Tooting My Own Horn

I always have thought that a person should not toot their own horn.  What if you stumble and fall?  Will the world think of you as a failure?  Well today is a good example.  I have a friend who I haven't seen in a while.  He came to see me today.  Just to check in, he does this every couple of months.  He walked in my office and said "wow your hair has gotten long, and you have lost weight."  I was so excited that someone out of my office, and family noticed.  I just wanted to jump up and hug him.  It's true I've been trying a new diet. 

Yep this is the one.  I've been doing it for 17 days and have lost 15 pounds.  I'm not going to say it's been easy.  I had to give up sugar and creamer in my coffee.  Uggh that was the hardest part. After the first 2 weeks, it has become second nature.  Some days I feel like I will turn into a rabbit, from all the salads.  My support system, hubby, is the greatest.  He makes my breakfast, helps me pack a lunch, and calls me everyday to see if I can have what he is cooking for dinner.   He has also been helping me get that little bit of extra exercise in by walking with me in the evenings.  I know I will stumble and trip along this journey, I just hope the world doesn't think of me as a failure.  Love to all.  I'm putting my horn away now.

Not Much Tuesday

That about sums it up.  Not much Tuesday; is what has been going on today.  I kind of like those days when you can come home from work and set on the couch and veg out.  We went to little man's football game last night. He has another one on Thursday.  Saturday we are going to have some excitement around here so you will have to come back and see what we have done.  Have a great evening.  I've got to go watch Gibbs and the gang now.

Sunday Walk About

I love that it is cooler weather.  My guys and I got out and had a walk about, down the dirt road this evening.  My son loves to find junk in the road.  You never know what you will come across out here in the country.

                 An old bent, rusted fence post.

The sunflowers are just about gone for the year.

We are going to try to walk the road more often this fall, we decided it would be a great time for the family to spend more time together and of course the exercise would not hurt any of us. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Irritated

Do you just get irritated with people?  I do, especially when they don't answer my emails or phone calls.  I'm just get so irritated, when people act like you are not in the least bit important.  I just want to scream.  I sent an email to a lady on Monday, I still haven't heard a reply.  So I called her first thing this morning, knowing that would be the first message on her phone..  I don't like the waiting game.  Urrgh.

Kitchen Remodel

Do you think when you start a remodel you will ever be done?  That is the way we have been thinking for some time now.  We started a couple of months ago on our kitchen.  The project just keeps going.  We had new screens made for the big window, they were finally finished today.  Big G installed them, I can't believe the difference a screen makes.  Well yes I can.  Can you believe what a difference a coat of paint makes.  These are a couple of pictures of my very old, and very loved metal cabinets.  

This a top corner cabinet.

This is the original tag on the inside of the cabinet door.

These cabinets are really old, but I love them.  Big G spent hours sanding these down and painting them.  I wish I would have taken a picture of them before.  They were just ugly, they had turned a dirty yellow color from being so old.  Sorry Circa 1940 is old to me.

I would take another set of these in a heartbeat.  It's just something about being old that gets to me.  I really like antiques, well our house is one.

Our little kitchen is almost complete.  Big G and I have agreed that will be it for a while. I think I had fingers crossed behind my back.

Family Activity

We do most everything as a family.  One of the activities that we enjoy doing is some target practice.  This weekend we thought would be a good time to get some in.  As the days get cooler we will be wanting and doing more of this on weekends.  I have to say I enjoy long range rifle shooting and skeet shooting a little more the pistols.

Yep this is me, I'm taking my time to line it all up.

This is Hubs and little man.

This would be little big man all by himself.

And of course this is hubs all by himself

We demolished some targets.  Next time it will be water bottles, and empty laundry soap bottles.

Pictures of Clouds

Last night we were getting ready for a nice rain, only it didn't happen.  My husband Big G. loves to watch the clouds in the sky, and tell me what the weather is going to do. 

Here are a couple of pictures that I took.  Of course you will notice I have no camera experience.  Sorry.

At least I cropped out the basketball goal.

This one the zoom is all the way out, notice the weird color.

I hope to learn how to use the camera, and all the elements that go with one.  That will make for some interesting topics.

Football

Tonight was my son's first football game.  They don't play the normal length of a football game.  He got to play for about 5 minutes.  Which was just fine for my nerves this evening.   He is wearing the number 30.



He is looking for his Meme and Poppy.



Family

This weekend went way to fast.  We spent most of it with my family.  My big brother, came to see us on Thursday thru this morning.   He is stationed at Fort Hood Texas.  We got to spend Friday evening with him and my parents.  Saturday we all hopped in the vehicle and went to see the youngest sibling, in the big city.

It was a visit that went way to fast.  Hopefully next time he comes to see us, his family will get to come along, and we will have a long visit.

My family is one of the precious things in life.  We have had our share of ups and downs, but they are the ones who will always have your back.

Fair Results

Today was the judging at the county fair.  I received a phone call this afternoon from a fellow Home Extension member, she said the judging was over and I could come collect my pie.  I went right after work to the fairgrounds, imagine my surprise when I got to our table and found out my pie won a red ribbon.  I wanted to jump up and down screaming my pie won a ribbon!!!  Look my pie won a ribbon!!! 

Well the pickles didn't do so well. Sometime during the evening the seal popped, great they didn't even get judged, just a note saying these are not sealed.

My pie won a ribbon!!!

Here is the recipe if you are looking to make an easy pecan pie

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons of Old No. 7 (Jack Daniels)
1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell unbaked.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and melted butter.  Add the corn syrup, eggs, pecans and Old No. 7, and  stir until all ingredients are combined.  Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minuets. Lowe the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until pie is set.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Servings 6 to 8

Watch out; God is always up to something

Phone Call

Ever had one of those days where everything is crazy?  That was my day today.  The office phone doesn't stop ringing, and it feels like you are being pulled in a million ways. 

Then I received a phone call that made my day.  I couldn't stop smiling, maybe people were wondering what I was up to.  I had to call my bestie Julie just to hear her voice and say woohoo!!!

Love those phone calls, it just takes a minute or two to change someones day.


With God's help we can scale a wall, build one, or tear one down.

Pecan Pie and Pickles

Our county fair is this weekend.  I have made pecan pie and pickles.  What a challenge this has been.  I have never made pickles.  Guess what? They were the easy project.
 I've made several pecan pies over the years.  I've never made my own pie crust.  Yikes.  I started out making a pie a week for my husband, and son.  So I could get the hang of the crust.  Yep never happened.  I can't make pie crust!!!  I finally just decided I wasn't going to take the pie.  After several deep breathes, and needing a shot of my secret ingredient. I managed to put two together.  If I was picture taker you would be seeing a picture of my pies right now.  I'm sure going to take some time this winter to learn the art of making pie crust.  I'll let you all know how the fair entries turn out. 

This is what I'm needing now.

It sure makes pecan pie tasty!!

End of Summer

That is the way I always have thought of Labor Day.  The end of Summer.  It's the last big time that family and friends get together before the winter holidays.   We had a good time, going to visit my parents.  Homemade ice cream, peach pie, lemon bars, German chocolate cake, and all the trimmings for a cook out.  The end of summer.

I'm ready for fall weather.  Are you? 
The cool evenings to sit on the porch, have hot chocolate, make smores, and sit around the fire pit.

Hello World

Hello World.

I've been thinking of doing this for a while now.  I have a few friends that are big into blogging.  I really just wanted to start and see what it was like.  I wanted to introduce myself, my name is Stefanie, I have a wonderful husband and a 10 year old son.  We live in an old house that was built around 1907.  We have been doing some remodeling on it.  My son will start football soon, he will also be playing in the school band. The trombone. I will be a sports mom and band mom all at once.  That is so funny coming from me.
See you soon.