Its Rhubarb not Rutabaga

So I have been seeing some recipes using Rhubarb. I've never seen nor tasted such food. But I want too. I hear it has a sweet tart taste? I dunno.

The other day while shopping for produce, I mentioned to Nick that I wanted to make a Rutabaga pie or muffins. So The search was on. We found them. They looked like turnips and were ugly. They sure didn't look like the ones I saw on line. 

"Hmm let me wait a while on that cause I just don't know. That's an ugly veggie."

I did some research. Why didn't Rhubarb look like this in the grocery store? 

Because I was looking at Rutabagas!

Stupid me. I'm sure glad I didn't buy a Rutabaga because we would be eating nasty tasting pie!

So now my search is back on. I'm not sure this veggie (or is it a fruit?) is in season but I'm dieing to make some Rutabaga Rhubarb muffins soon.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Service Pets

I may get some slack for this but Im one to think the "service dog" craze is getting out of hand. It seems like every where I go, there is a dog. "Oh its my service dog" they say. Now dont get me wrong, I love dogs and other animals and I think service dogs for the blind are the most lagit, but some of the excuses Ive heard are just plain out rediculous to me.

There was a lady once in a restruant. Her dog sitting beside her. No vest, no flag, nothing. Just a little cute dog sitting in the chair at the table. She claimed it was her service dog for anxiety. Really? Im not gonna say its not a good idea but if you cant sit in a restaurant for 30 minutes to a meal, you need more than a dog. Just thinking about dog hair in the food was enough to make me gag and depending on what kind of dog it is, my allergies will flare up in a matter of minutes making my dining experience a bad one.

This happend yesterday. Me and Nick were browsing through the dollar store. He pointed me over to an area where a man had a big beautiful bird on his head. Me being the nosey one, I walk over to the man with a puzzled look on my face and ask, "really"? "Sorry sir but I had to see if the bird on your head is real?" He seemed thrilled to respond. "Yes maam, it is. He is my service bird". Let me just mention, this bird had a patriotic diaper on. Seriously! Genius! He went on, "He helps me with my bipolar problem." I asked the man, "so how does he help you with that?". "He can sense when I start going crazy and will start squawking loud to remind me to take my meds". He also stated that the bird also attracts the women. Haha ok good one [have you took your meds today?] 

My phone is in my hand but at this point but I didnt know to ask for a picture or not. The bird was squawking. I wish I had taken a picture though to go with my story. It sure was somethin. He said the VA gave it to him and his other outfit had his badges attached. Great story but not sure Im buying it.

Found a photo online of the same bird with the same patriotic diaper (or costume).

My thoughts? How in the world can a bird know one is crazy? 

If he goes to the mall, wouldn't it squawk the whole time? 

I mean crazies are everywhere. 

If your anxiety problem is so bad or you cant remember to take a much needed medicine, 

then how are you capable of taking care of an animal? 

This is becoming a problem around here and the situation is getting out of hand, sort of like the handicap passes. I want get started on that. People are taking advantage of it and it hurts those that really need the help. 

Did you know you can buy a service vest for your pooch on ebay for 29.99? Yep. Want to take fido with you anywhere you go? Just get one and no one dares to ask for proof. And its legal!

I think I need a service monkey to slap food out of my hand everywhere I go because I have an eating problem. Any suggestions on where I can get one?

Crochet Season

Its that time again. I'll be whipping up some new items to add to my shop. Fall is around the corner and I want to be ready for the early birds. 

I crochet mostly baby items because they are small and less time consuming. That works well with my full time work schedule. I will occasionally have a customer ask me to make an item that will take me a few days to complete. I'd rather stick to the small stuff. Besides, they are so darn cute.

I plan to create a new type of baby slipper to add to my collection. I'm pretty excited to see how well it will sale. I've been practicing on how to make them and I think I have it figured out. 

The items in my shop are 50% off right now until the end of June (promo code: HALFOFF). After that, I'll do some more shop cleaning and possibly donate some of the unsold items to the battered women's shelter. 

I plan to rearrange and update some photos of items along with adding some new stuff by the 3rd week of July. I just have to find the time. 

Meanwhile, as I was searching around at crochet on the internet, I learned that there are some crayzyeeee crocheters out there. Now, the silliest thing I ever crocheted was this little cowboy hat for my nephews guinea pig. Cute huh? I did this without a pattern and I cant remember how I did it. 

I have crocheted a lot of doggy hats and pet leg warmers ,but I am not a crochet fanatic like some of these people. I mean, where do they even come up with this stuff?

Like I said "crazyeeee"(or genius?)

Enjoy....

Rat Princess??

source

Squirrel wearing a sweater. How did they get it on there?

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 How about a shell cozy? I would do this.

Source

 snail no!

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 Lastly, CHICK SLIPPERS!!!

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Pardon My Typos

I'll admit, I'm terrible at spelling. If it were not for spell check, They would probably send me back to the 2nd grade.

I know I do it. I get so frustrated when I misspell a word or type something wrong in a comment or a post. I'm not dumb, I just get in a hurry and my eyesight is not as good as it was ten years ago.
Often I'm typing on the go and prematurely hit send. Sometimes I will even read it over and over before I click it. Then I put my glasses on and dooohhhhh!

If you see a miss spelling in my blog post, just check back in a few hours for I have found it and changed it. Every time I reread my post, I find a mistake. It just burns me up. So yes, I spend about fifteen minutes typing a story and about thirty minutes correcting it.
But then again, that's a pretty good par for somewhat of a dyslexic.

So pardon me on miss spellings or wrong wording when I comment. I do not want the word "deleted" beside my icon. I am aware of my mistake and probably beating my head on the desk or iPad at the same time. 

When I become a professional blogger, I'll hire a proof reader. 

June Wedding

We were invited to another wedding this past weekend. One of my best friends daughter tied the knot. Me and the brides mom met in Zumba class years ago and became instant friends. Our daughters were both in the same year at college and were sorority sisters. I love Anne because she is so helpful to me, shes fun to be around and we have the same family values.

The wedding was held at Bakers Buffalo Creek Winery in North Carolina. It was a nice 45 minute drive to get there. 

The temperature was hot but the constant breeze made it comfortable for everyone.

Speaking of breeze (funny story)..... 

I did good keeping a handle on my dress as the wind blew all day. I could have been like Marilyn Monroe on the vent grait in a second. I did good keeping the modesty. But then I looked Down. I saw a cork on the ground. Me being a cork collector, I reached down to pick it up. Thats when I lost it. When I stood back up, my pocket book strap had caught the tail of my already short dress and pulled it clear over my backside flashing my undies. I was making more of a scene trying to fix it so I backed up to my husband and asked him to please fix my dress so I could stop mooning every one, There is no telling of what kind of show I was putting on while I was bent over. I hope no one was paying me any attention...

Ok story over.

It was a beautiful wedding that included a buffet style dinner and a wine bar. There was lots of dancing and the bride was beautiful. I didn't get any photos of the bride but wish I would have. I just thought it would be rude to take photos during the wedding. Ill just say, she was a beautiful red head Cinderella.

Her bridesmaids wore navy dresses that set fancy with the outdoor atmosphere.

We enjoyed ourselves and saw a lot of familiar faces. Of course I had to purchase a bottle of house blend wine and grabbed a cupcake to go. It was a lovely afternoon.

Update: I later received a photo from Anne. Here is a photo of the princess bride.

Hemerocallis

Happy Summer yall! Its my favorite time of the year. I love the hot days full of sunshine and afternoon storms. We now have temperatures soaring in the 90's.

Something else I love about this time of year is the bloom of daylilies. They are scientifically called "Hemerocallis"- Greek word meaning: Hemera (day) - klos (beautiful).

Say hello to my Beauties.

I think my daylilies are unique. They are "Kwanso Flore Plenos". You can just call them Kwansos. Flore Pleno means they are triple ruffled or extra petals. 

These flowers are a Native of Eastern Asia, China and Korea. They were in my yard when I moved here several years ago. However, I have transplanted them in different areas.

They show their bright, sunny orange colors during the day and close up at night. I was afraid they would not come up this year as their leaf beds look awful. I trimmed them back in the spring and shouldn't have. It caused the leaves to die and turn brown. Either that or the frost. I was just gonna take the blame.

I think that's it of my flower blooms for the year. Now I will focus on my little veggie plants I have growing out back. I hope to introduce them to you soon.

We saw a whole field of yellow daylilies adorning the highway as we were out riding this weekend.

Puzzled Thoughts

On my evening walk I came across a scattered puzzle.

It was just a reminder of how things are. Life, the world, me. Always looking for that missing piece or trying to put it all back together. They have been rained on, ran over, and stepped on as a few pieces still seem to keep their colors.

Its weeks like this that I cant seem to find things to talk about. When America is attacked, it puts me in a somber mode. Im constanlty thinking about those who lost people they love. I think about why such things have to happen.

I dont like getting on social media such as Facebook or Twitter because as soon as I log on, the bad news immediately slaps me in the face. 

Everyone seems to have their own opinion about what goes on around us but its simply the fact that there are lost and mean people out there without a conscience. While one person is trying to find a fix to the problem, there is always another finding ways to make another headline in the news. 

Even though I do not agree with the way some people choose to live, They are human beings and do not deserve to be hurt. But unfortunatly, not every human race sees it that way. Its just the way it is and how it's going to continue. 

Everyone always seems to think they can fix the problem, but sadly, they cant and never will. I also believe the world will never get better, so we need to make ourselves better.

I try to keep my mouth shut on political issues because Im not educated enough to fight the fight. I have to stay away from the sites that get me rawled up such as facebook. Im afraid ill get mouthy. Me and Nick even spend time doing other things while keeping the tv off most of the time. 

We will always have bad news until the next bad news. I'd rather keep positive thoughts and keep praying for our countries. I want to stay positive and continue living in a happy world. If we live un happy or in fear, then the bad guys win.

The Appalachian Trail (The Book)

I have read another book. I give myself applause. I'm starting to enjoy this leisure.

The book is the second book I read from author Jack Darnell. I have made friends with him and his wife through the blogging world as I also enjoy his daily blog post over at the shipslog.

I was only a few pages into the book "The Appalachian Trail" when I was hooked. This book took me on a journey that forced me to day dreaming moments as if I was actually hiking along with them. I could picture the beauty of the trails they crossed and the people (with crazy nicknames) they encountered. I smiled when I found out what their hiking names become.

I was amazed at what goes into preparation to even begin such an adventure. I was in total awe. I had no idea. Many friends were made along their hike as they encounter a few obstacles, laughs and lots of smooches. 

This book was a pleasure to read on my Kindle but now wish I would have ordered a signed copy. 

This past weekend, me and my husband walked into the Gander Mountain store here in town and while he looked at shoes, I dashed over to the hiking equipment. I wanted to see what kind of things they pack into those back packs and it was really cool. I thought about the characters in the book as I marveled at the tiny pots, cookers and tents. 

Thanks Jack! Now I want to do it! I just know I could not talk Nick into doing such a thing but I know if he started, he would be like Sherry and want to keep going.

I'll stop here before I give the book away, but there were some unexpected surprises in the book and chapter nine made my eyes water.

You can order this book HERE or HERE and enjoy.

Fluffernutter

This weekend was free. The were no plans or deadlines so we just took it easy. The temperatures soared into the high 90's reaching 100 in some areas. I love it though. I would much rather be ouside in the hot than inside with the cold air condition. 

Saturday I stayed inside during the morning, catching up on some housework and enjoying a little "me time" alone in the house while Nick journeyed out for his morning walk. By noon we were back together and had some lunch. He had a salad and I was craving a "fluffernutter" sandwich. Now if you have never had a fluffernutter, you sre missing out on a good thing.

Adding up to about 300 calories, this little wopper will soothe a sweet tooth while giving you healthy protein and energy. I mean what else can you eat healthy thats low in calories yet tastes like a candy bar? Go ahead, make you one!

Here is how:

Simply spread peanutbutter on one side, marshmellow fluff on the other, slap it together and toast it in a toaster oven). Just look at that ooey gooey goodness. 

Its so good, it will make your tongue slap your forehead!

New Do

Its that time again. The gray roots in my dark hair start to peep out at the crown. It shines like Christmas tinsel around grandmaws old Christmas tree. 

I usually will just get some root touch up and fix it every four to six weeks and let my hair dresser do an all over color about twice a year. I love going to the salon and getting pampered every now and again. She has asked me a couple of times if I would like to try a new color called eggplant. "Na purple is not for me".

Well, today I sent her a text. It went something like this....

Me: hey how would this look on me ?( sent picture of an undercut).

Hairdresser: "awesome! Yes!"

Me: "ok, I feel wild today. Lets do it!"

So after work I headed to the salon. In no time I was in the chair getting the nap of my hair buzzed off! And soon the color. Yes, I decided to let her do the eggplant color this time. I wanted something fun. Even though purple is my least favorite color. She assured me it would not be purple but would have a hint of purple. 

I didnt tell my husband about my undercut until I got home and got the thumbs up on the color. To him, the haircut itself looked like what I normally get. An angled messy bob.

"Ah but now let me show you the surprise" I said, as I lifted up the back of my hair and reviled my wild hair tattoo. I turn back to him with a devilish grin and child like giggle. I think he liked it. He teased me a little then he snapped these pictures to show ya. 

We tried hard to get the light to show the purple tint with not much luck but thats ok, did I mention I didnt even like purple? But I like my hair and the color.

(Thats is not a tattoo on my back)

Speaking of egg plant. I planted a few yesterday.

My sister had given me some egg plant and bell peppers to grow. I just used an old crate for the eggplants and two pots for the bell peppers. Wish me luck on that. They have perked up since the picture was taken. 

In Full Bloom

I came home from a mini vacation to find a couple of my yard plants in full bloom.

As we pulled into the driveway after our trip I noticed our neighbor, Mr. H. slipping around the side of the house. I figured he would soon greet us at the door as we unloaded the car. He never aproached us so I walked around to the side of the house to see if he was ok. There he was snapping pictures of my gladiolas. They are on the side of the house I rarely see so I havnt noticed they were fully bloomed. I couldn't give up the chance to snap some photos too. 

These flowers were here when we bought the house. They could be old. Mr. H. asked if he could have a cutting to take home to his wife. "Sure!" I said, "take all you want". I knew that within a couple days, they would outweight themselves and lay on the ground. He only took one stem. 

Sure enough, the next day, a few of the Gladiolas fell to the ground. I snipped them up and placed them in a vase so they could get a little more life. They are so pretty. 

Ill be giving Mr. H. a few bulbs to plant in February so he doesnt have to only gaze at mine through his window. He has a beautiful yard and they would look great adorning it. 

The other plant that has bloomed is my lovely butterfly bush. My husband took a picture of the first butterfly enjoying the sweet fragrance. Soon There will be humming birds snacking on the thistles.

I recieved this bush last year by none other than sweet neighbor Mr. H. He giggles at it everytime he sees it as it has trippled in size after I planted it. His didnt make it.

He always teases me that he is taking mine back. 

Tomorrow I plan to plant a few vegestable plants my sister gave me. I have a couple bell pepper plants and a couple egg plants to pot. Fingers crossed. I struggle with any kind of garden as the birds eat them to the root. Well, I think its birds that do it. Well see.

Weekend at the Beach

Its my last day of a long weekend at the beach.

Its early as I am sitting outside the camper enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up on some social media. Nick has already journeyed out for his usual 5 mile walk. I will catch up with him shortly and finish out the last couple miles with him. 

We didnt have a problem finding a spot for our umbrella this time because its not too crowded. During the summer, you have to fight for a spot as all umbrellas have to be behind the lifeguard stand.

You can see our chairs are in the 11:00 shadow. No watch needed.

We did a lot of walking as usual. Theres is a few miles around the campground, then a few miles down the beach. We will soon enjoy some lunch on the beach, and soak up the last drop of sunshine before packing up to head home in the morning.

Yesterday, was beautiful but the humidity was so thick, it made your skin feel like a potters clay. That didnt stop me from walking 12 miles mostly before noon. 

We ended up eating supper at a little place up the road named Spankys where we could sit out on the patio and enjoy the view of......

the golf course. The weather was perfect and it didnt bother us that it took a while for our order to come to the table. I had a mushroom wrap and Nick had shrimp tacos.

We made some friends camping in front of us. Really nice people with a nice RV that they drive around enjoying the retired life.  

Im finishing up this post with my current view. 

Nick is up at the camper layering up some tomato sandwiches for lunch and im getting my tan on. 

Retro Fashion

A fashion blogger, I am not, but I'm so darn excited about my new finds this past week or so that I want to share them with my readers.

I found a "this and that store' in my town that deals in over run or damaged items. The merchandise in this store are still new, never worn, but for some reason, retailers got rid of them. The clothes here are even cheaper than the thrift store!

They had a sign on the door that read "All Dresses $3.50, Shirts $1.50", etc....

What? Now this is my kind of store! There were many odd clothes. There was clothes that I have never seen in the mall or any department store. I'm intrigued as I flip through each piece. I'm like a kid in a toy store.

I found two dresses in two different visits. I found more clothes as well, such as walking shorts and tshirts, but the dresses are my favorite. Each one I see adorning the racks are unique and different. Some are actually weird. I saw an "Orphan Annie" Dress there once. No lie. It was red with white collar and everything. If I were a red head, I would have made this my next "Halloween Costume".

I went home and started searching the internet to find out where the dresses I picked came from and I found the home of each dress I purchased. They both were from different vintage inspired boutiques. They were flawless and fit me comfortably.

The one I'm wearing is a fisher schooner dress. I paid $3.50. 
The one on the model is $89.99 at modcloth.com

I fell in love with them because they were different and had a retro or vintage appeal to them.

The one I'm holding was $3.50. 
The one pictured is $59.99 at Skunkfunk.com

I cant wait until the next time I can make a visit there. The name of the store is "Big Deal" and to me it was a big deal!

If My Story Was Written

A friend asked me the other day, If someone were to write a book about me, what kind of book would it be?...Hmmm. I never really thought about it. My first response was "Pretty boring". ha.

Well, lets see. It would be about a girl growing up in a Christian home with loving parents. A girl that couldn't wait to get out on her own while making rebellious mistakes along the way including getting into an abusive six month marriage, heart ache, and embarrassment.

There would be a chapter about love, jealousy, and one about a miracle blessing. The book would have some sad parts, happy parts and may even make you laugh out loud.

I can't say how it would end. I do not think anyone wants to know how their book will end. I would hope it would end on a happy note and if It were my choice, It would end with me and Nick living on the coast of the Carolinas. I would be sitting on a porch with a view of the ocean while soaking up the warm sun and cool breeze. We would have good health, few worries and many of friends.