• A promise of Spring…

    February 25, 2013 / 4 Comments

    There may be snow on the ground – and evidently more in the forecast – but there is a promise of Spring on my table, a sweet gift from my precious daughter.   These are Long Life tulips from Bloomaker.  They will be a gorgeous shade of pink and I am looking forward to seeing them bloom!

    My daughter purchased one for me and one for herself as she, too, looks forward to Spring and planting all 32 varieties of vegetables and herbs that she has ordered!  Her plans are to rent two large gardening plots in a local gardening co-op.  My beautiful, artistic, athletic daughter has turned into a homesteading, cooking-everything-from-scratch goumet cook!  She would love a farm on ten acres or more!  Maybe that will be in the not too distant future.

    In the meantime, we’ll watch our tulips grow and wait for Spring in the midst of an Iowa Winter…

  • Longing for Spring…

    February 20, 2013 / 20 Comments

    I long for Spring.  I long for warm sunshine and a thermometer that proudly proclaims 72 degrees.  Granted, I’m not a fan of hot, humid Summers.  I would be happy if there were just two seasons – Spring and Fall!

    Native Iowans sagely comment that “it’s been a mild Winter”.  Two snowstorms and a few other snows here and there were enough for me, thank you.  Evidently, it isn’t over.  This morning, it is cold and windy and the thermometer appears stuck at 10 degrees!  We’ve been warned that “a ‘blizzard’ is coming tomorrow about noon (they can now predict the time?!) and will last until the following day with heavy accumulation”!

    So, yesterday I reconciled myself to the fact I’d better prepare just in case.  I headed out in yesterday’s 18 degrees accompanied by a brisk wind and the bright sunshine that fooled me into thinking that it was warmer.  I went first to the wonderful library about 3 miles away and stocked up on a stack of knitting books and the new book by Earlene Fowler.  I have 8 new skeins of wonderful yarn for my next project after I finish this one.

    The large, wonderful West Des Moines library.  Designed in a Craftsman style…

    Next, it was to Walgreen’s to refill a prescription and stock up on a few toiletries.  The last stop was the grocery store.  Milk in a glass bottle, bread, a whole roasted chicken, a dozen eggs, organic mixed lettuce and a few other things.  Last night was roast chicken with my meal…today I will make chicken salad with it.  I also baked the Ozark Mountain Apple Cake last night.  If I’m going to be “snowbound”, I may as well have dessert, huh?!

    I hope wherever you are, you’re staying warm and enjoying these days before Spring eventually comes…

  • The books on my bedside table…

    February 13, 2013 / 10 Comments

    If you have followed my blogs for a while, then you know that I love to read.  Granted, these days I do watch more television than I have in the past, but I still read a lot too.  My television viewing consists mostly of FBI mysteries (Criminal Minds, Cold Case Files and Law & Order:  Criminal Intent).  I’m a big fan of Vincent D’Onofrio.  At one point in my life, I looked into the FBI (seriously), only to discover that I was too old!  Stop laughing.  My daughter said just last week that I should have been a detective.  I’m really good at solving mysteries.

    My bedside table always has a stack of books.  Always.  In the past, that stack of books often included cookbooks.  (My daughter’s does now.)  Not anymore.

    In the photo above, you’ll see just a few of my favorite authors represented:  Karen White, Irene Hannon, Karen Harper, Mindy Starns Clark and Randy Singer.  Usually when I find an author that I really like, I read everything he or she has written.  I’m seldom disappointed.

    When I finish my stack of books, I check out my personal library for something I have yet to read or head to the local library.  All the libraries here are excellent and I have a card for each one!

    My living room “library”…

    Resting on the books on my bedside table in the top photo, you will see my little bluebird of happiness…an adorable McCarty pottery bluebird and a precious gift from my late sister, Gerry.  It’s one of my treasures.

  • Snow days…

    January 30, 2013 / 11 Comments

    Little did I know on Monday when I made the dreaded trip to the grocery store and trekked up the two flights of stairs with bags and bags of groceries…that I would be glad on Wednesday when another snow storm hit!  Here’s the door to my humble abode.  Before I get to this point, however, there is a secure entry that I must unlock (and I’m really thankful for that).  Over the course of the past few months, I have figured out it’s faster to just go down to my garage, get the groceries, bring them up the two flights of stairs and leave them at the door.  Repeat the process as many times as required…then take them all in at once!  NOW, if I could just get motivated to cook for myself…

    Snow photo above:  the view from my porch.  This photo was actually taken during the last snow storm but you get the idea!  I’m beginning to think:  you’ve seen one snowstorm – you’ve seen them all!  😉

    When I was at my daughter’s house the other day, I noticed that Kiana didn’t seem to be feeling all that well.  My daughter said that Kiana had not eaten well for the past few days.  Kiana was clearly much more lethargic than her usual exuberant self.  My daughter took her to the vet the next day for an expensive office visit and tests.  Come to find out, Kiana has an extremely low thyroid and is now on medication!  The low thyroid explains why Kiana can’t seem to lose weight (I know the feeling) regardless of all that running (well, okay, so I don’t run).   Maybe now, I can give her treats again.

    In the photo below, she is sitting in front of the cabinet (above the refrigerator) where the treats are kept.  She is one smart dog and she knows Grandmom will give in.  Kiana will look at me and then look UP at the treat cabinet and look back at me…as if to say “you know where they are – now get me one…purty please!”

  • Driving in Des Moines…

    January 28, 2013 / 8 Comments

    Des Moines, Iowa, has a lot going for it. As the Capitol of Iowa, it has far more than its fair share of the arts, music, museums and cultural events.  There are excellent medical facilities here.  And let’s not forget the wonderful shopping all throughout the city.  Des Moines is extremely clean with very nice suburbs. I live in one of them.  Believe it or not, Des Moines is not flat with a bunch of corn fields, although farming is a serious industry here.  There are rolling hills and superb sunsets.  Des Moines has won several awards over the years for being a great place to live.  Overall, it’s an incredibly nice city.  The best feature of all is the fact that I’m only 14 minutes from my daughter and her family!

    So, what in the world is my complaint?!  DRIVING in Des Moines!  I have driven in rush hour traffic in Chicago, Memphis, St. Louis, Seattle and Portland – just to name a few.  Des Moines drivers are THE worst offenders in several areas:

    • TAILGATING!  I have never seen anything like it!  Even though I might like to drive a little fast, I have never, ever had a ticket or been in a wreck that I caused in 51 years!  I hate looking in my rearview mirror and literally seeing someone’s face extremely close to me!  I thought at first that I must be imagining it but I have heard this complaint from several other people as well.
    • Blowing their horns instantly for any reason.  For safety’s sake, I’m all in favor of using those horns if need be but not the millisecond a light turns green and the poor soul in front of you doesn’t move fast enough.  RUDE!  Recently, I was pulling off of I-235 and and turning right onto Douglas Avenue.  Had I been able to see the traffic coming to my left, I might have been able to turn right on red.  However, there was a very large truck in the lane to my left completely blocking my view.  The driver behind me repeatedly blew his horn for me to turn.  I was not going to turn anywhere until I could see!  It took all I had not to get out of the car and go back to have a little talk with him!  I didn’t, of course.  However, the stupid rude driver didn’t remember that his place of employment was clearly printed on the side of his panel van.  I did have a little talk with his superior.  Hopefully, his driving courtesy will improve.
    • Not MOVING OVER – even though the other lane is clear and they could – on the interstate!  For Heaven’s sake, people in Chicago will move over for you!  Granted, you’d best be doing 75 when you hit the freeway, but they WILL move over!
    • Here, speed limit signs change back and forth quickly and randomly throughout the city and suburbs.  It took me a while to get used to driving slowly again after driving down the mountainside!  Drivers here are a bit pokey and love that left lane!  But I’m getting used to it.  Pokey I can take – rude, I cannot abide.

    I would definitely encourage you to visit the Midwest.  There are some great things to see here.  Just remember when you look in your rearview mirror and wonder where the front of the car behind you went, that I told you so!  😉

    P.S.  I am fully aware that the drivers who are guilty of the poor driving habits above will, most likely, not be reading my blog.  I only wish…

  • The dining nook…

    January 22, 2013 / 5 Comments

    When I posted “a little tour” of my new home, I mentioned that I would share photos of my dining nook when I purchased a table and chairs.  My daughter, her two youngest children and I ventured to the furniture store before Thanksgiving.  Grandchildren are very helpful and actually wise beyond their years (especially my 8 year old granddaughter) when it comes to selecting furnishings.  It “had to fit all of us for Sunday dinner” according to my sweet girl and she proceeded to explain how this would work.  There are two extra chairs in my storage room on the lower level.  The table has a hidden leaf which can be opened to an oval which seats six when needed.   We actually scoot in the computer chair too and it seats seven!  Otherwise,  the table looks like this.  Right now, there is a protective cover on the table and my sewing machine!  It’s the perfect place to sew and watch old classic movies at the same time if I so choose.  😉

     

    In past years, I have used the shelves on the hutch for favorite dishes.  This time, I’m enjoying using it for photos framed in black.  I still have several more photos to frame for the buffet.  The perfect place to enjoy my family on a daily basis.

    I have so many books that I needed one more bookcase.  Although I ordered the identical bookcase, the stain on the one on the far left was a little lighter.  After putting it together all by myself, there was no way I was returning it!  Come Spring, when I can open windows, I will try to darken the stain to match.  In the meantime, I really don’t notice the difference and am living with it!

    I love this little setting.  The antique was a gift from my children’s dad on our twelfth anniversary…many years ago.  The angel was a gift from my daughter and her family.