Catching up

I am writing to all my blogger groups. Just an catch up notie

We are doing well.  WE have a new pup. His name is Rascal and he is 7 ninths old now. We got him near the end of September so I may have written about him, before.

We have Daffodils  out in the yard, I thought they were Surprise Lilies since they didn't bloom the first year  we moved into the house, and they didn't bloom last year, either. They bloomed this year and are lovely . a nice bight spot of Yellow out in the yard, and a couple of days later, the Dandelions  started to bloom, as well. Even though we have had a few grey days, it is warm enough to keep the door open for a little bit each afternoon.

Rocky, our oldest day, is 15 and we can tell he is feeling his ager, now. He sleeps most of the time and it can be a struggle on these rainy days for him to get up, to go outside. We re constantly on Rascal to "Leave Rocky Alone" as he tries so hard to get Rocky to play with him. Barney, who is 10, has slowed down a little but at least he can play with Rascal with a tow rope or chase the ball into the kitchen just tad faster than Rascal can, to get it first. 

Jerry does most of the cooking during the week, snice he retired just over a year ago. I asked him to do that, because otherwise he would sit in his chair all day while I was doing housework. He is retired, not ill and needed reasons to get up out of that chair. He does cook well, but the baking is still in my court.

Billie C.

 I Live in Tennessee.

Garden zone 7b

    

Whipped topping from dry milk

Whipped Topping

You never know when a crepe craving will strike, so it pays to be prepared! ;-) You can use shelf-stable powdered milk to make whipped topping in a pinch.

Add equal parts ice-cold water and powdered milk to the bowl of your stand mixer. Whip the mixture until it's nice and fluffy. Then add a little sugar, a splash of vanilla extract, and continue to beat until the mixture has thickened. Use it to dress up crepes, waffles, pie, and pretty much anything else!

Billie C.

 I Live in Tennessee.

Garden zone 7b

    

DIY Chocolate Syrup

I was craving "Chocolate" it didn't matter if it was a chocolate bar, a cookie or cake or even Chocolate Gravy (Yes that's a thing in the south) I would have even settled for some good, old-fashioned Chocolate milk like my mother use to make. I found her syrup recipe in some old files and even though I didn't make it, just recalling how it tasted and how to make it helped sooth my cravings for Chocolate.

chocolate syrup

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cocoa powder and the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to
dissolve the cocoa. Add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Boil for 3 minutes
over medium heat. Be careful not to let it get too hot and boil over! Add
the salt and the vanilla. Let cool. Pour into a clean glass jar, and store
in the refrigerator. Keeps for several months, but trust me it will be gone
before then. Yields two cups.

 

 

Billie C.

 I Live in Tennessee.

Garden zone 7b

    

Oatmeal Animal Crackers

Oatmeal Animal Crackers

2 cups sugar                            1/2 cup shortening

2 cups old-fashioned oats       1/2 cup hot water

1 tsp baking soda                    1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt                               2 to 2 1/2 cups flour

            In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oats, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening until crumbly. Add the water and vanilla. Stir until blended. Add enough flour to form a stiff dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles or use a floured cookie cutters. Using a floured spatula, transfer to greased baking sheets. Place 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 4 dozen

Billie C.

 I Live in Tennessee.

Garden zone 7b

    

Jan 2020 mid month update

Jan 2020 mid month update

Well, the year started off .. um.. good and not good.
We slept in the New Year.  Nothing special going on and we watched the news just before going to bed. Not a whole lot was going on, anyway
Hubby had to go to back to work on the 2nd.  He was off work for 2 weeks, no pay and so things were just a little tight. All the over time he put in before the two weeks did help out but still.. we had to be careful for  abit.
Anyway, He went in to work although it was raining very hard all day long.  His day starts at 3 pm and gets off at 11pm.  Well I was keeping an eye on the creek, checking it every hour, more or less.. well I started checking it every 10 minutes starting at 10 pm... and by 10:20 was calling Hubby and the people on site 1, who also work where Hubby works, that the creek was coming out of the banks and that we should consider moving the camper to higher grounds. Well the neighbor can't really move the camper they are in, no battery in it. But they did come home early to pick up a few things to be on the safe side.  Even though we started early we ran into  a few minor problems and a couple of the other campers had to wait for us to move so they could get out but the water wasn't very high, yet.  the Yucca plant outside the back of the camper had grown around our power line and it took three men to pull it out of that plant . and the SUV wasn't very co-operative in pulling out and Hubby had to back up a bit and try again to make the swing. If the garage across the drive was just 2 more foot away there would not have been a problem.  But, We moved it, and everyone got their rigs out , with one coming through our yard instead of using the drive because otherwise they would have run into the same problem we had of making the swing ro get by a tree and not be in too deep of water. We now have ruts in the grass, but those will smooth over by the time the grass needs to be mowed, I think.  When I saw the water coming up, I went to each camper door and knocked as lund ad I could to wake people up and let each know that the creek was up. I thought one camper was empty since their car was moved but found out, one man was there and almost deaf.. but he got the message. They moved their rig to Chattanooga, I guess since I've not seen them since. Hubby said they picked up their ramp and some other stuff left behind, on the wall, while I was watching Liam on Monday, the 6th. 
We were back on our site by noon on the 3rd, but not just as we were before and since there is still a lot of rain in our for caste, we really haven't tried to reset it just yet.  We are almost level, but a bit further back than before and one of our boards split. We have 4 x 8 boards and really need 4 x 10 or 4 x 12 to have wide enough boards to go under the tires. That garage is still in our way of putting the camper "Just Right" where it should go. I did the best I could in guiding Hubby back, and then I got in and he tried to guide me back.. and then realized that We are just going to have to leave it where it's at, for now and wait for a truck across the drive way to be moved out of the way since we can not move the garage .
The kids went back to school on Monday, the 6th and I am now back to spending my day's with Liam.  He's truly a busy baby boy. He has an indoor slide and swing. He was up and down that slid all day long Monday. If he wasn't sliding down it, he was letting his toys slid down it.  Tuesday he wanted to swing but only for a little bit. Same for Thursday. Wednesday he was back to the slid and playing with his new ball pit in the den and bringing me balls and tossing balls at me and getting into things, and well.. I was sure glad when it was nap time and he fell right to sleep. Nap time is usually 2 hours long and I try to put him done about 1 pm so that he's had time to wake up, be changed and ready to play when the rest of his family come in through the door. Picking on , teasing and yelling at each other. Such a lot of noise after just him and I in the house.
I've been able to mostly keep up with my own housework. The dishes always seem to need to be washed up and the floors swept and the walls dusted for cobwebs Other wise the camper is staying clean and Dinner is what ever I find I want to eat. Usually soup or a sandwich and a piece of fruit. not much beyond that, for now.
My houseplants were not liking being inside, but Hubby had to change out a light fixture when it stopped working and now the plants are doing much better wit the new light he put in. I've called the People who have the community garden to see if I can get a plot and it looks like I might be able to. I'm not sure how large it will be so making plans on what to grow is still up in the air and how much work will need to be done before the first seeds or plants go in. but I am looking forward to trying to grow a few things this year.

I hope you year started of well and you are making some plans for the year. Take care and I'll try to remember to write more at the end of the month.

Billie

testing

I've been having some problems with my email so I'm testing to see which accounts are still active and which ones are not. 

Billie C.

 Life is a journey not a destination

    @~`~~

Christ Eve Morning thoughts

Christmas Eve Morning.

As the sun slowly brightens the horizon, this morning, I am reminded that each day is so very special. There are so many things in my life to be thankful for, Prayers that have been answered, wishes granted, Life is good. The early pale pink and orange tinges to the top of the mountain to my right as the sun just starts to lift, a clear reminder that a new day is dawning and that there is lots of things that I should be doing this morning, and that there will always be a new dawn each morning. With it's lights and sounds and awakenings. New adventures to look forward to. A Person is never too old to find a new Adventure, in life. Today is no different. Each dawning is a promise to myself to not take today granted. To look for the good in it, accept the not so good a being only a temporary inconvenience and accept that Life will have it's ups and downs, but the ups will always outweigh the downs.   

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. Not because of the gifts or the food, but because it's a time that so many people feel deserves attention to details. Erratic to be sure, A hassle for many, Sorrows for some, but also Joy and hope and Peace. With the New Year looming just around the corner, only a week after This Holiday, We look forward with earnest, to a year that will be better than the one that is ending, Knowing full well that there is no promise in a better year, That it will just be more days, numbered differently that the ones before and soon we will be writing that number that represents the year without thought or having to pause and think, "What year is it, again?"  But, for now. as we close out this year and start anew, We also wish to start anew, changes in our own life, our own self. promises of better healthier, taking better care of each other and our surroundings. Be that our home or the world we live in. Our work, or pleasures and our state of mind benefits from the renewing of spirit and the promise that each new year brings into being.  

Each year, we don't think about our own growing older as each and ever day passes. our gradual slowing down and having to take more time for the simpler things of life. That steps taken today, at a run, will one day be too hard for us to manage without help. that door knobs so easy to turn, may not fit well enough in our hand, and someone else will have to turn that for us to enter or leave a room, or house. That the kids of today, those in the teens or 20's or even those in their 30's will be making choices that we never had to make. never had to even consider.  Their life will be impacted by some of the small things from our own past. And it's in their future that we place hope and peace and wish the best from our past gives them the power to exceed in life from our beginning to their happiness. That we have taught them the important lessons of what living is really about. It's not the job, or the money, but what you do and how or where you spend your time that really counts in life. Money is just a token of what you have given up, in order to get ahead, to learn a new skill or practice an old one. Be at Peace, Life is wonderful and we each get to experience it to the fullest of our own ability. Go out, Get out, find something that make your  heart Sing with joy. that puts a smile on your face before you even realize you are smiling. Give that joy to someone else, to share it with the world, in your own unique way. For life is what  this planet is about. the cycle of life, the ups and owns and all the rest. are what is making this whole existence well worth the living.

Billie C.

 Life is a journey not a destination

    @~`~~