We Survived Irene

 
We are okay.  Thank you for your prayers for our safety.  The rain has stopped.  There is a bit of residual wind.  We've lost some small branches and had a lot of water in the back yard this morning.  We also have not lost electricity.  Near by there are trees down and lots of flooding in nearby towns.  Bachelor David is okay as well.  We're thanking God!







Thanks again for your prayers!
Have a great week!

~~It's Thursday!~~

Outside My Window~  HURRICANE IRENE!!  She'll be here Saturday night.  We're having a good thunder storm right now and they are expecting 2 inches of rain with today's storm.  For the hurricane, they are telling us to get prepared for a week without power.  Officials are trying to ready this area for a large storm.  They are just not used to storms of this magnitude.  Whereas, when we lived in Oregon and Alaska, high winds and rain were a part of everyday life!  I went out this morning and got a bit of water for drinking.  We'll fill the bathtub Saturday.  I'll probably get bachelor David tomorrow afternoon so he can get some storm supplies as well. 

(My water and groceries from my shopping trip this morning)

I am Thinking~  Thinking about what the Lord has in store for us.  Getting excited to see what he does.

I am Thankful~  I am thankful that the Lord provides our needs over and above what we can ask or think.

From the Learning Room~  I may place an order for my students books today.  Piano lessons are all arranged.  We will startSeptember 12th.  We will have a new teacher this year and new time slot.  Lindsay is the teacher and our time is 3:00 p.m. every Monday.   I'll be sure to post pictures of her.

From the Kitchen~  I need to stock up on pantry supplies and stock up for my freezer.  The cupboard is a bit bare, especially meats.  Tonight~ pasta with alfredo sauce, garlic bread and green salad.


Around the House~  May I admit something disgusting?  Banjo (Our dog) got into a nest of ticks while we were camping.  We didn't notice them until Tuesday morning. (We were home Sunday afternoon.)  He has been bathed with an oatmeal bath and dosed with his flea and tick medicine.  But the ticks,  have kicked in my O.C.D cleaning.  We pulled up all the rugs and power washed them.  Banjo's bedding has been washed.  The floors are getting swept daily.  The rugs beside my bed are and shaken daily. 

(This a picture I pulled from the internet.  It shows different sizes of ticks- on the right are a pair of forceps, on the lef,t the sharp point of a needle.  You can see how small they are!)

(This what I brushed off Banjo yesterday at lunch time.  To give you an idea of size, these ticks reminded me of poppy seeds.)


I am totally grossed out.  On Tuesday, when we found the ticks, I was almost dry heaving.  YUK, YUK, YUK!

Shadow the cat hasn't been free from my O.C.D cleaning either.  She got dosed with flea and tick medicine. (She hates it too.  She acts like she is a stoned zombie for several days after she receives the medicine.)  Her bed was washed, but didn't survive.  It came apart in the washer.  It was an old pillow I made when I was about 12, so it's been around for LONG time.  Today she got a new kitty bed.
 
(old kitty bed in the trash)

(new kitty bed = HAPPY KITTY)

If you live in a population of heavy flea and tick infestation and you use a product like FRONTLINE or something similar, you can re-apply before the 30 day limit is up!!


(rugs draped over the dining room table and chairs drying out)

(A casualty~  The rug ripped when my big,strong, manly, man grabbed it to throw it over the fence.  I bought some rug tape today to try to patch it up.  It's an old rug, about 12-13 years old, and I am the second owner. Maybe at our next place, I'll get to have NEW rug.!)

(AFTER the repair job!)


(without the colorful rug, it looks bare!)

I am Wearing~ Casual and carefree today.  No make-up, hair not fixed.  I am dressed though, I am thankful for that!  Tan shorts and light blue tee shirt.  I need to paint my nails and push back my cuticles this weekend.
 

I am Creating~  Not a thing.  Again.  Got lots of ideas though.  I want to cut and paste decorating pictures in my idea book.  Photo albums?  More beaded watches?

I am Hearing~  I am hearing the sounds of rain and distant thunder.  Cartoons are on the television downstairs.  My dog having puppy dreams on the rug beside me.  A few birds are chirping through the rain.

I am Reading/Watching~  We are still watching Pie in the Sky and Road to Avonlea.  Road to Avonlea is almost complete.  We are occasionally watching Emily of New Moon when Daddy can watch it with us.  A new book in the reading department tonight.  Haven't read anything in quite some time that is worth recommending.


One of my favorite Things~  Reese's Hard Shell Ice Cream topping.  I've been eating vanilla ice cream topped with a drizzle of caramel and this heavenly stuff.  I love those hard shell ice cream toppings, but this one is my FAVORITE!


A few plans for the rest of the week:  Bachelor David tomorrow.  We're going to Chris, Sharon and baby Anastasia's Saturday afternoon for dinner.  Hurricane Irene watch Sunday.  No other plans than those.

Something to share~  My plans for this afternoon. . . .


(the Gooseberry Patch Christmas 2011 magazine is here!)



Have a GREAT weekend dear friends!

Easy Recipes

I'm thinking of my dear, sweet, new, daughter today.  I am praying she is having a great time decorating her new place.  Even if that decorating is moving the air mattress to a new spot on the floor! (Love You Maggie!)

Everyone enjoys easy recipes.  These look easy and quick.

Easy Swedish Meatballs

3 slices of bread, crumbled
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. milk
1-lb. ground beef
1/2 stick butter or margarine

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Mix in meat. Form into 1 1/2" balls; brown them in butter or margarine in a large skillet. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and place them in a 10" baking dish.

2 tsp. meat loaf seasoning mix
2 Tbsp. flour
1 can condensed beef broth
1 c. sour cream

Blend flour and drippings in skillet. Cook until bubbly. Stir in broth and sour cream. Boil 1 minute. Pour over meatballs. Bake in a 325° F oven for 30 minutes.

Pear and Apple Streusel Pie

3 c. thinly sliced peeled apples
3 c. thinly sliced peeled pears
3/4 c. brown sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. tapioca
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. margarine
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
Refrigerated pie crust

Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix apples and pears with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, tapioca and cinnamon in large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Mix flour and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts; set aside. Prepare pie crust in 9-inch pie plate as directed on package. Fill with fruit mixture; top with crumb mixture. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.



Quick Pistachio Salad
12-oz. Cool Whip ^®
1 small pkg. instant pistachio pudding
1 15-oz. can crushed pineapple juice
1 c. marshmallows

Stir all together until well mixed. Place in refrigerator.

Monday's Reflections

It's always refreshing for me to get away from the hustle and bustle, bad drivers with bad attitudes and the busi-ness of city living.  Thursday after my husband returned from a business trip in Dallas, we we're able to go on another camping adventure.  I always come home with a bit of longing for the sounds of frogs, crickets  and whispering pines. 


Thursday night we had an exciting night full of thunder storms and one LITTLE scared dog.  He is terrified of thunder storms.  The louder they are, the worse he is.  He shook the trailer in terror most of the night.







This is us stuck in a mud puddle.  My manly man was able to use the winch on the TOY-ota to pull us out from the mud puddle.  He was having sooo much fun.



We saw many toads, two snakes and several deer.  We even heard a Whippoorwill calling in the early morning.



We drove for over two hours with our handy, dandy map looking for what appeared, on the map, to be a lake.  When we finally found it it looked more like an overgrown bog that may have been a water reservoir for flooding cranberry bogs.  We were determined to put the canoe in it and fish.







This is what we caught.  Anyone up on their fish identification?  We think it's a baby Pike.  We sent him back to the water to further his growth.


Getting some water from the well by the swimming hole and heading back to camp after a day spent adventuring.



That's really the color the water appears.  Because  it's marshy, sandy and bog-gie. . .the water looks like Dr. Pepper.





A short canoe trip before packing up our camp and heading back to the hustle and bustle of big city life.

Until next time. . .

~~It's Monday!!~~

 

(I loved this airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The little breezeways were filled with rocking chairs.  They were full of content, happy people too!)

(trying on Momma's colored lip balm on the plane!)

Outside my window~  It rained all day yesterday!  We had so much rain there are flood warnings all across the state.  I can hear my tomatoes singing!  The grass is happy as well.

(brothers ship the U.S.C.G.C. Decisive)


I am Thankful~  Thankful that my oldest son and his bride are so happy.  They went through their ceremony and didn't change their minds!

(standing at the door of their first place!)

(on the balcony of their apartment.)

I am Thinking~  I am trying not to think about anything the next couple of days.  Just trying to get plenty of rest and relaxation.

(getting ready to sample some catfish and baked sweet potato.  It was Yummy!)


From the learning room~  I am thinking. . .kinda. . . of ordering curriculum.  My student needs to practice his piano as well.  I've not made him practice too much.


From the kitchen~  I bought Chinese food Saturday afternoon after returning from taking my manly man to the airport. ( He was flying to Dallas, Texas for a work related conference.)  Now I have two containers of cooked white rice to use up.  I am thinking of making hamburger gravy to go with the rice.  It is going to be another rainy day today, a good day to have comfort food like rice and gravy!

(the Daddy's)

I am Wearing~  Still wearing my manicure that I got with the bride's family on Thursday morning.  It is still holding up pretty well.  It had been YEARS since I had a professional manicure!





I am Creating~  I am not creating this week or even 'thinking' about creating.  I am taking a break.  I was privileged to be able create the bride's hairstyle and make-up.  I think I did a fantastic job. 

(She'll kill me for making this public . . . but we said she looked like 'Darth Maul' from Star Wars




I also used my creative abilities to try to 'fix' the bride's dress as it DID NOT FIT after she tried it on.  (it had been many months since her last try on with her dress. . .)  Oh my, talk about an upset bride.  But I was able to sew 21, satin covered buttons up the back of the dress, sew an extra hook and eye. . . then we fastened the top back of the dress with satin ribbon, like a corset and . . . IT WORKED!!

(You can't see all the stuff I did in this picture, except the extra buttons)
 

Upcoming Events~  We're going camping!  Yes, my manly man comes home Thursday round noon.  We'll hook up the trailer and head to south Jersey to camp near the spot we went to last time.  We'll be taking the 'TOY' and doing a 4X4 adventure and fishing, of course!  We'll be home late Sunday afternoon.



I am Reading/Watching~  We're still watching Road to Avonlea, Emily of New Moon and Pie in the Sky.
"Watch it don't rain with your nose in the air like that.  you might drown."  -Felix King




(I think we're laughing at my ugly shoes!!)

I am Praying~  Praying for far away family, for growing children, for the newly marrieds as they drive home to Mississippi tomorrow, (May the Lord keep them safe,) For wisdom. . . 

What are you praying for?


(The brides' mother, Kim-the matron of honor, Cori- and Cori's daughter, Mackenzie, the flower girl)


(the best man, Chase- and the groomsman, my #2 son)

I am Hearing~  Crows in the trees out back.  Traffic out front.  A cooking show on t.v. still quiet, #2 son is still sleeping!








Around the House~  I like to leave for trips with a clean house, so that it is clean upon the return.  My house looks pretty good.  The laundry from the trip is done AND put away.  I don't have to do too much shopping for camping groceries.  I may take a long bath, burn a scented candle today and listen to Anne Murray and Neil Diamond on my CD player!


(swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in Gulf Shores, Alabama)

My Favorite Things~ 



Something to Share~  A recipe and a bible verse

Luke 10:27

"And he answering said,  Thou shalt 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."

Four Cheese Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) ziti or small tube pasta
• 2 cartons (10 ounces each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1-3/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Cook ziti according to package directions; drain and return to the pan. Stir in Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon half into a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and parsley; spread over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Yield: 8 servings