2008 Family Reunion Quilt

 

Here it is. I procrastinated worse than ever this year. I let it go so long that I ended up quilting it from 10:00 am Friday until 2:00 am Saturday morning. I slept three hours and then got up to try to finish it in time. At about 9:00 am I called my Mom, which is pitiful. She saved me. We worked on it together for three hours and finished the boarder quilting and binding. My hands are sore and needle pricked. There was only a little blood.

We made it to the family reunion just a little late. Manly Man's family does this every year a weekend or two after Thanksgiving. It is our way of getting the very large family together once a year. The gifts are always exchanged in some sort of game; something like white elephant, musical chairs, or some story telling pass the present on the word "baby" game. Today was musical gifts. The women sat at one long table, men at another. When the music starts pass the gifts to the left until the music stops, everyone fight over who has what for a minute, and accuse each other or peaking, then start the music again. Total chaos, and too much fun. This is done with about fifty to sixty family members. It is a zoo.

This year, I cheated. After the music had been played two or three times I looked up and saw that Manly Man's maternal grandmother had the package with the quilt in it. I whispered to Aunt Linda, who was in charge, "Can we stop the game now?" She realized what I was up to and yelled for everyone to open their gift. The little blue and green quilt will now live with Gege and I am happy. From here on out I don't care who gets it in years to come. I just wanted Gege to have it this time.

Aunt Debbi Becomes a Productive Member of Society

It is about two o'clock in the morning and I am so excited I can't seem to get to sleep. I finally found a job. That's right, in our lousy economy I found a part time job that works with our schedule. Next week I go to work as a library lady. I am not exactly sure what qualified me for this job, but they want me. Maybe that minor in English literature is finally paying off. Go Figure. I wonder what they are going to do with me when they figure out I can't spell.

Sister #2 Does a Guest Post. Well I do it without her permission

Aunt Debbi here, I have been trying to convince my sisters to guest post for me. I have asked a couple of times. Well Sister #2 busted out with it in the comments and I decided it deserved to have it's own post.

What follows are the words of Becca AKA Sister#2 Enjoy.


This has nothing to do with noodles but I knew it would make you laugh.

Tonight I went for a short run in the cold, dark and decided to water the garden a little afterward...in the cold dark. There was just enough light from the neighbor's christmas lights that I could make out my little rectangular patch of earth and the sugar snap peas growing up the post with the tiny, tattered, American flag attached to the top.

I was feeling quite happy and warm from my run. I had been watering about 30 seconds when I saw it.....it was a dark, black rat-sized thing crawling toward me and then crawling back. I freaked out and squirted it with the water hose and screamed at it and jumped up and down to scare it away. Then I squirted it again and yelled for the dogs to come save me. Then I briefly thought about running to the neighbors house as the black thing was blocking the way to my own house. It did not seem at all intimidated by the things I was doing so I was becoming convinced it was rabid and I was going to have to run for my life.

But it slowly dawned on my that it seemed to move with the wind. Forward and then back, forward and then back. My stupid, tattered, American flag was casting a dark shadow on the ground that looked exactly like a rabid, black rat. I will never water in the dark again.

Maybe I'll make noodles instead.


Aunt Debbi here, isn't she great?

Do Plants Belong Here?

 

The news people insist we are going to have our first freeze tonight. If they mean freaking Oklahoma again I am going to be Maaaaad.

A dozen years or so ago, I convince Manly Man to come help me move the plants inside because I was a helpless girl and he was a big strong man. He didn't stand a chance. He was so stunned he didn't even try to get away. He does not have to help me bring in the plants anymore. I make his kids do it.

So anyway, we brought in most of the plants before sundown tonight. About ten minutes ago, I remembered the little water garden. It had glass balls in it and a few plants that might not like having their roots frozen. Great, where does one put soaking wet plants? The bathtub, of course.

I can't wait to see their reactions when they wake up, stumble into the bathroom, and find it full of soggy plants. Sometimes it is fun to be me.

Where is the weirdest place you have stored a plant?

Homemade Noodles

 

 

Are y'all ready for more of my awful pictures. Here they are pictures of my first attempt at homemade noodles.

We are having chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight. Teenage Monkey does not like dumplings, but he loves pasta. I thought it would be nice to give him something homemade too. It was not hard at all.

1 1/3 cup flour
2 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch salt
1/4 cup hot water

Mix the flour, eggs, oil, and salt in a bowl and begin stirring. While stirring, add the hot water a little at a time until a ball of dough forms. Turn this out onto a floured cutting board and kneed for a minute or two. Roll out as thin as possible. Use lots of flour to keep this from sticking. Cut into long noodles and let them dry a little.

These cooked really fast. Less than a minute in boiling salt water and they were ready. Will definitely do this again.

Bits and Pieces

The radish poll is closed. 13 of y'all love em, 3 of y'all hate em, and 5 could care less. This was my best voter turn out ever. Thanks for playing. Next time y'all get to pick out what we vote on. You can campaign. I will provide links and make fun, provide encouragement . Good Times.

I just got rid of my links list and added a blog list. This is so much better. The most recent posts go to the top of the list. I can see if you have posted without having to go to the blog first. Saves me tons of time. I kind of Internet stalk your blogs. I'm harmless, really. Don't be skeered.

My attempt at whole wheat sour dough starter appears to be working. There are a few bubble, but no sour smell yet.

I spent a little bit of time in the garden this morning with my best friend. The wind was awful and made her eyes sting, so we quit and went to lunch. Still, I got a new veggie bed and a nice visit out of it.

I have procrastinated on the quilt and need to get on with it.

Does anyone know how to do that line through text trick?

Have a nice Wednesday.

Deb

Mailbox Suprise

I am so excited I can barely stand it. My morning trip to the mailbox revealed two great things about winter. The first Christmas card and SEED CATALOGS. YEAH. The 2009 Vermont Bean Seed Company and Totally Tomatoes catalogs arrived today.

This gets my gardening imagination going. This year I want to try garbanzo beans, Jerusalem artichokes, and celeriac. I will get Celebrity tomatoes again. They were the plants that caused the great green tomato glut of fall 2008. If I plant them in the spring, there should be plenty of tomatoes for canning.

Okay, gotta go now, must study catalogs. Oh lookie,there are tools.

WEEEEE....

Now go see what Joy has to say about catalogs and magazines.