Time is running out

I'm behind in most of my goals around the house...
Stress is my constant companion.

I am going to have to take a little vacation from my blog...
We only have two weeks left... and I still have rooms to box--rooms to clean--baseboard to paint--doors to paint--plants to spruce up--Carpet to lay--
...and then there's all the work over at my mothers house too!
You can be sure that I'll have LOTS to say, and LOTS of pictures to take... WHAT? you think I'm going to take pictures of all this mess??? hardly...only the nice finished product to show off all the work we've put into this place. 
(I wonder how much this little project will age me, I already can't walk upright because my back is killing me-and my eyes are watery and half mast... not getting my 9hours of sleep you know)
Are you Feeling Sorry for ME YET??? ha
It will be nice to have it all done.
So don't think I'm ignoring you, I'm just putting in more hours on this house than my body wants to... let alone my mind.  be back March 1st is our goal...only the garage sale is March 5th... so guess our goal is March 7th.  wish me luck

Food Fun Friday - Garlic Lime Tilapia

We have a love hate relationship with Tilapia.  The fish is a nice white fish, and reasonably priced.  But sometimes the meat is just soso for taste! and it is so thin that some pieces (after cooked) just fade away!!
Tilapia is low in fat, and fish is so good for you, AND it is on our South Beach/Atkins Menu!
I finally found a recipe for good Tilapia.  You can make a ton, or just a little, your call! 
Another plus, it is easy-peasy.

Garlic Lime Tilapia

• 3 Tbs. butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 Tilapia fillets
• Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/4 cup lime juice


Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.
Season the fish with Old Bay Seasoning on both sides of each fillet. Add to the skillet. Cook for several minutes. Flip and cook the other side for a couple minutes. Pour the lime juice into the skillet. Cover and cook the last few minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Wednesday Wisdom

I had such good remarks yesterday- about organizing and cleaning up the clutter and getting rid of the unnecessary things.... I am copying them to today's Wednesday Wisdom, because they truly are wisdom.
oh yeah, Blog friends ROCK!

My rule is, if I haven't touched it, used it, remembered I had it...I probably don't need it.

Everytime I think about getting something at the store.....I say OUTLOUD, "This is just going to end up in next year's garage sale...nope...I don't need it!"

I have cut WAY down on my clutter...and the saving's account is actually growing! Cool!

I attended a class years ago and the teacher said : stuff owns you. You have to move it, clean it, pay for it, dust it, store it........It makes me think twice about my purchases.

Coming to terms with my 'Saving Addiction'

This weekend we were back to the NEVER ENDING job of getting our house in order.

Over the weekend we (he) painted the LAST room in our house!! 
Next week carpet.
And I am still trying to par down and get rid of stuff we don’t need..

Love it or lose it

Toss and tidy up

de clutter

organize

pack away stuff ya don't need 

These phrases are my watch cry

Here it is ... confession time.... (Mr. Produce look away)...
I really can’t believe all the ‘stuff’ I have JUST IN CASE
I mean come on, WHY? do I have a box of shells, and a whole stack lf construction paper... and a drawer full of crepe paper... and a large heavy box of books my girls read while they were growing up. I could go on but I won't.  (we won't even mention all the costumes I have collected!!)
As much as I preach LOVE IT OR LOSE IT to my mother (who DOES NOT listen to me) I am finding it hard to do this myself. 
Such is my inner dialogue.

I figured I'd "put it out there" so I could be guilted into finally getting rid of the boxes of all this good stuff.  MAYBE...I'll just leave it boxed up and in 5 years if I haven't used it I'll give it to Goodwill.  
yeahhhh
THAT's what I'll do, just box it, label it and no one will be the wiser.
Thanks guys for listening and supporting me...
No more guilt for me, Hey, I'm organized, It's all boxed up right? 
check check and check
here's another motto I just might follow

It's the day of hearts and love- Ever had a bad one???

One of the blogs I follow (the Rowdy Stroudys) told about her worst Valentines day... and asked for other 'bad' Valentine's day experiences.... I all of sudden remembered one that I really hadn't thought about for years.......

As a freshman in college I was friends with absolutely NO ONE of the opposite sex! So it was weird that on Valentines day I received a beautiful box, a LARGE beautiful gold box all tied up in a large red ribbon. On the card was written: from your Valentine, Robert (Robert was the very short, older guy/man that cleaned up the cafeteria. And he was in our ward...)  I felt my face turn red as I opened the beautiful box and saw a dozen long stems.
Yes,  just a dozen STEMS. (seems my roommate's brother worked at a florist and they all thought it would be fun to send me STEMS) 
I displayed them proudly!!
andNOW... yes...you guessed it, YOUR turn to tell about your worst Valentines day experience.  (and Cherie you can tell yours again!...a lesson worth repeating!)

me, only withOUT the actual RED BUDS!!!

I really do love having everyone chime in about their lifes and opinions... I still laugh when I recall all the pros and cons of calling people names like sweetie, and darling and dude!!!!  LOVE YOU GUYS! Here's my appreciation of the day.... a bouquet of flowers for you!!!   WITH the blossoms on!!

Saying good bye to Grandma

Grandma Hutchins, born Margaret Jane Wingfield died last Friday.  Today is her funeral.  Her beloved JB died one year ago. She was my motherinlaw (X mother in law now)
Grandma had a pretty hard life. She grew up poor in a small town in Texas.  Her mother died when she was very young, as I remember there was a newspaper article, in that same year 3 members of the family died,  2 brothers and the mother. Margaret was raised by her sister Martha.

At 17 she graduated from High School and traveled by train all the way to Alaska.  Grandpa was stationed in Alaska and loved that little girl.  She worked at a Kodak film developing store and they were married in 1943 (on Columbus day because it was the only day off he had).  They were married 66 years. 

Grandma had 4 children.  In the 60's Grandma developed schizophrenia.  She came to be known as crazy Grandma.  She heard voices.  She talked to her self all the time.  She loved her grand kids more than anything and was very protective over them.  She was a loving grandma, except when you were bad or called her Crazy Grandma.

I lived next door to her for 28 years.  She certainly brought an 'excitment' to our lives. 

I'll just mention a few of her crazy thoughts: they were busing the children to the submarines and taking them away, Weber Bomb (several visits from the police for that little phrase), Taxation without representation (she loved rhymes), The campbell soup kids, the fact I had birthed triplets-2 boys and 1 girl- when Lauren was born which prompted gifts of boy's underwear for the next 5 years, Patty Hurst, The Pope, and the phone lines and refrigerator talking to her (that small hummmm you get from them, they were her voices), and I was Queen Elizabeths daughter and my snot was too hot.  (she had names for all her daughter and son inlaws).

She would do anything for you, and what she really wanted to be was a fine artist.  She took college classes in her 60's, yes crazy as she was she 'could' hold it together to take classes (she loved plant and flower arranging classes).  And she drove, although NOT very well and she got in frequent fender benders (usually because she was going too slow)!

Later in life she became blind, about 1999 (complications of glaucoma from diabetes).  She had a fear of doctors (well who could blame her after all those weird things that happened to her in El Paso in 1964)  so she didn't want to take the pills or suggestions they gave her. 

She was a great Grandma to the girls and I hope the family can unite in her love today.

Bloggville-Nouveau Stitch

This is a wonderful 'eye'candy, a LEARN FROM ME, and idea site to behold.   It is Nouveau Stitch

It is pretty much all about sewing, and sewing for your house, and believe you me her house is delicious!   Just LOOK what she has to offer:

cool pictures... total eyecandy & always different looks at life:

and hints hints hints... today she has a great article on "six sewing tools that will change your life".

and the things she has done with her house, yummy

 yes she sews all her window treatments

 

I love this site and have learned a lot and hope to be able to learn more.  (and copy her)

Wednesday Wisdom

Love me when I least deserve it,

because that's when I really need it.

Swedish Proverb

Let's fill every minute of everyday to the fullest

THAT is the motto here in Arizona!
so I'll give you just a little photo-journal of our trip so far...
Lauren and Will bought their first home:

We wedding dress shopped till we dropped..... here's a sneak peak:

Dinner with the family:

and of course the birthday boy:... way too many pictures of him!!!!! oh come on, he is SO cute...

I'm having so much fun I don't want to leave today! but real life calls,  yoo-whooo

Arizona-Arizona-Arizona I am enjoying YOU

Well maybe not so much 'enjoying' Arizona... but you have a lot to offer....

LIKE FAMILY...  It was Little Carson's birthday yesterday and I couldn't get enough of him... So I'll have to share all things Carson with you!!
wearing his cute ONE shirt:

I'm ready for my cake:

and he is so fun to cuddle with:

and he loves his mama

oh yea, there were party cakes... with all sorts of cars...

YES-- 'CAR' was the theme!!  for Birthday Boy CARSON

It was so much fun I can't wait for more grandkids!!!

Food Fun Friday- Valentine Chocolate Toffee

I was excited to see this recipe because:

1.  It reminded me of the yummy Red Neck Toffee Bars I made at Christmas

2. I actually HAVE that heart pan!!!

The people at work are going to LOVE this!!! 

(this recipe isn't on our Atkins/South Beach Diet)

... but I HAVE the pan, and the ingredients so I have to make it!!!

Ingredients

saltine crackers

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup each of chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, whatever you like)

crushed pistachios

parchment paper

heart pan by Wilton-it's the pan I have had for years and never made ANYTHING with it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put parchment paper squares on in pan, place saltines on top

To make the caramel mixture: Boil light brown sugar and butter for 5 minutes on stove top stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Ladle the caramel mixture over the saltine

Bake in the over for 5 minutes or until bubbly.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes then use a spoon to smooth out the chocolate

Add the crushed pistachios on top. 

Pop in fridge for one hour to harden. 

Remove from fridge and run a knife along the edges of the pan.

It's out of my control

Wednesday Wisdom

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.

Marcus Aurelius

cleaning-thinking and hoarding towels

STILL working on my house.

We are now on the dreaded…. Craft/Office
And it’s all about: cleaning, sorting, loving it or losing it, painting, boxing it, organizing, throwing lots away….

And it’s really about what is running through my head:
*I might need this
*I am always looking for one of these
*I saw this really cool thing on someone’s blog.. so I’ll just save it for when I make that
*Everyone always needs more 60’s fabric
*And jingle bells… always a big need for those…
*And TOLE PAINTING… it is sure to come back, so I’ll just keep all these pattern books!!
*I know I have a lot of patterns, so I’ll just start another box and collect MORE, because you never know when you have to make a costume for the middle ages, (or the 1950’s or a southern Bell etc.)
*Oh this is pretty, I remember when we got these
*I wonder if I will ever make this
*I can’t remember why I have these
*I should have thrown these away years ago
*And this material is so beautiful, I’ll keep it, I don’t know what to make with it, and I don’t want to waste it because it is so beautiful, so I’ll just cart it around for another 35 years and NEVER USE IT because it is so beautiful !
Yes, the inner dialogue was in full swing~


And now I have questions for all of you...
I was reading on some "organizational" post somewhere..
that most people have 2 towels for every person.....
well I guess I'm a hoarder because I have.... well too many..
Is that because I'm old? and my kids are grown and gone? and we are from two previous marriages and both had sets of towels? or is it because I like to use a clean towel every time I bath? Also when I go to the hot tub?
Come on you can tell me... am I a towel hoarder??