sweet tweets

Took a little mixed-media class last week at The Market at Serendip. The sweet & talented Jen Float was the instructor and what a gem she is! Her artwork is so happy...do visit her blog and etsy shop. It's good for me to step out of the box and try something new (although I think I need a little help on my bird eyes!) Thanks for being such a fun & enthusiastic teacher, Jen!

Update on the previous post: Young Boy is fine, just a couple of bruises, thank Heavens! I still can't believe it all. Warmest thanks to everyone who has called and left kind words for us. We are the luckiest family! Now, as Young Boy has been saying, "Can we just put this behind us now!?"

God is good

Earlier in the evening, I was going to title this post "Why we have 12-year olds."

We're getting some major snow here right now and Young Boy was out playing in it, shoveling and throwing snowballs with his dad. A site that makes a mom smile.

Just as quickly as you can throw a snowball, a total freak accident happened. Young Boy fell into an old cistern / well full of water and was hanging on for dear life...I was hanging on with him...and so was God.

I'll spare you all the gory details. After a thorough check-over and aside from some scrapes, bumps & bruises and some very sore muscles, Young Boy is fine. Thank you, God! No really...THANK YOU, GOD.

I wasn't going to post about this, but after 2 Advil PM and no sleep, I decided differently. I've never been a real "witness" to God and I think He'd want me to use this opportunity to tell you about Him.

I also just want to share 4 things:

1. If you live on 'older' property (in the country) with well covers and such, PLEASE check them and tell your kiddos NOT to walk on them. Ever. (I can't tell you how many times we walked on that old steel-plate cover.)

2. There IS a God. He listens to your cries for help. He gives you strength that you didn't know you had...just ask me and my 12-yr. old.

3. 911 operators, deputies, EMT's, nurses & doctors are all God's angels, walking around here on earth. It's true.

4. There is nothing more important than your family. Family that you love and family that loves you.

Be well my friends, be well.

let's just call this the soup blog, shall we?

Made a new recipe...a big pot of smoky chili. It's quick & easy and super tasty and I'm thinking might be good for Super Bowl Sunday.

Chipotle Chili

quick drizzle of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey, browned & drained
1 t. cumin
14-oz. can beef broth
28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
15-oz. can black beans, drained
16-oz. can refried black beans
1/2 c. chipotle salsa
2 T. chipotle bbq sauce
a few dashes of smoky Tabasco sauce

Garnish: Cheddar cheese

Add olive oil to medium saucepan and cook onions over medium until almost clear. Add browned turkey and remaining ingredients stirring until the refried beans have been incorporated. Bring chili to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Top with cheese to serve.

doggone that dollar spot!

...it gets me every time!

polly made me do it!

I've been reading Polly's blog, Sassafras Stuff for awhile now and admiring her style from afar. Then came along this post. This is the post that got me into my car, driving an hour to peek inside The Olde Shoe Factory Antique Mall where I had the privilege of seeing Polly's style (and incredible merchandising!) firsthand. Just look at her amazing use of color and blending of vintage goods. She should be in a magazine!I was lucky to acquire a couple of those sweet little vocabulary cards from her booth.



A few more snaps around the store. Oh, how I wanted this old salesman's card of shoe buckles, but it was $45. so there it stayed.


Also got this Bobbsey Twins book for a dollar, so I was a happy camper.
If you ever find yourself in Lancaster, Ohio, this place is a treasure! Polly's booths alone are so worth the trip!

an easy way to help

The delightful artist, Rebecca Sower, has started an etsy shop, Haiti by Hand. So many talented artists are donating beautiful works for this worthy cause...check it out. There are incredible new things every day. Every penny of the sale of each item is donated directly to the hands of Haitian women and families. You can read about her love for and direct involvement with Haiti here. It's such an easy way for us all to help make a difference.

hurting hearts

Sending up prayers for all the little hearts in Haiti.