Make a Change

Please, please visit this page:

http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/07/will-you-help-change-your-homepage-and-ill-donate-1-to-compassion-international.html

All you have to do is change your homepage to Yahoo for 2 days and they will donate $10,000 to a deserving charity. Leave a comment on moneysavingmom.com and she will donate an additional dollar for each person who changes their homepage.

How often can you give to charity by simply clicking your mouse and typing some words. I changed mine for 2 days last week and I hated it. I like the way my computer is set up and I do NOT like change, but I handled fine for a couple of days. Please consider this simple way to give back.

Blessed Beyond Reason

Does it ever hit you that you are blessed beyond reason? It hits me a couple of times a day usually about the time that I am finishing up griping about something.

"All the kids do is make a mess for me to clean!". Thank God that I have these healthy beautiful children to clean up after. They make my world go round. The good Lord knew what he was doing when he put them in my care.

"I don't know what to cook for supper tonight!" Thank God that I have options on what to cook for dinner and plenty of food to cook with.

"This house always needs something repaired!". Thank God for the roof over my head to keep my family and I warm and dry.

"He never cleans up his bathroom." That's because he has no time between work and helping with the kids and fixing whatever breaks around here. Thank God for my wonderful Hubby.

"Lord, sometimes I don't understand this world or why you've put me in it." Thank you Lord for my savior, Jesus, who stands before me with loving patience (lots of patience) and guidance. I certainly am undeserving.

You get the idea I'm sure. Have a blessed 4th of July folks!

I am From

Owlhaven posted a blog called Where I'm From... so here is where I am from:

Homemade Mania:  I am From

I am from a house on a hill. From long gravel driveways and a broke down barn across the road. I am from woods with yellow jackets and bumblebees. I am from stray cats with kittens to catch and mutt dogs to play with.

I am from clothes on the line to dry and four square on the turn-around concrete pad. I am from the “Summer of Wasp Killing” and siblings to watch. I am from road trips with Mammaw and lake trips with Granny. From beach vacations with the whole family and home canned green beans.

I am from big gardens and fresh produce. From Saturday chores and cook-outs with lettuce from the garden. I am from watermelon with salt on it and wiffle ball in the yard. I am from lightening bugs in a jar and toads in the drainage ditches. From Hide-N-Seek in the nighttime summer heat.

I am from picnics in the mountains.  From tubing down cold mountain streams and breakfast in the cove. I am from big black bear and deer sightings and hiking to old cabins in the woods. I am from winding back roads and pick-up truck rides.

I am from Baptists. From singin’, shoutin’, and preachin’. I am from church services where the preacher didn’t even preach because prasin’ the Lord never stopped. I am from a Deacon and his wife. From tears and prayers on bended knee at the altar. I am from VBS, Homecoming, Old Timers Day, Easter Cantatas and Christmas Plays. From youth group trips and lifetime friendships. I am from water fights, carwashes and mischief. I am from faith that runs deep and personal relationships with Jesus Christ.

I am from snowball fights, snow days, and sledding. I am from power outages and wood stove winter heat. I am from 3 TV channels and family shows. From orange boxed VCRs rented from the movie store for special movie nights. I am from air popped popcorn and cushions on the floor. From one pipe-smoking Papaw with a scratchy beard and one Papaw who gives rides in his A-model car.

I am from fried chicken, gravy and homemade biscuits. From a Granny whose prayers are simple but profound and heart stirring. I am from wild Uncles and Aunts to fear. From hour long rides to Aunt Bea’s house where we were always welcomed with a great big hug. I am from a glider on a porch, apples in the backyard, and walks to the ice cream shop.

I am from sibling fights and Indian wrestling. Dressing up little sisters and changing baby diapers. I am from a little brother playing Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers. I am from love, faith, and safety.

Samples Anyone?

Vocalpoint has Mott for Tots samples you can sign up to receive by mail go here to sign up www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots

It's Never a Good Thing...

...when you're outside wondering if the baby played in the mud at the same time that your Hubby says, "something smells like crap." Uh-oh. That is what kicked off bath time last night. At least we finished our bike ride.  Poor Risky she shares a bike trailer with the Stinky One.

It was bad folks. He had the nasty stuff everywhere. Both hands, legs, and face were smeared with poop. Yuck, yuck! Obviously I cleaned him up. Hubby gags and barfs over poop. Oh yeah he can't handle it. This is a source of much laughter for me and my family. Have a great weekend peeps!

Ain't he a cute stinker?

Garden Antics

I know you are all holding your breath for an update on my garden. Well, let it out people 'cause here it comes! Wooo-weee feel that hillbilly holler! Sorry, lost control for a second.

Squash

All the taters are gone. They're in my belly. They were delicious although I really wanted more. The garbage can didn't work. I just got the same yield of taters from that can as from the garden. Oh well. We have green beans but because only a few of the original plants survived, I am literally getting 4 or 5 beans at a time. I saved the beans up and went to cook them for supper one night. Guess what I did? Put'em in a pot and forgot. Burnt them suckers good when all the water boiled off. Granny had just told me to keep an eye on them for that very reason. Grrrrrr. I'm a goober.

We've had very little rain in the last month so I have been having to water the plants. The tomatoes are finally growing. Two little ones and Aydan walked up to one, and snapped the main part of the plant that it was growing on. We tried to salvage it and stake the stem with a big stick but alas, methinks she's a slowly dying.

The stick that tried to save a tomato plant.

You must understand that my Man doesn't give a flip about this garden. He shows interest in it because he loves me. He is so wonderful that after he finished jack-hammering in the basement the other night he went out back and cut down a bunch of tree limbs that were shading my garden too much. Ain't he the sweetest thing.

Part of the Okra

The okra is still growing and the rest of my beans are catching up to the original plants. Tiny little cucumbers, squash and zucchini are growing as well. I picked a bunch of onions and had those with dinner last night, yum. The carrots you say? Ah, the carrots. We've picked two. The first was so little it was non-existent. The second carrot was a big strapping fellow that I was so excited about. So excited that I left it outside all night. It was like a limp noodle the next day. Grrrr.



The rain yesterday beat
 the tar out of my carrots.





Crouching Momma, Hidden Zucchini



You know what I just realized? I'm my garden's own worst enemy. Oh and the beautiful blueberries, the freaking rabbit family ate them all!! I was so heart broke that I almost cried. Hubby thinks I've lost it, and well, I have but who cares...

Zucchini and Squash row.

Chicken McNuggets

Oh, sweet vacation where did you go? Vacation was fun while it lasted but it's back to the norm around here. It is so back to the norm that I started hearing little voices say, "We're bored!" Say what? Can you believe? A big ol'backyard and these little goobers are bored? Major sigh.

So off to the elementary school we went. No, I was not trying to give the kids back for the summer, although i have thought about it! We played on one playground and watched a horse. Again, "we're bored!" Off to the other side to a different playground. Guess what? They got bored there too!

Sheesh. These guys are hard to entertain. So we loaded back into the car and went down the road. Then I saw the golden arches and inspiration struck. I ordered 50 McNuggets and 2 of each of their new sauces. We came home and opened it up. Woo-hoo! It was a hit. We tried sweet-n-sour, bar-b-que, spicy buffalo, ranch, honey mustard, honey, hot mustard and ranch. McDonald's did not give us the sweet chili sauce; meanies. But man it was fun. We all tried (even me) something that we wouldn't normally try which is a big deal around here.

So for $10.93 I entertained 5 kids and 1 grown up. Not too shabby! Now if we can get through the rest of the day!