What have I been doing for the last three days?? Well... here goes... And a almost birthday and 50th post drawning...

Before I start... here is the drawing...

it is from Raggedy Angel...

http://ragggedyangel.blogspot.com/

go here to sign up for a chance to win...

she will be drawing on Monday October 13th,

so hurry... don't delay!

How have you been doing this fine and wonderful day??
I have been keeping busy...
even if by looking it don't look like it ;-)

I have spent the Monday and Tuesday...baking!!!

I made fresh homemade apple pie...

lemon oatmeal cookies... and even some with chocolate chips!!
German Chocolate Cupcakes... iced with coconut pecan...

and Milk Chocolate also.

Pumpkin pies...

which I used a recipe that I have been dieing to try...

well I relearned something that I already knew!!

The recipe said to bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees...

should be set... take out of oven...

Well.... as always you should bake a pumpkin pie...

for 15 minutes at 425 degrees...

then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

I will give everyone this recipe with a pic of what happens if you follow the recipe...

and a correction for baking!!!

Other than the obvious... the pie tastes good...

You ask why I am doing all this baking??

Well.... for one... it was cool... and it warmed the house!!

But the real reason...

Our local library is having a cake walk on Saturday...

It is the Town Homecoming celebration!!!

Well... I had planned on baking more yesterday...

but my daughter, Scoti, had other ideas!!

She is the Daisy leader for her daughter's group...

and they are earning their patch for bike safety.

Part of the patch is to make a float for parade...

and so here is her idea...

She presented me with these two pics...

THIS is what she wants on the back of the float!!!

All I could think of... OMW!!
How am I supposed to draw Lightening and the rest??
The circle would not be so bad... but still...

We called our local library...

and my dearest friend... our librarian...

Miss Cindy!!! gave us a wonderful option...

use her overhead projector!!!
(I wonder now... how have I survived this long WITHOUT one of these!!!!!)

O!!! How much better this job just became!!!
I used it to draw the outline of both of these onto a piece of plywood...

front and back!!!

Then I started painting yesterday...

at 2:30 pm. and painted until 7:30 pm.

On my front porch... for those of you that know

my house... it is cement!!!

O! My aching back!!! lol
Well here are my efforts for that time frame...

I am sort of happy with this...

Hubby drives up after work...

says looks wonderful!!!

"Don't kill yourself on the details... it will be seen at 15 to 20 feet away."

So I decide ok... done for now.

I took a break... watched Private Practice...

ate my first meal of the day...

(I get busy... and forget to eat!!! Why do I look so heavy?? Well...)

After watching my Wednesday evening show...

I decided I needed to get back to it...

I brought it inside...

sitting on a chair... I got back to it!

Here is what it looks like now that Lightening and the Sheriff is finished!!!

Scoti... and Brock came out this morning to see the piece finished...

Brock took one look and said...

"Mommy is that mine??? Can I put it in my room???"

Well, my heart swelled to over flowing!!!
There is no bigger compliment...

than the love of a grandchild for you work!!!!!! :D

And needless to say I am floating around on cloud nine!!

I was planning on telling her...

I wanted the piece back when done...

I would put it on the kids wall at my house...

but... I am much happier to know that my dearest grandson, Brock,

wants it for his room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU MY SWEET PEA, BROCK

for my big smile today!!!

Then last night after letting the writing dry...

I flipped the plywood over and started on the other side...

I worked away slowly but surely...

Hubby fell asleep on the couch waiting for me to move it..

(I had it propped up in the walkway to the bedroom)

and while he slept...

I continued to paint!

I had a base coat of white around the outside...

the whole inside painted...

And by now it is 1:00 am.

I decided I had best get some much needed sleep myself.

Hubby went to bed.

I followed...

At 7:15 am this morning, Scoti called to see how things were going.

When we hung up...

I went back to sleep...

to wake up at 8:25 am ...

to Brock and Scoti knocking on my door :D

I got up opened the door...

they both love the look...

After they left...

I called my best friend Ali...

we talked for 72 minutes...

about our days... family...

and everything else under the sun...
(She makes my day seem so much more brighter!!! EVERYDAY!!)

Then I figured I had better get my house work done afterwards.

At 10:45 am this morning I was getting back to my plywood...

I put the second coat of white on the outside of the circle...

then took out my scripto brush...

and the black paint...

to outline all of the pic!!

Then added "Click it... or... Ticket!"

And Wallahhhhh

Here it is finished!!

Hope you enjoy it too.

And don't you forget...

to buckle up too!!

;-)

I now need to get back to doing all the rest of my baking...

re-baking the pumpkin pie with the right baking temps and times!!

Some more cupcakes... and who knows what else I will decide to bake!!!

I also need to get some more apples peeled... cored and sliced...

for freezing into apples pie filling!!

(My mother gave me a wonderful idea for this...

I am sure others of you out there already know this...

but for those that don't... I will share this idea!!)

to take my pie pan... line it with aluminum foil...

place the apples with all of the dry seasonings already in it...

close up the aluminum foil...

and freeze!!!

I usually do all of that IN THE PIE SHELL!!

then freeze!!

She helped me to cut out one step...

especially being as my pie shell maker isn't home!!
(Samantha is the one that makes the most wonderful crusts...

so flaky!!! and moist!!! and melts in your mouth!!!

Even thou she and I can use the same recipe...

Hers are always the same...

so are mine...

HARD... AND TOOOOOO CHEWY!!!)

Then I always roll them!!

(If she rolls, then not so flaky...)

so it becomes a group effort!!

(AND I LOVE THIS TIME TOGETHER!!!)

So I will wait until the seasons greetings are started...

and she is home again...

and let her do that part of the holiday baking!!!
And then we will be smiling again together!

Well, for now I suppose I should close... and get started on the rest of my day...

I hope you all have a wonderful joy filled day also!!! :D :D :D

Also don't forget to SMILE...
You will get on in return!!!
Remember to Live well, Laugh often,
and to LOVE much!!