10 Days Already???

Hi there everyone. My goodness, has it been 10 days already since the last time I posted??? Really, I must think it is summer and I can take time off or something....lol! So anyways.....thought I would give you a few shots of my summer here in "Louise's La La Land"

I never get tired of taking pictures of my garden and it's lovely flowers. These two rose plants make the prettiest flowers. The white rose above is a long stemmed white rose, so it always looks great in a tall skinny vase. She has been around for at least 10 years. I want to get a new rose bush, have just the right place for it. Next to my yellow bush. I am think a violet/blue rose bush. I saw one this past spring, but did not buy it. I will be on the look out this fall, or next spring.

This rose bush has been with us for at least 20+ years and has always been loyal in it's production of beautiful roses. It sits in front of the house and gets full sun. The white rose gets half a day's worth of sun. Mostly the morning sun.

Here is my little herb garden. Basil and cilantro is about all I have planted. If I see something else, maybe I will plant it.....but not really looking.

Oh the glory of my Black Eyed Susan's.....I love these flowers and love that they come back every year and last 4-6 weeks. They too are in full sun. I can't seem to get them to grow in the back yard though....too much shade.

Miranda's Bee Balm....This is quite the choir of flowers. They were just starting to bloom here....I should really take a picture of them now, they have take over the back section of my yard which is over-grown now. I bought a new Miranda Bee Balm plant last week....a fuchsia colored one....just have to decide where I am going to plant it.

My little pond....never get tired of it. No, there are no fish in there. I want to buy a few more plastic lilly pads at Menards....hopefully they are still there when I do finally get back there to shop.

Well I think I will close here for now....I have some exciting news to tell you....but it shall have to wait till my next post. So be sure to come back for the up-date. 

Time to go walk Kylie, she is begging me to take her out. Then she wants to eat.....that is her evening schedule. 

You all keep looking up better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Days Flying and Still Much To Do

Hi there everyone. Yeah.....I know.....right????? These days are passing by so fast. Getting away from me. I am still working on my gardens. Finally tackled the weedy garden in the front yard. I should have taken a picture....will do that tomorrow. 

Saturday, I did manage to clear the weeds away from my two rose bushes and lay some mulch. It does look nice. Now if I can just get the rest of the front yard to look nice. I have lots of mint growing that literally took over the front yard along with strawberries and violets. It's really hard to tell what's what. But, I do have till September to get things organized. 

JP's family is coming for a visit sometime this summer, would be nice to get things done by then. But I don't know if that will happen. Last Tuesday the neighbor next store, asked me to take down my little bamboo fencing that kinda covers their mess in their backyard. When I look out my kitchen window I see JUNK.....so my little fencing covered that. 

So I took down my fencing because they were having a man come and take their green fence down, then they will be able to put up a privacy fence. Well, the guy came, paid for it, pulled off the wires that held the fence together and left and has not been back to take the rest of the fence down. This could take all summer to get done. As I know how slow the neighbors work. They also have another place up north they are working on. 

So I waited and waited for the guy to return, got tired of waiting and put my little fencing back up, 5 inches on to my property so it is NOT leaning on their fence. They should be able to work around it....I just needed to see some semblance of organization. It is very depressing looking out my kitchen window and see junk piled up....it's almost like hoarders live next store to me!!!! 

Hopefully by her birthday, 7/11, the green fence will be down and her privacy fence up. What a mess in the mean time.

I got a few more tomato plants yesterday along with a pepper plant, a zuchinni plant and another cucumber plant....now I just have to find good places to plant them. Also bought 3 more bags of mulch. Yep, I went through 2 yards of red mulch this spring and could still use more. 

I am looking for a lavender/blue rose bush. I found one at Menards the beginning of Spring, but did not buy it. I should have, but procrastinated, as usual. But then, I did not know where I would plant it. But know I do.....now I have to look again for the rose bush. Maybe Shopko will still have some roses. It is hard to believe that the stores are closing out......where did this season go to????

Hey, I have already seen Christmas stuff up at Hobby Lobby....now that is really pushing it!!!!!

In September we are getting this tree cut down. It actually sits on ours and the neighbor on the other side of us. See, they already have their privacy fence. We tried to get this tree cut down 5 years ago, but the estimate to cut it down was $2600. We did not have that kind of $$$$

So Habitat for Humanity will do it for us. In September they are doing a " Rock the Block" where many houses will get fixed, yards cleaned, trees cut etc. I am afraid this tree will fall on our shed and garage. The neighbor is also worried that the tree will fall on his garage and fence. He also thinks it will fall on the neighbor behind us......whatever.....lets get this tree cut down. It's just a weed anyways "box elder" that has a bunch of bugs in the spring and fall.

This is a very big tree, all we need is a good gust of wind and down it will come. As you can see, this summer is going to be a summer packed with lots of activity and changes. One nice thing will be, there will be lots more sun back there and I can have my garden back that got lost to too much shade by this tree. 

A Note: Today Habitat for Humanity called and the tree is un-assessable for cutting. I guess the other tree will not get trimmed either. I am kinda disappointed in that decision. I have to find out if the City of Appleton will take it down or We Energies. There are wires running through the tree and I don't know if it is telephone or electric wires.  

Well time to close here, it's getting late. Keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Solar Sun Fountains and Kylie

Hi there everyone....hope you had a nice Father's Day Week-end. We had a nice one. Quiet with a little bit of work mixed into it.

JP's Father died in the 90's. My father died in 1961. My step-father just died last month. I got through it though with not too much pain and sadness. Pops has lived in Las Vegas since '86 and I probably saw him 4 or 5 times in 31 years. The last time was when my mother had died in 2001 and I went for her Memorial and her ashes were spread in the mountains of Las Vegas. A lady friend (who they grew close to and called her their daughter) spread my mother's ashes and she planned on spreading Pop's also. She knew I would not be coming out there, so she would take care of it. End of a chapter in my life.

On to happier news. So this is part of my back yard....it's coming along nicely. I bought this new Solar Sun Fountain, in the red planter. It came all the way from China....really cute I think....I moved it today, so it is in more sun. Doesn't work well in shade.

This little fountain, I picked up at a Plant Sale in May. Paid $1 and the pond container was free. The above fountain......$30 and the container $15.....my splurge. Love my Flamingos, they like the pond too.

Kylie came for a visit while I was playing in my little garden. Yesterday I finally put up my bamboo fencing for a little bit of privacy from the neighbors stuff that I have to look at everyday from my Kitchen window......sometimes gets depressing. The  neighbor lady says that sometime this summer they will be putting up a taller privacy fence.....can't be soon enough for me. I will take pictures of my new bamboo fencing as soon as I get the second section up. What I have done so far....looks really good.

I might have too much in this little section, but when I sit on my bench, I am always looking at everything and deciding if something should be moved or a weed pulled....sitting on my bench does not last long.

Looks like in both these pictures that Kylie is enjoying the little fountain also....probably the sun feels good on her back. I should take lessons from her on how to just stand around and relax.

I have one tomato plant growing in a pot....it's getting pretty big and needs lots of watering. Beefsteak...looking forward to those BLT's.

I have some Beefsteak tomato plants growing in the front of the house and one between the two garages. This year I shall see which place grows the best tomatoes....I want to get a cucumber plant....but have not been able to find one. I wonder, is it to late to start some seeds???

Went to Menards today and got a Wave Petunia plant, Sweet Basil plant and a Mosquito plant....sounds interesting. I might plant it by my park bench, so I can enjoy my backyard. There is still so much to do....like I said, by the time I get things done, Fall will be here...oh well.....then comes winter and we start all over again.

Well, time to close here, it's going on Midnight and I still have not gone downstairs to work on a few cards. I got another Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin' up yesterday and made a few cards from that kit....I should take some pictures real soon.

You have a great day, keep looking up, better days are coming.

Cheers ~ Louise

Old Stove ~ New-Used-Stove

Hi there everyone....how are you doing this fine day????? My Hawks are in the Stanley Cup Playoff's, they are playing the St. Louis Blues, so far the score is 0-0 and we are in the 3rd period!!!!
I will let you know the score at the end of this post.....Go Hawks!!!

Well, as you can see....I got a new (used) stove (please scroll down two pictures)....the white stove which finally matches my refrigerator, pretty cool, huh???

So the above picture is my old Norge, it came with this house when we bought it in 1991, so yeah, I had it for 25 years and who knows how long it has been within this house. It was "on it's last legs" as the appliance man said. It was working on only 2 burners, the timer and clock did not work, the oven door did not close all the way, so heat escaped  when baking and the oven door handle fell off dozens of times, finally I had JP grey tape it back, I got tired of opening the door and the handle would come off....geez!!!

In the above picture is the old stove all cleaned and ready to hit the rode....I shall miss you....no, not so much!!! (notice my lovely yellow walls (Rebuilding Together painted my kitchen and I have been adding the back-splash, a little at a time, I need to get another package at Menards this week and finish the bottom part. I seem to splatter a bit.)

TA-DA....here is my new (used) Amana stove. The appliance man said this stove is from the 2000's....so yeah, a little bit newer. A digital clock, timer, oven cleaner, it even shows the temp as it is preheating too. The heating elements get hotter faster too. I have a feeling when I fry a steak in the pan, I will actually be able to hear the sizzle of the steak....can hardly wait!!!

I am really enjoying this new stove and have been cooking up a storm. Last night I roasted a whole chicken.....tried a new recipe, no, I did not take a picture, I guess I forgot.

Tonight, I made this Cheesy Asparagus Tart with Hollandaise Sauce. If you are interested in this recipe, I think you might find it here. Yummy, this was really good. When JP comes home I will heat it up and a ham loaf from Easter Sunday. There will be Chicken soup from the roasted chicken last night. I love making Chicken soup....no two pots are ever the same.

In this picture.....I am making a chocolate/peanut butter cake with fudge frosting. I have not taken a picture of the finished product. You will have to come back in a few days to see what it looks like finished....lol!!!

Well time to close here for a few days....have to go finish my cake and watch the rest of the Hockey game....we are in overtime..score is still 0-0.....my goodness!!! This is just the first game for them with 6 more to go. I think, who ever wins 4 games, wins, then it's on to the next team. Just this one series will last 2 weeks....in all, the hockey teams will be playing into June. I sure don't remember the season lasting this long when I used to see the games in Chicago back in the 60's....course then there was only 6 teams....now there is 30 teams (if I calculated right). 

Aw....shucks....St. Louis scored!!! 1-0!!!! Well, there's 6 more games to go with St. Louis.

You all have a great day and keep looking up....better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

My Apple Tree and a Recipe

Hi everyone. Hope you are all doing well and staying cool in this very warm weather.
Today I am going to tell you about this wonderful apple tree. I am not really sure what the name of the apple tree is, the apples are green, they cook up really good and are not too sweet. I planted the tree probably about 15-20 years ago. It took a very long time to grow....now it is so tall, it is hard to reach the apples even with an extender basket. I need a TALL person!!!
In the above picture is a shot of our tree in the spring....oh my, it was just full of blossoms this year....I was so excited. During the winter, either the squirrel or rabbits got a hold of my two apple trees and ate the bark off the trees. My neighbor thought the trees were ruined. So did I for that matter.
Then, one spring morning I looked out the window and "oh my gosh" the tree was just loaded with flowers. We ended up not spraying the tree. Just letting it go natural. I mentioned I had two trees. The other tree is a red apple tree. As far as I can see, there are only 1 or 2 apples up there. Maybe next year will be its' year to show off!!!

Oh my....apples in the tree!!! There have been apples before, but NOT so big and NOT so abundant!!! My goodness every branch was just loaded with apples!!! I've made a few pickings since this picture was taken. Some of the apples are buggy inside. But then, some are just fine. The birds and squirrels get their share. So I think if I can get a good share of cooked apples in the freezer I will be happy.

In this picture are some apples I picked tonight with our new little $25 apple extender from Menards. I am hoping that the basket will pay for itself. Maybe it has and I have not realized it as yet.

In this picture is a shot of the apples still left in the tree that are too high for Louise to reach even with the basket extender.

So here we are, tonight with 20 apples waiting to be cut and sliced in the kitchen sink.

So here is a picture of the apples cooked up in it's sauce. All I do is add about a cup of water with the apples, cook them up a bit, add cinnamon, and maybe 4 packets of stevia. (if you use sugar, maybe about 1/4 cup of sugar, depends how sweet you want the apples), then I add some corn starch with a little bit of water and mix with the apples to thicken the juice. Taste test to see if they are cooked through and sweet enough for your taste.

Okay...here is the recipe. I found it on www.cooks.com  Look for it under "Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake." I found with this recipe, you can use any fruit you desire...that is why I am using my apples. (I've used cherries also) Bake this coffee cake/pie at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Pie filling
Cream together the butter and sugar, add eggs. Add dry ingredients next and beat well. Batter will be heavy. Spread 3/4 of the batter in a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with the pie filling. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over filling.
 Sprinkle with the following mixture.
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
One last step....I sprinkle the top of the cake with some more cinnamon, of course this is with the apple pie. Using other fruit would be optional.

Another thing about this recipe...I cut all the ingredients in half, so instead of making a 9x13, I make a pie pan...which is enough for JP and I.
I have company coming next weekend, so I may make a 9x13 apple dessert then.

After baking, a slice of heaven. Adding some whip cream or ice cream to this dessert would really top it off.

Taste Testing....mmmmmm....good!!

Well there you have it, a wonderful dessert for any time, any place and any where. I really like making this, as it is really easy and goes fast. JP likes it a lot too, but then he is not a hard person to please when it comes to food, he eats most anything I concoct and always knows that if I follow a recipe, I never quite follow it to the "T"....always changing some ingredient.

Hope you enjoy this recipe...I sure do. Have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

Birdie Houses

 Hi Everyone......how is your day going, hope you are keeping cool in this very warm weather. Now remember, if you live in a state that has cold harsh winters, think back to these warm, warm days. At least in winter you can bundle up to keep warm.

 So in these three pictures are our bird houses and bird bath. This has been quite the busy place for active birdies, squirrels and chipmunks. Together they seem to feed on the same stuff. When the squirrels and chipmunks show up....we send Kylie out to chase them away, but they seem to come back when she comes in the house. I have seen cardinals, wrens and finches. Lots of sparrows though.......but that is okay, it is fun just to see the birds enjoy my backyard.

Another view of the houses. The green and white house came from Steins ($16.98) and the red barn came from Menards ($12.98). The same green and white house can be bought at Walmart ($9.97). There is still some things I want to do with the "birdie garden" but it has just been tooooo hot to spend alot of time outside. Maybe when things cool down a bit. This is much too warm for me.

Well time to close here for a bit. You all take care and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

"These Boots Were Made 4 Walking"

 Hi Everyone........how is your day going. Well, Saturday is over and done and tomorrow is the last day of June!!!! My goodness this month went by fast. I should be all done planting things, BUT........could not resist a few sales today. A Big Boy tomato plant for 75 cents, zennia, and petunia plants for 75 cents. We also bought a pretty hanging plant for $5 at Northside.

Then we went to Menards and bought a new lawn mower (our old/used mower bit the dust), bought some bricks for landscaping, buy one brick, the second one is free....deal!! 6 bricks for $5.28 and 6 bricks for FREE!!! We also found a new plant........forgetting the name, it is going to bloom pretty blue flowers, probably will plant it in the front yard. I will be looking for a red rose also........I still have time yet, don't I??

Here is another angle of the boots, see the geraniums in those boots that were made for walking??? In back of the boots is the new plant. Slowly but surely things are starting to gel together. Didn't do much outside as we were doing alot of shopping. I did manage to put some new batteries in some of my decorative lights that were dimming. I like the little twinkling lights at night......soooo pretty!!!

Well, time to close this blog for the night and for the month of June. So, see you in July with new cards, recipes and gardening ideas. Take care and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise

A Laugh and A Fountain



Laugh for the day...........

So how you all doing today........a new week with many new surprises to come.

The weather is supposed to be nice this week. Think I will work in the yard and try to get my fountain assembled. This is what it looks like now.

The liner is going up next to the garage. The flagstone will be piled around the liner.....some how. We were looking at pumps on Saturday, Steins has one for $50 and Menards $36. I have Home Depot and Fleet Farm yet to check out. Oh the hunt of finding what you want......makes for a fun-filled day!!
Guess I better get these rocks up pretty soon....there won't be any grass growing by the time I am done. Course JP won't mind, that will be less grass to cut.

There is so much to do, enough to keep me busy for the summer...but then isn't that what summers are about....keeping busy outside and moving, moving, moving.
Hope to lose some poundage this summer, like 10 lbs would be good, maybe that will lower the blood sugars a bit. We'll see.
Well, I am cutting this blog short today, have to get some things done around the house and start working on my fountain today. Have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise