You know the Bible 95%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

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Wellll, looks like I have a new goal. Gotta make that 100. Time to start studying again.

Today..

Well Shoot. I didn't even do it right. I was supposed to tag some of my peeps to partake in the meme. So here goes (better late than never...)

1. Three Lads and a Lady
2. Today I choose Joy...
3. Always Believe...
4. Live, Love & Laugh
5. Ebert Tree House

There we go.

Today is a new day. Yesterdays tomorrow and a fresh start on a clean slate. A day for new beginnings. ...Okay you get the idea.
I'll be honest, and ...I know you've been wondering about it.
It's not going well. It began unravelling about a week ago...and now I'm up.

3 whole pounds.

I could tell you I'm not gonna beat myself up about it, yadda yadda, but the truth is, I had a great week. I ate what my heart desired, and I desired alot. It went in the mouth left, right and center. Mmm mmm, there were donuts, pie, breads, candy, chocolate, and hot dogs all washed down with a nice cold coke. It was nice. Now I'm done. Ahem...For a while at least.

So here we are again old friend. The one whom I have an ill-fated relationship with, we are always destined to fail, but yet we try, try again. Let's make it last, a little give n' take. You give me self-esteem, I give you fat. It really is a worthy trade.

Today I started with fruit for breakfast, and I'm making a famous mish-mash soup for lunch. It basically involves staring into my fridge and pantry for ingredients that are healthy, and can be boiled in a pot. Currently I have my pot bubbling away with beans, onions, carrots, tomatoes, seasonings, chicken broth, celery, and I'll throw in a handful of rice eventually.

Here's to new beginnings.

Thought I'd post a recipe for anyone looking for something new to try...it's a favourite in our house, and it's on our menu this evening.


Honey Curry Chicken

-Chicken parts (thighs, legs, breasts, ...)
-1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup honey
-1/4 cup prepared mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbls. curry

Preheat oven to 375.
Combine ingredients and pour over chicken in a shallow casserole dish.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, basting occasionally.

Enjoy!

5 Reasons I Blog...

I've been tagged.

This is a first...I have yet to partake in a meme (rhymes with dream...according to Chilihead), and I really do think they're a great way of letting others know more about you.

(Fiddle Deedee was the tagger, and I couldn't be happier to be concede with her wishes.....Your wish is my command Deedee...)

Here goes, ...5 Reasons I Blog...


#1. Spilling the News ~ I began blogging at the conception of my son Gabriel. I had a wonderful blog entry on a beautiful blog laden with beautiful pictures, detailing the beginning of my beautiful pregnancy. My reason for posting was to tell my cousin Bianca about our wonderful news. I (ideally) was to write something poetic and profound, and I would have her go to the link to find out about our 'surprise', and then she would cry, and I would cry, and she'd be so happy and I'd be so happy...
Then she found out through other means. And my blog was unnecessary...and ridiculous. So...there it ended, until this past summer.

#2. Summer ~ In the summer past, I had wonderful ideas of being poetic and profound (ahem..I see a pattern..) and I began blogging about my life on our farm...it was deep. I shared the link with my Mom, who graciously told me it was too deep. The more people I shared the link with ....the lighter the material got....that brings me to now, and you can see how clowny and ridiculous some of my posts are. I hope you still read them.

#3. I Have Something To Say ~ ....sometimes. And it helps to know you are out there reading me. It's a catharsis,...a cleansing of the soul on some occasions, and an outlet of my incredible, top notch potty humour. You know you love it.

#4. My Children ~ I want them to have the connection to their childhood, the every day mundane events, and the 'blow yer mind' events, right here. Poured lovingly from my heart through my fingertips..... perhaps saved in a binder one day. Guess I'd better start printing them now.

#5. I need Something To Do ~ Let's be honest, as hard as it is to raise children, I do have a few spare minutes in a day that I have absolutely NO IDEA what to do with...or maybe I'm trying to find time away from my children....blogging is me time, as sad as that may seem to you people with real lives.

There, now you know.

Whew.

3 cats, 5 kittens, 2 kids, and a husband ...are keeping me busy. I've taken some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

















Once Layla had finished delivering her kittens, and had cleaned herself up, I moved her into a larger diaper box with some clean blankets. She is just so content. I think we may have some trouble in the spring, getting her used to the barn again!

She is a very maternal cat, and has done a wonderful job raising many litters. It's about time she got some pampering :)

My two Toms (Logie and Caleb(aka Fat Cat)) know something is up, but have yet to meet Layla. I know they can hear the mewing at night, and neither have come to our bed since she's been here, so I'm sure their quietly perched outside the den door, sniffing to their hearts content, while savouring the speculation of what is occuring behind closed doors.

It's been fun for the kids to see the kittens,... Gabriel more so. Ashlyn tends to bound her way into the room, saying (in her loudest, most excited!, voice possible) Titty, Titty, Meeeeoww!!! over and over and over. Layla, looks at her with pure disdain, hoping for her quick exit. Gabriel on the other hand gently bends down and squats on his legs beside the box, and says "Hi Yay-ya, it's me Gabeeil, don't be scared..", " Awww, you're such a sweetheart" and " you have 5 kitties..they're sooo cute!!". He asks all about them, and loves to hear their mews.


In other news, I've been saving some seeds for planting in the spring. We're hoping to start another vegetable garden, and rather than go for the greenhouse, I thought I'd start this way instead.

We have a friend of the family, Mr. Saunders, who was willing to help me in the area of tomatoes. He is an organic farmer, and a Jack of all Trades, he donated some organic tomato seeds to my gardening project, and gave me extensive advice on how to start my seeds.

He also raises sheep, and we thought it would make a fun trip for the kids to see some baby lambs...


They were just adorable, and Mr. Saunders was giggling at Ashlyn who kept saying "Hiieee" over and over to the lamb he was holding for her...too cute.


Jen will be helping me in the garden come spring, and as she says, we'll be donning our aprons and putting the children in their bonnets. We're going back to ages of self-sufficiency, and the anticipation has got me thrilled. We hope to raise some pigs and chickens this spring as well and the thought of a full freezer and canned goods lining my walls by next winter, is a good feeling that I NEVER thought my little brain would possess.


I wasn't raised a farmer. Far from it actually. But God knew me too well to stick me in a city life, and my blood screams farm girl, I love it. There are certain things I just can't handle, and I'm sure my in-laws could tell you that ... but I'm getting better, and this family leaves room for growth. I wasn't expected to dive right in and lose my identity, which I think has brought me closer to this world of agriculture...


My bones are aching for spring, my fingers are ready for the dirt, and I'm ready to feel the freedom that only the vast land on a farm can bring to this girl.

Kittens...

Well, we've got some new tenants.

Lastnight I went to the barn to help Dwight out with the chores, and I noticed a momma cat that was almost as wide as she was long. She was SO pregnant. I asked the Hubs if we could take her into the house to have her babies..we really need more kitties around the farm, as the population is really declining, and I'm sure the mouse population will be throwing parties this spring.

So ... after much debate, he allowed it and said ..well she won't be having them tonight, so we'll get a place ready for her in the basement and then we'll bring her in, in the next few days.

Sure enough, just as Dwight was leaving the barn lastnight, he and his sister noticed that indeed the momma cat was having her kittens...they put her in a box filled with straw and brought her up to the house.

By the time I went to bed lastnight, she was at 3, 1 white, and 2 orange. When I woke up this morning, she had had another one, a black one.

They are so adorable, just larger than a mouse and their heads look enormous. Too cute.

I'll post a picture as soon as can...

Jenny Benny

I gotta tell ya, there ain't nothing like undergarment shopping with a close friend. It really brings you into a whole new realm of humour.

"She must have tried on the entire department", said the grouchy fitting room attendant, who seemed to think she was on the 'bra patrol'. She would raise her eyebrows as I would feed new underthings through the door, while I'd quickly survey the status of the latest fitting under the favourite t-shirt.

"Yessss! that's the one, it gives you the perfect leverage without giving the torpedo look!" "It's a keeper...put it in the 'fersure' pile, and gimme the 'torpedo' pile." " I'll see if they have another in the full figure department", as I snicker at her 'full-figuredness' (knowing I'd be the same)and plop another pile on grouchy's desk, only to be met with yet another sigh.

After many fittings, she picked the golden girls, and we made our way to the checkout...

I do believe we lost the calories we had just consumed at McDonalds, solely from the sheer laughter...it was good for the soul.

It's great to have a friend that, in one night, you can share the 'details', stuff yer face with fast food, AND go to the local Bible bookstore to search out some compelling, soul-nuturing, literature.......Can't find a friendship like that just anywhere.


Thanks Jen :)

The Hubs and I have been scrimping our pennies to save up for a new dining room set. Our current table and chairs were a lovely selection from a garage sale. Actually, some very kind family friends of ours (who are garage sale guru's) were able to score this find from their Asian neighbours... It really was a wonderful set for a newly married couple that hadn't a material possession to their newly married names.

Here's the thing. Now that the set will be an additional 5 years old, it really should be declared an antique...by the state it's in and by counting its rings (coffee rings that is) I can see it had approx. 30 years of meals served upon it's lovely face, before we inherited it. The antique served us well until about a year ago, when the spindles started falling out of the legs. I thought 'ahhh..spindles schmindles' until the chairs became rocking chairs and I became acutely aware of my weight pressing upon the small insert on the top of the chair.

I no longer say 'spindles schmindles' but rather pick them up and replace them ASAP, for fear of landing my rather large bottom through the chair and the four legs collapsing beneath me.

Our hutch was inherited from The Hubs grandparents, and although it's in fair shape, it holds no resemblance to our Asian antique. We also have a corner cabinet that we scored from Dwight's Mom, when she was redecorating her kitchen, and it too bears no likeness to it's dining companions. I do love this shelf though, and think a fresh coat of paint would spruce it up enough to keep it on, with a new dining set.

The Dining room is verrryyy......eclectic, to put it nicely :)

Hopefully sooner than later I'll be telling you about a new set, that'll fit more than 6 people...seeing as the hubs now has 5 sisters WITH significant others, and there are 4 grandkids, and of course grand parents...so that brings us to a total of ...18 people. Huh. well then. Perhaps I won't find a table THAT big, but big enough to at least have company over comfortably.

We'll be on the search soon...yippee!!

Next up will be our living room set, it too was inheirited from my Aunt and Uncle, it's been through many a livingrooms and has found a loving home here...but I believe it's approaching my age, and it's beginning to show it's wear. We'll be re-fitting it into our 'kids room' once we buy a new one ....but that won't be for a while.... dining rooms first.

This will change your life.

http://wilhoite.blogspot.com/

AI

Watching AI tonight...(guess I should clarify...any of you farming folks out there will be thinking Artificial Insemination..but what I really mean is American Idol...ahem...not that the other AI isn't fascinating...just not my cup of tea...)

So far, my favourite guy is Blake Lewis (the beatboxing guru..) but that may change. Tonight the ladies hit the stage and I'm hoping for some drama while I fold my laundry...maybe someone will fall off the stage...or break down in tears. Ooo, I can only hope...

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and leave you watch the show...

G'night.

Moo..

Ever since I began this diet, I have had nightmares.

They involve my fellow dieting peeps surrounding me in a circle as I am voraciously consuming a piece of pie...they are yelling, "INTERVENTION, ...INTERVENTION!!!"....

I quickly look up at their angry faces with crumbs upon my lips, as the pie piece slides out of my hands to the floor below. I cry sweet, sugary tears and realize I have only hurt myself, and the remainder of pie in my mouth spews out with a small whimper.

"Boo hoo, moo, moo, moo...Boo hoo" I explain. Unable to sound like a person but rather, a large hay munching bovine...

My peeps look upon me with disapproval and disgust, and I am left reviewing my choices, and chewing my cud.
_______________________________________________________

I think perhaps I have stumbled upon some deep, inner meaning to my diet nightmares...it's profound...

I am secretly wishing I were a cow.
Really ..it makes sense...then I wouldn't have to explain my burgeoning belly to anyone, and my farmer would think I'm top notch, ...eats lots, raises good calves, doesn't mind a messy pen. I would be worth my weight in ...well...milk.

hack, hack and scone scarfing..

This was me today folks. A big fat doe on thin ice. I had nowhere to go but down.

The day started off phenomenally, the kids weren't feeling 100% ... BUT they were in good spirits. I was off to a good start with my South beach diet ... everything was looking peachy keen.

Then the unraveling began. It started with a phone call.

I recently attended a Pampered Chef party and the Demonstrator was calling regarding my order. She went through some small talk...then hit me over the head with the news..."well Leanne, the reason I'm calling is ....your credit card was denied..." ... I nearly choked on the piece of yummy celery I was munching on ..and asked her what she meant.

There is no way we reached our limit...and I've been scrounging our pennies and was sure to have enough for the Pampered Chef and Stampin Up parties, out of MY budget money......my mind was racing....how could this happen???

I told her to try The Hubs' credit card and sure enough it was denied as well. Well Heck. First and foremost I was worried about not receiving the baking stone (as I grabbed a cookie)I had ordered and THEN I thought...what if our card was compromised???

I called the Hubs (ate a couple smarties and chocolate covered almonds..it was stress people..I HAD to)and he came up from the barn to call the bank and sure enough....2 transactions had occured in the US by some thief...when we were here in Canada. Sooo... we are getting 2 new cards...(and I ate 15 chips to help calm my nerves)

Once this was cleared up I was back on my merry way, diet took a small hit, but smile still on my face.

Then came the vomit. Oh, the vomit.

It was sad, Gabe was coughing so hard in spells that he could hardly catch his breath, and when he did he would gag from the force of the coughing....I sat with him and rubbed his back while he threw up and coughed his lungs inside out. Poor little man. I started a bath and melted some vicks in some boiling water (as per the pharmacist) and added it to his bath, and that seemed to subside the coughing for a while. We wrapped him up in a towel and put a diaper on him for the day..I just can't rely on the potty training when he's sick...

As I dressed him (and finished my pepperettes)and I settled him to watch some tv on the couch and he and miss Ashy poo were tag-teaming on the coughs. They were gracious enough to take turns having spasmodic coughing spells and I would go between one and the other (as I wolfed down some full fat cheese)

He napped but would moan while sleeping because the coughing was taking so much out of him. The tylenol just doesn't seem to be cutting it and their breathing is wheezy and crackly...I think tomorrow may be a trip to the Dr.'s...

So the diet is ruined for another day...(particularly after the scone I scarfed before our company showed up this evening...I made it for them, but couldn't resist...Darn those scones ..and company)

Sorry for the lack of humour...but it's just been one of those days, I AM BEAT.

G'night.

I was visiting Jules' blog called Everyday Mommy and she has a link up to another blog 'A Complete Thought', for a 'thought-provoking read'.. here's the link... Just Suppose....

I've always wondered how to write this, but her use of verses really says it all. Straight from the Word of God. Can't say it better than that...

hack, hack..

Sorry, it's been a while.

The kids have developed a barking chest cold that's got me a little worried. I can't tell if it's on the verge of pneumonia, or croup...we're waiting it out. I've been lathering the poor slick babes in Vicks Vaporub, and the humidifiers are running non-stop, we're dosing them with Tylenol cold, and Ashlyn's nose is finally starting to run (better out than in, I say..) and she doesn't sound quite as bad as poor Mr. Gabe.

The hubs feels like he might be coming down with it...so we may be making a trip to the Doc, if things start to get worse for the family.

Anyway, ...hence my absence.

This weekend hasn't been all bad though, on Friday night I was treated to a night out at my friend Jens house. She held a Stampin' Up party...and I believe I've found my next healthy obsession. It involves making your own cards, scrapbooking, and all things crafty...LOVE IT!!
I'll be holding a party in April, and all my bloggy friends are invited :)

I hope to post again tomorrow...if the kids aren't throwing themselves upon me in anguish and drama. As I'm writing this Gabriel has just crept down the stairs and when he saw me, he layed into his whole 'I'm Sooooo sick Mommmmma' routine, then I just heard him clapping his hands in glee after I settled him onto the couch for "5 minutes..and then you're back in bed mister." Ha. He thinks he's up for a win at the Oscars for his performance. He thinks he's got me wrapped around his little fingers..and he's quietly celebrating his couch victory...

He forgets that mothers have ears in all rooms and eyes in the back of their heads. Back to bed for you, little man...

Blankie..

I'm envious of my sons relationship with his blankie. Although I have a pretty darn good relationship with the 'Love Blanket', It's really nowhere near the love my son has for his 'Bankie'. He kind of reminds me of Pigpen from Charlie Brown, but without the dirt. Gabe has some OCDish qualities about him, and dirt on himself or his prized bankie is reason enough to whimper and cry. I hope to use my renowned scare tactics to rid him of those behaviours also. I can just picture it... a farm kid that's vehemently opposed to getting dirty. The bubble boy of the barn..has to wear a bee keepers outfit just to milk the cows. Ya. It's got to end. Soon.

Anyway, back to the blankie....This green, knitted jewel is a band-aid, a hide-out, a kleenex, a pillow, a sweater, and a friend...also a partner to the infamous 'baby'. (his teddy bear that comes with blankie...one is not whole without the other)

If Gabe is hurt he just rubs his magic blankie upon his wound and all is healed, If he is scared he just holds blankie tight and his nerves are calmed. It's a bond that I'm not ready to break yet, ..blankie is like my helping hand...comforting my oldest, while my youngest requires my attention....ALL of my attention. I'm thinking of using her blankie to tie her down to the coffee table, Oh life would be so easy ...

Yesterday when Dwight hurt his finger, Gabriel was very attentive, watching his daddy soak his wound and bandage it up. He went to the living room and found his precious knitted friend and brought it to his Dad, saying,

"Daddy, you can take your band-aids off and use my blankie, it will make you all better. Just rub it on your owwie, and it will be all gone."

If only we all had these magical blankies ... sicknesses, fears, harsh words, scary moments and cold hands would all be eased.

I say I'm envious of this child and his ability to comforted so easily, but I know in my heart I have that comfort too .... it involves prayer and relying on my Saviour. It's me that needs to have the faith of a child and realize that everything is in his hands, he has my life in control, from beginning to end. No matter how I believe a situation should go, how a person should be healed, how prayers SHOULD be answered with a yes every time...I need to have the faith and trust in my God, knowing he allows everything to happen for the greater good, no matter what my faulty self might like.

I am so thankful for my God, my comforter, my peace, my blanket, as it were.

Happy Love Day...

Mornin' Y'all.

It's a bitter cold day here on the homefront, and I gots me a roarin' fire goin, in the furnace. Ahhh, nice n' toasty on this Love Day.

The only red I've seen this Valentines, is the open wound hubs brought up from the barn. He was working on a gutter and caught his baby finger in a cog wheel. It made my heart warm (the acid from the throw-up that entered my esophagus whilst I applied band-aids to the wound, was probably the cause of the heat) to help my husband in his time of need.

I've decided the best way to show my hubs love on this special day, is through food. Scones more specifically. It's really my answer for everything ... especially when I'm on a low carb, natural food diet...It's a way of testing my will power. I have yet to succeed in willing against the scones. I'm not sure why I put myself through such rigorous testing, but today is the day ...I will not eat one. for real. instead I will have my low fat yogurt. Mmmm Delicious low fat yogurt. It's just what I want. Not a buttery, heated scone, with sugar coating on it's delightfully chewy raisin self...ahem...No, no, I really want a yogurt........ Yessiree. (*sigh*)

I may need your prayers as I bake these sweet nothings...

slumber..

(I must ask you to read with a flair of sarcasm...(I see by Jen's comment, that this was not originally portrayed... my apologies if you actually thought breaking down boxes was genius...)

I have moments of pure genius when I slumber. I really should have a notepad beside my bed, to write down my astonishing moments of greatness. For instance, last night, I figured out that I could conserve so much more space in my 'burn box' (we burn our cardboard here on the ranch, ..hyuck..) if I would just disassemble each box and flatten it before putting it in the bin. Genius I tell you. How is it that these things just don't come to me during the daylight hours?

I've also been known to talk in my sleep. The hubs has some very deep, dark secrets stored up, for such a moment as would require the telling of a deep, dark secret. Thankfully that moment has not yet arisen...and if he knows whats good for him, that moment will never come to fruition.

Once upon a midnight hour, I (deep in my sleep) grabbed my husbands index finger and thrust it into the wall beside me. I murmured that "we must paint each room, and the ceilings must be done immediately... Zzzzz..." This was within the first few months of marriage, and I'm sure he was convinced of his suspicions, he had definitely married a lunatic.


I believe my sleep talking has become a rarer event since the birth of my children...I haven't the time to worry about painting, or much else...rather, my mind lets itself wander to the simpler troubles ...like the burn box.

Ocean views...

Conversations with a 2 year old...

Lastnight was a celebration dinner for Grandpa, he turned the big 6-0! Woot, Papa Smurf !! :) We went out to dine at a quaint, small-town restaurant, and it turned out to be a buffett, so the Hubs was overjoyed.

I scrubbed the children to their brightest, and put them in their Sunday best, even though it was Saturday. Gabe was sporting gel in his hair and Ashlyn donned 2 pony tails, they knew by the way I was primping that it was imperative that they remain clean.

Then he found the cupcakes. He managed to keep most of the crumbs on the freshly mopped floor, and was only wearing a few sprinkles....whew (fast swish of hand across forehead) ...crisis averted.

Once we arrived we were seated in a back room that was dedicated to our party alone...it was a wonderful moment in my life. I could let my children roam, AND actually enjoy the food, without having to worry about my wild childs screams.

Aunt Alison sat between Gabriel and Jada, and somehow managed to remain clean...she turned to Gabriel at one point in the evening and commented on how nice he looked.

AA: 'Gabe, I love how soft your sweater is. It looks verrrry nice.'

G: ' Thanks, (wait for it...wait for iiiiiit...) I made it myself.'

Pardon me? Did my 2.5 year old just say he made the sweater himself??

Apparently he's been taking knitting lessons from his Grandma when we're away.

Skinny Jeans...

12 pounds. I have literally had 12 packages of butter fall off of my thunder thighs. Unbelievable. I'm almost ready to attempt a fitting in my skinny jeans...for two reasons...firstly, I know they won't fit, and it will spur me on to continue the loss, and secondly I need to vacuum the dust off of them. It's been a while...


Ode to the Skinny Jeans

I know I've abandoned you. First it was the chip crumbs I would wipe upon you...you were so gracious about it..never said a word. I know there were days when I stretched your beautiful dark wash, pulling and forcing you around my hips, and you just did as you were told..."Fit, darn you..Fiiiiit! Your button was left open on occasion and a sweater was pulled over you to disguise you...and still..silence from your beautiful self.

I used you, and I'm sorry. You should have told me to put the chips away...and that too much baking will eventually result in an addiction to carbs...but I wouldn't have listened anyway. I was in my glory, having my cake and eating it too. I guess you tried to tell me in your quiet ways, when you cut off my circulation, when you pushed my muffin top into my throat..

Then came that day....when I knew, we were no longer friends. I despised you for for making me admit to myself that I was F.A.T. You were hidden, in the deep dark depths of the cavernous closet, never to see the light of day. There were days when I thought of putting you in the green bag destined for amity, but you just looked too new, and your wash, Oh your beautiful wash...I couldn't bring myself to do it.

And today, I am so thankful. Thankful you never made it into the bag, thankful for your quiet and painful words, thankful you've spurred me on to this point.

I'll see you soon my friend....we will be together again.

Mortified.

I cannot describe to you in words the level of embarrassment I feel.

I didn't know that you could click on my ticker to see what my weight had been.

My blog is now sans ticker. It will remain that way until I can find a ticker that does not show my weight.

If you did see said weight, please banish the number from your thoughts.

Thank you. You may return to your mundane day.

Dearest Oma...

Dear Oma,

How are you? I love you.

I have to admit something to you. Where shall I begin?

You, with your infinite skills, loving heart, and quite possibly the fastest knittin' hands in all the west, blessed the Hubs and I with a beautiful cream coloured afghan for our wedding. It is a gift that is so very dear to us, as it was handmade by you, our favourite Oma, and because it is so very practical. It keeps us warm in the evenings as we read our books, or watch 'American Idol' ( a show that continues to bring me to tears of embarrassment for contestants that cannot come to the realization that they sound like donkeys...in labour...(as far as I can ponder what a donkey in labour would sound like...EEEEEEeeeeeee OoooooooNNNNNNN-N-N-ENuffff Alreeeeeeeeady..)

To be honest I'm not sure what keeps us coming back to the show...perhaps it's the idea that we could do so much better, the idea that in our safe little living room we are as bold as Simon Cowell himself. Who's Simon Cowell you ask Oma?? welllll....he's a British man that we would describe as 'Freg' in dutch or 'bold' in english and he's so right on the money, I'd take his critiques over Paula 'the judge that claps like slippery the seal' any day.

Anyway, ahem, back to the afghan.... I know you made it with wonderful intentions, a new husband and wife, a new warm blanket for us to share....to cuddle with, to warm ourselves on cold evenings,......... Well, it ain't happenin' Oma.

The hubs and I have fought over this precious 'love blanket' since the day it was brought in, over the threshold. The Hubs seems to think that because he has size 13 feet, he's entitled to the 'love blanket' because it's larger than the other one. (and let me say 'the other one' is like donning lace on a frigid eve, It's not even worthy of being called a blanket,....more like a negligee..) Whomever wraps themselves in the 'love blanket' first after dinner, is considered the champion, they will enjoy hours of warmth and comfort, whilst the other is quietly conspiring on how to ditch the negligee and snatch the 'love blanket'.

I've been known to take the prize with me to the washroom, I know you think that's disgusting Oma, but I couldn't leave it lying on the recliner for fear of having the negligee replace it by the time I finish. Regardless of how fast I am, the hubs is always on the alert, I MUST remain on my game.

You think that we should learn to share. That WOULD be the nice thing to do....unless you're both overweight and look like 2 pigs...well, ... in a blanket.

Therefore, I have a request. If I provide the wool for a second blanket...could you perchance, with those loving and speedy hands, knit a 'peace blanket' for the hubs for his birthday in October? It would be the best gift you could give ... me.

With All My Love,

Leanne.

As some of you know, I've been suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder..It hits me around the end of autumn, and lasts until about March and then I begin to find my serotonin (chemical in the brain responsible for happiness (LOL...at least that's my lay mans definition)) levels start to regulate themselves again. I do need a little medication intervention during these months, and I gotta tell ya, it helps. A great deal. In fact, I don't know how I cope without it.

I'd probably be in bed, after having thrown my phone in the toilet and dismantling my door bell, and I'd be found in the midst of 20 chocolate bar wrappers (of all varieties) and 13 empty bags of chips, with a few half drunken 2 litre bottles of coke in my bed sheets. I'd be watching the Notebook and Beaches over and over, making myself de-hydrated from the tears flowing from my puffed eyes.

Alas, I am grateful to the person responsible for concocting SSRI's, making it possible for me get through my winter days with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. So much of a skip, infact, that I fell down the stairs. And by the time I reached the bottom ...I still had a smile plastered on my face. Those pills work wonders.

LOL...no, not really. well, yes really. I did fall down the stairs, but I wasn't smiling at the bottom. Rather, I was thinking about the fact that my children were alone upstairs and that if I had broken my leg or arm or clavicle, they wouldn't know how to dial 911. Seeing as they're 2 and 1 and all. So instead of crying and feeling sorry for myself, I somehow roused my bag of bones from the unfinished wooden basement stairs and made it back to the top and grabbed the nearest phone and called the Hubs. I had not yet taken inventory of my injuries, but was in that state of "I can't believe that just happened, Adrenaline is coursing through my veins and my injuries cannot be felt yet because of the sheer shock of it all.'

Once the Hubs made it up from the barn (Yes, a total bonus of living and working on the same property) I could see a few scrapes and bruises, but all bones were still intact. Whew. So much for my dream of having a body cast and a servant feeding me bon-bons.

This brings me to my next thought....would I have fallen as hard if I was a few pounds lighter?? Probably not. I would have floated gracefully to the bottom, landing upon a pillow of dust. Instead, I was a screeching sow, trying to grapple my hooves upon any un-slippery surface while rolling my way to the eventual BANG into the cold cement below. I've decided since that momentous event, that I should be better prepared for such instances, and should really try to shed those extra pounds that are creating a unbalanced center of gravity. I figure I've got about 25 of those hanging around, and the quicker they're gone ..the better.

So I'll be adding a ticker to my blog, and y'all can see the progress.

Soap Box..

As the winter days creep along, I find myself wanting to be productive indoors. I've been trying to keep my hands busy and thanks to my sister in law, I happened upon another little project to complete.

Alison had read in a Martha Stewart magazine that in order to keep your kitchen counters clutter free, a small organized container for your soaps and lotions, would be helpful. So, we gave the 'soap box' plans to the hubs, and within 2 days he produced a lovely wooden holder for our kitchen items.

I decided to paint it with my cupboard door paint colour, and crackled it to add a shabby chic/distressed look. I added a gold star, and painted a design ... and wa-laa! You have my 'Soap box'.

Daily Happenings...

Here's what I came around the corner to, the other morning. Leave it to Miss Ashlyn to dump the Cheerios on the floor....good thing I came when I did...looks like she was on to the minute rice next.

This is the favourite past time, as of late. The big man pushes the princess around in a cheap laundry bin for some even cheaper thrills. Today Fat Cat decided he must join them in their thrilling past time, and he provided a road block for them (or a soft landing as the case may be).

Scones

The other day the hubs had a long lost friend over for breakfast. He used to dwell in this house before Dwight and I met, ...when the hubs needed company in this big ol' farm house.

I decided to lay the table out in Martha Stewart fashion with my newly purchased creamer and sugar set and butter tray from the pottery barn (another unecessary, but beautiful buy... nonetheless) and matching buff coloured plates and mugs. I brewed a pot of tea, poured fresh orange juice into a glass pitcher, and put out my new juice glasses (from dollarama... :). The main attraction were the freshly baked chocolate chip oatmeal muffins and the raisin scones....served warm, with strawberry or apricot jelly.

The breakfast was warm and so was the company, it was great to catch up and see the Hubs happy to have re-kindled an old friendship.

The scone recipe comes from a favourite website of mine www.allrecipes.com . It has been passed down through generations of the Johnston family, and lucky for me they shared it. Dwight and the kids just love them.

Raisin Scones

You'll Need:

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

1 egg

1 cup raisins (optional)

Blend sour cream and baking soda in small bowl (set aside)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix Flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt

Cut butter into dry mix

Stir in sour cream mixture and egg into flour until moist.

Mix in raisins

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly

Roll or pat dough into a 1"high, round circle

Using a pizza cutter, slice dough into 12 equal wedges

Place 2" apart on foil lined cookie sheet

Bake for 12-15 minutes

Enjoy while warm with melted butter.....Oooooo, my mouth is watering :)

New Curtains...

The hubs and I started a small project today ...which eventually became an all day affair. We painted the window sills in the dining room, and touched up the paint on the walls. I decided mid-afternoon that I would be able to 'whip-up' a new set of curtains, so I began the arduous task of cutting some fabric I had (which was going to be a second apron....) and after hand-stiching one seam, I decided I needed technology. So I called my Mother in law with the intention of borrowing her machine to zip a few seams....when after sitting down with her (a professional in the sewing world) my plans (which were very unplanned...ahem..) changed ... and so much for the better. The original idea is still there, but the sewing was done much more efficiently than if I had done it :) I am SO thankful she helped me ...they turned out wonderfully!!! I added a grapevine swag on top and a wooden heart hung by ribbon.

Here's a pic of the freshly painted sills, new blinds, and the curtains :

Hooligans

Here's the two hooligans saying 'Cheese!'.

Cousin Jada has come back to Canada for a week to wish Grandpa a happy 60th Birthday and she and Gabriel have picked up where they left off in North Carolina...and they're back to their little antics.

I LOVE listening to their conversations, two 2 year olds using phrases like ' You're driving me crazy!' and 'I'm telling you the truth!' ... they'll conspire on what animal they are going to act like next, and quite often it happens to be the hissing snake..., they'll come within 2 inches of your face hissing their venomous saliva on your cheeks, it's quite amusing ... kind of...