Friday, July 15, 2011

~~It's Friday!~~

Some more pictures from our Tennessee trip.


Fishing at a farm pond with our cousins!

(Isn't cousin Terry beautiful?)

(McKinley and #2 son)

(McKinley)
 
(Cousin Mark, McKinley and my husband)

Cousin Scotty and his wife Terry)

Outside My Window~ 
Outside my window, it's sunny.  It's supposed to be warm today but not unbearable.  I noticed our lawn is starting to dry out.  We need more rain.  We don't water our lawn with sprinklers.  I don't think our yard is  nice enough for that.   I also noticed, while we were on vacation the deer ate the new growth of my knockout roses in my front flower bed. My tomatoes seem to be doing well.  I'd harvest some more if my dog would quit eating the ripe ones!



(At the Bass Pro Shop in Sevierville, Tennessee)






(Taking pictures of decorating ideas!)

(That was a four arm lamp for task lighting over a fly tying station with a copper light.  So unique!)


Getting close to black bear!


Gonna do some shooting next!

Cute Taxidermy work was displayed throughout the store!

Around The House~ 
I like to leave for vacations, camping and overnights with a clean house.  That way when I come back home, everything is already done and I can unpack and relax.  So the house is still pretty clean.  There is a bit of dog hair on the rug upstairs but it's not disgusting yet.


I Am Thankful For~ 
I am thankful for a good vacation to Tennessee.  It was a fun filled trip with good activities and good visits with family.  I already miss the peace and quiet of my in-laws farm. 
 
(These are pictures from our drive back to New Jersey.  This is the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, a scenic highway.  We seem to find interesting things everywhere we go!)




(my manly man thought this was a Northern Copperhead snake.)




(I want to live here!)


(Virginia is so beautiful!)


From The Learning Room~ 
I didn't get as much bible reading done as I wanted.  I did finish a few chapters.  I am halfway through the book of John now.  I think when I am through with that book, I'll start my audio course and read the rest of the New Testament after starting.  My mother in law gave me a CD to listen to that she enjoyed, "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus"   Have any of you read the book?

((Click on the picture for a larger view))



(Can you see what I am pointing to?  It's a Wolf SpiderOn her back, she is carrying her babies.  Near her was another large Wolf Spider with no babies.  The children and I spotted her while looking at Sensitivity Plants near the farm pond.  Tennessee wildlife, so AMAZING!  ((click on the pictures to take you to a link with more information on these amazing species!)

((p.s.  it's amazing what we see when we put our cell phones down and LOOK at HIS creation.))

From the Kitchen~ 
Got some plans in the making.  I am waiting for a phone call from my manly man to see if we're going to go camping this weekend.  If no camping, Sharon and baby Anastasia are coming for grilled chicken and green salad and carp fishing in a local pond.

Can you imagine the fillets from this catfish battered and fried with hush puppies and collard greens?  I can.  This was actually the fish I caught.  I had to call the handsome super-hero over to help me get it out of the water without breaking my pole.  I wish I had a scale to weigh it.  I am guessing 3-5 pounds.  Cousin Scotty was actually the one who was fishing for catfish.  He was using a huge night crawler set on the bottom of the pond.  He caught nothing.  I was using a green crappie jig on top water!



http://www.gonefishinpa.com/media/03/a20792a13071e17bb5dfaf_s.jpg
I Am Wearing~  A new color for my toes, Black Cherry.  A deviation from my usual bright happy colors.  I'm not sure that I like it.  What do you think? 



I Am Creating~ 
I received an order for two large bible covers!  I haven't sewed any since living in Alaska.  It's already got my creative juices flowing.  I even have some fabric set aside for bible covers.  While I'm sewing, I'll probably make myself one.

The ones I craft are very similar to the two pictured here!

(I love the little homemade flowers on these bible covers!)

I Am Thinking~ 
I am thinking about what I believe as a Christian and why I believe it.  Is it something someone told me or did I investigate it for myself and see what the bible really said about it?  A verse I quoted to my husband recently. . .
Luke 10:27
 
"And he answering said,
Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength,
 and with all thy mind;
and thy neighbor as thyself."

I Am Reading/Watching~ 
We went to the library this week.  I got several books but have no recommendations yet.  We are still watching. . . Pie In The Sky and Road to Avonlea

My Favorite Things~
Instrumental music with lots of banjo, mandolin and fiddle.  I love the sounds of this c.d.   . . .  . . (click on the picture to take you the sight to listen to excerpts from the c.d.)



I Am Praying~ 
Praying for a certain young couple.  Praying for our future.  Praying for my husband.  Praying for far away family. Praying for my blog friends!



I am so thankful that I was able to meet  victoriantomboy  in Tennessee!  We are kindred spirits and I knew we would be.  April is such a sweet, dear lady.  I wish we lived closer.  I know we'd be the best of friends and maybe get into a lot of trouble too!
 
She even brought me a "first meeting" present!




Something To Share~
  A recipe!




Beth’s Potato Salad

5-10 pounds potatoes washed well.  Placed in plastic bag and microwaved until cooked(cooking times will vary according to microwaves but maybe 10-15  minutes.  Allow potatoes to cool thoroughly.   Remove skins.  Dice fine and place in X- large bowl.

4-5 hard boiled eggs, chopped and added top potatoes

Dressing-

1-1 1/2 C. REAL MAYONAISE

1 sweet Vidalia onion, diced fine

½ c. chopped dill pickles

2 T. dill pickle juice

1-2 T. yellow mustard

1 T. Mrs. Dash

Garlic powder to taste

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Mix dressing with diced potatoes and eggs. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

**Allow dressing to chill separately in covered bowl and then mix with chilled potatoes.  Set for a few hours covered in the fridge.  It will taste better the linger it sits alone.  REALLY!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you don't mind the really long post!!  Forgive my MANY types of FONT here too!  The computer is acting funny today!



5 comments:

  1. Wow! What a great post. Loved all the pictures- some were just beautiful! Love the nail polish color :) Love the rug too! How fun to meet a blogging buddy! I just love those bible covers! Especially the one with the flowers. I might try and figure that out. I need a new one for my bible. Happy Friday!

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  2. Love the pictures of Tenn. and Virginia.  I think I would like to live in West Virginia.  Probably will never happen but I have always wanted to move there.  In the mountains   It is so fun to meet other blogging friends.

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  3. first of all, where did you live in Alaska? that caught my eye. I was born there...and moved to Canada (Ontario specificaly) when i was 8. its rare for me to find someone that even has any experience with alaska so i thought that was cool.love all these moments in your life...i was particularly fascinated by the fly tying station at the Bass pro shop. i've heard that in fishing if you are into this...it is very important to have just the right fly and some beautiful flies are created! so awesome. way to go on that great big catch. did you cook it up like you had planned to? sounded mouth watering good.

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  4. @mytoesareblue - We were stationed in Kodiak for two years.  It was an amazing experience.The Bass Pro Shop and Cabela's are very neat stores with many taxidermy displays and aquariums of fish.We didn't eat that catfish.  Sad.  We left early the next morning to come back to New Jersey.  No one fishing with us wanted it either.  A lot of work goes into cleaning those guys.My husband fly fishes and ties some flies.  It is fun.  Have you ever seen any of the flies?  They can look so realistic. . .made with feathers, string, yarn, beads and such!

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  5. @betheelou - i was born in Glennallen and my brother was born in Petersburg, Alaska. awesome. i haven't seen the flies but i've heard about them. i know that it is quite crafty in intricate business.

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