Hi Everyone! What a weekend! Attended a funeral and a Celebration of Life, both for "old friends." To many sad times lately.

Sounds like you had a great trip Luvs. Tom Jones, I remember his TV show, always a favorite.

We also have luxury tent camping here in WA., I have seen pictures of them and it sure isn't like we used to camp, think we called it "roughing it." But Hey, if it is fun, why not. There is one "camp" that has tree houses. Really nice idea but I am afraid I might make a wrong turn in the middle of the night and that might be a long step!

Punk....your garden makes me wish I had mine in working order, but then I think of the work and it can wait another year. We did plant cukes and tomatoes as well as lots of sunflowers. I tie the sunflowers together and put them out for the birds during the winter. We also have a variety of mountain strawberries around our pond and they produce all summer. Our dog Hunter searches the plants until he find a ripe berry and gently nips it from the stem and chews like crazy.
So....hows the desk coming?

Anj....was smiling as I read your tales of camp. Nothing like kids having fun and being silly. Our 17 DGS had our step GS in for a sleep over, Sleep Over? Yah! Right! they were still laughing and chatting at 3 AM., I always said men talk more than women!
I fondly remember the kids going back to school. I always looked forward to it thinking I would have more time. For some reason that never happened. There was always a need for room Mothers, mentors or some program to work out costumes for - or - well you know how it is. Never enough time, and when I started working outside the home, I don't know how I ever got everything done at home.

We helped our DD mix and pour cement yesterday, did about 65, 80 lbs bags. Lots of aches and pains but I also have a very, very red face and my hair was like someone had used glue on it. There was a fine mist several times during the day and with the cement dust...you can guess what my hair was like. They still have the steps and porch to lay.

Just finished a Christmas hanging but am not happy with the sign board so I think I will turn it over and design something different. Just think...our summer is almost over. Where has the time gone? On the 13th our DD will be 46...I'm not old enough to have a 46 year old anything! They are camping for the week and we are joining them on Thursday. It will be fun!

Gonna go catch up with some "Kitty Loving!" You all take care!

Belle

Hi All, Yep, it's a brand new week and I always think of it as an opportunity to get something done--doesn't always work out that way however! LOL

Anj, you are going to meet yourself coming and going gal! Busy, busy for you right now. Nice to have you pop in here when you can. My little GD went to kindergarten today. Her Mom sent me pics she took before they left the house this morning. Looks so grownup--brought tears to my eyes. I talked to her tonight, and some kids from her preschool will be there too and she seems eager for tomorrow. ;o)

Belle, my DS is 44 so I understand completely about wondering how you can have a kid so old! LOL I'm sure all of you really do have sore muscles. I was laughing out loud at your description of your hair--hope it all washed out okay.

Don't know what got into me today, but I sure got rid of some dust bunnies and cobwebs. Washed curtains, hosed off faux trees and plants, cleaned ceiling fans--you get the picture. It all needed it so badly. Might tackle the tops of the kitchen cabinets tomorrow--just depends on whether I wake up with sore muscles or not!

I'll catch you all tomorrow sometime.

Luvs

Good Evening,
Anj, sounds like you will be so busy getting the kids ready for school. One forgets what all is involved in that task until we hear your schedule. U Go Girl!

Belle, sounds as though you do more than you should honey. Cement is hard work and I hope you don't over due it. Did you get that hair washed? Made me laugh hard.

You ask how the desk is coming, so I'll show you a picture. Also a few sunflowers and a shot of the garden. I painted a little on the top tonight but got a call I have a brother coming so don't know when I'll get it finished. It may end up out in the shed. Oh well. I sure enjoy seeing all of the projects the rest of you are painting. Show us your hanging when you get done.

Luvs, where are you??? Hopefully painting. LOl Punk

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Good Rainy Morning,

After 83 days of no rain, the showers are very Welcome! After the first shower the air was really awful, but now it is clean and pure. I think I can see the weeds actually growing.

Luvs...send some of that "cleaning" bug my way. I read your post and said to myself, yep, I need to do that! And fall must be getting close, I am finding spiders in the house. A good sign that fall is fast approaching.

Punk...Your sunflowers are just plain WOW! and you garden, love the flowers and veggies...did I see Rhubarb? And your dress is looking good! So many details, which really add to the over all look.

Anj..hope you are over the back to school rush! It will be a couple of weeks before our schools start. Then come the football games, gotta find a bleacher cushion! I may be padded back there, but I guess not in the right places.

Hair spray, natures mist and cement make for a very stick mess! Took several shampooing and rinses but it all came out. I felt like I had Phylis Diller's hairdresser -if she had one.

Well, as a nap is out of the question, guess I should go clean the bathroom or maybe paint, or clean the floors or maybe paint, or organize the mud room or lets see maybe paint. Think I will go paint!!!!!!!

Ya' All Have a Good Day!!!

Belle

Good Evening to All,
Belle, so glad you got your hair under control. Phylis Diller's hairdresser came to visit huh? So funny. So did you go paint something today?
What you see in the garden picture is squash or pumpkins. I have ruhbarb in another garden. I am enjoying the fresh veggies and think the corn will be ready within a week. Wish all of you lived close and I would be so happy to share. As you can see I have enough corn for several family members and friends.

I don't know when I'll get back to the dresser but DS said to get rid of the gold. What do all of you think or can you see it well enough to tell?

Luvs, oh what a wonderful feeling knowing everything is clean again huh? So happy for you. I have been noticing all the dust on everything from having the windows open so much. I'll get to cleaning soon to knowing that DB will be here soon. How's the muscles today? Sometimes they let us know loud and clear we've over worked them alright.

My DS just turned 32 on Friday. Which reminds me I didn't give him any money yet. I was going to on Sat. and he took off before I wrote him a check. We usually go to the lake so it was totally different this year.

Anj, what can you cross off your list so far. You have a full plate and do so well keeping up with all of it.

I need to get of here and hit the hay. Hope all of you have good days ahead and stay cool. It was in the 90s here today and I didn't realize until I left the office and jumped in the truck to head home. Burning hot steering wheel. If it was like that alot I would buy a new one with air conditioned seats I think.

Punk

Good morning all! Here it is Wednesday already--days sure go by fast.

Belle, I think Phyliss Diller's hair dresser visits me every night--hate to even look in the mirror when I get up each morning! LOL

And I certainly vote for painting over cleaning any day--that's partly how my house gets in the mess it does! I think it's called "delayed maintenance". LOL Hope you went right over and sat down to paint on something too. ;o)

Punk, that desk is looking gorgeous! Reminds me of a Donna Dewberry table in one of my books. It looks very elegant with the black and the roses. I'll go back and look at the gold so I can comment on that.

Those sunflowers are awesome. Do you dry some of them for later? I know the birds sure love the seeds. And that sweet corn is going to be so yummy! Wish I did live closer, I'd sure take you up on that offer! ;o)

Hope our Anj is getting all her shopping and appointments taken care of this week. Doctors and dentists usually mean lots of time spent in waiting rooms too. Maybe she can take a couple of those new painting books along to read while she waits! ;o)

I painted a little bit yesterday. Finished up another little tray with more roses. I'm trying to get my stash of them painted now. Spent some time last night looking for some other patterns that I could use on some of them for Christmas, Halloween, etc. I need to get some wood pieces cut out to paint on, but part of me is wanting to clear out my collection of stuff in the shed first. Just get tired of seeing it sitting there taking up space. LOL

Off to check the other forum. Have an appointment with my Investment Banker today--his idea, not mine--so I can't stay on here too long. Have a good one.

Luvs

Evening All,

Luvs...I have to look in the mirror each morning to see how well I slept the night before. Hair really mussed - didn't sleep well. Not mussed - slept well!

I wish I could find things at TS and see something beside a tarnished tray. Your last tray was totally awesome! You need to take some before and after pictures.

Anj must be really out there somewhere, hope she stops by soon!

Punk, I really like your desk, it was for you DGD right? Men just don't see things as we girls do.

We are lucky to have local corn, but as with you it isn't ready for picking yet. Our young neighbors put in their first garden in their new first home and we are getting the overflow. I have enough zucchini to start a zucchini bread bakery. And I love it fried, can feel my waistline growing.

I finished 3 different projects and posted pictures in the gallery section. I still have a multi-pieced flag to do for a friend. Made the pattern several years ago but will have to use the real thing to work out another pattern. I hate working out patterns! Guess that why I don't like to have to rework patterns in books or e-patterns. I want all of the hard work done by someone else, guess that makes me lazy. Oh! Well! I don't mind the wood prep work and I actually like to sand, well most of the time.

Better go do dinner - DH has the "I could eat a horse" look.

Chat soon,

Belle

Good Evening,

We had a nice shower today so I went out and weeded for a few hours. Belle, I can't imagine going so long without rain. I could never keep up with my yard without help from above.

Luvs, you are right on with where I got my idea for painting my desk and chair. It's in her book Roses. I thought DD table and chair was so cool when I first saw it and knew I would have to try it. If I could paint like her it would be nice.

Where's your picture of the next painted tray? I think you should get everything painted in your shed and also cut more in your spare time. Housework makes you ugly. Did you ever paint one of those signs.

I might like your clean house too but you never post pictures so guess I prefer you pass your days painting. LOL It would be so nice to have a maid and a studio so we could paint and garden and live as clean as we want. Oh and also have full tummys.

I don't do anything with the sunflowers except let others use for arrangements whenever they ask. The birds enjoy them and they add to the gardens. I didn't stake them yet and have lost a few with the high winds.

I took a test tonight after I closed the business and flunked. I missed 8 and needed a 75 and got a 73. I tried to speed read so I could make it to the dump before it closed (which I did)and it didn't pay off. I don't remember flunking a test for years, so hope I have a chance to retake it. It was for our checkfree pay. Pretty sad at my age huh?

My zucchini didn't make it. I had forgot about planting that until you mentioned it. I'm sure I can find someone to get a few from. So Belle, do you make alot of bread from it? Wanna share your recipe? I really like the one I use but am always ready to try a new one.

Punk

Thought I'd get on here for a bit before bedtime and I'm so glad that I did. Loved seeing Belle's new projects! Not one--but three! You go girl! ;o)

You two keep making my mouth water with all this talk about fresh corn and zucchini--I love them both! Guess I'll head over to the Farmer's market tomorrow and see what they have, I've been wanting to go there for some good tomatoes anyway.

Punk, you just weren't concentrating when you took that test--your mind was on the clock instead. I'm sure you will get another chance to retake it. Is that so you can scan the check and have it processed electronicly? They had just started doing that a few years before I quit at the bank where I worked. It sure let the merchants process faster.

Hope Anj will get a chance to pop in tomorrow. She is such a little dynamo staying on top of everything with the kids and her DH and still making time to entertain, do volunteer work, and hang out on here with us. ;o)

I guess I should try to remember to take some "before" pics of my items. I won't paint a really good quality tray--only the ones that have some type of flaws on them. I usually clean severalat one time and spray them with primer and then spray them with a basecoat color before I paint them. I wasn't going to post a picture of this latest one--it's pretty much the same thing, just a different shaped tray. I found a cute little scarecrow pattern tonight that I'm going to try to start on tomorrow.

Be back soon.

Luvs

Hey guys....I just quickly sped read the posts so hopefully I won't miss anything. I was up with the chickens this morning. Took DD to get her registered and then went to the grocery to pick up some fresh donuts and milk for breakfast. I have a bunch of stuff around the house to get done today, still work on my homework for my computer class, get her to her ortho appt at 2 then home again to get to my class at 6pm. I'm sorry I'm so busy and haven't been able to contribute much. You know I wish I could. ha Hoping when I get everyone in school things will get back on schedule for me. It will be weird not having my 5 yr old for 1/2 day this year.

Love the pictures Punk! That dresser is gorgeous and I think the gold is fine on it especially for a girl.

I have a good many delicious zucchini recipes if anyone wants them. I get tons of compliments on my bread recipe. It's from a local restaurant. I have a very moist chocolate cake recipe, a sooooooo good easy quiche recipe, and a mock apple pie made with zucchini plus many more. So I'll be happy to share any that you want! I love it fried down with bacon too. mmmm I've got to get a day to process mine. I've got a big stack of them on my counter and more waiting to come out of the garden. Have lots of green tomatoes but none red yet. I'm going to the veggie stand down the road tomorrow to get some corn. I've invited some of DD's friends over and we are having a Nacho Libre night.....watching the movie and eating meaty nachos and corn on the cob. ha

I've not been home much to clean my house and it's gross. When those kids get in school I'm gonna be cleaning down walls and painting everything fresh. I've been saying that for a while though so we'll see if I can get to it.

Belle~ I don't think I've seen your projects. I'll have to jump over there and look. I was laughing about your cement hair. I can totally picture that. ha Been there done that, but with sheetrock dust. I imagine cement is much worse.
Luvs~ Phyllis Dillers hairdresser....funny. ha

Well, I know there was more I wanted to reply to, but I've got to hurry and fix DH's lunch. I spaced that. ha I may be able to get back here tomorrow morning. Cya. ~Anj

Anj send your delicious zucchini recipes please. Always ready to try new yummy, tried and true ones. I don't have any zucchini yet, but will go next door and get some. Ive never thought of it with bacon. I love my fresh green beans with bacon and melted cheese.

How do you fix your nachos? It's always fun to get new ideas. Did I tell you my brother added avocados and black beans to our taco salad and I loved it. I knew black beans were better for us cuz one of my friends was telling me about them through Weight Watchers. She has 3 pounds to go and is looking great. She is retired and walks 2-4 miles a day and I'm sure that helps alot. I sit on the bum all day and now here I'm sitting again. Oh well.

Hope all of you keep paintin' and postin'. Punk

Your house is probably only gross to you. I think that about mine but it never gets so bad that a few hours cleaning doesn't have it sparklin' again. I would love to hire a maid this time of year but then I'd have to clean before she got here.LOL

Thanks everyone for the comments on the desk painting so far. I haven't got back to it. We have still be getting rain every day so I've been out in the garden and beds after work, pulling weeds. Wish DH would jump in and help but I guess helping is not his bag. Sometimes an apartment or condo appeals to me. How about the rest of you?

Hi you all, Just a quick note before I head off to bed. Anj, it's good to hear from you. Those green tomatoes have me thinking "fried green tomatoes"--love em! My DH doesn't do "green" anything except green beans. He always says I'm "stinking the house up" when I do the tomatoes or fried okra or fried cabbage. LOL

Punk, at least once a week I think DH was right and we should have bought another condo to retire to instead of this house and yard. The older I get, the less I want to do all the trimming and weed pulling and mowing. I keep reminding myself that I need the exercise! LOL

I posted a little teaser for you over on the gallery--be sure to take a look.

Goodnight,

Luvs

Morning all. Been trying to catch up on paying the bills and making out my grocery list for today.
Ok, I won't have time to type them all out today, but I'll give you a couple of zucc recipes at a time. This is my absolute favorite of all my zucc recipes. I can eat the whole pan at one sitting if I don't stop myself. In fact just thinking about it I must make some today. =D I don't know the official name of this one, but I call it Zucchini Quiche because it's so light and fluffy.

Zucchini Quiche
3 cups grated and drained zucchini
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
5 beaten eggs
Parmesan Cheese
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased baking dish. Cover the top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Zucchini Mock Apple Pie
4 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup white sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 T butter
one 9" pie shell, unbaked
Combine zucchini, white sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Spoon into unbaked pie shell. Combine flour, brown sugar and butter. Mix until creamy. (Add more butter if needed) Spread creamed mixture over zucchini mixture. Bake @ 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Zucchini Bread
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
2 cups shredded raw zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts
chocolate chips optional

Combine oil, sugar, and eggs in large mixer bowl. Beat well. Blend in vanilla and zucchini. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to oil mixture and blend well. Add nuts.
Pour batter into 2 loaf pans (8x4x3), well greased and lightly floured. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until loaves test done. Or use 3 med loaf pans and reduce baking time to about 30 minutes. Let stand in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on racks to cool.

When we fry down our squash, we boil it until it gets soft, drain. Fry the bacon, set aside, leave only a little bacon grease in the pan and throw in chopped onions for a few minutes, then put the squash in to fry down. Add chipped up bacon. Then add onion salt, pepper and Tony Chacheres cajun seasoning. We do our canned green beans the same way leaving out the boiling. So good! We always use a seasoned iron skillet cause it just seems to make it taste better. =D

Ok, gotta dash. Hope you get to enjoy some of these.

Good Evening,
Another Friday night and I'm so happy. Work was so stressful this week and I spent every night in the yard including tonight. Maybe I can shop for flooring, clean house, do laundry and then paint tomorrow. Oh except we have a 40th anniversary for DH sis and BIL.

Luvs, thanks for the teaser. It does help inspire when I have time off from work and no major plans for the weekend.

Your right, I need the excerise too so I guess a condo is out of the question besides I can't afford one where I live. DD is renting a condo so she doesn't have to drive 75 miles each way every day. She stays up at least 3 days a week. It's only 1 block from our office so very convienent. The condos here are going for almost 1 million for the cheapest ones. I think thats to much for what they are. I'm surprised people can afford to own them and only use them a few months out of the year.

Anj, can hardly wait to try your recipes. Your bread recipe sounds vey close to mine. Have you tried the Zucchini mock apple pie? I love apple pie with a strusel topping so if this is good I want to try it. And the Quiche is something my DSIS makes quite often and I haven't had a recipe so now I will have to try it and let you know what I think. Thanks so much for taking the time to post these recipes.

I've never had fried green tomatoes. Luvs can you help me out there? Anj, your fried squash sounds yummy. I've never eaten is like that. I always cut zucchini slices, dip in milk and egg, then in cormeal and flour mixture and fry in butter.

How's all of your weather? Some people here are using their wood stoves. We haven't needed air cond. but haven't needed the heat either. This is when I'm happy we built a Super Good Cents Home. It was in the 60's today and has really cooled down and we've had rain off and on all week. All is looking green and that will keep the forest fires down so we may get through this summer without all the smoke.

With the weather cooling off so early it makes me wonder what the fair will be like since it's a week later than normal. Sorry, did I ever tell you we set up at the fair from wed. - Sun. Labor Day weekend every year? It's like being open three extra months a year so well worth it. Remind me of this when I'm whinning after I get back. LOL

We bought a pig from the local fair and just picked it up today from the butcher shop. Had side pork for dinner and it was so good that I just went and got the rest so I could munch when I'm dont posting here. Now Im hungry so best go and munch. Couldn't be why I have a weight problem.

Punk

Anj, your quiche recipe sounds easy and so good. I didn't make it to the farmer's market yet, but when I do, I need to remember to get some zucchini so I can try it. I was a bit surprized that you boil it before you fry it--when I pan saute mine, it always gets soft pretty quickly. Maybe you are cutting thicker slices, is that it? I totally agree that all veggies taste better with a little bacon grease seasoning! LOL

Punk, I like to munch too much also! And I love it when there's an extra piece of meat left from dinner--I enjoy that for a snack more than a dessert. Crazy, huh? LOL

I finished up my little tray that I posted as a teaser--so you'll have to click over and see the final project when you have time.

I'm not really ready for Fall yet, we're having a nice summer--only in the 80's today, and our nights cool down to the 50's. But I have gone through several of my old magazines pulling out patterns with acorns on them, so I have a couple more that I want to get painted up so I can enjoy them this Fall.

Luvs

Good Evening,

We have our little pooch tonight. DS went to the rodeo and we are along the way. She just ran and ran in our big yard so she is sleeping now.

Luvs, so you didn't tell me how you fix fried green tomatoes. If it's a secret it's ok but I always have tomatoes so thought I might try them sometime.

I'm so excited that you already have more projects ready to start on. Hope Anj gets some time to paint pretty soon. I need to get in there before fall is over and it's Christmas. LOL

Luvs it sounds like you got Belle in the house cleaning mode. I'll hope I can get there tomorrow cuz it sure didn't happen today and I'm not in the mood tonight either.

Punk

Punk, no secret on the tomatoes, and there are probably several ways to do them. I just slice them and dip them in an egg wash then in flour and into a bit of hot oil in the skillet. Sprinkle on some salt & pepper and let them fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Much like you do your zucchini.

Don't you just love animals? They are just so much fun and each one has their own unique personality too. We had to go get a new cable for our Direct TV box yesterday, so we took both of our retrievers with us. They get so excited at the word "go" and nearly wear themselves out running around before we ever get them into the car! LOL

No painting for me today, little GD will be over soon and she thinks Grandma needs to do whatever she comes up with! Last time, she had a doggie picnic out in the front yard--wrote "welcome doggies" in chalk on the sidewalk and had a bowl of water and another bowl of doggie treats waiting for them. She even went next door and asked my neighbor if she would bring her dog to her picnic! Of course, we had to sit out there on a blanket sipping our crystal light waiting to act as hostess to any doggies who came by! LOL Another time she decided she wanted to be a zoo keeper so she used some little wire fences to create cages and put all her stuffed animals in them. She then proceeded to give each one a bowl of water and some leaves and such. When I told her most tigers and bears are meat eaters, she proceeded to lecture them on how "veggies are good for you". Just cracked me up! ;o) She sure keeps me entertained.

Have a great day, I'll catch you later.

Luvs