Catering a party

Lemon aide is a main stay around here at a party. It is an inexpensive way to provide beverages for a crowd.Not cheep by any means, but a lot of pleasure for the buck.
Melt your sugar in a glass cup to make your simple syrup ahead of time. Lemons were out of season so I used this.

When loading a platter look for color and shape like an artist would on a canvas. Washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly is VERY important. I can not stress the enough!

After washing thoroughly clip the grape section into little packages with a handle. This is a little thoughtfulness they may not say anything about , but it is nice that your guest only needs to touch the one they take, and take the only one they touch.

Even when your meat is sliced still separate it. By turning 5 degrees you make the slice easier to remove off the tray.

If you look closely you can see the separate pieces of meat, Your guest again can easily take what they touch.

I have an electric slicer. This is how I can save a bit. This is perchased summer sausage. Use the slicer to make time saved a gift to yourself.

By placing the slices in a different form (shape) it can easily be noted that they are a different meat. Abutting them up to the side of the other in a curve gives your tray movement and is pleasing to the eye. A simple package wrapped with care is a pleasure to open.

Walla! Same with the cheese. Smaller section give a dieter an opportunity to try a little of several different things.

A picture is worth a 1000 word here. I hope you see how I formed the try in a overlapping method.

Wash your veggies!

That is zucchini from my garden.

before I saved up and got the electric slicer I used the hand held. I love old tools. We may not always have electricity to depend on. When the power goes out on a holiday morning I have back up tools.

Preparing Celery. After it is washed and drained cut off the butts and save them for stew or for a base for soups, stuffing and the like. Fine chopped for tuna salad for example.

Everything washed and prepped and set to assemble.

By tipping the basket as it is loaded it will ease the task of keeping things separate.

The "Bunny Basket"!

cucumber and zucchini with the olives pickles both dill and sweets.

Open an extra can and jar them so you do not have to open it when your guest are here.

Chex mix using raw walnuts, pecans and sunflower seeds.
Real butter.

I laid out the earrings on the table for ease.

The big red enamel pot is the Lemon aide pot.

Last night 9 wonderful women came.
You know they timed it at 7 pm sharp as to not give my heart a moment of doubt. We all had a wonderful time and they were able to address some of their Christmas shopping.
Today we opened it up at 10 am. One person came at 1pm,by 3:30 the Grandparents arrived and 3:45 the next door neighbor came. Many folks who said they would show did not. This is life it happens differently sometimes than we had hoped .

I will do my best to be real with my children , yet walk into this with dignity.

This weekend was the big craft show weekend . In three major cities around me there were shows with many tents and major shows. I did not realize this prior to setting my date.

Lots of left over food, but as My Dear loving husband said...I did a great job.
I am a little crest fallen though.

Women

IF I HAD
MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma
Bombeck

(written after she found out she was dying from
cancer).


I would
have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending
the earth would go into
a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.


I would have burned the pink candle sculpted
like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the
carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would
have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and
worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted
to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have
taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble
about his youth.

I would have shared more of
the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up
on a summer day because
my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass
stains.


I would
have cried and laughed less while watching television
and more
while watching life.

I would never have bought
anything just because it was
practical, wouldn't
show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.


Instead of wishing away nine months of
pregnancy, I'd have
cherished every moment and realized that the
wonderment growing
inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in
a miracle.


When my
kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said,
'Later. Now go
get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more
'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'


But
mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize
every minute.look at it and really see it . . live it and
never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!


Don't
worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or
who's doing what
Instead, let's cherish the
relationships we have with those who do love us.

Thankful Thursday

Our hostess Iris chose the theme of Physical /Spiritual.

Stamina!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Thursday Thirteen

1. dishes

I started my Thursday the 13th with the dishes. Once the children were off, I hurried into the kitchen and got a good start. By 9 a.m. it was time of use savings on the electricity and I began the dishwasher and clothes dryer.

I had to stop here to rest a bit.

2. Labeling price tags
I was able to to a assembly line pricing. I set up several cards with denominations per sheet. The earrings are finished and separated into category. Glass with glass and semi-precious stones together.

3. Going to Costco

for the big shop for the social, got home and unloaded half way ( the cold stuff)
When 10 am hit it was time for the store to open. I went there and after one and a half hours shopping, I was just finished at the register as Trisha called form her doctors office where I was to meet her. I hurried home and unloaded the cold stuffs and put it away, and took off.

4.Meeting Trisha halfway

s
I left with the table like this to return with what I needed to make the table look...

like this...
That was so kind of you Trisha, Thank you. They prepared the trees (dusted them) and let me use them for the show. This is the Christmas table display.

5. I was able to stop by my hair dresser
I was able to walk into the door, she was available at that moment. I got to get my hair washed and cut and out the door in 15 minutes! No one here even noticed (Kids gave the daddy man a hard evening. He was just over tired)

6. Dropped into the party store and got some balloons
and saw a nice plastic tub for the ice and waters for $.5 well it was in the wrong place it was really $ 9.99...The girl said I can still give it to you because a coupon that was good for $5.with a minimum amount (that I met) qualified me! COOL HA! Oh she gave me two extra balloons, she had made the latex ones neglecting to tell me of the Mylar. I choose Mylar and she extended an unexpected gift to the kids of the two anti pop filled latex ones.

7. Drove on home
to see the mail carrier and give her an invite.
Unloaded the Costco non-perishables and the trees and set up the trees .
Did more labeling of price tags.

8. It is now 1:30 Ye Ha!
The it became 3:15 With the kids home and a nice snack for them .Dash went right to the chores board.
The play date got here at 4:30, expecting the Mother, 9 yr old and a 1 month old when I opened the door ...here was a 14 year old big sister dropping off the 9 year old! The mother has never even met me! The kid stayed till 5:30. Dove will probobly never see her again fot tomorrow she is moving to a new school. The girl played well with my kids. Then my kids hit the homework.

9. Framing the botanicals

I found some frames of things from our former decor.
These I found .25 dents a print some 20 years ago. I fell in love with them then and now again I am just thrill to frame them. Job not done today but perhaps tomorrow.
They are for the guest bathroom they go so well with the curtins and the wall boarder.

10. The kids are now cooperating with a new program I instigated.
Each week they start out with $5. possible to maintain.
Each time they do not do a chore listed or asked of them I remind them once. Itf not done the loose a quarter .

Dash is pretty good and even eager to see what I have written. It is fun to leave little love notes.

His room after 4 days!

That's a seven year old boys closet!
Ye Ha!

11. Dove is easily distracted

she is focused by recourse. Unfortunately she has had a bit more penalty. Yesterday I was told she had done something ,however she had not. I docked her .25 for a lie. Later I recanted and told her truth is just something you should do. You should not be paid for it. It was between us. Please do not lie to me again. I gave her half of the docked 50 cents back.

She really is making good effort. Problem is under the bed she stuffed things/ Each day I will asign a box to sort out.

She sill get docked for not doing her Viola practice. That is a part of what is required of the homework.

12. Never got to the floor...
so tomorrow I will mop.

13. The lanyards...
were my afternoon project,

I had all of them strung, yet needed to finish the findings off.

I had a few ones that have been around. Now...

I have several finished.
Labeling them and pricing can be done tomorrow.

Love is kind!

I finished these yesterday and it sorta finished my back!
Beloved said..."NO blinds today! you matter more than the dust!"...
Even so my back is fussy tonight. Really hurts a lot down low , dog gone it!
Morning began with Dash off on the bus and Dove in tow to the orthodontist.

Dove got new bands and wires today
Meow...My little pink panther.

She finished up at 9:45 just in time for me to do my service work shift at the school. Today I worked with three kids teaching them about the writers web
Main Idea
branching out to
Topic
branching out to
detail.
How to do the introduction of the main idea and develop a paragraph for each topic using the topic details. They had four topic to do. It was a lot of fun.
One child had sentence structure issues, one had a problem with focus and the other had an attitude and attention issue due to neglect at home (thinks I).
I set strong but loving boundaries and watched the third one overcome a drama for negative distraction. She rallied and I was proud of her. This is a child who has to sit away from the other kids because of her personality and drama. It is tough to get her to come around. So it was a successful time. The other two were able to be empowered with some tricks to help them as well.

I stayed for lunch with the class and enjoyed Dove's little girl fellowship. Dash came and gave me a little boy kiss (peck) on my cheek, OH I am rich!

I came home at noon and was able to tend to half of the floors and detail through the hall into the studio. It is finished now. Tomorrow the dining room and living room detailed and then mop all the space .Then shop for the refreshments for the event, and meet my girl friend half way to get her table top trees for a Christmas table display.

Well I want to go visit some of you. I'll close .
Ya all be blessed and know that you are loved.

A love so amazing that it is unfathomable.
That is how God feels about each of you!

Wordless Wendsday

I planted grew and picked them
No one else has ever touched them.
It is so cool!

The Purpose of Dogs

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year old)
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.



The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why. Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life-- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Tackle It Tuesday *Cleaning the wooden blinds*

Sorry for the lack of words earlier.
I just got back from Bible Study...
I have many wood blinds in my home, and have thought many hours about an easier technique to clean them.

This is what I have come up with...

Having Asthma and allergies I find this a must!

The best investment you can make as far as general usefulness is a few dozen good cloth baby diapers. Yes, hear me out. They are good to use during he infant years for the butt or as I did for general butt drying. I used disposable diapers.
Having these cloth ones you have the BEST soft cotton for years of service.
They are now used in my home for general cleaning. Of course they were sanitized years ago.
Wet the cloth with ONLY water! Yep nothing else.
If you use cleaners they will leave a residue and you will shoot (all your efforts) yourself in the foot!
So with only a wet cloth I begin.

Turn the blinds downward
Wipe in a downward stroke form top to bottom a section at a time to keep your place.
rinse out the cloth...

Now turn the blind upward
wipe upward,a section at a time, to keep your place.
rinse the cloth again.

Now open the blind at a 45* downward angle and you will see a little line of dust on each stat.
Now is the one by one, but it will go a lot faster.
This method is much more efficient for me.
I can do a single window blind in 15 minute...

The light through the blind will reveal any missed slates, just step back.

11 singles and 1 double window down I have a total of 16 single and 2 double windows .
With all the window I have, I find the blinds much easier than the fabric treatments we once had.
Dash and I both have breathing issues and this keeps us healthier. Avoiding medication is better that taking it to have to deal with all the extra dust.

Days End
8:30 p.m.
I was able to get three more done in the living room.
It is really making my back hurt to do it.

The children s laundry is also finished and they got it all put away.
That was a task in it self.
Well as tired as I am I have just realized that with Dove's orthodontist appointment at 8:30 and my service work at the school with her peers. My morning is used up tomorrow. I better pull myself up and keep going.
I hope you all had a great day.