Some wedding Pics

The Professor and I arrived at the Truman Memorial Building and found Mom had beaten us there.

My sister brought a bouquet of fresh daisies and pink rose buds for me.  

Trying to cool off as it was a warm beautiful day. 

I love this picture of the Professor and I as we waited for Pastor Roger to get there. 

My beautiful sister, Princess Juju Bead. 

My wonderful and gruff Brother One.

Princess Juju Bead trying to do the Vulcan Mind Meld trick on me.

More Pics to come...I promise!

Wedding, wishlist, wonderific wants cheap!!

This was the beautiful cake was delicious.  It was champagne icing with raspberry filling between the white cake layer.

This was the pretty table setting we had at the buffet dinner my family had for us.

I did get some stitching done, very little in fact but stitching none the less.  I can't tell you what design it is yet as several of my Facebook Serial Starter and Disciplined Diva Club sisters are supposed to guess the design.

The next 5 pictures are of designs that I have added to my Stitching Wish List.

 I Know God from Lizzie Kate

Merry Christmas Drop from Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks.

Live, Laugh, Love from Lizzie Kate.

Red, White and Blue Panel from Laura J. Perin.

Sweet Christmas from Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks.

The next 5 photos are of things that I couldn't live without, found at the Thrift Shop on Thursday.

When we lived in Hawaii we called them "Jap Flaps" and they were wonderful.  I haven't found these since we moved back to the mainland in 1973.  I paid a dollar for these and they have scarcely left my feet since I acquired them. 

This plate caught my eye because of the PINK flowers, imagine that!  I thought it would be nice to put homemade cookies or candies on.  It was $3.50! 

Sketcher's 2 bucks!

It's PINK and the inside is pristine, I don't think it was ever  used, that little moisture absorber packet was still in it.  It is a nice supple leather...are you ready?  $3.00!

I know they are PJ bottoms but I got them for the Professor to kick around the house in.  He likes elastic in the hem and that is easy enough to put in. They were $1.50!

Well my gentle readers, I really don't have a lot to say but will share more pics of the big day as I receive them from my family and my best girl, B-7!  Back to work today which does not make me tingly all over but I have a job!  God Bless Us Everyone.

Exhibits SPFAZ!

Exhibit F:  Beautiful flowers that Hip Hop Dot made for my special day.  They are in my favorite color, Pink, and my second favorite color, Pink!  So gorgeous and so generous of my adopted Big Sis, Dorothy.  Dorothy, I know you are reading this...thank you for loving me so much that you want to make my ceremony pretty.  I love you!

H²Dot also made boutonnieres and a corsage, also in my favorite colors.  And you see our wedding bands, the Professor has a big fat finger, size 12 and I have a dainty size 6 finger.  Can't wait to wear my wedding band.

Aren't they lovely all together?

Exhibit P:  Yes gentle readers a pimple!  Frightening how God's sense of humor is so well timed!

Exhibit Z:  Yes gentle readers, the zit, it is the twin of Exhibit P!  I think that God is just picking on me!  Somehow I feel I am living My Big Fat Greek Wedding, please pass the Windex!

Exhibit A:  The mysteriously leak has been identified.  Yes we did have issues with the plumbing in the kitchen of our beloved Lilac Thicket.  The ill installed garbage disposal caused water to pour out of the nasty cabinet under the sink.  And we had Randy, the jousting plumber, out 6 times, at least, because we had these mysteriously leaks appear in the middle of the night.  I know we were frustrated with cleaning it up.  Well we had the leak occur on the bathroom rug late last week when the Professor was walking Rose and I had gone up to the HyVee to get ingredients for the Crock pot Lasagna.  The mysterious leak has a name...April Mae June!  I was flabbergasted, honestly, this is a dog that would wake me up to let her out.  Well I am humbled and that is hard to do!  Not to mention all those mornings I was stepping in April leavings when I thought it was water....GROSS!!!

Exhibit S:  I found these cute little containers in the Dollar Daze bin at CVS yesterday.  I originally was thinking of my lunch bag and now my mad, mad mind is thinking STASH!  These would be so cool to use for my stitching and sewing stash.  Now I got 8 of the smallest ones in one package for $3 and 2 of the larger in a package for $1.  The Chapstick is for size comparison!

I got off work early yesterday and last evening we sat outside and Professor brushed the dogs and we watched the birds at our feeder.  We then went up to Petco and bought some Sushi for my mother's pond.  We got 15 little fishies to put in her itty bitty pond and they swam and they swam all ober da dam...ip ip bittum bottom wattum shoop!  We then stopped and got Professor 2 Red Box movies and puppy food.  Then the Chinese drive thru was hit before we got home! Oh you want to know what we got?  Sesame seed Chicken and Crab Rangoons!  I know, I know, enquiring minds need to know!

So the Professor is rather sensitive to my inability to watch his movies with him.  I fall asleep.  So karma finally bit him last night.  This morning I asked him how his movie was...I love this...HE fell asleep half way thru! 

The day before my marriage I am calm, cool and collected. The day before his marriage the Professor is rummaging around in the refrigerator and bothering me by talking while I am writing.  I am going to run up to Lane Bryant's soon and find some lacy snickers to wear tomorrow.  Even if I am wearing jeans I want to have pretty snickers on and cute hair which I will be pin curling a little later!  So my gentle readers, all is well here in the Lilac Thicket!  I hope your day is wonderful and I am sure I will have some good dope to drop on the Professor after tomorrow's events!  God Bless Us Everyone!

Marriage Mayhem and Doggy Deeds

3 days dear readers....3, 3, 3, 3....let's sing a song of 3....how many threes?

I was awakened by the phone at 9:30 this morning.  It was my Mom!  My lovely sister, Princess Juju Bead, told my Mother since it was my marriage feast that I should pick what restaurant we eat at.  Thank you Princess Juju Bead!  I told Mom, I didn't care!  I was chastised and I lovingly told my Mother, my choice was a marriage ceremony with only 2 witnesses (because the law requires that) and the Professor and I.  Anything beyond that were choices that others made and that includes attending the ceremony and a wedding dinner at home or restaurant.  So I told my Mother I would not choose anything and if others wanted to do something, they could make the decisions and the Professor and I would be happy to attend. Out of respect I told my siblings they could come but I did not expect them to and I did that to keep the peace and soothe any hurt feelings.   I wanted this all so simple and even with that, people are trying to complicate it, change it and it is frustrating.

The Professor came in the bedroom as I hung up the phone.  Talk about vanity, the Professor is obsessed with his hair, it must look just so!  He goes thru all of his hair gyrations and finishes off his coif with hitting himself in the head with a piece of paper apparently to smooth this hair....okay!

Professor tells me that Rose killed a squirrel last night and asked me if I didn't hear all of the racket.  No I didn't hear a blasted thing.  But I was puzzled as squirrels aren't nocturnal.  We had a terrific storm move thru last night with wind, thunder, rain and lightening and I thought that perhaps the wind knocked it out of the tree.  He said Rose was barking and the squirrel was screaming and then Rose was trotting around the yard with the dead animal in her mouth.  I asked him what he did with the dead squirrel..."I'm not picking up that dead thing!"  Well we can't leave it dead under the tree for it to rot!  So I put on my pants and grabbed a rake, shovel, brown bag AND one unwilling Professor and held the bag open while he picked it up with garden tools....it was a baby possum!  I feel so bad, I do and I know that Rose did what dogs do but it still bothers me.

In Rose's younger years she was a terrific hunter.  She was fast as the wind and several times she scooted in the house with something dead and presented it to me.  We instituted chop check at the door of the Thicket. 

Oh well my gentle readers I look forward to Saturday morning when all the drama is over and done with. God Bless Us Everyone!  

Bullets, Bullsheet and BM (before marriage)

I adore typing my missives not once but twice.  This technology is great but where in the Sam Hill do my posts go as I am editing them....poof they are gone!  G-r-r-r-r-r!

Let's start again!

The Professor and I went and purchased our marriage license at the Courthouse this morning.  We were both a bit nervous because we feared not having the proper documentation.  Since yours truly visited what "she thought" was the official website for information we actually ended up having more then enough documentation which is probably why we got the funny looks dragging in our fire proof  wall safe and a witness.  Professor was so nervous we had to make four stops at the little Engineers room before we got to the right office.

It was SO easy and the un-necessary witness (my mother) laughed.  I tried to convince the clerks I was under the age of 18 so we could at least make Mother feel like she hadn't wasted her time by signing her permission for me to marry.  Well the clerks weren't fooled by my youthful appearance which really wounded me.  It might also explain why I don't get carded when I buy liquor and the young bag boy at the HyVee calls me "Madame"!

Something else I find peculiar, the Professor only opens doors for me when my mother IS around!  Do you think I am missing something?  Oh yes, his gallantry...my Mother's garage door was open when we returned and I wanted to make sure there were no buggers in her house, I charged up the stairs, looking in closets and under beds and turned around to give the all clear and the Professor had just entered the threshold!  Wow, I now know that he ain't gonna be throwing himself in front of speeding bullets for me!

So here at the Thicket we have 4 days until the nuptials take place.  So far the Professor's luggage is still in the bedroom so I know he hasn't changed his mind.  Stay cool my kindred spirits and God Bless Us Everyone!

The English Professor Train Engineer & other Thicket tales

Good afternoon my fine and devoted readers.  I am hard at work, or rather just at work and I am missing my Lilac Thicket something fierce.  I think most people are of the gentle persuasion but here in the chaotic world outside my refuge, I have found some people revel in the ugliness they can wreck.  Some days it is harder to shake off then other days. 

We have had thunderstorms pass  daily now for the last 3 days or so.  At 2 a.m. Saturday morning the power went out and it didn't come back on until 2:45 p.m.  My girlz and my Professor were toughing it out in the Thicket with no air and it was humid. 

When I got home from work yesterday, shortly after 7pm.  The Professor called and told me he was in town train watching.  He asked me to join him.  I hopped into my Gogo car and joined him on a park bench 4 feet from the tracks.  My sweet Professor has a fascination with trains, he has had it all of his life.  I asked him what his dream job would be and he said a train engineer.  I think it is sweet and I would love to see that come to pass.  I could see him with his big tall engineer cap on tugging on the horn of the train, dispensing proper English lessons with his Caribbean accent out the engine's window to the populations of every town and city he passed thru.  "No young man in the brown pick-up, it is pronounced as the 'u' as in 'truck you' not the  'u' in 'truce you'! Have a nice day-y-y-y-y-y-y-y!"

We sat 2 hours and watched 5 trains pass by and one of them an Am Trak that stopped.  We talked, we debated, we had food smells tickle our noses as the breeze drifted in our directions.  We heard the trickling of a fountain near-by and had the lightening bugs light up their tushes in search of love around us.  We heard music float by from the local pub and then the clouds moved in and we witnessed the lightening show creep close enough that it was time to go before the Professor became an unwilling lightening rod with his over 6' height.  It was a wonderful evening and I wish it could have gone on all night long.

I was reminded this morning that we are out of bird seed in the Thicket.  Professor reminded me we have a full house, birds, squirrels, bunnies, doggies and mosquitoes that expect to be feed with the finest of fare.  I feel so guilty about forgetting the hungry in the Thicket that I will stop on the way home from work.

Tomorrow morning the Professor and I will be heading up to Independence courthouse to get our marriage license.  I don't want to wait until the last minute because I tend to worry and fret something will go wrong.  So in 5 days my devoted friends, I will be Mrs. Professor.

Well my Crock pot lasagna has received 6 vigorous thumbs up, 2 of them from Hip Hop Dot, the team's chef.  So I am sharing the recipe.  I used just ground beef, no ground turkey and I dispensed with anything low fat.  I will use more cream cheese and mozzarella next time.  Make it mighty cheesy!

Crock pot Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles
1/2 lb. low-fat ground beef
1/2 lb. low-fat ground turkey
1 small container low-fat Cream Cheese (not ricotta)
1 small onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 cup small button mushrooms
2 grated carrots
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. pkg. of mozzarella cheese, low fat
Using a cooking spray, spray your crock pot well (you will be glad you did this). Brown the meat and drain, then run hot water to drain even more of the fat content out. Chop onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms.


In the crock pot lay a layer of noodles (no need to precook), then layers of meat, cheese, cream cheese, sauce, and veggies until you fill crock pot up. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 1 hour.


Servings: 4
Time: 30 Minutes Preparation Time

I am so excited as I dipped my toe into the stashing mode again.  I wanted to purchase the Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornament Preview and then I got to thinking if I subscribed I would get that issue PLUS the Christmas special and Halloween special and save money.  A subscription is $20.00 and they are $6 an issue

 I also ordered this special too!  I love Halloween and this alluring book will be coming September 1st.  Can't wait!

Well my beloved and dearest bosom readers, I smell the lasagna and I am starving.  I wish all of you peace and love and a special shout out to all my team mates and co-workers who visit this blog to play the Bubble Shooter game at the bottom....ya'll get back to work!  God Bless Us Everyone

Kitchen kibitzing and futzing

Crock pot Lasagna...I have never made it before, crock pot or in the oven.  Weekends I have to work, one of every four, my girls and I have a feast just to make the sting of working weekends a little less painful.  I purchased the ingredients last night and prepared it in the crock pot this morning so when I get home this evening I can just pop the crock in the heating element and cook it overnight.  It took about 30 minutes to prepare and I will let you know how it tastes.  I prayed the whole time I was preparing it...asking the Lord to make it tasty because I don't want to feed people I care about swill.

The Professor is wonderfully charming but totally frustrating at times.  I was just finishing the prep on the lasagna when he waltzes into our very small kitchen to prepare his late morning fruit snack.  I am trying to clean up and wash the things I dirtied and he is moving my stuff around and hovering over me and the crock. I picked up his stuff put it in the sink and told him to stop futzing in my work.  He then begins to choreograph the picture I am trying to take and I swung the camera in his direction and he tells me not to take a picture.  I tell him that I hear as well as he does and "snap" there's the pic. 

So here is actually something stitch related.  These are some of the most recent additions to my wish list.

Pins and Needles from Blackbird Designs.

The above 2 pics are from Helga Mandl, I don't recall the names.

Reading By Firefly Light from Heaven and Earth Designs.

Well that is about all the excitement this old lady can handle in the wilds of the Lilac Thicket.  May all of you have a blessed weekend.

Our Exciting Day Out

This was my last day off until the Professor and I get married next Friday.  I was secretly hoping for a quiet day at home.  Well the Professor, when given the opportunity to do something, wanted an outing.  We agreed to start at the Thrift Shop because there might just be wonderful treasures awaiting us.  We must have intuitively heard the sirens call because indeed we did find a couple of wonderful treasures.

I saw a crocheted throw for $3.50 and I dragged the Professor from the back of the shop clear up to the front to get his opinion and as you can see from the picture we purchased it.  We did run across a platform rocker with stool and it was $35.00.  The Professor's sensitive tush didn't like it so we passed on it.  Too bad because it was a nice oak color wood with a blue padded cushion which would have worked well with our sofa.

I spotted this lamp and I fell in love with it.  It really didn't fit this country look we have been wandering towards but I loved the shells in the base and they are well highlighted with blue paint.  There are tons of shells in it and it is heavy!

This is a close up with the Professor's camera which I love!  Our lamp was $7.00 and looks fab on the glass top table that holds our printer. One thing that I loved, when we checked out the volunteers and people in line were all making the biggest fuss about our lamp.  I am so glad we found it first.

As I was sitting at the dining table I noticed how wonderful the rose red in the crocheted afghan ties in with my beautiful flowers in my Lenox vase.  See I told you the Thrift Shop sirens were beckoning us to their depths!  The Professor found 2 nice ties and I found 6 mystery books for my Mom!

The Professor is a HUGE western genre movie and book lover.  He had expressed his desire to see the Big Muddy or the Missouri River which he had read so much about.  With all the news about the flooding on the Missouri, I had the brilliant idea to head out to the River Walk in Leavenworth Kansas.  This picture is on a high bluff above the river and there were some lovely river front homes in back of us.  You are seeing the riverbank of Missouri on the far side.

All of the old homes were well maintained and I could certainly picture myself living in one.

I imagine sitting on the front porch on a lazy summer evening watching the Mighty Mo cruise by.

Before we headed to the River Walk we stopped in for a bite to eat at the Pullman Cafe.  My Professor is also a train affectionado and the place was filled with train memorabilia.  We had slow service and the lemonade was from a mix, not fresh, but the sandwiches we ate were good. 

So we got to the park and the railroad crossing guards came flashing down but me being the daredevil danced across the tracks and turned around and stuck my tongue out at the slow Professor.  Yes the other strange man must have thought I was a lunatic or that I was flirting.

The river was about 4 feet below us and moving quite swiftly.  We saw 2 tug boat type crafts and they didn't even have their motors on, they were riding the swift current of the Mighty Mo'.  The people in the closest boat waved at us as they went flying by!  Yes the trees on the other side reside in the fine state of Missouri!

The water was way up over the normal mark and the base of all the trees on the banks were submerged.  The Professor said the river is up even higher today and some parts of the park that were open yesterday are now closed.

As the Professor was gawking at a Union Pacific train that went by I sat and marveled at what little boy wonderment he had in the trains and how sweet that is.  I looked up and was fascinated by the patterns of the slats, sun and trees. 

All of the sudden there was a huge burst of activity, people, a man in an Army uniform, police, men in suits and television cameramen and news reporters clamoured over the tracks and over to the railing next to the river.  I had no idea who or what was going on.

It was the governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback and the Army Corp of Engineers coming to check out and talk about the river and the flooding potential.  I tell you I had to ask who was so important and a lady had to tell me.  The Governor is the man slightly right (in profile) of center standing next to the wood pillar in the blue dress shirt with his right hand raised to head level. 

So even though I hate Kansas and everything Kansas it was sort of cool to have this unexpected event occur.

The Professor and I drove home the long way thru the beautiful rolling hills and farmland of my beloved state of Missouri.  We went to Mom's to check out her pond and drop off the books we had purchased at the Thrift Shop.  The pond looks lovely and the Brothers Two were shamed into helping Momma because soon to be brother in law scored huge bonus points by spending Sunday afternoon emptying and mucking out 12 years worth of rotten stuff at the bottom.  Brother One fixed the pump and Brother Two rearranged the rocks and Momma couldn't be more happy with the results.

So my beloved gentle readers we had a lovely day yesterday, one we shall long remember.  In 8 days I will become Mrs. Professor and I hope that you all will pray for God to Bless our marriage.  Professor is such a terrific Godly man and I am so blessed to have him want to spend his life with me.  So with lots of fond wishes for you from the Lilac Thicket, I will close, God Bless Us Everyone.