Why are Realists Called Alarmists?

Some of these photos are from happenings from this past week!  
Most within the past 12 months!
Two from 12 years ago.




Some global -----  Others Local ----  Many Personal


Most caused by Nature's  unrest ---- 
Some by Mob unrest . . .
Others by Individual unrest 






National emergencies and local emergencies . . .
that affect many
     that affect some
           that affect one

that might personally affect YOU and your family!




There are personal emergencies 
Millions losing jobs. . . 
Hundreds lining up for a limited number 
of available jobs

Then there is the one that changed most everyone in one way or another




Emergencies, or in many cases even the prediction of  potential situations, often result in . . .



What if the emergency was one that, while causing no structural or physical damage anywhere, left us without the ability to do little-if-anything anywhere?  Think how a widespread or worldwide power outage would render the "computerized" world helpless!


WHAT IF . . . ?

Most of us have car insurance, home insurance and medical insurance "just in case." 

Life insurance provides for our loved ones after we die.

How much better to have insurance to help us and our loved ones endure any emergency we may encounter.

Does simply being prepared make us a realist   or an alarmist? 

The Old-Age Dilemma AND The Perfect Anti-Aging Cream

When we hit the later years of our life we are faced with an old-age dilemma, which is 

How do we (and others) refer to us?

The options are bleak and none of them are the least bit appealing. We'll start off with over-the-hill, retiree and senior citizen. You can take it from there.

Below are two of the best ways to help us feel (or look) younger--- even when we don't and we aren't.

Attempt #1  Remember the wonderful carefree days of youth, back when there was nothing better than an ice cream cone, crammed full with the creamy stuff, eaten on the hottest day of the summer, leaking from the sides of your mouth, dripping all over your hand, down your arm and onto your clothes?

On-lookers thought we were so cute!

Well . . .

Can there be any anti-aging cream that
works as well to recapture youth
as an ice cream cone?

Attempt #2

Instead of exercising, eating well, dressing in younger styles,  layering all types of make-up, and coloring your hair to cover the tell-tale signs of aging, simply do the following. 

It is amazing, free, foolproof and instant --- convincing others you look great without you doing all the not-so-great things to maintain that image. Actually, without you doing ANYTHING other than this one thing.

I guarantee it!




Tell people you are 10 years older than you actually are!

(I may not look like much at 70 but I am quite presentable for 80!)







 

Make Baby or Toddler Pants from Shirtsleeves

    (You don't have to look too closely to see where I forgot
to tighten the elastic on one leg.)

This week I used a $1.00 thrift shop blouse to make a little one- piece sun-suit for our September-arriving granddaughter.


"What does this have to do with making baby or toddler pants?" you ask.

The blouse had 3/4 length sleeves with band trim across the bottom.  

I simply couldn't let all that sleeve material go to waste. 

Plus, the shape of the sleeve when I cut it from the rest of 
the blouse reminded me of the pattern shape for little pants.

I laid my "pattern" on the sleeves so 

the cuff bands of the blouse became 

the hems of the pants---another time-

saving step.  And I love how the little 

"slit" feature, originally on the cuff, looks

at the bottom of the pants. 

I was really excited when I saw how cute they turned out.

Then I realized I hadn't asked Dave to take before and during photos of the process!

I have tried to recreate it by cutting the sleeves out of a
blouse I had in my closet. It wasn't cotton and had short sleeves so the layout doesn't look quite right but I think it is enough to give you the idea.  

(Oops! I drew the line too close to the leg of the pants. 
Obviously a "do as I say, not as I do" situation!)

Step 1
Fold the sleeve in half. Fold the "pattern" in half and lay it on the sleeve fabric.  Important: Although my photo above does not show it---
you must be sure to allow extra length at the top of the 
pants for the waist band casing. Cut around the pattern allowing extra for the seam.Repeat with second sleeve.  


Next, I copied some illustrations from a baby pants pattern to give the visual direction.

Men's shirts would give you even more fabric to work with.  Since most children grow more in length than they do in "width" the longer sleeves on men's shirts would allow you to make pants for children, not just infants and toddlers.

Denim shirts would provide options of pants from the sleeves and --- skirts, vests, jumpers, shorts and more from the rest of the shirt.  

Now, if they would only make the buttonholes on adult clothing closer together we could utilize that part of the shirt also.  What a time- and effort-saver that would be!

Happy Sewing and Happy Thinking  ... 
of things you can do and things you can make do with.

I am Simply, Gail --- the creative cheapskate!

Simple Dresses from a Bedsheet

In the late 50's and early 60's,                                
(when I was in the shape to wear  them!) 

A classic dress
from  a half century ago

simple sheath dresses were in style. 

Times have changed (along with my size and shape) so today, being creative and frugal cheap,  I am going to introduce you to the SHEET dress.

In the mid 60's the tent or trapeze
dress came into fashion. I had this actual pattern (and even in this size).

I have just discovered "vintage" patterns (40s, 50s, 60s) are making a comeback in the pattern books---at about $16.00 each.  A pattern similar to this 50 cent one may be among them.

I like loose dresses for summer wear --- at least around the house.  They may not be cool in the fashion sense but I find them much cooler than pants in the practical sense. 

Sew So . . .

I was at  our local fabric store this past week, hoping to take advantage of their 50-percent-off one-cut-of fabric-coupon.  Ha!  Even at their half-price, the cost per yard was more than double what I was comfortable paying.

My next stops were the thrift shops!

I found a cute full/double size floral patterned sheet for $2.00 and a bright yellow with print border queen set for $3.00. All, while used, in excellent condition with the added bonus of being softened by washing and drying.

There is enough material  in this $5.00 worth of fabric to make
dresses with lots of  left over for other projects! I might use some
to make crib sheets for our  expected granddaughter.

I have a tent-style dress that fits well so I laid it out and drew around it, making my pattern. Besides being cheap I am lazy so I thought creatively and laid out the pattern so the hem of the sheet became the hem of the dress!

Except mu-mu  type, not nightgown type

I have a previous thrift-store-purchased sheet I have been using as a summer tablecloth.  It is bright sea blue with large, also bright, tropical fish. It is about to become a dress also---possibly one with an gathered neck similar to the one shown here.

Flat Sheet Measurements 

(Keep in mind that a yard of fabric, no matter what  width, is 36 inches in length so even a single flat sheet provides a little over 2 yards of 39-inch fabric.)

Sheet for single bed - 39 inches wide by 75 inches long
Sheet for double (also called full size) is 54 inches wide by 75 inches long
Sheet for queen bed is 60 inches by 80 inches
Sheet for king bed is 78 inches by 80 inches

Think what you could make with flannel sheets! Pajamas, Diapers, Crib Sheets and More . . .

Healthy Cold Drinks for Hot Days

Our long Winter is finally over 

Our Spring was fleeting 

Summer is in full Blast

Dave volunteers at a horse ranch in the therapy portion of a program for addicted boys. 

Since I have never mentioned horses on this blog before (except for the rocking horse cake which you can find in the cookbook sidebar) I will answer the question before you even ask.  

No, Dave didn't know anything about horses before he started helping out but----he did know a lot about addicts!

He comes home hot and thirsty.  I have been raiding our freezer* for refreshing beverage combinations.

It has been fun coming up with winning combinations on my own --- using what we have on hand.

In their seasons, when fruits and vegetables are readily and cheaply available, both from our garden and those of friends,  local farmer's markets or fruit stands,  I  freeze some for future use.  

Our freezer currently contains 

Banana slices -- both very thinly sliced and sliced about 1/3 inch thick. 

Peach and cantaloupe chunks

Watermelon puree

Grapes  

Blueberries

Orange slices

Lemon slices

Raspberries

Tomato puree

Pomegranate seeds

Spinach leaves

Kale leaves

Cilantro-stuffed ice-cubes

Also a variety of green, red and yellow green peppers, zucchini, etc.

Plus a five-pound of pebble ice (the type that is used in meat section displays) that I have divided into 2 cup portions in zip-lock-type freezer bags.

Note: I forgot to add that I usually include one or two large dollops of my simple and foolproof homemade Greek yogurt in each of our drinks.   You can find that recipe here.  http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=greek+yogurt

We have just started making full use of our bounty in this way and the possibilities are endless.

Banana slices, cantaloupe chunks, orange slices, apple juice with chia seeds blended in for extra nutrition

Cantaloupe chunks and apple juice, garnished with a few frozen grapes dropped in the glass before serving.

A blender is necessary ---- make sure the lid is on tight! I usually keep a hand on the lid also . . . just in case.

Use whatever combinations and measurements appeal to you.

I look at this next one as an occasional treat that doesn't sound so sugary when the blender full is divided among several glasses.

Lemon Cooler --- Wash one large lemon. Remove a slice from the top and bottom of the lemon and discard. Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the rind from the lemon and discard it, leaving the rest of the rind intact. Cut lemon into thin rounds and remove seeds. Place slices in blender container. Add 1 cup granulated sugar. Fill container with crushed ice. Add cold water to fill container 3/4 of the way. Put on the lid, holding it firmly in place, and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.

My next attempt will be a V-8 (vegetable) type drink.  I imagine (and hope) it will turn out like a gazpacho smoothie!

I offer more simple drinks  under  beverages  in the cookbook sidebar. 

Side note:  44 years ago I wanted a blender for Christmas.  Dave felt it was one of those "things" that would sit on the counter and collect dust but he indulged me.  

'Nother note: It is not necessary to buy one of those $300+ Cadillac models.  Most reasonable blenders will do the job.

'til we eat again,

           I am Simply, Gail ---and I try to keep everything simple

My Country 'tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty Let Freedom Ring

Each year, at the end of May, we in the United States remember and honor those who gave their lives in service of our country — to maintain our freedoms.

Each year on June 14th, we in the United States celebrate Flag Day, to honor the precious symbol of our freedom.

Each year on July 4th, we in the United States celebrate the day our country declared  its independence.

In the 1760's a small group, The Loyal 9, were the founding members of the Sons of Liberty dedicated to establishing these freedoms.

Sadly, each day we see these hard fought freedoms being eroded.

If you live in the United States you understand fully what I mean.  It is very frightening. It is very sad, but likely, that those of you living in other countries are seeing decline or further decline of your own nation, and are fearful for your families.

We, as individuals, wherever we live, may not be able to do much individually but we can help make a difference collectively —  there is great strength in numbers.

Take a pencil or slender stick and break it in half.  It is easy.
Hold several pencils or slender sticks together and see how difficult it becomes.

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything

But still I can do something;

And because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

                                       Edward Everett Hale (American Clergyman 1822-1909)


It is easy to get overwhelmed by the myriad of challenges we face that need to be overcome. Rather than letting the culture, system, bureaucracy, and numerous challenges paralyze us and get us down, we need to put our focus on what we CAN do.

Our lives are so busy doing the necessary daily things that the most important things---no matter how good are our intentions---are never gotten to.  Our country’s freedoms are slipping away at an alarming rate. The zillion-page-bills that are being rushed, inappropriately, through our government processes are full of increasingly dangerous hidden agendas.

There is a new website that is bringing these deceptions to light — quickly and simply — in plain English so we can see and understand how this is happening. It also provides the opportunity for us, at a click, to respond to our respective representatives. The authors of this site, two of our sons, Josh and Luke, are passionate about our Constitution — the Constitution of the United States of America — and the freedoms it guarantees. They have spent many hours over many, many months developing this site at their own expense for our good. Please take a few minutes and check it out.

                                   http://www.loyal9.org/

● Each journey begins with one step.
● When we fall down, it does not mean we have failed unless . . .                 we fail to get up.
● Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
● Who and what we are is God’s gift to us --- What we give back is our gift to Him.


We may not be able to influence everyone or everything but with our actions we can bring peace to ourselves, our families, and maybe our immediate surroundings. Even those who live in the most dire circumstances imaginable can find peace internally.

In the Holy Bible (John 14:27) our Savior, Jesus Christ gives each of us this promise

    Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: 

not as the world giveth, give I unto you.        

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

Footsteps in the Sand
                                      photo by http://media.photobucket.com                                                           

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

                                                                                        - by Margaret Fishback Powers



Our country’s days of remembering and honoring are becoming less and less days of remembering and honoring and more and more about just another holiday for fun and games.  Let’s do our own individual part to ensure that the fireworks we shoot off in celebration do not become fireworks aimed at our freedoms.