Nothing Old, Nothing New

Ah yes, it is true, the only thing old is the (almost) end to this miserable year. God, it has been a long hard one here, I truly hope yours was better than ours. Just 2 more days and we can dump this one into the "Miserable Years Hall of Fame" and I will be the first one to vote for 2011!
Now, on to how our Christmas went! Well, it too was pretty miserable. Nobody, not even me put much effort into it. I went shopping once shortly after Thanksgiving for my lovely D-M-I-L and S-I-L s but other than that I did my shopping online even for my grandson whose parents were too busy to take him shopping for his grandparents. All we got was a gift card for a restaurant from all three of them in a little paper bag. The old saying "it is the thought that counts" went out the door forever here in my mind as there was no thought in that at all except maybe a bit of guilt.
merry Christmas as my one friend would say if you know what I mean.
Now, we went to dinner last night at Olive Garden with Mom Millie, Sandy, Kathy and Bob and it was probably the most enjoyable evening of the season. The reason perhaps for that was that our waitress, threw away our order and 1/2 hour later came back to retake it and didn't even off us a sample glass of wine for our trouble. It will be a cold day in hell before I go back there. She kept apologizing for the error, but sometimes sorry just doesn't cut it. If I had been paying for the meal, I probably would have told the clerk but DSIL is always so sweet that she didn't even mention it. The cloak of invisibility is still covering the "Funks"!
OK, that's it. I cannot complain anymore or I just might throw my coffee into this machine.
Happy 2012! It cannot come soon enough!

Christmas Time ?????

Well, now less then 10 days until Christmas. I've all my shopping done and just need to get my cookies baked. Today, I'm making my refrigerator dough and tomorrow my little grandson is coming over to make cutouts. On Tuesday next week, my friend Barb is coming over and we are going to have 3 pizzelle irons going and then make some Christmas cards for special people.
I guess I shouldn't be such a Scrooge and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

December, 2011

Christmas, Christmas hurry fast and get over!
Nothing done yet except DH has his train and little Christmas tree set up on the deck. Now, that we have Ms Boots I probably will not have a regular large tree this year and probably for the best considering the circumstances. I'm not looking forward to Christmas Eve for our traditional Clam Chowder and there probably wouldn't be a box of candy mysteriously missing like last year.
OK no crying today at least not for the first hour of dawn. And it certainly needs to lighten up outside, the gray is 12 hours long and it isn't even Winter yet.
Here is the new project I'm going to be working on for a while because I frustrated with all my sewing machines and waiting for a new bobbin case to get here.

I figure that perhaps a bit of crocheting will do me good and I can do it while watching television. I also have several hand appliques to work on and a whole quilt to hand quilt this winter. So guess I'll just sit and wait for the snow to come and make me more depressed than I am.

If you do not have kids, DON'T it is too cruel and too heartbreaking.

Until tomorrow, if the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise anymore than it already has.

See you, Bye!

And so it is Thanksgiving, 2011

Not much going on here today. I'm up and getting ready to start "Dad Funk's Dinner Rolls" for dinner at Mom Funk's at noon.
I'm cooking our turkey tomorrow and our friend, Kay, will join us for dinner.
I didn't even ask my kids what they were doing for today and frankly, "Scarlett" , I don't give a damn. I start and finish all and any holiday that I want to give memories, good food and good times.  It has been my "ideal" holiday vision so everyone should be happy, well fed and content at the end of the day. BUT, did it or does it really matter. Hell no, it doesn't. For it is clear to me that if I do not start the suggestion, nobody else does either, so for the first time in almost 50 years, I'm not working hard today. I'm going to make the rolls in the bread machine and that is it. No pies to bake, we will probably be eating 'store bought pumpkin pie' and pre-basted turkey, but I know that my dinner rolls will be real and delicious.
Speaking about delicious, I'd better get at them.
Oh, here is a picture of my latest 'Mystery Quilt' I finished the top on Tuesday and when I get the one error corrected this weekend, it will be ready for a border. One of the gals at AQS, gave me the idea for the name " For Purple Mountains Majesty" and so it is!

A OK

Well tonight my friend Valerie and I cut out and scored 20 Tissue box covers and set up the project for Christmas to start on after Thanksgiving.
I download WinXP and Virtual PC after updating my OS to Win7 Premium. I should have did that in the first place but got a really good deal at Amazon.com
Getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner at Mom Millie's,I'm making Dad Funk's dinner rolls and that is about all. I really wanted to make a new outfit, however; I don't know if I will have time with all the other things I have planned for next week.
I also want to get a new background made for here but things just do not work out as I plan anymore.
The Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise I'll be back tomorrow.

New Computer and Windows 7

Holy Cow! The new computer is wonderful but Windows 7 is the nightmare from Hell and I'm not exaggerating on bit. All the money and time I've invested in graphics programs and other things are not compatible so I've just spent 10 years and more of my life learning to do things that I've enjoyed and now I can take another friggin' 5 years to learn other things just to be able to navigate around the NEW and IMPROVED Windows.
I think I've figured out why all the radical changes have occurred.
1. Bill Gates retired - the work horse of the computing world.
2. All the other yoyo's at Microsoft are just plain friggin' lazy and dumb. Note I didn't say stupid, just plain and simple DUMB.

Why? Go ahead and ask me Why?
Why?
I'll tell you why. Windows XP had security holes that they were just too friggin' lazy to fix, so they dump the things that had the holes or they DIDN'T want to fix or were too dumb to fix such as OE and other things that could be compatible with all computers. Like I said, plain and simple - Lazy and Dumb!
And then they charge an outrageous price for the upgrade and sell it to all the computer manufacturers to put on the new machines without offering a choice.
Now, Mr. Gates was a smart business man, but he sure hired some jerks and con artists. I've seen that before many times.
Someone has a brilliant project, and makes tons, then turns around and either sells it to the highest bidder or retires and leaves it to a favorite son who they had spoiled in the first place.
Jasc the developers of PaintShopPro, did that to Corel and now Corel has eliminated the competition and totally destroyed a wonderful graphics program. The same will happen to Microsoft - Mark my words! One November 17, 2011 you read it here, by November 17, 2021, Microsoft now a household name will be replaced by a new and innovative computer program company probably from Iran (oil money)or some other distant land and no longer be "American made".
Furthermore, if we don't elected someone other than the "progressive" party including President Obama come next year we may all very well not be at all "American Made". I really hate to admit that I'm conservative and say that we need more conservative values, and that we should have never let President Reagan allow NAFTA (I think that is it). Yup that's it! We probably wouldn't be in this mess now. Give one for the Giffer!
Unfortunately, Mr. Obama is no Giffer! Mr. Obama is just a snot nose kid.
OK now I'm off to the Sewing Loft to stitch out my frustrations.

November's Here!

Goodness, almost Turkey Time. Do you know what your are thankful for this year?
This has been the worse year that I've had in the past 20 years. Even the cancer years didn't seem this bad, oh well as they say, "Life Goes On". Oh Yeah, Life goes on and on and on.
Been busy during the month of October. Started and finish another Mystery Quilt or at least the top to one and awaiting the next installment of the second one on Monday, alas, I would be home. A day trip is planned to pick up a train and see my friend out of town.
Oops, got go and let my girlie dog out to bark at the church bells. She sings a real pretty song when they ring at 6 pm :o)
Mystery Quilt V from Quilter's Club of America:

and the new one

from

American Quilter's Society

This one looks like Christmas and I'm hoping to be done by then.

I'm thinking I'll add a lime cording to the binding of the top one to go with the lime in the quilt. I also, think I'll call it "In Search of Dinosaurs.

Really, need to finish some of the UFOs I have started, actually I did work on one this past week. Then a friend brought over an old quilt that she wishes me to finish called "The Tree of Life". It is a pattern from the 30's and the original quilter has about 20 blocks done and another 20 cut out so it will be a pretty big undertaking to say the very least. Am I up to it? Well I really do not know, but I'll give it my best.

Time now to play some Plants verse Zombies.

Let not your heart be troubled!

Until the morrow!

World Hello Day

World Hello Day!
Woke up with a headache this morning that would not go away and I know what caused it. Nicotine yes nicotine, I order an electric cigarette and boy am I overdosing :o) I didn't realize what an effect it had on me until I did this. Benefits, first I need to reduce the amount per cylinder and make sure I do not over do it. It is odorless, and the smoke is a water vapor, so it does stain anything, and finally, it is not HOT which eliminates burning holes in everything or starting fires.
If you are interested you can get it here:
http://www.v2cigs.com/ and if you use this code, you get an additional 15% off your order which pays for your shipping.
In the promo or coupon enter: 366397 And it gives me credit for my next order.
Thank you for your support.
xoxoxo!

Monday Again

Received the fabric to start the Mystery Quilt from AQS. I'm already a week behind and do not know when I will be getting at it. I'm not much in the mood to do much of anything. It is almost like "I don't give a damn!" about much of anything. Well that is about all around here except that I almost have all my Summer clothes put away and the Winter clothes ready for the really cold weather. I really don't care much about that either.
Happy Halloween!

It is Mystery Quilt Time

What better to go with a new mystery quilt, but home baked rolls and doughnuts. Yum!
Yesterday morning I was up around 7 and started with Dad Funk's Rolls. The recipe was found in the midst of some cookbooks that Ma Funk gave to DH when she moved into her smaller house. These are fabulous rolls and would be wonderful when made into Caramel sticky buns or an fabulous Orange Roll. mmmm good!

Then this morning, I got up thinking it was really early, don't know if I read the clock wrong or if it was really earlier than I thought, anyway, off to the kitchen I go again and this time using the leftover mashed potatoes from Sunday dinner, I whip up "Diane's Potato Doughnuts". The story behind these little beauties is really cool.
My first husband, now deceased, wanted potato doughnuts. We had traveled down state to Chambersburg or somewhere like that and had Glazed Raised Potato Doughnuts made by the Amish and they were really yummy.
He mentioned it to a friend at work who told him that his wife had a recipe for potato doughnuts. My boys love this recipe and several time actually thought I had lost it. I also laugh at the note that Diane left for my husband on the hand written recipe. Both of these recipes have to be made by someone who has a workable knowledge of baking and cooking - so don't get burned or hurt or upset if you need to use your brain to do these. So if you need to use up those leftover mashed potatoes from Sunday dinner, here is the perfect way!

Dad Funk’s Dinner Rolls


In a small sauce pan heat ½ cup of milk, 3 Tbsp. butter and 3 Tbsp. sugar.(DO NOT BOIL) – cool to lukewarm.

In a measuring cup (glass preferred) mix ¼ cup warm water and 1 pkg. yeast

In your bread maker set at dough, add all the ingredients and 1 egg slightly

beaten and 3 cups of flour.

When bread maker is done, shape into rolls and place in a well greased pan and let rest for approximately 10 minutes.

Bake @ 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or golden brown.

Brush with butter and remove from pan to cool.

Diane’s Potato Doughnuts

1 cup cold mashed potatoes

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp nutmeg

2 eggs

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp melted shortening

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients except baking powder and beat at medium speed.

Add flour, it takes about 3-1/2 to 4 cups at this time add the baking powder

Mix well, but not over beating. Roll out on well floured board, or push out

like pizza dough. Cut with doughnut cutter, deep fry until dark golden brown.

Coat with plain granulated or powder sugar to your liking.

There, give those a try and invite me over for coffee.
Then there is the Mystery Quilt. Well, I'm on Step 4 & 5 and ready for next Friday. The more I work on this the better I like the colors and pattern of the fabrics. I'm also finding out that I love working with Batiks. The cut pieces hold their shape and once ironed they pretty much stay that way.