My Christmas Time Message

These wonderful babies we now have in our life have given me some extra time. They send pictures and I post them and waalaw another post is made but as the season for celebration is upon us, I thought perhaps it was time to celebrate our own lives too and fill everyone in on us.
We are more than fine. We are great. We have never been more grateful for all we have been blessed with in our lives. Everyday is met with gratitude and the things to be grateful for keep piling up.
As for the every day happenings, they are also abundant. We are both very busy. Butch has golf and pool and frequent knocks on our door with electrical issues to keep his skills in that area honed. I have golf (Tuesdays only),photography and the computer class to keep my skills active and alert. I learn so much from doing the computer class. I come here all rusty and then someone will ask a question needing research and I am off and running doing what I love best.
The diabetes is well under control with diet and exercise. Butch and I walk 2 miles a day at least. One mile in the morning and another in the evening. I have made it a priority and now it is a habit.
We are very busy while at Magnolia Park but we love it for the five months we are here and we also love the other parts of the year in other places just as much.
Yesterday we went to Mexico with Bill and Jo and had lunch at Garcia's above the Canada Store. A cold front went through just before we left so we were dressed appropriately but many were not. We have been having these chilly days about one or two days a week. They are little windows of opportunity for me to get caught up on indoor things. I am plugging away at Nina's blanket and it will be beautiful when finished. I like the way it is going but it may be warm weather in Georgia before she gets to use it! Not really,I seem to really get a spur on when these cold days hit.
We will be celebrating Christmas here in the park. On Christmas Eve we have a program in Allen Hall. There will be finger foods. I plan to tell the story of Rudolph's Secret Friends. It is a story I have carried around since December of 1996 when I cut it out of the Des Moines Register to read at Senior Haven in Cumberland Iowa. The newsprint is a bit hard to read so I went online to try and find the story but to no avail. I did think about typing it out but typing is mot one of my skills. Hmmm....Maybe I can find a typist!
We so hope your life is as you want it to be. Count your blessings every day and watch even more come your way.

More of Ethan

From his mom -nicole
ethan is now a little over 5 weeks old and i just took some pics of him today in his vibrating chair that i think he is now addicted to! :) i attatched the pics for you all to see. last week he was 5 pounds 12 ounces so im assuming that he is over 6 pounds today.



Great gram Barb thinks he is sooooo sweet!

Jason & Baby Ethan

It looks like Jason enjoys Grandpa duties.

Santa Baby-Nina Grace

It seems

It seems we are getting one of these days about every week!! A very good time to work on Nina's blanket.

Nina and her Daddy

As long as they send pictures of Nina you will see them!!

It has been a long time since we have had any wee ones in our family and now there are two within a month. It's a pleasure.

An RV Tip

A nifty way to display photos in an RV or anywhere you have a small ledge.

Our son Gary

I have been meaning to get this photo on for awhile. It is our son Gary's "school" picture. One of Gary's multiple jobs is teaching the in-house detention kids at Ray-Pec middle school.
I do not get pictures of my "kids" as often as I would like.
Thanks to my friend Sharon Bryce I have a new way of displaying photos and will post that nifty idea soon.

Cold Front...and REAR

A cold front has made its way all the way down to sunny south Texas and I am about to freeze my hiney off!! They predicted a high of 57 today but it hasn't moved off 47 since I have been watching. I just hiked the furnace up a couple of degrees because I am a shiverin' big time!! We have one more cold day to get through and then it is supposed to be back in the 70's on Sunday.
Oh yes, it is also drizzly. grumble, grumble. I know I will get NO sympathy from the northern climes but hey!! You guys are accustomed to it.

Babies Everywhere!

Here is a new picture of Baby Ethan. Thanks Nicole and keep those pictures coming.

Stats on Nina

"Nina Grace was born to Ann Fetterman and Anthony Cortes on December 2 at 4:19pm. She weighed 5lbs and 8oz and was 19 inches long. Everyone is doing fine."

Hmmm...

We are warm and comfortable in sunny south Texas. We have a wind warning today. 30-40 mph so golf is probably out of the question. I have been playing on Tuesdays. Mediocre is the word for my game but it is more about the sociability anyway.
They say we have a cold front moving in tomorrow with highs in the 60's. A good time to get started on a baby afghan for new great granddaughter Nina. Mother Ann and baby Nina are pictured above.
For other posts click on the Magnolia News link.

Thanksgiving plans

We belong to the park association. It costs us each $2.00 for the season. The benefits are too great to mention but one of which is Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey,dressing,cranberry sauce,ham,potatoes and gravy are provided. The women of the park bring side dishes and desserts.
There is usually an abundance of sweet potatoes and scalloped corn. Thus I try to bring something a little different. I tend to stay away from the desserts because I may have to bring home some and that isn't good for me. So here is what I am bringing tomorrow. It is a dish made for warm weather. Hey, it's warm here!!
Recipe: CORN SALAD 11/26/2008
Category: Side dish
3 cans Mexicorn (whole kernel corn with red & green bell peppers),
drained
8 oz dairy sour cream
8 oz small curd cottage cheese
3 tbsp prepared mustard
Dash hot pepper sauce
3 green onions, sliced
large bag Fritos corn chips (regular curly size, NOT Scoops ; probably 6
or 7 oz bag)

Pour the corn into a large serving bowl. In a medium bowl, combine dairy
sour cream, cottage cheese, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Pour over corn
in large bowl and add green onion slices. Stir to blend well. Just
before serving, crush Fritos and add to salad, stirring to combine.
Makes a lot!
________________

Angel's Foot

A bit of trauma at our house...I had noticed a clicking noise when Angel walked across the floor and it kept reminding me that we needed to trim her nails. We finally got around to it last night. She is a really good girl about it but it does go much smoother if Butch holds her while I clip. It was going along nicely until I got to her front left foot, the equivalent of her ring finger. Her nail had grown around and embedded into her foot pad. Oooh, OUCH!! I couldn't get her nail clipper apparatus under it so we switched to small scissors to cut the nail then pull it out of her foot pad. She winced a bit when I pulled it out but that had to be a tremendous relief to her. Today she will not let me look at it. I am sure she is on the mend.

Mockingbird

I noticed this mockingbird a couple of weeks ago. It runs wherever it goes and on closer observation I noticed that its wing droops. It hangs around the pool area but I have seen it over on Aspen street too. There is nothing to do for this bird other than pray it can live out its life in relative comfort. I think about this bird alot and how it has adapted to a circumstance that arose in its life. It seems to be doing okay and okay is enough. Go bird!!!

Laura's Grandson

Nicole gave birth to Ethan on November 11th, 2008. He was 5 weeks early but looks quite healthy considering his early arrival.

Info from Google

A friend sent this to me and I just tried it out. It works neat as
anything. You may want it in your cell phone or your home phone even.
SLICK!

Just leave it up to Google to come up with something like this!!!

Here's a number worth putting in your cell phone, or your home phone
speed dial: 1-800-466-4411. This is an awesome service from Google,
and it's free -- great when you are on the road.

Don't waste your money on information calls and don't waste your time
manually dialing the number. I am driving along in my car and I need
to call the golf course and I don't know the number. I hit the speed
dial for information that I have programmed.

The voice at the other end says, "City & State." I say, "Garland,
Texas." He says, "Business, Name or Type of Service." I say,
Firewheel Golf Course." He says, "Connecting" and Firewheel answers
the phone. How great is that? This is nationwide and it is absolutely
free!

Click on the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration.

Goog-411

Settled in

It was hot and humid yesterday and it is shaping up to be that way again today. As I was perspiring profusely I looked into my glass of iced tea and thought, "What a beautiful sight!"





We are settled in for the winter and this is where we are parked...and yes, that is the pool in the background.

How many of you?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 24 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Pumpkin Dessert

Recipe: Pumpkin Dessert 11/9/2008
Category: Dessert
Author: Jean Cornish

1 Betty Crocker one step angel food cake mix
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice


Beat 30 seconds on low speed and 1 minute on medium speed
Bake at 350 degrees in an angel food cake pan, for 37-47 minutes.
Immediately turn upside down until cold on a glass bottle.

An easy fall dessert with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Pumpkin Dessert

Recipe: Pumpkin Dessert 11/9/2008
Category: Dessert
Author: Jean Cornish

1 Betty Crocker one step angel food cake mix
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice


Beat 30 seconds on low speed and 1 minute on medium speed
Bake at 350 degrees in an angel food cake pan, for 37-47 minutes.
Immediately turn upside down until cold on a glass bottle.

An easy fall dessert with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Just Walkin'

I cleaned house today. It needed it badly as it had not been done since before we were at Granbury TX and that has been awhile. On a daily basis Butch and I walk two times a day. We walk on every street in the park and from previous measure I know that to be 1 and 1/10th mile each time. So we do a total of 2 and 1/5th mile per day.

And for those who do not know I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in May so walking is part of my "diet". I find that if I exercise enough the BS (blood sugar) readings stay in the proper range. So I am doing fine with it and look upon it as a blessing. It also explains a few things for me in regards to why some foods made me not feel so well. I have been to diabetes school. Did you know they have school for that? I drug my feet about going. Had a bit of the "know it all" complex. I learned a lot and would highly recommend it for anyone with the diagnosis or taking care of someone with it. And now for one of my favorite recipes:

Recipe: No Potato Salad


2 small head of cauliflower,cut into bite sized pieces
2 bunches of green onions, sliced
6 boiled eggs, diced
Dressing:
1 1/2 Cup Mayo
1/4 Cup Splenda
2 T. Red wine vinegar
2 T. water, cream or milk

Briefly cook cauliflower, drain and cool. Add diced eggs and sliced onion. Salt to
taste. Prepare dressing and mix with cauliflower, onions and eggs.
YUM!

Laundry

Today we did laundry and other chores around the home place. I have been to the pool and hot tub a couple of times. Butch has been hangin' out in the pool hall. It seems to be taking awhile to get settled in but it will happen soon.

Down Mexico Way

We made a trip to Mexico yesterday to pick up some meds. Z-Pak $5.95 Omeprazole (generic Prilosec)$5.75 for 120 capsules. It may be cheaper somewhere else but a person can spend days there if you checked all the pharmacies. There is a strong Mexican military presence at the border but the guns are aimed into Mexico, not out of it. It can be a bit disconcerting but I didn't feel threatened in any way. We also had Pancho's at Garcias. Delicious!!

H.E.B.

Went to the grocery store this afternoon and here that means H.E.B. What a pleasant experience! I have shopped in many grocery stores in many locations and sometimes things on my list have been there for months simply because I cannot find them. For quite some time I have looked for Splenda Cinnamon Spice Coffee flavors. H.E.B. has it along with many other things I have looked for long and hard. And the prices!!! are wonderful. I have had a lot of experience in many areas of the country and I was gobsmacked by the low prices. I like H.E.B.
Oh and by the way gas prices today were $1.83

Rio Grande Valley '08

We arrived in the valley yesterday. Nice pleasant trip down. It is always nice this time of year when the weather is moderate and the traffic is light. January and February the influx of winter Texans makes it chaotic. The traffic is heavy and everywhere you go are lots of people, mostly gringos. So it is very nice right now.;-)
We are in a different spot this year and I think I am going to like it better. We face east and have just the right amount of shade. At least we do until the trees lose their leaves. That won't happen until mid to late December. In our new spot we can see the swimming pool. In fact we are about 10 yards from it. Butch takes on the job of shutting off the hot tub every evening so it is handy for him to be where he can see if there are people in it.
So we are getting settled in and reacquainted with the park and its people. From now until next April you will want to check both sites. They are listed on the right under Links.

Travel Day

We have had a fun two days in Canyon Lake with the Linders but today we are headed even further south to the Rio Grande Valley.
Today is a 285 mile day and that is about the extent of a full day for us. We are listening to the book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" and the miles pass quickly.

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents and an unusual breed of dogs on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. But when tragedy strikes the Sawtelle family, Edgar flees to the surrounding wilderness. He comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him.

Butch has his satellite back. He turned off all electricity to the motorhome including the 12 volt system and essentially rebooted it. And it worked. It sure made for a more pleasant day.
Angel is also better. She has these spells now and then-every six months or so-where she urps a few times and then she is okay again. There doesn't seem to be any apparent reason for it. She will be 14 in January. Every now and then I think she may not be with us that much longer and then I meet a cat like here in this park who is twenty!!
Till next time...

Movin on...

Wednesday we moved on down the road to Canyon Lake TX to meet up with Terry and Lisa Linder. It was a pleasant run and Lisa had a most pleasant supper ready for us.
We did find diesel fuel for 2.88 at WalMart in Marble Falls TX. The drive here was just fine but now Butch is fighting with the satellite. TREES.
It looks as though we have lost our programming on the satellite again. This has been determined by just us so far but after much adjusting and pulling out of hair.
And after this bit of a bump Angel was sick during the night. So I have been up since about 4:00 with a sick cat. We never know what causes it but this does happen. Thank goodness it is rare.
This too shall pass.

After Golf

The guys played golf and Sharon and I went shopping. This was followed by drinks and dinner at Mike and Sharons wonderful home on Pecan Plantation.
To back up a bit Sharon and I met Cindy Young on Monday. Cindy is a Swedish weaver I met through an online Swedish weaving group. We had a very enjoyable visit.

Artist in Granbury

This artist was at the Granbury festival yesterday. These pictures are of the painting and the view he was painting.

Settlers

Yesterday we went to a festival in Granbury. The Nutts were early settlers of the area. The statue is of one of the Nutt women. Born a Nutt until she married. Yeah, I am chuckling....

Granbury TX till Wednesday

We are in the Pecan Plantation campground at Granbury TX. And we will be here till Wednesday morning. My connection is as good as it can get for one bar of service. I have been amazed because I was told it wasn't here at all.(Verizon)

Fixed

Yesterday was one of those days we have at least once a year when we get minor maintenance done on the motorhome. This time it was small stuff mostly. I say mostly because our satellite quit working a couple of months ago and that is fairly major for Butch. I called Direct TV and had our service put on hold and yesterday it was repaired and service reinstated. Butch is like a kid with a new toy. We also had the wind sensor on our awning replaced...again. A window shade and the shower door fixed. We are good to go and will be doing so on Friday. We are headed for Granbury TX to visit with Snow Mountain Ranch friends, Mike and Sharon Bryce before heading on further south.

Retro

Anyone want a retro stove or refrig? The stove is a Tappan and in good working order. It doesn't show much wear. I was amazed at how spotless it was. It has been kept up very nicely. They are 1953 vintage. The fridge,a General Electric has some mildew around the door but could be easily cleaned up. Works well too.
These items belong to Susan's mother and were purchased new when she bought the house in 1953. There are people who are into the retro looks so I thought I would give you a chance to see them. If interested at all you can email me and I will pass the info on to Susan.
Last Sunday Butch and I traveled northward in the car to meet up with Gary and Susan. Main purpose was to get Susan's mothers house winterized. It did not sell on the auction. The house is winterized. And we had breakfast with granddaughter Amanda and her husband Brad as well.

Maple Leaf Festival Parade

http://picasaweb.google.com/keep.movin.on/MapleLeafFestivalParade#

A rare day

Haven't stepped foot outdoors. That is a rare day. It was raining hard this morning and kept up off and on most of the day so we have spent the day indoors. Yeah, the usual. Butch is playing spider solitaire on his computer. I am finishing up a Swedish weaving project. We got a nap in and watched the DOW drop another 700+ points...you know, ...the usual.

Monkeys anyone?

A friend sent this and I thought it explained things pretty well.

Economics 101

Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."

The villagers rounded up all of their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!

Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.

Whatcha doin?

Oh not much...My morning routine is to make coffee then fire up this old computer. First I go to my home page which happens to be iGoogle. I have it set up for various things like the weather in various locations and different news feeds. I have a ToDo list on it, a dictionary and travel direction finder. There are all kinds of gadgets that can be added. If one of the headlines grabs my attention I may click on it but most of the time I pass on the negativity. Even more so of late. Then I check the Atlantic News Telegraph. When you live in an area for twenty years the ties bind at least a little. Then I check the Des Moines Register.
After that it is time to check email. In there will be messages from friends that I answer first unless I do not know the answer and then it may wait till I find out. I subscribe to several newsletters that come on various days. There are a couple of techie ones with computer info, a few Swedish weaving ones and RVTravel.com and I am sure there are ones that are not coming to mind right off.
Of course then it is time to do the puzzle. www.jigzone.com Butch and I have competed on this for years. Sometimes he wins and sometimes I do. It seems to go in streaks. We have signed up for the daily puzzle to arrive in email everyday and we always do the 48 piece classic.
And then I might put something on the blog and that is easier if we have been busy. Right now we are not and thus the ramblings.
After Butch gets up and we have a bite to eat we will get our walk in.

Economy

Yes it is a mess. A greed generated mess. And there may be a few of us who do not think it affects us and I may have been one of those. After all we did and do have our ducks in a row. We are in Carthage MO and the nice Mountain Aire MoHo sitting next to us contains a couple who retired in April, still have a stick built house but spend several months a year in their motorhome. They are not hurting financially. They went to Sears in Joplin to buy a small shop vac. $113. Decided to write a check for it. The check was not accepted. Sears has a company that assesses the likelyhood of a check being okay. They called the company and they said it was a numbers thing and to try another check. It didn't work either! They said a check is NOT guarantee of payment. After all your bank may not be able to honor it! They ended up using a credit card. But this incident bodes the way of the future. This mess will affect ALL of us.

A Moving Day

We are moving today from Peculiar MO to Carthage MO. Only 129 miles but all of it is south! We will have to fill up with fuel today too but we are grateful for the drop in prices. Last I checked the Flying J was selling diesel for $3.619. That is the lowest we have seen since last fall. It is always a crap shoot when we fill up. Should we put in a small amount because it may drop further? Or maybe there is a better price down the road? Bottom line is we do not like to travel with one eye on the fuel gauge. It just isn't a comfortable feeling. We do check fuel prices ahead of us as we travel using these two sites mostly. With the MSN site you need to know the zipcode of the city but that is easily googled.

Gas Prices MSN Auto:
http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

Flying J

http://www.flyingj.com/flyingjPortalWebProject/flyingjPortal.portal

Leaf Collage

All these leaves were real when I started. I photoed and fiddled, cropped, copied and pasted. This is the result!

Icy!?!

I needed to go the grocery store this morning to get some things to put in the crockpot for supper. Butch turned on the windshield wipers to clear the windshield of what appeared to be moisture...it was ICE. He had to get out with a trusty credit card, the only thing they are good for, and scrape off the ice before we could proceed. I was not expecting temps so low so my rescue plant from Snow Mountain Ranch may be frosted. Time will tell. And it tells us it IS time to head for parts further south.

In Missouri

We travelled to Missouri on Friday and we are parked in Peculiar. I had called for a reservation and they were still full! It was merely luck that they had a spot for us. We will be leaving next Friday for Carthage and we have called ahead there too. Anyone wanting to get into the RV Park business should have an easy time of it. Especially around the perimeter of Kansas City.
The kids are tied up with the auction today in Savannah MO. Looks like it will be a good day for it and we hope people are a bit more relaxed and ready to spend a bit of their money for some really good stuff.
I stayed with Susan's mother, Eloise last night and Butch went back to the MoHo and stayed with Angel. This morning I went to check my mail on the kids computer and all of a sudden it disappeared and then it dawned on me that Butch had brought in my mail on that computer!! Oh well, always time for that later.
Better get my walk in .... more talk later

Coffee Mug Cake

This one has been floating around the Internet for awhile but I just received it yesterday. But I thought perhaps some of you were like me and had not seen it yet.


5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well . Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!
(this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake
at any time of the day or night!

Keri tried it.

Keri tried this recipe and declared it a winner. It looks as though it could be one of those standby quickies to have on-hand.

One-Pot Salsa Beef Skillet

Prep Time:
5 min

Total Time:
27 min

Makes:
4 servings

What You Need

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 cups water

1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Cheese

1 green onion, chopped

Make It

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet.

ADD water, salsa and Macaroni; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn and Cheese Sauce; cook 2 min. or until heated through.

TOP with shredded cheese and onions.

RecipeDetail

Colleen's House

Colleen is an artist and also my friend. Colleen's sister, Denise and I were classmates and we are friends too. A few years ago Colleen and her husband Jim and Butch and I got together partially because they were full timers for a few years and Jim shared a love of golf with Butch. And you know how sometimes you just click with someone?- well, Colleen and I clicked. Since that first meeting, Jim became ill and has passed. Just this past summer. So my friend Colleen is tangling with all the pain of that. Fortunately she has an abundance of friends to help her and I consider myself lucky to be among them.
I have admired Colleen's house from the first time I saw it. Some people have a special flare in making a space all their own. So the pictures in this album are a very small part of what she has done. All the art work is hers. This album is primarily of her bathroom and kitchen floors. She placed and painted her artwork on the floor then coated it with resin.

Flu shots and other stuff

Butch and I went to get our flu shots today. Yes, folks it is that time of year again.

Years ago we Jefferson school kids were fed Hamburger and Green Beans. Some of us remember it fondly and others not so fondly but the Brooker family were in the fondly category. Perhaps in part because Grandma Hansen who lived across the road from the Brookers was the school cook. She was able to inform Butch's mother how to make it. It is really quite simple but the prep has to be right or it is not the same. Leo wanted a blast from the past so the menu for tonight was Hamburger and Green Beans and those of us who are fans of the dish enjoyed it very much. It has been a standby quick meal in our house for lo these many years. I will try to impart the recipe here but a word of warning, this dish isn't going to win any beauty contests...tasty though.

Hamburger and Green Beans
1 lb Hamburger, crumbled and browned
1-2 cans green beans, drained
2 T flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk

Drain grease from hamburger leaving a tablespoon or two. Sprinkle flour over hamburger and stir, add green beans and stir. Add milk and stir till it is all heated through. The sauce on this is not like gravy. It is barely noticeable as a sauce.
Enjoy!! or not!

Just another sunrise

They are all thee most beautiful!

Butch takes it up

Often times in between the busy times at Snow mountain Ranch or Magnolia Park Butch will find himself at odds for something to do. He would rather play golf of course but sometimes it just doesn't work out. He had such a day yesterday so I suggested he start a small Swedish weaving project. There is nothing sexist about it. There isn't a law that you have to be female to enjoy it. So he started a project yesterday and judging from the time he spent on it he may get it finished someday. One of the amazing things about it is that in doing a project most of us do half of it then turn our work over to do the other half. Me, being right handed, start in the middle and work toward the left side. Then I turn my work upside down and do the same. Butch changes hands!! He uses his right hand to do one half then instead of turning it over he switches the needle to the left hand to do the other half! I knew he had some ambidexterity because he deals cards left handed but I had no idea it was that deeply ingrained. Imagine being married for nearly 50 years and not knowing that about him. It shows there is always something new to learn about people.

Spaghetti Squash

I have been enjoying spaghetti squash lately and thought you might like some too.

Spaghetti Squash

Also called vegetable spaghetti, this creamy-yellow, watermelon-shaped winter squash was so named because of its flesh, which, when cooked, separates into yellow-gold spaghettilike strands. Averaging from 4 to 8 pounds, spaghetti squash are available year-round with a peak season from early fall through winter. Choose squash that are hard and smooth with an even pale yellow color. Avoid greenish squash (a sign of immaturity) and those with bruised or damaged spots. Store uncut spaghetti squash at room temperature for up to three weeks. After the whole squash is baked, the rather bland-tasting strands can be removed from the shell and served with sauce, like pasta. They can also be served as part of a casserole or cold as a salad ingredient.

Spaghetti Squash Baked Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Style Spinach and Spaghetti Squash Quiche

New Table Cover

.
My latest Swedish Weaving project. This one was fun, easy and quick. It is yellow monk's cloth with country blue yarn in the Victorian lace pattern

Crowded

Lucy, Mama and Stubby all in one small box. I think they like it that way...and then Stubby left the nest.

On My List...

Cream Of Sweet Potato Soup   

Ingredients
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 
2 c chicken broth 
1 tsp sugar 
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 
1 1/2 c half-and-half or milk
Salt and pepper to taste  

Directions
Place sweet potatoes and broth in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 2
to 3 hours or until potatoes are tender. Puree potatoes and liquid in
blender. Put back in slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Cover and
cook on high 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot or chilled with a dollop of sour
cream if desired. Makes about 1 quart. 
_______________________________________

YooHoo

We are back in Jefferson! Butch landed on the lawn mower right away and has been busy ever since. We will most likely be here till we head south to Missouri. Butch will help Gary and Susan with an auction in Savannah MO on October 5th. I will stay with Susan's mother Eloise and help out in that way.
So we will be in Jefferson until the 2nd or 3rd. It is getting so crowded at the Peculiar campground and the Carthage campground that those are places we should remember to call for reservations. Haven't done that yet.
Anyway...if you are in the Jefferson Iowa area stop on by...we would love to see you.
One of my plans for the near future is to go through my address book and nudge those I haven't heard from in quite some time with a personal message. It is amazing to me the people that travel through my mind as we are traveling through the countryside and I will think, I sure haven't heard from them in a very long time. I wonder how they are doing and then we stop and I get busy and you know the rest. But rest assured if you haven't emailed me in awhile, you are on my list!!