Feathers in the Nest is now Tweeting.....

While others sleep

And look so sweet........

I learn to tweet

You can follow me at Feathersinnest or see my latest updates in the sidebar...........

Saturday Surprises

Oh, man oh man oh man! :0
Bodyguard went out early to run an errand and by the time I woke up he greeted me with these while I was perking the coffee.......YUMMY! They almost too pretty to eat. I picked the dark chocolate covered one.........first.......
He placed them down by the mail...........it's not your usual on the counter, mail.


magazines like this are usually reading material in the mail at my house............my kids were well educated about those........private matters, I would say....LOL LOL

I had to flip the journal over and laughed because it's showing Candidiasis, which is worsened with eating sweets! HOW IRONIC!

Yep, this is one of the grosser journals that comes in the mail. They usually always show a skin disease on the front............large, lesions, weeping......ohhh.......and by the way, my kids escaped teenage years without an STD. Wonder why? LOL LOL

oh well, on to the day. It's cloudy here. I want the sunshine so I can take some good pictures of the leaves. They are looking might pretty right now!

Talk later,

Jennifer

Winner of the Breast Cancer Give A Way!!!!!!!!

Congrats, JOLENE! You are the handpicked winner tonight. I used my new sewing basket with lid to shake, shake, shake, the papers and random draw was YOU! Just shoot me an email at

jennifer.dalenberg@yahoo.com tomorrow and let me know where to mail it. Thanks.

I will be packaging up your gift tomorrow but may be Monday before I mail it!

Thanks, again to all who posted as I feel like I expanded my networking stitcher friends and learned so much from your blogs. Thanks for taking the time to read mine. I hope it adds something to you day!

Jennifer

Snuggles after supper

The weather did a roundabout change today and temps dropped about 15 degrees between lunch and when I got home at 7pm, late day at work.....whew! TGIF and BRRRRRR!

I put my wrap around me because the house was chilly until the heat came on. Ren is happy and settled to be in my wrap after a supper of cold cereal! His Honey and Oats is his fave.

He snuggles well. You can tell he is about to go to sleep because he got so snuggy and warm. I'm pretty "woe out" myself! As the local mountain folk say.......I'm TARD! LOL

Making a difference for others and yourself

I love this song from Garth Brooks and one of my favorite of his, besides The Dance.........I can't talk about that song or I will cry. Not tonight..........
I don't really remember The Change on the popularity list but when I bought one of Garth Brooks CDs, Best Hits a few years ago, this song played and I was in the kitchen cooking and alone that day.

I remember stopping it, replaying it, and replaying it again because this song says so much of what I feel that my profession is for and what I do every day.

I also thought of my husband, and firefighters, healthcare workers, any service-related and especially rescue work-related professions, and soldiers. I thought of how the irony of this song. I think it explains why we choose working in such stressful situations sometimes, and I"m here to tell you in this day and time, any service-related field spells S-T-R-E-S-S. There are times when we all think that we don't make a difference and we really do. Call us enablers, or whatever the world calls us, but I'm happiest when I'm helping others. I'm no where near perfect but I know that the world has not changed my heart, regardless of many occasions could have definitely done that.

Here are the lyrics. I have it on the playlist as well so you can hear it. Music is a big part of my life. I love listening to music. It speaks to my soul.

After we got satellite radio this past summer, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread because then I could sing on the way to work, continuously, no commercials. And it's amazing how a song can speak so much to the heart.

I was inspired by someone I helped today that probably won't make a huge difference in the big picture world, but it reminded me in hindsight and introspective thinking on the ride home, it keeps the world from changing me.



The Change by Garth Brooks

One hand reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm


And I hear them saying
you'll never change things
And no matter what you do
it's still the same thing
But it's not the world
that I am changing
I do this so
this world will know
That it will not change me

This heart
Still believes
That love and mercy still exist
While all the hatred rage
and so many say
That love is all but pointless
in madness such as this
It's like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss


And I hear them saying
you'll never change things
And no matter what you do
it's still the same thing
But it's not the world
that I am changing

I do this so
this world will know
That it will not change me

As long as one heart still holds on
Then hope is never really gone
I hear them saying
you'll never change things
And no matter what you do
it's still the same thing

But it's not the world
that I am changing
I do this so
this world we know
Never changes me

What I do is so ~~~~
This world will know ~~~
That it will not change me

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty finds today. A neat sewing basket for very frugal find. Couldn't turn it down.......The color in my pics though make it look brighter than it really is. It's a muted teal color. more like this.......

tonight for supper, I'm brewing some Shrimp Gumbo. I kinda added to the Zateran's suggestions with some extra tomatoes, corn, rice and shrimp, and hot sauce. I'm cooking supper while I"m taking the pics of my finds, so pardon the mixed up pictures.....LOL

my dollar buttons.......I LOVE old buttons. I get an adrenaline rush when I see a big old jar of vintage butttons and I can just rummage through it for ones like these.

I'm going to try to stitch some ornies with this pattern. I have no idea where it came from.....the pattern, that is......the top of the sewing basket is really a large pin cushion....I LOVE IT. The color in the pic looks brighter than it really is. It's a muted teal in real life....

I had a very good day at work, lunch with my friends in a satelite clinic I work once a week is so much fun! So, we all went to the Mexican restaurant for lunch and then right across the street was a thriftie store! That's where I found these items.

Linen napkins. I'm sure they weren't mean't back in the day for cross stitching but I am going to monogram these!

Irish linen. Couldn't believe this find! I wonder what count they are ?????? There are 2 in an Autumn Gold and 2 in a Natural color.

These little ornies at the top were almost a giveaway at the price. Couldn't believe it! I think I could actually stitch some like this for Christmas.

I have a weakness for buttons......and I purposely went through a huge jar of pre-bagged old buttons for just the red ones for ornie-making for Christmas.

Got these little fat quarters too. Don't you love the old candy cane material?

I actually have in mind for the middle one to use on the backing of a freebie I saved recently from a blog for Thanksgiving.

The ornies were very prim, look tea stained and I like the way they made the handles.

Well, I'm about to bite into an Apple Pecan muffin I made to go with some Shrimp Gumbo.

That's a simple supper we are having tonight. I made enough Gumbo for 25 people at least! Come on and get you some while it's hot!!

Block 5 complete, scrolling on........

My progression........at first.........

then

to here

and finally here tonight...............

I'm sure you've heard of Thomas Kinkade, the famous artist and how his paintings just light up in a gallery. Well, this block didn't light up for me until I added the Antique White around the windows and door and it just popped.

I'm fixing to scroll and rewind my frame down to start Old Glory. Every time I see that phrase the hymn comes to mind, The Battle Hymn of the Republic.........My Eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of the Lord......Glory, glory......The truth is marching on............

Reminder of the Give-A-Way and more

Hope you got to see the PBS special Frontline on Afghanistan update last night. If not, the entire episode can be viewed at PBS.com and pull up the program, Obama's War.
It's worth seeing what you are supporting as a US citizen.


Reminder of the Give-Away for October Breast Cancer Awareness. Ends midnight Friday October 16. Drawing on Saturday the 17th. Good luck! I'm envious at whoever gets those scissors!!! ;)

I probably have the world's record at slow stitching on this Heart of America piece but believe it or not, after work tonight I'm putting on the roof.....3 more rows and I'm moving on to Old Glory!

It's been a good piece to stitch but so ready to move to something new. I'm resisting the urge to put it down and start something new, encouraged to finish so I can frame and put in my stairwell with pictures.

Is it only Wednesday? Oh, my! I feel like tomorrow should be Friday.

This week is going by very slowly even though my hours are filled with things to do.

Today I paid for a lost library book. I gave up on looking for it and didn't think having my husband arrest me for an overdue book or fines was a good thing.....LOL......so, caved and paid for it. I'm serious. I checked it out during the time of the car windshield leaking on me at work episode of drama. And during that week of changing cars, I lost a library book, my employee parking thingie that hangs on the mirror, and my head probably if it wasn't attached!

So, I evened out that today so that no arrests were made. HEHEHEHEHE My dishes are clean tonight (he is sweet). BG did not have to arrest me on that account! LOL LOL

However, in thinking, just to share, check out your local library. It's a great free (usually) resource in these economic strapping times (unless you are like me and can't remember where you left the book!). You can even rent great movies for free there!

ok, back to stitching and one more dreaded chore before I get ready for bed. Hint: it has something to do with a dryer............shhhhhh~
yep, laundry

Later,

Jennifer

PBS Time correction 10pm EST, 9pm Central

Well, evidently the 9pm time for show tonight is Central time. So, that would be 10 pm Eastern Standard Time. Hope those who want to watch it, find it. It's on the PBS channel for your area.

So, I'm stitching the windows right now of a house in the Heart of America. Windows are tedious to me. Where's the Windex?

Hopefully I will be done with the house by tonight to move to the next block.

Till later,
Jennifer

Watch PBS channel tonight at 9PM for special on Afghanistan

this is just a 30 minute preview of discussion.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/

you can see at the PBS site the new series which will start tonight.

Every citizen of America should be watching this to be aware and not forgotten.

A Sneak Peak at my Morning.....

My day off starts with a kiss from BodyGuard and I yawn and stretch and then straight to the coffee pot.......even if it's mainly decaf (ok, today I added a little full leaded stuff) then I still have to have my coffee! And then my arthritic joints are calling for medicine so I can move.

So, that's perking and the sun just came out! Oh my lands, the sun, where have you been, sweetie? I love you!!!!!

So this is a quick peak out my front porch. My porch thermometer says 54 degrees. I LOVE IT! I plan much more pics to come of the fall leaf color changes today because I"m venturing out today. I'm in the mood to scrummage through yard sales, thrift stores, and such to find some treasures that are trash to others.
Probably won't find any yard sales, but I know of a few thriftie stores to search today.


And this is not a bundled blanket, there is a dog in it. He hasn't heard me yet this morning and remains to be turbanned in his blanket. This is his quiet time. He comes alive at dinner time!

ok, well, I"m going to get busy and catch up on email and such and then I'm going to start my day.

Check back with ya this afternoon or sometime!

Peace,

Jennifer

Progress on Peace Block--Heart of America

Quiet evening tonight. Welcomed home by the fireplace already started and I love it! Took a little snooze after supper.
We cooked breakfast for our supper.......cheese grits, scrambled eggs, and toast.
Just a good night for that, rainy and gloomy outside.

I worked on the peace block and got some headway. Hope to finish that one tomorrow and on to the Old Glory block.

The Heart of America. As I am stitching this and watching the news, it has a whole different meaning right now.

I learned to roll my linen the other way on the frame.


This is one tall house. Reminds me of the flats in England.

Peace........what a thought and coincidence this week.

Well, off to bed. So sleepy now. The fireplace just tantalizes my mind and makes me want to curl up with a quilt.

Muddy Mondays

Well, North Ga. has started a Flood Fest up here ( or down here, however perspective you want to look at it)! LOL It started about the same time OctoberFest started!

Honestly, it was flooding again coming to work. But, the good news is my car is not leaking again!!!! The new windshield is working.

We have really gotten the rain here this month.

Is it full moon out there?

Body Guard is having a strange day too. He just told me his day was full of investigating a gold mine equipment theft and a complaint that an entire flock of geese got hit by a car so someone had to go clean up the entire flock on the road........strange Monday.

I guess it's a Muddy Monday for active geese with all the water. They probably thought they were in a pond but it was a highway! LOL LOL Poor little geese......

Gotta run, or float away,
Jennifer

Lowering my cholesterol.......

This is the first time I froze cookie dough. But, I know that we need to lower our cholesterol, so oatmeal cookies need to be available. (Meghan, when you come back for a visit, they are in the freezer for slice and cook) I froze half and cooked half.

I have been craving Oatmeal Cookies so I googled under the Pioneer Woman's blog and found this recipe for Oatmeal Crispies, which is quite tasty my friends! No raisins, finely chopped pecans instead! Just my type of cookie........I like raisins, but not cooked raisins.

I cooked the first batch here and all gone......in 10 minutes. BG snatched up 8 or 10 or them and then I cooked the other 2 batches......

alrighty, more cooking in the oven..........

Did I ever tell you that I'm a total mess in the kitchen when I bake? I mean I usually find dough that left the mixer on the walls..........that's the worse part of cooking is the cleaning afterward.

But the best part of Empty Nest is......licking the bowl!!! See if you have little kids, they always get to do that.......not any more........hehehehehehe

but this little fellow slept right through it. BG says he looks like he has a mullet now. LOL

Here's the recipe:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/files/2008/08/pw-oatmeal-crispies.pdf

at The Pioneer Woman website.

Hope your Sunday night is sweet too!

New pattern I got from last week and good encouragement.....

Some days are good. And some days are not.

I saw this design while I was at Terrie's store last week. She traded with me for helping her with computer stuff for a couple hours and I was so totally thrilled to help plus the good friendship!

This was my pick. My Big Toe's This Too Shall Pass. My Big Toe is a Christian based company.

the linen I chose a little different than what the pattern called for. I chose this instead of Parchment which to me looked bright yellow.

The threads are Weeks Dye in Williamsburg Blue and Williamsburg Red.

On the back of the design it says

During times of struggle when this saying feels all too real, it is then that we most need to know that God is there. We may not know what purpose our trials have, but we can be assured that He has a great plan for our lives and the greatest reward awaits us.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose"

Today is one of those days I'm not sure that God is there. So, I can't wait to stitch this piece for a reminder that This Too Shall Pass.

A Choice Has to Be Made

Waking up this morning and reading dissapointing news again that our troops are in perilous conditions in Afghanistan and our president, who I do honor and respect, remains undecided what he wants to do. Now, it seems that when the soldiers try to fire their weapons they stop working and there are documented deaths in the Eastern Afghanistan of our children, brothers, fathers and aunts/uncles, mothers, etc over in this with inadequate weapons.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091011/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan_weapons_failures

Now, for me, it's hard. It's harder than Mount Yonah for me to swallow that Obama is spending more time speaking about gay rights last night than he sat down for 25 minutes with McCrystal who he elected, selectively for professional advice regarding the army. This is by no means reflecting discrimination but just when is he going to decide what to do? He has spent more time analyzing his jeans for a baseball game pitcher position than this.

Imagine your child at school and shootings take place. The school police officer just walks around getting back with you while you are wanting your child out of school in harms way, screaming at the ends of the property but he says for several weeks back and forth, that he is still thinking about it. Then he proceeds in again, while you wait, hearing gunshots in the school. Now wouldn't you think that is totally nuts?

Well, this is kind of like that but on a bigger scale. I'm not trying to become a female version of Glen Beck, but I'm here to tell you that we as a nation are getting in big trouble, not even speaking of moral decline.

We need someone decisive, someone dependable to make choices that do not ride the fence.
We need somebody, please somebody make a decision while our boys are over there using weapons that half the time do not work (according to top headlines today on Yahoo), and resulting in loss of life.

We need a president who is not so narcisistic. I think he has procrastinated because he doesn't like to take advice from other people. This would take the spotlight off of him. He wouldn't get the glory and the people hailing to him and on and on.

All I ask of this president is to put his narcisism aside and let's get with it. I'm sure if his kids were in the middle of this mess, he would be consulting whoever he could to ensure safety, and either finish this 8 year mess or get out.

It's time to make a choice, Mr. President.