Valentines week

Dear Friends and Family,

I am having more fun checking out other peoples bloggs and learning so very much from that. I get recipes..craft ideas, hints on all sorts of stuff that interests me..it really is my newspaper and I do enjoy it in the mornings. It is kinda addicting and I have to pull myself away after awhile. Would get nothing else much done if I didn't see time fly right by me.

I have been shredding old papers...going through old boxes and saving what is neccessary and getting rid of stupid old reciepts and 20 year old things that will never be used. What a job..and I burned up the shredder...so have to get another one. oh well,

didn't think that would happen - just a simple job and I can seem to get machines to act their worse easily.

We are enjoying watching Teresa Jo's doggie "Skitto" --4 year old great dane...she doesn't know she is big and when she gets rolling running it is so hard for her to stop...like a locomotive express...and if Molly gets in the way she gets mad...and if Copper (our german shorthair) is nearby he watches out for his own space because he doesn't move too fast anyways...it is a real circus now and just letting them out in the morning is an event. We had about 2-3 inches of snow night before last and it was Skitto's first fling in the snow...she was so cute and funny. Took movies and pictures.

We are expected to have alot of snow tonight again..Alaska got 14 inches last night and it is coming our way. Wow. We are suppose to have friends over for Valentines dinner Sat night but if it is terribly bad weather...we will probably cancel. We will see.

Haven't heard from Eric in a week or so..the last communication was with Mack...and he said Eric is fine and keeping busy..looking forward to getting home in July...It has been a long haul for him this trip...15 months. We are all thinking of him..occassionally I get a box off to him...he did say he wants more peanut butter cookies...he love them so. His address is:

SSG. Longhofer, Eric

542nd SMC

Camp Bucca,

APO, A.E. 09375

(don't put Iraq on it as it could get lost)

I know he loves to hear from all our family and friends...makes his day alittle lighter.

Guess that is all for now..I plan to blogg more frequently..so

check it out more..

hugs & Prayers,

BJM

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

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