Silly fun

It took me several tries to get this shot

and then I was trying to get George to smile.

It was silly fun.

Happy Easter

Isn't he cute? 

Happy Easter to one and all.

New Freezer

As you can see, Puzzella found the new freezer and claimed it as a new sleeping place. This arrived yesterday morning and I am gonna love it. All we have it the refrigerator freezer and with my baking GF foods, it gets filled fast. NO more digging for stuff. Finally I can store more berries, cherries and fresh garden veggies. I plan on making more tomato sauce this year too.  While it is small and about the size of a dishwasher...it will be just enough.

Spring well underway

Yesterday was a very busy day for me. We got the new freezer delivered and it is running just fine. Then I spent the day outside. I got all the windows and siding washed on the back of the house. My herb garden raked and a huge 30"diameter pot moved. I even got the raspberries cleaned out and dead wood removed. 

I had the dickens of a time fixing the hose reel. Seems that every time I turned it on full, the hose popped off the connecting piece...the little hose that went from the reel to the water spout. GRRR...was not a fun experience and I was drenched from it. I even transplanted some chives that were getting too thick. I have tons and tons to do but it is a labor of love. I love gardening and being outside. Good thing with such a huge yard and about 17 garden beds.

24 years of ups and downs

Here we are after 24 years of marriage. many ups and downs. I think we are too old or set in our ways to ever split...or maybe we just have too much stuff to have to move and it is just easier to stay put.

I took a bunch of pics with the auto function and found several I liked so I cropped two and you get them both.

Puzzella and two-toned hair

Meet Puzzella. She is supposed to be on the front porch but has a mind of her own and is still sleeping on the kitchen counter.

I fell in love with this little dragon while on a recent visit to my old hometown to meet up with an old friend. A recent post tells all about it. Soon her little butt will be sent to the front porch.

I thought I should  post an update on my hair. I have decided that I will not color it to see what my real color is and it is a sloooooooow process. I am in the two-toned stage but I think with my next hair cut the color will be more even. Actually it is many shades and to me looks dreadful but not much I can do and must bide time while it grows out.

BTW..for those that don't know it..this REALLY was taken today. Don't let those Christmas lights fool ya. and NO..it is not an April fool's prank. I really do leave them up all year. At least we take the tree down.  Our "ambiance" lighting. Saves time at the holiday time too. Both G and I are in perfect agreement with them. At least we have one thing we agree on.

I can play now

I am soooo proud of myself. Now I can go out and play in the garden. At least for a few hours until time to make dinner.

I did get taxes nearly done. I got the federal all ready for the mail. I got the state done but still need to transfer to final copy. But that is an easy part.

I really made myself toe the line this morning and didn't even get my usual computer time in. I buckled down and got to work. WHEW!!!

I can't go play until.......

As much as I want to get outside to start on my herb garden...I have to MAKE myself do the taxes or get a good head start on them. I did get a little raking done yesterday but I have to be careful as some things are not up yet and I don't remember where they all are. 

As you can see...this small garden is the place where I stick a lot of things for winter. Like pots, cages and trellises. I do have 16 other garden beds that are begging for attention too. GRR...did I mention I , along with the rest of the world, hate doing taxes?

I have told myself that the good weather will only get better for the rest of the week and it is very early yet anyway...sooooooooo...get my tush in gear and get the taxes done!!! 


Off to chain myself to the dining room table.

Sandwiches or Sandwishes?

I am not too sure that I would like this sandwich although I do LOVE sandwiches. My mind cannot wrap around sugar and meat together. The peanut butter on hamburger is another ewwwwww factor. Check out this site for other donut "creations"

Donut Sandwiches 

Kaleidoscope and taxes

Oh no...another day went by and I still didn't even start the taxes. I feel the time crunch sneaking up on me.

I have stained glass class this morning which I have to attend as I am getting help setting the mirrors for my newest kaleidoscope. I spent yesterday sizing and soldering the end piece on with the eye hole lens and fussing around with practice soldering.

Today is another day and maybe I can really, actually, start the darn taxes this afternoon. I am itching to get outside though. The patio garden really needs raking as herbs might want to poke their heads out.

Grrrr......sometimes I have to kick myself in the butt...today might well be that day. Maybe I should handcuff myself to the dining room table.

Procrastinating

YUCK. I still have not gotten our taxes done. I keep putting them off. I am not generally a procrastinator but with taxes I am. Once I put my mind to it..they get done fairly quickly but it is getting my tush in gear that is the hard part. The government is gonna get our money one way or the other anyway..why make us jump thru all these hoops to take it from us.

Get ready....serious or silly fun

Nasty sandwich huh? Not really. Just a small practical joke you can play on someone for April 1. This is only a sandwich BAG! Click on the site below for other nasty pranks and things. Some are down right mean though.

100 April fool's pranks

Pat aka Jodi

Hmmm..I had forgotten that many people in my life do not know that in high school I was also known as Jodi. That came about when my friends found out my middle name:Josephine. They decided it was cute and wanted to call me Josey. I said..."No way!" Someone changed it to Jodi and I liked that.... so that was that.

It was a problem at times cuz someone would call my house asking for Jodi instead of Pat and my parents would tell them no one was there by that name and hung up. I don't think they ever got used to it.


There are still a few old friends that still think of me by that name. I will answer to both. I have no idea why after I married I didn't stick with that name. Maybe I had an identity crisis. Who knows?

Found again

After 25 years or more, an old friend and I found each other again. I must admit it was mostly my fault for not keeping in touch. I had thought she had moved but never took the time to find out. Her and 3 other gals and I were very close thru high school. I blogged about one finding me on classmates last October and she finally gave me Wanda's number. I called a few times but got no answer and finally just left a cryptic message and after her curiosity got the better of her..she returned it. We had to wait a couple days to meet ...again..but this is the first pic. I had to change to black and white cuz the original was so dark and crappy. I was too excited to properly set the cameras.

 Here is a better one taken a few hours later. You can still see us smiling and oh so happy. I swear..it was like the clock was turned back and we were both 16 all over again.

She took me to see her parents around the corner. 

 

It seemed that they had not changed much and sitting there, which was across the street from where I grew up,  seemed like I should skedaddle home for lunch. We talked non-stop for nearly 5 hours and vowed to never again let the years pass by without keeping in contact. 

I was glad I finally got off my butt and stopped saying..."Oh..tomorrow I will call".

We are now planning a trip to Tennessee to see another of our little troupe. Sadly, we lost one of us 4 Musketeers a few years ago.

There is an old saying that your life flashes before your eyes when you are at death's door but there is another time it does..when you see an old buddy that gave you many, many happy memories in your youth. And we will spend untold hours reliving our lives in words to each other. A time I look forward too.

Wanda, I am so glad we have this opportunity to move once again forward in our friendship. It seems like we CAN pick up right where we left off.

Pat, aka Jodi

Inventive haircuts

I think this collection of haircuts are the cutest I have ever seen.

Well..except for one that I think is outright disgusting.

In case you wonder which one I am referring to..it is the one with the tattoo and underarm hair. Now that is one that  I would think he would one day regret and is just not for public viewing.

Awesome Haircuts

New fave apple

 

My new favorite apple = Jonagold

Old favorite = Braeburn

Still always love = Red delicious

Incredibly old

 I can hardly believe how old this tree is. It boggles my mind. And there is one tree that is about 80,000 years old. That is hard to even imagine that anything can still be alive that started growing when humans were still cavemen.

This giant cypress lives in Abarkooh, Iran. The evergreen took root between 4,000 and 4,500 years ago, around the time that Stonehenge was being completed. It may be the oldest living thing in Asia, and is a national monument in Iran. The Zorastrian Sarv stands about 82 feet high and has a girth of 37.8 feet.

Click on link to see more thousands of year old trees.

Oldest Trees

Gluten free success

Oh my...I LOVED the gluten free fair yesterday. I found tons of yummy things. It was the biggest one they ever had. Finally they are making stuff that tastes good. I  still hate paying the high prices but at least there is a choice for some tasty stuff. I had some great chicken nuggets, soups, granola, potato patties (4 varieties), cakes, banana bread, cupcakes and tons of cookies. There was so many things  to try that I had to take only a small bite of many and bring the rest home. OH..I did taste a most delicious gf pizza by a restaurant that is totally gluten free. It is not too far from here (about 40 min) but gosh...pretty expensive. The pizza was just a cheese one and available to bake yourself. Yes..I loved it but at $12 for a small dinner plate sized bake yourself pizza...too pricey. I did buy a gf lasagna and it was a one serving pack and it better be good...no...more than good...outrageously good cuz it was over $10. From this I can deduce the restaurant must be pricey. The store had tons of dips and soups and meats and cheeses that I think are naturally GF but still nice to know things I can eat without worry. Way too many things to taste though.

We do have an Italian place very close to us where you can get anything on the menu made into a gf one. The owners wife if Celiac so he understands. But that place is expensive. We just dont normally go to a place where the meals are in the $20 range. We went there once and with coffee, dinner and a dessert, it was well over $60. A friend took me there for lunch one day AND we had a buy one get one coupon. We only had a main entree and tea and the bill was still $20 plus tip. Food good? Yes..but I have no idea how people can afford going to places like that much. Someone has to for them to stay in business. I guess we just don't value ambiance that much huh?

There is another celiac specialty bakery that is opening a store about 10 miles from us and they have a tasting next weekend.  Hillers that I go to for gf stuff carries their stuff frozen and I have bought it many times. I never bought their bread though as I usually bake my own but want to try it. When a small loaf is about $7, one gets leery to buy it especially after having tasted so many nasty ones. I still have not found a fully baked loaf that is good. Which is why I bake my own. I have found a few buns, bagels and english muffins that are good though. But again..the price gets to me. Most are in the $1.50 range..that is PER bun or bagel. Like my favorite bagel is sold in a pack of 5 for $7.99. I still cringe when buying them. But they are good.


I guess that might be a good thing as one is not  supposed to be eating much of  that crap anyway. If my doc had her way....I would be a vegetarian mostly with meat as a condiment..lol.

Remote relatives

I just stumbled on this little handy chart. I always wondered about remote relatives and what you call them.  Click to enlarge. Right click to save.

Gluten free fair

I am going to a gluten free fair today at a nearby grocery store. For those not sure what this is...it is NOT where they give away free gluten. It is for getting samples of gluten-free foods.

For those that don't know yet...I am gluten intolerant which means I cannot eat anything with gluten in it which means no wheat, rye or barley. I have been this way for several years now and it is still hard. I get very sick when I consume it and avoid it like the plague.

Fortunately for the past year or so there has been a ton of new products and some even taste good.  The only problem is that people has use this to make a quick buck and the products are very expensive. I don't mind too much as long as they taste good. But when you spend $5 for a 4oz package of crackers...they are just not gourmet and most times they are not even eatable. I cannot even begin to count how many things  I had to throw away cuz they tasted awful.

That is why this tasting is so important to me. I get finally to try a few things without playing Russian roulette.  By now almost everyone knows someone who has this problem and is pretty aware of it. It is getting to be recognized more and more. I am pretty sure I have had this all my life and a darn shame it was not found earlier. But...water under the bridge as they say. I know now and am much healthier.