Haven't Saved $1,000,000 Yet!

We are still making shopping mistakes, believe me. I didn't post about our PPPD (per person per day) spending last month. For those who have been waiting with bated breath...

You can look back here for past months. I am learning to cut back on numerous small trips and still save money. We are still hosting record numbers of guests, which we greatly enjoy.

PPPD for October...$2.55

PPPD for November...$1.97

I'm satisfied with that.

~Joan

Blue Nativity Quilt Mostly Finished

Voila! I figured if anyone was showing a family member the blog world, I'd like to be known for actually finishing the quilting on this Christmas quilt. My brother-in-law astutely pointed out that I made this LAST year. Thank you, Chris. I had the embroidered panel done at a local store, and it was not finished until 12/24/07. Makes it difficult to squeeze in that last 10 hours of hand quilting and binding before hanging it in 11/07.

But, Lord, willing, I will put the binding and hanging sleeve on this and have it finished for decorating 11/08!!

Hope your holidays are filled with wonderful memory-making moments.

~Joan

Still In Stitches

I have been ill since Tuesday night. I had made the comment that I didn't know what it would be like to stay home for 24 hours--it seems like I spend so much time running errands. Well, wish granted! I haven't left the house since Tuesday! I won't bore you all with the details. Nothing major, just cold symptoms in debilitating proportions.

A friend sent me this cartoon, and I thought it was hilarious.

I'm hoping to get enough strength to prepare for and go on a pre-Thanksgiving trip to GA with my DH and children. My cough is keeping me from sleeping well, and I ache all over from the forcefulness of it.

~Joan

New Project, but Now on Hold

Here is the progress so far on the Stardust quilt top. It is the same size as my queen-sized mattress top. I want to add two more rows. That seems innocent enough, but that means LOTS more 1-1/2" squares to sew on the rectangles for the sashing. I have to set it aside for a while. Daily life is taking way too long around here.

You can see that anything--florals, stripes, tone-on-tones, plaids--goes in this pattern.

Good night,

~Joan

Someone Didn't Get The Message

"For by him were all things created..." Colossians 1:16

My daughter took this picture on a bike ride last week. God's creation is so beautiful in autumn. It has NOT been altered in any way.

When I first looked at this picture, my reaction was, "one of these trees did not get the message! Time to change colors." Notice how the one in the front left corner is still spring green. Doesn't that look odd?

~Joan

Crock Pot Love

I love crock pot cooking! My DH's grandmother gave us a crock pot when we got married, but I did not use it for y-e-a-r-s because I was always home when I was cooking. I had not experienced the perfect blending of flavors that slow cooking gives foods. We use one frequently now because of the fantastic flavors and the way it cooks meats especially...tender and tasty!

Crock pots are also great for long cooking periods w/o any stirring or meddling. Case in point...I had a few apples (about 8, I think) that were getting soft. I wanted to make applesauce, but there wasn't anyone who could stay in the kitchen and tend the pot. My crock pot volunteered! I used an apple peeler/corer/slicer and had the 8 apples in the pot within 10 minutes. I cut the pieces into small sections and sprinkled some sugar and cinnamon on top. I added about 1/4 cup water and put it on high. That is the top picture.

Three hours later it looked like it would be a long time before it was ready. The apples still had a lot of texture. I stirred it and checked again the next time I was in the kitchen, 30 minutes later. It was perfect! (Bottom picture)

This is a great side dish to make when you have company, especially families with young children. The aroma is fantastic even if (like me) one doesn't like to eat applesauce!! It makes the whole kitchen smell fantastically apple-icious!

~Joan

It Is Finished...Finally

You might be looking at this cross-stitched picture and thinking, "Big deal...so she finished a cross-stitch picture!" This picture was started in February 1993. Yes, 1993.

Today I picked it up from the framer and hung it above our fireplace mantle. It's about time. I couldn't get a good picture of the picture. Just trust me...it's beautiful. My favorite part is the lady bug on the sign. There is a second one on the bottom-most leaf on the post. So cute.

My girls have been getting on my case, er, asking me, to clean out some of the items we don't use any more for a yard sale we're having Saturday. I had a picture in this frame for years. I never hung the picture because it never matched anything in my house, but I liked the frame. I had my cross stitch mounted and reframed in the same frame, using the same glass and dark rose mat. All I had to pay for was a green mat and the labor charge. Yippee! The last picture I had custom framed cost me >$85. What was I thinking? That was 8 years ago, if memory serves me correctly (which it usually doesn't, BTW). This one was about $30.

You can read about the picture's history here.
While it's not as important as the presidential election or solving world hunger, it does make my world a happier place.

Tune in tomorrow to see what else makes my world a happier place. I'll give you a clue...it starts with crock pot.

~Joan