Lil Bits of Me

Don't forget...

2011-03-12T22:42:00.004-05:00

Spring Forward!

When your change your clocks...

change your batteries!

Nothing shaking...

2011-02-10T15:42:00.002-05:00

My poor little blog has suffered so far this year. Sorry 'bout that. I just haven't had anything going on earth-shattering enough to put fingers to keys and type out.

Two of the kids ... Beth from Arizona and David (with granddaughter, Jennifer) from Colorado ... were here (separately) for a few days each after visiting with their mom and ill stepdad in West Va. It was so good to see them, just wish we'd had more time.

Beth and Lew

David, Lew and Jennifer

Great-grandson Bryson is growing so, so fast! The child has four teeth, is crawling and is pulling himself up to standing. There's no doubt in my mind he'll be walking by the time he's nine months old!! He's really developing fast.

A toofy little grin
(Candy, the dog, getting into the act!)

Trying to get Uncle Chris to play!

Our purging hasn't gotten as far along as I'd like, but we shall prevail!! My desk is next... I'd really like to be able to enjoy the whole top without having to shuffle aside a bunch of papers. I'm thinking I might just join the 21st century and start scanning stuff for digital record-keeping instead of saving all that damn paper! It really does get out of control sometimes.

Like the rest of the country, we've had our share of winter cold, snow, and ice. The field behind us is still white but we can see most of our yard again. The ailing dogwood had a few dead branches break off under the ice, as well as the oak and maple in the front yard, but for the most part, we've had little winter damage.

So, other than that, and a little of this and that here and there, that's what I've been up to. You know... boring stuff. ;)

This is the year...

2011-01-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

... for purging. Hopefully.

After the long holiday break... Happy New Year y'all!!... we began with Christmas stuff. We have boxes and boxes and more boxes of Christmas decorations. Indoor, outdoor, all around the door-door decorations!

So, before packing it all away this year, we added more boxes to what we already had!! Not really, but it sure seemed that way. We bought some plastic storage boxes (red ones!) to reorganize and purge things as we went, and in the process managed to dispose of several cardboard boxes and stuff we no longer want or use. For the moment, everything has a place and is in its place on a designated shelf. We'll see how long that lasts!

Next up is the overflow linen closet downstairs. And the bedroom closets. And my dresser drawers. And the books... oh lordy, the books! The seniors home will have plenty of reading material this year!

I think I feel a headache coming on ...

That's it, I'm finished...

2010-12-21T20:10:00.005-05:00

...I've done all I'm going to do. I've taped my last piece of paper, tied my last ribbon/bow, and written my last gift tag! Now all I have to do is pack my suitcase (again!) and get my butt ready to hit the road on Thursday for the long drive south.

But before I go, I want to wish you all a most happy, safe and very...

I'm impressed...

2010-12-09T12:37:00.002-05:00

Well, now I am but at 8-ish or so this AM, I wasn't too damned amused.

My neighbor diagonally across the street is apparently in dire need of a new roof because at the above-mentioned ungodly hour this morning, I was rudely jarred out of my peaceful slumber by the continuous, obnoxious tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-wham racket that inevitably goes along with replacing a roof.

Hello? It's 20 freezin' degrees out there!! Who in their right mind decides to climb up on top of a house to work in sub-freezing weather?? Who does that? Obviously, the people working on my neighbors roof.

Now, THAT'S commitment to the job! I'm impressed...

Brrrrrrr...

2010-12-09T10:43:00.006-05:00

All right, Mother Nature... enough already! Jeez, it's only the front end of December and already it's flip-flappin' frigid out there!! Give us back a few degrees of warmth!

Even with the thermostat set at 74-ish and wearing two layers, my trusty little under-the-desk heater is getting a workout. My nose is icy and I swear, I can almost see the vapor when I breathe... and that's indoors!

I'm definitely getting too old for cold!!

One-Word Sarcomical Sunday #20

2010-12-05T17:24:00.004-05:00

Cool beans! I noticed from Dawn's blog that Sarcomical is posting these fun things again so wanted to play along too.

Rules: Answer with ONLY one word!

1. Your holiday decor: festive
2. The weather where you live this time of year: cold
3. Your favorite smell of the season: cinnamon
4. Your favorite beverage of the season: cider
5. Something you wish you could avoid during the holidays: shopping
6. What you typically bring to the potluck: veggies
7. What you wish people would stop bringing to the potluck: mystifiers
8. A word to describe how you feel about the word 'potluck': enjoyable
9. What is on your feet right now: socks
10. How many layers you are wearing right now: two
11. Where in the world you would rather be right now: Caribbean
12. Something that makes you feel invigorated this time of year: baking
13. Something that makes you feel challenged this time of year: gifting
14. A cold weather comfort food you crave: soup
15. Something you wish you were doing right now: visiting
16. Something you SHOULD be doing right now: wrapping
17. Your opinion of snow: pretty
18. Your opinion of those big furry-looking hats with earflaps: goofy
19. A tradition you'll be sure to keep this season: donating
20. A tradition you'd like to start this season: reunions

Gobble 'til you wobble!!

2010-11-22T10:07:00.001-05:00

We're off for points south to enjoy the holiday with family. Wishing you a safe and yummy Turkey, Ham, or whatever you like Day with those you love!

Did you remember??

2010-11-07T01:08:00.001-04:00

Time to set those clocks back... don't forget the battery in your smoke detectors too!

Playing with pears

2010-11-04T17:43:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm at it again in the kitchen. After my hair appointment was cancelled on Tuesday (my stylist was in the hospital!) we drove on up to Catoctin Orchard to pick up some more apple cider and see about some pears. I'd come across a few recipes that I wanted to try and I wanted to try them with fresh pears.

I don't know too much about these lovely fruits because if I did, I'd have known that pear season is pretty much over in our area. The pickins were a little slim, quantity- and variety-wise, but we did bring home enough for a crockpot full for pear sauce (like apple except with pears) and a recipe or two. We also bought a small bottle of pear cider -- yum, really good!

The pear streusel loaf I made yesterday with Bosc pears is not one I'll be bragging about -- surprisingly very dry in spite of two, count 'em, 2 sticks of butter! I might try it again with apples or juicier pears, but I dunno. It was disappointing. The pear sauce I made today with Magness pears, though -- wow! Good stuff! I think I've found a new favorite pear. Very sweet, very juicy, very good (I'm eating the three we have left!) ;-)

Think I'll wait a couple of days to see if our 4 leftover Bosc pears will ripen more. If not, I guess we'll just sauté them, call it a side dish, and try again next season.

Pumpkin pilferage...

2010-11-01T13:20:00.001-04:00

You know, sometimes some people just suck! We had a fun Halloween, oohing and aahing over the little one's costumes and handing out goodies. We had to dip into some non-Halloween candy towards the end of the allotted two hours of T or T, but all in all, things went well.

Until... well, until sometime in the dark of night. Some putrid punk of a pumpkin poacher pinched one of our pumpkins! And not one of the bigger ones, but one of the odd smaller ones!! Who does that? Who walks up on someone's porch and walks away with something just because they can? Grrrrr! I'm so angry!

God punishes the wicked... especially pumpkin plunderers! I hope it was rotten inside!

Saturday doings...

2010-10-30T19:42:00.002-04:00

We're all ready for the little munchkins to come bumping on the door tomorrow evening. Their numbers have dwindled over the years, but have stayed pretty steady at about 75 or so for the past couple. Hopefully we'll have enough.

This year they'll be getting chocolates and pretzels.

The temps are continuing to fall so before we get hit with our first frost, we got a little fall planting done.

Planted more daffodils to fill in some

sparse spots in the mailbox bed.

We have a split rail fence around our property and have always had a problem with the gates. First, because we have a two-rail fence instead of a three-rail fence, they're hard to find. Seems to me, if you're going to sell all kinds of fencing material, it would make sense to have all kinds of gates to go with said materials, but, hey, whadda I know! The last gates we got we had to order on-line.

Secondly, they wear out/decay faster than the fence posts and rails. I can't remember how many times we've replaced them. So, this time, to preclude all the aggravation we usually go through with the stupid things, Lew decided to make the gates himself.

Now for the pièce de résistance of the day:

This pile of wood...

turned into this beautiful gate!
Isn't it just lovely?

Ahh, the man is so talented!

Apple-y Recipe

2010-10-22T15:42:00.003-04:00

Get yourself some apples. Preferably sweet, cooking type apples. Or, like me, get a variety of sweet, cooking type apples...Gala, Golden Delicious, and Empire.

Get yourself one of these handy little gadgets:

or spend a little more and get one of these

cuz the cheapy one will break from overuse, right in the middle of what you're doing, and you'll have to get another one anyway! You also won't knock your knuckles or fingers as much (ask me how I know all this.)

Then, fill up a crockpot of your choice -- in the 3-1/2 - 4 qt range -- with lots (about 10 -14, depending on size) of chunked apples.

Add a couple, three tablespoons lemon juice, a bit of apple cider (about a 1/4 cup,) and a teaspoon each of cinnamon and vanilla; stir. Put the lid on, turn it to high, and let 'er rip! Three hours or so later, give it all a whiz with a handy-dandy stick/immersion blender or a regular ol' potato masher (careful, it's hotter than that place down yonder) and you'll have yourself the most delicious, sugar-free applesauce ever!

Let it cool and have with dinner, or if you're squirrely like me, repeat 4 times and put your 16 pint jars in the freezer... right beside your 14 bags of sliced apples, 4 bags of sauteed apples, 5 jars of apple jam, and two loaves of pumpkin-apple bread. Then you'll be set for winter. Oh, and don't forget to finish that apple crisp you baked. Then decide what you're going to make with the 20 or so apples you still have (note to self: next year a bushel will be more than enough!)

I do believe I'm appled out.

This, that, and the other

2010-10-15T16:53:00.001-04:00

It being apple season and all, we've been peeling, coring, and slicing a bunch. We're eating and drinking (got some fresh pressed cider too) more than an apple a day and so far, have four bags of sliced apples and six pints of applesauce in the freezer. Since we have an abundance (like the song goes -- a bushel and a peck!) this weekend will find us fixing more of the same, along with several loaves of another favorite, pumpkin-apple bread.

Dogwood Update:

Our ailing tree has received its three treatments but being that it's losing leaves naturally because of the season, it not obvious to me that there's been any improvement. The tree doc seems to think it will recover, but it's pretty much a wait-and-see thing until it starts budding and leafing in the spring. That's also when the dead wood (hopefully not the whole tree!) will be removed. *sigh*

Baby B is 4 months old already! How can that be? I hate that I'm in MD and he's in SC and I'm missing soooo much of his growing. He's in good hands though - his SC grandparents dote on and spoil him rotten -- just as it should be! ;-)

sweet, sweet baby boy!

Got my mammogram done (it was normal,) had our six month check-ups, and got stuck for our flu shots. I have one more doctor's appointment next month and then we're good to go for another six months. Yay! Well, not counting one unpleasant appointment we haven't made yet... we're both due for colonoscopies this year. Ughh!!

Okay, I lied. I just remembered... I also have to make an appointment to get my eyes checked. I'm a bit overdue and my glasses are starting to deteriorate. ♫A chipped lens here, a scratched lens there, here a lens, there a lens, everywhere a lens, lens!♫ lol Anyway, that's another one I'm not looking forward too -- I hate picking out new frames.

Oh yum! Lew came home with a half dozen beets this afternoon, so I'll be roasting and freezing them this weekend too. Loooove roasted beets! We have a devil of a time finding them with any regularity at the grocer's around here, though and the orchards we frequent carry mostly fruits, not veggies. Definitely have to find a better source cuz I know we can't be the only beet-lovers in the area! We may just have to start growing our own (wink, wink, Claudia!)

So, that's what I've been up to. If I don't answer the phone, come looking for me under the apple/beet peels!

Fun with fall...

2010-10-14T18:35:00.001-04:00

I am having entirely too much fun with fall decorating this year! Thankfully, we got it done earlier in the week before the rains decided to come live with us for awhile, so the front porch and back patio are sporting their fall finery and looking right purty, even if I do say so myself. ;-)

one of two funky gourds we
bought at the Catoctin Colorfest

along with this unique little guy
that I couldn't resist;

so, we got a skull

and another ghostie friend to go with,

and 3 of these for the other side
(aren't they just adorable?!)

see the little metal scarecrow by the bench?
got a pair of them at Colorfest too

getting into the Halloween spirit

but scarecrows, pumpkins, mums and
gourds are the stars of this show

mixing the seasons

letting this dude sit a spell this year

front door welcoming view

patio door view for me to enjoy
while downstairs on my computer

October tradition

2010-10-10T15:31:00.005-04:00

After my date with a couple of very nice X-ray tech types yesterday, we were off to the 47th Annual Catoctin Colorfest in Thurmont, MD. The day was absolutely perfect for the event with beautiful blue skies and temperatures ranging from cool in the morning to warmer and sunnier as the day wore on.

This two-day thing -- one of the largest Arts & Crafts Shows on the east coast -- is huuuuge, with hundreds of artists and vendors and so much to see. We were there about 5 hours and I know we missed a lot even though we walked all over what seemed like the whole town of Thurmont! We bought some seasonal decorative things, some Christmas gifts, and snacked on warm apple dumplings and crispy kettle-cooked chips, fresh and still warm right from the kettle, Delicious!

Local home decorated for the festive season

Entrance to one of the craft areas

Lots of people

One of many wood art stops

more wood art

I mean, lottts of people!

We saw (but didn't buy) more chainsaw art

This little giggly guy almost made it
home with me... but I refrained

It was a full day, and we were a good tired when we got home, but it was fun and we're looking forward to next year's gala.

Think Pink...

2010-10-09T17:20:00.002-04:00

Guess what I did today?? Have you? If you haven't, please do soon!

Picturesque Pumpkins

2010-10-05T10:49:00.002-04:00

At last year's Oktoberfest, we discovered a most talented and unique wood carver, Jake Albright of Hanover, PA. He carves his sculptures with a chainsaw! It's really quite amazing to watch as he (or one of his assistants) transforms a big ol' hunk of wood into a scary, funny, or goofy pumpkin or a multitude of other creations... birds, bears, birdhouses, etc. He finesses and accents his creations with some very well-placed butane torch charring, a bit of sanding, and a bit of spray paint. He also creates more delicate, traditional wood carvings.

Some of last year's pieces

bear head bird feeders and a happy pumpkin
in this year's collection

and a proud eagle

applying some finishing touches

this year's acquisition

and a buddy from last year

No, last year's pumpkin hasn't faded, they've just changed the paint they use. This year it's a very bright, almost neon orange. Clearly, we have a penchant for snaggle-toothed pumpkins - they just crack me up! These dudes will be joining the rest of our fall/Halloween decorations on the front porch and patio. With proper maintenance, we hope to enjoy these goofy works of art for many years.

You know the weather's turning...

2010-10-04T14:28:00.002-04:00

...when I pull out my socks!

Used to be I walked around barefooted all. the. time. Summertime goes without saying, but even in the winter, I have been known to scoot out to the mailbox sans footwear... in the snow! I know, I know, a little bit crazy, but we all do goofy s**t when we're young and dumb. Sometimes I just couldn't be bothered with looking for my shoes, you know? ;-)

Howsomever, the more I've 'matured,' the more I find that my poor little tootsies just can't handle the chilly temperatures anymore. I mean, the darn things turn into icicles (ask Lew, he'll tell ya!) and when my feet are cold, the rest of me is frigid.

So, the thermometer dropped below 50 last night and while it was great sleeping weather -- I love being able to open the window a few inches -- I've not only pulled out my socks, but a sweatshirt and my trusty little heater by my computer! I am freezing!

Next comes the flannel sheets...

Fall Festivities

2010-10-03T17:44:00.003-04:00

Last week it was the Great Frederick Fair, and this weekend it's Oktoberfest! So, on another beautifully blue-skied and crisp, sunshiney day, we went back to the fairgrounds yesterday to take in the first of this 2-day annual event.

We looked forward to enjoying traditional German dishes and some of the same vendors we liked last year, as well as discovering new ones. As we wandered around, I was delighted to find wood carver Jake Albright of Hanover, PA. because I was hoping to obtain a friend for the goofy guy we bought from him last year (more in an upcoming post.)

the pumpkin, not the bearheads

In the kid's activities area, we
met this amusing young lady,

along with this most energetic older gent
leading the little ones in a romping
version of the chicken dance.

Of course, there was the inevitable lost balloon,

the traditionally-clad staff,

and a delicious slice of authentic apple streudel.

After a bit of roaming, we headed for the FestHall and enjoyed sauerbraten, hot potato salad, and bratwurst. I'm not a beer drinker, German or otherwise, and Lew didn't feel like imbibing, so we had freshly pressed cider instead as we ate, drank, and listened to the Die Immergrün Musikanten band's alpine music.

We had a good time, but all in all, this year's event just didn't seem as well assembled or as varied as last year's, and we came away somewhat disappointed. There was an awful lot of jewelry vendors, which didn't grab our interest, and a major lack of outdoor food booths, so next year I'll be double-checking the vendor/food list!

After a quick home pitstop, we decided to finish off the day with First Saturday "Into The Night" activities in downtown Frederick.

Local merchants floated Halloween-colored
balloons showing participation,

as well as displaying spooky decorations.

I especially liked the dismembered foot touch
in this usually flower-filled bicycle basket!

We wandered around awhile, admired the events and creativity,

listened to several street musicians,

and ended up with a light dinner at , a Sports Bar and Family Restaurant. It was a good day.

Since we seem to be into the local fall festivities this year (I opted out, but Lew also went to the Rose Hill Manor Fall Festival today,) next weekend we'll probably take in the annual Catoctin Colorfest in Thurmont, MD - a huuuge Arts and Crafts Show.

Grandma's brag...

2010-09-30T10:11:00.002-04:00

Oh joy! My SC crew had family photos taken and they're all so fantastically good! I have such a beautiful family!! Not that I'm biased or anything like that, you know.

Anyway, my girl Tammy made sure that the mommaw got some and my goodness, I got a lot!! These are just a sampling of their wonderful photo shoot...

The whole gang
Christy, Brandon, Jim, Christopher, Michael,
Tammy, and Bryson
My boy and his
Jim, Michael, Christopher

The grands
Christy, Christopher, Michael

The parents
Jim & Tammy

The new parents and Baby B
Bryson, Brandon, Christy

Mommy and son
Baby B, Christy

The dude!!
great-grandson Bryson

And these are just the the southern crew - I have a northern and western crew too!! I am so blessed! :-)

Tee Hee...

2010-09-28T10:07:00.001-04:00

Many years ago, before we had an exterminator keeping the critters at bay, the crickets used to use our garage as their local social club and lounge. Most of the time I avoided being out there except to park my car, unload groceries, or grab a (hopefully empty!) bucket to wash the kitchen floor.

Along with my garage issues, I also had a sassy 12-13 yr old son who liked to tease and make disparaging remarks about my age (and I was still just a young mother!!) So anyway, one night, my resident wiseguy called me out to the garage with a "mom, com'ere, quick!" Now, from experience I had learned that whenever said son said anything to me with a "quick" attached to it, it was more than likely something I didn't want to know about, or see, or for sure, be quick about... especially if it involved going out into the buggy garage. However, on this night, I did mosey on out to see what all the fuss was about. I found him squatting down, peering intently at something on the concrete floor.

"Whatcha got?" sez me.

"Come see," sez he.

So I carefully leaned over his shoulder and saw this very anemic, very whitish-gray cricket thing sitting there.

"Ewww," sez I, quickly moving back, "what is it?"

"Cool, huh?" sez he, "it's a senior citizen!!"

Smart-mouthed kid! ;-D

This is a song... revisited

2010-09-26T13:49:00.005-04:00

Speaking of songs and rocking chairs, I'm republishing one of my early posts when I started this blog about 5 years ago. It's one of my favorites, for someone very special ...

This is a song... can you hear me tonight?

(first published August 28, 2005)

My first grandchild... my sweet, sweet baby girl... will be twenty on her next birthday. Twenty... how can twenty years have passed when it was only yesterday that I held her in my arms, rocking and crooning her a lullaby as she drifted off to sleep?

We have a specialness, this child and I, one that began all those years ago and is bound tightly still by a rocking chair and a song. Her song... our song.

I first heard the song long before she was born, listening to the radio as I fell asleep each night. It was an instrumental tune, with a haunting, compelling melody -- one that I often found myself humming during the day. It remained in my consciousness for awhile, and then like most songs, quietly slipped into my mental jukebox, to be recalled every so often when something pushed that button.

Several years later, shortly after this beautiful child had entered my world, I was trying to comfort and quiet her little distressed self one night. I began to sing that particular song. Not with words, but in that humming, doo-do-do-doo way that we do when we don't know what the words are. She struggled mightily to keep her tiny, fluttering eyes open, but with every note, the rhythm and rocking won out, and she floated off to dreamland.

And so it began... a nightime ritual and a melody that endured thousands of miles and many months of separation. She was only a year old when she moved away to California. We saw one another a couple, three times a year those first few years, and more often the next few when she returned to Maryland. We talked on the phone a lot. Whenever we were together, we always had our special moments at bedtime -- talking and rocking and singing. Sometimes just riding in the car, a sleepy little girl would ask "sing me my doody-do song, Mommaw."

Time, distance, and life events couldn't begin to break the bond that had been formed, and even though she moved away again, our special times continued, lasting well into her teen years. Sometimes we'd lie on the floor in front of the stereo, listening and humming along to her song with the album I'd found. Sometimes I'd tease her and start singing during the day and because of it's Pavlovian effect, more often than not I'd hear "don't sing, Mommaw, you're making me sleepy!" When she became too big to rock, I sat on the side of her bed, stroking her head, holding her little hands, and doo-do-do-ing her song to quiet any hidden monsters and ease her to sleep.

I still have the rocking chair that she asked me to keep until she grew up, ready to pass on when she has her own place.* The album too. Several years ago, I made her a CD of me singing her song so she'd have it at bedtime whenever she wanted. As she's grown older, the song is still very much a part of "us" and sometimes, when I sense that she's troubled, I just hold her and sing her song. It still has that soothing effect for her.

She's going to be twenty in January, but she'll always be my sweet baby girl and I'll always have her... and her song... in my heart, ready to doo-do-do-doo in an instant's notice.

Oh, and the song? Not a traditional lullaby at all, but the warm and peaceful "Mull of Kintyre", an old Scottish bagpipe tune that Sir Paul McCartney put lyrics to in the late 70's. It went on to become the 4th top selling single of all time in the UK.

Mull of Kintyre

Words by McCartney-Laine
Album: Wings Greatest

Chorus:

Mull of Kintyre
Oh mist rolling in from the sea,
My desire is always to be here
Oh Mull of Kintyre.

Far have I travelled and much have I seen
Dark distant mountains with valleys of green.
Past painted deserts the sunset's on fire
As he carries me home to the Mull of Kintyre.

Chorus

Sweep through the heather like deer in the glen
Carry me back to the days I knew then.
Nights when we sang like a heavenly choir
Of the life and the time of the Mull of Kintyre.

Chorus

Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain
Still take me back where my memories remain
Flickering embers grow higher and higher
As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre.

Chorus.

*duly passed on... see previous post :-)

Passing it on...

2010-09-24T14:30:00.003-04:00

About 24-1/2 years ago, my first grandchild came into my life - a precious, sweet little baby girl who captured and has kept my heart from my very first sight of her in her mama's arms.

When she was still just a teeny, tiny little thing, I took to rocking and singing to her to soothe and ease her tiny self into peaceful slumber. This continued well into childhood and when she became too big to be held and rocked, I still sang her special song to her at bedtime. Bedtime rocking and singing became our own special bonding time. To this day, if I begin to sing or hum her song, it can still make her sleepy. :-)

As she grew older, she asked if I would save "her" rocking chair so that when she grew up and had her own baby, she could rock hers to sleep too. And so I did. I kept it safely stored away for her until she wanted it.

So, about three months ago, when that same precious, sweet baby girl gave birth to her own child... an equally precious baby boy... I passed on the rocking chair. She has fixed up Baby B's room adorably and I know that my first great-grandchild will have many sweet, sweet memories of being rocked and sung to by his mommy. Maybe his first child will too!

The rocking chair then - 1986
being rocked by her Poppaw

The rocking chair now - 2010
ready for baby duty again

Fair weather...

2010-09-22T10:07:00.003-04:00

When September rolls into town, so rolls The Great Frederick Fair. After our brutally hot summer, the temperatures have fallen to a more tolerable level, so under cool skies of blue, off we went yesterday to enjoy a day at the Fair.

There was antique farm equipment...

all kinds of animals...

mama and her future '"baa, baa black sheep"

one biiig piggy mama

and her ten little piggies

baby chicks

this little one was barely two hours old

bovine advertising

a very haughty alpaca pair

another mama and her kid

rides for the other kind of kids, young and old...

the usual oddity shows...

a mere two of the innumerable displays...

pretty fall florals

see that big guy on the left?
next to that puny 205 lb one?

it's a whopping 364 pounder!!!

entertainment...

and, of course, food, food, and more food...

the requisite funnel cake

okay, my curiosity finally got the best of me and
I had to try a deep-fried Twinkie (with raspberry
sauce) that I've been hearing about for years...

oh, gag me with a spoon - disgustingly sweet!!

I opted to pass on the deep-fried Snickers, Oreos, and strawberries, but next year I'm definitely going for a deep-fried pickle! ;-)

An annual fun experience!

Getting squirrely...

2010-09-15T15:49:00.006-04:00

Well, it seems to happen every year now. The cooler weather hits, my hoarding gene kicks in, and I get an overwhelming need to refill my cupboards and freezer with vittles to hold us through the winter months. I swear, I must be part squirrel or something!

You might remember my po'd post several months back about our nasty ground beef woes; well, a friend introduced us to an Amish meat store and we've been having pretty good luck with their ground beef. It's a bit inconvenient - up the road apiece, just over the PA line - but their prices are reasonable, the meat tastes good, and it's a pretty drive. All in all, a better deal than our local grocers.

So, having a fresh supply of beef, I've spent the past few days doing kitchen duty. Made and froze a couple of favorites... taco soup and bbq meatballs... along with chicken spaghetti and lima bean casserole. I like experimenting every once and awhile, so I've also made up some homemade seasoning mixes for future use.

Now I really need to get my pantry organized... I'm running out of shelf space!

Remembering...

2010-09-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

Fruits of the season...

2010-09-10T14:30:00.003-04:00

Well, it's just about over now, but oh my goodness, have I come to really enjoy peach season! Around our parts it runs from about July thru August, and maybe a week or so into September... and that can mean a lot of peaches.

Used to be the only way I'd eat them was out of the can because I just couldn't tolerate that icky, fuzzy skin. Now, I think I might be becoming a bit of a peach snob because I can't remember the last time I ate a canned peach! I still don't eat the skin, but we enjoy fresh peaches pretty much year 'round. We get them from local growers, then peel, slice, and prepare them for freezing. It's ever so nice to be able to grab a bag of peaches for dessert in the middle of January!

I was a bit disappointed in this season's crop - they just weren't as sweet and juicy as in previous seasons - but still managed to put away a good supply in the freezer, bake a couple of yummy peach cobblers...

good stuff!

...and even try a new freezer jam recipe. Oh, yes, we have a winner! Delicious on my toasted biscuits and English muffins!

Next up... apple season!!

Yet more doings....

2010-09-09T14:16:00.001-04:00

Along with all the family fun this summer, we still had other pressing needs to attend to.

First, was my prized (to me, anyway) pink dogwood, which was definitely in dire straits. Initially we thought the dead branches we were seeing this past spring were due to the extreme winter we had. On the advice of our tree trimmer, we tried a few things but nothing seemed to help. Finally, we called on the services of a regular tree doctor type, and turns out my poor tree is pretty ill. Seems it's suffering from root rot, probably caused by too much water from our sprinkler system. That accounts for the dead and dying branches. It's also under attack from borers, which can happen when a tree is stressed, and it also has a case of powdery mildew, caused by weather conditions. My tree is a mess!

So, presently it's on a three month treatment plan for all of the above. While the tree doc gave a somewhat positive prognosis, I'm not too convinced as I continue to see more branches dying back. I'm thinking it's probably pretty iffy... but, we shall see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

dead branches don't belong on an otherwise blooming tree

borers are munching on my poor little tree

Then, there was the driveway. Over the years, it was becoming harder and harder to maintain, in spite of regular and periodic applications of sealants, etc. I guess thirty-some years is a pretty good lifetime for a driveway. There were no major breaks, but the cracks were becoming a concern, so it it was time.

The contractor determined that the base foundation was good, so we only had to have it resurfaced.

the equipment arrives

lots of workers getting 'er done!

nice job!!

I think I'm all caught up now on my away time happenings... back to my regular mundane babbling!

More summer doings...

2010-09-07T11:03:00.004-04:00

For about 20 years, when one of us hasn't driven all the way, we've picked up/returned the grandkids about halfway between our house in MD and theirs in SC. Our meeting place has been a Long John Silver's restaurant in Pulaski, VA. Surprisingly, "our" booth and table have almost always been empty, just waiting for us to get there. Kinda like going "home," you know?

So, on a Saturday in mid-July, we drove on down and 4-1/2 hours later, as we neared the restaurant, I could see that, hmmm... something didn't look quite right. No bright yellow sign, no little banners flapping in the breeze, and no cars, little or otherwise, in the parking lot. Oh, no... it was closed!!! I mean, CLOSED, as in Out. Of. Business! How could they do that to us?? This was family tradition they were messing with! I mean, really - a little advance notice would've been nice! Jeez, people!

For sale or rent and closed up tighter than a drum

Gone-zo!!

So, we quick found another place to meet up that day (thank goodness for cell phones!) but bemoaned the fact that we'd have to find a new meeting place for subsequent trips. (More on this further down.)

Jim, Chris, and Tammy at temporary meeting place -
listening intently to something brilliant I'm saying! ;)

me and Michael - not a clue what I'm
reacting to but what a face!

We always enjoy summers with the boys and this year was no exception. We didn't do anything extra special, but spent many hours at the lake picnicking, swimming, and just enjoying.

waiting for the grill to get hot for hamburgers

Chris and Michael honing their scuba skills

Chris practicing floating

Michael practicing swimming

For the return trip to take the boys back, my brother John and lovely sis-in-law Lynne came to the rescue and we met at their place in NC. (This could be the start of a new tradition!) And, we got to see Christy and then-2 month old Baby B as a bonus!

hard to believe my little girl is now a mommy...
and such a good mommy, too!

the little guy just loooves his grandpa...
warms my heart :)

sucking on mommaw's finger -
no milk there, sweetheart

playing with and smiling for his mommy

our wonderful host and hostess, Bro John and Lynne

We had a great summer and I hope you all did too!!

Summer doings...

2010-09-06T13:12:00.004-04:00

It was definitely family time for us this summer.

First there was the baby shower in SC ...

Mommy- and Daddy-to-be opening up a boatload of gifts

Then, there was Lewis' 1st birthday party in NJ ...

yummy cake and cupcakes

Lewis enjoying every crumb of his cupcake

raring to go in his very own wheels

Then it was back down to SC to meet our brand-new, beautiful great-grandson ...

Bryson Philip cuddling with his mommy

snoozing on mommaw's lap

listening intently to his grandpa's voice -
isn't he just the most precious child!!?

Then, Susan, Lawrence and the boys came down for the 4th of July weekend...

Winston looooved playing in the sprinkler, clothes and all!

Lewis liked riding different wheels outside

Winston enthralled with mommaw's kaleidoscope collection

getting a kick out of a big ol' high 5 for poppaw!!

More to come tomorrow...

I'm baaaaaack...

2010-09-03T15:37:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been an active summer since my last real post and we've been busy little bees here in our quiet corner of Maryland.

We've traveled up and down the road several times for:

a baby shower in SC,
a 1st birthday celebration for our NJ grandson,
the arrival of a brand-spanking new great-grandbaby in SC,
picking up the SC grandsons at our half-way spot in VA,
then returning them and enjoying a delightful weekend visit at my brother's home in NC.

Susan, Lawrence and the boys were here for the 4th, we've redecorated the main bathroom, had the driveway resurfaced, acquired the services of a tree doctor to try and save our dogwood, and spent many hours picnicking and swimming at nearby Greenbrier Lake while the SC grandsons were here.

Now, since it's that time of year, we've also frozen about a peck of peaches (after baking a scrumptious peach cobbler to make sure they were okay to eat) ;) and three dozen ears of sweet summer corn in the past week or so. We'll have some yummy eating come cold weather time, but I'm not wanting to peel another peach or dekernel (I know, I know - that's not a word!) another ear anytime soon!!

So, whatch'all been up to? (I'll get some pictures of our doings posted this weekend.)

Taking a little break for the summer...

2010-07-20T00:05:00.005-04:00

Okay, okay, I know I've already been on a break, but hey, it's been busy around here! ;-) There may be an occasional post, but for the most part, I'll be on a short sabbatical.

Have a wonderful summer with family and friends - see you sometime next month.

Getting there...

2010-05-11T09:04:00.003-04:00

We've spent most of the past week outdoors weeding and digging and planting and then weeding and digging and planting some more! I say "we" but I really mean "he" because Lew does all of the heavy work ... but I'm real good at providing moral support and supervision!! ;-)

Gardening Chores To Do List

Rose Bed
☑ pest spray roses
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant Gerbera daisies around
☑ spread anti-slug granules around hosta
☑ water/mulch

New Front Bed
☑ dig bed
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant hostas/impatiens around tree
☑ spread anti-slug granules
☑ water/mulch

Mailbox Garden
☑ weed/clean up;
☑ transplant black-eyed susan;
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant remaining impatiens
☑ water/mulch

Front Corner Bed
☑ weed/dig out sedum
☑ dig spot for black-eyed susan
☑ enrich soil
☑ water/mulch

Backyard Bed
☑ weed backyard bed;
☑ thin/dig out sedum;
☑ dig spot for lily;
☑ enrich soil;
☑ plant New Guinea impatiens;
☑ transplant lily from side bed;
☑ water/mulch

Around Deck
☑ prune winter-damaged weeping Japanese maple
(in progress)
☑ prune damaged azaleas
☑ feed azaleas
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant geraniums
☑ water/mulch

West Side Bed
☑ thin lilies/salvia
☑ plant tickseed (coreopsis)
☑ water/mulch

Front Fence Azalea Bed
☒ replace 1 azalea
☒ feed all
☒ mulch
☑ replace rotted wood border between beds with stone blocks
(in progress)

Front Porch Azalea Bed
☒ plant annuals (haven't decided what yet)
☒ feed azaleas
☒ mulch

Rhodendron Bed
☒ replace damaged rhodo
☒ feed all
☒ mulch

West Side Fence
☒ dig spots for 4 hibiscus plants
☒ plant
☒ water/mulch

Back Yard Azalea Bed
☒ maneuver 4 railroad ties (120 lbs ea!) to rear of bed
☒ weed (again!)
☒ feed all
☒ mulch

Lilac Beds
☒ spray lilacs
☒ weed
☒ dig up shoots to give to neighbor
☒ mulch

Miscellaneous
☒ decide on future/treatment of my prized pink dogwood - not only did it suffer severe winter damage but it may be diseased as well *sniff*
☒ the shed is in dire need of a paint job - some time soon
☒ add dividing stone border in east side bed
☒ I'm sure I'm forgetting something that needs doing!

Phew!! No wonder we've been sleeping so well! Check out Lew's Other Pics for a few photos.

Hummmmmm...

2010-05-10T15:04:00.005-04:00

Oh joy! My tiny little flyers have returned for the season and I am ready to be entertained.

I bought another feeder this year in hopes of avoiding some of the territorial battles that went on last season, but haven't decided where to hang it yet. Maybe we'll do one in the backyard and another in the front. Dunno.

These were late-in-the-day quickies through the patio door, so they're not terribly detailed, but you get the idea - at least you can see it's a hummer.

Wishing all my mommy readers ...

2010-05-09T00:01:00.001-04:00

and my very special mommy-to-be -

...how does your garden grow?

2010-05-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

Very well, thank you! Well, hopefully very well. How well remains to be seen.

For more years than I care to remember, I've wanted a bed of hosta around either our front yard maple or our back yard oak. For one reason or another, we just kept putting it off - there were other beds to dig, other things to plant, etc., etc., etc. Well, this was the year and it's finally done. Our maple has hosta underneath it!

Lew has worked very hard the past two days measuring, digging, and laying border blocks. The major chore and time-eater was digging through and around thirty-five years worth of root growth. Jeez, what a job!! He persevered, however, and I'm loving the results:

Measuring blocks and plant placement...

Extra soil, compost, and peat moss ready for the plants...

Hostas and companion impatiens all planted...

and looking pretty as can be!!

Now all we have to do is keep the slugs and rabbits from turning it all into a buffet and the neigborhood cats from making it their personal litter box!

As an aside...

2010-05-01T15:24:00.004-04:00

Did you know that almost all new refrigerators now come with an automatice ice maker? And, tough noogies if you don't want one cuz they won't take it off?

That, friends, is what they call PROGRESS!!

Grrrrr!

The ugly revisited...

2010-05-01T14:23:00.002-04:00

*sigh* Well, two weeks later the refrigerator issue has reared its ugly little head once more. Last night it started blowing warm air again so that's it - we're just not gonna keep fooling with it.

Unfortunately, we can't get a new refrigerator delivered until May 25 (!!) which means the next three weeks or so will be a real pita going up and down the stairs every time we need something cold. Aargh!!

I keep telling myself to look at the bright side, at least I have another fridge... but I'm still NOT amused!

Sometimes...

2010-04-29T18:40:00.001-04:00

... the stars just line up right.

Back in December I was doing a little after-Christmas shopping on Amazon and came across a really pretty 5-pc nativity set I liked, so I ordered it. I also ordered an additional 2 pieces to complete the set - an arch and a shepherd.

The next day I wanted to show my friend what it looked like so I pulled up my open order, clicked on the photo of the set and got the following message:

Looking for something?
We're sorry. The Web address you entered is not a functioning page on our site

Go to Amazon.com's Home Page

Hmmm, thought I, that's strange. Maybe I got the last one? (not likely, but I was reaching!) So now I'm feeling a skosh uneasy, but figured I'll just wait and see how things go.

Well, to make a long story short, I spent several weeks waiting for and then returning the partial order they sent. After much back and forth dialog with the Amazon supplier (Christmascentral.com) I ended up with no nativity set, the news that the 5-pc set is out of stock and no longer being manufactured, an apology, and a credit to my credit card. Well, poop!!

Since I already have a child's nativity, I wasn't really devastated but I was disappointed because this one was really cool - contemporary and unique. Oh well.

So, fast forward to this month. I'm putzing around on Amazon and decided to look at nativity sets again. Hello!! Staring back at me in the very first position of indoor nativities is the very same set I wanted in December!! The one that was out of stock and no longer being manufactured! Hmmmm, curiouser and curiouser, thought I. Sooooo...

Oh no, you din't!! Oh yes, I did!! I ordered it again. And don't you know that when I tried to look at the picture on my order the next day I got the same message as above? That was on April 24-25.

All righty then - this is getting old and I'm really not expecting to get this thing, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?? And I was having a slow week anyway. Well, lo and behold, on April 27 I get an email that my 5-pc nativity has shipped! Get outta here! Now I'm wondering what they're sending me cuz I'm just not believing that I'm really going to get THE set.

So now, I'm tracking the package on FedEx... it's in Buffalo, NY on the 27th; then it's in Syracuse, NY; then it's in Hagerstown, MD on the 28th... with delivery estimated on the 29!! I'm still leery, wondering what will arrive...

Ta Da!! Looky what I got today!!

Oh me of little faith!! Isn't it purty??
(and I don't care about extra pieces!)

Rite of passage...

2010-04-26T13:14:00.002-04:00

*sigh* These kids just won't stop growing up!! My little guy, my #1 grandson... the one who used to crawl into a pillowcase for a snooze or pretend drive his Hot Wheels for hours and hours or snuggle up for a bedtime song... that little guy?? He went to his junior/senior prom Saturday night.

The boy cleans up good!!

Flowers for his lady, so sweet!

Don't they look adorable?

They had a great time - didn't get home til 3 am!

*sniff*

The good, the bad, and the ugly...

2010-04-21T10:35:00.006-04:00

Well, it's been far too long since I've
updated,so here's a bit of a summary
of what's been going on in my world.

THE GOOD

Our trip to SC was fun, especially handing over all the baby stuff I've been accumulating since I found out I was gonna be a great-mommaw... and feeling my great-grandbaby kicking and moving around in Christy's tummy! What a thrill!
My son, the grandpa-to-be, is as enthralled with his new grandchild growing as he was with his own children ... it's just dear.

Always creative, Christy has gone into nesting/crafty mode and is making things for her new son... here she's putting the finishing touches on his first piggy bank that she designed (with the Univ. of SC gamecock/color theme.)

One of a set of three that she free-handed and painted, this cute little monkey guy will join a giraffe and elephant on baby Bryce's wall.

A little sibling bonding with a raucous session of Rock Band...
ha! my great-grandson will be a rock star! lol

The mommy-to-be, looking absolutely beautiful and glowing at 28 weeks.

THE BAD

Have spent the last week and some days nursing a bad back. I can only attribute it to the aging process, I guess, because I haven't fallen or twisted it or anything. It just happens. I can be going along minding my own business one day and the next day be out of commission. Then it pretty much goes away ... until the next time. Maybe a touch or arthritis or something, I dunno. It is, however, MOST annoying - not to mention painful!!

THE UGLY

This past Friday night, our less than 4-yr old refrigerator died... just up and kicked the bucket without so much as a howdahyado, kiss my butt, or see ya later!! Luckily, we have a second fridge in the basement and the freezer in the garage, but oh... I was sooo NOT amused!!

A call to Sears repair got us nothing but a service call scheduled for April 26!! God, I hate dealing with those people!! I know it was a weekend, but still! So, we found a local repair person who could come out today, Wednesday, the 21st.

In the meantime, Lew scouted out a few places - Best Buy, Lowes, Sears (grrrr! I refuse to deal with these people any more even though I love their appliances) Bray and Scarff - to see what a new fridge was going to cost us if this one couldn't be repaired. However, the gods must have been looking down on us because as luck would have it, the local repair people called Monday and were able to come out then.

Now, over the weekend Lew had tried a couple of times to see if it would work and all it did was put out hot air, so we just left it unplugged, put a box of baking soda inside and left the doors ajar so it wouldn't stink like refrigerators are wont to do when they're closed up and not running.

So, Monday the guy came, plugged it in and... you see it coming, don't ya??... of course the damn thing started working, blowing out cold air! Aarghhh!! After checking everything there was to check, he couldn't find anything wrong and allowed as how it might just be a fluke or a balky part that may or may not give up the ghost any time... or not.

So, at the moment, the ugly is on hold, the fridge is still running, and we'll just see how things go.

... and they're off!!

2010-03-31T17:37:00.003-04:00

We're off again to the southern climes for a week. Got a carful of baby stuff and goodies to deliver to my pregnant granddaughter (and a bellyful of baby to rub!)

Have a great week all!

A haha...

2010-03-26T16:27:00.002-04:00

LIFE THOUGHT BY DUCKY

When I was young we used

to go "skinny dipping"

... now I just "chunky dunk."

TOP O' THE MORNIN' TO YOU!!

2010-03-17T00:11:00.001-04:00

Kudos...

2010-03-05T13:42:00.002-05:00

The squeaky wheel gets the oil... I love when retailers do the right thing!

We were getting a little low on a few things in the freezer, so we picked up about 6 pounds of ground beef to remedy the situation.

Yesterday I made a batch of sloppy joes and a pot of taco soup, and was going to cook up the rest today. Most of what I made went into the freezer after cooling but I kept out enough sloppy joe mix for dinner last night.

Well, ugh!! Have you ever bit into a tough sloppy joe?? I mean, how bad can ground beef be to end up with a tough sloppy joe?? It was like chewing on a mouthful of chopped rubber bands... truly nasty!!

Oh wonderful, thought I. Now I have several meals worth of food that I know is going to be icky. Lovely. Plus, I still had almost 4 more pounds of the slop!

Well, we decided that we've put up with sub-standard quality long enough - good, un-gristly ground beef is becoming a real rarity in these parts - so Lew took it back to the store this morning and voiced our unhappiness with the deteriorating quality of the meat.

We got an apology, an explanation (they grind the meat in-house but have no control over what they receive from their supplier) and a refund for not only what we returned, but for the entire amount! Now, that's how you keep a customer happy... and returning to your store!!

Amazon.com

2010-02-21T11:03:00.001-05:00

... the place continues to impress me to pieces.

I had told #1 granddaughter that we'd get the crib for her new lil bits. The one she wanted came on sale and I was all set to go ahead and get it when I discovered that whoa, wait a minute... they (Target) wanted $100+ just to ship it!!! So, sez me to meself, "oh no, no, no... let me check out Amazon and see if they carry it there." Ta da!! They did!

Soooo, after a bit of research with Consumer Reports and other sources (I'm so out of touch with these things!!) I went ahead and ordered it, along with a well-ranked crib mattress. This was on Wednesday afternoon, the 17th.

On Thursday, the 18th, I was notified the mattress had shipped, and yesterday, the 20th, said mattress was in my granddaughter's possession in South Carolina!! The crib is scheduled to ship tomorrow, the 22nd, so she'll have that sometime within the week too.

I paid the normal price, but it was all FREE shipping!! And, even if I had had to pay shipping, it would have only been $59 and change for both pieces. Can you stand it? I love that place!!

WOO HOO!!

2010-02-17T11:45:00.001-05:00

My baby girl is having a baby boy... I'm gonna have a great-grandson!!

Random babbling...

2010-02-15T17:05:00.001-05:00

Oh joy, oh joy... we have snow... AGAIN!

Please God... let April come tomorrow.

Thank You.

Amen.

*sigh*

On Wednesday this week, Christy will learn the gender of my great-grandbaby. I can't wait! It will make shopping for lil bits a whole lot easier. :)

With the exception of the tragic luger incident, I'm enjoying the Olympics. Coverage seems a little less frantic with NBC this time, though they could use some work on the sound system. The announcers/color people get drowned out by the crowd/activity noise at some of the outdoor events.

That's it, that's what's going on in my little world... snow, babies, and sports. Exciting stuff!

I stand corrected...

2010-02-07T14:49:00.005-05:00

I lied - according to our thermostat, it was 4(!) flippin' cold degrees here!!

I'm still here...

2010-02-06T15:07:00.016-05:00

Well. It has been an experience. I don't believe I've ever seen quite this much snow at one time here. Truly an awesome sight.

The National Weather Service recorded us at 27" on Saturday afternoon, which brings us upwards of 50 inches for this winter. That's one heck of a lot of snow! This now ranks as #4 in the Top Ten storms of all time for this area and depending on what happens Tuesday, may be this area's second snowiest winter ever. Woof! History-making weather.

We fared better than I feared - I fully expected to lose power. Even though our utility lines are underground and in no danger of falling under the weight of snow, they're well over thirty years old and in dire need of repair/replacement; we lose power far more often than we should, especially in bad weather. We experienced a momentary hiccup at about 1:00 am Saturday morning, but that was it.

We have suffered some plant damage and loss. At least one, probably two, rhododendron snapped right off at the base, and my pretty little weeping Japanese maple appears to have lost several major branches. *sniff* The lilacs may have some breakage, but they'll recover. Surprisingly, my two ornamental cherry trees that had me worried appear intact. I'm grateful the damage wasn't more extensive but most of my azaleas are still buried, so we'll know more as this stuff melts.

Now, it's just a matter of digging out ... so we can start over again on Tuesday! And then, there's that little matter of plummeting temperatures... it was 6 flippin' cold degrees here last night!!

And still it falls...

2010-02-06T14:34:00.001-05:00

Oh.my.god!! We have a looottt of snow... tons and tons of wet, heavy snow. So far.

It's still coming down as I type and isn't expected to end until sometime this evening. A picture is worth, etc., etc...

We have about two feet now. It's like a scene from Dr. Zhivago...

Still more of the white stuff...

2010-02-04T22:47:00.000-05:00

Oh lordy, I am so not looking forward to this one. We're in for a massive winter storm that promises to out-perform what we had on December 19-20. Apparently it's going to be another one for the books. Oh joy!

They're talking a real nor'easter blizzard here, with one to two inches of snow/hour and 18-24" when it finally stops sometime Saturday evening. Along with crippling ice.

It's been the #1 news story in these parts for days now, and the entire area is closing down in anticipation of this thing. The whole region has gone into ~~storm preparedness~~ panic mode. The schools are closed, businesses are closed, airports are closing, snow equipment is already on the road with salt and liquid deicer and it's not even expected until early tomorrow afternoon! Grocery store shelves are empty and people are fighting over snow shovels, for crying out loud! (Folks get a little crazy around here when it snows... it's traditional.)

If it does what they think it's going to do, it will be a storm of a historic nature, making it one of the Top Ten of all time for this area. Which will, in turn, make it two Top Tens in one winter since December's storm was a book-maker too.

And then... and then... if all goes according to plan... the snow gods will give us some more on Tuesday!!

Send the St. Bernards if you don't hear from me by spring...

One of those days...

2010-01-30T16:35:00.001-05:00

... meant to be spent curled up in front of a warm, cozy fire, slurping a hot cuppa coffee, and catching up on old episodes of Survivor while the snow continues to cover the surrounding fields, hills and valleys.

This is what 1-2 inches would look like in my corner of MD... if I believed the weather man. It's actually about 4 inches and still coming down.

Lots better than December's storm, and yes, it's pretty and fluffy and all that stuff. But I still want spring. Now. Today.

Winter is not my favorite season... ya think?

I'm keeping him...

2010-01-26T14:40:00.004-05:00

So, that shingle Lew found in the street after Monday morning's o'dark thirty storm did come from our roof. I'm surprised (but thankful) that it was only one. Luckily, we have extra shingles in the shed (that didn't blow away) from when we replaced the roof several years ago, so it was a relatively quick repair job.

Howsomever, the man is pushing 70, and I'm not too crazy about him climbing up and about on the roof! Must be something in his genes though; his dad was still climbing up on his roof, cleaning out gutters, when he was 75! *sigh*

At any rate, I so appreciate his expertise and handiness at times like this. He take such good care of our home... and me. :)

The gods were angry...

2010-01-25T13:54:00.000-05:00

Oh.my.word!! I don't know who tinkled in Mother Nature's Cheerios, but what a storm she threw at us last night!!

There was lightning. There was roaring wind. There was bazillion gallons of rain. I fully expected to wake up this morning and find us and our house floating down the road!

It was truly awful. Kept me awake off and on all night. I had visions of our shed ending up in pieces in the farmer's field. I expected to find half our roof gone. I just knew the family room floor would be wet by the patio door, but I was afraid to go down and look! How dumb was that?? Even the cats were restless. But Lew? Oh, not a problem... he slept right through it all!!

This morning there was a variety of dead branches in peoples yards and Lew found a shingle (presumably from our roof) in the road, but other than a full creek/river and some flood warnings, that looks like the extent of the damage. Our bird feeder didn't even fly away! Amazing!

Another year, another test...

2010-01-22T13:35:00.001-05:00

Phew, glad that's over! Had to go for a routine breathing test yesterday and had not been looking forward to it at all.

I so dislike this thing! Not that it hurts or anything, it's just majorly uncomfortable. All that huffing and puffing and blowing out air makes me feel like I'm going to pass out, not a good feeling in itself. Not to mention that pinching contraption on my nose. Just unpleasant.

Anyway, it's done til the next time, I'm still breathing, and none the worse for wear except for a slight headache after the fact (which I remedied with a sugary cinnamon crueller when I got home!)

Ah, the perils of shopping at a different grocery store! ;)

Staredown

2010-01-19T18:31:00.003-05:00

My excitement for the day came about when the two beasties below spied each other through the patio door. Initially, there was the required amount of hissing, spitting, and display of alpha cat bravado as they went after one another behind (or in front of) the safety of the protective glass door.

I calmed things down so the outside beast wouldn't tear my screen apart, but neither one gave an inch as they gave each other the evil eye afterwards. Haven't quite figured out whether my Zoey girl wanted out or the outside cat wanted in, but they kept at it until the outside cat got bored and wandered off, probably to chase the squirrels.

Kids!!

Joining the 21st centrury...

2010-01-18T12:48:00.007-05:00

Oh lordy, I am in such trouble! As if I didn't have enough problems keeping up with mine and other blogs, I've gone and done something else equally as time-consuming and addicting. Under much pressure (aka NAGGING!) from family and friends, I caved and crossed over to the dark side... I joined Facebook!

I can already see that my days, nights and life will no longer be mine. In less than 15 hrs or so, I've already been contacted or initiated contact with umpteen people! Family, real-life friends, blogger friends, international friends - they're everyewhere!! Well, actually they're not... they're all on Facebook!!

Now if I can just figure out what I'm doing! Stay tuned... this is going to get interesting.

Simple pleasures

2010-01-13T13:31:00.002-05:00

Mmmmm, mmmm, mmm! Earlier last year, I broke down and joined the reed diffuser lovers crowd. I bought a scent at Target, Lavender Lemongrass, and have been loving me one of the the yummiest aromas I've ever sniffed. What a treat!

As this totally intoxicating aroma wafts about my desk, it's almost enough to make one swoon! Not overwhelming or cloying like some of these things can be, but more of a delicate, clean, fresh scent. Delicious stuff!

The only problem is you can't get refills. Erg! For some strange reason the company (Method Home) makes all kinds of refills for their other products, but not a one for the aroma sticks. Very puzzling... not to mention frustrating.

Hopefully they'll rectify the situation soon cuz my last bit of supply is about to run out and while it may be the manufactuers strategy, I won't be buying a new diffuser every time the scent fades, no matter how much I like it. I'll just enjoy it while I can, then write a letter of complaint or reluctantly try something else.

*sigh*

What the heck is going on?

2010-01-10T10:30:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm really starting to get a complex now. I'm convinced the powers that be in the skin care industry are out to get me! I don't use a whole lot of creams and lotions and stuff, I'm just not disciplined enough to slather up every day and night, but I do use something when or if I remember and when I get out of the shower.

So anyway, my body lotion of choice for the last couple-three years has been Aveeno, specifically this one:

Aveeno Positively Smooth moisturizing lotion. Great stuff, non-greasy, gently fragranced, and keeps my bone-dry skin relatively moisturized for awhile. I really like it and keep a bottle on my desk for my hands and one in my bathroom for the rest of me.

Used to be I could just pick it up at the drug or grocery store. Not anymore! The damn stuff seems to have gone underground and is becoming impossible to find. Their regular daily moisturizing lotion is all over the place, as well as the positively smooth shaving cream (uh, no thanks) but not the stuff above.

So, I checked out Amazon and yea! they had it! I quick put a 3-pack in my cart Friday night and don't you know before I could buy the stuff yesterday, the seller no longer had it!! Grrrrrr. Okay, so I found another seller who said they had it in stock so I quick grabbed three and ordered them. We shall see what happens.

But wait, there's more.

I'm also picky about the lip balm I use. Years ago Vaseline had a stick-type product that was wonderful. Creamier, smoother, and not as dry as Chapstick was at the time. Anyway, guess what? Yes, of course... they discontinued it. Okay, so then I used Chapstick for awhile but I never really liked it. Then I discovered Neosporin LT about three years ago:

Lovely stuff. Comes in a tube, like regular Neosporin, but it's specifically for the lips and works great for healing chapped, dry lips, especially in the winter.

Think I can find it in my neck of the woods anymore? Oh, nooooo. It too seems to have disappeared (though still listed as a current product on their site) and all that seems to be available is their Lip Health hydration SPF product, which is fine if you're gonna be frying in the sun. i want my Lip Treatment for chapped lips!

So, while I'm doing the lotion thing at Amazon, I also found the lip treatment and put a 3-pack of it in my cart. Would you believe the same thing happened?? Another notice from Amazon that that listed seller doesn't have it anymore!! Okay, so now I'm getting crazy! Why does this keep happening? Fortunately, I found another seller and quick ordered the stuff when I ordered the lotion. I really don't expect to get either one, but maybe I'll get lucky, we'll see.

Talk about your conspiracy theories. How come everything I like abruptly disappears? Why can't the manufacturers just leave a perfectly good product alone? They're out to get me, I'm telling ya...

Holy ice cube, Batman!!

2010-01-07T15:27:00.001-05:00

Brrrrrrrrr. Jeez, it's cold! The heat is on and we light a fire in the evenings. I have my handy-dandy little oscillating heater spreading its warmth beside me while I'm at my desk. So how come I'm still freezing my tush off? Along with a good bit of the rest of the country, winter has arrived here with a vengeance and with more snow expected tonight, things aren't looking very promising
anytime soon.

Why I'm sitting here in frigid MD, moaning about the cold instead of lying on a sunny beach somewhere in the Caribbean, I do not know. Piss-poor planning on my part, I guess. I should have me my own A-frame cabin on my own private beach sipping my own pina coladas and soaking up my very own rays! Where's my millionaire??

I know... I should be grateful I've even got heat, and I am, really I am. But all that gratefulness doesn't alter the fact that I'm still bloody cold. *sigh* The only good thing about winter is Christmas!

Where's my nosewarmer??

My baby girl...

2010-01-06T16:28:00.000-05:00

... is going to have a baby!! My first-born grandchild is going to be a mommy! Lord, how did she grow up soooo fast??? I know I was just singing her a lullaby and rocking her to sleep not too terribly long ago and now -- she's making me a great-grandma!!

when my baby girl was a brand new baby girl...

Baby will be making an appearance on or about the 2nd of July and needless to say, I've been having a grand time poring through and drooling over all the baby stuff out there.

She's chosen neutral colors... greens, yellows, browns, tans... in an animal theme so almost anything goes. This seems to be the year for greens and browns so the choices are endless! 'Course I'll be sneaking in a few blues or pinks, depending on what we discover later on, but in the meantime I've got my eye on an array of monkeys, giraffes, froggies, elephants, kitty, and puppy dog goodies (with a few things already tucked away, jes' waiting.) ;)

We are excited!

Slowly, but surely...

2010-01-04T17:06:00.002-05:00

... the Christmas decorations are coming down and making their way back into their respective storage boxes for another year.

In spite of the lists Lew made last year that itemize what each box held, the living room and downstairs are still an array of filled and partially-filled containers, along with numerous "where the hell does this go?" items. The lists have definitely made it easier, but still, 'tis a mess.

Back in the day, when all I could afford was an additional ornament for the tree each year, it was all a lot more mangageable. In succeeding years, however, I became one of those kind who had to add to our Christmas collection of decorations each year. (I'm especially fond of on-line after holiday sales.) This meant more containers to hold stuff in, which meant finding more room in the back basement to store said containers and... well, you get the idea. Things were getting out of hand... and, we were running out of room!

So, while we were at it this year, we decided we really needed to purge some of this stuff; outdated, unused or unusable, "where did this come from?" stuff. So far, we've managed to empty one whole container to donate, dispose of, or recycle. Things are getting rearranged as we go, which will, or course, necessitate new lists. It's a slow process, but we're getting there.

On the plus side, I've only added one after-Christmas sale item this year!

Now to find a place to tuck it away.

Oh, so cool...

2010-01-04T13:28:00.004-05:00

Have you checked out the Google home page today?? It's Sir Isaac Newton's birthday... soooo clever! They really have the most talented artists on their staff!

It's the little things...

A little kitty humor...

2010-01-02T14:36:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite sites to visit on the web is LOL Cats, aka icanhascheezburger.com. It's always good for an out and out chuckle, or at the very least, a lot of smiles. In addition to the classic "i can has cheezburger?" photo...

that started the whole thing, there are thousands of really funny (and not so funny) photos of cats and captions.

These are two of my all time favorites, ones that crack me up every time:

wait for it...

... you smiled, didn't ya?? ;)

2010-01-01T00:02:00.000-05:00

Wishing all (2) of my readers a most happy, healthy, and reeeally good New Year!!

Wonderland, my a$$ !!

2009-12-28T16:12:00.004-05:00

While the southern grandsons were beyond excited at the prospect of the coming snow, I was of a different mindset and hoped it would hold off long enough for everyone to arrive. Oh well, so much for my plans!!

It started out innocently enough...

but by the time it was over...

we had a lotttt of snow. Bah, humbug!

My brother and sis-n-law started out early Saturday morning but had to turn back by the time they reached the NC/VA border. He's a retired truck driver so I figured if he couldn't make it, we wouldn't be seeing #1 granddaughter on this visit. Ha!! I temporarily lost my senses and forgot how headstrong and determined my baby girl can be!

Fifteen hours (!!) and 22 inches later, her car was safely parked in our driveway and she was snuggled in a warm, cozy bed, catching up on some much needed sleep.

The boys had fun pelting each other with snowballs...

we stayed warm (in front of a balky fire) watching Christmas movies together (Christmas Carol and Polar Express)...

and Zoey claimed her spot on the bed, away from all the hubbub.

In spite of all the snow...

we had a wonderful early Christmas, and everyone got back home safe and sound.

Only then did I really appreciate the winter wonderland beauty of our snowy weekend.

Warmest wishes for a very...

2009-12-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ready and waiting...

2009-12-17T19:31:00.002-05:00

The outside is done:

The tree is done...

complete with train...

and my mom's ornament in its place of honor at the tippy-top.

The rest of the upstairs is done:

And the downstairs is done:

with new, whimsical addition, a Charlie Brown tree! :)

The cookies are baked, the fudge and pretzel turtles are made, and the cleaning ladies left us with a spic and span house. All that's gonna be done, with the small exception of a rum cake tomorrow, is done!

The only thing left is to wait for all the bodies to get here before an expected winter storm does. Erg! Part of the southern gang will arrive at o'dark thirty tonight and the rest will show up on Saturday, all safe and sound and hopefully, sans snow!

Lots of cookies...

2009-12-13T21:26:00.008-05:00

Back in the day, when there was a little kid needing to fix Santa Claus his midnight snack, shaped and decorated sugar cookies were an annual tradition around our house at Christmas time. I'd gather up all the paraphernalia we needed -- cookie cutters, candy sprinkles, colored sugars, Karo syrup, cheap little paint brushes, etc. -- and we'd make a night of it.

Nowadays, my little kid is far from little and is off making his own, so sugar cookies don't get baked here anymore. Neither Lew nor I need the extra calories and quite frankly, I just can't be bothered. I was never too good at it anyway and only made them because my little guy liked them. I've never really mastered the art of rolling out cookie dough and usually overwork it, which ultimately ends up with cookies tasting like, in my humble opinion, sugared sawdust.

However, since that same kid and his family will be here to celebrate Christmas this year, I've been a cookie-baking fool the past couple of days... none of which needed rolling out!

Chocolate chip and snickerdoodles...

butter cookies rolled in colored sugar,
my one concession to decorated sugar cookies!

'Course I had to sample them to make sure they'd be fit for human consumption and I declare them all right tasty, even if I do say so myself! ;)

Coming up for air...

2009-12-08T14:44:00.002-05:00

Alrighty then. Moving right along, we've been busy, busy, busy since Thanksgiving and our wonderful visit with Susan, Lawrence and the boys. I am so loving this grandkid thing!! ;) (check out Lew's blog for cutie pics.)

Next up is Jim, Tammy and the boys, as well as Christy and her fella! I can't remember how many years it's been since we celebrated Christmas with them all at our house, but they're coming up the week before Christmas so I am ultra excited!!

We usually decorate for the holiday, but this year we've been putting a little bit of extra touch on it, pulling out old but fond memorable decorations that we don't always use when it's just the two of us. The tree is up and beautifully done, the outside is almost complete, and there's just a few more finishing touches to do inside. Fun stuff!

So far I'm just a skosh behind my planned schedule, but somehow we've managed to get all of the out-of-state presents for the rest of the kids bought, wrapped and shipped off... early for a change!! We also enjoy our annual toy shopping for the Toys for Tots program so that's done and the goodies dropped off at the local collection site.

This year I learned of another community project that is sure to become an annual favorite as well. Be a Santa to a Senior spreads holiday cheer to lonely, forgotten, or financially challenged seniors. Luckily, our local Wal-Marts participate in this program so we had fun picking a couple of ornament tags - a guy for Lew and a gal for me - and shopping for the requested items.

They don't ask for much, tshirts, peanut butter cups, towels, Mickey D gift cards, and the like. One item my lady wanted was a little challenging - some Avon perfume - but we got it. I Googled, found a local rep right here in my development, and she was able to get it to us yesterday. More fun stuff!

We are so fortunate to be able to do something for others and it just feels so good ... warms the cockles of my heart. :) The Christmas spirit is alive and well in our corner of Maryland!!

Gobble, gobble...

2009-11-23T09:54:00.001-05:00

In spite of all my best intentions, it doesn't look like I'll be blogging before the big day. Susan, Lawrence, Winston and new baby Lewis are coming down, so this week is filled with preparations of the food and visiting variety.

My very best wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving enjoying your loved ones, good food, and good friends!

A bench for all seasons...

2009-11-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

Adding to my growing collection of bench photos, I snapped this one when we were out and about the other day. What caught my attention was the row of cute jack-o-lanterns sitting there as we drove past; Lew quick turned around so I could get a picture.

I didn't notice the bonus kitty in the window until I was focusing to take the shot. What an appropriate Halloween decoration the furry little beastie makes... too bad it's not black! I wonder if it sat there and watched the trick-or-treaters??

Out to lunch...

2009-11-07T11:07:00.001-05:00

After an early afternoon doctor's appointment yesterday, we decided to try someplace new for a bite of lunch so we moseyed on over to Fredericktown's Creekside to see what we could find.

We discovered a neat Italian coffee cafe, La Dolce Vita, that offered not only coffee, latte, and cappuccino...

but an assortment of paninis, croissant sandwiches, and soups, along with an enticing array of cakes and pastries.

I was freezing my butt off, so we decided to forego the charm of eating outdoors and instead opted for the warmth and ambiance ... well, warmth anyway... of the indoors.

I decided on a cheddar turkey melt croissant, which was quite good, and a good-sized cup of homemade tomato basil bisque, which was also very good. Hearty, slightly smoky and a bit spicy. Since it's been eons since I've had a decent cup of it, I couldn't resist the lure of an autumn-themed cinnamon caramel cappuccino and oh, my goodness -- was it yummy! Not too sweet, no bitterness at all, just nice and creamy and frothy. (As you'll note, all of this deliciousness was served on the very finest of Italian china!) ;)

Okay, okay, so the place wasn't overflowing with rustic Tuscan atmosphere, but the food was good and we had a fun afternoon of it. We've added it to our list of return-tos.

Something new every day...

2009-11-05T15:05:00.002-05:00

Wow, wonder of all wonders! I couldn't believe my eyes. I just saw a street sweeper truck come up the road, sweeping!

In all the years I've lived here, I've never, no never, seen a street sweeper. Hell, I've never seen one in town, let alone out here in the burbs. Amazing!

And, he didn't go by just once, he went by twice! Woof!!

... doesn't take much to make my day, does it?? ;)

A penny saved...

2009-11-02T21:44:00.001-05:00

... turns into dollars! Yeah buddy, I am loving saving me some money!

So, I've been doing a bit of holiday gift shopping online and have scored me some great deals with searching, sales, and promotion codes. Can't say what the items are... the internet has eyes, ya know? ... but I got a $75 item for $61 and change at Amazon, plus free shipping.

At another place (which must remain unnamed) I got a $175(!) item for $67 and change (good thing too, else it would have stayed in the store!) plus free shipping!!

At a well-known ladies shop, I got $30 knocked off my total, plus free shipping - got to stack two promo codes! Can you stand it?!

Shoof, not only am I having fun, but I'm about half-way done! Wheee! :D

Colors of the season...

2009-10-22T11:00:00.001-04:00

Used to be I didn't get all that excited about fall, let alone fall decorating. Oh, I'd put out a jack-o-lantern or a witch or some other ghostly things to tickle the little Halloween munchkins, but for the most part, I saved my decorating energies for Christmas.

Well, in the past couple of years, and especially since I have a mantle to play with again, I've been having fun adding a few decorative touches here, there, and everywhere! Well, not the bedrooms and bathrooms, that'd be a bit much, but the rest of the house is looking very autumn-ish and colorful.

family room mantle showing off its autumn colors...

bundle of leafiness

charming and demure witchy

whimsical look-alike of the real critters in the yard

to cast a warm glow

Frills for fall...

2009-10-18T16:31:00.001-04:00

Not much going on in my neck of the woods, just our normal everyday doings. Since the temperatures have turned beyond nippy (dipping down into the low 40's) for this time of year, the heating system has been checked and turned on, the chimney sweep has declared the fireplace clean and good to go, and the beds are dressed in their annual flannel finery. I have my trusty little heater oscillating beside me at the computer, so even though the frost isn't quite on the pumpkin yet, we are ready for whatever chill Mother Nature decides to throw our way.

Speaking of pumpkins, we've also prettified the front porch and patio by adding some color and whimsy with seasonal flowers, gourds and other stuff.

Another pot of yellow mums sits atop an
out of view table on the right...

Remembering our pumpkin poacher episode from last season, we
put our doofy dude on the patio for our own, safer viewing pleasure.

A few finishing touches indoors and we'll be all set for fall, decorating-wise. I don't even want to think about that holiday in December ... yet!

Turning in the wind...

2009-10-06T17:10:00.002-04:00

One of the pretties we picked up at Oktoberfest was this different wind spinner. It's ever so pretty as is, but glows and glitters like a jewel when the sun hits it at certain angles. Mesmerizing...

The tail with the amber ball creates an optical illusion when the whole thing continuously spins; the ball looks like it's moving up and down the spiral - very cool!!

It's that time again...

2009-10-05T11:26:00.001-04:00

Flu shot season is here and we got ours last week.

Most people winterize their cars and homes; we winterize our lungs! heh, heh. Our doctor is pretty adamant about us getting added protection every year, so flu shots are just another one of those annual things we do.

We had to go twice since they ran out of doses on our regular visit, but we finally got stuck the next day. Now I guess we just wait and see what happens with the availability of swine flu shots in MD or if we even need them.

If you're a believer, did y'all get yours?

Oktoberfest

2009-10-04T17:02:00.001-04:00

Fredericktowne held it's annual Oktoberfest at the fairgrounds this weekend, so we decided to mosey on over and check it out yesterday. The weather was perfect, crisp and clear with sunny, blue skies so we looked forward to a good day.

There were various vendors selling their wares, including one place with cute alpacas and alpaca products. We sampled the German beer, some traditional foods, and enjoyed some oom-pah music. We chatted with a bunch of friendly folks, contributed to the benefiting charities by spending more than we should on cute or pretty, and we had fun!

This year's logo

one of the fleecy alpacas

cute scarecrow decor

deep fried and slathered with sour cream... to die for!!

costumed fraus

buttery, flaky apple streudel - delicious!

Items carved with a chainsaw, then decorated.
See that doofy dude on the far right?
He now resides on my front porch for the fall season! ;)

Speaking of annoying...

2009-09-30T16:53:00.001-04:00

Lew made arrangements with our lawn service last week to aerate and overseed the lawn. They were supposed to show up today at 2:00 pm. So Monday evening the dude calls and says he'll be here Tuesday at 2:00. No, sez my guy, I already told your people that Tuesday wouldn't work (we had a doctor appointment.) Oh, okay sez the dude, I'll be there Wednesday. Well duh! That's when you were supposed to be here anyway, you clod!

You see it coming, right?

Wait for it...

Do I have to tell you that this putz showed up at 7:40ish this AM with his malfunctioning aerating machine?? Lew, who is the early bird of our house, wasn't even up yet!

The miserable machine, with its most annoying grinding noise, would run for less than a minute, then cut off. Then said putz would spend another 20 seconds or so trying to start it up again. Then it would run for less than a minute and stop again. This went on and on... and on ... for about half an hour or so before I finally gave up and rolled my frazzled body out of bed.

Now those of you who know me, know that I do not react well to being rudely jarred awake. I react even less kindly when I'm rudely jarred awake at the bleepin' crack of dawn!! Grrrr!

Our lawn service has shot its way up to the top of my s**t list.

How annoying...

2009-09-30T09:48:00.003-04:00

I got a call from my credit card company last evening, notifying me that my card had been flagged as possibly compromised and they would be canceling that number immediately. Erggg!

It's the only card I use online so at least I don't have to worry about other cards, and it's nice to know they're on their toes monitoring card activity to catch potential misuse, but jeez, what a bother! You know how long it took me to memorize that damn number and how many places I have to notify??

So now I have to wait 3-5 days to get the new one, but in the meantime, before I even had a chance to notify them, I've already recieved an email from Blockbuster requesting a payment information update!! And so it begins. *sigh*

Chicken feed...

2009-09-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

Whenever chickens are on sale, we pick up a couple-three, rub 'em good with the called for spices, and pop 'em in the freezer. When we want sticky chicken,* we thaw one in the fridge overnight then let it cook in the crockpot for a bunch of hours. Deeeelicious chicken!

Last night we had sticky chicken for dinner. Today I picked the remaining bones and carcass clean and ended up with 7 cups of chicken meat for use in casseroles, etc. later on (like the chicken enchiladas we'll be having tonight.) Then I took the leftovers... bones, skin, etc., along with some frozen necks, bones and leavings from previous chickens ... and threw it all in the soup pot with some water and the spicy broth from last night's chicken. Added some celery, carrots, and onion and I now have a big ol' pot of chicken stock simmering away for later use in soups and more.

So, having wrung this chicken dry of any possible further use, I do believe it has fed us well, don't you? ;)
*And now, because someone wil probably ask, here's the recipe for sticky chicken in the crockpot.

Sticky Chicken

4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 roasting chicken
1 onion, quartered

Directions:

Start this the night before serving.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices.
Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well
and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture
into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure
it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin.
Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate
overnight.

When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onion,
and place in crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. The
chicken will fall right off the bone when it's done.

I wonder...

2009-09-27T21:42:00.000-04:00

... if cats get lonely? Recently, my female beastie has taken to sitting upstairs and yowling the most mournful yowl. Like she's the only living thing left in the whole, wide world! It's as pitiful as can be, but it's also annoying as hell. It echos through the entire house and I can't hear myself think once she gets going.

She's been fixed, so she's not in heat. She's not hungry because there's always something in their dishes. She's not sick or hurting because when she eventually shuts up and deigns to respond to my call, she's just a rubbing purr machine.

She doesn't seem to have a problem coming dowstairs; as a matter of fact, my chair is one of her favorite snoozing spots. She's a mixed-breed Siamese and could be exercising her innate vocalizing, but since it's a recent habit, I don't think so.

'Tis a puzzlement... maybe she just likes the sound of her own yowl.

This is getting to be a habit...

2009-09-21T13:43:00.001-04:00

... and I am NOT amused! Seems like every time I turn around, I do something bad to my back and it's getting reeeal old! Since I'm right there with the getting old thing, I suppose that just might explain the increased frequency of these episodes! ;)

Anyway, me, my ice pack, and my trusty bottle of Ibuprofen have been camping out in my TV chair a good bit these past few days.

A pretty good line-up of seen-and-seen again movies - Mrs. Doubtfire, Ransom, Shawshank Redemption, to name a few - on the Encore channels have kept me from being totally bored to tears, and my Blockbuster selection - Domestic Disturbance w/John Travolta - will keep me occupied for a couple hours today. *sigh* It's a good thing I like watching movies!

Ears and ears...

2009-09-16T17:35:00.001-04:00

Last week a friend gave us some corn that she got from a farmer near where she lives. We had some for dinner that night and the next, and oh. my. goodness!!! It was truly the best corn I've ever had!! Sooo tender and sooo sweet... I was almost gnawing on the cob!

Wanting more of this deliciousness to add to our freezer stock, we were going to drive up her way to pick up a couple of dozen more ears, but she surprised us by showing up yesterday with 5 dozen ... count 'em, f-i-v-e dozen!!... ears!! Needless to say, we've got corn coming out of ours, so we've been busy in the kitchen.

Started with sweet, succulent ears

Slices of yum

Scraping the creamy goodness

The fruits of our labor

Compost bound

This batch gave us 13 bags, 2 servings each. Today we did another 9 bags, with another dozen and a half ears yet to go. I think we'll have plenty of fresh creamy corn this winter!

In Memory of...

2009-09-14T20:15:00.007-04:00

Patrick Wayne Swayze
August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009

One of my very favorites - I am so sad... so, so sad.

Rest in peace, Patrick, rest in peace.

Remembering...

2009-09-11T11:48:00.001-04:00

A little of this, a little of that...

2009-09-09T18:49:00.002-04:00

Pheww! It took longer than anticipated, but finally the freezer inventory is done. We have an upright freezer in the garage, a freezer compartment in the kitchen fridge, and a freezer compartment in the basement fridge, all of which were jam-packed but not in a good way. In spite of having an inventory list, it had gotten to the point where we were no longer quite sure what was where or even what we had.

Having a list doesn't help one bit if the right hand (me) doesn't know what the left hand (Lew) is doing and consistently keep it updated, ya know?

Anywhoo, things are better oganized and more readily grabbable now.

Good thing too, because with the coming of fall, my instinct to keep the freezer stocked for the winter months has kicked in.

Keeping all those yummy peaches company are cinnamon apples, tomatoes, and taco soup. Still to come this week are a couple of casseroles I need to restock and a new corn chowder recipe I want to try. Maybe some quick breads too... pumpkin and banana.

All in between watching tennis, of course. I'm pleasantly surprised that the ESPN coverage has been pretty comprehensive, but can't say much for CBS' weekend coverage. It's the night matches that get really exciting, people!!

The American men have proved a disappointment in this final grand slam of the year, but I've been enjoying some great tennis matches and the off-court shenanigans of the commentators.

So, that's some of what I've been up to. Not terribly exciting, but hey, it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble! ;)

PSA - dust to dust... and then some

2009-08-30T16:26:00.003-04:00

So, I sit myself down to my computer earlier today to check the mail and see what's happening in the rest of the world. In the process, I break a fingernail, the tip of which went flying right into my keyboard! Crap! So now I see it sitting in there but can't quite get ahold of it. Aha, sez I, I'll try a toothpick - my handy dandy little go-to tool for tiny spaces and crevices. So, I start digging in between the keys to try and lift the stupid thing out. Oh well! All I have to say is:

Ewwww! Ack! Gross!!

You would not believe the junk I pulled out of my keyboard with that one little toothpick! Oh.my.god!!

Cat hair
dust
fuzz
more cat hair
bits of food
lint
chunks of... something
even more cat hair
more dust
some powdery stuff
and on and on and on.

It was disgusting, I tell you, totally, unequivocally repulsive!! I don't know how the machine even worked!

Now, I may not dust it as regularly as I should (duh, brilliant deduction) but holy crap! One doesn't expect the contents of one's keyboard to equal the contents of a vacuum cleaner bag!! Seriously, once I got it loosened, it just kept coming and coming. I pulled out such a biiig pile of stuff. Lew thought I should take a picture but it was really just too embarrassing.

So anyway, my PSA is this:

1. dust your keyboard (get in between those keys) more often than you think you do;

and

2. even turn it over and give it a little shake.

Or, you can do what I'm gonna do - find me a keyboard cover!

PS: yes, I finally got the fingernail tip out too.

Just peachy...

2009-08-25T10:26:00.001-04:00

Fresh peaches... one of the small pleasures of life.

Having said that, I've never really been a fresh peach fan. Love 'em out of the can, but bite into a fresh peach? Oh gag, not on your life. That furry, fuzzy skin just grosses me out. Blecch!

Howsomever, last season I discovered how ridiculously easy it was to prepare (aka peel) and freeze the juicy little buggers so it's been a real treat to be able to enjoy fresh peaches all winter and spring.

We just finished our last pint a couple of weeks ago so the timing is just right. Peaches come into season right about now in our parts. This season's fruit has suffered a bit due to hail and other weather, but a little bruising here and there hasn't affected their deliciousness...

# in freezer = 14 pints
# in tummy = uhmmm, lots! ;)

Oranges, anyone?

2009-08-18T14:38:00.002-04:00

Well, shame on me!! Here it is past the middle of August and I've darn near let summer slip right on by with hardly a word! Life (and grandkids!) has a way of getting in the way sometimes, doesn't it?? ;)

So anyway, I've got a birthday coming up and got a card from my sister yesterday that totally made my day! Here's the story:

Back in the day, when she was dating and I was just her sweet, innocent little baby sister of about 5 or 6, I managed to embarrass her to death in front of a boyfriend. It probably wasn't the first or only time, but it's definitely the one that stands out the most in memory.

She and he were hanging out in the living room and, I dunno, maybe I was feeling neglected or something, but I took my angelic self into the kitchen, confiscated some oranges, and snuck into my parents bedroom for a little bit of ... uhmmm ... rearranging. I crammed two oranges under my tee shirt and then came strutting out of the bedroom, with all my womanly charms pushed out in front of me as far as my little self could push them, and proceeded to waltz myself in front of the dude!

Oh.my.god!! The girl (as young girls are with the antics of younger siblings when trying to impress a guy,) was totally mortified and wanted to die on the spot!! I, of course, thought it was funny as hell, but hey, I was just a little kid doing what little kids do ... what did I know?? Wasn't being irritating my job? heh, heh, heh.

Now then, back to the card. About two months ago, she found the perfect card and has been dying for August to get here so she could send it. What a hoot!! We've laughed all over again! Somehow, she managed to find this:

Clearly, I'm not the only little girl who ever thought of the idea!! ;)