My Cute Family

I just love pictures.  As, I'm sure you can see by the fact that I have pictures in almost every post I make.  I need to start writing down the things I'm thinking about when I think, oh, I should blog about that.  That will result not only in more blog postings, but also less pictures.

BUT, until then... my cute family in pictures.

Here's Dennis (step-dad) and Maynard out hiking.  Maynard was given to the family by a dear friend who has departed this life just over a year after our dear Dottie Dog also passed.  I think it's a wonderful fit.

Mom and Dennis cutting their Christmas tree.  How cute are they looking at each other?

I can't even give this a caption. Hahaha.

I was able to go to a Seahawks game with my brother's girlfriend Ashley.  Sad he wasn't there, but honestly we had a really good time!  She's a really sincere kind interesting person and we all know how big of a football fan I am...it was nice to have someone there who also didn't know what was going on all the time.

From left to right:  Ashley, Jake (little brother), me, Shawn (older brother).  Shawn got the tickets for the game, and it was a great time.  I didn't know how much he and Jake new about football and how passionate they were.  I'm glad they let the girls come ;)  

So ends the Christmas picture post.  I guess I should have take more, but maybe that's a sign of a busy fun holiday.

Grandma Recipe Try #1 Beer Batter

Well, first, I must have typed the recipe wrong.  Pg. 100 for those of you who have the same book- it's not 1 & 3/4 c. CORNSTARCH and 3/4 c. flour, it's 1 & 3/4 c. FLOUR and 3/4 c. cornstarch.  Do you know what happens when you put 1 3/4 c. cornstarch with a little bit of liquid- haha, not good.  Yes I now can demonstrate suspension, but that doesn't really taste good.


Just in case you were wondering in child terms:
A mixture of cornstarch and water make what is known as a suspension.  When you squeeze a Cornstarch Suspension it really feels like a solid because its molecules line up.  But it looks like a liquid and acts like a liquid when no one is pressing on it because the molecules relax.  This is another state of matter, called a suspension (It can act like a liquid, or, when pressed like a solid.).


I tried again and the batter turned out- well, turned out with lots more liquid then the recipe called for.  I'm not quite sure what happened to the recipe to be honest.  


Next, turns out, I don't love grease covered food that much.  Now sugar, of course, but grease- not so much.  I think it was good if you liked fried food...


So, success?  Not so much, but fun, yes :)


PLUS, I called Aunt Trudy to get help and that's always fun.

The Possibilities of Vinyl Records

Coasters

I wanted to buy my cousin coasters made from records, but they were always on back order or really expensive, so why not make my own?

Start with record...

Heat at 200 degrees.

Trim.

Back with felt.

Cover with decoupage.

Coasters!!!

More to come, next I think I'll make a bowl or a vase.

Adventurous Fall

What happens when you combine a Renaissance Festival, 5 State Fairs, and Chucking Pumpkins?  

FUN, FUN, HILARIOUS FUN!!

Let us begin with the merry gay festivities of the Renaissance Festival, ho!

Some of the festival goers.  These girls are pretty much up for anything.  Good thing, as we saw just about everything!

Jousting!  They really had jousting!  As always I wanted to ride the horses...

The festival not only included ye'old type food, and entertainment, but ye'old type characters!  I thought, oh renaissance outfits will be abundant (and they were), but what I didn't expect were:

• Women with their bosoms WAY TO bosomy (she wasn't really collecting money (wink, wink), but I thought it was funny she was when I took the covert pic)

• Kilts in abundance

• Vikings

• Fairies and wizards

• Metal bikinis

It was too fun.  Lots of food, jugglers, and all kinds of costumes for sale.  Did you know you need a pair of horns?  Seems like 50% of the girls there did.  Oh, and a tail too!  It was great.

Who puts 5 state fairs into one huge event?  New England does.  

Here's the set up:  5 New England states come together in Massachusetts (conveniently and awesomely right close to where my amazing friend Lydia lives) and they each have a state house.  This means I was able to check of 5 states on my state fair list.

Fair food at its best!

Chocolate covered bacon.  It's actually not bad.  

I won't eat it again, but you have to try everything once.

Very Vermontish I think...

Home state!!  Yeah Lyd.

I want to go to this pumpkin festival in Rhode Island!

Oreo cows!  I use to see these all the time when I lived in western Mass.

Mike Gagnon, this is for you.

Hahahaha!!  Love it.  I don't care what you project is, as long as you're learning life skills ;)

I know, I know, I'm a 4-H junkie.

Side Note

Okay, after living in D.C. for almost 2 years, I couldn't believe 50 cents an hour parking!  

Usually is a $20 flat fee.  I had to get proof.

Pumpkin Chunkin - oh I was there! 

You can watch me (well, me in the crowd) on the Discovery Channel on Thanksgiving.  It was an awesome event.  All the money goes to charity, there was plaid, Carhartt, and fair food everywhere.

The categories included man powered catapult, man powered trebuchet, and air cannon.  Pumpkin + air cannon = fun.  Though, I think the best to watch were the man powered trebuchets.  Think of it, a person rowing or riding a bike to pull it down and then a pumpkin launching into the air after a few moments of suspense.  

Pumkin chunkin tailgaters.  No joke.

Air cannons.  That's right, those are full sized tanks to power those things.  They were cool, but it was hard to see the pumpkins fly because they went so fast.

Love this- youth division of the trebuchets.  I'm going to do this with 4-H.  

So we're standing in the crowd watching and this man comes to to fence and is yelling something (I'm not paying attention) and then I hear a yell behind me and a 6'4'' man waving his arms.  As I look up, a t-shirt is descending upon me.  Yeah!  Sorry 6'4'' guy- I think I fit better in it.  :)  Well, at least when it's over my hoodie.  

So ends my fall adventures.

Walking about Crystal City and Half a Book

I had the most lovely evening. I've been walking about Crystal City in a heel to toe stride with my nose in a book.

I started my evening by walking to the nail salon.  My nail salon is full of Korean family members who all do nails and toes and fantastic leg massages.  They glance at each other and speak in Korean and smile and have no idea what I'm saying when I ask anything but "How are you?"

With my lovely shiny toes with white tips and soft feet I strolled home engrossed in post WWII stories, my inter-thoughts turning into British writing.  When I came to my building I paused and thought, I don't want to stop reading, it's a lovely warm summer evening, and I want a soda...

So I took my shiny toes and kept walking!  As I walked Crystal Drive I looked up to a beautiful summer evening sight.  Couples, family, friends, all sitting outside restaurants enjoying a meal and wonderful conversation.   It gives me great enjoyment to see people sitting like Parisians letting the evening flitter away into night.  

I couldn't pull my eyes back to my book.  Especially when the puppy dogs walked by.  There were probably people with them, but I seem to focus on all the fur and cute faces and tails.  I only asked to pet one.  

After enjoying flashbacks of Paris I found an Izze and sat down with a small waterfall in front of me, an arbor overhead and finished the first half of my book.  

Walking home 3 hours after I'd left I realize that as I launch my 27th birthday weekend, I'm very happy with who I am and the wonderful life that has been given to me.