WORD FOR WEDNESDAY

WORD OF THE DAY: SWAGGER

Do you know what it means?

Do you have it?

Do you want it?

Well maybe part of it...

A swagger is an air of confidence but then there's a catch...

the bad part...

it is to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air.

As people say the good and bad, blend together 

If you want to read more about the word, check it out here.  

Knitting - the American Way

Did you know there's an American way to knit? No, neither did I. Not until my mother-in-law tried to help me with a stitch I dropped. Then she took my needles and started to work the yarn but I was like, "what are you doing?"

She said, "I'm fixing it for you." But it looked so strange the way she was holding the needles. And then my son's gfriend said, "that's because you knit the American way."

"Huh?"

Then they both tried to explain to me (they both being from a different country originally...Denmark and Germany) said, "You knit backwards."

"Huh?" I said again.

Then they showed me. There is a Continental way to knit and an American way.

Yep it's true. And if you don't believe me, just google it and check out a few youtube videos.

But that's the way I've always knitted and now I'm wondering if there's an American way to crochet... ;D

OMENS

I have cooked all my life with cast iron pots and pans. I have had them passed down from my great grandmother, to my grandmother, to my mother, to me...and I have never seen one crack before...

UNTIL NOW...

I'm hoping it's not a bad omen of the things that will be cooking in 2014 ;D

I don't think I would have thought this except for on New Year's Day we woke up to a COLD house. Our furnace had gone on the fritz...and it's not an old furnace, plus I had just had it serviced to be cleaned and inspected in October...and then my daughter got in an auto accident. She was rearended on Saturday night...

I'm not usually superstitious but I'm just saying . . .

First Friday of the New Year

It's always a little sad when the New Year comes because it means that the old year has been laid to rest. Now, it's time to take down the tree and put away all the decorations from the holiday and tuck 2013 back into our boxes filled with memories and ornaments.

And, hopefully we will begin to make some new traditions and set some new goals for 2014!

Pasta Salad Challenge of 2014

Some people know that in my family we like to eat and a lot of us like to bake, cook, and bbq. So over time there have been challenges laid down and victories claimed.

New Year's Day 2014 we had a Pasta Salad Challenge. There were 8 entries and here are the winners:

Nikki Elmore took first place, Beth Lillie took second place and Liz Womack took third place.

It was a lot of fun with family, friends and good food.

A couple of the recipes were very similar...Tammy's, Nikki's and mine - thanks to my Mom - guess we all followed in her footsteps...

Nikki tweaked Mom's recipe with a few more spices, Tammy tried adding quinoa and I kept mine simple. Next time, I guess I'll remember that I need to spice things up nowadays.

HAPPY 2014!

Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2014!

Finished

Better late than never...right?

It turned out really pretty and I think it's kind of funny how well it blends with our fir flooring being that it is made out of pine.

It must be the color of the stain. It's a honey color. Obviously one of our favorites.

I told Kara it looked like a coffin so she climbed inside to see if she would fit. And she said, "Maybe one day."

Then Lars just had to glue on the little tag he had burnt into the wood for her. So that many years from now she can look back and remember that her Dad made this chest for her during the Christmas of 2013.

Now, we just need to deliver the present.