Busy Times!

Hey Y’all!

Wow. This month has dragged by in some ways and flown by in others! Let’s just say that I am happy, happy, happy that this coming Friday is November 1st!

School has kept me busy this month with all sorts of things. Parent teacher conferences, report cards and a ton of work have kept me on my toes. I am also trying to keep up with my 10,000 steps a day. Some days it is easier than others. I have  few more days to go to make my 300,000 steps for the month of October. It helps that everyday or most everyday afterschool I come home and walk two miles around my neighborhood. Although, the weather has cooled down this week and my ears are freezing. It looks like I will be knitting my self some  hats this weekend!

Speaking of knitting, my needles have surprisingly been clacking away. I have had several baby hats to knit up for friends. Last Saturday, I put these cuties in the mail to Columbia. There is a girl explosion right now!

 

I have also fallen in love with knitting fabric scarves. These are so easy to do and I use a crochet hook. I can make one of these scarves in about 30 minutes.

I have sold several already for holiday gifts! I just love all of the different patterns that they come in! Also, they are light and airy and not as heavy as traditional yarn scarves. With our beach weather that is a plus!

Also, here is some news that made beyond happy. Remember all of the classes I have been taking to gain my Online Teaching Certification? Well, the State Department of Ed finally got around to adding it to my certificate. I am official!

Of course, I celebrated with a cupcake!

Well, I am off to run some errands, catch up with laundry and maybe switch out my closet today.  I also have some knitting to do. Good thing there is a Good Witch movie marathon on the Hallmark Channel today!

Tootles!

JKP

What Do You Mean it is October?

Hey Y 'all!

Well, as predicted, back to school has me busy, busy, busy. I think I have mentioned before how the first few months back to school, especially October are brutal. This weekend I am just worn out. I had a fantastic visit from my best friend last weekend and we did so much fun stuff! This weekend is going to be about hanging out with the P-man and enjoying being home!

Pitty Pat is doing Ok. He has had an infection in both of his eyes which has been pretty uncomfortable for him. I think this week both of his eyes finally cleared up. The vet is not sure if it was a reaction (allergy) or if it was some type of sty infection. I am just glad it is gone! Pitty Pat has the most precious set of eyelashes. I know. On a dog. And sadly he lost his lashes over this. But I did notice a few growing back, so I hope they will continue to grow. Pitty Pat was really good about  having warm compresses on his eyes to make him feel better. I think he grew to like it a wee bit too much! Spa Dog!

Right before Pitty Pat's eyes got really bad, we took a trip to the beach for a walk. My boy loves the beach!

Other than that, that is all that has been going on. I have a marathon of cooking scheduled for this too! It seems that my freezer is running low on yummy meals. I have not been cooking a lot, so it is nice to come home and have a meal that I can reheat! I noticed this week my stockpile from August is almost gone. Time to fill the freezer back up!

I have also gotten back into the habit of walking my 10,000 steps a day. It has made me feel so much better! Each afternoon when I get home, I also take a 2 mile walk around my neighborhood. I plug in my ipod and go! I have subscribed to some great knitting podcasts, so before I know it I have finished my walk. I may not be losing all of the prednisone weight I have gained, but I think every little bit helps!

So I am off to chill this weekend. It is supposed to be 88 today, so hopefully later on this afternoon I can carve in some beach time. I have a great new Mary Alice Monroe book I am reading and I would love to finish it on the beach.

Y'all have a great weekend!
Tootles!
:) JKP

It’s Pumpkin Time!

Hey Y’all!

I hope everyone had a great week! I didn’t get to go to any turtle nest inventories this week because of school, but there are several this week that I plan on attending. The last nest in Garden City hatched on Friday, so there will be a nest inventory tomorrow night. I definitely plan on being there. It is the last nest of the season, which is a little sad. I will post pics as soon as I can!

Last night we had a faculty and staff get together at my assistant principal’s house. We had some very yummy barbeque. Everyone had to bring a dish to share. So yesterday morning while drinking my coffee I went on the search on Pinterest to find something quick, easy and delish! Enter the Pumpkin Fall Dip! This is a cinch to make and it is so yummy when you pair it with Gingersnaps! Bonus.. this dip makes A LOT!

To make Fall Pumpkin Dip you will need:

 

1 15 oz can of pumpkin.. NOT pumpkin pie filling

1 5oz box of vanilla instant pudding (do not make the pudding, just use the pudding powder)

2 tubs of Cool Whip (The recipe calls for plain Cool Whip, but I like to GO BIG OR GO HOME. So I used the Extra Creamy one!)

1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

A bag of Gingersnaps and/or Nilla  Wafers

Combine all of the ingredients except for the Gingersnaps and Nilla Wafers. Mix well.

 

After mixing, place the dip in the fridge for a few hours. It tastes just like PUMPKIN PIE!

Then serve! Here’s a serving dip…. When you have to go to a party and you need to bring a dish, head to Dollar General! It is one of my favorite stores! For some reason all of my serving dishes are at school. So I headed to Dollar General and picked up a huge serving plate and bowl for the dip for under $2. The nice thing about that is you can always leave the dishes at the party if you need to leave and  you don’t have to worry about getting your serving dishes back! This is great, especially if your dish is still being enjoyed!

Alrighty, I think I am off to the beach to get some reading done. It is so quiet around here because all of the tourists are finally gone. It will be so nice to have some peace on the beach!

Tootles!

JKP

Turtle Love!

Hey Y’all!
Well, school is back in session… like you couldn’t tell from my absence on the blog! No matter how hard I try at the beginning of each year, the start of school always gets the best of me. This year has been very overwhelming and some of the pain that I was having last September has come back, which is a little scary. But. I recognized the signs and went into my arsenal and started taking care of myself a little bit better. I am drinking more water and getting lots of sleep. I am also taking my vitamins and trying to eat well. So let’s hope I don’t have a repeat of last year!
I am very blessed this year in that I have a VERY sweet class. I just love my students this year. They love to learn and BONUS.. the love hearing about Paddington, so that just makes my day. My furry baby has been alright with my return to school. During our first two weeks back, during inservice days, I tried to come home for lunch everyday. I think that helped him a bit. Paddington still throws a temper tantrum when I leave in the morning, but he is not licking any hotspots on himself which is an improvement from last year. He is just dropping his toys in the bathtub. But. I will take that!
Over the summer you may have seen on the Reads From the Beach Chair that I keep at the top of the blog that I have been reading several books by Mary Alice Monroe. Mary Alice Monroe is an author from SC and she is very involved in Sea Turtle rescue and Sea Turtle nest monitoring. After reading her books this summer, it helped me realize that this is a project that I would like to become involved in. And. I have!
Y’all know that I am very passionate about animals and I have followed S.C.U.T.E (South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts) for a while on Facebook. During Open House a few weeks ago, several of my former students came back to visit with me. One of those parents is very active in S.C.U.T.E. and invited me to a nest inventory that was happening later on that week. A nest inventory happens 72 hours after a sea turtle nest has “boiled” or hatched. During the inventory, they count how many eggs hatched, didn’t hatch and they look to see if there are any turtle hatchlings stragglers. If there are stragglers, then we help them get to the ocean. You form two long parallel lines and watch over the hatchlings. It is very important that the hatchlings walk to the ocean as this gives them time to “imprint” and stretch their muscles for the long swim to the Gulf Stream.
Let me tell you. Once you have seen a turtle hatchling lift their head and get a whiff of ocean air and then scurry to the water, you are not the same person. This has been happening for thousands of years and you are a part of it.  It is a wonderful thing to be a part of! Here are some pics from the nest inventories I have been to.

Next Summer I am going to volunteer with S.C.U.T.E. and walk the beaches a few mornings a week to look for turtle tracks and nests. I wanted to do it this past summer, but couldn’t due to class stuff. I am so excited about this!
Well, let me run!
Tomorrow we are back to school! Tootles!
JKP

450th POST!

Hey Y'all!

This is my 450th post on this blog! WOW. That's a lot of posts about knitting, crafts and cooking!

It's official... I am done with Graduate Summer School! Check it out....

A's in both classes. I may not have taken a cool vacation this summer, or done anything else but sit in front of my computer.. but I did accomplish something! As soon as grades are finalized and I get can my transcript, I can apply for my new certification for online teaching! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I finished last Wednesday, and then I took a few days to chillax. Not really. I went and worked in my classroom on Wednesday and Thursday. Last Friday I did a wee bit of shopping and Saturday and Sunday I took it easy. I went into school today and finished up my bulletin boards and unpacking. I have a good start. We officially go back to work Wednesday. I am a little sad about it, but I learned so much this summer that I think it will be ok.

While I have had some down time, I have gotten hooked on Homeland on Showtime. I just finished the last episode of season two this afternoon. Wow. Now I have to wait until the end of September to see what happens!

I have also been doing some small knitting. With all of this course work, I haven't had the heart to knit. I did pull out a sock I started A YEAR AGO to get it finished. Sometime soon I will get to the toe decreases and kitchner stitch. Then I can start on its mate!

The furry Pressley is having a hard time with our schedule change. I have been trying to leave for a bit everyday so he gets used to it. Paddington Bear is not happy that summer is just about over.

Alrighty. I am off  to hop in the tub! I am meeting my friends for a "Goodbye to Summer" dinner....
Tootles!
:) JKP

Summer Check Ups and a Quick Trip

Hey Y'all!

This past week flew by! I don't know if it is because I spent most of it behind a computer, but wow. It flew! By Thursday I waved the surrender flag with my classwork and headed to the beach for a much needed beach fix. It was just what the doctor ordered!

Friday was a busy day, Paddington went and had his four year old vet check up! He had to get three shots and was pronounced healthy! He does have to go back in Tuesday for a dental procedure. One of his baby teeth never fell out. It is causing some problems with other teeth, so it has to be pulled. I am a little nervous about this, but I know he will be just fine. He was put under when I had him neutered, so this should be a quick process. I just hate not having him home with me for the day!

Yesterday I made a quick trip to Sumter to have lunch with my Granddady and my Mom. I also got to visit with my Granny too. It was a fun day. It was rainy in Sumter and then most of the way home. But once I crossed the Horry County line, the sun was shining! Here's a pic from yesterday...

I gave Granddaddy a crash course in Instagram and he enjoyed looking at all of my pictures. My mom even decided to download the app!

The weather here is cloudy today. I had hoped to go to the beach, but since it is cloudy I guess I will go ahead and work on some classwork for the week to get ahead. I am really not in the working mood, but my bestie is coming for a visit on Wednesday, so I need to hop on the work train. Too bad all of the housework and laundry are done.. they are great distractions and excuses! Maybe I can cook something up in the crockpot... I can have a delicious aroma while I work!

Well, let me run. Y'all have a good Sunday!
Tootles!
:) JKP

I Survived the Dentist.. and Another Recipe!

Hey Y’all!

Well. I was a nervous wreck, but I survived my dentist visit. I love my dentist. He must be in his 70’s. But he is awesome. And he is very patient and kind with me. You see, the drill freaks me out. A bit. But my dentist talks to me the whole time and keeps me updated. Come to find out I have several things going on, all of which can be the culprit of the pain I am experiencing. Number one, I had a cavity, so he filled that hoping that would take away some of this gum pain I am dealing with. As my dentist was giving me the first of TWO Novocain shots, he also realized that I have very little jaw muscle left. And the bone that I have left is falling apart fast. He also noted that my gums around my molars are receding pretty severely  and that I have bone loss there as well. Now, receding gums are not new to me, I have dealt with this since I was diagnosed with Crohns. But the bone loss is a new thing. So I also earned myself a visit to the Periodontist too. I am going back for a cleaning in a month for another assessment and then on to the gum guy. Tonight my mouth is really sore and my jaw is killing me. But, there is some relief in knowing my dentist has checked me out and I now know what is going on. Whew.

Since I have been having trouble eating these past few weeks (because of my mouth, not my tummy!) I knew when I came home from the dentist that tonight’s meal was going to have to be easy to eat and tummy friendly. You see folks, when I go to the dentist I get sick to my stomach. Oh. Yes. I. Do. So I wanted something chicken soupy, but not chicken soup. While thumbing through my new magazine Southern Plate Classics, I came across a recipe for Chicken and Dumplings. That sounded heavenly to me, so in the crockpot it went this morning! What is really strange is that I am not usually a Chicken and Dumplings fan. Sometimes the dumplings are not good and let’s just say I haven’t had a good experience with this dish. But let me tell you, this recipe hits it out of the PARK!

To Make Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings You Will Need:

3 cups of chicken broth

1 regular can of cream of chicken soup

1 regular can of cream of celery soup

3/4 of a teaspoon of poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper ( I was heavy handed. I LOVE my pepper!)

Now, the original recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts. I am not a thigh girl. So I just used four skinless and boneless chicken breasts and cut them into 1 inch pieces. If you do combine the meats, just make sure you slice each piece into smaller1 inch pieces.

1 cup chopped carrot. I really chopped mine!

1/3 of a package of frozen dumplings, broken into 3 pieces. * You can find frozen dumplings in the freezer section where the biscuits are kept. I found mine at Kroger. They come in long rectangles. I just broke each rectangle in 3 pieces. I used about 7 long rectangles in my recipe.

I used a crockpot liner with this and I am glad I did. It made my cleanup very easy!

In your slow cooker combine the chicken broth, your cream soups, and seasoning. Stir your mixture well. Add in your chicken pieces and your chopped carrot pieces. Set your crockpot on low and cook for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, add your dumpling pieces. I added mine one at a time and then stirred the mixture several times. Continue to cook your chicken and dumplings for about an hour and a half more. Before I served mine, I added another sprinkle of pepper too!

And, let me just say. Very rarely do I go back for seconds on ANYTHING. But I could have hurt myself on tonight’s dinner. It is SOOOOOO good. It made 6 servings. I ate two. And then froze the other four. But. They won’t be in the freezer long! If you have a large family or you are making this dish to take to someone, it can very easily be doubled. Since I know how good this is, that is exactly what I am going to do next time. If it was this good in the summer, I predict it will be a staple for me in the fall and winter!

I am off to start a new book. I just finished reading Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House series. OH. It was so wonderful. The perfect summer read! Tonight I am starting “The Girl in the Mirror” by the same author. I am too worn out from my dental adventure today to tackle any schoolwork. I figure if I go to bed early tonight, I will be up raring to go tomorrow morning.

Well, that is, if I don’t get sucked in to watching all of the “Royal Baby” footage on the morning shows!

Tootles!

JKP