Ohhhhhh Is Anyone There???

 Hi there everyone. Thought I would drop a line or two. Yes, I am still alive and kicking. As you can see by the dates on the pictures below, they are 5 years old, but they are Fall pictures, so I am using them today.

I have not been much into a blog mood, only because not much is happening in my life. Since JP's death, (1 year, 2-1/2 months) everyday just seems to blend into another. I have tried to get a lot done around the house, but sometimes I just find myself sleeping. I get plenty done in my mind, but my body does not cooperate.

Next month, 11/21 I will be 76 years old. WHERE did that time go to?? Never thought I would make it to this age.

Well, to update you all. I had my garage sale and made about $140.00 which did help in paying some bills. The sale was back in June. I thought I would have another one in July, August and possibly in September. But I decided not to. June was enough for me. I am still in the process of cleaning the garage and ridding myself of all the old garage sale stuff that did not sell. I gave "Good Will" 6 banana boxes of stuff already with 2-3 more boxes to go. 

I have decided I am NOT going to sell and move out of this house. And would like to stay here for as long as I can. To down-size, pack and move just sounds like too much stress and a hassle at this time in my life. I am not under pressure now, as I was even 6 months ago as I have made plans with the City to begin paying my property tax which will now keep me from foreclosure in two years. 

I have had a few other financial situations cleared up, so my future looks a little brighter, that's if this country does not go down the tubes with inflation, high gas and food prices and every other crisis that comes up. 

It has been hard to keep my nose above water these last couple of years what with the Pandemic, JP's sickness and death, trying to make ends meet has been a challenge. But God is Good, and He takes care of His own.

I had a really good garden this year with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, onions, dill and basil. I am in the midst of drying the dill and basil. I think the beans are done as it was my second planting. I brought in my green tomatoes, and they are ripening in a dish pan. 

My card making has been at a minimum lately, have lots of ideas, but seem to find other things to do. Cooking for myself is not fun. When JP was alive, I cooked much more, always trying something new and different. Now I just cook what is easy, fast or not so healthy. Hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, fries, steak, beans, broccoli, and corn. Chicken when I can and porkchops anything that can be made in the Air Fryer or microwave. My Air Fryer is my new friend.

My car has a gas line leak, so it has been sitting in the driveway this week. Monday, I have to take it to the service station, hopefully there is enough gas to get it there and has not all leaked out. Then the guy won't be able to work on it till the 20th, maybe sooner. Hopefully the bill will be affordable.

Well, I guess that is all for now, this was going to be a short blog, but I guess I am just too wordy. You all have a great rest of the month...I am sure it will go fast. The days are flying by, enjoy them while you have them. Keep looking up!!! Better days are a comin'. Louise

My First Paper Pumpkin Kit From Stampin'Up

Hi there everyone. How are you all doing? I have been busy...and 5 days behind in posting something on my blog...slacking a bit. Been working in my gardens and not taking a whole lot of pictures. I should take some tulip pictures before they all start pooping out. The tulips are so pretty this year and so vibrant. I counted my tulips and I have 95 tulips growing.....really that is lots to me.  I do have a pot of tulips that were given to me for Easter....need to plant them soon.

Been busy making cards for Hospice also....which is where I should be right now, down in the basement making cards for Hospice. We have a meeting this coming Friday. Been working on Father's Day cards....I will take some pictures of them. We also will be making Father's Day favors with a Hersey Nugget inside. So I need to make 20 favors with a ribbon holding it together. Oh, it might take an hour to make them.

So in these following pictures, is the Stampin'up Paper Pumpkin Kit I received for April. This is the first time I ordered a monthly kit from Stampin'up.

This is what the cards will look like when I start to play with this kit. Been too busy to even play with these cards. I just want to take my time and savor the moments while I play with this kit.

Lots of neat things came in this kit. Card stock, envelopes, ink, stamps acrylic block, color pencils, paint brush for water coloring, embellishments and glue dots. Probably by the time I start working on this, the next one will be sitting at the door.

I just realized.....I sure can keep myself busy doing things, can't I??? Gardening, card making, cooking with Blue Apron.....but, not as busy as other people who can run circles around me. I think I have slowed down a bit. I have decided to only work ONE hour outside, anymore and I am worn out and exhausted the next day. Perhaps by Fall, everything I want to do will be done by then.

I am hoping the weather stays cooler this summer and not get too, too hot. Guess I don't want to invest in a new air-conditioner as yet.

Well, time to close here, need to get my cards done for Hospice before Friday. Have a great evening and keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Some Adult Coloring

Hi there everyone. Hope you are having a good day. We have been dealing with Doctor appointments these last couple of days. Today, JP had an appointment with Urology....we were at the hospital from 9:30am, finally leaving @ 2:30pm.....long, long day. He has to have a prostate biopsy. It does not sound easy or comfortable. He'll have to take 2 days off from work, because there's no heavy lifting for two days after the procedure. I am hoping for a good report, but the Doctor said this could be cancer. Please keep JP in your prayers.

My appointment was on Tuesday. Diabetes is a very distressing desease. Along with weight (I have gained back 24 lbs of the 40 I lost last year, dealing with the hernia). Needless to say my blood pressure and blood sugars have gone up and my A1C is still a tad too high. I have to have a mammogram in September, my last one was in '05....gosh time flies. Oh and I have been dealing with itchy skin, so the Doctor wants me to stop taking each medication (one at a time) for a couple of days to see if I am allergic to any one of them. If the itching stops, then that med needs to be changed, because I am apparently allergic to it. If itching does not stop then it might be a food I am eating or the laundry detergent. Right now, I am itching...metformin has been excluded for a couple of days. Will have to wait to see what happens.....the itching could be  nerves.

Well...on to some fun stuff.....this is what keeps my head together....is my art work, card making, gardening and cooking.

I bought a couple of Adult coloring books and have been doing some coloring.

What is nice about spending time on coloring these flowers and stuff is that they can be turned into a nice card......we'll see what I come up with. 

Right now I am thinking that I might want to frame a few of these pages. I really liked the above color page...I was almost finished with it and used a pen to outline and there was tooooo much ink in it and it leaked on my colored page. I tried to cover it but to no avail. I just showed you the pretty part. Down in the right corner you can see a dark sploge. Oh, and maybe over on the left in the middle.

This color page was done with colored pencils....oh and ink and stamps (those little dots). It was okay....but I prefer to use Copic markers. Colors are more vibrant.

Well, I think I will close here as I have to do some dishes and think about what I want to make for JP's late supper. You have a great night and keep looking up....better days are coming.

Cheers ~ Louise

Mexican Lasagna and Pizza Bread



So today we took Kylie to the groomer. From there we went to Festival Foods for a few things, like dog food, flour and grapes. Usually on Tuesday and Thursday's Festival puts out "dented and scratched" food in a box for $10. If I get there at the right time, sometimes there is a box or two left. Today, I got a box of canned goods, noodles, soups, seasonings, cookies, juice, puddings, pickles. There was some lasagna noodles, diced tomatoes and refried beans. I thought, hummmm, wonder if I could make a "Mexican Lasagna". So I looked up on the internet www.cooks.com and found a recipe. Although I did not have all the ingredients, this is what I came up with, using what I had in "the box".
Lasagna noodles
Can of refried beans
Can of diced tomatoes
1/2 pound hamburger
1/2 chopped onion
1 bag of shredded cheese (mozzarella, Cheddar, or mexican)

Brown hamburger with onion (drain if you need to) add can of tomatoes and refried beans. Layer in a small lasagna pan, 1st layer is mixture, then cooked noodles, mixture, cheese, noodles, mixture, cheese, noodles, mixture, cheese, noodles, mixture, cheese (I think that is four layers), depending how tall your pan is, layer accordingly. I baked this at 350 for about 30-45 minutes.
It was not very spicy so if you would like to add hot sauce to a layer or two, that would be good.



Pizza Bread
Now this was really good!! Found the recipe from a book I got from the library. Called "Everything Flax" More than 100 easy ways to work flax into  your everyday diet.

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. crushed dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 cups skim milk (or 1%)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 egg
1 small tomato, sliced
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cover the sundried tomatoes with boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes, drain and dice.
Preheat the oven at 350, spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine rehydrated sun dried tomatoes, flour, Parmesan cheese, sugar, flaxseed, baking powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and egg and pour the liquid ingred. into the dry ingred. Stir just until the dry ingred. are moistened.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle the fresh tomato, bell pepper and mozzarella cheese over the batter.
Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until the wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, and transfer the bread to a rack to cool.
This can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

MMMM Good!!!!!!!

I know the pictures aren't that great, but it all did sure taste good. Well, you have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

The Last Day Of the Ides of March

Yep.......it's the last day of March...........where did this month ago?!?!?!? A month ago I was all consumed with the thought of how I was going to get through this month with no way of paying bills, suddenly having to make quite a few doctor visits, getting around with one car and buying food..............goes to show, we are not to worry about anything and "to cast ALL our cares upon the Lord"!!! We got through this month, now on to April, one day at a time. That is all we are to do, like walking, one step at a time, one day at a time!! Well, I don't want to bore you with anymore of my personal life.....guess some people don't like to hear stuff like that! So I will go on to what I have made!Here is a coursage, must have been last year when I was making lots of orgami flowers, added a few to my Etsy store, (actually gave more away then sold) none sold on Etsy (dar-nut)!!!! So guess I will try another color. Had alot of people on Etsy "favor or like" my flowers and my flowers ended up in a few treasuries, but none were bought.............oh well, such is life!!!

I was told I should not renew my cards or flowers if they don't sell the first time, take them off and put new ones up...........yeah, right. I have sold a few cards that I renewed, so I think I will just continue what I am doing for now. Everyone has to do what they think is right and works best for them, let the other guy do what they want.............no two people are alike and no two Etsy stores are the same!!! Still a "free" country to do what you want................so far!!!!

Anyways, I shall make this a short blog for now........have to get ready and straighten up the house. JP and I are going on a date today, the annual cooking show in Little Chute. Chef Jeff and Chef Mark will be making different foods "Hits the Road" type food whatever that will be, going to be prizes, samples of different food and lots of signing up for prizes and goodie bags......okay here we go!!!!

Cheers ~ Louise

Time Flies......................

Wow......talk about time flying by where have these days gone????? Thought I would update alittle bit.

Been busy making cards, lots, lots, and lots of Valentine cards lately. Now I have been focusing on St. Patty Cards. Will have to add some to my next blog. Also have been focusing on making Mother's Day Cards. Bought a few stamps today for Mother's Day, can you believe I did not have a Mother's day stamp. Now I can start next week making MD Cards. Gosh then comes Father's Day..................time goes fast when you go by the seasons.

Been getting into more cooking lately, I don't know why, like making different breads, soups, chillis, mmmmmm oh and stew the other day. Maybe it is just the winter that brings out the "cooking bug" in me, or could be I say "Julia and Julie" what a special movie, I really enjoyed it. Bought some wonderful spices today at Penzeys, bought some French Basil, French Tarragon, French Thyme and Vindaloo.............vindaloo you say???? That's what I said, what is Vindaloo?? It's hot and spicey but not overwhelming, good on pork, beef, lamb or poultry. I just sprinkled a little on a piece of meat tonight. The ingredients are: coriander, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, brown mustard, red pepper, jalapeno, cardamom, turmric,tellicherry black pepper, and cloves. I think only a sprinkle will do, because the sales lady said it is really Hot. So yeah, a sprinkle will do for now.

Still exercising at Inches A Weigh...........not much weight loss...........of course I usually gain weight during the winter months and that has not happened as yet..........so maybe I am on the right track.

Still doing my merchandising job, which keeps me busy every week, not a big money maker, but it is busy work AND it is a job. Selling my cards on Etsy, here and there and also at Inches A Weigh.

Well, I shall close this blog for today and hopefully come back in the next few days.

Happy Valentines Day~~~~~~
Louise