Tasty Venison Meatloaf

Venison Meatloaf
1 can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 medium onion3 eggs
1/2 a sleeve of crumbled up saltine crackers
1 1/2 pounds of ground deer meat

Head Country Barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350°
In the food processor stick all the ingredients in the order above except meat and sauce. Take a large bowl and dump the mixture over the meat and mix and fold together. Place in pan and pour head country coating the top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 70 -80 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. 

  

New Strings

She just didn’t get it. She had tried everything to make it known that she didn’t like him and here he was in her living room like he was every Friday night only this night was different. Usually she would be going out on a date with another guy. No. This night she would be going on a date with him.

She grabbed her hair brush and ran it through her brunette hair until it was just right listening to him play his guitar as usual. Her Mother talking up a storm in between each song. She rolled her eyes for the millionth time at her praise. She just didn’t get why her Mother liked him. If she had it her way she would send him packing, but that wasn’t hospitable. You don’t get to be Family of the Year by being inhospitable. She walked into her room to pick out her favorite shirt. He was just a scrawny country boy. He wasn’t popular either. His friend on the other hand was gorgeous which was probably the only reason why she agreed to this. Maybe she would catch his eye.

He played the cords he knew by heart. His Dad had taught him since he was a boy. He was a little more nervous this night than usual. He had finally gotten her to agree to go out with him. He smoothed his hair down and started playing again. He knew she wouldn’t be ready for a few more minutes. Her Mom made him a glass of tea and sat down in her chair to nod along and hum along to the song. He hit a string and realized it was a little out of tune and adjusted it. New strings took a lot of breaking in but they would finally get a little more worn and sound just perfect. Isn’t that just like Love? He didn’t know much about Love. Just what he learned from watching his parents. Love did seem to be like strings. Always needing to be adjusted over time a little more so in the beginning.

Her Mother hollered for her. “Are you about ready in there?”

“I’m putting my shoes on now.” She said followed by her final word. “There!”

She walked in wearing one of her outfits she usually wore when going out on dates. He had always sat here and watched her come into the living room before her date. This time he stood up quickly holding his guitar. She was beautiful just like she always was only this time it was extra special because she was going out with him.

Jars In The Sun

After sharing with you my yarn wreath last week, I got a few more followers and some likes. I try to go look at each of the new followers blogs and check out what they have going on. Maybe I can learn something. Texas Craft House has a really cool blog and tons of cool projects that she shows you how to make. One such blog was about the janky (Yes I said JANKY) fly repellent you can make but instead of it being in a ziploc bag, hence the word janky, she did something better and went with a good ole jar which I like to think looks a heck of a lot better.

 

Now I’ve never been one on board with the fly repellent, because I just didn’t get how it works. After a Google search, the Tennessee Farm Bureau had a pretty good answer so I thought why not try it on my own front porch.

While I was at it, since I redid my little porch, I thought I would make it look fun and festive and put some colored water in jars. I don’t know how long they will last but it looks neat for a little while. Hopefully I can get some candles to help illuminate them at night.

New wreath

 

I just finished my wreath for my door. Thanks to the help of Little Britches, we found everything I needed along with a few things I already had. A trip to hobby lobby for the foam ring and some fat variegated yarn with about an hour watch Bones and wrapping this puppy and I’m  pretty happy.

 

Then came the pom poms. I’m not really an expert on these things and tend to do my own Kalamity ingenuity to things. I like it though.

Gotta give a shout out to my hubs for figuring out some fishing line and a nail over the door gives it that floating look instead of the ugly white hanger.

Wreaths have a pretty interesting history with many different symbols. For me, it’s like a welcome mat stating what this house is all about. My husband and I love to make things and share them with each other and others.

Check out these other yarn wreaths.

Pumpkin Yarn Wreath

Yarn Wreath Tutorial

Adorable Fall Wreath

Buzzfeed has some great ideas for scrap yarn as well.

 

Thanks for stopping by…

Kalamity

Life in a Blanket

Back in February, I had a weekend with the girls and ended up buying some yarn and a hook. Little did I know, what I was getting myself into. Little Britches had went over how to start a chain and single crochet and I ran with it. I have tried crocheting before but didn’t have the carefree attitude that I’ve gained this time around. I think I was scared of screwing up. You will screw up. Besides the OCD freaks out there, most people will admit that the work they do has some sort of fault.

As with most new hobbies, you do your research, gather needed materials, watch videos over and over and begin. The beginning is always the hardest part. How many chains? Did I do the right amount? Does this one count? What do they really mean by second chain from the hook? Is this the correct way to do a single crochet? Before you know it you have made row after row and counted in your head over and over until something starts to resemble a part of a blanket.

The Ripple

When I first started, I thought it would look neat to use scrap yarn… but I don’t have any scrap yarn except a bunch of red that my Mom had given to me years before because Mom always is thinking of her crafty daughter. To the big Walmart in my town I went. I grabbed this color and that and made sure that I could use the same golden hook I had been using. H. The colors seemed very navajo in color so I went with it. Spent countless hours thinking about each ripple. I wanted to make it for my sister so with these dreary winter months, I crocheted my heart out. My ends looked a little wonky and I kept getting confused but I just kept at it. It was too late now. Keep going and add a border when all was done. That was the plan.

Did I mention that I did this all in single crochet? Big mistake if you want to get something done fast. It would take me over 20 minutes to go one way. Little Britches couldn’t believe how committed I was to such a tedious project.

My sister’s birthday came and went and I didn’t get it finished. I decided to keep going. I’m not a quitter. I hate quitting on things so when I do seem to quit, it’s more like laying it down for a little while until I have time to come back… in a day or a week or a year or two.

The Injury

The problem with researching hobbies is you don’t think about the toll it can take on your body. Sure, you check to make sure you are doing squats correctly, but who would have thought that you would need proper posture for crocheting? Not I and now I know different. After an x-ray, a cortisone shot, missing a day of work, and physical therapy, I know that you shouldn’t spend hours sitting on your butt going to town crocheting like you are a diesel engine.

The time I spent recovering, I stared a hole into the half of the blanket I had made. My husband warned me about starting again. I’m not a quitter though. As soon as I felt well enough, I started again. It took me around 6 months, but it was worth it. I kind of sort of blocked it. I think.

I love the colors. I love the look. I loved the journey. I love the fact that it has different textures. The red yard is tighter and rough while some of the other colors soft and light. Isn’t that how life is? Bittersweet. You have your hard times and good times and they are all combined together in this life you have.

You can see which end is the beginning, if you look carefully. I got better at crocheting as I went as you will with anything you do over and over. You can see the perfections and the mistakes. I like that I can run my hand over it and know that I spent time thinking about loved ones, happy memories, working out problems in my head, talking to God or letting my mind wander.

My Great Grandmothers made all sorts of things. Necklaces, bedazzled sweatshirts, poetry and crocheted items and they loved to give them as gifts. It’s this heritage that has me feeling their spirits are watching over me with approval. I want to make things and give them to others. That’s what we we do in my family. We don’t expect anything in return.

I didn’t give this one to my sister. Not yet anyways. The blanket is gracing my couch’s back for now until I decide if I am truly finished with it. My Grandmother thinks I should keep it. It’s your first blanket, she says. You should always keep your first. True, but my nature is to make things and give them away. It’s a fine line. I want to pass on these traditions as my grandmothers have. This blanket will mean something for someone. I guess it means a great deal to me. One day… I will give it away.

You can also click here for the pattern.

Thank you for reading,

Kalamity

Not So Plain Jane

When OITNB season 3 came back on, so did the subscription to Netflix. Last time we turned it off after watching all the seasons of The Walking Dead because there wasn’t anything else worth watching. This time around proves to be more fruitful.

With my husband working weekend, I get to watch what I want way too much while I crochet. Saturday night, I chose two outstanding movies. Jane Eyre with the ever so handsome Michael Fassbender as the lead male role and In Your Eyes.

Jane Eyre… Never read the book which seems like a shame to say after watching this romantic tale of love lasting through all sorts of tormented hardships. Jane seems so plain and has been through a childhood from hell. She gives nothing away until when it counts the most. I seriously spent the first half hour wondering where this relationship between Jane and Edward was going. I just knew the man was up to no good but he could read her like a book.

The dark scenes where something goes bump in the night was creepy and so mysterious. I was completely flabbergasted at the reveal. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and have plans to read the book. I’m really hoping to get to the bottom of just what was the deal with this Miss. Fancy Dress Ingram.

 

Here are a few wonderful pins from Pinterest:

I NEED THIS!!!

Hope your Tuesday goes well,

Kalamity

 

via, via

You Be The Judge

Recently, my husband and I decided to catch an early dinner at a certain steakhouse that was right across the street from a well-known home improvement store. It was around 5:00 and there was no wait on a table. We sat down and waited and waited until someone finally decided to take our order. No biggie. We weren’t in any kind of hurry. We ordered our salads and steaks and went about talking and playing on our phones.  I usually try to stay off of mine when we go out but my husband was busy talking with friends about their upcoming all night fishing trip.

Then there was a hair in my salad. There are few things that really gross me out but hair in my food is my Achilles heel. The waiter acted flabbergasted before by husband told him another salad would be fine to replace mine. A sort of apology and a second salad that I tried to eat… I’m a real  head case on hair and steak was served.

The steak was wonderful and while waiting for the check my husband excused himself to the restroom. Check was paid with a nice tip and we left. We tip well and usually a little more than the average. I’m always amazed at how much eating out costs, but it’s something you have to accept if you are going to eat out instead of at home.

It  wasn’t until we got to the home improvement store that my husband realized that he had left his phone at the restaurant. No problem. I told him I would go get it since it was right across the road. I checked both the parking lots while I went over there and asked the waiter and the manager if they had seen a black Iphone. They both checked the booth and the waiter checked the bathroom and came up empty-handed.

When I reached the car, I turned on the “Find My Iphone” App which has come in handy a time or two. The phone was shown as off. Odd. I placed a lock on it where when it finally would be turned on, it would have to have a password to get into or otherwise only be able to call my phone.

I retrieved my husband and we double checked the parking lots and the home improvement store with no luck. He decided to go back in the steakhouse. The last place I saw his phone was on the table. We hadn’t even been gone 10 minutes. No one had turned it in and it showed it to be off which it had an ample amount of juice to still be on. He went back in and informed the manager that someone had his phone and we would know when it was finally turned back on. The manager seemed pretty intrigued by that news. He left my number for him to call and we left.

Two very unhappy people we were. It happens you leave something behind at least once in your life.

We went to our carrier and had them blacklist the phone which doesn’t seem to do much but make the phone useless and you won’t be seeing it again if it is stolen, but all your information is wiped from the phone.

About 10:30 that night while we are laying in bed, I get a call from the steakhouse. The waiter says he was so concerned about the lost phone that he went and searched for it himself and found it in the home improvement store’s parking lot.

Iphone retrieved… No apologies… Nothing. And when it turned back on my phone notified me where it was.

I don’t know about you but sounds like a bunch of manure.

You be the judge. Do you believe it?

I do have to say, this is another reason why I love Iphones.

Thanks,

Kalamity

Appalled and Mortified at The Proof

When my husband jokes about me sawing down a whole forest which is when he refers to me sleeping or snoring while sleeping, I usually deny such accusations but last night I was given Exhibit A as proof of such occurrences. Needless to say, I am mortified.

He had videoed his lovely wife sleeping when I dozed off during Daredevil last week. I know, a mortal sin among geeks and nerd and closet super hero fans, but I was tired. We watched the same episode again the next day. Back to the point… HE VIDEOED ME!!! HUSBANDS AROUND THE WORLD LISTEN TO ME!!! When your wife wants proof of something that could prove to only wound her pride, just ignore it. Pretend she never said it. TRUST ME! She doesn’t want to know. SHE WILL NOT LIKE IT!

Do not act like a blooming idiot like my husband and then wait with the evidence for the next time she would so happen to deny it. Just don’t! Upon my denial and his declaration of proof, I ask to see or should I say hear it and good golly what a whopper. It sounded like nothing I had ever heard. I know snoring. My uncle is a snorer. I. Do. Not. Snore. No! In fact, I do something that sounds like a wild animal caught in a trap that then passes gas. Beyond mortified. I don’t know how I can sleep around him or anyone ever again. The one thing I would think would be sacred and one of my favorite past times and I now have a complex about it. This will not due.

I need to find a way to stop the snoring.

Good ole google. I type in How to stop and it fills in snoring in the first example to choose from. Gees. Does google know I have a snoring problem?

Lifestyle changes to stop snoring

1. Lose weight. …Working on it.
2. Exercise can also help to stop snoring. … Maybe I will try… then I have to worry about a second video…
3. Quit smoking. … Don’t do that.
4. Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives because they relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing. … Damn… That means no more wine…
5. Establish regular sleep patterns. Well I thought I had.

So number 4 may just get overlooked, but I guess we shall see if losing weight and exercising more helps.

Yours truly,

The Weird Snoring Girl