Burned!

Look real close at my arm lighting the birthday candles. Can you see it? The faint red mark. That is where I burned my arm cooking the lovely birthday dinner for Christon last week. Doesn't look bad does it? Now look at the next picture.

Hurt badly. My point to all this is I can't seem to cook any more with out burning myself or cutting myself. I cut my finger and thumb last week and my finger this week. Remember that wonderful recipe for Apple Dumplings that I shared with yall? Well I was giving the sisters in R/S a demonstration on how to make those. I melted the butter slowly by turning on the wrong burner and instead of it coming on under the pot it came on over the handle. Not knowing, I picked up the handle and burned my palm really bad. While I stood there with a hand full of ice, Amanda came up and finished the demonstration as I told her what to do next. Thanks again Amanda. How's that for a cooking instructor teaching how to burn your whole palm. Maybe it's time to quit cooking! What ya think?

Many Faces of Harrison

So what is up with Harrison

and facial hair??

You never know what he'll

look like from week to week

or day to day?

He goes from one extreme to another!

Here are just a few of the many looks.

"MY HAPPY"

No wait a minute,

this is "My Sad!"

This is "My Happy!"

This is Grandpa Griffis.

Harry's dad and the boys grandpa

and Shelby and Reagan's great- grandpa.

These pictures were taken at Reagan's

1st birthday party. When I look at

them I think of Shelby because about a year ago

she wouldn't get her way or she was mad

she would say, "my mad" and then give us that

sort of face. Same thing, when she was

happy, she would say, "my happy!"

And I think about how we ask

the girls to show us their happy face,

sad face, uggie face, mean face.

Anyway the top picture always

makes me laugh.

Such enthusiasm!

The Picture of Eternity

"In many cookbooks there are pictures of the perfect dishes that recipes make—the fulness of the joy of cooking. These pictures are important because they help us envision the outcome if we strictly follow the directions as given in the recipe. It is important to begin with the end in mind, but the end represented by pictures in cookbooks is an end that is only possible if everything is done right. If directions are not followed or an ingredient is left out or miscalculated, the desired taste and appearance are seldom attained. The picture of a perfect dish, however, can serve as motivation to try again to create something that is both delicious and beautiful.

"When we think of eternal life, what is the picture that comes to mind? I believe that if we could create in our minds a clear and true picture of eternal life, we would start behaving differently. We would not need to be prodded to do the many things involved with enduring to the end, like doing our home teaching or visiting teaching, attending our meetings, going to the temple, living moral lives, saying our prayers, or reading the scriptures. We would want to do all these things and more because we realize they will prepare us to go somewhere we yearn to go."

- L. Tom Perry, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ,"

General Conference, April 2008

More Birthdays

Happy Birthday sister "Lola Jill Crenshaw"

Happy Birthday "Andrew Cardon Ripley"

Also today is my friend Maggie Taylor's birthday.

My scanner isn't working or I would have

scanned in a picture I have of her from 10

years ago, sorry Maggie.

Three very special people share the same birthday!

25

This is what 25 years old looks like.

Happy Birthday Christon!!

Today is her birthday.

I had a birthday dinner for her last night.

I invited her parents and sister.

Travis and Jordan also.

I cooked way to much food.

Shelby thought her mom needed a

chocolate Pooh cake. I made a chocolate cake,

but it didn't have Pooh or any other characters on it.

We had a good time. Harrison and Christon

are going out for town for the week end. I'll pick the

girls up on Saturday afternoon from the

other grandparents and keep them over night

take them to church on Sunday morning

and their parents will be back home Sunday

afternoon. We'll see. They have both been gone at

the same time one night when Shelby was less

than a year old. And they have never left Reagan.

I mean both parents gone away at the same time.

They have left but the other has been home with the kids.

I wonder if they can do it or if they come home early??

Thin Mints

So this is my secret to having those wonderful Girl Scout Cookies "Thin Mints" any time of the year! So easy to make. I saw Sandra Lee on Semi Homemade make these one time and I made them even easier. so here's my take on her recipe.

2 bags of "Andes" creme de menthe baking chips.
(may need a tablespoon of shorting or butter)
1 box of Nabisco's "Nilla Wafers"
Melt the chips in microwave, add the shorting to thin it out if it's to thick. Dip nilla's in melted chips and put on wax paper. Stick them in the freezer until frozen and Wa La, Thin Mints!! You'd really be surprised at how much they really do taste like the real things. If you can't find the Andes chips, try her recipe, she used 2 bags of semi sweet chocolate chips and added peppermint flavoring. My way was just easier.

The Late Arriving Letter

Memories of a Letter Carrier

During the Vietnam war years I was delivering mail in our town, and on a regular occurrence I saw many letters that went off to our boys from their families and saw many coming back to families that I served on my mail route. I could immediately recognize those letters by the red stripes on the border around the envelope.

Many of our men and boys went off to fight in that war in the jungles of that far away Asian country that many of us had never heard of. The letters that went both ways were so important to both soldiers and their families.
There were also those sad times that military officers would come to the doors of homes to report that a son or husband or father had died in the service of their country.

One of our young boys by the name of William who had been to college. He'd trained in ROTC and enlisted in the army in support of our country in the fight for freedom. He was commissioned to a lieutenant in the army and sent off to war.

The letters started to come in from him and go out from the families. After a time, his parents were notified that he had been killed in action in those jungles. His body was returned to his hometown and buried with honors.

A few days after the funeral, I was delivering the family's mail and I was shocked to see I was delivering a letter to his parents that he had written before he had lost his life. I couldn't imagine how that mother and father felt as they opened that envelope and read their son's last letter to them. Every time I would deliver to that house at 826 So. 13th Street I would think about that letter. Even to this day I can't pass that house without thinking about "The Late Arriving Letter."
Written by mail carrier Billy S. Crenshaw, my daddy.

Handsome

#1 Son "Harrison"

#2 Son "Travis" (Big Baby)

Amish Chair

This is my Amish Chair.

This is a side view.

We were in Ohio around 2000-2001 and my sister in law, Lori was giving us a tour of the Amish community. It was a beautiful area. There was corn field after corn field, everything was so green and lush. We had a wonderful day. As we traveled along the country roads we would pass some Amish people riding in their wagons pulled by horses. It was really neat to see their horses and buggies parked beside cars in the parking lots at the bank or other stores in the little towns. As we passed Amish homes they had their homemade baskets and quilts out along side the road for sale. We stopped to buy a basket. As we talked to the man of the house, Lori picked out a basket. We were paying him for it up on his front porch when I spotted this chair. Lori asked him if it was for sale? He said not really but he guessed he could sell it. He use to make and sell a lot of them but he found that it was easier for the bus loads of tourist to buy and take home baskets than it was a big wooden chair. We were in a truck so it was no big deal for us. So he sold it to me for $45.00. Lori's basket was $35 or $40.00, I've always felt like I got the better deal! It is so well made, solid wood and sanded smooth and sits so comfortable. It even folds up for storage. I wish I had about 3 more.

Following Examples

"My brothers and sisters, in this marvelous dispensation of the fulness of times, as we journey through mortality and face the trials and challenges of the future, may we remember the examples of these models to follow which I have referred to this morning. May we have the unfeigned humility of John the Baptist, the unquestioning obedience of Abraham, the unlimited patience of Job, the unwavering faith of Noah, the undeviating loyalty of Ruth, the unflagging determination of Nephi, the undaunted courage of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the unfailing optimism of President Hinckley. Such will be as a fortress of strength to us throughout our lives."

- Thomas S. Monson, "Models to Follow,"

Ensign (CR), November 2002, p.60

Baby Shower

If you've had a baby in the last 3 or 4 years you have gotten my standard gift! Burp Cloths. I enjoy making them and they are a much needed item for little mommies. They are made from a prefolded Birdseye 3-ply cloth diaper that I embellished with pom pom's or lace and matching ribbon on top. I also iron an applique' to some of them. I've also had a few monogrammed with the new babies initials. These two sets of boy burp cloths are for Juanita Richardson. She's having a little boy in a few weeks and I'm going to a baby shower for her tonight.

Here is a sample of a couple of girl burp cloths.

None of you have seen this design except for Jennifer. I made this one for her friend in Arkansas. It's just a bunch of 4 inch pieces of ribbon bent in half and sewed along the edge and then the top ribbon covers the raw edges. I really love this one. It was so bright and pretty, just right for a new baby girl. It's the only one like this that I have made. They are not hard to make and you can whip up a few in no time. If you are crafty and sew you can do this. Try it and let me know how you did. Let me know when you are expecting a little one and I'll make you some too.

I Need a Vacation

So I've been thinking that I want to go on vacation! NOW! TODAY! But that's not going to happen. So I've been trying to think of where I want to go so that I can make some plans. I've come up with a few places that I've been thinking about for a few years. I want to go to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. I've been before but Harry hasn't and I'd really like to go with him. I loved it and I know that he would too. I have two very dear friends that are going to be buried there some day. I'd also like to do go and do the other things that are there in D.C. I've done a lot of them before thanks to Miss Ella.

I've always wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo. I've heard really good things about it. I've never been to San Diego either. I'm thinking that would be a fun trip. But I know I'll get there and wish I had brought Shelby and Reagan. You know how fun a zoo is for children and this vacation I want for just me and Harry. So maybe I'll wait to go there when the kids can go too.

I want to go to New York City. I've been to New York and to Niagara Falls and to the Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah and other Historical Church sites, but I've never been to the big city. I want to go to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I always wanted to climb the stairs to the top. Harry did that when he was a young boy but I understand they won't let you do that any more.

I've also been thinking about some where in Maine. Do any of you have any helpful suggestions of somewhere we should think about going on vacation. I'm open to your suggestions. Leave a comment.

T S C

It's Open! Shelby is so excited that the Tractor Supply Co. has opened! We pass it every day on Hyw. 341, going to and from her school. She's watched them build it from start to finish and was so excited to go on the first day that it opened. I took her and Rea and we bought a small bag of dry cat food and a straw beach hat for me and a bag of Combo's for Shelby. $21.91, not cheap. Poor Reagan didn't get anything, although she loves cat food and I catch her eating it all the time, so I guess you could say she did get something after all. Shelby wouldn't share but 2 Combo's with Pop pop and ended up taking the whole bag home with her. I didn't even know she liked the things.