FOOD FRIDAY

Party Time Meat Balls
16 ounce can of jellied cranberry sauce
12 ounce bottle chili sauce
2 pound bag of frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail size meatballs (I use the store bought meatballs but you can make your own)

Combine chili sauce and jellied cranberry sauce in a large saucepan.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth and well blended.   Place meatballs in crockpot, pouring sauce mixture over them.  Place cover on crock pot and cook for 3-4 hours on high.   Don't worry if you have some left over....they are good warmed up. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jerry Van Dyke Mule Train on Yes, Dear

Merry Christmas

Sing Noel Sing Hallelujah

Jesus Born on This Day

FOOD FRIDAY

Cranberry Molded Salad
6 ounce box of raspberry Jell-O (sugar-free works fine)
1 cup boiling water
1 can whole cranberry sauce
16 ounce can crushed pineapple (not drained)
chopped walnuts (optional)
TOPPING
12 ounce container whipped cream cheese
small carton heavy whipping cream
In a large bowl mix Jell-O powder with boiling water until dissolved.
Add whole cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple and walnuts.  Mix well and then pour into a 9 x 13 pan or deep casserole dish.  Chill until firm.

Whip one cup heavy whipping cream until thickened and then mix in container of whipped cream cheese.  Spread over top of chilled Jell-O mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CORY BAND & Gwalia Singers - Stop the Cavalry (1981)

Away in a Manger - Cristy Lane

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

Love Came Down At Christmas - Ali Matthews

Go Tell It On The Mountain With Lyrics Christmas Song

John Denver and the Muppets - A Baby Just Like You

Happy Birthday Jesus

FOOD FRIDAY

Sweet Dreams
½ pound butter
1½ cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
powdered sugar
Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add brown sugar and egg, beat well.  In a smaller bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.  Combine with butter mixture and mix in vanilla. Fold in chocolate ships and walnuts.  Chill for several hours.
Form dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in powdered sugar.  Place each dough ball on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies.
NOTE: dough can be frozen and brought to room temperature as needed.

Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord - Boney M

MercyMe - Joseph's Lullaby

Barbra Streisand - The Best Gift

"Mary, Did You Know?" By Mark Lowry (with David Phelps & Guy Penrod)

CHRISTMAS DREAM

O Holy Night Lyrics - Celine Dion - Christmas Song

Animals of YouTube sing "Deck the Halls"

FOOD FRIDAY

Potluck Potato Casserole
2 pound bag frozen hash-brown potatoes, partially thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup melted butter
salt & pepper
½ cup onion chopped
1 pint sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
TOPPING
2 cups crushed corn flakes
¼ cup melted butter
Mix all except topping ingredients.  Put into a buttered 9 x 13 baking pan.  Mix crushed corn flakes with melted butter and sprinkle on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Amy Grant - Grown-Up Christmas List

A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance

DECEMBER 7, 1941

Sunday morning December 7, 1941 was sunny and bright in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii when out of the sky came the enemy flying towards thousands of unsuspecting people.  353 planes launched from 6 Japanese aircraft carriers flew over the city that fateful morning.

Before the day was over over 2,000 military personnel were killed and over 1,200 were wounded.   Also killed were 57 civilians with 35 wounded.  The Japanese planes caused horrible destruction to the U.S fleet of ships.

The next day the United States declared war on Japan and life in the United States changed for thousands of people.   Men started lining up at their local draft offices and as they headed off to basic training, the women were left alone to manage their homes and families.  And left to work jobs that had previously been held by their men.  

Will the story of Pearl Harbor be on the front page of our local newspapers today? Will teachers in the classrooms across the country tell their students of this day?    I hope it's on the front page and I hope that teachers tell the story to their young students.......but I doubt that will happen.

As President Franklin D Roosevelt said "December 7th, a date which will live in infamy."  And so it should!                                                                                   

FOOD FRIDAY

HOLIDAY CRANBERRY QUICK BREAD
4 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 cups chopped cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder & baking soda.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, orange juice & orange peel. Mix until blended.  Stir into the flour mixture until flour is moistened.  Gently stir in the cranberries and walnuts.  Spoon batter into two greased & floured loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  After baking, cool on wire racks for 15 minutes, then remove from pans to continue cooling.

You can also bake this in the smaller loaf pans for giving as gifts, etc before or during the holidays (just adjust baking time for the smaller pan).  This bread, tightly wrapped freezes well for several months.

November 29th

Thanksgiving day 2009, parolee Maurice Clemmons sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with family members and friends.  Upset about a recent arrest for assulting a police officer and child rape, he boasted that he was going to start killing cops  and others, including school children.  He had recently been released from jail after posting $150,000 bail.   Hearing these threats,  sadly none of those people at the dinner table that day bothered to call the police and let them know about this discussion.  Maurice who came from a large family had been in and out of trouble since he was 17 years old. That day at the dinner table he talked of the guns he had stockpiled and even danced around at  one point brandishing two guns that he had with him.

Sunday morning, November 29, 2009.....four Lakewood, Washington police officers were sitting in a Forza Coffee shop before going on duty....discussing their games plans for their day.  It was a common practice for officers to meet at this coffee shop, to confer with each other regrading on-going cases, etc.  While they sat there, Maurice Clemmons had driven to the home of  Darcus Allen, a paroled murderer that Clemmons met while imprisioned in Arkansas.  Together they happened to drive past the Forza Coffee  shop and Clemmons noticed the 4 marked Lakewood Police vehicles parked there.  They drove by a couple more times and then pulled into a car washing facility across from the coffee shop.  While Darcus Allen stayed with their vehicle, Maurice Clemmons (armed with guns) walked across the street, entered the coffee shop and shot all for officers execution style.  The other customers in the coffee shop and the two barisatas were not harmed and he did not threaten them.  He was only after the officers.

That day four beloved members of the Lakewood Police Department lost their lives.  In just a few moments the lives of their families and friends were  forever changed.  

For those of us who live in Lakewood...it changed us too.  I know I will never again see Tina come cruising thru the mobile home park, where I live.  Never again see her smile and the wave of her hand when I'm out working in my yard.   It seemed we were on her 'beat' and if she was on duty, she would drive thru slowly at least once a day.  

Maurice Clemmons was actually wounded by one of the officers before he died in the doorway of the coffee shop.  Clemmons got to the waiting vehicle and was driven to homes of  various family and friends where he was treated for the gunshot wound, given clean clothes, money and was given refuge. A huge manhunt thru out the Tacoma-Seattle area commenced and early in the morning of December 1st, a Seattle officer noticed what appeared to be an abandoned car, parked with it's hood up.  While he sat in his patrol car, he radioed in the cars information to his station.  As he sat in his car, he noticed a man approaching and soon realized it was Maurice Clemmons. He got out of his car, ordered Clemmons to put his hands up.  But instead Clemmons pulled out a gun and was shot and killed by the Seattle officer.   

This last fall the trials began for 7  people who aided Maurice Clemmons.  Some have already been sentenced and others are still awaiting their sentences for their part in that very sad day, November 29, 2009.

Rest in peace Sgt Mark Renninger, Officer Ronald Owens,Officer Tina Griswold & Officer Greg Richards.

Thank you for your service~We miss you!

I would be remiss if I did not mention the other two officers that were killed with-in a two month period of the Lakewood officer shooting.  On Halloween night 2009 Seattle Officer Timothy Brenton was sitting in his patrol car on the side of a street, going over a traffic stop with a rookie officer when a car pulled up along side of them and shot him.  The officer in training was wounded and has since recovered and returned to duty.   Then on December 21, 2009 , here in a rural area of Tacoma  Sheriff Deputy Kent Mundell and his partner responded to an 'unwanted guest ' call.  As they were escorting the man out of the house, he pulled a gun gravely injuring Deputy Mundell, who died a week later and severly wounding his partner.   Deputy Mundell was able to get off enough shots and killed the man before falling wounded to the floor.  The wounded partner, Deputy Nick Hausner,  just returned to duty in the last few months.

May we all remember that daily these people not only put on their uniforms but they put their lives on the line to "Serve and Protect" our communities. And that when they leave their homes each day...they leave behind family and friends who love them.

FOOD FRIDAY

Left Overs on Black Friday

Depending on what you have left over....take a break from cooking and warm up the left overs. 
Hopefully you still have some pumpkin pie left over for dessert.  
Kick back and relax..........

FOOD FRIDAY

Chicken (Turkey) Enchilada Casserole

2-3 cups cooked, diced chicken or turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1 cup chopped green chilies (mild, medium or hot)
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes
¼ cup salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 can sliced olives (optional)
1 small carton of sour cream
12-15 corn tortillas torn into pieces
½  pound grated cheese

Mix all ingredients together except grated cheese.  Pour into a 9' x 11' baking pan.  Smooth mixture out and top with grated cheese. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

This is a great way to use up that left over turkey that you're going to have over the holidays. 

FOOD FRIDAY

Baked Bean Quickie

1 pound ground beef
¼ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup minced onion
½ cup diced celery (or celery salt)
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
2 cans pork & beans
garlic salt to flavor

After frying ground beef, drain grease and set aside.  Saute onion, green pepper & celery until tender.  Put all ingredients into an oven proof casserole dish and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 375 degrees.  This amount will serve 4-5 people.  This is very good left over & warmed up the next day.

NOTE~I use dried minced onion & dried green pepper flakes, especially when they are so expensive to buy fresh.

How To Wrap A Cat For Christmas

FOOD FRIDAY

Taco Soup
½ pound ground beef
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1½ cup water
16 ounce can stewed or diced tomatoes
16 ounce kidney beans
1 envelope of taco seasoning
grated cheese & crumbled corn chips for topping

Brown the ground beef & onion then drain the fat.  Add water, green pepper, tomatoes, undrained kidney beans, tomato sauce & taco seasoning.  (I only use about ½ a package).  Simmer for at least 45-60 minutes.  Serve hot soup in bowls topped with grated cheese & crumbled corn chips.  You can also use sour cream as part of the topping. 

FOOD FRIDAY

Apple Cake
1½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup shortening
2 eggs
2½ cups flour
3 cups peeled & thinly sliced apples (usually 3 or 4 apples)
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup warm coffee
½ cup chopped walnuts (opt)

Cream sugar & shortening, add eggs & beat mixture well.  In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon & salt.  Sift gradually into the sugar/shortening/egg mixture adding alternately with warm coffee.  Fold in apple pieces and chopped walnuts.

Place mixture in greased/floured  9" x 12" pan.  Sprinkle topping of ½
teaspoon cinnamon & ½ cup brown sugar over the top. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 mins. 

This recipe was given to me many years ago by a dear friend.  The coffee makes it so good and is easy to throw together when there's still breakfast coffee left in the pot.  Perfect for a wintery Saturday or Sunday afternoon treat.

FOOD FRIDAY

CROCK POT APPLE BUTTER

Crock-pot full of apples, peeled, cored & quartered

2 cups apple cider or apple juice

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2-teaspoons ground cinnamon (you can use less)

¾ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)



1. Fill your crock-pot (5 or 4 quart) to 1 inch over the rim with prepared apples. I suggest using several different varieties for a good flavor. They will cook down considerably.


2. Add cider or apple juice and place lid on top of apples. If you have a vent window in your crock-pot lid, keep it closed for this step. Put on low and cook for 12 hours (I do this over night.)


3. In the morning, stir well; add the rest of the ingredients, stirring well again. Put the lid back on the crock-pot with the vent open or the lid tilted to the side to allow moisture out. Cook for 12 to 24 hours on low, stirring occasionally until mixture reaches the proper consistency. (To test put a small spoon full on a plate~liquid will not accumulate more than ¼ inch around edge of what you’ve placed on the plate when it’s completely done.)


4. Your apple butter should be a rich, dark brown when it’s done. Pour into clean, hot pint or half pint jars, place clean lids & rings on the jars and water bath for about 20 mins. Remove from water bath, place on towel and let the jars cool. The lids will seal as they cool.


5. For giving as tuck-in holiday gifts, unscrew the outer ring and place a piece of round holiday fabric on the jar top and replace the ring. Some ribbon or raffia sets it off nicely.

FOOD FRIDAY

As fall comes and goes and winter sets in, we'll be serving more soups including chili.  Here's a quick and easy recipe for the perfect side dish for chili~corn bread.

CORN BREAD
2 eggs
1cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1 14.75oz can of cream style corn
2 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix 8.5oz.
Butter a 9x13 pan.  Set a side.  In med. large bowl  beat the eggs. Add the sour cream,oil and creamed corn. Mix well.  Add 2 pkgs of the corn bread mix and mix well. Pour the batter into the 9x13 buttered pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. ... Test with toothpick in center of cornbread to see if it is done.   Good served with chicken chili, regular chili or Taco soup. Enjoy!

Food Friday

It's that time of the year when fresh garden produce is plentiful.  And in certain areas one thing that grows like weeds is zucchini.  Here's my favorite recipe for zucchini bread.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil (vegetable, canola but not olive oil)
2 cups peeled & grated zucchini
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Beat eggs until foamy. Add oil, sugar, zucchini  and vanilla. Mix lightly. Add sifted dry ingredients.  Mix together and pour into greased loaf pans. (This recipe should make two full size loaf pans or three smaller size loaf pans). Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 mins.  The smaller pans will take about 50 mins.

September 11, 2001~ May We Never Forget

Mary Teresa Caulfield......a wife, mother, daughter, sister and an aunt was among those who lost their lives in the North Tower of the World Trade Center that sunny and clear morning, September 11, 2001.  She was an executive assistant working in her office at Marsh & Mc Lennan, an insurance company.

On September 11, 2002 one of my co-workers went by the 'Y'  before she came into the office.  As she entered the 'Y' there was a table that held business size cards of tributes to the victims of 09-11-01.  Julia gathered up enough of them for those of us already at work and when she came in , she stopped at each desk to let us choose a card.  I chose Mary Teresa Caulfield because she was very close to my age. 

Mary Teresa you would be 67 years old now, you probably would be retired and no doubt would have taken that dream vacation with your husband, James. Maybe even grandchildren have been born, that will never know you.  But all those dreams were cut short in an instant by a senseless act of a few.  A senseless act of hatred, that most of the people in this world still can't understand.

I carry that little green card with your name and the fact that you were confirmed dead in the World Trade Center that day~that horrible day, September 11, 2001.

To the family and friends of Mary Teresa...please know that as long was I live, I will carry this card with me.  I pray that God continues to comfort you and bring you peace as the years go by.

May we never forget those who left us that day and may we never forget those few who brought about this horrible event.

Interesting Facts About August 2010

This August has:


5 Sundays,


5 Mondays,


5 Tuesdays,


All in one month. It happens once in 823 years.


I probably will miss it next time. How about you?

Is Anyone Else Seeing What I See?

When I look at my Blog, I'm seeing a moving image that says;

"This image or video has been moved or deleted"
PhotoBucket

Am I crazy or is it really there and if it's there~why?

The Retired Pirate

Once there was a retired pirate so he decides to live with his brother. The pirate walks up to his brother's house and knocks on the door and his brother answers the door and says, "Oh my gosh , what happened to your hand!?! " The pirate said, "I lost it in a sword fight , but now I have a hook." Then the brother said, "What about your leg?" The pirate said, "A cannonball hit it , but now I have a peg leg ." Then the brother said, "Well , what about your eye?" The pirate said, "I got some dust in it ." The brother said, "How could you lose your eye by just getting some dust in it?" Then the pirate said, "It was my first day with my hook!

FOOD FRIDAY

One of the things I love on the cruise ship is the chilled soup you can have as an appetizer before dinner.  This is one of my favorites.


Chilled Raspberry Soup

2 pints fresh raspberries, gently washed. Can use frozen but then use less sugar



2 cups sour cream-can be omitted which I do, but I do use it as a garnish-just a few dots on top.


1 cup whole milk


1 cup cold ginger ale


1/4 cup sugar


2 T triple sec (optional)


2 T fresh lemon juice






Reserve a few raspberries for garnish. In a blender or food processor, puree the remaining raspberries until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a non-reactive bowl. Push through as much of the pulp as you can, leaving the seeds behind. A food mill makes it a lot easier. Whisk the remaining ingredients, except for reserved berries and ginger ale, into the puree. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Add ginger ale just before serving. To serve, divide the soup among chilled bowls and garnish with the reserved raspberries and sour cream, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

FOOD FRIDAY

Here's a great recipe for a summer salad.  I had this at a family birthday party last week....I snagged the recipe to share with you. It's very good and can be made the night before or a couple hours before your event.

Grape Summer Salad

2 pounds each of red & green grapes
8 ounce container of sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
¼ cup sugar   
1 teaspoon vanilla

Wash the grapes well and remove from stems then place in large bowl.  Mix sour cream & cream cheese, adding sugar and vanilla.  Mix together with the grapes until all are coated.  
Topping: 1 cup chopped walnuts & 1 cup brown sugar mixed together & sprinkled over the top of the grape mixture.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy

A beautiful July full moon

I took this picture Saturday evening as we crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.  Our beautiful Mt Rainier topped off with July's full moon.

What's Been Going On ?

Well, it's been a busy spring & summer. I'm finally done with the memory booklet that I've been putting together for my 50th class reunion.  It's been lots of hard work but also a lot of fun.  The gal at the print shop figures I've spent at least 60 hours typing entires, submitting them & doing research on the happenings of the years 1959-60. I know there have been many evenings when my hands were very sore & tired from pounding the keys.   I went thru the final proof copy of the booklet today and will turn it into the printer tomorrow and then I'm all finished with this project.  All I have to do is pick up the 150 copies they're going to print, when they are ready in a couple weeks. 

We finally got some warm summer type weather. Last week we had several days in the high 90's and believe me it was miserable in this place with no a/c. I did what I could during the day, but mostly just kept moving the fans around trying to keep cool. 

I have a small wooden deck off my dining room and about two weeks ago I decided it was time to scrub it, getting it ready to stain & waterproof. Bob was gone so I didn't have access to a pressure washer so I scrubbed the thing down with a vegetable brush !! It took hours!  A few days later Bob was back in town and took his pressure washer to it and finished it off.  There were some areas that I couldn't get to with the brush.  After several days of 90* I was able to put the first coat of waterproof sealant on it.  I got a product that was not only a sealant & waterproofer but also was a cedar color.  I love the look of it but have decided that before I put all the flower pots & the birdbath back...I'm going to put another coat on it.  Maybe....

Bob is dying to go back up to the Olympic Peninsula to Sol Duc Hot Springs so we may head up that way in the next day or so.  There's several places to camp up there and it will be nice to get away for a few days.   I just want to be home by next Monday evening. 

I have lots of yard work and other things to accomplish before I set sail on July 30th.  There's several from my high school class that are taking a pre-reunion 50th Class reunion Alaska cruise.  We leave from Seattle July 30th, returning August 6th.  Then our reunion is here in Tacoma on August 7th.

I hope you are all well and having a good summer.  My heart goes out to the people in the mid-west and east coast....their heat wave has been almost unbearable.  We all need to remember to keep hydrated & not do too much hard labor when the temperatures soar .

Here's a picture I took today from a look out at Tacoma's Point Defiance Park.  It shows the two Tacoma Narrows Bridges off in the distance.    

Until next time.................Linda

Happy Independence Day!!

Wishing everyone out there a Happy 4th of July.  

And I also want to wish my lovely grand daughter, Meghanne

 a happy 18th birthday today.

It seems like only yesterday she was a little toddler.

Cat Shower

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

I was blessed to have the best dad in the world. The picture above was taken July 4, 1942 when I was 6 months old. He left the next day for Camp Shelby, Mississippi for his basic training in the Army.   When he came home years later, I didn't know him....my mom did the best she could, keeping a picture of him on a small table & everyday we "kissed daddy goodnight."  
     My dad was always a hard worker. He worked as a train dispatcher on the Milwaukee Railroad until his retirement in the late 1970's. He always worked the afternoon shift so he would be home to take care of the 10 acres we lived on.  There were fences to mend, animals to care for (our cow was milked at mighnight & noon because of dad's work schedule) and he was always available to help a friend or a neighbor if they needed his assistance.  He taught the adult Sunday School class at church, he was also a Deacon at their church. When the church built a Christian school,  he served for many years on the School Board.      
           His dry sense of humor was always enjoyable, he was fun to be around.  We always knew that he loved my brother and myself and of course our mom.  He was a great dad. 
            He had a bad stroke in January of 1990.  Most afternoons when I would visit him he was sleeping or very drowsy.  But on the morning of July 4, 1990...I went early, since I didn't have to work.  He was wide awake & happy to see me. He'd lost his speech but his blue eyes twinkled.  It was a precious time for me....I was able to tell him what a wonderful dad he'd been and that I was sorry for being kind of a rotten kid.  He shook his head "no" with tears in his eyes and squeezed my hand.  I will never forget that time with him.  On the afternoon of September 14, 1990 he slipped into the arms of his heavenly father.  I miss him.

                                                      
           Happy Father's Day to all the dads, step dads, foster dads, adoptive dads & the mom's who've been both mom & dad.  Keep on keeping on. 
                                                   

FOOD FRIDAY

Don't faint....I haven't posted one for months.  But I mentioned on Facebook that I was going to make Chicken Pot Pie from a recipe I got from Robin in Tampa, FL.   Several people emailed me asking for the recipe so I posted it on FB and decided to post it here too.  So here goes;

Robin's Chicken Pot Pie

1 package frozen pie crust (unless you can make your own)



1 jar/can chicken gravy


3 cups cooked (frozen) mixed vegetables


2 cans (4.5 oz) canned chicken~ drained (I just bought a package boneless skinless chicken tenders, boiled them, let them cool & cut them into chunks).



Let pie crust stand at room temperature to thaw.


Combine gravy, veggies, cut up chicken & spoon into bottom pie crust.


Smooth out,  add top crust, pressing edges to seal.


After I cut some vent slits I covered top crust with a thin coat of butter.


Also put narrow strips of foil around the crust edge so it wouldn't burn.


Bake at 400* for 45 mins. Yummm !!!!



The left overs are good too.    Thanks again Robin for sharing this great recipe for some good old comfort food.

Early Thursday Morning

 

First of all the Memorial Day potluck for my family & friends was a good day~but sadly eight people that were invited were unable to come.  Including my son & his new wife.  She was sick as was her mother.  A former co-worker that I invited woke up with laryngitis, another couple were exhausted from family duties they had tended to all weekend & another friend cut the tip of her finger off, cutting hard boiled eggs in half to make deviled eggs that she planned on bringing.   But…..my brother & sister in law were there, also my two married nieces & their families, my youngest niece was in town from Washington DC & Bob was there, even though he too has been under the weather lately. My middle niece & her hubby welcomed a new baby boy on May 24th so little Brady was the ‘main attraction.’ 

The rain continues here in western Washington.  They are saying our usually bountiful strawberry crop is being damaged by the non-stop showers.  They are literally rotting on the vine.  Very sad.  I hope it stops soon. 

I unloaded my camera this afternoon so wanted to share some pictures with you.  Some of these were taken several weeks ago but I kept forgetting to take them off the camera.

The tag is missing from the plant below so I don’t know what it is but I love it. And it’s a perennial so this is the second year it’s bloomed.

 

My one & only Peony.

A new miniature rose I bought at the Spring Fair.  It’s called ‘Fireworks.’

And finally~Cytisus scoparius  or Scotch Broom!  How did it get here?  Someone brought it over many, many years ago from Europe.  It’s everywhere & the poor people with allergies really suffer when it’s in bloom. 

This is the road going from the highway back to Bob’s place.  It’s lined on both sides with the nasty stuff.

Memorial Day

 

Once again, let us pause and remember those who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live with the many freedoms we enjoy.   This year Memorial Day is really different for me, since some friends of mine lost their 21 year old grandson in Afghanistan on April 11th. I attended the military graveside service and it was very impressive but it was so sad to see this young man’s grieving family & friends.  I guess unless you’re touched by this type of loss, even remotely, you can’t totally understand the meaning of this day.

So today as we gather with family & friends, let’s all take a moment to remember…..remember the men & women who gave their all for us.

I will be getting together with my family and some friends at the Club House today. We’re going to have a potluck indoor picnic.  Since the weather in western Washington is so unpredictable at this time of the year, we decided to have it indoors.  My youngest niece is here for a long weekend from Washington, DC and we have a new member in our family…..my middle niece, husband & two little girls welcomed 8 lbs 12 oz Brady last Monday, May 24th.  He’ll be the hit of the day I’m sure.  The newlyweds will be coming from Olympia with her mom & uncle, so we’ll have a big group.

I’m still working on my class reunion project. I make myself get up and go outside from time to time during the day, so my eyes don’t fall out from all the squinting I’m doing trying to read illegible writing . I know the finished product will be worth it. 

My yard is looking pretty good.  The hanging baskets are all planted and with all the rain we’ve had, I rarely have to water. I’m sure that will change as we move into the summer months, however.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend.  And once again I apologize for not reading Blogs on a regular basis.  Hopefully that will change after this class reunion is over.  Until next time…….Linda