OK, I'm blogging after all...

Wow. I am still in shock. I went to my voting place this morning and guess what?? NO LINES!! DH and I went to vote at 9:15am, and I was first in line for a voting machine. We even parked right in front of the building. So here we have the media telling us 1) Obama has already won and 2) the lines are four and five hours long. I'm sure many folks have decided not to vote because 1) why bother if the election is already decided and 2) why stand in line for hours if the election has already been decided? I say - go vote no matter what. And if there's a line, be patient and stand in it. Smile, talk to other people in line, remember how wonderful it is that this many people are turning out to vote (vs many years in the past when only 15% of voters turned out). Smile, enjoy the voting experience. But vote. Don't let the media convince you your vote isn't worth anything. Vote vote vote. No matter who your voting for - vote. Now I'm going to go turn on Fox News and see what's happening. How exciting is this?!?

I'm not blogging today...

I'm out voting. And I hope you are too. You can watch live results right here! Things I'm Thankful for #2

1. I live in a country where I can vote.
2. I live in a country where every vote counts.
3. This presidential election will have record-setting turn out of voters. It's about time Americans voiced their opinions!
4. Whichever candidate wins, I am grateful that both men made us sit up and pay attention.
5. Sarah Palin - love her or hate her, you have to admit she added a new facet to this election.

Being Thankful #1

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and that, combined with reading many blogs that often have Gratitude lists or Thankful lists, I've decided to each day add a list to my blog of five things I'm thankful for, and continue this each day through Thanksgiving. I invite you to do the same! I know in "difficult times" (and yes, we all have them), I find this exercise to be most helpful. I may not be having difficult times right now, but it is always beneficial to count your blessings. Here are mine for today. Things I'm Thankful For:

1. Beautiful Fall weather
2. A husband with a sense of humor equal to his sense of responsibility.
3. The cat doesn't need to go to the vet after all.
4. That first quiet, relaxing cup of coffee in the morning.
5. That I've picked up knitting needles again, after many years without.

Leave a comment if you add this to your blog and I'll come and read it!

My Simple Woman's Daybook - 11/03/2008

Outside my Window... Gorgeous Fall day, bright blue skies, some color left in the leaves - a day worth going out and enjoying some fresh air! I am thinking... about elections tomorrow. Want to make SURE you're voting for the candidate who thinks like you do? Try this! I am thankful for... My husband taking the next two days off. I love it when he's home! From the kitchen... Chicken thawing for tonight's dinner, counters need to be cleaned and trash needs to go out. I am wearing... Jeans, long-sleeved white shirt, socks and sneakers. And I'm thinking about putting on a sweater! I am reading... "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski. So far (one-third through) I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It's good, but so many people have called it great! I am hoping... my back will continue to feel better all day. I am creating... placemats from that Mary Englebreit craft book I can't stay away from! Also, knitting socks for Christmas presents. I am hearing... Joey meowing to go out, the bubbling of the aquarium. Around the house... Too much dust, too much stuff laying around -- need to definitely do a good general pick up today. One of my favorite things... the new Mary Englebreit craft book I picked up at the flea market yesterday. Full of so many exciting ideas! A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Errand day today, voting tomorrow, a creative day with friend Lynne, two days of babysitting - hmmm... when will I do housework?! Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... One of my favorite quilt borders that I've done (the flowers are 3-D). Hey, I need to get this quilt quilted! I'd forgotten how pretty it is! Write your own Daybook each Monday and join the meme at The Simple Woman's blog.

Menu Planning Monday - Watch out for B1G1 sales

I thought I'd mention briefly how I do my menu planning to keep in line with my food budget (which I have lowered by almost 50% in recent months). I do 90% of my grocery shopping at Krogers. I've shopped there 20+ years, and it's important for me to know the lay-out of a store and know my prices. I also like the fact that several times a year, Krogers sends me what I call "loyalty coupons" which are $1.00 and over coupons for items coming up on sale within a few weeks. Included in these coupons are wonderful coupons for 10% off my entire bill. When I get these, I try and do at least two weeks shopping at once -- in an effort to get 10% the most possible! This morning is menu planning morning, so the first thing I did was look at the ongoing list on the fridge to see what had been written down during the week. Next, I take a look in my freezer and see what meats are in there (these are meats I have bought on sale previously) and mentally get some meal ideas from those meats, then write those down on paper. Next, I sit at the computer and go to the Kroger web site, sign in, and pull up their current week's ad. Yes, I do get the paper ad every week, but I prefer to do this part on the computer. I sit with my box of current coupons, and look through the ad, and look at the list of meal ideas I have. This week in the freezer I have ground beef, boneless pork chops and chicken tenders. So one of my first meal ideas is Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I see that Kroger has Oatmeal on sale, and I need that for the meatloaf, so I simply check the box for that ad, and the web site adds it to my shopping list. They also have a good sale on canned veggies this week, so I check that box as well. I know I need eggs for the meatloaf (as well as for two breakfasts), so I click on "Notes" on the web page, and type in "Eggs". I go all the way through the Kroger ad, clicking on items on sale, hopefully matching items up with my coupons, and typing in items in the "Notes" section that I need whether on sale or not. Then I simply hit the PRINT button and my Shopping List is ready for me. I then mark items that I have pulled coupons for, and paperclip my coupons to the Shopping List. I need to mention Krogers Buy One Get One Free sales. Watch out for these. They very often put the price of the "one" up SO high above what they normally charge that you're paying more for TWO than you normally would for one. A good example this week is the Eckrich bologna - Buy 1 Get 1 free and in tiny print you see "Save up to $2.99 with card". That means they're going to charge you $2.99 for one, when the normal sale price on this product is .99! You can wait and buy three of these on sale, for what you would today pay one! The Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage is B1G1 at $4.09. These are frequently on sale for .99 and non-sale price is normally $1.99! These B1G1 sales often COST you money, so do be careful! And by the way? That Eckrich bologna is nasty stuff anyway... lol... not even worth the .99 cent sale price, in my opinion! So with all that said, here are my menues for the week. As always, Wednesday and Friday are the days I babysit my DGS (darling grandson) and he doesn't leave until 5:30pm, at which point I'm exhausted and don't feel like cooking. So either I plan a "quick meal" or he and I put together a crockpot meal in the morning. Monday BBQ Chicken tenders on grill Mixed green salad with tomatoes, onions, croutons Tuesday Meatloaf, beef gravy Mashed potatoes Canned green beans Wednesday Leftover meatloaf in open-faced sandwich Green salad Thursday Stuffed baked pork chops* Brown rice (make extra for Saturday) Green peas Friday Bagels w/cream cheese Tomato soup Saturday Baked chicken tenders Frugal Rice Pilaf w/veggies Sunday - Breakfast for dinner A cheese dish DH saw on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-in's and Dives Sausage, onions, peppers, potatoes and eggs cooked together English Muffins Now I'm off to do my grocery shopping!

More flea market finds

It's an absolutely beautiful day here in southwestern Ohio, so Jeff and I headed back to the Turtle Creek flea market today. We both enjoy it so much, and we do a lot of walking, which really help my latest round of back problems. I had $9.00 in my pocket, and decided that was my budget for the morning. And yes, I found some great buys! The glass bowl with lid is for our Sweet n' Low packets that stay on the kitchen counter near the coffee maker. The pattern of the jar just happens to match a very large jar I have that holds all our variety of tea bags. The box on the right holds 25(!) hand-crocheted or embroidered hankies to add to my collection. That was perhaps the bargain of the flea market at $2.00. The book is a Mary Englebreit craft book, and I feel in love with the bluebird kitchen placemats. And the little frames in the back are little tiny (maybe 1.5 x 1.5 inch) pen and ink drawings and SO cute! I can't quite read the artist's signature - Jarvis? Jovis? They're done in a very simple country way. Not in the photo is a new old man "smoker" to add to my "collection" of one! I love the time change. We spent an enjoyable morning at the flea market and were home by 11:30am! I have two loads of laundry to do and need to head back to the basement to hunt up some new yarn for more sock knitting later today while we watch the race on TV (yes, we are most definitely NASCAR fans). I think I may even do some kind of baking this afternoon... it's just that kind of day. We also have plans to head out to our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. We don't eat out often, so this will be a real treat.

My thoughts on the Election

I bet I have written a dozen posts for my blog about what's going on in our country's political scene. But every time I write it, I think to myself -- "Who is going to care how I feel?" and talk myself out of posting it. But today is the day. If I can get ONE voter to stop and think about what they're voting for, it's worth it. I don't think there's anyone who won't agree that this country needs "change". But you must realize that ALL change is NOT good. Changing our country to a socialist country is NOT good. Obama not only has a socialist philosophy, he has actively chosen to endorse a socialist candidate OVER a democratic candidate in state of Vermont. (See: Here, and if you still don't believe it, watch it for yourself on YouTube) Honestly, much to my surprise, I wanted to like Obama. And I don't dislike the man, I just don't like his politics, I don't like the way he tries to portray himself as a "common man" and I don't like the way he plays the race card. I believe a majority our country's Afro-American population is going to vote for Obama simply because he is Black. And he has played this up to the hilt. But people -- he's half white. And because he's biracial, he missed an opportunity to say "Look at me. I am YOU, whether you are white or whether you're black." He had a golden opportunity to knock down many racial barriers, but instead he uses those very same barriers to say to the Black voters - vote for me because I'm black. Shame on him. But this may not be important to a lot of voters, and I understand that. So let's move on. First, let's take a close look at the definition of Socialism: "A political system where the means of production are controlled by the workers and all things are shared evenly. Socialist policies provide for government funding of many basic needs such as food, shelter, and medical care." Sound familiar? Now think about Obama's political goals for our country. Increase taxes to companies and corporations and pass it out to those who make less. And as of today's news reports, he has dropped "middle class" from those making $250,000 or more down to those making $120,000 or more. Take from the "rich" to give to the "poor" (except he's calling them the "have's" and the "have not's". ) Now - please think this through. What are companies and corporations that make $175,000 a year going to do when their taxes are increased? Obviously, they're going to cut expenses -- they're going to lay people off or look for ways to cut you benefits. They have no choice! And we're not talking about multi-billion dollar corporations here, folks -- those guys have the mega-lawyers that are going to find the loop holes that enable them to not pay more taxes. We're talking about the landscape companies and the guy that owns the plumbing business or the guy that you hire to lay carpet. So first, they're going to increase their prices (to you) and second they are going to lay people off (which also may be you). And why? To give to the have-not's. So those of us who work hard for a living and have earned our right to HAVE finally, will now be hit and hit hard -- to "share the wealth". Those who work hard are going to be penalized for it where it hurts most -- in the wallet. Does it not make MORE sense to SUPPORT companies and corporations so they can hire more employees, give employees raises, increase benefits? Or does it make sense to you to tax companies and corporations so they cut back on employees and benefits?? Which makes more sense to you? I KNOW you want change. We ALL want change. But let's take a look at the change we have already gotten. If you're voting Democrat, you are ignoring these FACTS: President Bush has been in office for almost eight years. During THE FIRST SIX, the economy was fine. Two years ago:

1. Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high
2. Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon
3. The unemployment rate was 4.5%
4. The Dow Jones hit a record high -- 14,000+
5. Americans were buying new cars, taking cruises, vacations overseas and generally living large!

But - Americans wanted CHANGE. So in 2006, they voted in a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS and we got change. In the past year:

1. Consumer confidence has plummeted, and as of last week, is at all-time low.
2. Gasoline went up over $4 a gallon
3. Unemployment has increased to 6.1%
4. Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION dollars and prices continue to drop.
5. Home foreclosures are up more than 100.1%!!! More than a half-million hard-working U.S. citizens' homes are being foreclosed.
6. The Dow Jones has hit several record breaking drops.
7. $2.5 TRILLION dollars has evaporated from stocks, bonds, mutual funds -- our retirement funds!

Remember - the President has NO CONTROL over any of this! It is entirely up to Congress! And you have to ask yourself -- what has our Democratic Congress done to prevent this?? Absolutely NOTHING. This is getting way too long and by now, you're probably on to the fact that I don't know poop about politics. But I know what I don't like -- and I don't like Obama and his Socialistic views, and I don't like the way he plays the race card, and I don't like the fact that people are being swayed because he shouts "Change" when in fact, it's the Democrats that got us into this mess in the first place (and yes, I believe Bush and his quick trigger-finger has also got a whole lotta 'splainin' to do.) We ALL want change. But PLEASE do some common sense thinking before you just blindly vote for the person screaming CHANGE the loudest. Look into the facts. Think think think about how raising taxes is going to effect you personally and the company you work for. THINK THINK THINK it through. Remind yourself that Congress is responsible for the political decisions that go on in this country -- and think about what has happened to this country in the past two years. I'm begging you -- make an INFORMED vote, not a "fashionable" vote. Only YOU will know what button you push when you get to the voting booth. I RECEIVED THIS COMMENT FROM "ANONYMOUS"

Don't forget the socialist bail out of the banks - or shall we just call it what it really is - corporate welfare. Good enough for the rich good ol' boys - but not good enough for those that have to stand in the free food lines - or who don't have enough money to buy a house - or even rent a decent apt, or get health care for their sick children - but McCain owns 9 houses and didn't even know how many he had. Guess corporate welfare and socialism is good for the republicans but not for those who NEED it.

Umm... you do know it was a Democratic Congress that passed that Bail Out Bill, correct? Democrats control the Congress and that bill wouldn't have passed if they didn't vote for it... and oh yes, Saint Obama supported it as well! And I don't think there's many of us, Republican or Democrat, that agree that those companies should be funded by $800 billion of our tax money. But you just wait and see what happens when taxes go up even more under Obama. You think houses aren't affordable now? They will be -- because the foreclosures will get worse as people lose their jobs as middle-road companies have to deal with Obama's tax increase. And there's no one here saying our children don't need access to decent medical care. But once companies are taxed more, those benefits we already have are going to cost even more. Some people who can afford medical coverage NOW aren't going to be able to afford it next year. By the way, I don't usually accept "Anonymous" comments... but I felt you made a point worth discussing.

I couldn't have said it better myself...

I read this today. You need to read it too. It's not media hype. It's not lies. It's not made up. It's good honest opinion by one more American who has worked hard to get where she is today and doesn't want it taken away, and who doesn't want to live in a Socialist society. I don't have time to write more, so I'll let Dixie do my talking for me. But I'll be back. And I have stuff to say about this election!!! Remember -- ALL CHANGE IS NOT GOOD.

Halloween sewing

On Tuesday I asked my daughter if Brayden had a Halloween costume -- he didn't. I offered to sew one for him. Of course, that was before he got sick and I had him Wed., Thurs., and Friday, since he couldn't go to his daycare when he was sick (nor would I want him to). And having a sick little one isn't very conducive to spending time sewing. So, as usual, I was down to a deadline to get a costume made for him before 5pm. Jeff took a vacation day and took Brayden to the local park for some (very easy) "hiking" in the woods and time at the playground. I headed straight for my sewing room. Brayden and I talked about what he wanted to be for Halloween. I gave him choices -- a kitty like Joey, a dog like Jack, a robot or Spiderman. He picked a kitty like Joey. (Actually, when Mary first asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween, he said, "Umma". LOL!) So I headed to our basement and found my mother-in-law's old faux fur coat (if you're bigger than a size 8 is there ANYthing more unflattering than a 3/4 length fur coat?!?) and a wire hanger (to give the "tail" form), then grabbed a black sweatshirt and sweat pants from Brayden's dresser (I keep extra clothes here for him) -- and off I went to the sewing room. Now, I'd love to show you just how adorable this little guy looked as a kitty -- but he wouldn't try the costume on! LOL He put on the ears and he put on the "paws" (mittens made from black felt with a strip of faux fur on the back), but then they were off and he wanted to go outside and play. Hopefully, my daughter is taking pictures of Brayden in his costume for me. If so, I'll add them in here for you to see. I'm SURE he was absolutely adorable. The outfit really was cute. Sigh sigh sigh... So because I don't have anything fun to write about, I'm going to turn to Friday Fill-in's. 1. My favorite food seasoning is fresh ground black pepper. 2. My husband's laughter is music to my ears. 3. Lucky is a state of mind. 4. Grandmothering is something I take very seriously. 5. Many people just don't get it. 6. Peanut Butter was the last thing I bought at the store. 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to giving out candy, tomorrow my plans include cleaning up all that fur in my sewing room and Sunday, I want to go to the flea market again! As I'm writing this it is 7:45 pm. There are 15 minutes left for Trick or Treat. Every year we count how many kids come to our door. When my kids were little, we normally got between 150 and 175 kids. This year? Minus Three. How do you get minus three kids? Three kids and their parents came down our street -- and skipped our house. I'm about to go on the Internet to look for recipes that involve Skittles and Sugar Babies. Oh my gosh, I think I'm having a woe-is-me-night!

A Halloween Poem from my childhood

I had the most wonderful teacher in first, second and third grades (Yes, I actually attended a three-room schoolhouse, grades 1 through 8!), Miss Lucy Faulkner. There are many things I remember from her unusual teaching style (very hands-on, very creative), and this poem is just one of the many. She read this to us every Halloween, in the spookiest voice you can imagine!

LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE

Little Orphan Annie has come to our house to stay.

She washes cups and saucers

and brushes crumbs away.

She shooes the chickens off the porch,

and dusts the hearth and sweeps.

She builds the fires and bakes the bread

and earns her board and keep.

And all us other children, when the supper things are done,

we sit around the kitchen fire and have the mostest fun.

And we listen to the witches tales that Annie talks about.

And the goblins will get YOU if you don't watch out!

Once there was a little boy who wouldn't say his prayers.

And when he went to bed one night, away upstairs,

His mamma heard him holler and his daddy heard him bawl.

And when they turned the kivers down he wasn't there at all.

They seeked him up the rafter room, cubby hole and press,

and they seeked him up the chimney flu and everywhere I guess.

But all they ever found of him was his clothes scattered about

and the goblins will get YOU if you don't watch out!

And one time there was a little girl who would always laugh and grin,

and make fun of everyone, even her blood and kin.

One day when there was company, and old folks were there,

she mocked them and shocked them and said she didn't care.

Just as she kicked her heels and turned to run and hide,

two great big black things were standing by her side.

They snatched her through the ceiling before she knew what she was 'bout,

and the goblins will get you if you don't watch out!

And Little Orphan Annie says when the blaze is blue

and the lamp wick flutters and the wind goes woooooo,

You'd better mind your daddy and mommy and your teacher fond and dear,

and help the poor and needy ones and dry an orphan's tear.

Just help the poor and needy ones that linger about

or the goblins will get YOU if you don't watch out!

Brayden - sick sick sick again

Brayden arrived at my door at 7:15 this morning for my regular day of babysitting. He had a cough which quickly got worse. By 8:30 I was very concerned, and called my daughter to have her go back home (from work) and get his "breathing machine" and inhaler medicine. She did, and he was better after a treatment, but just for a few minutes, then he got much much worse. I called Mary again at work and told her how concerned I was, so she got him a doctor's appointment at 11:40. By 10:00 I was close to bringing him to the Emergency Room. He was coughing through every single breath, with no break between and it was a nasty bubbely cough but nothing was coming up with it. Since it was cold this morning, I took him out on the front porch, bundled us both up in a blanket, and rocked him until it was time to leave. His breathing improved a tiny bit, but not enough to stop me from being scared for him. So, the diagnosis - pneumonia in his left lung, along with bronchitis, combined with allergies and his asthma. Yikes. Heavy duty meds, lots of breathing treatments, back to the doctor tomorrow if he's not better. So the poor little guy is kind of draped around me as I held him, waiting for the doctor to bring me some medicine samples, and the front desk nurse asked Brayden if he wanted a Halloween sticker. (He's just learning about Halloween, since this will be his first year participating. I've been explaining to him about knocking on his neighbor's door and getting candy.) He didn't even pick up his head, but shook it yes. She put the sticker on his jacket and he looked down at it, then put his head back on my shoulder. I said, "What do you say?" and... bless his heart.. in his sick little, sad little voice, he said... "Trick or treat..." All together now -- "Awwwwwwwwwwwww...."

I saw this post over on Lucy's Be It Ever So Humble blog, and thought I'd give it a try. The trick to it is to answer the question in one word. Let me know if you put this on your blog and I'll come read it! 1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen 2. Where is your significant other? Sleeping 3. Your hair color? Brown 4. Your mother? Passed 5. Your father? Passed 6. Your favorite thing? Jeff 7. Your dream last night? None 8. Your dream/goal? Longevity 9. The room you're in? Office 10. Your hobby? Quilting 11. Your fear? Abduction 12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? New Hampshire 13. Where were you last night? Knitting 14. What you're not? Frazzled 15. One of your wish-list items? Move 16. Where you grew up? New Hampshire 17. The last thing you did? Blogged 18. What are you wearing? Jeans 19. Your TV? Quiet 20. Your pet? Joey 21. Your computer? Humming 22. Your mood? Sanguine 23. Missing someone? Son 24. Your car? Newish 25. Something you're not wearing? Make-up 26. Favorite store? Fabric 27. Your summer? Joyful 28. Love someone? Absatively 29. Your favorite color? Salmon 30. When is the last time you laughed? Morning 31. Last time you cried? Months