AMUSING MYSELF

Well good morning everybody! How are you doing this dark and dreary morning? Its raining here and its down right ugly. Looks like all inside activities for me the rest of the week. If you got the vibe yesterday that I was in a silly mood, well you would be correct! And after I posted my blog yesterday, I was off to read the yahoo odd news and I found this article!

Wife allegedly changes wires on saw to shock hubby

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Court papers allege that an Olympia woman, angry that her husband left her, tampered with his power tools so that he received a powerful electric shock. Carolyn Paulsen-Riat was booked Friday into the Thurston County Jail for investigation of third-degree assault, domestic violence, and second-degree malicious mischief. A judge released the 33-year-old woman on her own recognizance. The Olympian newspaper reported that court documents said that on Jan. 1, the man was using a 220-volt table saw when he received the shock, knocking him to the ground. Thurston County sheriff's deputies said the man did not need to go to a hospital. In the documents, deputies said the woman told them she had reversed the wires on his power tools because she was angry he was leaving.

OMG I could not stop laughing for some reason! I mean I know its wrong to laugh at someone’s misfortune but just the idea itself was so funny! So I read the article to the hubs and I was laughing uncontrollably out loud and he called me wretched LOL! So I joked that I was gonna mess with the wires on his tattoo machines so it would shock him and tattoo his eye or something and started laughing AGAIN! AND she’s 33 just like me! LMAO! I think the hubs is scared! And THAT’S the most funny part! But he should know deep down I wouldn’t do anything like that LOL! But for some reason I found it so incredibly funny… as with a lot of other things yesterday and I have no reason why… it all started with those dang shut up dogs! LMAO! It gave me the incurable giggles!

Craftiness today… well I am still on the purse making kick… gonna throw in a few dish towels too I think. I also am going to make some of these walker totes next week and donate them to the local retirement home on the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. It was rough on me, so each year I make donations to places that have some significance to me... Pops’ death, my son’s death, the anniversary of Alex’s meningitis, and some other causes close to me. Today I’m gonna show you how to make a Walker tote for anyone close to you who needs a mobility aid.



Craft Idea for the Day: Walker Tote (also Stroller tote)

These are very easy to do, work up VERY quickly and are much appreciated by those who receive them. Consider donating to a retirement home or a healthcare agency that specializes in physical therapy and other services to the elderly.

Materials:
· 1 ½ yards sturdy weight cotton or cotton-poly blend fabric (makes 2 totes)
· About 14 inches Velcro for each tote

Instructions:
1) Cut one 16"x 53 1/2" strip of fabric.
2) Fold in half, right sides together, to form rectangle 16" wide and 26 3/4" long. Stitch edges using ½” seam allowance; leave one short end open.
3) Clip corners, turn and press; at open end, press ½ inch to the inside. (it’ll look like an elongated pillowcase).
4) ) Stitch closely along pressed-in edges of open end, closing the “pillowcase”.
5) Mark or pin line 10” from the folded end (this will be your next fold line); mark another line 5” from the end you’ve just stitched closed (this will be your placement line for Velcro).
6) Fold along marked line 10” from end; stitch closely along sides to form pocket (pocket now forms front side).
7) On back side, stitch Velcro strips close to top edge and close to line 5” from end. (This will form a casing that will go around the top bar of a standard-size walker.)
8) If desired, turn the large pocket into two smaller ones by stitching a vertical line through all thicknesses of the pocket. If you stitch a line about 5 inches from the edge, you make pockets that are a good size for a cordless phone or TV remote on one side; a folded newspaper or magazine on the other side.



You could also dress this up by stitching a row of rick-rack or other trimming along the top of the pocket before stitching the tote edges together. You could also use this as a tote for a stroller and simply make it not as wide and hang it over the stroller handle.

OK what’s on the menu for tonight? I feel some Asian persuasion coming on! Plus I have a bunch of produce to use up the next couple of days! So I am going to make a Bok Choy and Chicken Stir fry on a bed of noodles with some homemade egg rolls for dinner. The bok choy stir fry comes out just so pretty! I am also going to be cooking all day today… soups and stuff as well. I have a couple of squash which will become soup, some leftover tofu and such for some more hot & sour, some more clams for chowder, and only god knows what else I dream up while I’m in there LOL. But celery, baby carrots, one more baby bok choy, leeks, potatoes, onions, and a bunch of other things will become something wonderful by the end of the day LMAO! I’ll share my creations tomorrow if they turn out edible LMAO! But today, I’m sharing the Asian dinner with you. It’s healthy, delicious, and fortunately always gone in our house! LOL!



Bok Choy & Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, chopped
3 med. to large baby bok choy
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cups sliced carrot
1 cup sliced mushroom
1 medium bell pepper, julianned
1 can peas, drained
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

MARINADE FOR MEAT:
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions
1. Fry bacon in a large wok over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon. Add the olive oil, onion, red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onions are starting to be tender. Add carrots, mushroom, bell pepper, and peas.

2. Add the bok choy, and place a lid on the pan. Let cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid; cook and stir until the bok choy is tender but still crunchy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bacon, and season with salt. Serve piping hot!

3. In a separate skillet, cook the chicken until no longer pink. Stir into the vegetable mix when done.



OMG so incredibly delish! And you can add more red pepper flakes if you want it spicy hot too! Serve it on a bed of chinese (or spaghetti or whatever you have) noodles and wow! YUMMY! As for the organization race… well I’m still doing it, just at a slow trot right now LOL! I have YEARS of junk to go through, so it’s a little overwhelming, but I’ll get there! So hi ho, hi ho its off to cook and clean and sew… LOL… until tomorrow! HUGS!