Goodies and Garages

It's been quiet....too quiet...at my house this weekend.  Both boys have spent the night with their buddies on Friday and Saturday.  Saturday I puttered around cleaning before plunging in with holiday baking.  The family Christmas party will be here in a week so it was high time to bake up some goodies to share.  I ended up making the following treats:

*Cranberry-Orange Scones (these came out a little funky so they may have to stay at our house);
*Parmesan-Cheddar crackers;
*Paula Deen Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter bars;
*Chocolate Cake Balls.

I still have a few bags of chocolate chips that need to be put to good use so that may be my project for today. 

Another Sunday task will involve the garage door, which is on the fritz.  It's running but won't open.  Home improvement is not my favorite job to perform but I must pull up my bootstraps, charge in, and fix that god-forsaken machine!

Here's to a day filled with chocolate and WD-40!!!  Enjoy Divas!!!

My First Visit to Bethlehem

I took some time this evening to check out The Journey to Bethlehem, an annual production put on by my neighborhood Adventist church.  This was son Jordan's second year participating in this production; I was never able to see him in it last year so I was determined to catch the show this year.

 

 

I entered the church, received a numbered ticket, then was herded into a very large seating room.  A large screen showed singing and entertainment projected from the sanctuary next door.  I sat and waited for my group, No. 32, to be called.  Unfortunately, they were only on No. 24, which meant a long wait for my own personal journey to Bethlehem.

 

 

At some point I was close enough to the event that they moved me into the sanctuary for more singing.  The place was packed!  Finally, my number popped up on the big screen so I hurried, along with the rest of the people assigned to good old number 32, to the journey entrance. 

 

 

We were then taken through the doors then ushered past a curtain into the very cold outdoors.  A shepherd/guide uttering "Shalom" took us on a path as we traveled to Bethlehem.  They had quite an awesome set up of tents, fire pits, and guards; there was even a camel!  At one point a woman passed to us pieces of unleavened crackers for which to eat....and they were actually pretty tasty.  I refrained from grabbing a handful!

We finally made our entrance to the city; as we entered the town, many structures were in place with a wide variety of peddlers selling their wares.  I happened to spot Diva Janel dressed in layers of long fabric as she played a peddler pitching oil; as much as I would have liked to chat, she was in character so we simply smiled at each other.  We continued our journey through the town, stopping at the inn, where of course there was no room (uh, you should know the story.)

 

 

As we moved away from the inn, there I spotted my Jordan, dressed in peddler clothing with a roped turban, pitching his wares.  Of course he stayed in character but we were grinning fools when we spotted each other.  The only problem - no flash pictures were allowed so I couldn't whip my camera out and take a blog-worthy pix of him! 

I continued with the group on through the rest of the journey, enjoying the angel then Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus.  As we exited the adventure, we were greeted with cups of warm apple cider.

I'm happy to say I enjoyed my journey tonight!  I was also very proud of my son for standing out in the cold air to help with this production!

TGIF!!!

Seriously Stagnant!

So this is why I'm sick!!  Apparently we have some serious stagnant air here in the Pacific NW, which is likely the reason behind my coughing and wheezing.  Thankfully I'm on the mend but the following information was interesting!

OLYMPIA ¾ Winter weather in the Northwest means outdoor fun like skiing, snowboarding, and snow-shoeing. But winter stagnant air can pose a health risk for some people. From November through March winter weather often causes stagnant air. During these months, air pollution from outdoor burning, wood stoves, and fireplaces gets trapped near the ground, where it collects. These pollutants can be harmful for people with heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and lung diseases; children and older adults may also be at risk.

“People with asthma and other breathing problems need to pay special attention to air quality, especially this time of year,” says State Health Officer Dr. Maxine Hayes. “Often people with health conditions get sick sooner than healthy people when air quality is poor.”

Several burn bans have been issued across the state recently because of poor air quality. Smoke contains fine particles and toxic gases that can be breathed deep into lungs. Some counties in the state are under a burn ban. Before you burn, check to see if your county is under a burn ban (www.waburnbans.net). Breathing polluted air can cause short and long-term health problems. People with heart and lung diseases are more likely to develop serious health problems. Sometimes, older adults have heart or lung disease that they’re not aware of, and it puts them at risk. Kids spend more time outside, where they’re exposed to air pollution for longer periods. Children’s lungs are more easily damaged because they’re still developing.

When air quality is poor, people should limit outdoor activities and reschedule them for a time when air quality is better. When people exercise, they breathe more air and air pollution into their lungs. If you decide to exercise, choose a less strenuous exercise such as going for a walk instead of a run. And avoid exercising in higher pollution areas such as near highways or in neighborhoods with a lot of wood smoke.
People with asthma who use over-the-counter inhaler products like Primatene Mist will soon have to make arrangements for another inhaler. After Dec. 31, 2011, some commercial inhalers are going off the market; talk with your health care provider now so you have a plan.
Be sure to check air quality (http://www.airwatchnw.org) before heading out for outdoor activities, especially if you’re in a high-risk group. Often air pollution can’t be seen or smelled, so it’s hard to judge air pollution levels. More information about howair quality can affect your health (www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/smokefactsheet.pdf) is on the Department of Health website.

Tape Dispenser for a Diva!

Diva Sasha surprised me with this tape dispenser today at work.  She said it screamed me....and she was so right!!!  Thanks Sasha!!!

Congrats on an Unexpected Blessing!!

Happy Uncle and Aunt!!!

Congratulations to my Uncle Walt, who was a big lottery winner today!!   The following ran in the local newspaper.

More than two months after purchasing a Mega Millions ticket, a 60-year-old unemployed Carson resident found out the ticket had won him $250,000.

“I bought a bunch of tickets a few months ago and hadn’t thought of them since,” said winner Walter Lohrke. “I decided to buy another ticket today, but then I realized I hadn’t checked the other ones I had in the visor of my car. Thank goodness I checked, or I would be out $250,000!”

A news release from the lottery quoted Lohrke as saying he will use the money to make repairs on his house, and “to make Christmas merry this year.”

He claimed his winnings with his dog, Sissy. Sissy is in training to become a diabetic service dog.

Home Valley Store in Stevenson, where Lohrke purchased the ticket, will receive a $2,500 retail selling bonus.

Sisters Are a Girl's Best Ally!

My sisters all come pre-packaged with loads of advice and tips along with an abundance of love.  The following are a few tips they shared this morning regarding fashion.  There may be more so I might be updating this post later today. 

Diva Luna

• A good rule for dressing is to wear ONE sexy piece per outfit. So with a mini-skirt your top, jacket, shoes etc should be covering and not too tight.
• Wearing a short skirt with opaque tights and boots or booties and loose sweater or jacket is a great look for women of all ages. No panty hose or fishnets, please.

Diva Julie

• Fashion.....if you wear pants, you should always wear multicolored socks (knee socks are the best) and the brighter the better!!
• Tights work for me- I have one pair. I know, I should branch out. Nylons are too tight. Who wants to say "Hey, yeast infection, come and get me!!".
• Shoes - good support for your foot so you don't have to wear pads to cushion the ball of your foot.
• Accessorizing - Today I have on an old long seashell necklace hooked in front with an old black/jeweled elephant pin. The shells remind me of Mom's necklaces. Is it in style?  Probably not but I'm over 50, I don't care what people think.
• Lipsticks-I have maybe 3 colors. Perfect for all occasions.
• Chapstick- you must have a minimum of 5 at all times, multi flavored. Chocolate is in season.
• Belts-if you can't find your belt, it's ok to use a knee high nylon to pull the loops together as long as your shirt covers it. 
• Shirts - just try and not duplicate in one week. Use the kind that don't need to be ironed. 
• Shoes-make sure the cow manure is all knocked off when you go to work. For a quick shine, use furniture polish.

Diva Erin

• I recycle my sweaters after they have pilled up too heavily by cutting the arms off and using them as leg warmers. Sometimes when i wear tall boots i put them underneath and cuff them over the top.
• My other tip- I always use the cap off of my starch to fill my iron. The plastic can be squeezed together so pouring is a snap.
• And I find that a little bit of olive oil works great for removing eye makeup. Although i always get hungry when i do this.

Diva Eilene (Okay, gotta put a disclaimer with this one...proceed at your own risk.  This blog does not support or endorse suggested treatments as it is Diva Eilene's opinion only.)

• Crisco is actually the best facial moisturizer bar none.. just a little dab will do ya.
• Are you sick, too poor or busy to go to the doctor when you just need some antibiotics?  Go to your local feed store or fish store, and they sell antibiotics.  Yes you are supposed to put them in the fish tank, but they are human grade (we use them for dogs they even sell them at the vendors at dog shows)... Fish Moxi.. is Amoxicillin, one we use the most... and they are cheap.. 250 mg tablets, (you would take 2 per time 2 times a day for a human).
• Got a really bad headache.. and just one type of pain killer won't work?? Take 800 miligrams of Ibruprofan.. and then 500 (2 tablets) of Tylenol (Dr. will tell you thats ok).. its a poor mans vicodane.. will really blast the headache away.. chase it with some No Doz (caffeine) and you have the same ingredients in Excedine Migrane.
• As for needing a belt... I have always found that a lovely braided piece of baling twine has worked for me many times (Ok not recently but in my younger cowgirl days).