Followers

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

In a Pickle

Our grandson was in a pickle at the local Halloween party for adults.
"Rick and Morty"
The pumpkin weight contest is over. It weighed 413 lbs!! The winner isn't anyone that I know.
Happy Halloween Everyone! Have fun!
click on image to view larger

Monday, October 29, 2018

All Hallows' Eve

I try hard to stay away from controversial subjects but have something to say today.

When my 6 kids went out on Halloween to visit neighbors for treats, they all - always - wore home-made costumes. I don't think I ever bought a costume, though there were a few face masks in the closet. The bags they carried were either brown shopping bags with handles or, earlier in their lives- pillowcases! We were never afraid that they would be given something dangerous or poisoned. They had parties at school. The fun of the entire time was the planning to have a lot of candy and then exploring their stash. The key word is costumes. Period.

I remember smearing burn cork on my young kid's faces and hands with white zinc oxide and mercurochrome here and there but they went as bums or hoboes and race never entered my mind. They were just dirty, unwashed, unshaven raggedy characters wearing tattered outfits. 

Today as I think back, these "dressups" actually implied that they were impersonating the colored race but that was NEVER the intent. Geeze - With all of the hullabaloo today about white face, black face, my heart is sickened. DO NOT LIKE!

This is Halloween! Pictures from family in Philadelphia.
please click to view larger
I also don't understand "walking dead." Can someone explain?

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Giddyap!

Yes, my get up and go got up and went yesterday and again today! I've had my 4lb. boneless petite smoked turkey breast on my mind since it arrived. I thawed it out all week, knowing I'd have to cut it into small servings. Some will be given to my daughter and family and the rest will be enjoyed by us. The OLD vintage (1967) electric carving knife did the job well. 
Photo from Smithfield
Chunks and slices
Sandwich salad
Then, since I already had the food processor out I decided to shred the three 8oz. blocks of cheese. I will soon make a large pan of Mac Cheese! 
What a washup I had! I sometimes feel like a squirrel, gathering nuts for the winter because that is just what I'm doing!
don't forget to click on image to view larger
The next project will be the big spiral ham. I WANT PEA SOUP!

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Applesauce

WOW it is really pouring here! This was expected and there was a project bearing down heavily on my mind that needed to be done so this is the day!

I wasn't going to make any this year. It is labor intensive for us and our energy has waned. BUT! I did buy a peck and when I looked in the freezer I saw that there were only two quarts left so.....

Way back in the far corner of the under counter cupboards I dug and found the large old kettle and the old Foley food mill.  I'll not go into detail but must tell you that the end product was well worth the energy spent doing this the "old way."
Please click on image to view larger
The only thing I added was a few shakes of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. The unlidded one is lunchtime dessert today. 

Friday, October 26, 2018

How I Make a Picture Part II

One more....
I never get tired of playing with my great niece's photos. I just love her little chin and cheeks! Her big brown eyes are so lit up in almost every shot. In this photomanipulation I left her face untouched and just expanded her "witchiness!"
   please click on image to view larger   

Monday, October 22, 2018

How I Make a Picture

So many of you would like to know how I make the photomanipulations. Well, first I must say that I have been self-learning since retirement in 1999. I do not use any programs that you have to buy. I use the ones on my early 2013 MacBook Pro now, but had started when I first got my first home LC Mac in the early '90's and those old programs don't work anymore. I have had to adjust. It has developed into a process and numerous "do-overs." I use about 10 different internet sites. Many want you to take a trial membership but allow you to use the site without paying. I never have paid to use. I like to see the finished piece on my 2009 iMac 24" screen!

 #1 - being inspired. I actually have to feel the urge to play when I see a photo or graphic.

#2 - trying many different variations and deciding on one or two that seem to be what I want to convey. I know when it's finished.

Here's an example of one I made today. I saw the background on a relative's FB cover photo. I don't where it came from but I liked it.
I had to rotate it and resize the free graphic I found with a Google image search for large witch in .png format. If a graphic I want to use isn't in transparent form, I know how to do that with my Preview app. on the laptop.
I copy and paste her onto the background. 
Next I put her into a program with assorted filters and decide which I like best.
Then I put her into another program and resize and darken her.
She then goes into ANOTHER program and is colorized, skewed and cropped.


After importing the image into my MacBook the top, bottom, sides are all turned black. If I didn't want the black I could have copied and pasted it onto a color background image and cropped.
See what I mean?
I decided to keep the background black and added a moon, a bat and a frame! It is now finished to my satisfaction after adding my initials on bottom right.
               To view larger, please click on an image               
No, I don't sell these and they are just made for fun. 
I have just under 2,000 saved.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

It's Heeere!

Autumn - full blast! snow showers, cold winds, beautiful skies. We still have a lot of things to get done around here!

How I remember riding horses all over the area at this special time of year. They too liked to go out and were a bit feisty sometimes with the exuberance of an outing. I have such wonderful memories from those days. 


This photo of a granddaughter and her new horse is the perfect example. Just look at that sky!  Kodí - Clair de Lune - is a 6 year old Selle Français and they are getting to know each other.

 
(The Selle Français is a breed of sport horse from France. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping, but many have also been successful in dressage and eventing. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or chestnut in color.)
please click on image to better imagine
the experience of this 14 year old girl enjoying her ride


Friday, October 19, 2018

First Frost

It's hard to explain the beauty of the mist rising up from the lake early in the morning of the first frost. As the sun rises, the glare is almost unbearable.

 This afternoon when it warms up a bit I'll dig out the tuberous begonias and dry and save the tubers for next year.
And I'm still at it. BOO!
please click on image to view larger

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Electric and Electronic Day


Last night our LR TV had “pixelation” on all of the upper channels. Spectrum, our service provider was called. Tech couldn’t help over the telephone but thought it was a signal problem after other things were tried. Service man was scheduled to come today. The DR smaller TV ran fine. 

This morning the internet service was super slow and then went out. It came back on. It went out again. The landline telephone went dead. The DR TV ran fine. The LR TV was still pixelating on upper channels. Spectrum was called to report more issues with the telephone and internet. 

At 10:30am the electric power went out - the standby generator kicked in. I called the power company Penelec to report complete outage. The generator ran our power for two hours until the power came back on at 12:30pm.

The service man arrived at 2pm. He climbed the pole out front and reported that the problem is not just affecting us, others on our side of the lake area are also having issues. He determined that the signal box is the problem and/or a transmitter up the road, and had to call a “bucket truck” to replace the box on the pole and check out the transmitter for a short. 

In the meantime he ran a new line for us from the cabin to the pole just in case it failed in the future. He said it would be easier to replace it now instead of during winter when the snow is deep. Makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s 40° with a strong wind blowing as he works out there!

The “bucket truck” with the new signal box arrived soon after. There wasn’t a service one available in our area so there was a wait.  3:35pm.....ALL OK now!

We had our first snow last night - just a little. We also caught a mouse by the back door.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Addicted!

I just cannot stop having Halloween fun! 
 Family!
ME!
click on image to view larger

It's Time...

To prepare and cook hearty stews.
to bake apple pies and crisps
to bake cakes and cookies
to make applesauce
to use freezer supplies from last year
to replenish freezer
to clean up and put away the dehumidifier
to enjoy the propane heater
to start up the humidifier
to clean and put away the little fans
to dig out winter hats, gloves, slippers, and other warm clothing
to put warmer blankets on beds
to flip mattresses
to cover the air conditioner
to cover the porch furniture
to cover the golf car
to pull winter tools and equipment out of the shed and put in the carport
to put winter heavy duty wiper blades on car
to cut down the flowerbeds and save the tubers
to have the yard raked and cleaned
to have the gutters cleaned
to re-dress James
to enjoy the season with whatever weather it brings
please click on image to view larger