Excursions

Is anyone interested in joining me at the Ventura Swap Meet? It takes place every Wed. from 6-2. I am thinking of starting a both and want to check it out. Free entrance and parking. It is MUCH smaller than the monthly production.
Just post if you are interested.
XX,
Julia

Watch Out Below, I

So remember when I said I have piles of project laying around my house? Well this was one of them. One windy day a long time ago I came across a beautiful branch. Now you may think why would she think a branch is beautiful? Well that is just my creative insanity speaking. I see some wonderful treasure and can instantly see it transformed into another beautiful object, project, or as my husband would say "crap". The problem is that I bring these treasures home and they sit there while I find the time to transform them.

This particular treasure was a branch and it had been sitting in my back yard for at least a year. My intention was to make it into a light fixture for our family room. It would have (and still can be) perfect. Well....my husband threatened to throw it out, and it wasn't the first time so I knew he was serious, and if I didn't do something quick my treasure would be trash (I forgot to mention that it is about 13 feet long, and I drove it home sticking out the back of my Explorer like a hillbilly). I compromised with my self and took the easy way out. I grabbed a few strands of little white lights wrapped them around the branch (after sawing the ends off to make them pretty), and hung

them from my patio cover. I hung them with some old chandelier chain that was in the garage, no cutting necessary. I just used a pair of pliers to open one of the chain links, hung it over the patio cover, and wrapped it around the branch (about 18" from the end so it could not fall off). Then I wrapped an extension cord up and over the top of the patio cover and ran the cord down the wall to the outlet. We needed more light and this was FREE!

We got the light we needed outside, my husband was happy, and I got to keep and transform my treasure, absolutely Practically Perfect in every way.

Now it's your turn. Go out there and find some fallen branches any create some thing wonderful. I would love to hear about it so post a comment!!!!!!

Oh, and I need some branches to decorate for Christmas so I will have to hunt today too. Can't wait to blog about the next installation of Watch Out Below!

Practically Perfect Solutions

Stubborn wax:
If you have wax on a candlestick or plate don't bother trying to pick it off. Put the candlestick in the freezer few a few hours. When you remove it from the freezer it will pop right off. Don't wait to long if it warms up you will have to freeze it again.

Bed David Whithouse

A couple of months ago "The New Book Club" read Bed by David  Whitehouse. I neglected to order the book ahead of time and was running out of time to read it before the meeting. While searching the web for a source I came across a blog by none other than the talented Mr. Whitehouse. We shared a few correspondences and were talking about giving him a New Book Club review on face book. Think we scared him off. To bad,  we loved the book.

Here is the letter I composed to send to him if he ever replied......

Dear David,

There were five of us at the meeting, and the result was love.

As a group we unanimously thought the writing was splendid, the topic of gross and morbid obesity disgusting, and the power of love moving.

We had split feelings about the ending and Mal’s reasoning for giving everyone in the family a purpose. Some think that the family members would have never been able to continue without him, playing out there rolls perfectly. The others thought that he was grossly self absorbed and controlling, thinking that he alone had the power to manipulate their lives.

What an intricate circle of co-dependence and enabling you wove. We all agree that exists in every family in some dichotomy or another.  It seems to stem from the innate human ability to be addicted to food, drugs, need, attention, or love. We are all Mal on some level, as well as Mum, Dad, Lou, and ……the nameless brother.

Well off to Moloka’i next. So glad to have spent the last two weeks in BED.

Hope you are writing,

Lizz Grinsell & The New Book Club

Papa Cristos,

Working on Blog

The cheesiest cheese ever?

Okay people I don't think this is even considered a cheese much less a food anymore, but the recipe that follows is worth risking your health for a day! It includes 1 lb. of VELVEETA, that's right the block of "cheese" that can sit on a market shelf for how long???? Defiantly questionable. Perfect for game day with the peeps, or a pot-luck with the neighbors. This has cheesy written all over it.

Cheesy it may be but, I am a lover of all things creamy and spicy. This has both and totally rings my bell. What the hell man, I am a risk taker, bring on the chips and cheese sauce.

Cheesy Corn Dip, from the Kitchen of Suzie Rake.

1 lb Velveeta
1 can corn drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper diced
1 red onion diced
1/2 c. chopped cilantro chopped
3 diced jalepenos, (it is very SPICY, 1 or 2 if you do not like it too hot)
1/2 c sour cream

Mix all but  the sour cream,
Heat over the stove or in micro, until melted and hot.
Stirring often.
Remove from heat and add sour cream.
Serve in a crock pot or dish with tortilla chips.

Moloka'i, Alan Brennnert

Seeing the blurred words through my tears I have just now finished Molokai. What a heart wrenching journey through the life of Rachel Kalama. As a leper sanctioned to a remove part of Molokai for most of her life, we learn once again that we all just want to be loved. Piggy- backed on the last two reads for my book clubs, (Unbroken, and The Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet), I was glad for the historical references and different points of view coming from a war torn America, and all of the tragedies that we as a country endured and scarred our history with. Although there was a small reference to this time period in the book, the impact is substantial.

If you have the time, take a trip to Moloka'i.