A Week in Review.......My Thoughts

Well our wonderful Red Wings didn't win last night but I honestly think they weren't hungry enough. They always play wonderful but they didn't seem to have their hearts in it. Maybe that's just what I saw though. I believe the Penguins played an incredibly awesome game and they truly deserve the Stanley Cup. If we had won of course I would have been proud but I must say that I would have felt true sadness for the Penguins since they seems to care so much more. Maybe the Wings need to take a rest for a few years in the playoffs and then when they earn the honor of playing in the Finals again they will again be the Red Wings I've come to know and love and be enthusiastic and focused. They are great guys and I hate to see anyone ever loose. Congratulations Penguins!!!! Job well done.

I wanted to share a sweet picture of the little yearling we had visit our salt lick this past weekend at our house in Kalkaska, Michigan. This little one was just precious to watch.....so innocent but then also so observant and smart. We love our vacation home in the woods. Nature is everywhere and who could ask for more!

I have alot to accomplish today and tomorrow. Cleaning and all those usual chores plus a light bit of gardening, fertilizing and the ongoing privacy fence construction. We went to the store to buy the 4"x4" post and then began the construction. We already have the other lumber for the fence. We have to make the 8' panels in one piece because we are installing the fence right inside the lot line on one of our neighbors sides. They aren't the best folks to talk with about installing a fence and expecting them to be positive and supportive so we need to do the best we can to solve the situation....that's by putting it inside the already existing chain link fence that is there now. Those panels are quite heavy but after we make and install 11 of them we can construct the rest of the fence the usual way. I am staining the neighbors side of the panels before we install and then I can stain our inside all at once.

This is a picture of a partially made panel. We are going to round the corners slightly (hence the white templates in the corner) and then attach them to the 4" x 4" posts. It should look very neat and clean and give us the privacy we so badly need. I've decided 6 foot privacy fences make awesome neighbors!

Enjoy your weekend.... I'm off the make more fence panels with Tom.

Darlene

An Awesome Day in Michigan

Wow were we blessed with beautiful sun and a gorgeous blue sky all day today. We watched the sunrise and enjoyed how it hit the decorator pillow on our spider back chair in the livingroom. You couldn't have asked for a prettier sight this morning. These aren't the best pics....I'm still saving pennies for an SLR camera so these will have to do for now.



I also had made some homemade veggie soup. I decided to hold back on adding any meat and go strickly veggies only. WOW it was so good just to have something basic once in a while. I set the table and put croutons and parmesan cheese out for toppings. I told my hubby Tom to go ahead and add the goodies and I would add mine after. Here is the results of our soup adventures.



The beginning of the "soup pot". I put onions, garlic, fresh mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, swiss chard, spinach, carrots, celery, sweet red and yellow peppers and seasonings along with the chicken broth.


Almost done.... nice a basic. We loved it!

My boring place setting.....

and then Tom's creation....

He said you MUST have a smiley face at all times. LOL

Enjoy your weekend everyone....

Darlene

Enjoy the simple things in life!

or "Stop to smell the roses." ...that's what we've all heard from our parents for years. This morning I was enjoying a wonderful hot cup of coffee that my hubby made for me, sitting on the couch sharing conversation, when I looked out the East window in the livingroom and saw this beautiful sight. I wanted to share it with you. I kept snapping shots because every time I blinked the view changed until (within 4 minutes) it was totally gone and just blue sky with white clouds. I hope you get views like this on special mornings in your life as we did today.



Yesterday our "little" (I say that sarcastically!) 5 month old puppy Gretchen was doing her usual romping and playing in the yard with her Brittany sister Sadie. They were in and out most of the day enjoying the snow and all the sticks they could find! I went in the kitchen to make a cup of tea and peeked out to keep an eye on them. They are just like little toddlers always getting into trouble so I never know what is next!!!! To my surprise I caught a movement out of the right corner of my eye through the diningroom doorwall and this is what I saw....
Since when did this little adorable puppy decide she can climb up on our covered patio table like it was a platform for viewing the local neighborhood? From the look on her face she wasn't even ashamed of herself either! I grabbed the camera and snapped this pic. Hmmm........I may have a behavior problem here LOL! I had to turn my face so she wouldn't see me laugh (just like you do with your kids) because I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. I told her I'd come outside and help her down because I thought she couldn't get down. Yeah right! Just like a little gazelle she gracefully popped down to the deck floor and frolicked off into the snow. I hid around the corner to see if she would do it again because she has needed help (or at least we thought she did) getting up on our bed to snuggle in the early evening. Of course she did! She hopped back up with absolutely no effort and was again very proud of herself. What a little stinker we have! Who would have thought that our bird possessed dog Sadie would have better behavior than this German Shorthaired Pointer! Now I have two crazy bird dogs. I don't think I'll be bored anytime soon. Enjoy your day everyone!

A GREAT recipe

My husband and I agreed last night to set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. We weren't sure how long the voting lines would be since Michigan is a swing state. We showered, had our coffee and headed off to our precinct. We arrived at 6:15 a.m. with no lines outside. A few people were lined up inside the building and everyone was cheery and very polite. We were number 16 and 17 and our experience was the best we have ever had. I don't know if that means we were super early or if that means that the voters figured it would be a mad house early so they are going tonight. Anyway....





and now I can play with all my scrappin' goodies and paint the WHOLE day...woohoo!

I have felt like making some peanut butter cookies too and I remembered that I did this LO a few years ago. I'd like to share this recipe with you....it was a favorite of mine as a little girl.

I scanned the original recipe (with my mother's writing on it) so I had a memory of her too! I always have a hot cup of tea with these cookies in my English bone china cup and saucer. I hope you like the recipe. You may want to make a double batch!


Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Cream shortening and peanut butter together until light; add sugars gradually and blend well. Beat in vanilla and egg. Sift flour with soda and salt and blend into the first mixture. Shape dough into small ball and place approximately 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten the top of each dough ball with the tines of a fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Note: To keep cookies crisp store in a loosely covered container. If they absorb moisture from the air you can crisp them again in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes.

ENJOY!!!!