One Down - One To Go

Okay - so this morning I'm debating with myself. My last post was Tuesday the 22nd. It was still up on Tuesday the 29th, and if I just focus on what I need to get done and ignore the whole blog thing for a bit longer, it can apply to one more Tuesday.

But, alas, I fear it is too late for that since I am already sitting comfortably with blog-gy thoughts running through my head, though I will warn you, they are random. Alright, you've been warned. ;-)

We are finished with the County Fair, at least until it is over and then we will work a few more days to help get everything taken down and cleaned up. We had a wonderful time - and I mean Wonderful - but last night on our way home I was sooooo glad that it was over. I'm done, the children are done, husband is done and I'm sure even all of our little critters are done and ready for us all to be HOME! I was so tired, but had to putter around for awhile before I could get in bed and get really comfy, you know? Like my muscles couldn't just go from work, walk, work, carry, work, work to relax, rest, peace without sufficient in between time to wind down.

> Now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging:

I'm not really done, though. Because today is Day 2 of our countdown to my mother's 70th birthday party that has been in the works sine the beginning of the year. The big stuff is done - place secured, invitations out and RSVP'd back, menu chosen, colors and centerpieces planned and at the ready, cake ordered, music ordered and arrived. Today I need to do little detail things like get bowls for the nuts and candies that my mother would like at each table, do the toppers for the party favors, maybe make a batch of her famous cookies to have as well. I also need to get a display board and mount the photos of her through the years. Tomorrow, Friday, will be Day 1, making final arrangements (like paying for it all!) and checking out the room and deciding how we will arrange things. The B-Day Saturday will be an early one for me - get the balloons, get the cake and be in the room by 9 a.m. to decorate and set up in time for party starting at 11 a.m. Then hopefully it will be time to just sit and enjoy!

Next week - Monday and Tuesday will be our last days at the Fair. We'll be working on taking down the exhibits, assisting with entry pick-ups, and cleaning out the two buildings where our work has been concentrated. Then a quiet few days at home and ending the week with the children's piano recital on Friday evening.

Can my brain handle all of this?

We'll see.

Happy Tuesday

Some perfectly pink blooms for you from my Gerbera Daisy (one of my very favorite flowers because they just keep coming back and blooming again and again!)

It's Growing!

Our Garden is growing! On the left is our corn a few weeks ago, and on the right is our corn this morning!! Lovely tassels opening up getting ready to pollinate. Yay!

With the corn in the back, on the left is our cabbage taking shape with some tomatoes behind that (hidden behind huge cabbage leaves :-) , some of my variety pepper plants in front with the green bean plants in back. It's so exciting to go out each day and see the growth and the new blossoms! And speaking of new blossoms - look at this . . . .

Our newest squash blossom! Isn't it lovely?

Yep, it's a beautiful day in the garden!

A Different Kind Of Life

For the next two weeks, the children and I will be working with our County Fair helping with all the things that need to be done. I decided to do it mainly for the boys, who have been feeling very cooped up lately and wanting to do REAL things, which I totally understand and know that they NEED in a way that daughter and I don't.

But, along with this working, we are getting a glimpse of another side of life that we don't experience very often.

It took me years, and I mean that literally, to realize that I NEED to be Home. I can't be going here and there throughout the day and maintain my sanity. I really need to be home in order to focus and, practically speaking, in order to do all that needs doing. We generally have one or two days a week where we are out with lessons, or errands, or playing with friends, or appointments (and I try to schedule things together - like a day that I know I'm already going to be out), but the rest of the time we are home.

So now and for the next two weeks, we will be gone virtually all day, every day. We are, in essence, seeing how most of America lives. Getting up early, having some breakfast even when you aren't hungry - not to mention awake yet - and getting basic chores done quickly before you have to be out the door. Coming in the door very late in the afternoon or well into evening and doing it in reverse - quickly check animals and laundry while throwing something together for dinner, which you are hungry for but almost too tired to eat, getting ready for the morning and then off to bed so you can do it all over again tomorrow.

No more out-of-the-way restaurants. No more fun in the pool. And no more days like this. Or this.

I can deal with it because it has an end. There's a date on the calendar which is the Last Day. Then we go back to our routine. Thankful that we can be quiet and slow and enjoy. But I grieve for those for whom constant running is normal.

I know, too, that I need to keep the LORD and scripture foremost in my mind so as not to get frazzled and to gracefully deal with anything and everything that happens. So, in addition to reading my Bible last thing at night and first thing in the morning, I've been having oldest son read out loud to us as we drive to the Fairgrounds. This morning I had him read Psalm 139. Oh, how it fed my soul! Please read it for yourself (HERE it is), but here is a highlight that just really spoke to my heart this morning:

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:1-10

I hope that wherever you are at, that you are seeking the LORD while he may be found and that your mind is stayed, fixed, on the only one who gives perfect peace.

New Restaurant In Town

I wandered outside today and what should I find but a new place to eat. Let's take a look!

It looks like a nice off-the-beaten-path kind of place.

I think I'll go in and try it out!

The waiter, a very nice young man, was so quick and attentive!

Banana ~ $o.01, Banana with Peanut Butter ~ $0.02, Peanut Butter Banana Stack ~ $0.03, Water ~ Free

Well, the prices are certainly reasonable!

The waiter brought my water and quickly took my order.

He was very persuasive, too! I was going to have a half order of the Banana with Peanut Butter but he talked me into the most expensive dish, the Peanut Butter Banana Stack. ;-)

I enjoyed the peaceful surroundings while I awaited my order. The lavendar and greenery on the table was a lovely touch.

Very nice! Beautifully prepared, and if I may say so, quite delicious too!

I will certainly be visiting this little out of the way spot the next time I'm in the area.

What We Remember

I was so blessed this past weekend to be able to spend some real time with my mother-in-law.

She has been stricken with Alzheimer's, as I've written before, and for years now we've watched her silently slip away from us and the happenings of everyday life. She is getting quieter now, and is largely confined to her bed or chair since moving is so very difficult for her.

But she still always has a smile, even if she doesn't remember you, and is ready with a laugh that is as sweet as the sound of bells. She listens intently at times and thoughts form that only halfway make it to her tongue.

It makes me sad when I think that my children, who are the very youngest of the grandchildren (there are great-grandchildren who are older than they are) will never know their grandmother in the way that their older cousins did. No sleepovers or camping with Grandpa & Grandma. No memories of Grandma making something special for them, being in the kitchen with her, just spending the day and talking with her.

But I remember her. And count myself so fortunate. So loving. So giving. So accepting. And just like now, always ready with a smile and a laugh and a hug.

The sweetest part of the weekend with her was hearing her sing. She rarely talks; a word or two, maybe half of a sentence will form and trail off, but she can sing. Amazing Grace was sung at the funeral we attended on Friday, and she sang the first verse along with the soloist. We, sisters- and brothers-in-law standing around her, all looked at each other and at her. And smiled wonderful smiles. We were all to sing the last verse together, so I kneeled down beside her and sang with her. She watched me, and sang and smiled that sweet smile. And we praised Jesus that we can sing.

Thank you LORD for this priceless woman. Thank you for the gift that she is even now in my life.

She's been Wife for 60 years, Mother to four, Grandmother to 14, Great-Grandmother to 21+, in addition to all of the children and adults she has loved and cared for throughout her life.

Happy 76th Birthday & Happy Mother's Day M -- I love you.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

. . . . . . . look who's in the tub! Or more correctly, the wading pool, but it just doesn't have that "ring" to it, ya' know?

This is my oldest son and youngest son keeping cool in the pool. Would you believe that all four of the children squeeze in there at one time? It's just legs everywhere! And of course the Angel doesn't play fair and wants to splash and lay down, preferably on someone else -- hence the photo above. Doesn't he look just perfectly comfortable and happy? Someone to lean against in a pool of water -- what could be better?! (youngest son is singing a song with brother and sister who are out of the picture! :-)

Catch-Up and Smile

Home again, home again, home we are. How wonderful it always is to come home. We were out of town, actually we went home - where we are both from and where both sides of our families live, for the funeral of my husband's cousin who was tragically and accidentally killed a few days before his 52nd birthday.

We were down for two nights and were able to catch up with family that we don't get to see very often, see both Moms/Grandmas for Mother's Day, as well as spend some time swimming at the hotel ( a small secluded pool that is always empty ) and seeing a few of our favorite shows on television since we don't have television at home and only watch videos or dvd's related to school or things we borrow from the library. So sometimes we look forward to going out of town and catching up with Alton Brown, the Meerkat's, and Deadliest Catch.

I got a bit of crocheting done - ran out of yarn and had to stop! And some hand sewing too. My mother buys all kinds of crochet books and I love looking through them for patterns and ideas -- I was soooo tempted to borrow a few of them this time but I have so much on my plate now that I just couldn't. I told her that I would leave them and that way I would know where they are when I have the time to do something new. One of them is still in my head -- a totally adorable little granny square that is a bunny face with ears. I can absolutely see that for my new soon-to-be-born granddaughter, but it will have to wait. Maybe it will be a Christmas present that I can start in June when my life and time will hopefully be more my own again. :-)

I did get some great cookbooks from my Mom, though. One is a Ladies Home Journal Cookbook from 1960 with a lot of great basic recipes I can't wait to try. I've got post-it notes in several places already. Maybe I'll try and make the doughnut balls in the morning if I feel really ambitious!! The other cookbook is actually the first one I grabbed. With a name like The Prudence Penny Regional Cook Book who could resist? This one is from 1939 and not only has a recipe for Berry Fluff that both son and I found (LOL!!) but it also has one for Opossum, too!! You never know when that may come in handy!

Our garden is growing by leaps and bounds - so exciting. Our corn is already 3 feet high, our squash plants are getting bigger by the minute and the beans are doing their best to keep up! The cabbage is coming along nicely, and we've been harvesting the radishes for a week now! My Basil and Lemon Basil are doing great - now I can't wait to plant the Sage, Parsley and Cilantro that I bought, too!

This week we'll be working on our projects for the County Fair and I'll be finishing up some other odds and ends. The ASF Walk is fast approaching on Saturday, May 19th. We've never attended and this year one is being held only an hour away. I'm really going to try and go. I think Angel would enjoy it immensely!

High Protein Blueberry Muffins

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

It's a beautiful morning here with the sun shining brightly, the birds calling and the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze. Although my house is still a mess, I am just trusting the LORD and focusing on only what is the next thing. I cannot do it all at once - all I can do is the next thing, and do it cheerfully.

We did our bible reading together this morning and then the children got started on schoolwork while I made these delicious muffins. Daughter said they were better than our Peanut Butter Muffins. Young son who loves all things blueberry said that we should just add blueberries to the Peanut Butter Muffins. ;-) But both he and middle son thought these were better. My two cents is they are both great - they are just different and it depends what you are in the mood for!

Now I'm off to assign chores and schoolwork then start working, one clutter spot at a time, on cleaning the house.

The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. Psalm 118:14

High-Protein Blueberry Muffins

• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/3 c. wheat germ
• 1/4 c. dry milk
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
• Crumb Topping (see below)

In bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients, mixing well. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to the butter mixture. Stir until combined but do not overbeat. Fold in blueberries. Fill greased muffin pans evenly with batter. Sprinkle Crumb Topping gernerously over each muffin. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Allow muffins to cool a few minutes in pan before lifting out.

Crumb Topping: Combine 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/3 c. whole wheat flour, and 1/2 t. cinnamon. Cut in 1/4 c. butter until crumbly, like sandy pebbles.

Wanted: Recipes

Are you always seeking new recipes? Then I NEED your help!!

I don't know what is going on lately, but in the past two weeks I have received four, 4, FOUR!!, letters about recipe exchanges! First my cousin, then my mom, then my grandchildren's other grandmother, and now my sister-in-law. What is happening here? Is spring the season for recipe exchanges and no one told me?

Now I love sharing recipes, don't get me wrong. But I feel inadequate when it comes to choosing a recipe for someone else. What if they're looking for dessert recipes and I send them my favorite casserole? What if they really don't like enchiladas and I send them our favorite secret recipe for the best enchiladas? Do you see? I would feel so much better if I could just mail them my recipe box for them to go through and pick out what they like for themselves. ;-)

And the other side is, I think I would be seriously testing my circle of friends if I sent them multiple letters for exchanging recipes themselves. (You know the drill: copy this letter 6 times, put my name at the top and your name on the back and mail to six of your friends)

So I thought, what if there is someone on-line who might like a chance to exchange recipes with others in a different part of the country? Two of the exchanges are actual letters, which means you'll get REAL mail!! The other two exchanges are via e-mail. If you are interested, leave a comment and tell me which exchange you would like to join (mail or e-mail) and I'll reply and get your address and send you off a recipe! (Please do not leave your address, e-mail or physical, in your comment. But you already knew that. )

BTW, the picture above is a Giant Ding Dong Cake I made a few months ago. Yeah, it really does taste like a ding dong. :-) If you make it, I would suggest making it in layers like I did above, rather than strictly according to the recipe. Having a center full of fluff is fine when you're holding a little circle in the palm of your hand - but when it is in an 8 or 9 inch cake it's a little overwhelming!