Check Out the Hood!

I've dreamed about having a large copper hood in my kitchen for years.

So rather than pine for something that is not in my budget, I applied my craft cowgirl can-do abilities and painted the existing hood. I used hammered copper Rust-oleum hammered paint, which is very sticky and a little hard to get even. Granted I'm a sloppy painter (no carpet is safe with me around!)

The copper instantly changed the look of the kitchen. Part of what makes it so bright is the white surfaces and appliances, coupled with the sky light. I loathe the white counters. They show everything such as the scorch marks from the last canning episode. It is interesting to note how the copper color warmed the room, making it seem a bit cozier than the stark white.

I'm contemplating slapping some paint on the fridge. I'm not sure yet.....stay tuned!

Election Day~ Confederate and Union Soldiers

This is a pin given to me by my Grandmother Ruth. She and all of my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, teachers and friends have always been proponents of "the right to vote".

I do feel I was "raised up right", to vote, to support my country and especially those people within it. It is easy to support neighbors and friends and the people we get along with and like. What I've learned is it is just important to stand tall when things aren't going the way we like them to. When the economy, the government and other aspects seem to be headed in the wrong direction, instead of complaining about it, I've learned that we become active and do something.......anything is better than sitting around doing nothing. Voting is an important action, it is what makes us a democratic nation. I'm pretty sure I am "preaching to the choir" as I post this! It's a good bet that regular blog readers are already active voters and safe to say, "Ya'll are my kind of people"!

I am kind of chuckling as we've been talking a lot about politics and history in our household. For Halloween, the boys dressed up as Civil War Soldiers. One from the north (he likes blue) and one from the south (he thought grey was cool!) The oldest knew what was behind the color, the youngest hasn't been in fifth grade American History class. He was absolutly horrified that people would have ever fought to keep slaves. He felt bad about his choice of hat color; this is a kid who is a genuinely LOVES people and animals. He's the humanitarian of the family, without a doubt. We explained that this was an important point in our past and that at times, when it gets really bad and people can't get along, that there are fights, really, really bad fights, like the one going on in Iraq right now. It is hard for a nine-year-old to fathom the concept of war, fighting and killing. We did the best we could to explain honor, standing up and fighting for freedom and the importance of Democracy.

I don't know that I was as clear as I could have been but Paker was ready to go vote at the end of the speech. Of coarse, he was crushed when I explained that he had to wait until he was 18. "Geeze I have to wait until I'm 16 to drive and 25 something to have a cell phone, so its just like everything else, you have to be OLD to have any fun!" 

That made me laugh because my thought, at age 38, is quite the opposite! Did you remember how "cool" it would be to vote someday? Did you wait with joyful anticipation for the day when you could cast your ballot? I had parents, grandparents and one awesome History teacher (thanks Mr. Tuton) that made sure I knew what a privilege it was to do so! I'm very grateful for their positive influences!

So here's to a day to honor our roots, our traditions and most of all to exercise our rights as American citizens! Let's Vote!

And We Have Potatoes

The boys are helping in the garden today, on their fall break. They swear there are "at least 500"!

What I do know, is that I'd better start collecting potato recipes! Looks like we'll have plenty to get through winter with!

Happy Harvest!

Happy Halloween!!!

Wishing everyone a safe and fun night of Tricks n Treats!!!!

Chicken Cheese Nachos=YUMMM!

We're feeding our faces and......loving it! Go Big Red!

Cowgirl Jessie

This isn't the best picture but time was of the essence this morning!

Today was costume day @ preschool. For the last two months, all I've heard is "I want a Jessie costume"! We had a perfectly new dragon costume but no, oh no, she's not into dragons anymore.....(Hello Craig's list?!)

I did look at costumes, on line and in stores. I'm not against a store costume, the boys have insisted on being Ninjas and Iron Man. That said, those costumes rarely hold up and often get thrown away. This is sad because my kids don't get that "once Halloween is over the costumes should go away." What?! Huh?! No, costumes are totally in vogue at the Rafter Lazy H; everything from the Darth Vader and Optimus Prime head gear to the Clone from Star Wars to Ninjas, cowboys, football players, pirates and the all time favorite.....gunslingers!

My thought was to create a costume that "Jessie" could wear long after the trick-or-treating is over. Enter the sewing machine! I should explain that the last time I fired one of these deals up, on my own, was in high school Home-Ec. To make a long story short, I ditched the class after a semester and headed for shop. It's not that I didn't like to sew, I HATED it. There were way too many steps and details for my energetic little being. I also had a great fear that I would screw up the machine, horribly, beyond recognition and....I had a heck of a time sitting STILL that long!

I've had a couple of Christmas project ideas that required a sewing machine, and being the cre8tive gal I am, I enlisted the assistance of gifted pals! I can soar in the department of avoidance.

I inherited this machine a little over a year ago. It belonged to my Grandma Ruth. Grandma was quite the seamstress. I remember wanting a Cabbage Patch Doll badly. She bought a kit and made me one in a weekend, complete with little outfits. I named her Patience Ranae (probably because I had NONE and....I was into "Colonial" names!) I was in awe of how fluid she was, the machine seemed to be a natural extention of her creative ideas. She made it LOOK easy to run! I discovered otherwise....

I figured I'd learn to use it "when I had time" which would be like?????? I was happy to welcome it into my craft room though. It reminds me of Grandma every time I walk in. It brings a smile to my heart to know how many hours she sat with it. Plus, it's totally "retro", and that supports my love of old relics! Remember this was about "looks" I wasn't itching to learn how to use it, just content to have it present.

A couple of weeks ago I began piecing together a Cowgirl Jessie outfit. I found a white shirt, yellow fabric, red t-shirt paint, milk cow print fabric and a snappy yellow ribbon!

On Pake's birthday celebration, my mother-in-law joined me in the craft room. She put a whip stitch on the red hat (contributed my our friends Shelley and Paige!). I started cutting and applying fabric glue.....easy peasy. I then moved on to the milk cow fabric. At this point, Judy read the label of the glue bottle and we discovered that it likely would not hold up in a wash machine (*sad face*) (*sigh*) (*double sigh*) and then the suggestion....should we sew the chaps on?

"Sure I said," if you want to! Of coarse I was open to learning how so I watched. I observed and asked questions that any beginner would, "Where is the power button? How do you make it go?" The costume began to take shape and it was very exciting.

I came back the next day to work on another shirt. I had made two so BS would wear one for play and save one for Halloween. I also figured I'd need some practice. In a very brave moment of total surrender, I "fired up" the sewing machine and began to fasten the yellow fabric. SUCCESS! I'm happy to report I did not wreck the machine and thank goodness the bobbin didn't run out, I don't remember how in the world to rethread it!
I managed to sew on yellow cuffs too.

While I don't consider myself capable or confident in the world of sewing, I did feel a burst of excitement (and 1,000,000 questions forming)! I want to learn more for sure. I can see this will be a beneficial skill. I'm not "hooked or addicted" to sewing, as I am to knitting" but I do want to continue. I don't see myself sewing prom dresses but I sure would like to make aprons, blouses and skirts. The question right now is when. Time is a precious commodity!

Do you sew? What is your favorite homemaking skill, you know, one that you enjoy and don't look at it as "work"? I'll knit for as long as my eyes and fingers work. I'm still undecided about sewing but at least I've taken the first step and I have one very happy little cowgirl! Yee Haw!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

It's OVER this time...I really mean it!

I think I've burned myself out but darned if I'll let any tomatoes got to waste. I worked way to hard to get them to grow. I won't be doing anything fancy or elaborate, just skinning and bagging them for soups and stews. All the canning equipment is neatly packed away in the storage room. Hopefully I'll be in the mood to can next summer.....it may take a nice lomg break for me to restore my motivation!

But mark my words, this time I am really done. The chickens get anything that grows after this. What would I ever do if I could have four season farming?!?! The answer: give up laundry!!!!!

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