7 Things About Me

Every morning I get up at 4:30 with my husband. Most of you know this. So last night we were really looking forward to sleeping until "we wake up." Let me explain what that means. That means we were going to sleep until our bodies woke up on their own. No alarm clocks were set. And it really wouldn't matter if we woke up at 6 just as long as it was our bodies doing it and not the alarm. Ah, bliss! At 6:52 this morning we were woke up by what I first thought was a disgruntled driver blowing his horn at another. Only it didn't stop. For over 5 minutes this incessant horn blew. Kenny got out of bed and went outside. I stood at the top of the stairs waiting for him to bring me the head of the car owner. He came in empty-handed which pissed me off a little. But, the horn had stopped. I asked him where was the head that I requested. He said that he couldn't see whose car it was due to the fog. So, he was unable to deliver. And I had already debated about which platter to use!

So, needless to say, I was not in a good mood. But, I poured some coffee, turned on the computer and found that a whole bunch of people left me a comment yesterday evening! Let me clarify one thing though for you sweet gems: I don't expect you to leave a comment everytime. It's always so nice to hear from you. But I don't expect it and I know how life has a tendency to interrupt the time set aside for fun. And in case you were wondering - I was not venting about any one of you. If you have ever left me a comment - or if I have never visited your blog before and left a comment myself - rest assured it's not you bugging me!

Anyway - sweet Michelle at Vintage Pastiche has tagged me in 7 Things About Me game. This is a little hard for me as I tend to ramble about myself a lot. So, it's not easy coming up with 7 things you may not already know. But, let me give it a try...

1. I have a terrible temper. It is not something I'm proud of and is something that I pray about all of the time. Someone once told me not to pray for patience because God will give you trials to work out. But I know that it is through those trials that I can feel God holding my hand. So I pray anyway.

2. At my heaviest, I was in a size 26! I'm now in a size 16, after having vertical banded gastroplasty. I now feel great, can run up my stairs and not die, and can shop in stores other than Lane Bryant and Avenue. WOO HOO!!

3. I am terrible at math. I hate math and I knew as I was struggling to learn the Pythagorean theorem in school that nothing I would ever do would require the use of this knowledge. And true enough, I don't ever use this. The only thing I ever understood in geometry was the "given."

4. I like to think that I'm sort of a Snow White-Gypsy-Mae West combination. I love taking care of my family and everyone else who drops by. I have a wild gypsy streak and I walk around singing Cher all of the time. I like sexy things, not raunchy things and I often shimmy like Mae telling Kenny to come up and see me some time. Now I blush!

5. I dated my husband's brother for about a month about 9 years ago. Kenny was married then and when his brother and I broke up I remember him telling me that he didn't like Dan's new girlfriend (now wife) and will always like me better! He and his best friend (my best friend's husband now) were out one night as were me and Holly. Kenny bought me a "chip" for another drink and I never cashed it in. I still have it to this day. Suffice it to say - I got the better brother!

6. I have been best friends with my girlfriend Holly since the 1st day of kindergarten. Let's see, that's 29 years now. How many people can say they have been friends with someone that long, let alone when you're only 34??

7. I love to ride on the back of Kenny's motorcycle. He has a Kawasaki Spectre. Some day we will own a Harley. But alas, we just can't afford one right now. But we already have the clothes! I love holding on to him as we ride. And when I hug him, putting my head on his shoulder and he reaches down to rub my leg we connect as two souls merged into one. There is no greater feeling and I fall in love again.

That was not easy! It was fun, but not easy. Now rather than name 7 other people to play, I thought I would extend the invitation to everyone. It's always fun to learn a little bit about people that wouldn't normally come up in land of blogs. Are there any facts people would be surprised to learn about you? Play along and let us get to know ya!

Love,

Venting...just a little

Ok, I have really been trying to see the good in others. I try to put myself in their shoes and walk that proverbial mile. But sometimes I realize that those stinking shoes are too small and I just have to step out of them and hurl them away from my body!

Being new to blogging, I learn some protocol every day. I know that not always will I get a return reply on a comment that I have made on someone else's blog. That's fine. I have seen the amount of comments some people are lucky enough to receive on a daily basis and answering every - single - one of them, well it's probably just not feasible. Factor in work, children, house cleaning and personal time and it's down right impossible. When I first started blogging, I got a message from dear sweet Rhoda at Southern Hospitality telling me that it's hard for her to keep up with everyone on a daily basis. BUT, she has responded to my comments and my posts quite often. So much that I thought, she doesn't give herself enough credit! It is people like Rhoda and so many many others (and you all know who you are, wink) that make me want to put those shoes on and take a walk. I find that those shoes are quite comfortable on me and in wearing them, I get to walk their paths, secret hikes and open roads.

BUT, there is one particular person who is really, really, really bugging the ever-living crap out of me. Granted she has written a few posts with 40+ comments on it. But not every day! See I check her blog every day. I even have her on my blog roll. So I know how many people she has to respond to. Well, not has to. But should! Seems that the other gals in blogland know how to return a comment. And she does return comments and compliments to other bloggers. Just Not Me. NOT ONCE!! I thought I would go back through my posts to see if her name has ever appeared. NOPE!!

And I don't know why this is bothering me so much. Because in the grand scheme of life, who cares? The fullness of my life is not determined by who does or does not leave a comment on my blog. I mean I still get giddy when I see someone has left me one. I even giggle a little. It boggles my mind that people are reading what I have to say. But it's not the driving force in my life, so to speak. But, I have left her, I don't know - a MILLION comments on her blog. You would think that once....just once she would return the favor. I mean, throw a newbie a bone for crying out loud! I felt like the little fat girl in school getting picked last for gym.

So I decided that I wasn't going to read her blogs anymore! STOMP STOMP STOMP! I'll show her. Disrespect me like that? Who do you think you are? I'll take your name off my blog roll. You are no longer one of the "Places I Love to Visit." I don't need ya anyway. Something about her being rubber and me being glue came to mind. But then I thought how can she be rubber when she's not saying anything. Then I thought - GOOD GOD - you really are nuts. See there's a class at the local community college that I need to take. It's called "Get Over It Already." It's taught by Professor Let It Go. But sometimes I just need a shove to get past the trivial things in life.

So, needless to say, I haven't removed her from my blog roll. I still check out her blog every day because, damn it, she's really very talented. And I still leave an occasional comment. Because I need to be the bigger person. And the funny thing is - she has NO CLUE that I'm being the bigger person. I just feel better telling myself that!

For Amy

Please take a minute and visit Amy and Polly today. There's a special message going out for Amy. I had never read Amy's blog until this morning. Then I did. A true fighter. This is dedicated to all cancer survivors. Listen to the words and pray God that you can cope.

This Woman's Work

Cinnamon

The day after I quit my job, we had new windows installed. That was August 16th. I have had to call them twice now about the screens. They are pulling away from the frame and anything can get in or out of the house. Including my cats. They were fixed before. And yesterday morning, I noticed that the one in my dining room (screen #2 on this window) is once again pulled away.

I am the crazy cat-lady of New Brighton (remember that for later.) As I turned the light on in the dining room at about 4:50 am, I saw my littlest cat (Gimpy, she's got bad back legs. But she's the quickest one in the house let me tell ya) climbing out of the window. I managed to grab her and I look out of the window. There are 2 more of my cats, Pepper and Piglet. I ran outside and got Piglet immediately. He's never been outside (save for the last time the screens were pulled) and he doesn't like it. So he was easy to catch. Pepper, on the other hand, is a little hussy so to speak and very hard to catch when she escapes captivity. My youngest son, Jesse is very good at catching her. But, I didn't think he'd appreciate being woke up at 5 in the morning to catch her. I managed to get her when she was doing her business in the neighbor's yard (Sorry 'bout that!)

Everyone is in the house (or so I thought) and I run around shutting windows. I count the cats. 1-2-3-4-5---5? Where's Cinnamon?? Ok there's Nutmeg, Pepper, Smidgen, Piglet and Gimpy. Cinnamon?? CINNAMON!! I can't find him. I go running outside and I try to call for him without waking up the entire neighborhood.

Let me tell you about Cinnamon. He is the original Scaredy Cat. His own shadow will scare him. He likes to sit on your lap when he decides, not you. My parents are just now seeing him on a regular basis (and we've had him for 5 years, got him as a baby kitten) because he doesn't like strangers. It has taken him 5 YEARS to warm up to them. But if he hears a stranger's voice in the house, he will hide until you're gone. I had this brilliant idea about 3 years ago that I would take him outside. I put a collar on him and I put him on a stake in the ground. I thought that he would like to roam a little. My mom's neighbor's cat (Miss Kitty) is on a cord and loves to roam around the yard. He Freaked OUT!! Good thing the chain was extra long or he would have hung himself. He ran this way and that way and now I'm running this way and that way trying to catch him to calm him down. He jumped THROUGH the screen on my back porch door and back into my house. Collar and chain still on him, mind you, wrapped around the now knocked-over chair, shaking and crying. Can you picture this? There's a cat cowering around a chair with a long chain stretched out through the screen in my door and tied down to a stake in the yard. Ok, big mistake on my part!

There have been times when he has gotten out and he immediately recognizes the outdoor elements and quickly turns back around and runs inside. Only this time, I wasn't up yet to hold the door open for him. He's not smart enough to jump back up on to the window and get back in. Although Piglet tried on a closed window. HA! Had to laugh as he smacked his head off of it. I call and call for him. I check in the bushes. I check under the cars. I get the kids up and out of bed to walk around the neighborhood. Nothing! Kenny had already left for work and he assured that he'll come back. Through out the day I would go outside and look for him. I scoured my yard. I called and called. Still no Cinnamon. By 6 o'clock last night I am sobbing on the couch. And I mean SOBBING! It had stormed so bad yesterday that I just knew he was petrified. All I could picture was him laying dead on the road. I never made my bed yesterday. I made a lousy dinner. I couldn't even eat. After the boys finished eating (they'll eat anything) they went outside looking for him again. Austin said he saw a puffy orange cat down the road. He thought it might be him if he had been caught in the rain yesterday. Jesse said no. But I went to see anyway. Nope. Not my Cinnamon. I walk back home, sobbing. About half an hour later, I'm back on the couch wallowing in the fear of what must have happened, when in walks Austin with a very scared Cinnamon. I run over and hold him - making Austin lean in so that I can cover him in kisses. Now like I said earlier, Cinnamon doesn't like to be held on your terms. But he was so relieved to be home that he let me hold him for a good 10 minutes. The next 20 minutes he spent eating and drinking. He was laying on my dresser last night when we went to bed and I didn't have the heart to put him out of the room. I could hear Kenny grumble as he got ready for bed. I'm waiting for the window people to call me back....


This picture is not of my cats. But it looks EXACTLY like Cinnamon and Pepper.

Knitting News

As I have mentioned in many of my comments on the beautiful sewmanship of sew many people (gag, I know) I can not sew a stitch. I own a sewing machine but I also own a treadmill. That means nothing. But I have always wanted to sew.

I have a somewhat working knowledge of how to crochet. Nothing fancy. Just a double chain. But, I have a blanket 3/4 of the way finished. Not bad. I come from a long line of crocheters. My mom is excellent at this craft. My grandmother made all of us blankets and slippers. I have a beautiful baby blanket carefully tucked away for my first grandchild. She crocheted that blanket with my own baby in mind to receive it, but since I no longer have a uterus, that is pretty much out of the question. But, now I'm going to attempt knitting!

Anyone remember the knitting ladies in A Tale of Two Cities? Well, thankfully, I need not enter any death toll into some kind of woven record. I just want to make a scarf. Maybe a hat. Kristen at Christian Crafter is hosting a Knitting 101 class and I was lucky enough to join. I need to purchase my supplies: 2 needles (size 7-10) and light colored yarn. It sounds so simple. My friend BB would make me dish rags all the time. Nothing better than a knitted dish rag to clean the oh-so-many dirty pots and pans in this house. Maybe I'll be able to start passing out those little bundles. Won't that be fun?

In the meantime, we have a whole decorating library at Nunnie's Attic. Full of advice and suggestions, it might be worth it to pick up a copy of one of these. There's even a Knitting for Dummies. Seems there are quite a few different kinds of dummies out there. Check out the library. Maybe you'll find something that will enable you to move on to the next level.

A Little Bit About Myself

I thought maybe I would share with you some things about my life that I'm sure you did not know. Like, I've known my husband since I was 12 years old, we were friends all through school and have a long history with each other. However we didn't start dating until 2001. I did not give birth to my children. They are Kenny's sons and they have lived with me since 2002.

Kenny and the boys' mother were in a relationship for about 3 years. They had Austin and 15 months later had Jesse. They broke up when Jesse was 6 months old. Kenny has always had custody of them save for 9 months during the 2001-2002 school year. He was a single father, recently divorced from his daughter's mom and working a swing shift. Unable to care for them, they lived with their mother. Then I entered the picture. I started dating Kenny in November of 2001. By February of 2002, a mere 3 months later, we were engaged. In March we moved in together and the boys came to live with us for the summer. They were 7 and 8. Instant family, just add water. We had a long battle with the boys' mom. She is a recovering heroine addict and alcoholic. During that summer, we found out that while they were supposed to be living with her they were in fact living with her mother. Her addiction was just beginning and she was in a nasty relationship. At the end of the summer, the boys did not want to go back. I asked her if I could keep them. Kenny and she went back to court and once again he obtained full custody of the boys.

Fast forward to October of 2003. We've moved into our new (and current) home. Kenny and I got married! What a glorious day that was. All of my family came out to celebrate in huge Italian fashion. Kenny did not invite anyone from his family other than his brother and his family. I protested but he won. He wasn't speaking to his mother (LONG story, very complicated, remedied now) and I will always remember what he said about the rest of them. "They were at my first wedding and look how that turned out." Not every family is like yours, he would tell me. We don't get along. We don't go to each other's houses and we don't go to church together. We don't eat with other and we barely see each other during the holidays. Your family is special Julie, he would tell me. I don't want them there. I want to enjoy the day without worrying about what may happen. Since Kenny was divorced we were not able to get married in the Catholic church until his marriage was annulled. So, rather than be married in a civil ceremony, we were married at The First Presbyterian Church, here in New Brighton. Our ceremony was beautiful and the reception was a ball!

At this point, the boys had already started calling me mom and they weren't seeing their biological mother at all. For 3 years, she battled her addiction and basically had no time for the boys. I am thrilled to say that she is now clean and sober and making amends in her life. She sees the boys on a regular basis now and we were finally able to move beyond what happened in the past. Christ said that in order for the Father to forgive you, you must forgive others. I have taken that to heart and we have a pretty good relationship now. I'm still their mom, but at least now they don't have to feel guilty for loving her too. Kenny's daughter is a brilliant and gorgeous 8 year old. We see her as often as we can but with Kenny's long hours at work that's not as often as we'd like. I adore her and she is an estrogen-filled welcome to this house of dirty boys! Kenny and I were finally married in the Catholic church in November of 2004. And at the Easter vigil of 2006, the boys were baptized in the church, made their first holy communion and confirmation.

I can't even begin to tell you all that we have gone through, the battles we have overcome and the hurt we have mended. We are not a traditional family in the true sense. But nonetheless, we are a family: father, mother and children. My mother's sister and my own were never able to conceive. They both adopted their children. And those children hold a special place in all of our hearts because we know that they were chosen by God to become a part of this family. In order to fulfill God's plan, these children had to be born. These children. They may not have our DNA but their ours nonetheless.

I remember a plaque that hung in my cousin's nursery. And I claim it as well as it so perfectly describes our homes:
Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone
But still miraculously my own
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart, but in it.

Love,
Julie

What an Honor!

I have been given the You Lift Me Up award by 2 wonderful people: Polly at Counting Your Blessings and Phyllis at Shabby in the City. I am amazed that anyone is even reading what I have to say. So, I am truly humbled by your admiration and it gives me great joy to know that in some way, no matter how small, I may have a spiritual and positive effect on your lives. I can not believe the group of friends I have met in such a short time. You all lift me up in so many ways. And for that, I am forever thankful.

Now it's my turn. I could seriously give this award to each one of you as you each bring something to my life. But, in keeping with the spirit, I award Esther at Esther Sunday, Kimmie at Over the Moon with Joy, Julee Ann at Write of Passage, Robin at Bittersweet Punkin, and Barbara at The Life and Times of a Super Mom

May God enrich your lives with all that you need.
Love,
Julie

What a day!

Yesterday morning as I was waiting for my mom to pick me up to go shopping, I noticed a smell. Like burning wires. I looked around and didn't see anything. Then the smell went away and I assumed, as usual, that I'm nuts. Then a little later I noticed it again. I looked at the plug for the computer and the surge protector for the phone, printer and the cable box thingee and WHOA there was smoke! I called my husband at work because I wasn't sure if I had to just pull the plug or do something else in addition to that.

He works at what we call "The Shredder." They shred metal and steel and sell the scrap back to the steel mills. He was across the yard burning some car down to a 4X4 piece of steel, so his best friend (my best friend's husband) picked up the phone and said what's going on Jul? I told him the wires were smoking but they stopped. Then all of a sudden - Whoomp - they caught fire! I yelled, Billy yelled and I pulled the plug. Lost the phone. He ran to Kenny in a full-on mad dash and started yelling to him: Just go - just go. Kenny's looking at him like he's nuts. Then his cell phone rings and it's me. I figured this was an emergency. They're not supposed to use cell phones in the yard but they all carry them in case of emergency. This was one of those times.

I told him what happened. The fire was out as soon as I pulled the plugs. But he came home anyway to be sure. Everything was fine, PTL. And he said that he would replace the plug in the evening. So I went ALL day with no computer. That's harder than one might think.

I couldn't check blogs until 9:00. I hate that! You know I like my routine. We wanted to make blooming onions for dinner since we were having brats on the grill. I didn't have a recipe. Not in any of my cookbooks. Now since I had never made blooming onions I wasn't sure how the best way would be to cut the onions. Or what to put in my batter. Times like this call for Food Searches on the web! So I had to wing it. Came out pretty good. In case anyone was wondering - I used my Pampered Chef apple corer/slicer contraption which worked pretty well - dredge the onion in flour first - then let it soak in your batter for awhile. But to tell the truth, it would have been a lot easier to just slice the onions into rings and then dredge and batter.

But ANYWAY, I'm getting off subject. All I could think of was: what if I hadn't have been here? If I was still working outside of the home, I wouldn't have been here. I could have lost my house and everything in it including my cats! You know the bible teaches you to pray about everything. Before making any decisions, pray about it. When we decided it was time for me to quit my job I prayed constantly about it. Tell me Lord what to do. And I got my answer. So, I quit. But, then I questioned myself. Did you really hear the answer? Or did you just want to quit so you found an answer? There's a big difference! All I could think was that I might be like Sarah in the bible. Giving her maid Hagar to Abraham to bear the children God promised them they would have. She went looking for an answer. But yesterday I thought - you know it was God who enabled me to be home when that happened. I was meant to be here.

So, I praise God for that. For sparing my home and animals. For reaffirming our decision that I work in the home and not out of it. But most importantly, I am thankful that I have enough sense to know it wasn't just coincidence. I am thankful that each day my walk with the Lord grows a little stronger and that I'm not so cocky that I don't realize I need Him in all aspects of my life!

The Five Finger Prayer

Is it easy for you to pray? I know that for me, sometimes it just isn't. Not because I don't want to ask the Lord for help. And not because I don't think He'll hear my prayer. But because I can't always put into words what I want to say. I know that the Lord knows my heart. So it shouldn't really matter what or how I pray just as long as I do. But as a Catholic, we were taught prayers to say at specific times. Catholics aren't known for just praying in their own words. For instance, when I see an ambulance speeding down the road I pray the Hail Mary.

"Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen."

I ask her to pray to our Lord on that person's behalf. I ask her to intercede and pray to her Son for that person who is suffering. Now I'm sure many of you are not Catholic and you can't understand why we don't just pray to God directly. So let me clarify for you that we DO. But just as you ask other friends and family members to pray for you, just as you get on a prayer list we Catholics ask the Holy Mother and the saints to pray for us and for others. Just a little added insurance so to speak. So in case that person in the ambulance is approaching their hour of death, I ask our Lord's mother to pray for him/her.

There are patron saints for all sorts of things. St Francis is the patron saint of animals. St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost items. St. Christopher of travelers. St. Michael of the warrior (Police officers, fire fighters.) I joke that St. Jude is my patron saint. The saint of lost causes. That being said, the majority of the time though we pray directly to our Lord above. And some people just have a gift where they can speak so poignantly and eloquently. Their thoughts and prayers come directly from their heart and their words speak to all those who are listening. And I wish I had that gift. But I don't. I stumble, I ramble. I try to use words like Thou and Thine and a lot of the times I get frustrated. And I think that God (in His humor) is chuckling up there saying "Aw, she's trying though, isn't she?" So there are times when I can't get the words out that I pray "The Five Finger Prayer." I have taught my children this concept. And if you haven't ever heard of it, I thought I would share it with you:

1. Your thumb is the nearest to you. So begin your prayer by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in industry and business, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble, or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "the least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinky should remind you to pray for yourself.

And the Winner Is...

We had such fun during this past week and hosting a giveaway. It truly felt like Christmas morning and for that I thank you!



My son Austin drew the name and my nephew Dominic kept a close eye for no monkey business.


And the winner is ESTHER SUNDAY!! Congratulations, Esther!! Be sure to email your mailing address to me at welcomehome@zoominternet.net.

Thanks to everyone who signed up. If there is anyone who really wanted the sign but did not win in today's giveaway, we do offer it at Nunnie's Attic and until next Sunday you can save an additional 10%. Thanks again everyone for letting us play Santa in September!

Love,
Julie

Godspeed

I will be announcing the winner of the giveaway after church (11:30 mass) this morning. My mom has all of the slips and we're going to have one of my kids pull the winner. Please check back around 1:00 to see if you have won. Good Luck to Everyone!!

In the meantime, I was thinking of little boys (my youngest was away this weekend) and the love they give. This is Godspeed by The Dixie Chicks. See you this afternoon!

"Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)"

Dragon tales and the "water is wide"
Pirate's sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, will find the mouse
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God hears "Amen," wherever we are
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Godspeed
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

Distressed White and Shabby Chic

The look of Shabby Chic and distressed white items are popping up everywhere. Scads of magazines offer up ideas and displays all capturing the romance that these pieces exude. Blogs from all around are exemplifying gentility and grace that lend themselves to this style.




These are just a few of the pieces we offer on Nunnie's Attic, Inc. Could you find a little corner for that table in your house? Or maybe your dining room is in need of a new chandelier. There is something to be said for that clean look that only white can give. Having 3 dirty boys in my house I can't capitalize on that look. But someday, when the boys have grown and gone, maybe then I'll be able to have that computer room or reading corner where I don't have to worry about the outside dirt making it's way inside and onto my pieces.

And kudos from this corner to all of the beautiful displays of yellow roses yesterday. You all have such a gift for beauty and design. I can't wait to see who the winner will be.

Have a great Saturday everyone! Enjoy the weekend!!

Love,
Julie

Take a Peak Inside My Home

Since I can't find my digital camera, my mom was nice enough to stop by yesterday and take some pictures for me. Thanks Mommy! I wanted to share a few pictures of my home. It's definitely a work in progress - but I'm getting there!

My Front Porch


My star tree. I saw these stars at Yorktowne Shoppe and snatched them up. She was planning to display the same type of tree in her shop but no more, ha! As I was grabbing all of them, she asked what I was planning to do. When I told her she just started laughing. At first I thought it was at my idea and I said Patty, you don't think that would be darling? She said Oh yeah, you just beat me to it!


My mantle with my new barn star! Joy and jubilance can only describe it.


You can't read the writing on the picture but it says "Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often" - the mantra of Nunnie's Attic!




Always Kiss Me Goodnight!


Stars and Stripes Forever


My dining room table all ready for fall. Most often I'm burning a tea light in those little cups. Right now they were holding Hershey Kisses. Those are gone too!


The Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies I baked to surprise and appease my husband. There are 6 left! If you look really close, you'll see one of my cats (Smidgen) sleeping on the chair in the upper left hand corner. That's my Daddy's elbow on the table. Hee hee. Love him!


I hope that you enjoyed the semi-tour of my home. When my kitchen is finally completed, I'll be sure to share those pics with you as well. Thanks for stopping by!


Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter the drawing for the Welcome Sign Giveaway. Click here to enter your comment.

The Banana Bread is Gone!

Well, it's gone. Between my kids and my brother's kids and breakfast for the boys this morning, there is no banana bread left. Gone! They descended upon this house in vulture-form; sniffing and hunting it out like great warriors searching for their prey.

My husband does not like bananas. Banana bread, splits, pie - they're all wasted on him. So when he came home last night finally (went to work at 6 am and worked until 10:30 last night!) he came in, sat down and ate his dinner that I had saved for him. That was pretty good too. He loved it. Kielbasi with caramelized onions, potatoes, fresh green beans and tomato sauce which I reduced. Off topic - sorry. Anyway he jokingly said what's for dessert. I know you made something because I can smell it. (I didn't tell him that it was Harvest Wreath simmering in my electric tart burner. I let him think that it is I alone who makes the house smell that good.) Anyway, I had to tell him sorry, it was banana bread. He looked a little crushed. Not because I made banana bread that he knows we love. He knew that the bananas we had were well past their prime and bread was inevitable. No, he wasn't denying us bread he just looked a little bummed there was nothing for him.

So today, more out of guilt than anything, I decided I will make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. Take a look at the recipe on Cara's Cravings. He loves oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip cookies. So, I'll combine the best of both worlds and I won't have to watch his little head hang in disappointment. You know I wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't started baking in the first place. Or if he would just like bananas like the rest of us!

Well would ya look at this?

I don't normally post twice in one day. Super Mom and Mayberry are my heroes. But, my mom just sent me this link. Are you kidding me?? I may have to go shopping! Good thing Kenny's working overtime!!

Check out this link: www.thecountryhouse.com/viewcategory.asp?catid=117

Love,
Julie

Some new things - some old things

I wanted to share a few photos of my lovely new stars. I love them and I have them all over the place. These are just 2 of the new ones I have found recently. Slowly but surely I am changing my living room over to Americana. I have always loved that style and I'm not really sure why I didn't decorate that way in the first place! Oh well, better late than never. You can't really tell in the picture, but the sconces are rod iron and they were my latest purchase. I absolutely love them!
I also want to remind you about the Rooster/Welcome sign giveaway we're having here this weekend. If you would like to be entered, just be sure to post your comment here first and then every day you leave a comment on the current post, we'll enter your name in the drawing again. Remember, the drawing will be Sunday so you can enter until Saturday. Don't forget about the Deck the Halls sale going on at Nunnie's Attic, Inc. You can save an additional 10%.

One more thing, take a moment and look at Mommy's new blog. It's all about entertainment news for those of us who indulge in that guilty pleasure. Everyday there's something new going on.

And thank you all for your sweet comments and support yesterday. I have no idea what was wrong. About 3:00 it just started working. I can't figure these things out. I think it may be a conspiracy to send me to the rubber room. I've seen the men with the little white jackets lurking around. Thanks again!!

Oh and today - I'm baking banana bread! Can't you just smell it?

I could scream!

I could just scream at the very top of my smoke-filled lungs! Evidently, there is something wrong with my computer. Last Friday when I was reading the post of another blogger, I clicked on the You Tube box in her post to listen to a song that she had in her head. It was a particularly good song and I was thoroughly enjoying it. All of a sudden my computer completely shut down. Went blank. I went through the whole "restore" process which apparently is just a ruse to make you think what you're doing is correct. Meanwhile behind the scenes, there are little gremlins laughing and pointing at me, slapping their knees and bending over in big belly laughs yelling "This has got to be the dumbest one yet." I can picture the tears rolling down their ugly little faces as they enjoy a good guffaw at my expense.

My computer has not been right since. Even though the little green light is on, if it goes into sleep mode it takes forever to come back up. Unlike before where all you have to do is move your mouse or hit a key. Then come the flashes. No, not the one induced by menopause. I'm talking about the monitor. I would say the first 2 minutes are replete with flashing black screens; scaring me into thinking it's shutting down and then after realizing that it's just toying with me, I go crazy. I asked my husband to look at it last night. Well apparently, look is all he did. It's not fixed.

Early in the morning I type up my new post for the day. (See yesterday's post about routines and habits.) But since I couldn't quite put all my thoughts together this morning I waited. At about 5:30 I had decided what I wanted to say. (You'll just have to wait for that; right now I'm venting.) I couldn't sign in. I couldn't read comments. I can't check other blogs. 6 hours later, I still can't. My mother is posting this for me. Since yesterday I ranted and raved about people not indulging me and my request to post every day - I had to get something on it. Now, I'm not so full of myself that I think people are waiting on baited breath to read my posts - but what comes around goes around. And I'm sure that right now there are hundreds of thought-provoking, spiritually-fulfilling and laughter-inducing posts floating around in blogland that I can't access! But, I'm with you in spirit!!

Keep your fingers crossed that: my computer gets fixed, it doesn't land outside via my brand new windows, and my husband's head doesn't appear on a platter later this evening. Come to think of it, maybe you should all say a prayer.

Something is better than Nothing

Hi, it's the other half of Nunnie's Attic (Mommy). I took the pictures yesterday of Julie's pie and I felt so bad that it did not come out, so I cropped it off and like I said, something is better then nothing. Julie, it was delicious.
Love, Mommy

Now What

Did you ever have a post in mind and then something didn't work out just right so you weren't able to use it? Well that happens to me all of the time. Just did again, too. I wanted to share a picture of the pumpkin pie that I had made along with the pinwheels out of the extra dough. I have to say, this crust was pretty darn good (I say still not as flaky but my father said it was delicious.) The pinwheels came out perfect! So anyway, proud of this elusive crust we took a picture. And in the digital camera it was just that - picture perfect. Then when we tried to download (or upload I never remember) the picture had a split screen and it was unusable. AARGH!

Now from there I started thinking now what am I going to write. And that thought lead to thinking that this happens to other people too. Which morphed into well maybe that's why people don't update their blog everyday. Why don't people update everyday? Could it be they have a life outside of their blog? Gasp! Could it be they're tired? Nothing to say? Picture didn't turn out? Or just too busy?

I love reading the new posts from everyone. And when someone doesn't share a new one for more than a day - the worrier in me sets in. Did something happen? Is everything all right? Did someone get sick? Or worse - have they given up blogging???? OH NO! That's it. They have given it up. Too much time and energy. WHY OH WHY? Why did this have to happen?? I was a loyal reader and commenter and poof - it's done? Just like that?

Then lo an behold - the next day or so a new posting appears. And I do my little happy dance. So and So is back! She didn't quit. She didn't give up. She came. I feel like the Grinch on Christmas morning and I too break the little heart-measuring device. Then I picture my blogging friends ceremoniously standing hand-in-hand whilst singing: Fah-who-for-aze, Dah-who-dor-aze - Welcome Blogger - Come this way!

A creature of habit will never understand why things are done the same way, every day. I hate change. And I know that change is good and blah blah blah. But, reading through the blogs, perusing the pictures, laughing at the stories, getting new ideas - it's all part of my daily routine. Some people don't have a routine. They wing it so to speak. Well God bless em. But have no fear. If you ever wondered if people notice you haven't updated your blog - I did.

Thank God

Luke 15:1-2
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Thank God!

Thank You Giveaway!!

We have had such a good time blogging with everyone, sharing ideas and feelings, getting to know you. We wanted to show our appreciation for all of the lovely comments people have been leaving. Nunnie's Attic would like to offer some sweet soul a Welcome sign to hang in their home or on their porch. This is one of the pieces we offer on our website. Please feel free to browse the attic and remember that there are 15 more days to take advantage of the Deck the Halls sale where you receive an extra 10% savings.



All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and we'll put your name in the drawing. We'll run the drawing until next Saturday, September 22, 2007. For each additional day you leave a comment, we'll add your name again. Hope you enjoy the Welcome sign and thank you again for the enormous amount of fun you have given to us over this past month and a half.

Love,
Julie

Anyone hungry?

I don't believe I will ever understand Mother Nature. Today's high is supposed to be 81 degrees by 5 pm. Not bad. Not what I consider Autumn weather but not bad. No humidity. Pretty nice. Now overnight the temps will dip down to 50 degrees. And then the high for tomorrow? 58. Now that's a drastic difference! And unfortunately it's that drastic change in weather which plays hell with my allergies. Everyone will be sick and miserable. Goody. Looking forward to that...

But, rather than get bogged down in the possibility of a sinus infection or bronchitis which always follows in my case, I decided to look at the positive. Cooler weather means only one thing should be happening. Baking!! It's not possible to feel miserable when you're enjoying a piece of pumpkin pie or gingerbread. My daddy loves pumpkin pie. So I think that tomorrow I'll make one. Since everyone gathers at my house after church on Sunday won't it be nice to offer them a piece of pumpkin pie? Just sounds comforting, doesn't it? And my mother just gave me a few glass pie plates. I'm taking that as a sign.

Now I can't make a pie crust like my mother. I have tried and tried and tried. I use her recipe which is 3:1. Meaning 3 cups flour to 1 cup Crisco. Ice cold water and a pinch of salt. Pastry chefs tell you to let your dough rest. My mother never did. But when my crust didn't come out like hers - you know, perfect - I thought I would try that little trick. Didn't work. Still doesn't come out like hers. It's not bad just not hers. The only consolation I can take is that my pumpkin pie is still better than no pie at all.

And today I think I'll make some cookies. I found a delicious sounding recipe on the Nestle website for Butterscotch Gingerbread cookies. Doesn't that sound divine? I read the reviews and over a hundred people said that these cookies were delicious. Can't argue with that. So the boys will have a little treat when they get home from school. My niece and nephew stop on their way home everyday so they can enjoy some too. My husband will think I'm great. And my house will smell delicious. So when I go grocery shopping today I better stock up. Pretty soon it will time to start baking for Christmas!!

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies

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Level: Easy Rated:

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Butterscotch morsels add their sweet creaminess to this classic gingerbread cookie. The ultimate treat, warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk.

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 9 min | Cooling Time - 15 min

Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 1/3 cup mild molasses 1 large egg 1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Morsels

Directions: PREHEAT oven to 350° F. COMBINE flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in small bowl. BEAT sugar, butter, molasses and egg in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.