Giving back - part 1

 I've been volunteering in homeless shelter/rescue/halfway houses, and I thought that I'd share with you some of the things that would be greatly appreciated if you wished to donate- at any time of the year!

~ Pickles!  Pickles are fun, and they aid digestion.  It's one thing that everyone misses, and no one donates, because it's not a "staple". Just be sure to bring enough they can actually be served.

~ Salsa, hot sauces, BBQ sauce!  Just like in a home setting it jazzes up "boring" food...LOL!

~ Eggs, raw....  =)

~ Flavored Creamer, and Half & Half for coffee....comfort when you can't go home.

~ Home-baked treats.  Lots of places get donations from local grocery stores, but everyone goes crazy for home-baked!

~ Vitamins like: Vit. C & Magnesium 

~ Lotion!  Especially NEUTRAL scents that men & women can both enjoy. What sizes?  Large pumps for common areas as well as non-pumps in "smaller" more personal sizes.

~Lip balm (for guys and girls), small packs of Wipes, pocket Tissue packs.

~ Good or decent quality nail clippers, tweezers.

~ NAIL BRUSHES!  And buffers/files.

~ Hair Brushes & Picks & good combs.  (you know not just the "10-for-a-dollar" kind)

~ Dental floss.

~ Body wash-  I would say bar soap while most often donated is rarely used, because folks do not have a good place or way to keep bar soap. Again: especially NEUTRAL scents that men & women can both enjoy.

~ Under things. New/gently used, and in all sizes.  Don't  just bring piles of socks...ask the shelter what they need.  Also, consider something like an "Angel Tree"/adopt a sister or brother kind of thing: ask if anyone there (especially a female guest) what they need, and what size--you can make someone's month or even year!

~ Depend type products.  

~ Laundry soaps.  Guests who wash off-site like Powder or Pods. (stain removing products too)

~ Sewing kits.  Safety pins- especially LARGE sturdy quilting size.  (to easily take up clothes) 

~ Cross-body bags & backpacks in a variety of sizes.

~ Note pads & post-its.

~ Card games.  

~ Sometimes even a TV would be appreciated. (but you should ask first...)

~ Colored pencils and grown-up friendly coloring books are enjoyed too...  

Fall/Winter donations?

~ Warm coats for men and women...especially for the folks who walk to work. 

These were just a few thoughts...I hope it helps. 

"Giving thanks always for all things 

unto God and the Father 

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.." 

Ephesians 5:20

Whatever Wednesday: Homemade Pickles

Pickles...what recipe? OH, That one- the one with the note?

Silly me!

I can't wait!

This year we used homegrown organic Munchers.

We found that wrapping them well in plastic wrap while they were still crisp from the plant before storing them in the fridge prolonged their shelf life dramatically, and so made it possible for us to save up enough to make pickles: 2 recipes, 3 times/jars.

(last year's pickle post: HERE)

Thanksgiving~ how it ought to be...

...spent with Friends and Family...Food and Fun, too!


Home fried Turkey tenders, roasted smokies, 3 kinds of potatoes, all you can eat homemade bread, all you can eat homemade pickles & pickled beets, all you can eat pumpkin cookies, all you can eat pecan cookies, dulce de leche cheese cake, all you can drink Homemade Hot Chocolate, pumpkin spice pancakes, popcorn, organic coffee(here).... Bonfires, Sunshine, Frozen 2, sewing projects, laughs and merriment, great music, walks in the crisp Fall leaves...singing loud for all to hear...

Cucumbers & Pickles

Planting seeds is not something that has worked well for me in the past.  God smiled on my attempts this year- I've been picking a good number of green beans & cucumbers, and the Zinnias that came from the seed saved from last year are better than the plants that we bought this year!

Mom's first jar of 2019 Pickles! "Lunchbox Spears" from 'The Joy of Pickling'  

20' of cucumbers...probably planted too close together =) .  I have picked 14 so far!

  Listen to Peter, Paul & Mary's 

"If I Had a Hammer"

-listen HERE!

A Valentine Birthday Party

Ever since Mom's milestone birthday, back in October, I've been looking for a way to have a party for her.  I mean, sure we had a little dinner party at the time, but I (and her friends) wanted her to have a REAL party.  I wanted to invite LOTS of ladies, but I also knew that that was NOT practical, and I also knew that she would protest about having a second party....so I had to wait and plot.  =)

My waiting paid off, and my opportunity came- permission to have a Valentine Party. Quick! To the computer! Get some invites ready to pass out that very afternoon!  =)  

Whew!  =p

My special Valentine's this year were candles- most folks got the really good kind from Frontier- Organic Palm Wax & 100% Essential Oils (they smelled like Chai). But I did not have enough, so I got a few nice candles from that dread store- Wally World. =) 

I gave Mom a cute "vintage" card (the same kind as: these), everyone else had a sparkly pink heart on a rosy round card!

 We had Carrot Cake Muffins with cream cheese frosting (half had wheat flour, and the other half were oat & barley), dill pickles, chocolates and a few cookies for dessert!

 (recipes can be found HERE)

Mrs. H gave me this cute vintage apron yesterday- isn't it nice! =)

A little video- thanks Molly, for taking it!

I think that Elizabeth has a new friend! =)

 (Some of the party-goers....we were 10 in all.)

Remember ladies, 

one Chai (Stash brand) tea bag in a small pot, 

steep for 5 minutes.

Sweetened with 2T. Sucanat, or 15-20 drops of SweetLeaf brand "vanilla cream" stevia.

(the best place to buy SweetLeaf is Frontier Co-op...talk to my Mom)

~click here for the Peppermint tea recipe~

I cut red paper hearts and stapled them to paper lunch sacks, added a sticker and the ladies name~ very cute, if I may say so! =)

And to all a good night!  Thank you all for coming~

I believe that everyone liked my Valentine Banner! (here)

(P.S.  we missed you, Schatte's, Mrs. Bee & Mrs. H!)

Fun Monday~ 1960's

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FYI: This post is like my 275th post,
so that makes my 300th post just around the corner!
In honor of my 300th post I'll be hosting some giveaways, and I (so far) don't mind shipping overseas, assuming that the shipping won't break the bank! =)
Stay tuned!!!!

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Green Eggs and Ham came out in 1960!
Wikipedia states: "Green Eggs and Ham is a best-selling and critically acclaimed book by Dr. Seuss, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book (novel) of all time...."
(Of course this was read to us a lot when we were young and we had it memorized.....along with many other fun children's books.)

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The Post-Gazett reports: "She looks like a badger, but she acts just like a typical preschooler: Stubborn and delightful, infuriating and entertaining, wily and innocent.
She's Frances, star of six classic picture books written by Russell Hoban. And this year, Frances, who first appeared in "Bedtime for Frances" in 1960, is turning 50...."

(We have several Frances books and mom and dad read them to us, over and over.....)

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The Dick Van Dyke Show! (1961-1966)

I love this show! I love ALL of the characters~ Rob & Laura, Milli & Jerry, Buddy & Sally, Richy & Pickles, and Mel, too! I own the entire series. Purchased little by little over the years....
Did you ever wonder what the Petrie's house plan was? I did, so I was happy to find a copy! =)

Did you know that there is a fan club for Laura Petrie? You can find it here. (I am not a member)
Did you know this bit of info about the show's theme song? (found here)

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A few of my favorite shows~ click the titles to watch them on YouTube:

Episode 01: The Sick Boy and the Sitter

Give Me Your Walls

Bank Book 6565696

My "weekend" day 4

We started our day with a big brunch- 2 kinds of thick cut Homemade Bacon...

...and as many Oatmeal Pancakes, butter & maple syrup as one could hold! (I was a pretty good girl, I did not eat pancakes- I had quiche, bacon & peach smoothy!)

Then, before Benjamin left, he gave rides around the back yard!

After that, we took (well, okay Joshua drove) Joshua over to Papa & Grandma's house, so they could take him the rest of the way over to Cleburne (for "wrap duty"). And Grandma wanted a photo...this really was the best out of 9. =)

In looking for a park in Cedar Hill (we did not find one), we saw this cute green house!

We did find a park "Boulder Park" in South Dallas (across from the airport on hwy 67), where we happily took A LOT of photos, and had my Birthday Picnic! The only problem with it was it was a bike park, so we could not use the trails, and there were no facilities....so we ate quick! =) (Can you see the water spigot in the tree? Somebody has a sense of humor!)

Silly Girls!

We had homemade Kombucha tea, little pickles from Costco, "Kettle Chips" also from Costco, (some people had cream crackers, too) and Mom made homemade chicken salad (organic, free range chicken breasts from Rehoboth Ranch - celery, Pink Lady apples and green onions from our garden (all were organic) tossed with homemade mayo made fresh that morning and topped with almond slices that were toasted in butter! It was good! =)

My Pa & Ma.

We prefer to eat any kind of salad, you know, tuna, egg, chicken, etc... on potato chips. =)

Feet in the dirt, under the picnic table! (This was a very clean park!)

Look what we saw in Dallas, on I30, on our way home today (around the Gus Thomason exit)! Someone wrote in the dust of this 18 wheeler: Ron Paul ...I kid you not! I wondered if it was a passer by, or the driver himself... =)

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Bye, bye Boys...see you later on in the month!

Our Valentine Tea Party

We decided that an after Valentine's Day party would be better, and I think that it was...only next time I would make it more than just one day after...so we could take better advantage of the after sales! =)

As people arrived, we decorated lunch sacks to collect our goodies in! That was fun!

~Partners in crime. Thank you girls for helping out with the younger ones! ~

"Mimi" (Mrs. Bee) explaining to K how to "lick & stick" the old-fashioned stickers I had...K was like "she's out of her mind...this tastes nasty!"

It was a cute lesson...I almost said like licking stamps. Duh, Adrienne! What color is you hair? This is a 4 year old you are talking to! =)
It really made me want to quote from "You've Got Mail": "Oh, my! Do children not know what handkerchiefs are?!?!"


I just wish that I was "with it" enough to have taken photos of everyone with their finished bag! =( At least we got pictures of 3 of us! =)

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Right after Kelli came in and greeted & hugged me, she said "My your hair is getting redder, isn't it?!" I said, "Yes, redder and frizzier in my old age!" =)
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And coloring after tea~


We want to thank you all so much for coming and making such a pleasant party!

This lovely photo of Jessica & Mom is the only one taken during the actual tea party... I did not get any pictures of the food either. =(

We had 2 kinds of hot tea, cold peppermint tea, apple juice & water, heart shaped cheese, 2 kinds of mini muffins with cream cheese frosting* (and candy hearts on top), homemade spiced pear sauce, and a ton of good dill pickles (from Costco)!
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...and Kelli stayed after, and helped clean up~ thank you Kelli! And we watched "Cars 2", before she went home! =) (I must say that I found the 2nd movie much better than the first!)
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*Cream Cheese Frosting
1- 8oz package of cream cheese (soft)
1/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
a dribble of vanilla

Whip it up good, dab it on top of you food, and eat it up yum! =)~Happy eating!
Adrienne