Daily Jots

If you have been following the saga of my falling apart house, well, I have an update for you. Last month, we had a home inspector come in and do a thorough going over it. We knew that there was a lot of things wrong, but it never hurts to get an expert in. Well, he was with us most of the day and left with 9 pages of code violations or things that needed to be addressed. And none of them were cosmetic!
The company who put in our stairs just left. Oh wait, they didn’t put in the stairs, …read more

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Now I have to admit, I first picked this how to because of the picture. It simply struck me funny, but the advice is “right on” as well! Makes a lot of sense, just in case you find yourself with 27 guests to find space for this coming Thanksgiving and I’m sure that someone is pulling their hair out right about now!!
How to find room…

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“So Halloween’s finally over, and your kid’s plastic pumpkin is bursting to overflowing with Snickers, Twizzlers, Mike & Ikes, and several dozen other kinds of candy, both popular and obscure. Kids being kids, his first impulse is to eat everything immediately, or as much as he can choke down each and every day, short of getting sick to his stomach. How do you ration the bounty to healthier doses?”
Just in case there is still some left, here is a little how to that should help! And for those of you who bought too much to hand out, this should help …read more

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“Fresh pumpkins are fun to carve, but don’t forget that they taste good, too. Buy an extra pumpkin and use it to make a batch of sweet, spicy pumpkin butter. It’s like apple butter, but with a kick.
Things You’ll Need
* 1 small (2-lb) pumpkin, peeled and cubed
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
* 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
* 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
…read more

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There is hot chocolate out of a tin and then there is homemade hot chocolate. And just in case you are wondering about the difference… Mexican hot chocolate is heavily spiced with cinnamon, and you use bittersweet chocolate. And if you like it even spicier, the recipe suggests a pinch of chili powder. Now that is definitely taking hot chocolate to the next level! Here are the ingredients…
* 6 cups whole milk
* 1 stick Mexican (Ceylon) cinnamon
* 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
* …read more

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Now doesn’t this look deliciously spooky? I’m very tempted to try it out on my living room and then invite Jamie and Carolina over for dinner. Well, we will have to see. Carolina doesn’t know us all that well yet, and she might think that we are too weird for words. But you have to admit, wrapping the diningroom chairs in scarlet velvet and then finishing off each chair with a chandelier crystal is quite fitting for this month!.
Need directions??

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“Carve a decorative bowl from a large pumpkin to serve hot or cold foods at your holiday table. These easy-to-make containers will hold up to a gallon of soup or stew.”This would certainly impress me, but if you want to impress you kids, use it to serve dinner BEFORE Halloween night. On Halloween night, the kids are too anxious to get out onto the streets to even care about what’s for dinner.
Your Instructions

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I find that the best place to write is in the bathtub. I set the clock for an hour and then put the notebook on a low table beside the tub. Laying there soaking, you have nothing to do but relax and think while in the tub and all that thinking can go straight into your journal.
And if you have always wanted to write a novel… I swear this is the best place to do it. I have a closet full of stories that some day I just might get out and polish up. But if nothing else, they …read more

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Do you aspire to get under the skin of a complete stranger? Do you enjoy bringing a ray of monkeyshine into the life of a loved one? If so, give these techniques a whirl.
Most how-tos teach us something useful. Not this one. It’s just plain funny, like the man who buys an ultra romantic tenth anniversary card when it’ their nineth anniversary. And that’s just number one. There are eighteen more that are just as funny.
The Woman Who Is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach (And Other Annoying People)

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I have to admit that I’m not very technically inclined, but after reading this list, I’m worse off than I thought. I didn’t even know that DVDs could do all of this stuff!
“Step 4: Do You Need To Read CD-Rs?
Most DVD players will not read CD-R discs. If you have an absolute requirement to have your DVD player play back these discs, then you will significantly limit your choice in DVD players. Many of the name brand DVD players will not read CD-Rs. Many of the cheaper brand players will.
If CD-R playability …read more

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