Thursday is here and it's hard to believe. The few days since Christmas have been quiet, except for the sounds of Kleenex being ripped from the box and the constant honking of me blowing my nose. Last night was the first night in a week I slept through the night without being up every hour like a child checking to see if Santa had come! But today seems to be the beginning of the end of this cold, I'm thrilled to report.

This morning we are at 31 degrees, right now, at 9am. I am sure we were in the 20's overnight. Silly has bravely gone out to sit in the sunshine, so she must think things are improving.

Not much is happening, here in this lull between Christmas and New Years. I have not been out to the stores to see any of the sales, and doubt that I will. Rebecca went out yesterday to return things that didn't fit, and even thought I didn't feel well, I don't think I could have braved that chaos even if I had felt up to a trek to the mall. I know she was gone longer than she thought she would be.

Today we are going to change out a ceiling fan in the Florida room. One night about 6 weeks ago one I could hear this loud humming in my sewing room. I checked out all the electronic things in the bookcase, and the sound wasn't coming from there. I went into the living room and figured out it was the ceiling fan. During the yearly warranty period an electrician was here for another reason (bathroom light) and he told us it was the fan itself. Eric had already checked the wiring and thought the same thing. So, on the word of the "electrician" when we called the fan company they agreed to send a new fan. So today is the day. I get to hold Eric on the ladder .... hopefully this will be a simple task!

I can also report that the squirrel has managed to climb to the top of the bird feeder. He does lovely flying lunges from it to the pole. So far, he seems most content to eat off of the ground. If he gets too greedy then we will try the soda bottle trick. At least all the birds and the squirrel are keeping Silly occupied in the morning. She sits and supervises them quite well.

A Family Recipe for Friends - Coconut Macaroons

We are having guests today, Jennifer from Baltimore is coming and bringing her friend Chris. Since this is Christmas, I decided to write to Jen's mother Linda and see if there was something I could make that would surprise Jen, something that was a family favorite. Linda responded immediately with the following recipe. Linda said this is one she made every year, and in fact was from her own teenage years in 4H. I admit, I had never seen a recipe for Macaroons with corn flakes in it, but in spite of how it might sound, they are delicious and easy to make too!


Coconut Flake Macaroons
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups corn flakes
Add the salt to the egg whites and beat until foamy. Add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue beating after each addition. Beat until the egg whites form peaks that tend to bend over a little when you draw out the egg beater. Fold in flour and vanilla. Add the coconut and fold in gently. Add corn flakes and mix in lightly. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in at 325 degrees about 20 minutes. They should be a delicate brown. Makes about 30 macaroons.

Birthday - Birthday

Today is a double Birthday, two special people in my life celebrate today: Madeline (Maddie), my grand-daughter, and Sally, my sister-in-law. Maddie will be three today, and Sally 29 or something! Sally and her family celebrated earlier this week, as Brian and Christine and Michelle were in Florida visiting. Maddie will have her family party today at two. So Happy Happy Birthday Birthday, to both of you! Here's a look at Maddie, taken about a week ago. I promise a birthday shot or two later!

Cookie Exchange

It's always reassuring to know that you are doing something fun, and not totally "old fashioned". According to Google, where there are over 250,000 hits for Cookie Exchange, and our local paper, Cookie Exchanges are all the rage. Last night I held my holiday cookie exchange with my friends. It was lots of fun, and we had an amazing selection of cookies to share with each other. There were no duplicates, and each kind is just begging to be tasted. We had iced cookies, chocolate (dark and light), cookies with and without nuts, and cookies with and without fillings. Just too yummy. We had a fine evening, sharing stories and experiences, and of course, exchanging our cookies!

Toffee Almond Sandies

Today was my baking day for the cookie exchange I am hosting on Wednesday evening. We are each bring Six dozen cookies to exchange. I chose to make Toffee Almond Sandies, a recipe I received from Julia the day we tied the quilt at Meadow Farm. This recipe came from Taste of Home, 1999 (page 127) and as promised by Julia is delicious. I must admit, my sampling proved her right. Here's the recipe in case you would like to make a few .... which the way I made then turned out to be about 10 dozen.

Toffee Almond Sandies

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
2 cup chopped almonds
1 pkg. (6oz) English toffee bits
Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add oil, eggs and extract; mix well. Combine flours, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in almonds and toffee bits. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets; flatten with a fork. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: about 12 dozen

My variations: Roll some in ground almonds rather than sugar, also into center of some, press an M & M.

Blog News

Blogger has added new features, and changed some things with the new Beta Version. I am not sold on every new change, and think it will take awhile before I learn how to do some of the things that no longer seem to be available. Nothing new is without some difficulties though! One new feature you will notice in the sidebar is LABELS. If you click on a label, you will be able to bring up all the posts that I have tagged with a label. Obviously, since this blog has lots of posts, I may not go back to the very beginning to label each and every post. However, I am labeling each new post, and have added labels to the most recent posts. How does it work? Click a label, like cooking, and you will see each posts that have something to do with food, cooking, recipes, etc. Looking for something specific about family, then click on family! Simple, right?

Making Cookies

Wednesday kept us busy, making and baking Christmas cookies. We did Eric's favorites, snickerdoodles, sand tarts, and candy canes. Next week, I will make date nut pinswheels, and a new recipe, almond toffee cookies. Don't these look good? Come on over and we will be glad to share. In fact, my cookie exchange is on the 13th, 7pm. Bring 6 dozen of your favorite cookies and we will swap!

Decorating for Christmas

Monday night I hosted the monthly Bunko group that I joined. With lots of help from DH Eric, we docorated the house for this event and to start the holiday season off. This weekend we plan to add the tree and then we will be finished unless I decided to change some of the houses into table top displays. We are really enjoying our new house, and the chance to celebrate the seasons.

Caramel Corn

1. Popcorn, 2. Syrup, 3. Caramel Corn

We have had a busy week, Eric and I. Monday (day after tomorrow) is Bunco night and my turn to host the other 11 ladies who play once a month. Getting ready for company is not a big deal, as the house is still pretty straight from Thanksgiving. However, there are things to be tidied up, and on top of that is decorating for Christmas. And food, food for 12 ladies. The past months of Bunco have seen lots of different senarios as far as food is concerned. Some have obviously worked for 3-4 days cooking up things. Others have taken a more simple route. I am somewhere in between, choosing a simple menu of snacks and finger foods. After all, the main reason we get together is to play Bunco, food is a sideline. The picture above shows the magic progression of sugar and popcorn into caramel popcorn. I had truly forgotten how good the recipe I have is. It's one from Onva, a friend on my mom's. Eric popped up the corn, and I cooked and stirred, and we have a wonderful batch stashed away. We had to hide it, because it might not make it to Monday if we kept in reach.

Later this week I'll attempt to show our decorations outside and in. So far, we think the holly tree with the red and green lights is our best effort.

Family and Friends, thankfulness

Well, it's turkey time again for everyone. But more than that, it's time to be thankful. I'm so thankful for all you, my family and friends. Your love and support over the years has been such a gift. I'm so pleased that my family was able to be together a few weeks ago in Texas. This past year has also connected me to new and old friends. I can't express what it means to know them and to share with them the events of our lives.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow. I'll be thinking of each and everyone of you as we sit down to have our dinner of Thanksgiving.

Fall in Virginia, changing views!

Last Thursday, on the 16th we had torrential rains, probably more than we have seen since moving in a year ago. This is the view taken from my sewing room window of the area behind our house. Do you wonder why they might have called it a natural wetland?

Here's what a difference four days make. This is the red maple, taken Nov. 13th, three days before the rain picture above was taken.
Move your mouse over the picture to see the red maple one day after the rain, Friday the 17th.

Color Options Workshop

I just spent an incredible weekend in a workshop with Patsy Zawistoski. She was a guest of the Clothos Guild and presented a 2 day intensive class about using color dyed and painted roving to their best advantage. In the course of the 2 days, we made nine different type of yarn, using only one colorway. Naturally, they all blend beautifully, but each has it own special character. To see these done by such a wonderful spinner and teacher was very exciting for me. We made the following yarns: a random candy stripe (very basic), a solid Navaho ply, a tri color, a spiral slub, a neutral, a cable, a 2 color transition 2 ply, a faux cable tweed, and a faux boucle. Then using fibers other than our Targhee wool, we did a boucle with mohair, a slub with soy and wool, and a stretched Merino cable. We have wonderful sample cards with our control and finished product and of course, class notes. I wished I could have taped the entire process. If there had been two of me, I could have made short movies of each technique. She made it all look so easy! I'll try to work up a bit of a photo mosaic of what we did to post later this week.

I had borrowed a wheel for the occasion, and don't know how I could have possibly done without it. Sunday morning before I left for class, I checked eBay and saw an Ashford Traditional Wheel offered. When I got home, I made 2 bids and surprisingly won the auction. I don't know if the other bids were just friends and neighbors trying to get bids or what, but I paid just over the reserve and got it for a very nice price. Until it gets here, I am going to practice all the techniques again as soon as possible, so I don't forget how.

Visit Home

I've been home in Virginia a week now, but the trip to Texas was and is still my biggest news. As most know, we all went to Texas to surprise my parents on their 61st wedding anniversary, Oct. 27. They were expecting their two grandsons, their wives and daughters for the weekend. Instead, and In addition, they also got Mike, Sally and Anne, and myself. We flew to Houston, rented a car and drove to Lufkin, surprising then on the night before their anniversary. We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfect and the company was excellent! I don't think any of us will forget the time we had. There were lots of firsts, Mike and Anne met Michelle, Brian and Christine's daughter, and I got to meet Christine. We talked, ate, shopped, knitted, it was fun for all!

Street Tree

Today our street became a boulevard of trees. We anticipated the arrival of the trees as we had plenty of clues. One, they planted trees the next block up recently, and secondly, the Utility companies were out in force yesterday marking utility lines. So, not only do we have a lovely Elm tree (a Bosque elm for inquiring minds), we also have lovely multi-colored lines all over everywhere. Internet research states that this tree is well suited for street plantings, poor soil, and the other less than optimal climate characteristics found here. So, hopefully, in a few years, we'll have a lovely tree to look at.

Inside, the warranty work finally began to "right" the "wrongs" on our end of year checklist. Biggest was the master closet door that opened into the closet. I am so happy, I can now open the closet door and see everything! If nothing else gets fixed, I'll still be happy with this improvement. They also sent a yard crew that dug up the ruts in the side and front. Some were caused by Eagle, and some by the tree men, but none the less, we will have new sod soon and maybe things will be more level. They haven't touched the back yard yet, but at least this is progress.

We are anticipating rain this weekend, so it will be good for the tree and the sod. Just the right foot for them to start on.

Mom and Dad will be celebrating their 61st Wedding anniversary this Friday. Brian and family, and Russell and family, their two grandsons will be in Lufkin to help them party! I am sure with two little girls, both under 3 it will be lots of fun. They will no doubt enjoy having both the grandsons, their wives and 2 of their great-grand children with them. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad .... I may have to wish it to you again tomorrow and the next day .... but why not start early!

Some things are accomplished

As you know, are carpet is installed. If you run on over to the house blog, there is a short movie showing the attic room as it looked on Monday night.

Since then, we have started bringing up things from out of the garage ..... Don't ask how many times Eric has done this! We are putting away things as we sort thought them again, discard, and repack. We have all the books upstairs now, and all of the decorations for the house for any and all seasons. I found my US flag again, so some things are appearing that had been "relocated"! At least maybe for Veterans Day we will be able to fly our large USA flag.

Eric has been putting up shelving, and as this is the third set of this stuff we have bought, he is getting pretty quick at it. The installation is easy, once you get the upper track in place. He measured before the men put up the sheetrock, so he would know where each and every stud upstairs is. Clever no?

We are setting up a small play area for the kids, their kitchen, and all the assorted food, trains, blocks and things that are best set up in a larger space will relocate up there. We'll leave books, play-dough and "quiet" activities like games and puzzles downstairs. I am going to scout around for some kind of shelving for their things.

Our weather is really pretty. It is warm again, and just perfect. The rain we received has greened up the lawn, and it looks like some of the top dressing we did will actually help. Time will tell on it. We were told when we bought seed for the grass to wait and put it down just before the first snowfall. Something about it getting good soil contact and moisture. Sounds good in theory anyway.

The man from Eagle who was to begin our warranty work didn't show up today. He said he might be delayed due to an illness in his family, so we will just have to wait a bit more. We have plenty going on with getting the garage straight again, so it really doesn't matter if he comes right now or not.

Whoa there .... slow down

Too much progress going on here ..... not really, but things are looking up. The carpet installers are due here on Monday at 8. A person is coming to look at the roof and give an estimate tomorrow. Next Wednesday Eagle will begin the 12 month list of repairs. And Eric got a haircut today.

Late breaking news is that Silly the cat is convinced the sky is falling as she can feel the curtain of cold falling on her ears everytime she goes outside. Her remedy for this terrible event is to just hide out. Maybe winter will pass through and not stay. Meanwhile, we really didn't need the top drawer of the desk did we?

Uphill battles

This is my before picture of the upstairs room - before carpet. If you haven't heard, we still don't have carpet because the carpet measure person wrote down the wrong numbers. So, there is no AFTER picture. The installers walked into the room and took one look and said, "We don't have enough carpet" and they were right. So, we are waiting to hear from the expediter from Home Depot. Today, tomorrow, someday this week. We'll see.

So what else is new here ? - The rain finally stopped after a soggy soggy weekend. Not without a good bit of worry for us too, as there is another red maple with a really crooked lean to it in the same location as the tree that fell. Of course, if it just fell straight down, it would land between the houses. We don't think that will happen. So, we have called the county, and the Corps of Engineers is supposed to send someone over to look over the situation, being as today is a holiday, when is uncertain.

The fiber festival I hoped to attend was pretty well muddied out. Some brave souls did attend, but I read and heard that many had to be towed out of the field where they were stuck. That didn't sound like fun to any of us who planned to attend, so we have scheduled an alternative field trip some other time.

Tomorrow I go to the Podiatrist again, a new one. I am hoping he is going to tell me what is going on, and if he says all is well, then I am just going to have to grin and bear it. Somehow, I don't expect that answer from him. Tomorrow I will know. Hopefully he won't send me home in a boot.

Happy Birthday Rebecca

The grandkids threw a birthday party the other night .... for their mom. They could hardly wait. The kids were so excited by the upcoming Wednesday birthday they even baked the cake, five days ahead. Tom reported that while shopping at Party Plus he was informed by Zack they didn't need streamers, there were some at home. They were definitly into party mode.

Maymont with friends!

I had a great weekend with the people in this picture! I am sure some of you know and recognize them from Lufkin. They now live in West Virginia, and came for a visit so their oldest at home son could run in the McDonalds Cross Country Festival at Maymont. Before the race, we ran the little ones around so they could expend some energy. I don't think it fazed them, but I was tired after the treck down into the Japanese Gardens. This is a beautful place, and the setting was perfect for a fall day. The race drew about 1500 runners, and a crowd of about 7,000. Quite the event.

I don't have anything of great interest to tell. I have taken more pictures of the upstairs, and one day this week I'll get them up on the house blog.

So where are we ....

We have managed (DH and I) to not kill each other the last 9 years. I think the card DD sent says it all:
You've shared the same cabin,
You've shared the same galley,
You've logged
a great distance together.
You both really know
how to keep things shipshape
And navigate well in all weather.
You've show that a pair
can remain right on course,
And today
it can truly be said ....
You're perfect as mates ---!

As we start year 10, we are both thankful to be together. Thanks to all the family and friends who sent greetings! Also, thank you for reading the blog and keeping up with our adventures. Now in the house with more space .... it will make the next 9 years a breeze!