SIGNS OF SUMMER

It has to be close to Summer, for we have scheduled our yearly visit to The Villages.  It has been too long since we spent time with Flossie and Mr Wonderful!  My dear Flossie will be having a knee replacement next month, then we will really be twins.  I do not fly, I prefer to have my feet firmly planted on the ground, but my Flossie loves to fly and Mr Wonderful's post retirement employment was as a steward (is that a male stewardess?)  He loved the fun of going to different cities, he did his research and if there was enough layover time he would visit the special sites.  No grass growes under Mr Wonderful's feet.  I am just wondering what that metal will do to the detectors at the airports??

And, maybe I should explain a post retirement job.  This is a job you always thought would be fun, but couldn't do because you were already employed for 30 years at a job that is not so fun.  Once you retire, you are free to try for the 'fun' job till your body tells you it has had enough ;)  It is now time to do things in your own time, sleep late if you wish, jump into a hobby with both feet, or travel and read all the things you said, 'I want to read that, when I have the time'. 

Now this trip has started to mean the beginning of Summer to me, so it is a double good thing.  Not that I don't enjoy the chill of the Winter, the color of Fall and the bloom of Spring, but as you might have read previously, we downsized to a condo with a pool, and the pool was a dream of mine since childhood.  I did not take much advantage of the pool last summer, for that 'being seen in a swim suit' thing got into my head.  This is not going to stop me this year!! I am going in my swim dress and tent cover up ;)

We will be picking up our son's GPS, this is a device that keeps husband and wife still speaking to each other at the end of their road trip, truly a boon to any marriage ;}

Signing off to start packing, this has to be done in spurts, you know, not to much,  not to little but just enough!

Hope this finds you all happy and healthy,
Tilly

Spring in the Mid West

Beautiful sunshine, shorts and Tee's, 12 inches of snow  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_dVsiHRkvc  ,back to having garden thoughts then rain, tornado's, more rain, flooding and that ushered in near freezing temps.  And that is Spring in the Mid West in the US ;)

I have been busy crafting, swapping and sewing and watching my dear sisters in crafting video's.  I did get into a challenge recently that was very fulfilling.  That would be : www.operationwritehome.org .  This is an organization that collects hand made cards of all sorts, with plenty of blank writing space.  They forward the cards to military persons overseas for them to use to write notes and letters home to family.  I was thrilled to be a part of this challenge and got a dozen or so done.  We are hoping to do this several times a year. 

 And, again I was going thru my emails I got to one from Kim Komando which I am including below.  How simple will it be to collect a few things and treats, box them up and get them to SFC Matthew W. Carley!!  I will be doing some shopping Monday, so won't be home till lunch time, just in case you are looking for me :)

Who: 396th MP DET Law and Order (OEF)

Where: Afghanistan

About the Soldiers: The soldiers are an Army Reserve MP unit from Denver, Colorado. They are scheduled to be in Afghanistan until late Fall of 2013.

What they need: Since the unit is in dusty areas, it's difficult for the soldiers to keep themselves and their belongings clean. Baby wipes, hand sanitizer, body wash, toothpaste, and shampoo are great items to help with this. Also, they want to have a taste of home! Sending beef jerky, nuts, seeds, pretzels, protein powder, energy drinks, power bars, cookies, and candy would surely be a treat.

When our service men and women are on base, sending items for entertainment is helpful. Reading materials, DVDs, playing cards, games, word puzzles, stationery, MP3 players, gaming systems, etc... are items that would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly and most importantly, the soldiers love to know you care! Please send a letter and even photos with your care package to let them know you're thinking about them and you appreciate all they're doing for us. One soldier told me that pictures of your hometown or even McDonald's are comforting to see! Anything to remind them of home.

If you'd like to show support for SFC Carley and his unit, please address your care package as followed:

SFC Matthew W. Carley
c/o Operation Komando
396th MP DET Law and Order (OEF)
APO AE 09354

Thank you for your continued support of Operation Komando and our brave troops!

If you'd like to add a unit to the website, simply email contact@operationkomando.com.

 

I was thrilled to receive a gift box after winning a challenge and it was like Christmas having so many pretties to open and enjoy. 

 I truly enjoy getting hand made things from my crafty friends.  This little hot air balloon is just a treasure and she will be hung from hubby's fishing line from the ceiling tile, so you can see the like and she will look like she is just hovering ;)  That will make me smile each day!

 

We are soon to plan our visit to Flossie and Mr. Wonderful at The Villiages and I am really excited already.  This year we will be renting a car for the trip, last years adventure was enough to keep me in stress reduction classes for the next 5 years.

 

Will soon be celebrating the birthdays of everyone in the family from January thru April, need to get this in before they all are another year older.  It will be exciting this year for one niece will be coming home from California with her fellow and we are not only excited to see her again, but  it will be nice to meet her fellow in the flesh. 

 

 You know now, with the friendships developed on the computer social sites, you feel like you really know someone you have never seen in their skin.  I have many friends, but several I consider close friends,I have never met.  We share so much with each other, on line, it is much like the over the fence type of friendship of days gone by.  I was able to watch a few shows of The Goldbergs.  In Molly's old radio and early TV shows, she would catch up on all the news in the neighborhood and in the world, by calling out the window to the many neighbors who's windows were adjacent.  During the days your clothes line was strung between two buildings and as you hung you wash or took it down to iron, you could catch up on all the important happenings of the day. 

 

Just maybe this computer thing is not such an evil thing after all. 

 

Hoping this finds you happy and healthy,

Tilly 

 

 

 

 

WHAT CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY WHEN YOU GET BAD NEWS?

What can make you happy when your eye doctor says you have cataracts.  Yes, the left eye is ready for surgery right now, the right maybe a few months more.  And, you, legally, shouldn't be driving, you can't see well enough.

Come to find out, this surgery is very easy now.  You go in, they put you to sleep, do the deed and off you go.  You can't drive yourself home, but you can drive the next day.  And, not a stitch is needed.

I, with my new prescription, will be legal to drive, so I am going to put it off till the little grandchildren are out of school, with their daddy off for the summer to care for them.  The doctor says there is a good chance by that time, the right eye could also be ready.

I know this is not earth shaking news to anyone but me ;)  I see it as just one step closer to death.  I was sure only old people got cataracts.  I am doing my best not to think of myself as old, but each time I turn around I get another 'old folks problem'.  Shingles, remember them from last year?  Knee replacement, without having played a single game of football in my life.  Arthritis, degenerative disc disease, a full beard and eye sight so bad I can't see where to apply the Nair!!

Not being over joyed with any of this, the good Lord, timed it so I got boxes of goodies to keep my mind off my bad news.  A huge box of junk jewelry on Ebay, I got for $6.  Yep, I put in a bit of $6.01 as my max and I got it for 6.  Most all boxes that large are selling for $40 to $60, (I have been watching close for a few months).  So, I put my silly bid in on several different lots and forgot about them, knowing I would not have a chance.  Bingo, go one.  Needless to say every craft project I do for a year will have a beaded stick pin on it ;)  Next, comes a box of papers and goodies I had pre-ordered a month (at least) ago.  It is so pretty, I have more things planned to make than I have paper for!!! 

I know every crafter is headlong into steampunk, but I am still back in the vintage and country, I just love it!

Take a look at all I got, and forgive that I was totally out of my mind and very tired when I made this....ergo, keep your giggling to yourself!

Hope this finds you happy and healthy!!

MY YOUTUBE FAMILY

Now aren't I lucky to have such friends who are artists and also have excellent taste in yummy food?  I will write later about the crafting site I have joined. It is just fascinating that you can have a hobby, any hobby, go on YouTube and find hundreds of others who love the same thing.  You can share your work, learn from tutorials, and make friends. 

Yes, silly as it sounds, friends can be made thru the Internet. We share our craft, it is true, but we also share our lives, our dreams, our families and even our hurts and sorrows.  With so much in common to begin with, it is easy to understand how close we can get. This is different than neighbors or PTA groups, for most of us have never met each other. And, unlike over the back fence relationships, we come from all over the world. I have friends in the Ukraine, Australia, South Africa, Nova Scotia and the UK. I could go on and on, but you understand.

Some videos are not related to our craft, but could be something as wonderful as a walk to the store, in a small town in the Ukraine, a beautiful view of some mountains in South Africa, a weekend mini vacation in the UK to a beautiful home town and Cambridge. That was outstanding, she took a river tour of Cambridge, and we all got to join her thru the video. 

I am also thankful,  for the friends here in the US, we had better views of the winter storms on the East Coast than the TV news had. I got to watch a little alligator playing in the yard of a Florida friend. Share the canning experience with a friend in Ohio and hear tales of her first deer hunting experience.

It is no wonder I just take care of email, check Facebook and make any comments I want and hurry away to YouTube to visit all my friends.

I am blown away by the talent of these friends, most of whom, have had no formal training in their chosen type of art.  This can range from photography, scrapbooking, card making, mixed media, water color, sewing, knitting and crocheting and cooking.  I just know I have missed some areas where my friends excel, but think you see the picture.  Many pieces of art, if they had the inclination, could be sold for 3 figures.  But, most have home, family and maybe a small store on Ebay, Zibbet or Etsy.  What they miss in having their work on exhibition in a gallery, they gain in doing all the things they love and sharing it with family and friends.

And, I am all the better for these friends!

Hope this post finds you all happy and healthy,

Barb aka Tilly

Join me at

My store: http:// www.zibbet.com/tillysbridge

or my Blog: http://hisblp.blogspot.com/

or YouTube: hisblp

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

I promised, several days ago to post the recipes from Creating the Crafty Life Recipe Swap.  Here it is Saturday the 23 of February, and I am just getting the deed done.

Beside, being beautiful cards, the recipes are delish!!  The first is:

                                        Romantic Lemon Cheesecake Pancakes for 2 
                                                         From CraftnCorry

8 oz cream cheese, softened                               2 t. butter, melted-divided
2 eggs, beaten                                                    confectioners' sugar for dusting
5 t. all-purpose flour                                          1 t. lemon juice
1 1/2 t white sugar                                             1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

Beat the cream cheese together with the eggs in a bowl until the mixture is almost smooth.  Stir in the flour, sugar, and 1 tsp. of melted butter to make a batter.  Heat the remaining 1 tsp. of butter on a griddle or a heavy frying pan over medium heat.  Drop the batter into the griddle in silver dollar sized dollops, cook until lightly golden brown, about 3 minuted.  Turn the pancakes over and cook and additional 2 minutes. 
To serve, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with lemon juice.  Serve with lemon wedges


                                                 1 Million Dollar Bar
                                                    Made by Randi


32 caramels                                                     1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter melted                                     3/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup flour                                                       1 cup rolled oats
1 t. baking soda                                                6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small sauce pan over low heat, stir until completely smooth, set aside.  In a separate bowl combine melter butter, brown sugar, flour, oats and baking soda.  Put half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 min.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust.  Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips.  Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramels.  Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 min., until the edges are lightly brown.  Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.  Maybe put into the fridge for a few min.  Store in a container at room temperature.  (You man double recipe in a 9x13 pan)



                                                  Molten Lava Cakes
                                           Johnna, youtube: sdcowgirl


2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for                12 ozs. semisweet chocolate, chopped
for the ramekins                                                 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus
4 t. granulated sugar                                          more for dusting
1/2 t. ground cinnamon                                      1 c all-purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper                                     6 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks
pinch of nutmeg                                                 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
                                            1/4 t, almond extract 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter 8, 6 oz ramekins and sprinkle each with 1/2 t. granulated sugar.  Combine the butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg and chocolate in a saucepan, over low heat, stirring frequently.  Do this until melted and smooth.  Cool slightly.  Whisk the flour, confectioner's sugar, eggs and yokes, vanilla and almond extracts in a bowl until creamy.  Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture.  Divide among the prepared ramekins.  Bake the cakes until the tops are stiff and edges darken, 12 to 14 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 mins.  Loosen the edges of the cakes with a small paring knife and transfer to plates while warm.  Dust with confectioners' sugar



                                                       Chocolate Dipped Bing Cherries
                                                 YouTube: CraftyJo106


1 c. white sugar                                              24 Bing Cherries with stems
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract                                    8oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1.  Pour the sugar into a shallow dish, Drop two drops of Vanilla at a time into dish in 24 separate places to form lumps of vanilla sugar, allow to harden
2.  Pit cherries from the bottom.
3.  when the lumps or sugar hardened, insert into cherries where the pits were.  Melt chocolate in the microwave stirring every 20 seconds until melted.
4.  Hold cherries by the stems and dip into chocolate leaving the very tops uncovered.  Set on wax paper to dry.  Refrigerate over night to allow the sugar lumps to dissolve.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BOER WAR?

Just how much do you know about the Boer War?  I believe I was napping when this history lesson was discussed.  It really was a shame, because my Grandfather (father's father) was a part of the Boer War.

I never met my Grandfather, Vincent Cerny, he died before I was born.  The largest reminder of him is a photograph of him that hung at Grandma's.  He was in uniform and when I would ask, was told it was taken when he was in the British army fighting in the Boer War.

Now, in my mind, I saw him and the British army, in Africia, fighting large pigs with tusks.  I really never new what this was about till in my 30's when I read :

James A. Michener - The Covenant

 

Find more at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/boer-war-begins-in-south-africa

 

Just how, as a child, was I to know it was between the Dutch and English, in Africia?

 

Now how did this happen, you say?  A young Bohemian man, from the US ending up in the British army, in Africia, seems like a tall tail.  Well, the tall tail comes before, and started with a young man off to make his fortune.  Traveled to South Africia and worked as a manager of miners, in the diamond mines.  And, the managers must have been much hated by the miners, probably many under paid and over worked in awful conditions.  Grandpa was the 'inbetweener' inbetween the rich mine owners and the poor miners.  At one point he was attacked and made it out alive, but decided this was not his best option for making it rich.  He was paid with a little bag of diamonds and was off to make a change.

 

Now just how much more happened, I will never know, because all of Daddy's family is gone, so I will get to the end of the story.

 

He met another American and between the 2 of them, they bought and ran a restaurant.  I believe this was a more prosperous venture.  But the Cerny luck, which continues today in myself, was present, when the whole area was swept by cholera.  Grandpa's partner was a casuality of the disease and the restaurant closed.

 

If you can imagine the US and the many states, with no problem going from state to state or driving thru many states unincombered.  Now, imagine the country of Africia and the little 'states' are really not states, but each a seperate country, got the picture?

 

Yes, Grandpa was driving from one place to another, that took him from one country to another country.  He was stopped and arrested for entering a country without the proper papers.  At this point, he contacted his brother, my Uncle John, who then contacted the US embassy, which in turn contacted the British embassy and, after a little dealing, was offered his freedom from prison.  But, only, if he would agree to serve one year in the British army. 

 

Thus, his story of ending up in the British army fighting the Dutch, in Africia.  Isn't he a handsome fellow?  Needless to say, I am grateful he made it thru and home where he met and married Barbara and started his own insurance business, raised 3 children, the youngest being my father.   Wish I had, had the opportunity to meet him.

 

 

 

 

2013 OFF AND RUNNING

Tilly here, and am having a hard time picking up the little scraps of Christmas wrapping paper off the floor and realizing January is over.  Officially, we are into the new year, this can't be, I still have indigestion from the rich Christmas food.  (NO don't send Jamie Lee Curtis)

I did get my 2013 calender finish and on the wall above my desk.

making the pockets at the bottom was fun!


Wish I could have gotten a little closer, but photography is not yet

on my to do list. 

 

We have done a little rearranging in the great room. It is called that because we have 2 rooms downstairs, the kitchen and a big room, that serves as everything else, ergo, the great room. We had a large entertainment center (heavy) courtesy of or son, 2 wing chairs courtesy of my Mom with an end table between. A sleeper sofa, the property of Flossie, when she is in town, and a captains chair. There is also, in 1/3 of the room, a dinning room table and chairs, courtesy of my Mom, a armoire (heavy) for our computer and a jelly cupboard for our good dishes.

This is a lot of furniture for a relatively small space. The solution, down size. We took this:

 

 

and gave it to Salvation Army and replaced it with this:

 

 



 

 

 

We sold this:

And replaced it with this:

We moved the jelly cupboard where the computer armoire was so it looks like this:

And now the whole room tilts to the right ;)  We will get it right in time, but with the smaller pieces, it does seem like

we have more space.

 



 

 



This is just the beginning of the story, tomorrow I will tell

the 'rest of the story'