Did You Survive The Holidays?

It was a fast paced holiday season with craft shows, filling orders, restocking the shelves, and making soap. I found the time to wrap some gifts at the fair grounds for Project Santa, did some baking (oh, the crack candy at my house was awesome), had family dinners, and even read a book.

I love to make soap, it brings out the creative side of me. I like to wrap myself up in a scent and close my eyes and "see" the soap I am going to create. It is really cool when the soap turns out the way I "imagine" it.

While setting up at one of the holiday craft shows I found myself next to Katie Spencer. She is a wonder woman who used to sell to HUGE chain stores. She now sells her handmade items at Tumblewinds on Esmeralda St. in Minden. One item in her booth just fascinated me.


I love the origami feel to the ornament. I love the sharp angles. I love the bright colors. I just love these ornaments. Being the wonderful person that she is, Katie mailed the instructions and I made 11 ornaments to give as Christmas gifts.


Did I tell you I love making these ornaments?

Hold That Thought

You know, the one about not having much money. What to do, what to do.

I found myself with a little time, that would be because we are not exchanging gifts this year due to lack of funds. The real problem here is, I LOVE TO WRAP GIFTS. I found a way to get my wrapping fix without spending any money.

In our little town we not only have service clubs like the 20/30 Club, Elks, Minden Fortnightly Club, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis, we also have all the schools hold food drives around the holidays. We have a food closet that runs year round helping those people that need a lift. But the best project of all.......


is Project Santa.

I meet up with Marilyn Malkmus, organizer of Project Santa. The program helps provide Christmas gifts to kids living in Douglas County. There are Angel Trees at many stores throughout the county, people can pick an Angel and buy the gifts listed and then drop them back off where Marilyn makes sure they go to the right family. There were 786 children in the program last year and she said there are 100 more than that this year. She directed me to the book wrapping station. Every child will receive at least 1 reading book but judging by the thousand of books I saw there will be no shortage of books. Marilyn has many helpers that volunteer every year, and the rest are like me. I went for 8 hours one day, but anyone can go, even if for one hour. I saw so many friends there and made some new ones, Hi Katie and Steve! I got my wrapping fix taken care of, that is for sure.

It was a great way to get into the spirit of Christmas. All the gifts wrapped and sitting on the family's number brought tears to my eyes. I remember a friend of mine who was in the program a couple of years ago. Her little boy would not have had anything under the tree, if they had a tree. The generosity of the community overwhelmed her and made her Christmas.

So...even if you don't have money to spend, you can spend your time by volunteering for one of the service organizations. It is a great way to give back to the community you live in.

Merry Christmas

I May Not Have Much Money, Handmade From The Heart

Every year the Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) gets together and makes up gift bags for the teachers at Douglas High School. This year with both my husband and I being unemployed I was not able to pick up the usual gift items. Still wanting to do my part I looked around the soap room and found some 2 oz. bottles I don't use any more. So...I spent the day making 150 bottles of lotions for the teachers. I know many of them and I thank the Lord my dear daughter has such dedicated and knowledgeable people to teach her. It was an honor to be able to bring a little of my handmade items to them.

First I sterilized the bottles and caps.


Second, I whipped up some lotion and scented it with a spicy cranberry scent, perfect for men or women.


Third, I poured into the clean bottles, labeled and packed them up.


Thank you Teachers of Douglas High School.

Every Once In A While.......

You meet a person who has the gift of giving. I don't mean they give you gifts. I mean they give of themselves. They share their passion, their knowledge, and their gift of giving.

I meet one such person through a soap making forum I belong to. I have learned so much from her blog. She does such intense research and provides an overload of information that you can't help but learn something.

Susan is a wealth of information about cosmetic chemistry. As she says, "often strange, occasionally useful, and always worth a stop as a point of interest on your journey through the Intertron." I have been enjoying my journey with her and share her obsession of crafts and the bath and beauty industry.

Now this person does not just give online. She also reaches out to children, and that is a subject near and dear to my heart. Her program is called "Rated T for Teen."
From their web page
"We provide different programs to youth at the Chilliwack and Yarrow Libraries (in Chilliwack, B.C., Canada) and most of the funding comes from the volunteers’ pockets. We offer craft groups to teens, tweens, and pregnant and parenting teens. We provide two card and board game clubs, two video game clubs, and a Japanese pop culture program, as well. We also offer parent-child crafting programs."

Part of her fundraising program has been the Aviva Community Fund Program. Here you can vote for her program to receive community assistance.

As part two of her fundraising plan, she put together a 122 page e-book entitled
"Back to Basics: Anhydrous Products."
" The book includes over 50 recipes and explanations for making lotion bars, whipped butters, balms, oil based scrubs, bath melts, bath oils, oil based sprays, solid scrubs, and facial sera, as well as all the carrier oil, exotic oil, and butter profiles and everything I've gathered about the chemistry of our oils including fatty acids, mechanisms of rancidity, phytosterols, and polyphenols."

For a $20.00 donation that all goes into the project you will recieve a e-book that you will be able to use for years. I am so excited for this opportunity to purchase this collection of facts and information AND to help her project to bring the wonderful world of crafting to their youth.

CHECK IT OUT!

For A Good Cause

This is a picture of the Carson Valley from Kingsbury Grade, Hwy 207. Can you see my house? It's there on the left.

I love living in Nevada. I love the seasons, you know, winter and road work. Just kidding. I love the sun shining 337 days a year, the snow falling, the incredible sunsets,


the mountains, the wide open spaces, cattle being herded across a highway from one pasture to another, kids in rodeo, Lake Tahoe, and lets not forget, the wild horses that roam our valley.

Here in Gardnerville if you want to eat the produce from your garden, you had better put a fence around it. Horses run free in the BLM lands all around the Carson Valley. They are magnificent creatures, strong and proud. With our unpredictable weather and many drought years they sometimes need our help. That is where many of the organizations to promote and save our wild horses come in. I am doing a craft show sponsored by the Wild Horse And Burro Organization. I am a member of the Made In Nevada Program and we were offered spaces at the show. Made In Nevada is a nonprofit marketing cooperative consisting of small and large businesses throughout the state. They call Nevada home and through their efforts, contribute to the economic well-being of Nevadans in communities across the state.

The show is called the National Wild Horse Center WESTERN STATES WILD HORSE AND BURRO EXPO. It is held at the
Reno Livestock Events Center.
August 20-22, 2010
1350 N. Wells Ave 1721 Reno, NV 89512


From their web site
The Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo has these objectives:

1. To promote the successful adoption of wild horses (mustangs) and burros who have been gathered from public lands:
A. To educate the public about wild horses and burros through entertainment, showcasing their many fine qualities
B. To improve the success rate of adoptions, by providing educational opportunities with top trainers
C. To provide an opportunity for Federal, State, and Local governmental organizations, as well as for private rescue groups, to offer their wild horses and burros for adoption to the public

2. To raise public appreciation for wild horses and burros - both in the wild and in captivity and/or domestication

3. To promote public acceptance and appreciation for Mustangs and Burros as breeds with strong merits

4. To provide a Showcase for successful owners, trainers, and adopters of formerly wild Mustangs and Burros

5. To provide a venue for people who love wild horses and burros to come together for fun, education, entertainment, sharing, and friendly competition

6. To raise funds to help support wild horse and burro rescue, advocacy, and preservation projects

7. To provide an educational and informational forum for non-profits and other groups who work in horse welfare, nature conservation, and other areas relating to wild horses and burros and the Adoption program.

I set up my table




and then stopped to watch a couple of gals in the arena. I walked down and asked if I could take a few pictures and got to talking. What else is new? The girls work at the Nevada B Ranch, owned by Steven Bourne. With the help of Sheri Avis, executive director, they have turned the ranch into a haven for horses that need a place to recuperate from starvation, illness, injuries or abandonment. The Nevada B Mustang Sanctuary has taken in 47 horses. I meet Kelly Lyon and Courtney Kemp.


Lets see if I can get this right. Kelly Lyon, a teacher with a degree in biology, trains horses and is chairman of the board of the Nevada Mustang Sanctuary. She is here with Kobe. He has only been ridden 35 or so times. He seemed very well mannered to me. Kelly was showing him the signs along the rail and letting him get used to the noises and size of the arena.


This is Courtney Kemp. She is a certified horse trainer with an extensive background in the handling of Mustang horses. She holds the secretary of the board position at the sanctuary. She is riding Sassy. Sassy only has 30 rides under her belt and she seemed very well behaved to me, too. They are from the Dann Shoshone Family that had their home taken away. The horses had gone to several places and ended up at the Nevada B Ranch.


I also stopped to talk to a few other people that were setting up at the show.

Horses for the Spirit from Reno, NV, is a charity dedicated to offering Equine Assisted Learning programs to youth in Washoe County. They teach positive life and social skills to primarily kids at risk of failing in traditional settings, but it is their dream and goal to serve all children in the community. Graduates of their programs have increased their skills in leadership, teamwork, problem solving, managing behavior and more.

The Center for Adaptive Riding specializes in lesson planning for individuals with physical, emotional, developmental or learning challenges. Adults or children diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Learning Disability or Multiple Sclerosis can enjoy the out of doors while working with the horses, volunteers, staff and other riders. Brain neuropathways are activated and stimulated while the students brush, feed, lead or ride the horses, helping with balance and body awareness. They are located in Washoe Valley, Nevada.

I also saw a very cool vendor booth, Nancy's Horse Blanket Laundry and Repair. Stop by and see everyone if you are going to the show!

I will be taking more pictures tomorrow, so come on back!

This is the way I set up my soaps this time. Do you like it? I always wrap the soap before a show and then you can't see how cool they look, so.... I thought I would leave one unwrapped.

Drumroll Please!

I have been waiting patiently and checking my mail box ever since Lynn from Lynn's Lovelies let me know she mailed my package. Lynn makes beautiful hand made crocheted items and I knew as soon as I saw a hat and bootie set that I had to have it for Baby Mia. I meet Lynn through Link Referral. This is a site that lets your blog or web site review and be reviewed. It helps with your rankings and drives traffic to your site. I loved Lynn's shop and told her that. We started talking about how much we liked the other's products and.....a trade was born. Rats, she wrapped them so good I have to wait for Mia to see them! Wow, there is even rose petals in the package, smells so good! That is a very nice touch, I don't have to hunt around for wrapping paper and ribbon, it is already done! She even put in a hand made card for me. Thank you Lynn, I did have a blast! In her Etsy Shop Lynn makes and sells a variety of crocheted lovelies for babies, preemies, dolls, and ladies. She also makes crocheted roses, flower and leaf motifs that can be be used in your crafting, scrap booking or sewing projects. Lavender is one of her favorite flowers and she makes Pretty Lavender filled sachets, pincushions, and small pillows that can be custom made in the colors and size you desire. She also has hats, pins, scarves, neck warmers, ornaments and keepsakes. Oh no Daddy, I am tired! Do these make my feet look big? I need a new photographer, Daddy, help! Can I go back to sleep now? Now Mia is already 2 months old but she was born a premmie so is still a newborn, just larger. Lynn had to adapt her pattern to fit Mia as she is over 10 pounds now! We live in the high desert near Lake Tahoe and the summer times can get a bit hot so I asked Lynn to make the baby set big enough to fit Mia this fall and winter. Thank you so much Lynn, trading with you was a blast! To see the soaps I sent Lynn, check out her blog!

We Are So Blessed

Thank you for all your prayers. Yesterday our girl came home! She was gaining weight, her temperature was holding steady, her breathing was fine. Why did it take so long for her to come home? A funny little thing most of us do not think of, it just comes naturally. She had to drink, swallow, AND breathe, all at the same time. Sounds easy, but not when you are born pre mature. That is something that comes along in the 34-36th week. Thank you for all your prayers. It is hard to see good friends going through hard times and I think your prayers helped our friends during their trying times.

School Is Almost Out

And it is still snowing! This has been crazy weather in the Carson Valley this year. Now that school is out and the volleyball season is done for my dear daughter I will be able to spend a lot more time on the soap business. I am going to show you how I make soap and a few other bath and body products I make. It should be fun, for me that is.


An artist I work with at the Brewery Arts Gift Store made me some soap dishes. They are adorable and functional too. Let me know if you want one!

With Arms Wide Open

A couple of years ago Creed recorded the song "With Arms Wide Open". It tells the story

Well I just heard the news today
seems my life is going to change
I close my eyes, begin to pray
tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open
under the sunlight
welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
with arms wide open

With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
to be the man I have to be
I take a breath, I take her by my side
we stand in awe, we've created life

We want to welcome Mia Anna Stebel!


To start at the beginning....I met this guy 5 or 6 years ago at work one night. He says my name is Maciej Stebel. I said "What!?" He says "call me Stebel." That was the start of a great friendship.

Stebel is one of those guys, you know, that you would like to wring their neck sometimes. Funny, witty, snide, and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. If your car breaks down, you can call Stebel any time and he will come help. He is a great photographer and owns his own busy business, Stebel Photography, but if you need some great pictures on short notice, he will be there. He donates his time and product to the community. He is also a nut.

Can you say "extreme"? Yeah, he is the one driving the jeep!


Then Stebel's girlfriend Beth came to work with us.


At first Beth seemed a little shy. But oh no, we soon learned the truth. Beth would come up with the funniest one liners, totally shocking everyone. She is a strong, beautiful, intelligent, and talented young lady. She makes a mean cake, too. This was my dear daughter's 16th birthday cake, made from scratch by Beth.

Don't ask me how Stebel took this photo of the two of them, but they sure enjoy life.


Beth is a pretty extreme girl, too. I mean, how many young ladies do you know that buy a house, get married, become a United States citizen, get laid off from their job, and get pregnant. All in one month! Yup, that's our Beth. Cool, calm and collected she takes everything in stride. Now our other friend, Jolene and I are another story. Both of us are Geminis and when all 4 of our personalities get in a room together (you know, the twins) there is trouble. We were so excited Beth was going to be a mom. Beth was a little sick in the beginning, like for 3 months, but that made us more excited because that meant she was going to have a girl! They say (the old wives tale) a daughter is jealous of the mom and tries to rob her of her beauty by making her sick. It did not work with Beth, she was always beautiful and once she got through the first trimester everything was peachy keen, until Saturday, May 22, 2010.

On Saturday, while I was at the fundraiser I wrote about, Jolene texted me and asked if I had heard from Stebel. It seems Beth was not feeling well so they went to the urgent care. At 8:00pm Jolene called me and asked what I was doing. By 9:00pm I had driven to the east side of the valley, picked Jolene up, and we drove (never over the speed limit) to the north end of Carson City to the hospital. Beth was in big trouble! They tried to helicopter her to Reno but with the May snowstorm they could not fly. Beth had been having trouble with her blood pressure and she was in distress with Preeclampsia which is a pregnancy condition in which high blood pressure and protein in the urine develop after the 20th week (late 2nd or 3rd trimester) of pregnancy.

Symptoms of more severe preeclampsia:
•Headaches that are dull or throbbing and will not go away
•Abdominal pain, mostly felt on the right side, underneath the ribs. Pain may also be felt in the right shoulder, and can be confused with heartburn, gallbladder pain, a stomach virus, or the baby kicking
•Agitation
•Decreased urine output, not urinating very often
•Nausea and vomiting (worrisome sign)
•Vision changes -- temporary loss of vision, sensations of flashing lights, auras, light sensitivity, spots, and blurry vision.

Beth had all the symptoms.
The only way to cure preeclampsia is to deliver the baby. So that is what they did. Beth had an emergency C-section and a 5 lb. 2 oz. baby girl was born. Mia Anna Stebel. The hospital in Reno sent an ambulance with a premature baby team to Carson City and within a couple of hours the baby was on her way through a snow storm to the Renown Health Hospital. They are the only Children's Hospital, Children's ER, Children's Specialty Care, Pediatric ICU, and Children's Infusion Center in the region that caters to the many pediatric needs in northern Nevada. They like to keep premature babies in the hospital until their due date so Mia might be there for 6 weeks. She had a breathing tube the first day so she would not forget to breath, but Stebel called last night and she is breathing on her own now. It will be a long month for the new parents but with their extended family, us and all their many friends, they will get through it. Mia will get stronger every day and she will soon come home and Jolene already has enough little dresses to last the first year!

We are so proud of Beth, and Stebel too. He insisted on taking Beth to urgent care and saved her life. Even with all the pain she was in, she did what she had to do to keep the baby safe. They are going to be great parents, they already are!

Here are a few pictures.

Beth is still in Carson City so Jolene came up with the brilliant idea to print some pictures of Mia so she will have her near. Jolene is a smart girl!


The proud papa! As you can see, the baby has Beth's good looks, thank goodness!

The nurse told us that light strokes to the baby are too stimulating for a preemie and to "cocoon them" which is the feeling they have in the womb. Stebel demonstrates.




Mia has beautiful color!

She may look small here but she is 5 lbs., did not need a hood on her basinet, and has quite a grip already!
This is a picture of the proud aunties! (I have not decided if I am an auntie or granny yet) Jolene in red and me in white.

Well Stebel, I know you are the man you need to be, I am so very proud of you! And Beth, I told you I wanted the baby born on my birthday, you were close. But at least we have another Gemini in our group! And Jolene and I are going to teach her everything she needs to know! Oh boy, are you in trouble mom and dad!

Without You

It was at a late age that I was blessed with a child. I had always wanted a large family, but after 2 miscarriages as I neared age 40 I was starting to fear I would never be a mother. Then my miracle happened and on a Friday the 13th I welcomed my little girl into the world. I was so happy I had a girl. My mother always told me I would never know how much she loved me until I had a daughter of my own. Boy was she right. That little girl had my heart from the moment I saw her, screaming her head off. She still is, even at 6'1", my little girl, and always will be.

My husband came from one of those families that grew up during the Great Depression. His dad rode the rails going from town to town looking for work. One day after sneaking off the train he found a silver dollar. He told us that was the cat's meow. He got a room, a bath and a shave, and a steak dinner for that dollar. A dollar bought a lot in those days, but he never wasted it on something frivolous, like flowers, or a card, or candy. So....my dear mother in law only got 1 card during the over 50 years they were married. Since we learn by example my husband is not a card, gift or flower giving kind of guy, either.

I am from a family that celebrates everything. We may not have had all the money in the world, but when you have a mom that can make everything you will never lack for anything. Birthdays at our house were an event. We would hide gifts all over, write notes and have treasure hunts. As we got older we made sure Santa brought gifts for our parents. Even now, there is a celebration of some sort at my folk's house every couple of months. It does not matter if they are there or not. And, with 5 kids, we made sure my mom knew we appreciated her, even if for only that 1 day a year.

I made sure my dear daughter knew the joy of celebration. Her first Mother's Day I took her to a florist and let her pick out a corsage for me to wear to work. Yup, starting at age 10 months old she was able to pick out the flowers, order, pick up and pay for flowers for her dear old mom. She always knew what I wanted.

This card was handmade by Delores Henderson. She is a featured artist at the Brewery Arts Center Artistian Store in Carson City, Nevada.

As she got older she wanted to go out on her own, so with her dad she would get me some beautiful cards and heart necklaces. I still have them all. But sometimes it is the handmade things that get to you. She wrote me this poem many years ago, I think she was 10. I would like to share it with you, and wish you all the very happiest of Mother's Days.

Without You
everything you do for me, amazes me
you are always in my heart, together or apart
I love you more than words can say
so I'll just kiss you and walk away
but truly, honestly, deep down
I know exactly how I feel
I just can't make it form a word
you are my sun, stars, and world

love
it is stronger than lightning bolt
stronger than a hurricane
earthquake, tsunami
I could survive it all with you
but if you weren't here
I don't know how I could
live without you

Happy Mother's Day

Jumbos Sub And Catering Shop

On a brighter note, there is Jaime and John Anzelone. With their daughter Aleassa they opened their deli in June of 2002. Jaime and John both worked in a casino and were looking for a way to become their own bosses. They found something they both loved, eating and eating sandwiches specifically, and with some of John's secret family recipes in hand, they offer much more than just subs. Homemade soups, Italian dinners, homemade pasta and potato salads, chips and sodas are on the menu, along with a huge variety of meat and veggie sandwiches and wraps. They also offer catering. They have a wide selection of veggie, sandwich, and wrap trays to choose from.

Located in the Tillman Center near the bowling alley, 1281 suite #10 Kimmerling Road in the Gardnerville Ranchos, the store is open Mon.-Sat. 10:30am to 4pm. You can call in orders 775-265-4511 or fax in an order 775-265-6553.

John has gone back to a 9-5 job while Jaime runs the shop full time with a little help from family.


They have had offers to move the shop but they had Aleassa in local schools and she started to help at the store when she was 11. No child labor here, she was well paid and always had her spending money.


She has since graduated high school and is finishing up her degree in Fire Science at Truckee Meadows College and is still working part time at the Douglas swimming pool. Jaime says they would not consider moving now to a different location after all the support the community has shown them even when times were tough. They have a good loyal customer base because the food is delicious.


Of course there is always room for more! After 8 years in the same location they are truly part of the neighborhood.

The shop is proof of their love for sports. With a TV tuned to sports channels and with the walls covered with the souvenirs of their sports travels it is fun to browse the shop while your lunch or dinner is being made.







They continue to support youth sports and have sponsored sports teams and donated to raffles. Stop by on your next outing, picnic or lunch and sample good food from your neighborhood sub shop.


Jaime with Aleassa hard at work!