The best gift for Christmas!

So, I haven't been on here for a week. Last weekend Allen & I were busy celebrating our 5 year wedding Anniversary on Saturday. We had a great weekend. Spent the whole weekend in trees, deer hunting of course! Allen ended up with a large doe Sunday, and we mainly just passed up other yearlings over the most part of the time. On Saturday morning, it was sooo quite outside and still and calm. We had not been seeing much of anything, so we were goofing off in the stand, when Allen whispers, "Don't move" to me. So I am looking all around, careful not to move, and finally, I look down and see what is going on. Two small yearling does are right below us. Man, I wish that I had my bow with me, was the first thought in my mind, but you cannot bow hunt in first shot gun season. So, we are standing still, kind of like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation scene where they all freeze for the cops in their living room. The first doe just keeps getting closer and closer until she is 1 foot away from the ladder. Her eyes were bulged out, and she was trying to wind us, and catch our scent. Luckily the wind is completely still, and we are wearing scent lok stuff to mask our scent. The doe just stands there, and the whole time I am just grinning from ear to ear, and ready to just jump and yell bugga bugga boo! at her... but I don't because I think Allen is going to just pick up the gun, and shoot. So, the does finally decide that they do not see anything, just go on down the field, milling around, and disappear.

They rest of the weekend/ week was a blurr. I spent the whole time shopping for stuff for Thanksgiving dinner. We had my mom, my sister, and Allen's grandparents over for lunch on Thursday, so I was running around the house, cleaning and getting my Christmas decor up. ( We do Christmas at their houses, so I thought I would have our stuff up for them to see) I set up a new tree this year downstairs in our family room for Allen. It is our hunting/lodge tree, complete with moose, santas, and shot gun shell red and green lights - all real. Allen really likes it. It kind of warms up our family room. My most favorite decoration has to be one other thing that is new this year. It is Allen's childhood wood and rail sled that now rests on our front porch, dressed up with christmas garland. It is an antique, it was old when he used it when he was little, so now after surviving years of abuse behind a three wheeler on Borah Lake frozen over, it is now retired to us.

This weekend has also been a blurr. Not much deer camp going on, just relaxing and going to walmart - I hate that place! People this time of the year in my opinion get stupid and rude. They can be walking in the store, and ohh, look shinny! and they are now gone. SO, then, you walk through, and say excuse me, and they just look at you like you called their dog some God awful name. UHHHHH!!! I hate this about this time of the year!

Anyway, this weekend recap..... So sitting around doing nothing Friday, until Friday afternoon, we decide to get out the clear christmas lights, and string them on the bushes in the front yard. Allen volunteers to help, and boy does he help me out. He found the timer and lights that I have looked all week for in the garage, in a box I never saw. Allen, then strings up the lights, and goes in and samples the homemade herman sourdough bread rolls that I had just made... talk about multitasking... Anyway, we had been to town earlier, and went to Rural King, to pick up some Andy's to fix chicken strips with and I pick up my weekly trader to look at. - I really go to Section 1 to check out the dogs.. we have been looking for another Missy Dog, except a chocolate one for a long time now. I find some, but Allen does not like the price, so we go home, and are now stringing up the lights. We go inside and are kind of anxious, I'm looking through the dog section again.. we see chocolate labs, and went back and forth, calling and checking on getting a male to simmer Daisy down, and possibly breed her next year, but decide at the last minute to call the Min Pin ad, and just check to see what they have. Allen calls and finds out they have 1 chocolate male and 1 rust male left. We had orig. wanted a female, but I thought that a male would be better in the house to have with Missy, even though she is fixed. - no other female dog to compete for territory with. So, Allen asks me, do you want to go in the morning, and pick him up? "NOOO!" I whine, so, Allen asks the lady if it is alright to pick him up tonight, or else his wife is going to shoot him. She says it is fine, and she will meet us in Cisne at the Citgo, 10min from her house to make it easier for us. So we agree, and set off to pick up our new baby.

We get there, wait, wait, and wait... then the lady pulls in with a little chocolate blobb in her hands. He was soooo tiny! I don't even remember Missy being this tiny! He had the biggest ears, since they have not yet been cropped. He is not old enough yet. We had been having a time coming up with a name on the way to pick the baby up, and when the lady handed me him, she said she had been calling him Toby for now.... So, now, introducing, our new little man..........Toby!
He is maybe 1.5lbs, and cute as can be, one ear up, and one still loppy for now. He is 8 weeks old, and was born exactly 2 days before Missy turned 3. Anyway, I have to get upstairs now, and get supper on, and take Toby Dog out to potty, which is going really good for now. Here are some pictures of him, and I will have more pics from around the house up later. Have a good Saturday! and Happy Late Thanksgiving!

Missy and Toby.. Missy is a black/tan miniature pinscher,and Toby is the chocolate/tan.
My sister Magen, and Toby

The first and last day I take my mom to work out with me EVER again!

Ever think when you were a teenager that your mother was embarrassing, and that it would maybe "get better" someday when you were older, being close friends. Bull Hockey! I love my mom, and I do have many of her traits, such as the sound of my voice, the Weidner "attitude", work horse, and short temper. People that know my mom, or grew up with her, often say that we are a lot alike, that is all except for the blonde hair my mom proudly wears. I think that the hair is the biggest difference between the two of us. Mainly, mom's blonde personality. I know it is just a blonde thing, the bouncy, let everyone know that you are there, have fun personality. Now, don't get me wrong, I do get my take life too serious personality from her too, but I seem to have more of that trait.

So, I met up with my mom this morning to take her to Curves with me... I have not been there in 3 months - naughty me. ( I have been working a lot of overtime these last few months, due to our Center Manager not hiring a new management person) Anyway, we get there, and the lady I really do not care for is working. Reason #1 I have not been in there lately. This lady is completely lazy, but is quick to tell you are not doing a move how she wants you to do it, but then you do it her way and she tells you to do it the way you was doing it before she said anything. I really cannot stand her. So, we walk in at 8am sharp, she says hi to my mom, and includes her name, so I think they know each other, even by the way they are talking, one would assume the same. So, I tell her for the 5oth time that I need my key set up with the computer that she has been ohh soo lazy to set up since I became a member, quickly wanting to schedule me for the next day at her convience. Now, my schedule varies day to day, depending on what time Allen is in town, so it is hard for me to make appointments in the late afternoons. No matter when I go in there, this lady is working, so my key thing never gets done, due to a random excuse from her.

Now, I'm off track. So, we start out on our own stations, and I'm trying to explain what to do to my mom, she is being a complete bubble head, yacking to this lady. So, okay.. I will do my own workout. Two times around, and I'm done, then, the lady says we can set up my key pad.. this will change about 10 times through the course of 1/2 an hour. So, we are going around station to station, mom is yacking to ding dong- lady's new name, and she asks my mom if I work! Give me a break! If she would have been listening, I was telling my mom to ease up, I have not been to bed yet for today, since I just got off work. My own mom, then cannot tell this lady what I even do at UPS, after countless lectures on my job to my mom. Her response, "She works at UPS, in the OFFICE"... everyone then assumes from there that all I do is answer the phone and pack packages. I am not a secretary! I ask my mom, so what do I do in the office? and she could not even tell her what I do. So, I briefly explained that I am not a secretary. I see nothing wrong in being a secretary, so don't think that I think I am hot snot, but, it would be like comparing a dentist with a receptionist. They are two totally different jobs! I am not going to even explain on this what exactly it is I do, I'll save that for a new post.

Anyway, the lady was going on about some 26 yr old lady doing curves twice a day because " she is young". I just about stopped right there, and asked dum dum - new name for lady, " so , how old do you think I am?" FYI I am 25. But, I never did say anything. In the course of 10 min. the dum dum says she will have to schedule me for later to do my key thing, since she has no time... she would be leaving in 40 min. I have been told it would only take up to 20min to complete. So, whatever. Ohh, but she wanted to make sure that I would come in when she would be working, so it could be put off again, and again, and again..........................................................................
So, I am told come in later that day, I tell dum dum once again, that will not work... I have to sleep sometime this morning, so come in later today, like at 1pm, no, I reply again, I will be sleeping, so okay, lets make it 3pm. For the 3rd time I tell her that I cannot make appointments due to my husbands schedule in the afternoon. So, I just tell her, I will be in tomm. evening. Total Lie on my behalf. I am calling up there and checking to see when the 1 lady I really like is working, and finish everything up with her, then getting a copy of her sch. and make a point to only come in when she is working.

So, back to the clucking and working out... We get done, and I am to show my mom, the bubble head, how to use the cool down stretch station. Mom is bouncing around like a monkey, dancing, and not listening to a work that I say. I swear Missy listens more. So, I try to show Mom, again and again, but she will not stand still for one min. to watch, so she does it how she thinks it should be done. I explained over and over again, that the station is to be used somewhat like what stretching on your own is like. For example, stretching your leg muscles, walk up to a wall or something to prop toe up, so that your heel is on the ground and toe on object, lean forward to object/ wall and ease closer to wall, and release. Mom, puts both of her feet on this thing, and is pulling herself up and bouncing up and down.... so mortifying! The rest of the station follows with the same motions.

We no more than leave and walk out the door.. she is back to serious. I don't know if I am completely baffled at what all just happened, or what. We then go back to her house, like nothing was wrong, and had to move this stupid 5oo lb armour cabinet through 4 rooms, with her being "blonde" before finally putting it where I had first told her it would have to go..... I don't know which is worse. My acting like a complete air head, or me pulling my shoulder muscles out of wack, and hurting my shoulder that had been injured 5 years ago again. Numb shoulder/ Dingy Mother? I would rather deal with the shoulder instead.

I know this was extremely long, but I had to vent it out. I left out a lot of stupid remarks made by dum dum and my mother, but it would have just taken longer to construct this thing.

So, if you have any experiences like this with your mom, lets all just sit down and drink a tall margarita to ease into I don't care numbness.

Pumpkin Vase

Pumpkins wear many hats this time of year, appearing in pies and soups as well as in centerpieces. Here's another use: Transform one into a colorful homemade vase.

1. Begin by selecting as round a pumpkin as you can find. Cut off the top, and scoop out the inside pulp and seeds (reserve the seeds for a batch of Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds). Inside the pumpkin, place a plastic paint bucket or any plastic container that fits easily.

2. Place a cube of Oasis floral foam inside the container, thinning it to fit. Press the foam down to make it level, and drench it with water (enough so that a small pool collects at the bottom of the container). Arrange seasonal flowers, dried leaves, and berries as desired -- we used lady's mantle, dahlias, maple leaves, and hypericum berries.

Festive Foliage

Festive Foliage

Large trivets in leafy shapes add seasonal style while protecting your dinner table from piping-hot plates.

Leaf Trivets How-To
On a photocopier, enlarge the leaf template to desired size. (For a 17 1/2-by-15 1/2-inch leaf, photocopy the template at 313 percent, and then enlarge the copy an additional 313 percent. Oversize printouts may require several sheets of paper; piece together with tape.) Cut out template. Using a disappearing-ink fabric pen, trace the template onto wool felt. Cut out with fabric shears. Repeat to make multiple trivets, and place on tabletop, layering two or more leaves in the spots where hot dishes will rest.

Smells Good!

Do you ever have any smells that you just love, but would just never be found as a yankee candle? Boy, do I ever do! I love some of the most stinky smells, just because of the good memories that accompany them.
1. I love the smell of pigs, cows, and chickens.... I was raised in the country, and grew up with these animals at our house, except the cows... they were at Grandma's. Horse manure, and cow poop! I love the smell of horses especially, I rode our horse Willy since the time I was 4 years old, until we sold him when I was 15. I really do miss him! Allen thinks it sounds like I grew up Little house on the Prairie, with some of the memories I recall to him.

2. Fresh cut grass. I am a perfectionist, and my lawn is my thing. So, naturally, I love the smell of fresh cut grass. I remember smelling the cut grass when I would run at track practice every day after school. I mainly connect it with the Middle School - my jr high, for some reason.

3. Tink's 69 Doe estrus..... I know hard one to like. Me being a deer huntress, though, I love the smell of anything that has to do with hunting... summer sausage, dead deer - I always went with my dad to track his buck he had shot, and would ride on its back in the back of the truck on the way back to the house.

4. Fall leaves burning. It is just one of the things from my childhood I remember loving. Raking leaves and then burning them in the ditch. The yard all clean afterward. OCD in the making I know.

5. Chlorine from the pool. Going to town to the pool was a big deal when we were growing up. It beat the horse trough in the pasture that we would other wise use besides the creek in the woods, or the snake infested borrah lake.

6. Freshly dug up dirt. We would help my mom in the garden all summer - that was most of our family's food for the year. I really loved the feel of freshly tilled garden with my feet stuck right in, getting ready to plant our garden.

7. Perm chemical fumes- I used to love to get my hair permed... so 80's.. maybe the perm will make a comeback.

8. Wood stove ashes - For the first 14 years of growing up in my house, we had only a wood stove to heat our house. No, we were not poor, but we just did not need a furnace in our old farm house. In the winter, we would take a bath, and then go into the dining room, standing there on the hard wood floor, wrapped in a towl, warming ourselves by the stove. When the electricity went out in the ice storm one winter, we were okay. We ate supper by lantern light, and cooked on the wood stove. - this is where Allen thinks I go Laura Ingals on him.

9. Freshly cut Wood. Every year we would go out to the woods and cut down 3 dead trees. We would cut them up, and stack them up in the back of Dad's truck. We would get it home, split it, and haul it in the wheel barrels up to the wood shed, and stack it up for winter. Also, I love the smell of a newly framed house. My dad and Grandpa have their own construction company, Travous Construction. I grew up helping my dad in the summer with what ever needed done, picking up, painting, running to Hurns for materials, or helping with just the manual labor of holding stuff up, drywall, helping raise a wall. It was no surprise to anyone that I ended up being the only girl in our Building Trades class in High School. After all, I did excell in art and wood design.

And 10. Some will agree with me on this one.. The smell of BEER! That just says it all right there.

It would be interesting to be able to buy one of these scents as a Yankee Candle. But, most smells are not that appealing to the average person. If they could just make a barnyard, tree in a jar candle, I would be soo happy.