January Junk...Back In The Day

Back In The Day, when I was an avid collector of Euphemera...written or printed matter not intended to be collected...I latched on to 'All Things January'.

After awhile my January Junk began to pile up.  This would not be a problem if the Junk was limited to the not intended to be collected printed matter.  Afterall, paper is thin, it is foldable, it can be filed...okay...it can pile up. 

I'm still not comfortable talking about All of The January Junk that along with the Euphemera PileUp, fell into the ChunkIt or Move' episode that I suffered Back In The Dark Days of De-Clutter October 2011.

As I said, it's painful for me to this day, but I know that the Glass Garnet BellyButton Ring will be put to good use by Fatima.  Even though I never got the hang of Belly Dancing...for exercise you understand...the costume was fun and having my Birthstone in my Belly Button seemed somehow significant.

Now that the end of January is here, I feel compelled to share some of what I have left. 
Compelled you say! 

Yes...compelled...I may not get another chance!  Haven't you heard about the Mayan Calendar?
Word is the January 2013 Calendar won't make the Euphemera Collectors list in the non-future!!!

The idea of that does kinda 'freak' me out!  There goes my 'Centurian Birthday'!  There goes my hard earned Senior Citizen Card Carryin' Status...and I laminated those cards to last forever....shoot!
HiHoney says there is an UpSide....

By The Lamp Light....A Sisters Letters from 1861

August 5, 1861

My Dear Brother Jessie,

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that our Dear Mother has joined her heavenly father in the promise land.  Praise be, she is free of the pain and suffering that has long been her burden to bear. 

In her final hours, Jessie, her thoughts and prayers were for you.  Tears of love and sorrow filled her eyes as she prayed to Our Lord and Savior to comfort you with his healing touch on your wounds and heart. 

'Sweet Jessie, we will be together in the Glory of Heaven." 

With those last words, she went peacefully to The Glory.

Your devoted sister,
Mary Amanda

Agnes Susan Castelberry Leatherwood departed this life August the 5th, 1861, aged 52 years, on month and 15 days.  The deceased was a native of South Carolina, then moved to Benton County (now Calhoun) Alabama where she remained until her death.  She had been affected for some time, and the latter part of her afflictions was very severe and yet she bore the same without murmur.

The deceased lived a member of the Baptist church and adorned her profession by a godly walk and close conversation;  but her seat is now vacant in the church house, and also in the family circle;  but in the language of Revelation, "blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from hence forth, yea saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works, do follow them." 

Her Christian walk will still live in the memory of those with whom she associated.  She was a warm and devoted friend, and generous and forgiving to her enemies - a good and generous neighbor - a kind and affectionate wife and mother.  She has left a husband, 10 or 11 children, and many relatives and friends to mourn her loss, but their loss is her eternal gain.  We sympathize with the family in their bereavement, and may the Lord give them grace to sustain them in their heavy bereavement.

Obituary - The Jacksonville Republican News, Jacksonville, Alabama - December 12, 1861

Our Father who art in heaven....

Sorting Saturday....Finding Rose Adaline

Rose Adaline Leatherwood

Born November 20, 1845 in Leatherwood, Calhoun County, Alabama

Died April 23, 1862 in Alexandria, Calhoun County, Alabama

Rose Adaline was my 3rd Great Aunt...Sister of my

3rd Great Grandfather John Moore Leatherwood.

As I dig/sort through the profiles of my Texas Ancestors, I give myself assignments to keep the sometimes mundane and absolutely fallin' face down on my keyboard boring stuff a new ZippityDoDa Zing! 

 That's how I found Rose Adaline. 

Your Assignment Sleuthin' Sue...should you decide to stay awake,

is to find all the

Girls in your Family Tree with Floral Names!

Those of you who are familiar with Genealogy will understand my 'falling face down on the keyboard' statement, and those of you who have been following the Tracking of my Texas Ancestors should know that...'It Ain't All A Bed of Roses....sorry Rose Adaline...I don't mean you!  It's just that  I'm to that point of sorting through the Thorns, dusting off the Aphids, and waiting for the Buds to Bloom!

Finding Rose Adaline was rewarding and a heartfelt reminder that ...

Every person in your Family Tree is Significant in Time for

‘there is no such thing as a life not meant for the person living It.’  

~Louis Simpson~

In the 'Finding of Rose Adaline'... my interest is peaked once again and I'm wide awake!

Did you notice the name of the Town where she was born?

Have you calculated the years of her birth and death?

I have!

PS...Rose Adaline was one of my Southern Great Aunts with a Floral name.  I hope you will come back to meet Beaulah Magnolia!

Linking to Pink Saturday at Beverly's How Sweet The Sound!

Waste Not-Want Not...Back In The Day

Good Mornin' Ya'll,
I just refilled my 'Cuppa' and of course dumped in an extra swoosh of French Vanilla/Hazelnut/Amaretto Creamer....that's my own blend ya know. It's called 'ScrapCreamer'.  It's somethin' I do so as to Waste Not Want Not!

I don't know where that 'waste not want not' thing comes from.   Mama didn't make a point of pointing that out...at least not in so many words...more so in actions. 

Her kitchen was a Waste Not...PayDay's a Week Away kinda kitchen. 

She could stretch a 'Fryer' farther than the road from here to Dallas...and that was a long way from Mama's kitchen.  Fried Chicken was a Sunday Special with mashed potatoes and cream gravy, corn bread and banana pudding.  Every item on that menu was a result of some part of that Stretched Fryer...except for the pudding. 

If you are from that era of 'Waste Not...Want Not' then you know what I'm talkin' about.

For instance...The Fryer...it was the Whole Chicken...bagged with skin, layers of globby fat and guts...pretty much everything but the head, feet and feathers.  I know you are dying to know how I know so much about Fryers.

Let's just say, I was the butcher!  I can still hear Mama sayin', "Sue, you are butcherin' that Fryer.  Pick it up off the floor and hold onto the leg.  It's a knife, not a saw...here's a bandaid!"

My other Fryer related skill was 'Stirin' the Gravy!  We....Mama and I fried chicken in a huge Cast Iron Skillet that lived in the bottom pullout drawer of the stove where no other pan dare go!  It was black, it was crusty, it was heavy, and it was known as 'The Monster Skillet'!   Once it was wenched up on the stove, loaded with Crisco then with the battered...my butcherin'-mama's eggNmilk...and floured pieces, I became the official Chicken Fryer Turner.  A title and job I did not relish!  The Monster Skillet did not approve of my 'Fryer Turner' skills and invariably Spit Hot Crisco on my already injured hand...so now I have a glob of medicinal butter to go with the bandaid.

That was in the late 1950's...I can remember it like it was yesterday!

What lessons did I learn while standin' over a hot 'Crisco Spittin' Monster Skillet?

How has Mama's Bagged Fryer choice changed my shoppin' for  Fryers?

How do I Fry Chicken and make Gravy like Mama did Back In The Day without Crisco and Wheat Flour?

Gluten Free...Gourmet Pineapple UpsideDown Cake

Have you been wishing for Cakes and Desserts like Mama made or You Baked

before having to empty your canister of All-Purpose Wheat Flour?

If so...Gluten Free and Wheat Free Gourmet Desserts...Grants Wishes!

I wished for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe!

My wish was granted!

I wished for a better understanding of Gluten Free Baking.

My wish was granted!

I wished for recipes and ingredients that my Cupboard and Fridge could meet!

My wish was granted!

This Cook/Baking/Dessert Book is the Fairy Godmother of Baking Gluten Free....and you are the Wand Waving Baker!

Well...there's a little more to it than waving a wand and saying AbraCaDabRa!

You can check this Magical Baking Book out...a Link is provided for you at the end of this post!




Now...Let's Bake A Cake....

PhotoTips...TOT with FAV TOY & BLANKEE

~Take your Camera everywhere!
An impromptu PhotoOp can happen when one least expects it...like going home from Nana and Papas!
~Take 'What You See Is What You Get'!
Don't stage it!  Don't say..."Look here and SMILE"!
~Take Lots of Shots!
The beauty of Digital Photography....you can never have too many pictures.  Gives you so many more choices than the old Develop and Hope you have a good shot or two.
~Talk To Your Tot!
"Jackson, do you love MeeMo?"  OMy you will be rewarded with a special PhotoOp Moment!   Be ready!
~Treasure These Times!
It's a Once In A Lifetime Time!  Download these Photos. Save them ALL.  BACK them up.  You'll be glad you did....even the out of focus and not so perfect shots.
~Take Notes...Add Captions and Dates!
Jackson says the cutest things about his favorite belongings!  He obviously takes them everywhere and keeps them close.  Elmo is his favorite toy...he's soft and cuddly, brightly colored and funny.  Jackson calls him 'MeeMo'...and so do we!  He's a Blankee Boy...he calls his blankee TeTe...and so do we.  You think you can remember that forever...but add a caption to your photos anyway.  Most photo editors have that option.  I use Windows7 Live Photo Gallery.

"Jackson, do you love MeeMo?"

Hi!  My name is Jackson.  This is MeeMo! 

He is my Buddy! 

  I learned the color Red from MeeMo and the color Green from my 'TeTe'!

My face is kinda dirty!  Nana made me pancakes for breakfast!

MeeMo said he'd clean my face later. 

My Nana takes lots of pictures of MeeMo and TeTe.

She says she does it so I'll never forget them....even when I'm all grown up!

Wanna see some more?

ReTouch Tool Tutorial...Win7 Live Photo Gallery

See the Guy with the Red Splotchy Cheeks?

The one with the Blue Eyes and Teeth!

He has Baby Eczema which appeared around 3 months.  He's now 28 months old and the Eczema comes and goes with the weather, sun exposure and we suspect some food allergies.  Every cream, lotion and ointment known to mankind has been tried....some help...some make it worse....and sometimes leaving it alone works best. 

Dr. Nana Sue has found a Digital Topical that wipes it out....on Photos!

The RETOUCH Tool.....

Gluten Free Coffee Cake by Pamela's Products

Can you believe this flakey texture...like cake flakey not brain flakey...is Gluten Free?

Come to think of it maybe brain flakey isn't so far off afterall....afterall my Brain is Gluten Free, too!

It's a recipe I make often...and a GF NoBrainer....that's cause Pamela's done all the footwork handwork work Gluten Free Flour Mixing!

I first discovered Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix at a local Health Food Store.  I was sooooo hungry for pancakes smeared with butter and drenched in syrup...lite syrup of course!

My first batch of pancakes from Pam's mix was like...like...better than...so good I can't come up with just the right words without getting in trouble!

This is one Bag of Goodies I did NOT SHARE!  HiHoney got nada! The Grands got nada!  I hid the bag in my cupboard and never left the house without setting the Alarm System....never mind that it doesn't work.

I became a Hoarder!  I saved every bit of this magic flour for ME!  For MY Pancakes!  MINE MINE MINE!

Then low and behold it began appearing on the shelves of HEB for a little less than at the Speciality Health Food Store.  Same small bag, but that was okay....I could make it last cause it was for ONLY ME!

Please don't judge me for being Selfish! 
I have overcome my 'It's All About MeMeMe' ways......

Motivation Monday...Annie GetchEr Gun

That Outta DoIt!!!!

I am NOT a drinker of hard liquor, a smoker of cigars or a poker player!

I wanted to be!  But everytime I thought about it I heard voices!

"Sue, nice girls do not smoke cigars"...sweet voice of my Mama!

"Sue, remember your first slugs of Cold Duck"?...POed voice of my Senior Prom Date!

(he had to buy the rented tux jacket...they said the puke would not come out)

"Sue, I was bluffing"... snickering voice of the poker player in my first and last game of Strip Poker!

One thing I AM is a Highly Self-Motivated Gal!

Give me an assignment, a project or a clue and I'm all over it like a duck on a JuneBug!

(I don't really say that...but...it's nicer than the other I'm all over it saying...not that I say that either)

Anyway I think you get the picture...and that's why I can't figure out Why!

Why what?  Glad you asked!

Why I can't get Motivated to Get Back to My Texas Ancestors!

There is Still So Much To Tell.

Like when my 4th Great Uncle Buckner Pittman shot....

Gluten Free Breakfast PizzaPie...More Amore'

Yep...I promise this is More Amore'...and you will LOVE how EZeeee and Quick it is to make. 

How could it not be the EZest and Quickest  Breakfast you ever put on the table?

I'll tell you why!

The PIZZA DOUGH BALL!

Ya know...the one from

Gluten Free Pizza Pie...That's Amore'

Here's the Stuff

Gluten Free Pizza Dough Ball

4 eggs

Jimmy Dean Sausage

Pam Spray

Mrs. Dash or other Salt Free Seasonings

Pepper and Onion Mix

~The Dough Ball....outta the fridge...into the microwave for 20-30 seconds (just enough to soften).

~Press in Pie Plate...fancy it up with a ruffled edge!
~Four eggs makes a Pie for Two!

Besides being a Sausage King...did you know Jimmy Ray Dean was a good ol Texas Boy and a Country Western Singer?

Big Bad John!  Does that ring a bell?

 It was one of his Greatest Hits!  

Jimmy Ray was born in Olton, Texas on August 10, 1928 and grew up singing in a Baptist Church.  View Jimmy Ray Dean Memorial on Find A Grave Website. Thanks Jimmy Ray for so many great songs and great sausage!

Now Back To Breakfast!!!

KINDLE and VERA BRADLEY Bag...BDay Gifts

I MADE IT...through another Birthday...Yay!

It seems like I spent most of my 64th year gearing up for being 65. 

Telling my age...I know we use to not even whisper that info in public...

much less shout it out to the WholeWideWeb.

You know though, now that I'm 65 years, 1 day, 5 hours and 30 minutes older and wiser,

I'm OKAY with telling my age. 

I mean afterall, I'm on every Senior Citizen Mailing List from

AARP to Dairy Queens Senior Discount Coupon List.

I know for sure I'm the proud owner of a Turquoise Paisley Print Vera Bradley Bag.

With lots of pockets..inside and out...a top zipper closure, two straps and a handle!

It's a Back Pack!

Thanks LilSis....you know me so well...Perfect Birthday Gift!

HiHoney knows me very well, too!

He knew I'd need ... The Help!

The folks at Amazon.com knew I'd need

The New Oxford American Dictionary.  It comes built in to the Kindle Touch.

Isn't that amazing. 

I mean, my 1965 Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary
...that was a Birthday Gift on my 18th BDay from my Mama and Daddy...
is 8x11x2 and weighs 5 pounds.

All that knowledge in a 5x7xl Magical Thingy that weighs less than l pound.

And It's PINK...well, the cover is...and IT FITS in my VERA BACK PACK!

Thanks HiHoney...you really do know me so well...Perfect BDay Gift! 

Another Amazing Thingy...Pink Saturday!!!

Hello, Beverly....just wanted to let you know that...

I MADE IT!!!

Pink Saturday January 21, 2012

Thanks

Beverly at How Sweet The Sound

for

Always Making Saturdays Pink!

Please visit my new Pinkie Friend

Francie at The Scented Cottage

Makeup Issues at Sixty-Five

Warning ! 

Thirty to Forty Somethin Gals may not want to read this or view the photos.  Ya'll have a few years before this is an issue...I don't want to burst any bubbles or have you flippin through the phone book for Dr. McMakeover!

And really, you gals that are my age, you know what I'm talkin' about, but hang around...it might be good for a few laughs.  I always say...Let's Laugh It Up before we have a Major Cryin' Jag!

Here's the Issue...My 8X Magnifying Mirror!
Seriously...8X's...that's 8 times BIGGER than your normal everyday mirror...lighted like a spotlight and perched on an adjustable stand.  I can get reeeeaaaallllly close. 

It's not Close Enough!

What 's with these eyes?  Am I gonna have to own up to the 'Age Factor' and buy a 20X-5000 Watted-Satellite Dish Makeup Telescope?  I can't see HiHoney cutting a hole in the roof so I can have access through the attic.  And last I checked the Hubble is busy.

Besides, it may not All Be about the Mirror!  Yep, I have to admit that in retirement...getting up and putting on makeup EVERY day has not been a TOP Priority!  Who and What for?

Certainly not for HiHoney and Dolly!  He's always said I don't need that stuff and I'm beautiful without it!  Boy, does he need to get his prescription upped...and not just the bifocals.  He probably should have his Rose Colored lenses cleaned, too. 

Okay, I'm going to spill my 'Vain Guts' here.  It's not really the mirror.  It's not really who see's me AuNatural!  Why I can go to ChinaMart or anywhere else in town and not worry that I'll see anyone I know!  Like the 'Bad Hair...Adolescent Pimple Breakout...Smelly Sweats and Spaghetti Dribble Day.  That's the day I walked into the China Mart, during a sandstorm with visablity at nilch, and it was 2 AM.  I know a handful of folks here, and you guessed it...they were ALL there!  Everyone of them had on an Osha Mask and Goggles, Sweaty WarmUps and Dribbled Shirts.  I could have kicked myself  for forgetting my Darth Vadar Mask!

Oh Yeah...the Real Problem...

It Took Me 65 Years To.....

Get from

Here

To Here

To Here



To Here

To Here

To Here

And Thankfully To Here

Gluten Free Pizza Pie...That's Amore

That's AhWhatta I say...

That's AhWhatta HiHoney said, too...and he's not EVEN Italian...but he does 'Sing' like DeanO!

(that's ahwhatta he thinks, but he really can't hear over the shower sprayer)

As You can see it's really a PIE!  A Gluten Free PIZZA PIE! 

Here's the Dry Stuff and Crust Makin'....

My Favorite GF Cookbook - The Gluten-Free Gourmet

(available on amazon.com...see Link...bottom of post)

Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour or EnerG Tapioca Flour

Bobs Red Mill Rice Flour...in Apple Canister

Clabber Girl Baking Powder

ARGO Corn Starch

Hodgson Mill Xanthan Gum**

Carnation Powdered Milk

Salt and Sugar

PYREX Mixing Bow

Sifter...optional...I just like to sift!

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Oh!  I forgot...It's YEAST Free, too! Bette Hagman...author...says...

For a thicker pizza crust, try this easy recipe, which requires no rising but tastes like a yeast bread crust.

I followed this recipe pretty closely just added a couple of things...sugar and Xanthan Gum.

**Xanthan Gum...This is my first time to use Hodgson Mill's individual packets.  I found them at

The Natural Foods Market

Midland, Texas

They are convenient and pre-measured.  I usually buy and keep in the Fridge a larger bag of Xanthan Gum.  It too is available in many Health Food Stores and some grocery stores Gluten Free Sections.  I order mine (available on amazon.com...see Link...bottom of post).

Now... LET'S DO THIS...


  read more....to the left...just click on it...there's more to this post...lots more...recipe...Fillin' Fixin'...baking...serving...and...EATING!

HumpDay of The GetErDone Week

I get it...sorta!  Why Wednesday is called Hump Day!

But, I wanted to know more...so I Googled it!

This is what I found!



"DITTO"

Moving On.....

These Banners are NEW Additions to CollectInTexas Gal...located right under the NEW Header

It's ALL part of CollectIn Texas Gals 2012 MAKEOVER!

The THREE BANNERS are LINKS to Bloggers Pages!

They usually look like this when Gadgetted under the Header....

Cooking-Baking and Serving    Focus on Photography   Back In The Day

NOW FOR ANOTHER NEW FEATURE...at least for CollectInTexas Gal!

THE JUMP BREAK

With Jump Breaks you can show just a snippet of your post on your blog's index page.

Blogger will insert a "READ MORE" link to the full post page where you can keep reading.
< < < < < < < < < < read more....to the left...just click on it...there's more to this post!