I hope it isn't so...

*back story*

Back when I was 14 years old and on...ma and I would go on pointless little excursions, basically, we would drive around wasting gas. Sometimes she would drive, but more often I would.

*today*

I had a dream last week while napping...I didn't want to post or talk about it because I really hope it isn't true.
In this dream....ma and I were once again out wasting gas (I was driving).
I look over at ma and ask 'why so somber?' - she didn't say anything, just kind of looked down. I say 'you aren't coming back are you?'.

That was it....I woke up.

So, being that she has come to me in dreams a couple times prior, you can see why I hope it isn't true. I hope she comes back...I enjoy these little 'reunions'.
I did tell hubs about it and he said 'well, maybe you can ask her to come back.' It's a nice thought, but I don't know if it's that simple.

Brain Fart

Here I am minding my own business...thinking I have 8 more days til Hoss starts school. While on Facebook I noticed a local parents magazine status...'school starts Thursday Sept 2, are you ready?'

Me 'WTF?!?' *double checks calendar* an sure'nough.....school starts Thursday...in 2, TWO, days. I rush out to get the last few things I need for his supplies (still in need of even more supplies for Sprout to go to preschool). Oy, so much for sleeping in for another 8 days...nope, get to get back on that horse come Thursday....2 days.

art

For some of you buying art is a no-brainer...you see something you like and you buy it, no second thought. For me, however, it is very H-A-R-D. Why, you may ask? Because I am one that sees something I like and I say 'I can do that'.

Friday evening I was at an estate sale and saw this lovely blue hued portrait...I liked it right then and there. Then I saw a landscape...just took my breath away....beautiful Fall colors. I asked about the paintings, but did not buy them. Hubs went to the same estate sale after I got home (he is into tools and car stuff...so I let him look at that....alone....with out me), I told hubs about the paintings....when he came back he said 'I didn't see any paintings'.

I went back today (everything was half off) and went looking, but not expecting to find them there. Guess what??? They were still there *yay*.

I got the portrait, the landscape, extra art papers (got for Hoss and Sprout) and a Pyrex casserole dish that I can't believe I missed on Friday all for $3.

5 years later...Katrina

This is not going to be a blog about New Orleans, because frankly...I dont care about New Orleans. Not to be racist, but for the past 5 years it's always been about New Orleans. Very rarely do you see a come back story about Bayou la Batre, Al or Fairhope, Al or Gulf Shores, Al or Pensacola, Fl or Mobile, Al or Dauphin Island, AL or Biloxi, Ms or Pascagoula, Ms. The people from these cities and places in between put on their big undies and got to work, they didn't sit around waiting for a hand out. They did what was needed to do to get life back to 'normal'...Do Not get me wrong....they lost their share of residents too. Even after the BP oil spill....it was always about New Orleans...I want to shout out to all news media 'WHAT ABOUT THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI COAST?!?!?' but would it do any good. Seriously, my blood pressure rises when all I hear is New Orleans, New Orleans....New Orleans....F--- New Orleans!

Here are a few shots of Before and After...







The day before Katrina hit, hubs spoke to his dad on the phone (we moved to the PNW almost a year before Katrina hit..thats about 2400+ miles away form the MS/Al coast). So, hubs spoke to his dad...his dad being that he stayed during Fredric decided to rough it out (if you are from the south you drop the 'hurricane' part and just go with the name of the storm - everyone will know what you are talking about: Fredric, Camille, George, KATRINA). Aug 19, 2005 we got up and hubs was frantically calling his dad to tell him to 'leave, get out of town as fast as you can....it's bad, it's a bad storm!' But, the warning didn't happen because all the phone lines where dead.

Over the next several days...hubs would go back to work and I would stay plugged into the computer listening and watching for any news from there (watching the local news stations and listening to the local radio stations down there).

We would try calling family and friends to see if anyone could get out and check on his dad --- but they couldn't, either all the roads were blocked off or there was no gas...Nothing.

It was a week that went by before we finally heard from his dad...a cousin found a way over to his house and got him out (Phew).

Much as I hate to watch/look at pictures of any and everything related to 9-11 (I enjoyed Remember Me, but after the ending....I wont see it again). As much as I hate things to do with 9-11, I also hate to see pictures or news or anything to do with Katrina.

PINK!

At the point of almost giving up on junking today - came across this one yard sale and found...



a PINK brownie dish for a buck.

The ladybug pin I found at another sale for $.50.

Friday Night Estate Sale Finds...

The large turquoise bowl is part of a chip and dip set (the dip bowl looks the same, but much smaller), promotional piece 1958.

The green is a crazy daisy/spring blossom casserole dish.

The white loaf pan is Anchor Hocking/Fire King.

Fall is in the air

...and with Fall comes beautiful colors, wonderful scents and HALLOWEEN!

I just LOVE Halloween, to me, it's the one time of the year to not be yourself...to step out of reality.

Last night it popped into my head to create shrunken heads. I have made them before about 10+ years ago, ma helped me. At that time though, we made mini pinatas (using water balloons, flour glue and newspaper - painted after dry) this time however, I used polymer clay (I love this stuff...you have an idea and in just a few moments you can have it right there, for everyone to see and enjoy).

To start, you need foil (foil is the base of most polymer projects...less time to cook; if the entire thing was made from clay it would take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to cook).




Take the foil and smush it into a shape (depending on what you are going for), here I went with an egg-ish shape w/ spots for the eyes.



*Oh man did I luck up Sunday. All this clay and then some came from FreeCycle - at the time when I grabbed the clay I didn't know what I was going to make with it.



I've never used colored Premo before...so I am not sure if the clay was just old or if it's always hard. I also don't do clay crafts enough to warrant a pasta machine nor all the cool little tools and gadgets that go along with polymer.



Here they all are in the middle of being cooked. I had to mix to make colors and then went from there. They are not realistic looking by any means.



(please do not judge the art station these are cooling on...it's a mess!)
So here they are, they will eventually adorn a Halloween wreath (I got a few wreaths from that same FreeCycle and moss).

As you can see even Frankenstein can not avoid being shrunk.

Sometimes I even surprise myself.

I did say that it was too time consuming, making each. individual. little. pillow. thingy. But I did realize today with the kneading, the rolling and making...it is so relaxing.

I tried my hand at making pasta again. This time I did things a little different.

I decided to mix the dough in a bowl (my newest Pyrex, aged like many of my others...there is not another one exactly like it). IF I make pasta again, I will not mix in a bowl (it's just one more thing to have to clean).

Recipe: about a cup of flour, 1 egg, a little water, salt and a little olive oil.
Mix, knead and let rest (I let it rest for a couple hours this time, but learning from my last experience, I put a wet towel over the top - to keep a crust from forming).




This go around, I went with round rather than squares...I think the rounds were a little easier to do. I do not own any cookie cutters (I. Just. Don't. Bake.) so I used a whiskey glass.



Stacking them all nice and pretty like.



The filling: Ricotta cheese (about 1/2 a container, frozen spinach thawed, baby port mushrooms - diced and cooked in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder). Mix together (after the mushrooms cool) adding a little more salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste.



I took each round and rolled them out again making an oval. With my finger I put a little water on half and then with a little spoon put a dollop of the mix in the center. Fold in half and pinch the two sides together.



With a fork I pressed down again, to make sure there was a tight seal.



They aren't perfect.



Again with the store bought sauce...tisk tisk.



Topped with a little fresh cracked pepper...Mmm.



Do you like my turquoise Pyrex cereal bowl? I bought that at a church rummage sale for a quarter.

I love FreeCycle!

I picked up a carload of arts & crafts stuff today! Sa-weet!!! Acrylics out the wazoo...clay...cutting boards...photo albums...fabric paints...zip ties....wire...I could go on.

Four...

Four years ago today - I realized my Need...my Desire...my Love for.........SLEEP.

*the picture is from his 1st birthday.

House Updates...

Hubs and I have been talking a lot lately on how much we have changed the house/yard.
Last night I went on a picture hunt to see if I could find earlier pics of the house when we first moved in (or rather the first year+)... Here is what I found.



This D.E.A.D. tree was in the center of a power line triangle (scared me to death anytime we had a nasty wind storm come threw).
$100 and it came down one Spring morning. Opened the backyard up.



The chain link fence (I just recently pulled that down) and that too opened the back up so much! Before that the back lot was nothing but weeds...then it was weeds and a large pile of dirt.
The red fence there to the right....Ugh, that was so hideous; it was leaning a good 3 feet into our yard, the 3 feet is was hovering over was nothing but weeds. A couple Mother's Day ago, I was out there pulling and ripping that fence down. We put up a nice chain link.



My garden....was a 'patio' of sorts (note 2 pics down w/ muddy child).











We put in a 8'x8' sandbox.







(these are out of order...Hmph). We painted over the bruise color on the lower part of the house (note next pic)...we painted over with an Blue Spruce Green color.







I hated the honey color to the kitchen cabinets (top and bottom) so I ...



painted the lower an olive green and the upper...



an antique/off white. I still have to finish...needs another coat.

Other updated pictures to follow.

My New-To-Me Find

I went junking at a girlfriends house today (she had her In-Laws down for a yard sale)...Can you guess what Mama-in-Law had??? PYREX!

She sure did use this piece...





It is a 403 2.5QT nesting bowl. It looks to be an olive green.

Hubs says I like them because I don't have to be too careful with them - it's true, but I also like them because they were used/loved and they have character, they are unique...there is not another piece out there that will have the same exact worn look to it. By the way... $.10

GIVEAWAY

Love free stuff? Love Great looking Free stuff?!? Then come over to this blog and see how you can enter!
http://michellem-spontaneousdots.blogspot.com/2010/08/giveaway.html

WOW

We had a nice little storm come threw tonight; Hoss asked me to take pictures...








Then I went around front and saw this:















...it's a double rainbow. Second time in a week we have seen a double rainbow, first time however, to see a rainbow at night (8:45p Aug 5, 2010).








An awesome storm and a double rainbow = Beautiful.

Cute finds...

I was eager to get out today and junk...went to my usual 'hot spots' and came out with these:

Pyrex Creamer.

I don't think it's very old (1980's maybe?) - most of the vintage have the design up on top, but this here is centered. I have looked and haven't found what pattern this is...Ribbon Bouquet.



Fire King Sugar/Creamer - Primrose.



I was ready to walk out of one of the stores, when I looked down an my eye caught on the creamer - the colors (red/pink) spoke to me...they are just dainty and girlie (I am none of the above), but I really like them.
Then walking back down an isle (to make sure I didn't miss anything) I caught sight of the sugar...SCORE!



Pretty huh.