SPRING Where Art Thou???

Hi there everyone! How has your week been? It's been nice here, a few days of cold and a few flurries. Next week it will be in the 30's and low 40's.......Spring, I am looking for you......perhaps it is right around the corner???? 

I have been thinking about what I want to plant when Spring comes....not sure I will go hog wild this year. Maybe just some tomato plants and flowers will do. I can't seem to get onions and zucchini growing, guess there is too much shade in my back yard and the dirt is too hard. Maybe I should try growing things in the front yard in full sun. Course the dirt is no better there either. Well, I still have a few months to ponder this situation.

I do so look forward to Spring and Summer and the beautiful flowers. Not sure where I got this picture, but this rose sure is pretty.

I know where these tulips come from....my front yard, it's a sure sign of spring when the tulips bloom.

Here's a colorful little Spring poem for you to read......

One of my pretty yellow roses in the front yard.

So tomorrow I shall be working on our taxes....I have been putting them off for a week now, for some reason I cannot get myself to tackle that job. But I know once I get to it, I will really get into it. I enjoy organizing, shuffling and filing papers, (must be a throw back from being a secretary or something.)

I went out today, to the Salvation Army to get some bread, mail the mortgage at the Post Office. Get some gas and coffee. Cookies and chocolate donut for JP's lunch. Oh and a corn dog. We shared that. That was the extent of my outing and I almost had enough. Gosh people are crazy drivers on Friday....they have gone wild!!! Payday and they want to get the weekend started......"get out of my way, you move too slow old lady." Gosh, if I didn't have to go to the store and run a few errands, I would be content to stay at home, I have become a home-body for sure!!!!

Well, time to close here before I bore you to death!!! You all take care and keep looking up cause better days are here again....if only the "left" would let it happen!!!! Cheers ~ Louise

Christmas and Stuffed Steak Roll

Hi there everyone. How are your Christmas plans going?? Been a little slow getting my decorations up....still have 4 boxes of decorations yet to unload...my Christmas village, lights on the front porch. Christmas cards to finish and mail. Cookies made, have to send a batch to my step-father in LasVegas. Just doing a little bit each day, maybe eventually it will all get done.

Made these stuffed steak rolls tonight...oh yummy were they delicious!!!! Of course mine did not look like this. I think next time I shall get the steak butterflied and pound it a little bit more. The recipe called for flank steak. Which I had. Pounded it out, but it could have used more. 3 tablespoons of garlic, 1 onion and chopped up mushrooms. Cook in oil with salt and pepper. Cover the mixture over the steak. A layer of spinach and a layer provolone cheese. Roll up the steak and stick picks in each slice to keep them together. Fry in oil to brown, then place in a pan 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Oh yummy so good. I will probably do some roasted fries and Brussels sprouts yet tonight before JP gets home.

I think I might make this again using a thinner steak, will have to keep my eye open to the deals.

Well, time to close this one....I know it's is short....but really, not much going on for now.

Well, my Chicago Blackhawks won tonight 4-0 so that was a good game. You all have a great evening and keep looking up......better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Cookies~~Cookies and Taxes

Hi there everyone. Hahahaha funny little pug dog, he's not exactly what you were expecting for tech support....right? Thought we could all use a little bit of humor on Monday's. Yep, even though it is still Christmas Cookies. Tech support is on the way!!

Not much going on here. Worked on income taxes Saturday. Got the bulk of it done, now I just have to figure out medical expenses and medicine, then I am done. Whew, what a job!!! Would be nice if we got a refund...then I could pay a few bills........it's a never ending circle of paying bills. Thank God for COOKIES!!!!

We got some good news the other day. The "Rebuilding Together" people that fixed our roof in October will be coming again to fix the kitchen ceiling and put a new fan in. I suspect there was a lot of water damage so they feel a new fan needs to be added. Fine with me. I suspect they will let me know how much work is ahead of me as to what I must move out of the kitchen, dishes, food etc. They will be also putting in banisters down the basement and a few other small details....I think the porch might be painted too. We will see. This will all take place in May, so I have much to look forward to.

Well, I guess I must take down my Valentine Tree....guess it is time. It's been fun....I will miss the pretty lights. I suppose I could leave the tree up till St. Patrick's Day.....hummm....we'll see. I am not sure Mr. Elf wants to take that long nap till Christmas as yet.

One more week of February and we are entering March...my goodness these days are flying by. Maybe March will come in like a lion and go out like a lamb and could it be "spring is right around the corner" YES...yes....yessssss!

 

Well time to close this blog for the night. Need to get downstairs and get some cards made for Hospice. The next meeting is March 6th....so I have some work a head of me. But, it is fun and relaxing work.

Don't forget to leave a comment on my blogs...every comment is worth a chance to win a St. Patrick's Day card from me. Even if you just stop by and say "Hi Louise" that's good enough for your name to be dropped in the bowl. March 10th will be the day to pick 4 names.

So have great night and good week, keep looking up.

Cheers ~ Louise

Merry Christmas♥

Hi everyone. Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas. All the rushing around, the buying of presents, wrapping, decorating, cooking and baking have all come to a screehing halt and finally we can actually remember what this season is really about. It's not about "US, YOU or ME" No, it's about Jesus and his birth over two thousand years ago. Of whom it was predicted would come....but no one believed and there are still some....still waiting. Won't they be surprised when Jesus comes back a Second time?

I love these pictures....although they are not quite scriptural...because the 3 wise men did not show up at the home of Mary and Joseph till after Jesus was 2 years old. Nope...they were never there, just the shepherds. Actually, it is said that Jesus was born in October, because the shepherds brought the sheep into the barns in November/December. Guess it might have gotten a little chilly about then. (Did you happen to see how much snow Israel got last week...so, yes, it just may have been cold for those that lived in desert places back then)

This is probably my favorte picture (below) of that "Holy Night" Just Mary and Joseph, an angel and the animals watching over Jesus. The greatest gift of all times is the gift that God gave us....Jesus.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son (Jesus). That whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Now...we march on to 2014....I pray this new year will be your best ever and that if you have not done so....Ask Jesus into your heart and ask Him to forgive all your sins, big and small alike. He is a forgiving God and no matter what you might have done, He'll wash it all away as if it never happened. Make Jesus your Lord and Savior, then you too can know that if you would die this very moment in time, that you will be in heaven...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Well, you have a wonderful Christmas and keep looking up for your redemption does truely draw nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

♥Coooookies♥and a Recipe♥

Hi everyone, how you all doing?? Keeping your Christmas activities "stress-free"?? So much to do in so little time it seems. Well I have a lot of loose ends to tie up. Finally got all the decorations up. Need to finish up a few more cards which usually contain a letter. I used to do those Christmas letters to everyone, but who wants to read a run-down of everything a person does in the year. My year was not that much different then the previous year...so I guess not alot of news.

Been doing a bit of baking, need to send a package to Pops in Las Vegas. So far I have Buttered Popcorn cookies and Peanut Butter cookies with almond kisses in the center. As you can see in this picture below.

Today I will be making some Georgia Tea Cakes and hopefully packing the package tonight in order to mail it tomorrow. Oh and I am adding a cute little stuffed puppy dog. I Hate to see the lines at the post office tomorrw, but it needs to get done.

The recipe for the Georgia Tea Cakes is really easy....that is why I chose them. Here's the recipe:
1 cup sugar (I might add less)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 - 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Colored Sugars

Intructions:
Mix together sugar, butter, vanilla, egg and milk. Stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets; sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake @ 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Center should be soft when cooled.

So maybe when I get the cookies baked, I will add the picture to this blog at the end of the day so you can see what they look like. If you would like the recipe for the Buttered Popcorn cookies here is the address: http://www.milkandmode.com/2012/11/buttered-popcorn-cookies.html?spref=bl the Peanut Butter with kiss centers is from Pillsbury Peanut Butter dough.

After reading this blog a couple of times, I failed to let you know what I thought of the Buttered Popcorn cookies....I really liked them, but then who doesn't like popcorn????

1) The dough was really good and you probably could add just about anything your heart desires to it.

2) The recipe calls for 1/3 cup un-poppedcorn which is equivilant to 4-5 cups of popped popcorn.

3) Mix the dough and popcorn all together then roll into golf sized balls. I found pressing the balls down before baking rather then waiting after they baked, they will be more crispy-er...which is the way I like them. Good Cookies for popcorn lovers.

Well, you all have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wanted to wish all my blog friends a Very Merry Christmas.

Well, the busyness of shopping, making cards and sending them, decorating, making gifts and cookies, (still working on JP's Christmas present) is coming to a climax. Whew, so, so busy. Plus I was dealing with some kind of cold that put me down for a week. Still not feeling that well, but much better then I was.

Tonight for dinner I am making a little steak and shrimp, salad and crispy mashed red potatoes........sure do like this little recipe, here it is:

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

4 ~ 1 1/2 inch red potatoes
olive oil
salt and water
seasoning (your choice) or kosher salt and pepper

Scrub potatoes and in a pan big enough to hold the amount of potatoes you want, add water and some salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until "fork tender" or until the fork meets little resistance.

Preheat oven to 450. Add olive oil to a nonstick baking pan with an edge. Use enough to have it "pool" a lit not just coat. Add the potatoes and "smash" to about 1/2 inch thick. I used a potato masher or fork.

Brush top with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and anything else you want.
Bake until brown and crisp. About 20-25 minutes. I like extra crispy, so I leave them in a little longer.

Takes about 1 hour to make but very worth the time.

Happy eating and enjoy tonight and tomorrow, Christmas Day. We are going to Jim and Arlene's house for ham dinner at noon. Probably spend a couple of hours with them. Then home and relax.....not sure when we will open gifts between JP and I, maybe when I get his present done????? Gosh, that could be next week.....hahahahaha

Well you all have a great Christmas and enjoy the season, it will go all to fast. Keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

Pleassssssssssssse Can I Come In?????

I know, I know, another animal picture, but I like puppies and kitties, so what can I say. 

Well, today's agenda is to make some "pumpkin cookies" and get the rest of my Christmas cards out. Finally got my stepfather's Christmas present mailed yesterday, a $3 stuffed doggie and a box of homemade cookies. $9.50 to mail that box and he will get it by next Wednesday.......well at least it's arriving before Christmas this year....hahaha. Things to still accomplish, 1) finish decorating my little tree and 2) put up my mini village and figurines. It will get done this week-end, 3) then I can concentrate on making JP's "race-car" scrapbook. 4) Wrap presents.

Just heard on the news about the Conn. school shooting, 18 kindergartners and 8 adults. The shooter is dead, but a 2nd person is being questioned. A parents worse night-mare. A school is supposed to be a safe place......not anymore. Why in the world do these things happen??? More and more I am beginning to see, it's true, if a person does not have a faith and belief in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, these things WILL happen. When the Bible and prayer were taken out of the schools, that is when everything went down the tubes. When will people learn, "you cannot run from God, cause he will eventually catch you"!!!! No one is exempt from God and everyone needs HIM.

Well, it has been a week since we put our sweet dog Hyko down. I still miss him and have sudden crying jags every now and then. Hyko had so much personality and I miss those big brown eyes looking up at me, he sure had a will to live. Maybe in the spring, I will make a walking stone to mark his little grave, right now there is a big blue ornament and orange rose to mark his spot. My other dogs Anna, Poppy and Truffles had daffodils planted on their graves. I guess eventually, the walking stone will be for all our doggies. (sigh)

Well, time to close this blog for today, you all keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise

PS I promise to be more up-beat and newsy in my next blog!!!

A Funny Picture Today

HaHaHaHa..........I needed a fun picture today and found this in my stored-up pictures saved on the "stick". Sooooo today is MONDAY!!!!! What have you got planed for today and for the rest of this week???? Fifteen days till Christmas and I still have lots to do.

Made some peppermint cookies last week and some cut out ginger and butter cookies yesterday. Today I need to decorate them. Will be putting a little box together for the step-father out in Las Vegas along with a stuffed doggie. Picked him up for $3 at the thrift store. Pops usually complains. "Don't send me money, don't send me crossword puzzles, don't send me candy".................maybe someday I will not send him anything, see how he likes that. Sometimes situations like this, can take the joy of giving out of Christmas.

Still have some cards to make and a few gifts to make. Still have JP's gift to make, his race car scrapbook. Hopefully I can get a few pages done, so he gets the idea of what it will look like, wrap it up and put it under our little tree.

We have been invited out for Christmas dinner, so that will be nice, don't have to cook Christmas day. The pastor and his wife treated JP and I to my birthday (Nov. 21st) dinner yesterday, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots. There was enough for take-home and another meal, so I didn't have to cook yesterday either. AAHHH those little bonuses in life, aren't they grand?

Well, there is no sense stressing over Christmas, it is not worth it, if things get done, they get done, if not, there really is no one to impress, I still have our little tree to decorate and put up my Christmas village. So I guess in the next 15 days will be busy. Then comes January and TAXES!!! Uge, that is when I shall stress!!!! You all enjoy Christmas and have a great time but still keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

BIG STORM TODAY...........WOW!!!!!

We sure had a big storm today..............most snow in 24 hours since the 1920's. Woke up this morning to find 2 people trying to dig their cars out of the snow..........sure was a mess, they finally got unstuck after about an hour.

I went out for a little while to brush off my car, or should I say shovel off my car, there had to be over a foot of snow on my car. Then to my shock, I noticed my car door slightly opened, I then opened and shut it, thinking my husband had gone in there for something and just didn't shut the door properly. Thinking not too much about that incident I kept on shoveling. Then we had to move the cars to get the snow plowed and I got into my car and noticed my sunglasses on the floor................that was strange............then I noticed my walking shoes were out of my 'inches a weigh' bag...........that was strange...........seemed like things were a little disaray in my front seat, tapes were moved........that was strange.........I sure felt like someone had been in my car.

WELL.................then I opened the back door to get the car brush, I noticed my black leather merchandising bag was missing?????????? Where did it disappear to???????? I do believe I was robbed..........I think the robbers thought there was a computer in the bag BUT, there was nothing of value in that bag, just pens, notebook, change purse.....maybe with a few pennies, pliers, hammer, tape, water...........nothing of value.............I guess what bothers me is that someone was rumagging around in MY CAR!!!!! At first we thought the laptop computer was still in the bag, cause my husband thought he had used it at the library..............but that was the other bag. Soooo, no, the robber did not affscound with our old laptop computer.

I know you will say................."well, lock your doors from now on". I was going to do that, but the doors freeze during the winter months and I will never get into my car then. So I just will not keep anything of value in the car, if I do have something of value, I will put it in the trunk.

LESSON LEARNED............................

Well, we are all dug out now, it was a nice day off. Got some candy made for the cookie container I am sending for my stepfather in Las Vegas for Christmas. Little round pretzels, with a hersey kiss melted and a red or green m&m placed in the middle..........fun to make.

Christmas is fast approaching.................16 days away...................still feel scattered, got my cards made and in the next couple of days will get them out to a few people........I am really cutting back this year. Christmas has gotten so commercialized, I am tired of being so caught up in all this stuff. The true meaning has gotten so watered down................shame on us............FOR JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. How have we gotten so far off into left field??????

Well, I shall end this blog for now............you all have a great day and take time to smell the roses and enjoy the day.
Louise