recipeassistant

Ma Ma Bette Jo

January 5, 2009

Hi all, Just a quick note to all this morning. I just can't get much done here..so thought that a journal entry might get me in gear. Found this cool web site called http://www.operationnice.com/ and have enjoyed reading it. Maybe some of you will enjoy it too. Right up my alley with the things that are discussed.

Our snow has all melted and it is looking really normal around here, but has been very cold out at night around 19 degrees or lower. ugh. I hate feeling cold when I go out to the car from work..and sometimes the ice is pretty slick. I saw those grippers for sale this year and thought that might not be a bad idea for both Mack and I. Mack did fall and slip off the last step on the front porch about a week ago and he landed on his little finger..haha..no broken bones thank goodness, but he was surprised that it even happened to him. It was late at night and he was letting molly out to finish her business...so guess it could have been a catastrophe little incident if he hadn't had bounced...Wow.

Have many projects waiting for me to start this year...but want to share with you one that I finished..the one and only one I did this year at christmas and it was a trial run Proto-type and it did turn out. A Chenille Sweathshirt Jacket, and actually turned out lovely. I was shocked when it came out of the washing machine all puffy and pretty after I slaved away on it for 2 days. It was like birthing a new child or something...because I really had my doubts. I tried it on though and the arms were too short on me, Wendy and Brittiany..and it was suppose to be a late birthday present for Larie..but it ended up being Nancey Jo's Christmas present because she was the correct size for it... She loved it and has sent me 3 pictures of herself in it. I am so happy that she is enjoying it so much. The next one is pink for Larie and it will be a bit larger...Think that there is a waiting list for all my friends this year to get one...It cost me about 25 cents to make as it was a garage sale sweatshirt..and I already had the material. Just the time involved to make it was my effort. Here it is...By the way ...got the pattern at Tader Patch quilt shop in Merrill, Oregon.. an original by Robin. Just love it. http://www.taterpatchquilts.com/map.htm

Can't believe that it is the 5th already..will take the tree down this weekend and clean up all the Christmas decorations. Hope that the New Years is a lovely one for all of my family and friends. Thanks so much for checking to see how things are here at the McDonald house.

Christmas Season 2008

ta da!
should be doing alot of other things...haha!
We try to inter-ject alittle fun into everything we do...but I am defintely
the goofy-ier one...it doesn't take much for me to be silly. Yes, I defintely take
too many pictures...but oh well, they all are alittle different...in expressions, etc.
Yes,at the Conners..where we had Christmas
dinner..we all had fun playing Wii --snowboarding no less. that is quite a challenge. We don't have one yet...but would be nice.
Karin and Mack and I all played christmas carols...Karin on piano of course,
Mack on backup banjo...and me on the guitar...it was a nice time for all.
CHristmas dinner was prime rib..sweet potatoes, jello salad..stuffing,rolls,
we had Celtic Chocolate cake...and Sweet potatoe cheese cake(didn't get around to that)and I think I missed something important we had..
but the chocolate cake was very good..unlike anyother I've ever had...yummy..
the yams just had brown sugar on them halved...and baked...
I brought appetizers...best one was the Red Pepper Jam over cream cheese...I'll give you the recipe...very good and easy...

Red Pepper Jam
6-8 Red peppers...cut up (ends off-but include the seeds)
(cut them up in the food processor til tiny...
1 TBSP salt over it all in a glass bowl for 24 hours or so...
then drain..(discard the juice unless you want it...for I don't know what)
put the remaining peppers stuff in a
pan...add
2 cups white vinegar
3 cups sugar..
cook for 45 minutes..
get 4 or 5 jars ready...(heat in oven - after they have been sterizled)
then when the mixture is thicker like jam...add to your jars and seal with lids..
turns out excellent..and you will be surprised..
serve with a block of cream cheese. very holidayish!

So that is about all for now..am getting use to the blackberry/storm and have to get my addresses converted over into the new phone. all takes getting use too again.
Hope that your christmas and celebrating was good and full of family and fun.
Ours only could have been much better if the kids had been here with us...but it doesn't usually happen with us..as they have far away lives that make it so hard to return home
for a quicker visit. We did get TJ a new Lap top from dell for her christmas present
this year and she is really jazzed about that. SHe can stay in contact better with us
now...Eric did call and he was busy at a class for 2 weeks away from his base. He said that his holiday was quiet too. 6 more months.
Gotta run and write TJ..her present just arrived..
Hugs & Prayers,
BJM

November 2008

Dear all,

A month sure goes by quickly...and we are into fall now...had our first snow this week(1/2 inch or so)--melted really quickly--but was pretty cold for a few days. It was right after halloween so the kids didn't have a cold night to catch cold. I worked Halloween night and got to see costumes coming in all day...and enjoyed that.

Eric called 2 days ago--friday and got to talk to him for 45 minutes. He is well and had just gotten back from Kuaite on work -he said that they had to get special parts there and just things that they don't have on base. He did tell me that the only way off base is by helicopter

and so each time he goes somewhere it is by helicopter. Didn't know that...so that makes me alittle more nervous. He is doing well and feels well...so what else could a mom want for her son? He is so wonderful to check in on a frequent basis...and it makes me feel much more at ease.

Teresa Jo is fine and working two jobs...so expensive there to live that it takes alot of effort on her part. She is working for a construction company --answering phone calls and doing paperwork..during the day and at night...she is working at Ross dress for less.. a store she loves. She is fine and we chat more frequently but shorter talks. She had a great halloween and dressed up as "Little Bo Peep" a costume she had gotten a year or so ago and she looks darling in. She is getting to use it for a few years to get her moneys worth of it.

We all got past the election and things will change now in the future.

Even though I was not too excited about the choices..we need to pray for the ones that get elected and know that God can use anyone for his good in the end.

Yesterday I was apart of a fundraiser at Montague hall...for TCF bake sale at the Holiday Magic Craft fair...we did it 3 years ago and decided to do it again to raise money for the upcoming National Convention in August in Portland. We baked all sorts of cookies and cakes...and members all donated cakes...we made about $150.00 in total. Pretty good for us. We are all in the holiday spirit now after being at the craft fair for that long. So Santa's workshop is open now here at home.

Went out to Big Springs to visit my old nieghbors(Right after the Craft show for a hour--Banjo & Julie Gregory) there and got to see their new addition to their home and hear how their kids are doing. It is beautiful and they have done so much. It was stormy there and it thundered and rained hard...have forgotten what the sounds are out there and it was nastolgic to hear them again and memories of hearing wind blow all night comes back to me clearly. I miss the extreme weather there...but it is strange to go back...as things look smaller to me than when I lived there...It is always comforting to go down the old street again...and to realize...you never can go back for long...just visits..as life moves on to different places.

So that about catches you up with things here. I am gearing up for the Local TCF Candle Lighting Ceremony coming up December 14th, 2008. Click here: YouTube - Worldwide Candle Lighting Video It is probably one of the most important days of the year for me to be able to be apart of this event locally. We usually get about 100 or so people to attend and this year we are doing a photo slide show of all the children...so we are trying to gather photos from everyone in the chapter. Hope that part works out, as we have never done this.

Guess that is all for now...uploaded a viedo of our old house for you all to enjoy...it has changed alot out there....when we lived there the house was blue and there wasn't any junk around like it looks now...We kept a much prettier place. That is the heartache to go back and see how the new owners have messed up all your hard years of work. ugh.

Til next month..love you all,

Bette Jo

Take a look at this:

http://mylivesignature.com/mls_wizard1_6.php

Dear All

Just discovered this morning how to make tickers...went on a friends website and got busy and learned..haha. it is cute! you can do it with vacations and birthdays etc. kinda fun!

Can't remember how long it has been since my last entry..a couple of months or so I think. Since last entry..I have gone down to visit Teresa Jo the beginning of October and enjoyed seeing where she lives and what she is doing there. We visited the Hearst Castle and had a blast there. Mack and Molly stayed home. Wendy went down with me as her Dad and step mom Beverly have a timeshare there and so she was able to enjoy the weekend there with them while I visited with Teresa Jo and on Saturday and Sunday Nancey and Amy from San Diego came up to visit also. It was alot going on but such fun. I actually had Friday and half of saturday with Teresa alone and all day Monday also before we left. Took many pictures and movies. Still am sorting them out.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BetteJosphotos/TripToSeeTeresaJo10308#

I had to work 10 days before the trip straight...and 9 days after straight just to get the time off to go. What fun that was...so now I am enjoying a 3 day vacation off work this weekend for the first time since I got home. Have to catchup with house cleaning today and try to do something that I want to do...like sew.

Eric called about 4 days ago and we got to catch up alittle. He says it is cooling off now there and he is staying busy. He takes Sundays off usually and trys to rest. He misses home alot, I think. We miss him extremely and hate to think that he is so far, far away from home til next June or July. I am hoping to rent a house at the coast for our vacation this next year and invite the whole family for a reunion there. It has been 2 years this next year since our last family reunion in Hawaii. I am hoping that Kristen and Christopher and Loretta & Bob and boys will attend. Have to get busy and find a place to rent and decide on location exactly. Hope that late summer will work for Eric and that he will be home by then.

Can't think of much else that is new. Mack is still busy playing his banjos when he is off work...and we did attend the Plymoth Bluegrass festival in September too. That was a good time and we enjoyed it tremedously. Took molly also.

I finally finished Teresa Jo's quilt and took it down to her. There is a picture of it that I downloaded here for you all to see. It turned out lovely and she loves it alot. I am proud of it too! we are still tweeking it alittle with a few names on the hearts that had to be changed but it is 99% done. Makes her feel good and close to us here at home. Her doggie "Skitts" is a perfect angel there and never puts up a fuss when we left to do something else. She is a doll of a dog.

Guess that is all for now...will think of more later...

Bye, bye! love you all BJM