And the winner is...

Laura DiEgidio  was picked by Austin I will do another one next month stay tuned

Tic Toc Tic Toc....................

I have so much to post but I wanted to make this a separate post so it didn't get missed.

You have until Midnight tonight to enter to win the $10 amazon card.  I am trying to see how many people are following so I posted a while back that in  order to qualify you needed to "JOIN" this site.  I know some of you receive an email that there's a new post but that doesn't make you a "member" .

In the top right corner it will say "Join".  Click there and it will take you to another table that gives you an option of whether you want to join via Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc...............

Right now it is only showing:

Cheryl, Syd, Sarah, Rachel and me

I am going to have Keith draw a name in the morning so you have until midnight to join.

Keep out of the heat.  It's going to be a scorcher this week in NC

Stacey

If you love quilts- or know a quilter or are a quilter you'll love this....................

This is a speech given at a conference on quilting (Quilt Canada 2010) by Allan Fradsham, a criminal court judge in Calgary, Alberta, where the conference was held. [Quilter's husband] Please take time to read it I defy you to let me know if didn't make you smile, let alone make you giggle. "A speech on quilting: "When, some years ago, Gloria told me that she was going to build upon her years of sewing experience, and take up "quilting", I thought she was telling me that she was going to take up a new hobby or a new craft.  I was completely oblivious to the fact that what she was really announcing was that she was taking up membership in a tightly knit (if you'll pardon the expression) group of individuals whose loyalty to one another makes motorcycle gang members seem uncommitted, and whose passion for quilting activities makes members of cults look positively disinterested.  As is the case with many spouses, I was completely unaware that there existed this parallel universe called quilting.  However, to be completely unaware of a world-wide sub-culture operating right under our noses and in our homes is a bit obtuse even for husbands.  But there it is, and here you are.  And, most oddly, here I am.  You might wonder how all this came to pass; I know I certainly do. I cannot now identify what was the first clue I detected indicating that Gloria had entered the fabric world equivalent of Harry Potter's Hogwarts.  It might have been the appearance of the fabric.  Bundles of fabric, mounds of fabric, piles of fabric, towering stacks of fabric.  Fabric on bolts, and stacks of small squares of fabric tied up in pretty ribbons (I later learned these were "fat quarters" which to this day sounds to me like a term out of Robin Hood).  The stuff just kept coming into the house as thought it were endless waves crashing onto a beach. And then, just like the waves, the most amazing thing happened: it would simply disappear.  It was as though the walls of the house simply absorbed it.  Metres and metres (or as men of my generation would say, yards and yards) of fabric would come into the house.  It would arrive in Gloria's arms when she returned from a shopping excursion.  It would arrive in the post stuffed in postal packs so full that they were only kept together by packing tape (these overstuffed Priority Packs are the equivalent of me trying to fit into pants I wore in law school).  These packages would arrive having been shipped from unheard of towns and villages in far away provinces or states or overseas countries (I am convinced the internet's primary activity is not to be found in pornography; that is just a ruse, the internet's real function is to facilitate the trafficking and distribution of fabric).  Wherever we went, be it in Canada, the U.S., Europe, wherever there was a collection of more than three houses, Gloria would find a quilt shop from which she would pluck some prize from some bin with the enthusiasm and unerring eye of an archaeologist finding a new species of dinosaur. And of course, the reason that there are quilt shops everywhere is because there are quilters everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE.  A few years ago, Gloria had been visiting her sister-in-law in Kelowna.  While there, she found and purchased a Featherweight sewing machine.  I understand that making such a find is a matter of such joy that it may eventually attract government taxation.  When it came time to fly back to Calgary, Gloria worried about what the people at airport security would have to say when she tried to take the machine onto the plane.  She need not have been concerned.  Now, airport security takes pride in preventing me from carrying onto a plane a small squirt of toothpaste left in a rolled up toothpaste tube if the tube in which it is lodged did at some point in the distant past, contain a prohibited amount of toothpaste.  My spot of toothpaste is a national security threat.  However, when it came time for Gloria to go through security with the Featherweight, which is made of metal and has needles in secret compartments, airport security came to a standstill.  Why?  Were they about to confiscate the machine, and detain the person who dared to try to board with it?  Of course not.  They gathered around it in awe and admiration, asking Gloria questions about where she had found it, and expressing admiration for her good fortune in finding it.  And why did Gloria get such warm treatment when I am shunned for trying to maintain some degree of oral hygiene?  Well, the answer is obvious; the assembled airport security staff were all quilters, complete with the secret handshake. Maybe I should have twigged to what was happening when the washing of all this fabric led to having to replace our washing machine, which was clearly not designed for such industrial use.  Now, let me pause here.  I understand that there is an intense debate within your world about whether or not fabrics should be washed upon purchase.  I do not wish to be caught in any cross-fire between the two camps, for all I know, as an outsider, I may not be authorized to even know of the controversy.  I do suspect that if men were making the decision, quilting would involve  lot less fabric washing and a lot more beer drinking.  I did eventually discover where all the fabric went.  It went into drawers, cupboards, shelves, and, eventually it completely filled up a closet, which took up one full wall in Gloria's newly built "sewing room".  What we now call Gloria's "sewing room", we used to call "the basement". I have discovered that one of the art forms mastered by quilters is the ability to purchase container loads of fabric, conceal it in the house, and camouflage the purchase so that it slips right under the nose of the unsuspecting spouse.  As a loving and obedient spouse, I have on many occasions found myself in quilt stores where I serve two useful functions: I can reach bolts of fabric stored on top shelves; and I can carry numerous bolts of fabric to a cutting table.  However, I have also started to listen to what is said in quilting stores, and one day, in a little quilting shop in the heart of Alberta farming country, I heard something that made it clear to me that quilters are so clever and, dare I say, devious, that there is really no sport for them in fooling we naive husbands.  Gloria had decided to buy some fabric (which is similar to saying that Gloria had decided to breathe), and had gone to the till to pay for it.  Upon running through Gloria's charge card, the clerk quietly said, "Now, when you get your credit card statement, don't be alarmed when you see an entry for our local feed store.  We run our charges under that name so that if a husband looks at the credit card statements, he will think that the entry is just something he bought at the feed store for the farm".  That sort of financial shell game would make Goldman Sachs proud.  I knew at that moment that there had been a major and probably irrevocable shift in the world's power structure.  I concede it is basically over for the non-quilting husband.  As you have been told, I sit as a criminal law judge, and as such I often find myself sitting on drug trials, or  issuing search warrants in relation to drug investigations.  I must say that the more I learned about the quilting world, the more I started to see similarities between that world and the drug world.  It has caused me some concern. We all interpret events from our own perspectives using the lessons we have learned through life.  When I saw the extent to which Gloria's collection of fabric was growing, I began to worry.  In the law relating to drugs, the amount of a drug one has in one's possession is an important factor in determining the purpose for which the person has the drug.  For example, if a person is in possession of crack cocaine (to use a drug with an addictive power equivalent to fabric), one look at the amount of crack the person possessed.  If the amount exceeds the amount one would realistically possess for personal use, then one may reasonably draw the inference that the purpose of the possession is not personal use, but, rather, it is for the purpose of trafficking the drug.  So, you can imagine what I thought when I saw Gloria's collection of fabric grow to a point where she readily admitted that she could never use all that fabric in several lifetimes.  I reluctantly concluded that I was married to a very high-level fabric trafficker.  Mind you, in order to qualify as a trafficker, one does have to part with fabric, and I see very little evidence of that happening.  In fact, the more I thought about the parallels between the quilting culture and the drug culture, the clearer the similarities became.  Consider the jargon.  I have learned that this vast collection of fabric, which is stored in our house, is a "stash".  Well, drug dealers speak of their "stash" of drugs.  Gloria speaks of doing "piece" work.  In the drug world there are often people who bring together the crack cocaine dealer and the buyer; think of a real estate agent, but not as well dressed, through perhaps somewhat less annoying.  Those people speak of breaking off a "piece" of crack as payment for bringing the parties together.  Sounds to me like a type of "piece work".  Those who transport drugs are often called "mules"; I have frequently heard Gloria refer to me as her mule when I am in a quilt store carrying stacks of fabric bolts (or did she says I was stubborn as a mule?).  Well, it was something about mules.  And I should think that this whole conference is a testimony to the addictive qualities of quilting. In my role as a Sherpa, I have accompanied Gloria on various quilting expeditions, and I have been impressed by many things.  One is, as I have mentioned, that no matter where one goes, there will be a quilt store.  The proliferation of quilt shops makes Starbucks outlets seem scarce.  One day Gloria led me into a hardware store, which seemed odd to me, that is until I discovered that, as I walked towards the back of the store, the store had become a quilt shop.  The metamorphosis was extraordinary, and very crafty (if you will pardon the pun).  At that moment, I knew how Alice felt as she followed that rabbit down the rabbit hole.  Suddenly, one was in a different universe.   Another thing I have learned is that the operators of quilt shops have great business acumen.  In one of Gloria's favourite shops, upon entry I am greeted by name and offered a cup of coffee.  If the grandson is with us, he is allowed to choose a book to take home.  It is all so friendly that I don't even notice that I cannot see over the growing pile of fabric bolts which fill my arms.  I wish that my doctor did such a good job of distracting me when it is time to do a prostate exam.  I have learned that quilting is both international in scope and generous in spirit.  I have learned that quilters are quick to assist those in need, and that they have always been prepared to stand up for what is right.  For example, I think of Civil War quilts, which often conveyed messages about the Underground railway for slaves escaping to Canada.  I think of the One Million Pillowcase Challenge, and the Quilts of Valour project.  At one point, I thought of suggesting the creation of an organization akin to "Doctors Without Borders", but decided that an organization called "Quilts Without Borders" would indeed be illogical.  And of course, there are the resultant quilts.  We have quilts throughout the house.  They adorn beds, chesterfields, the backs of chairs.  They are stacked on shelves, they are stored in drawers, they are shoved under beds, they are hung on walls.  There is even one on the ceiling of the sunroom.  They compete for any space not taken up with the fabric, which will eventually result in more quilts.  I live in a cornucopia, which disgorges quilts instead of produce.  I have decided that quilts are the zucchini of crafts.  But who can complain?  Quilt seriously, each one is a work of art, and an instant family treasure.  While family members and friends are delighted to receive them, I churlishly begrudge seeing them go out the door. Though I tease Gloria about the all-consuming nature of her obsession, I am constantly amazed at the skill necessary to create those works of art.  I stand in awe as I watch her do the mathematics necessary to give effect to (or correct) a pattern.  When she quilts, she combines the skill of an engineer, a draughtsman, a seamstress, and an artist.  Her sewing machines require her to have, as she does, advanced computer and mechanical skills.  She knows her sewing machines as well as any Hell's Angel knows his Harley.  She uses measuring and cutting tools and grids, which would challenge the talents of the best land surveyors. In short, I am very proud of what Gloria does, as each of you should be proud of your own skills and creations.  They are impressive and very evident at this Conference.  On behalf of those of us who wouldn't know a binding from a batting, I simply ask that when you finally and formally announce that have already taken over the world that you find some simple tasks for us to do to justify our existence.  You might call those tasks... the QUILT PRO QUO. Gloria and I very much appreciate your warm hospitality this evening. In closing, the hotel management has asked me to remind you that those found cutting up the table cloths for quilting fabric will have their rotary cutters confiscated and forfeited to the Crown." Allan Fradsham

Summer is arriving full blast in NC - Happy Monday

Good Morning all- I am trying to keep my blogging to at least once a week.  So here I sit, on this Monday morning listening to the annual Woodpecker Peck at our chimney.  Now are these birds supposed to be that dumb?  Ummmmmmmmmmmmm- "Wood"pecker........not "chimney"pecker.
So it creates this sound like a jack hammer is on the house.  Maybe I should "bless his little heart" and realize his Mama pecked his head by accident when he was a baby.

Speaking of birds. The baby birds are still sitting in there little red house outside my door.

Sydney my niece who reads the blog saw I posted about her seeing the bird in the bathroom and sent me this..........................

Then there was the bird feeder my husband concreted into the ground and NO birds want to eat at it....

Not sure what they're not liking - maybe it's too fancy?  LOL

Before I move on - Apparently there's still some confusion about the Amazon Gift card giveaway.  

So I'm going to do my best to clarify. 

If you are automatically receiving emails regarding the blog that is just a thing I can do for up to 10 people to make it easy for those I listed to help.  However, you are "not" a member.  To join the site you need to go to 

on top right in blue there's a button that says "join this site" - it is not crucial to do this to receive notifications on the site - there's another location to follow by email, add to circle, etc... however, I'm curious how many people are following and so I wanted to get whomever is following to join  That "should" allow you to receive notifications when I post and would give me the answer I'm looking for.  I hope that helps.  So, if you "join" by June 15, 2015 by midnight - you will go into the drawing for the amazon card.  

THANKS

Now moving on- Here's a very yummy recipe you can make from the Ricotta cheese recipe I posted last week (or store bought)........

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 tsp all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 c. (8 oz) ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup blueberries (you can use blackberries or strawberries as well)

1.  Preheat oven to 325.  Prepare a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, smearing the inside with butter

     I have done them in muffin tins and square glass dish as well, you need to just make sure you 

     to see if they're done much sooner.  

2.  In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

3.  Use and electric mix (you can do by hand but the results will be better with mixer) to beat 

     together the butter, ricotta and sugar on high speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.  Add

     the eggs one at a time, mixing one minute on medium speed between each egg.  

4.  Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.  Don't worry if the batter looks a little curdled at this 

     point.  It isn't curdled, it is supposed to look that way.  

5.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions, until just 

     incorporated.  Do not over mix.  Stir in the blueberries. 

6.  Pour batter into the prepared pan(s) soothing out the top with a rubber spatula.  Place on a baking 

    sheet on the middle oven rack of the oven.  (this will help moderate the temperature a the bottom         of the pan) Bake for 65 - to 75 minutes or ntil toothpick comes out clean.  REMEMBER if you           don't use the loaf pan it will be done much sooner.  For the last 10 minutes if not done and                   browning a lot you can place a piece of aluminum foil lightly over the top to keep from browning       too much.  

7.  Remove from oven and let cool or 15 minutes in the pan.   then run a dull knife around the edge of

     to make sure its separated from the pan.  Gently remove the cake from the pan and let cool 

     completely on a wire rack.  Let cook completely before slicing. 

IT'S AMAZING!!!!

*************************************************************

I want to send a quick Congrats to 

Miles Jones for his graduation from Fuquay High School

Savannah Fonvielle for her Graduation from Holly Spring High School and acceptance to App State

and to my soon to be daughter in law - 

Rachel Meinel for completing her run Saturday. 

Justin caught some cute pics before the event- 

nutrition before the run

Tunes - Set

Ok, ok...."I'm ready! - Let's go!"

Proud and Happy- 

Proud Fiance - Justin posted on Facebook

Justin Larson 2:34!!!!!!

Way to go Rachel

Justin is getting ready to participate in a triathalon this Saturday in Greensboro.  Keith and I are heading out Friday night to see him complete his even on Saturday.  

Have a great day

and don't forget ....................

Sign up to join this blog site for a chance to win an Amazon Gift Card.

and 

click her to place an order if you are interested in the Thirty One special going on - 

Click here for Thirty Shopping

Please note: if ordering the special (you'll find that under specials tab on top of 31 page...be sure to do the following per my consultant- 

"Tell your friends that when they place their orders, if they want to order the special, they just put it in the cart and then they have to click the discount this item box (they changed the way you place orders and you have to manually tell it to give you the discount price)."

Win a chance at a $10 Amazon Gift Card

My Place and Times: Blog Changes: So I'm not quite sure why or what happened but there's some of you that have fallen off my blogs "follow".  I have updated...

Happy Wednesday- half way there!!

Good morning - we are 1/2 way through the year- where oh where did time go?????????????????
We are 1/2 way through the week.

The summer will be flying (which I'm totally ok with considering the humidity has been horrible).  Today is gloomy in NC where we are, outside of Raleigh, but we are at least 66 degrees with less humidity.

The Bunnies having been running around and dodging Piper - Crystal could care less. She's my older dog.  But Piper can use the exercise and they do run her around the yard. 

I baby sat Anabelle, Mia's new puppy last night and she too gave Piper a run for her money.  But she did good.  Anabelle only had a couple of accidents, and is learning to share but played nicely.  Crystal had to give her the growl warning of I'm too old for this nonsense and then she didn't bother her anymore.  (Mia is my younger son's girlfriend)

In 2 weeks I get the grand-dog Holly back for 2 1/2 weeks but not minding a bit  She's grown up a lot and does really well.  So the zoo continues.  

Sunday Keith put up my new Bird house from Williamsburg I bought in April.  I haven't seen any birds on it yet but hopefully they'll start to feed off of it.  It looks great though.  

  

I'm not sure whether to stain or paint the pole. Opinions?????

Then our mama bird who comes every year to visit and live in this tiny bird house I keep forgetting to move in the winter made her nest again and the sound of babies comes from the box every afternoon.  Its so small we can't see in the hole.  She flies in and out of it though.  Last summer my niece Sydney was visiting and I heard her screaming from upstairs.  I flew up there (no pun intended) and there was the bird sitting on the shower rod staring at her in the mirror.  We got her out without injury but she's been in the house multiple times so this winter I definitely need to relocate the box. 

My "piece" of lilac bush that some friends shared is growing nicely and I'm leaving in a post until the new home is done.  I want it to transplant permanently there. 

I'm going to move it from the little pot to the big one. 

And I've started the pumpkin plants to plant our pumpkin patch for the fall.  Last year was a bust but the year before we took over part of our yard and our neighbors yard.  It was truly like a Charlie Brown's pumpkin patch.  

I'll keep you updated on the progress.  I'm hoping to get some other vegetables planted this weekend. 

*******************************************************************************

Here are a couple of Facebook posts I made that those that are NOT on Facebook may enjoy.  

These goats are not at Cold Moon Farm - it was a video Rachel found and shared that's really cute.  

Why Quits are so expensive - if not made in some far away land or by a factory- this is what it minimally costs - The "qulting" cost listed is way under priced.  Then factor in Labor.  So cherish the ones you have and embrace the ones you get.  The work and love put into them is PRICELESS.

After being married for 27 years and with my husband for over 30 ; 2 boys...I have no clue how to tie a tie.  Hope you find this as helpful as I did...................

And that comes from the other's NOT paying attention to the road!

******************************************************************************

I'm also having a thirty virtual (catalog) party I will be closing it on the 15th of June.  Click on the following link if you are interested and shop .  Be sure to check out sales section

Click her to see Thirty One items

And last but not least...................here's a recipe. 

Homemade Ricotta cheese

1 gallon of Pasteurized Milk

 (do not use ultra- pasteurized is the gallon container in the plastic)

1/4 c Apple Cider vinegar

3 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

candy thermometer 

cheese cloth 

(the kind that is like fabric works best but you can double up on the cheaper kind with a strainer)

1. Bring Milk to 195 degrees 

                If done on the stove keep an eye on it so it doesn't scald (burn)

                You can also do in a large bowl (be sure bowl large so it doesn't boil over)

1. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar 
2. Let sit for a while to allow the curds separate from the whey. 
3. while it's separating place cheese cloth in strainer.  I save the whey to use in making bread. If you want to save then place strainer over a large pot or bowl to reserve otherwise just strain into the sink.
4. Pour curds and whey over cheese cloth/strainer - The longer you strain the dryer the cheese. The recommended time is 1 minute.
5. Once strained add butter and baking soda mix well 
6. ENJOY

You'll never eat store bought again.

Have a great day- 

Stacey