Get Out the Vote!

Mary Engelbreit Paper Dolls:

Do you guys still have your Mary Engelbreit paper dolls?  Anne Estelle and her friends?  I wish that someone would begin a Paper Doll Linky Party.  I think that any kind of paper doll would be fine.

In the meantime, this morning, as I was gathering my other ME things for an upcoming photo shoot, I found my basket of paper dolls.  They come in the back of her Home Companion magazine, and I was pretty good about cutting them out, way back when.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

This was the fun part.  I got out three sheets of photo paper and a ball of sticky tack.  I dressed some of the dolls, and put them on their own page with sticky tack (I figured that it was easier on the dolls than tape would be).  Then I scanned and cropped them, and posted them on here.  How fun!

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

~ Kathy

Have a Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat,

Smell my feet,

 Give me something good to eat!

Everybody have fun and be safe.


~ Kathy

-------------------------------------------------------



Oh, that cool little chant reminded me of this awesome little song:

Popeye the Sailor Man,
Lives in a garbage can.
He eats all the worms
and spits out the germs ...
He's Popeye the Sailor Man.
Toot, toot!


The end.  For now.  Thank goodness.
Oh, wait, I thought of a few more!  Lucky you guys!

Happy Birthday, to you!
You live in a zoo.
You look like a monkey,
And you smell like one too.

and

God is great,
God is good,
Thank you, Father, for this food.
Amen.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  
It's raining.  
It's pouring.  
The Old Man is snoring.
He went to bed and bumped his head,
and couldn't get up in the morning!


Rain, rain, go away.
Little Johnny wants to play.
Come back again another day.


What little ditties do you remember from the good old days?


Becky remembered the one below.  Thanks, Becky!

I saw Paris,
I saw France,
I saw someone's underpants!

Hi!

Dear Blends,


Hi!  I just wanted to say hello and thank all of you for stopping by to see what's up around here.  I am reading my first Belva Plain book (believe it or not) Evergreen, and I love it. 

I would like to welcome Michelle at Jamieson Interiors for being my newest follower.  Please make sure to go to her site and see what she has been up to.   Thanks to Natasha, Lisa, Julie and Lori for signing my guest book!  It is located on the top of the side bar, and is very easy to do, if you want to give it a whirl. 


Until recently, I have not been a "joiner".  I had not been linking up to contests or showing off my decorating/tablescaping skills, such as they are.  I am sure sold on that practice now though.  It has inspired me to been creative and practice my indoor photography (which needs a lot of help!)  Not only is it a lot of fun, it is a great way to meet new folks, and also have them find out about your own blog.  Instead of my usual 100 or so daily visits, I have been getting well over 200 the last several days.  And that is one reason I blog, so that people will read my blog.

I noticed today that Slide.com removed the mandatory "Adopt-a-Pet", so I am very happy with continuing to make slide shows thorough their program.

I added "Favorite Posts", via Blogger's Features page.  It did all the work.  Please check out a few of them on the sidebar if you are new around here.


I am looking very forward to this weekend, when my boy will be here for a visit before he goes into the Job Corp.  The snow is all melted, the rain is back to off and on, and I have another tablescape forming in my mind for our big table.  Life is good and I am happy.

Oh, I have mailed off Natasha, Becky, Lisa and Shelly's photos from my birthday contest.  The contest is over and Nancy won the CSN gift certificate, but everybody else who entered gets to choose one free 8x10 landscape photo from me too.  Just email me with the photo you want, and your mailing address and I will send if off to you.  My email is:  oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com


God bless all of you, and have a wonderful weekend!

~ Kathy  

McPherson, Kansas: The Well

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

When we were in Kansas last month, we visited one of the coolest small town bookstores that I have ever been in.  It is located on the main street in McPherson, and is really neat.  It was kind of a smaller version of Borders.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Jen and Cary are ordering up some special coffees.  I like "Shot in the Darks" which are regular coffee with a shot of expresso and half-n-half.  I don't go for the sweet stuff.  But there were plenty of those too.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

You could sit down and read the paper if you wanted too.  There is even a fireplace; because Kansas gets pretty cold in the winter.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Books, books, books!  They also have a large selection of Christian books and Bibles.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Cards, CD's, and movies too. 

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

They have a nice children's section.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

And, a teacher's section.  

For Sunday School and regular classrooms.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The gift and home decor section was beautiful.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I really enjoyed this store, and if I lived there I would be there all the time.  Randy and Jen said that the owners are the nicest folks in the world.  This whole town was chock full of nice people.  Kansas has the gift of hospitality, that is for sure.

I tried to find their website, but it looks like it is still under construction.  Here is their address and phone number though, if you wish to contact them: 


The Well , 101 N. Main, McPherson KS, (620) 241-5257 

If you are in McPherson, stop in and check this awesome store out   Just tell them that Tyler Matthews' Grandpa and Grandma from Oregon sent ya!

~ Kathy 

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Chickens: Tablescape #3

Dear  REDNESDAY  Friends:  Hi!  I originally posted this back in October, but I wanted to share it with you guys too.  Because it has a lot of red.  And because I didn't know about you yet, back in October.  To see more recent posts, please click on the "Home" button on the left.  Thanks to Sue at A Very Cherry World for hosting Rednesday for us!

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

This is actually an unofficial tablescape that I was going enter next week. There are two more tablescapes after the Kris Kristofferson post below, if you want to take a look at them.  They are linked to BNOTP's Tablescape Thursday.  Sorry for the confusion, I forgot to make a permalink; yesterday was my very first time for submitting.  Thanks so much for stopping by, I am enjoying your comments so much!


~ Kathy

Maura Kelly and Everybody Else: Stop Being Mean!

Everybody's Got to Have Somebody to Look Down On:

A woman named Maura Kelly works for  Marie Claire Magazine.   Several days ago, her editor asked her what she thought of watching fat people in situation comedies on t.v.  Maura wrote this article: "Should Fattie's Get a Room, Even On T.V.?"    

Then, on Twitter, she tweeted this quote from her article:  "To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair."   


Many people were very hurt by this, so she posted an apology underneath her article.  Julie Anderson, the creator of Chubby Mommy Running Club, wrote this post in response to Maura:  Dear Maura Kelly: Stop Being Mean.  It is very well written, so I wanted to share the link with you on here.  This whole situation makes me sad.  Why are people still being mean about weight?  Especially interesting is to me is that Maura Kelly has struggled with anorexia for a long time. 


It just makes me wonder why people are so mean, and why they keep getting meaner.  I have always liked this old song by Kris Kristofferson.  I first heard it on my Nanny's cassette tape when I was babysitting and beating up my little cousin for untying my bikini top when the workers were right there.  You were a brat, Danny!  But, you are still hilarious.  Anyway, I was in high school then, and the song has stuck with me.  Why does everybody have to have somebody to look down on?  Here is a link to a video that is circulating through Facebook.  It is by Creep Radiohead and it is neat how they made it.  The message fits in with this post:  Fitting In?


I am going to do my very best to be kind to everybody that I meet today.  I'll probably run into a lot of ornery people now that I have said it out loud, in print.  But just for today, I will try.
 

Click here to watch Kris Kristofferson perform Jesus Was a Capricorn

(Owed to John Prine)

"Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods.
He believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes.
Long hair, beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends.
Reckon they'd just nail him up if He come down again.

'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.
Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.

Get back, John!

Egg Head's cousin Red Neck's cussin' hippies for their hair.
Others laugh at straights who laugh at freaks who laugh at squares.
Some folks hate the whites who hate the blacks who hate the clan.
Most of us hate anything that we don't understand.

'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.
Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.

Help yourself, brother.
Help yourself, Gentlemen.
Help yourself Reverend."

(Thank you to  Cowboy Lyrics  for these lyrics!)

I hope that each one of you has a very wonderful day, filled with love and kindness. 

~ Kathy

P.S. - Kris Kristofferson is HOT.  He reminds me of my husband.  Maybe Kris will be my new secret boyfriend.  Who should I pick?  Billy the Exterminator  or Kris?  Who would you pick?  I'm still keeping Johnny Damon though.  I just happen to heart that young man.


P.S.S. - I just added this to Natasha's  (5 Minutes Just for Me) Sunday Songs Linky Party.  This is kind of a heavy post, but it does definitely include a song and video.  Please check out Natasha's site for more Sunday Songs!  Thanks.  I also visited two of the other participating blogs: "How Sweet the Sound"   and  "Joys of Christmas"

Tablescape: Roses

I tried my hand at another tablescape yesterday. 

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I am not entirely satisfied with it, especially with the photography.  I need a lot of help with taking indoor photos that do not involve people.  Still, I worked so hard that I wanted to go ahead and post this.  One has to begin somewhere!

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I originally planned to have some fall colors in here, but I also wanted to feature Grandma Pearl's oil lamp (at least 100 years old) and her pretty vase.  So it ended up more floral, with a lot of burgundy accents to match the curtains.

There is a both a mixture of thrifty and precious items in this place setting.  The tablecloth is actually a shower curtain from an outlet store that cost me $8.00.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 The place mats were $1.50 at Big Lots.  I am going to turn them into pillows pretty soon.  The plates are garage sale finds that I paid .10 each for!

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Pretty roses.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The bowls are old and came from Grandma Pearl's home.  The dishes below came from St. Vinnie's for $2.00 each.

The tag on the bottom says that they are "Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose".  Is that especially good?

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I got this at Ross for around $7.00

My girls bought us the crystal for Christmas a few years ago.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 This pretty teacup was my Grandma T.'s

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

My friends Karen and Deanna bought this one for me when Nigel was a baby.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The dish and the sugar bowl were my Grandma T.'s  She gave the dish to me when I first was married in 1978.  The ring boy carried our rings in it.  The creamer was Grandma Pearl's.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I think that these came from the Letsom side of our family.

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

It is pretty, but I think I am going to start over and figure out the lighting.  I hope you enjoyed it and that it gave you a few ideas of your own.  Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful and blessed day!

 ~ Kathy M.

P.S.:  I decided to participate and submit this to Tablescape Thursday at Susan's  Between Naps on the Porch.  It is the very first time that I have submitted a Tablescape.  I feel that mine isn't as fancy as most of  the others featured on there, but I'm trying!  I also found and visited Sue at  I Need Mom  and Angie at Echoes of Laughter.  I visited Michelle at Sweet Something Design too.  Hey, this is a lot of fun!

 

Here is the post on my very first tablescape, though I never actually submitted it anywhere.  I did this on May 27, 2010:

Thursday's Table Setting

I decided to imitate something that is becoming very popular in some blogging circles.  I decorated our dining room table and practiced my photography on it.  I enjoyed this very much, it didn't take all that much time, and it looks pretty.  You can click on the photos to enlarge them for better viewing.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The purple and gold dish is an old treasure from my Grandma T., and so are the candle holders.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The tablecloth is the 75-year-old quilt that my Great Grandma Johnson made in Arkansas.  She then gave it to my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson as a wedding present.  The front chairs were Uncle John and Aunt Signa's.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The hand painted tulip glasses were given to us as a wedding gift by friends Kathy and John.  Do your recognize my hand painted wine bottle candle holders?

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Kari and Kristin gave us the lead crystal water goblets.  The stainless silverware is 30 years old and we use it as our everyday stuff.  It is Community Stainless by Oneida, but I can't remember the pattern anymore.  Deanna gave me the green teacup and saucer, and the others came from Grandma T.  The napkins are really little tea towels that I bought from the dollar store today. 

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

  Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The china is Noritake's "Temptation".

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The only thing I regret is that one of the candles blew out and I didn't notice it.  Oh, well.  I am not feeling that much of a perfectionist to go back and redo everything.  I've had a busy day. The table is still very beautiful, and I had fun experimenting with different lighting and camera settings.  It was also fun to get my stuff out of the hutch and enjoy them again.

For other websites that do this often and have people submit their own work, check out the links below.  I think that I might send in some of my photos someday.

Between Naps on the Porch @ http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
 

Affordable Accoutrements @ http://affordableaccoutrements.blogspot.com/
 

Lady Katherine Tea Tea Parlor @  http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/