Kindle freebies!

There are tons of great freebies to download. Here is one of the first ones I did. I love the classics.

I am blessed. ~Angela

Merry Christmas everyone!

I barely did it I am certain, but I must have made the nice list. Cause this was waiting for me under the Christmas tree.

Tonight I have been snooping around Amazon, seeing what there is out there. AND man, there is so much!

We were blessed as a family this year. Daddy and Mom are still with us. I am so thankful for that. Every year, more so. They are both in their seventies now and not in the best health. They are so precious.

Pray you got to spend time with those you love and hold dear.

I am blessed. ~Angela

PS: Here is a peak at our newest family members. Sophie and Elijah

Hooky fun and sweet friends

Two things I love!

Here is a bit of my hooky love. I made this lil' Bethany Bear on the fly. Writing up the pattern as I went.Thinking I will make more of her. She is made from wool and is very lightly stuffed. Her dress is closed at the bottom. Her hanger is ricketyrack. Right now she is hanging on our everyday tree, but will go on the Christmas tree one of these days. There is no mouth, that is just the stitch holes. Doesn't look so obvious in person. Bethany is 7-inches tall.

Look at this sweet box of goodies my retreat girlies gave me. Amgela's Advent Box. Sorry the tag photo is not very clear. It is all adorable. There is a sewn bag with a tag for each day. I had to wait about 2 weeks before I could bust into this baby!!! Oh the agony. Thankfully I had other distractions, Thanksgiving here and chemo, to keep me occupied. I will share along the way some of the sweet things I received. Miss Laura's daddy built the box. It is an awesome gift in itself! These ladies are simply amazing and I am blessed to call them my friends. Their thoughtfulness and encouragement is just boundless. Thank you my lovelies! You know who you are!!! I love you.

Today is my sweet sister Penny's birthday. I hope you can hop over and give her a birthday greeting.

I am blessed! ~Angela

Is this the coolest or what?

The Kindle Fire from Amazon.

I am blessed

I am a blessed girl. Family, friends, home and health (Even bad health is good health when you think of the alternative! Our daddy says any day you wake up above the green is a good day.) There is just so much to be thankful for. God is good to me in ways I cannot imagine, in ways I do not even see. I know I keep my guardian angels quite busy on a slow day!

The image below is a coloring page you can click on and print for the munchkins at your house on Thanksgiving Day. Something to keep them busy with while you are finishing getting the table ready.

It has been very blowsy and blustery here. Not many leaves left for the neighbors to sweep and rake. I do believe they have all landed at our back stoop. Toby is loving it. He loves fallen and blowing leaves. A good frolic is good for a puppy he thinks.

Our retreat last week was so good. My friends are amazing women with talents for friendship and for sewing/crafting. Much laughter and monkey business. :o) Thankful we will be meeting again in May. This will be our 10 year anniversary retreat. Plans are in the works to make it extra special. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 

I am blessed! ~Angela

Staying busy!

We have been so busy. Farmer's Market is over for the season. BUT we did 2 shows the following 2 Saturday's. Both were wonderful shows. And now we are heading to our annual autumn retreat with our online quilting friends, Backporch Friends, tomorrow. Just one more sleep. Love my girlies!! Our May retreat will be our 10th year!!! We are planning some special things for that one don't ya know!!! Would love to have all of the past attendees who could, come back. I have also started a booth in an antique mall with my sister Debbie. It is a really nice mall, lots of primitives and a good overall variety of wares. Still in the getting it stocked phase.

Here is a photo our Market Master Laura, posted on Facebook. I look frumpy and dumpy, but it shows a corner of the booth and Penny's yarn. She has more than this, but has it at the cooperative right now.

And of course our hats. We nearly sold out. Seriously! It was crazy. I am going to be hooking it like mad to get some inventory to the places I have promised them. Penny too. We have already been planning what new things to make for the market next year. Gotta have something new each year to excite everyone.

Hope everyone is doing well. I am sending out special prayers and hugs to our dear friend Sandra who recently lost her precious husband Dave. 

I am blessed. ~Angela

 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
 Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I am thinking, I best be getting ready...

Being responsible

“She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.”
~Proverbs 31:16

Being a good steward of what God gives us. Being responsible. Thinking to our families future. Living intentionally.

Got it Done

 This batch of apple butter was 14 pints. I was very pleased with it. However, the next batch, I will make not quite as sweet. Although Mr. Mark LOVES it sweet. He ate a pint the first morning! Out of the jar! hahaha I also canned 4 pints of tomato juice. Thought there would be more, but that is what I got. Pleased with even that much. I am planning on making apple jelly next. Working my way down the list. Jars are on sale now with it being end of season. Now is the time to get them. Speaking of jelly. Have you heard that peanut butter is going sky high this winter? All the devastation in the southern states this year. We are going to try to stock up this week. Mr. Mark takes a lot of pb/j sandwiches in his lunchbox. Either for a snack or breakfast or lunch.

 This is a more girly monkey love hat.

Just two more of my hats. Screaming pink (and dark chocolate brown) huh? 

 Mark, Shayla and Toby at Mark's birthday party. Doesn't Shayla look festive. Our mom got the little girl's these flower leis to play with. Shayla LOVED hers! Said they made her feel fancy. It was so sweet. Except she took me to stop doing the hula dance. It was creepy!! That was hilarious. Me doing it and her saying that! Love that girl.

This week seems to be going fast. Hope everyone is getting to do something they love. Feed your passion my friends. Life is too short to not do something you enjoy!

I am blessed. ~Angela

Puttin' Up For Winter

On today's this week's agenda...canning tomato sauce and making apple butter. Both I haven't made in a long time and both we love need. I will let you know how it goes.

Penny and I had a good day Saturday at Farmer's Market. We sold 27 hats plus a couple other things. Not bad for 3 hours, plus set up and tear down time.It is funny how each week it seems one size is the one that everyone wants. And then the next week it is a different size. Here is a pic of some of Penny's yarn. This was taken at a recent show we vendored at.

The mats, I felted from wool. Great hot pads or table toppers.

My lupus is flaring up some right now. Just an all over hurting you cannot get away from. Thinking of trying a new medicine the doctor had suggested. But hate all the side effects that can come with it. The disease is bad enough! Still praying about it and taking what my regular meds.

Pray Monday is the start of a blessed week for everyone.

I am blessed. ~Angela

Just a thought

It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us...Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start. - Mother Teresa

Autumn Busyness

I snitched this photograph from our market master Laura, of Orange County Homegrown. It was taken at a vendor's booth at farmer's market. We are in the last month of market now. BUT our busyness is not over. Penny and I have shows the first two Saturdays of November. THEN we get to play with our buddies at our November Quilt Retreat the next week. We are also joining an artisan shoppe. The French Lick Artisan is located in the next county. It is a very rural community with a historic history that goes back to the 1800's. The community has done amazing things in developing a gorgeous travel destination. Five star hotels, PGA golf course, historic train rides and much more. Just a great area and we are happy to be a part of this shoppe. That is next week's project. Thankful my hands have kept working. I have been a crocheting constantly it seems. It's a good thing.

I am blessed! ~Angela

Orange Vinegar Cleaner

This is what I have been using in my house for a couple of months now. I really like it. And so easy to do.

I removed the peel from 2 oranges. Placed them in a jar (This is a recycled fruit jar.) Fill the jar approximately one inch from the top wtih vinegar. Now for this white vinegar is better than apple cider vinegar. Every day or so, give the jar a shake. I keep mine in my pantry in the dark. After one week, you will begin to smell the orange overpowering the vinegar. I waited two weeks. 

Strain the orange mixture. Put the orange peel back into the jar, you can reuse it for the next several batches. When the peel gets all gooey, replace it. Fill a spray bottle two thirds of the way with the vinegar. (As you can tell, I reused a bottle I had saved for a very long time. This is the best sprayer I have ever had.) Add water to approximately one inch from the top. Shake well. Clean away. Now don't be thinking you will not smell the vinegar. BUT it is not so overpowering. AND the orange oil released from the peel has great cleaning properties on grease. The smell dissipates very quickly. I am using this in both my bathroom and kitchen. Do not use this on mirrors or windows. There is streaking from the orange oil. But it shines the rest very nicely. I have so much trouble with my lungs and have been trying to get away from all the chemical cleaners I can. And how loud can you say CHEAP?

I am blessed. ~Angela

September Photos

 September is all about birthdays for us. My girl is now 24. Heather, how did this happen? Our Baby Shayla (niece) is now 8. And not quite a baby anymore. Cannot believe how fast the years have gone.

They shared a party this year. We never do themes, but this year I did an Alice in Wonderland tea party. Heather loves her some AiW!! I had the dining table set up with roses and cupcakes, cookies, cake, and other goodies. We had turkey and ham sandwiches on party buns with a bit more "real" food. The small photo is a treasure to me. It is of my girls when Heather was 16 and Shayla was 3 months. We had so much fun that day. Did you notice the googly eyes on the roses? hahaha You have to have googly eyes on your flowers for anything with Alice you know. It was a good day.

Then daddy had his birthday next. He and Jaidy were playing around. Daddy was getting ready to blow out his candles. He had a willing helper. A good pic of both their happy faces.

Jaidyn loves my wormies. Glad she is not too girly to get her hands dirty. She would carry one or two around and then trade them for others. Lots of worming loving and then hand washing.

This Little Miss LOVES my poor Timmy cat. They have a love/hate relationship. By looking at the pics, can you guess who does what? :o))) That is a very tight death grip hug she is giving him.

I am blessed. ~Angela

God bless America

Tomato Quiche

I know. I am turning this into a recipe blog. But hey, we all gotta eat! This is a nice way to use summer's bounty.

Tomato Quiche

1 unbaked pie shell

2-3 good sized tomatoes sliced (If they are very seedy, remove that part. It will make the bottom of the quiche too wet.)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 medium onion sliced into rings

1 cup shredded cheese

4 beaten eggs

1 tablespoon of milk or cream

salt and pepper to taste

Place the tomatoes into the pie shell, overlapping as needed. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning. Arrange the onion slices evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheese. Mix the beaten eggs and the milk together and pour over the cheese. (I add the salt and pepper to the egg mixture and then pour.) Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. This will allow the eggs to finish cooking. Enjoy! Makes great leftovers. I actually prefer it cold. You could also add very thinly slices zucchini.

I am blessed. ~Angela

Come see us at the market!

Penny and I set up each Saturday (with Mark's assistance) at the semi-local farmer's market. It is the best! It is in Orleans, Indiana. I am totally serious people, this is the best market. And well worth your drive if you live in southern Indiana. Tons of homegrown produce. Many of it organically tended with loving care. Yummy bake goods. Amish made baskets. Unique handcrafts. All in one place. The past few weeks, there have been over 70 vendors in attendance. And closer to 80 I think. As the season goes along, the numbers will increase also. It is a tiny little town with a sweet courtyard that we are allowed to use. Many nice shade trees and a playground for the kiddies. AND the music! The music happens in the Jammer's Tent. The local folks bring their instruments and voices and have a great time. All ages. Any acoustic instrument welcome. From guitars, mandolins, dulcimers, banjos, washboards, autoharps...you name it! The talent is amazing. Love the bluegrass and hymns that these blessed people bring to our ears. We are fortunate in that our tent is beside their area. The market is every Saturday from 8-noon. Come October, the hours change will be 9-noon.

Here is our Miss Jaidyn. Isn't she a doll? She went to a tutu party and had her photo taken. Aunt Angie loves this baby girl. Who is growing up toooo quickly!

I am blessed. ~Angela

Easypeasy Lemon Cake

Lemonade Cake

Bake your favorite white or yellow cake. If you LOVE lemons, bake a lemon flavored cake. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Prick the top with a fork. While your cake is baking, mix a 6 oz. container of frozen lemonade with 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir often. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. I used a basting brush to help spread the glaze evenly. That is it! A simple refreshing dessert. You could also add Cool Whip topping or make your own whipped cream topping. I am going to try it with orange juice next. The glaze could also be used with pound cake or angel food cake. 

I have checked the weather forecast this morning. Not looking too good. They said at least 40 states will have temps OVER 90 degrees in the coming week. Many will have a heat index over 110, including us here in Indiana. We got a big ole rain storm yesterday. While the gardens loved it, definitely more humid now. Wherever you are, hope you are able to find a cool spot to nest down with your creating. 

Off for treatment #2 here in a bit. :o) In everything give thanks, right? So I am thankful for a car with air, a nice facility and staff to get my meds, air in my home, clean sheets on my bed and my precious family and friends.

I am blessed. ~Angela

Soughdough Bread Recipe

Here is the basic bread recipe I use.

2 c. soughdough starter

2 T. oil

4 t. sugar

1 t. salt

3 c. all purpose flour

I only actually mix in  2 cups of flour. The third cup I knead into the dough. If you have a wetter dough, add it in the bowl. Knead bread approximately 5 minutes. Shape into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Turn the dough over in the bowl to make sure the top is oiled also. Cover with a towel and allow to rise. When you poke your finger into the dough and the hole does not fill back in, the dough has risen. Turn out onto the counter and knead 5 more minutes. Shape into loaf. Allow to rise again. Place into oven to bake at 350 degrees. Do not preheat the oven, but rather place the bread into a cold oven. Standard baking time is 30- 35 minutes. Bread is done when the top is golden and the bread makes a thumping noise when tapped. Watch the bottom to make sure it does not get dark, this is my problem area. This recipe has been a good sandwich bread, little crumb when sliced. 

I am blessed. ~Angela

Here I am

I haven't felt, well, very bloggy this past month. The pleurisy is gone but I still have a touch of pneumonia. Have been trying to keep the house up and do my crochet work for Farmer's Market. And the weeds from my flower gardens. They are really pretty easy to maintain. Just the stray ones here and there. We use a heavy compost/mulch each year to feed them and it really does the trick. This year they are gorgeous! Every year we are moving and changing things. Mark enjoys them thankfully. I would never have any of this if he didn't. The front is a mass planting. And as they self sow and increase, we divide and move them around. This is a pic of the front corner along the drive. You will notice we do not have a door mat. 1.) The wind blows it away each and every time and 2.) No one uses this door. We use the side door. 

 From left to right...cat mint, chives, pink yarrow and yellow cone flowers. The yarrow and cone flowers are new to this spot, so haven't filled in yet. Past the bunny is our blue Siberian iris's. Gorgeous purpley blue when they bloom. It got hot so quickly this year, they didn't have very long to perform. They are like a hedge to cover the house foundation.

 The two lovelies above are from Sarahbeth. My new sourdough starter. Alas, Charlotte Rose didn't make it. We tried, but it just wasn't meant to be. The rainy damp weather we had, was not a good time to make sourdough starter or sponge. She just didn't take. BUT Sarahbeth is doing very well. This is my second batch from her. Those are full size dinner plates. A nice texture with very little crumb. Delish

My mom has loaned me her camera. She hadn't used it for some time, so I have pics! It is just a borrow until I can buy one. Unforeseen expenses...Mark's truck repairs, lawn mower died and I need two front tires on Ladybug has sucked up our Market money. But there is still a lot of season left! :o) Man oh man, last Saturday was killer hot. I am thinking this Saturday will be even hotter! We have a canopy Praise The Lord! And are in a lovely spot. No complaints.

Here is an easy recipe for Italian Chicken. Cut your chicken breast into strips. Boil until tender. Drain well. Place Italian salad dressing into a bowl. It doesn't take alot. Add your chicken while hot. Coat the chicken well and let it set for 10 minutes. YUMMMM You can heat it up in the microwave or in a skillet (no need to oil it) or eat it as is. It will still be warm. We ate pieces of the sourdough bread with it and used the dressing as a dipping sauce.

Well, today I start chemo again. I thought I had better play catch up with you all today before I left. Not looking forward to it. But am thankful for the skills of man and the grace of God. The next 8 weeks or so will be over soon I keep telling myself.

Hope everyone is finding a cool spot and doing something they love.

I am blessed. ~Angela

Got the tshirt!

We came. We walked. We got the tshirt. :o)

I was so very proud of mom for making the walk. She suffers from several illnesses, not the least being degenerative bone disease in her spine and shoulders. This is a horribly painful disease and makes walking and sitting very difficult. This photo is after our survivor lap. Daddy could out walk all of us. He walks his farm's hills and hollows every day. A quarter mile around a flat track was nothing for him. :o) Heather walked the caregiver lap with me. And even Miss Jaidyn walked a whole lap. Debbie and Penny were both there to support us. A big thank you to all that supported us in The Relay for Life. Cancer is a wicked thing and the cure needs to be found NOW.

Happy Father's Day Daddy! You are the best daddy to your girls. We love you! Yesterday we had our family celebration. A farmhand supper of chicken/dumplings, green beans/potatoes, buttered carrots, deviled eggs, cottage cheese and tomatoes. Pineapple cake for dessert. Simple fare is so good.

I am blessed. ~Angela

It is time!

Our Relay for Life is this Friday! You can go HERE to read my story. You will also find the donate buttons there. (hint hint HINT) I will walking the Survivors Lap with Mom and Daddy. That one lap around the track will be hard to accomplish. But we will get'r done. I have pleurisy again in both my lungs. A huge thank you to all that have supported me financially in this. I completely realize that monies are tight. No worries or pressures for anyone. Just offering you the opportunity.

I am blessed. ~Angela

Simple Dessert Recipe

1-large box of Jello of your flavor choice (I used sugar free cherry)

3 cups boiling water

1-tub of thawed Cool Whip topping ( again, I used sugar free)

Stir together the gelatin and boiling water for at least 2 minutes. Blend in the topping. Place into a pretty clear dish for the "aaaaaaaaahhh effect". Chill until set. The mixture will separate as it chills. The bottom layer will look like regular gelatin, the second layer will be a softer milkier color, the top layer will look more like the topping. It was very refreshing and so simple. I will be making it for our Fourth of July family event. The recipe came off the side of the box by the way :o) Sorry no pic of the finished yumminess, still no camera.

I am blessed. ~Angela