Happy 2013!

 

I came across this picture on pinterest.

 

I am going to have it framed and planted front an center at my computer desk. A daily reminder on how to do things in 2013!

 

I want to feel the joy of the wind blowing up my skirt and loving every minute of it!

 

Happy New Years!

A Few Finds

It is hard to believe December is almost over!  Usually we have quite a bit of snow covering the ground. We received a little yesterday. Just a dusting really. But enough to cover the pond out back.

I spent yesterday unpacking the last few boxes from the camper. I found a few more purchases that had been wrapped and tucked away.

I rewrapped these and put away for Christmas next year.

My turkeys and the leaves got stored away along with the other fall items I had out. The pink pyrex went with my other pinks I have in the dining room.

This lady caught my eye the minute I walked into one of my favorite shops.

I kept going back and forth if I should buy her or not. The last day we were there, my hubby was with me. He said just buy it, or you will be mad that you didn't. So he bought it for me at 20% off!

Now I have to share some family treasures I received the other day. My aunt passed in early November after a long and fulfilled life. Her and her husband, he passed last fall, were some what of hoarders. But their hoards were of things we collectors treasure now!

My parents have been helping my cousin clean their house out. A huge 2 day auction is set for January. I just saw a partial listing on- line last night. It is something!! Need to circle those dates on the calender.

I volunteered to help my parents the other day clear some left over clutter in my aunts house. Things the auctioner didn't take, stuff that needed to go out for the trash, and little odd and ends. But I did find some things to bring home.

Just a few things.

I spent last night reading thru the cookbooks. One has detailed menus for making a nightly dinner. It even includes a before dinner cocktail to serve. I might have to test these out on the pipeliner! We will have plenty of time because:

The pipeliner is officially on vacation!

He is taking off until March!

( I will believe that when I see it)

We have lots of things planned for his time off.

A new grandbaby coming next month, means a trip to North Carolina. We have plans for a long weekend in the city. Then a week or 2 in Key West.

Plus lots of time at the farmhouse. Still many projects to finish and start out there!

I am sure the 2 months of having him home will pass fast! But I am thrilled to finally spend some much needed time with him!

Liz

We made it home, safe and sound! Let me tell you how nice it is to be be at home!


There was a stack of mail to be sorted thru, but I couldn't wait to open the two packages that had come for me. I had purchased a couple of things on Ebay while we were gone.

What great Christmas presents from me to me!

This little putz house caught my eye.

I was thrilled when I won the Ebay auction. Even more excited when I opened the box and pulled it out!

The "pipeliner" couldn't imagine why I would want these old worn out lites when I bid on them.

They all work perfectly! Now I just need to find the right spot to display their twinkling beauty!

One of the best surprises when we arrived home was finding my Christmas cactus in full bloom!

This plant is very dear to my heart. It once belonged to my grandmother. I can't remember a time when she didn't have this displayed in full bloom for Christmas.

My grandmother passed 20 years ago.

I am so glad I have been able to keep the cactus happy and thriving for this many years.

Christmas is over for another year.

Time to put the reindeer antlers to rest.

I think the beagle will be happy about that!

The Countdown is On!

 The countdown is on! The end is in sight!  We are heading home this Saturday! Of course we will have to throw a winter storm in the mix before we leave. But I say, its just one more great story to tell about pipeliner living!

 
This is one thing I won't miss! The pipeliners muddy pants after the workday is over.

I took one last trip to the Amish bulk store yesterday.  There I picked up some seasonings and spices to take home. Would have loved to buy more ,but space is limited.  Found a jar of strawberry/rhubarb pie filling. Doesn't that sound wonderful on a cold winter night?

I am also trying to finish up some last minute craft ideas. I saw these big "clothspins" at the local craft store. How neat would they be  holding a recipe in the kitchen?

I have my modge-podge out, scraps of paper cut, and the little stickers ready. Now if the darn things would dry. I took them outside to spraypaint and they are still tacky.

While I was out I grabbed one last pic of pipeline camp. This is a view I don't see. The back end of all the campers.

By next week the lot will be empty. Most of the pipeliners will have traveled home for the holidays. Some will travel on to the next job. We will remember the time shared together in this little place we called home for the last couple of months.

This is the group of pipeline wives that I shared my time with. I don't know when I will see them again, or if we will ever meet again. But I do consider them my friends and so blessed we met!

Clockwise: Liz(me) Illinois, Amy-Arizona, Ellita-Mississippi, Maria-Minnesota

 

This was from our little Christmas party we thru for ourselves last Saturday.

 

 

With all of the packing and unpacking in the upcoming days, I am sure blogging will be taking a backseat until after Christmas.

 

So to all of my new blogging friends I have made on this site;

Merry Christmas to one and all.

May you have a very blessed Christmas!

 

Liz

Camper Fever

Yesterday I had cabin fever. Or for me that would be camper fever! I just needed to get out and about. I remembered seeing a little, ceramic birdhouse at one of my antique shop stops. I traveled to the next town south of us to search.

I parked right across the street from this sign.

I remember my mom telling me there was a Raggedy Ann museum in this town. I should look it up. I asked the owner of the shop I stopped in. She told me it had closed up and moved to Japan. What?   Yes, most collectors of these beloved stuffed dolls reside in Japan. How crazy is that?

I didn't find my birdhouse. (Gosh, where did I see that at?)

But of course I did find some other treasures.

       Vintage cards!    5 for $1.00

A few Christmas ornaments, along with a lime pyrex.

These darling cornhusk dolls

I took pity on this cracked coffee jar. It was stuck on a back shelf with a 4 dollar price tag. It isn't cracked all the way thru. nobody will notice when it is tucked in with my others at home.

When the "pipeliner" arrived back at the camper last night, he showed me the shirt I would be getting for Christmas. Something he found off of Ebay. (he's an Ebay junky)

Funny guy, that one is!

Last thing on my happy list today, my beloved beagle turns 7 today

 

Happy Birthday Molly!

Where my mind wonders

 

My mind has been wondering the last few days. Back to the barn on our farm.

 

We just had it painted red, right before we left on this adventure.

 

The husband added a garage door to drive his tractors inside to work on. The funny thing is he doesn't have any tractors. I bet by spring he will.

 

My thoughts have drifted to the stairs we had built.

 

 

The only way to access the barn loft was by old, rickety, hand made steps nailed to the outside. 

 

Our builder sure exceeded my imagination. And these pictures don't do them justice.

 

 

I just can't wait to get back home to add the details that have been going thru my mind.

 

I can look thru the little window to watch the pipeliner work on his tractors.

 

Um yeah, when ever he gets one!

 

 

 

 

 

Things I have found around me!

The pipeliners job has landed us in a pretty neat place.  Right on the edge of an Amish community. What a great place to explore!The funny thing is my cousin taught school here years ago. I had been to visit with my parents, but don't remember the area at all.

Decorating the camper for Christmas

It looks like the extent of my Christmas decorating will be limited to the camper this year. For a small space I need to keep it simple.

Just a slim tree to adorn the tabletop.

 

The lights twinkle!

 

 

A few gingerbread friends sit atop the kitchen shelves

 

Homade gifts for the pipeline girls sit under the tree waiting to be delivered.

 

I found a few treasures at a local antique store. They will find another spot to give the camper some Christmas cheer.

 

This isn't how I planned to decorate for Christmas this year. I had lists of ideas to make the farmhouse a festive place.Those will just have to stay tucked away until next year.

I guess it doens't matter where I spend my Christmas,my heart will always hold the holiday spirit!

 

 

 

Santas 5k Dash

I have found the best way to handle the time you spend away from home, while traveling with the pipeliner, is to take advantage of the area around you. There are always different places to see. And different things to do.
I had read in the local paper right after we arrived, the town was holding a 5k run in December. It was called the Santa 5k dash. I thought what the heck, I think I will sign up. If I don't do it, at least I will get a t-shirt out of it.
Saturday December 1 rolled around in no time. My friend Maria, that I have met while being here, decided she was going to enter as well.

It was a chilly, foggy morning. Perfect for a 5k.

 

I was going to run the race when I registered, but Maria had signed up to walk. So I decided to walk with her.

 

We had a lot of people ahead of us when the runners gun went off.

 

Most of the crowd was running the course. We quickly fell to the end of the pack.

 

Maria's nose ran, my eyes watered, but we held up a steady pace. As we rounded the last street we could see some of the runners already getting in there cars to leave.

The traffic was starting to flow again. No road blocks for these stragglers!

 

Even Santa came back to check on us.

 

We made it to the end. Out of 80 entries we finished 72, and 73! A few people were still behind us.

 

Santa was waiting with the "younger" crowd.

 

 

Official time  45:30:3

 

I sure didn't feel guilty when I went to the Amish Bakery later in the day. I brought home this yummy treat for a job well done!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving at Pipeline Camp

Thanksgiving was quite different for us this year. I am sure it was quite different for most of the guys on the pipeline crew. The men all had to work the day after Thanksgiving so traveling home for the holiday was out of the question.
The ladies decided early on, we would put on a Thanksgiving dinner for all of the crew as well as the gas inspectors. We put a list together of the different dishes that would be prepared. Then on Thursday morning we would gather in the garage of the man who owns the trailer park where we are staying.

Let the decorating begin!

 

 

We never could have imagined when we started carrying the food in, just how much food was prepared for that day.

 

 

 

Crockpots, roasters, pans and bowls filled 3 tables. That didnt even include the dessert table.

 

 

 

Everyone had lots of different things to taste.

 

 

The men were truly impressed with the effort from us ladies.

 

 

Everyone enjoyed the day of fellowship, eating ,visiting and sharing a day of Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Home away from home!

Here we are, the end of October, and the pipeliner got called out of town for another big job. We have never been out of town this late in the pipelining season.

The ride getting here was quite scarey! Wind advisory had been issued before the journey began. But the pipeliner got us here safe and sound.

The view isn't that exciting. Our campsite boarders an" already been combined" beanfield.

I have a feeling it could get awful windy as the colder days arrive.

 

The weather started out quite rainy.

The dogs spent most of their days looking out the window, watching the rain come down.

 

That reminds me I need some Windex to wipe off those puppy nose prints!

 

Then the weather turned almost summer like. Glad I packed some shorts and t-shirts for this trip.

 

But the wind picked up again. This time it blew in a huge cold front from the north. But the puppies enjoyed the last nice day, even with their ears blowing in the wind!

 

This is home sweet home for the next month or so.

 

 

 

 

 

Crockpot Pork Chop Dinner

I knew when I received this recipe from Betty Crocker via email, it would be filed away for a cool, fall night.  The other day looked like a hectic one. I remembered I had this recipe, plus all of the ingredients on hand.  It is so simple to throw together, and so tasty at supper time.

Get your crockpot out!  This is an easy one!



                                       Pork Chop Dinner with Apples, Squash & Sweet Potatoes


1 small butternut squash
3 large unpeeled cooking apples
2 medium sweet potatoes
4 pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt



Peel your squash. Then cut it in half; remove the seeds. Cut squash into 1/2 inch chunks.  Peel your sweet potatoes. Cut them into 1/2 inch rounds. Cut apples into quarters, remove the core and seeds. Cut apple pieces in half crosswise. Throw all of this in the bottom of your crockpot.

In a small bowl mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Coat pork chops with sugar mixture.

 

 

 

Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the squash, apples, and sweet potatoes.

 

 

Place the pork chops on the top of everything.

 

 

 

Put the cover on. Set your heat to low. Cook for 7- 8 hours.

 

When I arrived home that night, the house smelled wonderful. The aroma of cinnamon and apples greeted me as soon as I opened the door.

 

Here is everything all cooked. Ready for the dinner table.

 

 

 

I used a thinner pork chop then the recipe called for. Next time I will make it with the thicker ones, but that is what I had on hand.