Recycling Old Christmas Cards

What should I do with old Christmas cards? That question has kept me awake at night. I can not just toss them into the trash and I do not always make it to the stores that recycle them on time. Yet, I could not live with the guilt I felt throwing them away considering the time and amount of money that is involved in sending them.

Then one day, many years ago, I received a gift from a sweet little lady at our church. It had the cutest gift tag attached and I asked her where she found the tag. Come to find out, they were made from old Christmas cards. She is in heaven now, but would be pleased to know her idea is being passed along.

But first things first. With the cards I receive I place them into a basket and set the basket near our kitchen table. When we bless our food, we also pull out a card and pray a blessing upon the sender of the card. We might go through the stack two or three times before I decide to do the next step.

Sometime in January or February when the kids are bored with their Christmas gifts and begin to whine, "I'm bored," I place the Christmas cards before them with scissors and say, "Have a ball!" If you have decorative edge scissors or pinking shears, it makes it even more fun. I then instruct them to cut out pictures from the front of the cards. When they are through cutting, you will have a stack that looks similar to this.

After they are cut, the rest becomes trash and I can sleep at night knowing I threw out trash.

You can use them at this point for tags but if they are embossed it makes the back rough. I use scraps of card stock paper (construction paper is fine too) to fix the problem. Just lay the cut out on top of the paper and then cut around the edges leaving a border. You can stick the card onto the paper by using double sided tape or a glue stick.

Next, spend 30 mintues searching for your hole punchers that end up being in the bottom of your child's underwear drawer. Stand and wonder why for a couple of minutes until it troubles your mind, then get back on task.

Punch a hole in the top, corner, or side of the tag. Take some string, ribbon, twine, or even colored trash bag twists and use them as your attachment thingy. Simply write on the back the "To" and "From" and you have a cute gift tag.

Also, if you are lacking decorations for your tree and want to save money, these also make cute ornaments. The little lady who taught me this also made extras, placed about 25 in a ziplock bag and sold them in crafts shows, yard sales, etc. for .50 cents per bag, or just gave a bag as a gift when company stopped by for a visit.

Hint: This idea can also apply to old birthday, valentine, get well, etc. cards. You would then have gift tags for different occasion gifts.

This is a very kid friendly project and can not be made wrong. It teaches children several lessons, including but not limited to, thinking of others, recycling, creativity, over-coming boredom, and working with their hands in delight.

It works for me! Find more Works for Me Wednesday ideas at Rock In My Dryer.

Thanks for reading, Rosie

PS: If you are looking for the apron giveaway winner you can go here.

Winner For Apron Giveaway!

I have a winner folks for my first blog giveaway!

First, let me review how I selected the winner. Since I do not have a randomizer account I had to do this the old fashioned way.

Everyone who entered was required to e-mail me. After I closed the comments for the giveaway, I printed a list of those who entered from my e-mail account. I then gave everyone a number from 1-21.

Then I wrote with my dainty fingers the numbers 1-21 onto a sheet of paper, cut them into squares, folded them, and placed them into a cute bowl.

Next, I let my dog Oscar choose a paper and spent the next ten minutes chasing him around the room. He thought "Get That Darn Number" was a fun game. I ended up bribing him with liver paste to get the number from his slobbering lips.

Here is the number Oscar chose.


This number belongs to.......drumroll please!!!

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

Jesse and April Brown!

Congratulations! Sure hope you enjoy the apron. Please e-mail me at RosieReads@gmail.com to confirm and send me your mailing address within the next two days.

If for some reason I do not hear from the winner, I will play "Get That Darn Number" again with Oscar.

I plan, after the New Year, to do more giveaways. So check back often.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

My Halls Are Decked!

What a busy weekend I have had. My Saturday was spent decking the halls without boughs of holly, as I have none; but the lovely two-inch snowfall we received while decorating Saturday did make the occasion more festive and Christmasy.

My Sunday afternoon was spent sewing. I usually nap, but I am making an amplifier cover as a Christmas gift for my Much Older Brother. Not only am I making a complicated three-dimensional cover with piping trim (that would have been way to easy and much less time consuming), I am hand embroidering a decal onto the front! I have been covered in metallic gold thread all afternoon. I love it and am totally in my element with a needle and thread in my hand.

I realize I have not posted anything lately about recently read books. That is because I have not recently read anything. Actually, I did finish The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. It was a charmingly good read (made me want to learn to knit) and all about women friendships. Women need women friendships. MDH is my very best friend ever, but sometimes I need to complain to another woman about PMS. Men just do not understand this subject.

Then there is The Death of the Grown-Up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization by Diana West. Doesn't that sound all warm and fuzzy? I told you I wasn't all fluff. The topic is weighty, but if you want to understand why today's culture is what it is, you might find the answer in this book. It is probably not what you think. Verrrrrry interesting (said with a German accent).

If you have not entered my apron giveaway contest, you still have a couple more days. I will close entries Tuesday evening, December 9, at 8:00 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning, December 10. Thanks to all who have entered so far and for all the sweet comments. You make me blush.

My dad got through another round of chemo treatments last week without any problems. He continues to be abundantly blessed and without some of the really nasty side effects chemo can cause. Of course he feels weak and tired, but otherwise, he is doing great. Thank you everyone for your continued prayers for him and my mother. I know it because of your prayers, they are doing so well. We feel the prayers everyday and are thankful for your covering him daily with blessings so numerous. Please continue to remember them.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

PS: Someone mentioned today that my site was hard to read with the black on red coloring. Therefore, I am making the font coloring lighter. Please let me know if this is better or worse.

Easy Recipe and Give Away!

Homemade Pimento Cheese Spread

1 lb. grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, let set until room temperature
1 lb. cubed Velveeta cheese, let set until room temperature
2 large jars of pimentos (do not drain off juice)
2 Tablespoons of chopped sweet pickles
2 Tablespoons of juice from sweet pickles
1/3 c. mayonnaise or more

After cheese has warmed to room temperature, place all ingredients in large bowl. Use mixer to blend ingredients. Increase or decrease juice and mayo as needed to make the pimento cheese easy to spread. You can use all cheddar cheese if you want to, but I use the Velveeta because it spreads easily. This makes a large amount so if you do not need 2 lbs. of pimento cheese, cut the recipe in half. Best pimento cheese on the planet, I promise. Let it set overnight to blend and it is sooooooo yummy.

This is great to keep on hand through the holidays to make quick horsd'oeuvres for unexpected drop in guests. Spread on celery, Ritz, Triscuits or make easy finger sandwiches to serve for refreshment after the church Christmas play.

This recipe works for me and I bet it will for you also! Check out more Works for Me Wednesday ideas at Rocks in My Dryer.

To serve your guests or family you could wear this cute hostess apron. This apron was completely handmade by me only a few days ago. It is crisp, fresh and feminine. It is reversible and can be tied in front or back as shown in the pictures. Keep it to enjoy yourself, give it as a gift this Christmas season or put it in your daughter's "hope chest" for future use. It would make a lovely gift for a busy mom, a new bride, or a grandmother.

Let me just say right here that I apologize for the skinny, boyish, hairy armed model, he did not enjoy this one bit. :)

If you would like to enter this giveaway, please leave me a comment and then e-mail me at RosieReads@gmail.com saying "please enter me into your giveaway" (this step is important as it gives me a way to get back in contact with you if you are the winner). You can only enter once. Your e-mail will be kept totally private and not given/sold to anyone for any reason. On Tuesday, December 9th, I will randomly draw a name and then announce the winner on Wednesday, December 10th. There are no strings attached (pun intended), you will not have to pay shipping cost, taxes or anything. I'll even package it pretty and include care instructions. This is just my way of saying Merry Christmas and...

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

GIVEAWAY OVER!

Day #30 - I Did It!

Today I met my challenge of the National Blog Posting Month's '08 30 Posts in 30 Days! I am pleased! What a sense of accomplishment. Is the world a better place because I of my effort? Probably not. Am I a better person? Maybe just a bit. This challenge did give me a goal to work toward and because I am a daily goal setter; I feel pretty good. It also taught Big I and Big C that no matter how old you get, you can still set goals to accomplish. Little ones or big ones, it doesn't matter as long as you are striving to accomplish something. I believe that once you quit trying, you dry up.

Anyway, thank you for all the support with your comments and cheers. It has been fun. To show my appreciation, I will be having a give-away tomorrow, so check back Wednesday for more info.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #29 - My Personal Attempt at Poetry

First Snow by Rosie
Blustery,
Blinding,
Snow
Falling rapidly to the ground
Only to be found
On warm, damp ground
Quickly melting to feed
The Earth's thirsty need
Watering the seed
That will bring spring.

Day #28 - Humiliation Chronicles - The Blister

This is for my Yankee Aunt who thinks I am a Southern Belle. I am not a Southern Belle, but I was raised a lady. Ladies in my family where not allowed to do yard work. That was the men’s work and even when I begged and pleaded with my mother to let me mow one tiny section of our yard, the answer was a firm no. Instead, I was forced to wash and dry dishes, break beans, iron and clean the toilets. Southern Belles do not clean toilets.

Because I was denied the chance to mow while growing up, you can only imagine my excitement when I found out I would be totally responsible for nearly three acres of yard mowing for an entire summer. MDH, in April of 2004, began preparing for major back surgery. MDH is a forward thinking fellow and envisioned what the summer held for me, so with warm thoughts toward my well-being, he bought a brand new lawn mower. A lawn mower that a delicate lady could handle. One without gear changing and gadget switches. One with a cushioned seat and iced tea cup holder. One with an umbrella attachment so that his delicate fair skinned maiden would not get premature age spots and one with a little fan to keep my glistening, dewy skin cool. In other words, a lawn mower for a wuss.

Big C and I were given several “lessons” on the art of lawn mowing. Actually, Big C had already been mowing for several summers with a manly mower. His job that particular summer was trim work while I did the hard part. And let me just say that driving that rumbling loud beast was hard. I had a blister on my index finger all summer long from turning the steering wheel! Many people came from far and near to see that blister, to marvel at its site, to stare in awe at the blister’s grandeur. It was photographed. Measurements were taken and recorded in journals. For weeks, it was the hottest news in our town. But, as “they” say, all great things must come to and end and as the summer turned to fall in 2004, MDH recovered and reclaimed his new lawn mower. The blister healed, although there is a little scar and if I point my index finger just right, it hurts.

Thanks for reading, a blistered Rosie.

Day # 27 - Cooking In Your Underwear

So here are some pictures of a few more aprons that I've made for gifts this year.

This cute black and white model is for my niece Michelle who recently moved into a downtown Los Angeles loft apartment. How cool is she? She will probably open this package and say, Oh! My country bumpkin aunt has sent me this way cool apron! Then she will wear it in her way cool loft while she cooks her way cool gourmet food. Or maybe she will cook a recipe I sent her in the way cool recipe book and stir with the way cool spatula. Or not! Which reminds me that I need to get this way cool gift packaged and into the mail.

Next is the purple polka-dot pattern. Say that fast three times! That! That! That! I've had too much caffeine today!

Ssshhhh. I can't tell you who this is for, she might be reading. I love the colors in this little number. I've made ruffly panties to wear underneath and bought a purple bra. Don't you think this would look good to your husband when he came home from work, even if you burnt supper?

Totally kidding about the panties and bra thing! Maybe.

Next on the runway is a hostess apron. This one is beautifully feminine and I am thinking about giving it away right here on my blog site next week to celebrate my NaBloPoMo accomplishment. Stay tuned in for more details.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #26 - Not Me, No Way!

Our family saw "Miracle on 34th Street" today at the Barter Theatre. My Dad and Mom originally planned to attend with us, but my Dad decided to say home. My Much Older Brother stayed with Dad while we took Mom to enjoy the afternoon. What a lovely time we had! The Barter always thrills, delights, and provides much needed laughter. If you live locally around Abingdon, Virginia, and have been to the Barter then you know from "whence I speaketh."

I did no shopping today. Zip, Zilch, Nada! I never go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Not me, no way!!! I may be ignorant, but I am not stupid. There is nothing! Nothing!! NOTHING!!! on this planet I need, for which I would get up at 4:00 a.m., stand in line in the cold, and fight the crowd to acquire. I will gladly pay $25.00 more for something to NOT have that experience. With all the media hype regarding Black Friday you would think this country has the plague and in a sense, we do.

Oakie-Doakie. On a sad note, I have to work tomorrow. Aaaarrrgggghhhh! And I think I am catching a little cold. Not good, as my Dad begins another round of chemo next week. I am drinking honey tea as I write. It may not help the sniffles, but it sure makes me feel cozy.

Only four days left on my (didn't start mine until November 2) NaBlaPoMo. You may never hear from me again. Do not become too overjoyed at that prospect!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #25 - Thanksgiving Is Thanksliving

Live your life in such a way that when people watch you they think, "Now there is a thankful person!"

Have A Blessed Thanksgiving Day, Rosie!

Day #24 - Not Just For Homeschoolers

When I began homeschooling "Big I" four years ago, I was a novice. I still am. If I can homeschool, anyone can!

I am not a homeschooling parent who changes curriculum every year. I chose A Beka because I was familiar with their program and I have, for the most part, stuck with their curriculum. I think their Language, Spelling, and Math cannot compare to some of the other programs available. It is hard, it is advanced and sometimes we cry.

One thing I did different this year was history. I love history, "Big I" loves history, but we get tired of reading about the same historical events from year to year in the same tiresome format, thus I decided we needed a change. I was not really thrilled with any of my options. How many ways can one teach history? Plus, I questioned, how important is it for a sixth grader to remember all the dates, facts, and time lines at this point in the education process? "What do you remember from your sixth grade history class?" I asked myself. "Nothing," was my answer.

Anyway, I was somewhat familiar with Susan Wise Bauer and her form of classical education from her best selling book The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. While I am not crazy about the classical teaching method, I do like The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child published by Peace Hill Press. I was delighted to find it was available in audio book format. I purchased Volume 1: Ancient Times, From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, and let me just say it is WONDERFUL! We listen to chapters rather than read them which is a nice change. It not only teaches history but helps with listening skills. We have truly loved Volume 1 and I will soon be purchasing Volume 2. If "Big I" were smaller, I could easily see us listening to the stories before bedtime. The reader, Jim Weiss, has a voice that flows like honey. You do not have to homeschool to enjoy these audios. Children will not even know they are listening to a history lesson, they will just love the storytelling aspect. "It may be used along with the print book, as a supplement to a traditional history curriculum or independently," so says the box. You simply cannot use it wrong.

This has really worked well for me! Check out more Works for Me Wednesday ideas at Rocks In My Dryer.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #23 - Don't Go Puttin' on Hairs

I doggie-sat my Much Older Brother’s dog Joy last Sunday afternoon while him and my sister-in-love went on a date. Joy was not a happy miniature dachshund Sunday. He was homesick for his daddy and mommy from whom he is rarely away.

Yes, Joy is a male dog. He has some gender identity issues. Joy is typically recognized as a girl name, yet this is what my sweet sister-in-love insisted on naming her little male dog. He has been neutered and is treated like a princess. The poor baby cried for almost the whole seven hours he was here. I tried to pacify him. I held him, made him a warm blanket by placing a heating pad between blanket layers, talked soothingly to him, stroked him gently, but to no avail. He sat in front of the door and cried for his parents all afternoon.

Oscar tired to coax him to play by nudging him with his snout.

“Come dear cousin and romp with me through the living area,” Oscar said in his fine highbrow British accent.

“I can’t because I am too sad,” replied Joy in his prim Margaret Thatcher voice. “See my eyes. They are pooling with tears.”

“Get over it man, your daddy and mum will return shortly,” demanded Oscar.

“I fear that I shall never see them a gain,” Joy cried plaintively.

“Mother, Mother, whatever shall we do with this distressed doggie?” Oscar asked.

“Dear, we must be patient with him. He is not often away from his daddy and mum. Think how you should feel if left with others unexpectantly,” I replied in my best English accent.

“Yes, well I see. I shall try to do my duty unto him whilst he is here. I shall sit by him and give encouragement,” said Oscar. “Chin up old boy, mum and dad will return shortly and you will be more a man from this adventure.”

“Yes, I suppose I shall,” replied Joy his voice trembling as he spoke, “Though it is very taxing on my delicate system to wait for their return and I fear something shall happen to them.”

“Nonsense. Nonsense boy. Why any moment now you shall see the lights of their motor car shining through the glen,” Oscar encouraged. “Be brave lad, be brave.”

“Might we offer you a bit to eat or drink, dearest Joy?” I asked.

“No thank you auntie dear, my tummy is much to upset,” said Joy, “I shall just set here and wait and if I cry a bit here and there, please excuse my poor manners. Sniff, sniff. I shall be fine.”

“Oh look, look boy! I believe it is your Daddy and Mummy. They have returned!” Oscar yelled excitedly.

“Oh Mummy, Daddy, I thought I should never ever see you again! Please take me home from this horrid place and never ever leave me here again,” begged Joy. “We live in a much more civilized world than these beasts. You will need to wipe my feet, brush my teeth, give me a bath, spoon feed me, place clean sheets on my bed and bring me a cup of warm beef broth before I shall be able to sleep this very evening.”

“Good-bye dear Joy,” Oscar and I called into the night air. “We shan’t miss thee one bit,” whispered Oscar.

“I shall retire to bed dear mother. May I now stop speaking in this proper English voice?” asked Oscar.

“Heck yeah! What made you begin talkin’ like that anyhow?” I asked.

“Oh yaw know how hit is with some of them high fluttin relatives visit, you have to put on hairs.” said Oscar.

“I know, believe me Oscar, I know. Goodnight sugar booger.”

“Night Maw.”


Be Yourself This Thanksgiving! Do not go putting on hairs. ;)

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #21 – The Humiliation Chronicles – Taking Out The Trash

Apparently, in my life there are those who want me to stand naked and humiliated in front of the world. (See comments from day #20) To humor them in their boring little worlds I shall now write “The Humiliation Chronicles.”

In the summer of 2004, MDH had to have major back surgery. Due to a work related injury two years prior, his spinal column bone was pressing against the nerves in his back causing his legs to hurt and tingle. He now lives with a seven-inch scar down his back, but he does not hurt anymore. God guided the surgeon’s hand with skill.

During the six months MDH was home and under my watchful care, it is sufficient to say I had to do some household chores that he “normally” did. That is not to say we divide chores in our house, but couples do settle into habits that become his/her responsibilities and in this case taking out the trash had become a “his” job. I can honestly say that in the eighteen years we had been married I had never had to bundle up the trash and take it to the curb for the garbage man to pick-up. MDH, always the gentleman, did not want his lovely bride dragging the trash to the curb. According to everyone, this is interpreted as being SPOILED! Nevertheless, being the submissive wife I am, I would not hear of MDH getting the trash together on trash day in his fragile condition and took care of the situation. I was so proud of myself. I had taken out the trash! All by myself, sort of.

It was not until friend breakfast one Friday that the reality of what I actually did surfaced. You see, I meet a couple of girlfriends every Friday morning for breakfast. We call it “friend breakfast” but in reality, it is cheap therapy. We laugh, cry, eat, confess, pray and support one another. God bless them, they also keep me humble. On this particular Friday, I came strutting into the restaurant prepared to tell the girls what I had done. Here are the details: “You will be proud to know I took out the garbage. Yes, I actually took out the garbage! Well, the boys emptied the little trash cans into the big can. Then Big C tied the kitchen trash together. I helped him carry the bags to the garage. He put the bags into the trunk of my car and we drove them down the driveway and Big C set them out on the curb.” As I was telling this story, my “friends” began smiling, then giggling, then laughing. Hard! It was not until they were rolling in the restaurant floor in hysterics that the truth became clear to me. I had not physically taken out the garbage. Big C had done all the work, but in my mind, I had. How humiliating! That was four summers ago and everyone still throws this in my face every time we get together. “I am NOT spoiled!” I say as I stomp my foot and pout, but I have not taken out the garbage since that incident.

Coming soon – The Humiliation Chronicles - Blisters.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #20 - Somebody? Anybody?

National Blog Posting Month, for me at least, is two-thirds over, I am going to have to reach deep the next ten days. Somebody toss me an idea. Somebody? Somebody? Anybody? Anybody?

Are you tired of seeing my aprons? I sewed two more today and personally, I think they are the prettiest thus far. Do you want to see them? Somebody? Somebody? Anybody? Anybody?

I did not make it out of my pajamas today. Does that make me the slug I think I am? Somebody? Anybody?

Roooosie! Oh, Roooosie! In case you are wondering, that is my heating pad calling for me. I better go check on it. It may need me.

Thanks for reading, Rosie

Day #19 - Burrrrrrrrrrr!

A reader wanted to know where I got the pocket on the apron from this post. What I did not show in the previous pictures of this apron is the other side. On the reverse, the print has praise lyrics and faith sayings. The pocket is simply a square cut from the print and sewn to the front. I bought the material at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago the same time I bought the photo album. Anyway, here are a few shots. Sorry about the blurry one.

It is cold in Northeast Tennessee today and we had a bit of snow this morning. Although the snow is now gone, the temperature will be in the teens tonight. We keep our heat set at 65 degrees. I have worn long thermal underwear and wool socks all day under my jeans and sweatshirt and I am still chilly! Burrrrrr! My guys have plans to rake leaves with a men's group tomorrow. I am staying in the bed with the heating pad.

Thanks for reading, a cold Rosie.

Day # 17 - Simple and Personal Christmas Gift Idea

I am trying to cut back on Christmas gift expenses this year simply because overspending for gifts seems ridiculous to me. Simple and personal are my gift goals this year.

One of the best gifts my Mom ever gave me was a recipe book with her family recipes written in her handwriting. I love that book! I cherish that book! My daughter's-in-love will not receive that book! They can fight over it after I am dead! Sorry, I am getting off topic. Anyway, this is what I am doing this year for several women in my family.

First I went on a search through Hobby Lobby and found this little photo album. It holds 4" x 6" photos or in this case 4" x 6" recipe cards. It was on the markdown aisle for $1.99 and they had it in a variety of colors. I bought a few.

Next I bought a pack of card-stock paper for $3.99. It has 50 sheets in pastel colors. You can get brights colors, neutral colors, etc. The most important thing here is to put your blinders on when walking down the paper aisle. You can easily get sucked into the scrapbooking vortex with all the beautiful scrapbook accessories and spend more money. The purpose is to save money, so determine beforehand not to look!

Next, pick out several of your best recipes. Although the album will hold twenty-four, I only picked twelve of my recipes. Some are holiday favorites, some are everyday recipes. Type them up, add personal comments, add some clip-art, print them onto the card-stock paper, cut them and slip into the album. Be sure to save them and you will have them available for later if you need a quick gift idea.

This alone would make a cute gift to a friend, niece, teacher, co-worker or your local librarian :) But if you want to add a bit more, you can pick up a spatula, whisk, or other kitchen gadget (really cute ones at Target), or maybe a kitchen towel, etc. and you have a simple personal gift for less than $15.00, maybe $10.00 if you catch a bargain. Because I am an obsessive compulsive over achiever, I did make an apron to go with the gift, but I still have less than $20.00 involved.

There, I've prepared a nice gift that involved my personal effort and also personalized it to the individual. It worked for me!

Check our more "Works for Me Wednesday" ideas at "Rocks In My Dryer." Thank you Shannon for making this link available. It is a nice resource in the blogosphere!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #16 - Barbie Is Getting Older

I get a lot of hits to my True Confessions Barbie Doll Post. Oddly enough the lurkers are usually from another country (although not all). In checking to see where/why people keep linking to this particular post, I ran across something that made me snort with laughter. Hard. Loud. Snort. Snort. Just thinking of how much I loved playing with my Barbie Dolls when I was a girl and reading this made me chuckle all over the house! I think I remember reading this a few years ago, but I can so now relate. Barbie's picture is what sent my giggle box over the edge.

Bifocals Barbie - Comes with her own set of blended-lens fashion frames in six wild colors (half-frames too!), neck chain and large-print editions of Reader's Digest and Ladies Home Journal.

Hot Flash Barbie - Press Barbie's bellybutton and watch her face turn beet red while tiny drops of perspiration appear on her forehead! Comes with hand-held fan and tiny tissues.

Facial Hair Barbie - As Barbie's hormone levels shift, see her whiskers grow! Available with teensy tweezers and magnifying mirror.

Midlife Crisis Barbie – It is time to ditch Ken! Barbie needs a change, and Bruce (her personal trainer) is just what the doctor ordered, along with Zoloft. They are hopping in her new red Miata and heading for the Smoky Mountains to open a B&B.

Someone PLEASE tell me where I can find one of these! This is what I want for Christmas.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

#15 - Couplets and Butterflies

We studied couplets today in creative writing. Big I's assignment was a short poem. The first line was given and he was to finish the poem. Let me just say that twelve year old boys are not thrilled about writing poems. Especially poems about butterflies. Anyway, he persevered and here is the result:

Butterflies fluttering through the air
Land on dogs' noses as if on a dare,
Land gently on flowers without a care,
Folding their wings as if in prayer.

Robert Frost has nothing on this kid!

I am at the half-way mark with the "30 posts, 30 days" challenge and thanks to Big I, I had something worth posting today.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #14 - I Almost Didn't Make This One

In what time zone does this post count?

Dad finished another week of chemo. He did great this week although he might not agree if you talked with him but as a daughter watching I think he handled it amazingly well. The shot he received on Saturday to raise his white cell count is what really knocks the wind out of him. He will sleep and rest for a few days and then feel better. I watch this 80 year old man and am so proud of him handling this tough disease with such grace. Keep lifting him up to our Heavenly Father as I know that is what gives him peace.

Do you have your Thanksgiving meal planned? I do not, but our family is so traditional that we always prepare the same dishes. If I even talk about preparing something different, mutiny happens! One of these holidays I think I will fix turkey tacos or chili and freak everybody out.

I made reservations for my family and Dad/Mom with the Barter Theatre to attend the stage production of "Miracle on 34th Street" on Friday, November 28th. That will be fun! We saw "A Christmas Carol" last year and it was just amazing.

Big I and me have a busy week of school ahead. We still have a lot to do before the Thanksgiving break. At least twelve math lessons. Also, spelling, language/creative writing and science. I should probably go to bed now.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #12 - Don't Ask Jeeves, Ask Rosie

In case you do not know, I work part-time at our local small town library. In February 2008, we moved our town library from a tiny building into an enormous empty grocery store building (four times the size). The city employees renovated this store front building into a beautiful new library. Along with the library, the building also hosts an exercise gym and will soon be opening a brand new Senior Citizens Center with an indoor lap pool. Part of our parking lot also hosts the Farmer's Market. It was fun this summer and fall to watch the vendors sell and patrons shop for fresh produce, but it has also made our library very busy. We have nine public access computers that stay full all the time. I do weekly usage reports and today I was calculating public access computer use from November 1st-13th (we are closed on Sunday), in those eleven days we had almost 600 computer users. By the end of the month we will have had around 1,600. We only have two employees working the front desk most of the time. Our duties include, but are not limited to, check in/check out, handing out computer passes, shelving, faxing, copying, searching, greeting, baby sitting, inter library loans, repairing/covering books, new patrons cards, etc. If you live in a large city in this country, those numbers probably seem tiny to you, but where I live, this means we can not even sit down to eat lunch in peace. Most days when I work, I do not sit down for eight hours. My legs and feet ache and I am a sorry excuse for a wife and mother when I get home. It is a good thing I work only one day per week. My family would never eat home cooking, my youngest son would not get educated, my dog would not get cuddled, my house would not get cleaned. (Wait, that doesn't happen anyway.) Do I sound like I am complaining? I am not! Why would I complain when I get first choice of books, no late fees, the privilege to visit with the community, and help little blue-haired ladies sort through all the Gilbert Morris and Jeanette Oke series. Who would answer reference questions such as, "Could you please go on Map Quest for me and see how many miles it is from Asheville, NC to Cooper, SC?" "What do you have on the bubonic plague?" "Do you have Stephanie Meyer's books?" "Can I have more computer time?" "How do you make freezer pickles?" "My child has a science project due tomorrow, what is an easy project and could you do it for me?" "Would you please fill out this job application for me?" "How do you install solar panels?" OH - the list goes on and on and on. The public expects us to know everything and you know what? I am finding out I know a lot of trivial stuff. Completely weird. Go ahead - ask me anything?

Thanks for reading, Rosie

Day #11 - What Was I Thinking?

I am only one-third of the way through this "30 posts, 30 days" challenge! What was I thinking? Maybe it is because I am so tired today and I am feeling the strain. I spent the day with Dad and Mom in doctor's office then had a hair appointment at 7:00 pm. I am just worn out and my house is a mess! I have fourteen piles of unfinished projects laying around and I work all day tomorrow at the library. Boy Howdy, Saturday I am cleaning house and if it is not nailed down - out it goes! Please forgive the brevity of this post - I am going to bed now.

One tired, wilted Rosie.

Day #10 - Warts And All

My topic today is somewhat gross but in case this happens to you, you need to know this information. Three years ago my oldest son got warts on the cuticle area of his fingernails. We could not get rid of them. We made several visits to the dermatologist to no avail. The doctors froze the warts, they poisoned the warts, they caused an allergic reaction to the warts and the warts simply would not go away. In fact, the warts spread until his fingers were covered in warts. It was ugly and embarrassing. I began asking folks for home remedies that might help the problem and someone told us to use clear nail polish. Simply coat the warts everyday with clear nail polish. This puts an airtight seal on them and they cannot breath. Apparently, the wart virus needs oxygen to regenerate and when oxygen is cut off, the virus dies. Within a few days, we could visibly see some shrinkage and within a month, the warts were nearly gone. Amazing! Recently I notice my Dad had a few warts on his elbow and I told him about this miracle cure. My Mom started coating his elbow with clear nail polish every night and sure enough, with in a few weeks they disappeared. Before you take your warts to the dermatologist, spend a small fortune and endure modern-day torture tactics, coat them with clear nail polish. It worked for us! For more helpful “Works For Me Wednesday” ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

Thanks for reading, Rosie!

Day #9 - Veterans Day 2008

In the spring of 2006 we took our boys to Washington DC to see our nation's capital. The cherry blossoms were blooming and it was a gorgeous week. We spent several days on The Mall visiting the Smithsonian buildings. We pre-arranged a personal tour of the Capitol Building. We ate lunch overlooking the Potomac River. It was the best vacation we remember as a family to date. Of all the sites we took in, our visit to Arlington Cemetery was the standout.

We sat in respectful silence as we watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was riveting, emotional and life changing.

"Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier

Known But To God"

My Papaw served in the Army during WWI;
MDH's Papaw served in the Army during WWII;
My Dad served in the United States Air Force;
My Brother Served in the United States Navy;
We presently have an uncle serving in the National Guard.

Thank you Veterans for your service to our country.


Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #8 - Doggie Issues

I wish Oscar could do this little trick when he needs to go out.

It would make my life much easier and more interesting.

More tomorrow, Rosie.

Day #7 - Chemotherapy and Begging

We have a busy week ahead with Dad's blood work and second round of chemo therapy beginning early in the morning. MDH is off for a couple of days and will be going with us. I am so glad. His strong presence makes me feel secure plus I enjoy his company. Please remember our family this week. I know my dad is dreading the side effects of the chemo and the back/forth rounds to the doctor. It is all very tiring. I'll keep you posted on his progress.

I have finished my first week of National Blog Posting Month "30 days, 30 post" in the blogosphere. I've had to push myself a couple of times to post, but always feel satisfied that I made myself. The one thing that helps me keep posting is your comments. To a blogger, comments are important. I have tons of lurkers who never comment and I would LOVE to hear from you. Good, bad or indifferent, it really helps to know someone is actually reading this drivel. Anyway, if you could find it in your heart to just say hello I will love you forever. It is sad to read someone begging isn't it?

I will try to update my bookshelf soon, I have several books on my night stand.

Thanks for reading, Rosie

Day # 6 - The Love Dare

MDH and I spent the day doing some Christmas shopping. This is not a task either of us like but seems to be necessary. We would be happy to give all the money we spend at Christmas to a trusted charity, spend the day eating an easily prepared meal and visiting with family. When this idea is suggested, most people roll their eyes and laugh. It truly is a case of square pegs being mashed into round holes.

Anyway, the best part of shopping today was spending some much needed one-on-one time with MDH. Our schedules seems to keep up from doing this often enough. We had a lovely time browsing through Books-A-Million, Kohl's, Office Depot and Hobby Lobby. We had a nice lunch at Cheddar's and then took in the movie "Fireproof". If you have not seen this movie by all means go. Warning! Take plenty of tissue. This is a low budget flick and has not received a lot of press. Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) is the lead character in this film and does an excellent job of portraying a fireman with his marriage on the brink of divorce. His father recommends he take "The Love Dare" for forty days. What happens transforms his marriage. If you are looking for a good "date night" activity, this is perfect. If you have seen it, please leave a comment and tell me what you thought about the movie. If you have not seen it, go see it and then leave me a comment and tell me what you though about the movie. If you have no plans to go see it, leave me a comment and tell me why. I just like hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #5 - Rumor Has It

Rumor has it - someone in Illinois is having a Birthday today.

Rumor has it - someone is a well known and respected lady in her community.

Rumor has it - she recently did a reading of Madeline L'Engle's poem "Mrs. Noah Speaking" at her church on a Sunday evening.

Rumor has it - she read the poem verbatim.

Rumor has it - the words "platypus piss" is in the poem.

Rumor has it - the respected and well known lady in a community in Illinois said the words "platypus piss" during a Sunday evening church service and shocked the entire congregation.

Rumor has it - the respected and well known lady's daughter was completely mortified at her mother's actions and called her southern niece to tell her all about the incident.

Rumor has it - the niece laughed very hard and said she thinks it is okay to say "platypus piss" when reading a Christian poets work related to Noah's Ark because there was probably plenty platypus piss on the ark.

Rumor has it - the community has finally recovered from the incident and all is now well in the small Illinois town.

Rumor has it - the niece of the daughter's well respected mother in the small community of Illinois wishes this sweet lady a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Bless Her Heart.

Rumor has it - the well known and respected lady's daughter should be careful what funny stories she tells a certain southern niece because she might blog anything.

Rumor has it - the niece will not receive a Christmas present this year.

That is the rumor as I heard it. I felt the need to pass it along and because I said "Bless Her Heart" it is not considered gossip.

Thanks for reading the latest rumor, Rosie!

Day #4: My Political Soapbox

I have remained silent as long as I can. While I am not one to get on a political soapbox often, occasionally I must go on a tangent. Bear with me.

I am so thankful this election is over. I am weary of hearing the rhetoric both the Dems and Reps have spouted off during this election. I am disgusted with the media. I am tired of hearing about Joe the Plumber. Any man or woman considered a common laborer in this country should be highly offended. I am tired of hearing about change because I fear the tonic for change will be worse than the illness itself. While I voted and encouraged everyone I encountered to vote, I was not happy with either choice in candidates. I voted for whom I felt was the lesser of the two evils knowing he would probably not win. I simply could not vote for a candidate who supports all forms of abortion, same sex marriage, and socialism. This is the first time since I was eligible to vote that I did not stay up all night watching the election results. I did not even turn the TV on. I awoke Wednesday morning to the results not the least bit surprised with who won. I have now had time to let this historic election sink into my feeble brain and have come to some conclusions.

Even though I am not an Obama fan, it is now my responsibility to pray for him, his safety, his family, his advisors, and his discernment. This is the right thing to do and honors the Lord. As the Apostle Paul teaches so clearly in I Timothy 2:1, “I urge that entreaties, prayers and petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” I owe Obama that because he will be the leader of our great country soon and because God’s Word tells me to do so. That does not mean I agree with him.

The majority of the people in this nation proved what they value by how they voted and as I already knew, they value their material things over people. They value their new car over the life of a child; they value their beautiful home over the mistreated and tortured in other countries; they value their expensive vacations over the freedom to choose their own doctor and health care provider; they value their technology gadgets over their freedom to educate their children as they please; they value their political beliefs over their faith, they value their sex lives over absolute morals and they put more thought into their cable provider than they put into who will govern this country. I could go on, but I think you get the point. Priorities are so skewed in our nation it makes me want to weep.

Despite all of this, I know God is still in control. Nothing happened on Tuesday that was not allowed by His perfect plan. Moreover, while I can say I do not understand His plan, His plan is the only one I can trust. His Word is Truth. His Son is the Way. Judgment is His. Therefore, Peace is mine. I pray that Peace is yours also.

My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Day #3 - WFMW Toys Worth Buying

As my 3rd day in the “30 Days, 30 Posts” of National Blog Posting Month, I am doing double duty and posting my “Works-For-Me-Wednesday Toys Worth Buying Edition" for Rocks In My Dryer also. Yes, it is thoroughly confusing, but fun! Hang with me!

It is that time of year. Christmas shopping time. For those of you who live for this time of year, congratulations “Tis the Season”. For the rest of us, sorry, “Tis the Season”. If you have children, then you know that Christmas shopping involves toy purchases. If you have purchased any toys at all in your lifetime, then you are aware that not all toys are created equal. I have personally wasted a lot of money over the years on toys for my kids. I may as well have been throwing money out the car window while driving down Main Street and screaming, “I am a fool!” If I had the money back that I wasted on toys, I would be an independently wealthy woman. I want back my $5.00 for every Beanie Baby I purchased. That alone would make a house payment. Can I please have my money back on all the toy guns and swords that boys seem to NEED? You know the ones that break within an hour after purchasing them because boys play rough and tend to think that plastic swords and guns can actually puncture the walls and furniture. Also, please give me my money back on all the plastic bath toys I purchased to entertain my children in the bathtub. I question my reasoning over those purchases. Why did I want my children entertained in the bathtub? Then there are the toys I purchased in the name of education for my children. Those pricey talking books and electronic games that guaranteed my child would be reading by the New Year. The ones I guilted myself into buying because the TV commercials promised me they would bring hours of educational fun into my home. Those electronic nuances the kids got bored playing before I could get the Christmas tree down. Oh and let us not forget Tickle Me Elmo. Honestly, I wanted to throw hysterically laughing Elmo out the back door and run over his little red body with a bulldozer about the third day after that purchase. We also had a light sensor Big Bird that would randomly scream “Peak-A-Boo!” when a light switched was turned on. After the whiz was scared out of us no less than a dozen times, the evil Big Bird mysteriously disappeared; I want my money back for him too. I have made a lot of bad toy purchases in my lifetime for my kids and gladly/sadly, toy-purchasing days are dwindling in our home as my guys outgrow the “toy” stage.

Except for one toy. One toy stands out. One toy brings hours of imagination, teamwork, direction following, challenging entertainment in bulk on our family room floor any day of the week. One toy that Oscar, our dog, finds, eats and poops (I am just being honest here). One toy that the vacuum cleaner sweeps away and the one toy that gets sorted into color groups while trying to be organized. In addition, the one good toy that is not made in China by slave laborers and that I can justify purchasing.

THE TOY? LEGO!

While I realize that Lego kits are expensive, their purchase has been worth every penny spent from my thin wallet. I have watched my boys play and work for hours on projects. Big C is very literal and always put his models together by the directions only. “Don’t mess up the model afterwards” is his motto! On the other hand, Big I will create his models by the directions and then modify it by using his imagination. Actually, Big C does not “play” with Legos anymore. No sir! He is eighteen years old and far, far past the Lego stage. He will occasionally have mercy on his little brother who will beg him to help build something and Big C, being the sweet big brother he is, will lock himself along with Big I away and spend the afternoon playing with, oops I mean building a design that demonstrates Quantum Mechanics.

Here are a few other toys that have worked well for my guys and helped keep them occupied on rainy/snowy/hot and tidal wave days. Hope they work for you too.

· Little Green Army Men and Marbles
· GI Joe
· Match Box Cars
· Star Wars and Lord of the Rings Action Figures
· Walter Wick’s “I Spy” Books (one of my personal favs)
· Playing cards or Uno cards
· Board games such as Monopoly, Battleship, Sorry, Castle Risk and Chess
· Basketballs (all 25 that we own) and Footballs (at least 10 of those)
· Air Soft BB/Pellet Guns
· 10” Stainless Steal Throwing Knives (I am totally not kidding here)

Thanks for reading, Rosie.