I need a little Diet Pepsi, eat a lot of good stuff and dream of stitch shoppes

We at the Lilac Thicket had a lovely Thanksgiving.  Princess Wiggle Wiggle was present and accounted for and was the absolute entertainment for the day.  I love the above picture, that is my sister, Princess Juju Bead with her heir apparent, Princess Wiggle Wiggle.  I have to tell you that little girl loves everyone!  When I walked out the front door the Professor was holding  P.W.W. and she thought she was going home with us.  She cried and cried as we drove away, beseeching us to come back!  It broke my heart. 

My SIL really out did herself with our Thanksgiving feast.  I had to go back for seconds on the turkey and mashed 'tatoes and gravy. 

The most important things to be thankful for were the 9 adults and one Princess crowded around the table and it made for a memorable first Thanksgiving for the Professor and I.

As promised here is a picture of the sock bun curl results.  It was promising when I took it out but when I combed it out all the curls disappeared into a frizz, not very girlish and I was disappointed.  Oh well, guess I will stick with my pin curls.  Oh for you older girlish girls like me, remember these?

Yes, I found Spoolies and I am going to order them.  I didn't know they were still made or sold, they are the BOMB!  I think it would be easier then the current pin curling sessions...24 of these beauties are $3.00...next pay day!

The day before Thanksgiving I came home from work and was met by the Professor at the kitchen door..."Who goes there?"  I answer, "It is I the desperate neighbor across the street who desires you to father my 4th child!"  "NO! I am a married Professor, be gone you promiscuous temptress!"  So he puts his hand over my eyes and leads me into the house (just what every man should do with a promiscuous temptress, am I right?)!  There right in front of me is a sight I have not seen in eight long years...my white Christmas tree, decorated in a Professor-like style, which means there is no style!  He was so proud of his feat and you know, that Christmas tree needed to have all the bad memories shook out and replaced with good ones. 

Not the best picture but this is what a burglar casing the house from the outside would see.  It does look very pretty, festive and inviting.

So the Red Velvet Brownies with the White Chocolate Buttercream Icing are to die for.  Yes I made them for my new team mates and they were a huge hit.  There were even some left over so I could share them with my old team mates, Bodacious Bev, Krazy Kat Lady Karol, Hip Hop Dot, Devine Ms M and Cherry, Chari, Sherry!  You have to make these and you can get the recipe here: http://lilacthicketcooks.blogspot.com/

There has been NO stitching at all here in the secluded folds of the Lilac Thicket.  I have always thought of my own needlework shop, I mean what stitcher hasn't.  I ran across two pictures of shoppes and I thought "Aha!!!, my dream shoppe!"  I believe the above one is in England, could be wrong, and the one below is in Norway I think.

Both are perfect little nooks for a shoppe filled with girlish needlework delights.  I can't really decide which one I want for my shoppe!  What do you think?

I am a bit nervous at the moment...I allowed the Professor to use a hammer to tap thumb tacks into the window frame to hang the Christmas lights....I know that is folly, maybe I need to go look for a big piece of cardboard and the duct tape to cover the gaping hole in the glass window that I am envisioning.

Yesterday I made a pretty good Shepherds Pie and right now I have a big pot of Lima Bean and Sausage (turkey sausage) Soup on low on the stove top.  It is smelling really good too!  I found a basic muffin recipe that has several variations and one of those is garlic and cheese. I thought I might try those to eat with the soup.  I also think I want to make some oatmeal cookies.

This looks yummy 'rific doesn't it?  Funcetti Cake Batter Fudge...I am gonna have to try it.

I suppose I should be closing and getting ready to head up to the grocery for some doggie kibble and Diet Pepsi.  I found the following at Pinterest and it makes such simple sense.  I am living in peace now, what a blessing.  God Bless Us Everyone!

Flying Snickers and other Girlish Delights

You remember ’’Where’s Waldo ?’’  I have a new game…Where’s the Professor ?  No it isn’t just an unmade bed !

It seems as though it has been a million years since we here at the Lilac Thicket have been able to communicate with our dear readers.  I can scarcely remember so long ago when the Internet was NOT part of our daily lives.  As wonderful as it is it is definitely a time stealer.

It is a bit past 9am and I have been up since 8am making Amish Sugar Cookies.  Last time I sifted the dry ingredients, this time I didn’t and I think that will make a big difference.  The cookies last time did not spread like the traditional sugar cookies I like and they were delicate in texture, like Russian Teacake cookies, crumbly.  They were okay but I was disappointed. 

Making them this morning there was a distinct difference in the texture of the dough, not so dense, lighter and airier.  The first batch is in the container and they do taste different then last time but they still don’t have that traditional sugar cookie taste and texture.

Pulling out my utensils and ingredients to make my cookies, I found to my dismay that the Professor had been using my rubber spatula to cook his fried rice !  It was ruined.  How fortunate I had bought a rubber spatula with little tiger faces all over it (we are a Mizzou family) for my sister in her Christmas stocking.

I wrote on the wooden handle of the new spatula…well you see !  And it it very peculiar that every time I am in the kitchen cooking or baking the Professor wants to sweep.  I can’t tell you how many times I have asked him to refrain from stirring up stuff with the broom while I’m in the kitchen.  So THEN he wants to fix him some breakfast and I absolutely shudder when he is in the kitchen…EW…would be a good word to use.  So I cover up everything I am doing and come and type some more into my blog until he is finis !

Yesterday was a lovely day, in the 70’s, which I cannot tell you how unusual THAT is for 5 days before Thanksgiving.  I took advantage of the warm stiff Southwesterly wind to wash and dry some girlish snickers.  I know my neighbors enjoy my snickers blowing in the wind.  I mean who wouldn’t ?!

My first full week at my new position at work was wonderful !  I love the data entry part of it.  The challenging part rolling representatives in and out of client queues is rather nerve wrecking, but one of my new co-workers likens it to a chess game…I suck at chess !  I will start my permanent schedule 7am to 3 :30pm on the 29th.  I look forward to that.

Oh I tried something different to curl my hair !  It’s call Sock Bun curls !  You take an unmated sock and cut off the toe, roll it into a donut shape and slide it over your pony tail, tuck the ends in the end and roll until it is flush with the head, pin it, I used 4 roller pins and sleep on it.  It will look like this :

I will take a picture to share when I take it down, even if it’s a flop.

 

 

My girlz insisted I share the pics I took of them yesterday…Yes that is April Mae June on the left and Rosie Kate on the right…such good pooter haupt’s.  They are excited about Thanksgiving because I haven’t the heart to tell them they aren’t going to Uncle Brother 2’s with the Professor and I.  I know they have visions of Kibbles and Bits dancing through their heads, but frankly that isn’t anything unusual.  These 2 are stomachs on 4 legs.  If it’s edible, they eat it…if it’s inedible, they eat it !  I think you get the picture.

So gentle readers, it is time for me to bring this long awaited missive to an end and wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We all have plenty to thank God for !  God Bless Us Everyone !

The dogs did it!

And it took me 11 days to clean them out...that explains my absence...and also... 

Can't explain how this happened but it may explain why I have not have had Internet service, Uverse television or telephone service for 10 days.  Well any excuse can be a reason right?  Might as well pick the most amusing....right?

You will hear from me this weekend dear readers!  God Bless Us Everyone.

Look, Book, Cook

Lookie at my progress on the little old Quaker heart.  Above is what I finished Sunday and compare it to the last progress shot of 3 weeks ago below.  Now understand I haven't touched it in 3 weeks.

The bottom most red stripe...done and the beginning of the bottom most gold stripe started.  Maybe next year I will get it finished, LOL!

When the Professor and I were in the Salvation Army Thrift Shop I had seen and was interested in the above titled book, but it was $2.00 and I didn't have that to spend on another book, no matter how little two bucks seems.  Today when I walked out of the kitchen into the empty garage to talk with the Professor, I glanced over at a book shelf and this book caught my eye, the very book I had been interested in.  Well, I don't remember buying it but I was as giggly as a school girl, like I had just seen a boy I liked.  Professor wondered what I was happy about, especially since I told him I couldn't wait to go to bed and snuggle up.......with this book!  He wasn't amused.  I guess I am in awe of the power of God, He really wanted me to have this book as trival as that may seem, so insignificant.  I'll bet He popped in our garage and deposited it right there in that spot and then made me pause long enough out there in one spot to find it.  I swear I don't remember buying it!  Lord, thank you for this gift!

Well the Professor and I enjoyed a Sunday dinner with Country Oven Fried Chicken and real (not instant) mashed potatoes.  I will definitely be making that chicken again, it was great.  You can find the recipe here: http://lilacthicketcooks.blogspot.com

A WAY-Y-Y cute ornament, love it!  You can find the free  pattern over at Penelope's.  Use this link to get there: http://penelopisfreebies.blogspot.com/2011/03/budka-dla-ptaszkahouse-for-bird.html

I am addicted to Pinterest, I could spend forever there getting ideas for my home and hobbies.  Check it out: http://pinterest.com/

God Bless Us Everyone!

Naked birdies, car crashes & wax lips

See you just never know what that customer service representative looks like when you call Pizza Hut, Missouri Gas Energy or the Psychic Hot line!  I KNOW...Krazy Kat-Lady Karol and Hip Hop Dot look like cartoon characters, or they just had the lip enhancement from Hell treatments!

That customer service representative from LL Bean or Medicare could look like me or Bodacious Bev!

Of course if you call 9-1-1 your emergency dispatcher could look like Jocular Jen or Cherry Sheri Chari!  I know...it is a horrifying thought! 

That's right Hip Hop Dot...you need a little more fluid to keep that lip swelling up!!!!  God love ya my Saturday Girlfriend Posse, my Saturdays will never be the same at work without you!

It is a gorgeous morning here in the secluded folds of our Lilac Thicket.  The sun is warm and inviting and I can't help loving the leaves on all the trees and those that have fallen on the ground.  I particularly love to watch the leaves somersault, pinwheel and skitter down the street as the North Wind blows.

This morning I woke up and wondered why it was so quiet in the neighborhood (I forgot the time change) when Rose and April followed me out into the front yard to sniff out the Sunday newspaper.  Well, I kept telling Rose I didn't think the newspaper delivery guy threw our paper in the neighbor's yard.  Finally I found it in our driveway.  I don't know why I ever pay attention to ANYTHING that dog says!

Rose did alert me to a huge lot of feathers in the backyard that seemed to be missing the actual bird.  I am really concerned there is a naked, cold mourning dove running around the neighborhood.  It certainly can't fly because it left behind it's wing feathers too!  I suppose it could be skinny dipping but there isn't any water in our bird bath so I find that possibility highly doubtful!  If you see this naked mourning dove please let them know I can't guarantee that their feathers will still be at the Lilac Thicket when they return because no doubt some dirty stinker bird will steal them, nothing is safe anywhere anymore!

I was laying in bed sick as can be.  I hear the garage door go up, the car start, the car rev, the screech of tires and then a BOOM!  Yes the Professor was kindly getting the car out of the garage.  I waited and he comes in looking like a scared kid on the play ground and tells me in a babbling kind of incoherent way that he didn't know the wheels were turned.  He still hasn't mastered that clutch thing on the floor board.  I know your next question is, did he survive?  Survive what?  The impact of the car collision or the confessing of the deed?  Well let's just say...it doesn't matter...his wife hasn't reported him missing or anything like that!

I am going to stitch today.  After a week of being sick with bronchitis and strep I am going to treat myself to a day with my needle and floss.  I am going to make an Oven Fried Chicken and mashed 'tatoes and gravy for dinner.  Other then that, we here in the concealment of the Lilac Thicket will continue to battle the intrusions outside world.  Until next time, or I am released from prison for Professor-slaughter...God Bless Us Everyone!

I'm bushed!

I have spent most of the  day in the Lilac Thicket's kitchen and I am bushed!  No I am not claiming kinship to the Presidential Bushes, I am tired.  You did hear about Bill Clinton?  He is the only President to be found between the Bushes!  Oh that is so funny...I think he was wearing heart print boxers with glow in the dark writing which said "I did not have sex with THAT woman!"  Anyway, I made Snicker cookies and they are wonderful.  I arranged them on the cake plate that I received as a wedding present from my Mama.  She brought over some generic Claritin for the ailing Professor today.  She gave me a new ornament to festoon my plate, an autumn leaf.  I love it...isn't it cute?

I made my stuffed spud soup and it was good although I didn't have any green onions to put in it. 

And I made a pumpkin nut bread and it is delicious too.  Of course all the recipes are on my blog  http://lilacthicketcooks.blogspot.com/ .  I only post the best that I make!  So all 3 recipes can be found there along with original photos that I took with my the Professor's camera which I have claimed as my own, I mean borrowed.

I had to work last night and therefore wasn't able to see in person cuteness personified.  My darling niece was dressed as the most adorable fairy ever to be seen in all of the magical world of fairies.  Thankfully Princess Wiggle Wiggle was photographed by my talented and beautiful sister Princess Jujubead. 

It is really nice to see that my niece is taking serious the importance of cute hair and cute hair accessories.  Look at her darling wand and the PINK pumpkin!  She is a definite girlish girl in the making.

I am going to go lay down for a tad bit, but I wanted to broadcast my baking and cooking delights AND delight all of my beloved readers with my darling niece!  God Bless Us Everyone.