Icebergs off Newfoundland, Canada

A friend sent me these photos on May 18, 2008.  I just came across them and was awe struck again, just like I was the 1st time I saw them.  Imagine seeing those huge blocks of ice, just gently floating by in the wild North Atlantic Ocean? 

Notice a 2nd one way out in the distance! And so close to the shore.

 Thanks to my friend Marjorie for sending me these photos.  I have yet to see a glacier or iceberg.  Note to self - add to bucket list!!!

What is this used for?

We want to list this on eBay but am wondering if it a tea pot shaped sugar bowl or ? It is a souvenir from Dibgy NS (Nova Scotia) - Canada.  There is a design of a Clipper Ship (Tall Sails) on the side. Bottom says England!

My grandmother always kept a little pot with mustard that she mixed from dry mustard. But since this is in the shape of a tea pot I am thinking it is from back in the day when artificial sweetener was served at the table without the little paper packets. 

 

This has a small plastic liner and spoon. 

Only 2" tall & 3 1/4" from spout to handle

 

With the help of Lynn Dralle and the members of her Queen's Court, we are calling it a sugar bowl.  Here is the listing 

Our 70 Foot Colorado Spruce Tree Got a Make Over

 

Our house guarded by 2 70' Colorado Spruce trees.  They are about 50 years old and have been trimmed every 5 years or so when they were younger.  According to the aborist (who we consulted with a few weeks ago) - they are the prettiest trees in all of Colorado Springs. 

The last few years we have noticed the top of the south tree was starting to separate. 

  

 When we looked close we could see that there were 2 trunks - called co dominant trunks.

 I called Tall Timbers Tree Co. here in Colorado Springs for a consult.  He said that the best thing to do is to cable the two trunks, pull the cable tight which will bring them together.  He also said that with the winds we had this winter, we were lucky one half didn't blow/fall off. (That is Pikes Peak in the background!)

They brought the bucket truck and he got out of the bucket and climbed around the branches to get the cable around the two trunks, pretty close to the top of the tree.

And now our beautiful tree after it's make over. The top is all closed and looking grand again!!

If You Can't Join Them, Then BEAT Them

The end of last year I bought 2 batches of beads that were shipped from China.  Normally I avoid any product from China but these beads were something I had been looking for.  Supposedly they shipped right away but it took over 3 weeks to arrive.  

And when they did finally get here, they were not anything I could use.  I had to make the decision to try and communicate with them in China,  to send them back or to just keep them and try to resell them.  

Another sore spot that I hear alot about is drop shipping.  Many buyers have been burned by drop ship companies and alot of sellers have suffered even more. 

So that got me to thinking about my eBay listings.  eBay allows us to add Custom Item Specifics so I thought that I can let folks know that we are in the US and  and ship all our items ourselves.  

How do I do it specifically?  I use 2 blank Custom Item Specifics slots.  In 1 I put "In Stock" and then in the adjoining slot "Ships Immediately from CO, USA"

The 2nd line says "Pay Before 12N Mt Time" and adjoining "Sent same business day".

Both these custom boxes show up at the top of the listing and are searchable and they are something a potential buyer sees first in the item description. Hopefully both these little details will help buyers make a decision favorable to one of my listings. .

How to Make BROWNED FLOUR for Gravy and Sauces

While we were living in New York several years ago, I was interviewed and featured on the cooking page of the Sunday Newsday newspaper.  The recipe was for New New Mexico Red Chile (sauce). The reporter tests every recipe and for the life of her could not get the flour to brown - a key element in my Chile sauce and gravy.

Browned flour is nothing more than toasted flour. I start with several cups of plain, white, all purpose flour in a large skillet or stove top wok.  The pan will need be very dry and on medium high heat.

Using a rubber spatula, I stir the flour every few seconds - not constantly but often.  As it heats up it will start to stick to the bottom of the pan.  At this point you may want to turn the heat down alittle and stir more often.  As it starts 'toasting' it will be turning a pretty tan color. The flour may form little balls too, so just crush them with the back of the spatula.  

Take it off the heat just before the burn point.  It will really be wanting to cling to the pan on the bottom toward the end. Some really dark crust will be OK, but not too much.

Immediately remove it from the heat and keep stirring because the pan is hot and it will keep cooking. 

I put a strainer (not colander ) over a large bowl and start straining the flour into it.  Since there could be alot of flour dust, be careful when you breathe in!  There will be some pellets left in the strainer. 

 

I find I can press some of them through but for the most part they could be burned bits and bitter tasting. 

Once it is all strained I store it in an airtight canister / jar and use it as necessary. 

The cooked flour not only gives a more rounded taste to the gravy or sauce but it also gives it a deep rich brown color.

 

SCARVES - Our Story on How we Got Started Selling them

After my Mom passed in June of 2001, I took over her "job" as vice president of the St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church's Rosary Altar Society.

Part of the duties included chairing the St. Patrick's Day card party. There are 15 -20 tables where the ladies play different card games, Pokeno or whatever.  Whomever finishes with the highest score gets a gift = "Table Prize".

So with that in mind I was constantly looking for an appropriate St. Patrick's gift to give the ladies.  One day when we were walking into a large store there was a lady outside selling scarves as a fund raiser for a Children's Hospital. 

Lo and Behold she had scarves with green shamrocks.  I thought I hit the lottery.  She agreed to sell them to me in bulk and she would bring them back with her the next time she came.  We went back several times but she was a no show.  The Christmas holidays came and still nothing. 

At this point I had me heart set on giving these scarves so I started an internet search.  That was so many years ago the internet was not the same as it is today and I came up empty handed. 

We were living on Long Island - just a 35 minute train ride to midtown Manhattan.  One day when we were in the city we came across a wholesale seller of the scarves.  I told them I needed 40 scarves and they sorta laughed and said their minimum order was $500.00.

Oh dear Lord, my balloon got so deflated.  We walked away to talk about it.  I explained to Gene that I had searched and searched the internet for these scarves and came up empty, so certainly we should be able to sell them on eBay. 

Needless to say we went back to them and came away with my 40 Shamrock scarves plus many, many more.  LOL

While we were still living there we would go to the warehouse in the Garment District of New York City. They would take me back into the storage area where I was able to pull packages right off the shelves. I was like a kid in a candy store.

 

That was 9 years ago and almost 2000 scarves ago.  Now I believe we have the largest selection of over 80 different designs on eBay and perhaps the Net. 

They are 13" x 60" and so light and silky for under a collar in spring and summer, but do offer warmth in the fall and winter when worn around the neck.  We also have some little 21" square neckerchiefs and 40" large squares / shawls.

We have had ladies use them as a belt / sash or as a head wrap or just over the shoulders to keep off the draft from an air conditioner or fan besides wearing them in the more traditional ways.  

The material is called stain stripe.  It is all polyester with a stripe of see through and an alternating stripe of satin.  The design is printed on the whole scarf.  I was also thrilled to learn they are made in Korea and are all brand new, not seconds with their little tag in tact.

There are so many designs  - animals; flowers; American flags; pink ribbons; red hats; music; Picasso; solid colors; all holidays; squares, swirls and many, many designs in every color imaginable.

The beauty of this fabric is that it comes out of the washer and dryer looking brand new.  

I am noticing on TV that scarves are really becoming popular again and do add so much versatility to just a few basic outfits. 

 All our scarf listings on eBay. 

We are selling our 34' 1998 Fleetwood BOUNDER

Rosie has served us well the last 2 years. 1998 is the last year they used real wood.  Well cared for, looks great, runs fantastic. 34 foot RV with largest Ford engine. 2 zone air conditioners, less than 225 hours on generator; 100 gallon fresh water tank, storage underneath on both sides; 6 gal. hot water heater.

With the blue & white striped awning out. All small windows have an awning too.

The slide-out. Inside is the 'living room & dining area"

Kitchen - double sink, separate spout for filtered water; 3 burner stove with cover; full oven, microwave

Fan & light over stove; refrig & freezer / dual controls propane or electric.

Dining area- storage under both benches, table slides down to make a bed; lots of lights and electric outlets.

Queen sized sleeper sofa; all but 2 windows have mini blinds

Corner cabinet with mirror outside bedroom and bathroom.  Off set hall. Full bathroom with tub and shower

 

Queen sized bed that lifts easily for underneath storage; huge closet with lights, 2 night tables with 4 drawers and closets for more hangers over them. Plus stack of 6 drawers with TV and radio/stereo speakers

TV over dashboard with rear view camera.

For more details and price please email - HerbsCraftsGifts@AOL.com

How To Shop Economically on eBay

Sometimes we do something routinely and don't really pay attention to how we do it.  I was shopping the other day on eBay and realized that there are certain patterns I follow.

First thing I do is to change the search from the default best match to Price + Shipping - Lowest first.  By doing this I am also able to see the items with free shipping and move the listings that might have low prices but high shipping to the bottom of the list.

One caveat is that the 1 cent listings will show up at the top of the list.  I am very cautious of these because most of the time they will be sent from a country with no labor or human rights laws.  So be sure to evaluate each item and all the details about the seller. 

Typically I will customize the search from options on the left side of the page. As in our daily life I like to support a Mom & Pop business and really shy away from those sellers that have 10,000+ feedback.  

Colorado Springs is a city of chain restaurants and we try to support the small local establishments. I equate the chains to the big drop ship sellers that may ship from outside US. 
I don't want to wait 10 - 20 days for a delivery, so I control my search using the appropriate option. 

I hope you will support our Mom & Pop business and visit our eBay store where you can rest assured we have all the merchandise in stock and do all the shipping ourselves, usually within hours of us recieving the payment.

Thank you.

First Aid with YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS

 Protect Your Family with Young Living Essential Oils

First Aid -

Complied by Kelli Nelson

Aches & Pains 

Bones & Joints: Wintergreen, Copaiba, Helichrysum.

Headaches::Lavender; Peppermint; Wintergreen; Roman or German Chamomile; PanAway; Spearmint; Valerian; Clove; Rosemary; Eucalyptus Globulus; M-Grain; Clarity; Brain Power; Relieve It. 

Muscles: Marjoram; AromaSeiz; PanAway; Deep Relief.

Sore Feet: Peppermint; White Fir: Lavender; Patchouli; Myrrh; Frankincense; Sandalwood; Vetiver; Melrose; PanAway; Relieve It. 

Tendons & Joints: Lemongrass; Copaiba; Helichrysum; PanAway.

Allergies / Rashes

Lavender; Tender Tush; German Chamomile; Myrrh; Geranium; Rosewood; Cictus; Blue Cypress; Polyzyme.

Poison Ivy / Oak: Peppermint; Wintergreen; Melrose; PanAway.

Bacteria & Virus - (Colds; Flu; Food Poisoning, etc.) 

Anti-Bacterial: Thieves; Oregano; Thyme; NingXia Red.

Anti-Viral: Thieves; Thyme; Oregano; Basil; NingXia Red.

Fever: Peppermint; Wintergreen; Copaiba.

Colds: Ravensara; Blue Cypress; Raven; Thieves; InnerDefense; ImmuPro; NingXia Red. 

Flu: Ravensara; ImmuPro; Inner Defense; ImmuPower; Exodus II; Di-Gize; Essenialzyme; Polyzyme; Longevity; Thieves; NingXia Red. 

Food Poisoning: Thieves; Polyzyme; Cumin; Inner Defense; Di-Gize; Cloves; Ginger; Oregano; Thyme.

Bites; Stings; Repellents

Bites & Stings: Purification; Lemon; Thieves; Melrose; Eucalyptus Globulus; Lavender; Peppermint; Melaleuca Alternifolia; Thieves Antiseptic Spray.

Repellents: Purification; Thieves; Thyme; Eucalyptus Radiata; Peppermint; Lemon; Lemongrass; Melaleuca Alternifolia; Geranium; Idaho Tansy; Spearmint; Melrose

 Burns

Lavender; LavaDerm Cooling Mist; Tender Tush Ointment; Idaho Balsam Fir; Blue Cypress; Helichrysum; Rose Ointment. 

Cuts; Blisters; Bruises 

Cuts & Scrapes: PanAway; Purification; Thieves Antiseptic Spray: Lavender; Peppermint; Copaiba; Melrose; Helichrysum; Animal Scents Ointment; Rose Ointment; Tender Tush Ointment.

Bruises: Lavender; Copaiba; Helichrysum; PanAway; Geranium; Cypress; White Fir; Roman Chamomile. 

Blisters: Melrose; Melaleuca Alternifolia; Roman or German Chamomile; Lavender. 

See more actual oils

YLEO Associate # 215438 - Ask about income opportunities.

 Disclaimer - This information is not intended to diagnose or prescribe. Consult your health care professional about any serious disease or injury.  Do not attempt to self-diagnose or prescribe any natural substances such as essential oils for serious health conditions that require professional attention.

SOLAR TUBE Skylight GREEN - Saves Electric

This is a solar tube we had installed in our kitchen because it was so dark.  There is a back porch with a roof that shades the window and we found ourselves turning on the light in the middle of the day -  total waste of electricity and money.

The round solar tube in the ceiling.

 It is a tube lined with bright, shiny aluminum and goes up to the roof on an angle.  There is no heat loss and no heat gain.

It is so bright it took us a few months to not reach for the light switch when we left the room.  LOL

It is hard to get a good photo with the sun coming in so bright.  It took them just a few hours to install.

Our neighbors roof with several solar tube domes on top.  They come in different sizes too.

These skylights are a fantastic alternative to the old fashioned skylights with the plastic covers that yellow and crack, leak and get dirty.

We have never had to clean ours at all and if we do, the panel just turns off inside the house.  They are perfect for any area, room or closet that is dark during the day.  As the old saying goes - try it; you'll like it.  

Web site - tell them Louise Sanchez sent you 

The WOVEL for GREEN Snow Removal -The Safest Snow Shovel

A friend recommended this to us a few years ago.  Gene has a bad lower back.  All 5 discs are herniated and gives him pain most of the time  

This shovel is just amazing.  It was Time magazine's invention of the Year 2006! There is no bending and very little lifting.  No electric or gasoline.  All Manual!!  Their website has a video!!

The idea is to push the scoop and then twist the WOVEL to toss the snow in either direction.  

This is very light weight but sturdy, heavy duty plastic and stores flat. No electricity and no gas or oil.  Totally green for those who want to preserve the planet.

So when we need to get to the mailbox to send out our eBay packages, the sidewalk gets done pretty fast, with no stress on our backs.   

We are not selling these or involved with them in any way - just love the product and wanted to share the info.  

The Wovel Website