Healing Hands

Y'all... it is a slap out miracle!  I inherited a pair of the driest hands I've ever seen.  They used to only dry out during the winter but, lucky for me, they are pretty much dry all year round now.  Over our camping weekend they were at their peak of being overly dry and my thumb and knuckle on my middle finger had cracked open to the point of blood and I sewanee I did not want to touch water at all because I knew it would get worse.  Trust me I use plenty of lotion, even the kind my dermatologist recommends.  But NOTHING has been doing the trick.  Not even band aids with trisporin.  Ick... until now. 

 

I was whining to my sister Tracy and she said "hey, Dad told me about this stuff he uses that really helps.  I'll bring you some when I stop by today."  Hallelujah for the advise!  She brought me a tub of the stuff and I profess right now that it works!  I used this product for only two days and my cracking has healed and my hands no longer sound like sand paper when i touch fabric.  It's crazy!

 

Here's the hand cream that literally saved my hide.  She bought it at Ace Hardware.  It's the perfect stocking stuffer for dry handed people!  And this girl will never be without again!

 

 

Here's the website

Meal Planning

Normally I am not a big planner.  I also officially began to refuse to be a list maker when I turned forty professing that I refuse to live by my own rules anymore.  Not sure where this meal planning agenda fits in to that plan.  It started when I was at the day care today making a new lunch planning menu for the weeks ahead.  Sometimes I do this but most of the time I do not.  I just make sure I have enough and fix what I have each day.  When my little menu was done for the week I felt better knowing what we would have the next few days, so I went further and planned the next few weeks.  I realize that people do this all the time, I am just normally not one of them.  I will get a few ideas for lunches and suppers and take it to the grocery and call it done. 

 

I started out by writing down (not an official list) main dishes, side dishes and fruit for the DC.  Then picked one off each... um... list... and wrote them down for each day.  It wound up looking like this.

 

Yes, I have only part time kids and no kids on Fridays!  I try to feed them as healthy as I know how.  The hot dogs are turkey dogs, the jello is sugar free and I throw veggies in to the paddies that they don't know they are eating sometimes.  I try to make sure there is a meat, vegetable, fruit and a bargaining chip to get the plates cleaned off.

 

Then... are you ready for this... I went a little crazy and did the same thing for suppers at home.  I obviously cook a lot and no, we don't go out to eat much.  Although I will alter any of these evening plans for the occasional supper out.  I will also plan my grocery lists accordingly. 

 I really figured this planning would help get me started in the Holiday season and take a bit of stress off what's for supper. 

 

 

AND... I made a blank one for you.  Just in case you want to get in on the fun.  Just copy and paste it or right click and print... however your fancy pc lets you do it.

 

 

By the way, I am on an "eat what's in the freezer" kick, so I told Shaun this morning.  So the majority of the meals are planned around what we have on hand.  We have four deep freezers and three refrigerators and could probably eat for two months without going to the grocery except for bread and milk.  We keep deer meat in one, our pork in another, garden vegetables in the third freezer and the rest in the upright.  You would think we fed a huge family.  But, we like to eat what we grow and raise and it's time to stop buying anything but fish and chicken and who knows, we might just become fisherman to avoid buying fish!

 

 



Weekend Adventures: The Maiden Voyage

This weekend we joined a group of our friends for camping not too far from home.  This was our first time camping in our Scotty.  I have to say that I absolutely am happy with our little camper.  It is just right for us and although she still needs internal work like new curtains, water issues fixed and trailer lights (yikes) she camped like a dream.  There is plenty of storage so things aren't on the floor and silverware is in it's proper drawer.  We ate good, hung out with good friends and family and had beautiful weather.

 

I began our camping journal Saturday morning.... early.  I got up when the sun was just a red hue on the clouds.  As I sat by myself I got inspired to write what was going on at that time.  I began writing in my spiral notebook and then it dawned on me that it should be the way I begin the journal.  Documenting can be different for each trip.  I thought I'd share what I wrote.

 

 

November 9, 2013

 

Our first morning, waking up in our new camper.  It's opening day of muzzle loader season and as I sit with Kate, outside in the crispness of the early morning, I hear the occasional shot fired and feel like I am missing something.  I had to call down Kate from some fishermen trolling by in the lake.... another shot.... and they soon left their spot.  I can hear chickadees, squirrels, crows, a little woodpecker knocking and laughter from campers in tents close by.  I stoked the fire back up as much as I could, enough to keep me warm.  We are at Bledsoe State Park campground in Gallatin, TN and we are joined by Jody and Julie at Camp Davis, Stevie and Brooke in their fabulous revamped '71 Airstream and Roger and Mary Evelyn in their home away from home.  When night fell last night Shaun pointed... another shot... out a pair of owls having a chat across the lake and.. another shot... Canadian geese loudly finding a spot for the evening.  I hear the geese now along with Carolina wrens.  I saw a black... shot... and white bird that I did not know on ME's camper - looked like a Kingbird but they've already migrated.  The breeze has changed the direction of the campfire smoke coming up from the lake... shot.

 

Oh my that sweet Katie Bug... seven whole months old.  She didn't care much for wearing a leash but she did get plenty of play time... she made sure of that!

The Mister emerges.

This heron  fished a lot around this spot.  Must be her honey hole.

Our campstead.

Breakfast when camping is always soooo good.

I quite enjoy washing dishes outside.

I didn't sleep well the first night.  I don't usually sleep well when we're not at home.  The second night I slept like a baby... which was good.

Camp Davis.

The Vista Sophisticate poses.

 



 

 

By the way... here is Shaun's old camper in the background of this photo.  We made a big step up!

This was taken at Bledsoe State Park campground, March 21, 2008.  It eventually shook apart.  And yes that is a Bocephus curtain in the window.

  

A Bike Riding Chicken??

Yep you heard correctly.  I thought I'd share a bit about my friend Pepper which is one of our chickens who is named after my late thirteen year old dog Pepper Jean.  No, I don't think it odd one bit that I have had two pets with the same name.  I like saying Pepper Jean.  And they are both pretty special animals!  In fact, not only is Pepper, the chicken, the ring leader of my egg layin' posse, she follows me around, sits in my lap and would probably sleep in the bed with me if I let her.  Yea... not gonna happen.

 

This past weekend, I taught her a new trick that would have probably landed me a good job at Opryland if it was still open.  At first I was just riding laps around the inside and front of the shop on my bicycle and when I was going through the door over and over, Pepper was just standing there watching me each time without moving.  I said to her"you're not scared of this bike a bit are you.... wanna ride?"  So I put a feed sack in the basket hoping she would just sit down in there... didn't work.  I coaxed her up the front wheel and onto the edge of the basket with a little white bread.  But she got nervous and jumped down when the bike started moving.  Me, not wanting to give up just yet, tried again this time placing Pepper Jean in the middle of my handle bars which are thicker than the basket.  I gave her a couple of bits of bread for a trick well done then started to move the bike.  She was facing me this time which made her feel more comfortable but she didn't even attempt to get down or show any signs of being nervous.  After a slow lap or two around the shop we stopped at the refrigerator for more bread and from then she rode the handle bars for a good fifteen minutes with only the flap of a wing for balance every now and then.  The other chickens craned their necks to see what was up with this circus trick their fellow hen had learned but showed little interest other than that.  I had fun never-the-less and Miss Pepper learned a new trick and I gained a new level of trust with my chicken friend!