Free!!! Free!!! It was FREE I tell you!!!!

Do you believe it???????????? I am still pinching myself....Ouch! I went to the "flea" to pick up my stuff since they are closing and these 2 chairs were there and I asked if they were for sale and the owner said no, but you can have them for free if you'll get them out of here. No need to tell me twice!!!! I went home and emptied all my stuff, called a friend to help me and the rest is history! They're mine...all mine!!!! Now, they have a few spots but no tears and I will shampoo them good and see how it does or if need be reupholster and/or slipcover. Aren't they just awesome...for Free???? My friends wanted me to go "junkin" with them today but I told them no, I had to get my stuff at the flea. I bet they can't top my "buy of the day"! I'm jumping up and down I am SO HAPPY! Oh.....did I tell you there are 2 of them!!! YES!!!!! A matched pair!

Needlework projects I'm working on.......

I am hand-quilting a little "doll" quilt...my first quilting project with help and advice from my quilting friends and a girlfriend that has her own quilt shop. Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m is when my Craft Group meets and we are a varied bunch....quilting, embroidery, rug hooking, punch needle, penny rugs and felted wool projects. We used to meet at each others house and the hostess would serve a meal and then we would "craft" but since Jamie opened her quilt shop, we meet there and just pack a supper to take with. Her shop closes at 4:00 so we have the whole place to ourselves! It's really nice because she has the cutting tables, sewing machines, iron and ironing table and of course ALL those pretty supplies!!! And GREAT camaraderie to boot. She also has 2 long arm machines and does long arm quilting for people too. If anyone wants her prices just let me know...I think she is probably pretty reasonable compared to other parts of the country.
My other project is crocheting 7" x 9" rectangles for Warm Up America. TheresaB on Mary Jane's Farm chat room started this and many of my fellow farm girl sisters are participating. I had one panel done but then discovered I was doing it wrong so I took it apart and am starting over. But I need to get a "move on" because these gals are really pumping them out and I am slower than snail do-do! But it's all fun and challenging and I love it all....so many neat projects and so little time!
Oh!!! And here are my pansies that have bloomed ALL Winter despite it all.....they're like farm girls......pretty and delicate but strong and dependable too!

This was my reward for balancing all those bank statements! I received my flour from Mary Janes Farm that I ordered plus she included my chapter kit (I'm going to start a chapter here in our Tri-County area called The Tri-County Farmchicks) and a bumper sticker and one of her organic chocolate bars...YUMMO!!! Thank you Mary Jane...you Sweetie you!!!!

Ugh! Bills, balancing checkbook...woe is me!

Okay....I haven't balanced my check book in awhile...okay so it's been 7 or 8 months....but I do log on to the bank's website and make sure I have money in there. It's not like I'm out bouncing check or anything but I switched pc's because my other one got hit by lightening so I had to start over with VISTA (Yuck!) and Quicken which I always liked better than Microsoft Money and I lost all my financial data so I had to start somewhere balancing so I did but then couldn't find the following month after I started it sooooo.....to make a short story even longer I figured the bank statement would turn up eventually and it did....so today I balanced 10 months of statements! Yippee!! Yahoo!!! I had the statement all along...it is the dating on the outside of the envelope that tripped me up...oy vei!!!

Great Sunday yesterday!

Oh, it was a great day here at the homestead....just one of those days where everything flows and it was cozy and warm and well, I just don't know how to describe it but suffice it to say it was very satisfying! I changed the sheets, did laundry, took a nice hot bath in the a.m. to get the joints going, had a fire in the fireplace and made peanut butter cookies....the smells and the warmth of the kitchen and the fireplace just added up to a great day! Here's the recipe for the peanut butter cookies...an old one from my Mother's BH&G's cookbook that I would have to say are my very favorite cookies. WARNING: I like crispy cookies and the browner the better so adjust to your own taste when baking. These are by no means SOFT cookies but so full of butter they fall apart in your mouth....crispy, not hard.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Crisscross with fork tines dipped in the sugar (otherwise your fork will stick to the cookie!). Bake at 375 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Makes about 4 dozen and takes about 2 hours start to finish. I think if you wanted a softer cookie you could bake it at 350 for about 9 minutes but I never do! LOL! I like mine almost burnt! Happy baking and I hope you enjoy! They are DELISH!