Too funny not to share

Fried Noodles

More Etsy listings

I added several items to my Etsy shop today. Go check them out and tell me what you think.

I better get things finished up

Kastyn, my newest granddaughter will be arriving soon so I'd better get loose ends tied up and things prepared to go if I want to be there when she arrives. She is due Dec 18th but doesn't seem to want to wait that long. Hannah doesn't get out of school until the 16th so I am praying she holds off at least till then.

I need to get thing finished up and in the mail and make sure I have everything I have planned to take to Kaleena's ready. I am sure hoping that Mollie will be able to make the trip with us so there will be an extra driver besides another aunt to see Kastyn. We already know that Joy wont be able to come along because of her job. She is hoping to take a few days off after the first of the year and make a trip up there to see her new niece. Maybe I could go with her to help her drive and see the baby again.

I finished the cutest puppy hat yesterday and need to get pictures of all my latest hats taken and put in my Etsy shop. I have a cammo sock monkey hat that is adorable as well as two bright pink and purple sock monkey hats. Then I also have several ear warmers to get photo's of as well. Today I am working on a frog hat. Then I have some other hats in my mind that I want to try. Next year I should be well stocked up on hats for sales and craft shows. This year I only did one craft show and hopefully next year I will have more crafts made up so I can do more of them. They have several around this area especially around the holidays.

I broke down and turned the heater on this morning. I am just trying to raise the temperature to at least 68 and then I will shut it back off. We have one of those oil filled heater which does a great job but this morning it just needed a little help. I see its 67 in here now so I will shut the heater off soon. Of course I dress warmly and now blow dry my hair after a shower. I bought a blow dryer at a garage sale last weekend and that is a real blessing.

Did I tell you that we won a $100.00 gift card to Walmart/Sams at Jeff's Christmas party? We had a great meal and then won the gift card. Aside from the fact that the party was held in a bar and the cigarette smoke was nasty the party turned out great. We took the card and went to Sam's Sunday afternoon and stocked up on several things and we even splurged and bought a cooked, sliced brisket. Yummm. It was really nice not having to be so tight with the pocket book just once. I probably should not have bought the brisket but it sure is good.

I hope the weather warms up in the next day or so because I will be needing to wash clothes. It sure is a blessing to live in a warmer climate where we can almost always do our wash here at home even if it is outside. The other day I was talking to my mom on the phone and she asked what I was doing and I told her I was washing clothes. She said it must be warmer where I was because it was 20 degrees where she was. Yep, it was in the 50's here.

I hope you are all warm and snug and have a place to sleep and are safe. I know sometimes I think I have it hard but at least I have a snug home and food. I pray blessing on all of you my readers that you too have a place to sleep and food to eat. God bless you.

Super soft natural fiber earflap hat

This ear flap hat is my latest listing in my Etsy shop. Its made from natural fibers called bamboo spun yarn. Its variegated green with dark rust trim. This hat is listed at $25.00 and can be custom made in any color this yarn is available in. If you are interested please let me know what colors you want and I will see if it is available. I hope to get a few more items listed in my shop this week that I have completed.

Remember to shop hand made whenever possible.

Good to remember

missionary update

Hello Friends,
The e mail system in Mozambique continues to be unreliable. Brenda was able to
send one short message today before loosing contact.

The Bush Bunny asked me to share with you the good news that the three year old from Paquaria who was brought to the church by his distraught parents is out
of the hospital. For lack of 22 cents this baby was denied care and was near death
from extreme Anemia when Brenda first saw him.

After a week in hospital and a transfusion the baby is home. Brenda will follow up
with worm meds and a nutrition program. This very sick child should make a full,
if not quick, recovery.

Jacinto, the young mute boy who was healed has been talking up a storm. He has become a real chatterbox, to the delight of all.

Brenda was able to jot down her Christmas Wish List before the e mail system failed.

Please read below:


From: brenda@orphansunlimited.org
Date: December 3, 2011 8:34:14 PM CST
Subject: WISH LIST Dec. 2011


WISH LIST FOR ORPHANS IN BALAMA

Below are the items we most need for 2012.
Thank you for showing your love for Jesus by giving a gift to our orphans.

LIVE ANIMAL GIFTS:
Goat: $60 each (a 2 for one gift, as this price is for a pregnant female)
Your gift will help an orphan start his own herd and thus give him an income.
Goat meat is in high demand in Mozambique, making this a profitable
venture for the teenage orphans.

Duck: $8 each (a duck project is being started for eggs and meat for the
children)
Chickens in Moz. are poor quality and offer few eggs and little meat.

HOUSEHOLD GIFTS FOR THE 115 ORPHANS LIVING WITH US IN BALAMA

DISH SET: 6 metal plates, cups and spoons, $18. (23 sets needed)
BED SHEETS: (we buy the material and make our own) $12/set of 2 sheets
(115 sets needed)
BLANKETS: $12 each (115 needed)
SOCCER BALLS: $20 each (as many as we can get)

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT NEEDED for 2 different playgrounds
6 rope swings with wooden seats: ($12 each)
2 slides: $100 each
One Playhouse: $500


BUILD THE WALLS PROJECT, 2012.

5 BRICK ORPHAN HOUSES MUST BE BUILT BY DEC. 2012 or 22 of our orphans who
have no family will be sent back to their home villages.
This is due to new orphan housing regulations initiated in Sept. 2011.

The 30,000 bricks to “BUILD THE WALLS” have been made, but help is needed
to cover the building cost (estimated $5,000/house at current prices).
There is a “piece of a house” in every price range below.

10 SOLID WOOD DOORS: $75 each or $750 for 5 houses
20 Wooden Shuttered windows with mosquito screen $40 each. ($800 for all
20 windows)
Rock for house foundation: $200 ($1,000 for all 5 houses)
Cement for house foundation: $210 each ($1,050 for 5 houses)
Tin Roof: $750 each house ($3,750 for 5 houses)
Concrete floor: $400 each house ($2,000 for 5 houses)
Rebar for ring beam at top of house: $150 each house ($750 for 5 houses)

ONE WALL: $745 (cement and labor to put the bricks together).
4 WALLS : $2, 980.

COMPLETE HOUSE: $5,000

COMPLETE WATER WELL FOR A MOZAMBICAN VILLAGE $10,000
(supplies water for over 700 families (2,800 people) and is a gift that
lasts a lifetime)

WATER WELL PUMP $2000
DRILL THE WELL $8,000


Blessings,

Brenda and the Balama Staff

LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042

LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036

PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@orphansunlimited.org
phone: 979-234-3422 or 713-854-9197
Brenda’s Blog is Posted at:
www.orphansunlimited.org/blog
or SUBSCRIBE to receive the blog by e-mail.

Now what?

missionary update

Hello Friends,

Because e mail service is down in Balama, Mozambique at this time, I am writing this Blog memo for Bush Bunny Brenda. She is hoping to be back on line before the weekend, but as you know, nothing is sure as far as tech challenges in Africa. It wasn’t long ago that Brenda had to walk a mile to climb a tall ant hill to get a cell phone signal.

BBB wants you all to know she was able to drive an hour to the little town of Mampula and get her email. She was told the tower in Balama had been repaired and she planned to answer email on her return to the mission station. Surprise! No service….. So know she will reply as soon as possible.

Christmas is coming and we have asked Brenda to prepare her “wish list”

for those who want to give a gift for Christmas. We have a Grandmother and Grandfather who plan on giving a goat to the ministry in the name of each of their Grandchildren. What a great idea!

Pray the email service is restored by Saturday, so Brenda can get the Wish List published so you can have a copy to take to Sunday School if you want to.

Thanks for your faithfull prayer support.

Blessings,

Linda Ferguson

Orphans Unlimited
LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042

LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036

PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@orphansunlimited.org
phone: 979-234-3422 or 713-854-9197
Brenda’s Blog is Posted at:
www.orphansunlimited.org/blog
or SUBSCRIBE to receive the blog by e-mail.

Tammy's enchalada sauce

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Thu, 2011-12-01 13:25 by Tammy Tags:MiscellaneousRecipe Name:
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Description:
A smooth, red enchilada sauce that's easy to make and so delicious!

Yield:
5 cups

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even just water
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Optional: Cayenne pepper added (to taste) at the end, if you like hot enchilada sauce

Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients into blender** and blend on high until smooth. Pour into a 3- or 4-quart sauce pan. Or, place ingredients into a 4-quart sauce pan (no heat) and blend with an immersion blender (stick blender) until smooth.

2. Heat mixture in sauce pan over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture thickens and boils. Let boil for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Cool. Taste, and whisk in some cayenne pepper if you want a hotter sauce.

Use in any recipe calling for enchilada sauce.

Beef Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce

Additional Notes:
*You can use 8 ounces of tomato sauce + 1 cup water instead of the can of diced tomatoes. In that case, skip Step 1, put all ingredients into a 3- or 4-quart pan, and whisk briskly (no heat) until smooth. Then, proceed with Step 2.

**If you have a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, this recipe can be made start-to-finish in the blender. Just put ingredients in the blender and blend on high until very hot and thick (7-8 minutes).

Preparation Time:
5 minutes

Cooking Time:
15 minutes

Tammy's Review:
This recipe makes a delicious, mild enchilada sauce. (Just add cayenne if you want it hot!) So easy and so much better than canned enchilada sauce from the store.

source: http://tammysrecipes.com/homemade_enchilada_sauce

Do you have a smart phone?

I saw this on Jennifers blog. Its quite scarey. She made a super frugal cell phone bag so she could find her phone in her purse and ended up with a bag that protects her info from stores as well. I am thinking this would work for credit and debit card protection as well.
Visit Jennifers blog here: http://doublenickelfarm.blogspot.com/

Raggedy Ann

He was born John Barton Gruelle in Arcola, Illinois. His father Richard Gruelle was an artist affiliated with Hoosier Group of Indiana artists. His first well known cartooning work was Mr. Twee Deedle which Gruelle created after he beat out 1,500 entrants to win a cartooning contest sponsored in 1911 by The New York Herald. Mr. Twee Deedle was in print from 1911 to 1914.

Gruelle gave his daughter Marcella a dusty, faceless rag doll which she found in the attic. He drew a face on the doll and named her Raggedy Ann. Marcella played with the doll so much, Gruelle figured other children would like the doll too. Gruelle's Raggedy Ann doll U.S. Patent D47,789 was dated September 7, 1915. In 1918, the PF Volland Company published Raggedy Ann Stories. Gruelle then created a series of popular Raggedy Ann books and dolls. These became Volland's major source of revenue.

Marcella Gruelle, after being vaccinated at her school for smallpox, was given an unidentified second shot without parental consent. She soon contracted diphtheria and died at the age of 13. After this blow, family friends described Gruelle as "possessed, with a heavy countenance, and ... with the only thing he would bear to have near him as a reminder of Marcella a rag doll."

Gruelle lived in the Silvermine section of New Canaan, Connecticut, where the dolls were first mass produced, and later moved his home and company to neighboring Wilton, Connecticut. Gruelle spent a year in Ashland, Oregon from 1923-1924.[2] He had a long-standing heart condition, and died in Miami Beach, Florida on January 8, 1938, of a heart attack.[3]

source: Wickipedia

Go here for a more in debt account of the life of this young girl.

http://books.google.com/books?id=RiqMYuNYlSgC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=marcella+gruelle&source=bl&ots=19H-HiT_Gi&sig=kbq6v3et14hJxzGpMNwVjMa1ljg&hl=en&ei=pJbXTrGhEfG50AG0gvHtDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12&sqi=2&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCw#v=onepage&q=marcella%20gruelle&f=false

This looks like an interesting new blog to read.

http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/how-to-be-humble/#more-854

This n that and a rant or vent

~Today is a nice day so I am washing the bedding including the pillows.
~Got the steam canner, jars, lids and such out, and will try to get started getting the sauerkraut canned.
~Between this I am trying to finish up an afghan I am making for my new grand baby. I am almost done and so is she. (A joke meaning she is almost term)
~I am enjoying having the door and windows open with a slight breeze outside.
~I am listening to The Christmas Carol on audio books. If it doesn't bore me to death I will hear the whole book today.

~Mollie went to pick up her check at the place she worked for only a week. Of course they cheated her out of one full day and now say they can do nothing about it. Long story, makes me mad how people use others.

~Joy is working 9-4 today.

~Hannah is at school.

~Jeff is working as usual. Yesterday he didn't even get home before he got called back. One thing good is that if he gets out of the gate before they call him back its automatic over time.

~The donkey across the way is talking up a storm. He/she goes at it at all hours of the day/night. I always wonder if a stray animal is around and he is protecting his flock/herd.

~The landlord had a new septic tank installed last week and gave notice that our lot rent will go up $40.00 per slot, that makes it $80.00 more a month for us. I got a bit upset because we have lived here 7 months and the sewer never worked right. It belched out stuff when we drained our tank so that we had to drain a tiny bit at a time. And stunk like crazy. If you have or ever have had an RV you will know that that is the worst thing you can do for your holding tanks. Now he gets it fixed and we have to pay for it. Grrrrr. That doesn't seem fair but Jeff says that's the way life is.

~Friday is the company Christmas party and we have RSVP'd. They supposedly give away nice gifts. If we win something it would be neat if it was something we could use. Like a brand new washing machine. lol I am a dreamer aren't I?

~When my husband died people gave money to be saved for the girls education. I invested the money and it did pretty well for a few years, then 9-11 happened and it bottomed out. Kaleena got her money when she was in college and I held on as long as I could for the other girls and finally got the money out and divided it between the girls. That was two years ago. The amount ended up being something like $2,600.00 each. Yesterday I got a letter from my late husbands sister accusing me of stealing the money and not doing right by the girls. She came to this conclusion because Joy told her she had a job and was trying to save money for school. I gave them the money over two years ago and that small amount isn't going to send them all the way through college. It wouldn't even cover most trade schools. It made my heart hurt for her to think I stole from my own kids. But like Joy said, she knows the truth and the other girls know the truth and I know the truth. The old saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me is about as untrue and they get. I just have to remember that this sister in law has never liked me and seems to blame me for her brothers death. She has done many things through the years but seems to be escalating her hate towards me the last few months. Kaleenas baby is due in a couple of weeks so we are going there for Christmas and so the sister in law is furious that we aren't all even Kaleena going to her place. I think she has lost touch with reality.
~OK, sorry for the rant. Sometimes it just hurts so bad when people are so mean. I need to put on my big girl pants and get over it.