TONIGHT on TDIPT Mercantile...

I have two fowl offerings for December.

First is my Primitive Christmas Goose.



Next is my Polka Dot Folk Art Hen.



Just click on the "TDIPT" button below to go directly to my selling page.




See you tonight.

Happy Friday too.

:> )

The Christmas Tree is decorated...

But I'm having a heck of a time getting into the Christmas spirit.
I am really missing my precious Darla. I was hoping time would start to heal my heavy heart but so far it hasn't. It's two month ago today we had to put her to sleep.

Not a day goes by where either my hubs or I mention her. Little Gracie still isn't the same. She went from having two "sisters" two years ago, to having none. She has lost her feisty spirit. The only time we see life in her eyes is when we take her for a walk on the trail. But with snow on the ground, she's too tiny to trudge through. She'll now have to wait until spring.

So we continue to adjust.

I hope in another few months it will be easier. But for now I will occasionally post about how much I miss my beloved, loyal, four legged best friend and shadow.
It's therapeutic.

Thanks for "listening."

♥

Critters for Christmas?

My barnyard critters will make a great gift! Not only are they cute, you won't have to clean up after them.

Just click on the "Critters" button below to go directly to my selling page.

:> )

On this Cyber Monday,

just in case we're blinded by all the bargains and flashy ads.

Here's a friendly reminder...



Luke 2:8-14 KJV

Yes, that is what Christmas is all about. Thank you, Linus.

Also, thank you to the late Charles Schultz.



For he too knew the true meaning of Christmas and was not afraid to say it through his animation.



♥

Cancel the APB...

I found him!!!
WHEW!!!



All this time I thought he had escaped and was cruising around in a Humvee, when in fact he was tucked away in my old, (very stuck) linen dresser drawer.

My guess is he heard me coming and hung onto the inside of the drawer so I couldn't open it. But his lil' elf muscles were no match for my guns. I did end up breaking the drawer but it was worth it.

I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found him.

♥

"Calling All Cars, Calling All Cars...

Be on the lookout for a lil' Christmas elf. He is approx. 6" tall and was last seen at the Countryfolk homestead Christmas season 2011. He is not armed and dangerous. But may be driving a stolen 2010 Hummer. (He has "Small Elf Complex.")

If you've seen him please contact Mrs. Countryfolk ASAP."

December 2009:


December 2011:


As I started to decorate for the Christmas season yesterday, I noticed my Christmas Imp AKA "The Dorothy Doll" was missing!! **gasp**
I've had this doll since I was knee high to a grasshopper and he is nowhere to be found!! **GASP**
I know I packed him away after Christmas like I do every year. But I've searched high and low and he's MIA!

Could he have escaped?! It's a possibility. He wasn't too keen on being called "The Dorothy Doll." You see we named him that because he looked a lot like our Aunt Dorothy. I'm sure Aunt Dorothy wouldn't have been too keen knowing we thought she looked like a tiny, button nosed elf with really bad hair. (But she did.) Which is why the name was our little secret. Shhhh...

I hope he turns up soon.
I'll keep you posted.

:> )

And let us not grow weary of doing good,

for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Do good and don't give up.

Wishing you and your family a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

♥

I share this every Thanksgiving...

and this Thanksgiving is no different.

Here's a homemade cranberry sauce recipe that is so delicious, you will add it to your Thanksgiving menu from now on.

CHUNKY APPLE-CRANBERRY SAUCE



1 C - Apple cider or Apple juice
1/2 C - Sugar
1/3 C - Maple Syrup
3 ~ Medium cooking apples (like Jonathan) peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks.
1 - 12 oz pkg fresh cranberries (cleaned and rinsed)
1/2 tsp - Apple pie spice
1/4 tsp - Vanilla

In large saucepan combine apple juice, sugar and syrup. Bring to a boil. Add apples; cook, covered over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and apple pie spice. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until apples are soft and cranberries have popped, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool completely at room temp. Cover and chill for at least three hours or up to a week before serving.



Makes almost 4 cups and your home will smell heavenly!!

Now, before you look at my next photo, you'll need to click on the video below. But you don't need to watch it, just listen to it as you scroll down to the vintage photo to get the full effect.

Ready??



Did you click on the arrow? Okay then...











This was taken on Thanksgiving Day 1968. I'm on the far right holding the porcupine.



I was sporting the Star Wars Princess Leia hairdo l-o-n-g before she ever did!
Take THAT, Carrie Fisher!!

"Where the heck did I put my Blaster?"

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Be thankful.
(I'm thankful my mama doesn't style my hair anymore)

:> )

Waste not, want not...

I forgot to mention after cutting all the beadboard to size, I couldn't bring myself to toss out all the leftover pieces. I had to use them somewhere.

So...



I used it as baseboard under my kitchen cabinets. All I need to do now is grab some shoe molding the next time I'm at Home Depot and that will finish the job.

Oooooh, that trip may be a good excuse to buy the wood I need to do my bi-fold doors! Why make two trips into town and waste all that gas! Makes perfect sense to me. **hee-hee**

Happy Friday, all!

:> )

My Beadboard Backsplash Project Is Finished...

Well, I still need to caulk the molding joints but heck as far as I'm concerned it's done.



Everything went smoothly until it came to the molding. Man, I had a boatload little trouble with cutting the corner trim. My brain just couldn't wrap around the concept. Yes I know... 45 degree angle, I got it. But I was zipping through and ruining molding like nobody's business. At least I'll have plenty of picture frames to make. **giggle**
Finally my hubs had to step in and take over. Hmpf! I would have gotten it... eventually.




Here's a great lil' tip. To give the corners or ends of your beadboard a finished look, use a wood dowel. I think this is 1/4".
How simple is that? Fits in like a glove too. Once I caulk and touch it up with some paint, it will blend in beautifully.



My next project I'm dying to tackle is to cover my hideous, dated bi-fold doors that hide my washer and dryer.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

:> )

Guess what??!!

I've got great news!!


Do you want to know what it is??!!!





You ready??????!!!!!










Nah. I'd better not spill the beans just yet until I'm 100% sure. Don't want to jinx anything.

**snicker**

Happy Tuesday!!
:> )

Nursing home visits, beadboard and a possible rogue airbag??

That's what my weekend consisted of.

Mama is still not recovered from the back surgery. On top of that, the surgeon prescribed a bad drug combo when she was in the hospital and she had a terrifying reaction to the two. But I won't get into it. Maybe someday.

Then I find out there is a recall on my old Jeep Liberty. This recall is enough to keep anyone from getting into their old Liberty ever again, myself included. You see there's a "possibility" the airbags could deploy for no apparent reason. How lovely.

So as I travel the 30 minute drive at 60 mph to visit my mama, the airbag could *poof* deploy ??
No need to worry about other drivers texting or talking on their cell phone to involve you in a crash. Heck no. All you need to worry about is your airbag unexpectedly deploying making you swerve into oncoming traffic. Or veering of the road ending in a fiery crash. Again, lovely.
So until I get my little recall postcard, I'll have to white knuckle it and pray nothing happens. Maybe I could duct tape it down? Heck, duct tape works on anything!

Lastly, I've been slowly working on my kitchen beadboard backsplash. I have no idea what the heck I'm doing but I'm pretty happy with the way it's coming along.



I painted it "Havana Cream" by Behr. I had painted the wood ceiling that color and I wanted to keep the color flow.



The scroll saw and band saw are my new best friends. They cut through the beadboard like butter.





I'm still on the fence on how to attach the beadboard. Many use "Liquid Nails". But if I ever change my mind (and I tend to change my mind as often as I change my drawers), I may want to remove it. The "Liquid Nails" will destroy the sheetrock. What to do? What to do?
I guess I could just nail it on. But with this150 year old farmhouse, I'm convinced the studs are shaped like esses. **giggle**
I can never find one where I need one.

Oh and here's a great tip which many of you might already know.
If you do a paneling/beadboard project a great lil' doohickey is this. You use it to bring out your outlets and light switches so they're even with the beadboard.



So that's it for this Monday.
I wonder if my arms and legs are long enough to drive from the back seat?? Hmmm....
Where's Stretch Armstrong when you need him?

:> )

"A Veteran is someone,

who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life. Regardless of personal political views, that is an honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact. Thank you to all fellow Veterans and true Americans!"
~Unknown



♥
Thank you for your bravery, sacrifice and service.
♥

To all my Leatherneck friends...

Happy 237th Birthday!!!!



A huge "Thank You" to you and your families for your sacrifice and service.

You're always in my prayers.

♥

Happy Days Are Here Again!

No I'm not talking about our American economy. I'm talking about here at the ol' Countryfolk homestead.

Remember about a month ago I told you how the exhaust fan switch on my older than dirt vintage Jenn-Air cooktop freakishly turned on, fried itself and sh*t the bed?
Or how I found out they stopped making this particular replacement part years ago and how this freak of an exhaust fan switch turned on and fried itself in many other households across America?
Or since I now had no exhaust fan every, single smoke detector in our home went off when I cooked anything?
How about how it would cost 1800 bucks to replace the cooktop?
Which leads me back to... Have I mentioned how bad our American economy is???

After searching on the internet I found a guy who actually makes the switch. My guess is he experienced the same problem many of us did and figured out a way to make one. Like they say "Necessity is the mother of invention." Isn't that the truth?

Well, the exhaust fan switch arrived yesterday. YaY!!!
I tore into that tiny package like a monkey on a cupcake. There it was, in all its 2 inch glory!
Sure it was "homemade" and may not fit in perfectly. But if it works, who gives a rip? Besides, I was tired of wearing a SCBA when I fried a hamburg. I was willing to try anything.



When hubs came home and "inspected" my new switch he says to me,
"H*ll, I could have made this."

I almost took a swing at him.

Happy Friday, folks.

:> )

Beadboard Heaven...

Is there such a place?? There has to be because I'm in it!



I finally made a Home Depot run and picked up beadboard planks. I've been wanting a beadboard backsplash in my kitchen for the longest time. So I'm going to tackle this project myself. How hard can it be? (Don't answer that)

This stuff is like the poor man's version of genuine wood beadboard. But that's just fine with me! It looks great, is inexpensive, and better yet made in America! Yippee!

So I've got my genuine imitation beadboard, all kinds of electric saws, nails, a hammer and tape measure. If all else fails... "Liquid Nails."
Either way, I will have a beadboard backsplash. ((giggle))

If I can manage to keep all my fingers, I'll be back with a tutorial.
If I can't manage to keep all my fingers, I'll need to learn how to type with my toes.
How hard can it be? (Don't answer that)
Ummm... You may have to wait for that tutorial.


Have a terrific Thursday, all!

:> )

♥

Tomorrow is Election Day...

There is no need for me to hop up on a soap box and give my opinion. Most of you who visit my blog know my love for this great nation of ours and the people in it. ♥

I will say there is much too much division in our country these days. What comes to mind is Lincoln's quote, "A house divided against itself can not stand."

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. Matthew 12:25

The other day, I watched our president on the campaign trail speak to folks in Ohio. After mentioning Mr. Romney, the crowd booed. He then said,
"Don't boo, vote. Vote. Voting is the best revenge."

Revenge, Mr. President? The word "revenge" is not in my vocabulary. I seek revenge on no one. Never have. Never will.

I vote for the candidate I feel is best to protect and represent my country. To unite us, not divide us. Left or right doesn't matter to me, Sir. Right and wrong does.

So to all my fellow Americans, please...



(without revenge.)
♥

Sorry I've been MIA...

This has been one heck of a week!

My mama had back surgery that did not go well. So I've been running back and forth to the hospital. Still not sure when she's going to be released.

Folks, here's a few words of advice... If you're considering having back surgery, please reconsider.


Also please continue to pray for the people of New York and New Jersey who are suffering after Hurricane Sandy. From what I'm hearing, they and the media are keeping the destruction and despair on the QT. My guess is because of our presidential election on Tuesday.



If any of your local churches or groups are gathering food, supplies and clothing to fill tractor trailers to drive there, please donate what you can. They are in desperate need. It's about neighbors helping neighbors. ♥

As far as Mayor Bloomberg goes, I will refrain from saying what I really think about the man. But I will say I am glad our nation's negative reaction for him wanting to continue the NYC Marathon, made him cave and he finally cancelled it.

So in honor of the (progressive elitist)(Ooops, did I type that out loud?!) mayor, let us all lift our 16+ ounce sugary drinks for a toast.



Cheers!!
**clink**