Hi all,
Just a note to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Christmas Season! Times are not easy for everyone, in the season or apart from it. Keep hope in your heart, love for each other and be joyful in your family, friends and help others in need when you can.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all 
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
Thought I would post some pictures of some of the lilies we have grown this year. The season has been a little wonky so most of the plants are done blooming, but they were beautiful while they were here! The last picture is an Oregon Grape Holly. Very sharp barbs on the leaves, but an interesting plant. I have put in an image of the holly when it has its grape-like berries.
Enjoy this bit of Nature’s Splendor!! 
Hi all,
Here are a couple of photos I found of Red Pandas that just made me smile! Hope they do the same for you!!! 
More with the baking results and recipes in next post!
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
The past several weeks I have been working with a couple of recipes sent to me by my sister. One is English Muffin Bread and the other is my Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls. In later blogs I will tell you how this is going, any problems I may have had and get the recipes for you.
Meanwhile, the garden is still alive, but I am waiting for the weather to warm a bit to see how things will progress. My poinsettia has around 8+ flowers on it, in the month of May! The third rendition of the peach dessert went over well with our company last week and the yellow knockout rose bush we planted is blooming, as are the red and variegated versions. Found out that one of the roses that we planted is a climber, so we will be getting a trellis so it can go to town in a head for the sky direction. The last couple of years it was really spindly, but boy is it doing well so far this year! Will try to post pictures later.
Until next time!
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
Hope everyone is getting a dose of Springtime! A couple of posts back I shared that my poinsettia was developing red flowers, well it has increased its count from two to four. A cheerful sight on rainy days.
The other day, going through seasonal décor, I came up with some door hangers from some short or one day celebrations. Wanted to put them somewhere with easy access and decided to put a removable hook inside my second bathroom linen closet door to hang them. So the St Patrick’s, Easter, 4th of July and other door hanging décor that don’t do well in boxes is now accessible and out of the way 
Something else that is a helpful item; small, adhesive felt dots. I find that they keep metal art from rubbing the wall when placed on the back of the art piece or regular picture frames to keep the wall form being marred. Just find the main contact spots and pop a couple of dots on them to hold it off the wall.
As for the garden, as expected the radishes are popping through and the plants are getting bigger already! Still waiting for the other seeded veggies to show themselves, but each to its own schedule.
Have a great day. Until next time!
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
Spring 
is coming and so are those pesky little gnats and flies. Not that they completely disappear over the winter, but warm weather seems to stimulate the little buggers. I mentioned in a past post that I use snack chip bags and the like to get rid of the meat and veggie waste. Well these little pests seem to like dive-bombing my beverages! 
Well in looking around the kitchen I noticed that the lids from cream cheese, cottage cheese and icing tubs fit over some of my most frequently used cups and mugs. Not all of them are exact fits but they are a quick way to thwart the bug bombers from messing-up my liquid refreshments. The same trick can be used for side dishes on your outdoor picnics. Whipped topping, coffee or oatmeal lids will keep the insect squads a little more under control and keep your pickles, tomatoes, etc. from too much added and unwanted protein. 
Some of the lids will have printing, but In the long run I can put-up with that better than something doing the back-stroke in my coffee. 
The lids are also something that can be used instead of thrown out and for those of you in the snowier areas, I have been known to use some of these lids to remove thin ice on my windshield. The plastic doesn’t scratch the glass and I always have some in the kitchen drawer, Just lay the lid flat and hold it down with your open hand, moving in a circular motion.
That’s it for now, hope so of these ideas are helpful to you!
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
The days have been a little heavy on my overall outlook. The snow, the cold,and the power outage! Well a few days ago I went into the bathroom where my plants winter and a happy sight greeted me. My poinsettia that came back all greet and lush after the Christmas of 2019 was actually sporting a small red “flower”!! We took a picture so you could enjoy the little spirit lifter I experienced that morning! It has been almost 2 months since Christmas, but new life is welcome anytime 
.
Hope it brightens your day!
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
A good morning to you! We are awash in snow yet again. This is the time of year when the seasons are unpredictable. Right now we are in winter mode and the prediction for next week is more Spring-like weather. Today around freezing and around Monday in the mid-plus 40’s or better! The saying is if March comes in mildly, like a lamb it will exit ferociously, like the lion. My hope is that we get winter out of the way and Spring shines through with new life. Here’s to seeing the lion before the lamb!
I am wishing that all of you in the storms path are safe and warm! And here’s to Spring coming soon!
Enjoy! 
Hi all,
Well early Sunday we were awakened by the sound of silence , except for the bleating 
of our power back-up batteries every few seconds
A deep snow had fallen to and the trees and fencing were iced in 5 or so inches of the fluffy white stuff. Now we scurry around shutting down the noise makers. Look! It’s only 5 o’clock, let’s get some more sleep and the power will probably be back and life will go on as normal again!!
NO such luck. As the day dawned we went about our routine of getting dressed, having coffee 
(instant, of course ) as the gas range was operating with match power. Ham and eggs, no toast.
The snow set a beautiful scene on the landscape. It was what we call a winter wonderland. Let’s take pictures before it all melts off.
Okay, this usually gets resolved in a couple of hours, all is good we think. Hey, the CD player can run on batteries and it has a radio!!!! 
What about the Super Bowl? Things should be fine by then, you’ll see. 3:30 PM hallelujah !!! Power! 3:35 out again
Okay, can still use stove, rice and soup for dinner. No football. Will the lanterns hold out? YES, LED!!! Save phone batteries, don’t internet!!! Getting chilly in here, take the dog out. Listen to the radio, no news about power. We decide to turn in around 10: 00. Brush teeth hunker in under the blankets.
Getting comfy. Are you kidding me? Now the power comes back? 17 hours of thumb twiddling, water heating, icy hands from keeping those thumbs washed
Check the clocks, turn on the battery back-ups, reveling in the fact that the furnace is humming along.
A thought enters my head and I realize that we should really give more credit to all those who built this world and our country without all the conveniences we enjoy today. I am grateful to live in a time of such wonderful things as electricity, indoor plumbing, instant communication and CENTRAL HEATING 
Keep safe and warm!!
Enjoy! 
HI all!
Well today is Epiphany. The wise men have found the Baby Jesus and look forward to better things for mankind, much as we all hope 2021 will be a better year.
Next post I will share a few variations on my Hamburger Soup, which also goes very well with the Crusty Cornmeal Rolls I posted a while back.
I hope for you all a year that brings the opportunity to move forward to better times.
Enjoy! 
Notions and Nibbles 