Project 365 - Vol 23

Well it is Sunday and that means it is time for me to post my week in photos.  I have enjoyed this week and have some good pictures to go with my weblog of the week.  Our hostess, Sara, had not posted yet but when she does be sure to click here and see all the photos of the whole gang.  I love seeing all their nature shots, their lives shots (graduations, weddings, etc), and see what they did all week.  It is fun participating in Project 365.  Thanks Sara for doing this for us.

Sunday, June 3rd

It is official.  I am a gardener.  I have four pots each of cucumbers and squash, a tomato pot, and a pepper pot.  They are beginning to produce fruits and I am thrilled.  Today was my friends Marian and Susan's birthday.  Hope they had a great day.

Monday, June 4th

When we were in Florida last week Frank and I found a wonderful little shoe place.  I bought this cute little jeweled sandals for 10.00.  I so love a deal.  It has taken me a week to get all our stuff put where it belongs.  I am not sure whether I am going to keep them or give them to Kat for her birthday when she returns from Moldova.  They are cute huh?  Today was Thrill Jill's birthday.

Tuesday, June 5th

Frank left early this morning to go with our neighbor and friend, Wayne, to pick up a jeep in North Carolina. They will be home sometime tomorrow evening.  I did not feel very spiffy today so I read one of my review books.  This was a good read and I enjoyed the rest.  I am going to pass this book on to Ms. Jane, my reading buddy, I know she will enjoy it.  She has as voracious a reading hunger as I do. 

Wednesday, June 6th

Look in the center of the first picture and you will see one lone bird egg.  My birdhouse is housing two nests from different kinds of birds.  Up in the right corner there are three little blue eggs.  The lilly looks like it is scratching it's head and wondering why it is standing out in the heat.  The little seed birdhouse was a birthday gift from my friend, Trina.  I finally got around to putting it out so the birds could enjoy it.  They have been thrilled with it.  My yard has a plethera of birds in it and i am loving hearing all their chatter during the day.

Thursday, June 7th

Today I had a Dr.'s appt in Alex City and when we finished we stopped at Strand Park to take a picture of the new art piece that has been added.  It was made from donated and discarded instruments.  Strand Park is where the Jazz Fest takes place on Friday night.  On Saturday night it will be held at the ampitheater at Kowliga.  Later in the afternoon Beau went to see the new groomer.  We spent twenty minutes explaining that he might need to be muzzled....he has never bitten....but he sounds so ferocious....and he hates people messing with his collar....and when Frank brought him home....HE WAS WEARING A BANDANA!  I could not believe the little dickens.  Frank said he enjoyed his spa day.  LOL!  Smart dog.

Friday, June 8th

Last weekend Glenda was here to give me wreath making lessons.  Then she sent me home with the other one to do myself before this weekend.  The top one is mine and it is on the carport door.  The bottom one is the one she made.  Now you tell me....do they match?  I think I think I did a pretty good job for a first timer. 

Saturday, June 9th

Frank tried his best to work in his shop today.  Early into his shop time there was a structure fire call he responded too and was gone until 1.  He worked a bit more after lunch and then we went to LaGrange for Sip and Shop.  We had dinner with Wayne, Amy, and their sweet daughter P.J. at Pizza Villa and then came home.  Frank worked a little more.  We got the Man Cave sign when we were in Florida.  I hope you will stop back by next week and check out what I shot...I am going to be in Ontario at Niagara Falls from Thursday - Sunday so my post will be late Sunday night.  I am only taking my IPad and leaving my computer at home.  I may have some technology withdrawals.  Have a great week!

Journey 2: The Big Mysterious Island DVD Giveaway**CLOSED

**CLOSED--winner posted here**





My husband has always liked The Rock. (Real name? Dwayne Johnson.) He remembers watching him back when he still wrestled. (“Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?”) He probably wouldn’t mind watching Journey 2: The Big Mysterious Island that was recently released on DVD.

This is what the movie is about in case you’re curious:

Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games) finds a hidden signal that he believes will lead him to his long lost grandfather (Michael Caine, Miss Congeniality). With the help of his new step father (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Scorpion King), Sean finds a map and starts his adventure which leads him to Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical) and the island of Atlantis! Sean and his friends battle giant bees, killer lizards, a volcano of gold, and electric eels to escape the lost city and make their way home!


Yes, that is “the” Josh Hutcherson from that little movie called The Hunger Games.

PartnersHub has graciously offered a free Blu Ray DVD of Journey 2: The Big Mysterious Island to a lucky reader.

Check out this fabulous widget:





Take the quiz to find out if you would survive the mysterious island. (I’m not sure I would..)

Spin the wheel and find out your own adventure!

Want to know something cool? My husband and I were in Hawaii in March and got to even see some places where the movie was filmed. (Hawaii? The mysterious island? Hmmm..)


Want to win a copy of the movie?


Giveaway Rules

--Must be 18 or older

--Must live in the US


Mandatory Entry: Take the quiz on the widget and tell me your results.

Extra Entries:

--Tell me what adventure the widget came up with when you spun the wheel.

--Tweet about the DVD with the hashtag #Journey2

--Follow PartnersHub on Twitter



For each thing you do, leave a separate entry.

I will run the giveaway for a week and pick a winner on June 16th.


Good luck!

To Bake Or Not To Bake....That Is My Question

One of my favorite southern delicacies is a good fried apple pie made from dried apples.  My Aunt Virginia made the best.  She would gather her apples, peel them, slice them, and lay them outside to dry on window screens that her husband, my Uncle Roy, would set over cinder blocks.  The apples would dry to a lovely golden brown.  As they would dry I would always steal a few to munch on while we were at her house.  I loved chewing on those dried apple wedges.  It was better than gum.  I have told you all before that I am not a baker.  I love to cook, I love making cutesy little appetizers....but baking...I leave that for others to do.  One day when I was about 13 I felt it was necessary to learn how to make these little lovelies so I asked my mom if she would teach me. (Remember I am 58 years old....so Pillsbury had not yet invented the refrigerator pie crusts we can use today).  We got out the recipe, gathered the ingredients, and began the process.  My mom had already stewed up some apples to make applesauce for my dad so we were able to cut that step from the process....all we had to do was make pie crust, fill, fry, and eat!  Therein lies the problem in this story.....I made the crust just like the recipe said, (doing fine so far) and put the crust mixture on the rolling board and began to roll.  My mom told me to roll them 1/4 of an inch thick.  I rolled, got the ruler, measured, looked good to me....so I proudly showed my work to my mom.  She inspected them, wadded it up, put it back in the middle and told me it was too big....roll again.  Ok....no problem.  I rolled again, measured...this time a bit under 1/4 of an inch, and pronounced that I was ready to begin.  My mom looked, showed me 1/4" on the ruler, wadded them up again, and told me to redo.  Third time is the charm....right?  Not for me I rolled, measured, and yep...you got it....they were still wrong.  Remember I said I was around 13....and now...I have lost all interest in making fried apple pies.  By this time I have lost interest in apples altogether.  I am now crying (yep...I was your typical drama queen and my mom was red faced and shouting at me.).  We finally gave up the attempt at making fried apple pies.  I don't make them to this day.  I don't make pie crust to this day.  But...since it is summer and our apple trees in the area are heavy with apples I thought I would share the story....and the recipe to some of the best fried apple pies you could possibly put in your mouth.  If you are a baker....good luck and enjoy.  If you are not....use the Pillsbury pie crust that are already done.  Have a wonderful summer Saturday and enjoy time with family and friends!

Aunt Virginia's FRIED DRIED APPLE PIES

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1813,144180-252193,00.html Content Copyright © 2012 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 2 lbs. dried apples, sliced 3 c. boiling water 1 c. sugar 1T cinnamon 2 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 c. shortening 1/2 c. cold water Cook apples in boiling water until soft. Add cinnamon. Chill. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with 2 knives. Add cold water gradually. Until flour mixture is moist enough to roll into a ball. Roll thin and cut into 24 dough rounds using a saucer guide. Divide the apple mixture into 24 parts and spoon one side of each of the 24 rounds. Cover with the other side of the round. And press edges together with a fork. Fry in deep fat and drain on brown paper. Makes 24 pies.

Rambling About Specialness

I was reading my friend Mary's blog this morning and the post really hit home.  I emailed her and asked if I could use her blog as a springboard for mine and she said I could....so here I am.  Graduation is now past and students are all enjoying the fruits of their hard work....summer!  I live in a small town and they have Kindergarten, eighth grade and high school graduation here....I grew up where that did not happen.  You graduated from high school....and college if you were lucky.  I went to one of the kindergarten graduations last year and sat through an enormous number of awards being given out for endless things....everyone got a certificate and /or ribbon.  I finally numbed myself to the endlessness of this event and thought back to my own kindergarten days.....so if you will indulge me follow me back in time to 1958-59.  My mom worked at a pre-K place called Opportunity.  It was probably something like Head Start today.  I went with her because that was how it was done.  Then came Kindergarten, which was not mandatory in my day. I went to Vedado Park for Kindergarten along with all the other 5 year old neighborhood children.  It was fun.  I remember lessons, crafts, and play time.  I did not graduate....when summer came it was over....period.  Then I went to Belvedere Elementary and was there until I was in the 6th grade.  I did not graduate from there either.  I never won a ribbon....I loved school and learning.....but I was not an outstanding student.  I was just a student.  I remember once in 5th grade making a cake (on my own)....from my Betty Crockers Kids Cookbook for Miss Reynolds for Christmas.  I was embarassed by the fact that my gift was homemade and all the other children brought jewelry, cologne, scarves....but later in the year during a slide show....there was my cake and a picture of Miss Reynolds smiling as she ate it.  THAT MADE ME FEEL SPECIAL....and it was not some cheap ribbon.  I played softball in school and until I was 40....but never won any great award.  I played right field.  I could catch left handed hitters balls....but I was not an outstanding player....I was just me.  In Junior High School I did not graduate either...I left Conniston at the end of my 9th grade year to pursue a career in high school.  I sang in the choir there....but never was given some award just because I was......I got things like people saying, "your solo was beautiful.  God has really given you a voice.'  When did that go away?  When did it become necessary to give ribbons and awards for everything?  I was the kid who sat in the back and tried my best not to draw attention to myself.  I lived through others and watched as they would shine.  Awards....something given for an exceptional feat.  Everyone is NOT special.....at least not in a ribbon sort of way....but the thing that always made me feel special was not grosgrain in nature.  I felt special because I had parents who loved me unconditionally, a God who provided my every need and created me in His image, friends who were good and loved me...and now kids and wonderful husband who show me how special I am everyday with a touch, a hug, an email, a text....I am not special in the special world view of special way.....but inside the walls of the house on Hwy 22 with Frank.....and inside the hearts of my family and friends....I AM SPECIAL....and that is what life is all about.

Inside Natalie's Closet

It’s no secret that I love buying clothes for my kids. Every once in awhile I’ll post an entry and share their latest outfit.

Today Natalie is in a dress and accessories from The Children’s Place.


“Hey Natalie, let’s take some pictures!”




“I’m sad today.”

“Why?”

“Because…I don’t have red hair like Merida and it’s not fair!”

Merida, for those who don’t know, is the princess in the latest Disney Pixar filmed called Brave (out June 22nd.) She has red hair. Yes, there are wigs but they never seem to work right. They get matted and destroyed within days.

“You still have beautiful hair. PRETEND that it’s red,” I suggested. “Can you be a model? What would Merida do?”





“I see bugs..”



Then I talked about farts.





“Mommy, I can do a cartwheel!”



(Not quite. She tries very hard though.)

“There’s a bug in my Barbie car. Get it out!”



“I’m not touching it.”

“It didn’t ask if it could BE in my Barbie car! It’s rude!”

I distracted her by running into the house.

Then I gave her the matching sunglasses to her dress:





And I managed to get some really cute shots:







“I guess my hair is okay even though it’s not red.”

(If your daughter has red hair, Natalie is very jealous of her right now..)

Brush of Angel's Wings

About the Book:  Rachel and Jordan's feelings for each other are hostile at first, but angelic intervention helps the two discover peace . . . and perhaps love. 

The youngest and last unmarried of four sisters, Rachel Hartlzer spends most of her time helping with barn chores. Her role abruptly changes when her father hires Jordan Engles, the son he always wanted.

As Jordan takes on brotherly roles around the house, like escorting Rachel to the youth singing, the enmity between the two grows. Besides, Jordan has one foot in the Englisch world and is determined not to get involved with an Amish girl.

Neither realizes that God has sent an angel, Nathaniel, to help mend their hearts. The angel’s intervention helps them find peace and healing in accepting God's will for their lives.

About the Author:  Ruth Reid is a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children.  When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms.  Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simle life.

My Thoughts On The Book:  The primary character Rachel is not your typical Amish girl, and her story makes this a not so typical Amish book.  I love reading the Amish stories and eventhough there have been many that portry the Amish vs. English romance theme the drama that Reid writes into the story takes this book far deeper than most. What really makes it stand out to me and kept me up until the wee hours of the morning is the parallel story that she has written in.   The main story in Brush of Angel's Wings is a wonderful story with likable characters and exciting action; but when Nathaniel and Tangus are added in and you have the good vs evil level it definitely takes this book to a whole other level. This is a story you will not want to miss.  It was wonderful.  I can't wait to read another book by Ruth Reid.

Disclaimer:  I was given this book to review by Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson.  The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

About The Sno Cones

“Please sit down.”

“Amber, go rest.”

“Why aren’t you sitting down?”

These are some things my husband keeps saying to me. I get that I just had a miscarriage. But I’ve also never been one of those people who can just laze around.

“Seriously, I’ll clean that,” Tom said, taking the roll of paper towels from me.

He’s been great. I know he’s just looking out for me.

I also want everyone to know that I appreciate your kind comments. I read them all.

I am feeling better with each day. I do rest if I start to feel tired.

Something that has been cheering me up are sno cones, which sounds odd, but I love them. I mean, look at all the flavors:




Can someone explain what Beetle Juice is? And Silver Fox?

I usually stick with what I know. Dreamsicle.

What flavor would you go for?