Souvenirs

My daughter and husband have collected shot glasses as souvenirs from places they have traveled. They also have had people bring them shot glasses as gifts from places they traveled. My daughter has her shot glasses displayed in this nifty shot glass display shelf.

Some of shots glasses are not a standard size so she put them on the top of the display shelf.

There are shot glasses in most states that reflect the favorite sports teams.

There are shot glasses that show the actual place that was visited.

There are shot glasses that show the highlights of the state.

 You can find shot glasses that tell the exact cities that were visited within a state.

 The shot glasses can remind you of the once in a lifetime memories of your travels.

My daughter hung her shot glass souvenir shelf between her pantry door and her spice display shelf. It adds a colorful "art like" display to that area and the glasses are handy to use. The best thing about collecting shot glasses for souvenirs is they are usually under $5 and take up very little space in a suitcase to transport home.

On My Soap Box!

We had an election in our county on Tuesday. As elections go there was not much to vote on, BUT it was still important. We were voting yes or no on continuing a sales tax. The sales tax provides funds for our county government. Voters only had to be there long enough to sign in and make two marks on the ballot.

One of my pet peeves is people who do not take time to GO VOTE! Or people who are not even registered to vote.

When I looked at the election results and the totals showed that less than 3,000 people voted in the entire county...six towns...two of the towns have at least 10,000 people in each...it really ticked me off!

The people who do not vote are the ones who complain the loudest and the longest about how the elections turned out.

This election did not matter what political party affiliation the voters had on record. This election did not require a lot of study on qualifications of candidates or other issues. This election was just yes or no...do you want to continue the sales tax or not. Pretty simple! GO VOTE!

Nuff said. I will get off my soap box now.

Just a little explanation for those of you who are not as antiquated as I am:
A soapbox is a raised platform on which a person stands to make an impromptu speech, often about a political subject. The term originates from the days when speakers would elevate themselves by standing on a wooden crate originally used for shipment of soap or other dry goods from a manufacturer to a retail store.


The term is also used metaphorically to describe a person engaging in unofficial public speaking, as in the phrases "She's on her soapbox", or "Get off your soapbox."  A modern form of the soapbox is a blog: a website on which thoughts are written for whomever reads the page.

Salmon Loaf

SALMON LOAF

2 cans salmon - one drained - one not drained

1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers - crushed

3/4 to 1 cup quick cook oats

tablespoon soy sauce or more to taste

tablespoon mustard or more to taste

1 egg

1 chopped onion

splash of dill pickle juice

Mix all ingredients together

Put in oven safe loaf pan or casserole dish.

Bake at 325 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until browned on top.

Let it set for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven and then slice.

On this day, I served it with a small baked potato with jalapeno peppers and peas.



Bulletin Board

My daughter, the high school Special Education teacher, ask me to make a poster for one of her classroom bulletin boards. I used a black foam board to make it sturdy. Then I printed the words she wanted on orange card stock, because she loves orange. I made the arrows out of hot pink, because I love hot pink! I cut around the wording with my scrapbook scissors and glued everything down on the board.

After I finished doing what she ask, I actually read what it said and thought it would be a good idea to share with you. This can apply to ALL of our lives, not just to the classroom student!

Craft Stick Pencil Holder

Callie Ann (our calico cat) and I made a CRAFT STICK PENCIL HOLDER to show you a simple easy project for kids of any age to make. Callie Ann is not usually the one who tries to help me with projects, except wrapping gifts and then she loves to walk on the paper I have rolled out to use. Cats are such wonderful creatures!

You will need: 16 craft sticks

a empty toilet paper roll

craft glue - I use Elmer's

a rubber band

piece of cardboard cut to fit in the end

Glue the round piece of cardboard in one end of the toilet paper roll.

Glue the craft sticks around the outside of the toilet paper roll and secure with the rubber band.

Notice I barely glued the craft sticks where they were over the edge of the bottom of the toilet paper roll. They stick up over the top edge a bit more so you don't see the toilet paper roll as much when it is finished. Allow the glue to dry and remove the rubber band.

The finished pencil holder.

You could also use craft sticks that are not pre-colored and paint the outside of the pencil holder or add stickers to create the design of your choice.

Rain!

Over the weekend some parts of Western Oklahoma reveived a tiny bit of rain. It blew in fast and left just as quick. We were thankful for every drop that fell. The ground soaked it up as fast as it fell, and fifteen minutes after it stopped everything was dry again.

We are back to the over 100 degree temperatures again!

Canute, Oklahoma

Canute, Oklahoma located on Historic Route 66, in north west Washita County was established in February 1899.

Canute, Oklahoma Historic Route 66

Historic Cotton Boll Motel sign along Route 66 Canute, Oklahoma

In 1902, as the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway, affiliated with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, built tracks through the area, the Great Southwest Town Site Company surveyed the land and held a lottery for town lots. Buyers paid ten dollars and received a random lot location, drawn from a box. By then Canute already had a bank, cotton gin, and general merchandise store.

By 1904 the town had two newspapers, two hotels, three doctors, a buggy works, a carpenter shop, a lumberyard, two cotton gins, two hardware and implement dealers, two livery stables, a drugstore, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, three general merchandise and grocery stores, two furniture stores with funeral supplies, and a music store as well as several attorneys, real estate businesses, two banks, a photographer, and an auctioneer.

Old service station Historic Route 66 Canute, Oklahoma.

Note the art deco style around the top of the building.

The nicest man came and told us to go behind the service station to the alley, and we took photos of this 1918 jail building. The jail currently is being used as storage.

The last thing on the way out of Canute going west was the former Washita Motel.

Despite being by-passed by Interstate 40, Canute, Oklahoma has managed to survive. There are newer motels visible from I-40, modern convenience stores, churches, a strong school system, and many other businesses.

Mt.Vernon Presbyterian Church

This is the church of my childhood.

I was "sprinkled" at this church.

As a teenager, my Daddy helped build this church.

My Daddy's funeral was at this church.

He passed away 38 years ago today.

It is funny how looking at a building can bring all types of memories forward in our minds.

Camping Hideaway

This summer has been HOT! My brother-in-law said he saw a bird trying to pull a worm out of the ground and was having to use a potholder, because it was so HOT! My brother told me their campground has experienced the slowest summer ever because of the heat. But, there is still time to go camping now and this fall to enjoy a little family time.

Grab one last weekend of camping before school starts! I recommend checking out:
Hide A Way Campground and RV Park
8369 Campground Circle
Rogers, AR 72756
479-925-1333
800-209-0081
e-mail: camp@beaverlakehideaway.com

The Best in NW Arkansas
(I am the big sister bragging about her little brother!)

Nestled in 60 acres of natural scenic beauty on Beaver Lake, family owned and operated Campground offers an array of amenities served with a large portion of Southern Hospitality.

• Full Service RV hook-ups
• Tent Sites near restrooms and; hot showers
• Rental Cottages – Bring your own bedding
• Cabins
• General Store- Laundry
• Large Pavilion
• Recreation Room, Pool and; Playground
• Boat Slips Available
• Trophy Striper Fishing – Guides Available
• Non Smoking Facilities

Located in the northwest corner of Arkansas, about 30 miles south of the Missouri State Line. From Rogers, go about 10 miles east on SR 12 to SR 303, then go 3 miles north on SR 303. The park is on the east (right) side of the road.

Poolside Rooms

These are designed with a couple in mind. They have a queen sized bed, a full bath, and a kitchenette. All linen and basic cooking utensils provided. Rooms have heating and air conditioning. Sorry, but no smoking and no pets are allowed in these rooms. 2 night minimum stay

Lakeview Cabins

These are family oriented 12 x 30 park models with an open layout that were built as cabins. They have 2 double beds, a full kitchen and a full bath. All linens and basic cooking utensils provided. All units have heating and air conditioning. These have a 10 x 10 deck on the front with a picnic table and outdoor charcoal grill.

There are 6 of these park models located together overlooking the lake which makes these perfect for group gatherings such as church, business, or family reunions. Sorry, but no smoking and no pets are allowed in these cabins. 2 night minimum stay

Sleeping Cottages
These are small units with a double bed, small refrigerator, small microwave, and small table with 2 stools. These have a small porch, picnic table and an outdoor charcoal grill. You have to bring your own linen and use the public bath facilities. One cottage also has a futon which could be pulled out for extra sleeping space and the other cottage has a twin bunk bed above the double bed. Both units have heating and air conditioning. Sorry, but no pets are allowed in the cottages.


Wayne (my brother) and Mike with the catch of the day from Beaver Lake!

If you want to catch a few fish check out Mike Bailey's Beaver Lake Guide Service.

If you are looking for a place to get away and camp this summer or fall, check out Beaver Lake Hide A Way!

Don't toss the dill pickle juice!

Don't toss the dill pickle juice when you eat all the pickles. Pour it into ice trays and freeze it. Dill pickle juice is good for an upset stomach, leg cramps and hangovers. They actual make picklepops and sports drinks with pickle juice. The frozen juice just tastes better.

My daughter taught at a school where they froze dill pickle juice in those little medicine cups and sold it at the concession stand at ballgames. They ran out of frozen pickle juice everytime.

Once you freeze the juice put it in a plastic zip lock bag and store in the freezer. It is good to have in the ice chest when traveling in case there is someone with motion sickness.

Do you have any other ideas for pickle juice? Leave a comment on this blog and share your idea.

S & H Green Stamps

It is a miracle that my tongue is not permanently coated with the gummy glue from licking these S & H Green Stamps to stick in a book for my Mom, Mama Gen or my Aunt. As a youngster I never remember a time when there were not S & H Green Stamp books next to a pile of stamps ready to be licked and stuck in the books. We actually thought it was fun.

I am certainly not complaining about all the licking, because I did my share of dog earring the pages of the S & H Green Stamp catalog. A trip to the Green Stamp store was even more exciting, because you could actually touch the real items you were longing to redeem for the books of stamps. Family members would also help other family members save up for something really special they wanted from the catalog. We looked for these S & H Green Stamp signs to decide where to shop. They were like a thank you for shopping with us gift.

S&H Green Stamps (also called Green Shield Stamps) were popular in the United States from the 1930s until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program operated by the Sperry and Hutchinson company. During the 1960s, the rewards catalog printed by the company was the largest publication in the United States and the company issued three times as many stamps as the U.S. Postal Service!

The stores or service stations that distributed the stamps bought the stamps from S&H and gave them as bonuses to shoppers based on the dollar amount of a purchase. The stamps issued in denominations of one, ten, and fifty points were perforated with a gummed backside, and as shoppers accumulated the stamps they moistened them and mounted the stamps in collectors books, which were provided free by S&H. The books contained 24 pages and to fill a page required 50 points, so each book contained 1200 points. Shoppers could then exchange filled books for premiums, including housewares and other items, from the local Green Stamps store or from the catalog.

The program had its greatest popularity during the mid 1960s, but a series of recessions during the 1970s decreased sales of green stamps and the stamp programs of their competitors.

Sperry and Hutchinson was sold in 1981, and was purchased from a holding firm by a member of the founding Sperry family in 1999. At that time, only about 100 U.S. stores were offering Green Stamps. Eventually, the company modified its practices with the advent of the Internet and now offers greenpoints as rewards for online purchases.

A Man, A Can, A Plan

I was looking through my cookbook collection, to find some cookbooks I could share with my granddaughter, when I ran across this awesome little 5 x 8 inch treasure! GO FIND THIS BOOK...you will LOVE IT!

It would be the best gift to give a child moving out on their own, or going off to college, or to your favorite man (unless they are like my husband and already cook awesome stuff). The book is published by Rodale in association with Men's Health and is written by David Joachim and the editors of Men's Health. It is one of those cardboard books so every page is plastic coated and sturdy!

Check it out...50 easy meals!

Look at the following pages...SHOWS PICTURES!

They could actually carry the book to the grocery store to buy their ingredients!

The recipes give simple directions with + signs and = signs!!!

This is one cool little cookbook! I had forgotten about it, but it was perfect for what I was trying to find to share with my granddaughter.

Blog's 1st Anniversary!

BLOG'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY!!!

Writing this Cats, Kids and Crafts blog is so much fun,

my first year flew by and is already done.

Thanks to all who have read my posts,

the comments to me have meant the most.

I love thinking of new things to write,

it even wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Looking for things to photograph, the places I go,

to research and share things that I know.

I write like I talk, not always a good thing,

be thankful it is not as bad as I sing.

Now and then I include a little verse,

I love writing and keep notes in my purse.

This blog helps my old mind to be alive and stay active,

gravity is causing the rest of me, to not be so attractive.

I use to love to draw and paint, to kick the stress,

my hands and wrists are way past their best.

I am thankful to Julie who taught me to blog,

it's so fun to write and not turn into an old log.

Keep reading this blog and share it with friends,

the more the merrier if everyone follows and signs in.

I hope you've learned a craft, or to cook a thing or two,

or was just amused by some of my crazy views.

Happy first year blog anniversary to me,

There's no telling the future things you might see!

by BKWilliams 2011



photo by Julie

 This photo below is Callie Ann and she is also the photo on my blog profile.



THANK YOU

Blueberry Pancakes

My husband makes the best pancakes in the world. Before he started making these pancakes I could not eat pancakes without getting terrible heartburn. I have no idea why I can enjoy these, but they are wonderful.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

 

2 cups self rising flour

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

Mix these together then take

3 eggs and beat with mixer for 2 minutes

add to rest of the mixture

frozen blueberries

 amount depends on how many you want on each pancake, but at least 1/2 to 3/4 cup

He uses an electric griddle set at 350 degrees to cook the pancakes. He pours the batter out on the grill until it is between 3 and 4 inches across. Then he puts frozen blueberries on the top of the pancake batter. The blueberries thaw as the pancake cooks and makes them taste like fresh blueberries. Watch the top until the batter starts to bubble and the pancake should be ready to flip over. This should make approximately 20 pancakes.

Once we fill up on pancakes he cools the rest and then lays them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet in the freezer until they are frozen. He takes the frozen pancakes and puts them in a ziplock freezer bag. Next time someone wants a pancake just take out three or four, put on a microwave safe plate and cook on high for approximately 1 minute 30 seconds, give or take depending on your microwave. They are just as good as fresh pancakes!