12-30-2018 New Year Goals

Thoughts and Quotes: Yes, I know you've seen it before, but it's perfect for the New Year.

This is the year that your dreams come true!

This is the year that your ship comes in;

This is the year you find Christ within.

This is the year you are glad to live;

This is the year you have much to give.

This is the year when you know the Truth;

This is the year when you find new youth.

This is the year that brings happiness;

This is the year you will live to bless.

Wonderful, wonderful, fortunate you,

This is the year that your dreams come true!

                                             Russell A. Kemp 

So, okay guys. We've got 365 days to do wonderful things. We can look back at the end of 2019 and say, "Wow! Look what I did!" or we can look back and say "Shoulda, woulda, coulda, but didn't." 

We can do it, but first we need a plan. Plans start with dreams, which we put on paper as goals, which we pursue with all our energy, which become reality, and then we can truly say, "Wow! I did it!"

If you're new to this, start out with realistic goals; but don't make your goals so easy that you needn't stretch yourself. Make your goals so wonderful that you'll want to jump out of bed each day to pursue their completion.

I promised you some tips on where to start, so here we go - the way I do it.

First, a topic, then specifics. Your topics might be different from mine, and for sure, your specifics will be different.

My topics and some specifics, to use as examples:

Creative: Finish the !@#$%^&* books I have started.

Home: Take photos for insurance purposes.

             New curtains in the office.

Learn: How to use my new camera.

            Read 50 books.

Social: Blog post weekly.

             Celebrate angel birthdays (these are the relatives who have passed)

Local: Crystal Bridges Art Museum, Laura Ingalls Wilder Home, Baker Seeds

Travel: KS-NE-SD-ND; Iowa, Oklahoma

Yard and Garden: Flowers in pots on the patio

                               Plant veggies and herbs

Acquire: Mouse pad (this is an annual goal, as I wear one out each year)

                Black sweater (still looking)

                Glasses (still have the ones with the glued frames in my nightstand)

Record: Daily journal

               Daily photo

No More Excuses: Follow budget

                                Follow health plan

                                Clean up computer files

Maintenance: See list (I keep a running list of things I can't do and hire someone to help)

This is just a partial list. I have lots more goals, some carried over from last year.

My last hoorah for buying, as I've resolved to quit adding to all my "stuff". I saw these on the Teacups and Cupcakes page and just had to have some. Click HERE.

And my last item for cards except, cardstock, envelopes, tape, and glue. Click HERE.

And my last CD (recommended for afternoon tea). Click HERE.

The week has been uneventful, so I'll leave you to think about the above, and a promise to do better in 2019.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

TIME TO CHANGE THE SMOKE ALARM BATTERY

GREEN GOALS: SAVE YOUR MONEY; EAT LOTS OF LEAFY VEGGIES; PLANT A GARDEN

INCLUDE PLENTY OF WATER IN YOUR HEALTH PLAN; AND COFFEE, AND TEA.

START PLANNING A GREAT VACATION FOR NEXT YEAR

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

12-25-2018 Treasures and Treats

Thoughts and Quotes: Your work is to discover your work and then, with all your heart, give yourself to it.   Buddha

And so I shall. I talk and talk about my books, and I fiddle with one here, and another there, but I shall get focused on one book, and finish and go to the next. If I go to my grave without finishing what I've started, I'll be so embarrassed. Who wants the headstone to read "All talk. . .no action".

So as we wind down to the start of 2019, and my new focused endeavors, I thought I should do some final Thrifting. And just look what I found.

A fish for the luau table for $1

A grape pitcher for $3

I forgot that I already found one.

But I can use it with this table. I need the flower teapot for the Blossoms table.

25 cents each for coffee mugs. I use a Black and Decker one-cup-at-a-time coffee maker and I need tall mugs or the coffee splashes out on the counter.

Napkins - 25 cents each

Then I went to the thrift store in Springfield and found more treasures.

A necklace for $1

And a lapel pin for 25 cents

A sweet little basket for $2 - expensive, but I wanted it.

Salad plates from Pier One Imports called Destinations. They were originally a set of four, which I could buy on Ebay for $21 plus $11 shipping, but I'll settle for only three at 50 cents each. I'm not well traveled enough to know the destination, but I'll bet Friend David will know and he'll tell me.

And two more salad plates for 50 cents each from a company called Mud Pie. French or Italian? The sign says "cafe" and the bottle on the table says "vino". Hmmmmm.

You can never have too many glass butter dishes when they're only $1.

A teapot with no lid for $1. Pam at the library asked me to look for them. They're going to do a class at the Senior Center and use them for plant containers.

And a set of pretty dishes - 10 plates, 10 salad/dessert plates, 10 saucers, 11 cups, 9 bread and butter plates, and a serving dish. Drum roll, please. $15.

They even gave me a nice sturdy tote to carry the dishes.

And then I found the best deal of the day - all this for $12.35

Ceramic - 20 cents

Ornaments - 20 cents each

Silver metal poinsettia stand - 40 cents

Holly leaf dish - 20 cents

Ceramic trivet - 20 cents

Candleholders - 10 cents each

 
Creamer and sugar bowl - 40 cents

Holly border for crafting - 40 cents

Porcelain angel ornaments - 40 cents total

Fruit for a bowl - 20 cents

3 kitty bowls - 20 cents each

4 kitty bowls - 20 cents each

4 glasses - 20 cents each

4 place settings of dishes, tablecloth, 4 napkin rings, 2 topiaries, centerpiece to use for redoing tropiaries - $7.15 total (For sale if you take the cat, too).

And guess who was the employee of the month?! Baby!
Remember the Nixa Thrift Store kitty?

She even posed for me.

She looks a lot like Stormy; even has the same pretty paws.

I had so much fun shopping on Christmas eve. The ladies at the thrift store were so cute.

Notice the shoes.

Then there was this fun guy who had been to Dollar Tree to buy a candy cane.

And my splurge of the week from Craigslist for $25; service for four. These can go in the dishwasher. 

Tasting: Salads don't have to be time consuming. Try this for something cool and refreshing in the summer or a light touch with a heavy winter meal.

CUCUMBERS

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups sliced cucumbers

Shredded lettuce

Dill weed

Mix all but cucumbers in a large bowl.

Add cucumbers and stir until completely coated.

Cover and refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Put shredded lettuce on individual serving plates.

Spoon cucumbers and dressing in the middle of lettuce nest.

Garnish with a light sprinkling of dill weed (not seed).

Tasting: I jotted this recipe on notebook paper, and then the holes tore through and it kept falling out of my notebook of recipes to try. Instead of going to the office for reinforcements, I decided to just make the recipe and be done with it. Glad I did. I'll never make regular pancakes again. And a great way to use up buttermilk.

These babies whip up in minutes. You could serve them with ready-cooked bacon and fresh fruit on Christmas morning and then get on with the business of celebrating.

OATMEAL PANCAKES

1-1/2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup flour

1 Tbs sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

Start griddle or skillet heating on medium with a thin coating of oil.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Blend buttermilk and eggs together and stir into dry ingredients.

Drop pancakes in size you desire. When bubbles appear, turn and brown the other side. You might have to add more oil as you start each new batch.

Thank yous: For the beautiful handmade cards (the snowman came all the way from the Isle of Lewis off the northwest coast of Scotland), and all the purchased cards as well.

And for treats - another care package from My Girls Up North - See's Chocolates

From Joey - one of her famous cherry pies.

From my kids, a fruit, crackers, cheese, and almonds basket. Don't you just love this basket?

From Bev, goodies from her Panama cruise; pistachio flavoring, rum cake, candy, a bookmark, and a little bag of worry dolls. If you tell your worry to the doll and sleep with it under your pillow, the worry will go away. (Hopefully I'll never need all five at one time - five worries! Aye yi yi!) 

To Beloved Niece for a huge, gorgeous poinsettia, and to Mim for a lady lunch out in January.

I found this interesting. Bev bought the gift bag in Honduras or somewhere down there, and they tape the folded tissue to the insides of the bag. How clever is that?!

The Pepper and Pals Report: Stormy watches the water while I'm waiting for it to warm.

Then she sits on the stool while I shower, waiting to watch me wipe down the shower door.

And I always know when she's under the bed, because that's where I find Pepper standing guard.

The outdoor kitties are flourishing -  black Midnight (the mother), and gray tuxedo Ginger, black tuxedo Fred, and black and white Flower.

ONCE MORE - MERRY CHRISTMAS

PREPARE YOUR 2019 GOALS LIST

GET PLENTY OF REST

AND SOME SUNSHINE

HUG YOUR LOVED ONES

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE