If You Could See Me Now

What a sight , sipping coffee and doing the HAPPY dance. The two teens are at school.  Quiet at last. I am hoping to soak up all this calm and quiet. Maybe even get some work done. I have decided to schedule my time, between unpacking boxes, crocheting and the Internet. In hopes of getting so much more done now without interruption.
I just received another order for a turkey hat, last weeks hat was in school colors and turned out so cute. In checking the shop I found a photo of turkey hats sent out last fall for adults, take a look!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61539242/turkey-hat-teenadult

As the temperatures drop people begin thinking fall and Halloween so I have received a couple monster hat orders a pair of adult skunk hat orders for a photo shoot and a frog hat and sweater set.  Much to do but glad to see the orders arrive.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80702670/monster-hat

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80397643/fox-hat

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80843594/skunk-hat

Also to celebrate I am baking this afternoon, I looked all over yesterday for an apple cake recipe and this is the one I am going with...

My first stop in looking for a recipe is Pioneer Woman Cooks and then off to Tasty Kitchen, so far they have never let me down.

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/fall-spiced-apple-cake/

Fall Spiced Apple Cake 

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil (or Oil Of Choice)
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• 3 whole Eggs
• ¼ cups Milk
• 2-½ cups Self-Rising Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 2 cups Peeled And Chopped Apples (3-4 Apples)
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans
• _____
• FOR THE GLAZE:
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ sticks Butter
• ½ cups Milk

• Preparation Instructions

  Preheat oven to 350F.
  Using an electric mixer on low speed, combine oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and milk. Sift together flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually blend creamy mixture with dry mixture. Add chopped apples and pecans.
  Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Cool.
  In saucepan, combine all ingredients for glaze. Cook over low-medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth (it will be liquidy). Drizzle over cooled cake (or warm if you can’t wait that long).

Monday Breather

Today is the day before school starts here. Tomorrow the two teen will be off to start their second year at High Marq Environmental Charter School here in Montello.  I can't explain how much nicer they are and how much more enthusiastic and involved they have become in their studies. I am thrilled. The two little guys headed back by mom for her week so after this I will have almost a perfect week. Hours to myself to finish crochet projects, get the Etsy shop changed around, blog and bake. Sounds like alot of work but I can't wait. I also have a big project under way. I am going to throw a family Holiday party. Ever since I can remember we as a family have all gathered either on Christmas Eve or in later years the Sunday before to visit , catch up and just be together. A few years back my Gram passed on and since then we have stopped doing this. A big mistake I think, maybe no one wants to do all the planning and people are all so busy but I think we need to take time to pass along to the kids what we all enjoyed so much as kids.  So, with the new house and some extra space I am working on inviting everyone up here. It will be a Saturday so the fact that we are a four hour drive from Chicago where many of them live should not be a problem. In fact should we chat late there are quite a few nice motels right in town for an overnight stay.  I have invited my sister and her family from Tulsa to come and spend a few days , so they will be at my house visiting with Mom and us.  As usual my husband will take the drive to Watertown and pick up Uncle Eddie and for the first time in about 45 yeasr my Aunt Charlotte who we recently found will be able to come and meet everyone too. Right now we are busy working on my favorite room.....the sun porch where there is a fireplace and I want to put the Christmas  Tree.

It is hard to tell by this photos but the room is all white right now.  A big change is in the works. Something cheerful and cozy. I have been painting tables and ma working on a painting for over the fireplace. I have been a little worried if I can pull it off but hubby says I can.  We will see if not it is firewood!

I just listed a little monster hat on the etsy shop  http://www.etsy.com/listing/80702670/monster-hat

well I am off to finsih a frog sweater and blanket order and then make a family favorite that needs to simmer all day pork roast, potato dumplings and sweet and sour cabbage.  

Changes

I don't know about you, but I do not handle change well.  I have said it before, and it holds true I am a creature of habit and dread changes.  So after almost 15 years in our little cottage we are moving.  Almost done moving that is. I love the new house and the kids are thrilled, the dogs have room to roam and I even got an office.  Why then the hesitatiion.......change. My first problem was it took almost three weeks to get the internet hooked up. No, we are not at the end of the earth or miles from civilization.  Yesterday, finally I could access my Etsy shop and do some work right from home. Up until now I had to stop unpacking and run to the library to check emails and orders. This does'nt sound bad except I don't drive because of the myastenia gravis so I have to have another person stop what they are doing and take me.  Not alot of fun. School sign up was yesterday so I am counting the days until the three big kids are back at school and I have some quiet.  The two little guys are here most days but they are not a problem, they play while I work and I hate to say it out loud but I miss them on those days they spend with their Mom.  Elizabeth has found an apartment and will be starting college, that change was not as hard on me as I would have thought, maybe I was just too frazzled with the move. If so I am thankful for that. The stress with all of us in such close quarters has let up and the trivial sqaubbling has stopped, that is a relief.  Kathy and Michael now have their own place and that has been a huge plus in this move. She can finally unpack that full cedar chest and use all the things she has been saving over the years.  I did get a huge kitchen and a sunroom where I spend the early mornings drinking coffee in peace and quiet before the house wakes up and the day gets started. I take this time to count my blessings and be thankful for all I do have and send off prayers in the peace and quiet. I am trying to take nothiung for granted, enjoy the kids while they are still here becasue I know in a couple years two more will venture off and I do not think I am cut out to be an empty nester. Until then I will fill my hours with crochet, baking and enjoying them all. I just finished a arctic fox crocheted scarf that I will be listing on Etsy later today. I have a stack of hats to add buttons to and get photos off so that is my quest for this afternoon.  Chicken and Dumplings for dinner with the homemade bread I put on this morning and a quiet afternoon......did I mention we have NO tv right now.  I don't miss it a bit but hubby is beginning to crack.