Time With Dad

I was blessed with the opportunity to see my dad, recently.  He lives over 1,000 miles away, so it's been quite awhile.  I was dismayed at his mental condition, how  much his dementia has worsened.  It wasn't as apparent during our telephone conversations as seeing him in person.  He was confused and emotionless at seeing my daughter and I.  It was a hard time for me as I kept thinking about the "old dad," the one who would have greeted me with a big bear hug and a warm greeting.  For days after, the tears flowed, but I've had to comfort myself with thoughts of, he seems happy in his "world," he's not in pain and has his routines, is well fed, has a warm bed to sleep in.  Staying as positive as I can and sometimes, when I can handle it, remembering the good times when he was whole. 

Before and After

On Saturday, we stopped by a thrift store on a hunt for some simple bar stools.  We found them, along with this ugly chair.  We had been looking for a computer chair for our new desk top computer.  It needed to be a short one and comfortable.  I spotted this and tried it out, found it to be very comfortable despite it's ugliness.  It was a little taller than we wanted, but knew it could be cut down to size.  That night, Chuck took it apart, so I could cover the chair pad and back rest with some material I had already purchased on a bargain table for under $5.00.  The next day, he cut two inches off the legs, then sanded the wood parts finding it to be a beautiful walnut. He then stained and put a protective coating on the rest of it. After it dried we put it back together and are very pleased with the results.  It was a fast, fairly easy project and very rewarding.  Also, the first time I'd ever recovered a piece of furniture.

Anytime Fun

I know it's a little early for Easter eggs, but I've been known to get out the dye anytime of the year and let the grandkids color eggs.  It's fun, not too messy.  They sure enjoy it.

A Young Mom's Poem

It's my youngest grandson's first birthday, today.  I found this poem years ago, when I was a young mom, and have kept it in my files as it is so sweet.  Thought I'd share it with you other mothers, especially to you, Jessica, as this is Joshua's day.

Cyclone
It's quiet now,
the cyclone passed,
destruction in its wake.
The room is filled with limp balloons
and smeared with chocolate cake.
As I survey the damage,
I feel strangely close to tears.
An eras....passed.
A door has closed.
I can't slow down the years.
I watch them now,
my giggling brood,
so earnestly at play.
And stoop to brush
the crumbs aside,
The baby's one, today!

Do It Anyway

I came across this code that Mother Theresa lived by and it spoke to my heart so I wanted to share it in this post.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
            ......Forgive them, anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
            ......Be kind, anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
            ......Succeed, anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
            ......Be honest and frank, anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
            ......Build, anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
            ......Be happy, anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
            .......Do good, anyway.  
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
           ....... Give the world the best you've got, anyway.
You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God.
           .......It was never between you and them, anyway!
        

One Thing Leads To Another

I haven't been posting much since I've been so involved in an overwhelming do-it-yourself project. I was searching Craig's list and found unfinished hardwood for $2.00 a square foot.  We had just finished tearing out carpet on our stairs and were still in the process of redoing it in hardwood when we went and bought my find.  What a deal! For $800.00 there was enough wood to cover the dining room, our extra long hallway and a little entry to the master bedroom with leftover wood to sell.  But, then came the process of installing it, sanding, staining, and coating it.  Also, we had decided to tear out a buffet that took up a lot of space in the dining room which then meant repairing the wall and a new paint job.  While installing the hardwood in the hallway, the wall got damaged, so another repair job and new paint.  Reminds me of the book I used to read the kids called, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie,"  a book about one thing leading to another and then another.  The hardest part has been the nightly top coat that Chuck applies right before we go to bed as it can't be walked on, so we have to wait until our "night owls" are all in bed.  We've been working on it, daily, for about three weeks, now, counting the stairs, but so much progress and what a change.  Soon, I'll be able to post pictures of the finished project.

Sour Milk

Julie poured herself a glass of milk this afternoon and then made a face.  Oh, no, sour milk.  It doesn't happen often, but when it does I'm not too happy, and for sure Julie wasn't happy by the look on her face and her gagging remarks.  Reminds me of the old saying, "Don't cry over spilled milk," here it's "over sour milk," especially when we're paying over $3.00 a half gallon.  Hmm, resourceful, thrifty, me got to remembering  my dad telling that my grandmother used to leave milk out to sour it for cooking with. I got on Google, which I do often with my questions, and typed in, "cooking with sour milk."  Sure enough you can and whatever process soured the milk in the first place is killed in the baking process.  I found this coffee cake recipe and went to work.

Sour Milk Coffee Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cup softened butter
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup sour milk

Streusel topping:6 teaspoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons softened butter


Mix together the dry cake ingredients, then cut in the butter until crumbly.

In another bowl, combine the beaten egg and sour milk. Stir into the dry mixture until batter is just moistened (will be lumpy).

Make the streusel: combine the dry streusel ingredients, then cut in the butter until crumbly.

Spoon half the batter into a 9x9 inch square pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel. Top with the remaining batter, followed by the rest of the streusel.

Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden

It turned out to be delicious.  So no more crying over, "sour milk!"