Random 5 Friday

 How's this for Oyster Mushrooms...we always called them tree mushrooms.  My husband spotted this growing on a tree stump on his way home from work.  We have gathered/picked them every since we got married;  Roger has actually been eating them all his life, but these are the first we have ever seen that were this big...

I just thought I would share these pics today till a few might see them that did not see the original post about them.

We had mushrooms to fry that night, plus froze several bags.
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It is time for Random 5 Friday

1.  It bugs me to no end when I email a business to ask a question and they do not reply.  I often wonder why even have an address if they are not going to handle the email responsibly.

2.  I have got to say it again:  I am ready for summer.  Or spring at least.  I can not wait to be able to sit on the front porch and to have ripe tomatoes from our garden.   We at least got above freezing today!

3.  I am almost through reading Hiking Through:  One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail by Paul Stutzman....I always enjoy reading personal accounts of through hikers.  When I am done with it, I have about decided to start Grass of the Earth by Aagot Raaen.  It is the biography of Norwegian homesteaders in North Dakota.  I have read it before and will probably read it again.  It just sort of suits this time of year.

When it is this time of year, I wonder how our ancestors survived the winters.  It was a lot of work just to keep warm.  Much less do the work they had to do.  They didn't have heat and light and water at the flip of a switch.  And think of the clothing we have now.  All the special blends and fibers just to help stay warm.  

4.  I am the most indecisive person there ever was or will be.  Just ask my husband.  Most times I know what I DON'T want...just hard to decide what I do want.  He can ask me where I want to eat...I may not know where I want to eat, but I know I don't want to eat at McDonald's.  (Don't mind breakfast there...and I like their french fries)  We will decide to get out and go somewhere just to get out...I may not know where I want to go, but I know I don't want to go shopping.

5.  With the amount of money we spend paying taxes, our streets should be paved with gold.  Here in Indiana we pay federal taxes, State Taxes, property taxes, and we pay taxes on our vehicles each year when we get our license plates.  Say we have to pay $350 sales tax when we buy a car, we pay that when we go get our license plate.  Next year,  we pay say $325 when we get our license plates renewed...and it just gradually decreases.  The tenth year I think it is $49, and that is what we pay each year thereafter.  Of course a trailer is another $35 or more...and I think when we had a dog, it was 3 or 4 dollars for each dog.

So, I was wondering, what all kind of taxes does your state have?

To read more random thoughts, please check in at A Rural Journal.

Have you seen this commercial?

My niece posted this on facebook, and my daughter seen it and reposted it to call it to my attention.



Don't you just love it!!!!

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Not much going on here....supposed to have some more bad weather moving in which is forcing me to go shopping.  I told Roger I am ready to do something besides go shopping.  If I had been in my right mind I would have got it done yesterday, and then we could have taken off today for parts unknown.

Bit of sewing...

Would you believe this is a potholder...saw some when fooling around on the internet so sat down and tried making my own pattern and this  is what I came up with.  I would not mind if it was a little bigger but it is still plenty big to use to get a hot pan out of the oven.

The one above and the one below are about the size of a sheet of paper...(Ignor the thread stuck the the front)

and the last one might be a bit wider than one...I started them to make a bigger crumb block, then decided to make potholders of them.  Not real happy with the binding...I did not do a continuous binder where I mitered the corners and I hate the job I did the other way.  The mitered corners are much easier in my book...I don't know what I was thinking.

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It is still bitter cold...I just don't even want to get out and go anywhere in it.  But sooner or later I am going to have to get out and go to Walmart and the grocery.  Just not looking forward to it.

I do want to get back to sewing again, but another puzzle is calling my name.  I keep trying to forget about it but not sure how strong my will is in that dept.