Six Word Saturday

I'm giving away this set of stencils and a velvet art poster on Monday morning. If you are interested in winning it, please see Friday's post for how to enter my giveaway...

My six words for this Saturday are:


No raise for hubby this year....:(

Can I just say that this economy is really beginning to get on my last nerve??? Each week I go to the gas station and get less gas for the same amount of money...

Every two weeks I go to the grocery store, and get less groceries for the same amount of money...

My husband had his yearly evaluation this week at work. He got a great evaluation. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter because there is a freeze on raises where he works...No chance of a raise for at least another year...Bah Humbug!

How in the world are people supposed to break even, much less get ahead...when everything is going up except the paycheck??? Can I hear an "a-men"?

Thanks to Cate at http://www.showmyface.com/ for hosting this meme!

Kid's Fun Giveaway/Contest

Would you like to win this set of stencils/velvet art poster for yourself or the child artist in your family? All you have to do to have a chance to win is look through one of my blog posts and find a bit of info/trivia. Leave the info/trivia in the form of a comment.



For example: When it snowed, Madison wore red and pink boots to play in the snow.

Feel free to leave more than one trivia/comment, for additional chances to win...I'll be taking trivia/comments all weekend. On Monday morning, Random.org will choose the lucky comment number, and I'll announce the winner...Good luck and have a great weekend everyone! Kathy

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List....

We Had So Much Fun!

Yesterday, Madison came over for a visit, and we played with a play dough set that I'd bought over the Christmas holidays--and saved for a special day! I don't know who had the most fun--Madison or me! For some reason, I found great pleasure in making the play dough "hair grow"! I'd laugh, and Madison would just look at me...as if to say...what is so funny?

However, Madison found great joy in cutting the play dough hair! She never did quite figure out how to hold the scissors--and I didn't show her--with good reason! I was notorious for cutting my doll's hair when I was young!!! She won't learn her cutting techniques from MiMi!

Madison finally did figure out how to "cut" the play dough hair--and she was so pleased with her hair cut! What do you think? This is an early picture...she got more aggressive with practice...

When Madison's mother came over and saw what we were doing--the first words she said to Madison were "Now Madison, we ONLY cut the play dough doll's hair--not anything else!" I hope I haven't started a bad habit....Oh my!

Guess What Cade Said...

My favorite "little man" has been sick for the past couple of days. He's been running some fever, and his mama's not sure why. I hope it's not another ear infection. Yesterday I stopped by to see how he was feeling.



I could hear him "mowing" in the house with his lawn mower when I stepped up on the porch! I hadn't been there very long when I heard him say "MiMi"--for the first time ever! His mama said that he'd started saying it earlier in the day! It doesn't matter how many times I hear those words--the first time a grandchild says it is... "music to my ears"!



While I was visiting with him, Cade also did another "first". When I was getting ready to leave, he came over and gave me a big hug! I tell you--saying my name AND a hug...that boy has me wrapped around his finger!

Tuesday Blog... Favorite Recipes

This is the second of two new pound cake recipes that I tried. I love lemon pound cake--and this one was easy, and tasted yummy! I got the recipe from a church cookbook, and didn't notice whose recipe it was. It turned out to be my daughter's mother-in-law's recipe! Small world, huh?

Lemon Pound Cake

1-cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3-cups sugar

5-eggs

3-cups all-purpose flour

1-cup milk

1-tsp. lemon extract

Beat butter in a large bowl at med. speed with electric mixer. Gradually add oil, beating well. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour to creamed mixture, alternately with milk--beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just blended after each addition. Stir in flavoring. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Brush glaze on sides of cake and spoon glaze over the top. Let cool completely.

Glaze
I mixed powdered sugar, with a little lemon juice and water until it was a thin consistency to spread on the cake--no recipe, I just tasted it and looked at it. If I had to guess I'd say 1/8 cup of lemon juice to 1/4 cup of water...then add sugar until it gets the consistency you like--at least a cup or more of powdered sugar.

Helping MiMi Send "Good Wishes"

For the past couple of months I've been a pen pal to Abby Riggs. Abby is the young daughter(I believe she just turned 5) of Brent and Michelle Riggs. I've followed Brent's blogs for almost as long as I've been blogging. Abby has been battling leukemia for quite a while, and continues to fight.

Sometimes Madison and I sit down and color pictures together for Abby. I'll usually write Abby a letter to go with our pictures, then mail the pictures and letter along with a small surprise gift of some kind. I try to do this every couple of weeks to give Abby something to look forward to. She's sick a lot, in and out of the hospital--or housebound. I can't imagine going through what she is experiencing--at any age--but then I imgine being only five...

The other day Madison and I were talking about Abby, and Madison thought I meant Abby from Sesame Street. I told her I'd pull up the real Abby's picture and let her see what she looked like. When I went to the blog--there was a picture of Abby holding one of the little gifts that we'd sent to her...and she looked happy.

Then Madison asked the question to which I had no answer..."MiMi, why is Abby sick?" How do you explain pain and suffering to a three year old?

Madison and MiMi will continue to color those pictures, write letters, and mail surprises to Abby. We will continue to pray for Abby and her family as well...and we will thank God for His many blessings.