Roberta's Random Ramblings, Assemblages and Stuff

Apple Pie in an Apple on a Teacup Pie Stand

2012-01-28T18:42:00.016-06:00

Tonite is the Fund Raiser for the Walworth County Emergency Shelter, held at Delavan Lanes... there will be bowling, music, food, basket drawings and auctions, bake sale, and more! All for a great cause!

I decided to try and make a cool Apple Pie in an Apple that I had found on Pinterest, along with making an individual pie stand for each one based on another idea I saw at Pinterest too.

Here are my photos from today... along with the recipe and some helpful tips I discovered along the way too.

I bought several varieties of apples, red and green (Granny Smith). I like the color of the red ones more after they are baked compared to the green apples after baked.

I used a knife and a melon baller to hollow out the apples... be sure not to pierce thru the skin of the apple and leave some of the apple on the sides because they can (and do) split sometimes.

I used the insides (minus the part with the core) along with peeling and slicing up other apples - THIN sliced for the insides. I also decided to add some craisins to my apple pies, which made it look pretty inside and tasted good too! Also added sugar, brown sugar, cinnamin too ...see the recipe for amounts (I did add a little more to my second batch of apples after taste testing the first batch, although if you are going to add a scoop of ice cream to the apple pies you probably wouldn't need to add more sugar.)

I bought the ready made pie crust, sliced it into strips and made the lattice crust for the top. On my second batch of apple pies, I sugared the pie crust a little because it tasted kind of bland, and it was much better.

Then put the apples into a baking pan or dish, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan/dish. Cover with tin foil and bake (375 degrees) for about 20 - 25 minutes....then take off the tinfoil and continue baking for about 20 - 25 minutes. I found if you overcook (trying to brown the crust more) that the apples split.

After taking them out of the oven, I immediately took them out of the baking dish too and let them sit on a dry plate, just incase they would get soggy sitting in the water in the baking pan/dish.

During the baking time, I took the tea cups and saucers I had bought at Goodwill (for under a dollar), and used my Amazing Goop for craft projects, and glued the underside of the saucer to the bottom of the cup, and put books on them to weigh them down for an hour or two...then turned them upright and put the books on the tops of the saucers for another hour or two.

Then after the apple pies cooled, I added them to the saucer/teacup pie stands, wrapped them up and had a great bake sale item! (also good for a birthday gift for someone special!)

Here's the recipe I pinned at pinterest.

5 - 6 Apples... make sure they stand on their own.

1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used a bit more).

1/4 cup sugar (I used a little more).

1 tablespoon (heaping) of brown sugar.

piecrust - homemade or pre-made (I used premade).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 1: Cut off the top of 4 apples and discard. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon or melon baller very carefully, as to not puncture the peel.
If you’re a skilled interior apple excavator, salvage as much as you can so you can use it for Step 2.

Step 2: Remove skin from remaining apple(s) and slice very thinly. These apple pieces will give you the additional filling needed to fill the four apples you are baking.

Mix sliced apples with sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. If you prefer more or less cinnamon make adjustments as desired. Same goes for the sugar. I also added craisins ... not necessary, I just wanted to throw in something a bit different.
Scoop sliced apple mixture into hollow apples.

Step 3: Roll out pie crust and slice into 1/4 inch strips. I found the pre-made pie crust I used a bit plain tasting, so I added a sprinkling of sugar to it. Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern with pie crust strips.

Step 4: Place apples in a pan or baking dish. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan/baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft. Be careful to not overcook as the apples will (and do) split at times.

Add a scoop of ice cream to it while warm and serve... yummm!!! These can also be put in the microwave for 30 - 45 seconds and then add ice cream.

An "Assemblage" of the Year 2011 - in Paper!

2012-01-26T20:03:00.001-06:00

So, this is what has kept me unbelieveably busy the last couple of weeks... or actually, guess I should say this is what I did all last year! *L*

My "assemblage" of the Year 2011, condensed on a table, waiting to put into packets for the Annual Parish Meeting (one report yet to finish). Now how does one whole year fit onto one small table like that?? *L*

To think, this was a year in the making.... All this is like a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts...all the preparation - days, weeks, and endless work that goes into all the different "dishes", and then people come for the "feast" and digest it all in a mere hour or so!! *lol*

And this is the mess yet to deal with ... arrgghh... a job that never ends!

Kaine's New Car

2012-01-22T18:50:00.003-06:00

The last month or so, Kaine (along with some of his friends & relatives), and John, have been working on switching out engines from one vehicle to another, which didn't work out so well... the newer car body wasn't the right fit for the older rebuilt engine ...so a new engine was purchased and put into the newer Jeep body... a LOT of work!!

But FINALLY, it is finished!! And Kaine has a great "new" Jeep!! What an amazingly smart bunch of guys!! Good job all!!

Now all Kaine needs to do is sell off the old Jeep body and engine and pieces ... anyone interested??

More of John's Woodworking ... Pedestal from old wall pieces..

2012-01-20T22:46:00.000-06:00

John has been using up the recycled wall pieces from the Christ Church renovation, and made this pedestal. It can be used for the offering plate, or for flowers, or whatever. It matches the kneelers, lectrens and the altar in the Chapel he made too.

Great job John! I'd love one of these, but the materials are almost all used up now.... it looks good in the Church!

Playing in the Kitchen .... a.k.a... Cooking...

2012-01-12T19:13:00.002-06:00

Between getting W-2's, W-3's, 940's, 941's, 1099's, 1096's, WT-7's and all those other assorted government forms together for two businesses, I have also been using up some of the leftovers in my refrigerator. That pinterest site has me trying out, and thinking up, all sorts of cool ideas!

So, this afternoon I made appetizers with left-over mozarella cheese pearls, mushrooms and onions, spices and left over phyllo pastry cups .. VOILA!! Yummy!

And then we had breakfast for dinner ... using texas toast, and making little holes in it, I inserted fresh blueberries and dipped it in egg and milk mixture, and fried it up. Add a little powdered sugar or drizzle some syrup on the top and it's DEEEELICIOUS!!

So, that's about all the creating this wanna-be artist has done lately ... hoping to get back to assemblage art creations sometime soon!

Back to the bookkeeping for now .....

Shining Epiphany Stars!

2012-01-08T17:56:00.004-06:00

My Sunday School kids were STARS this morning in the Festival of Lights Service at Church. They sang and signed several songs during the church service. WELL DONE KIDS!! Granddaughter Jorden also got to be a part of it since she and Daddy (Kaine) were visiting this weekend.

The Stars brought forth, to the creche, the 3 Magi, their camels and the mitten donations that the people in the parish donated.

The kids certainly shined as lights of Christ!!

Princess Jorden is here!! G

2012-01-07T19:21:00.000-06:00

Kaine and Jorden are here this weekend as Kaine and John are trying to put a new engine in the body of an older Jeep ... and swapping out parts from an already owned older Jeep into this newer Jeep.... (what a mess it is too!)

Anyway ... we have "Princess Jorden" here to play with while Daddy Kaine works on his vehicle... *G*

.... not only is she a beeeeeautiful bride in her dress-up clothes, but also helping Gramma be a chef! ... here's a neat roasted veggie dish we made tonite.

Jorden helped sprinkle on the ground sea salt and pepper, and then drizzle on the olive oil before baking it.

And here are the finished veggies... yummy!!

Happy 12th Day of Christmas Everyone!

2012-01-05T08:40:00.002-06:00

Today is the end of the "Christmas Season" ... it's the 12th day, and tomorrow is Epiphany!

SO, on the 12th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING ...

(a more serious assemblage - and the beat goes on, and on, and on and on...)

I have been posting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look back at the other assemblages, of these 12 Days in previous posts... or go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see them too.

A Blessed 11th Day of Christmas ...

2012-01-04T08:25:00.002-06:00

On the 11th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... (one of my favorite assemblages for this series) ... ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING

I have been resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for other assemblages, of these 12 Days, in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

On the 10th Day ..... What on earth was my true love thinking??

2012-01-03T14:01:00.004-06:00

On the 10th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... TEN LORDS A LEAPING...

So, I have been resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for other assemblages, of these 12 Days, in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

Evidently these Lords are jumping over the moon ... don't know how that entices one's "true love" however...*L* Unless it's the idea of 10 guys in tights that would have me smitten? *G*

On the 9th Day of Christmas ..... DANCE!

2012-01-02T05:10:00.004-06:00

Merry 9th Day Everyone!!

On the 9th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..... NINE LADIES DANCING!

Check out this short little video clip of the ladies actually dancing! This kills me...heh heh...although some of those dancing ladies just wouldn't get with it! *G*

Some fun quotes on dance... may YOUR dancing in 2012 be filled with JOY, HOPE and LOVE!

There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good. ~Edwin Denby

I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~Japanese Proverb

Dancing is like dreaming with your feet! ~Constanze

Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn. ~Terri Guillemets

You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart. ~Author Unknown

Dancing: the vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music. ~George Bernard Shaw

Note: I have been resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for other assemblages, of these 12 Days, in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

Annual 99 Game - Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:50:00.005-06:00

My side of the family gets together every New Year's Day for food, fun, football AND our traditional "99 Card Game"! It used to be that we would all crowd around one huge table, kids sitting on the laps of the adults... but when the family grew to over 40 or so, we started adding more tables.... not everyone can come on New Year's Day, but we have had, at times, 3 - 4 tables going for the 60 or more of us that can attend.

Harriett and Mark have hosted the New Years Day gathering the last few years (THANKS MARK AND HARRIETT!!), and this year was a fun time too! Lots of delicious pot-luck food, great PACKER game and win over the Lions!! (GO PACK GO!), and then 99!!

Our numbers were lower this year ... lots were either out of town on vacation, at the Packer game, not feeling well, or staying home (maybe recovering from last night's celebrations? - ha!)... but there were still well over 30 of us who were there to have fun!

The last three players, after about 4 hours or so, decided to split the $65 pot, and went home happy! Congrats to Josh, Conner and Chellie!!

Thank you Lord, for family, and this new year!!

Happy 8th Day of Christmas! ... and Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:27:00.000-06:00

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me .... EIGHT MAIDS A MILKING!

...and what lovely maids they are, eh?!!

Note: Resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for other assemblages, of these 12 Days, in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

May Your Cup Runneth Over in 2012 - Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T15:43:00.002-06:00

May The Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Blessings in the coming year ... always in all ways!

On the 7th Day of Christmas.... (I took liberties big time with the lyrics) ...

2011-12-31T07:55:00.002-06:00

I DID say I take liberties with the lyrics to The 12 Days of Christmas, didn't I ? *g* ...so, today, it's the 7th day of Christmas and my true love gave to me ....

SEVEN PAWNS A SWIMMING ... (no, not swans a swimming)..*G* Pawns swimming in a sea of chess boards even...

Note: Resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for other assemblages, of these 12 Days, in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

On the 6th Day of Christmas .....

2011-12-30T02:24:00.003-06:00

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....

SIX GEESE A LAYING....

Note: Resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for other assemblages, of these 12 Days, in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

Busy, busy week ... trying to get year end bookkeeping for two businesses done before the last business day of the year, which is today... almost finished with what I need to finish before 2011 ends... then maybe I can take a day or two to do some art!!

On the 5th Day of Christmas .... Found Object Assemblage...

2011-12-29T06:39:00.003-06:00

Continuing with my 12 Days of Christmas assemblages....

On the 5th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.....

FIVE GOLD RINGS.....
(a girl ALWAYS loves gold, and bling and furs and....)

Note: Resurrecting these 12 Days of Christmas I made 2 years ago ... look for others in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

On the 4th Day of Christmas ....Found Object Assemblage

2011-12-28T06:43:00.002-06:00

On the 4th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me... FOUR CALLING BIRDS...

Two years ago I put together the Twelve Days of Christmas Assemblages made from found objects I had in my "stash" of treasures in the basement.

I thought it would be fun to resurrect them during these 12 Days of Christmas ... look for others in the days to come (and in previous posts)... or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!

On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Day of Christmas... Found Object Assemblages...

2011-12-27T07:03:00.005-06:00

Two years ago I put together the Twelve Days of Christmas Assemblages made from found objects I had in my "stash" of treasures in the basement.

I thought it would be fun to resurrect them during these 12 Days of Christmas ... Enjoy the first 3 Days ... look for others in the days to come too... (or if you can't wait, go to my older archived posts from Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010 to see more!)

(BTW, I take liberty with some of the lyrics to this song.)

On the First Day of Christmas inspiration came to me ... A Partridge, Pears and a Tree!

On the Second Day of Christmas my True Love Gave to Me.... Two Turtles 'n Doves!

On the Third Day of Christmas my true love found for me .... Three French Hens!

Christmas Day at Christ Episcopal Church

2011-12-25T23:24:00.006-06:00

O Come All Ye Faithful... Joyful and Triumphant...

We left the early morning family celebration to go to the Christmas Day Church Service. It was a great worship time, celebrating the birth of Jesus! Wonderful music, and the church looked so pretty with all the flowers given in thanksgiving and in memory of loved ones.

These photos were taken by Kasey K Photo ... thanks Kasey!!

And thank you Lord!!

For unto us a Child is born
Unto us a Son is given
And the government
Shall be upon His shoulder
And his name shall be called
Wonderful
Counselor
The Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace.

Christmas Morning 2011

2011-12-25T22:56:00.008-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

We started the day early ... up at 5:30 a.m. and headed to my parents for my side of the family celebration. About 70 of us there ... and YES, it was mass chaos, but a great time!

Family sat in the family room, kitchen, dining room, living room, front porch, down the hall and on the floors where ever there was an open space.. *L*

I love our large family celebrations!!

Christmas Eve with Family

2011-12-24T23:45:00.008-06:00

It was our turn to have John's side of the family here for Christmas Eve. It was a nice gathering.

We did an appetizer type of dinner, with LOTS of great food to try out!

We also played the HedBanz Game ... the kids and adults had fun trying it out.

And we had a take-away-gift-exchange too...along with the annual wrapping paper fights... *L*

Another nice family Christmas celebration... time for sleep... tomorrow we go to my parents EARLY to celebrate too!

Playing with Christmas Gifts

2011-12-24T14:47:00.005-06:00

Jorden was busy this morning playing dress up ... with some of her new outfits ... the monkey hat and musical monkey toy were a big hit!

And the outfit that Aunt Janel picked out for her was sooo cute!

And she loved the play clothes that Aunt Kasey gave her ... here she is as TinkerBell with all her "Barbies"..old and new!

Then it was time for a rest with all the Barbies before Jorden had to head back for more Christmas fun with her Mom and other family.

Christmas on the Eve of the Eve

2011-12-23T23:32:00.012-06:00

We all, our kids and grandkids, celebrated our family Christmas tonite since Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are so busy, and since all the grandkids were able to be here too. We had a fun night, opening gifts, playing with them, eating goodies, and spending the evening together.

Kasey took a family photo of us all before the gift opening began...only took about 10 photos to get one that looked pretty good..*lol*

The grandkids enjoyed their gifts... and playing with each other too.

Josh with his HedBanz Game that we all had to try out... what a riot!! *L*

Thanking God for our family and for all our blessings ..... it was a great night!!

Remembering Paul ... May He Rest In Peace...

2011-12-19T20:13:00.003-06:00

John's Dad, my father-in-law, Paul, died late this afternoon. John and his sister and brother had been down to see him in TX about a week ago. (these photos are from over a year ago)

Paul was not very responsive last week when John was there, and they knew the time was short. The nurses and chaplain who had called the last couple of days said that Paul was not in any discomfort and was well cared for, and for that we are grateful.

The doctors and nurses at the VA Hospital in San Antonio had been great in their care for Paul over the past couple of years, and very kind to him ... we are thankful for the excellent care he received there.

We were thankful for the many prayers the last year or two for Paul, and for the prayers for the repose of his soul now from many family and friends.

Paul had already made his funeral arrangements, and will be buried in TX, but at this time we are not sure of when it will happen, the Fort where he will be buried has a busy schedule, so it could be a couple of weeks? A memorial service will also be held up here for relatives and friends at a later date, probably not until late January or so.

Tonite, and in the weeks to come, we are remembering the good times with Paul, especially our visits when he was still feeling pretty good, recalling his jokes (which may not have always been so funny, but we enjoyed how much he enjoyed telling them and laughing at them!) - Good memories for sure! We are also thankful for the well wishes, prayers and sympathy from family and friends.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Lord, rest your weary ones, bless your dying ones, soothe your suffering ones, shield your joyous ones, and all for your love's sake. Amen.

Nativity Scene Re-enactment. A Blessed Christmas to All!

2011-12-18T14:46:00.000-06:00

We had fun this morning getting ready for a photo shoot, for Christmas cards we'll be sending out to the sick and shut-in's who are members of Christ Church (from the Sunday School class), as well as cards for parents too for gifts. The Sunday School kids did great! Lots of fun to dress up and play out the scene from the 1st Christmas celebration of Jesus' birth.

We also watched this short, very cool video done by other Sunday School kids thousands of miles away... our kids really enjoyed the video..so much so, we watched it twice!

A great telling of The Christmas Story by the children of St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand... check it out on YouTube, at this link.

The Art of Assembling a Gingerbread House - A Grandson Experience & Fun!

2011-12-14T19:21:00.008-06:00

This afternoon, my daughter and I picked up two of the three grandsons (unfortunately, Josh was sick and couldn't go), and we headed to a workshop put on in their town for kids to make gingerbread houses.

What a wonderful event it was! I can tell a LOT of work went into preparing for it, and they only ask a $3 fee for each child... it is a labor of love, and the women in Clinton who put it on are wonderful to do it!! They make wonderful memories for many kids (and parents and grandparents)!

They had gingerbread houses all set up, ready to decorate with a small bag of candies and a cup of frosting for each child. They also had tons of other candies and embellishments that they could add to their houses at a table in front. The kids took their plates up to the table and were able to get as many gummy bears, gum drops, pretzels, marshmellows, M & M's, sprinkles, fruit loops and so much more.

I believe I did see grandson Jeff consuming as much as he put on his gingerbread house..*L* But when I looked around at the other kids, they also were enjoying all the treats!

Our DIL, Janel, took the boys last year, but had to work this year ... sorry she missed the fun, but I am grateful for having the time to be able to be there this year with Jake and Jeff, and being asked to come with the boys! It was nice that they also let us bring a kit of candies and a house home for Josh to do too!

So, here are photos from our fun afternoon!

Such loving brothers, Jake and Jeff... hahaa!! *S*

And some of Josh at home decorating his gingerbread house too!! ....

Christmas Tree Snowflakes

2011-12-14T00:34:00.003-06:00

Okay ..one more post before bedtime ... another idea from Pinterest ... snowflakes made from cupcake papers ...these are made from shiney silver foil-like cupcake papers.

Take one, smooth it out, then fold it in half... and fold it in half again... and again. Then take scissors and cut out various shapes, unfold, smooth out... and TAHH DAHHH!! Beautiful snowflakes!

Kasey and I had a competition in trying to cut out the VERY best one! *S* I think she might have won ...but mine aren't too shabby either!
We put them on our tree in the living room and Kasey K Photo took pics of them.

Another fun idea...easy peasy, and lovely!

Santa Hats formerly known as Bugle snacks...

2011-12-13T23:57:00.005-06:00

How COOL is this idea!!

Take Bugle snacks, and make them into delicious, and fun, Christmas treats!

Here’s what you’ll need ...

Bugles (they make several varieties, all are good with this recipe)
Red Melting disks (red chocolate things ...Wilton makes them, I found them at Michael's)
Mini marshmallows
White sprinkles (nonpareils)..although I've seen them made with red and green sprinkles too.

Melt the red chocolate candy melts, along with a spoon of shortening (to help thin the melted candy), in 30 second intervals on low power, or melting power in your microwave until melted. (at the 30 second interval, stop, stir, restart until it's melted)... it may not take as long in some microwaves. It took about a minute and 10 seconds in mine.

Then start dipping. I put in 3 - 4 at a time, used a fork to take them out (letting them drip off a bit first).

Let them set up for 40 minutes or so on parchment or wax paper... some directions say to let them sit way shorter than this .. I actually think an hour or two is better.

When they are set, remelt the red candy chocolate stuff and dip just the bottoms of the Bugles (the large part of the Bugle) into the melted red chocolate, then into the white sprinkles. (easier if you put the sprinkles into a bowl)

Then flip it over and dip the top in the melted candy and press a mini marshmallow on top.... HELPFUL HINT: I found I messed up the bottom part when I tried to dip the top part ...so I took a toothpick, and dabbed a bit of the melted red chocolate onto the pointy top, then stuck on the mini marshmellow.

Set them back on the wax paper or parchment paper and TAHHH DAHHH... wonderful Santa Hats! I let them sit about 40 minutes before I moved them to a container where I lumped them all together to use in mixes or on cookie trays.

I saw this at the Pinterest site and HAD to try it out - I think they turned out great!

Here is a link that takes you to one place to find some of the same directions in making them ... BUT ALSO a yummy, sweet chex mix to add them to!

It's beginning to look a lot like ..... a big Christmas mess here! (LOL) ... time to clean up and get some sleep!

I may JUST be The Next Great Chef!! LOL!!

2011-12-13T23:36:00.004-06:00

... with thanks from the Pinterest site I was recently introduced to... OMG, I am already addicted!!

There are so many cool things there in ALL categories... I discovered some DEEEELICIOUS appetizer ideas I wanted to try out before Christmas and then use for then too!

So, tonite, after shopping for various ingredients, Kasey and I had fun putting some of these things together... and Kasey did a photo shoot of our creations..*L*

Yummy ...Salad on a toothpick appetizers... pretty and delicious too! And super easy!

Fresh basil leaves (or I also use red and green baby lettuce leaves), mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and black olives... spritzed with balsamic vinaigrette (you can use other kinds of salad dressing too).

I also tried a fun way to make a baked potato and it looks cool too... I could have also added grated parmesan cheese to the top of this, but didn't do it this time.

So, this makes a simple frozen stuffed chicken breast look like an elegant dinner tonite, eh? *S*

Check out more photos from Kasey K Photo too at her blog site here.

Prayers for Paul

2011-12-12T23:19:00.002-06:00

Kasey and I picked up John and his sister, Sherry, at the airport in Milwaukee tonight. They had been in Texas visiting his Dad, my FIL, who is not doing well at all. Just a matter of time, he didn't really recognize them, and has lost many, MANY pounds since the visit in September. It's sad to see him that way... and to have to leave to come home too, knowing his time is short.

This is a prayer for Paul, as he transitions to life everlasting soon (from the Book of Common Prayer)...

Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on your servant Paul.

From all evil, from all sin, from all tribulation,
Good Lord, deliver Paul.

By your holy Incarnation, by your Cross and Passion, by
your precious Death and Burial,
Good Lord, deliver Paul.

By your glorious Resurrection and Ascension, and by the
Coming of the Holy Spirit,
Good Lord, deliver Paul.

We sinners beseech you to hear us, Lord Christ: That it may
please you to deliver the soul of your servant, Paul, from the power
of evil, and from eternal death,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you mercifully to pardon all Paul's sins,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to grant Paul a place of refreshment
and everlasting blessedness,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please you to give Paul joy and gladness in your
kingdom, with your saints in light,
We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.

Jesus, Lamb of God:
Have mercy on Paul.

Jesus, bearer of our sins:
Have mercy on Paul.

Jesus, redeemer of the world:
Give Paul your peace.

Amen.

(((((Paul))))) xoxoxox This is not a good-bye, for those who love the Lord, know we will meet again. Lord, in Your mercy ... Hear our prayers.

Love my Sunday School Kids! - Preparing for a Nativity Photo Shoot...

2011-12-11T19:46:00.001-06:00

My class was small today, hopefully all the kids can be present next week ... until then, we pulled together parts of costumes...still some wardrobe malfunctions to deal with before next week, and more props... but the kids posed in anticipation of the photo shoot next week they will be in. We'll use the photo for Christmas cards to parish members and family.

Can't wait till next week! *S*

God Bless Us Every One! - A Christmas Wish from Timothy Cratchit ...

2011-12-10T21:08:00.001-06:00

A few more Christmas decorations ... see my previous post for more...

I collect wooden canes..and older wooden crutches too .. .and old distressed dolls that no one else wants ... this one reminded me of Tiny Tim, so I attached him to a crutch long ago ... he hangs with my wooden canes ... but I added a few Christmas things and the sign and tahh dahh! A Christmas wish for all...

I also have a collection of nativity baby Jesus's ... I have one under a crown ... Born to be King of kings, and Lord of lords... the Prince of Peace is He!

And the others are in a wire gift box ... with an angel inside - I call this one The Present of Presence... the best present we have all EVER received at Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look a LOT Like Christmas ....

2011-12-10T17:50:00.001-06:00

Busy couple of days here ... putting away art assemblages to make room for Christmas decorations. Hauling Christmas decorations and various trees from the attic and basement... ugghhh!!

But, it's looking pretty good so far ... just a few more things to do and the decorating will be done! Then on to finish buying and wrapping gifts, making appetizers that I can freeze for later Christmas consumption and of course bookkeeping since it's almost year end too.

Front porch lights and an old sled with skates and my giant wooden candy cane.

The dining room chandelier decorated with red glass berry beads and glass ornaments, and fancy Christmas flowers on the hutch with light branches.

And the pencil tree fit really well into my table leg planter that I had made a few years ago. I hung those old glass bird ornaments I had found a week or so ago on the pencil tree...wish I had a few more of them!

I collect brush trees and other unique trees that I put on my mantle...

The tabletop tree with the cute stuffed bears is always a hit with the grandkids... the tree skirt was one our Aunt Evelyn made many years ago and she passed on to us.

The bucket tree on the desk, along with an old St. Nicholas made with a vintage quilt piece helps make the wild boar head more festive too..*L* I have to find my santa hats that I put on the wild boar heads and deer head in the living room yet too.

More to come...maybe tomorrow....

Old English Advent Tea at Christ Church

2011-12-04T23:06:00.012-06:00

This afternoon was our second annual Old English Advent Tea.

Delicious teas, finger sandwiches & desserts, elegant tables, gentlemen servers, Saint Nicholas with gifts, hat required, gloves optional - a fun Advent afternoon for women and children.

Tables were decorated by women of the Parish and turned out BEEEAUTIFUL! Each woman used their own tea sets and decorations.

Donations of homemade desserts and finger sandwiches were also supplied by the ladies of the Church. And the serving trays were set up by the men and women.

The gentlemen servers were men from Church, who did a great job of bringing around the delicious goodies, a variety of teas, and filling and re-filling our teapots and serving trays. Husband John and my Dad, Jerry were two of the servers.

Saint Nicholas (thanks Bruce!!) was also in attendance, and visited each table, having photos with young and old, and even gave each of us a gift bag!

Young and old enjoyed the afternoon tea, with a few games and lots of fun.
Thank you especially to Pat who did so much to make the afternoon special with the gift bags and extras ... and thanks to our gentlemen servers, Jerry, John, Ron, Steve, Terry and Mark!!

A fun time for all!! Look for dates of next year's Old English Advent Tea in 2012~!

Attention Artists! ECVA's New Call for Entries

2011-12-04T07:44:00.004-06:00

The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts has announced the lastest CALL FOR ENTRIES at their website. Check out it out below and for more info in entering at their website HERE.

Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!" (Matthew 12:47)

We speak often of Jesus as Savior, Teacher, Messiah, Lord, and King. But we who are his disciples and followers can also call him Brother: the relationship we have with Jesus has the potential to become infinitely more personal.

This is a particular gift as we head into the season of Lent. It is no coincidence that Lent takes place in spring, when the seeds that have lain dormant over the winter are first struggling to break through the hard shell of being and the rough embrace of earth.

The sturdy seedling with arched body comes
Shouldering its way and shedding the earth crumbs.
(Robert Frost: Putting in the Seed)

If we understand Lent as an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Christ, then the struggles we endure with whatever discipline we might be led to take on during this period of germination are struggles he shares with us. Our desert is his desert; our challenges his challenges. Our opportunities for growth and surrender are not faced alone. Jesus our brother is the warm sun that entices us to leave the shell, as well as the warm rain of love that softens the earth so we can emerge into the light, opening leaves and blossoms that we might someday bear the fruit we were born to give to the world.

As we walk through Lent, seeking to break out of our habitual shells, it can prove challenging to face our failures and weaknesses. But in so doing we learn that Jesus is with us and loves us through the struggle; that the sun and rain will continue to feed, support, nurture and entice us as we continue to grow into what we are called by God and Christ to become. If what Marcus Borg (in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Harper One, 1995) calls the pre-resurrection Jesus is our companion and brother in that dark subterranean desert, then we know from the promise of Easter that the post-resurrection Jesus will leave his own earthly grave to join us on our walk through time.

For this exhibit, we invite you to bring into imaginal form what Jesus, our brother has meant, and continues to mean, to you.

Delavan's New Fire Station Dedication

2011-12-03T18:13:00.008-06:00

This afternoon John and I attended the dedication of the new Neill Flood Fire Station. What a wonderful new building!! All those involved in making this come about should be praised - it's a wonderful, modern, state of the art building and equipment to house the City of Delavan Fire Dept.!

Before John had his accident and broke his back, he had been on the Fire Dept... for over 36 years. His name, along with many others who have served over the years is on the Roll Call in one of the hallways there.

Mayor Mel, Chief Neill and a few others had thanks for all involved in it's completion. The DDHS band played some songs while the flags were raised and the building was dedicated. Pastor Mike Ida said a prayer, one of the girls from DDHS sang the national anthem (did a GREAT job too!)... and then the tours and hotdog lunch for all.
Here are some photos from the dedication today ....

There are many great meeting rooms, and offices, training places, equipment rooms and more! Some area businesses donated items too... Slumberland Furniture donated some comfy red recliners to the "day room", along with side tables and lamps and more.

There were photos in the hallways of some of the fires over the years that the Department had fought. One of them featured, in an enlarged wall hanging was of the St. Andrew's Steeple Fire in 2006. A photo I had taken ... it was cool to see it be a part of the new station too!

Wonderful station, dedication and well deserved honor for Chief Flood too!!

Advent Tea Prep ....

2011-12-03T11:58:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow, Sunday, our Church is hosting an Old English Advent Tea. So, today are some preparations for that ... making fancy desserts, finger sandwich thingys and decorating a table for the event.

Here are some of my offerings from this morning....

Dried apricots, dipped in white almond bark, and then pecans ... yummy! I also made ham roll ups with cream cheese and olive embellishments ... and cucumber sandwiches too.

And I also decorated one of the tables ... the tea service here was my Gramma Gifford's, which had been stored in our attic the last 28 years or so. My aunt recently told me I could open those boxes and use whatever was inside them ... so, I did! I had found the chair covers at....where else... Good Will a couple of years ago, and bought some ribbon to match the blue in the plates, added gold cloth napkins, seasonal napkin rings and table decorations, and voila! I think it turned out pretty.

I LOVE Spirithoods!

2011-12-02T15:07:00.006-06:00

I treated myself to an early Christmas gift ... from a really cool place. SPIRITHOODS!

Their website says, "There is a transformation that takes place when you wear a SpiritHood. This experience is un-definable, and completely unique to you . . ."

The Spirithood I chose is the Night Owl .... AND I LOVE IT!!

Wisdom * Truth * Clairvoyance

The Owl is often regarded as a messenger between worlds. The Owl Spirit is at home in the night and embraces darkness to their advantage. Owls easily see through the facade to the core of things where truth lives and breathes. People with the Owl Spirit are swift and precise with their thoughts and movements. Owls are highly aware beings awake to protect that which is sacred when most of the world sleeps.

I love the built in mittens, and the secret zipper too for storing things in. It can be used as a warm hat, or just as a scarf as well! I look forward to keeping warm in it for many winters to come!

The Best FIVE Toys of All Time!!

2011-11-30T08:24:00.002-06:00

... if any of you are like me, you are rushing around trying to get the kids or grandkids the latest popular toy for Christmas, which is often out of stock because everyone else is also rushing to grab up that same toy!

(BTW, if anyone knows where I can get a Leapfrog Leap Pad Tablet (green) for cheap, email me!!)

But, until you find that ONE toy you NEED to get, here are some gifts that are a MUST for any kid, of any age! (grabbed these great ideas from a friend, who grabbed it from a friend's friend..)

Check them out!

1. Stick

This toy is a real classic — chances are your great-great-grandparents played with one, and your kids have probably discovered it for themselves as well. It’s a required ingredient for Stickball, but it’s so much more. Stick works really well as a poker, digger and reach-extender. It can also be combined with many other toys to perform even more functions.

Stick comes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, but you can amass a whole collection without much of an investment. Avoid the smallest sizes — they break easily and are impossible to repair. The classic wooden version is biodegradable so you don’t have to feel so bad about pitching them into your yard waste or using them for kindling. Larger, multi-tipped Sticks are particularly useful as snowman arms. (Note: requires Snow, which is not included and may not be available in some states.)

There are higher-end models of Sticks if you’re a big spender, from the smoothly-sanded wooden models (more uniformly straight than the classic model) to more durable materials such as plastic or even metal. For most kids the classic model should do fine.

One warning: the Stick can also be used as a sword or club, so parents who avoid toy weapons might want to steer clear of the larger models.

Pros: Finally, something that does grow on trees.

Cons: You could put someone’s eye out.

2. Box

Box is versatile, and also comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Boxes can be turned into furniture or a kitchen playset. You can turn your kids into cardboard robots or create elaborate Star Wars costumes. A large Box can be used as a fort or house and the smaller Box can be used to hide away a special treasure. Got a Stick? Use it as an oar and Box becomes a boat. One particularly famous kid has used the Box as a key component of a time machine, a duplicator and a transmogrifier, among other things.

The Box may be the most expensive item on the list, available from many retailers and shipping companies, but they can often be had cheaper if you know where to look. Amazon is a main sources of the small- to medium-sized Box. If you don’t mind second-hand toys, the grocery store, bookstores and recycling centers are also great sources for Boxes. Oh, and the best place for the extra-large version is an appliance store (though sometimes they’ll try to sell you an appliance along with it, which could get pricey.)

Note: If you’re in a pinch, Laundry Basket is a similar item and can often be substituted for Box in some instances, though it’s generally not as great for costumes.

Pros: Best celebrity endorsement: Calvin & Hobbes.

Cons: Paradox: what do you put Box in when you’re done playing with it?

3. String

String is not intended for toddlers and babies: it is a strangulation hazard and your kids must be old enough to know not to put it around their necks. However, when used properly your kids can really have a ball with String.

The most obvious use of String is tying things together. You can use it to hang things from doorknobs or tie little siblings to chairs or make leashes for your stuffed animals. Use String with two Cans for a telephone, or with Stick to make a fishing pole. You’ll need String for certain games like Cat’s Cradle — there’s even an International String Figure Association for lots more information. String is a huge part of what makes some toys so fun — try using a yo-yo or a kite without String and you’ll see what I mean. Try the heavy-duty version of String (commonly branded Rope) for skipping, climbing, swinging from trees or just for dragging things around.

Although you can buy String at a store, it’s generally sold in much larger quantities than your children will probably need. I actually have no idea where it comes from, because I don’t remember buying them any, so it must be pretty easy to come by.

Pros: It really ties everything together.

Cons: There’s a reason “no strings attached” is a benefit.

4. Cardboard Tube

These are kind of like the toy at the bottom of a box of Cracker Jacks — they come free with a roll of paper towels and other products but you have to wait until you get to the end of the roll before you can finally claim the toy. Perhaps this explains why kids go through toilet paper so quickly! The small- and medium-sized are most common, but the large versions that come with wrapping paper can be more difficult to obtain. There’s also an extra-large size that is sometimes sold with posters, and a super-sized industrial version which you’ll generally only find from carpet suppliers.

The Cardboard Tube has also been used by kids as the “Spyer” for its most common use as a telescope. Tape two of them together for use as binoculars. If you are lucky to get a large size, the best use is probably for whacking things. Stick is also great for whacking, but the thing about Cardboard Tube is that it generally won’t do any permanent damage. It’s sort of like a Nerf Stick, well, kinda.

If your kids are younger you’ll want to exercise discretion, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to provide them with a Cardboard Tube or two just so they’ll get used to the feel of it and not hurt themselves or others.

Pros: Comes free with purchase of toilet paper, paper towels, and wrapping paper.

Cons: Doesn’t hold up to enthusiastic play.

5. Dirt

When I was a kid one of my favorite things to play with was Dirt. Dirt has been around longer than any of the other toys on this list, and shows no signs of going away. There’s just no getting rid of it, so you might as well learn to live with it.

First off, playing with Dirt is actually good for you. It’s even sort of edible (in the way that Play-doh and crayons are edible). But some studies have shown that kids who play with Dirt have stronger immune systems than those who don’t. So even if it means doing some more laundry (Dirt is notorious for the stains it causes) it might be worth getting your kids some Dirt.

So what can you do with Dirt? Well, it’s great for digging and piling and making piles. Use it with Stick as a large-format ephemeral art form. (Didn’t I tell you how versatile Stick was?) Dirt makes a great play surface for toy trucks and cars. Need something a little gloopier? Just add water and — presto! — you’ve got Mud!

Dirt is definitely an outdoor toy, despite your kids’ frequent attempts to bring it indoors. If they insist, you’ll probably want to get the optional accessories Broom and Dustpan. But as long as it’s kept in its proper place, Dirt can be loads of fun.

Pros: Cheap as dirt.

Cons: Dirty.

I have to admit ... my kids, and grandkids, and myself as a kid, have had more fun with these five toys of all time than any others!! Be creative, give your kids some fun that helps them develop their imaginations and have fun with them!!

Imaging the Sacred Art of Chant - Online Exhibition

2011-11-29T23:11:00.001-06:00

The Artist Registry at the Episcopal Church and Visual Arts site has posted their current exhibition .. "Imaging the Sacred Art of Chant".

I wish I would have had time to enter this call for entries, but work life interferred in it this time... looking forward to the next call for art there, until then, check out all the wonderful entries posted in the current online exhibit..WONDERFUL!!

Saturday Shopping and More....

2011-11-26T20:04:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is the first day of Advent, (check out this cool two minute video on what Advent is and isn't).

At Church we have the tradition of having an advent wreath. Since the church went thru a major renovation and remodel in the last year and a half, we are doing some things differently than we have done in years past. One of those things is where the advent wreath will be situated. It used to hang from one of the posts in the Nave, but since there are now pews in that area, it was decided to try out putting it on the baptismal font, which is now placed in the center of the main aisle. So, Father Bill made a base, attached candle holders for the 3 purple and 1 pink advent candles, and I had found, a couple of years ago, a white paschal type of candle on a stand, that would be perfect for the center "Christ candle".

And the task of finding a wreath and decorating the base part was up to me.
Good Will once again came through for me ... I found two artificial wreaths, used them both and bought some additional evergreen picks that matched from the Ben Franklin Store, along with some berry picks. Father Bill had also left me some pine cones, so it all came together pretty awesomely!

And, here are also some pretty neat Good Will treasures I found for myself while looking for the wreaths.

This cool bud vase is made out of an old silver plate spoon and knife handle.. pretty clever!

And these old antique bird ornaments are ones that remind me of my Gramma, she had similar ones on her tree when I was a kid.

And then I found this cool jeweled fish pin ... I have a lot of this kind of costume jewelry bling that I like to hang on the torso in my bedroom, plus this is so odd, I had to get it! *lol*

Turkey Leftovers ... YUMMMMMMMMM

2011-11-26T05:59:00.006-06:00

Even though we had a family gathering for Thanksgiving, I did roast a turkey earlier so we could have leftovers this weekend...which, for us, is THE best part of having turkey!

So, of course I made the usual "turkey hash", which includes turkey, leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and whatever else you want to throw in (I also added some cream of celery soup (did not add milk or water to it), since I didn't have much gravy left .. but you can add any creamed soup to it too)... mix it all together and re-heat, it's great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even snacks! *L*

It might not look so good here in the container, but believe me, it is DEEEELICIOUS!
Add some leftover cranberry sauce and it's something to be thankful for all over again!

Then this morning, I decided to try another way to use my leftovers (besides the usual noodle soup, or veggie soup with turkey - which is also pretty yummy, btw!).

I love the Bear Creek Soup Mixes ... they are VERY good, and easy, and make great bases for adding all kinds of extra things to make them even better!

So, I used the Creamy Wild Rice soup mix ... after getting the water to boil, and whisking in the mix, it only takes about 10 - 15 minutes of simmering (and stirring), to get it ready to add other ingredients.

I had fresh mushrooms I sauteed (adding garlic salt to taste), and adding leftover chopped turkey and stuffing.

And, it's a delicious soup/stew to enjoy!! Only took about 25 - 30 minutes total (besides the hours a few days ago in making the food for leftovers, of course! *lol*)

Yummmmmmmmmmm, Yummmmmmmmmmm in my tum!! (as the grandkids say!)

I AM Thankful!! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2011-11-24T21:29:00.006-06:00

Today we headed over to my sister and brother-in-law's, Chellie & Bill's home for the family Thanksgiving dinner and celebration.... and of COURSE, to watch the Packer game!!

I didn't get many photo's of our time together ... too tired, I guess, but we did have a great time cheering on the Packers, while we ate, and watching them get another win!! 11-0 WAY TO GO PACK!!

I was too late arriving to get a photo of the giant turkey that my Mom always makes, but did get my Dad in his usual job of carving up the fowl beast, with Matthew waiting anxiously! *S*

We also celebrated family birthdays ... my camera was slow, but I did manage to get Conner as he blew out candles on the pumpkin pie ....

It was a nice family gathering of about 60 or so of us...not everyone could be there... some were sick, others at other family gatherings, and some upnorth deer hunting.

I did manage to get over to a local WalMart afterward to get a special Christmas gift for one of the grandsons ... YAY! Then home to do some catch up work for Church for a couple of hours.... Thank you Lord, for ALL things!

Turkey Stuffing & Baking with the Next Great Chef - Our Granddaughter!

2011-11-22T21:56:00.008-06:00

Jorden came for a pre-Thanksgiving visit for a couple of days, and helped me make a turkey and we experimented with two different kinds of stuffing. We love turkey leftovers, but with a large family gathering, there aren't leftovers for anyone to take home, so the last few years I've been roasting a turkey for leftovers at home... for turkey sandwiches, turkey "hash", and just to snack on... yummmy!!

Jorden had fun helping me get the turkey and stuffing ready ... (I had fun with her too!)

First we had to salt and pepper the giblets, and put them on to simmer so we could slice them up to put in the stuffing along with the other good things.

Then dump the bread cubes into the bowl, add celery, onions, seasonings, butter, turkey broth from the cooked giblets, sliced giblets, and crushed pistachios.

The other stuffing had celery, apples, craisins, crushed pecans, spices, butter, giblets and turkey broth. Jorden had to taste test the craisins, and some celery too! *lol*

I couldn't find my nut chopper, so we mashed/smashed the nuts in a plastic bag before adding them, and then stir it all together.

Get a pan ready for the turkey.....

Jorden really didn't like the looks of the raw turkey much .... she said it looked "scary".

And this is the stuffing, ready to put inside the turkey, and in a baking pan.

And, about 5 1/2 hours later, we have a delicious roasted turkey and stuffing, ready to be feasted on! Yummmmy, yummy!!

By the time Jorden is 4 years old, she'll for sure be a renowned chef! *lol*

Back to Reality ... the REAL World...

2011-11-19T06:38:00.004-06:00

Had a busy week catching up from vacation ... one of the worst parts of coming home is just that!

And so, it's back to real life ... and this weekend is part of that....

A weekend of work... renting a Rug Doctor and carpet cleaning the WHOLE house ... ugghhhh... so far I have many furniture items on the front porch, set on unmoveable tables, pushed into the kitchen, and getting the rooms ready for cleaning.... while I wait for some areas to dry before moving on to do the next room, I'll be catching up on bookkeeping work .... a "Cheerful Recorder" program is NOT making me so cheerful here either ... arrgghhh...

I must say, I rather like the empty look here in the house so far though.. *L* (not the stacked up elements however).... I just need Kasey to wake up and move her junk! *lol*

So, I'm off to try to accomplish much ...

Lord, Have Mercy and HELP me!

Road Trip Continues .... Days 7 and 8 ...

2011-11-12T23:07:00.022-06:00

We are heading back toward home now ... stopping along the way as we go. On Friday, 11/11/11... Veterans Day (God Bless Our Vets!), we headed toward Pittsburgh again.

Along the way we made a pit-stop at Jersey Shores ... but NOT the one you hear about on the TV Show..*L*

Cool old church in the small valley town...

We drove the back mountain roads for about 2 hours... it was like a roller coaster ride, but in a car.

Once we got back on the interstate highway, we encountered a short snow storm ... it last about 10 minutes.. and then it was clear skies again. And people say Wisconsin weather changes quickly! *L*

Finally arrived in Pittsburgh...

We checked into our hotel and went to a local sports bar & restaurant to get some dinner to go.

Kasey had fajitas and I had a yummy reuben pizza (enough for breakfast even!) *L*

We were both still recovering from our fun in NYC, so we crashed early in the hotel on Friday night.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Saturday we headed to the Mattress Factory Art Museum, downtown.

We had hoped to go up some of the Inclines there, but we were caught in traffic construction and delayed in getting there in time. So we went right to the Mattress Factory Art Museum, which was in a quaint part of downtown. The area reminded us a little of the Brady Street part of Milwaukee.

There were some "streets", that were like alley-ways, but the art on the homes along those streets was interesting...

The entrance to the Mattress Factory Art Museum was amongst the homes in the area.

The Mattress Factory is a museum of contemporary art that presents art you can get into — room-sized environments, created by in-residence artists. Located in the historic Mexican War Streets of Pittsburgh’s North Side since 1977, the Mattress Factory is one of few museums of its kind anywhere.

It was an interesting exhibit ... info from their website:
Sites of Passage
September 9, 2011 - January 8, 2012

Pittsburgh-based, performance artist Tavia La Follette participated in Artists Residency Egypt in summer 2010, where she laid the groundwork for the Firefly Tunnel Project, an artist exchange between Egypt and the U.S. La Follette ran a 3-week performance art and installation workshop, developing plans for Egyptian-based artists to work with U.S artists in 2011. La Follette explains, “The Firefly Tunnels are metaphorical passageways for the exchange of ideas through the language of Performance Art. One can think of them as an Underground Railroad that crosses the borders of language, a system of tunnels [aided by the Internet] that doesn’t believe in the barriers of countries or the obstruction of segregated tongues.”

After the museum, we walked down the street a couple of blocks to a small cafe (Buena Vista's) for lunch. Loved the old colorfully painted buildings.

A bowl of wildrice and mushroom soup hit the spot!!

Then we headed out ... thinking we might go all the way home by tonite, but then deciding maybe we should take another night and see some nightlife or a show in downtown Cleveland....

... that didn't happen ... got there, it was late, and no parking, the hotels looked like they would cost a fortune downtown too... so we ended up staying outside of Cleveland at the same hotel we stayed at on the way to NYC..*L*

But, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner at Don's Pomeroy House...a very FINE, dining experience!! A great dinner that we couldn't finish, so we had leftovers to take back to the hotel, which we will probably eat for breakfast in the morning!

It's been a wonderful vacation road trip... hate to see it end... tomorrow will be all driving to get home .... better sleep now!

Road Trip 2011 - Day 6 - A Vacation Day from the Vacation!

2011-11-10T22:28:00.003-06:00

It's been a whirlwind of wonderful days doing so much!! We needed a rest for sure!

We ended up sleeping in late at the hotel this morning, and only driving a few hours down the road to another hotel to check in early...*L*

But we did see some beautiful scenery in the mountains, and stopped to photograph some junk art, off the beaten path of the interstate.

Don't ask me what these are?? *L* Kasey got more photos of some of the junk art that I'll have to post here later too.....

We took some back mountain roads for a while and happened to pass this Episcopal Church in one of the towns...

Then we checked into a hotel down the road, got dinner to go from a Ruby Tuesday's nearby, and enjoyed resting up in our room watching TV and recovering from the busy vacation days....*L*

More fun down the road tomorrow.....

Road Trip - Day 5 * Visiting Sebastien & Muriel

2011-11-09T23:57:00.011-06:00

Today we had a GREAT day!! Reconnecting with our French "son"!

Back in the early 1990's, we were blessed to have, thru the Nacel Exchange Program, a foreign student from France, who came for a month in the summer. We fell in love with our french "son", Sebastien. And we invited him to come back the next summer, which he did, on his own. Sebastien and his family also invited our son, John, to go back to France with him for a few weeks. The next year, they invited John and I for a visit too. We spent 15 wonderful days in France, mostly in Paris and Sevres ... memories I still cherish.

We kept in touch via mail and phone calls for a few years, then reconnected on Facebook recently. Sebastien is now married to Muriel, and they have 5 adorable children! They recently moved from Paris to New York, and will be in the States for about 2 - 3 years.

So when Kasey and I were planning our trip, we asked if we could stop in and see them... and they said YES!

I was so excited to see Sebastien again, and meet his wife and family...what a lovely family too! We drove through New York City area up to Mamaroneck ... (glad I don't have to drive THAT route often!).

Sebastien and Muriel took us to a wonderful French restaurant, Le Provencal Bistro, in downtown Mamaroneck for lunch. It was deeeeelicious!! I had wild mushroom soup and linguini seafood pasta with basil and spicy Provençal sauce....yum!!

It was fun to be with Sebastien and Muriel. Muriel had to leave to pick up the children from school, so Kasey and Seb and I walked around for a bit (however, my blisters from the NYC walks cut short our walk a bit, sad to say)...sorry Sebastien and Kasey. :(

So we headed back to their home, and arrived as the children were getting home from school. We had fun talking and getting to know the children more too. Kasey and I tried out some of the french words we remembered, and Noemie, Gabriel and Beryl entertained us, while Nathanael and Jean-baptiste did their schoolwork.

I'm afraid Kasey and I failed miserably at our french speaking (but we did remember our counting - 1-2-3's, and alphabet - A-B-C's)*lol*!
It was fun to hear how well the children had learned a lot of english in the two months that they have been in the USA!

Muriel had me read a book to Gabriel for part of his schoolwork, that was fun to interact with the children, as Noemie and Beryl also came over while I read.

Beryl played the piano for us, while Noemie and Gabriel danced around ..such fun kids!

And Muriel came to play with Beryl after Kasey and I were trying to remember the duet we often played as kids on the piano. Sebastien, Kasey and I had some good conversation, remembering old times, and laughing about the things we did back then.

Beryl and Noemie are also acrobats!! *lol*

Sebastien also entertained us on the piano ... when Sebastien was here with us, many years ago, he sometimes played, for fun, the Christ Church organ when I was there to work.

Check out the cute video of the kids ...

The children as they were about to eat dinner .... Noemie, Gabriel, Jean-baptiste, Beryl, and Nathanael.

Muriel fixed us a wonderful dinner too!! Very delicious! We enjoyed dinner and conversation and hated to see the evening end.

(Kasey has some photos I have yet to get to post here too of all of us before we left).

I hope they can all come to visit us sometime in Wisconsin... Thank you Sebastien and Muriel for our visit!! We loved seeing and meeting you all!! xoxox

Kasey and I headed on down the road for a couple of hours before finding a hotel, and look forward to continuing our Road Trip 2011 tomorrow...

Rockefeller Center, Times Square - I LOVE NYC! More of Road Trip Day 4

2011-11-08T23:59:00.020-06:00

*Note* See my earlier blog posts for other places we visited during our awesome Road Trip 2011!

Day 4 Continued....

After the 9/11 Memorial we headed out to see more of NYC ... Photos of our walk to Times Square and Rockefeller Center... and more! We walked through some of the theatre district on the way to Times Square to get same day half price tickets for a Broadway Musical. Theatre signs...a live Lady Liberty posing ...colorful store windows... street vendors.... and more!

And then TIMES SQUARE!! (during the day)

See those people waving in the photo of people standing around (upper left-hand corner) ... it was posted on one of the big screens in Times Square, live action happening ... Jason, Kasey and I were caught on it!

After purchasing tickets for the musical, "How to Succeed at Business Without Really Trying", we walked over to Rockefeller Center... the ice rink was open already too!

We headed back to Times Square to see it at night, and do some people watching before the Musical at 7 p.m.

We sat on some red lighted steps, much like bleachers, to watch all the excitement of Times Square.... AWESOME!!

There were people playing harmonicas, guitars, and of course, the "Naked Cowboy" was walking around .. *lol* (The Naked Cowboy, who actually wears underwear, has been in Times Square everyday for the last 10 years.)

Check out this short video of the lights, ads, sounds, and people in Times Square... (stop my playlist songs to hear it better).

We enjoyed some drinks at a bar closer to the theatre while we waited to head over to the musical at The Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Starring in the lead roles were Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter), and John Larroquette (Nightcourt).

You could buy t-shirts, pins, refrigerator magnets and more ....
Photos weren't allowed during the show, but this is the ceiling in the theatre and the stage prior to the start of the performance.

What a GREAT performance we saw too!! It was EXCELLENT! Very funny, great choreography, wonderful actors and actress's ... We LOVED it!!

After the musical we had a late night dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant, yummy food, great times ... a looooong day in the city, but SOOOO much fun with Jason and Kasey!! Memories to last a lifetime!

Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial and Occupy Wall Street - Road Trip - Day 4

2011-11-08T23:57:00.013-06:00

After we left Central Park (see earlier post), we headed toward the 9/11 Memorial..taking a train there. We were so thankful to have Jason with us in so many ways... one way was because we would NEVER have figured out what train or bus to take to all these places, and we'd probably still be wandering around in NYC days later... ha!!

The Memorial and buildings are still undergoing a lot of contruction. This is the view from the street before we got to the Memorial entrance.

And right across the street from the Memorial were the OCCUPY WALL STREET campout and demonstrations.

There was a LARGE police presence all around the area ... lots of noise... shouting (some were shouting obscenitities, some their platform views), music, bands, some standing silently, some talking with passerbys... some asking for donations for various needs of the campers (warmer tents, etc.). One woman was holding a sign saying her sister had a college debt of $30,000 ... hmmmm, that debt is just a drop in the bucket, it seems to me...welcome to the real world! Many have debts so much MORE! One was making a sort of "shrine" it looked like, adding flowers to it.

It looked like a lot of mass confusion, and the press was there, of course, adding to it.. It resembled a "Love-In" from the 60's!

We moved on to enter the 9/11 Memorial ... the sounds of the protests across the street were drowned out by the noise of the construction still going on, and the sound of the water in the fountains too at the memorials.

I had seen the making of the 9/11 Memorial on a TV program, and it made me cry ... seeing the Memorial and the area in person was also very moving and the thoughts of how it must touch those who experienced it were very much on my mind. You can't help but say a prayer here for all the people who died and were injured, and for their families and friends... it is indeed a sacred place.

After spending some time here, we went across the street to a sports bar and grill and had some lunch, talked about the Memorial and where we had been when 9/11 actually took place.

.... More photos to come from this day in another post soon ... Times Square...Rockefeller Center...Broadway Musical and more ....

Central Park, NYC - Road Trip - Day 4

2011-11-08T23:55:00.014-06:00

"I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT... NEW YORK, NEW YORK!"

Up early and headed back to pick up Jason, then to the parking garage in Hoboken...jumped on the bus, and then walked to New York City's Central Park! What a great day ... 8th of November and no coat needed, 65 degrees, beautiful colors on the trees still, and a bright sunny day - PERFECT!!

MANY statues all over the park...

And many artists, performers, runners, bikers, skaters, and people....

Great places for photo shoots and just to enjoy the sun and sights!

Even the birds pose for photos.. *lol*.. on the fountain statue.

We also took a carriage ride thru the Park ... some of these photos are the view from the carriage.....

What a great park!! The ice skating rink was even open and what fun to skate with weather like this! There was a great playground for kids, and a carousel and so much more we didn't get a chance to see... but it was time to head off to our reservation at the 9/11 Memorial .... more photos of that to come!

Road Trip 2011 - Hoboken & NYC! - Day 3

2011-11-07T23:58:00.031-06:00

The drive in the mountains was beeeeauuutiful!! Some of the colorful Fall leaves were still on the trees, and it was another sunny day with temps in the 60's!

FINALLY entering New Jersey.... and seeing signs for New York City!! YAY!!

After getting to our hotel in East Rutherford, NJ, just outside of Hoboken, we called Jason and set up a meeting place. At first we were going to take a shuttle to the train station and then go to a place by Jason's apartment. But we found out the shuttle only runs every hour. So we asked how much a taxi would cost.. $40!! (to go about 8 miles!)...so, Jason said he had a parking pass we could use, and we decided to drive into Hoboken ... it was a short and pretty easy drive there, thankfully!

So, from Jason's we found a parking place, walked to a bus stop and took it to Carlos' Bakery, home of THE CAKE BOSS!! We have watched that TV show many times, and since it was about 10 blocks or so away, we made it a stop. Jason was a good sport about taking us to all these goofy tourist sites..*L*

After Cake Boss, Jason took us on the train into Manhattan, Greenwich and the West Village to see some sites...

On the train .. heading into the city... (Jason and Kasey)

One of the places I had mentioned to Jason was a place I just had to check out... they have a TV show I've seen before too... so we went to the Obscura Antiques and Odditities store ... it is so much smaller than it seemed to be on TV ..but it had a lot of cool stuff...but a bit pricey for my tastes....

I had asked about several items there ... a metal hand, the piranha fish, and some old children's shoes with metal braces attached... but they were all way to expensive for me ... but they would have been pretty cool in an assemblage I might make ... instead, I opted for a small token purchase.. a replica of a shrunken head .. not sure what I'll use it for yet .. but it was easy to carry around at least..*L*

Jason took us to a few city parks ... This is Washington Square Park, which has a replica of the Arc de Triomphe, like in Paris ... pretty awesome ... and the lighting around it caused some great, and odd, photos of Kasey and Jason..*L*

This was the park where they filmed part of the movie "When Harry Met Sally", and other movies over the years as well... it was also the meeting place for many protests and demonstrations. Artists and performers use the park during the day and night too... we heard several singers at this one, but it was too dark to take a photo with my camera.

One advantage of having a "tour guide" who has lived in the area for about 9 years, is that he knows some cool and off beat places to eat .. we went to S'Mac's for dinner ... a small, but very popular, place to get some delicious mac n cheese with most anything you can think of added to it. Who says you can't eat cheap and good in NYC?? *L*

These pumpkins outside a market were no match for John-John's giant pumpkin back home! *L*

It was a great night for a walk, we stopped in at an old NYC pub for a drink, then we walked around Greenwich and the West Village. We passed by the Greek Restaurant where Jason works, and saw an apartment that is the narrowest one in all of New York City area, we joked that it was Jason's "future home", once he wins the Lottery..*L* It's for sale now too ...for only 3 or 4 million dollars!!

A short video of part of our stroll....

We passed by some buildings and streets that were used in many movies and tv shows ...the street that Glee was filmed on... the apartment building that was filmed as the building where "Friends" lived, below it was a restaurant, but Jason said there is NO Central Perk Cafe for real. We went by an old "speak easy" that was used back in the 1920's, and was often busted by the police.

We passed by quite a few Episcopal Churches too in our walking around the areas...

And it was time to get back on the train, then the bus back to our car in Hoboken, then to the hotel for the night.
It was a WONDERFUL night in NYC!! Thanks Jason for the places you took us to and for being a great tour guide!!

Tomorrow it's more fun ... heading to Central Park, Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial, Times Square and a Broadway Musical, and MORE...

Road Trip 2011 - Day Two

2011-11-06T23:26:00.014-06:00

Heading to Pittsburgh.... another wonderful, sunny, warm day...temps in the 60's!!

Arriving in Pittsburg....

Lucky for us, the Warhol Museum had their own parking lot, because there was a Steeler's football game later that night, and tailgaters were already arriving at noon to party and they were filling parking spaces all over town!

The entrance to the Warhol Museum...

Photos were allowed on the first floor but not on the other floors...

Lots of interesting things about Warhol's life ... and art ... and influence on other artists....

There was a room there, that you couldn't photograph, but I found this photo on the internet that was similar to the one at the museum ... Silver Clouds .. an interactive installation, of silver mylar helium balloons, that people could go into and push the "clouds" around, as fans blew them around as well ... it was fun to do it, as well as watch others and their reactions to it.

Oh my gosh!! On the bulletin board by the cafe in the basement at the Warhol Museum was a brochure of my art assemblages!! Now HOW did THAT get there, I wonder?? *G*

We decided to head out of Pittsburg before the traffic got worse since there was a football game there in a few hours ...

After driving a few more hours we stopped for the night, and found right next to our hotel a wonderful Steakhouse with European cuisine (Raphael's), where we had a delicious dinner!

Kasey had Pollo Fromagio-chicken breast stuffed with four cheeses lightly baked with sundried tomato cream sauce with fettucini & roasted zuchinni veggies, and I had pistachio crusted char-grilled lamb chops, served in a fresh rosemary demi-glaze, with saffron risotto and roasted veggies... YUMMMMMMMMMM

A perfect end to a great day! Tomorrow we arrive in New Jersey and meet up with nephew Jason in Hoboken and head to Manhattan and other fun sites!

Road Trip Extravaganza 2011 - Day One

2011-11-05T23:53:00.016-05:00

Up before the dawn to get ready to leave ... we had hoped to get going by 5 a.m., scratch that ...we slept until almost 5, but did leave about 6:20 a.m....van packed, gps and radio set... and two, up early, tired travelers, with excited smiles, start out!

We watched the sunrise in Illinois, which was blinding! Seared our eyes and made driving toward it a bit difficult in Chicago traffic....but we survived.

Here is something that our $$$ didn't survive.... all the Toll Booths along the way... egads!!

We decided to stop in South Bend, Indiana since we saw there were some art galleries and shops there to visit...

Of course we had to purchase something there at a shop .... I found a cute little purse that hangs from my purse, in a bright yellow to match the wallet I already had... and Kasey gives a thumbs up to her new spoon ring!

Saw an old catholic church from the outside - St. Patrick's ... great architecture... and some memorials on the grounds.

The river was pretty ... near an art museum, but we didn't take the time to visit it..we wanted to get on the road to head to Pittsburgh, PA and get there on Sunday.

It was a great sun-shiney day for driving! And we discovered there was some giant campbell's soup can along the way...so we took a short detour off the highway to go see it in Napoleon, Ohio... *L*

The courthouse in Napoleon had Lady Justice on the top, the soup can was at a Campbell's Soup factory... a bit out of town, off the highway, so we drove some of the back roads for an hour or so to see the countryside.

We stopped near Cleveland, Ohio for the night ... heading to Pittsburgh and the Andy Warhol Museum tomorrow!

ON VACATION!!

2011-11-04T19:41:00.002-05:00

Haven't had time to blog for awhile because I was busy trying to get all my work done so my daughter and I could go on our annual Road Trip Extravaganza!

So, as of Friday afternoon, I am officially, ON VACATION!!

We leave early in the morning for New York City ... and all points inbetween! We are driving there, stopping at whatever points of interest we find along the way.

Hubby will be holding down the fort while we are gone exploring out east. I am SOOOO excited to head out in the AM and will be posting some of our adventures as we travel...

"O God, You called Abraham Your servant out of Ur and kept him safe and sound in all his wanderings. According to Your will, protect Your servants. Be for us a support when setting out, friendship along the way, a little shade from the sun, a mantle against cold and rain, a crutch on slippery paths, and a haven in shipwreck. Bear us up in fatigue, and defend us under attack. Under Your protection, let us fulfill the purpose for our trip and return safe and sound to our home. Amen."

Halloween - Scaring Trick or Treaters with Art.. Bwhahahaaa

2011-10-31T21:15:00.005-05:00

So, this afternoon and early evening is our city's annual trick or treat time. Ghouls, goblins, witches, bats, super heroes, princesses, ninja's, animals of all sorts and more come begging for candy. I hadn't decorated at all before this afternoon for the "big event"... but decided to pull out a couple of already carved pumpkins with lights, and some of my assemblage art to decorate the porch ... and to make it even better, I found a cool Halloween CD I'd bought long ago to play (loud) on the porch to scare the little monsters who came by... *evil laugh*.

If you want a good idea to keep kids away, get a scary Halloween CD and play it LOUD ... we had many younger trick or treaters run in fright.. bwhahaha...

But, there were many older ones who came by because of the music, and once here, yelled to their friend, "Hey!! Come and see what this lady has on her porch!" ...*L* Guess my assemblages are a draw, eh? *L* At least we didn't get egged from having some whacky things here.

Here's a short video clip of the porch and the fun some kids encountered in getting candy from us today! *G*

*NOTE* Be sure to turn off the playlist music on my blog so you can hear this video clip! Thanks.

Haunted Hotel Fun .....

2011-10-29T20:30:00.006-05:00

The local Comfort Suites in town offered a fun haunted hotel for area youth and parents/grandparents to come to FREE of charge! Area businesses rented one of their rooms, decorated it for Halloween, and gave away candy to the kids, and business cards and flyers to the adults.

We arrived just shortly after it opened, and the lines were already very long! They moved pretty quickly to get inside ... not so quickly once on the haunted 3rd floor. There must have been hundreds and hundreds of kids who went thru ... I took two of our grandsons to it, and they had a great time!

They were excited to get to the entry inside .....

We had to go down a decorated hallway, and then walk up the stairway to the haunted 3rd floor... along the way there were creepy, bloody hand prints, and glow in the dark cobwebs, with some scary things hanging from the ceilings, and blacklights making things seem more erie...

And then the kids trick or treated at each decorated room, where they received some nice treats and certificates for various items at local businesses. The rooms were decorated great, but if you were at all claustrophobic, this was NOT a place to be! *L* Lots of people going up and down both sides of the hallway!

Then we went down the spooky elevator, complete with a ghoulish elevator man, to the first floor where they saw Culver's Scoopie, played some Halloween kids games and could have a hotdog snack too! (we skipped that part since it had taken us almost 2 hours to go thru the haunted rooms and the kids were anxious to get home to look at their bag of goodies and treats!).

It was a fun event!! Thanks Comfort Suites for putting it on!!

The View From Here ....

2011-10-27T16:09:00.003-05:00

Who says the Autumn colors are finished for this Fall ... they are bright and vibrant outside my livingroom windows... LOVE this time of year!!

Praying (and Playing) with a Mantis

2011-10-24T15:19:00.002-05:00

So, today, I am busy at home, after working 4 hours at the office, and trying to get a newsletter done, when John comes in the house and tells me to "Hurry, come out here and see this BUG!"
He sounded like it was something really cool to see, so I grabbed my camera as I went out on the back deck ... it was a praying mantis, a pretty cool and unique bug!

I hadn't seen one close up and personal before, so I decided to take more photos of it. John had long ago left to go back to work, but not me, I played on with the mantis ... loved how it followed my every move, .. it's head moving back and forth, up and down as I pointed the camera at it ... just a foot or so away... then suddenly, IT JUMPED AT ME!! *L*

You could have heard my scream a few houses away even... stupid bug! Hahaa ... it didn't hurt me, just startled me, and made me laugh as I tried to follow it as it ran off.

Good thing it wasn't one of those giant ones.... read THIS! EEK.. *L*
"Mantises are exclusively predatory. Insects form the primary diet, but larger species have been known to prey on small scorpions, lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, fish, and even rodents; they will prey upon any species small enough to successfully capture and devour. Most species of mantis are known to engage in cannibalism. The majority of mantises are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey."

I should have tried to catch it again and put it in a bug house for the grandsons to take to school! Ahhh well... maybe it will come around again sometime?

Until then... back to the November Newsletter, and a chapter to read for Book Club tonite too!

Women of the Bible Workshop & Luncheon

2011-10-22T17:43:00.003-05:00

This morning, our Church, held a workshop with Mother Anita Braden as our guest speaker & presenter. Twenty three of us enjoyed the women of the Bible that Mother Anita shared with us from the Old Testament. We learned how their ancient life lessons could help us in our present times as we continue our journey in faith. Interesting circumstances and events in their lives were gleamed from Eve, Sarah, Esther and Rehab, as well as other parts of scripture.

We hope to have a Women of the Bible Part II featuring women of the New Testament sometime in the next few months too.

Thank you to Mother Anita and to all who came to the event, to those who provided delicious soups and salads for the luncheon and made it a fun gathering!

ECVA's Call For Entries Deadline Extended...

2011-10-20T19:33:00.002-05:00

Notice to ALL artists!! Check this out.....

Imaging the Sacred Art of Chant, the latest call for artists at the Episcopal Church and Visual Arts has extended their deadline for entries to Nov. 8, 2011.

Good news for ME... since there would have been NO way I'd be able to make the original deadline which WAS just a few days away!

Thanks ECVA!! Lord, please inspire me to make the new deadline with a God inspired assemblage!

Copter Ride, Hay Fort, Corn Maze - A Fun Family Sunday

2011-10-16T19:27:00.003-05:00

The local farm stand had a fun day of various events. I noticed they had helicopter rides, that were pretty reasonable, and knew the grandson's hadn't ever been up in a copter before.... (neither had I), so we invited them to get a ride and have some fun at Pearce's Farm Stand, just outside of Delavan in Walworth.

Janel, Jeff and I went up for the first ride, then John, Jake and Josh had their turn... (old)John stayed put on the ground - chicken! *lol*

After landing the boys headed for the hay fort and corn maze...

Josh ran into a guy wearing a Bear's sweatshirt and decided to show him how tough Packer fans can be!! *lol* (it was actually this Illinois guy's idea for this photo and was a lot of fun for Josh to pose for!) No actual Bear fans were injured in this photo opportunity..*G*

Children of the corn...eeeekkk!! Pretty corny eh? heh heh!

Tons of pumpkins to choose from too... but none as big as their dad's giant 876.5 pound pumpkin at home!

John and I had a lot of fun, a nice ride, and great afternoon with John, Janel, Jake, Josh and Jeff!

John and the Giant Pumpkin - Celebrity

2011-10-16T15:06:00.001-05:00

Congrats to our son, John, who has been featured with a couple of articles and colored photos of his pumpkin this last week ... one in the Clinton Topper with the grandsons and the 876.5 pound pumpkin, and one today in the Janesville Gazette!

Entertaining article and nice photo ... check it out also at their online link here.

Clinton man grows one of the state’s largest 2011 pumpkins By CATHERINE IDZERDA, Janesville Gazetter, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011
Photo by Dan Lassiter

John Karstetter of Clinton raised this 876.5-pound pumpkin, which took fourth place in a state competition in September. Karstetter has only been entering pumpkins in competition for two years.

OK, 16 ounces to a pound, so 876.5 pounds is 14,024 ounces. Each pie calls for 15 ounces of pumpkin, so 14,024 divided by 15 is 934.93 pies. Add 102 gallons of sweetened condensed milk and … well, never mind.

It’s unlikely that John Karstetter will allow anybody to make pie out of his 876.5-pound pumpkin.

First, because it would call for about 312 tablespoons of cinnamon, and second, because Karstetter’s pumpkin took fourth place at the state’s pumpkin weigh-off that was held Sept. 24.

The first place winner, Joe Menting of Seymour, grew a pumpkin that weighed 1,258.5 pounds. The world record, which is held by Chris Stevens of New Richmond, is 1,810.5 pounds.

Still, Karstetter has plenty of reasons to be pleased.
“This is only my second year in competition,” Karstetter said.
Last year, he grew a 294-pound pumpkin—you can see a photo of it in the Gazette’s on-line, community-submitted photo gallery under “Fall Fun, 2010.”

A friend, who also grows large pumpkins, encouraged Karstetter to give it a try.
He found that giant pumpkin growers were a friendly bunch, always willing to lend a hand or offer advice. There’s even a Wisconsin Giant Pumpkin Growers association that offers growing advice and encourages participation in the contests that are held throughout the Midwest.

Like most giant pumpkin growers, Karstetter grew “Atlantic Giants,” the variety that yields winners. Strains of those seeds from winning pumpkins are often used. For example, Karstetter used 844 Kopp for seeds and 975 Kopp as the male pollinator. Kopp is the name of the grower, and the number represents the size, in pounds, of the pumpkins grown from that seed.

Karstetter starts his pumpkins seeds under a heat lamp at the end of April or beginning of May and transplants them after all danger of frost has passed. Pumpkins are grown in a plot that’s about 30-feet by 30-feet. Almost as soon as the fruit is established, Karstetter culls all but one or two of the best fruits. He carefully tracks fungicide, pesticide and fertilizer use, being careful not to overdo it.
“You don’t want to give them too much juice or you risk a split, a blowout,” Karstetter said. “A blowout” is a split pumpkin.
Giant pumpkins grow 15 to 20 pounds every day, and vines can grow as much as 2 feet in the same time period. Last summer, Karstetter had two potential winners. One day, he watered his patch. That night, a huge rainstorm came through. The next day, a pumpkin weighing more than 600 pounds split open.

After Halloween, Karstetter will cut open his pumpkin, collect the seeds—which will now be known as Karstetter 876— and then pose his kids inside of it. It’s probably for the best that he has no plans for pie.
After all, pumpkin pie needs topping and it’d be difficult to calculate how much whipped cream he’d need. One dollop per slice, 8 slices per pie, 934 pies …

A Tribute to Art & Life Event - Celebrating Brad

2011-10-15T23:55:00.010-05:00

What a great event ... lots of work went into it I'm sure... and what a wonderful tribute to Brad, as well as supporting cancer research and supporting thru a scholarship a student attending MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design).

I was honored to be one of the artists doing art "live". People came to have fun, see art, offer bids on many items donated by area businesses and individuals, see art being made, and bid on that finished art, as well as remember Brad.

Delicious food & beverages were also offered throughout the evening, and live music after the art bidding was done too. The vodka pear collins were very delicious as was the Indian food, mini cheeseburgers, truffles, and many other great dishes!

It was fun to meet and talk with people who came by, and explain some of what my "An Artist's Muse" assemblage art torso was all about... and to hear their comments too!

There were also steamrolling prints up for bid... artists made/carved their print designs on wood and then inked them with a couple coats of ink, and took them out to the street, placed paper over the top, a piece of carpet on that, and a regular steamroller pressed the ink onto the paper... and voila!! Beautiful prints!

And the winning bid on "AN ARTIST'S MUSE" went to this young man ... in the excitement of it all, I forgot to get his name, but he seemed excited to get the winning bid, and was looking forward to taking it home. I'm thankful he liked it so much and helped support the tribute to Brad too!

Diocesan Convention 2011

2011-10-14T21:36:00.001-05:00

Today and tomorrow is our yearly Diocesan Convention, this year we are in Racine for it. Workshops, Vendor booths, Eucharist and Dinner Banquet are featured today, then tomorrow is business, elections, resolutions, passing budgets, reports of ministries and more.

Here is our Christ Church delegation... I made it for the workshops and vendors, but couldn't attend the dinner banquet this year since I had to drop off some of my art things for tomorrow's art show in Milwaukee, and although I thought I could get back in time, traffic and road construction between Racine and Milwaukee was just HORRIBLE! I was stuck in it for an extra 45 - 55 minutes...uugghhhh!
So, instead of fighting that going back to Racine, I just came home after dropping off stuff at Flux Design.

Now it's time for more work on my torso for tomorrow's benefit "Celebrating Brad", then catch a few hours of sleep, and up early to head back to Racine in the A.M. for more Diocesan Convention before the Art Benefit tomorrow afternoon/evening.

*yawning already and still need to work a few hours*

A Work in Progress for a VERY Worthy Cause

2011-10-11T07:13:00.000-05:00

This coming Saturday, Oct. 15th, I will be one of many artists who will be "doing art" live, at an event that will benefit two worthy causes and is a tribute to a wonderful young man, Brad, who left this life way too early, but who still touches many people in awesome ways. Brad was a good friend to many, and also to my daughter, Kasey, who attended MIAD with Brad.

From the Celebrate Brad website... "Bradley R. Germata, born December 23, 1982, lost his heroic fight against cancer on October 12, 2009.
Brad loved art. Whether it was making art, going to see art, learning about it — he was there, and he was excited. Brad graduated in 2005 from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) and pursued his artistic dream, working as a graphic designer at the advertising firm Marx McClellan Thrun, in Milwaukee’s Third Ward."

Brad's family and friends have set up a foundation ... All proceeds from each and every Celebrating Brad – A Tribute to Art & Life are paid equally to a communication design student at MIAD (via the Bradley Germata Scholarship Fund) and to support cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Cancer Center.

If you are in the Milwaukee area, or anywhere close by, I hope you'll consider coming to Celebrating Brad – A Tribute to Art in Flux!
Join us from 5-10pm, Saturday, October 15, at Flux Design, 811 East Vienna-Milwaukee.

I have to do some of my art project for this ahead of time, since it requires many hours of drying time between phases... but I will be doing a finishing of it at the event, along with also donating another piece (Adam II) to bid on as well.

Come and see all the wonderful art, great offers from areas businesses to bid on, as well as great music, good food and beverages, and support this wonderful tribute.

Here are some phases that the torso art I am calling "AN ARTIST'S MUSE", have gone through already ... see more on a video slide show I'll have at the event too!

This is the insert I am adding ... but just setting it in there temporarily to see how it's fitting... then I had to brace up and box in the insert area to have something to eventually glue the insert to... using all sorts of spare things.. yardsticks and more.

I also had to do some downsizing of some of the torso's attributes.. *L* to better fit the insert in later. Then spackle a little more, and when it dries more I'll be sponging on some stain all over, then lots of coats of polycrylic ... some other details added to the outside as well...

Sooo... come on over to Flux Design on Saturday evening and see (and bid on) the finished torso!

Roarin' 20's Party

2011-10-08T23:15:00.006-05:00

I attended a fun (although small) party at our Church tonite... we made the Parish Hall into a SpeakEasy. It was a nice night of great appetizers, fun times, and fun costumes.

We imbibed with "illegal" drinks... it WAS Prohibition times you know, so they were hidden in paper bag sleeves..*S*

Some of us even "smoked" a few candy cigarettes, danced and shimmied to 20's tunes, got thrown into the "slammer" and more!

And toward the end of the night, we went to visit my Aunt Shirley who is temporarily in a local nursing home recovering from some leg/back ailments. She was glad to see us all, as she had really wanted to attend this party too!

It was a fun night with fun friends!

Animal Garden, Dancing Horses, Giant Pumpkin Photos and more....

2011-10-02T22:55:00.013-05:00

After the Pet Blessing Service at Church, the Sunday School kids, parents, grandparents and teachers headed to have fun at Animal Garden and see the Dancing Horses show. It's always a hit with the kids and adults!

Baby animals to pet, new animals to see, and experience.

The baby kittens were a big hit with all the kids!

After the baby animals we all went in to eat our sack lunches we'd brought along and wait for the Dancing Horses Show to start.

It was a GREAT show!! Lots of fun... and we had seats right up front where the horses at some points towered over us! Fun for all!

After petting some of the beautiful horses, we headed over to see the bird show, which is a lot of fun! Talking birds, doing tricks and making us all laugh!

And then it was time to head home to pack up from the overnight, and take the grandsons home ... AND to get some grandkid photos with our son's giant (876.5 pound) pumpkin!

Jorden always has a good time with Uncle John-John!!

A fun and exciting weekend with the grandkids!! Thankful for each and every one! xoxox

Time to head home and crash on the couch I think! *lol*

Blessing of Pets Sunday

2011-10-02T21:45:00.005-05:00

We have a yearly service at our Church the first Sunday in October, the day closest to the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of animals and the environment. At this service people can bring their pets to Church to be blessed. In the past we've had dogs, cats, fish, lizards, sheep, goats, chickens, and horses. This year we just had a lot of cats and dogs.

It makes for a fun, chaotic church service at times... *L* Here are a few photos from the service.

Even the dogs greeted each other at the "passing of the peace".. *L*

And here is my dog "sister" Lady... with my Dad and Mom and Fr. Bill.

Having all the grandkids at Church with us was nice too!

Following the service, the Sunday School kids, parents and grandparents headed to Animal Gardens and the Dancing Horse show...more photos of that to come in my next post...

Grandkids Overnight With Gramma & Gramps

2011-10-01T23:51:00.005-05:00

We had all four grandkids overnight tonite...first time for an all night slumber party with them ALL together! Fun night.. but exhausting too! *L*

Trips to Good Will, and the Dollar Store....dinner, and then Rockin, Sockin Robot fights, puzzles, drawing, hide and seek, and tag games...

Grandpa John was exhausted just watching them..*L*

Then it was time for a movie ... so we could watch part of the WI Badger game and win!! GO BIG RED!!

And time for each one to make their "nests" of blankets and pillows to sleep in for the night... quiet time, with their video games, while I cheered on the Badgers..*L*

So, now the children are nestled, all snug in their beds (nests), and visions of relaxing is dancing in my head! *lol* ... more fun tomorrow!

Ohhh, I Wish I were an Oscar Mayer Weiner... And Barbies & Kens Galore...

2011-09-30T17:35:00.002-05:00

This is what Jorden and I saw on the way home from Milwaukee today ... and sang that goofy song most of the way home too..*L*

We had to wait about an hour and a half to pick up the Church Newsletter, so we visited a few Good Will stores.. and Jorden found a few new Barbies to add to her collection at our house... she decided they all needed to watch TV in Grampa's chair..*L*

Going to be a fun weekend...tomorrow all three grandsons come for an overnight with Jorden and Sunday's Pet Blessing at Church with Sunday School trip to Animal Gardens and Dancing Horses!

Gessoing & Spackling a Torso

2011-09-30T11:47:00.001-05:00

The progress so far on a new torso art piece... preparing it, in advance, to finish it at an art show in 2 weeks....

Gessoed all over, and the spine spackled, to get it ready to decoupage stuff on it. I kind of felt like a spine surgeon repairing the back of this..*L* It sort of looks like John's scar from his back surgery ... more fill is needed, and then sanding before applying some of the various page parts and more seen on the table.

But for now... time to let it dry and go pick up granddaughter Jorden for the weekend!

Congrats to Son, John!!

2011-09-24T23:03:00.006-05:00

About a month ago, I posted a photo of one of my son's giant pumpkins, one that was 700 pounds! He had to pick it early because it had split from growing too fast. Click on the link to see that pumpkin.

But he did have another super giant one that kept growing, and yesterday he picked it to take to a pumpkin competition in Milwaukee today. It took many of his friends to gently roll it onto a pumpkin blanket with handles and then lift it to a skidster to be loaded onto the trailer that would take his and a friend's to the competition.

John estimated his pumpkin to be over 850 pounds, and sure enough it WAS! It weighed in at 876.5 pounds... big enough to win 4th Place and a $300 prize!! CONGRATULATIONS JOHN-JOHN!!

The winning pumpkin at this particular competition was 1,258.5 pounds, and 2nd & 3rd place pumpkins were over 1,000 pounds too....so John has a few more pounds to try to get up to next year!

Compared to his last year's pumpkin, which we thought was huge then (weighed almost 300 pounds), this year's was almost triple the weight at 876.5 pounds! Look out next year.. John will hopefully be a contender with one over 1,000 pounds too we hope!

What are YOU doing on Monday Evenings for about 4 - 5 weeks?

2011-09-19T08:26:00.001-05:00

We are resuming our seasonal Monday Night Book Club at Christ Episcopal Church, starting Monday, Oct. 10th, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. ALL ARE WELCOME!

"Almost Christian”, “What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church.”
is the book we are using this time.

"Kendra Creasy Dean’s compelling new book investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice. Dean states that ardent faith in American young people depends upon churches’ ability to recover a sense of mission and model ways of being Christians that go beyond self-serving spiritualities by embodying God’s self-giving love for others.

“Almost Christian” is a wake up call that no one concerned about the future of Christianity in American can afford to ignore.”
Starts October 10th, Monday Evenings 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., running for 4 - 6 weeks.

Our Book Club facilitator will be Chip Mornard, who led us in our last Fall’s Book Club in some great discussions. This book will also bring about discussions & viewpoints allowing us to experience others & ideas in ways we might not have considered before. All are welcome!

Hardcover book cost is $17 each - a limited supply are available now in the Church Offices.. If the cost is a hardship for you, please talk to Fr. Bill.
Please pre-register soon & get your book so we can order more books if needed.
Call 262-728-5292 for more info.

Adam's Rib Cook-Off - GREAT FUN!

2011-09-18T10:01:00.010-05:00

Last night was the competition and dinner at our Church... Adam's Rib - BBQ Rib Cook-off and Dinner.

I made a lot of ribs the night before, testing different recipes to see which one was the best... John, Kasey and I did the taste-testing of each kind, the rest were saved to be reheated for the dinner on Saturday night. We picked the best recipe and I marinated them on Friday night and cooked/grilled them on Sat. morning/afternoon for the competition part of the event.

I think they turned out pretty good! Best ribs I've ever made at least. *S*

The dinner was a LOT of fun too! We kept busy selling tickets, keeping food out, greeting people, and running out of ribs! Eeek... with over an hour and a half left to go, we were almost out of ribs ... I ran to the store and got a few broasted chickens to carve up and serve...we still had plenty of side dishes and desserts, and ended up having chicken left over too... making a note of this for next year, so we have more ribs.

We are thankful to our rib judge, Chip Mornard, for his judging talents and for the ribs he brought to add to the dinner (not for the competition), his were DEEEELICIOUS!! Chip has judged rib contests all over the USA, so it was an experienced judge we were blessed with here! Thank you CHIP!

Also much thanks to all the competitors who entered and brought ribs and side dishes and desserts! To those who worked at the event, serving and setting up, cleaning, and more! (Isn't John "cute" in his apron we made the rib servers wear? *L*) A very great dinner was had by MANY, and a lot of fun too!

Pictured here are the rib contestants.. left to right: Patricia, Mike, Ron, Gary, Me, Chuck, Fr. Bill. Chellie and Joe. The winners were: Women's Category: 1st - Chellie, 2nd - Me, 3rd - Patricia. Men's Categlory: 1st - Ron, 2nd - Gary, 3rd - Chuck. And the winners of the Side Dishes were: 1st - Chellie (taco salad), 2nd - Barb B. (baked beans), 3rd - Barb B. (corn pudding). Desserts winners: 1st - Susanne (pumpkin pie), 2nd - Jo (fruit cake), 3rd - Me (apple crisp).

And the grand prize champ - overall rib winner of the $200 cash prize was Ron!! (and believe it or not, he did a lot of research and got his winning recipe off the internet, and hadn't ever made ribs before! So there IS hope for newcomers next year!)

And at the end of the night... this is what was left over... *L*

Look for this event again next September... talks of a Rib AND Chicken BBQ Cook-off then!!

Air Swimmers... Can't Wait to Get Them!

2011-09-17T08:32:00.003-05:00

Okay...a friend on Facebook posted a short video about these awesome remote control air balloon fish things... they are SOOO cool... I looked them up and ordered two of them... it will be so much fun at Christmas with the grandkids!! (Shhhh, don't tell them!)

The shark one will be especially fun here for the "shark game" I play with the grandsons... *EG*

... I am thinking I will FOR SURE need to try them out waaay before Christmas...heh heh.

Contrary to what this may look like....

2011-09-16T07:44:00.004-05:00

Contrary to what you may think, I am NOT dissecting this torso for the ribs for the Adam's Rib Dinner at Christ Church tomorrow. (Check it out and come on down!!)

But I AM dissecting it for an event in October.. Celebrating Brad – A Tribute to Art in Flux! 5-10pm, Saturday, October 15, at Flux Design, 811 East Vienna-Milwaukee.

Come, bid on art as it evolves (I have to evolve some of mine a little early, finishing it there), and support cancer research and scholarships to MIAD too!

More to come as it evolves....