Home for Christmas
The stairs are quiet beneath my feet
No sound except my breathing
It is Christmas morning
The sun is not a rosy ray
But a muddied yellow streaked with gray
A winter morn.
I could feel the warmth
From the furnace’s fire flow up
From black grilled furnace grates
I knew my mother was in the kitchen
The fragrance of cinnamon seeps
From beneath the closed door
The Christmas tree is lit ,
the gifts are there
Santa had not forgotten ,
my breath was one of relief
My mother stands in the arched entrance
To the living room and says
Anna Mae go tell your brothers
It is Christmas day and
Santa has been here

I hear my children, their children’s sweet young voices
Dinner is over , full of turkey and dressing , potatoes and yams
Ruby cranberry sauce, green beans and ham
Pumpkin pie with whipped cream
They now await the opening of the packages
Beribboned, wrapped , color coordinated
Piled beneath the tree,. I am quiet and their voices
Say Mom? Nana ? Are you okay ?
I smile and say ,I am fine let’s get on with the day
But in my mind I am like them
going home for Christmas Day.

Anna Alexander 12/16/04©

Hi

I'm still working on transferring pictures and hope to be done by the deadline. Have a list of things to do today. One of them should be gardening but have no time. I hope the weather holds out a little longer. Have to cut the grass one more time...not much to cut anymore but there is some. Also waiting for the leaves to fall so I can use them for mulch on my gardens. I so hate to see other people rake their leaves to the curb and waste them. Anyone in the south country want a box of autumn leaves...guinine Wisconsin autumn leaves?

Aol blog transferred

Sorry to say it didn't bring along all the pictures.

It didn't bring my favorite links either.

I suppose I could re add the pictures but that would take so long and who would look at them anyway.

I have them on CD's filed away, but it was fun looking at the old pictures of the gardens and kids.

Goodbye Everybody

I see AOL is turning off the lights and going home.

It's been a great run and I've enjoyed all the journals.

Here's my link to my blogspot journal if anyone wants to stop by and leave a link to your new journal.

I hope a lot of you do as I've really enjoyed the pictures, stories, etc.  I'll be waiting over here...

http://anniesgardens.blogspot.com/

Tags: blogspot

L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu.

It's a typical fall day, rainy and cold.  I brought in the house plants and cleaned up the sun room and moved the furniture around and added a couple Halloween decorations.  A large pumpkin and Chuck, our resident lifesize monster that my grandchildren like to cuddle up with.

Not so many birds anymore.  There are a number of Blue Jays today and some Finches fighting the squirrels for the sun flower seeds.  Haven't seen any Chippies today.  I guess they must be sleeping.

I have in bloom Indian Blanket, Pansies, Petunias, and a few others I can't think of the names of right now. 

Cats are sleeping, it must be nap time.

Tags: Fall Flowers

 

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;  

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.  

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

  -Robert Frost 

In desparation to hang on to summer, I put in another little garden today.  I found a shop that had 90% off their annuals so I bought a bunch of them and some pumpkins.  I went to the thrift store and got a few autumn outside decorations to add and now I'm on the lookout for some Casper the friendly ghost lights to put out there.  Owen and Hali both like Casper.

I had a good day went to DePere and had brunch, then went to a few shops and spent some time in the park down by the water.  I used to go around like that with my sisters but they have stopped so I go myself now.  It's still a lot of fun for me, but not quite as much as when they were along.

After I got home is when I worked in the yard.  I added sand to the sandbox and painted the push/pull car a pretty green.  Filled the bird feeders...still have robins, cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, finches, mourning doves, chickadees, and cow birds.  A couple rabbits were watching me and the squirrel family was sitting near by.  And of course the chippies play their little game of who can come the closest to me.  When I was finished, I saw in the sky the canadian geese practicing their V formation.  They are up higher now and making wider circles.  Pretty soon it will be their time to go, but for now they are still here.

 

school, library, playing, museum, just a lot of family pictures

911

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Early Autumn

"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

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The crickets today have joined the chicadas to sing goodbye to summer and welcome fall.

My fall flowers, Joe Pye, Brown Eyed Susans, Butterfly Weed, Milk Weed, Cup Plant, and Gayfeather are all in full bloom.

And tonight Mike Phelps won his 8th gold medal of the 2008 games.

The county fair has one more day

The parks all close tomorrow as the parkees all head back to school.

 

Tags: 2008 Olympics, Mike Phelps, Green Bay, Jet Favre, poetry

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Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

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Yard Pictures

So many weeds, so little time.

I pretty much like anything green though, as winter white lasts so long.

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Before winter comes and locks the land
Imprisons with ice tipped hand
I must gather, set aside and store
Supplies needed to take me through.
Boxes of clouds from a summer day,
Sunrise and sunset at the shore.
A shell to hold against my ear
To hear the sea, feel the sand warm
From day long shining sun.
Baskets of smells, earth fresh from
A warm spring shower.
Damask roses heady scent
To envelope me in winters dark.
Spring carnations, hyacinths,
New mown grass.
Bushels of sounds, a robin's song,
Beating of wings across the sky.
Buzz of bees hovering, sipping
Nectar from the lily's cup.
Trunks of things you do not see
When winter closes in.
A spiders web of lacy lightness,
Silvered sparkled in morning dew.
Fireflies sending messages after dark,
Moonflowers blooming on the vine.
All the smells and sounds and sights
Stored in my mind for cold winter nights.
...anna alexander

August Evening

See, a hand sweeps stars

    from the August sky,

as if my mother swept off the supper crumbs from the table at home.

Her apron, slipping now and then, smells of parsley

     and chives--

The sweet scent of her long-gone garden

     sending me to sleep beside you tonight again.

It's been such a busy summer that I haven't had much time for journals.  Kids are gone for a week and it is about to rain so I'm stuck indoors for a while.  Even so when I'm indoors I'm cleaning and sorting and getting rid of a lifetime collection of things I might need someday.  I have a lot of flowers in bloom right now and after the rain I'll try to get a few pictures and name them for my records.  While it rains I plan to catch up on my sleep though.  While the kids are gone I'm going up north for a couple days with friends, pull weeds especially around the air conditioner and try to mulch in some of the flower beds.  It's 89 degrees right now but I hate to turn on the air conditioner because then it stops feeling like summer.  I'm going to go buy a window fan or two.  Had the kids at story time at the library this morning and Hali crawled under one of the tables and fell asleep.  We went to the aquatic center yesterday and she really had a fun time and so did Owen.  Well gotta get going but I'll put on a few pictures first so I can save them.

Tags: Resch Aquatic Center, Green Bay Packers, Heritage Hill State Park

A Poem

Summer Storm

We stood on the rented patio
While the party went on inside.
You knew the groom from college.
I was a friend of the bride.

We hugged the brownstone wall behind us
To keep our dress clothes dry
And watched the sudden summer storm
Floodlit against the sky.

The rain was like a waterfall
Of brilliant beaded light,
Cool and silent as the stars
The storm hid from the night.

To my surprise, you took my arm–
A gesture you didn't explain–
And we spoke in whispers, as if we two
Might imitate the rain.

Then suddenly the storm receded
As swiftly as it came.
The doors behind us opened up.
The hostess called your name.

I watched you merge into the group,
Aloof and yet polite.
We didn't speak another word
Except to say goodnight.

Why does that evening's memory
Return with this night's storm–
A party twenty years ago,
Its disappointments warm?

There are so many might have beens,
What ifs that won't stay buried,
Other cities, other jobs,
Strangers we might have married.

And memory insists on pining
For places it never went,
As if life would be happier
Just by being different.
      Dana Gioia

After the rain

I managed to step out after the rain and before dark.  Was hoping to get to the store yet today but I may have to pass on that.  It's 72 degrees now and low humidity.  Have all the windows open for a change.

Busy Gardening

...not much time for journals.  If I get a chance before the rains come I'll get some pictures of what's in bloom.  Owen and Hali have been playing the the back yard in the pools most of the summer so far and are getting very tan.  Well Owen is anyway.  Hali is so light complected I try to keep her out of the sun.  Yesterday I took the kids to the Teddy Bear picnic at the library and they had a little parade too.  They have quite a few friends there now.  They are in the reading club and have finished all the requirements.  They give out prizes as they go along, little toys, passes to the Museum, Railroad Museum, Aquatic center and this week they got to pick out a book.  Well I have to get back outside and finish some of today's garden work.  The peas are all done, the scarlet runner beans are beginning to bloom as are the cucumbers.  No bugs on the potato plants so far and no wasps in the compost this year.  Grapes are little and green.  Very behind where they should be.  

It's been a wonderful summer so far.  Just enough rain and warm and sunshine to leave plenty of time to play outside.  Vegetables are growing very well.  Morning Glories got eaten by the baby rabbits this year.  I am glad I could provide a nice treat for them.  I have taken down my stick arbor as it's outlived it's life span.  I'm looking for something else to put there but haven't come across anything I like.  The kiddie pools are there temporarily.  I learned a new trick, if you spray vinegar around where you are the bugs don't come.  It's been working so far.  I picked a nice bowl of peas the other day and they were very good both fresh and cooked.  I got a new charcoal grill but haven't used it yet.  I'm really not much of a cook I guess.  It's a nice decoration though.  I planted a peach tree a couple days ago, so maybe someday I'll have my own peaches.  Now I have grapes, apples and peaches.  I would like a pear tree yet but I don't know if you need two of them for the pears to grow.  I'm continuing to clean out the nooks and crannies of this house and today I brought two large containers to the thrift store to share with others.  I can't believe how full you can stuff a wardrobe with odds and ends.  I found a dozen board games and the kids and I have been playing some of them.  They especially like Candyland.  Right now in the backyard there are squirrels, chipmonks, rabbits, mourning doves, cardinals, red winged blackbirds, golden finches, house finches, robins, sparrows, and blue jays.   God is putting on quite a show for me as I look out my computer window.  Went shopping with Jenny today (daughter) and out for a snack.  Chai Tea and muffins.  Just finished the book The Secret Life of Bees.  It was fun to read.  Does anyone have a recommendation for another easy to read summer story?  Well, enough chatter, have a great evening.  Don't you love the time between day and night...it's my favorite.

God Bless America

Peach Pie

Here's an old-fashioned recipe for peach cream pie. It's an easy recipe using sliced peaches, whipping cream, sugar, flour and a dash of almond extract. Once the pie comes out of the oven, it is topped with toasted almonds, making it a sweet and crunchy dessert and a great way to enjoy fresh summer peaches.

Servings: 6

Ingredients: Pie crust for a 9-inch pie pan 5 to 6 ripe peaches, peeled, sliced, pits removed (a little over 3 cups) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3 rounded tablespoons of flour 2/3 cup heavy cream 3 drops almond extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds

Instructions: Line your pie pan with a pie crust and set aside. Now pack the pie pan with the prepared peaches. In a medium sized bowl combine the sugar, flour and a dash of salt. Add the cream and almond extract and stir until well blended. Pour the cream mixture over the peaches in the pie pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until set. When the pie is done, the cream will be thick and smooth and will solidify even more as it cools. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top and serve just barely warm. A Summer Poem There's a bright golden haze on the meadow There's a bright golden haze on the meadow The corn is as high as an elephant's eye, An' it looks like it's climbin' clear up to the sky. Oh, what a beautiful mornin', Oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin' Ev'rything's goin' my way. All the cattle are standin' like statues All the cattle are standin' like statues They don't turn their heads as they see me ride by, But a little brown mav'rick is winkin' her eye. Oh, what a beautiful mornin', Oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin' Ev'rything's goin' my way. All the sounds of the earth are like music All the sounds of the earth are like music The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree, And a ol' weepin' willer is laughin' at me! Oh, what a beautiful mornin', Oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin' Ev'rything's goin' my way. Oh, what a beautiful day!

.

Just some pictures of the yard, etc.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on Earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy church that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above
Offering up on every shore
Perfect sacrifice of love

Lord of all to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

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Another rainy day

THE HOUSE WITH NOBODY IN IT

Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track
I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.
I suppose I've passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute
And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it.
 
I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;
That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.
I know this house isn't haunted, and I wish it were, I do;
For it wouldn't be so lonely if it had a ghost or two.
 
This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,
And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.
It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;
But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside.
 
If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid
I'd put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.
I'd buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be
And I'd find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free.
 
Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,
Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
But there's nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone
For the lack of something within it that it has never known.
 
But a house that has done what a house should do, a house that has sheltered life,
That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,
A house that has echoed a baby's laugh and held up his stumbling feet,
Is the saddest sight, when it's left alone, that ever your eyes could meet.
 
So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track
I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,
Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
For I can't help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.

    --Joyce Kilmer

 

Some blooms

Picked some rhubarb today too.  There sure is a lot of it but forgot to take a picture of the pretty flower it gets.  I made rhubarb ice cream, one of Owen's favorite things.  He'll be surprised to find out there is no recipe for it and he can't ever get it anywhere else.

 

A few pictures

Was a nice warm day

O beautiful for patriot dream, That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam,

                            

 

Iran

more than 4,000 dead...30,000 wounded

Afghanistan...often forgotten second war

The New Car and picking weeds and playing

 

this and that with pictures

Saturday I put together and planted the 'crib' arbor.  Planted with Cucumbers and Pole beans.  Hali saw it and said 'Baby night night' and layed down in the grass under it.  I didn't think she'd remember it but she did.  I have planted the morning glories at the other arbor.  The yellow flowers are Leopard's Bane.  One of the Wisconsin native plants from last year's garden.

Kids weekend here, we've been busy shopping, playing, cleaning, gardening, etc.

Tags: Wisconsin Native Plants, Green Living, Grandchildren

Owen says he's going to try out for Bret Favre's position.

Here he's practicing

Hali's saying I don't think so bro.

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre, Cheeseheads, Bay Beach Park,

sunny spring day

Worked in the yard, placing rocks around the little trees, pulling weeds, planting seedlings, playing.

Here are a few pictures from today.

1. My red maple is starting to leaf out

2. Owens Arbor Day Tree

3. My raised bed of Wisconsin native plants

4. Walter

5. Halis Arbor Day Tree

6. A few tulips in bloom that I thought were different..the rabbits like them too.  I sure do miss my ferals.

 

BIRCHES

When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay.
Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-coloured
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.
They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,
And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed
So low for long, they never right themselves:
You may see their trunks arching in the woods
Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground,
Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair
Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.
But I was going to say when Truth broke in
With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm,
I should prefer to have some boy bend them
As he went out and in to fetch the cows--
Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.
One by one he subdued his father's trees
By riding them down over and over again
Until he took the stiffness out of them,
And not one but hung limp, not one was left
For him to conquer. He learned all there was
To learn about notlaunching out too soon
And so not carrying the tree away
Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise
To the top branches, climbing carefully
With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.
Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,
Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.
So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate wilfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree~
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

a favorite poem by Robert Frost

 

A nice spring day

Took Owen to library school yesterday and he had fun with the kids.  They had a little craft of making their Moms a bookmark for mothers's day.  It was cute with little finger prints on it and a cute little poem.  Owen decorated it with purple ribbon cause he said that was his mom's favorite color.  We also picked rocks yesterday for the garden.

 

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Cinco de Mayo

Did some yard work today and took some yard pictures added a few to this entry.  Also put together a May alter, I like to remember my mother that way.  Put down six bags of cocoa bean shell mulch and now my side yard smells like the Hershey factory.

This is Owen's Magnolia starting to bloom.  It's four years old just like Owen

My rhubarb patch..I picked some today for pie

Here is Hali's Magnolia which is just two years old like baby girl.  Here it's reflecting the beautiful sunset that we had today. 

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yesterday..tuesday

We transplanted the seedlings that Owen planted at the libary.  Owen and Hali both planted, filled the peat pots with potting soil and watered the little seedlings.  Hali also planted seeds at the library but they are at her Mom's so I don't know what happened to them.  They are in the kitchen window and hopefully the cats won't eat them. 

It was library day and after we went to Wendy's for lunch.  They have cute kids meals...and a little gift.  The gift was a CD game which the kids enjoyed playing when we got home.  Wendy's was very nice about giving the kids root beer floats with their meals.  I had one of their delicious chili/cheese baked potatoes.

Owen and Hali will be back on Thursday, maybe we'll walk to the park if the weather isn't too cold for baby girl.

Today I cut back the branches and put them out to be picked up.  I see the Pagoda Dogwoods are starting to bud and the Magnolias are blooming.  The white one has a few opened up and the pink one is just starting to show a little pink.  I have in bloom a lot a Daffodils

Tags: Daffodils, seedlings

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.           frost

Arbor Day

 

We got our trees out of the refrigerator and read the planting instructions 

We dug holes for the two pine trees

We watered our newly planted trees

That was fun and we helped make the earth a better place.  Did you know that trees take up Carbon Dioxide and give off Oxygen so we can breathe easier...Happy Arbor Day!

 

 

 

 

Tags: Arbor Day

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Magnolias beginning to bloom

Owen next to his white magnolia that is four years old just like him.

And here is Hali standing next to her pink Magnolia that is almost two just like she is.

 

 

 

Hali and Owen with their brother Ethin playing the fishing game the other day.  It was Ethin's eighth birthday and he got to stop by for a little birthday celebration.

 

Tomorrow is Arbor day and the kids and I are going to plant the little pine trees they got on the Earth Day Scavenger Hunt at the grocery store.  I have been cleaning up the yard and today the truck came and took away the things I can't compost (Christmas tree, straw, and vines).  I will be picking some of the rhubarb tomorrow too to make some delicious rhubarb torte.  I have some Daffodils blooming and buds coming on all the trees and bushes.  The sap has stopped running and I've boiled it for syrup.  I saved some snowballs in the freezer so I can pour the syrup over them.  A real treat for us, kind of Little House In The Big Woods sort of treat.  I have several bags of cocoa bean shells to put around the little evergreens after the rain stops and I also got a couple yards of pea gravel at Menards to fill up the driveway 'rutes or roots or ruts'...whatever they are called.  Owen and Hali planted some beans and sunflowers at the library and they are up good but we need to wait until the 14th of May to plant them they said.  I hope they last long enough.  I played outside with the kids.  They wanted to sing and play in the rain, so we did.

 

 

Tags: Magnolias, Daffodils, Rhubarb, grandchildren, Spring, recipes

A rainy day project...

Here ya go, everything I know about making button flowers - enjoy!

To make a button flower, you'll need 5-6 smallish matching buttons, a larger button for the center, and if desired, a small button for the center of the big button.
The key to making these is the glue.  The three pictured above are some that I've used with success.  What did NOT work was hot glue, craft glue, and E6000.  Make sure the glue you use is meant for beads, glass, & plastics.

Make a ring out of your matching smaller buttons. Make sure the flattest side is facing up, this makes a better surface for adhering. Place a small dab of glue on each button.

Place the center button on top - flat side against flat side.  **You can make the flowers with the ridge side up on the bottom layer, but it holds better with the flat side up - it's your call.

Next, put a small dab of glue in the center, then place the small center button. Let glue cure for 24 hours.

If you want to make this into a brooch, you'll need a pin-back and a small circle of felt.

Glue the pin-back onto the back of the button flower.

To make things neat & tidy, glue the felt circle on top of the pin-back.  Once your glue is dry, your button flower is ready to use.  That's it!

Use your imagination to come up with all sorts of combinations!

Too green the springing April grass,
Too blue the silver-speckled sky,
For me to linger here, alas,
While happy winds go laughing by,
Wasting the golden hours indoors,
Washing windows and scrubbing floors.

Too wonderful the April night,
Too faintly sweet the first May flowers,
The stars too gloriously bright,
For me to spend the evening hours,
When fields are fresh and streams are leaping,
Wearied, exhausted, dully sleeping.
   ---Claude McKay

April Fool

The Rhubarb is growing

We had snow last night but it melted today.  Also had an inch of rain but so far the basement hasn't flooded this year.  Maybe the new sewer pipes they installed last fall are doing the job.  Had a ceiling leak last night though.  I'll need to find someone that can check out the roof.  Hoping it's only the flashing around the chiminy. 

 

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A few pictures

They're building something in the train yard.  Lots of green pipes.  It's a mystery.

 

One more day until Easter

Hali on Easter with Anakin

Tapped Maple Tree

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New birds at feeder

Red winged Blackbirds and Golden Finches are at the feeders this noon, Spring is two days away.  A lot of rabbits in the yard today.  They came to eat the raisons I put out for the Robins.  Haven't seen the Robins yet.  March is my favorite month because all of Spring and all of Summer is still ahead.  I noticed one of my evergreens appears to be having a problem so later I'll go outside and see what the problem is.  Maybe I'll get a picture of the rhubarb starting to grow too as it's nearby.

Tags: Skylark have you seen a valley green with Spring

I click on add album and it shows that You've got Pictures is loading and it does load and my pictures on my computer show.  I click on the ones I want to upload and a blue box opens and says it's preparing the pictures, thing then the little ball thingy goes back and forth....but this is the key...the line that used to go across to show the pictures were uploading doesn't appear anymore.  So how can I fix this or what am I doing wrong?

Just thought someone passing by might know.  It isn't a big earth shattering deal, but it is a puzzlement.

Not much going on around here.  I got a nice youth bed and mattress from a woman on freecycle, very, very nice.  Hali has been climbing out of her crib and landing on Owen's head in the middle of the night.  Makes for an interesting hour or so.  Anyway, I moved the beds around so that if little Princess climbs out of her crib she won't land on the Prince's head any longer.  I'm waiting a little bit to tuck her into her new bed.  I need to wait at least until she can go down steps on her own.

Tomorrow I'm continuing to clean and purge.  I'm looking over the movies, there are too many and I want to pass them along.  Also I have quite a number of books that need new readers. 

The late sun shining into my windows is making me happier than I have a right to be.

Hope everyone made it through the Ides of March okay.

 

 

A spot of green

I did a little shopping today and I noticed these two little green plants off in a corner marked ten cents each.  I figured no one would buy them and so I did.  I put them in the little tea cup and now I how a little green spot.  I noticed there are a lot of summer things starting to come out in stores.  I guess that's akin to Christmas decorations coming out in September but I don't mind the summer things coming so early.  Snow again predicted for tomorrow.  Bret Farve has retired from the Packers but it sounds kind of like he's interested in going to another football team.  He has a news conference scheduled for tomorrow.  Someone else retired from the team but I didn't hear who it was.  I've been reading some good books, light reading is what I like the best.  Some of the titles are The Uncommon Reader; Things Were Said; and The Penny.  Also doing a lot of spinning wool so I have a good supply of yarn to knit with.  Anakin is chasing a mouse around...not a real one, thank goodness, and she's meowing so loud it's funny.  Was going to add a picture of her but aohell doesn't let me tonight, just the one.

 

 

A good Day

 

 

 

 

 

A nice sunny day without the snow they predicted.  Had appointments at dentist and eye doctor that went well.  Stopped at the boutique and got three nice summer shorts outfits and a pretty Easter decoration.  Also got a box of action figures for Owen...he said 'Grandma, just what I always wanted', he's so funny.  Now waiting for the dryer to get done with the last load.  Looking forward to the weekend.  No sign yet that the ginger Owen and I planted is growing but it hasn't been very long yet. 

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What are your garden plans for Spring?

With Spring almost here (don't I wish) I'm wondering what you all are planning for your yard or garden this year?  What type of garden do you have...large, field, container gardening, balcony gardening, indoor gardening...whatever.  Do you plant annuals, perennials or what?  Do you like to plant by color...just would like to hear about what everyone's plans are.

Fun in the winter sun

I'm having so much trouble updating and adding pictures that I think I will get a different space.  I don't know what happened.  Everything was going along fine when all of the sudden I can't add pictures like I used to and I have to repeatedly sign in.  It just takes too long.

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Was going to upload some pictures of snowstorm Isabella but for some reason I am unable to do that.  I wonder if the procedure has changed or what is happening.  Still, when I sign on to the internet through aol I sign in but have to sign in again and that doesn't always work.  I suppose I should take some time and dump aol and find a new isp.  I have RR with bring along aol but apparantely aol isn't brung.

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Theme pictures...this week is tenderness

A favorite picture with my grandchild

http://journals.aol.com/monicasmemoirs/midnight-conversations/entries/2008/02/03/sunday-song-photo-shoot-now-bi-weekly/1445

This is the journal where the photo shoot started (I think) and below is the information

 

The next Sunday Song (photo) Shoot will be due on February 17th.  We are going bi-weekly from here on out.  There are so many photo challenges around, everyone should have a chance to play and have fun without feeling pressure to get all these deadlines!

The songs selected have the common theme of tenderness.

 

Time, Love and Tenderness - Michael Bolton

Try a Little Tenderness - Michael Buble

I figured we could all use a little tenderness in our lives, not just on Valentines Day!  I hope you will play along and show us your tender photo.  If you join us, please leave your link below so we can mention your journal!

Weekend project with kids...and a sweet snack

This project for starting a ginger plant from a root purchased at the local market is a fun way to engage a child's curiosity about their environment.

Common ginger, Zingiber officinale, is a wonderful plant for children to grow because it has so many uses - a flavorful spice, a remedy for the common cold and a cure for an upset stomach. Children can learn that there are benefits of growing plants beyond the beautiful blooms and foliage.

And because ginger's root or rhizome is so odd looking, it is easy to catch the attention of a child for this activity. In fact, the root is often referred to as a "hand" and the sections are called "fingers."

The best time to start a ginger plant from the root is in the spring. When you select roots for growing, choose those that are fresh with 1 to 2 inch long sections and plenty of nodes.

Materials:
fresh gingerroot
1 six inch terra cotta container with drainage holes
sterile potting soil
water

Directions:

Begin by cutting the root into a few pieces, making sure that each piece has a few nodes or buds from which to sprout.

Fill your container 2/3 of the way full with potting soil.

Place the gingerroot pieces flat on top of the soil and cover with about 2 inches more of potting soil.

Water well and place it in a warm windowsill with bright but indirect light. In just a few weeks a stalk will emerge at each one of the nodes. You can expect your plant to grow about 4 feet tall.

If you live in a mild part of the country you can plant this directly outside.  Ginger prefers to grow in areas with partial shade and consistently moist, rich soil. In climates that have cold winters, treat it as a tender houseplant and bring it indoors when temperatures drop below 40 degrees F.

While your ginger plant may occasionally produce flowers, it is not a common occurrence. But when you consider what the roots have to offer, you'll hardly miss the blooms. Wait about 4 to 7 months to harvest new roots. Simply cut the leaf stalks close to the top of the root and lift it out of the soil.

What an amazing gift from nature - a fresh supply of flavorful and healthy ginger root and a fun way to introduce your children to the benefits of gardening.

Will post pictures if I take some.

Buttermilk Pie

Using a store bought piecrust you can mix up this dessert in a quick 20 minutes and let it bake for an hour. About the time you're finished with dinner, it will be ready to enjoy.

Number of servings: 6

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1 stick butter, melted 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 9 inch pie crust

Instructions: This pie couldn't be simpler to make. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Next mix all the dry ingredients. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the melted butter and buttermilk. Stir in the vanilla Pour this into a 9 inch pie pan lined with an unbaked crust. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 45 minutes. The filling will still be somewhat custard like when you remove the pie from the oven, but it will firm up as it cools. Notes: Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest when you mix the dry ingredients for extra flavor.

This and that

Had some complications so my tooth pulling episode is changed to Monday afternoon.  We're getting lots of snow but even so the buds are coming on the Magnolia trees right on schedule and the evergreens including the latest ones are still very green.  I also enjoy the red bark dogwood, it adds much color to the backyard.  Grandkids aren't sick anymore and I'm just hanging on to a cough.  I take a spoon of honey when I go to bed and it sooths my throat so I don't cough long enough to get to sleep for a while.  I've been doing a lot of spinning wool and a lot of reading.  I was disappointed to find out I didn't like the thick book that I got at the library.  We had a pleasant valentine's day and now looking forward to what comes next.  I guess that's St. Patrick's day...with a little cherry pie delight for President's day in between.   I am having a hard time getting through winter as it seems it will never end.  I am always so cold except when I'm shoveling the snow which seems like most of the time as we have gotten so much of it this year.  Lots of Chickadee's in the yard today along with the Mourning Doves.  Filling the feeders and water bath at least once a day.  Hali is sleeping and Owen is almost asleep on the davenport.  He won't go upstairs until I do so I guess it's off to bed.  Goodnight and sweet dreams.

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Signing In

I don't know why, but when I try to add an entry I have to sign in to aol again, so I go to add entry and then I can sign in and then I can add entry.  I don't know what has changed but it seems when I sign in to aol now, I'm not really signed in.  I have Roadrunner but I don't know what my user name or password is on that.  I suppose I can find the papers for it and look that up.  Owen is feeling better so he went to Mom's house this afternoon and he's going to be going 'down south' with Mom, grandma Sue, and Hali.  Of course I think down south is Milwaukee.  He has a great grandpa there that he calls grandpa Joe and he really loves him a lot and is anxious to see him.  Owen is obscessed with Fat Tuesday, it makes him laugh and laugh to say it.  We got a Care Bear movie yesterday to watch.   It turns out Owen just had a nasty virus but everynight he would spike a temp to 103 or above so it was a little scary.  Hali and Owen won't be back until Monday.  On Wednesday I'm having four teeth pulled because they broke off with the bridge  that came loose.  It's a whole big deal about a temp. partial that has to come out when I eat...it sucks to get old.  First there was the age spot on my hand...then along came the floaters in my eye that looked like a basketball and hoop, then came the break down of skin, then came ...well you get the picture.  Aging is about falling into rack and ruin I guess.  I'm looking forward to doing something fun tomorrow and as long as I don't smile no one will know about the tooth thing.

A tasty treat

 

 

 

Makes 40

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 40 chocolate kiss candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

3. Cream melted butter and sugars together in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Leave bowl in refrigerator for 10 minutes (or up to 6 hours) to firm dough.

4. Scoop a heaping tablespoonful of dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake
about 6 to 8 minutes. 5 Remove cookies from oven, and gently press a chocolate kiss candy into the center of each. Return to oven for 4 to 6 minutes, or until cookies are lightly colored. Let stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully slide the entire parchment sheet with the cookies from the pan to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Tags: Valentine's Day Treats

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