the Gossip Ghouls

In the Spirit Of Halloween

As my fingers hit the keyboard, the Cardinals are tied with the Rangers. Last night's game was the best baseball game I had ever ever seen!! 5 hours later Friese knocked it out of the park. Hopefully the freeze will hit the Rangers! However if Rangers win I will be somewhat happy too...as a kid I remember looking at Nolan Ryan's Baseball card. Attending Astro's games....and a fond memory of my Aunt Celie in her sewing room while listening to the baseball game.

Now here is St. Louis it would be bliss to be able to hear Jack Buck again. I remember a story once of people who would go to the baseball games and yet have their hand held radio with them so they could listen to Jack Buck broadcasting the games.

Whew, Sport talk over and now on to Halloween.

The Halloween Bug has definitely bitten me. This is the first time I have ever decorated for Halloween, and it has snowballed fast.

We figured since we are ripping out the wall paper why not go all out.

With the help of a dollar store, produce stand and a printer it was a blast bringing it all together.

Well, Back to the game.

Until next time,
Heidi

Finally!! A Halloween Offering

Click here to See Me On Ebay

Some Sweetness From Suga Buga

~~the First Day of School Pictures~~2011

I will just say now, that it is very hard to take pictures of Christopher. I generally have to corner him, beg him or just take a quick shot while he smiles.

For the First Day of school Christopher opted for the typical teenage boy look. Hair brushed with pillow it looks like, old shirt with small holes, comfy jeans and he was wearing brand new tennis shoes of course.

Gabby and Sophia were fashionistas.


I must admit I did worry about the kids all day. Wondering if things were going good for them, did they meet new friends??????

However while I was doing this worrying I was in the comfort of a 2 hour long bath!! Wow, it was so nice just take a very deep breath, relax and scream for calgon to take me away.

Back to the grind today. Here in the next few days I plan on finishing up dolls. Also, the dolls that were listed on the prim nest on 2nd will be found on ebay tonight so be sure to take a peek.

School Of thoughts

***updated...this rambling mess hopefully makes more sense now. In the midst of my tear stained face and blurry vision from crying like a baby I was just trying to get my thoughts down quickly as possible before I forgot it all.*****
P.S. I am originally from TEXAS..that explains the HUGE HAIR

Well, the familiar sight and sounds of the beginning of the school year are flying by at Warp Speed. When summer first started it seemed so long before the kids had to go back to school. With all of the Back to school Sales, cooler temps and signs of Autumn in the horizon, it is enough to give me butterflies!!

My Oldest, Christopher will be starting high school. Before my eyes he has transformed from my first born baby son to a young adult who is taller then me and has a very startling deep voice. I am asking HIM to lift heavy things for me and saw my spindles in half ; cheap labor, however the trade is pretty fair, free room and board, clothes, games, food, hot showers and i am the mom and thats that!!

With having
3 kiddos, all dispersed at different schools there is going to be alot of running around. Sophia in 2ND at the Elementary School. Gabby in 7Th at the Jr. high. Christopher in 9th at the High school, Open House was a blur and race to go from one school to the next with about 3 hours, it was an up hill battle.

It would have been more work too if Christopher did not insist that I should not go with him.

Mom (Me) : Why


Christopher: Mom...everyone will know I am a Freshman.



the last time he was in my eye sight he was high fiving it with a few friends saying "wuz Up" Then never saw him again.



**Sigh** i guess this means he is well adjusted....which is a good thing but i feel like he is a bird who just wants to fly out of the nest and i wonder if he knows how to use wings.

Gabby has decided to get a new look for the new year. Now that she is in middle school there are things that you can no longer wear because they are not "cool" So, Now she has got a new look. A whole new make over. I see her being so confident and really enjoying her self and not taking life to seriously. She is grown up way beyond I was at the age...or maybe ever will be.

Then My Baby....Sophia....My Greek goddess of Wisdom....her Name serves her well. She catches on so quick....and shoot, forget about spelling stuff out now if you don't won't her to understand. Also with having older siblings things that are now babyish for Gabby are now babyish for Sophia too. And what ever came from Gabby's wardrobe that was "cool" Sophia is like "I am wearing this the first day of school."

Going to open house with Sophia was wonderful. The smell of play dough crafts, little water fountains lining the walls. Friendly teachers who let little kids be kids. I saw Kids with bags of supplies and nervous parents asking lots of questions.
Now, I too am a nervous parent. but not with Sophia. She really can command attention and strive academically with out even trying to achieve to do so.
I took it all in feeling confident that we are going to be fine


All 3 of my kids are at 3 Different levels. Everything is so brand new and moving so fast at the same time. It seems like it will be slipping away soon. The kids become older and more independent with each passing day. I feel as though that I am just on the side lines to keep them in bounds and let them make the the best decisions that my husband and I have taught them , and if they veer out of bounds I am going to be the referee in their face, yelling, "DIDN'T I TEACH YOU DIFFERENT."

As a parent coming from an abusive household my main goal's to raise kids who are happy with themselves and have high self esteems and there is no limitations or boundaries they can do. To raise kids to come to us first before they go to their friends. And for me, is to be honest with them and to let them know what I really think and morally what matters and what doesn't.

I recently became one of the 85% of people who now own cell phones and have now become aware of the annoying mean messages kids can send.

I am also now aware of the possessive power that these phones can have over my children, It seems that they cannot live without them. I think they just need to get it implanted right by their ear, or better yet right in there hand. Both Chris And Gabby when carrying in groceries apparently have one arm they can use to bring in the groceries and the other for holding the phone, I am sure Awaiting an urgent phone call or text.



all in all.......................................


Life is Good..Gotta love it all...but with each passing second I am trying so hard to hang onto to what is going on now because the future is rapidly moving forward and the past is so often forgotten.

But here is to a new year. I am going to miss them dearly I may actually even feel lonely......BUT.....Their sleeping in all day, feeding frenzy while being plugged into a game system won't be missed.

Prim Nest Offerings

Lemons & Loopholes

Well, What do you do when life gives your lemons with Funny Bumps on them? Of course Draw a funny face on it
( I think I played way to much Ink Blotz as a kid. You can take any object and I have this habit of turning it into something else....so tell me, what do you see?)

( I think I see Big Birds love child.....).....

Anyway

Christopher got up early, nope no way was he going to get stuck doing the dishes this morning. He rose at a decent hour, 8:15.

he looked at the sink, and checked on Gabby, she was still fast asleep. I went ahead and told Christopher to take the trash out and poop scoop. He did with out any lip.

At 9:15 Gabby rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She noticed she was going to be the one stuck doing dishes.

This is where Christopher felt like he found a loophole. In his mind, he figured Gabby was the last one awake she would be stuck doing dishes, which is true. BUT HE WAS GOING TO HIT SNOOZY LAND as soon as Gabby Got up.

I told him..you have to help dry.......

Christopher was all like " I am tired"


I said 'take a nap later, but if you go to sleep now you will be the last one up and will have to dishes. '

Christopher "well, I won't be tired later......"

See, one kid may have to wash, but the other one has to dry.

Well lets just say


score
Mom 1
Kids 0

Lazy Summer days

Well, Enough is Enough all ready. After about a month of no schedule what so ever I am about to lose my ever loving mind.

the kids seem to have free rein of the house. they eat alot. Stay up late, sleep in....

So I am hoping this will start giving one of the kiddos incentive for waking up earlier.

Maters & Friends

Well, Not sure where to start, not even sure where July went.

It was turbulent time with my Mom and I think the rickety bridge that was there has fallen and perhaps it fell in the depths in the Earth and put on fire.

Its Hot!! When each day the temps have been hitting about 100, then add the heat degree index. I think the old saying has to be true, its not the HEAT, ITS THE HUMIDITY. When you walk out side it feels like a giant puppy dog breathing on you (probably Clifford). The drastic change from being in an air conditioned environment then walking outside is like Ape scent gorilla slapping you in the face. Showers don't take. Sure you shower and get rid of sticky stinky sweat and for the first 5 minutes when you walk out of the bathroom you feel so revived and fresh...then the feeling fastly fleets. I am sweating in places I did not know you could even sweat at! lol

I am sorry when I say this But I could bear winter much better then summer. Once your naked and hot..there is nothing else to take off. During winter, if you are still cold..just pile more clothes or blankets and drink something hot.

The Garden is a pooper this year. Sure, my herbs did fine. My tomatoes not so much..and maybe just not as good as I had hoped and wanted. With the wicked weather late in spring then these demanding oppressive temperatures things have just flopped. Maybe too my heart was not into as much...and maybe too that I bought some rotten producers. I thought for sure I would have had tons of tomatoes by now. But Mr. Stripey is a big deceiver. Sure he gets real big and bushy, but then most of his blooms fall and want little is producing is slowly getting eating by bugs. Then there is the German Queen...hmmm I have another select name for her.

the tomatoes that are doing the best for me is my Grape tomato plant and my Cherokee purple. oh and a tomato plant I did not even plant, it just came up all on its own. I think it a Campari Tomato.

So, Now I have been picking my tomatoes even though that they are not ripened and put them in brown paper bags to mature. At least this way I know I grew it for us and not the bugs outside.

Not to be a total whiny butt, so something positive now. the cucumber produced way above and beyond what I had hoped and expected. I found a great recipe for a Cucumber & Avocado soup. Sounds so refreshing and delightful. However, by this time last year I had already a couple batches of gazpacho and not one batch yet.

With the excessive heat appetites have slowed down. Even by the kids. I have had a loaf bread that has almost lasted a week!! Wow!!

Tonight for dinner however I am making salad Nicoise. The Heidi Way/
It is going to be such a sexy meal too!! I love taking fresh ingredients and combining the flavors.

So, I ventured over to the next town over to pick up some yellow fin tuna steaks.
came home and got to work on prepping. Now the vinaigrette is traditional, but the serving will be different plus I added in my own flare of flavors that I love.

First...
Marinated the tuna in Evvo and salt/pepper

got started on the cannellini bean salad. this is the part of course that is not traditional, but this is where my "tomato" part of the salad will be found.

Cannelllini beans
fresh maters diced
couple of table spoons of purple onion minced
Fresh Basil
Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Evvo
Lemon juice
crumbled Parmesan
salt
pepper


then for the Potato and Green bean part
again, made a salad like.

Fingerling red potatoes boiled briefly
green beans blanched
4 small scallions diced
then mixed with vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

Evvo
Lemon juice squeezed
Fresh thyme and Rosemary
tablespoon of minced shallots
Dijon Mustard


there will be Baby arugula and Boston lettuce dressed very lightly as they will wilt when the Hot grilled tuna is put on. A small serving of cured black olives.

Good Music...A glass of Vino.
Life is Good.

the break down of this fine and wonderful meal. I know the Meal sounded extravagant, but it came in at under 7 dollars a head. for 6 servings it cost 6.41

2.00 2 cans if Cans cannellini beans
5.00 Good Aged Parmesan cheese
2.00 4 lemons
2.50 Fingerling Potatoes
1.50 Fresh Green Beans
3.50 Arugula
2.00 French loaf
18.00 yellow Fin tuna 6 Steaks

I did not include the Olive oil or olives. Most of the time anyway these are staples we have on hand, even lemons and parmasean. Was just out this day.

Bacon Bits

Summer is in full swing and schedules completely thrown off...

to do something different Gabby illustrated a short bit by Jim Gaffigan. The bacon bit is one of our favorites. When I volunteered to do the technical work, I did not realize that a 2 minute bit would have taken 6 hours!! So, hence there will be a part 2 because my pillow is calling me to check the back of my eyelids for cracks.

Gone Fishing!

Summer Days ~~ Dollar Daze~~

Finally an ebay listing after all of these months.

I think the record breaking temps since 1811 hase made me
go in some sort of Daze....

Dollar Days listing that is...

Stay cool!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110700039419&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

Do You Hear What I Hear? `~ SICKA OF CICADAS

Well, here in the great mid west of Missouri Weather is severe
and so is the CICADAS.

FOR 'BOUT 2 WEEKS THE SOUNDS of a chirping has been going on. The Cicadas have left their 13 year hibernation from underground and have invaded.

there is a swarm.

Thank God they don't bite. (even though I scream like a little school girl when one hits me...My fear is in the midst of my horror movie scream one will go flying in my mouth)

They come out and molt, and of course mate.

if you shake a bush or take a broom or stick to a tree and hit it like a pinata they all come out.


The squirrels love it!! they pick there little molted crustacean bodies off the tree and eat them. the birds seem to be happy too, I have seen a robin flying in and picking up an exoskeleton.

they seem to be calming down. The 2 weeks is almost up, I hope all find a mate and go underground for another 13 years.

~*~ New Friends ~*~