Waiting is never easy, but manageable. (Photo by Angie Quantrell, 2016)
Stand – lean – patient forms.
Windblown tractor ride groupies.
Next in line, we wait.
– Haiku by Angie Quantrell
Bill’s Berry Farm tractor ride extravaganza, 2016 (Photo by Angie Quantrell, 2016)
I do. Rubber stamping! I love to hang out with my girl friends and use rubber stamps, tools, supplies, and miscellaneous papers and trinkets to create greeting cards. Rubber stamping!
I don’t feel guilty for pursuing this crafty hobby. One reason is that I don’t spend tons of money on supplies. In rubber stamping, a little goes a long way. One of my stamping buddies and I just recently finished up a roll of foam tape (3-D effect) that we had been collectively using for at least 10 years.
Another reason I allow myself to indulge? The cards. I distribute my handcrafted cards through many venues – a set becomes a gift for my sister, a dozen goes into an auction basket, birthdays are celebrated, thanks are sent, holidays are enjoyed, and encouragement is mailed. I even create cards for my husband to use at work. I am – gasp – a supplier. In a good way.
As I work on updating my blog and web site, I thought it would be fun to have a giveaway and celebrate hobbies.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Sign up to follow this blog. You knew there was a catch, right?
2. Comment above. Tell me that you’ve followed. View the slideshow of cards and let me know which card you like best and why. I’d love to hear about your favorite hobby!
That’s it.
On Friday, October 21, I will randomly choose 3 followers* to receive a packet of 5 handcrafted cards, mailed to your home. How fun is that?
Thank you for visiting. Have a great day!
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Welcome!
I should say (to myself) welcome back!
Here is a photo of what’s kept me from my KID KANDY and picture book posts. It has been THAT crazy.
So, forward and onward.
Let’s read some books!
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Happy Autumn! |
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Plastic sinks and all – it’s the RV life! |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
RV sinks are plastic. Did you know that?
Why, you ask, is this even important?
The last several days, 5 to be exact, we’ve had to boil water to do dishes in the plastic sink. Dirty dishes require hot water. Plastic sinks do not. The whole process was a delicate balance between boiling water and cold tap water.
We had to boil water (in the electric teapot) because the gas was off.
The gas was off because the carpet got flooded.
The carpet was soaked from the leaky hot water tank.
The hot water tank leaked because it had a tiny hole.
It’s a wonderful thing that we have an extended warranty. First, for the microwave that decided to retire early after only 3 days of us living in the RV. Second, for the leaking and flooding hot water tank.
Kevin’s trip number 2 (not including the shopping trip and picking up of said RV) back to Broadmoor RV Superstore in Pasco where the customer service was phenomenal resulted in a brand new hot water tank and assorted necessitites required for repair.
The Kevster strikes again! After a few phone conferences with the service center manager, we are back in the hot water business. Thank you, Kevin and warranty and Skylar of the Superstore, for excellent customer service and my hot showers and soapy dishwater.
The plastic sink thanks you as well.
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
We live in an RV.
That’s recreational vehicle for you wondering about the abbreviation. Our tenement on wheels is like the Big Green Rolling Turd in the Robin Williams movie RV. Without the backed up sewer, ripped off awning, and Class A drive-and-walk-around feature.
Our RV is the type you drive in, unhook, set up, and drive away.
The Quantrells are on an adventure.
Phase 1: Complete – The house is sold. Closed. Done.
Here’s a chance to say “Thanks” to our 2 fantastic realtors, Stephanie Blehm and her son Kenny Blehm! They did a fantastic job. And they survived Kevin. I mean our process. Wink, wink.
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Sorry, Kenny. Mabel thinks your card is tasty! |
Phase 2: In Process – Live full-time in RV. Settle cats and selves in for the winter. Learn to grocery shop often for not much at all (no space). Wear the same clothes all the time (no space). Store rubber stamping supplies (no space). Eat outside with guests (no space).
Search for property and research choices.
Phase 3: In the Future – Build small home (tiny is too minute) on out-of-town property.
Our lives in a nutshell.
It’s been great so far. Things did get a little tense every now and then (sorry, honey). We relieved ourselves of many possessions. That felt good. Now we can see what we really need to survive.
An outdoor catio is a definite NEED. Poor kitties have adjusted well, but opportunites for exercise in the RV are limited. And, well, I just need them-who-love-outside-time to be out in the fresh air. Soon, babies, daddy will have it all done. It’s going to be great! I’ll post pictures when it’s complete.
Pumpkin season is here, and despite the lack of space indoors, the big beautiful world beyond the RV walls has plenty of space to display my favorite seasonal produce.
Anyone else out there living in an RV? Who else loves kitties, pumpkins, and fall? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
There is nothing that gets me quite so excited than the first time I get Delicata squash in the CSA. Delicata squash is the sign that this is it—summer, move over, there are knee high boots and scarfs to dig out of the basement. Fall has always been my favorite season. I believe my AOL profile in middle […]
Source: Roasted Delicata Squash with Parmesan and Walnuts
Anytime you say delicata squash, I’m hooked!
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
SO many events and changes going on in our lives right now, I’m having a difficult time choosing what to share. Let me just be honest and tell you that I’ve been avoiding posting just because of the vast plethora of options.
There. Got that off my chest.
It may take me months to fill you in. Or just a day. Let’s see, shall we?
Life in Quantrell Land has been tornado-like in the sense that every day has been consumed with a whirlwind of activities, decisions, stressors, excitement, responsibilities, and cat fur. Truly. At times, we just had to grab something – anything – and hang on!
But it’s ALL good.
Because now, we are living in the RV full-time with 2 insane cats. Which if you want some more truth, makes us the insane ones. 2 shedding, clawing, racing, sneaking, messy, loving, snuggly kitties. In. A. Small. RV.
This classifies as an adventure for sure. I kid you not.
When folks used to show up late for church spouting, “The cows (dog, birds, chickens, pigs, horse) got out and we had to chase them down,” I would nod in agreement. But now I REALLY understand the stress and anxiety produced by such an event!
MONET, the sneak, wants out. Not just a little want, but an all-consuming desire of wanting out. Of the RV. The problem is Tiger, who is resident cat on the property. Tiger is very territorial and has been seen chasing off and beating up other cats. She’s a sweetheart to adult people, but not other cats. So we don’t want the girls out unless we can protect them from each other.
MONET, who cares she thinks. I want out. So she watches the door and our feet and if the door is open, ZIP, there she goes. Oh, the anxiety and interesting language on our part! She is having a great time, but we are watching for the arrival of Tiger and trying to lure the naughty girl back in…
Last Sunday, to connect you to what I was sharing, she did it again. Kevin was being nice to the moth and trying to get it out (before MONET, the best moth-catcher west of the Mississippi, ate it). MONET saw the open door – a mere 3-4 inches – and zip, she was out.
Church day. Big luncheon to prepare. Stuff to take (we still forgot the meat and cheese). A wonderful guest speaker to hear. Responbililty to get there first to unlock the building. And we had a loose cat.
I understand, all of you chasing-of-escapees people! Arrrggghhhh!
We won. This time. Even made it on time (except the meat and cheese, which had to arrive with our son).
So goes our tornado lifestyle. Adventures around every corner and open RV door.
By the way, RV doors are difficult even when not dodging the cat. Narrow, steep, metal shaking steps. I cringe just waiting for one of us to biff the landing and go sprawling face down in the gravel.
But for now, we are good. It’s ALL good.
Because He is good.
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This is the perfect book for back-to-school! |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
School’s First Day of School
By Adam Rex
Pictures by Christian Robinson
(Roaring Brook Press, 2016)
School was new.
He was so new that he didn’t realize children would soon come pouring through his doors. Gasp! Janitor was his confidant and friend and tried to tell him things would be great.
But School was anxious.
And the children came to school. Some were bored (that hurt School’s feelings), some cried and were afraid to stay at school (School was that bad?), and School even had an accidental fire drill the first day!
Would School enjoy being School?
I LOVED this story! Who would have thought about first-day-of-school-new-building story from the viewpoint of the school!
Funny, imaginative, and realistic. School’s First Day of School will lighten the hearts of all readers.
KID KANDY:
Draw a Picture of Your School
Materials: paper, pencils, markers, crayons
1. Use the pencil to outline your school. Maybe you go to a huge elementary school, a small private school, or homeschool. Whichever type of school you attend, draw a picture of it.
2. Decorate your school. Maybe you could name your school, or print the name it already has on the top of the building.
3. Share your picture.
How do you think School felt before the first day? How did the boys and girls feel about going back to school? How do YOU feel about going to school?
I love school! Now that I am a writer and I work from home, I don’t get to enjoy the first day of school as a teacher. I miss school! But I hope to visit again soon and read books with my favorite people – the students.
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
I don’t usually dwell on where my towels originated, other than to contemplate how old the ratty ones are and consider if it’s time for a towel shopping bonanza.
As all but the last few ancient, ragged towels are happily ensconced in the RV, awaiting our arrival, we are making due with some threadbare specimens.
No remaining borders, faded designs, frayed edges, thin fabric – this is the state of the towels piled in the cupboard. If my sister saw them, she would zoom straight as the crow flies to a nearby department store and stock us up with new fluffy towels.
But sister, never fear. We have plenty of good towels. They are just living in our other home.
Tonight, as I dried off with one of the antique versions, tiny in size but amazingly colorful, I had a flashback to when towels came free.
In detergent boxes! Do you remember those little plastic encased free towels? I’m not entirely sure that this blue floral number is not one of those freebies. It’s still in use, at least 25 years later.
After an online search, I found several old detergent brands that offered free face cloths, knives, glasses, and towels. Breeze sounded familiar, but the images I saw only offered face cloths. Bonus advertised a full sized towel, but that name doesn’t ring a bell. How fun to look at the old packaging, all the way back in the late 1950’s and 1960’s.
Wait! I found it. Breeze is one of the detergents that included free towels. Check out my Pinterest board (For the Home) and scroll to see the Breeze box. Angie’s Pinterest Boards
Ahh, memories. I truly am not old enough to buy detergent in the 50-60’s, but let’s try the 70’s. Back in the good old days. . . free stuff when one went shopping!
I still love free!
I’d love to hear your memories. Were you ever the recipient of free towels? Glasses? Dinnerware? Green stamps (you could buy all sorts of wonderful items with green stamps)?
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
A Tiger Tail (Or What Happened to Anya on Her First Day of School)
By Mike Boldt
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016)
When Anya woke up one morning, her first day of school, she discovered that she had grown a tiger tail overnight!
One can imagine how embarassing it would be to trot into school with a tiger tail trailing along behind! Anya was devastated. Would she even be allowed to go to school with a tiger tail?
Anya, being a very creative and problem solver type of girl, tried several different avenues to take care of the situation. NONE of which worked.
Which meant, Anya had to go to school, tiger tail and all.
Once Anya made it to school, she discovered that having a tiger tail was not so bad after all.
A Tiger Tail (Or What Happened to Anya on Her First Day of School) is a hilarious cleverly illustrated and written picture book. Problem solving, anxiety over the first day of school, and seeing how others are different are some of the issues found in this delightful book.
Readers both young and old will love Anya’s tale. Er, tail.
KID KANDY
For Fun: Make a Tail to Wear Around the House
Materials: a long sock, newspaper, safety pins
1. Crinkle newspapers into small balls and stuff the sock. Leave an inch or so at the top.
2. Ask for help! Pin the sock to the waistband of your pants. Now you have a tail. Try and wear it all day. How did you do? Any problems? Would you like to go to school with a tail?
For Real: Plan for the First Day of School
What makes you really nervous about the first day of school? Some things that made me anxious were new classmates, a new teacher, not knowing where my class was, wearing new clothes, and getting on the right bus to go home.
Choose 1 thing that makes you nervous. Plan how to take care of it before school begins.
1. New classmates? Look for one person you know from last year. Or your neighborhood. Walk up and say hi. Plan to play together at recess. Now you have at least one friend!
2. New teacher? Some schools host a meet-the-teacher day. Ask your parents to take you to meet your teacher. Whew! Now you know what he/she looks like. You might even find your desk.
3. Find your class. If you visited the teacher, you will already know. Otherwise, a parent can walk you in the first day, you can ask an adult at the school for help, or you can ask an older student to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. I’ve noticed that most people love to help!
4. Choose your first-day-of-school clothes and hang them out, ready for the big day. Now you don’t need to worry about what to wear.
5. Riding the bus? Your teacher will help you. Or any of the other adults who work at your school. You can even ask the bus drivers. If you are going to kindergarten, you will probably wear an address tag with a bus number. Learn that number! But remember, there are many people just waiting to help you find the right bus!
Now – go out there and enjoy your first day of school.
Love, Laughter, and Life 