Sunday, October 24, 2021

Weekly Roll- Pumpkin Cut Out Edition




Well, I realized when looking at Halloween Seasons passed my family likes to stick their heads in these seasonal cutouts except my husband.

Linky Love


Diver Discovers a 900 year Old Sword - This is such a cool story

Easy to Draw Pumpkin - I love kid art tutorials.  Sometimes I just need to do something a little bit creative and this kind of thing fits the bill.

Inappropriate Thoughts

Schools don't make good neighbors.  I have lived next to a elementary school for about 12 out of the 15 years I have lived here.  Last weekend was a BANNER weekend at the Elementary school.  One of the interesting things about the elementary school behind my house is it has a large covered area that has basketball hoops. It is also lit.  Below is the text I sent my sister about Friday night at the elementary school.

Listen up unauthorized midnight basketball players and concert promoters. I know it was only 10 but either you need to play slow jazz so I can sleep or 80's rock so I can jam out. I don't think the music you were playing by playing ball would impress Dame Lillard (Portland Trail Blazer). Get with the program. If you are going to play in the echo chamber by my house, show up with some skills and better music.

Secondly, High School Homecoming was held outside on the covered basketball court. They were not allowed in the school even for the restroom. They brought in port a potties. No I was not instrumental in that though I like to think I was. It was loud.  The music just pulsed and bounced off my house however it ended basically at 10. It was probably cleaned up by 1030.  I don't know what a normal homecoming looks like but to me it seemed weird.  I applaud them for making it happen. The BEST thing about this whole experience was they didn't turn the court lights back on. So late night basketball didn't happen Saturday or Sunday night.  Unfortunately they were back at it sans music however Monday night.

Experimental Cooking aka Ugly Food


I tried to make Jill Winger's French Bread from The Prairie Homestead Cookbook.  Don't bake when flustered. The bread is ugly but delicious.

Saturday, October 23, 2021

50 Sun Project 4/50


 It has become officially fall here with gray days.  I spent quite a bit of the morning Oct 8th trying to capture the sunrise. I even scared a bunny.








This last one is my favorite. The clouds are really cool.

More information about my 50 Sunset/Sunrise Project

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Bats Make Me Happy


I realize decorating for Halloween is largely for my own enjoyment.  I cut a lot of bats out with my cricut and plastered them in all the windows and other places.  The bats are cut out of construction paper  I bought at Hobby Lobby  - 1.99  The bats make me smile.  


I attached the bats in the windows with double sided tape and on the walls I used the tacky putty.


Yes there is an upside down bat courtesy of my son. It is a bat in distress.


This can totally be done without a fancy cutting machine - Check out Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom and Home on Bear Creek (different sized bats)

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Wordy Wednesday

 


Playing with the leaves off my blueberry plant. There are so many leaves.



Sunday, October 17, 2021

Weekly Roll- Need a Light and One Eye Bandit


Linky Love

Best Frozen Ravoli Brands - this is my go to for quick supper. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - old post but one of my favorite cookies

Inappropriate Thoughts

I fully intended to share something else in this space but this week has been odd.  So all my inappropriate thoughts are how I am not cut out to be adulting.  

Tuesday we had a power outage. It was in the dark early morning hours. It was not a good way to start our Tuesday parading as a Monday.  I couldn't find our lantern so we were using our phone flashlights. Power outages seem to happen here especially in the fall and winter frequently. We get a lot of rain and wind. I have an emergency radio and usually a lantern as part of our emergency preparedness kit.  Luckily the outage was about 20 minutes. Last week my friend lost her power for 3 days I think.  That is all I could think about is how screwed I would be if  that was the case.  I ask the adult children where the light could be, crickets. So I attempt to buy a light at Walmart.  ALL of the camping gear flashlights included are now in locked glass cases.  Have you ever tried to find a Walmart employee?   Later this week I was at Costco and they had LED lanterns - 2 pack for about $20. I snatched those up. They weren't locked up.

My son told me last week.  I had a headlight out.  I thought he was mistaken.  It was indeed the case so I needed an oil change so I went to a quick lube type place and they offered to put in a new headlight bulb.  Well, apparently in my car you need to unscrew the whole front end . The Quick Lube guys just kept unscrewing stuff and gave up.  Sorry guys, who knew it would be a project.  I did get an oil change so that was a win. So I called a dealership and they asked me if I attempted it myself - ha ha.  I said that is a BIG no thank you.  They can't get me in until next week and apparently it will take a hour to complete the job.  So just call me the one eyed bandit.  That is how I roll. 

I would like to lower the adulting level please.

Sourdough Update


I made the most delicious Pumpkin Sourdough Bread- Taste of Lizzy T.  It made two loaves and I froze one. It was gone in a flash

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Friday, October 15, 2021

What I Read October

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit.  Check out what everyone else is reading.

My reading is a little heavy on the non fiction this month. It is undeniably fall here in the Pacific Northwest. Time to hunker down with some good reads. 


Group by Christie Tate - This book I picked up out of the newer non fiction section. Christie starts Group therapy after law school. She is a recovering from an eating disorder and a driven lawyer/student. She has intimacy issues. Her psychologist has a interesting group therapy practice with some unusual assignments for his group members. I definitely don't think this book is for everyone. It is a little more on the graphic side than I usually like my non fiction reads. I preferred Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb


Chasing the Thrill by Daniel Barbarisi 

This book goes into depth about Fenn Treasure Hunt. The treasure was hidden by Forest Fenn.  It was a literal treasure chest with treasure. Forest wrote a book and poem that would lead the hunter to the treasure. Five people lost their lives looking for the treasure. Forest Fenn himself became a polarizing figure accused of asking for nude pictures in exchange for treasure hints from some female searchers. The treasure was eventually found but the finder at first didn't disclose who they were and what state the treasure was found in.  Daniel himself with his friend Beep aka Jay became involved in the hunt. He gives a real insight into the treasure hunters and the community of treasure hunters. This book also goes into other arm chair treasure hunts and other treasure hunts to really understand the attraction.  This book is well done and a quite enjoyable read. Modern Mrs Darcy's Review and also part of her podcast One Great Book

I am a long time geocacher with my family.  Our geocaching name is 2manwreckingcrew.  We have 2,361 geocaching finds.  We started with letterboxing but eventually joined the geocaching world.  We have been to many geocaching events . We have a yard geocache. There is a definite culture in the geocaching community much like Daniel found in the Fenn Treasure Hunting community.  If you are interested in treasure hunting but not on a large scale like Fenn Treasure hunt.  Then geocaching is great way to scratch the treasure hunting itch with various levels of difficulty. There is really something for everyone.


House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

This our county read for the year. Erica Bauermeister lives in Port Townsend WA.  Erica and her family buy a run down house in Port Townsend. They renovate. It is a project.  Erica Bauermeister has also the author of  The Scent Keeper and The School of Essential Ingredients.  It was a bit on the dry side for me.   Some really good deep stuff in there though - "You need a reason to go and a reason to leave."  and "The problem with imagination is that while we like to think of it like a boat, sailing free across an infinite ocean, the reality is that it will be moored to the dock of what we already know."


Cold Case North by Michael Nest

I read this right before Indigenous People's Day.  The story is about the Cold case involving James Brady and Absolom "Abbie" Halkett.  They are both natives and were dropped off to do some mining survey in Northern Saskatchewan Canada at a remote lake.  James Brady was a Metis leader and Absolom Halkett was a Cree Band Councilor both were activists. When the plane came back to drop supplies there was no signs of either James or Abbie.  This book relooks at this 50 year old missing cold case and discovers new clues.  The investigation by the local authorities was extremely lacking. I thought this was written and researched so well. I thought this was excellent read and I hope one day this can be solved. The Co Authors of this book Deanna Reder and Eric Bell belong to the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. 

This cold case also reminds me of the Podcast Missing in Alaska about the Congressman Hale Boggs and Nick Begich whose plane vanished in Alaska in 1972.  These were two very politically active people and of course their search was more intense than the one for James Brady and Abbie Halkett but the political intrigue and unanswered questions are similar. If only James and Abbie had received half the press this received.