Dear Hallmark Part... (I lost count)

Dear Hallmark,

Well, well, well....here we are again. It's the holiday season and you have stepped up and given me 12 new movies to watch. Aren't you the sweetest, and by sweetest I mean, why do you hate me so much? 

You are like a drug dealer! As much as I try and try, I just can't give up your sickening sweet feel good movies. I JUST CAN'T! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? 

Not only have you given me 12 new reasons to cry ,but you are playing movies from years past! You're secretly trying to kill me, aren't you? Do you have stock in Kleenex? I haven't even had a chance to put away my Halloween decorations and I am bombarded by single mothers, down on their luck and a town pulling together to help her and her five kids. Well, let me tell you what I did about it! I sat down on my couch, Kleenex on one side, the remaining Halloween candy on the other and I watched your silly movies and I cried! That's right! I sat through every one of those movies and cried with the occasional, "they love eachother so much," whimper mixed in for good measure. 

Oh, and if making me cry last weekend wasn't enough, you start showing nothing but holiday movies all day and night on November 9th! What the what? My DVR will only hold so many movies! 

And even worse, you are bringing back the puppy cartoon! Great, you're gonna put another puppy out in the cold. Super Hallmark, thank you very much. My heart just exploded. 

 I just wonder how you sleep at night on that bed of sap and cold puppy cartoons.  Hallmark, I hope you are happy with yourself.

Sincerely, 

Your biggest fan, 

Pam

PS-I am still  mad at you for taking Martha off the air and replacing her with Marie-but that's for a different time. You're lucky I'm in the holiday spirit, but just you wait. 

Feel Good Friday

via fanpop

It's a beautiful Pacific Northwest kind of day and it's the weekend! YAHOO!!!!!

I want to thank everyone for checking in on me and the OMP. He is still in recovery mode but is doing well. Not over the top but not lagging behind, just right where he needs to be. The pups have been keeping him company and making sure that he is getting plenty of naps. 

I am truly blown away by the outpouring of love we have received. You guys have humbled us. I wish I could express how thankful I am for each and every one of you. You are truly a wonderful group of people. We are both blessed.

This weekend, Sunday to be exact, OMP and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary. Although every year is special to us, this year means even more. Without the surgery, I'm not sure how many more anniversaries we would celebrate together. We don't have a lot planned (money is a little tight and OMP is still homebound) but I don't care. I am just happy to sit with my man and my pups and just be.

I hope your weekend is magical and filled with lots of love and kisses and all around happiness. Go jump in a pile of leaves or watch a silly movie or call and friend and tell them you love them. Whatever you do, make sure that it's full of awesome-just like you. 

Happy Friday Everyone! 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Let's celebrate tonight with devilish delight! Make sure you get lots and lots of treats!

Get Your Halloween On!

It's almost Halloween! Are you ready for some trick and or treating? Ready to scare those little goblins out of their gourds? I've got my decorations out and ready to scare. You can too, with this wickedly awesome Craftster video!



Here is a close up of the tombstones. My favorite is the one with the flowers. I love the way it turned out.

As if that isn't enough, how about some scary silhouettes to give your Halloween a touch of class. I made these for Lanikins in a Halloween swap on Craftster. I love them so much, I may need to make them for myself.

The biggest part of our Halloween decorating is our mantle. I used some of our old pictures and covered the faces with pumpkins and gave OMP some google eyes.

Whew! I think I'm coming down from my sugar rush from all that Halloween candy. I hope your Halloween is absolutely E-VIL and devilishly delightful!

Tie One On Tuesday

Fall has finally decided to visit us in the Pacific Northwest. The rain is back! I love the rain till about....ummm...March, then it can go away.  I believe that I need to have a beverage or two to celebrate the rain, the leaves changing and the cooler temperatures. 

Wanna know what's good in the morning? Cinnamon toast. Wanna know what's better on a blustery day? Cinnamon Toast cocktail.

Cinnamon Toast

1 1/4 ounce spiced rum

1 cup warm apple cider

Mix the rum and the cider. Pour into a mug. Yep, that easy!

Still feeling a chill? How about a warm old fashion?

Old Fashion

2 oz  bourbon

dash of  bitters

1 sugar cube

1 orange slice

1 maraschino cherry

club soda

hot water

Place one sugar cube into the bottom of an old-fashioned glass and add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters directly to the sugar cube as much as possible.

Add one orange slice, one cherry, and a splash of soda and muddle thoroughly. Remove the pulp

Add 2 ounces of Bourbon, top off with warm water. 

Maybe you don't need something warm cause you are already smokin' hot! Ouch! In that case, I have something for the sweet side of you. A nice little early Halloween cocktail. 

Candy Cornatini

1 oz  Tequila
½ oz butterscotch schnapps
½ oz Crème de Cacao
2 oz fresh orange juice
1 tsp dark cocoa
4 pieces candy corn

Rim a martini glass with orange juice then cocoa powder.
In a shaker, add tequila, butterscotch schnapps, crème de cocoa and orange juice.
Add ice and shake well.
Strain into prepared martini glass.
Garnish with a toothpick of candy corns. 

YUMMY! Spirits to warm you body and soul. A little sweet, a little spicy, a whole lot of yum. Just like me! Happy fall everyone!

Still Alive

We are still here, just in the throws of surgery, dogs and complications that come with surgery. I just wanted to write a quick note and say hello.


HELLO!

There, I feel much better.


Love you guys and will be back real soon.

Scrappy Dog Sunday

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY! October 3rd is Pete's gotcha day! The day that we got my little Bavarian sausage.


I am a firm believer that Pete was put on this earth to teach me patience...on a daily basis.


He was also brought into our lives to make us laugh...on a daily basis.

I love my little man aka chunk, aka the nubin' that needs lovin' aka Bubba....


I can't imagine life without my silly boy. He rescued us.

The Final Countdown

We are in the final week before OMP goes in for surgery. We have been getting the house ready for the rainy season along with the upcoming holidays. I insist on taking on more and more of the "man's" work around the house...the heavy lifting, taking out the trash, things like that. I refuse to be helpless when he is in the hospital or recovering. I figure by the end of all this, my arms will be guns! POW! POW! Firepower! 

We are also planning out work, foods and sleeping arrangements. I really want all of this to go as smooth as possible so when he does come home, the only thing we have to worry about is bubble wrapping him for when the dogs jump up and making sure he is as comfortable as possible. 

Something changed in my mindset last week. It was like a light that just clicked. Every since we found out the news, I have been thinking of the worst case scenario. I'm not sure who or what turned the switch in my mind, but my mindset is now how healthy OMP is going to be and how much better his and our life will be. It was as if someone was whispering in my ear that everything is going to be okay. No matter what, it will be okay...and I finally believe them. 

One thing that I am sorry about is not keeping up on my blogging. I love writing our daily adventures but unfortunately, sometimes reality gets in the way. Please know, however, that once we are settled again, we will be back in full force. 

So that's where we are at right now. Just waiting and hoping for the best. Thanks for understanding the absence right now. Thanks for sticking around and thanks for being so awesome! 

Pam and OMP

PS-when all this is over, OMP better take me to Vegas and Disneyland. 

Free is a Very Good Price

I'll admit it, I'm cheap-at least that's what the bathroom wall says. ZING!

Seriously, I love free. Free ice cream, free kisses from OMP and free movies. There are so many places on the internet to find free movies and TV that you could dump your cable right now!

Some of the best places to find free TV shows is to go directly to the source. Most networks have their own websites and you can watch episodes a day or two or even a few hours after the original episode airs. Not only do the websites show the episodes but they have little gems hidden on the site. Maybe a free game or outtakes from the show.

One of current favorite online free movie sites is Retrovision. They are a great source for so many public domain movies. From classic TV shows to those bad educational films we watched as kids, they have it all. It seems like they update daily so definitely keep going back to check out the new goodies.

Maybe you want something a bit more current, then you should check out Hulu. They do have an upgrade if you want more content but we are talking free here, so skip the upgrade and check out current shows and some old classic movies. You do have to put up with commercials, but c'mon, it's free. 

The last free site that I love is Crackle. They have current and classic movies, TV shows and originals. Once again, you have to put up with a few commercials, but you are getting some top quality movies and shows for free.

 There ya go! A few free sites for your viewing pleasure. I know there are million more out there. Do you have a favorite? Any site you would recommend? I am constantly looking for sites, because, free is a very good price.

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

Sometimes life can be so trying and I really feel like throwing in the towel. Then this happens...

via Lisa Kramer-Leggett

And the world is a better place. 

Don't Be a Hot Mess!

I love the idea of being organized but the actual act of it....well, I might not follow through as well as I like. I finally put my foot down and said, "NO MORE! I will get organized!" and the cutest corkboard ever made. Even made a video about it, wanna see?

A Little Twist

Tuesdays are normally Tie One On Tuesday but today I felt the need to update you on a few things going on. Don't worry, Tie One On Tuesday will be back next week, cause you know mama needs a cocktail. 

I am not one for mixing words, cocktails maybe, but never words so I'm just gonna lay it out there. OMP has to have heart surgery. I know, it hit us like a ton of bricks too. He has severe mitral valve regurgitation and the valve needs to be repaired. To repair the valve, they can do it two different ways-complete open heart surgery (removing the sternum, taking out the heart, repair and stick the ticker back in) or they can do it less invasive, separating the ribs and going in. There is more pain with the less invasive but the recovery time is less.

Over the summer, we have been to numerous doctors, had numerous tests and finally came to this point in time. The surgeon has said that there is an 85% chance that he can do the surgery less invasive but we needed to give him permission to do the full monty just in case he gets in there and sees the less invasive is a no go. In other percentages, there is a 1% chance of death, 2% chance of infection and 5% chance of pneumonia. 

The surgery hasn't been scheduled yet-we still have three more tests to go through and luckily, OMP's heart isn't so bad that we have to have emergency surgery. We are doing this to prevent future surgeries, heart attacks and strokes. 

The next couple of months will be a bit of a battle with figuring out work, finances and just lifestyle changes. It's a good thing that I put on my war face. GRRRRRRRR! We don't have a lot but we have love and strength and hope. We both refuse to ever give up and we have amazing doctors and nurses to support and help us with the process. 

I never planned in my early 40's to go through something like this. I damn sure know OMP didn't, but isn't that what life is all about? Unexpected adventures? It might not be the adventure I want for my husband but I will be holding his hand the entire way. I will refuse to give up, even on days when he wants to. 

So, there ya go-my heart on my sleeve so to speak. I will keep everyone updated as well as supplying you with puppy pictures, yummy cocktails and a few crafts or two...cause that's how we roll! 

Go To The Light

I might be slightly obsessed with ghosts....

Me: When I die, I am so haunting you. 

OMP: I have no doubt that you will. 

Me: And then after you die, I am coming to this house and I'm haunting it because it's my house and I love it. Even if they tear it down, I will haunt the parking lot it becomes. 

OMP: Honey, just go toward the light.

Scrappy Dog Sunday

Whew! A nice long weekend! YES! I hope you have been relaxing, enjoying the last bit of summer. Over here at Casa de Pedersen we have been playing.

OMP loves to tease and play with Lola.

Side note: We know exactly when it's 6:00am and 6:00pm. Lola will get down, go by the door and want to play. She likes to work out before meals. We also know when it's 9:00pm, bed time. Pete will get down and head to the backdoor. I love having pups that can keep time for us. 

No More!

Dear Hollywood,

Usually you bring me endless hours of happiness and joy but there is one little peeve that has been sticking with me the last couple of years....the remake. There is no way possible you could have run out of ideas, so why do you continue to recycle old movies?  Why do you take good movies from the past and destroy them or even worse, take old show and make them into movies? No more! Please!

The latest reincarnation of Judge Dredd actually looks better than the one of my youth, but still...c'mon, have you been to a comic book store lately? There are million others to choose from. While we are on the subject of comic books, enough with making movies and shows from graphic novels! You will never ever do them justice, so just stop. I'm begging you. Just stop.

Because I want to help you out, the following movies are off limits:

• The Thin Man (I've heard this is being remade with Johnny Depp, I don't care how cute he is-hands off Nick and Nora!)
• A Christmas Story
• Big Lebowski (unless it's 2 hours of Sam Elliott, than okay...I'll let it slide)
• Plan 9 From Outerspace (you really can't mess with greatness)
• Roadhouse 

If I hear that you are remaking these, I will personally come to your house and guilt you even worse than your mother does! It will not be pretty!
 
In conclusion, please give us more silly monster movies, more movies with Sam Elliott and will it kill you to throw me a Willie Nelson movie-just make sure that the ideas are NEW and FRESH! Recycle your cans, not your movies.


Hugs and butterfly kisses,
Your biggest fan,
 Pam

Finally!

I can not believe that I finished this HUGE cross stitch piece! You guys! I am not kidding when I say she is GIANT! The cross stitch is over 2 feet (24 inches) in length.



Now that I am finished with her, I don't want to see it for a very long time. Do you do that with big projects? Once it's done, it can go away?


I don't think people really grasp how long this took me and how I wanted to call the news stations when I was finished.


Did I mention that she is giant size and that I love this poem, but mostly that she is giant size?

Salivating Saturday

I have been on a quest to take all of my home cooked meals and make them a little healthier for OMP. This is a process that has required a lot of trial and error..lots and lots of error. 

Recently, I decided to incorporate a Meatless Monday into our dinner rotation. You may think this is an easy thing to do, but finding a meal that is healthy with veggies, that both of us would like, can be a little trying. I refused to give up and found the perfect dish!  Portobello Mushroom Lasagna.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

This recipe is for two people.

4 Portobello mushrooms

1 can no salt diced tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes from your garden (2 big tomatoes)

1/2 cup of low salt spaghetti sauce (again, if you want to mash up some fresh tomatoes, that would be fine)

1 teaspoon garlic 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese 

1/2 cup low or no fat cottage cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place mushrooms on baking sheet, cap side down and sprinkle with a little salt (about 1/8 of a teaspoon). Roast for 7 minutes each side. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

While the mushrooms are roasting, combine tomatoes and seasonings in a small bowl. If you like, you can add more garlic or other seasonings to taste. Basil would be so fab with this.

In another small bowl, combine mozzarella and cottage cheese. 

In a baking dish, spread your spaghetti sauce on the bottom, this will stop the mushrooms from sticking to the bottom. 

Cap side down, place the spoon full or more of your tomato mixture onto the mushroom. 

Now grab your cheese mixture and layer it on top of the tomato mixture (think of it as layering a lasagna). Use all of your cheese mixture but make sure you saved some tomato.

Take the other mushroom and place it on top and with the remaining tomato mix, pour over mushroom. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. 

It may seem like a lot of work but it is so worth it! The cottage cheese cuts down on the salt and the calories  and if you can use your fresh tomatoes, you have just cut the salt even more! We paired this with a salad and it made the perfect dinner. 

Per serving, the calorie count is around 215 and 7 grams of fat and 21 grams of carbs.

Coming Clean

via little black book

Hi all of you happy campers! I know I have been MIA lately and I think it's about time I came clean. 

A lot has happened within the past couple of weeks. Last week alone tested every fiber of my being. I am happy to say that my head did not explode from all the stress. 

We got some bad health news over at Casa dePedersen. My sweet grumpy OMP is having some health problems that will require surgery. I can't go into too many details at the moment but it's pretty serious and we both are kind of scared but also know that it's for the best. 

As if that wasn't bad enough, last week my father's wife had a major stroke. The doctors did an amazing job and removed the clot. 

Still not enough for you....I was exposed to whooping cough via my boss. 

Ready for more? Our A/C, microwave went out and Pete peed on my clothes...so yeah, last week was the sucking suck suck that ever sucked.  The only thing missing was the rain cloud over my head.

Which brings us to this week. I don't have whooping cough, our A/C is working again, we got a new microwave and my dad's wife is on the mend and doing excellent. OMP is not out of the woods yet, but we have a game plan for his surgery and Pete...well, Pete is...Pete.

I might not be around as much as I like but I will definitely keep everyone updated, keep bringing you crafty projects and cocktails and of course, pictures of cute animals. My only request is that you stick it out with me, send us some healing happy vibes and stay awesome! 

Love you guys mucho!

Nice Melons

You've been invited to a family reunion or a neighborhood BBQ... what will you bring? The same old watermelon slices? No! I refuse to let that happen! You will not be the laughing stock of the party! Go to your kitchen right now and make this yummy, fabu watermelon shark!

So, watermelon sharks aren't your thing...fine, whatever...you can make this adorable teapot for your next tea party and be the talk of the town, for the good reasons this time.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, here's the video!



There ya go, you yummy little pieces of sunshine! Have a blast carving up some watermelon fun for your next party!

Tie One On Tuesday

A lot of you are asking for yummy summer nonalcoholic drinks that are also healthy for ya-and by a lot of you, I mean one person and by one person I mean OMP. Well, OMP-here ya go!

Watermelon is in full swing right now so why not make a watermelon slushie. It is so easy, I'm almost embarrassed to post the recipe.

Watermelon Slushie
Unseeded watermelon chopped into cubes
ice
a squirt from a fresh lime
Add ice, lime and watermelon to blender and crush until somewhat smooth. I like mine more crushed ice than super blended, but that is totally up to you. Garnish with a lime and wedge of melon. The lime takes off the sweetness of the watermelon.


Maybe you are more in the mood for something that is more on the tart side. Oh, you little puckerpuss, I've got ya covered.

Orange Fizz
2 cups Orange juice
Juice from half a lime
8 ounce ginger ale
Mix orange juice and lime juice together, freeze in an ice tray.
In blender, add orange juice and ginger ale. Blend until smooth
Serve with an orange wedge 


I love sangria but man oh man, I do not like the headaches you get the next day. UGH! Here is one sangria that won't leave you with a nasty hangover.

Pomegranate Sangria
1 quart pomegranate juice
2 cups mango juice
1 orange
8 strawberries
2 kiwis
Slice up all fruit and remove skin
Place all fruit into juice and sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving.

There ya go! Super fruits, super good for you, super yummy and if you want to rum them up-go right ahead! You have my permission.