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.