Inside Helen's Head

Welcome

 

Hello and welcome to my blog. 

I am an artist and crafter, a full time mom/wife and no longer employed by Hancock Fabrics or Scrapbooks and Such.   In this blog I hope to share my thoughts, ideas and opinions and also some craft ideas, recipes, and photos...pretty much whatever is on my mind, I guess.  Thanks for stopping by.  

GLEE

Wow - that was a great episode of Glee!  I just don't know what I am going to do until April 13th when it is back on the air again. 

Anyhow.  There was that whole stupid mattress thing on the last episode that somehow disqualified Will as their coach - I don't know why he didn't just pay for the mattress?  Why did he unwrap it in the first place?  I mean, I don't think I would have, I probably would have just got on top of the whole pile like sleeping beauty or something but what ever, who said Glee had to make sense, eh?

So Emma decides that she will push her wedding back a few hours so that she can take the kids to sectionals and is now acting as the adviser for the glee club.  Did anyone else wonder why it wasn't Sue when Sue is supposed to be the co captain or whatever it was that they appointed her? 

Mercedes FINALLY calls Rachel out and demands to know why she always thinks she should have all the solos and delivers an amazing version of "And I'm Telling You" ...so Rachel hugs her and decides that she should sing that and they decide what else they are going to sing at competition. 

Rachel figures out the obvious - that Puck is the daddy of Quinn's baby and tells Finn.  One would think that she would have sat on that until after sectionals but some people...anyhow.  Finn went nuts and was pounding on Puck - that was a beautifully acted scene - kudos to Finn!  But then he hates everyone for the moment and oops - the club doesn't have 12 people again...they really need to recruit a few extra members.

So a sad group plus Jacob -who is filling in for Finn- goes to sectionals and the other teams perform their songs because Sue Sylvester told them what songs they were going to do.  Emma is shocked at the cheating and lectures the other advisers.  Will confronts Sue  laughs at him and says "You'll be adding revenge to a long list of things that you are no good at, right next to being married, running a high school glee club and finding a hairstyle that doesn't make you look like a lesbian."  (gotta love Sue)

But then Will gets Finn to go and Finn rallies the troops and they come up with three new songs at the competition and even though he can't forgive Quinn or Puck yet he does manage to sing and dance with them in the show and of course they are completely amazing.

The judges are a ditsy blond named Candy,the slutty anchorman Rod and a angry black woman who is a city comptroller named Donna who doesn't know what show choir is and doesn't want to be there.  Candy delivers the best line of the entire show "Okay, I'm just going to say it.  This is a singing competition.  I don't know how those deaf kids got in.  They weren't singing, they were like, honking, and everyone was crying and I was like, get off the stage.  You're terrible and you're making me super uncomfortable."  OMG - I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee!

Then they show WIll getting ready to go to Emma's wedding and Terri and he talk and he tells her he doesn't love her anymore.  ANd you can tell from the way he says it that he isn't angry, he's indifferent, and that is hard to come back from.  So they are probably over and she just seems so lost at that moment.  I still feel sorry for her.

Turns out that Emma isn't getting married, Ken finally had enough and dumped her.  Emma confesses her love to Will who tells her that he just left his wife and she very sensibly tells him that yeah, he JUST left his wife, implying that there should be some separation time.  She loves him and clearly doesn't want to be the rebound relationship.  Really - Will?  Take some time to heal?

Then somehow Principal Figgins grows a spine and suspends Sue for cheating.  She keeps denying that she had any involvement but as Figgens says, there is an orgy of evidence stacked against her.  I am sure that she will be back tho - she is one of the best parts of the show!  Figgens also gets Will reinstated as the adviser which still makes no sense cause what did her cheating have to do with him sleeping on a mattress that was earned by singing that he didn't do?  That part just confuses me.

Back at the school the kids present him with the trophy because OF COURSE THEY WON and perform a special number that they put together just for him, "My Life Would Suck Without You" (Kelly Clarkson) and they do a really cool dance number with it that was kind of a retrospective of the entire season. I also feel the need to point out that it looks like Kurt has forgotten his pants.  And that I own exactly the same sweater as Finn.  And it all ends with Will dashing down the hall and kissing Emma before she leaves....Will she go or wont she?  I don't know if I can wait til APRIL to find out!!!  Love this show!

Ricky and Heather and I are having a GLEE party on New Year's Eve.  I'm trying to talk them into coming in character, like going to Rocky Horror.  Can't wait til it's out on DVD!  I think the party will be super fun!

Green Bean Casserole

The first step is to make some mushroom sauce, because we are not going to use the yucky stuff that Campbell's puts in a can.  (ok, their soup isn't really yucky but mine is better).  This sauce is also pretty awesome on steak and well, I just think I could just eat it like soup, but anyways)

Wash a pound of fresh mushrooms and slice nice and thin.  Chop one medium onion (about 1/2 cup)  Saute them in 1/2 cup of butter with one Tablespoon of minced garlic  until kinda soft.  Add 1/4 cup of flour and blend in.  Slowly add 2 cups of chicken stock and cook, stirring until thickened.  Add 1/4 cup of cream, 1/8 tsp of paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp of chopped parsley.  Stir to blend well.  set aside.

Wash and snap 4 cups of fresh green beans.  Be sure to get good ones, if they are all bendy in the store you may as well get frozen ones because they will be better.  Steam beans until they are as tender as you like them.  For me this is when the water starts to boil but some people like their beans squishy.

Stir together beans, mushroom sauce and most of a large can of french fried onions.  Remember to save some to put on top.  Put the mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the reserved onions.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve.
 

I knew it wouldn't let me post all my photos!

The mob at Target...

 

I can't seem to be around a hat without putting it on my head.  I don't know why...

hahahahahahaha  on to the beans....   

Thanksgiving

My parents came down from Kansas to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.  I would like to say that they came to see me, but I'm pretty sure that the grandchildren are the real draw. :)  I did make a pretty amazing meal, tho!

I would very much like to get caught up on my blogging because I feel like I am a month behind and TYPEPAD is making me mad cause I have written this a dozen times and it keeps getting lost because of the photos.  So I am going to post it and then go back and try to add in the photos.  Anyhow.

We had a great meal with all the trimmings, I made green bean casserole from scratch which is so much better even if my friend Kathy doesn't like it cause she likes her beans all canned and processed.  I am going to post that recipe soon.

Troy and Mom helped me make the food and it was only about an hour later than I had planned.  My dad was stressing me out, expecting his meal to be on time.  He must've thought he was at home or something.  :)  (love you daddy!)

Troy did all the clean up - washed and hand dried all the silver, put all the food away - he even picked the turkey carcass!  Sometimes he still surprises me.

After dinner I sat down with my glass of cider and newspaper to make my plan of attack for Black Friday shopping.  I love Black Friday shopping!  The crowds, the bargains, the smell of desperation...

My mom and I were up at 4 a.m. to go to WalMart for cheap electronics ...it was a little scary.  WalMart normally has a ton of people working and has a person assigned to each of the plastic wrapped pallets that have the door-buster items on them - well I guess they were trying to go low budget this year and shoppers were tearing into the pallets and other people were getting mad - all the cricut stuff was gone an hour before the sale started.(I was glad to have hit Michaels the day before $30 cricut cartridges?  are you kidding me? I bought myself a few gifts at that sale) 

and then we went to Target which was worse. They had every checkout open but the lines were still backed up to the back of the store.  I was actually glad that they were out of the lights that we went there to get.  We also went to Big 5, J C Penny and Hancock Fabrics.  I had to go say Hi to my friends!  Even though they were a little less than cheery.

Mom and I had a pretty good time - she doesn't have the shopping endurance that Melissa does - Melissa and I probably would've just kept shopping even though we weren't looking for anything - she and I were perfectly matched for this holiday...and now she's in England - they don't do Black Friday!  Anyhow.  Hope your holiday was as great as mine!  And now on to Christmas!

Facebook kicked me off and said my account was abusive or something? What does that even mean?

A letter from Jesus.

My mom forwarded this to me and it was too good not to share. :)

 

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own.

I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting
My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa’s and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front
lawn.

If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would
be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree.

It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree.
Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you
and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1.  Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope
to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2.  Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3.  Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why
don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4.  Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5.  Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6.  Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and
hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the
difference.

7.  Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work
there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas"
that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so
much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8.  If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News
to those who have never heard My name.

9.  Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no
"Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy
some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they
will make the delivery for you.

10.  Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian.
Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one
of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all
the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court.
And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

Preparing for your first mammogram

Many women are afraid of their first mammogram, but there is no need to worry.  By taking a few minutes each day for a week preceding the exam and doing the following exercises, you will be totally prepared for the test and best of all, you can do these simple exercises right in and around your home

Exercise One:

Open your refrigerator door and insert one breast in door.  Shut the door as hard as possible and lean on the door for good measure.  Hold that position for five seconds.  Repeat again in case the first time wasn't effective enough.

Exercise Two

Visit your garage at 3 am when the temperature of the cement floor is just perfect.  Take off all your clothes and lie comfortably on the floor with one breast wedged under the rear tire of the car.  Ask a friend to slowly back up until your breast is sufficiently flattened and chilled.  Turn over and repeat with the other breast.

Exercise Three

Freeze two metal bookends overnight.  Strip to the waist.  Invite a stranger into the room.  Press the bookends against one of your breasts.  Smash the bookends together as hard as you can.  Set an appointment with the stranger to meet you next year and do it again.

You are totally prepared!

Seriously though, as uncomfortable as they are, mammograms are a good thing and a rite of passage when you turn 40.  I just had my third one and they are still fun!  Here I am at the doctors office, wearing my superhero cape:

This is the thing they squish you in:

Sorry but you don't get to see me with the b.b.s taped to my nipples!  :)

p.s. I didn't write the above stuff, those exercises were posted on the wall in my doctor's office!

Stuff I made

These are the classes I am going to be teaching this month...

3 Christmas Cards

And a paper earring class

and a beginner's layout class

And making a mini album by weaving ribbon.

I will be teaching these at Scrapbook n Such

Bean Soup in the pot, nine days old...

Time for another recipe!  This soup actually takes about five days to make properly. 

First you need to buy some Hurst's Hambeens 15 Bean Soup mix.  This is what the package looks like:

 
Then you have to pick out anything that isn't a bean (you never know)  and rinse them.  Put them in a bowl of cool water to soak.  Change the water about every 4 hours or so for the next couple of days.  On day three put the beans in a crock pot with a quart of chicken stock.  Add enough water to cover beans if necessary and a couple of crushed chicken bullion cubes.  Put on the lid and cook on low for 12 hours.  Chop one large onion, and saute with a tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic.  Slice enough carrots to make two cups and add all of that and three bay leaves to the crockpot and stir.  Continue to cook for another 6 - 12 hours.  Carrots and beans should be tender and some beans will have dissolved, making a thick broth.  Add 1 32 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes (dell monte is my fave) 1 heaping tablespoon of chili powder and the juice of one lemon.  Stir and cook for another 6 hours or so.  Chop up two Hillshire Farm smoked sausages and saute til they get a little brown.  Add to the pot.  Put in the packet of ham flavor that came with the beans.  Stir it up and let it cook for another hour or so.  Serve with corn bread.  Yep, it takes a long time to make but it develops a lot of flavor this way - YUMMY!

How much do I hate it...

...when I am writing my blog and it gets all loopy on me.  Typepad?  Why does it get all blinky when I want to load photos?  Hmmm?

Anyhow.  To update y'all on my life cause I know you are just dying to know what I think about everything...

Project Runway's finale happened and I was so sick that evening.  I have found out that I have gallstones and I think my body was passing one during the runway show cause I was in total pain and doing that baby breathing and not really watching when Ricky called me...and I pretty much hung up on him cause I didn't want to pant in his ear.  (Sorry sweetie! )  Then I had to stay up "till like 2 a.m. to find out what happened...and it wasn't worth it.  Blah blah Carol Hannah was sick, the clothes were okay, Irina won and did anyone really care?  I did like her clothes the best but I didn't like her at all so I didn't want her to win.  Personality counts for a lot with me!

My other favorite show - Glee - has too much going on to recap.  I'm just glad that the whole Terri and Will baby thing is out and I hope that Finn figures out that Quinn is lying soon.  That last episode was so dramatic - maybe a little too much for a fluffy show like Glee but -wow!  Anyhow.  The shows are online.  We'll talk more about the finale tomorrow, k?

I have been spending WAAAAAAY too much time playing Fishville.  My advice is to NOT play games on facebook.  They quickly suck up all your time and then you don't have time for a real life.

Lady Gaga got five Emmy nominations.  I'm pretty excited about this even though she probably wont win.  I love her new song "Bad Romance" - the whole CD ( The Fame Monster) is pretty great.   The second song on the album (can you tell what year I was born?  What's an album, mommy?)  "Alejandro" reminds me of Madonna so much - like if I had heard it on the radio and not known it was Lady Gaga I would have thought it was Madonna...My kids love "monster"  I think it's the eating my heart stuff...anyhow.  Thumbs up!  Love it!

I made my daughter a dress from a skirt that my mom didn't want anymore.  I think recycling clothes is fun!  And I had enough scrap to make one for Starflower too.  (my daughter named her doll that and NO, I didn't have anything to do with it).

I've been doing lots of sleeves - in fact, I have all these sleeves and feel like I should do something amazing with them....I just haven't figured out what that amazing thing is yet.  Any ideas?

Here's an owl:

I've been making up some classes - my "space" is a huge mess!

My kids are building a treehouse.

And I am not making any headway on my stash.

Here's another owl...

Isn't this dress cool?  I think this is Shakira wearing Versace.  Love this line they did with all the triangles!

bye!