Making Sloppy Joes & Another Garage Sale

Had another garage sale ~ today only ~ about 12 noon all that had sold was $10 then...........up drives a man on a motor cycle and says "this could be your lucky day" he ended up buying $50 worth of stuff. I had an old violin that he bought and some other old stuff that had been sitting in the basement. By the end of the day the tally was $84!!! Well, I am $500 away from a new computer. This computer that I am on is about 8 years old and runs very slowwwwwwww!!!!! I will probably do a few more garage sales the next couple of Fridays, everything is all set up, so I might as well, of course it all depends on the weather. Of which one can never be sure which way the wind will blow!!! Also, there will be less stuff to put away till next spring and have another garage sale..............hopefully by then I will have my new computer!!!

Oh Yummy, Sloppy Joes have turned out very good. We are helping some friends move tomorrow from their condo on the lake to a very lovely house on the river. My job is to make the Sloppy Joes and direct  traffic at the old place and clean cabinets. I will add coleslaw to the menu. As Sandi will be adding calico beans and chips. Brownies and chocolate chips have also been added to the menu.

Well, me thinks I will close this blog for today and I need to make the coleslaw, talk to you soon and keep looking up for your redemption drawth nigh.  Cheers ~ Louise

Garage Sale ~ a Success!

Facing West...............cards, pop corn, cups, house ware, books,  DVD's, CD's and lots of nic-nacs.
(All these pictures were taken before the sale started)

Facing East...........coffee, tea, water, soda, planters and music all day.

Facing North west............house-wares and misc. stuff.

Facing North-east............stamps, nail polish, earrings, Herbalife, sleeping bag, yarn, cups and cards and DVD's and etc.

Garage sale was a success........I think. Sold $115 worth of stuff @ 25cents to $1 with a few things at $2, $3, $4 and $5. Still have lots of stuff to sell though. Counted the people too (estimated) 92 visitors. I figured I put in about 30 hours setting up and opening and closing. Made a whopping $3.82 an hour plus I was sooooo tired on Saturday, after the sale shut down I sat down on my lazy boy and napped for 3 hours!!!

Well, I am figuring that I will open my garage sale for the next couple of weeks, depending on the weather, on Friday only. I found Thursday was a very weak day for selling and also Saturday. Friday was the big seller day. So, as long as I am set up and the weather cooperates, next Friday, 28th is the day to sell. I can handle one day....whew, stuff that I could do with no problem years ago has become a very laborious thing.....I sure was a tired old lady after this one. Not sure if the ad I put on www.craigslist.com helped, but I will certainly do that again, just in case it did work.

So you ask.........."What'cha going to do with all that money you are making at your sale???" Well, to answer your question.....I need a watch and the rest is going towards a new computer. (Ha....that's if it doesn't burn a hole in my purse first.) This computer is close to 8years old and I was told by a computer guy at Office Depot that computers don't last more then 4 years. But then I have a friend who's computer lasted 14 years, so go figure.

Well, being I was so involved in my garage sale this past week, my Etsy store lacked a some TLC. Soooo this next week I must get some NEW cards up and going and get my Christmas Cards going too!!!! It's almost October....yikes!

Mail came.....we were just invited to my nieces christening of her baby in Chicago on October 7th.........man, October is filling up and we haven't even gotten there yet. It seems for the last couple of months JP and I have been visiting Doctors alot lately and each visit requires a Co-pay and that is surely wracking havoc with our finances of late. Going to Chicago for the weekend would involve $400-$500 for us. Renting a car (because our car would never make it), putting the dogs in a kennel for the week-end and who know what else, gift, cards, money?????

Well, that answered that problem.....JP just got home from the Physical Therapist for his arm pain ($30 co-pay a visit) and read the card and said we are not going, can't afford it......guess I will just send a card and money, much cheaper then $500.

Time to close this here blog for the day..........you all keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh and the return of Jesus is sooner then we all think!!! See ya later, cheers ~ Louise

Wordless Wednesday!

So have a great day anyways!! See you on Saturday!!
Keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh!!!
Cheers ~ Louise

What Can I Say............It's Monday!!



What can I say...........................

Another week is going to pass us by, don't blink. This is "Garage Sale Week" for me, hope I am ready for it. Almost have it set up, now the pricing begins.....UGE! We bought some sealer for the driveway, didn't want to see anyone trip and fall entering the garage. Guess in order to make a little bit of money, you have to spend a little bit of money.........$16.00??????

JP also put some cedar chips down around the house. We had heard that doing that, keeps the bugs and varmints away from the plants.....possibly a little late in the season, but it is worth a try and something that will happen for sure next spring. I have this squirrel that likes to visit and dig holes in my planters, he doesn't even care what is planted, just as long as he get HIS stuff planted and does he ever make a mess........darn squirrel!!!! but one plus is that the cedar chips smell wonderful to me, maybe it reminds me of Christmas!!!

JP hasn't had any arm pains since 7:30am this morning.....well that is about 17 hours of freedom for him. We never know when the attacks come. Sometimes he can have as many as 10-15 a day and now like today, nothing. Hard to figure it out. Sure gets tiring to watch him suffer. When he goes to the chiropractor things seem to calm down a bit, cause he stretches those muscles so the nerve isn't resting on the disks. Although the disks are degenerating (whatever that means).

So JP has to correct his posture by sitting on a round pillow between the chair and his back. He also does exercises for his back. All this stuff is from the Physical Therapist. The chiropractor has JP putting a heating gizmo on his neck and then exercising his neck back and forth.............well, we will see which of the two works the best PLUS a little bit of prayer helps too!!! JP has appointments with the Physical Therapist for the next 4 weeks, twice a week at $30 a shot for Co-pay. The Chiropractor is $20 a week, these co-pays are going to drain us financially, for sure!!! Plus we need to get JP in for an eye appointment.

Well, I need to go to bed, been a little tired today and this may be a busy week.............May be???.........I think it WILL be!!!

You all have a great week and keep looking up for your redemption draws closer and closer!!!
Cheers ~ Louise

Pretty White Flowers from My Garden and a Garage Sale

Don't even know what these are called, but they have taken over the whole side of my front porch.

Beautiful white Rose!

A Pretty White Zenia!

Almost all white with splashes of blue Morning Glories!!!

This is just the beginning of my beautiful blooms this summer. With Fall almost upon us, the flowers are showing all their glory....God is so creative, there is no way that "Man" can duplicate God's handiwork!!!

Well, I have been diligently working on my garage sale. I thought possibly I would get one day this week to sell, but no, just not finished bringing stuff up from the basement. Do I have that much stuff??? Goodness, I need to have a garage sale every 6 months to get rid of the things I just needed to have but don't need now?????? Does that make sense? Still have to mark everything with a price. Going to sell  161 cards, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You and Seasonal Cards for $1 each. I have some stamps, CD's, DVD's, cooking stuff and glass ware, some exercise stuff, a rocker, bike rack, dog kennel and a lot of misc. stuff.

I am hoping that I will make a good hunk of change, as I am needing a new computer before this one conks out on me. The Home Depot guy said my computer is way over due. Computers last maybe 3-4 years. My computer is over 8 years old. It is running VERY slow, so maybe it is time to replace it. SOOOOOO a garage sale is needed to unload and renew!!!!

Well, I need to close for today, get some work done on my Garage sale. The sale will be next week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.....that would be long enough for me. Will probably place an ad on www.craigslist.com as the ads are free and maybe just maybe I might get lots of people to stop by.

Need to make a run to WGR for my free whisk and Salvation Army for free bread (got a box of banana's to dry too)........so need to close. You all have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption is drawing nigh!!! Cheers to you ~ Louise

Coffee and Taxes and Garage Sales

NOT!!!!!

Now that will get your attention......hahahahaha!!! So how is your day going? Just by reading Facebook and a few blogs today, I have noticed a few people have already been out running or baking or resting. ME, just contemplating what I'm going to do next, after doing this blog. {Well, as you can see, I changed the look of this blog, for 1 thing. Do you like it, looks a little antiquey, like me!!!}

Going to have a garage sale September 20th and 21st, am hoping the weather will be fine, if not I am sunk. I could try for this next week-end I suppose, but would really have to hustle to get stuff marked and set-up. Much depends on the weather, no one will come in the rain, I wouldn't.

Retirement has been very busy for me.......don't know where I would fit in working if I was still doing that. And, how in the world did I do it all those years of working and keeping a house and all the other things I was involved in......just don't know. I didn't even have "kids" added to the quota. Just a husband and lots of animals along the way. I guess we do what we have to do at the time we are doing it!!!! It all works out in the end like the wash on Monday mornings!!!

Well, I better get going if I am even going to accomplish a few things today, like try at least getting the garage cleaned and ready for the Garage sale. See ya' later and have a great day in what ever you do today and keep looking up for your redemption drawth nigh!!! Cheers to all ~ Louise

Beautiful Butterfly ~ Freezer Corn and Cards

BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY!!! It was fluttering around Sunday Morning and I just had to run out and take a picture. First it was keeping it's wings closed then suddenly it's wings opened in all it's Glory.....what a beautiful sight. I have never seen a butterfly like this one before.....oh please do not tell me it is just a moth!!!! Do you know what it is or where it comes from???? I like to think it came from afar and stopped by to say "Hello Louise, God sent me by to make your day and to say "I love you" in a special way"
Such a beautiful, intricately designed and colorful butterfly. Black, gold and blue, nice color combo. Maybe I should make a card with those colors, something to think about.

Now for my tried and true "Freezer Corn." I got this recipe up in Ladysmith. Don't know from who, but it sure came in handy for the amount of corn we had growing on our 20 acres years ago. (as you can see the recipe is well worn) I had a big freezer to fill......so it was a great joy, to open that freezer, pull out some freezer corn, a hunk of meat and garden potatoes or squash and make a simple home grown meal!!

First: cut the corn off the cob.

You will need 8 cups of corn for one batch (that could be about 7-8 cobs)

Put corn in a fry pan (I use my electric wok) heat to 350 to 370 and simmer 3 minutes.
Add 2 tsp. sugar (I use 1 tsp.)
2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 stick margarine (I use 1/2 stick butter)

Stir for 3 minutes. You can see the steam rising here.

Cool in the fry pan or wok. Pack in seal-a-meal bags (which I used years ago)
 Otherwise, just use containers then freeze.

There you have it, my no-fail freezer corn that will taste like fresh corn in the middle of winter. I have been a fan of this recipe for 36 years and it has not failed me yet.

CARDS: Made some cards to put up in my Etsy store. Hopefully tonight I will get them downloaded and place one of the cards into my Etsy store tomorrow. At least that is my goal.

Well you have a great day and keep looking up for  your redemption drawth nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise

Boat Ride & 100 Mile Challenge & Doggies



As this is the 1st day of September, and such a beautiful day it is. (My gosh, where has this year gone to???) I am going to look back at the last few days starting with Wednesday, August 29th. It too, was a beautiful day. Went for a boat ride, with Sandi, Shirley and Tyler. We had a great time on Butt de More Lake, dropping anchor and having a snack of cheese, salami, bean dip, crackers, celery, zucchini bread, cookies and chips. Should have taken a picture, of the food, but I am sure you have seen these munchies before. It was just fun to rock back and forth with the waves and eat. What a life, I could get used to this life style very easily!!



Here the geese are passing by the Seagull that was sitting on the rock in the above picture....such a peaceful day!! This is actually taken with my "zoom in" on my camera, we were pretty far off from these geese.



Here we were throwing chips and crackers out for the seagulls to catch.....started with one bird and he must have called in his friends, because then we had at least 10 birds flying around. Surprised they did not swoop down onto the boat and help themselves to what we were eating!!! All and all it was a beautiful day to take a boat ride, no cares in the world at that time, that's what I call a VACATION of sorts. I vacated my home to go on a boat for a ride!!! That is what vacation means to me.



As you can see I made the challenge of 100 miles for the month of August. But alas, out of the 32 + women that entered the challenge......I did not win the Salsa and Chobani yogurt, Carol did...........(sob, sob, sigh). "But I shall continue on" in my quest to ride my stationary bike every night, as my journey continues for however long I can go. Hopefully it will be a part of my schedule from here on in until the return of Jesus!!!



Here's Kylie, my lovable little "schnoodle" a cross between a Schnauzer and a poodle. I think she is more Schnauzer though cause she is always smelling something with her nose. She also uses her nose to move things, like doors, cabinets, her bed, garbage cans, leashes, just to let us know she is there or she wants to go for a walk. She moves blankets and whatever else she can get her nose to do....she is a very talented puppy! Kylie has been with us since 2005. We got her at the OshKosh Animal Shelter. She was brought in as a homeless dog wandering around, fending for herself. Someone must have dumped her and left her. Kylie suffered rejection....how sad.



Here's Hyko a bolegnese from Italy, he has been with us since 2003. Hyko was in an abusive home for 4 years then taken to the Animal Shelter. We had just lost our sweet Poppy and it seemed sort of lonely without a second dog. Anna, our little black poodle mix was depressed and so were we. Then along comes Hyko to shake things up a bit. He has been a very good dog, but you know, he is getting old, human years he is going on 13, doggie years his is about 85 years old. In this picture he is comtiplating going down the stairs, we still try and let him do it himself, but lately he has been needing some assistance going down the stairs and going up too.

Yep, even I need assistance, grabbing on to door knobs, ledges and banisters to go up and down the stairs.....No one ever told me it would be this hard to get old....honestly, thanks alot!!!!

Well, I think that is about all for today, need to get some things done around the house. I am planning on having a garage sale this month, so if you don't see me blogging that is where I will be, working on the garage and gathering all the things I thought I needed these past years and stopped using for whatever reason.

Take care and keep looking up for your redemption drawth nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise