Answers....

Ashley and Casey are home!!!! Ha! They found our old dress-up clothes box. So happy to have them here for a visit!!

Ok, ok !! Gosh! Since Casey & Ashley have retired for the evening (long day of traveling!) I am going to post my answer to the Multiple Choice Meme. Thanks for voting...this was fun!! (To Erin, Renee & Bee...thanks for keeping my secret! ;-)

1) I once had an 8’ boa constrictor snake wrapped around my neck.

As you can see, this was a TRUE statement. I guess you all thought I was crazy enough to actually do this one! I can't say I look very happy about the situation from this photo though! I was at a craft show and spent some time at the booth of a traveling "petting zoo". Pretty brave for a young thing, don't ya think?? :-)

2) I began sewing when I was 7 years old. This statement is also TRUE. My mother sewed clothes and also made things for the house. I guess I took up this hobby sparked by her interest. Although I downloaded this picture from yahoo image search, it looks very similar to the machine I learned to sew on! Mom's was an old Singer.

3) I know how to (and have done) the following jobs around our house: lay a tile floor, installed sheetrock & patched holes in drywall, laid stones on the face of the fireplace, laid a laminate wood floor, wallpaper, paint, install wainscoting, rewired an electric lamp, install tile back splashes, and repair a broken toilet…to name a few.

This statement is TRUE. I pulled a few pics from the files of our current (ongoing) remodeling job. I guess I didn't actually mention the work we did on laying a sidewalk and the extension to our driveway. (Pictured above) Of course, hubby was the real brains behind the concrete work...I just helped! Brad and I began the hobby of remodeling our homes within the first year of our marriage. I suppose I have no fear in this area as my father was an Industrial Arts Teacher before he retired. Now he works part time at the church on the Building Ministries staff. Being a "do it yourself-er" runs deep in our blood. Dad has been very gracious over the years to lend a hand and teach us new skills. Brad also amazes me at his ability to research a topic and figure out how to do something...and then "go for it"! He has added many new skills to his knowledge base over the years. I love seeing what we can do with a some supplies and alot of elbow grease! I grew up in a home where there was always some "project" in the works. Now, Brad and I are carrying on the tradition. I will have to admit though, now that we are getting older, we are slowing down and it takes a lot longer to get things done these days. I'm afraid I don't have the patience I used to with living in a construction zone. We are slowly but surely completing different jobs related to this last remodeling job. It was our biggest to date and we will be working on it for some time!

4) I enjoyed reading about my cousin, a famous Indian fighter, in our history textbook when I was in elementary school.

This statement is TRUE. Sorry to Karen, Lori B & Kelli! Lewis Wetzel was a distant cousin of mine on my mother's side. His story was recounted in my 4th grade history book. Some considered him a "hero" much like Daniel Boone, however, it seems he basically lived his life in revenge against the native Indian. This is not something I think one would want to emulate. Now that I'm an adult, I see that he lived a very sad life.

5) I am the daughter of a blacksmith.

This statement is TRUE. Among other hobbies, my father learned Blacksmithing and enjoyed demonstrating this Early American art form at local 1800's period craft shows. This picture shows him the day he dressed in his frontier "costume" and demonstrated many of the Early American trades for his grandchildren. What a fun afternoon our daughters and their cousins had watching grandpa and enjoying a hands-on history lesson!!

6) I have a 100 hour pin for hours worked as a hospital candy striper.

This statement is TRUE. I worked for a few years at a large local hospital one night a week, after my day job. I originally did this as a way to get some "hands-on" experience in the medical field to see if I might like to go into this field after I graduated from high school. Although I really enjoyed volunteering at the hospital, I chose instead to go into accounting and worked in that area until I quit to start a family and raise our children. This picture is of my parents and younger siblings.

7) My favorite vacation was our trip to The Holy Land.

This is a picture of the Burial Tomb of Christ. Please notice what is NOT in the picture.... ME! Yes, the sad truth is that this statement was FALSE! Congratulations to Becky, Susie and Connie for their correct guesses! I do have a passport, but alas...have never had the chance to use it. Hubby is the world business traveler in our household. Actually, even our three daughters all have had the opportunity to use their passports. I hope someday I will have a chance to travel beyond the continental USA. I have, however, traveled in a large percentage of the United States. Now that we are "empty-nesters", we plan to do more traveling, Lord willing.

8) I have been hired to demonstrate how to hand make rope.

As you can see...this statement was TRUE! Ok, Ginger & Barbara...you didn't catch me on this one! :-) Twice I have demonstrated how rope was made by hand in early American life. My father often attended these period (Early American) craft shows demonstrating either Blacksmithing or Broom Making. A few times I was able to attend with him as a "craftsman" and demonstrate rope making. We used the hand cranked antique rope making "machine" made for the purpose of twisting twine into rope. After threading the machine and turning the handle the twine twists to form a tightly formed piece of rope. It was a lot of fun! This particular show Brad attended with our family (we had only been dating a few months) and he assisted with the demonstrations. You can see him in the second picture at the opposite end of the rope from me. He was assisting the young girl by holding the rope frame. Fun memories!

9) I have been in an automobile with literally hundreds of bees closed in with me.

This statement is TRUE. Sorry to dash your hopes Kim, Christie Belle, & Jen in MS! Although I did not take the picture of this bee hive, it looks much like the one we transported home in our car. One of my Dad's hobbies was that of bee keeping. At one point someone that knew he was a beekeeper, called him to remove a hive from their front yard. This arrangement was a way for them to get rid of the hive and Dad to obtain an entire hive of bees at no cost! Ugh...yep! I accompanied him on that trip. In order to get the bees out of the tree, he had to "smoke the hive" to first settle the bees down. The above picture is not Dad...I got it for you from Yahoo images....just in case you've never seen a beekeeper smoke hives before. I'm surprised this guy does not have on the beekeepers hat and gloves! Anyways, Dad then cut the hive from the tree that it had been attached to and put it in a large cardboard box. The hive....FULL of honey bees and the cardboard box then went into the back seat of our car. We were in the front seat! It didn't take long for some of those bees to find their way out of the box and begin flying around the interior of our car on the way home. Suffice it to say I was beginning to get just a little MORE than nervous!! I was one happy camper the minute we pulled into our driveway and I could hop out of that car!!! I'm sure the bees were still groggy from the smoke....but just the idea that they crawled out of the box was enough to set me on edge!! We sure enjoyed some great honey off those hives of Dad's!

Well...thanks again to each of you who voted and left a comment. This was a really fun post for me! Maybe I'll try to come up with some more True/False posts in the future! I never really "tagged" anyone on this post...so jump on in if you want... give us your own list!

Oh Yes...and specially for Ginger, Karen & Susie.... Yes, you may have some cookies, but I'm afraid you'll have to make them yourself! Here's the recipe!! (Sorry Ging...I'd love to share, however, it's a fer piece from MI to TX...so get busy girl!! Besides, Casey (our SIL) is doing just fine making his way through this plate of cookie...without any help...thank you very much! ;-)

Peanut Blossoms (“Kiss cookies”)
1 ¾ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ c. butter @ room temp.
½ c. creamy peanut butter
½ c. brown sugar (packed)
½ c. sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract
Hershey Kiss candies (large) or Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour w/ baking soda & salt. In med. bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. When light and fluffy, beat in eggs & vanilla. Add flour mixture half @ a time, beating well after each addition. Shape dough into 1” balls, using a heaping teaspoon or small cookie scoop. Place 1” apart on ungreased baking sheet…or if making peanut butter cup cookies, place each ball into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove from oven & immediately press a chocolate kiss lightly into the top of each cookie. (or a mini peanut butter cup into each mini muffin pan) Return to oven & bake 2-4 min. longer until cookies are lightly browned. Remove cookies from oven and place on wire rack to cool. I've had this recipe since Christmas of 1969. Hope you enjoy!!