Christmas 2017

It's time to decide what my Christmas cards will look like. This takes some time. I design the card words and take it down to Office Max and have them printed on my card stock. Soooo much easier.
This year my cards might be about the weather we have had this year here in Texas.
If you have any ideas let me know on FB.

Cell Phone

Yes, I am the last hold out. I do not have data on my cell phone. I do, however have a larger phone so I can text. Hubby still has the flip phone.

I can't take my cell phone in to my work place for security reasons. It gets pretty hot in my car these days here in south Texas. I need make a cover or a material cover for my phone and another side for my drivers license. No need taking my entire purse to work 1.4 miles away. If I need anything I can go home for it.

I joined CraftForum.com today and hope to get lots of ideas.
We plan on retiring in a couple years and buying a home.. Yep, out of this tin can (travel trailer) and into a real house. I am making my list of things I plan on making....kind of a war chest. Fortunately, years ago I learned domestic skills from my Mother and my Nana. I plan on going back to basics and living the slow busy life. Canning, freezing, dehydrating makes for a busy life. Hubby likes to garden and I can put up all the food and make all of our linens and things for the inside of the house. Possibly rag rugs for the hard wood floors, if I feel up to it.

Wish me luck...my list is long.

Preparing for Christmas

What in September? Yes, September. Christmas sneaks up on me way to fast.

It's time to organize my craft bucket, AGAIN. Since I make my Christmas cards I need to inventory my supplies. This will probably mean I will spend a day at Hobby Lobby.

On  Pinterest or Esty I find most of my inspiration. Here are some examples of my cards.

Most of the time I use flat pictures and try to embellish them a bit after I print the on card stock at Office Max. 

This year I hope to make my kids and grand kids something simple.

Learning New Knitting Stitches

Cables are fairly simple. I have decided to make place mats using the honeycomb cable on each side with an edge and stockinette stitch in the middle. It is going to take some concentration. I am using 3 knitted stitches for the edging.

Here is a Honeycomb Cable headband. This cable will be on the side. Nothing as fancy as this one.
Wish me luck.

Projects Projects Projects

You know how it is....I should do this and that and it never gets done.
I bought a planner and hopefully this will help me. The challenge is to open it up daily.

First I organized my folders on my desk top of sites I liked. Example: Herb Tinctures, Herbal remedies, crafts, recipes, my some-day-farm ideas, and so on.

I need to force myself to complete my finger-less gloves and wash all my knitted/crochet projects and lay them out to dry. Some go to children and some for my HOPE CHEST. (hoping we will have a house to move to this year instead of our tin can)

Research soap making. I would really like to make goat milk soap with natural fragrances. I know I need a few items and a special pot for the soap...so off to the thrift store for that. This will take time to read several blogs who specialize in soap making. 

Wish me luck.

Yarn 101

This next Christmas I intend on making most of the gifts for my children and their families. 

I never was much of a knitter or crocheter, but knew the basics. Usually I bought the cheapest yarn for items I made.

Lately I have been knitting and crocheting cotton yarn. It has a different feel and if I use it in the Texas humidity it sticks to the needles.

Today I picked up a book at the library called THE KNITTER'S BOOK OF YARN.
I need to expand my horizons with yarn. Today I am learning about fibers. Amazing information.

It is a pretty thick book so wish me well. Books have a tendency to put me to sleep. lol 

Christmas in July

For this procrastinator I better start now on my Christmas gifts.
Three grand children, two children, and one adult. I can't say what I am making because they can read this post.
I have been practicing on slippers. I have a pattern for a one piece slipper. I am going to try this out and them adjust it. It is pretty simple.

Here is the pic.

Cotton wash cloths

I have been making several different patterns in this cotton yarn.
I made several for a niece who just got married. I am hoping she will send me pics. I forgot to get them.


Here are the montage I made. 

 I haven't washed them yet. That's why you see the curling edges.
Now I am on to place mats with larger needles and double thread. I know you can go faster if you crochet, but knitting gives you the ability to make so many different designs. 

Latest Craft

We have a new grand baby, our first girl. Yes, pink is her color with all that dark hair.
I made the other boys afghans when they were born years ago. I made her a pink fleece blanket that I jazzed up a bit and personalized it for her.
I don't post family pictures on the internet so all you get is these pics.

I am now jazzed about knitting and have been practicing my skills making a simple scarf. I intend on putting crocheted edging around it. Oh well, we will see how that goes.

Christmas project

I have a new grand daughter and she will be 7 months at Christmas. Since we currently live in TX and will be going back to the west coast for Christmas I have decided to make one of the following boots. I think I will add some leather on the bottom for safety.
Later a cute girl hat and hats for both grand sons.
I better get going, lots to do.

I have been busy

Here is a good joke for these hot summer days.

Excitotoxins

Excitotoxins are amino acids that also serve as neurotransmitters in the brain. The nervous system needs amino acid neurotransmitters to operate. But when the dose is too high or builds from excessive daily intake, these amino acids cross the blood brain barrier and excite the neurons of brain cells to a point of absolute exhaustion. Then those brain neurons eventually die.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/026216_MSG_aspartame_excitotoxin.html#ixzz37NsBjz6G

 

What are examples of excessive stimulation? From Real Food Whole Health

 

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is used almost exclusivly in processed foods including batter for frying foods like CHICKEN. KFC doses can make you so thirsty you will really need that 60oz coke with High Frutose Corn Syrup. But thats a topic I will bring up later.

Asparatame is another cuplrit.

There are over 40 hidden names for MSG on food labels.

Glutamic acid (E 620)
Glutamate (E 620)
Monosodium glutamate (E 621)
Monopotassium glutamate (E 622)
Calcium glutamate (E 623)
Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)
Magnesium glutamate (E 625)
Natrium glutamate
Yeast extract
Anything “hydrolyzed”
Any “hydrolyzed protein”
Calcium caseinate,  Sodium caseinate
Yeast food, Yeast nutrient
Autolyzed yeast
Gelatin
Textured protein
Soy protein, soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Whey protein, whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate
Anything “…protein”
Vetsin
Ajinomoto

Disodium 5’-guanylate (E 627)
Disodium 5’-inosinate (E-631)
Disodium 5′-ribonucleotides (E 635)

AND MY FAVORITE:  NATURAL FLAVORING.
Natural to what. If they can't produce a specific flavor then its made up and added to the product so you will want to keep eating it.

 

Remember the commerical: You can't only eat just one potato chip! Yep MSG is the reason. It makes you want to eat more which leads to more sodas.

 

When you eat real, whole foods, you automatically avoid MSG, asparatme and other excitotoxins. No need to memorize the whole list of different food additives and E numbers, simply skip the processed junk and EAT REAL FOOD!

 

RULE OF THUMB: If you can't make the ingredient or buy the ingredient in some store that is on your food lable DONT BUY IT.

I even read the lable of ingredients on packaged frozen food also. Even Trader Joe's products.

 

 

Calving on my Adopted Ranch

Boy oh boy is it calving season. I saw a new calf born every several hours yesterday. The cows were head butting the vultures coming in for extra protein.

This ranch has no breeding control. Calves are born throughout the year. Most of them are born in the spring. Some look like Red-Headed-Step Children. Seems the bull was not all Black Angus. Apparently, a Herford jumped the fence. They are so darn cute. Here is a picture we took last year. A white tail! wow

The owners must take these little guys somewhere else. I haven’t seen any of the lighter calves. I don’t understand that.. hehe Any ideas please comment.

Last Year's Calf

They keep the newborns away from the herd for a while until they can keep up. Since the calves are not familiar with the cars and truck, she/she is kept away from the road. We will not get good pictures yet unless I happen to see one born. It’s so rainy today I don't think I will go out.

We should get between 2-4 inches of rain by Saturday. Good thing our travel trailer is over a foot off the ground. This RV Park has been grades so the water drains to into the ditches. If it rains very hard, as it did a few days ago, you would think we were in the middle of a large pool. I love the rain, but not the humidity it brings.

Pre-packed Processed Food Damage

If you look at the ingredients label for a processed, packaged food, chances are that you won’t have a clue what some of the ingredients are.
That’s because many of the ingredients in there aren’t actual food… they are artificial chemicals that are added for various purposes.
This is an example of a processed food, an Atkins Advantage bar, which is actually marketed as a low-carb friendly health food.

Keep in mind that processed foods can contain dozens of additional chemicals that aren’t even listed on the label.
For example, “artificial flavor” is a proprietary blend. Manufacturers don’t have to disclose exactly what it means and it is usually a combination of chemicals.
For this reason, if you see “artificial flavor” on an ingredients list, it could mean that there are 10 or more additional chemicals that are blended in to give a specific flavor.

Thank you: authoritynutrition.com

ADHD

For more than 30 years, scientists have examined the relationship between food coloring and hyperactive behavior in children, but with mixed results. To date, no conclusive evidence has been found to show that food coloring causes ADHD. Some studies, though, have suggested an association between the two. Most likely, ADHD is caused by the combination of changes in brain structure, environmental factors, and heredity.

Can food dye cause hyperactivity?

A study by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency in 2007 showed that the consumption of foods containing dyes could increase hyperactive behavior in children. In the study of 3-, 8- and 9-year-olds, children were given three different types of beverages to drink. Then their behavior was evaluated by teachers and parents.

 

One of the drink mixtures contained artificial food colorings, including:

• Sunset yellow (E110)
• Carmoisine (E122)
• Tartrazine (E102)
• Ponceau 4R (E124)

It also contained the preservative sodium benzoate. The second drink mixture included:

• Quinoline yellow (E104)
• Allura red (E129)
• Sunset yellow
• Carmoisine

Read more @ http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/food-dye-adhd

Babies on the ranch

Spring is fun here. New colt and now a brand new calf. I bet it isn't more than 2 hours old. As soon as they are born the cow takes the newborn away from the birth site. The vultures and other birds want the afterbirth. After about 3 hours the calf was ready to walk across the field to a safer area. Mama kept a close eye on this little guy. She seemed to be a new mother, not very old.

About 2 hours old

Trying to get his feet working

Okay I am ready Mom.

Donate, Run, and Walk for Cancer?

Most people have either known or lost an acquaintance or family member to cancer. In my husband’s and my family we have lost 6 to cancer and 3 survived, a total of 9.

Our first response to cancer is anger then it changes to guilt, wondering if there is anything we can do for the so-called “War on Cancer”.

Here is my question to those folks who recruit for cancer events. “What would oncologists, drug companies, hospitals who rely on grants and government money to fund their surgeries, and best of all the money donated by good intentional people or government for research do if one day we had a cure for cancer? After decades of $$$ where is the cure?  Does anyone think the American Cancer Society would willingly close shop?  I don’t think so. They can’t afford a cure. Sure there are a few cancers that they can beat back, but believe me there is NEVER a cure.

As for my husband and I, we prefer to take a proactive approach to cancer. Instead of paying thousands of dollars for good medical care we spend our money on organic groceries and supplements. What goes on your body and in your body may not always prevent cancer, but it can sure help.

I have been reading about naturally curing and preventing cancer ever since my father died in 2001. Over time we have changed things here and there. Some may say we are over the edge, but I would rather be over the edge than under a knife.

Currently we live in a travel trailer awaiting our investments to save us so we can move to a country home with property where we can raise our produce and chickens plus barter or buy meat. Also make most of the products I need. Here is my “To-Do” list:

Homemade

·        laundry/dish/body soaps

·        lotions/sunscreen/various body cleansers

·         All my curtains/kitchen supplies/rugs….

·        All my cleaning supplies

·        And other crafts

Definitely BACK TO THE BASICS

Fortunately, I learned how to sew, crochet, knit, and craft as a young girl. My grandmother always crocheted and my mother was so talented. She made clothes, baked, and could tackle any craft project. Yes, I haven’t practiced it recently; therefore YouTube will have to get me back into the swing. Living in a travel trailer doesn’t allow me the ability to do much.  This is very aggravating.  It actually doesn’t give me any enthusiasm, which I need to change.

Check out my cooking blog: www.TinCanCooking.blogspot.com

Lag time on posting

I an still recovering from a broken wrist the last couple days of January. Yep, an ice storm hit the Houston, TX area and I slipped. I was out of work for a month, without pay. I havent worked for the state of Texas very long...so it was tough.

It will take time to get full motion giving me the ability to crochet, sew, and knit. I am so antsy. I have a new grand baby and am dyeing to make her things. I guess my best bet would be to buy a newborn t-shirt in lavender and add a three tier ruffle on the bottom making it a dress. At least I can do that. Wish me luck!

Part 2 More Lifestyle Changes

When we previously made plans to retire we made a list of what fruits and veggies we wanted to grow for a self sufficient life. Things have changed now.  Of course, being over 60 makes a big difference. Gardening is a lot of work especially if we want to have chickens...yep its a full day.

Because we need to boost our immune systems we now have a different list. Why grow all the veggies in your garden when you can buy Community Supported Agriculture in your area.  Click on that link to get more information. In a nutshell you invest in local farms for the season. If the farm has a bad year so do you. NO REFUND. If it's a good year you benefit. You get what they grow. As the article says....VISIT THE FARM before you invest in the farmer. You would be surprised how many CSA's are in your local area. Some are specific and raise one or two items. Some are very big. Most deliver to areas around a big city. I live close to Houston, TX and the one I like has several drop off areas.

Some things you can't get at CSA's like herbs. All of the things we NOW want to grow are associated to immune systems. Berries, Apricots, Apples, Cherries, Grapes, Burdock Root, Turmeric, Ginger, and things like Lavender, Roses, and various plants for crafts and scents.

Toxins are everywhere and living at least 50 miles from Houston, TX is important. Possibly in a ranching area where there are not fields of PESTICIDE SATURATED Cotton, Soy, and Corn. Cattle, goats, and sheep raised on grass is a better choice. We do like the area north of Houston close to Fayetteville, or Brenham, TX. There they have rolling hills....Yep we miss the mountains in northern Nevada. We drive this area and dream. Its our pastime activity.

Change In Lifestyle

One night we were watching Carol Alt's program on TV. She had a guest who has written a book we were interested in. It's called: CANCER Step Outside The Box". What an eye opener.

We have been eating fairly healthy, but this book has us thinking outside the box.

Here is what our new lifestyles are like.

1. Juicing each morning using ONLY organic produce. Why eat that many veggies/fruit for your health and immune system that has pesticides and GMO seeds? Not us.

2. We now shop at Trader Joe's because their brands do not have GMO's in them. This is from Trader Joe's site.

 Our efforts began in 2001, when we determined that, given a choice, our customers would prefer to eat foods and beverages made without the use of genetically engineered ingredients. 
We are also unable to confirm that animal products (meat, dairy and some farmed fish) sold under the Trader Joe's label are raised on only non-GMO feed, due to the prevalence of GMOs in the commodity grain market, and the limited availability of verified non-GMO feed. For customers looking to avoid products from animals fed GMOs, we continue to carry organic meat and dairy products (organic standards prohibit the intentional use of GMOs) and wild-caught seafood. All organic products, regardless of brand, are by definition non-GMO

3. We buy our water from Whole Food's inside water machine. They have RO/DI water.
Today I brought 8-1gal ball jars from Walmart for $40.44...not bad. No more water in plastic. Also two glass water bottles each for us to take to work. How do I know if the water we buy in plastic wasn't sitting in the sun on the way to Costco? (Our RV doesn't have room for a water filter under the sink)

4. I wash all our produce, even the organic, in a warm natural soapy water after we come home from the grocery store.

5. I bought apricot hulls (cancer killers) from Amazon. Currently we have a coffee grinder for our coffee beans, but not one for the seeds. I don't think I want to mix them so I brought a separate one for the seeds. Hubby will add those to his juice along with his immune building powders and grape seed extract.

6. Most of our veggies are eaten raw. I do, however, steam veggies occasionally. I gave up my aluminum ricer/steamer and bought a stainless steel ricer. We don't use plastic to heat things in our microwave and I don't cook with aluminum anymore, including foil.

Life is very different, but this is just the beginning. There will be other changes later. Baby steps is the best way.

We both take our lunches to work so I have a specific regimen to follow on weekends.

1. Friday after work I do laundry. Remember I live in an RV Park and they have a club house with washers and dryers. This way I have a real weekend...well as real as it can get.

2. Saturday we go to breakfast, eating our antitoxins and enzymes, to counter what they serve. We then go to Trader Joe's, which is about 20 miles from us. 

3. Sunday is cooking and preparation day. I make things for lunches, cook the muffins and make the no-cook granola bars with almond flour/toasted walnuts and oats/Chi Seeds/dried fruit/and raw honey. This makes it easy in the morning.We just put our lunches together, juice, and eat breakfast. We get up at 5:15 am. Yep, that's early. Hubby leaves at 6:45 and I leave at 7:45. Someday I hope to find a job with the state in our little area that has hours closer to hubby's so we can commute.


So that's the beginning. A lot more to come

Spring in Texas

I am so happy to see green grass and flowers, what a winter. There is one good thing about freezing temperatures FROZEN LARVA which means not as many bugs this summer.
Last weekend was just beautiful inspiring us to take a day drive from our home and several towns north of us up to Fayetville, TX, population 279.

 

Not bad for pics from my window as we are driving. Everything was just so green. Amazing.

 



 

And the smell of the country was the best. I was raised next to a dairy as a child and then lived out of town while growing up. We had a cow, horses, and sheep. Nothing better than smell of grass and dirt.