Old Centennial Farmhouse

More Red, White & Blue

2012-05-31T10:50:00.000-04:00

This year I hung the buntings from the windows instead of the porch railing. they are more visible from inside but from the outside, they don't show much at all.

I love, love, love decorating for

Memorial Day and the Fourth of July!

It's Almost Time!

2012-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

The PEONIES are coming!

The Peonies are coming!

The PeOnies are coming!

Soon, I will ask them to pose for some new pics for you.

Think they'll come through for me?

A little info on cutting them to enjoy inside the house.

Taken from: Reader's Digest 1001 Tips & Tricks For Your Garden

"For displaying peonies indoors, select buds that are just opening. The striking blooms will unfold in a few days. And cut the stems with only a few leaves. The plants need to foliage to produce food for the following year."

A few more peony tips:

1. If you need to move peonies, transplant in EARLY FALL.

2. They like to stay put so choose location carefully. A sunny to partially shaded spot protected from wind.

3. Plant in autumn when the little red buds on the crown are visible.

4. Use a green screen for support so that the plant will not snap in the wind.

5. Support peonies (ours are all either cozied up in front of a shed or in front of a picket fence. they do not stand well alone.

6. You can add additional support by giving them a string fence, setting this up early before the buds break.

Remembering The Sacrifice For Freedom

2012-05-28T08:52:00.000-04:00

Today is a special day of quiet contemplation in each heart of Americans for the gift we've been given at a great cost to many.

Not only to those who honor this gift is freedom given, it is also granted to those who don't appreciate the sacrifices and those who will only kick their country and apologize for it instead of treasure it.

I hope that you've had a chance to stop in at a cemetery and say a quiet thank you in your heart to a soldier buried there for years as time sweeps across his resting place and freedom blows the flag placed there to honor him this day.

We are so very fortunate to know this gift that billions in the world long for and don't know and may never know.

We have what they want. Do we use it for good? Do we honor the memory of those who bought it with their blood?

Are we doing the diligent thing and watching over the freedom won at such a great cost so that we can pass it on to future generations?

I hope that it can be said that we were willing to put it on the line and make sure that our soldiers who have given some and the some who have given all will not have done so in vain.

That is what we of this generation will be judged for: our willingness to fight for the preservation of our freedoms here at home.

Are you up to to the task?

Thank you to every one who has served this noble country. I appreciate your sacrifice and inconvenience as well as that of those who loved you, to make sure we can peacefully lay down our heads on our pillows at night in peace.

And now...a word or two from the greatest President in my time...

The first President I was able to vote for and did so gladly...

Wise words.

To Grill: Potato Packets aka Hobo Pies

2012-05-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

This weekend, in addition to celebrating freedom by remembering those who have served our country, is also considered the "official start of summer"...and summer means grilling season, for many.

A lot of us use our grills all year through and have our favorite go-to recipes, and this is one of mine.

It's versatile, and this can be made with any vegetable you have around the house that's suitable for cooking and eating--and when I do this it's called a Potato Packet because it's always a basic with potatoes as the main ingredient.

It's also versatile for the reason that it can be a complete meal if you had some ground chuck to the packet, it cooks in with the veggies and the burger gives the flavor to the meal; and that's when it's called a Hobo Pie...

My basic recipe is with carrots, potatoes, and onion. When I have them, we use in season goodies from the garden like zucchini and summer squash and have also used broccoli and any other number of good things that taste wonderful roasted.

Potato Packets or Hobo Pies

You will need:

Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Fresh zucchini or summer squash
Butter pats, about a Tablespoon for each packet
Foil for grill
Pam
Morton's "Nature's Seasons" or similar seasoning
*Ground chuck, if desired, for a full meal in one packet

Clean and slice your vegetables and slice them to get ready to go. I slice the potatoes into slices an inch or less, same with carrots. The onion is used mainly for flavoring and is best in a larger chunk. Or, if you like, rings if you want to eat them rather than only use them for flavor.

Your foil should be just under the size of a cookie sheet because you will need room to wrap and fold over the ends and top of the packet to hold in the heat to roast your veggies, yet not have the leaking that can cause grill fires.

Spray Pam on a sheet of foil. Pile a single serving amount of each of the kinds of veggies, starting with the potatoes on the bottom. On top of your little mound of goodies, place the butter and then the onion(s).

***If you are using ground chuck, do not use the butter: instead place the ground chuck, in little chunks on the top of the stack, the steam will cook it, and the amount of fat in the ground chuck eliminates the need for the butter on your pile.

Season the whole pile with Morton's Nature's Seasoning or your own favorite.

Fold up the top, and then each end to seal the packet.

Place on the top shelf of the grill on medium heat for at least twenty minutes, perhaps more depending on the size of your packet and the thickness of your veggies. You can test one packet with a fork, but don't poke through the bottom of the packet!

I usually place these on the grill before the meat if the meat is a twenty-minute or less job.

Four packets, all ready to go. If there are leftovers, they are WONDERFUL!

This savory seasoning is the perfect compliment to the veggies and with enough flavor infused so that the potatoes don't come out bland and tasteless.

If using butter for the flavor, your stack will look like this. This stack is ready to seal up and cook.

This is exactly the beauty I am going for in placing my potatoes at the bottom of the stack.

My whole family loves this entree in the summer with their grilled chicken, fish or beef. I hope that you enjoy it, too, and feel free to leave your way of making Hobo Pies or Potato Packets and your variations used....we all love to hear other versions of what is called by the same name!

Enjoy grilling and bring on summer!

Newsy News...

2012-05-22T10:49:00.004-04:00

Last week Lem had an appointment back at the University of Michigan Hospital with his neurologist for a follow-up appointment. He was given a clean bill of health, and was told the pathology came back negative, the tumor was benign, as expected.

It was a big relief to hear, even though we were told it was most likely benign at the time they removed it. There is always that little thought at the back of your mind...

The neurologist pulled the MRI pictures up on his computer and showed us that big bad boy...and said that it was quite a large tumor for its type. We are so thankful that the optometrist found it and sent Lem to a specialist right away. The doc said his vision should continue to improve, he's seen a big difference already. The problem the tumor caused is that it pressed on the optic nerves.

He left the hospital after surgery with five or six medications, and is now down to one, which is a thyroid med he will most likely always have to take. But all other levels they were watching in his blood are normal again!

We felt like we were walking on air when we left and are blessed to have a new beginning.

Thanks be to God for his grace and his goodness to us, and thanks to all who prayed, it is very appreciated. Very.

Granny's Quilt at Sunset

2012-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Granny's quilt at sunset.

A quilt is a lasting gift.

This one was from my husband's little granny or "momo" as he called her.

It's a simple nine-patch, all scrappy, just like I like 'em.

This has been ours for around twenty years now. It has gone on many trips with us, after first serving as my son's bedspread for years. It has seen the Smoky Mountains, the beaches at the Gulf of Mexico as well as the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan...

Tonight I had no idea there'd been an eclipse, and I didn't spot it. But this picture of beauty didn't get past me. I called out to my husband on the way out the door with my camera, and told him to come take a look at how nice his granny's quilt looked against the sunset sky.

This brought up a most pleasant conversation about the good memories he had of her, especially of her cooking and making his most favorite things in her little kitchen.

I must be sure to make some quilts to pass on to my babies and theirs.

They last, just like the memories do...

Your Favorite Whatchamacallit?

2012-05-16T21:52:00.003-04:00

We all have little things hidden around the house that we use every day, that make our lives easier in different ways.

And they can cost a couple bucks and pay for themselves over and over.

Hidden inside this little old jelly jar I got for a quarter at a garage sale, is my little whatchamcallit, or whozzit, or thingamajig, or whatever you want to say.

(What is it you call a gadget?)

This is my little gem: a scrubber that you pour dish detergent under the lid and it dispenses itself for the scrubber brush below, and it's great for wiping down the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher.

ALSO...it's handy for scrubbing the sink every night. It was maybe three dollars and I love it!

What's your favorite little gadget that you can't live without?

June Bug's Journal

2012-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well hello there! It's me, JuneBug! I haven't seen you in awhile!

It's evening here and the farmhouse, and my "day" is just getting started.

I'm quite the hunter.

You name it, I'll hunt it.

And, I have quite the attitude.

It's been almost three years since I came to live here. I like it.

Nighttime is the best time and I come into the garage in the mornings and sleep all day. The warmer it is in the garage, the better I like it.

MEOW!
MEOW!
Meow!
Meow!
Meow!

This is my "game face" and I'm after mama. I have to go up to her and act tough when she wants to pick me up. That way, she knows I'm THE BOSS.

Magic in the Ordinary: Weeds

2012-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

And...just a few moments later...the light took on a magic glow, making it worth waiting for.

I saw this through the lens...

Beauty, is indeed, where you find it.

And part of the beauty is in the process of finding.

It's Alright, Momma!

2012-05-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommas out there!

And I know if you're like me...

You know that sometimes motherhood can be kicked around, lately even for political gain, with those words I know many stay-at-home moms have heard from time to time: "She hasn't worked a DAY in her life...!"

I know many of you laughed when you heard THAT one, while you were multi-tasking and folding another load of laundry, shuffling down the hall to see why junior was awake again, and making a list of things to do tomorrow before finally heading to bed late at night, right?

Don't ever let anyone tell you that it's a small and insignificant job, because we all know there's nothing small about raising the next generation of American citizens.

It's a big job to raise good Americans.

And no, you don't have to stay home to do it.

But many times we choose to do so.

At times sacrificing a comfortable living to do so.

And there's nothing wrong with choosing the family over anything the outside world can offer a gal.

There's lots to gain.

Because at one time in history someone wise once said:

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

And it's true. Let it be your hand.

There's is nothing at all wrong, and in fact there is much that is ALL right with choosing family over a career.

And so much can seem more important, more necessary.

But in the bigger picture, we all know, that childhood is such a small segment of time in the lives of our children.

It goes way, way, way too fast.

And then, as fast as you can say BINGO! you find that one day, as much as you loved motherhood, grandmotherhood is even more wonderful!

'Tis the Season!

2012-05-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

This has to be my favorite time of year: the red, white and blue holidays are coming up.

The time between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July is prime season for red, white, and blue. I so love to get into the spirit!

Not only outside, but inside, too!

((My category on Pinterest called "Red, White & Blue.))

Sure would love to have you here on the porch, rocking and visiting, sipping on some lemonade!

Simple Joys

2012-05-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

Big Lots. $4 a pack. Just my colors!

It doesn't take much to make me smile.

New dishtowels.

What little purchase makes you smile?

I Walk.

2012-05-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

I am someone without much athletic ability.

I never played sports as a kid. Not even in the yard. The most we might have done was bat a ball.

With nine kids, I imagine if we'd played sports, my mom might have never been home, driving to and from practices and events might've been impossible to coordinate.

Anyway, even so...I'm just not naturally athletic.

Strong, yes.
Coordinated, no.

SO I WALK.

That's my exercise. I seem to find my escape that way. I seem to look forward to that little block of time every other day to walk so fast my heart rate elevates and I sweat like a pig. I've walked for years, but last year I discovered what works best for me.

Earphones in, Pandora on the "disco" station most of the time. Disco has the energetic beat to keep me at a very fast, steady pace.

I also discovered that for me, it's best to do indoor walking. That way I never have to worry with ice, snow, rain, sleet, fog, or about dogs, mud puddles, stopping to cross a street or a road, cars splattering me, the boogie man kidnapping me, heh! Or the biggest issue of all: what the weather MIGHT do or IS DOING.

That can be a big mess in Michigan and when I walked outdoors, it was almost impossible to keep a consistent schedule. Consistency is what helps me keep going.

So then the next thing I conquered is finding the right shoes.

Then, I began to journal miles.

WHAT FUN!

From January first to the end of April, I walked 212 miles. That is like leaving my house and walking clear to the Mackinac Bridge!

I think it's fun to put into perspective "where" I might have walked. If I'd walked south, it would be like me leaving my house and walking almost to Gary, Indiana, on the way to Chicago.

So now, I'm excited to see where I might have walked to by the end of summer, then fall, and then the end of the year!

This is getting to be fun!

Have you tried logging your miles?

PS: My next thing to "conquer" is my book. I have to set out to and accomplish my book!

Farmhouse Diner: Chicken Sandwiches

2012-05-05T08:47:00.005-04:00

I cook by the seat of my pants and I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and made it within minutes of finding it, so needless to say, I was missing a few of the ingredients. It was Friday night and I needed something fairly simple and good for dinner that night. I had thawed some chicken breasts, and was browsing Pinterest to find something new.

But hey, this recipe was so good with my substitutions that I may just keep on making it "wrong"!

I didn't photograph each step of the recipe, it's fairly simple and straightforward, I recommend a Ziploc bag rather than their recommendation of two pieces of Saran Wrap, because when I pound something with a mallet, it tends to send icky stuff flying everywhere, so I saved myself the mess and used the bag. It worked great.

The way this turned out, my boys wouldn't mind if this was my stand-by "fried chicken" instead of my old recipe. I tend to agree!

Why the difference?

I honestly think it's the powdered sugar in the recipe, it gives the coating a dryness needed to be on the sandwich, and it's just PERFECT. Who would've thought? I substituted cornmeal for whole wheat flour and that was great, too. I may try it next time with the whole wheat just to make sure that cornmeal is my favorite way.

Imitation "Chick-Fil-A" Sandwiches!

2 chicken breasts
Peanut oil for frying
(I didn't have peanut oil, so used corn oil instead in my cast iron dutch oven which seems to work best for fried chicken!)
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 t. paprika
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
(I assumed the whole wheat was for crunch, and didn't have any, so I substituted cornmeal.)
1 T. dry milk
2 T. water
1 T. powdered sugar
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. dry mustard
(I substituted soul food seasoning and Morton's "HOT" salt for all the seasonings, except for the Kosher salt and the pepper and just loved it.)

Cut breasts into four pieces, slicing horizontally. Place the chicken in a gallon Ziploc and pound them into submission, excuse me, I mean flat pieces without breaking them.

Salt and pepper them.
Mix egg, water, milk, in a bowl.
Mix flours, dry milk, powdered sugar, soda and dry mustard in another.

Dip the chicken in the milk, then in the egg wash.

Fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towels. Serve with a slice dill pickle on a toasted bun. YUM!!

**I doubled this recipe, the leftovers would be great again in a sandwich, OR, sliced into a Cobb Salad!**

This was dinner, just the sandwich, with my sun dills sliced into planks on top of the chicken, no condiments, nothing else. It was awesome!

Have you ever heard of powdered sugar in fried chicken before?

Jammin'

2012-05-03T17:26:00.003-04:00

Said one jam pot to the other: "Are you full?"

It's almost time to make Strawberry Jam!

Easiest, and most rewarding thing to make for your family...

Our little strawberry patch has served us very well and filled the freezer with jam and berries for over ten years. After this bearing season is through, they will all pulled and thrown out and we start again with a new patch of plants.

It's truly amazing what the earth will give us for just a little effort and time.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING tastes better than a vine-ripened strawberry from your own little piece of dirt. Anything found in a store has been off the vine far too long and has no comparison in sweetness.

And the little bunnies that live in the patch and have the babies each spring are a bonus sent by God for our delight and enjoyment.

Even though our patch has looked a little weary for several years and we've just been too busy to do anything about it, it still has given much fruit; and abundant enough to share! Last year was so so, but the year before we could pick gallons a day out of it.

Strawberries are well worth the work.

Do you have a patch?

On Blogging...

2012-05-02T08:23:00.004-04:00

A late winter sunset.

My desktop is at the Geek's getting a tune-up.

So I can only ply you with my already-uploaded photo fare; which is pretty limited.

But I found a couple pretties for you.

Can we talk?

Recently I've had some really nice readers say kind things to me about my blog and my photos. It's a pick me up, because when you put your heart and soul into something, it feels good to know someone enjoys that.

I so appreciate the way they let me know they appreciate feeling at home here, and that they "have their coffee" with me--for that feeling is my goal. THAT is what I am after.

My blog is not intended to be something to aspire to, it is instead something I would like for you to simply enjoy.

I hope to never put out the idea to you, my readers, that life is perfect and that there is anything unattainable about this old house and our old bumpy yard.

I never want my blog to be about envy or meeting an expectation that is unrealistic. I never want you to leave my blog feeling less than satisfied.

To inspire, that's my goal.

What I have tried to do while blogging is:

1. Show you my little corner of this big beautiful world. And in particular our state and my country--for foreign readers this is important, but also for those here in the USA.

I find learning about where others live geographically and how they live intriguing and I hope to keep my informative posts simple and beautiful.

There is something beautiful about where ALL of us live, no matter where it is. Don't forget that!

I never make or take trips just for the blog. I fit blogging into my life, I don't make life fit into my blog. At times, I even purposefully do NOT take pictures so that I can be "in the moment"...and enjoy.

I want this to be a "joy" and not a "job" and want to not constantly be thinking about blogging or posting photos.

But, I have just naturally always been someone that takes a ton of pictures. So when I can, I do share the pretty spots I come across with you my readers. Basically, what I am saying here is I like to keep things simple.

2. Blogging fits into my life, my life doesn't fit into my blog. When I cook or bake, and I photograph a recipe to share with you, it's because I was cooking or baking something for my family. Nothing is staged, nothing is purely for "show and tell"...I have tried to make the photos beautiful and shot in great light if I can, but for the most part, what you see is what you get.

If I have a project, I do it because it needs doing, not because I want you to feel like you can't live up to an expectation or an ideal life.

My life is not something I want any of you to try to imitate. What I try to do instead is share the idea with you that we can make do and do more than we think we might be able to.

However, I make most of my projects practical and show that there are different ways of looking at things like feed sacks I found for a quarter at a yard sale, when I need new seat covers for my kitchen chairs.

3. I don't have a "niche"...I am not promoting a single idea or a single style. Although I love the farmhouse look, my blog is not solely devoted just to that. I think of my blog more as a magazine, a little inspiration here, a little "do it yourself" there, a recipe, a travel column, anything you can find in a magazine, I'd like you to be able to browse through here--and I hope you do. My archives runneth over!

4. I don't have a career I'm shooting for. I write and I love to do it. I take photos and I love to do that. I just feel fortunate that I am able to find an audience for both of these loves of mine. It's like a dream come true and I still can't believe it's possible!

It's simple! I'm here to share with you, to learn from you, and teach when I can.

I love that you stop in each day to see what I'm up to, and I thank you for that. Sincerely!

PS: My Restless Patriot Rants are just a bonus I throw in just because I can. Hehee!

Is It Monday Again? Cheery-O!

2012-04-30T07:42:00.001-04:00

Good Monday morning to you!!

Swanky swigs are the name, cheeriness is their game!

I have these cheery little juice glasses in my kitchen windowsill to greet me each morning. They shine their brightest on a sunny day, but even on a dull one like I was greeted with this morning, they still make me smile!

When I was a kid, we didn't have juice glasses, but grandpa did. They always intrigued me, because I liked small things like I think most kids do.

These little dears called out to me at a tiny little antique shop in a little cottage in Alabama one day, because they are primary colors and they look right at home in my red gingham kitchen!

Hope your Monday is bright and that you have something to greet you each day that is cheery-o!

Restless Patriot: Giving & Doing

2012-04-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

You all know I have been pretty open about my feelings about our country and the situation we find ourselves in at this moment in our history.

A lot hangs in the balance; the most precious commodity being our children and their futures.

You all read along on my rants that I post here and there on my farmhouse blog and actually, your responses to those posts are much higher than almost any other single subject that I post about, always surprising me!

Of course, so many of you agree, and are very articulate in your comments in stating how you feel about the issues that face Americans on a daily basis.

Now, the disease of creeping socialism is not NEW to this country, it's just that in the last few years it has accelerated at an alarming pace. If our country is to be restored, we must have young people who are well-educated and who KNOW our HISTORY.

I've often asked myself HOW can I HELP?

I speak up, but what ELSE can I do?

I have always put my beliefs into writing, but also I need to push beyond that and translate belief into action!

I have found tangible way to make a difference in Detroit's inner city for CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS. Since 1999, Cornerstone Schools have established INDEPENDENT schools in the city. This was long before charter schools, this was a pioneering effort in urban schooling.

Independent schools get no state or federal aid but they get RESULTS. They work hard, and push their students academically, and for that work they earn an astonishing 98% graduation rate, and even more impressive, 91% of their students go on to further their education! (Go HERE to learn more about Cornerstone.)

Contrast that impressive statistic of Cornerstone's 98% graduation rate with Detroit Public School's rate of 25%.

Cornerstone offers urban students a chance to kick failure out of their lives.

Cornerstone has about 1400 students. The Cornerstone Schools are run strictly by donation, with people and companies sponsoring the tuition for these students.

For this reason, Cornerstone is sponsoring a kids walk to help with that fundraising goal.

I have made it a personal goal of mine to raise $1,000 for this KID'S WALK on June 10th at the Detroit Zoo, and I am going to need YOUR help!

It will be just under two miles (piece of cake!) and I'll be walking with the kids, rain or shine.

But I need your help!

If I could get 100 of my friends to donate $10, I would be so happy and be proud when I walk that I MADE my GOAL!!

Here is a secure link to donate HERE. May I say THANK YOU in advance for sponsoring me!

(Please note: the Team Page will not say my name, just so you know you're not being linked to the wrong page. I am just a part of this team whose page I am linking you to.)

Cool Ice Cube Trick

2012-04-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

How to get a sunny-side-up egg or a hard-cooked one

without trying to turn it.

Just cook the egg to white, and then to set the yolk,

throw in an ice cube.

Then...

Throw on a lid.

Cook until it's to your liking.

The steam from the ice cube does your work for you!

(**Do not use this method in a cast iron pan, it may crack! Water will do the same trick.**)

Today my preference was halfway between...

It's ready to go!

Eggs! Nature's most perfect food!

In the words of Doctor Seuss...

Would you like them
here or there?

Would you like them
anywhere?

How do you like YOUR eggs?

John Adams DVD Set: Who Won?

2012-04-25T18:43:00.002-04:00

This barn is a great one, even with the newer addition attached to the front.

Check out the barn between them!

The older barn in back has wonderful gables.

SO...on Sunday, we went for a drive in the country.

And I had to drive!

So you know what that means!

I couldn't do my usual "drive-by shooting"!

So I begged, cajoled, and coerced Luke into doing it for me.

And he didn't do too bad, considering the shooting conditions were terrible. The windows couldn't be open, because the wind was so bad that Dorothy blew by and her dress was in tatters, Toto was missing, and the basket was acting as a sail on a stormy sea. She was in bad shape, and that was only day one of a three-day journey she had. (Unless she woke up, that is.)

And...the Suburban was in bad need of a wash and all the windows had bird poop on them because for some reason, the birds LOVE the wind. I think they see it as a PERFECT help for their "splatter art".

For all the awful conditions, Luke did pretty good didn't he?

Oh.

You wanted to know who won the DVD set, didn't you?

Yes.

Well.

It was someone named Debbie.

It was someone named Debbie who lives in.

In.

Um.

South Carolina.

Yes, that's it, Debbie in South Carolina!

SO...I will be emailing you, Debbie, to find out where to send this wonderful package!

(Oh...Debbie, I can hear you hollering from here!! ;0)

And to all who entered, thank you for doing so, and stay tuned, I have another Patriotic video I'm going to have another drawing for!

Wearing Fun...

2012-04-23T12:12:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, a new wardrobe isn't in the books.

(In the checkbook, that is.)

But...it can be updated by adding some fun new bits of this and that to what you already have.

A gorgeous beaded cuff bracelet, works with many colors and my favorite--blue jeans!

Saturday morning, my son had an hour and a half basketball clinic somewhere too far from home to drive back...so I found my nearest Kohl's...do you have a Kohl's, too? I hope so, because every girl needs Kohl's!

Well, I had to go in, after all, they sent me a 30% off coupon!

Well, I headed straight to the accessories department, and spent a whole hour browsing. What fun it was. A lot of their cute stuff was on sale, plus I used the 30% coupon and wowie kazowie! Can you say BARGAINS!?

I have a couple versions of this shirt, worn for at least four years, and I still love them, of course, gingham is always tops in my book! The contrast and trim on the cuffs and collar are lovely to me, as well as the velvet ribbon and red thread buttonholes!

I brought home some versatile pieces to work with some spring clothes I already had.

I'm no fashion plate, but I know fun when I see it!

Added some new sunglasses...

Bangle bracelets? I don't like 'em, but a cuff bracelet or two....fun!

A little bit of retail therapy doesn't hurt a country girl every now and then!

(Neither does perusing "pinterest" to see what other girls put together that I can imitate for outfits ... here's my board called "Fashion I Can Actually Wear!"...)

'Tis MONDAY again...have a great one!

Decadent & Delicious!

2012-04-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

I bet you all have had and enjoyed the hash brown casserole from Cracker Barrel, right?

And you love it!

Well...you can make it at home!

It's a great side dish for company or Sunday dinner.

And...when you make this, you cannot be worried about calories, oh no,

just taste!!

These are delicious and beautiful once they come out of the oven all browned up and crispy on top.

Enjoy!

Heavenly Potatoes

1 onion, finely chopped

(could substitute onion powder for the taste.)

2 T. butter

24 oz. package shredded hash browns, thawed

2 C. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup

2 c. sour cream

(Or if you're like me and get caught without sour cream, you use ranch flavor chip dip in its place. GOOD!)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Saute onion in butter until tender, combine with remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish sprayed with PAM, and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serves 8-10

(This would also be great made into individual casseroles for each place setting.)

Enjoy~and I'm serious about the chip dip, it tasted great!

We are heading back to Ann Arbor today for a follow-up visit on Lem's surgery.

He's doing AWESOME.

Restless Patriot: Feeling Generous!

2012-04-17T17:59:00.002-04:00

John Adams is one of my most favorite series in a long, long, long time! I've watched it many times. It's a seven-part series, where basically you "live through" the birth of America through John Adams' eyes.

I've reviewed it before here and on my Restless Patriot website. It's just excellent all the way around!

Here is the editorial review from the Amazon.com website:

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Based on David McCullough's bestselling biography, the HBO miniseries John Adams is the furthest thing from a starry-eyed look at America's founding fathers and the brutal path to independence. Adams (Paul Giamatti), second president of the United States, is portrayed as a skilled orator and principled attorney whose preference for justice over anti-English passions earns enemies. But he also gains the esteem of the first national government of the United States, i.e., the Continental Congress, which seeks non-firebrands capable of making a reasoned if powerful case for America's break from England's monarchy. The first thing one notices about John Adams' dramatizations of congress' proceedings, and the fervent pro-independence violence in the streets of Boston and elsewhere, is that America's roots don't look pretty or idealized here. Some horrendous things happen in the name of protest, driving Adams to push the cause of independence in a legitimate effort to get on with a revolutionary war under the command of George Washington. But the process isn't easy: not every one of the 13 colonies-turned-states is ready to incur the wrath of England, and behind-the-scenes negotiations prove as much a part of 18th century congressional sessions as they do today.Besides this peek into a less-romanticized version of the past, John Adams is also a story of the man himself. Adams' frustration at being forgotten or overlooked at critical junctures of America's early development--sent abroad for years instead of helping to draft the U.S. constitution--is detailed. So is his dismay that the truth of what actually transpired leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been slowly forgotten and replaced by a rosier myth. But above all, John Adams is the story of two key ties: Adams' 54-year marriage to Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), every bit her husband's intellectual equal and anchor, and his difficult, almost symbiotic relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane) over decades. Giamatti, of course, has to carry much of the drama, and if he doesn't always seem quite believable in the series' first half, he becomes increasingly excellent at the point where an aging Adams becomes bitter over his place in history. Linney is marvelous, as is Dillane, Sarah Polley as daughter Nabby, Danny Huston as cousin Samuel Adams, and above all Tom Wilkinson as a complex but indispensable Ben Franklin. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

John Adams is a sprawling HBO miniseries event that depicts the extraordinary life and times of one of Americas least understood, and most underestimated, founding fathers: the second President of the United States, John Adams. Starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man, HBOs American Spendor) in the title role and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me, Kinsey) as Adams devoted wife Abigail, John Adams chronicles the extraordinary life journey of one of the primary shapers of our independence and government, whose legacy has often been eclipsed by more flamboyant contemporaries like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Set against the backdrop of a nations stormy birth, this sweeping miniseries is a moving love story, a gripping narrative, and a fascinating study of human nature. Above all, at a time when the nation is increasingly polarized politically, this story celebrates the shared values of liberty and freedom upon which this country was built.

If you have not seen it, you will enjoy it, especially if you love history and you love your country.

And I'm feeling generous!

I want to give this DVD set away!

Yes, I love it so much I want you to see it, too! And all you have to do is enter your name, tell a favorite quote from a founding father, and what state you read me from, making SURE that I have an email address for you to notify you if I draw YOUR NAME!

All you must do to enter is:

Leave a favorite quote from our founding fathers.
Leave your first name.
Leave your email address if it's not already stored in your comment information.
Tell what state you read me from.

I apologize, but due to postal prices, I must limit this contest to the continental United States only. Thank you for understanding.

Good luck to all entrants!

I love my readers and I love my country!

DRAWING ENDS: April 24th!

God Bless America!

Little Bitty...Bits of Beauty

2012-04-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

I don't recall where I found this tiny little bitty blue bottle...one my favorite colors of blue there is.

It may have come from under one of the old barns we've torn down on this place, I don't know--I've had it seems like forever!

But what I do know is that it's the perfect size for tiny spring blooms: violets, grape hyacinths, and of course, Lilly of the Valley...

And the nice thing about it is that it fits on my narrow windowsill--just a couple inches tall.

Sometimes when I look at my spring blossoms, I get so giddy, I want to bring bitty bits of beauty inside with me for a little while, to wonder at.

Do they affect you that way, too?

And this little scene really makes me smile each time I glance up at it, in my kitchen window.

Happy Monday, friends!

Baby Blues & Some News

2012-04-14T08:13:00.000-04:00

I found a cute little blue gingham number in Audrey's closet...and so we had a little session with that dress, too. I bought this at a thrift store last fall. I have a belief; and that is that gingham belongs in a baby's closet, and it's too bad that you have to go to a thrift store to find it...babies should look like babies!

Buttons, bows, and little girl toes are a treat and so I'm sharing another special one with you...

And...in other news, my husband had his pituitary tumor removed on Wednesday. We got home from Alabama visiting the grand babies on Monday night and Tuesday we had to be at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor for the pre-op testing. Wednesday morning we were there early for the surgery which lasted about three hours, and then recovery and a few days in the hospital.

Now we are home and there will be several weeks here of recuperation and restrictions ... and a few more trips to Ann Arbor for follow-up procedures. The good news is the tumor was removed successfully and they told him it was a large one. We are so thankful for that, the good doctors and the Lord's care. We are very thankful for the good optometrist that found this during a routine check-up when he had trouble with his peripheral vision test. The doctors were amazed that no symptoms had displayed themselves to Lem and that he wasn't sick with it in other ways. They kept remarking how healthy he was otherwise. (I say it's livin' right and good country-livin'!)

Walking the hallways of that huge hospital makes one realize how fortunate we are when we have our health.