YES, There will be Applesauce at Easter!

LOL it's been crazier than usual around here (not a happy crazy but a depressing crazy) and I may have gone off the deep end, ready for the loony bin, but I crack myself up. It's either that or curl up in a ball. I'd much rather try to lighten the mood and try to keep morale up.  Medical issues aside....

I hadn't planned on canning any Applesauce this year. We usually end up getting apples and other fruit and veggies from friends and neighbors who have an over abundance. With the drought I know I didn't plant a veggie garden and I'm sure a lot of others fruit trees are suffering through and not producing as well as before.

Anyway we hadn't received any. Totally understandable.

I was out in the garden one day and saw an apple on the ground. I picked it up and it looked fine. We do have a 3 in one apple tree my parents gave up us but it usually only produces a handful of apples. I looked at this tree and there weren't any apples on it. I thought maybe that was the one for this year and promptly ate it!  When it was given to us, we didn't really have the room for it, even though it's a dwarf. I ended up planting it along the walkway behind the pond.  Unfortunately the Podocarpus

 that is next to it has grown into a beautiful shade tree for that area and pushed out the Apple, probably the reason why it only produces a few apples a year. Anyway, last year I limbed up the Podocarpus and did a good pruning on it so the Apple would be able to get more sun without bending horizontally to reach some light.

Long story short, I kept finding apples on the ground but there were never any on the branches. This was driving me crazy.

I happened to be there when one fell, it sounded like it came out of the Pittosporum that is on the other side of the apple. I started making my way through the Pitt and guess what I found hiding hiding in there. A huge crop of apples! 

They had weighed the branches down to 

where they were inside the Pittosporum!

Can you see any apples?

Starting to pull them out

I can't remember the 3 kinds of apples that are on this tree but I think these first ones were Granny Smith. Crisp, juicy and sweet

Since then the next type has come in. 

They were a softer apple - not as crisp, a lighter green

The last few were also really good and 

turned a bit yellow,

 so maybe a Golden Delicious?

It doesn't matter, that little tree produced it's heart out. Amazing what happens when you get some sun! Imagine what would happen if I watered it!  did I forget to mention I don't water it? Nope, I don't, poor thing. I think I will from now on.

And this year the Podocarpus will be losing a large limb that blocks more sun over the apple tree. 

So with all those apples, I canned Applesauce and we will have my homemade Applesauce at Easter!

It's kind of become a tradition and I was already getting flack from my kids about not making any. You can find my recipe here.

Why do they have to have homemade, well, the store bought just doesn't hack it once you've had homemade ♥

So YES there will be homemade Applesauce at Easter this year

Woo Hoo!!

Paint'em Pretty ~ #PutTheNailinIt

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence thrives when we are silent; but if we take a stand and work together, we can end domestic violence. Throughout the month of October, help Safe Horizon to raise awareness about domestic violence and join in our efforts to end violence.

Safe Horizon envisions a society free of family and community violence. We will lead the way by empowering victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking to move from crisis to confidence.

Safe Horizon is a proud partner of

 Join Safe Horizon and donate to help end domestic violence through #PutTheNailInIt, a campaign that gets people to paint, donate, and share their stories.

Celebrities  are showing their commitment also.
Here's just a few.

Tamron Hall is the latest to join in their newest PSA. In 2004, Tamron Hall's sister, Renate, was found beaten to death in the backyard of her Houston, Texas, home.

Step 1: Donate
Step 2: Paint your ring fingernail any shade of purple
Step 3: Share it on your social networks.

Now that you’ve donated, paint your left ring fingernail any shade of purple and share it on your social networks.

Here's mine :)

My purple is Tempest by Sinful Colors.
My other polish I picked up at a garage sale (For Shame!) LOL
and all the labels were off. It's a maroon-ish color. Time to start transitioning to Fall colors :(

OK Your turn
Purple On!!


  

Clint Eastwood at 84

PREPARING TO SAY GOOD-BYE

My Twilight Years at 84....

If you realize each day is a gift, you may be near my age. As I enjoy my twilight years, I am often struck by the inevitability that the party must end. There will be a clear, cold morning when there isn't any "more." No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat. It seems to me that one of the important things to do before that morning comes, is to let ...every one of your family and friends know that you care for them by finding simple ways to let them know your heartfelt beliefs and the guiding principles of your life so they can always say, "He was my friend, and I know where he stood." So, just in case I'm gone tomorrow, please know this: I voted against that incompetent, lying, flip-flopping, insincere, double-talking, radical socialist, terrorist excusing, bleeding heart, narcissistic, scientific and economic moron currently in the White House! I won't be voting for the 'that' woman who is running to replace him with the same old s***. Participating in a gun buy-back program because you think that criminals have too many guns is like having yourself castrated because you think your neighbors have too many kids."
Regards, Clint
Make my day―

Paint'em Pretty ~ Make Them Look Like Lace Tutorial

I really wanted a lace look to at least one of my nails.

 I tried using different pieces of lace to use as a stencil and lightly pounced with my polish brush almost dry ~ fail. Each one came out a mess, you couldn't see the solid lines in the lace. 

I thought I could use the same process as you would in crafts, 

but it didn't work for me :( 

So I played around with dots, what else?

seems they are my go to and about all I can master decently.

After playing for a bit on paper and getting no where but frustrated, I hit upon almost an eyelet shape ~ 

hey, close enough to lace for me!

I wanted to do a tutorial but in the midst of actually painting my nails I was too nervous to screw up. So I decided to do one after my nails were dry -  like a week later dry! 

Sorry, crazy busy here, in fact so busy... 

I have had this same polish on since 8/29 - 

yes you heard me right! 

I did this for our trek to Monterey on 8/31!

 ONE month ago!!!!

I can't believe how they have held up! 

I've pruned my backyard, fixed my pond, pulled weeds, fixed the front sprinklers, had my Grammy days with my granddaughter, bathed our dogs - twice, all along with my regular chores.

I'll show a photo of what they look like at the end ~ personal best!lol

For my base coat I used 2 coats of 

Wonder Mint by Sinful Colors

My thumb and ring fingers are accented with

Snow Me White by Sinful Colors

and topped off with Seche Vite

To get the lace/eyelet design,

 I used the end of a large paint brush dipped

 in Snow Me White and 

placed 3 dots next to each other touching making

 a scallop type edge.

(Pretend you don't see the blue dots)

Fill in the rest of the nail to the tip with 

the Snow Me White

Use the end of a smaller paint brush that has been 

dipped in Wonder Mint and place 3 dots inside the

3 white scallops. 

I added 3 white dots down my thumb nail

Then added the smaller blue inside the white

I'm not very accurate as you can see, 

so I ended up with half moons!

I'll have to remember this for Halloween LOL

Finished!

Tip: When dotting, I take some polish out of the bottle with the brush and make a puddle on a piece of paper. That way you can control the amount of polish you have on the end of your brush. Too much, dot some off on the paper. Too little add a bit more.

It's a good way to test out whatever you're going to use as your dotting tool too.  

Mani today - 9/29 - one month old

Yep, need mani BAD - 

grown out, a big corner chip but,

 still getting compliments!

Just need some down time.....

I'm no gypsy, but see none in my near future...

according to my calendar....

 

Road Trip !!! with MY SISter!!!

First let me say it has been such a long time since we have been further than 1 1/2 hrs. from home, this was a well deserved break and to have my Sister along was even more...more... extra...extra... 

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!

We may have not got Sharky's head in our selfie

 and Cody ducked out, but I snatched his shirt 

and  and held on for the next two 

(I'm not really smiling, I'm gritting my teeth!!)

See how happy he was I did

  

After certain people 

were done

playing up

to Mr. Sharky we hit the streets.

I guess now we know where she gets it from ~ 

Oh poor Izzy with her crazy AuntieM

We wandered the shops,

then grabbed a bite

Yummy!

The Fish Hopper always gives you a show

Loved the Jellyfish chandys

And of course, 

walked out with our bellies full...

 sorry bub!

Then...


Then...


Then...


Then who did we run into?

The King!

For those of you who don't know my sister, this is her long lost Soul Mate from High School - yes, her hubby knows.

And what a good hubby he is, as he stood there during the concerts and let her scream and faint then scream some more. I'm sure the process repeated itself many more times.

(At least that's what I see in my minds eye)

We were lucky enough (I say loosely for her) to share a bedroom growing up. Remember we're 10 years apart. She wasn't too keen with me using her lipstick to color in her ''Elvis" albums

(I say with nose wrinkled)

Mom would tell her to put them higher up.

I earned to climb. he he

Eh huh, I was the thorn in her side, poor thing.

But I digress, she was and still is a huge Elvis fan.

I thought we would never going to get her away. 

At one point we tried peeling her off!

Then she got INSIDE!!!

Yes, he does have nice hair.....

I thought we were going to have to take him home with us!

Whew, think it's time to head home.

Anyone see Melissa???

There she is!

OK Liss, time to go ~

I joke, but we all had a great time making some new Memories with someone we don't often get to play with ♥

No Sandy, not Elvis

oy