PI Professor and his new investigative tool

I had come back to the bedroom from the kitchen with a Diet Pepsi and a granola bar.  I glanced out the window and saw two squad cars pull up in front of our neighbors.  I said to the neighborhood watch Professor laying in my bed "the cops are here".  His Bible study session came to a sudden and complete halt and he reversed his position and was trying to peer out the 5" crack of the open bedroom window.  "Why don't you just open the window?", asked I.  The answer...he didn't want anyone to see him being inquisitive!  I walked over and threw open the window and blinds and we watched the 2 police officers walk a few houses past where they parked their cars.  Not surprisingly enough he said he wanted to talk Rose for a walk.

So rush hour began on our sidewalk as it became littered with people walking their dogs or going for their morning strolls.  I didn't get a picture of the traffic jam, I didn't grab my camera soon enough.  You can see in the center of the picture the Professor and Rose on the neighborhood watch stroll. He was so eager to get out of the house he didn't even pull on his 4th pair of shorts.  Yes my gentle readers, he wears 4 pairs of shorts at one time, briefs, boxers, cotton jersey and then jean shorts.  I have no clue why, I think he is into feeling safe and secure and nothing makes one feel safe and secure like 4 pairs of shorts on a 110° day!  Is that TMI?

So the Professor makes it back to tell me that he thinks that it was a dispute with his next door neighbors.  I told him that I think this "complainant" is in the middle of a lot of issues in the neighborhood, and I am glad we don't live next door to him.  I can't wait to move our Lilac Thicket. 

I was off work yesterday and it was a lovely day.  We went to Borders to see what bargains we could find.  We did get the Professor a nice pair of reading glasses for $6.oo.  His last pair from Dollar Tree were bent and he had lost one of the plastic lens out of them.  It was actually quite amusing watching him try to read with them on.  I will miss that cheap amusement here in the Thicket. 

We went to eat lunch at Bob Evans and then went to our beloved Thrift Shop.  I was browsing in the books when my bow-legged husband struts over in the above pictured trench coat and it looked darn good on him.  The tag said $10 but I told him I thought the blue tagged items were 25% off.  The next thing I know the Professor comes back and tells me that he paid 25¢ for the trench coat.  He had told the elderly lady she had charged him wrong and she showed him the sign, indeed blue tag items....25¢!  It has a fleece zip out liner, I can't believe this bargain.

I found several books and a purse at the Thrift Shop.  My buys were nothing like the Professor's but I am happy with them. 

I got this puzzle at Borders for $3.00 and think it will be an excellent activity when the weather is cold outside.

Well my lovely and faithful readers it is time for me to get ready for work and leave my Lilac Thicket for the craziness of the world outside.  I will alert you if you see a tall thin black man in a trench coat walking an orange and white britney in your neck of the woods, tell him to call home, he took a wrong turn somewhere in his snooping adventure.  God Bless Us Everyone.

And they finally came, but took the wrong thing!

Hello dear readers!  I wanted my first picture to be a spiffy picture because when I link this missive to Facebook it picks up on the first photo in the entry.  I did get a new Scentsy lamp and I think it is mighty cute.  I put it on the dining room table to delight my nose as I sliced and diced onions for my tomato dish.  It was raining and the scent I selected to diffuse was "Thunderstorm".  Am I clever or what?

The Thicket got a thorough soaking yesterday as we had several rounds of rain move through. I was twirling in delight as my U'verse TV stayed on which is decidedly different then with DTV which lost it's signal in rain storms.  The miracle of fiber optic television!

The Mums were enjoying the rain coming down.  They got a good soaking and they look so pretty and cheerful even in the greyness of an overcast day. You know we paid $4.50 for these Mums on Tuesday and on Wednesday they were on sale for 3 for $10!  I was not happy when I saw that in the ad.

As I previously stated I was slicing and dicing vegetables for Hip Hop Dot's recipe for tomato relish.  Heirloom tomatoes from my mother's neighbor, onion, cucumber, banana pepper and Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.  Oh it is so yummy and the Professor loves it.  I took some over to Mom's when we dropped off the pretty Mum we got for her.

Easy Pasta Salad is what I whipped up for the Professor and I yesterday evening.  It was pretty good although the next time I want to use grilled chicken rather then pan cooked chicken.  Professor really liked this and it was easy to make.  There is plenty left over for him to eat this weekend while I work.


 Easy Pasta Salad

• 1 package chicken tenders
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 package (12 oz.) fettuccine pasta, uncooked
• 1 package (16 oz.) frozen vegetable mix
• ¹/2 cup bottled Caesar or Italian dressing
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¹/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. In large skillet, saute chicken in vegetable oil over medium heat until done. (Insert instant-read meat thermometer in thickest part of chicken. Temperature should read 170 degrees F). Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Add vegetables to pasta last 5 minutes of cook time. Drain pasta and vegetables and mix with chicken, dressing and basil.

Mix well; cook until heated through. Add cheese; toss to coat pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh bread, if desired. Serves: 4

I received my Just Cross Stitch magazine in the mail.  I love several of the Halloween ornaments in this issue and NO the Applebee's card did not come with it.  I just wanted to cover my mailing address.  Deb of Tempting Tangles has a delightful Halloween design in there.  Love her stuff.  What really caught my eye was....

this design of 4 pumpkins designed by Marie Barber.  I love this and will have to get the floss and fabric!

The Professor and I ran up Price Chopper to get some ground beef for the hamburger stroganoff I made and brought to work today.  Well I found a jade plant that I could replace in the pot with the dead ivy.  Maybe I can do a good job of killing this.

Remember in March when I was campaigning for a visit from the underpants gnomes to come steal the dirt in my corners?  Well they came but they didn't take the dirt in the corners.  "Honey...have you seen my green and my red briefs?  Could we have left them at the laundromat?"  Well none of my clothing is missing, or my underpants so....then I had an epiphany...notice the color scheme in the above pic of the underpants gnomes and now I have no doubts about what happened to the Professor's red and green underpants.  Those darned boogers paid us a visit! 

Yes, yes dears, it is time once again to close.  I know it is painful and unpleasant but you are made of tough stuff.  Oh and if anyone sees the gnomes dragging a pair of green and a pair of red men's briefs, they belong to the Professor and he would be glad to get them back.  God Bless Us Everyone!

Ketchup... the other food group!

A misty overcast morning, what a delight! 

Are those rain drops on the wind shield?  It  has been such a long time since I have seen a rain drop I must rub my eyes!

By Jobe I do believe it is rain that is visiting us.  Remarkably my Mother who lives 2 miles away did not get a drop.  Craziness reigns with the weather, there is tropical storm Emily careening thru the Gulf and droughts in Texas, fires, flooding, 115° in Wichita Kansas...does anyone doubt the Lord is trying to get our attention? 

I am going to make a tomato dish that is delicious, even the picky Professor loves Hip Hop Dot's recipe.  Dice up tomatoes, onions, burp less cucumbers and banana peppers, add raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing and let it sit a few hours in the frig before enjoying.  It really is wonderful.

I have been working in my Happy Room gentle readers and more treasures are being unearthed.  I love self published or fund raising cookbooks!  This is one I bought at The Thrift Shop and I don't remember purchasing it. 

I also found a kit purse for knitting fabric strips that I started.  It's pink and that is all I need to be attracted to something. 

An old crochet magazine and another thin cook book was discovered. 

My Happy Room archaeological excavation also found green velvet trims, green and white lace and tiny blue rick rack in addition to buttons. 

I am making awesome progress and my next day off, now since everything is off the floor, is to work around the walls getting rid of plastic crates and smaller book cases.  After that, all surfaces will be cleaned off and then I can get my old kitchen table in there, get my lap top off the dining room table and really iron something on my ironing board, not to mention getting my sewing machine set up. 

Saturday after the Professor and I ate at Appleby's we went over to my Mom's and Brother 2, Dear Sister in law and Princess Wiggle Wiggle (my great great niece) showed up.  My brother had to model the cute back pack I bought for Princess Wiggle Wiggle.  Brother 2 inherited my sense of humor...oh my! 

I regaled my family with tales of Ketchup and the Professor's chronic use of said food product.  At Appleby's he had purchased an Oriental Chicken Salad and then proceeded to put ketchup on the chicken in the salad.  So Brother 2 had to show solidarity with the Professor and.... 

poured ketchup on a vanilla sandwich cookie and ate it.  I hear the gagging reflex, I hate it when men stick together! 

This is a picture I adore Brother 2 with Princess Wiggle Wiggle.  Princess is Brother 2's great grand daughter and gentle readers, she is a delight to everyone she meets.  Love that little girl.

I have been sharing old pictures of my family and this picture is really my favorite.  It is a picture of my parents when they were dating in maybe 1954 or so, they were married in 1956.  My Mother was so gorgeous, she still is and my Father was so handsome, men in uniform always turn my head.

My paternal Grandmother was so wonderful about notating her pictures with names and dates.  The scan isn't as good as the original picture but it is my Dad in August of 1955.  You can see the black panther tattoo on his left upper arm.  I always loved that tattoo!  In 1955 dad would have been knocking on the door of his 21st birthday which was in December.  I think he is so handsome, but I suppose most girls think their Papa's are the most handsome man in the world.

For Father's Day I gave the Professor a nice electric hair clipper set.  It has saved us a lot of money and he really is pretty good at trimming his own hair.  He came flying out here in his prison striped shorts and bare chest "How does it look?"  I gave him a quizzical look..."I like the bare chest"!  "My hair! How does my hair look?"  Gentle readers, his chain is SO easy to yank!

Oh my devoted readers of this boring and ordinary Lilac Thicket missive, the Professor, Rose, April and myself wish you love and happiness until such time when I once again bore you with naked common-ness we salute you!  God Bless Us Everyone!

Darling decorating diva defies definition

Well my gentle readers the weather forecasts were wrong for yesterday.  We were spared the 108° temperature, it was only 107°!  It is a new all time high here for the date of August 2nd.  Inside the air conditioner is not shutting off at all and in spite of my attempts to educate the Professor on keeping it cooler in the Lilac Thicket, I come home to curtains and shades up, back door open and the ceiling fans off. 

A conversation, "I didn't tell you I came home half dead! I walked into town yesterday."  Me, "I figured you went someplace, your house key was on the sofa."  The Professor, "It was?  You think you are SO smart!"  Me, "Well you ARE incorrect...I know I am smart." Yes, I know that there is a learning curve for the Professor, I do, but let's face it my dear readers, it doesn't take a genius to lay in food crumbs on the sofa and know he has been eating while sitting on it.

So the  picture is of my shame, my bookcases filled with stash which sits in the computer room, soon to be happy room.  Now if this was the only bit of stash pile, you might say that it would take me a jiff to organize, but I have a closet, a couple of brown paper bags, an ironing board, a computer desk and a top of a sewing machine cabinet full of more stash.  Oh yes and two plastic bags full of needlework fabric on the book case.  Is it no wonder I can't find anything I purchased?

Just sharing a couple of Thrift Shop finds that the Professor stumbled across and couldn't live without and now festoon our home.  Can anyone spell, 1970?  Okay, they are rather cute.

And then there is this, a patriotic Raggedy Ann hanging around our front door to frighten welcome visitors.  Doesn't the Professor have impeccable decorating sense?

I also came home to this on the wall of the kitchen.  Yes the Professor found it in a closet and hung it up.  Yes it is a Patricia Andrle design that took me a year to stitch and I love it except for the frame I chose and a mistake that I thought I could live with and went ahead and had it framed and realized I couldn't stand the sight of the mistake. 

Here are a series of photos that my best friend Bodacious Bev and I had taken at our Employee Appreciation Dinner.  I sort of like them.

I love this picture of my maternal Grandparents, Emma and Ed.  This was probably taken in the 40's.  Aren't they a beautiful couple?  I don't ever remember them looking this young and so I adore this image of them out on the town.  Mom's cousins used to say Grandpa looked like Cary Grant.  How I miss 'em.

Now my loyal followers don't start that pouting! I can't sit here forever and have yet to have one reader ask me to move in with them, so until that happens I must get ready for work.  Stay cool, stay blessed and God Bless Us Everyone.

108°, swell and great! Can't be late!

Yes you read that right, it is predicted to be 108°.  Of course everyone is talking about the heat.  I remember a mere 5 months ago we were all talking about....

and we couldn't wait for summer!  Are we fickled or what? 

I love this picture of days gone by.  From left to right, my Grandpa, my Great Aunt Rose, Grandma and my Great Uncle Andy, all my Mom's family.  Hot summers, no air conditioning and hot days and nights with great memories of family.  I remember the summer when my Grandparents got central air, 1973...I was 16...I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  We felt so rich because we had the cool air wafting thru my Grandparent's split level home.  Memories of a lifetime, a simpler time, a gentler time, a more naive time.  How I wish I could go back for just one day so I could vividly remember everything and everyone, listen closely to the family stories, enjoy the iced tea and cuddle with my beloved Grandparents just one more time and thank them for all they did for me and all they mean to me.

http://funkymonkeyinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2011/07/guest-post-naomi-from-sweet-lemonayde.html 
There is a tutorial to make this great jacket out of a soft knit.  You don't need a pattern, just a blouse, great idea and I can't wait to try it.

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5507219f2cfa89e03c37caf41&id=4d878646f2&e=052eaff659
A nice iron on transfer for hand embroidery.  She has a cute blog and there was a tasty sounding crepe recipe there too.  I want to add this blog to my blog list.

http://whatsleftcb.blogspot.com/
This is another blog I want to put on my follow list.  She made 50 of these key rings for a baby shower.  She doesn't have a pattern there but these look very easy to make and they are darling.

http://creativebreathing.blogspot.com/2011/07/around-world-bavaria.html
The pattern for these ornaments is available on the blog.  I love these darling faces.

I know, I know, but dear and gentle friends I must pry myself away so I can go to work, unless of course you want the Professor and I, plus our dogs, to move in and mooch off of you.  As tempting as that may sound to you, I urge you to think again...the Professor isn't as charming as I make him out to be.  Stay blessed and God Bless Us Everyone!

It's amazing what you can find....

I got home from work last Wednesday evening and heard running water.  The Professor was out walking Rose and I thought maybe he left the hose on outside when he watered his plants.  He hadn't, so I went down in the basement to find water flying everywhere.  The valve on the washing machine had finally given up the ghost.  I shut off the main valve and then called the landlord and Randy our Jousting Plumber.  I don't know what it is about me, my basement and water.  My washer and dryer have long since ceased to work after the numerous sewer back ups into the basement.  As long as the Professor and I live there I will not replace either as I can't afford to keep replacing appliances.  Anyway this little incident does lead to needlework stash, I promise.  I had started shoveling out the computer room, soon to be my happy room but with the possible need for Randy to have to get to some pipes I had to clear a path to the gnarly little closet with the bathroom pipes.  In doing so, I discovered forgotten booty!  It is sort of the needlework version of the Christmas program with the land of the misfit toys, only this is stash I have bought and it went into the undiscovered black hole that is the computer room.  I have some cool stash in there, and this is just an inkling of rediscovered stash.

I love Raise the Roof and Witchy Washy is the cutest.  Then there is the Victoria Sampler Magi gifts, Frankincense....

How about Indigo Rose's Carnations and Emeralds, and where the heck did Indigo Rose go to?  I haven't seen anything new from them in ages.  Then there Raise the Roof's Witchey's Beauty Bag which is darling!

These were the cutest little buttons of a tomato pin cushion and a cute wooden froggy I wanted to make into a magnet!

Here is a Just Nan and another Indigo Rose....

Plus the Myrrh and Gold Magi Gifts.  I mean seriously gentle readers, I have a ton of stuff to go thru and you would think that every new discovery would give me a kick in the cartouche to get it done, but I just keep lolly gagging.  The Professor keeps coming in to make sure nothing has fallen on top of me, like you hear about with some hoarders who disappear only to be found dead years later under a avalanche of their stuff.

I do have visions of my fanny rejoining my happy chair in my happy room making happy thoughts as happy fingers create lovely cross stitch.   My mother and my Professor say I need to cover my happy chair or get a new one...did you hear me scream NO-O-O-O-O-!!!!! 

This is my posse, my girls, at our Employee Appreciation Dinner!  Of course I am in front in the coral jacket and right above me is Crazy Cat Lady Carol, Hip Hop Dot is to her right and Bodacious Bev is to my right, right below Hip Hop Dot.  I love my girls!

Tomorrow/Tuesday is supposed to be the hottest day of the year to date.  Don't I just love that!  Visions of baking and thick, luscious soups and stews and cozy happy chair sessions in my happy room do not involve 100° weather!

Please don't distress yourselves my bosom friends, this isn't the last you will hear from me.  I will be back to torment and tease you with tails and tales of my tame and tempestuous life.  You know the Professor can't be boring for long!