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Truck Repairs
This is the story of the job that consumed our entire holiday weekend. One day last week Lyle noticed something wonky going on with the steering of his truck. After further research he determined that it was time to do some front-end work before we set off on our trips in June. Memorial Day weekend was supposed to be cool…
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Monster Cookies
This is one of my family’s favorite cookie recipes. I like to use the green-and-red Christmas M&Ms or other seasonal colors if it’s close to a holiday. 6 eggs 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups white sugar 1/2 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup 4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 pound butter 3 cups peanut butter 8 cups oats 8 ounces…
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A Blustery Walk
It’s the dark time of the year. I always have a hard time adjusting to the shorter daylight hours after the time changes in the fall. Sunset today was at 4:22p.m. and it will continue to set earlier and earlier for another 6 weeks. Then the days will gradually start getting longer again! This afternoon I went for a walk…
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Rose Creek Garden
My sister-in-law is an avid gardener. Thought you might enjoy a few glimpses of her pretty garden!A vintage bicycle welcomes you to the garden.She has heart-shaped stepping-stones engraved with the names of each of her children. (Yes, she has 9 children!)I snapped lots of pictures of many of the dozens of different varieties of flowers that are currently blooming. I…
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Summer Sunday Supper
When I was a little girl I would beg my mother, “Tell me stories about when you were a little girl!” She’d laugh and say, “I don’t have any stories!” But she did! Just simple anecdotes of everyday happenings when she was growing up. Now that I’m a mother, my children love to hear my “stories,” too! One Sunday recently…
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Making hairpin lace
Vintage needlework fascinates me. I enjoy a wide variety of hand crafts, and I’m always eager to learn something new. Last summer friend of mine (an older lady) taught me how to make hairpin lace. She even had an extra hairpin fork that she gave me. It was a larger one, though, the size to use with yarn to make…
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More Than You Ever Wanted to Know
Last week I told you about the “new” 5-color printing press they got at the print shop where my husband works. I was confused about the 5 colors. I knew there was cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and a 5th color, but since the primaries and black were covered, I couldn’t understand why a 5th color was needed. In an extremely…
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An ImPRESSive Upgrade
My husband literally grew up in a print shop, and he’s been a printer all of his adult life. He works in a “commercial” print shop, meaning they mostly print business materials — business cards, letterheads, envelopes, flyers, that kind of thing. They do most of their work on one- and two-color presses or digital copiers. For years Lyle has…
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Making Sour Dough Bread
Last fall I discovered a new magazine that I just love! Now, understand, I’m really not much of a magazine reader. Almost always I’d rather read a book. But the gentle picture on the cover of MaryJane’s Farm caught my eye on the magazine rack one evening when Lyle and I were enjoying a “coffee date” at Borders. I picked…
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Vintage Tins
I am fascinated with tiny tins. I love that Altoids mints come in little tins. Other than that, I can’t really think of anything else that comes in a small tin these days, can you? Years ago lots of things came in tins. Now it’s mostly paper or cardboard boxes, or even just plastic wrappers. I wonder if there was…
