Subtle Survivor

Well I survived the big sixty, but have noticed some subtle signs of aging. 

Such as: 
Spelling-   My recall of the correct spelling of words is getting worse.
Typing-    I cannot type a single word without errors and have to go back and fix them.  Argh!
Balance-  It is definitely diminishing and I walk like I'm drunk more often than not. Maybe I am.

Good:
Membership- I qualified for the Senior Citizen membership at the Fitness center so signed up and going twice per week. 
Discounts- Oh there are several discounts and they will only get more numerous.

Motorized vehicles- Now I can legally use the motorized carts at stores and not feel guilty, but I won't. 

The good, Bad and ugly of being sixty. 

Six Hours to a Silver Lining or Sciatic Nerve Sixty

There is no turning back now as the current pulls me toward the last six hours of the fifties in tow to sixty.  Will it be a decade of silver linings or painful sciatic nerve days?  No one knows, but I have to give it all I've got and then some. 

These past ten years of fifties, hitting the half century mark have been filled with seven new grand children, good health, exciting trips in both hemisphere's, new experiences and many happy days. 

Here is hoping the next ten will be just as spectacular and even more scintillating.  Someone asked would I change my email address from skip50.  No, that will not be any different.  Farewell to fifty and HELLO sixty.  Yeah!  I made it.

Skunks in Thirty-eight Hours & Counting

Sometimes we get to do crazy things and today was one of them.  We have had several sitings of skunks passing through our back yard headed for a stream that is beyond the property border.    Perhaps there is a family of them living in the pipe that runs under the road next to our home.

My early morning walk found a road kill skunk in the middle of the street.  Rather than leave it, I scooped it up on some flat boards and tossed in the closest neighbors trash can.  Thankfully it was a trash day. 

Now we won't have to smell it for days.  Yucky work, yes, but done.  We can do icky things now and then when we are still fifty something. 

Four Days to a Patriotic Picnic Pantry

Pliers, paper and puncher combined to make this Patriotic Picnic Pantry, which holds plasticware, napkins and pertinent paraphernalia. 

Using the Super Hero and the Cherrio papers (or any coordinating colors) cut three, four by ten inch strips.   Apply hot glue to the top and bottom of a 15 oz. clean soup can emptied of its contents.  You may also use Tacky or tube glue.  Wrap paper carefully around the can aligning it to the bottom rim.  Overlap the edges and apply glue to the underside of the paper edge, then press down tightly.

Cut a 3/4 x 10 inch strip of complimentary paper or ribbon.  Glue and attach around the top of the can, just under the rim to cover up any remaining metal showing. 

With seam sides together, squirt a vertical line of hot glue on one can and press the two completed cans to each other.  Hot glue the third can with its seam side toward the adjoining cans.  With a metal puncher, punch two holes 1/2 inch vertical apart starting one inch down from the top where the cans are joined.   Punch one hole on each side of outer can to attach handle.

Cut 30 inches of 16 or 18 gauge black tie wire to make handle.  Insert into end cans, secure and curly twist end to prevent scratches.  Cut 2" wire to attach where cans are glued to make them tight. 

Fill with plasticware, napkins or other fun table items. 

Less than four days to sixty.  The newspaper scrabble game had 'sixty' as one of its words.  I got that one easily.  Yes!

Five Days 'til 60, and Going too Fast

Fifty nifty unbroken years
From the twenty third original Ju-ne day.

Scout 'em, shout 'em,
Tell all about 'em.

They'll soon be gone
Sixty will be the new song.

Six Days to Sixty

I've got the skids on, but they are not working because sixty is coming at me faster than it should.  Doesn't matter what we do, those days and hours just keep on marching by and before we know it, boom!  We are old.  No, I don't want to be old.  There is no going back, only forward. 

Stand in youthful places, then.Face the music and get over it.  Enjoy the last few days of the fifties, because you have no choice. 

Footloose and Fancy Free

It never fails when the summer sun comes we start feeling footloose and fancy free kicking off those shoes and relaxing in the warm days.  Come refresh yourself making your scrapbook pages this month with the Footloose papers.  Full of warm sand and cool sparkling waves you will want to drive straight to the beach when you have completed them.  

Using Prisma Glitter, Footloose Compliments Dimensional Elements (X7151C), Paradise Paper Flowers (Z1710) and Baker's Twine (Z1702) gathered into piles like seashells on the sea shore, it begs for your fantastic photos. 

Next you will catch yourself humming 'Here Comes the Sun' and sipping a lemonade under an umbrella while the world passes by.  No problem, because you are smiling a mile wide and lovin' it. 

Apple Best Cream Cheese Pie

Frankly, I am tired of the traditional apple pie and seldome ever get it, when there is a choice.  It is so 'the same', with no flare or variety.

I have searched for a delicious apple cheesecake pie, and finally found the perfect one. 

Most times the apples are too fruity and the cream cheese too runny.  Not this time.  Yeah!
It is called the Apple of Your Eye Cheesecake from the Taste of Home Recipes.

Here's the recipe:  One unbaked pie pastry shell. 

Filling:  2 -8 ounce packages cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and sour cream each.  3/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs and 1 tsp Vanilla.  Beat cream cheese and sugar, add eggs one at a time until smooth.  Add vanilla then pour over crust.  (May also use springform pan)

Topping:  2 1/2 Cups chopped peeled apples, 1 Tbl lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tsp cinnamon.  Toss four ingredients together.  Spoon carefully over filling.  Bake at 350' for 55-60 minutes or until center is set. Cool then drizzle caramel topping over pie.  Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.  Garnish with whipped topping if desired.  Yum, Yum!