Num Yummy

Here is a photo of the cookies Charlie made.  They are num-yummy good!

On the other hand, my zucchini bread is not good.  Well, it doesn't stack up to my Grandma's zucchini bread.  It tastes wrong and I can't put my finger on it.  I think I'll stick to growing the zucchini for Grandma.

Work was difficult today because I still have quite a cough.  Luckily they let me go after 8 hours instead of keeping me the whole 10.  After this next week they are finally reducing our shifts to 45 hours per week.  I worked 58 hours all summer and 50 hours for the last couple of months.  45 will feel like a vacation after these past 5 months.  I also applied for that job opportunity I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.  I think my resume' and application will be enough to get me an interview.  I just need to do well at the interview and pray for the best.  The position is more of a trainer/coaching position between two call centers.  It would be more challenging and interesting.  It would involve a bit of travel and utilize my creativity.  Oh, how I want this job!

Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving afternoon was spent at the in-laws home.  It didn't seem like a normal Thanksgiving day though.  I have been sick and was feeling particularly poorly yesterday.  I ate some mashed potatoes and some green bean casserole (my contribution to the meal) but couldn't really taste anything due to all the cough drops.  It was still a very nice visit with that side of my family.  It is nice to spend an afternoon with everyone. 

Today I got up and went to my chiropractor, took Charlie out for breakfast and then came back home and took a nap.  I finally got up some energy and made some zucchini bread this afternoon.  This was from some zucchini I had shredded and frozen from this summer.  It is my grandma's recipe and the first time I've tried making it.  At the same time Charlie decided he wanted some peanut butter blossom cookies.  He found a recipe, ran to the store and got his supplies, and made them (almost by himself).  I'm really quite impressed.  Now he is making his own dinner.  I should be sick more often I guess : )

Tomorrow I have to work.  I'm hoping I will feel better tomorrow.  We'd like to go see "Australia" in the theatre on Sunday.  

Snow

It's snowing!

We missed out on the snow that the rest of the state has had so far, so this is our first real snow of the year.  I like snow -- until January 1st.  I like a white Christmas and I don't even mind a white Thanksgiving.  After that the stuff can just go away for all I care.  Unfortunately it sticks around until March, April or beyond (?!?).

So, in the mean time, my crafting instincts kick in.  It usually starts with figuring out some gifts for Christmas and then a mad rush to get it all put together in time.  Then I'll probably settle into a longer project for myself in January.  By February I am usually feeling cooped up and frustrated.  In March I start day-dreaming about what I can put in a garden and start ordering seeds.  By April I will have som

e shirts and fabric tied up to be dyed as soon as it gets warm enough.  Basically, I love the harvest season and getting ready to wait out the winter -- but towards the end of winter I am pulling my hair out and wondering why I don't live in the South (or Mali, or Brazil -- anywhere but here).  Once Spring hits I forget about how much I hate winter -- and the brilliance of Michigan sways my opinion once again.  

Here is a quick snapshot out the window here at my computer desk.  Sorry for the poor quality - it is shot through the screen and glass, plus the plastic that Charlie and I hung today.  Gotta save those pennies on the propane bill.

Thanks 29 Black Street

I have to send out a lot of love to 29 Black Street.  If you haven't been to her blog before, check it out.  She is on the list on the right side of my blog.  Even better yet, check out her Etsy store once you check out her blog.  She is a designer and has some beautiful photography there.

I won a drawing she had for one of her pieces of artwork from her Etsy shop.  How lucky is that?  I have always wanted to collect photography from other artists.  This will make a great addition to my small collection of photography (I probably have a dozen pieces between stuff I traded for while in college photo classes and a piece I picked up this summer up North).

Someday, I will figure out where to go to get some prints made myself.  I'd really just love to get back into a darkroom and make black and white prints someday.  Right now I only have my portfolio and the things I am scanning into the computer.  It takes a long time, but someday I will have a book. 

Alas, I have wandered off of the original topic.  Check out her blog -- go on, go look right now. 

Am I right?

A little knitting

This is a photo of a dish cloth that I made with some cotton yarn that I hand dyed.  I promised All the Pretty Flowers I would get it posted -- so here it is.  This is a mini project really.  I just picked up knitting again.  Previously I've completed a scarf or two, but never really learned much more than the basics.  Maybe someday I will take the time to really knit.  I do love fiber crafts, but I am more drawn toward dying fabrics and fibers than sewing and knitting (although weaving really appeals to me).  Anyway, I like the colors that I got on my first attempt and can't wait to do more. 

I'm curious who else has any projects that they are working on right now.  Let me know so.  I need inspiration.

what a nice gloomy day

It has been dreary all day - drizzly, drab, grey.  The skies must be clear now because I can see a big yellow moon out the back window.  I don't mind gloomy weather too much.  I was just happy to have the day off of work today. 

Charlie is on his way home from work right now.  I have a chicken/mushroom soup concoction in the crock pot and will be making some rice for it as well.  I'm not real sure what I'll be having yet - something that goes with rice I suppose.  It is sometimes difficult to figure out meals that will work for one omnivore and one herbivore.  I usually end up with way too much food sitting in the fridge afterwards.  Oh well.  I will certainly never complain about over-abundance... especially in today's world.  

Oh, and here are those ornaments that I got from Bronner's last weekend (see previous post).  I got the fish for Charlie - cause he likes to fish.  The pig one is for me -- I don't know why -- I was just drawn to it.  In the store Mom scolded me for putting it down after we laughed over how cute it is.  Well, I can't make Mom mad, so I bought it.  : )   Later I made her buy something she liked as well.  As much as I tell myself I want to get rid of a bunch of stuff and downsize and de-clutter I just can't seem to stop buying things.  I suppose it is a continual process of changing habits.  Anyway, I still think the pig is adorable and I don't regret getting it.  Now.... I just need a bigger Christmas tree... LOL.

Halloween, etc.

It feels like a long time since my last blog.  Sorry.  Most of the time it feels like nothing new is happening around here.  Then, other times I have tried to blog but my internet was acting up.

Anyway, Autumn was beautiful -- but really short.  The leaves are basically all down and I saw snow today.  We had a beautiful frost the day before Halloween...

That same morning I took a few photos of the pigs.  They had frosty breath.  It turns out this was their last morning with us.  Later that day Dave was loading them up to go to slaughter.

The next day I got home from work and these little characters were at the house.  These are my two youngest nieces.  Lesleigh on the left (as some gal from High School Musical) and Melissa (a pokemon creature).  I didn't have any candy on hand because we don't usually get visitors on Halloween.  I gave them both an apple and $1.  Trick or Treat!

These two little creatures are the cutest puppies in the world.  Charlie's parents' dog just had pups and they are tiny and adorable.  The two girls above are taking the brown one shown below.  

Unfortunately, the calico kitten has not been seen for a couple of weeks.  I'm worried.  Dave said that he lost 3 chickens to a weasel a while back.  Could the weasel have found the kitty?  I don't know.  

Mom, Grandma and my Aunt Ruthann from California came to visit.  I took them shopping to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  I got a couple of cute ornaments.  I will have to photograph them and post it later (perhaps on a day that I will see sunlight outside of work).

I have a job promotion prospect at work that I am so excited about!  I don't want to discuss it yet because they haven't even posted the opening.  Once it is posted and I have applied for it I will tell you more about it.  At this time, if you are the praying type, give me a hand here.  I could use all the prayers/intentions I can get for this new opportunity.