Thursday, September 25, 2014

First touch!

Oh, yeah! Mom and I hit the Mickey D Drive-thru this week. We took our lunch to Macon City Park, and there we saw the first scarlet gash of fall leaves! Somehow this section of this Maple got kissed by Jack Frost and nobody else... Gorgeous.

The City Park is a cool piece of town lore. A Macon girl married a Hollywood Producer and bacame good friends with Maria Shriver. For our girl's 40th or 50th, I think, birthday Maria donated a lot of money to fix up Wanda's favorite play place of her childhood. The city fathers told her they were going to rename the park in her honor, but she had a fit and refused. She wanted it to be Macon City Park... I love that.. Later a few years ago when Wanda's mother passed away, Maria came here to the middle of Missouri for the services. We don't see many celebrities... So it was noteworthy.

I'm thinking Wanda and Maria would love this tree right now. I really missed this deciduous kind of tree the summers I lived in California

Have a good weekend.

 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Surprised by Pie...

So, really... My mother has a deep and long-term commitment to pie. She gets it honest... My grandfather, her daddy, loved a piece of pie... And her mother's brother ate a piece of cold pie "up in his hand" right before bed every night of his life...

I'm not a pie person. But, for her, I love to have a little surprise quite often. I enrolled her in the "Goodie of the Month" program for her birthday... But it's been more than once a month...

This morning she was feeling kinda achy and down and she asked if we could bake something... I laughed and answered, "We can, but maybe you'd rather have a scoop of the cobbler in the oven!" You should have seen her face! I threw in one of those dump peach pies while I brewed my cup of coffee. Seriously three ingredients in a sprayed 9 x 13" pan. One lg. Can peaches with syrup ( although mine were light) one yellow cake mix sprinkled over that. One and a half sticks butter. (Cut into thin pats and scattered). Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. That's it.

It's a bit sweet, but a quick winner for this first day of Autumn...

 

 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Seasonal Spice

Well, once upon a long and haunted hill, there lived an old, old witch... She once ruled the kingdom in pure tyranny, but fortune intervened during a not so chance encounter with her magical cat. Now, most witches loved cats, but not Emereldine, the curious old witch who lived in the Glen...
Emeraldine was captured at seven past midnight many, many Halloweens ago... She is doomed to live just out of reach... In the blurry confines of a magic dome

Her foe, the languid kitten called Spice? She now rules the entire land with laughter, joy, and spirit

 

Spice threw all of Emereldine's old magic into an enchanted curio...

And now the land is free to embrace the joys of the season. Sometimes they cook! Lovely feasts of enchiladas, both Paleo and regular...

 

Some of the country people even had little pets of their own... It was a Happy Halloween Homeland, for sure!
The jackolanterns weren't scary!
Houses are Merry!

Barns are free!

Little girls play dress-up!

And it's cozy enough for a nap!



But over the horizon, far beyond the reaches of Spice, the happy cat... Lives Potion... A kitty who has vowed to free Emereldine one day!

All the little creatures in town wear Halloween sweaters!

" You'd laugh too if you had seen...what the moon saw on Halloween." (Thanks, Sister/Cousin)

Sometimes life seemed so bright, the sparkles began to blur!

I guess the best part of the day was the happy moments spent at tea with each other... Laughing and talking!

But what do I hear? Oh, no! Emeraldine is opening the magical door! Will she get out? Will the lovely, happy world of Spice soon melt intoThe evil cat, Potion's realm?

"I don't think so! " Spice laughs at our fears... She is ready to meet all challenges! The kingdom is safe.

 

-----------------

 

It's official. I've gone bonkers. Pity.

 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Chicken Delight


("Yes! Eat chicken! Not duck or goose!")

Last night it just seemed like Mom needed a perk me up... Being our family, that usually means something home cooked... I, on the other hand, had been on full blown cleaning mode in the pantry/laundry room... So I was fresh in the knowledge of what we had, I guess. I threw together (a la "Chopped") a Chicken dish that was yummy! Thought I'd share.

In big skillet... In about three T. Olive oil.... Sautè one chopped onion, 2 ribs celery chopped, I small can drained, sliced mushrooms, 1 small can drained, sliced water chestnuts, I small jar drained roasted red pepper, salt, pepper, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and I large can chunk chicken. *You could add other things or leave something out... This would have made a good soup with some chicken broth... It would be good spooned over biscuits or toast... Or rice...

However...

I boiled about half bag of curly egg noodles. I partially drained them and mixed with sauce in big bowl! It was a little soupy last night but just fine. Today that extra soup went into those noodles!
P.S. I discovered a seasoning salt called Soul Food... It's rather yum!

You'll have to try this! Mom loved it!


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Just the beginnings....

Just around the corner..... In a few days we will celebrate the Autumnal Equinox.

Mom and I are beginning... The happy moment of slipping into our home just a touch of Autumn... Even a bit too soon...

I bought Mom this little Marie Osmond doll for her ninetieth birthday... And I ordered the stacking boxes from a big Winter sale at Lang's online website during our long, cold winter. Our dear friends at Randolph Mercantile sent this beautiful lavendar-tipped mum to... My mum.... How Sweet!

Happy Fall!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

September Storms

Thanks for the lovely well wishes... I felt better just reading your comments! Tonight is dark, rumbly, and stormy. Rain on the windows and a great night for sleeping.

 

Monday, September 8, 2014

Something to Think About!

I saw this beautiful quote a few days ago. It spoke to me in volumes because I've had to slow down and get help for some more things. Each year, more. I'm a girl big into Denial. But yeah. The truth inherent in this picture is fairly loud, extremely comforting, and simply the best advice for anyone who struggles with health issues vs. her own "master list" of to-do activities.
Had a little bout with inner ear inflammation last night, so took a little overnight turn in the ER... My son took me, but I'm thinking I was too fuzzy to remember much. Sure hope an attack like that never happens again. Tonight is just a little self- care night... Watching Pawn Stars with Mom.. Going to bed early...

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Candle Giveaway!




Just visit BJ at Sweet Nothings for a chance to win a yummy candle. While you are there, check out her wonderful blog!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Joan, Joan. . .

I've written recently and at other times about the strange phenomenon of feeling sadness when a celebrity passes vs. mourning a friend or relative. The celebrity doesn't know us, of course. If the situation reversed and we left this earth, that famous person would never bat an eye.

Certainly I was no avid fan of Joan Rivers. I was often either in awe or shocking distaste of her irreverent humor. But sometimes that sarcasm just made me smile... To my core. . Did she go too far? Certainly. Was she guilty of being too nasty? Absolutely... But she has a certain kindness beneath that rough showmanship. Joan knew how to do what she did very well. From creativity on QVC to landing the job of Apprentice to Donald Trump, Joan was a "classy" act.

So I'm sorry to hear of her death. I believe she indeed lived full out, always stylish. Amazing at 81, she crushed life and earned my respect for her reputation as a kind benefactor to many charities. She seemed to be unstoppable, and when those powerhouses stop /

The world kind of sucks in its breath in one giant gasp. It seems alien that the clocks keep ticking. But indeed they do, of course. Ultimately celebrities are simply people... With lots of makeup, tons of money, publicists, sad daughters... And friends like me they'll never. Ever. Know.

 

 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Pale Dawn

Love that expression! I read a book in college by that title... Pale Dawn by Momaday... I didn't love it, as I recall... But days like this with lavendar fog waiting to welcome the sun? Beautiful.

Took a little trip with my mom and my cousin/sister through Amish country. It was a wonderful day!

 

We ate at Crossroads, our once-favorite restaurant... It's amazing but the place just felt different... There were many scribblings and price increases/changes on the menu.. The specials board was moved... Our very favorite cheesy fried cauliflower was gone from the lineup... Scribbled through... Waitresses wore what they wanted... A huge plant was missing from the powder room... Our meal took nearly an hour to arrive. Several menu items weren't available... I watch a lot of RESTAURANT IMPOSSIBLE and RESTAURANT STAKEOUT... I just had a SINKING.....feeling...

"Did this place sell?" Yep. "Our" owners sold it in July... Upcoming change brewing with a convenience store addition in the wings... We were a little sad. Of course, the former owners deserved retirement, but... It just felt different, and not in a lovely way. I rarely love changes.

 

Have a good weekend!