I tried to put this on the sidebar. . .

but Blogger is not having it. So here it is temporarily:

Price of gas cartoons. . .

These may help you feel slightly better. I sure hope so.

http://www.suburbanhousehunters.com/about/gas-prices/

A Spring-y Quilt for a Spring-y Day. . .

I made this little diddy last summer for a friend's new baby girl. It's 48" square and currently my favorite pattern. I'm thinking about making a lap-size quilt with Heather Baily's Freshcut fabric line.

Would you really want a cure for sarcasm?

I LOVE THIS!
I found it on my friend Rachel's blog and she said I could use it, bless her little heart. :)



I may want a cure for some folks, but being sarcastic/facetious is just too much fun! Your thoughts?

(click picture to see larger version)

A tent in the house?!?

What is this you ask?

This would be a tee-pee dear, sweet daughter made in her room out of her covers and the pole from her blinds.

He doesn't look like he minds a bit. Poor fellow. Poor, poor fellow.

Scrap Napkin Update. . .

Remember the cloth napkins I said I'm going to try to make for Christmas presents? Well, I've actually made six so far. Why six, you ask? Turns out, you can get six of these little puppies from a half yard of farbic.

U.S. Gas Price Map

Check out this map at the bottom of the link page for United States gas prices. You can even zoom in to your county to see what it runs a gallon in your area.

If you right click on the map, it will show county prices.

Hopefully, this won't depress you any more than you must be about gas. Hey, there could be a bright side here. Maybe it's cheaper in the next county! You never know.

Crunchy Top Apple Pie

Dough and Filling:
Dough for a double crust 9-inch pie (homemade, frozen, or refrigerated)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash salt
3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples
1 (16-ounce) jar applesauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces
Crunch Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash salt
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of dough.

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in apples, applesauce, and lemon juice. Spoon apple mixture into pie pan and dot with butter. Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of pie.

For crunch topping, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of crust.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for about 45 minutes, or until crust and topping are golden brown.

Boys will be boys. . .

Another pretty dogwood. . .

Do you see the Bunny Tree?

I've seen this tree most every time I leave the house. I feel the need to share it with the public. It's actually several trees in a row that make it look like this. My luck, they would cut it down, I'd be heartbroken, and all would officially know I'd lost my mind. :)

Do you like it?

P.S. Do you think Blogger will ever be fixed? What happened to centering a post, font size, etc.?

Gas Prices. . .

Just curious. . . Are you at all being affected by the gas prices? We surely are, as SuperDad has to fill his tank 2-3 times a day. I'm suppose to drive to Kentucky (10-12 hours) with the kids in July for a dress fitting for Jody's wedding, but I may have to have her ship the dress to me and have it fitted here. I'm sure shipping would be cheaper than gas. It's truly sad and pathetic to think that a gallon of gas is as much as a gallon of milk. If only they (the OPEC gods) would stop being so greedy. . . Gas is currently $3.45 a gallon here.

Maybe I'll get a moped with 2 sidecars, or a rickshaw. That'd be a heck of a way to get my bod back.

Christmas Presents!

Good morning folks! I beleive I have hit upon a gift I will try to make, gas prices permitting. Cloth napkins! They are easy enough and the price is right, and I'm sure throwing in several napkins rings would be fun too! Here's the tutorial I stumbled upon.

By the way, what's up with Blogger? I haven't posted for a few days since I can't post pictures, and it's getting kind of crazy. Yowza!

And what the heck is with me thinking of Christmas presents already!?! That's totally not like me. Must be aging and actually thinking. Oy. . .

Controversy. . .

This may be a controversial issue for some, or even a non-issue for others, but I feel a need to put it out there. Bill Maher's comments are unfathomable at best. If you would like to do something about it, click here.

SuperMom

For SuperGirl. . .

For SuperBoy

My New Read. . .

Here is the library book I picked up today. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, by Sue Monk Kidd. I figure I'll keep a theme going and try to read this authors books. Why not? Check out this interview with the author. I'm still reading it, so hopefully, it's interesting. :)

Provolone,

SuperMom

Our trip to visit my buddy Jody & Maymont. . .

The kids and I took a trip south to Cumberland, VA to visit a friend and her sister, and also to visit Maymont. Here are some shots I took on our drive down.

I love this barn! It has a smaller red barn behind it and a lovely old house, too.

What is this purple stuff?!? I saw it growing many places, but I'm clueless. Rosa? Any ideas? (P.S. I found out it's wisteria! I didn't realize it grew in the wild!)

An old train station we were able to see while taking a wrong turn. Gotta love Yahoo Maps!

An old, abandoned, teeny-tiny home on a hillside. And it's already been cropped to get you closer. Can you just imagine the living that went on here?

Now, we've started our journey around Maymont. This is a 13 year-old donkey, out getting it's exercise. Above woman said he/she (donkey) is a little too heavy. Heck! I'd be heavier at 1,386 in donkey years, too!

I love this shot. What luck I had here.

Awesome statue!

At the fountain near the house (Maymont) with Aunt Jody.

I had the kiddos pose under this tree, even though SuperGirl was worried the tree was gonna fall down while she was under it.

Could you imagine climbing in this tree!?! WOW! That's Aunt Jody behind SuperGirl. She's my SuperFriend & the kiddo's SuperGodMomma.

I had the lovelies stand here for perspective. That's not the word I'm grasping for, but it's the only thing entering my head at the moment. I'll keep thinking.

Look at that detail!

This is the back/side of the home. Isn't it amazing!?! I was hoping I could find a good shot of the front of the house, but this is the best I have at the moment. Just found some more! Look here. These folks have some other great shots in their folder from Maymont. We weren't able to look much more than we did, as Aunt Jody's blood sugar was low and we were ill-prepared. Next time, we'll get more pictures.

All of the next pictures but the last one were taken at Aunt Jen's house. Are the dogwoods beautiful?

Same dogwoods, taken seconds apart, with no camera changes. . .

And here we have a home I love that we pass on our way home. Can you imagine cleaning or heating this? Yowza. Maybe they only live in one room downstairs. :)

More soon folks,

SuperMom

I've been tagged!

It is about 6 Unimportant Things About Me. . .

I've been tagged by Julie! First let me post the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your entry.

5. Let the six people know by leaving a comment on their blogs. I'm choosing 4!

Okay, here we go..........

1. I was born in West Virginia. I occasionally miss it, but not the economy.

2. I LOVE chocolate. It should be considered one of the main food groups.

3. I like to bake, but the only problem is I also like to eat it all.

4. I originally wanted 4 children, but after having two, I can fully understand how much $/sanity it takes to keep a healthy, happy home. I can't be on enough medication for that, unfortunately.

5. I love dogwood trees. The color doesn't matter.

&6. This is my second marriage.

Okay, I'm gonna tag............ but if you don't want to be tagged, that's okay. I won't be upset. I know that some people don't like it, so much. ;*)

Rosa

SilliGirl

Rachel

Robin

Tag! Tell us about yourself!

SuperDad's Fish. . .

The above two shots are of a smallmouth bass he caught earlier today.

He caught this large mouth with his fly rod on the Rivanna river earlier today. Woo-Hoo!

Poor Hobsi. . .

You see how *abused* Sir Hobbes-a Lot is. . . and how it disturbs him so. . .

Oy

A Very Good Read. . .

I'm currently reading a book by Sue Monk Kidd. The Secret Life of Bees. My good friend, Summer, let me borrow hers and I, in turn, ended up borrowing the libraries copy for fear my 3 year-old explorer would get hold of Summer's. I don't know about you, but I'm a little anal about my books. I don't want them used as coasters for glasses of water, covers bent, etc. Another of my quirks.

Anywho, this book is really exciting and I invite you to check it out.

Blessings on the beautiful spring day,

SuperMom

Skyline Drive. . .

I love this tree! It's bottom branches look like they are welcoming or opening up in prayer to the heavens. Halfway between the tree and the right side of the picture is a deer, in case you're interested. :) Click for a better look.

SuperDad took this picture.

Wee folks holding on to each other for dear life.

Picture of rocks where kiddos were standing.

A sign we had to take a picture of on our way home. I mean, really. How are folks like this in business?
LOL

Today. . .

Was a perfect day for a picnic. . .

and picnic rejects. . .

If it was up to them, they'd tell you how abused they are, that no one ever pets them. Yeah, right. If it was that bad, you think they'd run away. It ain't so bad here. Really.

:)