Recycled Christmas Cards

On of my favorite things to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is go to Craft Fairs with my daughter. Our favorite is the European Market. While there this year, the nicest lady insisted on giving me a couple of lovely old glass pinecone ornaments (which I collect!). Not only did she gift me the ornaments, but she also insisted on wrapping them in tissue paper and putting them in a wonderful paper bag with a really cute picture on the front.

When I got home and unpacked my treasures, I discovered that the lovely bag was just an everyday Kraft bag with the front of a Christmas Card taped to it! And that got me to thinking...I could use some of my prettier cards I received this year to put together some of my own gift bags!

I ordered some red and white Kraft paper bags off Amazon (I found 25 for $12.99). When I got them, I went through all the lovely cards I had received this year (lamenting all the pretty and fun cards I have thrown away in the past). I cut off the personalized page and glued the pretty seasonal card front on the largest flat side of a bag. That's it. That was all it took to make a nice stack of pretty seasonal gift bags for next year.

I cannot wait to see what pretty and fun cards we get for other holidays and occasions this year!

Easy Soft Tacos

We do not eat out much. Partly, because we are so limited by the few good restaurants in the area. Partly, because Larry's diet must be limited to how much salt he ingests. And partly because I am extremely cheap, and hate paying for something I can make just as well and for a great deal less than what the price on the menu happens to be. However, there are days when I want something good, and am not in the mood to spend a lot of time making it. Those are Soft Taco Days!

I prefer chicken tacos, Larry prefers hamburger or steak. No matter...the both come together quickly and easily, and have lots of flavor.

I sauté half a thinly sliced onion and half a thinly sliced bell pepper in a little butter. Then I add the meat of the day's preference. I season this with a sprinkle of Lemon Pepper and about a quarter of a package of taco seasoning (have you ever looked at the amount of sodium in that stuff?) I add some water and let everything cook a bit. While it is simmering, I chop up a tomato and shred some cheese. Once everything is ready, I heat a couple of flour tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I put a quarter of the cooked mixture in each tortilla, sprinkle cheese and tomatoes on top, and wrap up each soft taco. We like to pour a little Taco Bell Medium Sauce on them. Delish! And ready in 30 minutes or less.

Clouds

Right before our family left for Mexico in 1969, I spent the summer babysitting a couple of children for Carol and George Robinson. They had more money and a nicer house than we had. I did not realize until many years later that the reason they paid me to babysit, and the fact that I got to eat bologna sandwiches with American cheese and sandwich spread on Wonder Bread, was because they had money that our family did not have.

The only thing that really impressed me as a 12 year old, in 1969, was that these people had an Intercom System that played music ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEIR EITIRE HOUSE! That was the summer I discovered Neil Diamond, The Beatles, CCR, and Diana Ross...but most of all, Judy Collins! How I loved Judy Collins!

My favorite song of hers was Both Sides Now.

I was thinking about this yesterday, on my way home from Mom's house. The sun was reflected on the clouds...we have such amazing and ever-changing clouds here in Montana, The Big Sky Country. They never cease to amaze me. Last evening did not disappoint.

Whenever you are sad, stop and look up at the clouds. Keep looking until you feel better. You will. Just keep looking...

Bows and flows of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere

I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun

They rain and snow on everyone

So many things I would have done

But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

It's cloud's illusions, I recall

I really don't know clouds at all