go-
that will improve.
I have a phobia about sharing a room with anyone other than
my Dear Husband (he taught me to snore),
like for instance, at our church's annual women's retreats
because of my snoring.
Note to self:  sign up for the retreat April 8-10th.
5.  I've taken piano and guitar lessons.
I think it was Pam, at Empty Nest, who answered this by
saying that if she couldn't do something right away, she'd quit.
As far as playing instruments goes,
that describes me, too.

For more Meet Me On Monday madness
hop on over to Java at Never Growing Old
and link up with the rest of us.

There now.
See?
Mondays can be good days, too.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Don't forget that you may email me your prayer requests.
Love,

What A Great Way To Start The Week

Our friend Java @ Never Growing Old is hosting

as usual.  

I look forward to seeing the get-acquainted questions she comes up with each week.  

It's so fun to hop around and see your answers.

I'm also joining Bridget @ Frugality Is Free for

Here are the questions:

1.  Do you like your ice cream in a dish, waffle cone, pretzel cone, sugar cone or cake cone?
2.  Do you read the newspaper daily?
3.  Marinara or meat sauce?
4.  Last time you cried?
5.  What word/phrase do you find really annoying?

6.  Are you ready for spring? 

 What's the one thing you are most excited about when it comes to spring?

Here are my answers:

1.  I'd never even heard of pretzel cones before I read Java's question.

Well, I loves me some pretzels, so I went lookin' for 'em.

A little research at taquitos.net taught me Snyder's of Hanover, 

America's largest pretzel maker, manufactures them.

So I decided right then and there that, given the opportunity,

I will enjoy ice cream in a pretzel cone, 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

I feel an opportunity coming on.  

Better find out where I can scratch that itch locally.

Thanks to taquitos.net for this image.

2.  Yes, as I shared here, I do read parts of the paper nearly every day.

The front page is depressing, so I don't often read that.

But on Sundays, I love to read the Travel section.

Read recently about  the Nauti Girls tour

on which 15 women, would be sailors all,

went for a 3 day cruise in the San Juan Islands, north of Seattle, Washington.

Their vessel was the Zodiac,

a 127 foot long schooner, built in 1924, 

that's on the National Register of Historic Places.

Oh, I wanna do that reeeeal bad!

All that's holding me back is $$$.

Here's the website, if you are interested:

schoonerzodiac.com.

Better do it quickly, though, because the August NG tour is already sold out for next August.

My/your/our next chance is in September.

Please let me know if you decide to do it, or one of the other cruises.

Nothin' wrong with a little vicarious living.

Long as it doesn't become a habit.

3.  If I want something lighter, marinara with mushrooms, please.

 

4.  Last week when I was thinking about how much I miss our kids.

Haven't seen them since Christmas.  A lot of life has happened since then.

DIL, SIL, Daughter #2, Dear Husband, SIL [blue shirt]

Son, Little Bro, Mommy, Daughter #1

5.  "That sucks!"  Maybe I'm a prude, but it just sounds so crude.

"No more rhymes, and I mean it."

"Anybody want a peanut?"

[Name that movie.*]

6.  I'll be ready for spring in March.  hehe.  

I'm most excited about watching my bulbs come up

and planning my garden!

And there you have it, folks.

Hope you go out and make it a wonderful week.

btw, if you notice a grace moment, 

please let me know about it.

Love,

Also linking with Kim & Momma B for

In order to mix it up just a smidgen...

...I decided to write 2 sentences

in answer to the 5 questions 

for this week's 

hosted by Java @ Never Growing Old.

Here are the questions:

1.  Have you (only you..not a group) ever won first place in anything?

2.  Are your toes always painted (sorry guys...this question for girls only)?

3.  What color eyes do you have?

4.  Look to your left....what do you see?

5.  Soft cookies or crunchy cookies?

(1)I won first place in my 5th grade spelling contest

and a singles' tennis tournament, at age 28,

I have a silver Prince racquet.

2 months after I had my first daughter.

Now she loves to play tennis, too.  April, 2004

Warning:  This next one is kinda weird.

 Since I usually have (2)my toenails painted

-red-

Wish my feet were this pretty.

(3)my blue eyes look,

With off-spring #3.  Handsome devil, just like his Daddy.  May 2009

with trepidation,

to the left, 

and

I see my husband's closet doors hanging wide open,

Actually his closet has a lot more jeans in it, but I love it when he wears a dress shirt and slacks.

(5)so I decide to eat a freshly baked, crunchy peanut butter cookie, or two.

The kids and I used to bake peanut butter cookies
as soon as the DH left on a business trip.
He doesn't like 'em.  PB cookies, that is.

Was that too weird?

I will praise you, O LORD,
with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name,
O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2


Those of you who are interested
can read my other post for today
about Lori @ Random Ramblings of a Stay At Home Mom
and the tragedy that befell her yesterday.
May God bless your day!
Love,

Meet Me on Monday

It's time for 

Meet Me on Monday,

the delightful blog hop that Java hosts on

-you guessed it-

Mondays.

Each Monday Java posts 5 questions

and then you write a post which includes 

your answers.

If you'd like to join in you can click on her name, above,

and add yourself to the linky do-dah on her site.

So, without further ado, here are my answers:

1.   How do you order your steak?

I don't order steak, ever.

I like to order seafood.

After all, I live in a place where it's available fresh year round.

I love scallops, seared, with a light garlic sauce:

2.  Are you superstitious about anything?

Nope.

I believe that God, the Creator of the whole universe is running the show 

and His plans for me are for my good.

I do get a kick out of blowing out 

my birthday candles with one breath, though.

Every year it gets a little harder.

3.  Who is your best friend (not including your spouse)?

That's a hard choice.

It would have to be either: 

Chris, whom I've known since we were 6.

We were each other's Maids-of-Honor

and I'm her son's Godmother.

It's been years since we've seen each other, 

but we're having lunch a few days after Christmas

in town we grew up in.

OR

Cheryl, whom I've known since we were 21,

and in college.

We had our babies together, watched them grow up,

graduate from college, and get married.

Even when we don't talk for a long time,

it's easy to connect about our faith in Jesus.

OR

Karen, aka:  the Real Karen.  She calls me Karen too/2.

We've taught Sunday School together, worked on lots of 

Women's Ministry gatherings, been in Bible study together, 

and watched our kids grow up.

Without her help with all 3 of my kids' weddings,

I would have...

Well, I just don't know how I would have got through them

without her!

My DH and I are her granddaughter's Godparents, too.

4. When is the last time you wore a dress (for the guys...a suit)?

If skirts don't count, I'd say it was for my daughter's wedding.

Above, right:  my best friend-the DH.

Doesn't he look handsome?!

5.  Do you have any trips scheduled?

Yes.  

On Christmas Day the DH and I

and all of 3 our kids and spouses

are flying to California 

to share Christmas 

with my Mom & brother,

DH's brother, nieces, and nephews!

Grace and peace to you!

Love,

     

This is who I am

You know some things about me from my profile, from my past posts, 

but now it's time to get down to the real nitty-gritty of who I am.

At the very core of my being.

WARNING:  

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION 

IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

PROCEED WITH CAUTION,

IF AT ALL.

I think they call that a literary "hook."

But don't quote me on that.

Hey, I'm just gettin' warmed up here.

So here's the skinny on the gal behind all the glamorous life-style shots

with which I've sucked you into my sphere of influence.

[Don't get me wrong-I love blogs with glamorous life-style posts & photos!]

I mean, who starts out Mondays singing  

"My Favorite Things"?!

Me, that's who.

And because it's Meet Me On Monday,

I'm going to let you into my little world

and share some of the things that make my life good.

The rules for this blog hop include answering 5 questions about myself.

Without further ado:

1.  What is your favorite kind of cheese?
If I had to live on a deserted island,
i.e. with no Nordstrom, Target, or Starbuck's,
and could only take 1 kind of cheese,
it would be Brie.
But I would also need fresh French bread to go with it.
Some prosciutto would be nice, too.

2. What size is your bed ?

My Dear Husband and I sleep on a queen-sized bed.

I don't even have a picture of our bedroom, 

but I found this one of our B&K's B&B room.

Our kids call it that because the bed is so cushy,  

the sheets are starched and ironed,  

and it has hand-embroidered pillowcases (from my favorite thrift store).

I bought the mini-chandelier at Fred Meyer/Kroger on clearance, 

took it apart, and spray-painted

it burnished gold.

The watercolor paintings were painted by our middle daughter in college.

3.  Green grapes or purple?

Cold, crispy RED!
The truth is, I prefers me a 
vaso de vino*
now and then
rather than grapes.

4.  What is your most over-used phrase?
Okay, that would have to be
LIFE IS GOOD!
A long time ago, I began to use this expression.
I actually thought I made it up!
Imagine my dismay when I found that 
someone else sneaked [snuk???] into my head,
stole my idea, and founded an entire tee shirt company
based on it!!!!!
There was nothing I could do but buy several of the shirts
and wear them proudly. 

5.  Shower, morning or night?
Since my hair stands straight off my head 
when I awaken from my beauty sleep,
and since I have difficulty getting my beauty sleep
-or maybe I should say my sleep doesn't result in beauty-
I take a shower in the morning
to tame the straight-as-a-string beasts on my head
and to pry open my puffy eyes.
Don't you just love this shower head?

So there you have it.
I know you were just dying to know all that stuff about me.
Right?


Love you and God bless your week,
Karen


Linking with Java @ Never Growing Old for

and with Living on Love and Cents, The Thrifty Things,
Coupons Are Great, and Reviewed by Mom,
who graciously host 

*vaso de vino= Spanish for glass of wine