Getting back in the groove

I've been gone forever.

I have been sick, the boys have been sick, I am sick...again. I am on my third cold in four weeks and this one is, I believe, developing into a sinus infection. Just in time for Thanksgiving I might add. I have a sinus infection over Thanksgiving EVERY SINGLE YEAR! It's like clockwork. I can measure time by it.

Anyway, I am starting to come out of my cold medicine induced haze and trying to get back to life.

Today is a birthday. The birthday of my uncle Kevin. He died when he was 35, a year younger than I am now. He has been gone for a long time now, somewhere close to 16 years, maybe 17. The sad thing is, that his death was pointless.

He didn't die in a war defending his country.

He didn't give his life to save someone else's.

He didn't make a great sacrifice, his life was stollen from him.

He was killed. Murdered if you ask me, by a stupid man. A man with weaknesses. Addictions that he couldn't control.

My uncle was hit, on a freeway, on his way home from vacation. The man who hit him was lighting his bong. He crossed over into the opposite lane of traffic and hit my uncles truck head on.

He died because he was crushed by the steering wheel. They had to cut the steering wheel off to get him out of the truck. He didn't die immediately, he was screaming and in pain for HOURS! Brenda, his girlfriend, was pinned underneath him and had to listen to his screams for help, knowing she couldn't do anything to help him. She had serious injuries as well that have changed her life for the worse. She was still in the hospital on the day of Kevin's funeral. Cherie, Brenda's daughter was ejected from the vehicle. She landed on her face on the road. She was at the funeral with her broken arm and her damaged face.

There is a hole in our family where my uncle belongs.

There are holes in many families where someone, who was loved, is now missing. Missing because someone made the choice to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

I don't care if you're Superman, I don't care how FINE you feel, I don't care how competent you feel, if you have been drinking, or using drugs PLEASE do not put keys in the ignition of a vehicle and turn it on. Call a cab, call a friend, call your parents, walk, ride a bus, get home some other way.

I will never EVER forget the sound of my mother's gasp and the sight of the phone flying across the room as the Sheriff told her that her baby brother was in an accident and he didn't make it, and could my mom please make the two hour drive to be there when the sheriff came to tell her parents that their son was dead.

I will never forget that numb, lip tingling feeling. The surreal feeling that life had changed and my consciousness hadn't caught up yet. The drive that seemed endless, the look on my grandma's face when we walked in the door and she turned and put her face in the corner of the wall and said "No no no, I don't want to know, don't tell me, I can't hear it!" She already knew, she KNEW, in that sense that mother's get, she knew her son was gone, and she couldn't bear to hear the words that would make it all real.

Please, PLEASE don't drive under the influence!

Don't leave parents without children, don't leave children without parents. You may make it home alright this time, but that's just sheer luck, you were LUCKY that someone isn't getting a phone call tonight saying "I'm sorry, we did everything we could".
JUST DON'T DO IT!

Finished

Frame from the dollar store, it was white, I spray painted it black. It's the perfect size for my cute little pumpkin.

I'll admit it, I'm a geek

I know it's not fashionable, or cool, or in style, but I have to say, I love to cross stitch, I always have. I haven't done anything in cross stitch in years, but when I went in to my local thrift a while back and they had a HUGE stack of old Cross Stitch magazines, I had to take a peek and see if there were any worth buying.


I ended up buying six issues and have found quite a few things that I really love, and some that I may even get around to making.

(Click to enlarge)

For now, I am going to start with this sweet little pumpkin. I have a little, tiny, square picture frame to frame it with and I think it will make a charming addition to my fall decor.


I think next might be this...

More UFO's

I am counting this as a UFO because I bought the big round box and the paper's to decoupage it almost six months ago.


I bought the box to hold all of my large, seldom used utensils like the big soup ladels and the pie server. My utensil drawer is tiny and I got so tired of fighting all the time to get to the spoons and spatulas that I actually use. The only bad thing is...they don't fit in the box either *Sigh*


But, the good thing is, the box is the perfect size to hold my pressed glass water goblets, that I got at the thrift, and will only get used on special occasions (Please pardon the price tags and hard water from the previous owner, I haven't cleaned them up yet). They are safely tucked away and I don't have to worry about them getting chipped or broken by my overly enthusiastic little boys.



This looks so much better up above the black cabinet in the kitchen than the plain old cardboard color. It's so perky and happy don't you think?

And since I had all the stuff out anyway... I decoupaged two little signs for some co-workers. They are doing that little "Boo" thing at school where someone gives you a secret little treat, and then you have to "Boo" someone else by leaving them a little treat. I figured rather than candy, which there is already plenty of this time of year, I would do things a little different and make them something. I love how these turned out and can't wait to make one for myself! I hope the ladies at work love them!


And in farewell, a picture of our beautiful sunset last night.

Tuesday UFO finish...
I stuffed and blind stitched my ruffled T-shirt pillow closed.


I wish you could see in the pictures what color it really is, it's a rusty, earthy red, not as red as it seems. It looks really cute with my two little fall pillows that I made last year or the year before, I can't remember.


Wednesday UFO finish-
I started these little skeleton heads several weeks ago then they have just sat in a little stack on my computer desk since then. I cut out backs, stuffed them, and sewed the backs on. They look so cute mixed in with my little candy corns and halloween colored yo-yos.

UFO Sightings...

My sister and I, while chatting the other day decided to have a UFO Challenge week. UFO stands for Un-Finished object and sadly, I have a million of them.

My goal is to finish at least one project a day.


I started yesterday with this table. I bought it at my local thrift for $3 and brought it home and sanded it that same day, but it never got any farther than that.


Yesterday I took it out and painted it, and in typical yellow fashion, the color is ten times brighter than what I wanted, so I will probably end up repainting it a lighter color. I wanted more of a butter yellow than a sunflower.


I also think I like it better without the sanded edges, so when I get around to repainting it, I won't sand it again.


In the meantime, I am counting this as done...for now, and crossed off my UFO list.

Mini Quiche Review

I got a wild hare today and decided to make Quiche for lunch.


I love quiche, but aside from a very BADLY failed attempt at it in Jr. High cooking class, I have never tried to make it. After all, if a Jr. High kid can screw it up, it must be hard to make right?

WRONG!

I found this recipe at RecipeZaar.com

Leftover’s Blender Quiche
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup cooked and cubed chicken meat or ham or bacon
• 1/2 cup frozen zucchini or spinach or broccoli, cooked
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Directions
1Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Generously grease a 9 inch pie pan.
3 Spread shredded cheese across bottom of pie pan.
4 Cover cheese with meat and vegetables.
5 In a blender, combine eggs, baking mix, salt, garlic powder, onions, parsley, and milk.
6 Blend until smooth, then add olive oil.
7 Blend until combined, then pour mixture over meat and vegetable layer.
8 Sprinkle with paprika.
9 Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
10 Cool 10 minutes before serving.

I made mine in muffin tins and baked at 375 for 20-25 min.

The thing I loved most about it was the fact that I had all the ingredients, I didn't have to run to the store for anything. No exotic ingredients like asparagus or half and half or any of those other crazy things I never have in my house.


I used fresh green onions, and dried parsley, colby jack cheese, and broccoli. I also added a little Lawry's Season Salt because I am my mother's daughter and nothing comes out of this kitchen without a little Lawry's in it.


I let the boys help, they took turns filling the muffin cups with cheese, ham, and broccoli, and they each cracked an egg into the bowl.

First impression right out of the oven, they look a little greasy. I hope they aren't slimy.


First taste- light and fluffy, not slimy, not even oily. I did use less oil than called for, and will probably use even less the next time I make them.


Two out of three boys, and one mom, gave them a thumbs up.


PF gave it a less enthusiastic so/so but the boy has the flu, so take that for what it's worth.


The best part about this recipe? This totally inept cook made them without any trouble at all! We will definitely be making these again!