BBQ

Just some pictures of the BBQ. It was fun and I think everyone had a blast. Mostly family, as Jade is the youngest of 8, but we had some friends there as well. Played horseshoes, even in the dark as Jade had hung lights pointing at the pits.



This is a picture of Camus Creek. I've never been to this particular spot, just to like East Camus or whatever it is in Kilgore, so it was a new adventure. We did that yesterday with the dogs. I returned home with red shoulders.

We will be off to Jackpot, Nevada later today, to see Trace Adkins in concert. It is sure to be a good time. Hopefully I can get some pictures, not sure if they allow that sort of thing or not.

Socks -n- Stuff

We are having, what turned into, this huge bbq at or house tonight. Just burgers and hot dogs, not the gourmet bbq I had last summer. I spent all day cooking for that one. This one started out very small, and grew and grew and grew. We'll see how many people actually show up. Friends and family all invited. With the fire pit, AND the horseshoe pit, it is sure to be a blast, and hopefully I can post pictures tomorrow.
On to why I really wanted to post about. Since Jade mostly no longer reads my blog, I feel almost certain he won't see this. So one of my biggest complaints about Jade is the way he leaves his socks just laying around where ever. He sits in the recliner after work, takes his socks off, makes sure they are not inside out, and lays them on the arm of the chair....on the floor by the chair....on the hearth....on his boots by the chair....and also on the arm of the couch if thats where he sat down. Now the socks will stay there until he sees fit to put them in the hamper, or until I put them in the hamper. UGH, I hate this. Today however, as I was folding a little laundry, I noticed, that ALL MY socks were inside out. I HATE turning socks the right side, bothers me so much, as I match and fold all the socks when I do laundry, not just throw them into a basket for Jade to figure out later. So I myself am my own culprit. Now, if I can just get him to get those day worn, nasty socks out of my living and into the hamper when they came off, I'll be a happy camper. Also I have pledged to turn my socks the right side when I take them off. LOL!

Trace Adkins

So, Jade came home from work today, with the biggest awesome news....He won Trace Adkins tickets. Now I watched him on the Celebrity Apprentice 2 years ago, and really liked him. Thought he was a stand up guy, so this is very exciting to get to go. However, I called Gus (the new kitchen manager/chef) to see if I could switch my days, and he said "nope, no can do sorry, I can't schedule around your social life" Now, this is totally understandable, but I quit nonetheless. Instantly, I felt this great sense of relief. WOW! Who knew. He hasn't been the best boss, or kitchen manager I've ever been around, but even after a month I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. I even offered to do all I could, so he could have the evening of the 4th of July off.....to goto a concert no less, even after all his talk about splitting up the shifts so he does as little as he has to do, and makes one of us "peons" clean up after him, and do ALL his prep. Plus, I don't think he wanted to work around my schedule, as I never had a set schedule, with 2 or 3 days off in a row. Oh well. Dave, the owner, and really technically my boss, will be mad at the whole sit. and will call whenever he finds out, chew me out I'm sure. Thats what I'm dreading. Last time I quit I gave 2 weeks, thats the nice thing, but if I do that, I'll miss this concert, and who doesn't enjoy a free concert, by someone they like?
So I am looking once again, for a job. No big deal really just as long as I can find one before thanksgiving we'll be fine.

golf

So I thought, after i had almost completely slept the bright sunny sunday away, that Jade might really like to golf. So off to the course we went. I should've, however, done a cursory on how he was dressed, because as I started taking pics of him, I realized he had worn those ugly, way too big white socks. Ghastly! Oh well though, he still had fun, as you can see by his posing for this picture.

He didn't golf his best yesterday either, I think it was because I was taking pictures of him....This shot off the tee was a worm burner for sure..

Here is my pose for the day. I hate to golf (for real), but really like the idea of it.

D.I. Find

So these totally awesome light pink suede moccasins are my new treasure from D.I. They did cost me $5, but I liked them so very much I had to have them.

As promised here are the finished projects.
BEFORE

AFTER also with a chicken cutting board I just put dark walnut stain on

Here is my bleeding heart

Catching up

I figured since I was done doing the pile of laundry Jade helped me with, that I would catch up on a few things that I wanted done. I found these little bowls at the D.I. a while back, and quickly sanded them. They have been out in the garage ever since awaiting some paint. There is 3 of them, so I'll paint them red, yellow, and green. The spot for them, I think, will be on my big shelf above the chairs. Also this is my toaster cover that I made one night, that Jade fixed as best he could, but still isn't right, but will have to do. I have put a coat of green on it, and one of the small bowls


Also I had some asparagus that was in need of pickling, and so I did that also. Asparagus, I've found, is very resilient. Who knew

This was the cutest little planter ever. I found it at Wal-mart and had to buy it, not even on sale. I will plant some flowers in it sometime, but for now, it sits on my counter, in my way at every turn.

Tomorrow I head back up the mountain for 5 days, I think. I also get to be by myself tomorrow night, as all the rooms that are booked are with a big group, and they aren't eating at the lodge. So hopefully I won't get slammed, as I have only cooked 4 things on this new menu.
I know summer is on it's way, because 1 of the 2 bleeding hearts I planted last summer has come up nice and strong. I'm so very excited about that, as I was still thinking that I'd never be able to plant anything cool in my front plots. These plants are between birdhouses and I wanted a shrubby something or other to grow up and conceal most of the pole. So, the year before last I planted a bleeding heart, and Jade kept tearing it apart with the hose. It never came back last year. So I put new top soil down and planted 2 more, but alas, only the 1 came up, so far anyways. I think Jade tried killing the new one closest to the sidewalk with the hose again. In theory 1 bleeding heart should be enough to cover the spot, as they do get big over the years, but 2 would've been AWESOME! Oh well, I'm extremely happy to have the one that came back!

Summer Swap

Yesterday as I was running out the door late for my nail appointment, and my swap package came. OOOOO! who cares about a nail appointment, this was my first swap and I was very excited. Miss Judy from www.thesimpledaze.blogspot.com was my partner. Look at all my treasures



I have wanted a sheep like this for a very long time. How cool that she sent me one

This sign will go in my house I think on a big shelf above my chairs.

I will make these little stars into magnets to put on my fridge.

This little doll, which I love, will go outside on my porch, in my little rocking chair. Also you can see a little metal wheel barrow, he'll go a shelf out on my porch.

I love the detail of the embroidery on the skirt of this "Gardening Angel"

This other metal angel I will put on my porch steps I think by my mailbox, but the metal bucket shelf thing I will put in my house. Oh I love it. I also got a little bag filled with some smell good, and some seeds I will for sure plant in my front yard.
This has been a very good experience for me, and maybe I'll do it again. Thank you Miss Judy very, very much. I do appreciate all these things.

Drag Racing

I have a friend who has had his '69 Nova for YEARS! Anyways, for sometime this car has become his hobby, as he now drag races it. So to say, I'm not a monster truck, tractor pull person, but I loved going to the drag races yesterday. It was a beautiful day here in St. Anthony, finally! The cars were loud, their tires smoking, putting off that stinking burnt rubber smell, but the most exciting thing was that most of the cars were REALLY FAST! The track is only 100 foot, and I guess there are different classes for the different souped up motors, or the stock motors. This snowmobile is in the same class as Garys Nova....I was like really? The little gal that races it is 17 years old....and Garys niece. So, I was like, I could race jades sled....the Vector, just leave it stock, it is a 1000cc after all. So maybe, just maybe, in september I might be racing the Vector in St. Anthony at these drag races. How cool is that?

Asparagus

Well, it seems we might have a moderately warm day here, without much wind (knocking on wood as we speak), and so I'm off with the dogs to check on the asparagus in my county. I fear the weather has been so bad lately, that I've missed my chances to pick in Rigby. I don't like to pick in the gale force wind I've decided. If it's not up here, I will drive to Rigby and check it out.
So Jades sister Tiera gave me some pepper plants and tomato plants she had started. I waited to repot them until it was a nice-ish day, then the next 2 days were cold, freezing at night, and just miserable. So today they are outside enjoying the sun that I think might not last into mid-afternoon. The tomatoes are on the cookie sheet and there is 4 plants in each peat pot. They peppers, not sure what kind they are even, have 2-3 plants in each little thing. Thats a lot, hopefully I can keep at least a few of them alive. So here they are, and look, a ladybug....that means summer is almost here! Right?

Political BS!

I love these bowls, and their colors.


We had a vote yesterday on whether to raise our property taxes 10%, because the school budget is losing $1.8 million dollars. Now I voted against the raise increase, simply because (1) I don't have kids, so why should I care what happens in the schools, (2) because I don't want to pay higher property taxes. But also I was on the fence a little, because our teachers don't make enough money, the schools up here I think are under the standard, and my father was a teacher. Anyways the levy passed, but barely. So higher property taxes we have. The problem is, that 55% of Fremont county voters voted this to pass, but won't give up a little pocket change so we can have beautiful flowers planted all over our city. We have a seasonal woman who lost her job last year, because the city couldn't afford the flowers and her wage. So they set up a donations account at a bank in town, which people could go donate to, but weren't, so they held a fundraiser to make up the rest. I'm not sure how that turned out. I know this woman personally as well. I don't understand, how it's okay for people to want to pay more taxes, but when it comes to actually helping someone stay employed and making our city more beautiful, their charity just doesn't seem to exist. What kind of crazy world do we live in when people would rather pay taxes then help someone in need? SIGH! The worst part of this whole thing is, that the increased taxes won't cover all the costs, so cuts will still be made and the schools/teachers/students will still suffer. I feel like it's all for not. And what about the lottery? A percentage of proceeds from lottery ticket sales are supposed to goto the schools, thats why we all voted way back when to have the lottery in Idaho. Evidently, not enough of the sales are going towards our schools. Why didn't they levy the lottery? You know they have a TON of money! OH WELL! Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da oh, la la la la life goes on!

Treasures

Mercy asked me what my treasures were, and they are to each their own after all. I have decided, since my mother will give me back the milk glass set I gave her, that I will start collecting pieces in that pattern. So, although these pieces are different colors of milk glass, they are still in the same pattern, and they cost .50 each. I like the different serving pieces, I guess they're called. So that is what I'm collecting. They have a big set of this milk glass pattern in the cabinet, but they want $50 for it. Oh my heck! I'll see if anyone buys it, then if they don't it'll be put on the shelf for cheaper, then maybe I can afford to buy them.

I also bought some hardback books in the collection I've been reading, so that was a plus.

POWER!

I wonder how times I've been right in the middle of cooking dinner, and the power goes out! 2 times, this year. Oh my heck! So I had to take my TV to the doctor and couldn't pass up a trip to the D.I. in the BIG city of Idaho Falls. 3 hours later Jade is off work wondering how long I'm going to be. So I pay for my treasures, and think I'm going to rush home. But then I have to pass Rigby, and I know their asparagus is up, so I stop to pick some, yes in gale force winds. I call Jade sometime after I left Idaho Falls and before I left Rigby and ask him to put the meat loaf together please, and pop it in the oven. He complains but does. I come into the house in a whirl of bags and dogs excited to see me, 45 minutes after the meat loaf has been in the oven and instantly start peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes. Then CRASH, BOOM, BAM.....seriously, the power goes out. I have Jade go get my little camp chef, finish cooking the potatoes, make the gravy, and boil a veg. One burner, I'm not really a one burner cook. But it gets done, we pull the meat loaf out of the oven, and it's done perfectly. What a yummy dinner we had, but this whole power going out thing, is getting really old. This year alone it has gone out 5 times, and been out for at least 3 hours. When will I ever be able to move?! Anyways one of my friends that live just around the corner had power and told me I could come over and use her kitchen. I told her I had everything taken care of, just doing a little hillbilly cookin was all....Got to have a sense of humor to live here I tell ya!

Baskets

Every time I goto the D.I. I will inevitably go down the aisle that has all the baskets. Now, I'm not sure when this obsession started, but I look through all the baskets, put my most favs in my cart and continue shopping. I LOVE BASKETS! Now, I never buy any of the baskets I chose, they always end up back on the shelf, but I WANT them. I have no idea what I would do with them, I just WANT them.

The weather just can't make up it's mind. We've had gale force winds here the past 2 days, which doesn't make me want to leave my house. It's rained, hailed, and snowed. The other day while TS shopping I found this awesome bean pot, cheap 1.50, and this planter which is a Haeger .75. I had to have them both. I looked online for hours to find that planter, but couldn't, oh well. I loved the look of it, and will sometime this spring plant something in it. I'm also trying to sell my wedding dress since none of ya'll down there in Oootah wanted it to cut up and make stuff out of it. Hopefully the weather takes a turn for the better before this weekend as I plan on picking asparagus, and don't want to do it in the wind, again, this year

I was looking on Cragslist this morning, and in the interests of wanting stuff I do not need, nor have room for I thought I'd put this little desk on here.

It is so cute! I have no space for it, nor do I have a child who would use it, but I want it. It's only $55 which I think is a good buy. I will not buy it however, because that little voice of Jades that is forever in my head when I "want" something is saying, where will you put that? It's true! There was a bunch of other stuff on Craigslist that I wanted but this desk was the only thing, that I really wanted! HA HA!

The New to us Truck

So, Jade sold his old truck and said he'd be fine going through the summer with just Pepe. I knew, and was totally certain on this point, that that wouldn't happen. As it turns out, I was right. So here it is, for your viewing pleasure, Jades new truck. It's a 2000 Chevy 2500HD 5 speed manual transmission Extended Cab 4 door, long box. It is a rather pretty color, and a nice truck.

To Cricut, or not too......

So I have read my sisters blog, and come to find out she has a Cricut. Now, I have wanted one of these bad boys for some years now, but can't seem to get DH to surprise me with one for any required gift giving occasion. REALLY? Not Jade! So I will just have to resign myself to buying one, for, myself. I want the big one, the expressions, because it's the biggest one they make. They are also coming out with a Cake Cricut, and I would want that too, of course, but have read you can do almost all the same things with an original machine. The problem I see, is this. I don't scrapbook, at all, ever. Other than the ability to cut vinyl on this thing, and maybe do a little cake decorating? I'm not exactly sure what else I would use it for. So, should I just buy a cheaper (not much) industrial vinyl cutter that I can hook up to my computer, which would also be WAY bigger (probably have to store it in the basement), or buy a Cricut? For those of you who have one, or have used one, I'd like some feedback, please.

Strawberries

I had Jade run out last week and buy me some strawberries. I had every intention of dipping them in chocolate, but as I was sick, just couldn't get up the energy. SOOOOOOO, now I have to do something with them, before they go bad. I still don't feel very good, but just hate to see them berries thrown away, so I am going to make jam. I love freezer jam, and strawberry freezer jam the very best. So while Jade is diligently working on the mop boards and back splash, I will be making jam. I might hold a few of the very best, and biggest berries back to dip them in chocolate. Because really, who doesn't like chocolate dipped strawberries?

The Kitchen Floor

How Totally cool is it that I now have a new kitchen floor. Jade and a friend installed it yesterday.



This is the scary truth about our carpet....the color it was when we moved in. The almost white strip, yeah, thats the color!

These pictures go to show, how sometimes we all have to act like Cinderella. Jade took this pictures to show how every once in 10 years I clean the floor.


There is finally a light at the end of the kitchen tunnel. WAHOO!