2011 Fair Result

Five pieces, three ribbons, and a check. That's the result from my entries in the fair this year. We didn't put in any vegetables this year as we have only peppers and tomatoes. The judges just look at salsa and don't taste it so we don't put any of our salsa in the open event.

Here is what I entered:

I got a third place for the hanky holder and a fifth place for both the butter mold and the afghan. The final result: a premium check for $6.75!

Thankful Thursday on Friday 08/26/11

1. My niece's surgery yesterday went well and she is on the mend.
2. Despite a bit of a health scare this week, I'm ok.
3. Jayne, a good friend who took me to a dr. appointment and then later in the evening to the ER.
4. Jayne and Renae who sat in the ER until 11:45 with me.
5. After checking a previous medical bill and questioning a charge, the billing service is taking off a charge because the dr. didn't order that test. Hmmm, makes me wonder how often something gets added because "they typically do that when they do the other procedure." Also makes me wonder how many people are careful to read the bills especially if they have insurance that would pay the majority of the bill. Would I have looked so carefully if it wasn't all out of pocket for me?
6. It's a beautiful weather report for the weekend!
7. Lots of family and friends who were praying for me this week.

New Calling?

Thanks to a friend in OH I was able to make this call this morning:

Good morning. My air conditioning went out on Saturday and I think the fan capaciter needs to be replaced. These are the model and serial numbers. Will you be able to have someone come out and do that?

So in case your a/c isn't working and you hear the compressor running but the fan isn't, you need to take a pencil or screwdriver and try to move the fan. If it starts moving it's the capciter (sp?) and if the fan is locked up then the bearings are probably bad and you'll need a new fan motor.

Any more information and I may have to charge you.

This Week

It's Fair Week!!! Tonight is a concert with two Christian groups. T

Tuesday and Wednesday nights are off-road races, and Saturday night is the demolition derby. I'm surprised how much I like these two events which has lead me to say, "I never knew I was a redneck 'til I moved to Hudsonville.

Thankful Thursday

1. What a good week for lunches:
      Monday with Heather and the boys and I won the "7000" game!!!
      Tuesday a picnic at the park. It was so much fun to watch a few kids chase the Canada geese and wonder when the geese were going to retaliate.
      Wednesday with Jayne at our breakfast place.
2. This time of year provides the best drives to work. The trees, flowers, and crops have filled out and are maturing so it's very green. The rolling countryside is just nice as I drive through the country from the Hudsonville to the Zeeland exit.
3. I think of myself as a glass is half empty kind of person so I'm thankful when I realize that compared to another person I'm much more glass is half full thinker.
4. Got a great deal on a baby gift this week! 
5. My niece's dye test came back with good results. When her father sent a picture of her in recovery I thought she be dyed, but she wasn't. I was thinking neon blue, green, or orange!

Summer Project

During one of the hottest weeks of the sumer I spent two evenings cutting 1/2" pvc into 18", 12", and 6" pieces. There are also 16 packages of 1/2" Ts as well.

All of those parts fit together to make these:

I got so tired of year after year having our wire tomato cages fall over that I designed my own. Our tomatoes haven't been the best this year, but we had enough for at least one day of canning salsa. The nice thing is we can leave these out all winter.

An designer or engineer would not like my design: 30 pieces of pvc with 20 connecting Ts.

Thankful Thursday 08/04/11

1. I drove a rental car on Monday and Tuesday while my car was in the body shop getting some work done. I'm so thankful I don't have to drive that brand and model all the time. At 70 mph on the interstate my arms were shaking so much on the steering wheel!
2. My vehicle is so nicely clean because the body shop does such a great job cleaning the inside even though they work on the outside!
3. The body shop gave me coupons for 2 free hand car washes!!!
4. The cooler temp and a nice breeze made for a good night to pick blueberries. Last night I picked 9 lbs. and picked up a new recipe sheet. This year I think I'll try the blueberry pound cake except pound cake has a lot of butter. One year I made the blueberry cake for the church picnic. It was all gone, but I think people thought the blueberries were chocolate chips!
5. Had my first tomatoes out of the garden last week. Oh, homegrown tomatoes are wonderful!!!