Bear - Senior German Wirehaired Pointer

Bear
Bear is a senior German Wirehaired Pointer
he is in foster care in Minnesota
Dec 30, 2011
He is looking for a Fur-ever Home
He is a great dog

Wise Family Christmas 2011
at Eric and Jessica Wise Betzlers' home
Left to right front row
Jessica, Eric, Gavin, Trevor, Rachel, Great Grandma Clarice, Karley, Bronte, Kristin, elle, Carolina
Backrow left to right
Gordon, Steve, Brad, Kaylee, Natalie, Kendra,
Great Grandpa Floyd Leslie, Joshua, Linda, Brian, Jeff,
Andrew, Soren, Bekah and Glenn
Monday, December 26, 2011
60 degrees and no Snow
Andover, Minnesota

Last Minute Chocolate Moose

Simple, Quick Chocolate Moose
1 - 8 oz container of Chocolate Cool Whip (seasonal item)
1 - 8 oz container of regular Cool Whip
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 Cup of Milk
1- 4 oz Box Of Chocolate Jello INSTANT Pudding Mix
Optional Chocolate Shaving for garnish

Make Jello INSTANT Pudding according to package direction to make a 5 minute Pie

After pudding is blended, add the whole 8 oz container of Chocolate Cool Whip and mix together

Spoon Chocolate Mix into serving dishes/glasses of your choice
then add some regular Cool Whip on top of the Chocolate Mix
then garnish if you wish with Chocolate Bar Shavings
Ready to Eat in 5 mins - but much better if chilled for a few hours
This recipe made 6 desserts

Enjoy

Christmas Time is Here

I love this little scene
It just reminds me to
appreciate what we have
it may not be much or it may be
alot
but the end is to appreciate whatever your place is.
I remember a few Christmas' like this, highway workers were cutting down trees, so we went and
sawed off a top of one of the trees and brought that home. I had been saving all our 'wishbones', from the past year and they became our ornaments.
Another ornament was eggs that I had hollowed out and hand painted, another Christmas we decorated the tree with Christmas cards we had received.
One year we were so broke the kids got pencils for Christmas... but someone from Church brought gifts and food and even food for the pets...
Do we give back now that we are a little more prosperous... you betcha!!!
This year I am healthy, last year I was soo sick as
was our dog, Argo.
Both the dog and I went to the docs right after Christmas - we were both diagnose wrong.
It almost cost Argo his life and me it just took
longer to get well.
Argo and I are alive, happy, and healthy this holiday season.
Without Christ in our lives and his blessings upon us I don't know how we would have made it though some really rough times... and I am sure we will go though more.... but as one saying is if you are going through hell ... don't stop... just keep going
I like that...so if your year has been a bit rough and it has been one hell of a year.... don't stop...
just keep going
It gets better - eventually - it really does
I truly do wish you all...
a very Merry Christmas and a
Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year

Sugar Cookie Cups - Part two - Enjoy

This hole can be filled with the  Chips of your choice, the center maybe not quite done
after filling the cups, put the muffin tin back in the oven for about two minutes, then take out and cool
one a wire rack

The hole to be filled - it could be a little undercooked in the center
but fill it with your little chips
put the filled muffin tin back in the oven for about 2 minutes
take out and cool muffins

Cooled - Ready to eat - I used Milk Chocolate Chips and a few Cinnamon Chips in
Each cookie cup  - the Cinnamon chips are pretty strong in flavor so one or two chips
are plenty - place you finished treats on a pretty plate, platter or serving tray
and ....

ENJOY

Sugar Cookie Cups w/Little Chips

Sugar Cookies Cups
filled with Little Chocolate Chips

Sugar Cookie Mix
Mini Muffin Pans
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Butter (4 tablespoons, Soften, not melted)
Chips Your flavor choice
Rolling Pin - to make the hole
Muffin Cups - or - Baking Release Spray

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Cooking Time  approx 12 minutes - or -
until lightly golden brown
Now lets get started....
Mix Egg, Cookie Mix, and Butter together
until crumbly

Crumbly - then roll individual balls - about the size of a walnut
and place into the muffin tin

About this size - maybe a little bigger - maybe not
Now fill all the cups and put muffin tin in the PRE-HEATED OVEN
375 degrees and cook until puffy and light Golden Brown
remove from oven and immediately get your 'hole maker'
and insert into the center of the cookie/muffin

I used the Rolling Pins Handle

Argo vom Windswept - Blastomycosis Free 12/14/2011

See the right side of his xray where it is a solid
white mass - that should not look like that
January 2011

Argo vom Windswept
in January of 2011 Argo was very ill and almost died from a fungal infection called Blastomycosis
Most dogs do not survive, if treatment is not started soon enough. The first two weeks are very critical weeks and a lot of dogs don't survive  those weeks either, the drugs are very powerful, and the Blasto is very hard to kill.
Argo has been on the drugs for one full year.
We almost lost him those first two weeks of meds, but he pulled through.
Argo has had lots of xrays to see if the blasto was dying, and blood and urine work too.
Finally after a year - his xrays are the same from the last ones - and even though there is a bit of scaring on Argos' lungs he is doing fine.
Argo got his AKC Championship Title in July and has been hunting this Fall... Blastomycosis fungi is very hard to kill off - so we have to keep a close eye on him for a long time yet to make sure there is no relapse.
But for now Argo has been declared Blasto free
YIPEE

see the white fuzzy cotton ball size circles on the xray
that is the Blasto

December 14, 2011
notice his right side, no solid white mass,
you can see his ribs and his lungs now

These are Argos lungs a year later  - no fuzzy circles
December 14, 2011
Argo is one of the lucky dogs to live

Dog Show, St Cloud, MN 12.11.11 more pixs

Hi

As a reminder - I do not back down - 

I love you mom

The price of looking handsome

I am curious about you

Sunday, St Cloud Dog Show 12.11.11 some more

Look in my eyes you are getting sleepy, very sleepy

I'm so pretty

Did you mention "TREATS"

i have a nice lap and I and not sharing

Sunday Dog Show = St. Cloud, MN 12.11.11

Beautiful Dogs and really well behaved
I had a wonderful time at the
St Cloud, MN Dog Show
Sponsored by
the Granite City Kennel Club
I took over 2,000 photos in two days
got some wonderful candid shots
here are some for you to
ENJOY

I'm watching

Tibetan Mastiff

Whole Lotta Chocolate Newfie Love

How does the Sheepdog see the sheep?

Glass Keepsakes - Part Two - The Finale

With very sharp scissors, cut away the overhanging
edges of the paper, then add your backing paper or cork or felt at this point... and trim away the excess as well

If you choose to add a magnet or a pin back now would be the time - your hot glue gun works well at this point in the project

Finished examples, a pin back and a glass keepsake with a foam backing... this type of backing (foam) would work well in your presentation bowl.

The Finished Project
a little this, a little that,
little happy reminders of your life
past, present and future


Enjoy

Glass Keepsakes - Part One

Glass Keepsakes
I have been looking for these glass disks forever it seems
and of course they have 'always been there'
So I found them, and wanted to make some magnets and some pins and then I had a light bulb moment---
What if I made a bunch of them - like a theme -
or a dream - or of the family - the vacation -
inspirational verses - my pets
my visual bucket list - stuff like that I would put
on these glass disks, then I would have then sitting on my desk at work
in a nice dish.  Maybe just for me..to remind myself of why I work, what I am working for, motivation to keep the dream alive. Or just enjoyment of my family on little glass disks that I see everyday. Perhaps people would come by, pick one up
ask about it - who, what, where, when and why
Perhaps on the back I would put names, places, dates, and
times - do you get the idea, can you think of your own ideas that you see yourself making?
Do you have a child in college - have pictures of the college, the school logo, a picture of the child in the school sweatshirt....etc
How about pictures of your recent vacation?
Or pictures of things on your bucket list, places you
want to go, things you want to see...
Well now that we have dreams of what we will do
with these little glass gems -- lets get started.

What we need...
glass disks
scissors
hot glue gun/glue sticks
regular glue that dries CLEAR
paper punch (I used a 1 1/2" circle)
fabric (felt) cork, foam, heavy paper for the backing
strip magnet, pin backs
and all the pictures you have sorted out and
want to use

Line up your pictures within your circle punch and punch away

Put glue that dries CLEAR on the flat side of the glass disk

Now smear the glue all over the flat side of the dish,
all the way to the edges, a nice thin coat.
Place the picture on the disk with the picture
face down on the glue, turn the disk over
and make sure the parts of the picture you want
most to show are within the glued disk area
as you will be cutting off the extra from around the outside
of the disk

Roscoe

Roscoe's Ornament
Roscoe and Argo are hunting buddies, Roscoe lives across the street. Brian and Chris take the dogs hunting together. This year they hunted geese and pheasants and grouse together.
Camo goes over to Roscoe's and they play together and just hang out an visit... dogs have dog friends too.
Roscoe is a beautiful golden retriever, I wish he had papers I would love to show him. But he is a field type golden not a show golden, but I'd love to get him in the ring anyway.
The first time I met Roscoe he fell in love with me
he would not leave my side. He walked with me like those obedience dogs that stay right at your hip and look up at you all the time.
Chris said he had never seen Roscoe do that with anybody before... awwww.
I baked some dog treats from my Simple Pup Recipes - a dog treat cookbook -
and I will package some up for Roscoe as
well as this ornament.
I'll give Chris some preserves I made this fall.
Merry Christmas one and all.

Enjoy

No Photo Today

No photo today... I mailed off some dog bone ornaments today... will post pictures once everyone gets theirs as they are Christmas presents to some folks.


I am working on a little project I have wanted to do for awhile... just couldn't find what I needed or how to do it... but I figured somethings out and hopefully they will work.


Bless my husband as he has been getting firewood and we have been using it up... it is downright cold in Central Minnesota these last couple of days... granted not in the below zero and beyond range, but still cold... and weather guy says it is gonna warm up... I am liking this winter weather this year. No snow either.


All done with Christmas shopping for the grandkids. Starting to wrap the gifts too, I may have this years presents wrapped and ready long before the 24th... that will be nice.


I don't buy the kids expensive electronics and games and other stuff like that... one year I did and I got everything wrong, never again... as I don't have wii's and ipads, and gameboys and whatever else is the in thing... so I get them small gifts and the gift receipt that goes with it... silly but it works.


I get the kids arts and crafts and stuff they have to make themselves, OK so that is my 'bent' in life, but actually all the grandkids are very talented and actually like the creative process of arts and crafts. Happy Grandma.


It is almost midnight so I will call it a day... will post my new project tomorrow.     Enjoy

Dog Bone Shaped Ornament

A Christmas Gift
This is one of my custom made ornaments
next year I am definitely charging more
for them... but then again I am making casting
and other stuff that is making them far different than previous years.
Perhaps next year I will have a job
and will not have time to make these
...well maybe a few...

Enjoy
 

Little Snow

Camo
This is Camo last winter, we've only had that one day of snow
so far, but I am sure there are many snowdays to follow.
Today we had a very light snowfall all day, but there
was no accumulation. Just a pretty day.
I started a fire in the furnace to keep the house a tad
bit warmer... without turning up the electric heat.
I am going through my clothes today as I am giving
some away to a thrift shop. Most thrift shops
do not have any selection of plus size clothes
and I can help out in that department... so I am
washing and drying a few loads to take to the store
tomorrow.  I am slowly trying to declutter my house
I am a horrible packrat, but I know I am.
that is the first step, right, admitting  :)
Anyway I see the beginnings of the decluttering
if no one else can.
Some day I shall have to count the number of black pants
I have... spring, summer, fall, and winter versions.
Must go start supper, squash, venison, corn, and
something unknown right now for dessert.

Enjoy

Buttons and Beads Book Markers

Specialty Buttons
a little Light Bulb Moment
I saw these specialty buttons and thought of
my youngest grandson and I wanted to
make a book marker for him, I had some made
but when I saw these I just knew
I had to use them.... so I did.
A little added extra and it expands
ideas for more personalized items.

Enjoy

Easy Icebox Lemon Pie

Easy Icebox Lemon Pie
What you need:
1 Baked Pie Shell  9"
1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Container of Cool Whip
1 Lemon for Zesting
******

Combine Milk and Lemon Juice
blend thoroughly together
then ADD
2/3 of the the cool whip
Blend together well

*****
Pour mixture into the baked pie shell
Top with the remaining cool whip

*****

Chill for 2 Hours
ADD Lemon Zest
as much or as little as you would like
 ******
ENJOY