Mar 27, 2016

Happy Easter

Alleluia! 

He is Risen.

He's Alive.

Mar 24, 2016

Thankful Thursday

Each day of our lives should be full of thankfulness. So we are doing something a bit different around here lately. At breakfast every morning we are all talking about things we are thankful for. And you know what? I (we) are finding that it is really hard to be unhappy after naming off several things on your happy list. Once you claim the happiness you seem to hang on to it. You carry it with you throughout the day remembering it when something comes up that would otherwise be a downer.

So here is my simple list for today, in no certain order.

I am thankful for the health of everyone in my family.

For the wonderful sunshine we are having and even the rain that is coming this afternoon.

I am thankful for having time with my grand at this time in his life.

I am thankful for my Dad who is 88yrs old.

And for getting to go fishing.

One thing I have learned about this experiment is that we will be doing it all the time now. It is definitely worth the attention every morning. 

Mar 21, 2016

Spring Has Sprung and I Did a Doodle

Well yesterday was the first official day of Spring and our high was 40*. According to the local weather service that is a good 10* below our normal for the first day of Spring. So as I sit here typing this and scratching my head I have to wonder what is coming our way in the weeks ahead. Will it be dry and hot or wet and cold  or ........well I could go on with this craziness for ever! So let's just say we are glad that Spring is here and take what she gives us.

I do know one thing for sure, things are greening up around here. The grass is growing and the flowers are poking their little heads up to see what the weather is doing. The birds are all out looking for the perfect place to build their nests. And the buds on the trees are all popping out.

I worked on a doodle this week and could not help but think of spring as I did.


Menus for dinners this week:

Sunday......we had leftovers, two of us had meatball stew and grilled cheese and the other had shrimp tacos

Monday...... chicken pot pie (recipe here) and a small chopped salad

Tuesday......venison sausage and blueberry pancakes

Wednesday......cooking on the firepit. Roasted potatoes, carrots and a head of cauliflower and grilled pork loin chops

Thursday.....leftovers

Friday......turkey kielbasa, potatoes, onions, and fresh spinach in foil pouches 

Saturday......No clue yet!

Mar 19, 2016

Almost Spring Time

According to the calendar at least!! We have had 2 weeks now of high temps in the 70's, but today is only getting up to 40* if we are lucky and the dreaded S word(snow) is coming our way tomorrow. That's right on the first day of spring! I really hope it doesn't affect the fruit trees and dogwoods. But with temps dropping into the low 30's we may be having a problem.

So there has been some lawn clean up going on around here. As well as some work on some beds that will hold mostly veggies of one kind or another. I always intermingle flowers in my beds as companions to help deter bugs but also as food for the soul. I have been amending soil in some beds and making more beds as well. Soil is being hauled from the woods after I have sifted it to get out all the debris and large pieces. This is more like half soil and half leaf mold from the forest floor. Really good stuff!! 

Last year we had a very wet season and because of planting in some "unique" ways I still got a pretty good harvest. I call it unique, but hubs calls it weird! But he has no problem eating the food that it provides. So I afford him a few laughs.

I alway grow my potatoes in cages and this year I am going to try my sweets in containers of some kind as well. I will do my onions in raised beds. I have really good luck with this method for 2 reasons. First we do not walk in the beds so the soil is not compacted and also if we get lots of rain the raised beds drain well. And I will put my green onions (scallions) in a half whiskey barrel. 

I will do my best to get some pictures later on and share those with you on the next post about my growing methods. But you have to promise not to laugh? 

I may have cold temps outside and not be able to work in the garden but I have been blessed with a ray of sunshine on my window sill.



This orchid is blooming and I have another one getting ready to anyday now.



Mar 14, 2016

Mondays Musings and Menus

The fog is lifting this morning with an eerie look as it hovers just above the automobiles. 

So many signs of spring are popping up around here. And it really is early too. Look at the buds on the maple tree in my front yard.


And the buds on the Dogwood are about to flower out. I so hope they don't get nipped by the cold.


The daffodils are waving their heads in the wind already. 


And as you can see the bluebirds have begun building already. This box always has at least one broad every year.


I love spring and I am so glad it is here. But I just hope that old man winter does not rear his ugly head and mess it up!

This week is an easy week for food.

Sunday....we had leftovers

Monday.....shrimp tacos

Tuesday......grilled chicken and veggies

Wednesday.......grilled salmon and chopped salad

Thursday........loin chops with leftover grilled veggies and pasta

Friday.......Chopped salad and homemade pizza

Saturday.......meatball stew



Mar 11, 2016

Free Willy Friday

 It is 76* right now and although I know it will change and we will still have some chilly weather ahead, I cannot help but be thankful for a little slice of this warmth and sunshine.

We got some rain overnight, nothing torrential just a slow steady "spring" rain. The robins are all over the place and having no trouble finding worms to eat. I have not seen any signs of nesting yet, but I am sure it will not be long now. 

Hubs and the grandson did some fishing this week, but no catching. The water is a little bit murky still but it will clear up soon.

I have my first show of the year in 5 weeks from today!! Where does time go.

Been looking at all the things around me that I am so thankful to have and be a part of and thought I might share a bit of it with you.

My Grandson is with us and although there have been some challenges (we are old you know) it has truly been a blessing.

I am thankful for several new friendships that I have began to nurture through a fiber guild that I have started going to. It is so fun to spend time with ladies of like minds.

I am thankful for a good report on all my blood work and exam from my Dr. yesterday. 

And for having such great Dr.'s at our local VA hospital. Hubs went and they quickly realized he had a sinus infection, so he is on a Zpak.

So as you get ready for the weekend, what are you looking forward to?

And be on the lookout tomorrow for the weekly doodle!

Mar 7, 2016

Tasty Tuesday

Something I have not done in a while is share a recipe with you here on my blog.

So as I was wondering what I would pull from my boxes to share with you, the grandson walked in and we got to talking as I was looking through the box. And just out of the blue he said you know what I have not had since the last time you fix it? And I looked him straight in the eye and said, a Green Cake? And with a big grin on his face he shook his head and said, how did you know?

So I pulled the recipe and this week I will be sharing a recipe for "Green Cake" aka "Pistachio Pound Cake". He has loved this cake since he was about 2 years old and I made it for St. Patty's Day. He could not pronounce Pistachio so he called it Green Cake. And throughout the years I have made it for many occasions. Easter, 4th of July, Christmas and Birthdays even.

Pistachio Pound Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 pkg. pistachio instant pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water +1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
4 eggs

Blend all ingredients in large mixing bowl then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Bake in a greased 10 inch tube pan at 350* for 45-55 minutes. Cool right side up for about 20 min. then remove from pan. 

Frost with icing of your choice. We like a simple confectioners sugar glaze with a touch of lemon or almond in it. 

He is 18 now and the pronunciation is not a problem, but around our house we'll still be calling it "Green Cake".

Enjoy! 

Monday's Expectations

Today is suppose to hit the upper 60's. Lots of sunshine will be shining and I will be soaking up as much as I can. I can't wait to hang out some laundry and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin while I do so.

I am staying busy both inside and out. I made a list and it has much more on it than can be finished today but that is okay. I just feel so alive and am ready to tackle anything. I told you all I needed was some sunshine. And thank the Lord, he sent me some!

Menus for the week are just for dinner. And the grandson is now living with us for awhile so I am cooking for 3. Hubs is a diabetic and has to be careful and watch what he is eating. But I have been cooking a few extra items just for the grand. So he can enjoy himself too.

Sunday.......I fixed grilled chicken breast and a chopped salad for us. And for the grand I fixed chicken and dumplin's, smashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits. 

Monday......chopped salad with a scoop of homemade tuna salad in the middle. And dumplin's, smashed potatoes, biscuits and peas for the grand.

Tuesday......meatball veggie stew and grilled cheese.

Wednesday........chopped salad, grilled flounder 

Thursday.......leftover soup, grilled ham sandwiches

Friday......turkey meatloaf, fried cabbage, roasted carrots and a baked potato for the grand.

Saturday.......Potato soup with bacon lettuce tomato sandwiches for me and the grand. Chopped salad and grilled chicken for hubs

Sunday...... undecided!

***The chicken and dumplin's were made from the bones and skins of some split chicken breast I found on sale this week and brought home and skinned and deboned. They had some meat on them as well and he really enjoyed them. And most folks would have thrown that part away so it was like a free meal.***

***The meatball stew is made from about half a bag of frozen meatballs and what ever you want in the soup. I brown the meatballs and then add all the veggie soup fixin's to the pot and cook and season as you like***

Mar 6, 2016

The Sun Is Coming!

The weather is crazy, but if it gets us closer to spring then I am on board with it. We are going to have a few rain free days and then it will start coming down again. But the temps are to stay in the 60's and 70's for the entire upcoming week. The sun should be showing up this afternoon. Yippy!!! 

This is a busy week ahead and I am going to get a lot completed. At least that is the plan! I have got to get back to making a list. When I make a list I seem to do better at getting things done that need done. But here lately with all the gloomy weather and lack of sunshine I have lost my get up and go, my mojo has flown out the window. I am an early riser and by early afternoon I am "toast", stick a fork in me I am done! So I am going to see if I cannot use the sunshine of the next 3 days and restock my internal furnace.

How about you, do you struggle in the long gray days of winter? What tricks you got up your sleeves to plow through and pick up steam?

I just try to stay busy and rest if I need to but I feel some days that is all my body wants to do. So I try to create and bring color into my space. Those things help some. But I will be truthful here, I do not entirely have a handle on this. 

My doodle for the week has a bit of color, crazy color and design. And then the kitties bring it down to earth as they play and relax in this psychedelic world.




Mar 2, 2016

Playing Catch Up....Changing Of The Mug

So it is March 2nd. I know I always do "The Changing of the Mug" on the first of the month. But yesterday was a bit whacky. Lots of storms rolled through in my neck of the woods and very high winds were blowing them, so we were without power most of the day. Also had no Cell coverage or data so it was a screwy day all in all. 

But today we move forward to try and get all those things done that we did not get done yesterday. So let's begin with "The Changing Of The Mug". This springtime beauty will cheer me through March.


As I have said many time before, my mugs are big for most people. They are in the 17-20 ounce size. I like to start my morning with a "MUG" of coffee. Actually I have a Keurig and the larger mug allows me to make the perfect, to my liking, cup of joe. 

I did some weaving yesterday but the power being off was a bit of a damper. And it made me realize that I need to address the issue of light at my loom. That is light at my loom when there is no power! So I believe for starters the loom will be moved in a few days to be closer to a window.

Had some snow this morning and Miz Maggie was not about to let the snow keep her from having some quality time with her favorite bone.


With power on today, my loom will be clicking all day long. I have a goal to meet in my head and I am sending out a memo to all those in my home, memo reads: foods on the stove, eat when you are hungry!


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