Random Thoughts

Ahhh, the age old delimma every parent faces...a small child with a gift. "I made it myself Mama. Open it!" So you carefully open the wadded up wrapping paper while the child bounces beside you, excitement shining from an eager face. As you get the last bit of paper off the gift, the child begins clapping with joy. "Do you like it, Mama? Do you like it?" Yet as you look at the gift your child so lovingly crafted, you realize with horror that you have no idea what it is. "I love it! Thank you!" as you hug your child. Then come the dreaded words, "Put it on, Mama."

Fortunately, Cody is old enough I don't have to face this prospect any more. However he did get me some rather unusual gifts in his day. For example one Mother's Day I received a bicycle innertube and 10 Hershey bars.

Speaking of chocolate, fudge is one of the easiest things to make. Here is today's holiday recipe:

Microwave Fudge

2 tbsp butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Put butter and milk into a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Add chocolate chips, salt and vanilla and stir until smooth. Add nuts if desired. Pour into foil lined 8x8" baking pan and chill until firm. Cut and eat.

This fudge is so easy and tastes just as good as the expensive kinds you buy at the mall.

You know what I like about drawing trees? They aren't perfect. Your trunk is a little crooked? So what? Real trees have crooked trunks, too. Your branches aren't straight? So what? Real trees don't have straight branches either. This is not one of my 5 minute sketches. It took a while longer than that. This is an exercise from Drawing for Dummies by Brenda Hoddinott. This was so much fun to do. What you do is cover your entire drawing surface with charcoal, then use your erasers to draw the snow and trees. Finally, a charcoal pencil is used to add details. I'm working on another drawing similar to this one. Cody has asked for one for Christmas, and I thought that if I get one done in time, I might give that as my gift for the Ladies Christmas Party this year. The sweater is the gift I made for last year's party.