Life Without Mayo
January 31, 2008 By
To me, mayonnaise was a food group all to itself. I used it on everything.
I think it started way back when I was seven. I had been really sick, and for some reason mayonnaise sandwiches didn’t make me sick. So I got hooked on mayo sandwiches. My love for mayonnaise transpired into everything I ate. French Fries meant blobs of mayo. Chicken, covered in mayo was my favorite food. When meatloaf was served, the mayo jar was right next to me. So my love for mayo was born.
There is a few food items I have not put mayo on, like cold cereal, but most everything I ate required mayo on it. And I mean mayo. I would glob it on so it would ooze out the sandwich. If it didn’t ooze, it wasn’t enough.
For now, those days gone. Being that I am actually reading labels much more carefully, I realized how much fat I was putting in my body. I am on a mission to lose weight, and even a teaspoon of mayonnaise has 11 grams of fat, and 50 fat calories. And it isn’t like mayo adds any fiber or other benefits to my diet. So out it goes.
Sorry Helmans.
Celebrate Effingham
January 23, 2008 By
We have been on the Celebrate Effingham committee now for almost a year, and it is always a fun time. We get out of the house and meet with friends. You can read about Celebrate Effingham by going to the website. It is a marvelous organization for our little town.
Last year in the fall, we put together a Chili Cook-Off last year, and it was a big hit. This year, I look forward to heading that committee again. Next month we are putting on a Variety Show, and that should be fun. I was trying to come with an act to be in the show, but I am a tad shy in front of a whole audience. Most people would never think that, since I am not exactly shy, but being in front of a whole audience gives me the shivers.
We hope to put on many venues during the year to raise money for Parks and Rec, and other organizations.
Dressing The Victorian Husband
January 23, 2008 By
I figured since I was doing research on women’s clothes in the 1860′s, I should probably include men’s clothes so that the husband will have something to wear that fits in.?? There are patterns for men’s clothes at Simplicity.com website. I have made a few on that page for me and for him. As of yet, I have not made any trousers for him. Not that he goes around without pants, they just aren’t 1860′s pants. If one is going for a look, one should have a complete look.
The dress I made is the third one down on the right. And down a little further, you will see the men’s clothes. I won’t get them done for his birthday, but hopefully by Spring. We are planning on being on the Effingham Friends of the Library House and Garden Tour come June, and want to dress “in costume”. I dress like that all the time anyway, so it won’t be hard for me. We have just joined the Friends of the Library (FOL for short), and look forward to the adventure.
Learn the Gimp
January 22, 2008 By
No, the Gimp is not a new dance craze. It is a photo editing tool that I am learning, and is great.
I have been working on learning. I started about a week ago. I opened it up, and played around with it, but wasn’t really into doing much at that moment. You can take a photo, and re-colorize things, crop things in and out, such as unsightly wires. That is what I was spending the morning learning how to use it. Once I got the hang of it, Gimp was rather easy to use.
I had taken a picture of our house after one of the last big storms. The picture was beautiful, except for the wires over the house. So, I sat down this morning, and took the wires out. I also cropped out the road in front of the house. You can see the diffference by visiting Cloverleaf Farm.
Next I will learn about how the paint tool really works. I played with it a bit this morning, but other things prevail me playing with Gimp right now. I want to paint the house an ocra color with dark golden trim. We would like to paint the house, and by using Gimp, we can paint it any color we want and if we don’t like that we can try any number of combos until we get the right color. It will be a good way to see it before we paint it.
Our Neigborhood
January 21, 2008 By
This is our neighborhood circa 1917
This is our neighborhood circa 2007
As you can see not much has changed in our neighborhood 90 years. The road is wider, and now paved, and the trees have changed a bit, but other than that things remain the same. Most of the people are the same as well. Some are in Maine, and the others in New Hampshire, but we are still one neighborhood. The state line runs down the middle of the road, but it doesn’t divide the neighborhood.
Living in a small community is nice. There is nothing else like it. You know the neighbors, and they care about you. If you haven’t been seen in a couple days, they wonder if you are alright.
I grew up in a similar kind of neighborhood, and it is nice to know that these kind of places still exist. We all helped one another when it was needed. This neighborhood is no different. If we need help, they are there for us, and we are there for them.
Who are the people in the neighborhood? [Read more...]
Every Man His Own Doctor
January 18, 2008 By
I am by nature a curious person. I want to know what and why. Having someone tell me the grass is green is not enough, I want to know why. I have an insatiable desire for the most obscure knowledge, but there are times when it has paid off. [Read more...]
Why Does It Excite Me Still
January 14, 2008 By
Growing up in Southeastern Massachusetts, we as kids didn’t get the snow that the kids up here in the north are use to. Even so, we still had school cancellations from snow, and we were always excited when it happened. I still remember listening to the local radio station to see if the snow brought with it a school cancellation. Those magical words “there is no school in all schools” brought anticipation of a day of sledding, skating and other winter wonderland activities. It brought joy to every kid in the area.
The Thaw Is Frozen
January 14, 2008 By
Well, the January thaw must be over.?? The cold is back and it is again snowing out. They say we are in for a Nor’easter. Six to twelve inches, maybe more in spots. Winds will cause drifting and of course possible power outages. So far we have been lucky with that.
School has been canceled, as well as most everything else. It has been coming down pretty hard, and steady for the last 3 hours.?? [Read more...]
To Twelve Oaks for BBQ
January 11, 2008 By
I finally got the picture of me in the 1860′s day dress edited to a smaller size and I thought I would share it. I worked hard on it so I could wear it for Christmas. The fabric is a dark blue with small purple flowers. It is really pretty. Without the layers of petticoats and such, I can wear it year round. Can you imagine, back in 1860, the women wore 12 or more layers of clothing.
Down About A Foot
January 11, 2008 By
According to my snow stick, (which is really the highway reflector marker) since we have had all this warm weather and now rain, we are down about a foot of snow. Last weekend we couldn’t even see the top of the marker, and now there is at least a foot sticking up. I am not going out in the rain to measure.
Today has been a quiet day. Raining, slushing, and whatever from the sky, it was a good day to sort through some fabric and get ready for a new sewing project. I inherited 2 bags worth of fabric, and I think with a the poly in there I can finally fix the quilt from Nana. When we moved to New Hamshire, I guess she thought it was the North Pole, and gave me this really heavy quilt she had made. She has passed now, and I thought it would be nice to fix it up for one of the boys. It is afterall their Great-Grandmother, and since it was from the ex’s side, really no relation to me. I always kept in touch with her, and I guess you could say we were related in spirit. She and I, even though years apart thought alot alike.
Off to the sewing room I go. So many projects…so little fabric.
