• Summer days…

    June 13, 2013 / 7 Comments

    The past few weeks have been busy ones – leaving little time to blog about it…but it’s time to catch up now.  The photos below were taken a few weeks ago on the last day of school and the weekend after.  We went to a nearby park while we waited for the time to pick up my oldest grandchild from class.  WE climbed a rock wall (I still have the bruise on my leg to prove it!), went down the slide several times and climbed on the gym set.  The only thing I absolutely could not accomplish were the hand-over-hand monkey bars!  Clearly, I no longer have the upper body strength.  My daughter captured it all on film but I am so not going to share those!  No doubt, she will blackmail me with them when I am eventually old and refusing to give up my car keys!  😉

    Below:  At their house, my grandsons enjoying an old but still fun game – Mario!

    Below:  At the park the day classes officially ended for the Summer…

    My sweet granddog, Kiana, is also glad for Summer days.  She’s a Hungaria Vizla…

    The first weekend after school ended (although my daughter’s children homeschool some year round), my granddaughters came over for a sleepover.  We cooked a delicious supper (they’re great helpers) and made a delicious JELLY ROLL with strawberry jam!  They took some home to share.  I have plans to teach them how to bake several different things over the summer and will post the recipes as we go.

    Below:  at my apartment, creating stretchy, adorable bracelets out of gum wrappers!

    Below:  Enjoying spending time at Grandmom’s apartment…reading on the porch.

  • Porch dreams…

    May 2, 2013 / 6 Comments

    By now, I thought there would be two white rocking chairs and a table on my porch…along with lots of flowers and a couple of healthy green ferns.  Maybe a colorful grapevine wreath on the wall.  All through the endless winter with so much snow, I dreamed of Spring.  Now, it is Spring.  It is May 2nd and it is pouring snow…and 36 degrees!  What is wrong with this picture?  Don’t tell me.  I already know.

    It is supposed to look that this…well, okay, maybe not quite like this.

    Instead, there is an icy floor…

    and two birds who have taken up residence and are making a mess…

    and, obviously, walls that need cleaning.

    I have my first terrible cold in I don’t know when and it is Spring!  

    I had plans to sew and catch up on things but I just don’t feel like it…

    so I think I will simply relax. 

    Supposedly, colds last for one week or seven days…

    at least I hope that’s all. 

    So, in the meantime, I have a good book to finish.

      I will listen to the birdsong coming from the icy porch…

    and hang on until next Tuesday when it is supposed to be 71 degrees!

  • Look who moved in…

    April 29, 2013 / 3 Comments

    It only took them one week to build a home and move in – right on my porch!  You know, the porch I was looking forward to using after I buy a couple of chairs and a table.  I was in Dallas last week enjoying a wonderful visit with my son and his family (next post) and these two little birds took advantage of my absence to move in!  As I sit at my desk beside the sliding glass door leading to the porch, they are not intimidated at all.

    I’m not sure what type of birds these are (maybe finches?) but the male is definitely colorful.  I haven’t ventured to the nest yet to see if there are eggs in it.  Anyone recognize these little critters?

    I’ll be patient for a little while, but I really want to use my porch, guys!

    Mr. Colorful with his dowdy wife.  Paying their rent with lots of song…

    They should be in the construction business…they built this home in one week. 

    Unfortunately, it’s on my porch!

  • Easter is coming…

    March 29, 2013 / 3 Comments

     

    I couldn’t help but think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, this past week as I looked into the face of a beautiful, sleeping baby and held him in my arms.  Could you even imagine holding the Saviour in your arms?  Mary knew who He was.  The angel had appeared to her before conception and she knew this was, indeed, a virgin birth.  Did she think Jesus would grow up to be a carpenter…forever?  I truly wonder what she thought it meant for her baby son to be the Saviour of the world?  The long awaited Saviour.  The sacrificial Lamb of God.  Honestly, I don’t believe the mother of Jesus ever considered a cross for her baby…

    Easter is coming.  Whatever troubles us, confuses us, bewilders us or hurts us…Easter is coming.  There’s an answer…thank God.  What has always amazed me is that Almighty God came to us in the form of a helpless infant.  What incredible, perfect love.

    Remember, however, He didn’t remain a baby.  Mary watched Jesus grow up…perfect and wise beyond his years.  Remember when they found him as an older child teaching in the temple?  You know the story.  It’s one of my favorites.

    The destiny of Jesus was the cross…His choice.  Remember, He could have called twelve legions of angels…72,000 angels…to save Him, but He didn’t.  He died for you and me.  Jesus knew He would be resurrected.  He told his disciples just that.  Would you have believed that anyone would arise from the grave after three days?  Would I?  It’s because of this resurrection and the fact that Jesus is indeed alive that you and I have any hope at all, especially the hope of salvation.  Salvation which comes through repentance of our sins and belief in Him.  Read all about it in the incredible gospel of the book of John.  Go brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea, curl up in a chair by the window and read the wonderful book of John from the beginning to the very end.  You’ll be amazed all over again.

    Easter is coming and Jesus is alive…

     

    Originally published in My Southern Heart on March 30, 2010.

    Note:  the picture above came from this site.

  • Snowy day scones…

    February 26, 2013 / 8 Comments

    It has snowed all day long…a beautiful blanket of white.  My daughter, who is accustomed to driving in this after almost 15 years in Iowa, said that it was icy and treacherous driving and admonished me to stay home!  I did.

    I put on a CD by Norah Jones and headed to the kitchen – something that I rarely do now for the purpose of “cooking for one”.  Obviously, I need to get over that and cook for myself.  I must get over it.  I’m working on it.

    There were two fresh juicy lemons in the fruit bowl, and I decided to make my favorite lemon raisin Scottish scones.  Scotland…  I’ve held on to a small account for years that I’ve called my “U.K. account”.  I haven’t used it to travel yet and hope I don’t have to use it for my “old age”.  I picture myself in England or Ireland or Wales…but, most especially, I picture myself in Scotland enjoying tea and scones in a quaint little tea shoppe.  I have a vivid imagination.

     

     

     When the scones came out of the oven, I glazed them with the juice of one-half lemon and enough powdered sugar for the right consistency.  Then I enjoyed a delicious warm scone with a cup of Constant Comment tea and watched the snow fall…

    Dianne’s Raisin Lemon Scones

    2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

    3/4 cup sugar

    4 teaspoons baking powder

    pinch of salt

    6 tablespoons butter

    1 cup raisins

    1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

    2 beaten eggs

    1 teaspoon lemon extract or lemon juice

    zest of one fresh, washed lemon

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet or stoneware pan with cooking spray.

    Whisk together dry ingredients + lemon zest.  Cut the butter in gently until mixture resembles “crumbs”.  Combine the yogurt and beaten eggs and add to ingredients.  Add the raisins.  You may need to add 2 – 3 tablespoons of milk to make it a dough you can work with.  Gently work the dough adding a little flour if needed.  Form a circle and pat it down on your stoneware pan or cookie sheet.  Use a pizza cutter to score the dough.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 – 15 minutes (depending on oven) or until golden.  Glaze the scones while still warm.  Enjoy!