I'm back. After having lost the computer and having to wait to buy a new one, we are finally back up and running.
Last night I uploaded new pics and today will be getting them into photobucket so I can make a proper post. Until then just wanted to let you know , I'm still alive and kicking.

Yes, I'm still alive. I've been really busy. Getting ready to leave Thursday to go get the grandkids for their week with the Grands.
I have some pictures to put up but it will have to wait till I get back. Not much. Just some pictures of the floor where they had to replace some of it and my new dishwasher. YES- that's why the floor had to be replaced. We had a leak that only the cat knew about! That right. She would sit in front of the dishwasher and just stare at it. She did it for MONTHS! This is not the first time she has found a leak in the house. She did the same thing then, so, you'd think we'd pay closer attention to her. Well, from now on we will.
Anyway, I'll get real chatty in a week or so when I get back from taking the GK's home. Later, ya'll.

I know this has been a long time coming but I've been busy. So, here's the month of Marchs'/Aprils' highlights.

Ya'll remember that I went to MS to pick up my sister and bring here back to my house for a weeks visit? Well, here's Martha aka Moy....#4 sister. We are at the rest stop just getting into GA after a long days drive: about an hour from my home. Ain't she sweet! Yep, we were both looking a bit tired by that time, though the food helped.

While Moy was here we made jam from some of her juice that we brought back with us, cause.. well.... that's what Moy and I do when we get together. Doesn't matter what time of year it is...... we WILL make jam. This time it was Red Plum, Golden Plum, Blueberry and Mystery Plum (it was a batch made with the left over juice of all three juices listed above mixed together. It turned out quite tastey.)
So, here's Moy looking good and fresh at the start of the day. Doesn't she look excited to get started!! She's such a happy girl!

We got everything all measured out. It was SOOO much nicer to just already have the fruit juice ready to go and not have to prep all that fruit! Here's the first batch jammin. Red Plum, looks great, right?

HAHA "Fatty, fatty, two by four...." yep, this is me looking really sad and wayyyy to saucy! If I'd known that it was gonna be a picture day, I would have changed my shirt to something that hid all my..um...charms so you folks looking at this picture wouldn't have to suffer so much! But Hey, who cares, right? I was working HARD! I do however, really need to get to work on that gut!! DISSS gusting!

So, here's me taking my turn at stirring, not even bothering to suck that gut in OR pull those shoulders back! Mom would have been so ashamed of me. :)

And here's Moy, taking her turn at stirring. Did I happen to mention that we made about 7 or so batches of jam?!

Here we go: Into the jars! This is the exciting part.

We did this several times that day.

But this is what we ended up with! LOTS AND LOTS OF GOOEY, SWEET JAM. Another jammin' session, well done. Way to go, Moy. We did good. What kind are we making this summer when I come down?

Then:

Martha and her church got involved with the Red Letter Envelope day where they got all these people to address red envelopes to the white house. They were printed with a saying about how each empty envelope represented an aborted baby who would never have a voice in this world. (So Sad - really!) But it was a big event for them. Here she is at her home getting all her stuff for this event ready to bring to my house so we can work on it there. Wait a minute! Maybe she's playing games.....either way, you can see the red envelopes there.

They were going to have an outdoor event and a blood drive at the same time. So, they needed some little pick me ups to pass out for those that gave blood and they could sign their envelope at the same time.

We did the cupcakes while she was at my house. Here she's measuring the vanilla into the cupcakes. They were red velvet, btw.

She mixed:

and mixed.....

One batch is baking here.

But before they baked, she had to get the batter into the cups. She did this about a 1000 times!!!

And here's a bunch already made and (I think) the last batch getting ready to go in the oven! WHEW.

At the end of a loong day, see how tired my poor sissy is. She can't even keep her eyes open!

Sleep good tonight Sis cause we're on the road tomorrow for home!

So at the end of a good busy week in which we did go to a movie cause she hasn't been to one in about a billion years, (don't even remember what we saw but the popcorn was good) we got on the road to take her home. I was so sad but she will return some day.

Well, when we got back to Quitman, I was suppose to go stay with my other sister for a few days but her husband got sick. So, I got to spend a few more days with Moy at her house, where we went and got her many plants to make her a pot garden. It was fun and I had a really wonderful time with my GREAT SISTER.

A few weeks after that, Hubby and I took off for Florida to spend a few days with our very good friends. Hubby fished and K and I planted her garden too. K's Mom also adopted me into their family! ROCKIN ROCKETS! I feel honored!! BUT even with all this excitement, I came home from both places so jealous that I don't have my own garden! The only thing that made me feel better was this....

My white iris FINALLY was white this year, instead of yellow like the last 2 years! That's exciting stuff!

I'm finally home and today, trying to settle back down to business as usual. I've been in the laundry room most of today! So, in the next few days, I'll be doing an update on the stuff my sister and I did and on my other trip down to Florida that I just got back from.

Well, I haven't been doing too much lately. I did, as stated in my last post, get a bit caught up in facebook but that's leveled out now and I'm starting to get back into my projects and well, just the day to day living.
The last few weeks, I've started my Amish Friendship Bread Starter again, had my first baking round, got my hair cut again and did a really BAD dye job on it.
First things first (sorry no pics, it's all in the freezer) I took my AFB starter out of the freezer that I had put in there last summer and started it again. It was the first time I had frozen it and it did beautifully. I just brought it back to room temperature before adding the milk, sugar and flour and treating like day 1. This Monday was day 10 and I baked two cakes. One was a chocolate with peanut butter chips and the other was lemon poppyseed. They both turned out so pretty but I forgot to take pictures. I am bringing them down to my sisters for a special "Pastor's Appreciation Dinner" they are having for my other sister who is "the Pastor". So, I can't really give a critique on how those cakes tasted yet. I'll do that after the dinner in the next few weeks. I still had some starter but didn't feel like anymore baking on Monday so I put MY "next batch cup" to the side for the next go round and put the remainder of the starter in the fridge overnight. On Tuesday, I took the starter out of the fridge, let it come to room temp. and baked another cake. All I had left was chocolate pudding so it was another choco. one. I didn't feel really creative, so just added some choco. chips, white choco. chips and the few peanut butter chips I had left over from the Monday baking. I did that baking in 2 loaf pans. I did, however, forget from previous experience, that when I bake this particular bread in loaf pans, that they ALWAYS fall in the center. I don't know why that is! I don't do a thing differently, but that's what happens. I just need to remember to ONLY bake in my bundt pan. So, I'm counting on ya'll to remind me next time! Finally, this last round of "10 days then bake" will be the last time for months and months until I get the yen for some more of this stuff. So, after I get through this round, I'll be freezing another cup of starter for when I want to do that.
Next: BAD HAIR CUT AND DYE JOB As I sit here thinking of this, well there's just no one to blame but myself for either. I knew Linda couldn't cut hair anymore. That's why I quit going to her several years ago in the first place. But go to her I DID. I guess it was just insanity that day. I DO have days like that when the ole remember-er doesn't work!! The only thing that can be done now is to go get it ALL cut off (boy cut like my husbands) or just suffer through and let it grow out long again, which is a pain having it long.....
The dye job..... well, that's a cross between cherry red and I do mean CHERRY KOOLADE RED and some kind of PURPLE!!! What was I thinking? The box said: DARK AUBURN I have used this makers other dark auburn before but this blend was suppose to be with highlights!! Well I'm here to tell everyone: DON'T DO IT. STEP AWAY FROM THE BOX. RUN RUN RUN OUT OF THAT STORE NOW. There, I feel I have now done my part for humanity. I now breathe a sigh of relief that I've warned you all. Now, I'll crawl back into my dark closet and hide until all this mess goes away. It really is embarrasing!
Last but not least, I have finally gotten around to putting up that picture of my January ornament. I hate the picture but love the finished product.... the color of the fabric, the color of the yarns, just everything about it.
It looks SOOO much better in person and the colors really are vibrant and alive. Okay, maybe not your traditional christmas colors but I do like it!

So, just to tell everyone early: "Have a Joyeux Noel" just in case my remember-er isn't working at the end of this year! Enjoy!

Not much of an update......but at least it's something.

Haven't been doing too much lately. I've had a slew of headaches I've been fighting. Some days are better than others. On those "good-er" days, I signed up and have been having fun over at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ If you don't have anything to do or are already on and need an extra alliance member for your games, send me an invite to: La Mark. Oh, and don't forget to say that you read my blog so that I don't ignore or block you.

On the craft front: I'm still working on my Jan. ornament for my SAL with fortheloveofstitching group at Yahoo. I'm almost finished with it though. It's of the Eiffel Tower and says Joyeux Noel from one of the JCS Christmas mags. Don't remember which one right now but am pretty sure it was within the last few years. I'm stitching it on a bright green Aida and it's looking really SPIFF. I'll post a pic when I'm done. Today seems to be a good day so far so I just might get it finished later tonight.

Other than that there's nothing new. I'm looking forward to a visit to my sisters in early March. I'll be driving down to pick her up and bring her back here for a visit with me. It should be fun. We'll dollar shop, antique look, and probably find stuff- something that we can can. We both like preserving stuff so I'll be on the lookout at the markets for what would be a good choice to work with when she gets here. Just to mention- this will be her first real visit here. She came through with the other siblings last June and spent the night when we all took off for our first family vacation. This year- a family cruise has been mentioned. That would be fun but I do think we wouldn't have much family time together on board. On the other hand, could be that there would be no cruise ship large enough for us to all hide from each other on!!! hahahahaha. Just kidding.

I'll update later when I get my ornament finished. I guess I'll just start another box for these new ones like I did last year. Then I'll sew and finish them all up in the early fall. Later ya'll.