Happy New Year Everyone!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I posted this recipe on the magnolia blog but not all of you are tuned into both so thought I would add it here too. Enjoy! 8 hours? really? I do not believe 8 hours are critical for this recipe. Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 8 Hours Ready In: 8 Hours 30 Minutes Servings: 8

"A quick, no-fuss version of chicken tortilla soup! All you do is put everything into the slow cooker, and turn it on. Then garnish with baked corn tortilla strips!"

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups water 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 7 corn tortillas vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.	Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

A day on South Padre

New friends Cathy and Bob Jones are staying at Edinburg TX for a couple of months. We both have Snow Mountain Ranch connections in our pasts and became better acquainted at Canyon Lake in October. We had decided to do a day at South Padre sometime this season but the weather last year did not hold one of those days so we were on the lookout for one and yesterday promised to fill the bill. It really did too with the only missing element being sunshine. It was warm with a breeze less than 15mph out of the south. Good pictures require good light but we did the best we could and here they are...

My favorite meal at Dirty Al's. And below we stopped to see if Paul and Karen Pope from Jefferson were in the the KOA park and indeed they were having arrived the day before.

 Then we went for a beach walk. I wore my muddy Iowa construction Crocs so I could leave a bit of black Iowa dirt in the Gulf of Mexico.

These are the current crop of jellyfish washing up on the beach.

There were some good players in this group. 

Barb and Butch

Cathy and Bob

Sandpiper

Merry Christmas everyone!

In the BC years-before computers-I wrote and sent a Christmas letter each December. But then in 2000 I discovered blogging and decided to do nearly the same thing throughout the year. So I no longer do a yearly summary because I feel that those closest to us keep track and those with a casual interest can check in as they choose or have time.
However I do want you all to know that we do indeed wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Found on Facebook

These are two of Marlene and Bernard Kelley's great grandkids-Peyton and Nolan. Nolan is two years younger than his sister Peyton but nearly the same height. Their mother Marie says about this photo-"Brother is a pro at buttons so he said he'd help"

And then we have our great grand little Leo who is 20 months. He gave hugs to all the nativity figures at church.

I thought both of these pictures were cuter than cute. These little ones do know the true spirit of Christmas. Help others and give hugs.

Keri's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Keri will be glad to know I finally baked the pie she gave us before we left Jefferson and it was mighty tasty. Shared it with some lucky people. I was proud of myself that I got it done without incident and it looks not the worse for wear. Thanks Keri!!

Two Rule Diet

 There are two big decisions that can put you on the right path and help you largely steer clear of antibiotics, excess sugar, unwanted chemicals, animal cruelty, and more.

Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”

2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you.

Procedure Day

Yesterday we traveled to Harlingen to a dentist for a cleaning procedure on my dental implants and application of antibiotic sleeves. It went well. Yes, it was painful and the throbbing hasn't quit yet but I can tell we are on the right track for a return to oral health. I will soon be able to eat raw carrots and celery and that is a good Christmas present for me.
After the procedure, we stopped by Marlene and Bernard's place. Their son Dwight was also there. Marlene and Bernard haven't been there long and it was good to see them again. We usually see them several times throughout the season. It is handy that they are only about 20-25 minutes drive from us. Next time we go I will be taking her some lemon juice with visions of lemon meringue pie dancing in my head. wink,wink.

Survival- Starting a Fire with Steel Wool & 9V Battery!

This tip is for all my camping friends who make a campfire as well as being a good survival tip. What an easy way to start one!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwNJhJwnSs

Winners!

So far we are winners this season as the weather has been near perfect. Daytime highs in the 70's and nighttime lows in the 60's. Perfection!

I spotted these two cats on this attractive seating and thought they made a pretty picture. And below we have some peppers at our local H.E.B. and I thought they made a pretty picture too.

And gas at 2.29 is also attractive.

 Neither of these two will like this picture. I took it while they were busy putting new grips on Jan Raders golf clubs in their mini golf shop. A mailman in Jefferson Iowa taught Butch about using an air compressor for the job and he has done them that way ever since.

Progress

I have made tremendous strides with my new dental regimen and the antibiotics. The change is unbelievable for such a short time period. This procedure on Monday should not be nearly as bad as I had anticipated when everything was sore and very tender.

The Christmas Parade in the park was last night. Lil, Peggy and I led the parade and then afterwards we enjoyed Subway sandwiches provided by the association. It has become an annual event coinciding with the $2 Sub deal that Subway has each December. Makes feeding a crowd easy and it was mighty tasty besides.
You can always check on park happenings by going to www.magnolianews.blogspot.com It also has the same email sign up procedure at the bottom of the post if you would like to get updates in your email.

I was sitting here trying to remember what my day had been like when I remembered it was computer class day. Only 4 today but it is still early. One of the aspects of doing the classes that some may not think about is that it gives me a chance to know some people much better than I would without the class. I enjoy doing it very much.
Tomorrow is the H.E.B. Feast of Sharing where they feed all who show up for it a ham dinner. It is an appreciation event for their customers and we all are at one time or another. I will try to find out the number of people they feed at this event and let you know but it is a huge number.

Dental distress

I have been having a problem with one of my implants for quite a while now. Let's say since late September. It has been better and then worsen. In other words a bit of a roller coaster so I decided perhaps I had better have it looked at by a pro. So I called a woman who has stayed in our park, in fact she stayed specifically to get her dental implants installed. I have had mine since 1998 or thereabouts. So on Wednesday I had an appointment with an oral surgeon. The same one she had in fact. And for those who wonder I am not getting this done south of the border.
So I had some xrays taken and an informative consultation for general care. He had me make an appointment for a cleaning and placement of an antibiotic sleeve and that will take place on Monday morning in Harlingen. I will also be on oral antibiotics for two months. And he told me he knows they are expensive but he wanted me to get a Sonicare toothbrush. So $69 later I have one and I think if I had one of those wonder machines before this all started I would not have the problems I am currently having. So my new regimen is to brush morning and night and after every time I eat. That ought to keep me somewhat busy.

Family news

Yesterday son Jason had a test that we are all supposed to get every 10 years. The results were great but he found out he shares a malady with his brother Gary. We need to find out if his brother Rich has the same problem. They started the IV and he fainted. In his defense the nurse had a problem finding his vein and this made it worse. But he also felt weird and fainty after the procedure. It just popped into my head that his blood sugar could have been an issue as well. Need to check on that aspect.
And little Leo had a hernia repair on one side. He came through with flying colors also. As far as he knows he took a nap and woke up with an owie. He is 18 months old.

Butch and I did get our walk in yesterday but that was about it. We have had a cloudy/rainy period. Fortunately the highs have remained near 70 degrees. A vast improvement over last season...at least so far.

This morning the sun is shining so I think I will make laundry a part of my day.
Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
Till next time...

Teacher Arrested

Papa Gary comes through!!

Short and sweet videos from recent activity!

Elise gets to see pretty Dress for the first time

http://youtu.be/vkySvI5WZ6A

Leo loves to vacuum

 http://youtu.be/l-ayOgWGXLQ

Elise and Leo watch themselves

http://youtu.be/QsZ4kd4k6nQ

Elise dance performance at the Community Center.

Elise Dance performance

You Tube has placed a safety feature on their website so if it tells you that you are unable to view it because of the safety being on you can disable it by going to the bottom of the You Tube page. Need help? Holler...

Garage Sale Day

We did well on the garage sale. At least I did with my little junky stuff. Butch didn't have any luck with his golf stuff but that is a specialized market. He may try again next month with a patio sale. I am done for this year and I am very grateful for that.

Tonight we are getting a very big rain storm. Kind of unusual for us. Lil, Peggy and I did get our walk finished but it started in very shortly after we returned home.
 I enjoyed the pictures my granddaughter Amanda put on Facebook of the great grands. I snipped them so I will give you a peek.

She loves dance...can you tell?

And here we have a santa picture...

Ketchup

Actually it is Catch Up but I wanted to get your attention. One of these days I hope to have something new and exciting to tell you about but until then you are stuck with what comes tumbling out of my brain. These days it is not too exciting. I am still working on my sugar detox and it is going well. The farther I stay away from it in all its forms the better I feel. Still getting plenty of exercise. I cannot let Colleen get the better of me on that score. Heaven forbid I get back to Jefferson next Spring and be a drudge that cannot keep up.
Butch is playing golf and pool but so far not with the same intensity as years past. That could change at any time and in fact it will as soon as pool leagues start up.
Peggy is keeping on with Costco Thursdays. This past Thursday we added stops at a store called Kirklands. It is a store with items for home decorating. And then we also stopped at L A and that is a discount linens and clothing store. The two sections are divided as if it were separate businesses but it has the same name but different entrances. These discounted items are constantly changing. I believe they are discontinued items from big name stores.
Our Canyon Lake  Texas friends are coming down in January for a week. I know they will want to do Ropa Usada or at least some of them will. But there are many things to do and see here. Too much for one week but we will do the best we can.
Butch and I tried out a new restaurant for lunch. El Rancho Grande 308 W. Pike Blvd-Weslaco Texas. It compares favorably to our favorite El Dorado. Butch had a Taco Quesadilla and I had a chicken enchilada plate that had a fancier name I cannot remember. We both brought home half our meal for another time. We will go back perhaps for breakfast next time.

Anti-virus/malware protection

I am often asked what I use for anti-virus/malware protection these days and this is it. Emsisoft( http://thundercloud.net/emsisoft/) And I buy it through the people I have trusted for years for computing advice because I can get it for a reduced rate through them.
The reality is there are none that can give you 100% protection all the time from all threats so it boils down to the best you can do and I feel Emsisoft is the best you can do. And due to too many breaches I have given up on the free ones.
But as in all things it is a personal choice. 

Chuckled me this morning...

Cleaned house today...

I know that is a big whoop! But I have been meaning to get to it for quite some time now.  I am still walking twice a day; the first time either alone or with Butch and the second one at 6:00 PM with Lil and Peggy. We are all better for it.
I am also in the process of eliminating sugar from my life. No, not all sugar. Still eating fruit. Leaving cookies, cakes and other baked stuff alone. Also potatoes, bread and rice. All things I know do not set well in my body.

It is humid here today and my shower felt  refreshing tonight but the refreshing feeling didn't last long. It is supposed to cool off about midnight. Current temperature tonight (9:13PM) is 71 degrees. Whoo Hoo! The front came early. Nice cool breeze. I am ready believe it or not. Only supposed to last one day so I can take that.

I have been going through old pictures. My goal is to collect old Magnolia pictures for a memory on Mondays. It is time consuming but also fun.

Butch and I in '82

Casa De Oro and other stuff

Sis-in-law Keri likes to have lime in her coffee when she dines at Casa de Oro in Jefferson Iowa. One of the owners who is of Hispanic descent told her it was tasty so she tried it and agreed with him. I like cream and sugar in my coffee but I am trying to cut back on sugar so I decided to drink it black with lime like Keri. I was absolutely amazed.  I really like it!!! Maybe I am just crazy about lime right now because Sally Louks gave me a papaya and told me she sprinkles hers with lime juice. Now in the past papaya has been okay with me but with the addition of the lime juice I love it! Now I am not talking about the bottled lime juice you buy in the grocery store, I'm talking about honest to God limes off a tree. So give it a try. Lime juice in your coffee and if you are lucky enough to have a papaya sprinkle lime juice over it too.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 We will be enjoying a full and satisfying Thanksgiving meal in Allen Hall with all our winter friends but you can be sure we will be remembering our summertime friends and all our family. We are extremely thankful for all we have wherever we are as well as being thankful that we can scratch our itchy feet and get by with it. The list is long on what we are grateful for today and every day.

Time Traveling with Colleen

Time travel, 2014

November 19, 2014

~by Colleen O’Brien

I generally get to leave Iowa before sock-weather hits. The very act of pulling on the socks because of cold toes goes against the grain.

This year I didn’t get outta Dodge in time.

The morning I left Jefferson for southern climes I had to put on socks because as I loaded the last bag into my car at 5 am, trudging through a foot of fallen leaves, my toes turned blue. The argyle, over-the-calf socks I found in a drawer looked silly with my flipflops and knee-length striped skirt. It was a curious fashion statement, but when I’m cold I lose any sense or care of how it all looks.

By the time I arrived at my first overnight, in St. Louis, I had shed the socks. It was warm there, the trees just on the turn. It was the picture of Iowa two weeks prior.

Next stop, Cincinnati, which is about the same latitude as St. Louis, so it was balmy, the trees just beginning their show, the roses still blooming along the Ohio. This trip was all a lovely, lengthy autumn, and again – still — I was able to watch emerald leaves transform themselves to crimson and gold.

My mistake was lingering in Cincinnati too long; it was not south enough for a three-week stay at this time of year. The morning I left my daughter’s, the frost was on the pumpkin – 20 degrees. This time it wasn’t just the socks, it was the coat, hat, gloves and scarf, plus a car warmed up by my son-in-law and toasty enough he said that I would be rewarded once I dashed from porch to driver’s seat.

Driving south quickly turned into a treat because with each mile I traveled away from early winter and back into autumn – the golden oaks and flaming maples set against the deep green piney woods warmed my heart as well as my toes. It was a visual feast in lovely weather; not a cold breeze from any direction. My second day out, it snowed three inches in the frigid and gloomy Cincinnati I’d left behind. Lucky escape, thought I.

And the weird phenom of backward journey, returning to warmth and beauty from cold and ugly, struck me as a form of time travel worthy of contemplation.

I’d wanted to time travel since I read Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court when I was in high school.

Twain wrote this in 1889.

But long before this, in 1843, Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, in which Ebeneezer traveled all over the place – backward and forward in time – if only in his dreams.

I went on to read H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine (1895) and eventually to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series (2000s), all the while intrigued by the notion of time travel. Time is weird to begin with – some minutes lasting way too long and some days disappearing as if they never happened.

I never really thought I’d ever time travel, however much it appealed to me and however many fantasies I’d dreamt up in idle moments. But in my own 21st-century time machine — my trusty 2006 Honda — I found myself going backward in weather while I traveled forward in hours and days. The timing was just right, the climates I passed through all doing the same thing I’d witnessed in Jefferson – a spectacular autumn of warmth and color that went on and on and on, mile after gorgeous mile.

What a good trip.

Even the eerie phenom that I suffer through all the time – when I awake I have to figure out where I am – way too many strange rooms and almost-familiar sleeping platforms: my bed in my bedroom in Jefferson? My futon in my office in Jefferson? My sofa in my living room in Jefferson? My girlfriend’s guest room in St. Louis? My daughter’s “Mom’s room” in Cinci? A motel room in Georgia? Or am I already in Florida and in one of those beds there? It takes a minute, but this is my normal awakening, a somewhat unnerving but quickly resolved pattern of too many beds for one aging dame.

When I return in the spring, my time travel can’t reverse itself – no backward movement from subtropical hibiscus to hyacinth peeking out of the snow. It takes a special combination of time – the autumn of the year; weather – winter moving slowly southward; and luck . . . to time travel if one lives in real life rather than in a novel.

Dear Tech Support

Husband Operating System

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend to Husband and noticed a distinct slowdown in overall system performance, particularly in the Flower and Jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend. In addition, Husband uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance and Personal Attention and then installed undesirable programs such as Hockey, Football, Golf and HBO/Game of Thrones. Conversation no longer runs, and any endeavour to upload Housecleaning simply crashes the system. I’ve tried running Nagging to fix these problems, but to no avail. What can I do?

Signed, Desperate

Dear Desperate,

First keep in mind, Boyfriend is an Entertainment Package, while Husband is an Operating System. Please enter the command: ‘http: I Thought You Loved Me.html’ and try to download Tears; do not forget to install the Guilt update. If that application works as designed, Husband should then automatically run the applications Jewelry and Flowers, but remember – over-use of the above application can cause Husband to default to Grumpy Silence, Garage or Beer. Beer is a particularly bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta. Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law (it runs a destructive virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources). Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband.

In summary, Husband is a great system, but it does have limited memory, is somewhat erratic, and cannot learn new applications quickly. It also tends to work better running one task at a time. You might consider installing additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Steak, Pulled Pork and Hot Lingerie.

Good Luck, Tech Support

Attention Grandma's- the doll to get for Christmas

For your young granddaughter for sure.
The lammily doll

https://lammily.com/

Let's fix their self esteem early on.

Routine

It seems to take me longer and longer to get settled into a different routine. You may have noticed! The hours of the day seem short. Meals to fix, laundry to do and all the other ordinary stuff and all that gets set aside for the things I like to do until the time comes when it can no longer be ignored. I wonder when that will happen!
My walks have become a priority. Peggy, Lil and I walk every evening at 6:00 and the time flies. It only takes 20 minutes so it is not a big sacrifice and it is good for us. There are quite a few people in the park who walk with regularity.
I  get my first mile in with Butch or alone depending. This morning he played shuffleboard so I was on my own on the first one. Irma hollered at me to tell me she had found a dress-up dress at Ropa for Elise. It is beautiful! It looks like a miniature bridal dress. So part of today was spent getting it washed and ready to send. This dress even has a train. The train could be used for a veil if she prefers. It is really the perfect dress for play. I removed the bows for washing and the train is not attached so this is even fancier than it is in the picture-lots of ruffles and lace.

Perking

I bought a percolator. I had a much despised coffee pot that I plan to sell on the next park garage sale. Neither Butch nor I can pour coffee out of it without drips. So after reading about percolators I decided it could be a good kind of coffee pot to have. It is new to me because back in the day when everyone had one I didn't drink coffee. They say the coffee tastes better and we already know it is MUCH hotter. The brew time is about a minute per cup. And being retired I can wait that long. So we are having percolated coffee these days.

Stumble Upon

Stumble upon is a website that collects really neat things found on the Internet. Of course not everyone likes everything but this mornings stumble upon offering was one I enjoyed very much. Particularly number one.
Go have a look see.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1hNKjD/l43NzusN:qPzEfa1f/www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/cheap-and-easy-decorating-hacks-that-are-borderline-geniu?sub=2601289_1629733

Laughing with old friends

Peggy, Kay and I got together this afternoon. It feels so good to be back here with these two who make me laugh.
Kay was telling us that Bill was having some breathing troubles this summer while they were on vacation. She suspected a problem with his pacemaker but when they ruled that out an appointment was made with his regular doctor. Regular doctor asked him if he was taking his water pills. He said, " No because my legs are not swollen."  His doctor told him he had fluid on his lungs and needed the water pills for his lungs not his legs. So the problem has been solved and Kay has revoked Dr. Bill's license for self diagnosis. And that is just one of the things we were chuckling about this afternoon.
I walked with Butch this morning and Lil at 6:00 PM. So that brings me up to speed on the 2 miles a day I did most of the summer with Colleen. It feels good to get the blood moving again.
Years ago when a  friend of ours found out he was diabetic the doctor told him exercise was critical. Even more important than food. I remembered that and when I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic I tried even harder to make exercise a priority and this years blood test no longer indicated I was pre-diabetic. All tests were in normal range. That was very good news to me. So now when a stretch goes by without regular exercise I get antsy to get moving. It feels very reassuring to be back out there beating the pavement.
Weather forecast for tomorrow has a high of 71. That is very much acceptable to us. When the temps are low and it is windy we batten down the hatches by closing all the day/night shades to keep our tiny home as comfy as possible. It keeps some of the cold out. But with  71 for a high I can open all the shades and get back to spying on my neighbors!
 

Cold caught us

It is 44 degrees as I write. With 30 MPH winds out of the north. It started cooling down last night and we knew it was coming. A north tailwind may have been okay coming down but the setting up would have been no fun at all. We are to have a few days of this but then back into the 80's on Saturday.
We were off to the grocery store early this morning. I loaded up the cart and thought it was going to be over a 100 dollars but was surprised it was only 67. Good old HEB!
We had been living off short rations while en route. And perhaps too much eating out. We also ate out before we went to the grocery store. Butch had 2 large breakfast taco's with eggs,sausage and cheese and I had one. They come with refried beans. Butch had coffee. The tortillas are homemade, in fact you can watch them being made while you wait for your order. Total for the bill was $7.11 and that is with tax. The living down here is easy and cheap!
Crafts this afternoon at 1:00. I will get to see what people have been working on. Fun!

Arrived at Magnolia Park!

We made it through a small window of weather. Nice day for travel and the trip went smoothly. I asked Butch if he was going to Milano road to get to the park. We like to come at the entrance from the east as it gives a better angle to get in the drive. Usually we turn on Midway but last year the potholes were huge thus the reason for the question but as it turned out there was an ugly accident at the Midway turn and that sealed it to go to Milano. It all worked out. Temp was  79 when we arrived and a bit on the humid side. But tonight north winds have moved in and it is getting colder by the minute. Supposed to be a high of 52 tomorrow. I am beginning to think we cannot get far enough south without encountering the drug cartels of Mexico. So we will endure the temps on this side of the border.
We were met by many of our friends and that is always a treat. We will get around to some sit down visits soon with all of them.
I took Butch by both his hands and looked deeply into his eyes and said I will see you next April. We are both quite busy while here and many times it is Butch in one direction and me in another. It started this evening. We were out on a walk and Pecan Bill had some electric issues and ran us down with his golf cart and took Butch in another direction. Make no mistake about it we both like our life here and wouldn't want it any other way.
This morning when I took the last garbage to the bin and Butch was hooking up I passed by these plants with their diamond like drops of precip and took a quick pic.

The Canyon Lake Texas Connections

Friday night and burgers at the VFW.

Gary and Lou Nelson

                 


             Mike and Sharon Bryce

Bob and Cathy Jones

                   Terry and Lisa Linder

Hunkered

We are hunkered down and trying to stay warm. The little orange temperature square on the right side of my computer screen says 34 degrees. It might have helped a bit if we had gone further south sooner but not a lot. This polar vortex thingy has made its way clear to Mexico. We shut the water down last night for fear of freezing and will need to do the same tonight as the predicted low is 32 degrees.
Tuesday we went with Lou and Gary to Marble Falls. Our main goal was the pie at The famous Blue Bonnet Cafe. We had lunch and pie and it was good. I have been spoiled on pie however and considering Keri's and Marlene's pies the Blue Bonnet pies were a definite second.
We shopped at Burke's, a place that sells discounted items. Butch picked up a pair of jeans that will not need altered for length. That is unusual. We had a good time and enjoyed the visiting up and back as well.

Last night we had a many bean soup at Lou and Gary's place. It was delicious and the perfect night for it. Their other friends from Snow Mountain Ranch , Kathy and Bob were there too. They are on their way to Edinburg Texas, not too far from where we stay in the RGV.
I made the pumpkin pie pudding that I featured recently on the blog and it is worth the effort to make and will be one I make again and probably soon. It was still warm  and we all agreed that ice cream would have worked a bit better than whipped topping. Here is the recipe again in case you missed it the first time.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Ingredients

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup biscuit/baking mix

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Whipped topping, optional

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-pudding#ixzz3HYeQl3sp

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a thermometer reads 160°. Serve in bowls with whipped topping if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

And let's assume you do not have any Pumpkin Pie spice on hand. Let's assume that because I didn't and it is pricy in the store. I do have a recipe for it and here it is.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 T Cinnamon

2 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Nutmeg

1 ½ tsp Allspice

1 ½ tsp Ground Cloves

Store in airtight container.

Weekend shenanigans 2

Sunday afternoon we were invited to John and Jolene Oyer's home in New Braunfels, a short 15 minute journey from where we are staying. Jolene and I were schoolmates. Yes, she is a J.I.G. (Jefferson Iowa Girl) and another talented member of the class of '61! They are everywhere!
 We had a nice visit and they gave us a tour of the New Braunfels area. John and Jolene have lived in this area for 25 years.
Jolene is very active member of the New Braunfels Art League and many of her works are on display there along with dozens of other extremely talented artists. Jolene will be attending a workshop there today on fused glass. The two photos below are of a piece done by the instructor of the fused glass class.

 From the other side...

This is one of many of Jolene's pieces. She has recently switched from photo's to abstract. Artists everywhere will tell you their work goes in cycles.

John's birthday was yesterday so we helped him celebrate with a delicious homemade two layer cake.

It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon with Jolene and John.