Pawn Stars

OK, we aren't huge Pawn Stars fans, but, we do enjoy watching the show every once in awhile.  It's fun to see all of the interesting items that are brought in to be sold.  It makes you wonder how these people get this stuff and why do they keep it so long?

I guess I can find an answer to that last question.  They either purchased the item and hung onto it or it was handed down to them through family.

This episode that we were watching was about a sign from England during WWII.  The guy ended up getting $50 for the sign.  His final say was that he and his wife are trying to downsize so they are selling off some of their possessions.

Again, I found it interesting.  It seems like there are other people out there working on downsizing and trying to make a little money in the process.  Also, trying to make it less of a nightmare for their children.

The guy was happy with the $50 and said he was going out to eat with his wife.

Do you have any collections?

Have you started downsizing?

What's on Your Playlist?

Bella comes home and tells me about her day.  This is a daily occurrence.  I get details of conversations, classes, lunch discussions, etc.  And when I say details, I mean DETAILS.

One day she came home telling me about  supervised study and how she had a sub who was walking around the room.  Bella was on her computer, working on a math program.  Her computer is a touch screen and the program is interactive.  The teacher was standing behind her and then said, to the whole class, "There will be no game playing on your computers."  Bella turned and told the teacher she wasn't playing a game and showed the teacher all of her open tabs.  They guy next to her said, "it was probably the math one."

Anyway, that really isn't what my post is about today.   When Bella is in supervised study, she can listen to music.  She usually listens to Spotify.  (we have the free version of the app so we get commercials).  She has playlists on hers and sometimes she just plays other random playlists.  This day she had it on and the only song that played over and over was "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran.  She went on to tell me that the song is now permanently in her head after hearing it over and over for an hour.  Bella said that Spotify was "being a butt" and would only play this song (that's her favorite saying, by the way).

I asked her if she had other Duran Duran songs on her playlist and she said no.  Girls on Film is the only song that she knows by Duran Duran.

Of course, I told her that I would have to educate her a little and have her get to know some of the other Duran Duran songs.  I even started to play from my Duran Duran playlist.

So, what's on your playlist?

I Forgot

At the elementary school, they have bins by the front office.  They are called the "I Forgot" bins.  Junior high has bins at the office.  I only used them a few times for the boys.  Apparently I'm now making up for the few uses of these bins.

In the last couple of days, Bella has forgotten something.  One day it was gym shoes.  The next, a water bottle.  Normally I let the child suffer (I'm such a mean Mom) but, Bella is on the Volleyball team and needs shoes and a water bottle.  I'm not sure why the water bottle wasn't in her backpack.  She usually brings one to school every day.

Hopefully she was just having a couple of bad days and this, "I forgot" streak will go away.

Pens

I'm not sure I have mentioned my obsession with pens.  I know I have put pens in a group of things that I am thankful for.  Without pens, I couldn't write my blog posts.  Well, I could just type them out on the computer like a normal person.  That would be very difficult for me to try to do.  I'm not sure why I feel the need to write out my posts long hand.  I guess back in the stone ages, when we wanted to write something, we used pen and paper.  I feel it's much more satisfying writing things out long hand.

If I'm out and about and I see nice pens, I drool  like to look at them and even consider buying them.  The bright colors or cool styles.  I wonder what it's like to use such pens.  Do they write nice and smooth?  What do the colors look like?  But, then reality sets in and I realize I have a lot of pens at home that I should use first before buying some nice, new ones.  Of course, the ones I have at home are the bad hotel ones that you get for free.  I don't think I have ever had a really nice hotel pen.  Thanks to my parents, they have supplied me with a million quite a few of these pens.  I am nearing the end of my supply, though (Oh, happy day!).

The pens come in along with the writing, obviously,  A good pen goes a long way.  By the way, this pen I'm using to write this post is going in the garbage when I'm finished.  It's about to run out of ink and doesn't flow nicely.

A wise person once said:  Life is too short to use a bad pen.

OK.  Maybe I just said it.  It's true, though.  Look at all of the fun color inks that are out there.  If you get a nice pen that writes easily, you are a lot happier, you will write more and you will live longer.

Alright, maybe not that last one.  How about:  you will live a much happier life with nice pens.

Vegan Diaries - Cuban Style Black Beans

To say that I am obsessed with Cuban Style Black Beans is an understatement.

I had some Cuban Style Black beans at a local restaurant about a year ago.  They were delicious!  I've been trying to figure out a recipe (that doesn't require bacon fat).  I think I've finally found something that's pretty close.

Here's the recipe:

Cuban Style Black Beans - Vegan

ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSP dried oregano
dash of cumin
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp cider vinegar

directions:

Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute until soft.

Add black beans, cumin, oregano, vegetable broth and cider vinegar.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Salt and pepper if desired.  Then serve.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you try making these beans, let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Memorial Cards

You know those little cards you can grab when you are at a funeral?  They have the persons name, birth/death dates, a little prayer and maybe a picture of a saint on the back?  Well, I have quite a collection of those cards.  I don't save all of the cards I have picked up and from every funeral I've attended.  I've been to so many, especially for family,  if I did, I would be considered a hoarder!  I just save the cards from family or close friends.

I had to attend another funeral the other day for a relative and was thinking about all of the cards I have collected.  Seeing how many funerals I have been to in the last few years for family members, I was wondering how many cards I will collect before I die.  Morbid, I know.

Do you hang on to memorial cards?

Fall is Here!

Wow!  Time sure flies when you're having fun!

I thought I would put some links to some of the Fall/Halloween crafts and Costumes that I've blogged about in the past.

Time to get your craft on and get ready for the fall season!

Halloween Crafts

Bat Pencil Cup
Extra Crafts - using construction paper, owls, witch, ghost, foam monsters
Mosaic Pumpkin - using paint chips
Mosaic Pumpkin - using construction paper
Owl - using construction paper
Pony Tail Craft - using ribbon
Pumpkin and Ghost - using Popsicle sticks
Pumpkin Magnet - using foam
Spider - using pipe cleaners
SPIDER
Spider (under $1 craft)
Witche's Hat
Pumpkin Soap


Easy Halloween Costumes

How about some Fall food ideas:

Vegetarian Chili
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Pie (from a Pumpkin)