Our winter wonderland

Sugar Creek

Bluebird house

Long driveway

Old bike

Garden shed

Bird cage on the porch with snow inside from the blizzard

Our 1964 Avian camper

Pond almost ready for skating

Charlie Brown tree with deer tracks around

Snow dog

Mrs. Cardinal

Hello, my name is Mrs. Cardinal. I live at a beautiful wooded land and share it with many other birds. I also share it with a nice family who gives us wonderful seeds served from a beautiful berry filled Honeysuckle bush to get us through the winter cold. The lady of the house says it's our reward for helping eat the bugs all summer long.

Today I was eating my share of seeds and something startled me out of my bush and I hit a window of the house. Next thing I knew I was half buried in snow, cold and hurt I couldn't move. The lady of the house must of heard my thump, because the next thing I knew I was wrapped in a towel and was carried into that warm house.

After resting awhile, the lady tried to give me water in my beak but I wouldn't open it.

I started to feel a bit better so she took me outside and took photos.

She said I was the most beautiful bird she had ever seen.

She wrapped me back up and went inside, but she kept peeking out the window to make sure I was alright. I stayed in that cozy towel for about 45 minutes until I felt well enough to fly.

I flew back to the Honeysuckle bush and called to my mate, Mr. Cardinal. It took awhile for him to hear me, he was so worried and thought I was a goner. We stayed and ate seeds awhile, he at the feeder and I at the ground. (He likes to keep an eye on me)

I love my home in the woods as much as the lady of the house does and will forever be grateful for her kindness.

Let it snow!

View from our kitchen.

We had a SNOW DAY!!

Our first of the season. I think I get as excited as the kids. We got the weekend blizzard and were lucky to find out school was cancelled the evening before so I SLEPT IN. 10 hours total!

We went sledding.

My daughter and I made wrapping paper out of grocery bags.

We cut potatoes and made them into stampers.

We added artwork once the paint dried with markers.

Fun project and planet friendly.

I shoveled paths for the girls.

"Single file ladies"

Got to keep those cheeks warm.

week re-cap

Warning: This is a public service lecture for all the other blog fans out in blog land.

If you talk about a show you participating in, then keep us hanging not giving us the scoop, good, bad or otherwise after the show, well its just plain rude. I love to hear about shows and need photos and the scoop right away, not days later or not at all. Don't do that to us.

I think I'm done.

It was a busy week but nothing major.
Monday our bus scraped the neighbors mailboxes then got stuck. I sent the kids inside to clean their rooms. 45 mins later the salt truck came, salted and scraped and got the bus moving so I sent two very disappointed children off to school.

My son had his orchestra concert Tuesday eve. It was beautiful. Our school has an amazing music program and it shows. So while I'm there this 2 year old gave me an extremely wet cough right in the face. I felt it hit my lip. I knew at that moment I was doomed.

Last night my daughter had her orchestra concert and I had to keep throat lozenges in my pocket so my dry throat cough wouldn't be a distraction to the beautiful music. Yep, I'm sick.

So I had one of those fever filled, floating between sleep and awake weird dream nights. After I got the fam up and out,I then took a 2 hour nap this morning. This is the most fascinating blog ever, talking about naps.

I forced myself awake.
I had let the chickens out for their morning goodies, which was the last thing I wanted to do at the time. But now I'm feeling a tad better and want to show you what I did yesterday.

I made my born in August niece, a chewy, squishy bunny out of the softest (new but washed) sock. I stitched on the eyes so no choking hazard . It kind of looks like a doggie chew toy, but it is sooooo soft. She is also their 3rd daughter so they don't need any practical stuff.

My other niece likes her dolls just to wear diapers so I made some cloth with Velcro ones for her.

I also made her a monster out of a toe sock. She looked naked so I made her...

a too too.

I also made personalized gift bags for their gifts. The red stripe was my score from value world.

I made a few more gift bags to add to our stash. I used fabrics that I had purchased at garage sales or was given to me. I plan to have enough some day to never buy Christmas wrap again.

I think I may need to go lay down again. Wishing you all a great weekend.

Advent Calendars

My son has been wanting a Lego Advent Calendar for x-mas for quite some time. We got the Lego catalog for this year and it showed a girl version too. Well they were out of stock. I explained that it wouldn't be fair for one kid to get one and not the other.

So I purchased 2 small Lego items, 2 snowman place mats ( wish I had a before photo), gathered all my Christmas fabric and scraps and made each child their own calendars.

Cutting the "pockets" with pinking shears made the assembly much easier. I used heat and bond on the fabrics for the numbers. It took a little over 3 hours to make both. I then put a few pieces in each pocket.

The snowman on the place mat was a pocket for silverware. It now holds the instructions for the Lego item to be opened on day 25. They don't know what the Lego is supposed to be. It is exciting to get a few new pieces each day.

They are having fun trying to figure out what to make with the pieces.

Not bad for mystery Lego's!

Life is Beautiful

I like movies. I like free movies. I like when they have a movie on a Sunday afternoon, regular TV, that touches you in a way that has you thinking about it for days later.

I saw the movie "Life is Beautiful" yesterday. It starred, directed and was co-written by Roberto Benigni back in 1998. I knew he won the Oscar that year and I have always wanted to see it.

If you haven't seen it, you must. Make sure you get the English dubbed version (I hate reading a movie). I never thought I could laugh so hard during a movie about the Holocaust. It was funny, tender, touching, sickening and heart wrenching all at the same time. I just cant say enough about this movie. I can't stop thinking about this movie. Life is Beautiful.

lunch

Yay! The boy went to school after eating us out of house and home last night, and my chicken's foot seems much better. I joked yesterday about my boy being sick after eating the schools lunch. (I know cooties don't work that way) So I thought I'd tell you about something I have been making for my families lunches that makes it easy peazy for me in the morning.

I have talked about my love of homemade bread.

Here is the recipe I use.

I use these to make it a chewy, healthy bread.

I stir with a wooden spoon right at bedtime until everything is well mixed.
Cover it with plastic. It takes less that 5 mins.

In the morning after I get my family out, I stretch it out on a floured surface.
I cut off about 1/5 th of the dough.

I spread it out, then put on about 6 pepperoni.

Top with about 1/4 cup of cheese.

I use Ham and cheese too (my daughter loves). This photo is when I used the whole loaf for dinner. With a side of broccoli, it made a tasty meal.

Seal, put on sprayed or buttered pan, finish the rest and cover with plastic and wait 2 hours.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 mins.

Cool, then I wrap with wax paper and label. Then refrigerate.

In the morning I grab one, put homemade Iced tea or juice in a recycled gator aid bottle (from soccer), a piece of fruit and a little goodie in a lunch bag. Super easy.

I figured out my cost for lunches at about $1 each. Our school lunches are $2.50, $3 if they get the extra treat, my hubbies lunch would be around $4. So by spending a little time I am able to save around $7 per day, $35 per week, $140 per month, you get the picture.

If you work during the day you can start the bread in the morning and do the rest after work, or do a big batch over the weekend.

I forgot to add that I have put in cinnamon and sugar, rolled it up and made cinnamon rolls. I have also put in ingredients for apple pie inside, it is deeeeeeliiiiiiishhhh.