Just for fun

Grannie Annie...you asked

To hell in a handbasket From Wikipedia
"Going to hell in a handbasket", "going to hell in a handcart", "going to hell in a handbag" and '"sending something to hell in a handbasket" are variations on an American alliterative locution of unclear origin, which describes a situation headed for disaster without effort or in great haste.
Its first use recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary is in an historical work of 1865 by I. Windslow Ayer, alleging that Judge Morris of the Circuit Court of Illinois at an August meeting of Order of the Sons of Liberty said: "Thousands of our best men were prisoners in Camp Douglas, and if once at liberty would ‘send abolitionists to hell in a hand basket.'"[1][2]

It has also appeared in the title of several published works and other media:
"To Hell in a Handbasket" is the name of humorist H. Allen Smith's 1962 autobiography.
"Hell in a Handbasket" was the title of a 1998 Star Trek comic book.
Hell in a Handbasket is the title of a 2006 book (ISBN 1585424587) by American counterculture cartoonist Tom Tomorrow, who authors a nationally syndicated cartoon strip This Modern World.
"Hell in a handbasket" was the name of an undescribed con requiring a trained cat referenced in the 2004 film, Ocean's Twelve.
"Hell in a handbasket" is a song from Voltaire's Ooky Spooky album.
"Hell in a handbasket" is a disaster in the computer game Afterlife

Is this a good time to wish you a

Well.....I do. Happy New Year everyone!

Symptoms

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of a kidney infection may include:
■Fever

■Back, side (flank) or groin pain

■Abdominal pain

■Frequent urination

■Strong, persistent urge to urinate

■Burning sensation or pain when urinating

■Pus or blood in your urine (hematuria)

When to see a doctor?
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you. Also make an appointment if you're being treated for a urinary tract infection, but your signs and symptoms aren't improving.
Severe kidney infection can lead to life-threatening complications. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience typical kidney infection symptoms combined with bloody urine or nausea and vomiting.

I didn't need to look up this information because I recognized the symptoms from past experience except the pain was unbelievable! I called to make an appointment with my doctor and he couldn't see me for two days so I took another Dr. for the next day...whew. Appointment was at 11:00 am and just held on best I could....waited and waited and waited and was needing to pee and knew they would want a urine sample so held on and finally at 11:45 I was called and told to give the sample. I waited and waited and waited and finally the Dr. showed up at 12:40 pm...yep, it was is a urinary tract infection and he will send the antibiotic right over to my pharmacy. The pain was so bad that I decided to go right home and take one of the red pills that makes the pain go away and eat some lunch before going to get the medicine (was afraid that if I took it before they wouldn't be able to do the culture). Still not much relief but headed for the drug store and guess what? They had no record of the medicine being faxed in. I call the Dr. office this is at 1:30 pm and yep it hasn't been sent over yet and will take about two hours to process. Now look I try really hard to remember I am not the only person needing to be cared for but it was just about this time that I thought I might lose it...it was sure a good thing I wasn't dying but only feeling like I was.
I am happy to report that I am feeling much better this morning and need to be thankful for those little things...like peeing with no pain.

It's all over except the shouting

This was a special Christmas for me because we were able to celebrate on Christmas Eve night. Due to schedule issues we have celebrated during the day of Christmas Eve for the last several years and it just isn't the same for me....I love the lights and candles and the fireplace and etc. Of course just having all of us together and healthy is the greatest gift of all. Our daughter and family open their gifts Christmas morning and then head over to his Mom's for the traditional Lasagna dinner and open gifts there. We have taken to going on a jaunt and this year chose a favorite place in Prescott, Az. called the Hassayampa Inn. We first headed north to the Cliff Castle Casino where hubby bribed me with a Johnny Rockets hamburger and then decided to take the VERY curvy road to Jerome (an old mining town) and then drop down into Prescott. This indeed was the long way but it had been a while since we had been in that area and we had lots of time. Stopped and snapped a couple of pictures looking back down into the valley.

It is true, you can't sit in this lobby and not take pictures...this is the ceiling they are describing

and here is an antique piano

and what is that thing to the left?

The original hotel switchboard

This was just one of the many decorated trees

They have a small intimate bar and this is one of two glass arches connecting to the other room

and this is the ceiling in the bar

Of course if the lobby and the bar are beautiful the dinning room is not to be outdone.....

There are several glass dividers and this one was next to our booth. The other thing that is special is that when you are seated they pull the table away from the booth for you be sit and then push it back to you....it is sure easier than trying to slide in.

These tulip lights are scattered throughout the room and they put off such a soft light.

But....of course what makes dinner really special is who you share it with!

Outside is beautiful sights as well  as the courthouse is all decorated....

Even the Historic Elks theatre had a tree and the huge Elk on top lite up....

It was indeed a Merry Christmas and I hope yours was too.

Shhhh Don't tell

Like most of you, I am finishing up my Christmas preparations and thought I would show you a few items how off the press you might say.....

knitted scarf and hat daughter requested.....

her only other request was that just her and I would take a little jaunt somewhere so I created a gift certificate for such event and made this card to try to make it a little more special

This was a little ribbon embroidery kit that I had tucked away for such an occasion.

I like to try to give people the things they have said they want and my grandson thought he would be funny when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and said "a monkey grinder".....

You can find most anything online!

I did add a secret pocket for a gift card:)

Merry Christmas!

My other life

It may be Christmas with all the decorations and activities but my other life continues on no matter the season. You see my hubby is a specialized gunsmith. He works on Single Action  guns and restores them; so it is a pretty common event for him to come into my office and show me one of his latest tasks. I have to tell you he is indeed is truly amazing. He does all the work by hand, filing and sanding and polishing and etc. I often forget just how old these things are and once in a while learn something new so I will share this one with you.

This is a 1874 US Artillery 45 in a holster that was made in the early 1900's and when he was cleaning and restoring the holster he found the items to the left stuffed down in the bottom of the holster.....a crumpled handkerchief and two mercury dimes that are very tarnished.

This is the gun belt that the holster goes on and it holds 40 bullets which makes it pretty heavy but low and behold it is also  a money belt...

Behind the buckle is a slot that you could slip gold and silver coins in which was common in the late 1800's. Now talk about heavy...it would take a pretty good man to pack this around.

Favorites

As I look at the different Christmas decorations, I notice that my favorite ones usually have a special memory attached to it  and most of the time it is one that has been made.........   I'll share a few

Daughter and I made these over 18 years ago before she was married. I remember the night so well...I was dead tired and she was full of energy:)

Made by daughter the first year she was married

First decoration made by grand daughter with grandma's help

Bird inherited from my paternal grandfather. It is metal with a vinyl tail.

Another activity with Granddaughter.

and last but not least.........................is this knitted Santa sweater (bought) because this is as far as I go with Santa

Time to make more friendship bags

Last year I made 12 of these and we gave away the last one Wed. night on our way home from dinner. A young man was next to the road with a sign that said "I'm 19 no family and I'm hungry. I have enjoyed having these available in my car for such occasions. They are simply, they don't go bad and is better than handing out money.

Friendship bag (contents)
a pop-top can of fruit or fruit cocktail
a pop-top can of Vienna sausage
a small can of juice
a package of cheese and crackers, or peanut butter and crackers
a napkin and plastic fork
a moist towelette
one all-day bus pass
change for a local phone call
a card with community contact phone numbers (crisis clinic, food bank, salvation army)
a coupon for a free shower at the local YMCA
or anything you think would be helpful to someone on the street. Roll up and staple shut.

Gift that keeps giving all year long

Year after year I struggle to find special gifts for my loved ones and rarely do I remember from year to year what I got them and I doubt that they remember either. This is one of the reasons I so enjoy giving these types of gifts to those who really need them.

Give a goat. Goats nourish hungry children and families with healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt. Goats also give a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market.
A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens.

For more info go here    http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/pages/gift-catalog-dynamic-display-holidays?open&display=1&cmp=BAC-105418213&campaign=105418213

Christmas decorations

Unlike most people, I don't like to put up the Christmas decorations until just a few weeks before Christmas. I happen to be married to the top Mr. Scrooge so my kids take pity on me and come and put them all up........ In exchange I fix dinner. Tonight is the night and I have a few new Christmas decorations

I worked on this cross stitch for years, finished it and tucked it away for safe keeping. It was safe alright, totally forgot about it until I came upon it recently.

This is a project I saw on a fellow blogger and fell in love with it http://mycountryblogofthisandthat.blogspot.com/2010/11/light-block-tutorial.html  Here it is turned on

This is a surprise gift to my kids and will take residence at their house.

These little knitted stockings will hold gift cards and candy and will be hung on the tree after they leave.

The dinner menu is Pork tenderloin, home made macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole and cranberry spinach salad.......and for desert....old fashioned banana pudding...that is if I quit blogging and get myself to the grocery store.

Winter

This is what winter looks like at my house.................
I have to go further north if I want to experience any snow.

Insulator tree

Right now everyone is focusing on a Christmas tree but not me.......One of my fellow bloggers posted an article about bottle tress and it gave me a idea!!!
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/2010/11/bottle-trees.html

I have a whole crate full of old insulators that my Mom collected and saved so I googled (what would I ever do without google) and low and behold, you can buy a metal "tree" to hang the bottles on. This is the easy way to do it an not get hubby too involved so he won't grumble:)

http://glassian.org/insulator.html
Here is a web site that talks about insulators but the simply explanation is that they were used on telephone polls before everything started being put underground. I have these green ones but I also have a very large brown one, some that have turned purple with age and white ones. I decided to use only the green ones on my tree.

This was a little corner in the back yard where nothing would grow (as noted by the discarded drip that hasn't been removed yet) and the best part of all is that I already had a uplight in place to create these wonderful views at night.





Thank you Farmchick for the inspiration.

I truly enjoy something different here and there and this is just a perfect additon to my back yard where you will also find an unusual butterfly.......

and some chatting ducks





Happy Thanksgiving

What to do?

Recently I was informed a former neighbor's daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic cancer. She is the same age as my daughter. They have set up a site on http://www.caringbridge.org/  This is a wonderful site that someone created so that people could use it to keep people informed. I really struggle with these type of situations because it seems to me that nothing is appropriate. Get well cards are out of the question, I am praying for you is pretty much a no brainer, stay strong seems to me to be an insult because if you could you would. So what would my response be? This sucks! Bad things shouldn't happen to good people. Well, I guess that wouldn't be very helpful either. I was mulling this all over and over and I heard  "laughter is good medicine"so that gave me a

I decided to make a packet of cute picture's, jokes, stories, scriptures and etc. and number the pages so that she could read them like maybe one a day. I borrowed things from other blogs especially Chatty Crone and hope you didn't mind.

First page

(from the middle)

S O M E T I ME S 

Sometimes...

when you cry...

no one sees your tears.

Sometimes...

when you are in pain...

no one sees your hurt.

Sometimes...

when you are worried...

no one sees your stress.

Sometimes...

when you are happy..

no one sees your smile ...

-----But FART !! just ONE time... And everybody knows!! -------

40 pages worth

Last page

What do you do in these kind of situations?