Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Waving the white flag of surrender


This past week has been an interesting one to say the least.

Our little 1995 Ford Ranger has finally given her all. I won't hear hubby roaring in the drive
anymore when he gets home from work. {literally roaring from a missing muffler}
That was such a familiar sound that I had grown very accustomed to over the years.
She hasn't looked pretty for a long time, but she ran like a trooper and got hubby to work
day after day...
 month after month...
 year after year.
I really wanted to see just how long she would keep on trucking, but it was not meant to be.
I had visions of being in the "truck hall of fame" for accumulating over 300,000 miles
 and still running. lol As it stands now, I believe she has about 190,000 and we are waving
the white flag of surrender...reluctantly.


Let me start at the beginning of the end:

Last Wednesday the weather was horrible and we were snowed in again. Hubby couldn't get out of
our driveway let alone down our horribly drifted road. He was plowing out the driveway with the
John Deere and after quite a while of that, it just stopped running. Dead in the drive. Long story short,
he had to pull the JD into the pole barn with his truck {don't even ask why we couldn't just push her}
We noticed radiator fluid leaking underneath the truck . This started a chain of events, the first one
being driving to town when we could get out , purchasing and installing a new water pump.
It is never that easy you know.
There ended up being three trips to town on three different days and the drive there is over 15 miles
one way. Finally, Friday  evening he got it all back together and I happened to be in the shop as
he was finishing up.

"Sandi, can you help me find the radiator cap?"

We looked high and low, up and down, in and out and found no cap. I even suggested that we
 "shake"the truck to see if it would fall out from somewhere...anywhere. lol So there we stood
 shaking the truck! Hubby even pushed the truck backwards to see if it had rolled under the truck.
 After much searching and getting very frustrated I suggested that we purchase another one.
 He sent me on "the mission"and I headed up to the house to get my keys.
 Part way up the drive he yelled that he had found it.
 It had fallen down in a small area behind the front headlight! Who knew!! Not me. I used my
 "skinny" fingers
 to rescue the cap and he was ready to give her a test drive.

Now, this is where the story gets really interesting. I was back in the house watching out the window.
{after all that is where I belong right?? *giggle*}
I watched him back the truck out and turn the left front wheel right into a snowbank. He manuevered
his way out of that, but I noticed the truck was "slip sliding away"...no, NOT the song! ha!
The drive and road was a solid sheet of ice so I opened the door and yelled,

"Don't test drive it today. We don't need you to get hung up on the road and need
 to call a tow truck and spend another $150".

Now, I am thinking he will pull it back in the shop and come in the house. Not so fast folks.

Next thing I know he is way at the other end of the driveway almost on the road!

Now, I have lived with this man for over 36 years and I am wondering WHY in the world 
he is out there when the pole barn is in the opposite direction?? I thought he had decided to
test drive it anyway...grrr.
So , I ventured outside yet again flailing my arms {not a pretty site} asking him why he is out
there. Now don't laugh, but he told me that he wasn't going to test drive it, but was trying to
drive it UP the drive and couldn't get anywhere. Every time he would try to drive forward the
ice held him back so he backed up a bit to try and drive forward. He kept doing this until he
backed himself right out to the road and one tire dropped in a little dip and he was really stuck.


NOW... Sandi can't drive a stick shift. So I asked him,

"WHAT are we going to do?"

to which he replied,

 "I have no idea because you can't drive a stick shift".

I don't know about you, but when someone reiterates to me what I KNOW to be true, but has the
word CAN'T in it...something rises up in me. *giggle*

"Okay, I will try to drive it , but this will not be pretty!!"

I hopped into the truck, put my feet on the pedals and said, "okay, now what do I do"

"push in on the clutch"

So I promptly pushed in the emergency brake!! HAHA!!

"NO,  NOT THAT!!!"

He released the brake and I pushed in on the clutch, gave her a little gas and she just purred like a
kitten right up that driveway to the shop. As I am driving, I hear hubby yelling

 "STOP!!"
  
to
which I yelled back

"I AM NOT STOPPING!!".

{I am thinking... by golly I got this truck moving and she is gonna keep on moving}

I stopped in front of the shop because I really didn't
know what I was doing and I didn't want to drive her through the shop and 
make another doorway!!  About that moment I was wondering where
hubby was at. I glanced behind me and here he comes...up the driveway.

"What took you so long??"

Apparently he had been slip sliding away again, but this time on his feet!! heehee
He was also carrying two old bath towels ?? They had been in his truck and he had laid them down
in front of the tires for traction. He then proceeds to tell me that when I took off with the truck it
shot one of the towels across the road!! too funny!!  He had to retrieve that before he could
 make his way to the truck. Would have liked to have seen that , but I missed it. Shucks!

 You had to be there.

It really was a comedy of errors worthy of Saturday Night Live!

Back to the little truck, he did end up test driving it, but not that day. All seemed well after he
tested it, so he loaded up his RC stuff to go racing and he drove that baby right out of the drive.

WHEW...we dodged the bullet yet again!!
Sandi and Hillis are thrilled!!

Suddenly, a familiar noise breaks the silence...a rumble, a roar!!

NO!! IT CAN'T BE!!! Why is he back?


I watch hubby walking to the house just shaking his head...over and over.

He tells me that he lost his brakes down the road a bit !

"You are kidding me!"

"NOPE!"


Precious little truck needs too much work so we are finally

  waving the white flag of surrender,

but not before putting $300 into her.

Wish someone had told us this would happen
before
we spent that money.

The ad will read:

Precious 1995 little Ford Ranger has given her all. Her bed leans a little to the left, her

 gas tank is held in place with a bungee cord and she has rust in all the right places. 
Perfect for someone who loves to tinker. She does sparkle in a few places because she 
has a brand new water pump,  along with new brakes and rotors and she just had her oil 
changed as well.  Her motor runs great, but she is just plain tired...will part out. 
Pm if interested.

{pic above taken years ago}

Blessings~

Friday, February 21, 2014

Will it ever stop??


We have had so much snow this year that there are days I wonder if it will ever stop.
Seriously!

But, it does make for some gorgeous pictures.  Last week we had amazing frost that covered all
 the trees and everything else in site.  I didn't even realize it was this gorgeous out until I had to
 run uptown.  As soon as I got home I ran inside to get my camera and shoot some photos.
I didn't stay out long because it was way below zero and my fingers were about froze off
 even with gloves on.

I did add some sparkles to the photo above to enhance it. :)

Enjoy ~


















I hope you enjoyed my winter wonderland photos, but I am praying that Spring is just around
the corner. :)

Friday, February 14, 2014

Cherry Bars ♥

Someone shared this recipe on Facebook so I in turn shared it and then pinned
it on my Pinterest board. Then I set about to whipping these yummies up.


Happy Valentines Day


...and always remember...


Jesus is God's Valentine to you!!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
  • GLAZE:
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and
  • salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
  • after each addition. Beat in extracts. Gradually add flour.
  • Spread 3 cups batter into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Spread
  • with pie filling. Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over
  • filling. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely
  • in pan on a wire rack.
  • In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, extracts and enough milk
  • to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over top. Yield: 5 dozen.


Recipe from Taste of Home

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Grey Day Thursday # 19 ~


I thought I would join in Michelle's Grey Day Thursday today.

I just took a few photos around the house to share with you today.

I LOVE my old metal clock face in the first two photographs. I picked it up a few years
ago while up in Michigan visiting my daugher and have never tired of it. I have moved it around
 here and there and this is where it resides for the moment. 


It is hanging on a birdcage that also has been in my living room for quite some time.
I don't move things around near as much as I used to so it will probably be here for
awhile. I should have plugged in the lights in the birdcage for the photo...shucks!


I have also had this nest for several years...I never tire of it. Love the gray/whitewash color!



The mailman brought me some pretties last week. Does anyone know where this came from?
lol. I LOVE IT!!



Part of a shelf on my bookcase with my oldest son and his family along with a younger version of
yours truly and a lovely candle covered in Jeanne D Arc paper.


My youngest son and his wife gave me this canvas print for Christmas!
They know me so well! :)


More goodies that arrived in my mailbox as of late. 


I even LOVE the packaging!


Love each and every little detail...I can tell that Rhonda is a detail person like myself.


This is a mercury glass candle with a cloche cover...LOVE!

I am in LOVE with this pallet tray that my youngest son made me for Christmas! In fact, he made me
TWO of them. I thought I took better pics , but can't find them. Oh well. You can tell what it is like
anyway. I won the Old Navy scarf on it at a game that we played at my parents house at Christmas.
I punched out a few gray and white hearts and scattered them around. L.O.V.E.


One of my Starbuck mugs...I save the teabag tags to reuse in my artwork.
This one says, " Life may not be the party we hoped for , but while we're here we
should dance".

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day...enjoy your day and if you feel like it...

DANCE!! 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Hearts, sparkles, xoxo and all that love!


Valentines Day is one week away...are you ready?? I think I have done more decorating
for it this year than I ever have. Could be because I have been stuck inside this house
with winter storm, after winter storm, after winter storm, after....you get my *drift*?

{see how I did that there...*drift*? lol We have had a LOT of them and HUGE ones}


On one of the rare days that I was able to get out of our driveway, I  went to town and purchased three
 of these paper mache heart boxes for 1.00 each at JoAnn Fabric.

{and they weren't even on sale. lol.}


Then I set about painting and embellishing them.


I also added silver glass glitter to each one to give them that added sparkle.

{source for glass glitter that I used can be found by clicking here
Nicki is out of stock right now, but will be getting more in}



I also made a glass glitter banner of x's and o's and red felt hearts.

 They sure do sparkle!

AFTER I took these photos , I decided to add red hearts on each end of the banner also. lol.


Can never have too much love hanging around...*smile*



Last week {or the week before...I lose track of time easily} I sat down and cut out
some cute little hearts from batting and felt. Then I filled them with rice for hand warmers.
Sure could have used these wayyyyy before I made them.  We have had such bitter
cold temps this year.  Brrrr!!



I blanket stitched the edge. Again, AFTER I had made several and you could see where I
stopped and started the edging by using a KNOT, I googled how to start and end a blanket
 stitch the RIGHT way. You would think that I would have done that first, but no...Sandi
 doesn't work that way. ha!


Wouldn't a few of these be adorable inside the paper mache embellished heart boxes?

I found the idea for the hand warmers on Pinterest.
You will them with rice and then nuke them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Stick them in your pockets in the winter to help keep your hands warm. I have heard
that they keep warm from 30 minutes up to an hour, but I haven't tested that out yet.

 I did test them out just by nuking them and finding that they did get nice and warm, but
didn't test the time limit out.  I figured they are cute just to lay around even if they aren't
 used for warmers.  I want to put them to the test this weekend.

Happy week of LOVE coming up!!

PS I had totally forgotten that the initial place where I first saw hearts for hand
warmers was over at Idyllhours blog by Julie Marie. I always want to give credit
where credit is due so I sure messed up on this one. Sorry Julie Marie! ♥