Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day 2011

Early morning - shortly after sunrise

A little later - about 8 a.m.

Looking down the lane

Fig tree - with a bit of Fall color!

Happy Thanksgiving Day 2011!

November - Heading Towards Thanksgiving Day

November days are winding down. 

Beautiful birthday Chrysanthemum!

Almost 80 - or maybe higher - today! It's been an odd week for weather: high 80s one day, with low 50s the next!

Seems like we were just celebrating Halloween and all those family birthdays, but now it's almost time for Thanksgiving Day! Happy Birthday to Paul and Anne Marie in November! Not nearly as many family birthdays as in October!

The camellias are starting to bloom. It seems a bit early but maybe they're early because of the warm weather.

The first camellia picked for in the house! 

11-11-11

11-11-11

Florida Fall

It's Fall!

Blue skies

Mild temperatures

Suddenly .... a "Nor'easter"!

Dark and gloomy - only mid-afternoon!

Then some trees start changing

Dogwood seeds

My mother used to collect the seeds on her walks and then later plant them, starting new Dogwood trees all over the property.  She especially liked lining the paths and driveways with Dogwoods. So very beautiful in the Springtime when they're in bloom!

A slight hint of Fall coloring as the leaves start changing

The red seeds add a welcome bit of color

As do the Cardinals Guards when they start blooming 

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY  HALLOWEEN !!!!!

Family October Birthday/Halloween Party

 Our jigsaw puzzle - 500 pieces of Halloween fun!

One of my Halloween Treat Bouquets

Treat Table - very spooky-looking photo!

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Graduation!

Yesterday I "graduated"!

Had my last appointment at my Gynecologic Oncologist's office - five years after my surgery - three years of four times a year + two years of twice a year!  

Home free!!! 

I feel so very, very fortunate!

September Tea Party

Cupcakes Galore

What happens when you pick up a grandson and stop at the new cupcake shop - the former ice cream cone-shaped ice cream shop that's now transformed into a cupcake-shaped cupcake shop? Well, first of all you select an assortment of the mini cupcakes to try: chocolate chip, pumpkin, lemon, orange crush, white poundcake, banana, and chocolate raspberry.

Then you gather some tiny teacups, a tiny teapot and sugar cubes (of course!). You make grilled cheese, some cheese crackers, and slice some apples.

And then

You enjoy a little September Tea Party!

Oops!

Gone Fishing

Back Soon!

Oops, I could've sworn I set this to publish the day we left! Well, we're back now (September 1) - from Western Montana - Kalispell, West Glacier, Glacier National Park - so beautiful out there! 

Watching and Waiting

Watching and Waiting ...... for Irene!

There's a little change in the atmosphere now - inching our way towards Fall. A tad cooler, the light is a little different  - it's coming!

But today we're all starting to follow the news very carefully as we watch and wait to see what Tropical Storm - now Hurricane - Irene will do. 

Will it look this calm and serene here next week?

Even Teddy Bear, who's found a cosy spot on that old mailbox, is watching and waiting to see what happens next. Better check our cat food supply!

Happy 7th Anniversary, David and Stacie!

Such a beautiful setting - and a beautiful couple too!

August - Hot!

Still Hot and Muggy

August Garden Calendar

Florida Times Union's Monthly Guide to Gardening Success

(Published January 2, 2011)

August - Planting Guide 

Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, collards, bunching onions, turnips

Annuals: Coleus, Salvia

Begin planting a fall garden of tender vegetables such as beans, corn, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and watermelon in early August.

We've had a little rain recently, so things have greened up.

Lawn Tips

Watch for webworms and army worm damage. These are lawn caterpillairs that feed on grasses and usually are a problem on Bermuda and St. Augustine lawns.  They will attack all type of lawns if the population is high enough.  The grass will look as if it has been mowed very low.  Treat damaged areas with an approved insecticide.  It may not be necessary to treat your whole lawn for the worms. Spot-treating reduces the amount of insecticide being applied to the environment.

If mole crickets are damaging the lawn, apply mole cricket bait in early evening when there is no chance of rain.

Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns.

Lots of 'bugs' to watch for in Florida!

Twenty Years!

Happy 20th Anniversary, Kathleen and Robert!

Best Wishes for many more years together!

Happy Birthday to Adam!

Happy 8th Birthday to Adam!

 Combo Man

Little Hershey, 3 Musketeer, & Milky Way bars 

plus a little cash inside!

Little book of photos

"On the day you were born - everyone was happy!"

Combo Man - dollar bills sticking out :)

Little quiltlet started when Adam was born! About time I finished it - probably won't want to hang it in his room now! Maybe we could make it into a pillow cover? All the fabrics except the solid green & the yellow gingham backing are from leftover scraps of items sewn for his mother when she was a little girl. Can't imagine why it took so long to finish!

Recipe Time!

Oh, how I love fresh peaches! Just received some from a friend who went to Georgia over the weekend. Well, actually I asked/begged her to bring me some! I told her I'd bake a peach cobbler for her - so that's what I did last night.

Peach Cobbler on my mother's crocheted placemat

Of course there are many different recipes, using biscuit dough, piecrust, or even oatmeal crisp, but this is a new recipe I tried - from grandparents.com - and it's really good!

Nana's Peach Cobbler

From Faye Porter's "At My Grandmother's Knee: Recipes & Memories
Handed Down by Women of the South", Thomas Nelson, 2011 

http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/food/recipes/article/recipe-nanas-peach-cobbler-grandmothers-knee.html

Ingredients:

Filling: 3 cups peeled & sliced peaches, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, & 1/4 teaspoon almond extract   -- I mixed the peaches, lemon juice, & almond extract, then mixed the cornstarch into the sugar & mixed that with the peach mix

Topping: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, beaten, & 1 stick butter - combine the flour, sugar, & salt; add the beaten egg; then work in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, mix the filling & pour into a 9-inch square baking pan; Spoon the topping on top of the peaches; bake for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.  Serve warm or cool. Serves 5 or 6.

The first time I just made one cobbler for a potluck, but last night I used more peaches & a little more flour & sugar to make 3 smaller cobblers to give away  + one tiny one for me to sample! They're a little drippy, but that just shows how juicy the peaches were!

Better go deliver those cobblers before I sit here & eat them all!

Oh, before I go, here's the recipe for Tomato Pie shown in this previous post.

Mary's Tomato Luncheon Pie

Pie crust - purchased or bake your own

5 tomatoes sliced thin(can also use other vegetables)

1 cup mayonnaise - I use Kraft Low-Fat

1 cup shredded cheese - I usually use Sharp Cheddar, but any would work

1 grated onion

Grate onion & combine with mayo & cheese. Place tomatoes in the crust & spoon the mixture on top. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Now this is good, but here's another friend's variation: she thinly sliced the onions rather than grating; she added fresh basil to the tomato slices; she used half mozzarella cheese & half cheddar or Jack cheese.  

Last time I made this, I added fresh dried basil - and it was a wonderful addition! Sometime I'll try using broccoli instead of tomatoes. Such an easy recipe - and everyone loves it!

Have a peachy day!

AUGUST 2011

It's August 1 already!

So nice to be retired when August rolls around! If I were still working, I'd be in full panic mode by now, with so many things to do before the start of school all too soon this month!

Not so hot yet today, maybe because it's a bit cloudy. 

Rain this afternoon?

One lone brown bird on the bird feeder.  Usually they flock to the feeder in the early morning and evening, but they do prefer cloudy to sunny times. Just before a storm, they feed like crazy. We have to have squirrel and raccoon-proof feeders or there'd be nothing for the birds.

"What are you doing", she must be thinking!

They're Off!

Heading to Texas!

Dan flew in Tuesday evening to come clear out the garage apartment. He rented a U-Haul to take his things back to Texas.

Early this morning - almost ready to leave!

They're off! It's I-10 all the way! 

Max will fly back after visiting awhile in Texas.

Travel safely, guys!