Wax Paper and Sandwiches

As a little kid I can remember after my mom finished the dinner dishes, she would get ready to prepare my dad's work lunch.  

She would pull out the old black lunch pail  and clean it out.  Then she would find the little Tupperware pie container to put a piece of pie from dinner into it.  Then she would put a couple of sandwiches together.  She would make them perfect for my dad.   Then she would get the wax paper out and pull out enough to wrap each sandwich.  She would wrap them like a present.  I guess it was like a present for dad.  He had a very good lunch prepared by the woman who loved him.  Sometimes she would slip a note into the lunch pail for him. 

Oh, the simple days.  I miss them. 

                                 Grandma's Card Parties

When I was growing up it was always fun to spend the weekend when my grandma would be having a card party.   I remember how much fun it was to help her shop and prepare the food.   

We would go to the local Felpaush Grocery store in Hastings.  Grabbing a shopping cart Grandma would put be in the basket and I would get to go for the ride going down the many colorful aisles of food watching Grandma carefully choosing the items she would need to make her menu.  

I had a lot of fun helping her pick out different treats for the party.  My Grandma's favorite was Brach's Candy.   I can remember trying to help her decide which box to choose.  All looked so good to me.  I would have been happy to have one of each!  After a bit of thinking Grandma would let me pick out two boxes.  One for the card party and the other for me for later.   

For some reason I can remember those boxes of wonderful chocolate.  It was a big deal to a kid.  It seemed so special in that box.  

After we got back from the store Grandma would whip up a couple different batches of cookies.  She would get the percolator going with steaming coffee.   I would help her set up the table with her special tea cups and plates.  We would put a fancy table cloth on one of the card tables for the food and then set up the others for the card players.  

It all seemed so special.  And as I look back at those days now, it was special!  To spend time with my Grandma and get to be included in the "big peoples" fun!   They would always let me play and Grandma would set next to me to give me a helping hand.   

I miss those days... I miss my Grandma.    It is sad that those days are no more. 

  

No News Is GOOD NEWS!!

I have been wondering why things seem to be changing so much in this country compared to years past.  It seems like there is so much anger in the world.  I know there has always been killings, traffic accidents, bad weather, robberies etc... but there seems to be so much of it now.
So my conclusion is that we are inundated with news everywhere we turn.  We now have 24 hours of news on multiple channels along with news all over social media.  I feel it is way more then any human can handle. 
As I think back to childhood, I don't remember everyone mad all the time and stressed out.  I think the difference is that we had only three channels and each had news only three times a day for usually an hour and that would include a half hour of local news.  Also, the news didn't move that quickly like today.  We didn't have cell phones that can broadcast anything and everything in seconds on social media.    We now have 24 hours to fill with every little thing that may be going on.
Since we have multi-channels of news to fill 24 hours a day we get to learn about Aunt Jane's cat getting hit by a car or Joe's grocery store getting robbed.  These are the type of news stories we would get in our local news or in the newspaper, not on the national news.
 Due to having to fill 24 hours a day we get to hear about everything, not just once but over and over again and in many different ways. And now news is more entertainment.  We don't get just the facts.  We get everyone's opinions and spin put into the news. We get to listen to a group of people who will set and argue over different things that are going on.  All this anger going on is so sad.   I miss the good old days when Walter Cronkite would just give us the facts and not a bunch of his opinions along with it.
I feel that because of this our country is losing its mind.   I know everyone wants to blame it on the president, but I feel it has been going on for quite some time.   Because we have all this bad news going on all day long everywhere we turn it is going to sooner or later start to affect people.  It is going to push people into doing things that they may have never thought of,  being copycats because they hear it over and over again until they think it might be a cool way to be seen or heard.
I could go on and on about this subject but it won't change anything.  Until people start to see how 24 hours of news is affecting people and that something should be done about it, I am afraid nothing will change.  It will only get worse.  I would like to ban 24 hours a day news and go back to the good old days,  just broadcast the news three times a day for an hour.  That is plenty of time to hear bad news!

Color Index XL by Jim Krause Book Review

I was excited to get this book for my daughter who is involved in the film industry. She is always editing videos. I have also done ceramic for many years. Jim Krause has over 1, 100 color Palettes and has HD colors with CMYK and RGB. You will find light, bright, dark and a variety of muted colors. The edge of the page has edge indexing for quick access.  

This is a very handy book,  especially for anyone who is a designer, artist or like to look at colors.

  

   

   

  

Jim Krause

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jim Krause has worked as a designer in the Pacific Northwest since the 1980s. He has produced award-winning work for clients large and small, including Microsoft, McDonald's, Kodak, Cingular Wireless, Washington Apples, Levi Strauss, Paccar/Kenworth, and Seattle Public Schools. Jim Krause has written over 15 books on design, creativity, and digital photography. His books are widely popular and are on sale around the world. Several have been translated into multiple languages.

Krause's latest books are Color Index XL, Lessons in Typography, Visual Design and Color For Designers.

When Jim isn't working on books, he can usually be found riding or racing either a motorcycle or a bicycle, hiking, reading, roasting coffee beans in his backyard, drinking espresso, or doing an art project of some kind or another. Check out his website at: Click Here

“I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review”

Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker Book Review

This is another wonderful cookbook by Martha Stewart.  Inside this book is pages of wonderful recipes for your slow cooker.

I love cooking in my crock-pot and am always looking for new recipes In this book I found a large variety of different meal ideas.

There are 7 different sections - meat, poultry, seafood, meatless, side dishes, breakfast, sweets, and stocks & sauces.

Each section has wonderful color illustrations, and simple instructions.  I like it because not every recipe calls for ingredients I have never heard of.  

Another great cookbook from Martha Stewart!


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review"

Victuals by Ronni Lundy

This is such an amazing cookbook by Ronni Lundy.  I love the history of where the recipes came from.  It is so visual with descriptions of the mountain communities.

Most of the recipes have ingredients that are easy to find and won't break the bank to purchase them.  If you have a green thumb, start a garden and most ingredients will be in your own back yard!

I also loved the illustrations.  Colorful pictures of the Appalachian Mountains, and the wonderful yummy looking recipes. 

I highly recommend this cookbook.  It is an enjoyable read and many great recipes to make.

“I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.”

My Ideal For Campaign Reform.. A Rant!

Ok.. here is my political rant .. we need campaign reform!! Here is my proposal

1. Campaigning can last no more then 2 months
2. Each candidate will agree upon a certain amount they will be allowed to spend on campaigning
3. There will be no negative campaigning. Only about the issues that affect the American people
4. Each candidate will be allowed 4 ads to be shown for free on all networks. These networks will be the same for each candidate. Each will get the same time on a different day and will change each week.
5. No candidate will be allowed to be on any television show. They are not entertainers.
6. Each will be allowed to be on 4 different news shows and only talk about what they are planning on doing for the country. No knocking the other candidates down.
7. There will be only 2 debates to narrow the candidates, both debates will be hosted by a non media person. Only questions relevant to the polices they purpose will be allowed. No personal attacks or fighting. No interrupting by commentator or candidate. Each will get 3 minutest and 1 minute to respond. The debate will only last a total of 1 hour
8. There will be only 2 debates of the Presidential candidates and will be run the same as above.

I am sure I can come up with some more rules but that is a good start. I truly think this campaign has been going on way to long. Because of this we have lost what the candidates are standing for. Instead of the issues and the proposals they are making, we are more worried about their “deplorable” personality which I feel both have! It is so sad that we are stuck with 2 people that no one really want in office. I am sure we are the laughing stock around the world. It is an embarrassment that both people we have to choose from have so much baggage.

The media has been having a field day with all the scandals they are digging up on both candidates. Half the battle is trying to weed out the truth and not the media bias. They are so good with editing things and only letting you hear and see what they want you to see or hear.

It is so sad that people are so frustrated that they are personally attacking each other and calling them names just because of who the happen to pick as the least of the evils. It really shouldn't have to be the least of the evils.. so sad. There is way to much hate out there...and both candidates are to blame.

We need to pray for our nation and hope that it can survive the next 4 years...

That is the end of my rant... Please don't yell at me..