The Saturday Plan...

I just LOVE Maxine, I think and look like her more and more everyday!

I like to have a plan for each day. I make a list of one or two things I'd like to get done that day. I am not nearly as ambitious as my cousin Sharyn, or my dear friend Terry. They both have lists ! Real lists, on paper and everything. They are numbered, and the number goes to at least 10. If I can get one of my two things done I feel like I've really accomplished something.

Today was " defrost the fridge" Saturday. That was the plan. Then maybe do the dishes. I will admit it now. I am not a really good housekeeper. Oh, you probably wouldn't get any horrible disease in my home, but you will see dust, maybe some dirt from shoes on the linoleum, an un-scrubbed tub (still can't get down to scrub it good.. I try) and you will find dirty dishes. Don't get me wrong, I do them, just not everyday.

So today was Defrost day. You may wonder why I am defrosting a refrigerator, well let me tell you. below you will see my fridge. We are not sure how old it is. Hubby said it came with the house when he bought it in 1969. RCA-Whirlpool. Hmmm never knew they were together as a company. We figure our fridge was made in the 1950's. Here is the info. I found on the Internet.

For a long time, RCA, also known as the Radio Corporation of America, used the slogan 'The most trusted name in electronics.' Whirlpool licensed the RCA name and marketed RCA Whirlpool refrigerators from the late 1950s through the early 1990s. RCA Refrigerators are not longer manufactured.

Here is the Nameplate on the old girl.

the inside. The box on the top is the freezer.

She puts out a ton of cold air.

In the summer I find myself defrosting it twice a month.

My freshly defrosted fridge.

If you look at the left side you will

see a stick. I use it to prop up the shelf.

The plastic is so old, it has cracked and broken.

The shelves are all propped up with wood.

The drawer is where I keep the ice cube trays.

Crisper drawer on the bottom.

Metal shelves.

And it's very Wide and short.

So today I defrosted. I got a call from my friend Connie just as I was putting in the last of the items. K-Mart was having a big sale on all their summer clothes. Everything $2.99. I grabbed my jacket and headed out.

I found a few things for next summer. I came home, worked on my coupons, looked at some magazines, and watched two new shows. I decided to save the dishes for tomorrow. I'll do them in the afternoon after Church. We have a potluck. I'll probably take a nap first. LOL I love Sunday naps. Then I'll get those dishes washed. and admire my beautiful defrosted fridge.

You'll Know Yours Is A Redneck Church If:

I got an email this week with this great list attached. Thanks Karen !

You'll Know Yours Is A Redneck Church If:

The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.

People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em.

When the pastor says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering", five guys and two women stand up.

Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.

A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of,"

The choir is known as the "OK Chorale."

Boone's Farm "Tickle Pink" is the favorite wine for communion.

In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory.

Baptism is referred to as "branding."

There is a special fund raiser for a new church septic tank.

Finding and returning lost sheep isn't just a parable.

High notes on the organ set the dogs to howling.

People think "rapture" is what you get when you lift something too heavy.

The baptismal font is a #2 galvanized livestock watering trough.

The choir robes were donated by (and embroidered with the logo from) Billy Bob's Barbecue.

The collection plates are really hub caps from a '56 Chevy.

http://halife.com/church/redneck.html

Copyright 2001 by Joe Hickman
ISSN 0161-8121

This Was A Big Labor Day... A Rejoicing Day...

Oh my goodness.. Today was a big Labor day for me. Pun intended.

Labor day weekend is usually time for the last big hoorah of the summer.

We had things to do. Husband finished mixing up the rest of the cement and re-did a portion of the sidewalk going up to the porch. He had already poured two new slabs on the patio where he had spent several days cleaning up, sorting and bundling vinyl siding a neighbor had given him a few years ago. The slab sections of the patio were poured years and years ago. and have heaved with the weather. He re-poured two of them. hopefully that will help me walk a little better out there.. LOL I tend to trip a lot in this yard..

I had a list of to do items:

1. juice and can the last of the tomatoes.

2. do laundry including several long sleeve items

3. get out some of the sweats and long pants

4. do dishes

I got the dishes done early.. Big Pat on my own back for that one. I even got up early. The first time all summer. Bigger pat on my own back. It seems I have turned into quite the lazy bones this summer. sleeping till 8:00 or so everyday. I'd like to blame the pain meds and the two knee surgeries, but some of it was just plain lazy bones.

The photo above is not mine. Not my tomatoes, but they sure look just like the ones I canned a week or so ago. My jars just don't look that pretty. We have hard water and lots of lime. I water bath can all my stuff. Just to be extra safe, anyway my jars come out all white and yukky with lime. I clean them off. but after a few years some of it just stays and doesn't wash off.

This photo is of my very own jars. Before I put them in the water bath. See pretty new jars and new lids (always use new lids) and new screw bands. Our canned stuff is stored in the basement and the screw bands tend to rust, so they don't last long. I love the look of these.. so pretty and new and yummy tasting.. shiny too.

I've been depressed again the last couple of days. Yesterday I put away the summer sheets, except for the ones still on the beds, and got out the flannel. Sigh, then I went through and got out the long pants, sweat pants, flannel pajama pants, and long sleeve shirts. The days are getting cooler as are the evenings. Big Sigh...

I have been pouting again about the Summer that wasn't. I pouted for me and poor husband who helped me with everything from toilet scrubbing, vacuuming, and dishes to canning tomato juice along with tending the garden, lawn work and other cleaning up projects throughout the summer.

I have been pouting cause there is no sun.. rain and cloudy just like my mood.

The garden is winding down. Soon it will be fall and then winter with cold, snow and ice. And then I came to the real reason I am dreading it all so much. It finally occurred to me. This will be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas when our family most likely will not be with us. Two of the grand kids have moved to Southern Ill with their dad. The youngest daughter and her boys are without a car (they live about an hour or so north of here) and most likely will just stay home to celebrate. The oldest grandson will be here I hope unless he has a girlfriend and then well , you know young men and girlfriends.. LOL He will pop in sometime during the day to grab something to eat and take home leftovers. The oldest daughter will most likely be gone up north with her friend to his cabin. It's hard to say. It will be especially difficult for her to stay here with her kids not being here. I imagine she will want to change her routine too.

So I have decided it's the huge change from the 11 gathered around our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.. that is what is truly grieving me and making me so sad. I knew the day would come when they would be grown and gone and would call or drop by for the holidays, but only occasionally. I just wasn't ready for it to be now. This year. I'm hoping We can work out at least a meal on a weekend together. Maybe nothing on the actual day of.. just us. We need to get use to that.. just us.. kind of weird.

We sang a wonderful uplifting song yesterday morning in Worship..

"This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it".. I have to much to rejoice about to stay to depressed to long. So our holiday dinners may change somewhat, we can still enjoy them. Cause it's a day the Lord will make for us. Just like everyday..

So today. I'm rejoicing in the garden that gave us so much this summer..

way to go garden. I'm rejoicing in the sweaters and long pants of fall. That means Cider soon, and bon fires, and warm apple cider donuts. I am rejoicing in the friends and extended family we have here and other places. Who knows we may do something new and excitingly different this year.

So I am going to rejoice in the day I have today. I'm not going to moan over days that are past. or worry about days that have not yet come. I am going to rejoice in today, because

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it"..

It's September, But It Sure Feels Like Fall...

It's September, But it sure feels like fall. The last couple of days it's been cool. Dear husband and I have both been downright Cold.

I was out shopping today. I go the first week of the month to stock up on the necessities. I spent the afternoon at a couple of Super Stores in the area. The summer things have all been moved to a few aisles. They aren't marked down yet, well some are, but I'll bet next week the Clearance of summer will start.

I've been especially sad all day. I could almost sit down and cry. My beautiful summer has come and gone without me. Oh I know, we'll still have a few warm days ahead. It's suppose to be 80 on Labor day. Thank goodness. I also see one or two more 80 degree days scheduled for later next week. So the warm days are not gone, but will be soon.

The garden is slowing down. There is a slight crispness in the air. I bought apples today. I plan to make hubby an apple pie this week. I bought some new flannel sheets, and looked at boots. I didn't look long. It's just to sad. I thought of how many more summers I may have in this life. I'm hoping for at least another 40 or so. I just hate that this one came and went so quickly.

I do like fall. My oven begins to bake more. The recipes for homemade soups and stews come out. The last of the canning stuff is put away, and I'll begin to start getting a few of our long sleeve shirts out. I pulled out a couple of sweatshirts today. So I know it won't be long till I start packing the summer things away for next year.

The first frost will be on it's way soon. The leaves will start their color change, Apple cider will start appearing in the grocery store along with Carmel apples and freshly dug carrots and potatoes. The mums are appearing in the stores, and soon we'll see pumpkins and Indian corn. Fall recipes are in all the magazines, and fall decorations are out in all the stores. I do like fall. I just need to grieve for the summer I missed. Then it will be Welcome Fall.. glad to see you.

One Huge Tomato

14 slices from one tomato !

This is one huge tomato.

I just had to show you our huge tomato. It was off one of the tomato plants that I bought at Wally world this spring, in April. I still can't believe how well the tomato plant did once it was put in the garden. It tried dying on me several times. I finally put it out on the front porch and left it there.

During the summer it grew into a 4ft. monstrosity. It was huge and covered with tomatoes. Dear husband could pick a plastic grocery sack full off of it every few days.

This was the largest tomato we had this year. a huge thing. As you can see almost covering a Dinner size foam plate.

I finally had to slice it up today. It was kind of sad. Hubby had picked it earlier in the week. It was breaking the stalk it was attached to. We have admired it and shown it off to neighbors and friends alike. Today I had to slice it, and it was soooo good. just perfect. I would love to have saved it for a mid-winter craving for fresh tomatoes out of the garden. That little extra sweet tingle in your mouth, that wonderful juice running down your chin. Yep, if I could have kept it I would have.

Two slices are safely in my tummy. They were perfection. We will continue enjoying the wonderful slices throughout the rest of the day. Then will most likely finish them off in the morning with biscuits and gravy. Hubby does love tomatoes and gravy along with his biscuits and eggs.

I hope you all get to eat a "Fresh from the garden" tomato soon. Things are winding down here. The tomatoes are smaller and are making their last push before the frost of Sept. finds them. I hope you get to eat a big one. One that makes big fat juicy slices. One that sends yummy juice down your chin. One that you can relish and enjoy.

Girlie Wisdom.. Thanks Julie !!!

Girlie Wisdom!

1 A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she now has 14 kids but she doesn't really care..

2. One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

3. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

4. The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

5. The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

6. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.

7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today...

8 Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

9. I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my panties.

10. Amazing! You hang something in your closet, for a while, and it shrinks 2 sizes!

11. Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!'.....Now, I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name, and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

12. The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

13. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!