Happy Trails

Well, in case you hadn't noticed...I've more or less quit writing this blog. I've found in the last couple of months that I really don't have any desire to write here. I don't have a lot I want to say. And, as evidenced by my last entry, it's not particularly edifying (in the way I would like it to be).

You see, at this season in my life there are people that require a lot of concentrated attention. Most particularly my children. We homeschool them and blogging is a distraction for me in concentrating on their schooling and on their over all upbringing. Raising them is the most important thing I will do in my life. I don't want to screw it up. Getting distracted by blogging or really anything that averts my attention from them....well for me, that would be a screw up. Truth be told...I'm easily distracted, and it requires extra-ordinary discipline on my part to stay focused on what is really important. For me, in the grand scheme of things, blogging isn't all that important. It's not what God has called me to do.

I'm going to leave this blog up for now. I may perhaps come by every now and then and post something.

One thing I do want to do before I disappear into cyberspace is to say thank you to all the really wonderful gals who have commented here. I would venture to name you all but, even though there are not a lot of you, there are enough that I would feel badly if I missed anyone. And while I'm not going to be writing a blog anymore I imagine I will still be reading them occasionally. And I'll likely comment.

So blessings to you all and thank you for coming by and visiting me!

And To Think I Voted For These People

On my desk sits a little painted wooden doll. She is made of pine wood and painted with non-toxic acrylic paints. She has strips of muslin for her hair and a cotton fabric bow with plastic button at her neck. The little wooden "chalkboard" she holds is attached with a length of sisal twine.

How do I know so much about her? Well, I made her. She just happens to be something I made long ago when I made lots of little items like her and sold them at craft fairs and to gift shops in my area. Most of the items I made were for decorative purposes, but some of them could have been played with.

At craft fairs there were all manner of crafters and artisans. Some of them made toys for children to play with. I remember retired gentlemen who made wooden cars, trains, pull toys and blocks. Or ladies who made wonderful soft dolls with clothes to go with them.

Now, thanks to our law making leadership, these people will no longer be able to make and sell these items unless they have each material they use tested for lead and pthalaltes by authorized testing agencies. Think about that for a moment. Each and every material will need to be tested by the crafter/artisan.

This new law is actually broader reaching than just toys it includes childrens clothingand books. For more details I suggest you read this and this. (Be careful, it may get your hackles up.)

Now think about this for a moment. ALL childrens clothing, toys and books, starting February 10th, will be subject to this new law.

As if the billions of dollars lost in the housing market and subsequent bail out weren't enough, congress will now deal another death blow to the economy with this new law effectively putting hundreds if not thousands of small businesses, out of business. Heather at Welcome to Our Perch has written a very succinct article here outlining the wide-spread repercussions of this legislation. I don't think I can even begin to touch on the passion with which she writes, because she writes as one who will be affected by this new legislation.

And this is not just limited to new items. It includes items being resold in thrift stores and second hand clothing stores. Hello! While we're killing small business let's go ahead and put charities out of their misery as well!

I personally am outraged both as a consumer and as a former "manufacturer" in cottage industries. I CAN NOT even begin to comprehend how only three Senators and one Congressman were willing to think about the broader ramifications of this legislation and vote against it. If it is plain to me, an average homemaker, that this is bad for the economy, how can it not be plain to 89 Senators and 424 Congressmen/women? (8 Senators and 9 Congressmen did not vote)

Okay, maybe that's a stupid question. I mean, this is a group of people more worried about the next election than doing the job they were elected to do.

If you are feeling irritated and maybe a little outraged at this new assault on our economy at the hands of our elected officials there are some petitions you can sign. The Handmade Toy Alliance has a petition here, sign a petition here, and vote to bring this issue before the President-Elect on Inauguration Day here.

Welcome to Our Perch has a dedicated page for information related to this topic. Take a moment and check it out.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox for now.

Wishing you all a pleasant day. :]

Happy New Year and The Holiday Travel Hangover

Hello everyone!

I'm back...and boy what a Christmas and New Year's we had. We traveled....a. lot. I think that it's quite possible that if we had driven in a strait line we would have driven at least halfway across the United States. Yes...that's how much traveling we did.

And we never left that state we live in...now that's not really saying much as we do live in one of the larger states in the Union. But it did make us decide this was the absolutely last year we are doing this.

Traveling, I mean.

We've been married for eighteen years and for those eighteen years we have lived at least five hours and more away from our immediate families. And for eighteen years we have packed ourselves and our gifts up and traveled to see family.

Now don't get me wrong. We love our family. But friends...I would dearly love to stay home for Christmas. Home. The place where I live. Because after eighteen years home isn't where I or my husband grew up.

I could get all sentimental right now about never being able to go home again, or about home being where the heart is, or home being where my husband and kids are. But this is not a Hallmark moment I'm having. I just don't want to travel that much during the holidays anymore.

And sleep in a variety of beds.

And eat at weird hours.

And eat rich food (which tastes really good but doesn't always settle well).

And go to bed too late.

And get up too early.

Because at forty-three...the recovery time is...errr...shall we say a lot slower than it was at twenty-five.

But having said all that we did have a wonderful time with our families, and were blessed in a myriad of ways, not just with presents. I hope to write a little more about that in the next couple of days...I'm still just letting my thoughts and feelings about our Christmas gel a little before I write about them. God showed me some really neat things this year and I'm still thinking on them and processing them in my heart and mind.

So anyway...Hello again! It's good to be back and I hope everyone of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's Day!

I Think I'm Going On Hiatus

Well, as we count down to the big holiday, and Husband, kiddos and I prepare to make our visits to family, I think I am going take a little bloggy break.

I may jump once or twice in the next two weeks to say, "Hi!" if I get the chance.

I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year!

Merry Christmas!!!

Bon Bons and My Lightbulb Moment

So I've gotten my first batch of Bon Bons dipped and ready to go. Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to do another batch. They are the only thing I'm making this year....however, it just occured to me that I could do a batch of fudge in order to supplement goody gifts and that would be a whole lot easier than making another batch of Bon Bons. Yeah, I think I'll do that.

ANYWAY...as I was saying I just finished dipping my Bon Bons and I had some melted chocolate leftover. I hate to let chocolate go to waste(...that's a mortal sin isn't it?) and I was contemplating what to do with it when I had a light bulb experience.

BING!!!

Dip some marshmallows and plop them down on some graham crackers. Wala! S'mores! And happy children and husband. I drizzled some of the last bits of chocolate over the whole thing. They were absolutely yummy!

So if you have some leftover melted chocolate and some marshmallows and graham crackers hanging around...well these take next to no time to make and they make you look like a gourmet extraordinair.

Oh and by the by...if you are feeling ambitious here is my Coconut Bon Bon recipe! Enjoy!

Coconut Bon Bons

1 large bag of Angel Flake Coconut
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 - 2lb. bag of powdered sugar
1 Cup of margarine
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 Cups of chocolate chips ( I use Nestle Semi-Sweet)
1/3 cube of kitchen parafin (The kind used for sealing jelly sometimes. It can usually be found where canning supplies are in your grocery store.)

In a large mixer, cream together milk and margarine. Add vanilla and coconut. Now slowly add powdered sugar (This can be tedious and messy, I frequently end up mixing in the last of the powdered sugar by hand.) When thoroughly mixed together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

The next day cover some cookie sheets with wax or parchment paper. Form coconut mixture into small walnut sized balls and place on cookie sheets. When finished filling a cookie sheet cover and put back into the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

Next comes the dipping. In a double boiler put chocolate chips and parafin. Heat until melted. Prepare surface next to stove top by laying foil or wax paper down. (I use foil.) Now it's time to dip the coconut balls. Plop them gently in the melted chocolate one at a time and use a dinner fork to lift them out and put them on your prepared surface. Allow the bon bons to cool and firm up for several hours. When they are firm, enjoy! Give to your friends to enjoy because this recipe makes about 120 of them!

Lots of Linky Love

The Lemonade Award

Which recognizes blogs that reveal great attitude and/or gratitude.

I want to thank Robin at Be Still and Know... for honoring me with this little blog award. Robin showed up at my blog last spring on a post for which I received a couple of really ugly comments (that was before I reviewed my comments). She offered me encouragement and consolation and renewed my faith in the blog reading public. And now she's gone and made me blush!

Now, the directions with this award are that I go on and honor some more great blogs that show great attitude and/or gratitude. But like Robin and Skoots1mom before her I'm not going to do the full count. However, here are a few blogs that fit the bill for me.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Lynn had me when I first saw the name of her blog. She is a faithful wife and mum who writes honestly and openly about her life in England. I love going and finding out what lovely thing she is up to each day.

Red Wellies, Rainbows and Cinnamon Whirls

Tina is a bright ray of sunshine right out of Scottish moors (you do have moors in Scotland, right?). She just went through a kitchen re-do and such a good attitude about it too!

Grace and Glory

Jen is my friend in real life. And everything about her is real. She and her husband have open hearts and an open home. Just go read the wonderful things she is thinking about and praying about!

We Lift Our Eyes Up

Shawna is also my friend in real life. She and I are kindred spirits in so many ways. Her writings are always helpful and challenging. Her latest post is about time management, it offered me not only a challenge but a tool to meet that challenge.

Simply "Jenn"sational

Her "sub-title" kinda says it all, "Because my life needs it's own word." I see a happy, loving, sunshiny person in her blog. She is also real about her life. And she loves to decorate!

Grace for Gayle

I just recently found Gayle via her other blog The Grocery Cart Challenge. She is witty, funny and just has a great attitude about things in general. She also manages to keep her grocery bill to between $200 and $250 a month. She's my hero.

So there are my nominees for The Lemonade Award. I hope you will visit them all real soon.

Now for the rules that go with this little award:

• Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
• Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
• Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link this post to the person from whom you received your award.

Blessings to everyone who stops by here!

Relieve Some Christmastime Stress

By now you are probably like me. In the midst of Christmas preparations and in need of a good laugh. Well check out these two sites, lolcats.com and i can has cheezburger then take a look at Son's version. He is very proud of his handiwork. :)

I was laughing out loud at some of the pictures....remember laughter is great stress relief!