Do You Have An Accent?

Flea had this little accent test over on her blog. it apparently thinks I still sound like I'm from California. But I have picked up a bit of a drawl from around here. Somethings just can't be tested. Click on it if you want to see if a computer can size up the way you talk.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West   Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The South
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Blankets

Crocheting is easy. Everyone can do a single stitch. It's amazing how many different ways one stitch can look. By varying the size of the hook, the type of yarn and how many strings you work with, one can make beautiful designs.
For children and babies I enjoy cotton yarn. Surprise but Walmart has some very pretty skeins of cotton yarn in either natural or multi colors. The large spool is actually very economical it's about six dollars. A G, or H hook is a good size for a single crochet cotton blanket. Start chaining and go about the length you think you'd like. It does always seem to grow, so I stretch it when I'm trying to figure out my size. Then it's simply a matter of working back and forth until it looks good to you. I like to make a border by going around the blanket. I think it makes a nice finish. Sometimes I make a wide border, sometimes narrow, it can be a contrasting color or the same; again the possibilities are endless it's up to you.
Textured yarn with lumps,bumps and fuzzies can be fun to work with.Most of my blankets are given away as gifts so I don't have one of those to show you. My favorite is to use the giant blanket hook and work with 3 strings. the effect is a very heavy thick woven look, and it feels wonderful. I always chose nice soft yarn, in some type of natural fiber. I don't like acrylic and it's too much work to make something handmade with cheap yarn. People who read patterns can make anything they want too. Unfortunately that wouldn't be me. I make stuff like I make food, making it up as I go. Crocheting isn't exactly a spring or summer type of hobby to enjoy unless their is a baby on the way. A friend of mine is due at the end of August so I will be getting busy soon. She is fun and she likes bright colors so I'm thinking of making a primary colored blanket with red in it. Not your typical plain blue for boys. Babies enjoy color and personally I think they look even cuter with some bright colors next to them.

More Answers, More Questions?

Whew ya'll can really throw em!

Peach asked. What is your favorite flower? That is an impossible question. My entire yard and all the stuff I never planted. I do like blue and purple flowers and I have favorite combinations like mixing a clematis vine with a climbing rose. I posted a picture of the America Rose with a purple Jackmani clematis, that is pretty.

Another difficult question is my favorite book. That's kind of like saying what is the best chocolate you've ever eaten? What ever is in my mouth at the moment. I have favorite childhood books, all of the Little House series. The Trolley Car Family, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Maggie Rose and her Birthday Christmas, all of Louisa Mae Alcott's books, especially Eight Cousins. I could go on and on and on. That is just a sample of my childhood favorites. Next we could delve into the girls childhood, In the Rain with Baby Duck, Guess How Much I Love You, A Porcupine named Fluffy, and on into infinity, well almost.
Then would you like to move into the adult years? I love memoirs of real life stories. Extra Virgin is a wonderful story of two English sisters who restore a villa in Italy. Sting wrote a compelling memoir, that I just finished. The Secret Life of Bees is a book I just finished that was hilarious and very touching. I could easily list a hundred titles. My house is full of books and I have a huge wish list on Amazon.com, huge, really huge.

Dinner with one person dead or alive? I'd like to see my mother. Since she died when I was only 26 I feel like we missed so much. I was going to say Jesus but he is available all the time.

Kathy asked.
What's your favorite pastime or hobby? Blogging. I am so hooked on this, like a fish hooked. I also would like to develop skills in pottery. Every time I have an opportunity to do that I just love it. I can work with clay for hours and hours, I love hand building. It takes a great deal of strength in your hands to use a pottery wheel, it's actually very hard to do.
I am a gardener. I crochet blankets in winter, or for babies. COOKING, and EATING. Can chocolate be a hobby?

Where was your favorite place to live? My dream is to have a place in the country, with a view of water. I should say where I live now, that would be the correct, thankful, not looking back answer. In some ways that is true but not completely. I loved our house in Felton. It was a 4 story house styled like a Swiss Chalet, on a hillside in the forest. It was big, over 3000 square feet, the kitchen was a cooks dream come true. Our entire front room was made up of mostly huge windows. since we were on a hill we had an incredible view. The backyard had every kind of fruit tree you could want, the most delicious plums. We had apricot, cherry, peach, pear, apple, and also ollaliberries. There were three levels of decks too.
The house had a full length attic. There were cubbies and great places to hide, a pantry, and two large linen closets. Each of the girls had their own room. We had a room just for school. Daddy BB's mom lived with us she had a master suite. We had a master suite. Daddy BB's daughter used the basement for her apt. Later on my daughter and her husband made the attic into an apt. It was an awesome house. Across the street was Mt. Hermon Christian Conference Center, because we were residents we had access to one conference a year of our choice free. We also could attend the outdoor concerts, Sunday morning events and we had use of the pool. The girls took swimming lessons there. To get to the pool we walked across the street and went through the woods. We would cross over a river, by way of a large wooden suspension bridge that would shake if you jumped on it. We went past waterfalls, ferns and lush vegetation. the walk alone filled my heart with it's beauty. At the pool the girls would delight in fun and play. They could swim like fish. It was a delightful time in our lives. It was a place of special beauty and it filled a great need for our family when you consider that 4 generations were comfortably settled in that large homey house.

How did I meet Daddy BB? We met in a singles class at our church. How he proposed is a great story and I'll get to that later.

What was I like in the 70's? Oh lord. What were you like? I was searching for freedom. I got involved in the hippie movement but wasn't in SF and definitely not a fully fledged flower child. I liked the clothes, the music, the concerts. i drove a 1953 Chevy pick up that I bought for $200. I had my daughter in 72 so I was trying to figure out how to manage with a baby and be a single teenage parent. I did mess around with some drugs, I think everybody did. I always had a limit.

I think my life would have turned out very differently if my parents had not divorced. I went to a parochial school until 8th grade. My plans were to go a Catholic high school and study for medicine. I completely ditched all that with my parents divorce and went to public high school. It was a case of a very protected and naive girl getting indoctrinated very quickly into the ways of the world. I also had a terrible flaw. I would take a dare. I got into plenty of trouble. My mom didn't even know where I was half of the time. I was also smart and could keep up my grades without much effort. When you are young you have no idea that the choices you make are shaping the outcome of your life and where you will go. I just wanted to have fun. Music consumed me. I loved it. I went to the Keystone in Berkeley and saw really awesome bands and musicians live. I went to almost all of the Day on the Green concerts. I spent almost all of my money on albums and books. I was also boy crazy. In the late 80's I met my friend Lucy who introduced me to Jesus and that was when I found peace.

Answers

I howled with laughter, reading these questions. Rock on girlfriends!

My favorite family vacation was a husband vacation. I had just passed my nursing boards. Daddy BB picked me up and told me to pack my bags to leave for a few days. He wouldn't tell me where we were going. We got in our car and I noticed a cooler in the back. My curiosity was going nuts. A picnic? My hubby does not do surprises. He does not throw parties. This was very out of his usual comfort zone and I was getting excited. What's up with this?
We headed South towards Monterey, a good sign. Finally the suspense killing me he told me we had a room in Carmel with a kitchen and we were going away for 3 days to be alone. He had packed my favorite red wines and delicious cheeses, my favorite Steve's' Smooth French Roast coffee, fruit and crackers; we were packed up with all the goodies you could want to nibble on.

When we arrived the fog was socked in, which I love. Our room had a fireplace and a huge scenic window that viewed the ocean and the wildlife. The deer were abundant, they just stared at us. It was chilly and foggy and we kept the fire roaring. We sipped wine and ate . We talked. If we could have made a baby we would've had triplets, it was divine. I was completely blissed out, romanticized and endeared. At this point I would've done anything for my hubby, he made me feel so special and so loved. It was definitely one of those times you keep and ponder in your heart. The ocean was spectacular, we walked on the beach, enjoyed the sand, the cold, the fires, the ah ha, the wine,.... it was heavenly. No trip has ever been better.

My at home get ups are all bad, I need a makeover. I am ready for the Stacy and Clinton team on "What Not to Wear."
There are basically no good outfits. Everything is a scene, so my family and my husband are now officially unshockable. 90% of my clothes don't fit so they could make fun of me and trash them and it would all be worth it. KJ you were killing me with the glasses and the cotton balls. I was trying to think of something and couldn't. Daddy BB just walked by so I asked him. "Whats' my worst get up around here? You know the worst outfit you hate laying eyes on," He answered you don't wear anything that's the worst thing I ever laid eyes on." So I made it easier ,"What's the worst thing I run around here in?" "Nekkid" he replied. I'd be crushed except for I thought of the same thing. It's a whole lot of nekkid. No harm done, really.

My spiritual fantasy is the same, it has always been to be a speaker, a published writer and host women's retreats. No whales, no big fish. Fame is the true confession, but not necessarily for personal gain. I just find myself giving imaginary speeches. , I'm not scared and I enjoy it. It's a long term dream had it for years. I love to speak in front of groups.

When I'm down nothing gets me through. I do not get more spiritual. The truth is I wallow in the flesh. I take whatever drugs I've got in my "stash" prescription of course; like that's any big improvement. I pray that God will just get me through. I pray simple short, not profound prayers. I cry for help. Chocolate helps, sort of, not really. When I'm down, I'm a scum sucking bottom dweller in the depths of despair. My last big depression was losing my dog. The kids said we buried my soul with him. I quit cooking, I quit eating, I quit talking. I just went into my sorrow and stayed there.

One of my visitors said Lu was "special" like the short yellow bus kind of special. My next friend said she was "unique." This is not looking too good. There is no scripture to get me through paying a 4 figure price for a special, unique dog, that doesn't even look like the photos that represented her. That is depressing. I can love ugly things, ugly people etc,,..It'll be alright. I suppose if their was anything "scriptural" that comforts me its, "It came to pass." I tell myself that, "it didn't come to stay it came to pass."
When hard pressed I always feel that I fail miserably and have wimpy bah sheep faith. I always say that it's the Lord not me, because I have absolutely nothing to bring, no shining pearls. I am no superstar of faith. I simply hang on.

If I had to have a last meal I would want to go see the Pig and have her fix me what drinks she would want, and what food she want. I'd just say surprise me and would be delighted. I am big on the visual aspects of food. I like pretty food, colorful food. It wouldn't really matter much because I'd know that in heaven I could eat and not get fat; it'll be perfect right? So my last meal here will just be the last time my body has to deal with calories and what to do with the excess that my mouth wants and my bo hiney doesn't.

So far, so good, this is fun. Anybody else want to ask something? I've been so tired since this kitchen escapade I haven't been feeling too inspirational. Thanks for the good topics!

Go Ahead Just Ask

Here goes nothing! If ya'll (all 4 of ya) would like to ask a question, I'll answer it. This actually does take some courage doesn't it? I mean what if no body asks you anything? But life is about risk!

I cannot even think; Tigger is taking close up shots of her nostrils and she is cracking me up. I told her to post them. She's so funny.

Go ahead just ask.

Mommie Memories

When the girls were young we lived by the ocean. We home schooled and made use of all the beauty at our fingertips. They grew up exploring tide pools, petting sea urchins and stroking fish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We also visited local farms and went regularly downtown to the local farmers market that was an extravagant display of color, smell, and beauty. They loved to have all the free tastes of fresh peaches and watermelon. I loved to smell the herbs. I had not yet learned how easy they are to grow and would pay the rather high prices for small bunches of pungent freshness. The girls had a happy childhood in those days. Life seems to have always revolved around my kitchen, and food on the table. When the girls are reminiscing they are talking about something I cooked or what they ate.

I bought them an adorable tea party set and an Easy Bake Oven. They had more fun making
minature parties. They would bake the little cakes and then sit down with the little neighbor girls and have an official, "for reals" tea party. So cute. I had more fun than they did watching them. All the nicety would dissolve after the cake was demolished and out they'd go to the yard, usually to begin goofing around in the mud. Mud pies were a good second to the Easy Bake and just as much fun when you aren't hungry, maybe more.

When we lived in Felton the girls came rushing in one afternoon with panic in thier voices shouting, "Nannie, Nannie!" I first wondered who broke what, falling from a tree or some other disaster; but nothing could have prepared me for what they said.
"Nannie there are sea stars in our yard!" These girls knew the names of many sea creatures from our studies and I assumed they were teasing me. "There are not any sea stars in the Felton forest." I answered. "Yes, come and look!" Ok, so I went to look. Down near the street in the pine needles lay two very large starfish, sea stars as they are now named. They were alive. "How on Earth?" We had a mystery. We didn't know how they got here to be certain but they were here now and they weren't dead so what to do next. The girls were urging me to save them. I really wasn't sure at all of what to do. I figured they needed water but how much salt? We sprinkled some salt into tap water and put them in a bucket. This was probably our fatal error. My mind was really working to come up with an idea. Of course! The UCSC Marine Biology Lab. They had all kinds of sea life there. We had visited and enjoyed everything from the whale bones to the dolphins. I called them and told them what we had. They agreed to let us bring our two sea stars in. By now the girls had named them, Fluff and Flathead. When we got to the center we were taken in the back and one of the biologists showed us around the lab. They had sinks with faucets connected to the ocean and she turned on the spicket and filled up a tub. Our sea stars were in acute distress and very sick at this point. The shock of being thrown on the ground for an extended period of time and our home made salt water had really made them very ill. She very gently told the girls that Fluff and Flathead would probably die but they would do what they could for them. Two sets of little girl lips started to quiver and the scientist decided to give them a quick improntu tour. We were in places usually closed to the public and it was fascinating. We must have been there for an hour and then it was time to go. When we got home the girls began making books about the day. They did such a cute job. The books were shaped like starfish and each one drew pictures and told the story. They decorated the purple construction paper covers with glitter and ink pens and titled them "Fluff and Flathead a Sea Stars Tale." Later that evening we received a call that our rescued friends had not made it. The little girls were very brave and decided that their books were going to be memorials for their little sea friends.
We still had not figured out how they got into our forest. It was a few days later that our neighbor pulled up in his old blue pickup and tossed some fish into our yard. My big poodle had often come in with fresh fish breath and I had wondered where he got it. Mysteries solved. Our neighbor went fishin every morning on the pier, he used traps and had no regard for the starfish considering them pests. We asked him nicely not to put anymore in our yard and explained how we tried to rescue them. In a way the rescue was a success for the lasting memory we have kept.

Gluttony

The aches and pains are not even forgotten and the plans for the dining room have begun. Gluttony can be more than food, sometimes one can be a glutton for the punishment of paint. Painting is really not hard, it's all the prep!
After fretting for an indeterminate length of time over another color; I have settled on a soft blue gray for the dining room walls. I already have the textured wallpaper that is paintable for the bottom half to be the same white as the trim.
I should be too tired to even plan. That is why gluttony came to mind. All my trim needs to be repainted.

Houses just require maintenance. My husband doesn't seem to think so. Maybe his eyesight is going to the same extent as is his hearing. We had a couple of funnies today.
Tigger asked Pa," Where is the flyswatter?"
To which he replied,"No, thank you."
Tigger, "Pa what did you think I said?"
Pa, " You asked me if I wanted some ice water."

Works for me. Later Pa went off without saying anything. We had a bit of snit this afternoon so I was wondering if he was going to the Wine Shop. When he came home I asked him where he went. He said something and I said,"I thought you went to the wine shop." He said, 'I went to the Blind Shop, looking for a bracket." Whoops.
Whatever delusions I have of being at least young at heart are totally smashed on days like these. Someone could make up comedy acts or intranet jokes based off our real life conversations.

Between the dementia and the hearing I could use one of the Piggie's lovely drinks.
Have I told ya'll how to make my super easy breakfast cheesecake? I'm going to make some on Monday before my girlfriend comes. Hopefully the weather will slack off a bit so they won't be afraid to travel. There have been a lot of storms in Alabama.
She lives in California and they flew to Alabama and then will drive here and fly home from our airport.

Back to cheesecake. I may have already told you this, but it's delicious enough and easy enough to repeat myself. I usually do not buy canned biscuits of any kind, but I tasted this before I saw the recipe. Sometimes it isn't worth it to be too much of a purist, especially with results like this.


2 cans of crescent rolls.
2 pkgs of cream cheese softened
2 eggs
1 c sugar
large squirt of pure vanilla.

spread out one pkg of Crescent rolls in glass oblong baking dish (pre spray with PAM)
blend cheese filling and spread evenly onto dough.
Top with second pkg of dough.

Mix in a small bowl 1 cup of chopped pecans and half cup of sugar. Sprinkle evenly on top of second layer. Bake at 350 for 30 mins, or until puffy and golden brown.
your mouth will swear you have labored long and hard to produce this fine pastry of such delicious quality. You and I will be the only ones who know it took 10 minutes.

All this thinking, has made me hungry. What's cookin at your house? Pig has blue booze in the blender this time, that girl has too much fun.

Just to cover everything. I darn near made my pup bleed to death cutting her toe nails today. I have a dog toe nail clipper and used the safety and still managed to nearly amputate her toe! She wouldn't stop bleeding even with pressure. Off to the feed store to get some styptic powder. When I returned her toe was still bleeding. I felt horrible! What a nurse. I'm good with people but my poor animals. Once Lucy made me give her cat a shot and the needle was so dull it bent. The idea of picking up skin and sticking them in the neck just gave me the creeps. I mean what if I poked them in their spine, or hit a nerve or something? I hated it. Lucy is still trying to get me to give my animals their shots. I still go to the vet. I will finagle some stuff but not shots. Now people let me tell you that I am a good stick for you though. I'll shoot your bo hiney, or anything else for that matter.

Pioneer Woman was taking pictures of calf castration. I was feeling queasy. Some joker was smearing the castrated appendages on her boots. That was not funny. Ranch life was not nearly as glamorous as before. That guy would not get even one bite of warm breakfast cheesecake no sirree bob, not one bite.

There is no way I can neatly wrap this all up into the topic of gluttony. We could however discuss it over a piece of warm pastry and a good cup of coffee or tea. After which we could discuss painting the dining room, and you could help.

Happy Mother's Day.